Blind Date (august/grace/ru)

[jarahamee]

Ru had framed everything to both parties as a ‘blind date with a friend.” After a little bit of finagling on the vampire’s end, both parties had agreed and all the pieces were finally in place.

August had seemed happy enough sharing Ru’s tiny apartment, but Ru couldn’t help but notice that being a vampire had not necessarily been a boon to August’s love life. Where he had never had any problems finding ladies before as a human, now it seemed that there were so many complicating factors in finding a date, especially with the feeding consent rules.

But Ru had hit a stroke of luck and met a lovely young lady. One who was single and also happened to like men. Both of these things were going in August’s favor, at least so far.

Now the set up; Ru had made reservations for Giovanni’s Italian Cuisine, which was a local favorite and sported a variety of dishes. Surely Grace would like at least one of them.

Unfortunately August would not be able to eat but if they hit it off, maybe they could go somewhere.

Ru waited at the restaurant entrance to greet his friends, fingers entwined. Waiting.

[beastly]

Grace had spent over an hour going over her outfit, changing her dress at least three times, frowning at the mirror, fixing her hair. Finally, she settled on her brown dress with the cute woven belt. She debated the heels, but ultimately decided to wear them. She was going on a date! A date! Ru, the very sweet man working for the WDSA, had a friend and had set them up. A date was something she hadn't thought was ever going to be in the cards for her, and she was trembling with both nerves and excitement. She thought of all the cute and funny 'blind dates' she'd watched on TV. The very romantic part of her heart swelled- how fantastic would it be if the man that showed up to this date would be the one? She knew it was a little silly, and tried to remind herself to keep her expectations more realistic. Still, her mind bounced around all the 'what if's.

She had called a cab to pick her up, not wanting to ruin her hair on a bike ride. The whole time she clutched her bag in her fists tightly. What if? What if? Would he be very handsome? Tall? Ru was very nice, would his friend be nice? He wouldn't set her up with a jerk.

Grace stepped out of the cab, and spotted Ru outside. Quickly, she approached with a wave, unable to keep from beaming.

"Hello, Ru! Oh, I am so nervous..."

[indeath]

August was glad he wasn’t one of those vampires without reflections, or he would have been even more nervous. In fact if he hadn’t known he had a reflection before he certainly did now, he had checked and rechecked several times. He didn’t want to be one of those guys who didn’t put in effort for a date. Especially a blind one and his first since becoming a vampire. He didn’t want to let Ru down either. He wore a fancy suit pin-striped with a barb-wire design and a rose bolo tie. He’d even managed to tame his hair with a bit of product. He’d picked up some flowers for his date and a gothic broach as a small present for Ru. It seemed rude not to include something for him. He spotted Ru and a very pretty redhead dressed in a very fancy dress. There was something familiar about the way she smelt that he couldn’t quite place.

Still he put on his best smile with the gifts in each hand and strode forward. She was even prettier close up but he couldn’t quite shake the feeling he knew her from somewhere.

“Hi, Ru. Hello there, Miss. I’m August, it’s real nice ta meet ya. Ya look as fine as a frog hair split four ways. Which is very pretty… I got ya some flowers and uh this is for you, Ru.”

He hand them each their gift and stood back. He’d rehearsed it a couple times before he’d left.

[jarahamee]

The vampire turned to greet Grace as she walked in, bowing neatly. She was always cute when she casual, but dressed up, she could have been one of those tall super models, like Gwendolyn Christie.

"You look great. Oh, I think that's Auggie..."

Ru was dressed in a swallowtail suit with well-polished beetle-back shoes and a fine wolf-headed cane. He had, last minute decided against wearing at top-hat. The shades of black were reasonably coordinated, and the vampire seemed at home in this fancy establishment while wearing his aged finery.

He reached out to greet August and pulled him into the conversation;

"Just in time.. August, meet Grace. Grace, meet August."

The vampire raised an eyebrow at the second box. Why did August get him a gift? He wasn't the one on the date. Well, it was a nice gesture all the same, and as someone without much the the realm of material things, it was a kind gift.

"Thanks Auggie, but you didn't have to..."

He opened the box carefully, picked up the brooch, and placed it on his jacket.

[beastly]

"Oh! You are so sweet."

