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 Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 7:33 pm
He'd planned for this night for weeks now, and yet he still was entirely unsure of himself, of whether or not he would be able to do this, whether she'd like it, whether he'd even manage to pull it off properly. He'd tried to steer clear of the stereotypical things he'd heard people did on dates, for the most part, but there was one tiny flaw in all of his planning, one he had not exactly told Stormy.
This date would be his first date ever, not just with her.
He knew Stormy had dated before; she'd told him as much, told him that she'd had a boyfriend before coming to Deus, and while it had felt somewhat unpleasant at first, it was now just a past memory, something that had once been but no longer was. What worried him was not the guy she had dated, but the the dates she had been on.
Stormy had experience with dating. Gale did not.
This, of course, made him feel relatively stupid and more than a little unprepared, in spite of how much thought he'd already put into this, even after Stormy had told him to not think so hard about it, to just go with his gut. And he'd tried to do that, tried to limit himself, but it was difficult and he felt inexperienced and awkward.
Why did people like Bix and Marcus and even Otto make this look so easy? Gale wondered to himself as he pulled on a light grey shirt and then what he hoped was a casual dressy jacket over top. A pair of dark slacks completed the outfit, Gale fiddling absently with the ring on his hand as he stared at himself in the mirror.
<< Don't look so worried. You'll do just fine. >>
"That's easy for you to say," Gale grumbled aloud, and Jinhai made a soft noise of amusement inside of his head. Gale straightened his jacket once more, smoothed a hand down the front, and finally gave up and went downstairs to collect his phone and keys.
"Guess it's now or never," he said, more to himself than to Jinhai, and slipped out of the house, locking the door behind him.
Of course, then came the time to actually knock on Stormy's door, and it was several long moments before Gale actually got up the courage to do so, fidgeting from one foot to the other until Jinhai, impatient, finally complained loudly enough that Gale gave in.
He knocked on her door.
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Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 9:39 pm
Tomorrow was suddenly today. Tomorrow was suddenly today.
And she had no details as to where they were going, how dressy to be, you know important things. Was it warm, was it cold, were they staying on the Island or did he remember he had promised to get out for their date? Previous dates or not, this one had to go smoothly because it was their first, and if she messed up in any way, shape, or form, she'd probably bury her face into a pillow until it erased the shame or she smothered herself.
As per usual, Stormy had contacted Nevada for a second opinion on how to go, because one eye or not her bestie's input was important. Casual dressy top or not, boots or sandals, stockings a no or go, hair this way or that, what earrings, what accessories? It was a list of questions they had to work through for a good few hours, mostly because they kept deviating off topic. Or cuddling. Stormy was finding herself getting weirdly affectionate in her personal brand of nervousness.
She failed to notice what Nevada had slipped into her purse, but perhaps that wouldn't become an issue. She'd only stuck gum and perfume in there as a precaution (you know, in case she stank).
The hair part was what took longest, which was why Gale would be treated to muted humming of "Part of Your World" during his long pause. And it was just as she was getting to a finish with it when she heard the knock; her heart skipped a beat and then came back with a vengeance. She knew she shouldn't have messed with her hair, lsdkfjaldkgjdf. Stupid dinglehopper.
"Coming!" she chirped quickly, her hands getting fidgety as she grabbed the converted curling iron and did her best to fix the damage. A little wildness didn't hurt anyone, she supposed . . . Most of it was down, with the longer bangs tied back in a braid. Flower accents had been stitched in last minute, if only for that extra pow factor: if pows could be converted into girly accessories at least. The rest had been left to tumble over her shoulder again in a wave of curls since she'd remembered how Gale had liked her hair during the cruise ship mission.
Light make up? Check. Perfume? Moderately applied and vanilla-y. Clothes? Flowy. Purse? In her hands. Oh God. Why did Thane have to look like this big black spot on her finger, all gnarled and dark and purple?
Stop acting like this is your first, she chided herself. Thane rumbled, thoroughly bored already and mildly taking offense that his totem wasn't "pleasing".
Calming herself, she glided over to the door, took a deep breath, put her hand on the door knob, hesitated another few seconds, and then finally opened the door as gingerly as if to check on someone sleeping on the other side.
