Welcome to Gaia! ::

Mishka followed Liv suit, gently placing his napkin into his lap where he knew it belonged. He wondered momentarily if Liv came from rich heritage. She conducted herself like a lady as far as her manners, and though he was not very familiar with the modern English woman’s typical style of dress, Liv seemed like she dressed lavishly and attractively with quite extravagant taste. As a rather average man from Russia, he only knew the manners that he was taught by his parents and had no true culture to speak of and he silently prayed that the manners he knew would be enough to keep his date happy.

“Almost Doctor,” he corrected with a gentle chuckle, quite modest in his endeavors. It was common knowledge that the profession of doctor was of high esteem in Europe, and though he strived one day to be among the ranks of a medical man, he would not sully the name of medicine with his own. Only time and experience would earn him that title and he could wait until then. “Soon.”

As Liv began to speak about her own job, his eyes softened around the corners as he smiled. The knowledge that such a lovely young woman was not involved with a job that would put her directly in the line of danger warmed his heart. He listened intently to her words, folding his hands onto the table top with this grey gaze resting on her face as she explained the extent of her job. Though most women in the Order seemed to fall outside of societal norms and hold professions of their own, he was very pleased that Liv fell into the more traditional role of caregiver. “Very important job,” he said gently, and even though it could be mistaken as flattery, his voice was eager and quite genuine. To his chagrin, he had noticed how many youngsters there were at this particular branch of the Order. Most of the Exorcists now seemed to be under the age of 25, some far younger than even that and he couldn’t imagine what it would be like growing up in their world without a familiar, familial face around to greet him. “If not for support, Order would fall. Like house with no walls.”

Mishka had been son focused on the conversation unfolding, and ensuring his understanding of it that he had almost forgotten that they were in a restaurant meaning to have a meal together until Liv reminded him. “Meal. Yes. I forget,” he laughed and finally opened the menu he hadn’t even cracked open before, trailing his eyes over the unfamiliar language on the page. It was one thing for him to be reading a menu in English, but French left him quite hopelessly lost and he settled ordering the same thing that Liv had ordered, hoping she did not have any quirks in her tastes.

The waiters’ deep interest in his date didn’t surprise him even in the slightest; after all, she was quite lovely and it seemed that the behavior was so common with her that Liv no longer noticed it. As he barely knew the young woman he felt no true ill content with the man with feelings of jealousy or anything of the like, though he lifted a light colored eyebrow for a long disapproving look as far as him so clearly objectifying a woman who had an escort along with her. It would also surprise him quite deeply if Liv didn’t already have many suitors after her heart, and if she had been wrapped into the Blind Date by someone else’s slightly cruel design. He expected very little, other than the bond of an acquaintanceship and his goal seemed to be being met in spades. “Appetizer…” He repeated the word, finding it quite unfamiliar. “I am… content, thank you.” The champagne would be welcome—not very strong, but it might help calm his nerves around the young lady. Speaking to her was easy enough, and his counterparts had told him that the way to a woman’s heart was to keep her talking about herself, which he didn’t mind in the slightest.

“May I ask… Why you choose here, for blind date?” He tilted his chin, a questioning tone to voice as curiosity got the better of him. He realized his question might have seemed like he weren’t enjoying himself, so he quickly added: “I like, I just wonder if place may be your favorite restaurant.”

((*FORMALLY APOLOGIZES FOR ATROCIOUS ATTEMPT AT RUSSIAN ACCENTS.* orz ))

Mizaka carefully rolled up the picture and placed it inside of her kimono. Smiling softly, she continued with her meal. After she had eaten the last piece of noodle, she pushed her now empty bowl aside and began drinking her tea.

"What do you want to do after this? Perhaps take a nice stroll in the park?"

Kiah gave the horses one last glance, smiling softly all the while, and looked at Lavi in embarrassment because of her pent up energy. She grabbed the empty containers gratefully and placed them inside the basket, laughing at Lavi's reasoning for her restlessness while finishing up her packing. "That could very well be! You wouldn't believe how many times he's sent me on a wild goose chase around the castle to find something that was in his coat pocket the entire time."

