Blind Date meme

[semimeme]

 

The Blind Date meme. Pretty self-explanatory. No matter how awkward and unexpected they might be, there is always something exciting about them. Who is your company for the evening going to be? Will it be a person of your innermost dreams or someone you absolutely can't stand? And most importantly...
 

How are you going to handle it?

What do:
1. Post with your character! They're now in the middle of a blind date.
2. Comment to each other! When you do that...
3. Go to Random.org and roll a single die!

1. 

First date

 -- You've never been out on a date before, so someone's decided to give you a helping hand.
2. 

On the rebound

 -- You're recovering from a painful breakup, but your friends/family think they found a great person for you anyway.
3. 

Not strangers at all

 -- Someone thought you didn't know your date. Turns out you know them from somewhere.
4. 

Hideously awkward

 -- Hey wait, that's your ex/boss/doctor/distant family member! Or, even worse, it's that person you absolutely despise. This will go well!
5. 

Existing partner

 -- You two are just acting like strangers to spice up your love life.
6. 

Future spouse

 -- Unfortunately, you have to have an arranged marriage. Fortunately, you get to meet that special someone for a date beforehand. How will the night go?
7. ...or, instead of rolling, come up with your own scenario!

4. Play out the date. This meme can be completely fluffy, smutty, or hilarious. If you don't want smut, you can put that in your subject. It doesn't even have to be romantic.

Comments

[sevenofswords]

Bela took Orion's hand and stood with him. She was glad of the few sips of coffee she'd had. After imbibing a martini and half a bottle of wine, she might very well have tipped over without the much-needed hit of caffeine.

"I'll meet you in the front." Bela waggled her pocketbook at him. "Off to powder my nose." She slipped away, weaving her way past other tables and patrons still busily coming and going, even so late in the evening.

As advertised, Bela took her time away to make sure she didn't have something lodged between her teeth, that her bra wasn't peeking out, and indeed, she powdered her nose and retouched her lipstick. Satisfied she was looking as fantastic as possible, she joined Orion near the door. "Ready to go?"

[deadlynebulous]

In the time that Bela was gone, he took a moment to run his tongue over his teeth in a similar check, then find a little urn with mints to be taken as they left. When she returned looking a little fresher, Orion offered his arm to her once more before leading the way back out onto the sidewalk.

"I must say miss Talbot, this has been an unexpected pleasure. I was under the impression that you didn't like me," he commented jokingly, keeping a measured pace in case the alcohol made it harder for her to walk in heels.

[sevenofswords]

Bela kept up easily, but she appreciated his slower pace. She found rushing anywhere even more distasteful than tardiness. Even while her own clock was counting down rapidly, she endeavored always to appear unhurried.

"I don't make a habit of liking anyone I work with, so don't take it personally." She laughed, nestling herself a little closer as the summer night had grown breezy and cool. Above, the stars and moon had been blotted out by clouds. Rain was coming, but in London, when wasn't it?

"And to be fair, I never got the impression you were my greatest fan, either." Not that he'd ever been rude. His manner heretofore had been more characterized by impatience than animosity.

[deadlynebulous]

Orion nodded. "Understandable. Getting personal with others in this profession tends to shorten lifespans considerably. And likewise, it's nothing personal, I'm simply not much of a people person to begin with." As if that wasn't obvious. He might have owned his own business, but that didn't mean he appreciated other people loitering in his general vicinity.

When the wind began to pick up a little more, Orion shed his jacket and offered it to her. He was perfectly comfortable in a neat white button-up and silvery vest, and figured by the way she'd moved closer that she was getting a little chilly.

[sevenofswords]

Bela allowed Orion to drape the jacket over her shoulders, immediately glad of its protection from the chill. "Thank you."

She walked quietly for a bit, enjoying what she found to be a companionable silence. Up ahead, she saw lights twinkling in the plaza. There was a larger crowd perusing the display than she might have expected, but that was because Bela was more likely to be found dancing than commenting on art. Trying something new thrilled her a teeny bit, and she found herself quickening her pace as they approached.

