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Post by othus on Apr 9, 2021 5:41:38 GMT
Armand held her hand and made sure she was looking at him straight in the eyes when he said it
"It's not gross Amelia, that's how our bodies work"- He reassured her.
"A scar this old that still hurts is very rare, there might be ongoing nerve damage under your skin"
Armand stood slient for a while as if he was considering something
"Would you like me to ease your pain a bit? it's no cure, but it should make your scar bearable for the night"- He said as he smiled with a positive vibe at her, he was gonna break some hidden world rules, but who cares? He already saved plenty of people using his powers before, and even though he was not gonna cure Amelia with this, to him this was no different.
"I'm gonna numb the nerves on your back, I know it sounds like magic but, would you let me try?"
Armand said so but that's exactly what it was, his lightning magic was used more often to help people than to fight, if it could help her relax at least for a day, it was worth a shot.
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Post by Vapovile on Apr 9, 2021 9:36:11 GMT
Armand being so understanding made Amelia just stare for several seconds, not sure how to react. He just said he was a paramedic, so he has probably seen way worse stuff than this scar! A wave of relief washed over Amelia when he explained the nerve damage that might be going on. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if there was. Haven't been to the doctor in ages though, so I couldn't say." She casually shrugged her shoulders. Unfortunately, doctors were just one of those things she had to put off to direct money toward Gateway tuition and board, helping her family out, and having some left over to go out once in a while.
When he offered to ease her pain, Amelia tilted her head slightly in confusion. "You what?" She asked. How on Earth was he going to do that?! Numbing cream never worked well enough to justify the pain of it sitting on her scar. What could he possibly do? But when he said he was going to numb the nerves on her back, she let out a small chuckle.
"Magic, huh? I don't see any equipment around here." Her face grew a wide grin. "Let me guess, you're actually magic? Electric mage by the sound of it." Turning her back, Amelia leaned back toward Armand, the back of her head resting against his chest as she looked up at his face.
"That would be lovely, by the way. If you can pull this off, this might be my first normal night out in ages. I uh...I trust you." She fixed her hair slightly, hiding a blush.
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Post by othus on Apr 10, 2021 3:45:34 GMT
"Oh, you know about magic?! You are full of surprises, arent you?! you are 100% right, I use lightning magic! Well that makes things easier, I gotta warn you, It might hurt a bit and, well, I'm gonna have to touch the scar, alright? tell me when you are ready"
When Amelia told him she was ready, Armand would set his index finger right above the top part of her scar, concentrating mana and pressing, running his finger down her scar. Amelia would feel the usual pain on her back but it would quickly ease into nothing as he went down. Once Armand had finished, he helped her dress up and smiled
"Tell me how you feel when I do this"- He said as his hand gently reached for her back, pressing her closer to him while making eye contact.
"Better?"
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Post by Vapovile on Apr 10, 2021 19:56:15 GMT
"Wait, that's not a good id-" It was too late, Armand had already started running his finger down her scar. Jolts of pain rocketed through her body, making Amelia arch her back from the touch. She gritted her teeth, now feeling the sense of pleasure course through her body. Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy?! She thought, not wanting to reveal her masochistic side just yet. When he finally finished, her body slumped as she slowly raided her head, her hair partially covering her now-red face.
"...ok. The pain is going away...yes. Please...never do that again." Amelia was clearly trying to mask how hard she was breathing. "If you haven't noticed, yes. I am a masochist and that scar is a huge source of pain. Kiiiiiiiiinda awkward." Amelia then smirked and poked his nose with her finger. "But yes, thank you. Now while I cool down a little, my turn!"
Amelia turned around and interlocked her fingers, putting her head on top as she stared at Armand. She opened her mouth to say a more daring question...but then shut it. No, don't let this cloud your judgement, you weirdo! This is minutes into the first date, don't bring up anything sex related!
Clearing her throat, Amelia took a deep breath, held it in, and let it out slowly to relax. "So, mage huh? Went to Gateway myself, was their champion for a few months. No biggie." Amelia casually held out her palm, and a tiny flame formed on top. "So what about you? You just learn lightning stuff so you don't need to carry around a defribulator?" She asked, tilting her head with her fingers to view Armand at an angle.
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Post by othus on Apr 12, 2021 3:12:00 GMT
"Well that was quite the topic change, dont worry, I promise not to do it again...unless you want me to"- He replied playfully
"Champion?! wow, so you could totally kick my butt. do remind me not to get on your bad side!"-Armand joked a bit, although he was legitimately impressed.