And there he was, all smartly dressed, and she was beaming without thinking despite the fact that inwardly she was accosting herself for, perhaps, dressing up too much. Not for the first time, she lamented his lost suit.
"Buenas tardes," Stormy greeted, keeping things mellow now that she was aware she . . . bowled him over sometimes. Though it was hard to hide how giddy she looked, the way her hand slid from the doorknob to grasp at its sister before her. "You look very handsome~"
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Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 9:52 pm
He had, in fact, heard the humming, and it had made him smile, made him remember that this was Stormy he was going out with, not some random person that he had to impress. It was Stormy, who was already his girlfriend, who had already chosen to be with him, and he just needed to remember that and to not over think things. Over thinking was bad, and over thinking had gotten him into a lot of sticky situations, and this was most definitely not one of those times that he wanted to turn bad.
But then she opened the door and she was radiant and beautiful and she smelled like vanilla and flowers and for a moment Gale was silent, just taking it all in, and reminding himself that she was his, that this imaginative, quirky, goofy, wonderful girl was really and truly his girlfriend.
It was a lot to be thankful for.
"Hi," he said brilliantly, and then stepped forward, leaning down to kiss her cheek in greeting. Then he leaned back again and tugged at a strand of her hair, a smile playing on the corners of his lips.
"You look downright gorgeous," he said, brushing a thumb across his cheek and somewhat at a loss for proper words because really that was very unfair of her to open the door and look like that, he'd forgotten entirely every witty thing he'd been ready to say to her.
"Very beautiful," Gale added, and then offered her his arm. "Shall we? We've got a portal to catch. Gotta get going if we want to make it in time."
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Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 11:29 pm
She didn't mind the silence one bit. There was a pleasure in dressing up for someone and a greater one in being complimented, in being touched and admired openly: there was no stopping her from preening now, which she happily did on the spot by turning her hips and letting the dress swish this way and that with a bright smile, fully self-conscious and just a little pink-faced. "Thank you~ A first date is special, you know," she told him with a sagacious nod, though the effect was ruining because she couldn't stopped smiling. "I wanted to leave an impression right off the bat~" Perhaps a rather strong one, but she didn't regret it if it meant the attention Gale was giving her now; for something like that, she didn't mind playing unfair one bit.
Nevertheless, standing and receiving praise wouldn't push their date along. She was far too curious to linger, her nosy instincts pining to interrogate Gale, to see if she couldn't guess where they were going before they actually hit the portal and prove her deduction skills. "We shall!" Stormy chirped as she wound her arm around his and kissed his cheek in return now that he had initiated contact, letting him set the pace of the date so that she would follow. It was theirs, yes, but Gale had been the one to plan it: she didn't want to infringe on such official authority over the event, especially with the assumption that under that smooth exterior he was nervous.
"Do I get a hint?" she had to ask as they walked, keeping close to see if that might help squeeze the information out of him. And also because eeeeee he looked so nice~ Not that Gale didn't normally look nice, but there was a charm to seeing him in something other than shirts and uniform that she couldn't put to words.
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 10:24 am
"You always leave an impression," said Gale, giving Stormy a wink. "And a good one - you are forever imprinted on my mind, Watson, so give me all the impressions right away."
Nervous, excited, anxious, worried, pleased, happy, scared...everything seemed to be twisting in his stomach as he led Stormy down the hall towards the portals. He was managing to put one foot in front of the other, which was a miracle in and of itself, but the walking part was merely a formality.
"Nope," said Gale teasingly, as they crossed the grounds towards the Lighthouse. "No hints just yet. You'll figure it out once we get there."
Upon exiting the Lighthouse portal, they would find themselves on the bustling, busy streets of downtown London. Gale felt his heart skip a beat as he glanced around at the familiar settings, trying to tamp down on the emotions, which were now dancing around in his stomach like butterflies. He turned to Stormy, smiled, and tugged on her hand, leading her down a side street to a cheerful little building with a sign that read The Harwood Arms above it's door.
"For two, please," said Gale to the hostess once they were inside, and moments later, they were at a table, menus resting in front of them. He looked nervously at Stormy, fiddling with Jinhai's ring again.
