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Ian sighed and pressed his glasses up his nose; he was certain that his idiot cousin was to blame for his being part of a blind-date situation. That it was being held at the museum was a slight benefit, but still - he had no real wont to be attending the function at all.

Not that I'll take this out on my 'date', it's not their fault Colin's a cockwomble. As irritated as he'd been to receive his invitation with it's elaborate script and heavy stock, Ian planned to be a gentleman to whomever the event organizers had paired him with - the one that would be facing the full brunt of his ire was Colin Hargrove, not his date. As such, he'd dressed carefully and also made certain that his approach for the evening's festivities would be not only charming, but welcoming.

Standing with a fluted glass in hand, the curly haired man looked over the painting he'd been instructed to wait at. Wild Horses. As Colin had put in his submission, Ian wore a bespoke double-breasted three-piece suit in rich chocolate brown wool over a rich plum coloured silk shirt. He was quite fashionable and doing his best to be patient. I wonder what sort of person I've been paired with...

Not expecting that someone would go crashing right into him, Ian was caught completely by surprise and only just managed to save his glass from falling onto the cool flooring and shattering as he swore soundly in his native French.

Wanting to know who had been so rude as to slam into him, Ian turned around and then saw a young woman making a pained expression that didn't quite take the anger out of him, but did lessen it. "Miss, are you quite alright? That was...not a gentle encounter." I do hope she's not here for me - that would be most unfortunate. "Perhaps I can assist you...are you lost?"

Ian mentally counted to ten before addressing the girl again; he really was going to murder his cousin for signing him up for this blind date bullshit. He could not quite help the way his face fell when she said that she was meant to be waiting at the same painting as him. She is my 'date' for the evening?! But she's a child - look at her! Girding his loins, the curly haired blond plastered a pleasant expression onto his face.

"I am indeed your companion for this evening." Ian offered his hand, determined to be pleasant for her sake - it wasn't her fault Colin was a shitbrick, nor that he didn't want to be there - so he wasn't about to take his ire out on her. "Ian St. George, and your name i--" Had he further things to say, they were lost with her query about mysteries and paintings and her parents.

"I sincerely doubt your parents had anything to do with the painting selection. If I had to hazard a guess, it relates to our own interests and the event organizers wished to give us an easy topic. I am an accomplished equestrian, so it would make some measure of sense." He drained the remaining liquid in his glass before continuing - he was going to need a great deal more alcohol to get through the evening, and it looked as though his date wasn't even legal to drink! "As to your parent's wishes, I couldn't begin to say...though they may be well pleased later to hear your companion is a teacher."

Ah, that would explain it. The event coordinators must have chosen the painting for our 'shared' interest... He'd bet they'd also paired him with Evren because she liked animals and he was an equestrian. Simplistic, but it made enough sense that Ian could accept his fate. "Evren, it's very nice to meet you."

"I do enjoy horses, they're useful and elegant creatures. Well suited to bow hunting." Ian quirked a brow at her demeanor and question, but kept his smile firmly in place. "I teach World Histories, French, and archery at Romano's Constitutional Haven." The curly haired blond swirled the remaining liquid in his glass thoughtfully, "And what do you do, Miss Porter? Are you a student?"

Ian noticed that Evren became uncomfortable at the mention of his hunting; so she didn't just love animals, she was probably one of those soft-touch folks that thought PETA was doing actual good in the world (rather than the shady crap the organization was actually party to). "Meadowview is a fine school, as long as you are taking advantage of the resources available to you."

Pushing his glasses up with one finger, Ian continued, "Romano's is a private institution and quite new." She was so trusting and naive...oversharing the way the young and self-absorbed tended to, but that was fine - she was nothing he couldn't handle graciously. "Lives tend to be complicated."

Evren was correct: the things that she spoke of really didn't make sense until she explained that she'd gotten amnesia three years ago, though not how - which he really didn't care to learn and wasn't going to ask about. She was nice enough, but really...he was twenty four. She was eighteen or so and far too tender and soft for his tastes. "Perfectly all right, Miss Porter, there's no need to feel flustered or ashamed."

"Now that we've become somewhat acquainted, would you care to get something to drink? You must be quite parched, with all the conversation going on."

Amusing, wasn't it? How quickly folks figured out their place, how to behave. Ian was certain there was some sort of research study to be had, but he didn't find it that compelling and instead gave another smile. "Excellent. Grades are important for your future, as are extra curriculars." Whether or not she could befriend his students, Ian couldn't say, so he simply made a noncommittal noise as he gently took her elbow to steer Evren towards the refreshments.

"Perhaps, though I don't recall there being tea." Then again, he'd not cared to seek it out, preferring a glass of white wine to the others available.

"You could always bring your own tea, Evren." But he said it with no heat and no malice, just stating a fact that might serve her in good stead for the future if she were so inclined. Ian procured another flute, this time with sparkling cider - if he were going to be drinking, it would be best to pace himself after all - and turned another smile to his youthful companion.

Being addressed formally as in class amused him, but it was his goal to be a charming companion and not ruin her night, so any scathing remarks he may - or may not have - made were swallowed. "Please, do call me Ian. You are my companion for this eve, we should be on more intimate terms, yes?"

"I enjoy it well enough, though I do not take well to laggards and those too lazy to read fifteen pages every few nights." Carefully, he escorted her away from the drinks to make room for others seeking to quench their thirst. "But it is a labour of love, teaching."

At the very least, Evren seemed to listen to him...perhaps even hold him in that strange sort of reverence some youths had for educators. That was fine by him, honestly.

"That's a good habit to have, Evren. Books open many doors, in education and also life." When she mentioned that folks had been telling her to begin thinking about her future, her line of questioning became quite understandable. "I'm going to tell you something controversial," Ian pressed his spectacles up his nose in a practiced motion, "Most folks have no idea what they're going to do with their lives until their twenties or thirties. So don't panic if you've no idea. You can certainly attend college and get your basics out of the way while you're figuring out what you'd enjoy."

Of course, she'd also attempted to make light and change the subject by referring to the astoundingly large number of events in Destiny City that were crashed by powered folks. "Ah, yes well...Destiny City does seem to have it's peculiarities." Was Evren simply the civilian she appeared to be? Could she be a senshi or knight? Or even an officer of the Negaverse? Ian wasn't about to try finding out - his own identity was far too precious to put in danger, thanks.

"The evening is young, there's time yet for party crashers."