[deadlynebulous]

Orion kept his pace with her, looking ahead and breathing a content sigh as he caught the sound of music being played between displays. It was a lively affair, crowded by the socialites and pedestrian crowd alike. He stopped in front of a display comprised mostly of metalwork painted in thick impressionist stroked, looking like a three-dimensional Van Gogh display. His head tilted as he examined it.

The rest of the art on display was of a similar bent, done by young residents of the city, some of them selling their pieces and others simply showing off what they'd spent so much of their time on. There was a jewelry maker nestled between a couple of the artists, with a display of steel wire and colored stones, artfully set in silver swirls. He found a small hairpin decorated in deep blue and green polished gems, picking it up and holding it in the light, then turning to the seller to buy the little piece. It was then turned over to Bela; while she didn't really seem to be one for finery, it was small enough to be forgotten but nice enough to wear out, when she had to go to those numerous formal occasions.

[sevenofswords]

Bela's looks must have deceived Orion - she was all about the finery! She took the hair pin, looking delighted at the token. "It's lovely! Thank you, Orion." She put it back into his hand, turned, and tilted her head toward him. "Would you do me the honor?"

[deadlynebulous]

"Certainly." And with a gentle hand, Orion twisted part of her hair up away from her face, using the pin to keep it up over her ear. Once it was secure, his hand lingered briefly, tucking a curl behind her ear before falling away. He smiled faintly as he took in that small change, restraining himself from behaving in any way less than gentlemanly.

"What would you like to do now?" he asked as he started to walk again, keeping his stride slow once more. "The night is young, and the city is wide open to whatever we might decide."

[sevenofswords]

Bela settled in neatly beside him, walking along. On a usual evening, she might have recommended dancing, but she wasn't really in the mood for bone-vibrating noise and the smell of spilled drinks.

She was going to suggest they just keep walking when an idea struck her. "Have you ever been on the Eye?" It was an unfashionable tourist trap, but she'd always wanted to try it. "Someone who works there owes me a favor, and I think it might be..." She broke off, narrowly stopping herself from saying 'something to see before I die.' Instead, she substituted, "...unique."

[deadlynebulous]

Orion had to think about that for a moment.

"Why not?" he finally said. "I haven't ridden it in at least ten years." The night was clear enough that they would likely be able to see every last star without trying when they got to the top. He offered his arm as they walked a little faster; he could see the ferris wheel from where they were, and while they could have easily caught a cab to it, he felt good about simply walking in comfortable silence surrounded by the night sounds of the city.

[sevenofswords]

Bela was also glad to walk. It had been a long time since she'd taken the opportunity to be a tourist in her own city. It was possible she was growing nostalgic as her time grew short, but who cared? At least she wasn't spending the evening alone, or worse - pretending to enjoy the company of some handsy drunk with a Black AmEx.

In short order, they arrived at the London Eye. Bela asked Orion to wait for her a moment on the esplanade, and she headed to the arrival check-in, conversed with the gentleman behind the window for a few moments, and then returned to Orion's side.

"It's all arranged, and we can go right in to board." She paused a moment, then added, "But call me Lucy until we're in the capsule, all right?"

*yelling in the background* now kiiiiiiss...

[deadlynebulous]

Orion went ahead to wait as he was asked, standing with his hands behind his back, his head up to survey the other capsules and the silhouettes of the people inside, until Bela joined him. He knew better than to question the alias; in their lines of business, it was fairly common not to spread legal names. Indeed, he rather doubted even that the name she'd given him was her real one, but it was neither here nor there.

After waiting for Bela to board ahead of him, Orion pulled the doors closed then took a moment to steady himself as they began their ascent. When they reached the level of the tallest rooftops he stepped over to one of the wide windows to peer out across the city.

"Sometimes it's easy to forget that there are views like this here," he murmured as he took in the sprawl of lights growing smaller and denser as they rose up.

lol

[sevenofswords]

Bela joined him, peering down. From their height, the hard edges of the city softened, and it wasn't a stretch to imagine what London might have looked lit entirely by gaslight. The trappings of an ultra-modern Ferris wheel sort of detracted from the romance of the view, but not by much.