Counting the number of times she'd gotten lost trying to find something for Komui, Kiah nearly jumped when Lavi stood up and offered her his hand, taking it with a flustered 'Thanks'. She tapped a finger to her chin while contemplating his question, eyes lighting up when he suggested they gallop. "That sounds fun! What do you say, Daisy?" She gave the mare a pat and got a soft whinny in response, leading her to believe the answer was positive. "We can have a little race to the stables, if you don't mind getting back early." Kiah quickly secured her basket to her horse and untied her, mounting and waiting to see what Lavi would say.

"Hey now, I just picked the place to meet up. You can decide the rest." Mizaka grinned at him as she finished her tea. The waitress returned with the bill in her hand and placed it in front of Mizaka. "Don't worry about this; I'll pay." She reached into her sash and pulled out her wallet, in which she fished out a few gold pieces of coins and placed them on the table.

Mishka couldn’t help but think that Liv was adorable as the color creeped to her cheeks, though he felt a little guilty for embarrassing the young woman. It hadn’t been his intention to embarrass her with his simple curiosity, and he had to resist the urge to tip her chin gently so she would look him in the eye again. His fingers curled into the cloth napkin across his lap to resist the urge, finally relaxing when her eyes lifted again. “Perhaps... I take you to dessert after at cafe?” He sounded eager; the idea of a woman paying for the whole date pained him a little, and he would like nothing more than to at least provide her with a lovely dessert afterwards, if nothing else.

“About Russia?” His face turned pensive, his eyes distancing as he let his mind travel back to his motherland and he felt a gentle pang of homesickness. He had not been away for very long, but after spending most of his life in Russia and suddenly striking out into the depths of the world, he couldn’t help but feel a little homesick. “England and Russia... very different,” he sighed, and though his smile had gone off to a distant place, Mishka didn’t look unhappy about the subject that had been brought up. “This time of year is very cold, but beautiful with much snow. Like snow globe always shaken,” he chuckled, finding his own descriptions silly as he couldn’t quite find the words to describe his homeland. The image in his head resembled a painting created by a skilled artist, portrayed as beautifully as the harsh landscape surely was. However, his limited English skills allowed him only to sketch the picture with menial, unrefined images. “The people can also be cold, but warm up quickly. I have mother, father, brother and sister back home in Saint Petersburg whom I miss very much. I am youngest child, only one not to marry, but am in no hurry. One day, will meet girl who makes my heart warm with love. Perhaps when I am not ‘Almost-Doctor’ anymore.”

At her suggestion, Mishka lifted his glass willingly for a toast. “Vashee zdaróvye,” he gently touched his glass to hers, the kiss of the rims resonating sweetly through the air as if joining their cheer. “To good health,” he then repeated, letting Liv know what the meaning of the saying was. He improvised along with Liv in English moments later, however. “With wonderful company.” The champagne glass touched his lips after the toast, and he appreciated the taste of alcohol on his tongue. He hoped the bath may loosen it a little, make his speaking easier.

“Do you have close family?” He asked politely, hesitant about the question. He knew many Order members did not have the luxury that he had with his entire immediate family still very much intact. However, even if Liv didn’t have immediate family from loss or abandonment, perhaps she had a husband, boyfriend or children who began to create a new family for her. While he selfishly couldn’t help but hope this was not the case, part of him only wished that the woman had found true happiness in the world when it was as hard to come by as gold.

Liv looked very thoughtful and tapped her chin for a moment before answering, "Well....I guess I can let you do that~" she smiled a feigned, coy smile for a second before laughing at herself, "Yes, I'd like to have dessert afterwards. Of course."

