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Post by Leon Charles d'Essoms on Jan 28, 2011 11:05:49 GMT -5
Her latest question caused me to bite my lip again, as I really only had one way to answer it, not being nearly witty enough to come up with some jest to lighten the mood. Exhaling deeply, I told her, "I...I think you're attractive too, and...well, I've really enjoyed your company today." I was certainly in unexplored territory now, for myself at any rate, and by Elua it was difficult to even get the words out. "I wouldn't mind at all...being alone with you somewhere..." my voice trailed off, as I couldn't bring myself to really complete that train of thought.
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Post by Fionnula mab Bevin on Jan 28, 2011 11:15:02 GMT -5
I blinked. I was attractive? How interesting; I'd simply thought myself an average Eiran.
"Thank you, Leon," I said. I thought it must have taken quite a bit of courage to admit his feelings; of a surety, it had taken me a hefty amount to admit mine. I respected him all the more for it. But how did one go about starting something like this? I didn't think it was really something that could be planned. I supposed it could, but where was the fun in that? Gods and goddesses, I was at a loss for words. I simply gazed up at him, unsure of what to say.
"I... I'm not sure what to say," I finally admitted. "I can't say as I've ever been in this sort of conversation. I mean, how do we go about this? It doesn't feel right to say, 'Well, perhaps after we visit the harp-makers we can go home and jump in bed.' Although I certainly wouldn't mind," I grinned. "But I don't want you to be uncomfortable, or feel like you're being pushed into anything, either."
Well, that didn't go nearly as smoothly as I'd hoped.
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Post by Leon Charles d'Essoms on Jan 28, 2011 11:31:43 GMT -5
"Well, I've...never done this before. So I'm not sure how to go about it, either," I explained, wondering how the people walking by us were thinking; I was still rather warm in the cheeks, after all, and was sure my face must have been a close match for my hair. "But I'm guessing that being a little uncomfortable must be part of it," I added, smiling at her softly, "Or at least that its going to be for me. You're not...pushing me into anything, though."
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Post by Fionnula mab Bevin on Jan 28, 2011 11:47:19 GMT -5
I grinned and shook my head. "Well we're just a pair, aren't we?" I said with a laugh. "I suppose we should just see how everything goes as the day continues, eh? No use in rushing anything." That seemed logical enough. And as a scholar, he couldn't refute my logic at least.
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Post by Leon Charles d'Essoms on Jan 28, 2011 11:59:42 GMT -5
There really wasn't any arguing with that logic. "No, there is no need to rush. I still have to see about a harp, and what happens after that...we will just see," I agreed with her, feeling some relief that this particular part of the conversation was over. My face was still hot, but would cool with time, and so when I thought she was ready, I began to walk again, hoping that she would not feel awkward with me again. The Companions knew I was awkward enough for ten all on my own, after all.
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Post by Fionnula mab Bevin on Jan 28, 2011 12:04:21 GMT -5
I nodded and began walking with him, settling into a companionable pace until we reached the shop. It had been a nice remainder of the walk, and we'd gotten over the embarrassment. Or, at least, I had. Leon seemed like he had as well, although once in awhile when I'd glanced up at him I could see him still a bit pink, and then I couldn't help but grin.
As we walked up to the door of the shoppe, having finally found it, I gestured that he should go first and I would follow. "I'd be at a loss for what to do in there, and I'm rather interested in the whole process," I said, looking up at him. He was very pleasantly tall. "So you go first, and I'll try to stay quiet and out of the way. No promises, though." I grinned, hoping to further put him at ease.
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Post by Leon Charles d'Essoms on Jan 28, 2011 12:17:33 GMT -5
I did manage to mostly get over the embarrassment of the conversation, though it crept into my face a few times as we walked, mainly because I was stealing glances at her, and she would catch me doing so.
When she spoke of staying out of the way, the grin on her face did put me at ease, oddly enough. I'd begun to associate it with her so much, that it had something of a calming effect on me, when it wasn't popping up because my cheeks were coloring for her. Giving her a nod, I stepped into the shop, then held the door open for her.
As we entered, an older gentleman approached us, and greeted us politely with a bow, "Good day, my lord, my lady, welcome to my shop. I'm Benoit Mercier, master harp maker, and should you need anything, you have only to ask. I have a few instruments already made, on display here, or if you had something particular in mind, I can make one custom for you."
Nodding at his words, I glanced about and saw that there were a number of harps standing out for view, and responded, "Thank you, Master Mercier. I think I will look and see if any of the ones you have on display will work." As he stepped away to allow us to look, I turned to Fionnula, and asked her in cruithnes, "Do you like the looks of any of them? If he is a master, they should all sound roughly the same, so its really just a matter of visual appeal."
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Post by Fionnula mab Bevin on Jan 28, 2011 12:28:50 GMT -5
I grinned and nodded at the master harp-maker and simply let Leon talk to him, gazing around the shoppe until my eyes fell on the premade harps the master had just mentioned. I shook my head at the master calling me "my lady". I didn't look like a lady. I supposed he was just being polite.
