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Tweak says, "Llamas are cool"

Armand St. Just, friend of the Scarlet Pimpernel (iwanttohelp) wrote in wariscoming,
@ 2013-09-12 19:24:00

Entry tags:

armand st.just

Who: Armand and Lydia
What: Second date!
Where: Complex lobby/French restaurant/Cafe and a walk afterwards perhaps?
When: Six PM on September 12th, 2013
Rating: Not very high. Possibly PG if he brings up St. Cyr?
Status: Incomplete/Ongoing

He was nervous. Not too much, but just enough. He had had very little experience with women before coming to Lawrence; most of it had to do with the whole experience with St. Cyr. It had not been pleasant, and afterwards he had turned away from pursuing any woman, focusing more on his learning and the way the revolution was going. His life had been filled more with book knowledge and worry in those days, and while he was no longer learning as much there was still worry.

He had not been chosen. For that, he was immensely grateful. But he worried now that this was not the end of things. He had been truthful when he said he had made his peace with death long ago. But he knew one could only cheat death for so long, and he thought if anyone tried to cheat Death than everyone would pay dearly. He had watched the boards the rest of the day, saw the posts from friends to those being left behind. He remembered his own fight with his sister, and her terse reaction to his attempts to reconcile. If had not been a pleasant afternoon spent on the computer.

But Lydia had said yes to dinner, and that had cheered him up significantly. He was fascinated by her, in a way. She was very vivacious, and during the conversation they had had with Allison she had always managed to bring a smile to his face with a well placed comment or observation. He would admit to a slight infatuation, and then with the confirmation that she had indeed been flirting with him, he decided to be bold. Dinner the evening before had gone well, even if there had been tension about the upcoming decision. But she had taken his mind off of it, for a time, and he hoped tonight would be less tension filled.

Something Percy had said stuck with him, and before he made his way to the lobby to wait with her he went to a nearby florist shop and purchased a single red rose. He had made sure to dress sharply, as he wanted to impress her. He just hoped what he was doing was correct by the standards of this era. It had been a very long time since he had felt like this, and he did not want to let it show on his face. So he waited in the lobby, rose in hand, and hoped his words and actions did not betray his nervous state.

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knewtoomuch
2013-09-12 11:08 pm UTC (link)

For the most part, Lydia did not get nervous about dating. Maybe it was because she had spent the past four years or so learning the game; gaining subtle skills and tricks in order to keep a guy interested and to bend them into doing whatever she wanted, and she maintained the control in nearly every instance. She liked being in control in each situation she found herself in, whether that be in her academic or social life, and it seemed to benefit her in more ways than one.

Whatever reasoning she had for maintaining her distance in relationships; in her friendships even, too, she had been trying to break down. Sometimes it seemed like it was working, but most times Lydia felt as if she was drowning in the unfamiliar and she didn't like it one bit. With Scott and Allison in Lawrence, things weren't so bad, but there was still the matter of Derek and her unconscious vulnerability towards him, though she was unaware of it. It was frustrating to have the person that knew about what was happening first hand be the person that you couldn't tolerate for more than an hour at a time. Things would certainly be different if he wasn't.

But regardless of her internal struggle, Lydia was emotionally drained by the time she had collapsed in her room. The day had started freakishly early, and only continued to drag with school and afterwards. Her heart was hurting from going through the anxiety and terror of the pre-dawn hours to the jubilation at people she cared for not being chosen that she almost fell down.

Then there was Armand. She liked him, yes, and it was strange for her because she knew she had a type. The type that tended to treat her like garbage. Why that was attractive she would never know. He made her laugh with his obliviousness to her antics and sweet disposition and she enjoyed spending time with him. She went for an understated look, tying up her hair quickly before swiping one last coat of lipgloss across her lips and headed out.

She saw him before he noticed her, as his back was turned to her, and Lydia cleared her throat gently as she approached him. "Hey. You look very nice."

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iwanttohelp
2013-09-12 11:13 pm UTC (link)

He started slightly at the sound of her voice. He should have known not to have his back to the lobby. He nearly dropped the rose but caught himself just in time. "You look absolutely stunning," he said with a smile, holding out the rose. "This is for you."

When she took the rose and smiled she relaxed slightly. He moved towards the door to the complex slightly. "Apparently you need reservations at this restaurant, so I made them for six thirty, to give us time to get there. The woman taking my reservation was amused at my name. I do not know how my sister does it, with Percy as her husband and I as her brother." At the thought of his sister his smile dimmed slightly, but then he brightened it almost immediately. "It is not too far of a walk."

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knewtoomuch
2013-09-12 11:27 pm UTC (link)

It wasn't as if it was the first time Lydia had ever been complimented by a member of the opposite sex, but she could feel her cheeks and neck begin to heat up, and she averted her eyes in a moment of unexpected shyness. "I-" she cleared her throat, and took the rose from him, smelling its sweet scent to clear her mind. "You are something else, really. Thank you."

The slight change in his smile didn't go unnoticed, and feeling a bit bold, Lydia let her hand trail along his forearm before taking her hand in his. "I'm sorry that you two haven't resolved things. I'm sure she just needs some time." They left the building, the evening air cool on her skin and she relaxed, letting him take the lead. "I don't mind long walks, either way. I went out this morning for a few hours, too. I couldn't sleep. Too nervous."

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iwanttohelp
2013-09-12 11:36 pm UTC (link)

He grasped her hand tightly, swinging it slightly as they walked. "I think it will be quite a long time before we resolve our squabble. Well, it is more than a mere squabble, I suppose. Death did something unpleasant to her, and she thinks I am throwing myself needlessly at him. When she gets angry, especially at me, she tends to hold her anger close for a long time. I have been through it before. I just fear Percy is taking the brunt of it, and I do not wish that on him."

He turned to look at her, a small smile on his face. "I like to walk as well. I can only spend so much time staring at a computer screen before I need to go out and clear my head. I have been trying to study the history of this country. In my time it was still developing, and now to see how it has turned out is awe-inspiring, though there are a lot of things I do not understand. Studying the history of my own country was easier."

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knewtoomuch
2013-09-13 12:22 am UTC (link)

Her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, but Lydia said nothing. She had no siblings to even share a bond like that with and her parents, though doting, were not overly attentive. They could barely see that their daughter was a genius, for the love of god. "That sounds toxic," she said after a moment. "Holding that in just causes a darkness around your heart. But it's because she cares. The ones that care most are the angriest when we make big decisions without them."

"That's why I walk. Or shop, I'm big on shopping." Clearly some things would never change. "It seems like it would be difficult. Like all I've ever really learned was American history and about the World Wars, but those are all things that haven't happened yet. They don't have the same meaning to you because you haven't grown up hearing the stories about it. Not that it's a bad thing. Just the way the time discrepancies are, I guess."

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iwanttohelp
2013-09-13 12:51 am UTC (link)

He sighed. "I know. But it is true what they say about theatre people. They are incredibly passionate and tempramental. My sister is no exception. In time the anger will fade and we will reconcile. I just have to wait out her anger."

"Yes, that is the strange thing about the discrepancies," he said. "Everything is a tale to be told. But it is easier for me than, say, Princess Andie. Her home country does not even exist. So I consider myself lucky."

He stopped for a moment and looked up at the sky. "I like this time and place, even if it is dangerous. For one thing, there is not death all around, though it can make its presence known. And I can see the stars clearly here." Then he looked at her, a wider smile on his face. "And you are here. That is good as well."

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