Closed | I'll take you to the moon

[fixyourproblem]

WHO || Brantley and Felicity
WHAT || Romantic French date
WHERE || London
WHEN || September 14th [Backdated]
HOW || Actionspam or prose

For the date, Brantley is dressed more casually than normal. He is wearing a blue shirt and a black dress jacket, a pair of jeans with leather belt, and a pair of brown work boots. Though he has been on lots of dates, it has been a while since he went on a date and it is pretty hard to find a women who is okay with cheesy lines and his job at the same time, so he is a little bit nervous about the date with Felicity. Now, he takes out his phone and sends her a text.

I'm waiting for you at the front door. Take your time though.

Then, he waits for her near his parked Vespa scooter while reviewing his date plan in his phone.

Comments

[allmydreams]

I'm on my way.

Felicity has never been the type to keep someone waiting, and she's never been the kind of girl to make a guy wait while she primped, unless it was for a con, of course. Sometimes you just needed to kill some time to get the mark where you wanted them.

But Brantley isn't a mark, and this is something she's been looking forward to for a while. It's not long before she appears in the entryway, wearing a nicely cut dark red sweater and jeans, complete with heels. She smiles as she sees him, picking up the pace slightly to close the distance between them.

"Ready when you are."

[fixyourproblem]

Brantley has prepared everything for the date, from cheesy compliments to gifts. One of the advantages working in logistic is you know how to set things up. He didn't have much time to make the date perfect, but he had used his skill as a fixer to make the date memorable as much as he can.

Brantley smiles as he observe Felicity from top to the bottom. "You look enchanting as always, sweetie." He starts with something light so she wouldn't get overwhelmed by more things to come. "Well, you don't mind riding on the back, do you?"

"And here, if the wind gets too cold and maybe to give more Parisian feeling." He smiles softly when he gives her a small paper bag containing a violet scarf decorated with fleur de lis in a geometric pattern.

[allmydreams]

"Why thank you," she says with a smile as she makes her way over to the Vespa, looking it over for a moment. It's been a while since she's ridden on a Vespa, but she can make it work. And with the added addition of the scarf wins her over completely.

"I am a sucker for Paris," she says, taking the scarf with a smile. "Works for me."

[fixyourproblem]

"All right, hop on and hold tight." He says to her just right after taking a the rider seat of the bike. Then he waits for her to make herself comfortable on the back seat and starts to head off to their destination. He doesn't choose the quickest path but he rides alongside the river Thames, so she can enjoy the view. "Not as beautiful as Seine, but it isn't so bad, is it?"

[allmydreams]

She keeps her arms around his waist, holding on as they drive through through the city. It's nice to be out here at night, seeing the world for what it is and not having to pretend to be someone else. It's why she's glad she's dating someone she works with.

"No, I love this city," she says with a nod. "It a character all it's own."

[fixyourproblem]

Brantley enjoys the ride as well. A romantic ride on a beautiful city is certainly delightful, and this time he doesn't have to worry about his date leaving early. Things like 'I provide documents for illegal immigrants' or 'I help people avoid jail' aren't received with open arms even if his intention is well.

"Yeah, I love London too. People have been saying it's better on the other side of the pond. But this place has its own charm." He replies with a smile. It is hard to see while he is riding the bike, but it is definitely there.

[allmydreams]

Hey, in Felicity's world it'd be music to her ears. Considering all the Shadowkind friends she had, and the kind of trouble she tended to get into, these are both skills she would find very useful.

"Hey, now, don't count New York out. That's always going to be my favorite city."

[fixyourproblem]

The wind blows harder as Brantley speeds up a bit. He doesn't want his date to get bored sitting on the backseat of the scooter, so he might be getting a little bit more faster than just fast. "Yeah, New York isn't bad either. It's like one big playground. You can always find something interesting in every corner. But I haven't returned to New York for almost two decades, so it probably has changed. I wonder what it is like right now."

[allmydreams]

She adjusts her grip to adjust for the change in speed, before she catches that time reference and frowns, shifting so that she could get a look at his face. "I know that this is probably rude, but how old are you exactly?"

[fixyourproblem]

As planned, the road ahead is smooth without any traffic congestion. And the image of the sky reflected beautifully on the Thames also indicates a nice weather. Brantley might not be a gear-head or a wise-man, but one of the thing he is good at is preparing things. Though he didn't specifically close the road for them or hire a wizard who can control weather, he did survey the road a bit and check the weather report before going on the date.

