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Post by Lyra Newbury on Dec 27, 2016 21:50:31 GMT -5
"How have you been?" she asked in return. He looked well, at first glance. The same could be said for his appearance at the bar the other night when Lyra and Julian were on a date. But the cold looks he shot at Julian spoke volumes. Lyra hoped Mason was moving on in other respects at least.
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Post by Mason Marlowe on Dec 27, 2016 22:07:59 GMT -5
"Busy." he answered enigmatically, "But I'd bore you with business details."
After their split Mason had focused on keeping busy, and it had actually been quite lucrative, if it wasn't successful in distracting him, at least it was profitable.
***
"I was wondering if you would be here." Nik said coming alongside Julian.
"Nik, what are you doing here?" Julian asked surprised.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Dec 27, 2016 22:32:36 GMT -5
"Oh no, go ahead. I've been practicing my 'I'm interested in what you're saying' face. Watch." Lyra made an overly interested expression and nodded her head while maintaining a ridiculous amount of eye contact with Mason. She broke and laughed at herself. "It comes in handy at the office," she explained with a laugh.
Her smile faded slightly as she took on a mildly serious expression. "But really, are you okay? I know it's been...weird."
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Post by Mason Marlowe on Dec 27, 2016 22:39:27 GMT -5
"That would come in handy in the board room." he laughed with her.
When she sobered Mason sighed, "Weird is one way to put it. But I'm more resilient than I appear." he assured her.
***
"Business. Turns out an investor's a big art fan." Nik answered with a casual shrug sipping on the champagne that had been handed out.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Dec 27, 2016 23:06:09 GMT -5
Lyra turned to take a champagne flute from a passing tray when she caught sight of Julian talking to, of all people, Nicolas. She tried to keep the confusion and surprise off her face as she casually turned back to Mason. Why is Nik here? she asked herself.
"You seemed pretty upset last I saw you. Which I completely understand, I was way out of line."
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Post by Mason Marlowe on Dec 27, 2016 23:11:19 GMT -5
"I was caught off guard." he said with slight remorse, "I apologize for my behavior. I didn't expect to see the two of you out in public so soon after...well just so soon."
One of the things he found enchanting about Lyra was her innocence. She didn't know all the rules of society, her actions were her own, not that of a social debutante robot. But Julian on the other hand, knew all the rules. He took Lyra out anyway knowing what it would look like to the rest of society.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Dec 27, 2016 23:28:27 GMT -5
"You don't have to apologize, Mason. I understand, believe me if I had seen you with another girl I think I would have behaved much more poorly than you." Lyra glanced casually over her shoulder to see that Julian and Nik were still occupied.
"But I do feel terrible about what I've done to your and Julian's friendship. It was never my intention to get in between you two."
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Post by Mason Marlowe on Dec 27, 2016 23:50:19 GMT -5
"You couldn't have known who we were to each other." Mason shrugged, "I am surprised Nik or Sam never said anything. But it doesn't matter. How is that going...are you two...?" he trailed off, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Dec 28, 2016 0:00:06 GMT -5
"I think Sam only saw the good that could come out of us. She was trying to help." Nicolas had mentioned it to Lyra almost immediately, but by the time he found out Lyra was too far in for it to make much of a difference.
"Things are...complicated. I have a lot of things to work through and Julian...he's trying. He's sorting things out for himself but I think he's struggling without his friend."
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Post by Mason Marlowe on Dec 28, 2016 0:15:06 GMT -5
"Believe me, Julian and I were in bibs together, he isn't the type to rely on others." Mason had tried to be there for his friend whenever things took a down turn as life often did, but Julian was stubborn and preferred to hide away rather than deal with his problems.
Then suddenly as if realizing something Mason looked at her, "Please don't tell me you invited me here to make a plea on his behalf..." Mason said with a thinly concealed look of discomfort.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Dec 28, 2016 0:25:53 GMT -5
"He doesn't want to rely on others. It's different than not actually needing people. And no, I'm not making a plea on his behalf. Not exactly."
"Don't you miss your friend? Nik's told me all about you two growing up together. Inseparable. I know neither of you wants to face the other but can you really tell me you'd risk your entire friendship over some stupid girl?" Lyra sighed and chewed on her lower lip. Julian must think she'd fallen in the toilet by now, she'd been gone so long.
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Post by Mason Marlowe on Dec 28, 2016 0:33:36 GMT -5
"But you're not some stupid girl." Julian said coming into their conversation.
