A Muse's Inspiration (closed for Poprockz)

[Lucian_Devine]

Blake didn't really know how much he needed, like truly needed, Euterpe's approval in this most intimate of moments until he felt her fingers weaving into his hair and holding him to her chest. His heart swelled in his chest, and without a second's hesitation, he redoubled his efforts, sucking more of her lovely big tit into his mouth so that his tongue could rapidly circle her nipple in addition to the rapid flicks. His stifled moans came faster and louder as his hands on her shoulders continued to flex and occasionally pull her down as she rocked back and his hips arched up to meet her.

Euterpe's question caught Blake off guard, making his body tense up and his lips cease what they were doing as his mind got pulled out of the moment. "I...um...about...eighteen months..." He'd hesitated of course, torn on whether to tell the truth for fear of the follow up questions that might come and the truthful answers that he would give now that he'd started down this road. With there being no help for that though, and no way to stop her from asking any more questions, he did the next best thing. He lifted his lips from her breast and pounced on her neck, which he knew she liked, kissing and sucking as his hands glided down from her shoulders to knead and massage the muscles in her upper back and shoulder blades.

 

[Poprockz]

Even when she hadn't been a captive, she had never gone that long without the soft caress of a man or woman. There had always been someone willing to court her, even just for a night. Sometimes she had been the one pursuing but it had always ended the same way - with sweet kisses and writhing bodies. For a man to go on that long... surely that couldn't be so. Yet, she saw no lie in his eyes before he had got straight for her neck. She wasn't sure whether she pitied the man or whether she was impressed.

"Hm."

That was all he got in response, a thoughtful noise. The muse didn't mock him, nor did she seek an explanation for his months of abstinence, as she supposed it didn't matter anymore. They would be fucking regularly now, so he wouldn't have to worry about any dry spells unless he angered or betrayed her.

Euterpe closed her eyes, focusing on the sounds they made as they moved. Her breath was fast, feminine, her moans seeming to rise up from her pussy, through her abdomen, and up through her throat. He sounded intoxicated, perhaps drunk on the feeling of his large cock sinking into her wet cunt time after time. His skin was so warm, her hands gripping his shoulders as she continued to gyrate on his lap, hearing the soft tapping of her thighs upon him. The man smelled good, his natural scent mixing with the smell of their sex.

She moaned, feeling as though she was only 200 again. So young and naive... so fresh to the world of sex and passion!

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Though Blake was glad that Euterpe didn't pursue the conversation of his sexual drought further, it meant that her attentions were focused elsewhere, where the consequences of that drought were starting to show themselves. He'd always loved it when the smell of sex permeated a room, and the smell mixed so perfectly with her natural scent. Those scents mixed with the lovely sounds of her moans and the regular tapping of her thighs upon him, mixed up only by the erratic gyrating of her hips. His hands had continued to rub and massage her back while his lips and tongue worked at her neck, but with every push down of her hips his fingers would flex against her and his jaw would quiver.

"I...uh...sl...ple...please." Blake knew he was basically spewing slurred nonsense, but with how good her godly cunt felt it was the best he could manage in the moment. His lust addled brain was blind to everything in the room, everything but Euterpe and the all important rule three. He already felt that building feeling in his stomach. He knew what was coming, but her pussy had rendered him all but speechless. There were of course still countless ways for him to communicate to her what he needed, but his panicked brain chose a...different approach.

Without any warning or hesitation, Blake pulled his lips from Euterpe's neck and fell back on the bed, groaning in dismay at the loss of that intimate contact with the beautiful goddess, even as one hand instinctively moved to her hip. His fingers curled around to hold and guide her, using no strength as none was needed, which was a good thing, because he needed every bit of brain power he could muster. His other hand moved to the goddess' toned stomach, splaying over her belly as his thumb reached lower. His thumb found her clit as that building sensation in his stomach surged downwards.

Two bodies worked as one then. Blake's hips rose to meet Euterpe's downward pushes, giving her a hard thrust with every motion. His thumb was there as well, giving her clit a firm flick with every downward motion, matching the rhythm of their bodies flick for thrust. Blake's eyes sought out Euterpe's as the building sensation reached his swollen balls, and he held her gaze as the grip of his other hand got tighter and tighter. He tightened every muscle in his body, trying to hold out for her, trying desperately not to fail her in this most intimate task.