"As for me, be ready to feel disappointed: I simply inherited some books from my grandfather and self taught the whole thing. I guess he was a mage in secret or something...you are right though, I pretty much decided I wanted to become a paramedic after I saw how useful my powers were, do you think that's a weird thing to do?"-He asked not really knowing what kind of answer he would get
"I just like helping people, doing everything I can to save lives, not just as a paramedic, I also love philanthropy and stuff like that, The restaurant is my hobby, but saving lives...that's my purpose"-Armand had a sip of the sparkling wine, blushing a little.
"Anyway, enough about me! I think you forgot the purpose of the game is to drink, my lady! we absolutely gotta finish this bottle and embarrass ourselves at the contest by the end of the night! I'm aiming for a solid 10th place"
Armand looked at the ceiling for a second and then back at Amelia
"You know, there's one thing that i'm curious about: your last name, it's not the same as your sister's, is she like, your half sister?"
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Post by Vapovile on Apr 12, 2021 3:37:44 GMT
Getting praised for being the champion made Amelia feel good, for it was a highlight for her at Gateway. Alexis had been kicked out because of their battle, which left the champion seat open. So running off the high of nearly matching the former champion, Amelia had decided to enter the ring herself and barrel through the ranks, taking Alexis's former spot for herself until she graduated later that year. And now I'm a glorified secretary Amelia thought to herself, shaking her head slightly in disbelief.
She listened closely to his explanation, placing her interlocked hands in front of her mouth thoughtfully. When he finished talking about how saving lives was his purpose, Amelia reached forward and clasped his hands into her's, Armand able to feel her slightly above average body heat radiating out of her hands.
"Look, that's actually a super thoughtful thing to do. It's like, one of the most selfless things a person can do. So no, you're not weird for wanting to help people, Armand. I probably wouldn't even be here if it weren't for people like you." She said, patting his wrist twice and sliding away once more, letting him change the subject to the drinking game. She looked at the bottle and smirked.
"10th place? That's a little ambitious there, don't ya think?" She joked. But when he asked about why her and Ashlea didn't share a surname...Amelia immediately took the bottle, poured it into her glass, and gulped it down. Once she was done, Amelia let out a sigh and put the bottle back on the table. "Nope, I'm gonna keep that door shut for now. So here's one back for yourself. Got any siblings of your own, and if so, tell me a fun story of one of them." She asked, leaning back in her chair. Wow, the spell really had worked! Is this what normal people feel when relaxing in a chair?
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Post by othus on Apr 12, 2021 22:33:35 GMT
"Well, that's perfectly understandable"-He said when Amelia told him she was gonna keep that door shut down.
When she asked about him siblings, Armand chuckled and scratched his head
"Actually, yes, I have 2! and we all have the saaame face"- Despite answering, Armand still took a big gulp of wine before continuing
"Let's just say that uh, girls we dated have mixed us up more than a couple times...it's too embarrassing to give any sort of details after all!"
Armand got somewhat red as he hid behind his drink while he thought of something else
"Speaking of dating...when was your last relationship? how long did that last?"- Armand said as he leaned forward, clearly interested.
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Post by Vapovile on Apr 17, 2021 3:33:06 GMT
"Wait, you're a triplet?!" Amelia practically snorted wine when she contained her laughter. How on Earth did she meet someone who was also not just another twin, but a triplet?! She couldn't contain a laugh at girls mixing them up and laughed, not able to stop a few snorts from escaping and making a light blush on her cheeks from embarrassment.
"Hahaha...you should totally show me some pictures of you all together sometime. See if I can't pick you out as well, oui?" She joked, giving one last snort and leaning forward to hear his next question. She looked toward the sky and tapped her chin.
"My last relationship...didn't last super looooooooong. We met at a bar, hit it off, went to his place, and wanted to keep seeing each other. Buuuuuuuuuut then he started trying to tell me who I could and couldn't hang out with, asked me to leave my current job, and was just being an overbearing ass. So I kicked him to the curb." Amelia took another sip of her drink, a frown clear on her face before she put the glass back down.
"Yes, I haven't had great luck with men. So forgive me if this all kinda seemed new to me." Amelia explained. "Soooooo...how about you? Got a wife you're trying to hide from me? Oh the scandal!" Amelia leaned over her chair arm dramatically, back of her hand resting on her forehead. She then gave a few laughs and got back up, briefly sticking the tip of her tongue out. "Juuuuuuust kidding, ok?" Amelia joked, giving Armand a wink.
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Post by othus on Apr 17, 2021 5:07:54 GMT
"In my defense, I am the more muscular one!"- Armand replied somewhat red after looking at Amelia hold back her laughter
"And sure, I do have a picture of us 3 somewhere around, I'll get sad if you fail to recognize me tho!"
