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 Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 1:15 pm
Owen had finally managed to take some time off from work, it wasn't very often in his profession that you got any time off at all. Even with the leave he was granted he could be called in at any point if something serious enough happened. Regardless he was happy for the opportunity to be in Maiden's Wreath so he could visit his brother. He had called to let Dan know he was visiting and had promised to meet him for lunch at the Leviathan campus. Despite not having gone to the school himself, he knew the place like the back of his hands. As such, he didn't always pay the most attention as he wandered around.
As it happened he was also just a tad bit late, he might have stopped by Asphodel first to give his sister a present first. He was a sucker for that adorable little hybrid. "Dan is gonna kill me this time..." He sighed and looked down at the watch strapped to his wrist as he turned a corner. Probably not the best time to be looking down. This was a pretty busy campus and it was probably a miracle that he hadn't run into anyone at that point. It probably had something to do with the fact that everyone else was avoiding him. All it took was for that other person to not be paying as much attention too and....BAM.
Owen looked up in just enough time to collide with someone very green in front of him. He tried to balance himself out, but hit tail got in the way, tripping his feet up even more and pushing him forward. There was some frantic yelling on his part, and probably a curse thrown in there as well, but he was now on top of some poor student. Some poor...female student. Oh gods, what had he done?
"I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking at where I was going at all. Are you okay? Well, you'd probably be better if I got off of your first..." He gently reached around her so that he could push himself up and over her. He sat on the floor next to her and offered her one of his hands. "Seriously though, are you alright? I'm a lot tougher than I look..." Owen might be a small Imp, but years of training for his position in the military had made him...well let's just say it made him unpleasant to smack into like they had.
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Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 2:38 pm
 Aspara was between classes, she had a couple of hours to spare before she needed to head in for her biology course, and was super excited for the topic of immune systems today, and how different races dealt with diseases. This was truly something fascinating, and she was looking forward to the 3-hour lecture that was to come with it. To prepare herself for it, she was already pre-reading the chapters in the text book that the class had assigned as she walked towards the entrance of the University to go off campus. She war really craving a hot tea from one of her favorite cafes, and with time to kill it really would be a nice place to hunker down and read farther into her book while getting some needed nutrients into her.
Normally, she was rather aware of her closer surroundings as she read, weaving in and out of other students and faculty as she navigated herself. However, she didn't see the Imp that had stepped out from around the corner right in front of her, and the next thing she knew she was flat on her back with her glasses askew and her book discarded somewhere on the ground. In the daze of trying to figure out what had happened she quickly tried to push herself up, not realizing that this Imp was right on top of her. Her forehead cracked right into his chin, which sent a wash of pain over her and she jerked back and she quickly placed a hand to her forehead.
"Oh no, oh no, I'm so sorry! I was reading and walking, and I wasn't paying attention. Are you ok?" Apologies started spilling out from her mouth as the Imp also began his apologies as he got off her and sat up. Her cheeks were burning in embarrassment as she realized he was equally as apologetic and worried. She took his hand to help right her, then fixed her glasses and looked over herself. Nothing hurt too much more than the burn on her arms from where she'd broken the skin a little and her back felt like it might have a bruise or two on it, but there wasn't any sign of sprains or breaks. She could feel the impact area on her forehead starting to raise and throb, and was glad she had hair to cover what was probably going to be a bruise of rainbow colors in a few minutes. "I'm fine, really, nothing seems to be broken and my pride and dignity are both just a bit bruised. Are you really ok?" With how hard her forehead had hit his chin, she worried that she might have broken his jaw.
The flow of bodies moved around them, and she realized they were sort of in the middle of a walking path. Grabbing for her book, she inspected it and dusted it off, then stood up and offered a hand to help the Imp up. "We should probably move before we get trampled."
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Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 2:56 pm
In the confusion of the whole mess the little Nixie student tried to stand up before Owen could completely get off of her. her forehead collided with his chin and well...he'd be lying if he said that didn't hurt. He'd taken his fair share of knocks to his jaw before though, so he'd be able to brush it off in no time. He was just glad he hadn't bitten his tongue and if anything he was more worried about the poor Nixie's skull.
At least she wasn't mad at him. He had pictured her being in more of a rage for sort of...falling all over her they way he had. He supposed if it weren't for the fact that he had probably hurt her, it wouldn't have been such a bad thing....Alright, stop those thoughts there Owen. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as she asked if he was okay. Oh, he was perfectly fine. He might get a little bruise on his chin, but he was used to those sorts of things.