 

[Poprockz]

The muse leaned forward, placing her hands on his abdomen to steady herself in their final sprint to the finish line. Her perfect breasts were pushed slightly together by this motion, now rocking back and forth with her motions. It had felt good up until that point, but once he started playing with her clit it felt absolutely amazing. The first flick had earned him a shiver of pleasure, her passionate noises and movements only becoming more enthusiastic after that. It would seem that he knew his way around a woman’s body- a fact that bodes very well for the both of them.



Euterpe could feel her magic start to stir inside her, swirling and roiling in her abdomen like it had centuries ago when she was truly a muse to men and women who deserved such patronage. With the way his body was tensing and the look on his face, she could tell that he needed release, and at this point so did she.



Swiftly, she reached her peak, the woman throwing back her head and closing her eyes, her pussy spasming on his cock as she came. Her beautiful lips had let loose a cry of bliss, the sound equally erotic and musical, like the moan of a siren herself. At the same time, a rush of magic left her body, funneling down through her pussy and into his own body. She had always been told by the other party that the feeling was immense pleasurable, her female partners even going so far as to say it was similar to their own orgasms. The men had reported feeling as though their climaxes had been amplified, reaching new heights of bliss.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Despite all of his efforts, the sight of Euterpe's shiver of pleasure when he first touched her clit pushed Blake to the edge. The grip of his left hand on her hip got tighter and tighter, but somehow managed not to hinder the her rocking motion that was giving them both such pleasure. His jaw quivered again as he watched the display before and on top of him, his eyes locked on the flawless face of the beautiful goddess.

Only when Euterpe threw her head back did Blake finally allow his eyes to close and do the same. Their bodies continued to work as one though, their moans filling the air as her cunt clenched painfully tight around his cock with every thrust. Her orgasm came first, accompanied by a loud cry of musically erotic bliss. It came with something else though, something that could only be described as a bolt of lighting shooting through his body, setting every nerve ablaze. The lightning sent Blake's mind and body into overdrive though, and even as his cum gushed from him with the very next thrust, his grip on her hip only got tighter. His hips continued to thrust, even as his body quaked and spasmed uncontrollably. His throat let loose a long, loud, and primal groan as he continued to pound into her spasming pussy, every thrust coming with a fresh spurt of hot cum as he continued to fuck her through the entirety of their orgasms.

There could be only one outcome after an experience like this, complete and utter collapse, and collapse he did, Blake's ass falling heavily back to the bed. The motion would have pulled his cock from Euterpe if she hadn't done the same thing, and in an act of pure instinct, his right hand moved from between them milliseconds before she collapsed on top of him. His cock gave one last weak twitch as the pair collapsed, giving her pussy one more pulse of cum as his arms closed around the beautiful goddess splayed down on top of him.

Blake's hand moved to stroke Euterpe's hair then, his other hand gently rubbing her back as the sated pair collectively gasped and panted as they tried to force air back into their empty lungs. He wanted to say something, say anything, but feared that even a single word might shatter this moment, this utterly perfect moment.

It was only then, with the two collapsed like this after a bout of passionate sex, that Blake truly understood the purpose of the second rule that Euterpe had put in place. A man truly could get used to this, addicted to this...addicted to her. That thought wasn't a pleasant one, and he tried to put it out of his mind as he lifted his head to press a gentle kiss to her before laying back once more, making no attempt to push her off, remove his softening cock from her, or do anything else that might end this moment any sooner than it had to.

 

[Poprockz]

The woman panted upon him, her skin slightly clammy with exertion. That had been such a good fuck. It had satisfied her in ways she hadn't remembered, finding that even his soft kiss soothed the scars that were laid upon her soul. However, the muse was hyper-aware of its sweetness and thus was repulsed. Such tenderness was more suited to friends or lovers, and they were not yet either of those things. He could give her the raw and powerful, the lustful thrusts and grunts of need, but intimacy of this sort was not to be allowed. It could not be allowed. Not if she was to protect herself.

Pulling up and off of him with nary a word, she rolled over onto her back to his side. Her feet didn't rub against his, nor did she allow them to lay nestled close to one-another. They were now two people laying in the same bed, and that was how she wanted it. She wasn't aware of the look of distrust she had given him, thinking that she had always had the impenetrable neutrality her expression had adopted afterwards.

