[color=6ecff6]“My dear girl, how on earth did you do that?”[/color]

As soon as the words left his mouth, a sharp hiss pierced through the tentative murmur of the tavern, and the young girl’s sharply nailed hand came slashing at his face, stopping just before she could gouge out his eyeballs. There wasn’t even time for him to flinch. For several seconds, Edward found himself staring at the girl’s arched fingers, swearing that her palm lines where arranged in the shape of a fearsome beast. 

[color=00a99d]"I'm sorry, [i]Sir[/i]"[/color] the bartender snapped. [color=00a99d]"This lovely young lady was ordering first, if you have something you want to do, you can wait your turn."[/color]

[@BlackCat] [@SilverWolfAngel]

Frozen where he stood, Edward trembled as his eyes peered over at the bartender. He blinked, gulped, then stepped back a bit too hastily, laughing with an artificial heartiness, adjusting his coat lapels, and fixing his hat. [color=6ecff6]“Haha, oh dearest me, where are my manners,”[/color] Edward sheepishly squeaked. [color=6ecff6]“I must apologize for overstepping my boundaries. Surely, I mean not to intrude. I was merely enraptured by this lovely young lady’s display. I’ve not seen anything like it before in my li--”[/color]

He noticed that the young bartender’s stony expression had not budged a millimeter since he began his speech. In fact, she looked ready to pounce upon him - and not in the way he would prefer.

[color=6ecff6]“Well, I mean--,”[/color] Edward continued to stammer, and forced out a weak chuckle, though he slowly moved his right hand to his back, toward the handle of his hand cannon. Before he could reach it though, The girl took her own lethal hand back, allowing Edward room to breathe. Just as she had done before, she wrote her words upon the air.

[i][color=9e0b0f]My species is mute out of water. So it's a hereditary ability for communication.  [/color][/i]


He straightened up again and took it all in, though the bartender still seethed. How marvelous that he should be able to encounter such an exotic creature, Edward thought. And an amphibious one at that. His fascination with the girl began to grow. 

All of this is not to say that Edward was totally unaware of what was happening around him though. Growing up in a court of nobles required him to read through pretenses, ensure that everyone felt important, and uphold the code of pompous futility during all proceedings. Years of this had trained Edward’s eye to catch all sorts of social cues, and quite easily, he noticed that he had caught the attention of one of the other barmaids. He smirked to himself. If all else failed this evening, at least there would be something to [i]do[/i]. He would let her come to him though. 

Of course he also paid attention to the odd gray skinned girl nearby, talking to the portly man who appeared to be the owner. The girl honestly sent an odd sensation down his spine. 

Also, in the corner of his eye, likely talking to the aforementioned barmaid, stood a familiar looking figure with a lute. He investigated no further though, as to fully turn towards him would be rude to the ladies he was already [i]entertaining[/i]. 

[@karamonnom]

As he fixed his eyes on his charming eyepatched companions, a lovely voice lilted through the damp air. 

[color=f26522]"Edward! It's good to see you again! I do hope you remember me. We met last week?” [/color]

By the heavens, what luck! Edward put on his gaudiest smile and instantly turned towards the source of the voice, gasping with contrived wonderment. [color=6ecff6]“Aha! If it isn’t the beautiful Ms. Pallas! How I’ve dreamed that I’d once again be so fortunate as to gaze upon your resplendent visage and hear your voice as sweet as a songbird’s. How could I forget that wonderful evening we spent?”[/color] He kneeled down to kiss her hand, pretending not to mind that it was blackened by the dirt of a long journey. 

[color=f26522]”Oh who is your friend by the way?"[/color] Pallas asked.

Before he could pick himself up off the ground, the girl swiftly moved her hands to write on the air. 

[i][color=9e0b0f]1) He's not my friend. 
2) My name's Milo. But, I don't supposed you could've just asked me. 

Gah, I'm so sorry. [sub]Yeah, not really[/sub] Ugh. I'm trying to be nice. But it just isn't working. [/color][/i]

Edward quickly sprang up, brushed off the dirt from his knee and chuckled nervously. [color=6ecff6]“Come now, dear girl. While it’d be remiss to call us lifelong companions, surely you and I have gotten along swimmingly!”[/color] He flashed her a prepackaged smile, with a gleam in his eye that pleaded with her to play along, [color=6ecff6][i]So her name’s Milo,[/i][/color] he thought. 

[@Illogical Jim]

Just then, the man in the corner with a lute introduced himself and struck the first notes on his instrument. At the first sequence, Edward’s ears perked up. He knew this introduction very well! It was [i]Galeas and Griselda,[/i] a song quite beloved by his one time former music instructor. [color=6ecff6][i]that fussy prick.[/i][/color]

The plucking continued, linking the familiar melody at times with a masterfully subtle upper organum. A tasteful display of polyphony on the lute, though arranged in a sequence he had surely heard before. [color=6ecff6][i]Eh. Surely a product of mere coincidence.[/i][/color]

The man’s voice rang out like a bell, pure and true:

[i]“Beneath the tower the foemen shined…”[/i]

[color=6ecff6][i]Dear heavens, it’s him! What is that sorry b-ast-ard doing here?[/i][/color] Edward’s face visibly soured as he turned to face Ealdwine, who seemed not to recognize him. He remembered the countless hours in his teenage years, forced to sit in the music chamber with the man, working through scales and plucking techniques. In an instant though, he caught himself and reapplied a charming grin as he turned back to his companions.