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Post by Jules on Oct 19, 2008 21:13:32 GMT -5
It had been hell getting here. Marie had been tempted to hitch her new bike to a carriage. Riding without lessons had not been the smartest idea and it had taken her an hour and a few very close calls with the ground to arrive at the meeting point she'd agreed on.
A note had been sent to Alexander, telling him to get over here because she'd bought the bike and he had promised, etc. Mostly, she was trying to smooth things over with him. She genuinely liked him and was worried he make have taken her....joke at the Day of the Dead gala a little too seriously. She'd brought him some of that champagne he'd seemed so found of, and decided the aqua and chrome theme to her bike, she was pretty sure it'd do him proud.
It purred like his did, anyways. And even with her lackluster skills, Marie had felt incredibly adorable in her second-skin, red leather pants and zebra-print leather bomber jacket.
She propped the bike up on its kick stand on her third try, after almost being crushed by it twice and then leaned against it. Hopefully he wasn't so sore about that night that he would stand her up.
It had just been a bit of innocent fun. But then, why was she trying to apologize?
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Post by Miss Jack on Oct 19, 2008 21:36:36 GMT -5
Alexander pulled in beside her on his own patented bike, in his own patented leather. Or, somewhat beside her anyway, if across the street could be considered beside her. Who knew what other potions she might be hiding. He raised two leather encased fingers, wiggling them in a girlish wave.
"Nice bike," he allowed, casual but cautious.
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Post by Jules on Oct 19, 2008 21:42:58 GMT -5
Marie smiled, big and wide, when she saw him. There was relief that he'd actually shown up coupled with a slight sting as he obviously tried to keep a safe distance from her. She sighed and guesses maybe he wouldn't even drink the champagne she'd brought him. Hopefully, she hadn't burned this bridge completely, hopefully him being here was a sign he was maybe ready to accept her apology.
Which just left actually saying it out loud. Marie waved back slowly, as if to not frighten him away and remained where she was. "Alexandair, I'm not going to bite. I am.....zorry. Eet was a bad joke."
She pulled it off with surprising dignity, when she hadn't thought it would be possible. "Is zere anyzing I can do to make it up to you?"
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Post by Miss Jack on Oct 19, 2008 21:57:18 GMT -5
He drummed his fingers against the handlebar of his bike, eyes narrowing in thought.
After a while, his face broke into a small grin and he gave a devil-may-care shrug. "Whatever. It's not the first time Armand has tried to kill me, and it won't be the last.
Alexander rarely held lasting grudges over practical jokes, he, would had to beg forgiveness so often for his own jokes.
"So, did you ride that thing down here or do you still need a lesson?"
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Post by Jules on Oct 19, 2008 22:09:24 GMT -5
Marie clapped her hands together gleefully, happy to be forgiven. And then she looked back at her bike. "Euhh, both?" She grinned sheepishly, glad to know he hadn't seen her clumsy, awkward ride down to the Glades in which she had nearly lost her head on several sharper-than-they-had-to-be turns.
"I rode eet down, but I waz not so good." She flexed her hands, encased in fingerless leather gloves. "Eet's 'ard!"
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Post by Miss Jack on Oct 19, 2008 22:18:10 GMT -5
His grin widened a little at her obvious delight at his forgiveness, and cut his engine, pocketing the key. He adjusted the kickstand, secured the chain and strolled across the street to Marie's bike.
Running a finger along the finely polished chrome, he circled her new purchase, studying it with unimpressed eyes.
"Start it," he commanded, stepping back to watch.
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Post by Jules on Oct 19, 2008 22:30:26 GMT -5
That wasn't a problem, at least. She twisted the (heart-shaped) key in the ignition and the bike thrummed to life. Placing on hand on the handle bar closest to her, she looked pretty proud of her purchase. It was clear, however, that Marie was just a touch afraid of the bike. Like one might handle a fiery stallion, she was antsy around it.
Possibly because of her somewhat frightening trip down. "I uhh, almost got pancaked." She explained. Not for the first time glad that she never blushed.
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Post by Miss Jack on Oct 19, 2008 22:45:41 GMT -5
His lips twitched at the image of her wild hair ever being as flat as a pancake.
Without preamble, he positioned himself directly behind her on the bike. One hand steadied her waist, and the other ran the length of her arm to guide her fingers. "The first thing to remember," he said, "Is to keep your center. Don't lean with the bike, or you'll fall over. Now... gently push the accelerator."