"I'm sure to taking hard hits, so I'll be fine." He had also started to take notice of the crowd making it's way around them. When she stood up and offered her hand to help him up he readily took it and then turned it into a polite handshake. "It was sort of...an awkward way to meet, but my name's Owen. And I hope you don't mind to let me help you with some of these scrapes and bumps miss....?" he lead her away from the crowd a bit, so they wouldn't be in everyone's way as they made their ways towards classes or wherever they were headed. He was already looking at scrapes on her arm. he even reached out with his hand that wasn't holding hers to lift up her bangs and check on the slowly darkening spot on her forehead. He certainly needed to take responsibility for what he'd done.
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Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 3:53 pm
Thank goodness he wasn't upset with her. The last time she'd accidentally run into someone had left her with a very angry Demon spouting insults and curses at her after she'd caused them to spill their drink from their hands. To be fair, she had offered to replace the drink, and when that was declined insisted that she at least give them the money it cost initially. So to have someone more concerned with her own well being was quite the 180. His remark about taking hard hits was strange, however.
The helping hand had turned to a handshake, and Aspara offered him a friendly smile and a laugh. "Well, not every start can be smooth and seamless. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Owen. My name is Aspara. And please, don't fret over it, they're just scrapes and they won't even leave scars.Not even worth the worry." She followed him away from the crowds, and her cheeks once again grew heated as he lifted up her bangs to reveal what was probably a small egg growing out of her forehead. She winced a little as he accidentally brushed the edge of it, sending a throb of pain through the area,. Well, that was certainly going to need to be iced it later tonight.
"It's really ok, at least it wasn't hot coffee spilled this time. I really should learn to pay better attention." She looked up at him over the rims of her glasses. "How is your chin doing?"
Something nagged at her that he looked familiar, but it was a big campus and she had probably just seen him around in the cafeteria or during passing. Maybe he worked at one of the shops. Something silver caught her eyes and she noticed his dog tags. Military? Well he had to be graduated, so maybe he was recently graduated? That was the only way he'd be so familiar looking. She'd never met this Nightmare before in her life.
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Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 4:16 pm
Owen winced with her when he accidentally brushed against the little knot on her head. That had to hurt and truthfully he had just wanted to get a good look at it. He didn't really expect it to be as big as it was. Some people bruised worse than other he supposed. Years and years of taking beatings like that had made him rather tough personally. He knew his chin would be a little dark for a day or two, but it would be back to normal before long.
"Don't tell me this happens to you often? Tsk. It's hard to believe people miss such a beautiful lady walking right at them. I'm ashamed of myself honestly." He finally let go of her hand then and back down at his watch. Well, it was way past time to meet up with his brother now. He was sure Dan had gone back to work at this point. He'd just have to wait until classes were over for another chance to see him.
He smiled when she asked about his chin. "Seriously, don't worry about it. I'll hold up just fine. But say, how about to make up for the whole mess, I take you out to lunch? Seriously, I'm starving and it looks like you were headed out somewhere too." Sorry Dan, looks like you are getting traded in for a cute Nixie.
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Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 5:05 pm
"Well, a lot of students are busy to be getting to their classes and are more focused getting there and assume that others around them are paying attention to where they're going. Besides..." she paused a gave him a smirk. "I hear running into people is the best way to meet. Don't deny that you wouldn't have stopped me in passing. You were just as busy as the rest of the passerby."
She noticed him checking his watch, and she realized that he'd been on his way to an appointment of some sort. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were headed somewhere." She shifted her book in her arm and reached up to readjust her bangs over her bruise again. She was surprised when he asked her to lunch, and was ready to decline so that he wouldn't be later to wherever he needed to go.
Her stomach gave a gurgle of reminder that she needed to eat something. "If you're not busy, lunch sounds wonderful. I don't want you to miss your appointment, though."
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Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 6:00 pm
Oh that smirk, oh those words. She had him there, he was definitely in a hurry to get to where he was headed. If he'd managed to avoid he he'd probably be with Dan right now without a care in the word about this missed opportunity. As it just so happened though, he'd found himself not only quite the lovely Nixie, but a very sassy one as well. It must be his lucky day.