Grace's face grew pink at the complement and smoothed her dress. She hoped it wasn't vain to enjoy complements about her appearance so much, but being able to look good and have people comment on it was a fun new thing.

She turned to see her date- oh! August! The very kind man that had rescued her from a trap in the woods! And he'd brought her flowers?? And- Ru some jewelry. Unexpected, but sweet. She wasn't able to think about that very hard because she had been given FLOWERS. Like in a movie! The gesture was incredibly romantic. How she didn't faint, she didn't know.

She looked at August, holding the flowers tight and blushing at the folksy complement.

"Oh- oh, thank you August, it is wonderful to meet you as well…"

She bit her lip. She didn't want to lie, but… but… she didn't want August to walk away if he learned she was the bigfoot he'd found before.

"Um. We have actually met before. I looked a bit different. It's so good to see you again, what a fun coincidence!"

[indeath]

No wonder she seemed so familiar, she’d smelt familiar but looked different. August was relieved that she liked the flowers, he’d considered jewelry but it might be too much for a blind date. Plus what if he got the wrong one? She might be a silver and he got gold or something.

He hoped he hadn’t disappointed her, blind dates were meant to be more blind.

“Oh! Bombaroo! Ya even cuter in human form. Real elegant but less fluffy and not in a net. I was hopin’ ta see ya again. Sorry it’s not a real blind date.”

He bowed slightly feeling a little awkward. She was so tall and pretty but he hadn’t heard from her after their last encounter. He’d never been shorter than his date before, what if she wanted someone taller?

Being a vampire was meant to increase your appeal but it’d just made things harder for him. Anyone really interested was just interested in being with a vampire rather than with August.

[jarahamee]

Ru looked over at the two of them, idly touching his new brooch as he waited for the waiter, listening to their interaction, making sure nothing got out of hand. They had a table already, but he didn’t want to leave until it seemed that they were getting along and looking comfortable.

The server came soon enough, and the vampire entwined his fingers in front of him body in an effort to look attentive and polite. He always hoped he came off as well-mannered. He didn’t ever want to be rude to service people most of all.

The waiter lead them to their table, and Ru hesitated as they seated themselves.

He smiled at the two of them, and settled on a solution;

“Hey, I’m going to go get a drink at the bar. I’ll come check on you guys in 20 minutes, ok?”

The vampire would, of course, be listening in if there were any problems, but he didn’t want to stare at them as they talked either. Things seemed to be going well enough so far, and the two were cute together, he had to admit.

And now Grace and August were alone at the table. A recycled wood table with antique style chairs. The wall behind them had frescoes of little angels in delicate and lively colors. A glass vase with roses sat in the middle.

The menu had the standard array of Italian foods, and some “regional” specials they offered.

[beastly]

"No, I'm glad to see you! This is very nice. I am sorry I didn't see you after that," Grace played with a strand of her hair as she walked in, looking apologetically down at the flowers as she walked in.

Grace looked around at the restaurant a little nervous but more just blown away at the prospect of being in a higher class environment. She definitely was dazzled, just a little.

"Oh, okay," Grace smiled at Ru, "Okay, thank you Ru, have a nice drink."

She wasn't sure if vampires could drink alcohol, and it seemed like a question that'd come off as rude. ... Could August eat food? She wasn't sure about that either.

The bigfoot took her seat, looking with big eyes at the roses on the table and the painted wall. A real restaurant where she was sitting down in a pretty dress, across from a handsome man in a suit... butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she tried to think of conversation.

"How have you been?"

[indeath]

“Catch ya in 20, Ruster!”

August hoped it had just been shyness stopping her from contacting him. She was so lovely maybe he wasn’t refined enough or tall enough? Being shorter was a new sensation. Still he needed to make this date as wonderful as he could for her. She deserved that at the very least. He smiled widely adjusting his tie.

“Oh just workin! I’ve got to meet so many wonderful and weird creatures! There’s just so many! Uh..”
He was rambling, Julean had warned him against this. He needed to learn more about her.

“How about you? Ya really look stunnin’ but just so ya know, I reckon ya bigfoot form is pretty darn bombaroo too! That dress is just somethin else, did ya make it yourself? I remember ya sayin’.”

[beastly]

"You work with the WDSA, right? That is exciting."

Grace fidgeted with a ring on her finger, smiling shyly at August as he talked. She hoped she fell into the wonderful category.