"That was... satisfactory," she remarked, trying not to give him too much praise. Euterpe didn't want him to become full of himself from knowing how much she had actually enjoyed herself.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Blake realized his mistake immediately after he made it, of course with the help of hindsight, which is always 20/20. The look that Euterpe gave him as she pulled herself up and off of him hurt, like scarred his soul kind of hurt. It made him wonder if he could ever undo the damage that he'd done in that moment, because even as he'd told himself that he'd understood the importance of rule number two, he'd gone and kissed her on the lips...Sure, he hadn't told her he'd love her or called her a cutesy nickname, but if he'd kissed her anywhere else...

Euterpe's words told Blake where the two of them stood in her mind, or at least where she wanted them to stand, as well as the fact that he could tell that she'd taken extra care to ensure that they weren't touching as they lay next to each other, almost like they were brother and sister.

"Good...good...Satisfactory is good...or at least...good...enough...given my dry spell and all that..." Even as he rambled on, and yes, Blake knew he was rambling and also knew he should just shut up and end his own suffering, a thought started to come into his head. It wasn't a thought brought on by Euterpe's power though. He swallowed hard as his muscles twitched and his brain considered the ramifications of acting on his thought. In the end though, the decision had already been made, and act he did, turning and sliding off of the bed. He walked slowly but steadily around to Euterpe's side of the bed and lowered himself to his knees before it and her with his hands resting on it but making sure not to touch her.

"I apologize for my forwardness...before, I didn't mean to...it just sort of...happened....I'm sorry...I can promise it won't happened again, but I would genuinely appreciate any advice on how I can do better next time...What more can I do to please you, Euterpe, Daughter of Zeus?"

 

[Poprockz]

Her eyes narrowed at him as he lowered himself down, wondering what he meant to do before hearing his words. She continued to look at him somewhat suspiciously as she thought about it- about his request for guidance. It seemed he had realized his mistake earlier, though it remained to be seen as to whether he was just apologizing for apology's sake to placate her. Promises meant hardly anything to her anymore after her time with his family, so she was glad he hadn't simply made some empty promise to her.

"Your flowery words mean nothing to me, but I appreciate your willingness to take action," though her tone was blunt, it wasn't as sharp as her eyes had been a moment ago. "That being said, do not fret about the future yet. When I want something from you specifically, I will let you know. Our session was a bit shorter than usual, but I assume that will be remedied with time." Part of her felt a bit guilty for being so cold and blunt with him, as he technically hadn't done anything to wrong her yet. Still, the very fact that he was related to the others made her want to lash out and hurt him even a fraction of how much she had been hurt.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

The moments between Blake's words and Euterpe's felt like an eternity to Blake. Her eyes had been narrow, but now her words were so blunt, and her attitude so cold. He swallowed hard as his gaze retreated from hers when she mentioned the shortness of their session.

"No flowery words then, Euterpe..." Blake said before forcing himself to lift his gaze and meet hers once more. "I freely admit then that I find myself...torn. I know who and what you are. I've seen what you can do, or at least some. It's hard not to treat you with at least a little reverence, even...subconsciously..." He bowed his head, shaking it slightly, even as he continued to talk. "Then we get to here...and now...and I'm even more torn." He lifted his gaze once more. "I mean do I wait beside you for another...session? Do I shower and pray that you aren't offended and think I'm somehow ashamed or trying to wash the experience away? Do I ask you to send me home, and again pray that you aren't offended?" He cracked a smile and couldn't resist the urge to chuckle at the thought of that one, shaking his head as he did.

 

[Poprockz]

Ah, so it was an issue of them being unfamiliar with one another. Some mortals fell to their knees and groveled for fear of her wrath, and perhaps rightfully so. Other Gods and even a few of the muses themselves could be strict and ruthless when it came to perceived disrespect. It was better to be overly cautious and live to see another day than take a change at treating one of them too casually. Still, Euterpe had never been too fond of that sort of relationship. Though she was a God, she wanted the sort of connection that could not be achieved when such a distance was created between beings.

