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Post by Aurianne nó Hughes on Jun 20, 2010 10:17:38 GMT -5
He teased again, becoming the Yves he'd been when I'd first met him, and I found it was as easy to laugh now as it was then. I wrinkled my nose a little as I looked at him, teasing, my teeth flashing as my smile grew.
"I have.. well," I said, trying to figure how how to best put it. "I try too hard with everything. It doesn't sound like a bad habit, but believe me, it's less than enjoyable. Like your stockings," I said, tease coming to my voice. "I'd feel the need to pick them up after you... and maybe throw them at you," I added, grinning.
The aroma of candied almonds wafted towards us, and for a moment I was reminded of the faires held over the summer - three days of fun, of freedom, and I felt my heart lighten at it. I wanted to do something, but I didn't know what. I felt out of character for it, but I'd never really felt myself since leaving Camellia anyhow. "What do you do for fun?" I asked, looking up at him, my eyes warm and happy. Mayhap I could figure out something from there.
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Post by Yves Chevalier on Jun 20, 2010 17:18:25 GMT -5
"I would deserve it completely," I said, laughing at the perfectly domestic image of her throwing my dirty stockings at me. "Well, I promise I would pick up my underclothes at least," I teased.
I turned a bit serious for a moment at her confession of her bad habit. "But you don't have to try so hard, Aurianne... just be you, just do what makes you happy, trust other people to meet their own needs. It's the only way to be happy, really." I blushed a little at how I sounded. "Sorry, that's just my opinion, it's not as if I'm some expert on happiness." Far from it.
The conversation turned lighter when she asked me about fun, and I grinned at that. "Oh the usual manly pursuits of polishing girls' nails, brushing and braiding hair, following about and carrying shopping bags, that sort of thing." I had to laugh, but if the truth was told, I didn't mind all of those things, and I secretly thought that I would have made some little girl a wonderful big brother. "What about you?" I asked, turning the tables as we passed a vendor selling something that smelled of sugar and cinnamon.
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Post by Aurianne nó Hughes on Jun 20, 2010 21:03:40 GMT -5
I laughed as he teased me about what he liked to do, not giving me any real type of answer, but it was more than good enough for me. Just the idea of Yves slinging paper-wrapped purchases, lacquering nails, braiding hair had my laugher die off in a giggle. I felt so young, so girlish, and part of me blushed for it, but it didn't quell my amusement.
"Me? I asked, looking up at him with a genuine grin, my lips parting across ivory teeth. A wisp of hair blew out of where my hair was pinned up, and I debated taking it down completely; it was too cold to have it up like this anyhow. "Oh, well... Chopping wood, working horses, swigging ale and betting in Mont Nuit. It's a busy life, but someone has to do it," I said, teasing him in return.
A gust of wind blew through, and it was all I needed to seal my decision to take my hair down. Shivering, I released his arm to draw out the five pins holding it up, letting it tumble down, wavy from how it'd been held curled up. Tucking the pins in an inner pocket of my cloak, I took Yves arm again, not missing a beat in the conversation, the vendor of candied almonds all but forgotten. "Do you go riding overmuch?" I asked, curious.
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Post by Yves Chevalier on Jun 20, 2010 21:32:58 GMT -5
I chuckled, responding lightly to her own jest, enjoying the way she played along. "Oh, well, we are a perfect match then ... you can drink and wench, and I shall shop and have tea." I brushed a stray wisp of hair out of her face as we continued to stroll along the boulevard.
As if that had sparked a decision in her, she reached up and pulled out the pins that bound her lustrous hair back, letting it fall in waves around her shoulders like a dark halo. I had to resist the urge to lose my fingers in it and I wondered one more time what had come over me. I lived in a house full of beautiful women, and yet no one affected me the way she did. I had thought myself no longer capable of being affected this way.
I was glad that she asked me a question, so that I might drag my mind out of the fog that had descended over it. "Not overmuch, but sometimes. I do have my own mount, but not much time to ride." I knew that I was lucky enough to own him, on my salary it had taken me some time to save up for the beast, but it only made me appreciate him more. "Do you, then?" I immediately knew I should love to go riding with her, especially along the coast.