I heard Cruithne and it snapped me out of my thoughts; Leon was speaking to me, asking me which harp I liked. My eyes immediately focused on a beautiful harp made of red wood. I pointed straight at it. "That one," I told him, looking up at him with a happy grin. "It matches your hair perfectly!"
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Post by Leon Charles d'Essoms on Jan 28, 2011 13:14:32 GMT -5
The harp she pointed out was a beautiful piece of work, decorated as it was in a classical style with carves whorls reminiscent of clouds. This was the one I decided to test Master Mercier's skills on, moving to sit in front of it and delicately playing the first few bars of a song I knew. The instrument responded beautifully, the notes filling the air rich and melodic.
Smiling as I stopped playing and rose to my feet, I called the harp-maker over. "I would like to purchase this one. When can it be delivered?" I asked him simply, not wishing to haggle over price. Up until I ran into Fionnula, I'd been looking for most of the day, and at this point was just happy to have found an instrument that would work.
"I could have it there by evening, if you have half the price to give me as a deposit," the older gentleman told me, and I immediately counted the money out of my pouch for him. It didn't leave a whole lot, but it was quite an investment, and I'd been carrying more money on my person than I would have normally specifically because I'd been coming to purchase one.
"Thank you, Master Mercier. I live in the West Borough of the city," I continued on, giving him the directions to where I wanted the instrument delivered, and then bid him good day before turning to Fionnula to say, "That is done, and went better than I expected. Would you like me to escort you back home, or go somewhere else?"
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Post by Fionnula mab Bevin on Jan 28, 2011 13:25:27 GMT -5
I grinned proudly as he basically told the master he wanted the one I'd chosen. Hearing him play had been short but amazing; I could not wait to hear him play more. He had such skill, and looked like something out of a painting, bent over the harp, his luscious red hair the sam beautiful color as the wood, his long fingers confidently sliding over the strings. I was so impressed.
He asked me if I wanted to go elsewhere, and I shook my head. "If you would rather me not accompany you to your home, I'm just fine walking back on my own, Leon," I said with a small smile. Not my full one, but it was more than my grin. I wasn't offended; he'd spent most of the day with me, after all. Perhaps he simply wanted to unwind and play his harp.
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Post by Leon Charles d'Essoms on Jan 28, 2011 13:32:00 GMT -5
"I would like enjoy bringing you to my home, Fionnula. I just didn't want to assume you would want to go there," I responded, smiling back at her warmly, my cheeks growing pink yet again as I moved to open the door for her. Up until this, I'd not really been nervous, but given our talk earlier, and the fact that we were now heading somewhere that we could be alone, my mind was fairly racing as we exited the shop and began the trek to the townhome I'd described to Master Mercier just moments before.
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Post by Fionnula mab Bevin on Jan 28, 2011 14:21:13 GMT -5
Stepping outside ahead of Leon, I turned to wait as he shut the door and fell into step beside him. We walked in companionable silence, but I knew he was nervous from the way he was pink when we were in Master Mercier's shop. His thoughts were probably the same as mine; we had just talked about coupling and now we were going to his townhome, where we'd be alone. I wondered what would transpire, if we would actually couple... And if he would like it. I was no d'Angeline; I was a simple Eiran girl and I knew that I didn't hold the perfect, angular beauty that the d'Angeline women were so proud of. I simply had what I was given. Not that I minded; I was proud of my heritage and my looks due to that heritage. But that didn't mean that everyone else saw it that way.
Glancing up at Leon as we walked, I couldn't help but pry a bit. "What are you thinking, m'lord?" I asked, saying the 'm'lord' with a bit more pomp than was really needed. I grinned to let him know I was teasing him.
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Post by Leon Charles d'Essoms on Jan 28, 2011 14:29:47 GMT -5
As we walked along quietly, I began to recover, again, keeping in step close beside her. Then she asked me what I was thinking about, and I let out a deep breath, smiling softly at her grin. "Just...about our talk earlier. Nothing bad...I still want you to come home with me," I tried to explain what was racing through my mind, wondering if, in turn, I'd be able to please her if we coupled, given my utter lack of experience in such matters. Finally, I shook my head lightly, and added, "Like I said, nothing bad at all."
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Post by Fionnula mab Bevin on Jan 28, 2011 14:36:43 GMT -5
I blinked. Yes, we were definitely thinking about the same thing. "Are you sure you still want me to come home with you?" I asked him in quiet Cruithne. "I promise, Leon, I won't be offended if you would rather have me visit another day."
Unlike some women, who lied about how they felt, I spoke truly. I wouldn't be offended at all; he knew my name and who I was staying with. If he wanted to, he could simply send me a missive. I was sure he had probably had a long day and, as I'd thought before, perhaps he just wanted to play his new harp. I warmed happily once more at the thought of him picking the harp I had picked because it matched his hair.