"What do you think?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 12:14 pm
"Or perhaps one at a time," she pointed out with a wink of our own. "So that you don't get overwhelmed with all those memories, then~" Or bored, she added inwardly. Stormy made a face for show when Gale denied her even a hint, the pout lasting all of two seconds because, again, she really, really couldn't stop smiling. "I will put my best deduction skills to use, Holmes!"
Bracing herself, she stepped into the portal with him and found herself somewhere in the middle of a city. She had had one assumption only without needing evidence, and the more she looked about and listened to people, the more it was confirmed. It was a good thing Gale had already had a hold on her, because without it she would have drifted in curious wonder. The human world felt like a different planet now: like she was an alien. And yet there were people walking past them...Wide-eyed, Stormy was led along while her gaze went everywhere but where they were going, continually finding things of note: clothes here, a store there, a particular smell or a person's voice. Variety.
More importantly, British.
She couldn't contain her squeal of delight as they entered a building. "What do I think? I think we're in London!" Stormy exclaimed with a wide grin as she tucked her dress and settled down. "Ahhhhhh~! I've never been before! Did you live near here? Did you eat here often? Is it going to rain, do you know? I've always wanted to do a walk in the rain here!" Forget the menu, they were in Londonnnnnn.
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 6:52 pm
He had been to this place only once before, and the memories of it were still fresh in his mind. Gale let his gaze roam around the pale fixtures, the cheery atmosphere, and he felt a sort of strange calm to it, turning his head to look back at Stormy.
"And I think you're right," he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek, because her enthusiasm was infectious. The Harwood Arms was a very pleasant pub, and it smelled of spices and warm bread. "I lived several streets down, too far to walk here, but my mum took me here once when I was a child. I remember because she had wanted to go elsewhere, but it was closed, and it was raining (as usual), so we came to the nearest place - which was here. It's been a while, but..."
The waitress came, cheerful and smiling, and Gale gave her a nod before saying, "Just water, please," before letting Stormy order her own drink. After the waitress had left, Gale nudged the menu towards Stormy again, his cheeks slightly pink.
"Order whatever you want," he said. "And yes, you do have to eat."
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 8:02 pm
There was some more incoherent squeeing after the kiss, though of the softer variety now that they were indoors; at least the lively atmosphere masked some of it. She ordered water more as an afterthought, her eyes drawn to the many windows throughout the place as their waiter left. "It's very open," she observed cheerily, "and a little lively. I'm waiting for someone to break into song! Maybe I should . . ." But she didn't really know pub songs, sadly. "Part of Your World" was stuck in her head instead.
"Of course I was going to eat, silly~" Stormy reached out to try and poke his nose with a grin, wondering what he was pink=faced about. "I might look like a waif, but I do like eating just as much as the next person. How much, though, hmm . . ." She investigated the dinner menu with hungry eyes. Crisp duck egg, game fillets, salmon. Salmon. Salmon. Her stomach was already growling at the thought.
She set her menu down with purpose, decision made for once their waiter returned. "I wonder if we can take back leftovers to Deus . . . Sometimes you get sick of the food, right?" There was already a small list in Stormy's mind about what to get once she was out, and it was only because she was on a date that she didn't immediately suggest they find a market place and go crazy.
"So, uh, what's it like coming back?" she asked. "I'm guessing this isn't the first time, but . . . It must feel a little weird, doesn't it?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 8:25 pm
"I like open," said Gale, and wrinkled his nose as she poked it, grinning at her. "Yes, but I know you; sometimes you get too excited and distracted to eat, except this time you have to, because this is a date and I think it's written somewhere in the dating handbook that you have to actually eat when your date takes you out to dinner."
He was, of course, totally and completely winging it, but something told him Stormy would appreciate it. Gale flicked his eyes down the menu, debating internally about what he wanted to order, and when the waitress came back, he let Stormy order first before saying, "We'll start with the cured filet of Ruby Red beef, and then I'll have the Cornish Brill."
Handing their menus back to the waitress, Gale folded his arms together on top of the table, which was probably breaking about a thousand etiquette rules, but he didn't really care right now. "Deus food can be a little...lacking, he said dryly. "Maybe we can sneak something back."