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Post by Jules on Oct 19, 2008 23:12:07 GMT -5
The hand on her waist and arm made her wish not for the first time that she'd been as lucky as Nellie. It was still incomprehensible how that sheep-girl, fluff-for-brains even managed to hold his interest.
Marie kicked up the stand after two misses (one landing on his shin and the other on nothing but air). They wobbled precariously for a moment, and to save them from going over she pushed the accelerator perhaps not as gently as he'd been hoping for. They shot forward and Marie squealed, part in fright, part in exhilaration.
The speed they were going at picked up steadily and she started to panic. "I cannot remembair 'ow to stop!" She cried over the whistling wind their passing created.
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Post by Miss Jack on Oct 19, 2008 23:19:52 GMT -5
He winced and rolled his eyes as she missed the kickstand and connected with his shin. They jerked forward and he grit his teeth, perhaps grabbing too roughly around her waist to keep himself on the bike.
They were going too fast, and that fruit vendor (which had of course conveniently appeared) was right in their line of path.
"The brake!" he yelled desperately over the wind.
Deciding not to trust her ability to find the brake to save them, he leaned around her back and took the handlebars in his own hands. He steered them expertly around the fruit vendor, and then eased them back into a safe speed of fifteen miles an hour, and then, once they rounded a corner, he reached up and pushed the brake and they rolled to a stop.
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Post by Jules on Oct 19, 2008 23:26:03 GMT -5
It was a good thing Alexander had taken over, since at about the time the vendor had popped into their path, Marie had snapped her eyes shut. Only when she felt them come to a stop did she feel safe in peeking out.
Twisting around in her seat she looked at Alexander's face carefully, quite close to her own. "See? I am no good." She looked slightly upset, like she'd expected to get the hang of it in seconds. Marie had always loved riding horses, going fast, and this was so much better. Why couldn't this just be like riding a horse?
"What do I do wrong?"
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Post by Miss Jack on Oct 19, 2008 23:34:13 GMT -5
He felt like patting her head and telling her it was alright sweetheart, just get back on the horse. What he did was raise an eyebrow, glaring flatly. "What didn't you do wrong, you mean."
He grabbed her hand and made her finger touch each thing he pointed out. "Accelerator. Not to be used while turning, shifting, or trying to stop. Gently," he repeated and revved it once, softly, to demonstrate. "The brake," he continued, touching her finger to the latch over the handlebar. "This side is for the back wheel, this side is for the front wheel. Always use the backwheel first, and only the front if you're going really fast and need to stop in a hurry. Now. Try again."
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Post by Jules on Oct 20, 2008 0:01:16 GMT -5
She listened intently, perhaps a little too much attention paid to his hand over hers. It was made worse by the fact that she didn't have a chance in hell; he was smitten with that shepherdess. Hopefully, this time she didn't almost kill them. She perched her feet on the chrome plates and turned the accelerator slowly until they smoothed away at a steady, comfortable speed.
It felt weird, holding her hand their, not letting it slide back further lest she pick up the dangerous speed they'd been going earlier. It was almost a strain. She itched to go faster, but she figured she should probably know how to turn before that.
"'urry up and finish teaching me. I want to go fastair."
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Post by Miss Jack on Oct 20, 2008 0:10:22 GMT -5
He chuckled. "Patience, grasshopper. If you hadn't nearly killed us, maybe we wouldn't have to go so slow. Try a few turns, preferrably ones that will take us out of Chimera."
If they were really going to go fast (and he itched for it almost as badly as she did), then it would be much safer to go somewhere free of pedestrians and building walls they could run into. And truth be told, she was catching on pretty quick.
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Post by Jules on Oct 20, 2008 0:15:51 GMT -5
Marie nodded and turned down a main road when she got to it, which she knew for a fact led away from the city. She didn't try and escape Chimera often, but when she did she knew how. As the buildings began to space out and the crowds thin, Marie felt confident in picking up speed. Not as much as before of course, but she was eatting up the ground at a fair pace. Faster than a horse could ever hope to gallop, anyways.
She loved the way the scenery began to blur, the feeling of the wind picking up her hair and setting it behind her like a flag. For a while, she even forgot Alexander was behind her, imagining that warmth was just a result of the motorcycle itself. It was only when they broke out onto more rural grounds and she'd turned into a regular speedster did she even think of him.
And perhaps too late. She'd managed to duck the branch in time, but she only made a noise as warning, as by the time she'd gotten out the words "Duck" or "Watch out" it would've probably been too late. Hopefully, he had good reflexes.
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