Summary:Aaron and Ifede meet via Tinder (or something equivalent?) Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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New city, life. Aaron came to Manhattan not long ago; his life in Japan behind him, he finds himself at a bit of a loss. Work and heroics aside, Aaron finds himself a bit of a stranger in a country he used to call home. Sure, home was more on the west coast, but it's still America. So what does a man with no real connections, and no ready-made group of friends do? Online dating, of course. There's an app for everything these days, including relationships. And so, as it goes, a match was made, a date arranged, and Aaron arrives at the determined venue just a little bit early, dressed in a nice suit and tie. Nothing too fancy, but effort has clearly been made to avoid looking like a slob. The plan is dinner, and see where that goes; he hasn't on a date in a long time, and certainly never one arranged on the internet, but this is the state of the world these days, right? The restaurant is a little bit upscale, quiet atmosphere, French cuisine. He sits at their reserved table, quietly reading over the menu as he awaits his date's arrival.
*
New city, new life. Ifide came to Manhattan not too long ago; her life in New Orleans behind her, she finds herself with a bit of purpose. Work was the main focus, no heroics, stepping out the shadows of the old heroes and into something of her own, where cooking and selling magical devices, items, baubles and things were all that she really wanted to do. But she had no real connections, no family. Nothing. So.. online dating was the next thing to do.
Little black dress is what she wore, form fitting, meshed well with her brown skin and smokey eye makeup. Her hair, braided in a few places, but the kinky coils bounced freely with every step of the heels that she took. Purse was clutched beneath a well toned arm, and into the French establishment she went. She wasn't hard to miss, her hair quite possibly entered the room before she did, untamed, unruly, ruby red lips bearing a smile. She could pick him out right then and there, the lone man with the suit. The website did not do this man justice.
"Aaron?" She asks as she approaches. "Ifede. Ifede Babatun." T'was the accent, some parts deep African, some a touch creole.
*
Aaron stands as Ifede approaches the table, smiling. "Nice to meet you, Ifede," he says, moving around to pull her chair out for her; ever the gentleman. Or at least, trying to portray that for a first date. "You look absolutely stunning," he says, going for the early compliment; and it helps that it's not at all a lie! They will have learned the basics about one another through the app; Aaron is a scientist, and a professor at Columbia University. He speaks two languages, enjoys travel and the outdoors, and is a voracious reader. Once they're seated, across from one another, Aaron will open up the wine menu, but his attention will be mostly on the woman before him. "This is my first time with something like this," he admits, watching for her reaction. "I'm not entirely sure what the protocol is, or what's typically expected. Would you be opposed to a bottle of wine for us to share, or is that too forward?"
*
Ifede's arm twitches with the need to reach out and shake his hand; but she had to remember. This was not a business venture! Even though dating often feels just like it, it really wasn't. But once her chair was pulled out, she offers a brief smile and settles in, allowing her clutch to rest upon the table as if she carried something important. "Thank you." She says, her hands lifting to fix her hair, her shoulders wriggling so that she could settle in easy.
Granted, a scientist and a professor was something new. She pegged him as boring, she already judged him before she met. Now, she was just there for the free food. "Oh. Walk in de park, it is." She says, waving her hand in a nevermind fashion. She was cool with it, and with a tip of her head she gestures towards the menu. "You choose. You're paying." With a glance around and a bounce of her leg, she inhales. "You are a handsome man. Why do you decide to date online? What is wrong with you." Ifede, is nothing but bold and direct.
*
Aaron laughs a little bit, glancing down at the menu after her blunt question, and then closes it before looking back up. How does one answer that? He's not offended by it, but it caught him off-guard. "Oh, uh, I'm not sure, really. I just moved here, and don't really know anyone yet. Not exactly interested in hanging out at bars, and anyone I'm likely to meet through my work is either a colleague or a student, so there's some trouble there." He's rambling just a little bit, but trying to keep his cool and collected demeanor intact. The waiter arrives a moment later, and Aaron orders the wine. "We'll take a bottle of the Chateau Neuf-du-Pont," he says, even nailing the accent as he says the name. The waiter mumbles a 'very good, monsieur', and departs, leaving them to wonder if his own french accent was just for show or if authentic. "I could ask the same of you, Ifede. You're a beautiful woman, clearly you would have no trouble finding a date on any given night. Why this? Why me?"
*
Straight faced as any, it would seem that Ifede doesn't have a sense of humor. But, if one were to look closely, the smile that doesn't reach her face does in her eyes, and she's doing all that she could to keep it together. But his answer was pretty straight forward and honest, she visibly relaxes with a lean of an elbow upon the table, a nod of her head in agreement.
