#psilas

Fingers absently pluck at strings, a soft ( half-hearted, half focussed ) melody filling the air ; playing puts him at ease, even if it’s not his focus. Calms his quickening heart and steadies his breath. There’s nothing to fear, but the knowledge does little to put his nerves to rest-- not when there is much to prove, doesn’t want to disappoint the god who helped him hone his skills. He gives a small smile in greeting, hands stilling if only for a moment. 

❝     —    no !!    ❞               too loud of a protest  ??   realization of the fact perhaps comes a tad too late when a three second survey of the room reveals turned heads and pointed stares now aimed in their direction, sure to earn a bout of nervous laughter from henri as he turns away and swipes palms surreptitiously along the sides of his trousers   —   just give him a minute to recuperate and try again once stares fall away and surrounding chatter has resumed to play as nothing more than a dulled background noise of which he could at least attempt to base his own volume off of.  

 ❝     no  ??    ah, no, i mean  . . .    ❞               eyebrows furrow as gaze lingers on his own shoes a mere moment longer before he turns back towards apollo to begin anew, accompanied by the offer of a smile   (  stretch of lips appears almost painful, but it’s there nonetheless  ).    it’s going well,  yes  ??               ❝     it's just, ah  . . .   ‘  ever  ‘ is a rather long time to never be seen again.  ❞