Euterpe had listened to him thoughtfully, resisting the urge to smile back at him. Though her lips remained still, a slight smile reached her eyes and her tone was more patient. "Perhaps it would be easier for you to think of us as... business partners. I provide pleasure, inspiration, and fame, and you participate in my plans to free my sisters. It is a transactional relationship we have, and therefore as long as you are not maliciously disrespectful to me, I don't mind if you do things you need to do or ask questions. I see no problem with you showering and will escort you home if you wish me to do so."

There was a pause before she sat up, her long hair streaming around the soft skin of her shoulder like a waterfall around a smooth rocky ledge. "I am music, I am raw. I am the delicate plucks of a harp and the strong baritone blasts of a horn. Music and the heart are inextricably linked, as music can be seen as the physical manifestation of emotion. What I mean to say is that I prefer what is true and what is real, so be who you are when you are with me." She hadn't realized it, but one of her hands had reached over to him to rest reassuringly on his own.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Blake watched Euterpe's face after he spoke, and though he couldn't truly be sure, he thought that he saw her face soften a bit, even though her lips never broke into a smile. Though it could also just have been his own naïve hopes making him see things that weren't there. Similarly, he didn't necessarily like the term business partners, despite how true it was, but a small smile came to his face as she continue to talk, and he nodded as she continued to talk and address the things he'd mentioned.

While Blake had expected Euterpe to stop there and not volunteer any more information than she absolutely had to, a flush came to his cheeks when she sat up and her lovely sandy blond hair streamed over and around her shoulders like the softest of waterfalls over the smoothest of rocky ledges. He found himself flushing a little at the sight of it, despite the fact the activities they'd engaged in just minutes ago. That flush only deepened when he felt her hand move to rest reassuringly on his own as she explained how she wanted him to act when he was with her.

"What is true and what is real..." Blake mirrored her words with a nod as his gaze dropped from hers and turned away from the hand that rested on his, hoping that if he didn't call attention to it, it would linger at least a little bit longer.

"I am used to providing my...partners..." Blake turned back to Euterpe and lifted his dark brown gaze to meet her one once more. "...with after care. "Is that something you would find...acceptable in future sessions, if I am able to keep my lips to myself? I won't do you the dishonor of asking you to join me in the shower, or asking if I can join you though, I promise." As he finished speaking, he let a small half smile come to his lips before he bowed his head, shifted to brace one foot beneath him, and pushed himself to his feet, both sad and reluctant that he had to pull his hand from beneath the warm comfort of hers in the process.

"I think I will take you up on that shower though. Which one would you like me to use? I have no problem using a guest bathroom if that's what you would prefer."

 

[Poprockz]

Euterpe nodded at her own bathroom, "feel free to clean yourself in my bathroom or a guest bathroom; if you wish to invite me, I may join you, I may not. I won't fault you for asking, but if you ask then you need to be prepared for a direct answer and to accept such an answer." Of course she knew that was a pretty vague answer as far as her participation went, but she liked to keep her options open.

She shook her head. "As for your first question, no. I will not cuddle with you after we have sex. Our relationships ends as soon as my sisters are free, and that is how it should be.” She paused, “You have to understand that a man’s tender touch is still… largely unwelcome to me.” Euterpe frowned, though she wasn’t truly angry in that moment. It was a mere mask to hide behind. She was a god, yes, but she was also a woman. A woman who had been subject to every sex act imaginable under the bones of this man’s family home. Some of them liked to touch her tenderly, to kiss her sweetly, to whisper that she was the moon and the stars. She had even made the mistake of falling in love with one or two of them. Never again… never again would she allow that to happen.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

As Euterpe spoke, Blake's dark brown eyes remained alert, active, and locked with her amber ones rather than glazing over or giving any other sign of him spacing out. He both heard AND listened to her, as they weren't truly the same thing, and for the most part they weren't a surprise, except that she might actually join him in the shower if he asked.

"Your terms are both understandable and acceptable." Blake said simply as he continued to hold Euterpe's gaze. "And truthfully speaking, I wouldn't have mentioned the aftercare if you hadn't asked me for true and real." His gaze softened then. "I don't understand what you went through, and probably never will, not really anyway, but I promise to try to be more sympathetic, both with my words and my actions. And on that note, would you like to join me for that shower, Euterpe?" Even as Blake asked his final question he had to struggle against his natural instincts. He desperately wanted to hold his hand out to her, to help her off the bed and lead her to said shower. The fingers of his right hand twitched and flexed as he forced himself to resist the inappropriately affectionate action, and he knew his face reflected his tension and anticipation for her response, but there was no help for it. His brain wanted so desperately to do right by her, but his body wanted so desperately to touch her, any part of her, and would gladly accept any excuse to do so, and rule two put them at perpetual odds with each other. So he waited, standing before her, hoping for anything at all, but expecting nothing.