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Post by Aurianne nó Hughes on Jun 21, 2010 12:17:25 GMT -5
The very idea of me wenching had me laughing all over again - I could just picture it, me swigging ale and slapping barmaids upon their rears. I couldn't remember how long it'd been since I'd smiled this much for this long, and it felt.. refreshing. It felt so very good.
The breeze swirled again, and even though it blew errant strands of hair across my face from time to time, it was still far warmer than it'd been before. To his question I shook my head, though I spoke even as I did, trying to explain. "Not very much, no. I enjoy riding, but I've never had much.. instruction in it," I offered. "Too much risk at Camellia that something would happen and I would be unable to pay my marque back, and after.. I've not really had much courage," I admitted with a blush, but the smile still stayed on my mouth as I looked up at him from the snow-covered walk. "I'd like to learn though, one day. I've only been riding twice in my life so far."
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Post by Yves Chevalier on Jun 21, 2010 13:24:28 GMT -5
"I never thought of that before, the risk factor I mean." I said, discovering that I was learning things I had never even considered before. "But if it's all right now, well, I could teach you, if you like." I found the idea intriguing, not to mention that it would give me more time with her.
"I can borrow a horse from our stable for you... we have one that is very easygoing, she's old and just likes to eat apples and hay and plod along all day..." I realized that I was rambling and stopped, running a hand self-consciously through my hair. "Sorry if I'm being a little presumptuous..."
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Post by Aurianne nó Hughes on Jun 21, 2010 15:15:36 GMT -5
Yves wanted to teach me how to ride? The idea of crawling on the back of one of those animals admittedly made me a bit frightened, but I hated that it did. I wanted to learn, to know.. to be able to do it if I wanted. The freedom of having the choice. I was just realizing how much it meant to me to have a choice in things, after an entire lifetime of not, of being told where to go, what to do, how to do it, from everyone on all sides.
I hadn't realized I'd stopped moving, and with a start I realized too that I was looking at him. "I'd really like that," I said, smiling broadly, genuine and warm, more than I'd smiled at him yet. Almost I threw my arms around him, wanting to hug him, but instead I felt a shyness come over me. My free hand came to take his hand, and I held it warmly for a moment before I reluctantly let go of it. "I can't begin to say how much that would mean to me."
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Post by Yves Chevalier on Jun 21, 2010 16:00:39 GMT -5
She stopped in her tracks and I thought that I had surely given offense, apologies rising to my lips before she smiled, a wide smile that lit up her face. She took my hand and said that she would like to learn, and I sensed that I had offered her something more than that, though I wasn't sure what it was.
"Would you be free, say, the day after tomorrow, at noon? I can get Peaches then, you'll love her, she's very sweet." I smiled at her and placed my hand softly at her waist, continuing our walk. We were nearing the place where the Artisan's District intersected with Elua's Square, and the amount of street vendors had increased.
"Are you hungry, my lady?" I asked her, my own stomach threatening to rumble any moment.
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Post by Aurianne nó Hughes on Jun 21, 2010 20:09:10 GMT -5
I found myself walking again with the steady pressure of his hand upon my back, and with a smile still on my mouth, I nodded at his invitation for the day after the morrow. I felt foolish truth be; the slight bewilderment in his eyes after I'd stopped walking said he knew more was there than just riding lessons, but how could I explain it to him in so short a time? He didn't seem to know much about the Night Court... it'd take too long, I feared, and I decided instead to set about letting go of it.
"Not en..."
The answer was coming by reflex, what I would have said in Camellia to a patron, or a friend, in a vain effort to watch the expanse of my waistline. I watched it still, but if I'd learned anything since leaving Camellia, it was that a small appetite, or one gone completely, didn't generally please others - men in particular. In the space of a heartbeat I thought it all, then answered honestly, not just a response designed for my appearance. "A little." I felt even more foolish now, and he might not understand again, but it was worth the risk to be honest with him, even if he didn't know it. "A vendor was selling some candied almonds a way back that smelled good. I wasn't hungry until then."
