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Post by Jules on Sept 9, 2008 23:53:32 GMT -5
Zizzy couldn't help it, she stiffened a little at the mentioning of Iseabail. She snuck a glance at Armand's face, trying to gauge his reaction. By now, she was secure that he wasn't suddenly going to realize what a huge mistake he'd made and change his mind, but they still hadn't really talked about this.
After Iker, everything had finally evened out, but of course that never lasted long. She didn't say anything, only wondered if the girl was at all interested in her say about it, or if Mercedes despised her on principle. At least this explained the searing look earlier.
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Post by redtopaz on Sept 10, 2008 0:02:13 GMT -5
Mercedes was pleased with the response she'd gotten. Polite, apologetic, with all the feelings and sympathies expected of him. Still, being a gentleman didn't make him incapable of deliberately wounding Iseabail. Mercedes being the stickler for particulars that she was wouldn't be satisfied until she had the full account.
"I have time," she said, looking around the clearing field. She was hoping, perhaps irrationally, that Vince either wouldn't notice or wouldn't interfere with their little pow-wow.
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Post by Miss Jack on Sept 10, 2008 0:39:48 GMT -5
Vince had noticed, but again--- did not care to involve himself in the continually circling soap operas. Instead, he merely rolled his eyes at Mary and began gathering up the equipment.
----
Armand sighed heavily. Well, she asked for it.
"I won't go into everything, but before Iseabail was... possessed, we talked at the opera house, and though we didn't depart with a decision to not see each other, the feelings weren't... amiable. A week or so later she came to the castle. I thought her behavior was odd, but I didn't imagine-- At the time, I didn't even know Iker was capable of possession."
He shifted, decidedly uncomfortable about the next part of the story. "I especially wasn't thinking clearly, because she.... we, uh, well. Things got passionate." He winced, trying not to look at Zizzy. "And then she left, declaring the effort not worth it. Now, of course, I realize I should have followed up on my confusion, but at the time, I thought she wouldn't want to see, and so avoided the opera house."
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Post by Jules on Sept 10, 2008 0:46:55 GMT -5
Why had she come here again? She didn't want to hear this. Something cold gripped her stomach. When, exactly had this happened? Just how 'passionate' had things gotten? Looking away, Zizzy swallowed, "I'm sorry, I have to go over....there. Excuse me." '
And with that she hurried away from Mercedes and Armand, not running because that would've seemed immature, but a brisk walk while still vainly trying to mask the fact that she was trying to escape.
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Post by redtopaz on Sept 11, 2008 0:05:06 GMT -5
Mercedes watched with some feelings of pity as Zizzy ran from the scene. She turned back to Armand, back ramrod straight and manner composed.
"I'm sorry to have troubled you over it again. I can only assume you intend to apologize to my aunt. I'm sure a gentleman like yourself would do nothing less. Thank you for being honest with me. I wont keep you any longer," she said, inclining her head in the closest thing she got to an acknowledgment of rank.
Without another word, she turned on her heel and strode back he way she came. She passed Zizzy as she left and paused by the unsettled Nightmare.
"I'm sure you'll make the cut," she said. It was a poor attempt at asking forgiveness for upsetting her, but it was all Mercedes' pride was willing to concede. With that, she moved back over towards Vince and Mary, took her leave, and started the walk home.
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Post by Miss Jack on Sept 11, 2008 16:34:19 GMT -5
His body instinctively wanted to go after Zizzy, but he stayed, tearing his eyes away from her retreating form back to Mercedes. "Thanks," he said, a strain to his voice. Softening, he continued, "Thank you for talking to me, and I will, but would you tell her...." I love her? No. "...That, just.... I'm sorry. For everything."
He returned her nod, waited until she passed Zizzy, before following after her. He grabbed Zizzy's arm. "Wait," he said. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to hear that."
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Post by Jules on Sept 11, 2008 17:14:28 GMT -5
Zizzy let him stop her, pausing as he grabbed her arm, "Hear what? That you still love her? That you can barely think straight when she kisses you?" She looked down at her feet. There wasn't anger like she'd thought there would be.
"I can't....compete with someone like her." She sighed and placed a hand on her own shoulder, still avoiding looking at him.
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Post by Miss Jack on Sept 11, 2008 17:36:45 GMT -5
"Zizzy," he said, cupping her face. "Look at me. You don't have to compete. I chose to be with you because this is what I want." He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. He wished he didn't still feel about Iseabail like he did. He wanted to move forward with Zizzy, but he couldn't discard such deep feelings, as ugly and festering as they had become.
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Post by Jules on Sept 11, 2008 18:16:54 GMT -5
It seemed to click right there, it was almost audible. It had been difficult for her to accept that Armand had chosen her, but how many times did she need to be reassured?
"Can you promise?" She asked softly, avoiding eye contact because she was slightly embarrassed by the question. A naggy thing to do, she realized, almost whiny. But she couldn't help it. Although she didn't specify, she wouldn't degrade herself that much, she figured what she was asking to be promised was kind of clear.
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Post by Miss Jack on Sept 11, 2008 22:40:37 GMT -5
He frowned at her lack of confidence. He lightened his hold on her face, brushing a thumb over her cheek with a sigh. That she didn't trust him as is stung a little, but he could understand her doubt, however misplaced.
"I promise," he said softly.
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Post by Jules on Sept 11, 2008 23:04:14 GMT -5
Zizzy promised herself that she wouldn't second guess them anymore, him especially, that if anything it would eventually drive him away and she was doing more harm than good. It didn't mean it wasn't incredibly nice to hear those two words.
"I guess you're wondering why I'm here?" She smiled up at him, to tell the truth, her limbs were sore and she wasn't sure how he or anyone else had ever pulled this off, but oddly enough Mercedes words had comforted her. 'I'm sure you'll make the cut'. That makes one of us.
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Post by Miss Jack on Sept 11, 2008 23:18:26 GMT -5
He managed a smile. "Well, I more or less figured it out by the end, though I admit this hadn't been what I'd expected when you said you were going to look for a job."
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Post by Jules on Sept 11, 2008 23:46:43 GMT -5
"Me either. I would've told you, I swear. I wanted to make it through the first week before I let myself think I could maybe pull this off." She took his hands away from her face, keeping one in her own. She marveled for a moment her small hand enclosed in his, the feeling of warmth, the tiny, inevitable shock he was probably immune to by now.
"But it's only my second day and seeing the way you move...wanna be my tutor? Give me an incredibly unfair advantage over the other recruits?"
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Post by Miss Jack on Sept 12, 2008 21:37:43 GMT -5
Perhaps used to the shock, but never immune to it. It always spurred a different kind of thrill through him, neither unpleasant.
"Why?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, "So you can beat me up when I get out of hand?"
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Post by Jules on Sept 12, 2008 21:49:45 GMT -5
"That and the fact that I could barely keep up." She held up one slender arm for examination and wiggled it around, "I need to fatten up, apparently." That's the one thing she had down pat, her aim was decent if not stellar, and obstacle courses had her finishing somewhere between third to last and last.
"I'm still not sure I can pull this off, it's only my second day." It didn't help the only other girl on the team was a brutish troll-type and looked as though her pinky finger could take Zizzy let alone the rest of her.
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