The wine order placed gives her a bit of time to think of another question, but once redirected, she gestures. "Almost de same." She says quietly. "Though I'd rather be able to pick and choose the person I'm dating save for catcalls and rajan all over the place." Her hand waves, and she laughs, a light cheery thing that ends with a pop of sound. "But you? Oh. Never dated a scholar." She pauses. "Andda free food." She breaks out into laughter again, then reaches over to grasp his arm. One would think that she would say she was kidding, but she really wasn't!
*
Aaron laughs again; a light chuckle, nothing too boisterous. He doesn't shirk at the touch of her hand on his arm, though he does acknowledge it with a glance toward her, and a smile; it was not unwelcome. "I've never understood the urge some men seem to have to catcall. It makes no sense to me. Do they think that if they harass a woman enough, she'll eventually just agree to sex?" He shakes his head. "A free meal is a draw I can get behind though," he says with a grin, opening up his own menu again. "I hope that, in the event I prove too boring to see again, you at least enjoy the food," he jokes lightly. "Where did you move from?" He could take a guess, given the accent, but that wouldn't be any fun now, would it?
*
"Aahh. I don't know. Something to do widde spirit." She gestures at her chest and then her face. "Probably thinking the Alpha sound will callde women." She agrees with him, nodding and fixing herself to not sit so sideways, picking up the menu as he agrees with her assumptions. "My taut. If ye want sex widde woman, just ask." She humps her shoulders. "If she kindly to, then she says yes. Neh?" She laughs a little, then picks up her menu. "Hungry.." She says quietly, then looks up. "Pends." She says. "Where I born or where I grow up?" She still holds some of the language and mannerisms, especially if she's relaxed. And it was clear she was. Despite him having a stiffy job, it felt a bit easy. "Eh you? Professor of the what?"
*
"I like straightforward," Aaron says plainly. "Such things can be complicated enough without adding more confusion than necessary." He had already decided on his meal; one of the perks of being able to choose the restaurant, and of arriving first. He glances through the menu again just to be sure though, but closes it and sets it aside within moments. "Wherever you were before you came to New York, I suppose. I lived in Tokyo for the last six years or so, myself. I study molecular biology, chemistry, and genetics," he says. "My work has mostly medical applications relating to toxicology, immunity, physical biological enhancements.." he trails off a bit, realizing that he's sounding like a textbook. "Sorry, boring details.. One of the pitfalls of dating an academic." He tries a smile again. Just then, the waiter arrives with the wine, but stumbles. The wine bottle falls off the tray, and the man looks utterly horrified for a split-second, until Aaron snaps his hand out and catches it before it hits the floor.
*
"Nawlins." Ifede says. That was an easy answer. The other portion ofit was not. As she spies what she'd like from the menu, she carefully closes it and sets it aside, highly interested in where he was. "Tokya. I'd always want to go there." She admits, then clears her throat. "Tis not boring no. I asked. I got my answer, it was not like I say tell me one-ding and you go and say more." As the waiter approaches, Ifede fixes her plate and glass to make sure that everything as it was, just to make it easy for the waiter to pour.
But the quick reactions to the bottle dropping of the waiter and Aaron catching it takes her off guard. There was a brief flash of white within her eyes, but it cools and relaxes as she looks to him. She herself was going to catch the bottle.. but seeing that there was no need, she brings out a flat grin and a laugh. "I'll have the duck confeit.."
*
The waiter is suitably relieved at the bottle being caught before smashing on the ground, but it takes him a moment to calm his nerves enough to pour the wine. Once done, and the lady has given the shaky waiter her order, he follows suit, ordering the braised pork tenderloin. "Tokyo was something of an adjustment, but it's a wonderful city once you're used to it. There's always something going on. Not unlike New York. Busier, somehow, but less chaotic." As written by a player who has never been to either city, take that with a grain of salt!
The pair talk, share stories, laugh and grow more comfortable with one another as the evening progresses. The food is, of course, excellent; Ifede's duck is cooked to perfection, crispy skin and all. The wine pairs nicely with both meals, and they share a light dessert. By the time the evening is through, the bottle of wine has been drunk, and while not drunk himself, Aaron is certainly feeling a bit of a buzz from the wine; it's been a long while since he's let himself have fun and relax, something he should do more often now. The bill is delivered and paid, and when they're ready to leave, Aaron will help the lady up, and accompany her outside. Now, does she catch an Uber home?
*