She listened intently to Mishka talk about Russia. It did sound very cold, but also seemed like it would be a magical, white wonderland. When the Order had been moved to a remote castle in the mountains around Christmas time, she remembered looking out the windows often. She wondered if the rest of Russia was just as beautiful as the mountain scenery. His wistful sigh made her smile a little, and she bet that he missed home very much. She knew what it was like to be away from home, afterall she had been working in the Order for a number of years now herself. When he talked about the people, she doubted what he said about them being cold; if they were anything like him, there wasn't a chance they were like that. He was anything but cold to her.

At the mention of family, she perked up slightly. Being an only child herself, she had always wished to have siblings. She loved her parents very much, but it could get lonely when you were a child and you had to entertain yourself during long afternoons after school. The youngest child with two older siblings, she awed that he had what was to her a fairly large family. Though when she thought about the Noah, she supposed it was really nothing compared to the size of their family. When the question she had been dying to know the answer to was finally answered, she smiled a little. He was wise to not be in a hurry, and even wiser that he wanted to wait for a woman he truly loved.

"I've been to Russia once...but only for a short time, and I never went outside. I would love to really visit, and explore," she grinned, her eyes bright at the prospect of an adventure, "If the people there are anything like you, I wouldn't for a second call them cold."

"You know...it's very wise of you to be in no rush for love and marriage. Finding the right girl that, as you say, makes your heart warm with love...it's one of the most important things in the world...," her voice was soft, and her eyes looked distant, but she smiled a little. She paused for a long time before she finally blinked and shook her head once to come out of her silent reverie, looking down at her lap as she straightened her napkin. She lifted her glass afterward and toasted with Mishka, smiling broadly as his short, Russian saying.

"Good health! Yes, most definitely," she took a sip of champagne after the clinking of glasses.

When she heard his returned question, she paused. Lowering her glass very slowly, she set it gently on the table, her eyes falling again. She turned the glass in circles with her fingers on the stem, "...My family..?...Well...that is..."

How did she even begin to explain? What would he even think if she told him about Tyki? It didn't matter that they weren't together anymore; The fact was that it happened, and they had a child together even. And she worked for the Order? The conflict of interest was overly large, and even though Mishka was only an almost-doctor, and not an Exorcist...he still worked for the Order and probably felt loyal to them already.

"Well firstly...everyone in the Order is my family. They truly are, and I'll never forget that," she smiled, "Secondly...I'm an only child. My parents live here in England, not too far, actually. But they live in the countryside now that I've left home. Uhm...," she hesitated, "...I was adopted by them. They weren't able to have children of their own, and they adopted me when I was only six months old. I..never met my real birth parents, but...as far as I'm concerned...the two wonderful people that adopted me...they will always be my true parents. I love them more than the world," her eyes softened as they fell unfocused, her mind wandering around the memories of her childhood.

She was quiet for a while, trying to decide what to tell him next. She hoped that he wouldn't think badly of her, and she took a bit of a deep breath, a small sigh escaping her before she continued, "As for..marriage...I've never been married, and...currently I'm not seeing anyone. But...," she chewed the inside of her lip a little, still not looking at him as she spoke, "...I was with a man...for several years....we ended up...having a child together. I am no longer with him now, and..my daughter still lives with him," she finished with a slightly matter-of-fact tone as she brought the champagne to her lips, guzzling it a little before wiping her mouth with the corner of her napkin. She cleared her throat a little and played with her skirt, brushing non-existent crumbs from it. She glanced at him for his reaction.

((Crikey I'm posting slow in this. Sorry Jack))

Soma couldn't deny her logic and he appreciated it. Getting up from his seat, he followed the girl outside. Although the restaurant was absent a stuffy atmosphere, the air outside was refreshing. He took a deep breath and let it linger inside his chest. "Ice cream?" he asked with delighted surprise. "Just when I was regretting not getting dessert back there." He let Mizaka's nudge force him to sway and smiled at her in response. He placed his hands in the pockets of his coat and lifted the arm closest to his date, waiting to escort her. "Shall we?"