"Oh, that? Pfft. It's my own fault. I stopped by to see my little sister before coming here and she's just so darn cute. I was supposed to meet my brother Daniel, he works here as a professor. Buuuut..." He paused to looked down at his watch. Yep, it was definitely too late now. Sorry twinie, but he'd be sure to see you after work sometime. "It's past his lunch break now. I probably would have only seen him for like... minutes before his next class started anyway." he sighed a bit, really he was disappointed in himself for missing his original lunch plans, but he had to admit that things hard worked out for him one way or another.
"So for now, how about we get something together instead. This ears make just look cute, but they can hear that tummy rumble you know. Besides, now I get to pay for a lovely ladies dinner instead. Seems like it worked for the best." It would probably be too much for him to offer his arm, he had a feeling she'd have something to say about that anyway. Instead he just offered to lead the way. The cafe where he'd been planning to go with Dan wasn't all that far away.
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Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 6:51 pm
"That's why you look familiar! You have siblings here!" Now it all made sense why Aspara had felt like they'd met: if he was similar to either sibling and she'd had met them previously, he would have evoked that feeling. And with a brother being a professor, there was a chance she frequently passed him in the halls. "Ah, that was driving me crazy, I kept wondering how I felt like I'd seen you before."
She felt better now that the mystery had been solved, and noted that Owen had revealed a lot about himself in just a short time. He had a brother and a younger sister, and if the dog tags hinted that he's in the military. She was very curious to know more. Lunch sounded like a great way to do just that.
He called her out on her stomach rumbling, and laughed a little as she followed him. "Hm, cute and functional. A good pairing that applies to pretty much anything in life: shoes, bags, appendages." Casually, and really without a second thought, she tucked her book away under her one arm and slid her hand on the opposite arm up into his elbow. She gave a very subtle pull to designate a direction. "Off campus there's this wonderful little cafe. They have some amazing sandwiches and soups, and a rather decent hot beverage selection. Would that be ok, or do you have another place in mind?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 2:39 pm
Oh? He hadn't realized this whole time that she'd been wondering why he looked so familiar. Having a twin sometimes had that effect on people. If she was taking any medical related classes at all, she'd probably at least see Dan in the hallways, even if she hadn't had a class with him. Lucky for her anyway, he knew Dan was a...bit of a strict teacher.
He chuckled a bit before replying. "That would actually be my twin. Daniel is a teacher here. I think he teachers something to do with medicine....It changes from time to time as professors are shuffled around. But it certainly does explain with a look very familiar. Really the only difference is his hair is long enough to pull into a ponytail. Oh, and he wears glasses, I have contacts." Owen often gave up a lot of information about himself without anyone even asking for it. He was, sometimes unfortunately, just that open of an Imp.
"I find it's a particularly great combo when referring to appendages." He laughed a bit, it was very refreshing to be spending time with a girl who was so forward, but in a cute and fun way. He certainly knew his fair share of forward women in the military. But that was...very different. Before he knew what was happening she had actually managed to slip her arm around his. Oh, wow. He definitely didn't see that one coming. She mentioned the cafe, probably the same one he went to all the time with Dan, and he laughed a bit. It must be a fairly popular option for the students and teachers around here.
"I've actually been there, I believe. I believe that will do for our first date." He gave her a little wink and continued down the sidewalk. He probably looked like a very happy puppy with such a cute Nixie on his arm. He'd never really spent much time with a Nixie before, they'd come out of hiding since he'd joined the military and his job could be dangerous for someone that needed constant refreshments.
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 7:23 pm
"Ah, that would certainly explain a lot: my studies are in the sciences, and I'm really finding the Bio-sciences to be just fascinating. Probably have passed him quite a few times." Aspara wondered if this meant that she would have more opportunities to see Owen around. Not that she would ask that out loud, that would be embarrassing and she hardly knew the guy.
However, she enjoyed his company, and appreciated how relaxed it felt to be there. She hadn't even really noticed that she'd taken his arm at first, and when she realized what she'd done she hoped he didn't think of her as forward or misread her intentions. Thankfully, he seemed to take it all in stride which made her feel even more comfortable.
"I've actually been there, I believe. I believe that will do for our first date."
First date?! Aspara's cheeks flamed up again as she realized that this sort of was a date, and for a moment she felt panicked. She really didn't date much at the Academy, and with the research opportunities of the University she'd been more interested in school than dates. Then there was the matter that she hardly knew the guy: just that he had two siblings at this school and that he had a very strong jaw. She was about to protest it when she looked up and saw just how happy Owen looked, and instead she found herself smiling as well. "A date, huh? I guess we can call it that. I'm a little surprised that you know the place, though. It's popular for those who are on campus, so you must come here frequently enough?" She was curious to know more about this mysterious Imp that she'd knocked heads with. Besides, good company was always a welcomed thing.