"It's unfortunate we have to go back down there." She considered the city below them for another moment, then added, "But I'd miss my cat, and I'd like to think he would miss me."

[deadlynebulous]

"At least for right now, we don't really have to," Orion replied, his hands slipping into his pockets as he looked toward the skyline, the glittering silhouettes of buildings poking up into the deep, dark blue of the evening sky.

"When you accepted this ridiculous proposal, you didn't think it would go any way but terribly, did you?" he said thoughtfully after a while, hie eyes turning up to the stars overhead. "Admittedly, I was only looking forward to it for the excuse to finally be able to rub having gone out in someone's face. A petty gesture, but a satisfying one."

[sevenofswords]

"As petty gestures often are." She nodded, considering both his question and the stars above. She'd seen the stars from many locations around the globe, many offering a much better, more clear view. Similarly, she'd been on many dates, and in general, she had always known how each would end. That their date had surprised her was a welcome change, and she told him as much.

"I have never been on a blind date until today, and I set very low expectations. Tonight has been quite nice, though. Thank you."

[deadlynebulous]

"I've only ever gone out on one before tonight, and all it did was go poorly, right down to the holding of hair during a singularly nasty bout of food poisoning." Orion made a face at that, but left the details up to Bela's imagination. He leaned his shoulder against the nearest frame and looked down at the world below, huffing quietly at the subtle vertigo from the view. "This was nice, though. Perhaps if you stay in the area a while longer, or return later on,we can do this again."

[sevenofswords]

She flushed slightly. It wasn't as though she hadn't seen the offer coming, but it was still flattering to be asked out again.

"I'm through on business regularly. I keep a flat in Chiswick, actually." She plucked an invisible bit of lint from his shoulder, leaning in familiarly. "You should come 'round to visit sometime."

[deadlynebulous]

The invitation threw him a little bit, but he smiled after the initial moment of surprise. He turned some in place to look back at her. One hand came out of his pocket to rest lightly against the curve of her side.

"I think I would enjoy that. You know where to find me, just let me know when would be a decent time for it."

[sevenofswords]

And now they were just a breath apart. Well, Bela was no shrinking violet and she certainly didn't have a lot of time to go waiting around, so she closed the distance between them. The kiss didn't linger long, but she didn't exactly jump away when she was through either.

[deadlynebulous]

In a breath it was reciprocated and when it broke, Orion stayed where he was, his hand sliding back to the small of her back. This, he didn't mind one bit, the closeness and quiet, the feeling of being separated from the rest of the world for just a little while, and it was enough to urge him to dip back down for another light and mostly chaste, but a little slower to pull away.

[sevenofswords]

Bela ran her fingertips through the hair at the nape of Orion's neck, staying close and smiling playfully up at him.

"Kissing on a Ferris wheel? Are we teenagers?" She laughed, feeling a little bit like one. "I'd say if we were anyone else, this would have been entirely cheesy."

[deadlynebulous]

With his nose an inch from hers, Orion chuckled quietly, the other hand coming out of his pocket to rest at her other side.

"I, for one, believe that we have earned the chance to be a little bit cheesy for a little while."

[sevenofswords]

He certainly had that right. Lately, she'd found herself actually moping. Two weeks before, she'd spent an entire day wearing yoga pants. It was unlike her.

Over the address system, a gentle voice informed them in three different languages their capsule was descending and they'd soon have to disembark. Bela was sorry their silly little excursion was over so soon and she sighed softly. "Reality intrudes." She reluctantly unwound herself from Orion's embrace to collect her handbag.

[deadlynebulous]

"As it so often does," Orion sighed, withdrawing his hands as she moved away and taking a moment to straighten his shirt, smoothing his hands over the front of his vest. He stepped up behind Bela as they approached the platform. "Perhaps if we do do this again, we can find some other tourist trap to patronize."

[sevenofswords]

"Yes," she agreed. "We'll do something you haven't tried."

Together, they disembarked from the Eye, silently joining the stream of other sightseers. Bela brushed the pin in her hair, checking to be sure it was still secure. It's presence lessened her sadness that the evening was drawing to a close.

"Did you bring a car to the restaurant?" she asked as they headed in that direction.