As Armand listened to Amelia he couldn't help but think that maybe she had some bad luck in love. That was a shame, or perhaps, wasn't. after all, he wouldn't have met her if it wasn't for that. When Amelia asked back Armand shook his head with a melancholic smile
"Cant' say I blame you for doing that. And no no, that's actually a good question! I am certainly not in a relationship...that's something I take quite seriously, you know, exclusivity and all that"
"I do go out with girls, so I am very much not closed to the idea...I just want to take my time and make sure it's the right one"
Armand tried being as honest as possible, he certainly did not want Amelia to think he just was the type of guy to sleep with girls for the sake of it, but he also didn't want to lie about him talking to other girls.
"My last relationship was actually years ago, i wasn't even out of med school when that ended"
Armand looked at the bottle and noticed it was already empty
"Ooookay, I think I might be drinking a bit too fast here"- He giggled a bit and set his glass on the table.
"So, why don't we practice those dance moves for a bit before the competition?"-He said as he got up and extended a hand out to her
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Post by Vapovile on Apr 17, 2021 6:10:41 GMT
Amelia tilted her head in confusion when Armand explained how his last relationship was years ago, before he was even working as a paramedic. How often was Armand going out with other girls and not getting to the relationship stage? Was he like Caroline and just didn't want a relationship? He says he does, just wanting to find the 'right one' first. But what did that mean in relation to herself? Did she actually want him, for that matter?
Seeing him change subjects, Amelia looked at his outstretched hand and grinned. "Just a second..." Grabbing her glass, Amelia turned the glass upward and drank the rest of the wine inside, putting it back on the table with a small sigh. Her face now was now noticeably more red. "Of COURSE I am willing to practice!" She said with enthusiasm, letting out another giggle as she took his hand and stood up.
Truth be told, Amelia had no idea what she was doing. But she kept his hand closed around her own, and walking back a few steps so her arm was fully extended. "So, think you can drive this dance? Because I don't even have a license, officer." With another giggle, Amelia pulled his arm back a little, then twirled as she stepped toward him again, ending with her head resting directly on his right shoulder and looking up at him, awaiting his reply. The wine was make her a little less hesitant about being ridiculous to someone that she liked, even without the club lights and blaring music as distractions.
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Post by othus on Apr 17, 2021 7:40:04 GMT
"No license huh? I am afraid I'm gonna have to take you in"- He replied with a flirty smile as he set his hand on her back, pressing her towards him slightly. The music was not exactly salsa, but it certainly fit the more relaxed approach, Armand guided the slow pacing as he embaraced her
"Wow, I was worried over nothing, you can dance just fine!"-He told her as he gently made her break contact, then guided her back to him. they continued dancing for as long as the song played, looking at her made him smile a litte
"I think the night could end here and I would be completely happy. That being said, I still want to get to know your better"
The second song played, slightly faster pace than the previous one. Armand again helped set the pace
"So? You told me you used to be a barista, what do you do now?"- He asked as he made her spin at the pace of the song. truth be told that statement of her boss playing the bottle game had made him curious.
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Post by Vapovile on Apr 18, 2021 22:54:28 GMT
The two danced for several minutes, Amelia mostly matching Armand's movements and inserting her own steps where she felt they fit. It was strange dancing like this, on a rooftop and not completely wasted on alcohol. With someone who actually knew how to dance. Amelia closed her eyes as she relaxed, waiting for it to end before looking over at Armand, saying he would be happy if the night ended here.
"What do you know, I totally agree. You're a great dancer, Armand." Amelia complemented. When he started dancing again and asked about her current job, Amelia stared up at the night sky and let out a few dry laughs. "Hooooo, how do I explain this. I guess you could say I am the...personal assistant to a...high class socialite. Really pushing my vocabulary with that one." Amelia let out a few more giggles and spun to the music. "My boss is great though. Pays way better than that coffee job, and she has SO much stuff to do every day. Organizing her day, taking notes, managing her phone, you know, usual admin stuff."
Dancing a few more minutes, Amelia waited for the song to end before looking up at Armand. His eyes looked beautiful with the street lights reflecting off his pupils. "Soooo...are we going to be late for that dance thing? I expect great things out of you, oh dance partner of mine." With another giggle, Amelia leaned in close and pressed her lips against Armand's right cheek, kissing it briefly before leaning back again, her arms locked behind his neck and goofy smile spread across her face.
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Post by othus on Apr 20, 2021 4:15:15 GMT
"High class socialite huh? well, you seem to enjoy it, so that's what matters!"-Armand told her with a big smile not entirely sure what she meant. As Amelia got closer to him, he wasn't ready to get kissed.