Farther ahead, she could see the block that they would need to turn down in order to get to the little cafe. Hm, would they sit outside or inside...
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 6:20 pm
So she was studying sciences of some kind, he probably could have figured that out earlier if he'd been paying more attention to the book she had been reading when they collided. Pardon him for being more distracted by the lovely Nixie in front of him instead. And that lovely Nixie was now locked arm in arm with him, he couldn't wait to tell Daniel about this later. They had always had plans for the evening, so even though lunch had fallen through he knew he'd still have a chance to spend some time with his twin before heading back out to work.
Owen's ear's twitched a bit when Aspara asked him if he was around frequently. Well, he did try to visit his brother as often as he could. But truth be told, Daniel just always tended to eat at the same place the times that he did visit. "Well, I try to visit when I can. But I don't get a whole lot of time off. Well, that is I don't often get the time off required to actually plan any visits and sometimes I go up to Boreas to visit my parents instead. I try to be around as often as I can though, and my brother really likes that cafe. So, we tend to go there when I can make it down." There were times where he'd get a month off at a time, but those sorts of vacations were starting to become a bit rarer in nature lately. He was having to squeeze as much as he could out of a few days at a time here and there lately.
"But, if you're worried about not seeing me again, I wouldn't mind giving you my number and address. We could keep in touch and...I'unno. I could make some plans to see you next time?" Maybe he was pushing his luck a bit? He wasn't sure, but she sort of seemed interested. And he was certainly interested, even in just the few moments that they'd had together up to that point. Wait until he got back to work and could talk to Animus about all of this!
Before she could answer though they'd made their way down the block and out in front of the cafe. He pulled away only so that he could open the door for her. "After you." He put on one of his goofy smiles, trying to get a little chuckle out of her before the hostess could get a chance to talk to them. When she did finally chime in it was to ask about their preferred seating. Owen didn't really know what would keep Aspara more comfortable. He knew Nixie's skin could be pretty sensitive, he thought he'd heard that somewhere anyway. "That's up to the lady here to decide. Inside or outside, Aspara?" He'd be comfortable anywhere.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 10:24 pm
The mention that Owen didn't get much time off for visits caused a pit of guilt to sink in Aspara's stomach. It sounded like he was busy with his own life, and that he didn't get much time to visit his brother, and here she was intercepting him instead. Granted, this was at his own insisting, so she really didn't need to feel guilt over it. She was very curious about what he did for work, though, if he had so little time for family visits. It sounded exciting, whatever it was, and only served to make her more curious about him.
"But, if you're worried about not seeing me again, I wouldn't mind giving you my number and address. We could keep in touch and...I'unno. I could make some plans to see you next time?"
Her cheeks heated up quickly as a giant grin came over her face and she bit her lower lip. He wanted to see her again. Her heart fluttered a little, as it wasn't every day that someone took her on a date, let alone asked to make future plans with her. Even in the short time that she'd been with him, she found him delightful and interesting, and she was looking forward to being able to spend more time and learn more about him. Before she could respond, he dropped her arm and opened a door for her: they were at the cafe.
"Thank you." she couldn't help but giggle at his goofy smile and give him one of her own bright smiles in return, her gills wiggling very subtly. She knew he wouldn't notice, or know the significance of it, but it still was exciting to give that show of interest. "Outside will be fine, don't you agree?" She'd need to apply some extra lotion later, but it'd be worth it considering the weather was decent. Happily, she followed the hostess to the offered table on their outdoor patio, her heart still beating quickly with excitement. She still needed to exchange numbers with him! And addresses!
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Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2016 6:54 pm
"Outside works for me!" Owen had adapted to be be comfortable in a number of environments, he was more concerned with Aspara being comfortable. His tail twitched happily behind him as he followed the waitress and then Aspara out to their table on the patio. It was a hot day, but thankfully there was a nice breeze created by some fans above them and plenty of shade as well.
"This is your table, I'll have the server come around for you soon." Owen nodded to the Hostess and before Aspara could take a seat he pulled one out for her. "You had to see this move coming from a mile away." He laughed and waited for her to settle in before moving to the chair that was across from her. He didn't even bother picking up the menu, he knew it fairly well by now and he usually ate the same thing every time he came.