Her question made his expression soften a little. "Peculiar," he admitted, glancing around at the pub. "It's...very odd. And you're wrong, this is actually the first time I've been back and it's...familiar and odd and weird and wonderful all at the same time."
Gale took a sip of his water. "I wanted to show you, though. Where I used to live, plus there's a place I want to take you after this."
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 8:46 pm
Ah . . . that she would have, especially in this case. "Handbook, huh? Got a pocket version you read before bringing me? I might quiz you~" she teased, feeling a little strange that he had picked up on such a small detail. Or maybe she was just unused to people paying attention.
On cue she ordered the poached salmon and Middlewhite pork, pausing when she noted Gale didn't order dessert and then nodding to the waiter to show she was finished. Eat what she wanted, yes, but only in the same amounts; this wasn't a time to indulge. Besides, she had thoughts to chew and mull over!
The first time? Stormy was surprised and touched, then, that he had chosen to go back home. It probably hadn't been an easy choice, given the memories he could revisit . . . She very much knew how easy it was to get lost in the past, or to feel the temptation to cling to parts of it. "Familiar, odd, weird, and wonderful . . . like a two dollar bill you forgot you had stashed in your pocket," she mused with a little smile, "more specifically the pocket of well-worn jeans."
Her hands clasped each other in her lap, Thane's ring a cold and familiar weight despite the dracolich's silence. "Thank you for bringing me here," Stormy told him emphatically. "I'm not exactly an . . . Anglophile, but I'm close. Ish. And your regional accents . . ." Someone chittered a little loudly to the side as she drifted dreamily and listened--and then she sat up straighter, though she retained some of that softness. "I recognize it's special to be here, so . . . thank you, really."
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 9:05 pm
"Quiz away," said Gale. "Though the answers might not be the right ones, there will most definitely be answers."
He gave Stormy a playful wink, fiddling with the silverware still wrapped in its napkin. A smile tugging at the corners of his lips, he said, "Exactly. Like something tucked away that you didn't remember but had had all along. Something familiar, and yet simultaneously unfamiliar."
It was very strange knowing that he had lived only a short distance away. Gale tilted his head, glancing out the little window beside their table to the street beyond and all of its bustling patrons going to and fro and he remembered, he remembered holding onto his mother's hand as a child as she had led him and Leslie down the crowded streets. It was a vague memory, fragment and blurred, but not an unpleasant one.
"It is special," he said quietly, and slid his hand along the table, holding it palm up - an invitation for Stormy to take it.
"Hence why I'm bringing someone special with me to see it," he said, a bit shyly.
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 9:31 pm
"A charming little paradox~" she chimed in contentedly, as if that fulfilled some daily criteria of hers to reach such a conclusion. Maybe Stormy was serious all those times she'd mentioned thinking of six impossible things before breakfast as well.
She was considering actual questions to throw at Gale when he offered his hand, and in a rare moment of self-consciousness she hesitated to take it. Affection in private, in rooms and houses and kitchens an couches, was one things: public displays of it another. It was funny and strange how a simple action paralyzed her with doubt, as if someone else was watching and judging. It was why at the impromptu cafeteria pool she'd turned shy even without being prompted to act like a girlfriend and why she did so here as well, flushing a little before laying her hand in his.
It wasn't just a physical act: it was pushing her own boundaries, trying to be comfortable with even mild displays of affection where others might see. And it was also Stormy's way of making herself accept the fact that she was special to someone, which she still had trouble with in this early stage.
"You don't worry someone might recognize you, though?" she had to ask, keeping her tone hushed as she leaned in. "I know they fake our deaths, but . . . Well, then again it's been a few years for you," she answered herself with a small frown. Wrong stray thought to follow. Try again. "Okay, first question then: dessert here or somewhere else, orrrrr not at all?"
That wasn't so much a date handbook question as it was a Stormy's personal interest one.
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 9:41 pm
"That's me," Gale conceded. "A paradox wrapped in an enigma, surrounded by a mess of confusion and chaos. Which isn't quite how the saying goes, but you catch my drift."
He, like Stormy, was not one for public displays of affection. In fact, to Gale, those sorts of things were things meant for personal and private time. Even simple things like holding hands was something he wanted to reserve for just them, because it was no one's business but theirs.