Amelia's kiss turned Armand red, for a second he kind of forgot of everything else, but eventually he was back
"...right, the dance thing! We should probably get going"- He said as he nervously laughed.
The salsa venue was a cozy place, definitely not meant to hold more than 50 people as the couples arrived, Armand also turned in his tickets
"Hi, we are entering the salsa competition, we are uh, number 7"
Just as Armand was handing over the tickets, he felt someone tapping on his arm, If Amelia looked back, she would notice the person tapping Armand's shoulder was...exactly like him.
"Dude! what are you doing here?! I thought you said you were not coming?"- He told his brother, Armand scratched his head as he smiled
"Yeah, well, turns out I found my perfect dance partner!" Armand said as he held Amelia's hand
"This is Amelia Le blanc, we just met today but she's a wonderful person!"-Armand added
"Amelia, this is my brother Alex"- the guy who looked just like armand shook her hand
"It's Alexandre actually, super nice to meet you! so um, do you like, go to salsa contests with strangers often?"- He joked while Armand elbowed him on the side
"Kidding! Oh, allow me to present you my partner for the night! This is Alexis Primrose”- Alex said as he reached for her, gently holding her hand so she would look his way
A slender redhead with a ponytail turned, a shocked smile spreading across her face.
“Siiiiiis! Woah, imagine the coincidence!” She called out, extending her arms and inviting Amelia for a hug.
Armand was dumbfounded when he saw Alexis, so Amelia also had a twin?!
“Oh wow, that’s...quite the surprise, so nice to meet you! I’m Armand”- He said trying to look at Amelia’s expression as he did, surely she was as surprised as him?!
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Post by Vapovile on Apr 22, 2021 20:31:05 GMT
Wait, his brother was here? Amelia looked Alex up and down, seeing that he did look exactly like Armand. Though there was a distinct amount of muscle on Armand's arms than his brother's. Amelia smiled and nodded her head.
"Nice to meet you, Alex." She said politely, doing a small spin and hanging off Armand's shoulder when he said he had the perfect dance partner. She opened her mouth to address the joking question...but it hung open when her blood ran cold.
Alexis casually strolled up, revealed to be Alex's dance partner. Amelia only stared there in silent agony for several seconds. Why was Alexis here?! Why did she have to be with Armand's brother, of all people?! A phantom pain ran down her scar, Alexis's face reminding her of the woman who had ruined her life.
A smile spread across her face as she took a tentative step forward and accepted the hug, feeling like she was hugging barbed wire. "Yeah, I never would have guessed you would be here." Amelia said through nearly clenched teeth, trying to act as nice as possible. She then broke the hug and straightened her hair.
"I had no idea you were even in Paris. Did you come with Ashlea or something?" She asked, trying to see how on Earth this cosmic practical joke happened.
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Post by HungryHunter on Apr 22, 2021 23:10:53 GMT
"Yeah! We hit some of the sights together, then she said she had to meet up with somebody else. And hey, she's a married woman, no nightlife for her." Alexis giggled, clinging to her partner's arm. "So... you here with Caroline? This seems like her kind of town." Alexis was giddy at getting Amelia to accept a hug. She was winning her over! "Nice to meet you, Armand! Alexandre here mentioned you!"
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Post by othus on Apr 24, 2021 4:53:16 GMT
"Did he now? Hopefully he didn't say anything too embarrassing"- Armand said as he looked at Alexandre and he shook his head with a smile on his face.
"There's nothing embarrassing to tell anyway! I gotta say Amelia, your sister is awesome, she's charming, funny AND she can actually dance! I certainly look forward to seeing you two as well! I thought Armand didn't dance"
Right before Armand was about to reply to that, one of the organizers called for Alexandre and Alexis.
"Oh, that's our number, I imagine this is starting soon. see ya around dude. Amelia, pleasure meeting you!"
"Alright, I guess we will see you two soon, good luck with that!"-Armand held Amelia's hand and guided her away from the crowd.
"Well that was quite the surprise, you didn't tell me you had a twin! You kinda froze back there like you saw a ghost. Everything alright?"-He asked her with some healthy curiosity.
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Post by Vapovile on Apr 24, 2021 5:13:37 GMT
"Yeah...she sure is..." Amelia nodded her head along with the praise, keeping the same smile on her face. She waved as they both were called away by the organizer, letting Amelia breathe a sigh of relief and adjust her hair out of nervousness.
"How on Earth do I even explain this..." Amelia mumbled to herself when Armand asked her if everything's alright. "Sorry, it's a super long story that's just going to bring down the mood. Just know that I have a lot of hang-ups being around that girl, and none of it's really...her fault."