 

[Poprockz]

“Yes. I think I will shower with you today,” she responded simply. A hot shower sounded nice, and her shower was more than large enough for two; the thing even had two detachable shower heads. He seemed to understand her words without taking offense, and that pleased her.

Euterpe stood, some of his cum dribbling onto her thighs, walking in all her naked glory to the bathroom. It was large, luxurious, and opulent without being gaudy. Leaning in to the shower, she turned on one of the shower heads and made sure the temp was good and warm before stepping in and going to the other shower head and doing the same.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Even though he'd been hoping for Euterpe to say yes, Blake hadn't actually expected her to do so. His heart jumped in his chest and his breath hitched when he heard it, but thankfully his body still knew what to do. He nodded and smiled as she rose and respectfully stepped aside as she headed for the bathroom, letting her enter first.

It took every ounce of self-control Blake had to keep his gaze forward and off of the divine beauty that was Euterpe's body. That thankfully got a little bit easier once they got into the bathroom. He couldn't help but stare in awe at the luxuriously large and shining room until the sound of shower being turned on drew his attention. The hand testing the water temperature was the next thing to draw his attention, followed closely by the rest of the beautiful body attached to that hand.

Blake blushed at the thoughts that were going through his head and hastily turned away. He then quickly approached the shower and stepped in. He let out a low groan as he felt the warm water on his sweat-slicked neck. "God that feels amazing." He said casually without a thought in the world about where he was and who he was saying it to.

 

[Poprockz]

Her back was turned to him when he had spoken, so he couldn't see the little smirk that had lit up her face for just a moment. She felt much the same when she had first had a shower. Hot baths had been around for a very long time, but showers were a revolutionary idea. Hot water streaming down from above? Now that was truly amazing.

"You know something is truly wonderful when you can experience it hundreds of times and it still feels just as good as the first. When I was allowed my first shower, I forgot all of my worries for a short time," she smiled a bittersweet smile to herself before turning to get her hair wet, leaning back and letting the hot water stream down her perfect curves.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Euterpe's first words made Blake both smile and laugh, forgetting once more, even for just a moment where he was, who he was with, and what had brought them together. That atmosphere was quickly shattered when she continued though when she talked about her first shower, because it turned the sweet bonding moment between her and one generation to a bittersweet one as she reminded him of her experiences with another generation.

The sight of Euterpe turning around though, threatened to derail thing even more, as it was nearly impossible for Blake to keep his eyes off of the sight of the water streaming down her perfect curves. The only way he managed it was to turn around so that the water could properly pound on his own wiry back and shoulders as he rolled his head this way and that.

"It still blows my mind..." Blake said at last. "...that so many men...so many artists...could see a woman and a goddess suffering...and choose to profit off of it." He forced himself to turn around, hoping to meet Euterpe's amber gaze, not even casting a single look down at her beautiful nakedness. "I mean all they had to do, all any of them had to do, was say a few words. They didn't have to sacrifice their first born or even cut off a finger...I mean what the fuck...what the actual fuck...?"

 

[Poprockz]

Her eyes narrowed at him, “do you think a few words buys you a muse’s praise, let alone her gift?” She shook her head. “No. It is very difficult to pursue a muse under normal circumstances, as she is usually the one who chooses who to inspire based on her preferences and the man or woman’s gift.”

There was a sigh before the harshness of her face softened a bit, “I don’t find it surprising at all- people are greedy, cowardly. Why let go of something that will guarantee you and all your descendants success? Why let go of her when there also may be the unfortunate consequence of being the one to bear all the wrath of her imprisonment?”

 

[Lucian_Devine]

The sudden harshness from Euterpe genuinely caught Blake off guard, but he took her wrath without backing down, meeting her amber gaze with his dark brown one.

"No, truthfully I hadn't given any thoughts to what it would take to buy a muse's praise, let alone her gift and sponsorship, because I had only meant the words to grant her freedom." His gaze finally lowered from hers to the floor. "I mean I always knew that people were greedy and cowardly, but I always hoped that they'd do the right thing when the time came, y'know? I just never would have thought that it would take over three-hundred years for somebody to finally do the right thing..."