"I'm 33. Why? I look to young for my age?" He replies without turning his head. Brantley smiles a lot so maybe that's what makes him look young.

[allmydreams]

She relaxes slightly at that. It was the couple decades that threw her, mostly because she knows how young some Shadowkind can look and not actually be, but it's not something she particularly cares about. More her curiosity than anything else.

"A little." She pauses, before deciding turnabout is fair play. "I'm twenty-seven. Since we're sharing."

[fixyourproblem]

Brantley is not one of the victims of the Veil, he was born in this world into a normal family, but he might be descendant of ancient dragon who ruled the world once. It is almost impossible that he is, but you can't prove it wrong, so it is still a valid theory.

"You said New York is your favorite city, are you from the States too?" He asks as he starts to take the ride off the main road.

[allmydreams]

She nods a bit at that, her eyes tracking the scenery as they go. "I grew up in New York. I've traveled all over though. Mostly for work." You know. In acquisitions.

She was acquiring things. Probably in an illegal manner.

[fixyourproblem]

"Me too. I haven't really got the chance to travel though. Since I moved to London, I haven't made lots of friend. And travelling alone isn't my cup of tea." Technically he has lots of friends, but most of them are work friends who are definitely not the type you would want to go on a road trip with. Unless that road trip includes illegally passing borders or traveling with fake visa, of course.

[allmydreams]

She tips her head to the side a bit, considering for a moment. "Well, I happen to love to travel, so if you ever decide you want a travel buddy, all you have to do is ask."

[fixyourproblem]

"Really? Great. I will definitely ask you to travel with me." He replies as he slows down his motorbike a bit. Not long after that, he completely stops the bike and park near their destination.

"Okay, we're here." he says as he point his face toward a quaint French restaurant. "That's the place." The front face of the place is plain, only a small wooden sign saying The Bistro and a small awning before the a single door are decorating the view. But, as they walk inside, the bistro is filled with vintage decorations and furniture, giving some kind of quaint feeling. With a singer and a pianist playing their music in the background, a male server with a thick French accent greets them with a smile. "Mr. River. We already have a table for you and your lovely date." Then the server escorts them to one of the tables by the window overlooking the Thames and with a view of the stage on the opposite side of it.

[allmydreams]

Felicity cases the place out of habit as they make their way inside, taking note of the exits and the number of people around. When the waiter addresses him by name without prompting, she glances towards him in amusement.

"Come here often, I take it?"

[fixyourproblem]

"Not that much. Let's just say, I gave him a small tip to make sure he gives us the right table." He smiles at her. Before they can continue their chat, the waiter cuts in and hands them the menu. "Well, don't hold back and order anything you like, okay?"

[allmydreams]

She takes the menu with a smile before nodding. "I guess a little bribery really does go a long way." Not that she hasn't done that before. Sometimes it's just easier to profit from people without scruples.

[fixyourproblem]

Brantley is an expert in bribery, in fact that's the core of his job, paying the right people to give the right service and trading some pocket money for some hot info. "True, but in this case, paying for good service is more suitable phrasing." He smiles back before spelling out some items from the menu. "I'll have the Toast with Duck Rilettes, Steak au Poivre, and the Signature Onion Soup. Also don't forget about that." He signals something as he returns the menu to the waiter.

[allmydreams]

Felicity considers, reading over the menu for a moment, before looking up with a smile. "I'll have the roast beef dip and a water. Thanks."

[fixyourproblem]

The waiter nods before leaving to get their order, while the singer in the background starts to sing another soothing song. The bistro is quite packed for the evening but the interior arrangement of the place gives out enough space for its customers not to feel thronged.

Brantley leans in closer to the table, resting his arms on the edge, before starting a conversation with his date. "So, you're from New York, right? What made you move to London?"

[allmydreams]

"The Institute." She throws up the cover just as easily since there may be listening ears nearby. "My mentor, Sir Cabot? He recruited me when we both tried to acquire the same diamond. He ... liked my style, I guess."

Or it may have to do with the fact that she was both good and Shadowkind friendly. She never really asked.

[fixyourproblem]

"Well, your style is definitely captivating." He inserts a bit of his usual compliment before continuing. "But, it's quite rare to see people working your job to join something... restrictive like the Institute." Underground worker joining a world welfare organization is not something you see daily. "Or are you the kind who likes charity works?" A modern day Robin Hood, maybe?

[allmydreams]

She shrugs a bit at that. "I have my reasons." Ones that are a little too close to the chest for her to share on a first date, but reasons all the same. "Besides. People in my line of work help people all the time. I saw it on TV."