Indeed he had worried at Lyra's long absence and excused himself from Nik's company to go and look for her, but as he turned he saw Mason and a suspicious blonde coiffure. As he neared them he heard Lyra's distinct voice and realized they were talking about him, or rather his and Mason's relationship.
Mason looked up when Julian's voice interrupted his response. His eyes hardened immediately.
"So I'm guessing this was a set up?" Julian asked looking at Lyra and ignoring Mason's hard look.
Mason for his part became detached and silent.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Dec 28, 2016 0:49:08 GMT -5
At Julian's voice Lyra squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a breath. Oh Godric. She opened her eyes and exhaled, then held her head up as she was determined to forge forward.
"I'd call it an intervention," she said confidently, looking between the two men. "You two have had long enough to make nice and I gave you both the space and freedom to do so, but as I created this mess clearly I'm going to have to be the one to clean it up."
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Post by Julian Faust on Dec 28, 2016 0:59:11 GMT -5
"Meddlesome little baggage isn't she?" Nik said to Mason as Julian gave her a sympathetic look.
"Charming Everhart. As always." Mason said shortly. He wasn't ready to forgive and forget, but neither was he the type to start something at a public event. He gave a short nod to both of them, and turned to leave.
Julian didn't stop him.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Dec 28, 2016 1:11:37 GMT -5
Lyra knew Mason wasn't the type to cause a scene in public, otherwise he'd have done so during her and Julian's date. But the leaving she had expected, which was why she had tried to warm him to the idea before meeting with Julian.
Lyra gave Julian a dirty look. "Say something to him!" she hissed.
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Post by Julian Faust on Dec 28, 2016 1:23:18 GMT -5
Julian gave Lyra a hard look in return, "What do you want me to say Lyra? Did you ever stop to think that maybe I'd handle it when I was ready to handle it?"
Mason was counting himself ten times the fool for falling for what had appeared to be a set up.
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Dec 28, 2016 1:38:06 GMT -5
Lyra kept her voice low, as they were in public. But there was fire behind her words. "If this was Sam and I, you'd never let me lose her! Tell me how this is different?" She looked to Nik, expecting much of the same as from Julian, then looked back to her stubborn not-boyfriend. "Bloody idiot!"
Lyra marched off as elegantly as she could muster to not draw attention, and followed after Mason out of the gallery. She knew she still had time as there were too many muggles nearby for Mason to disapparate, unfortunately that also meant there was a crowd to potentially witness this disaster.
"Mason, please wait," she called out. She aimed to chase him down the street but her heel became lodged in a grate in the sidewalk and she nearly stumbled. She caught the wall for balance but dropped her champagne flute which shattered on the cement.
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Post by Mason Marlowe on Dec 28, 2016 1:51:16 GMT -5
"Give over Lyra, it's not going to happen until Julian's ready for it to happen, and honestly I just don't care any longer. You didn't cause things to end, they were obviously broken a long time ago."
He stopped walking however when he heard the champagne glass break, he turned to find her stuck. Damn. With a deep sigh he began walking back toward her.
"Really? The damsel in distress card? Low blow dollface."
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Post by Lyra Newbury on Dec 28, 2016 2:07:31 GMT -5
"It worked, didn't it?" she said teasingly. Lyra had obviously not planned to get herself stuck in a sidewalk grate wearing an expensive pair of heels. She bent down and attempted to pull her shoe free without stepping out of it - they were in a nice area but she still didn't fancy walking barefoot on the public street.
They were just outside the gallery and Lyra could see Nicolas and Julian inside. Julian was looking as stubborn as ever. But she had meant what she told him; she knew that if the tables were turned Julian wouldn't rest until her relationship with Sam was secure. She could only afford him the same devotion.
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Post by Mason Marlowe on Dec 28, 2016 2:15:24 GMT -5
She was wrong. Julian would rest, only he didn't see it as resting, as rather he would let Lyra make the decision for herself when the best time was to rekindle a relationship or whether or not Lyra even wanted to rekindle the relationship. Not everything had a fix, and Mason and Julian's issues wouldn't be fixed over an art show. He appreciated Lyra's intentions, but not the result.
Mason understood this about Julian, so did Sam and Nik, Lyra had yet to learn because of the facade Julian kept up while they were friends.
"Yes I suppose it did." he said with a small smile. "Careful don't step in glass." he warned.
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