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Post by Lyra Newbury on Sept 29, 2016 3:55:18 GMT -5
"Very safe plan," she teased further. "The whole of the wizarding elite will be happy to hear that we have seamlessly merged the two most noble of pastimes; getting pissed while on horseback. We're revolutionaries."
She released her hold on him and stepped back. Shaking her head in a loving way, she sighed softly. What am I going to do with you, Julian, she thought as she stared at this mysterious friend of hers. "Come on, show me your stables Mr. Faust. Impress me."
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Post by Julian Faust on Sept 30, 2016 1:24:40 GMT -5
Julian held her a little longer. He was loathe to let her go even when she stepped back his fingers traced along her forearms. He was perplexed. Honest to Godric confused. Half of him wanted to shut her out, tell her to leave and run as fast as he could to escape the demon of his past. The other part wanted to cling to her, empty all of his pain and grief on her shoulders and let her rescue him.
He settled in between and neither half was really happy as he allowed himself to pretend nothing was wrong, even if both of them knew it was a lie.
"Have I told you how beautiful you are?" he asked out of the blue.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Sept 30, 2016 16:06:26 GMT -5
The edges of her mouth curled upwards. His compliments were a welcomed change in his mood, and something Lyra more clearly recognized as normal Julian behavior. "Not today. I was beginning to wonder," she replied, feigning concern that her looks had faded suddenly. But even still her cheeks flushed at his words and she again heard Sam's voice rattle around in her head.
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Post by Julian Faust on Oct 1, 2016 2:03:42 GMT -5
That was the problem, normal Julian behavior. Julian was all ease and charm now, and for as long as Lyra had known him, but underneath the surface was another man. A severely flawed and damaged man. It was easier to keep his relationships on the surface, to put on a mask and be the hero instead of dealing with the pain underneath.
As much as he cared about Lyra, because he cared about Lyra, he couldn't put her in the middle of his darkness.
"Not while I have breath, will you ever wonder about such a thing."
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Oct 1, 2016 2:42:16 GMT -5
Her half smile broadened as she looked on him. Whatever it was that had happened between them, she wanted to put it aside and simply have a nice day together. They had a ride to look forward to, and tucked away in the guestroom, hiding under her clothes was a thank you gift. She intended to give it to him today, and she intended for him to be in a good mood when he saw it. He might be more forgiving of her ignorance if he were in a good mood. Whether he was simply pretending to feel better, or he truly did feel himself, Lyra didn't know, but she would take this version of Julian over the tormented one any day of the week.
"Normally I'd let you go on - and feel free to do so later - but you've promised me a ride today. And I don't expect to be kept waiting." As she spoke she trailed her fingers up his arm.
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Post by Julian Faust on Oct 1, 2016 2:46:20 GMT -5
"I wouldn't dream of it love." he said leading her toward the stables. He was feeling more like himself, more in control. He decided to focus on Lyra's face, and as a change of pace, nothing below her neck.
It was telling for Julian how poorly he had reacted to seeing Belle's riding habit. He had thought himself in better shape than to fall apart after all this time. Then again he hadn't healed any wounds, he just covered them up.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Oct 1, 2016 3:23:09 GMT -5
Lyra followed him out to the stables where the aethonans were already saddled and waiting. She allowed Julian to help her up onto the horse, being much smaller than the winged beast. The last time she had gone riding she was still very much a child and the servants had always prepared a stepping stool for her to use as she mounted and dismounted, still with great effort. But as an adult, she felt the use of a stepping stool would be uncouth. It was quite freeing, feeling the wind against her face as they rode. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the feeling wash over her.  |
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Post by Julian Faust on Oct 1, 2016 3:33:57 GMT -5
Julian helped Lyra before using his long legs to pull himself up on his own horse. Immediately the winged animal beneath him knew Julian was just as eager to go for hell and high water and lifted his neck in agreement and anticipation. But Julian kept the pace steady denying them both for the time being.
It allowed him to look at Lyra as they rode. The look of bliss on her face calmed him. He could have happily stayed in that moment for quite a while.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Oct 1, 2016 3:44:05 GMT -5
She opened her eyes and saw Julian looking at her. She smirked and leaned her body toward the horse, then signaled for him to go faster. The creature agreed and she was soon riding in front of Julian, watching him shrink slightly. "I'm winning," she teased as her voice was carried on the wind to him.
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Post by Julian Faust on Oct 1, 2016 13:07:53 GMT -5
Julian grinned and leaned forward over the horse, he appeared to say something to the animal. Suddenly Julian picked up speed. His horse was the larger and more powerful. He quickly ate up the distance between them and then created a distance after taking the lead. Julian glanced back toward Lyra, "Not anymore."
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Oct 1, 2016 19:03:20 GMT -5
They raced playfully, taking turns in the lead although Lyra was certain Julian was just being a gentleman by letting her pass him on several occasions. Like Lyra, the steed she rode was smaller than Julian's muscular aethonan. She couldn't imagine he would ride this horse with any regularity. It was clearly a horse for a lady.
She wasn't sure how long they had been riding but after some time her horse showed signs of needing a break. They stopped on a grassy hillside and Lyra slid from the saddle landing lightly on the earth. It was much easier to get off this beast than to get on.