"Are you really going to be alright outside? I mean I should trust you. You wanted to. But...well you're actually the first Nixie I've really had any extended contact with..." Yeah, five seconds of them sitting alone together and he was already started to show his true colors a bit. There was a nice breeze form the fans so he shouldn't be too worried. But what if that would only cause her skin to dry out quicker? He really knew so little about Nixie's. Most of his work kept him up north where it was very cold and it was extremely rare for him to run into Nixies there. Most of his companions were Litch's and he tended to complain about the weather more than he did....Okay. He was getting off track here.
His ears wiggled a bit as he tried to find something else to talk about. Something other than the condition of her skin. Yeah, that could weird a girl out real fast. Probably? Definitely. "Soooo, about that long-distance pen-pal thing we were talking about earlier. Does that still sound like a good idea? Or am I just coming off as some weirdo? I feel like I might be becoming a weirdo. Oh yeah no, wait. I've always been one of those." And now he was resorting to humor. Way to win their hearts Owen. He couldn't help but picture Daniel laughing at him now.
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 1:35 pm
Aspara followed their Hostess to the patio, enjoying the warmth of the weather on her skin. While she did have rather sensitive skin, she also never left anywhere without her skin lotions so she wasn't too concerned. "Thank you!" she smiled politely to the Hostess, then started chuckling a little as Owen pulled out her chair: he hadn't really surprised her with his action, but it didn't make her appreciate it any less. "Well... yes, yes I did. Thank you, still."
She took her seat, hooking her book bag over the corner of the chair's back, and started to put her book away. And that was when Owen began to start having what looked like a socially nervous attack. She attempted a couple of times to say something, to reassure him, and instead found herself laughing a little. She placed a hand over her chest and shook her head. "Owen, my goodness, I promise it's ok for me to be out here." Reaching into her pack, she pulled out a metal tin and unscrewed the top to reveal it full of a thick salve. "I usually keep something like this with me. It helps to keep my skin well hydrated. Probably, with how warm it is, I'll need to apply sometime during my next class or when I get back to the dorms. I tend to use unscented, since I have to be around so many others, but it's common for salves to be scented." She placed the top back on the tin and placed it back into her bag.
As Owen brought up keeping in touch, another grin came over Aspara's face and she couldn't help but laugh again as he called himself a weirdo. "If it's any consolation, I enjoy the company of weirdos like yourself. And I'd really like to keep in touch with you, I'm enjoying your company and I'd like to know more about Imps and yourself. I mean, if you don't mind sharing, of course. Are you looking to communicate only through letters?" After all, she wouldn't mind exchanging more than just her address.
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 7:53 pm
Okay, so at least he wasn't being too horrible at this. It had been a long time since he'd sat down with a woman that he thought he might actually have a chance at dating. Most of his meetings with women ended up just being one (or a couple) night things. He was used to smooth talking those women, but this was always a challenge for him. At least Aspara seemed understanding of his noob-Nixie status. He leaned over to look inside of the little tin. He couldn't imagine having to carry something around to make sure he skin didn't dry out of peel. The worst he had to deal with was getting a little too hot in the summer around his neck. Thankfully his job kept him in places where he didn't mind the thick layers of fur.
"Ah well, I do have a phone. But...it's often only set to let certain calls through when I'm in the field. Though I am free to call others when I get the chance. I enjoy letters a lot myself and there tends to always be a way for me to send and receive them everywhere I go. Plus, I get to keep letters. I can reread them whenever I want." He had ever letter saved he'd ever received from a family member since he'd joined the military, even the ones from back when he was just training. He would still go back and read them at times. Most of the pictures that were sent to him had somehow been crammed into the side of his locker, but he did have a few that he carried on him.
Their waitress arrived at the table than for their drink orders. "I'll have some Apple Iced Tea please." While he did tend to order the same food whenever he visited the little cafe, he always enjoyed trying a new drink, they had quite the extensive menu and today just seemed like a good day to enjoy something apple-y. He waited for Aspara to order her drink and then he pulled a little note book out of one of the many pockets on his jeans.
"Okay, so this is my number. You can always leave a voice mail and I'll try to call when I get the chance. And this here, is my address and my full name so that it can get to the right person!" He slide the paper across the table with a little blush on his face. He actually had decent handwriting, but after all he did go to school and his mother was a doctor. "You could write yours down as well. Or...I could just wait to hear from you first. You know, in case all of this somehow goes horribly wrong by the end." He chuckled a bit as he slide the small notebook and pen to the middle of the table.
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