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Post by Chammy on Jul 26, 2016 22:26:49 GMT
Of course, the concept of "magic" never once crossed Mirabelle's mind. As much as she was interested in lore and fantasy of all kinds, she knew and accepted (supposed) reality that those things didn't actually exist in the world. But even amidst their conversation, her mind was still flickering back and trying to accurately recall those moments that she couldn't remember. The images were missing, like a photo album that had been tampered with and some sequences and pictures removed.
And although she didn't want to deter or interrupt the conversation with strange musings about her memory lapse, it was still bothering her. Like an itch she couldn't scratch. Mira willed it away as best as she could to focus on what Alfred was saying.
"Oh, I have parents!" she corrected swiftly. "Well, a mother, anyway. My father left when I was very young. So I guess being the oldest, I kind of assumed the 'second mom' role to fill in the gaps. My mother was usually off working to support us and we didn't see her a lot, so I took care of my brothers." That never gave her a lot of time to enjoy being a child, herself, but growing up in a hurry wasn't necessarily a bad thing, either. She learned a lot from it. Shrugging, she said, "We managed."
When he answered her question, Mira nodded. She wasn't very surprised with the confirmation that it wasn't his first attendance here. And he had a point. Just a glance around spoke volumes of what to expect at a convention like this. "It is a little different than I was expecting," she admitted faintly. "I've heard of anime and comic book conventions, but this seems to be on another level." With his last comment, though, she blinked owlishly---uncomprehending. Certainly he wasn't referring to her.
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Post by Tzelle on Jul 27, 2016 4:28:11 GMT
Al already knew what her reaction would be before he ever said it, and Mirabelle did not disappoint. He let her be confused for a few more seconds, while time flowed normally. He wanted her to remember all of this moment. "I can see you thinking it and not believing it. I am talking about you, Mirabelle. I don't remember a woman I've been so taken with!"
It was, in a callous way of thinking, unfortunate that there was more to her family. It meant more people to learn of her demise, or be left forever wondering with no answers. It was the one side-effect of his diet that he had no stomach for. Those thoughts ran though his head as he let her catch up. Certainly he wouldn't have to wait long.
"But how rude of me, being so forward! I hope you enjoyed your lunch, but I can't keep you all to myself any longer. T'would not be right to keep you stolen away, when there's so much more to experience." He stands, and offers his hand to her to help her stand. "I must return to my booth. By all means seek me out once again when you've had your fill of this place... however long that may take." He added a toothy, inviting grin. It may be tomorrow, or it may be mere seconds, but he knew she would be back.
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Post by Chammy on Jul 27, 2016 5:03:43 GMT
A part of her wanted to snort. He couldn't be serious---he just couldn't. And the other, stronger part, was almost unbearably flustered by the thought. That was just silly---ridiculous, even. Maybe he was just a charmer or something. She could see that---he had the face, the personality, the gentlemanly way of speaking and chivalrous behavior in some ways.
But this was the first time she had ever been affected by something like that. And from someone that was a near-stranger to her, which made the entire thing even more implausible.
Mirabelle stared back at him rather dumbly for a long moment even after he finished speaking, still feeling out of sorts from a revelation she wasn't quite sure that she believed. Finally, she found her voice, accepting his hand with just a momentary hesitation. "I--er--yes, it was good. Thanks. I, uh... guess I'll see you around, then. Wouldn't want to keep you from your booth."
She managed an awkward smile. It probably wouldn't hurt to drop by and see his booth again later. After all, she didn't really want to get into the thick of things here. It was quiet, uncrowded, and full of books at his booth. That was clearly the better alternative to the rest of the convention, as far as she was concerned. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks again for the book, too. I'm sure I'll find some time to read while I'm here."
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Post by Tzelle on Aug 1, 2016 3:10:09 GMT
And that was that. Al bid her a fond farewell, and departed back to his booth. He felt good about his chances, and about her disposition. She'd almost certainly be by his booth again, likely soon. Al found that when it was a conscious decision, when the woman wanted to return and see him again, that was when the connection didn't merely start, but flourished. This was the one time he absolutely refused to use his magic to make it go faster, or to make it feel faster. That wait, the confirmation of connection, it was exhilarating.
It was that connection that he craved. Making a meal of an unwilling woman was all well and good, but that hesitation, and the emotional connection made the meal so much more fulfilling. It was the difference between a fast food pit stop and fine dining. And Al loved his fine dining, reserved for one day a year.
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Post by Chammy on Aug 8, 2016 2:06:19 GMT
It was inevitable, though that wasn't the way that Mira thought of it. She was already aching for the peace and quiet away from the throngs of con-goers and the pounding music barely a couple hours later. And she gave it a chance---she really did. There were at least a few booths that she found interesting, but her mind kept going back to the man surrounded by mythology and mystery.
Plus, she hadn't yet had the opportunity to delve into the book he had given her. And there were places to relax and read there, as well. Mirabelle didn't think that he was likely to mind.
That was her excuse, anyway. She headed back to the lone booth in the corner, and sure enough, Alfred was still there. A part of her was a little self-conscious about returning this soon---would he think it strange? Her eyes darted around a little in indecision as she came closer. Finally, once she was a yard away, she cleared her throat.
"Uh, hey again. I had a look around the convention, but I missed the quiet." It was a half-truth, anyway. She formed a small smile. "Still hard at work?"
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Post by Tzelle on Aug 13, 2016 17:31:27 GMT
It took longer than he expected, quite frankly. His previous partners had stayed away for an hour at most, one had allowed herself barely single digit minutes before she'd returned to the bookshelves. Al was aware of her before she even stepped around the last corner and into view. She didn't realize it, but they'd spent enough hours around each other - or at least spent enough time that felt like hours to him - for him to have a general sense of her proximity.
The sphinx pretended not to realize she'd returned until she spoke up. The bright glimmer in his eyes at seeing her again was absolutely genuine, however. "Ah! Mirabelle, I wondered when you'd be back." They both knew, whether she admitted it to herself or not, that she would have been back regardless. "Please, pull up a chair. Have you had any chance to read your new book yet?"
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Post by Chammy on Sept 24, 2016 23:23:25 GMT
With the open invitation, Mira's eyes landed on the nearest chair, which she promptly brought closer and sat down upon, bag settling in her lap. She could feel the book in question beneath her hand, right under the front flap of her shoulder bag.
"Oh, uh, not yet. I was poking around the booths. I figured it would be a waste not to take the opportunity to have a good look around." It was admittedly not bad, money-wise, for women getting in at half price, but she still wanted to get an experience out of what the convention had to offer. And it was worth it, for at least a few of the booths. She had a few new ideas for writing and research subjects. Plus, if she were being completely honest, a lot of the costumes were pretty impressive to see.
Alfred's among them, certainly. She still couldn't wrap her head around how realistic the ensemble looked. Perhaps the materials were from his home country. "...The whole thing is pretty well-organized. To be honest, I didn't really know what to expect when I decided to come. I thought it would be a lot crazier than it actually is."
She glanced off to the side, where a group of people were clearly having a good time and chattering away. Then her eyes drifted back to Alfred, shining curiously. "Have you had much of a chance to get out and about yet? Or is this kind of all stuff you've seen before?"
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