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Post by Julian Faust on Oct 1, 2016 20:49:17 GMT -5
Julian led her to a scenic copse near a pond before slowing the horses and landing. He reined in the magnificent beast and waited for Lyra to do the same.
He dismounted and waited to help her down as well. He withdrew the picnic basket he had brought with him used magic to enlarge it from it's conveniently shrunken state.
He also pulled a blanket out and spread it on the ground. When he was finished he turned toward her, "Milady." he bowed slightly.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Oct 2, 2016 2:01:47 GMT -5
She was surprised, but not completely, that Julian had prepared a picnic for them. It was the sort of thing Julian would do, as was the adorable way he welcomed her onto the blanket. As she looked at him bowing towards her, his troubling behavior earlier had completely gone from her mind. This was her Julian.
"One of these days I'm going to stop being surprised by you," she said offhandedly, but hoped that wasn't the case. She enjoyed his surprises and the way he seemed to make everything a bit more grand than they normally would have been without him there. Sam was right, he did dote on her. Without Samantha here to argue with directly, Lyra found herself resisting the notion of a romantic relationship with Julian less and less.
Lyra helped Julian unpack the picnic basket. He had thought of everything, right down to the napkins. Lyra always forgot the napkins. So thoughtful. So doting. And so creative. Lyra thought of the painting she'd passed in the hall, she had never confirmed whether it was one of his. "Julian," she said, looking very seriously at him, "why don't you talk about your paintings? Sam says you're very good, but you've never shown me any." She wasn't accusing, simply stating a fact. She pulled a grape off the bunch and popped it into her mouth.
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Post by Julian Faust on Oct 2, 2016 2:22:28 GMT -5
"I sincerely hope not." he smiled. He enjoyed surprising her, at least when the surprises were positive ones like the picnic.
She surprised him too, in many beautiful ways she surprised him. Perhaps the most surprising of all was that she made him forget. When she was around he could forget the past and forget the pain. If only he could stop punishing himself for forgetting.
He was forgetting right then sitting with her on an impromptu picnic after a ride.
"I don't "not" talk about them." he argued, " It's not as though they're hidden, but you don't exactly visit all that often." he teased.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Oct 2, 2016 2:42:19 GMT -5
She smiled. "Well, that's true," she admitted. "But even so, I talk about all of the things I do beautifully all the time. It's not that strange to talk about yourself or your hobbies. But I don't know anything about your paintings." She positioned herself so that she was lying on the blanket, her head in his lap looking up at the blue sky. "What is it you paint, exactly?"
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Post by Julian Faust on Oct 2, 2016 3:21:07 GMT -5
It was true, Julian didn't hide his paintings, but sometimes he hid his feelings in them. And there were some feelings that were too vulnerable to share with the public or even Lyra. For instance he had painted her once, they had attended some social event and she had fallen asleep in the carriage, he carried her to the hotel they were staying at and she opened her eyes and smiled a lazy sleepy smile. He committed the look to memory and painted it.
There were other paintings too that he didn't want exposed for other reasons.
"Everything." he answered, " And I don't talk much about them because I'd rather hear about you and all the things you do beautifully."
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Oct 2, 2016 12:23:42 GMT -5
Lyra happily talked about herself and all the skills she possessed. She enjoyed talking about herself, and now that her situation had been resolved, she was able to speak freely without fear that some gigantic secret would fall out of her mouth. As she laid on Julian's lap, she spoke of the awards she had won as a child for excelling in riding ("although mother would be dismayed to have seen my form today"), and recounted how when she was in school she would engage in friendly duels with her classmates and nearly always win. She told stories of how she had managed to manipulate her way into attending a sold out concert and flirted her way past the security guard to get backstage and meet the band.
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Post by Julian Faust on Oct 3, 2016 0:03:19 GMT -5
She sounded perfectly delightful to Julian who had led a relatively sedate life up until Belle's death. He had gotten into a few scrapes here and there as young men often did, but after Belle's death he "disappeared." Careless with his life he got into bigger more harrowing scrapes, but was miraculously alive to never speak of said situations again.
He laughed and smiled appropriately at her stories. He enjoyed listening to her, which is probably why she talked more than he did, he loved seeing into her life.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Oct 3, 2016 1:04:12 GMT -5
"So anyway, that's why mother and father always hired a nanny to keep track of me on holiday. You run off with one boy in Spain for a week without telling anyone, and suddenly you're 'irresponsible'." Lyra had been talking for some time now, and the sky was beginning to change colors. A soft orange-pink glow was settling over trees and a mist was beginning to roll over the grass in the distance. She sat upright and looked at Julian.
"It's getting late and I haven't even given you your present yet. I completely forgot. I knew I should have done it straight away." In all their banter at the house, and the enjoyable time spent talking about herself, Julian's surprise had managed to slip from Lyra's mind. It was her whole motivation in coming to see him.
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Post by Julian Faust on Oct 3, 2016 1:29:22 GMT -5
Julian couldn't remember a more pleasant evening than sitting with Lyra as she talked.
He seemed genuinely disappointed when she stopped and pointed out how late it was, though his eyes lit with curiosity, "A present? Oh really?" he asked.
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