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Post by Leon Charles d'Essoms on Jan 28, 2011 14:52:56 GMT -5
"And I promise you, Fionnula, I want you to come with me. I didn't ask you just to keep from offending you," I responded, turning to meet her gaze more directly. Trying to come up with some way to assure her of my words, only one thing came to mind, and for all that I didn't know if I could even bring myself to do it as uptight as I felt, I wasn't even sure it would help.
I did it anyway, though, stepping in closer to her and quickly pressing my lips to her cheek, rather close to the corner of her mouth, before I could lose my courage. Yes, I was nervous, but truthfully, I knew that there was no amount of time that was going to change that; I was still a virgin at an age thought ridiculous by most of my countrymen, after all. If anything, the longer I waited, the worse I would likely get.
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Post by Fionnula mab Bevin on Jan 28, 2011 15:07:41 GMT -5
I was watching his face change after he'd spoken; what was he thinking of now? Then, quicker than lightning, it happened. He kissed me. Well, my cheek, but very close to my lips. When he pulled back, he looked shocked at himself. I couldn't help it; a giggle escaped me. Well, if he was brave enough to do that....
I stepped forward, gently taking his face in my hands, and touched my lips to his, light as a feather.
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Post by Leon Charles d'Essoms on Jan 28, 2011 15:17:30 GMT -5
I wasn't expecting her to return the favor so soon, but I stopped when she took my face in her hands. That gesture alone was much more intimate than anything else I'd experienced before, and caused me to shiver slightly. At the light brush of her lips on mine, I sighed softly, licking my lips when she pulled them away, savoring the faint taste of her kiss.
"Please, Fionnula...I want you to come with me and see my home," I reiterated. My cheeks, it seemed, were fated to remain colored for the entire walk there, but at that moment, I'd have had it no other way.
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Post by Fionnula mab Bevin on Jan 28, 2011 15:24:58 GMT -5
As I pulled back, I saw him lick his lips and I mirrored his movement, tasting him. I sort of enjoyed that he was shy; in a way, it matched my personality when it came to this sort of thing.
At his words, I grinned softly while watching his cheeks pinken once more and nodded. "I would love nothing more, Leon. And please, call me Fion if you'd like," I said shyly. I didn't let many people other than family call me by my shortened name but I figured if I were going to bed the man, then at least I could allow that. Besides, my full name just sounded so... Proper.
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Post by Leon Charles d'Essoms on Jan 28, 2011 15:36:51 GMT -5
"Ok, Fion," I said, testing out the name, not noticing the way my voice caressed it. As I resumed walking, moving along beside her, I was closer than before, enough that our arms once again brushed against one another from time to time. My mind still raced, as did my pulse after the light kiss she'd just favored me with, but I was as relaxed as I could possibly be under the circumstances.
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Post by Fionnula mab Bevin on Jan 28, 2011 15:42:49 GMT -5
I discovered that I wholly approved of the way my name rolled off of Leon's lips, almost like a caress. It made me shiver. No one had ever said my name like that. I liked it, a lot. He seemed a bit more relaxed as we continued walking, and was closer to me than before; I could feel his arm brush mine and it seemed even through that small contact that my skin tingled with awareness with each brush of our arms.
"So, how much farther is it to your townhome?" I asked, realizing a bit too late just how that sounded. Truthfully, I was simply honestly curious but, once I thought about it, I realized that I was indeed eager to get somewhere private with him. Perhaps it was simply that I wanted to be touched with kindness and affection rather than the reasons I had been touched in the past.
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Post by Leon Charles d'Essoms on Jan 28, 2011 15:53:27 GMT -5
The way it sounded matched how I was feeling, myself, and I was thankful for the answer I was about to give her, "Not much further, actually. Just around this corner up ahead." True to my word, we came upon the townhome that had been amongst my inheritance after turning that corner. It was not a grand estate, but it was no hovel, either, a comfortable home fitting my title.
As we approached the door, I once again held it open for her, following her inside once she walked past. Pulling it closed, I informed the servant just inside that there would be a delivery before evening, before turning my attention back fully to Fion. "Would you like some refreshment?" I asked her politely, as I began to lead her into the parlor, a largish room, with chaises and other seating scattered about, arranged around tables so that people could sit in clusters and enjoy quiet conversation. This was the room where the harp would end up, and in fact one of the corners had been recently emptied to accommodate it.
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Post by Fionnula mab Bevin on Jan 28, 2011 15:59:17 GMT -5
"Oh, good," I said, not bothering to hide the fact that I simply wanted to be there. As we rounded the corner, I spotted a townhome. Sure enough, Leon led the way up the path and steps. It was a beautiful exterior, and it made me wonder what was inside. I would soon find out.
He opened the door and I stepped in, awed by the understated beauty and opulence in the main room. As Leon quietly spoke to the servant who had come down a side hallway, I gazed around and took everything in. All the things I saw spoke of Leon; his tastes, his preferences. At the sound of his voice, I turned.
"Yes please, I'd love some," I answered him as I followed him into the sitting room. A parlor, I think it was called here. There were groupings of furniture around the large room and an empty corner. I gestured to it. "I take it that is where your harp will go," I said. "Will you name it?"
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