Amelia let out a sigh of frustration. Why was she airing all this out on the first date? "She's a bit dumb, but Alexis isn't a bad person. I don't want you to get that impression. It's just my own personal stuff, and your brother isn't in any danger being around her. But no, I had no idea she'd be here either, so it was a shock to me too." Amelia explained.
"Anyway, how about we lighten the mood? I am way too sober for this." Amelia walked over to the bar and ordered a glass of white wine, placing a small stack of euros on the counter. She immediately began to sip the glass. "How about you? You want anything here while we wait our turn?" Amelia asked, giving a smile to try and lighten the mood.
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Post by othus on Apr 24, 2021 5:44:24 GMT
Amelia was very clear on her standing with her sister, and quite unclear as why. Either way, that whole deal was none of his business.
"Oh boy, well...nevermind mind that, yeah let's go make some mistakes"- Armand followed and looked at Alex and Alexis through the crowd, the first impression of her was actually not bad at all, in any case, Armand wouldn't really think too much of it, he had just met Amelia, and she was being quite open about herself. That much, he could respect. Armand looked back and saw Amelia already holding a glass of wine
"Actually, I think you are gonna need something with a bit more punch than that"-He waved for the bartender and talked to him
"can you give me 2 long island iced teas?"- He asked him politely. The bartender nodded as he went on to grab a bunch of bottles out of the shelf.
"Now this should get us up to speed"-Armand said as he handed over the tall drink to Amelia
"If you haven't had this before just know it's gonna do wonders, dont let the taste fool you, I wouldn't have more than one of these"-Armand suggested her, after all, he did want both of them to come back safely.
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Post by Vapovile on Apr 24, 2021 6:06:25 GMT
Staring at the two large drinks being made, Amelia immediately recognized the ingredients going into it. And it was a lot of liquor. She then looked down at her wine and sighed. "Welp, I guess we're sharing this one. Lucky I didn't get a large glass, huh?" She joked, taking the taller glass and inspecting it.
"Huh, it does look like iced tea..." She observed. Holding up the glass, Amelia smiled and looked at Armand. "To being anything but the worst dancers tonight!" Amelia giggled, letting out a single snort that she didn't care about. The wine had already made her less self conscious about that.
When they tapped their glasses, Amelia would take a drink out of the glass and immediately squeezed her face shut. "Yeeeeeeeep, that's strong!" She said while reopening her eyes, her throat burning. "Never had one of these before, no. Usually cheap beer or wine was all I could afford, unless some gentleman like yourself got me a drink." Amelia lightly elbowed Armand'd arm, resting her arm on his. It felt warmer having physical contact.
"Sooooooo, what's your brotha dooo? Don't tell me he's a firefighter or something, I'vsh seen those arms!" Amelia whispered the last part. The dread from Alexis was already disappearing as Amelia took another drink from the glass.
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Post by othus on Apr 26, 2021 21:57:46 GMT
"Alright! Let's do it!"-Armand cheered with Amelia. Before he knew, she was already looking a lot more red, if she was open before, she had tossed the filter to the trash now.
"Whoops, I...think I might have given you a bit more than you can handle"-Armand replied nervously laughing, she seemed like a big shot until that last drink, or maybe seeing her sister had triggered something in her...actually, it probably was the fact that they were already a bottle and half of wine already in, he could feel his face numbing a little despite having a lot more tolerance, so it was expected.
Armand took her glass away gently and set it on a table, he pulled her towards him for a hug and finally replied as he pointed at him.
"So, my brother, he's the head of human resources at a big company, you know, kind of a boring job if you ask me, but it definitely pays well!"
The dance contest began and everyone with a number got to the center, the first song played and Armand extended a hand over to Amelia
"Feeling good, love? let's go!"
Armand held Amelia's waist and slowly set up a pace, Alex in the meantime was already making Alexis spin and slide, as the music swapped for a faster note, they quickly upped the pace, while Armand was more worried about Amelia not tripping. He looked at her with a big smile as they finally got the rythm
"Looks like the alcohol is doing wonders, wanna kick it up a notch?"- Armand began to spin Amelia around, picking her up and tossing her like she weighed nothing, he looked at his brother and smirked as he flexed his bicep, almost daring him to try and do the same. Alex rolled his eyes and held Alexis tightly as they soared through the stage.
"Well, what can you do, the guy has always been a dancer"-Armand said as he forgot about him and focused on Amelia
"Having fun yet? Let's end it on a high note!"- Armand held Amelia close and spun with her lowering her and picking her back up from the waist. Right as the song ended and everyone clapped, Armand reached in to kiss her.
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