This Haunting Melody (Blaine)

[kirsi]

LOST SOUL, STRONG MIND

SMILES || blaine
300

Her fingers leave the keys and fall lightly into her lap, digits folding over each other against the simple black derss she wears as the talking in the room slowly grows more apparent to her. The sounds of people at this event had slowly dimmed as she played, the only focus the Medium had spared being cast upon they keys of the piano and the music she made simply by laying her fingertips to the Donphan-ivory keys.

It's a relaxing thing for her, enough to drive her consciousness to a sort of trance and eliminate awareness of everything else in her small world for the brief period of time she played.

After what seems like many minutes of absolute stillness, she turns to face the crowd who are paying more attention to the others around them and the food provided than the music she had given them.

That's fine, though.

Blind eyes blink once as she stands, and she looks down to where she knows her loyal Espeon sat unmoving through the performance. "Dagmar." she whispers quietly, catching the pokemon's attention. "Sight." The pokemon bends its neck in compliance, before raising its eyes once more to the event hall. Violet take on a muted shade of red as it crosses the bridge between its mind and its trainers, gifting her temporarily with what it saw.

Kirsi moves down the steps, pokemon following her silently. The only person here she felt the need to speak to at least once tonight was the one before her now, Lux's own President.

"President Blaine." she murmurs quietly from behind him, eyes trailed off to the side. Her pokemon wasn't looking at his face anyway, instead keeping her updated on her other surroundings. "I'm sure the Viridian Military Academy appreciates your presence at this graduation..."

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

[blaine]

Blaine always took it upon himself to thin the natural intimidation that comes with being President of the Lux faction. he wanted people to like him, and the best way to do that was to appear more human. His favorite thing to do was make appearances at major events, just to show that he cares. Kind of. He prefers army events, especially welcome home ceremonies for oversea troops. Very emotional those, makes him feel warmer inside.

Some don't like Blaine's attendance of events. They have the assumption that he is ignoring his presidential duties. That is simply not true, but he can't prove the naysayers wrong just yet. Classified stuff. He carries on though, keeping up a schedule of work and fun. Today he attended the graduation celebration of the Viridian Military Academy, congratulating the warriors of Lux. It was a mildly high class event, full of veterans and generals who would wish luck upon the soon to depart soldiers. The mood was joyful, though a dark curtain of foreboding in the air. There was always a slight sadness in seeing a young individual become a soldier. Mostly because it was very likely you would never see them again.

Blaine kept his spirits high, entertaining those he approached with jokes and riddles. Eventually he pulled himself aside for a rest, only to be approached directly by another. He turned to the small voice behind him, and spotted Kirsikka Izanami. The entertainment for this evening. A few individuals nearby pondered why she had ventured from her piano, but Blaine held no such thoughts. He was glad she approached him, saved him the trouble of waiting after the party to meet her.

He grinned and bowed slightly, "Hello Ms. Izanami, it is a great honor to meet you. I'm a rather large fan of yours. Such a grand musical talent you have. I truly envy it." He raised his hand for it to be shaken but quickly caught himself. He had to remember the girl was blind, he'd probably look silly offering her a handshake. he folded his hands behind his back instead and gave her a cheerful nod, "Do you know someone graduating today?"

[kirsi]

LOST SOUL, STRONG MIND

SMILES || BLAINE
269

The corner of her mouth twitches upwards for a mere couple of seconds in the faint hint of a suggested smile before falling back to the flat line her lips normally make; her expression of neutrality and reserved of any emotion. ”Your praise flatters me, sir.” she states quietly in return, eyes and voice devoid of any tone that suggests her words are genuine. Instead, the light flush that brings color to her pale cheeks can vouch for how truly heart-felt her words to the older man are. ”I would be more than willing to give you a private recital, if you ever desire an afternoon of music.”

Though it’s her form of a weak joke, the offer is serious. If there ever arose an opportunity for her to play, it would mean work – pay. She would feel as though her talent was appreciated by another and that was more pay than she could ever receive from paper or metal.

Kirsi picks her head up slightly at his question, jaw angling toward the President before her pale irises turn toward his face as though she can see him. ”I actually don’t.” It was true. ”I’m merely the pianist for the event. However…” She blinks slowly, allowing her eyes to remain closed for a few seconds before they open once more. ”…the happiness and sense of belonging the graduates have among their classmates and family…and the pride they feel from their accomplishment is close enough for me. I can’t imagine many would act differently, even if I knew them.”

After a moment, she continues. ”I don’t imagine you do, either?”

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

[blaine]

Business as usual, as she said. Blaine nodded at her words, he fully agreed. The warmth exerted from the graduates and their families was incredibly evident, you couldn't help but feel jolly while celebrating along side them. Blaine loved that feeling, the happiness found by observing the joy of others. Never gets old.

Kirsi mirrored his question, "Well erm, no I do not. I am simply letting these fine young men and women know how much Lux appreciates their efforts. The army is hard work, these soldiers deserve to know they are loved and supported."