"Oh, me? I have, um. I have been exploring... I just recently got a human shape, and... I have always dreamed of this."

She peered at August through the roses, and her face went pink. She didn't want to seem too over eager and weird, lord no. She wanted August to think she was nice and normal and pretty. He already knew she was bigfoot, and although he seemed to like that, she was sure he wouldn't want to kiss her like that or anything. He was already remembering her as something fluffy he got out of a net...

"Of being with humans, I mean," She looked down at her dress and smiled, smoothing it, "Yes, actually! I am very happy with it."

[indeath]

“Yup! I do, it’s the best! Everyone there is super nice. Are ya gonna try ta get work with ya new fancy human bod? I know a fella that can help ya. That dress is a work of art. OH you could start an online shop for ya fashions! I’d buy ya stuff!”

August smiled encouragingly. Was he smiling too much? She was just so pretty and nice. At least he couldn’t blush because he was feeling pretty bashful. He took a menu and stared at it a moment awkwardly before he remembered he didn’t eat, but she did.

“Of course! Humans are just the best! Ya should get ta experience everything humany. Speakin’ of, what do ya fancy? I can’t eat but if there’s somethin’ extra ya wanna try, I can order it and you can eat it for me!”

[beastly]

"Everyone I have met has been very kind to me in the WDSA I... I have some work I do online, mostly freelance. But I am open to hearing about it, I'm... I am very excited about it all," Grace looked down at her dress, "You think it is that nice? You are very sweet, August."

Grace looked at her own menu, then frowned over at August, blinking.

"Are... Are you sure you want to sit and watch me eat? If you wanted to do something else, I would not object..."

She didn't want to bore the man, and the idea of him staring at her while she ate, with nothing of his own, she wasn't sure how she felt about that. What if she got sauce on her chin? The restaurant was lovely, she'd never been in a place like it before, but if August gained nothing from it...

[indeath]

“Oh! What kinda freelance stuff do ya do? I remember ya mentioning somethin’ now ya say it. I do indeed reckon ya dress is nice, ya couldn’t get a nicer one from the fanciest of fancy stores. I mean ya being pretty as a summer peach definitely helps.”

August shifted uncomfortably in his chair as she frowned . This was the crux of the problem with dating as a vampire, dates really seemed to center around eating food and drinking blood was not romantic at all.

“Oh I really don’t mind. Ya gotta get the whole date experience! I’ll just try not ta talk ya ear off is all. It makes me feel more human ya know? Maybe we could try a movie after? Ya might have done it already, but movies at the theater really are bombaroo!”

[beastly]

"Oh, I make websites for people and do a bit of programming. A little of this here, a little of that there," she blushed hard and put her hand to her cheek, " that's very kind. I'm lucky the charm turned out so well."

Grace blinked when August mentioned feeling more human. Oh. He was also getting the illusion of real humanity from being in the restaurant. Just like her. She sat a little bit straighter, then leaned forward with a smile. She would try to give him a good experience. Not that she hadn't been trying before, but... she related.

"As long as you are also having a good time, August. I would love to see a movie, I don't think I've seen one yet in a theater, and it is on my list of to-dos. I believe you mentioned you like them."

Grace picked up the menu and looked through the items, glancing over it at August.

"I would love a suggestion for dinner, you said you had one?"

[indeath]

“Charm Schmarm, I bet it’s ya inner beauty that did the trick! Computers! Bombaroo! That’s right! Ya an IT expert, that’s so cool. If I ever need a website ya gonna be me first call. “

August smiled warmly, looking down in embarrassment. Was he complimenting her too much? He didn’t want to seem disingenuous. He was already smitten with Grace. He hoped that at least they could be friends, she deserved the very best. Ru was so sweet to set this up.

“Alright! Sounds like a plan. Oh ya an absolute delight, I’m havin’ a ball! There’s a few romantic comedies playin’ nearby. What do ya reckon? Films are me unlife. I made a few before… Maybe I’ll try again some time. I used to love a smoked jackfruit pizza, I was err Vegan. I ain’t gonna judge though if ya fancy meat. The mushroom risotto is also pretty scrumptious from memory too. I do miss food.”

He was talking too much. Hopefully she didn’t mind too much. He was a chatterbox at the best of times.