I looked at him, smiling a bit sheepishly, my hand tucked into his arm once more. "Are you?"
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Post by Yves Chevalier on Jun 22, 2010 22:16:43 GMT -5
"Starved actually," I exaggerated with a laugh. "Candied almonds sound like just the thing." I turned us to go back the way we had come, until we reached the vendor. I bought a small bag and then held it out to her. "You don't mind sharing with a starving man, do you?"
I looked up and saw that the sun was getting low in the sky, and I knew I had to be back soon for my shift at the bath house. "It's getting late, may I have the honor of walking you home?" I supposed it was presumptuous of me to think she was going home any time soon, but it was against my nature to leave a lady alone after dark.
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Post by Aurianne nó Hughes on Jun 22, 2010 23:19:57 GMT -5
I was wholly glad he was interested in the candied almonds; the more I thought of them, the more I craved them. The aroma wafted, drawing us near again, and when he asked if I minded sharing a small bag with him, I smiled, shaking my head. "Of course not.. thank you. That's kind of you."
Mayhap it was silly, but it was kind of him, and I was struck some by the gesture of sharing. Arm still in his, I walked along, and as he glanced to the sky I did as well. "Oh, Elua, it is getting late. I hadn't realized... You've properly distracted me," I teased, taking a couple almonds before we continued to walk. "I'd be honored to have you walk me."
The simple truth. Smiling up at him, I was already looking forward to telling Damien about him and the surprise friendship that had bloomed. Slipping an almond into my mouth, I found myself lost in thought as we walked, enjoying the sun, the almonds, but more than anything, the company.
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Post by Yves Chevalier on Jun 22, 2010 23:53:21 GMT -5
"Ah, I am sorry to be such a distraction, my lady," I said, tasting one of the almonds and finding that I quite enjoyed it. I did not often eat sweets, but it was a little known fact that I rather enjoyed them. I had a fear of becoming as portly as my father, however, and so I ate them sparingly. These, though, these I could get used to! I tried not to hoard them, however, and continued to offer her some as we strolled along the boulevard, now much less populated than it had been before.
As we neared her borough, I turned and smiled, wanting for some reason to make certain that our plans together were sure. "I shall call on you the day after tomorrow, if you are still interested in riding," I said, praying that she hadn't changed her mind. My own attitude bemused me, it was so unlike me, but for the first time I felt that I had finally found someone I could call a friend; a true friend.
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Post by Aurianne nó Hughes on Jun 23, 2010 17:30:05 GMT -5
It seemed the walk home was shorter than it'd taken to get where I met Yves, and silently I despaired, so great was my enjoyment of our time together. He was funny, sweet, charming and a good listener, and through my time apart from Camellia, I found I craved it. Together we strolled, late afternoon shadows casting along the path before us, and before I knew it we were upon my street.
"The day after the morrow is perfect," I said, smiling brightly at him. The candied almonds had sated my appetite without making me too full, and as we drew to the gates of my townhome, I reached to push them open, continuing on til we reached my front door. "I had.. more fun than I have had in quite a while," I said, turning to face him fully. "Thanks to you." Leaning upon tiptoe, I kissed his cheek; it was the least I could do to thank him properly, before sinking down again. "Two days," I said, trying to keep the mood light as I reached for the handle of the door.
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Post by Yves Chevalier on Jun 23, 2010 21:39:37 GMT -5
We reached her house faster than I liked, but there was no stopping time from playing itself out, no matter how much one wanted it to, as I well knew. There were a few almonds left in the bag and I took one for myself, then handed her the rest of the bag, something of a parting gift.
"As did I, my lady, despite the best efforts of one melancholy music box." When she stood on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek, I had to fight the desire to place my arm around her waist and draw her in, something I hadn't done since ... well, in some time.
"I shall call on you in two days time," I said, thinking that it was repetitive and insipid, but nothing else came to mind, I was not the poetic sort, as some men were. "Good eve to you, my lady." I gave her a light bow and made my retreat, whistling a jaunty tune as I strolled back to Night's Doorstep.
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