Blaine paused for a moment and looked around. A few people were still grumbling to each other about the entertainment interacting with the president. None of their business really, but nothing Blaine could do. Blaine huffed briefly before asking Kirsi, "Do you have a place of rest besides your piano? Perhaps we should continue our conversation at a table."

[kirsi]

LOST SOUL, STRONG MIND

SMILES || BLAINE
187

The Medium nods in quiet understanding when the President speaks. Although a pacifist by nature, Kirsi agrees with his sentiment. The military for either faction involved with the war wasn't for the faint of heart. Their effort was appreciated, even from Kirsi.

In the pause of their conversation, her sensitive ears pick up on the disgruntled words of those around her, and a blink is all she portrays her amusement with. The slightly shifted emotions are enough for the Medium to know gentle background music for the event is more appreciated than shown while it's actually playing.

Silver hair falls over her shoulders when she shakes her head to answer him. "I was not informed of a designated seat for a break in playing, so..." Narrow shoulders rose and fell in a petite shrug. "I'll assume not. I wouldn't mind a seated conversation." The Espeon at her heels looked up toward the president, allowing its owner to "see" him in case he began moving.

Pale fingers fell gently to the table they stood next to, gliding lightly over the cloth toward where she assumed the beverages were.

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

[blaine]

Blaine nodded as Kirsi agreed to moving their conversation to a table. He watched her as she attempted to reach for a beverage at a nearby table. Not wanting to see a blind girl fumble, Blaine discretely slid one of the many glasses toward her hand. Whenever Kirsi would obtain her glass, Blaine would motion northward, "Have your Espeon follow me and I'll lead ya to my table over here."

Blaine began to walk toward his private table, though he kept looking back to see if Kirsi was following. He was sure to stay mildly close as well, it would be terrible if the Espeon lost track of him and got lost. However losing the President would be hard to do. The room was filled with people, yet they had enough sense to stand aside for the president. Funny enough, Blaine didn't notice it. He just made his way to his table near the stage and sat down, pull a chair out near him for Kirsi.

He would wait for Kirsi to get herself situated before continuing their talk. His table currently had no others, and the bodyguards that would surround the table were a safe distance away so they would not be able to ease drop. Blaine would lean in and ask, "I've always wanted to ask you, how ever did you learn to play the piano without even being able to see it? The concept is fascinating to me."

[kirsi]

LOST SOUL, STRONG MIND

SMILES || BLAINE
303

Delicate fingertips brush against glassware and her gentle hand takes the object from the table, and carefully balances it in her light grip. "Follow, Dagmar," the Medium orders her companion quietly. Through its eyes, Kirsi watches the somewhat distorted shape of the Lux President move, and the pianist follows with her Psychic-type in silence. The pokemon remains focused on the older gentleman before them, and it weaves its violet gaze between the few people that hadn't parted to allow the man through in order for its trainer to mirror. Kirsi exhales silently as her Espeon directs its gaze to the President's actions.

She takes a seat in the chair offered, silver hair falling forward with a slight nod of thanks before she verbally says so. "Thank you, sir." The words are murmured, though sincere. Kirsi's "sight" vanishes as the Espeon closes its eyes and stills the bridge between their minds that allows it to "show" its trainer her surroundings. Pale irises rise to look toward Blaine as he begins to speak, and the pokemon curls up next to the Medium's shoes, content with itself.

"Learning to play without sight?" The faintest ghost of a smile is visible on her usually still lips before it vanishes once more. "I was five when I first learned how to play; my eyesight still-functioning. Nine years is when my vision started fading - entirely so by the time I was thirteen. It was...very similar to learning how to play for the first time. Except I was both learning and re-learning what I already knew. My teacher was patient and understanding...I think the simplest way to explain it is I somehow knew the placement of the keys after a certain point. I would need to listen to a song repeatedly and merely sound it out on the piano."

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF BACK TO NEVERLAND

[blaine]

Blaine rested his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together. With his arms pointed up he rested his chin on his knuckles and smiled as he heard Kirsi's tale. And what a tale it was, such a miracle to still be able to preform a talent that you love even though a vital sense needed to preform it had abandoned you. Surely she must have a willpower that exceeds that of an ordinary human. Or maybe she's just very determined. Either one is respectable.

If you could see Blaine's eyes behind his thick sunglasses, his fanboy glee would be very apparent. Blaine liked complex things that could be worked with his hands, such as machinery or tools. He saw the piano as a complex thing, and being able to "work it" was a fantastic talent that he was rather envious of. If he could go back to his childhood, he would have made his younger self learn to play the piano rather than waste time on trombone lessons. What was he thinking? A trombone, how silly.

Blaine eventually spoke once more once Kirsi was finished, "A truly inspirational story. I'm surprised you don't share it more often, if you're lucky I bet you could get a movie deal out of it. Of course they would probably make it a supernatural thriller or something thanks to those rumors and all." Blaine was of course referring to the rumors that claim Kirsikka Izanami to have the ability to speak with the dead. That she has some sort of side job of Blaine, as a man of science, does not believe in such silliness and thus by default thinks them to be false...