 

[Poprockz]

She studied him closely for any sign of disingenuousness, but couldn’t find any hint that he didn’t mean what he said. He was an odd fellow, wasn’t he? He was rather naive, idealistic, with a strong sense of right and wrong. Or at least, that was how it seemed. She had been wrong before, and people often only showed their true selves during adversity or while making difficult choices.

Still…

“It is a harsh reality, true, but one that many suffer from.” Her voice was gentle, almost as though she was trying to comfort him in her own way. “Do not trouble yourself about it- it is done and you did not have a hand in it.”

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Euterpe's gentler tone was almost more surprising when it came than the sudden harsh tone. It brought Blake's gaze up to search for hers once more. His gaze flitted back and forth as he studied her amber one. He had to force a smile and a nod, but he did at least manage both.

"Thanks for that..." Blake said before offering up a soft little scoff. "Guilty by association is a bitch isn't it...? Still...I know it can't be easy for you to show sympathy for a member of my family." He offered up a small half smile. "So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I'm just glad that I was able to help and that I had the heart to do what was right."

 

[Poprockz]

There was a pause before she started walking toward him one step at a time.

"I think it helped that your father was a detestable man," she shrugged, "but credit is due to you for your stead-heartedness. I accept your thanks, and I will thank you in turn for helping me."

At that point she was right in front of him, the woman giving him a smirk. "With my gift and your talent, you will rise to heights you never knew existed. Wealth, power, beautiful women... perhaps even handsome men if you're so inclined- they'll all be within your grasp." She took his chin in her hand gently before turning his face slightly to the side and back. "You're quite handsome- that will increase the speed at which you reach that point. Once there... you will have the success and notoriety you desire. That will be my thanks."

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Hearing Euterpe describe his father so made Blake let out a full-bellied laugh. "He is certainly that, of that there is no doubt." He'd taken his eyes off of her while he'd been laughing, and thus even as he'd seen her walk closer, he never expected her to get as close as she actually did when he finally looked up again. Still, he made no attempt to stop her, even when she took his chin in her hand and moved it this way and that.

"My talent huh? The talent you're so sure about, even though you've never witnessed it?" Blake asked jokingly with a wry smile, even while his chin was still in her hand. In truth he had no idea how powerful she truly was outside of her own account, but thus also had no reason to doubt. He made no comment about all the things she promised though, since they were really just a byproduct of helping her out.

 

[Poprockz]

“I hired someone to videotape you while you played in public,” she replied, letting go of his chin and getting closer, her arm going around him… to grab a bottle of shampoo. She put some in her hand and started lathering it into her hair.

“I have to say, I enjoyed it immensely. Your music. From now on, I will be your new manager, and I will do my best to fill that roll. Finding you more publicity, marketing your band, managing the small things, and providing inspiration to you and your bandmates if need be.” By now, the bubbles had worked into a nice, bubbly lather, the woman turning to walk back to her own stream of hot water to rinse herself off.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Euterpe's admission of taping him genuinely shocked Blake, but not nearly as much as the praise that came next. It was almost enough to make him forget the feeling of her breasts against him as she reached around him for a bottle of shampoo. "You taped...and you liked..." He barely managed to stammer as his gaze fell from hers, his cheeks flushing deeply

"I...I had no idea, and I don't know what to say other than thank you once more, Euterpe. I mean there is literally no higher praise than that of a goddess of music, and I know what you're thinking, but I'm not trying to butter you up." This time it was Blake's turn to step forward, even as she had moved forward to rinse the shampoo lather out of her hair. "I mean that's why I got into music, why I write my own songs. I do it because I love it, hoping that the audience will love it too, but I never would have guessed that you would hear it, let alone like it.

Blake reached for the shampoo bottle, vigorously rubbing it into his hair and scalp, his gaze lifting as he seemed to lose himself in his own head for a moment before snapping back. "Do you have any critiques, or suggestions for things I...or we could do better, if you don't mind of course...?" There was excitement in his voice now as he tried to pick Euterpe's brain. It was true that she'd already offered to be their manager, but who better to help them improve than somebody who'd forgotten more about music than Every other critic combined would ever know?