But this was also their first date, their first real date, the first time they were together, and he was stupidly pleased and annoyingly happy that they were finally here after so long. It had not even been a month yet since they started, but most couples went on dates before they became a couple. He and Stormy had switched that, and now it was even more important to him that she understand just how special she was to him.
Her fingers were warm and small in his, and he was not offended by the hesitation, Gale waiting patiently for her to make her decision. He squeezed her hand lightly, but made no effort to do anything further, and after a moment he pulled back and let her have her space again, Gale unrolling his silverware from his napkin as the waitress came bustling over to their table again.
"A little," he admitted, the smell of beef wafting up to meet him as he tucked the napkin over his legs. "It's...well, it's weird knowing there might be a chance of running into them, but I wanted to take you someplace you wouldn't expect, something different than what someone else might do."
He poked a fork into his beef and took a bite, smiling at Stormy.
"Not here," he said, chewing slowly and swallowing. "We'll get dessert elsewhere. For now, just dinner."
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 10:49 pm
A quiet assurance was all she needed; she squeezed his hand back before retracting it back under the table, hoping her face would stop feeling warm sometime soon. Thankfully she could busy herself getting her napkin into her lap as the smell wafted over to them seconds before the waitress appeared with their plates, and Stormy nodded her thanks as she received her salmon.
< < A boil of the British taking you to a city of British: thoroughly unexpected, > > Thane drawled. She shushed him and fiddled with her necklace self-consciously, as if somehow their proximity would allow Gale to hear.
"Elsewhere, huh? Right after this other place you want to show me?" Stormy was grinning as she cut into the salmon. "Way to keep a girl in suspense," she teased light-heartedly, for she rather liked the suspense of it and still, to a degree, couldn't wrap her head around how this was all for her specifically. "But! I challenge your notion of mysteries and enigmas." She didn't elaborate at first, deciding to first eat a few forkfuls of salmon and sorrel with happy hums. Fiiiiiishhhhh~
"I'll admit, there's a few parts I'll probably never understand: like how you stay calm all the time. That's a super power, I think." Stormy brandished her fork a little. "Still, maybe we should let Watson be Holmes for a moment: see if I can't put some of the pieces together!"
Pause.
"Er, if you feel like indulging me," she added in a milder tone. "It's not . . . date handbook material for topics, I know. I just like guessing games--not that people are meant to be treated like they're games! You're most certainly not a game. I like mysteries, but I also like to solve some of them and, uh, what I meant to say was--er--maybe it's too early. N-Nevermind." She started to really shovel the food down to shut herself up, careful to keep her hair away since it liked to fall in her face when she ate.
What was that? Nerves? She did talk an awful lot around Gale, so she was bound to stray to odd topics at some point . . .
Stormy tapped a fork against a potato, pondering a quick subject change. Safe questions, Stormy. Not nosy grandstanding time. "Um . . . So you went to school here? I remember you mentioning secondary school during our last game. What was that like?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:45 am
Gale forked a piece of meat into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. After he swallowed, he said lightly, "You're still a mystery to me, but I like that I have to figure you out. Learning too quickly means you miss the entire point of the lesson."
Lifting his water again, he raised it to his lips and took a swallow, smiling at Stormy above his glass. One eyebrow raised, and Gale gave a small laugh, shaking his head as he set his glass down and picked up his fork again. "I'm not always calm," he said. "Like right now, for instance, I'm pretty damn nervous because I want this to be good for you, except you told me not to over think things. Which, because you told me not to, just means that I inevitably will.
"But by all means," he said, waving his utensil at her, eyes twinkling. "Please do try to figure me out. It's not too early, I don't mind answering them if it's you."
The beef was really good, but the brill, which arrived slightly late a few moments later, was quite a bit more delicious. Gale dug into the fish and had eaten several more bites before he answered her.
"I did go to school around here, but..." Gale shook his head a little. "I don't know, I didn't really ever get a chance to go to school properly. I suppose I would have enjoyed it more, had I gotten the chance, but nothing ever quite worked out for me - and then I came to Deus, so I missed out on the rest of school."
He smiled at her across the table. "Did you ever finish schooling?"
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