Originally posted December 20, 2009
((Given the hectic holiday schedule, Cam and I decided to play this out in a forum RP. Euterpe's Café is based on Chicago's Heartland Café, a favorite haunt of mine when I lived in Rogers Park.))
Euterpe 's Café lay tucked away in a small residential neighborhood. A few blocks from any major thoroughfare, it defined off the beaten trail. Chance first noticed the sign while swinging through the neighborhood. A large, crudely made missile hung in two parts above the words, "Make Love, Not War" above the entrance. He had stopped, dangling from his grapple, to examine the menu hanging outside. Low impact food, organically grown, from sustainable resources, with live music every night. Dreadlocked waitresses took your order while you sat at chairs and tables painted by local artists and kids. His mother would have loved it.
Standing outside the restaurant in the gently falling snow, he found himself much more concerned about what Dani would think than his mother. Still, the place offered a secret weapon: amazing sweet potato fries. He had remembered her favorite from the impromptu Japanese lunch. If she couldn't find anything else she liked on the menu, at least she could taste their sweet potato fries.
Asking her out after that first kiss hardly took any effort. He smiled, remembering that moment on their walk. No. Not unpleasant at all. He found her all the things he had told her: Pretty, smart, brave. And a few that he hadn't mentioned: Kind, sincere and surprisingly gentle, fascinating to listen to and get to know. A good kisser, with a warmth from her heart, her spirit, that surpassed any coolness of her flesh.
He chuckled, taking a moment to adjust his stocking hat. He looked at the menu hanging again. Buffalo burgers, blackened catfish, a good selection of imported beers. A jazz trio would start in about an hour. Fun, but not too loud for conversation. He adjusted his cap one more time and tried not to pull on a string in the pocket of his well-worn leather jacket. He was hungry, that was all. That explained the little twinges in his stomach. He wasn't nervous… really.
Out on the street, in front of this hip restaurant, Chance waits for his date.
-- By Camille Brown
Being raised by the living undead had a few distinct disadvantages. For example, zombies do not frequent restaurants. It wasn't that Dani had never been to one before, for she had, but that the activity was so rarely come across. She lied to herself, telling herself that a lack of experience was the only reason she felt nervous at meeting up with Chance.
She had taken at least three hours to settle on an outfit. Chance had provided the address and let her know that she could dress casual. Unfortunately, how casual was casual for a date? She had never been on a real date before. She finally settled on burgundy, silk, tie-back blouse and a newer set of dark wash jeans. She pulled her long brown hair up into a loose twist, allowing a few strands to fall free and frame her face. The last, she added a tinted chapstick to her lips, hiding the paleness of the skin so that she could blend in more easily with everyone else.
She had taken a last look in the mirror, reflecting on her pale eyes. She could wear sunglasses maybe? But it was dark outside and that would seem odd. Perhaps she should purchase some colored contacts at some point... Did the restaurant they were going to cater to powered folk like herself ever? What in the world was she getting herself into? As the panic had started to eat away at her, she began to reach for her cell phone. She should cancel, tell him she's sick, tell him Keelie's sick...
"Pretty", Keelie's sweet little voice had cut through the worry. The little girl wrapped her arms around Dani's leg and leaned against her. "Have fun."
Dani's heart settled a bit, her worry dissipated with the simple statements from her charge. She could do this. She could go out on this date with Chance, and she could brave the crowds of people. No one would have to know that she puts on a mask or raises the dead. She'd just be Dani and that's all.
She double checked that someone will be watching Keelie in her absence, and then grabbed her slim black hand bag and her trench. She stopped at the door to send a silent request for her 'friends' to stay at The Haven and stand guard, before hailing a cab and giving the driver instructions.
As the car pulled up to the restaurant, Dani's stomach had flip flopped. Low impact food... organically grown... She understood the concept and appreciated it's worth. Organically grown food would be far less likely to upset her unusual metabolism. She looked to the tables and the chairs, finding them fascinating and beautiful. All in all, she had instantly fell in love with the place. It was really too bad that she had also felt incredibly overdressed in her designer jeans and blouse.
She stepped out of the cab, paying for her fair and then turned to search out Chance. As her eyes spied him, she forgot her concerns about being clumsy or awkward or even overdressed. Her heart lifted and she found herself already smiling as she made her way over to him.
"I apologize if I am late, Chance. I must admit that I took more time than I expected in preparation for our date."
-- by Rex Celestis
Chance smiled, taking her in. "You, you look beautiful." He kissed her lightly, wrapping his arms around her waist. His right knee trembled with the embrace. He took a step back to look at her again. "Just beautiful. And not late at all."
He led them into the café and let the jean clad hostess take them to a table. Close enough to stage to see the musicians when they start, but not so close that they couldn't talk. "I took a stab at the place, Dani. I hope it's ok. This is my first date since I moved here. I haven't had a chance to sniff out any romantic spots. It reminds me of one of my favorite haunts in Chicago."
After looking through his closet, Chance hand settled on a dark green sweater over jeans. He hadn't really expected to start dating with the move to MC. Things had fallen apart with Reg some time ago and a new romance seemed remote given his nocturnal activities. After struggling to find something casual that didn't have a hole, he committed himself to a wardrobe upgrade first thing in the morning.
"Any trouble finding the place?" He pulled out her chair and offered to take her jacket. "I haven't really done this in a while. Forgive me if I'm out of practice." He smiled again, eventually settling down in his seat.
-- by Camille Brown
Dani blushed at the compliment, the kiss, and the embrace. She followed him into the restaurant, listening attentively to his statements regarding the place. "I had no trouble in finding the place, but then it was the cabby who did the driving." She considered telling him that she hadn't really ever done the whole dating thing at all, but thought that could hold off until another time.
"You seem to be doing quite well." She replied to his concern of being out of practice. She noticed the musicians setting up and smiled even more. "Oh they'll be playing live? I think it's been a very long time since I have heard music played live." Her eyes lit up with joy at the very thought of being able to watch them play, as if she would be able to both hear and see the music.
She examined the table they sit at, following the hard lines of paint in a pattern, that depict portions of Westside in a sort of gritty, but lovely display. It reminded her of their previous discussion. "Perhaps after we eat, you can show me some of the sights that you mentioned of Westside. Places where the beauty and nobility of the place can still be seen?"
When the music began, she tilted her head, keeping Chance within view but also watching the musicians.
-- by Rex Celestis
Chance watched as Dani settled in. "I can't say that I've heard of them before, but yeah, they'll be playing live. Do you like jazz?"
He winced a bit with the question. At first she had seemed so reticent to share anything about herself. He remembered her explanation and was thankful that she had started to think of herself. He was delighted that she decided to share some part of her with him.
The waitress came to take a drink order. He decided on a Magic Hat #9 and listened for what Dani ordered.
As the trio started to play, he would catch her taking glimpses. He liked her eyes in the dim light. They seemed to dance. They caught a thousand reflections of the festive party lights. He would watch the band, taking small sips form is beer, but find his eyes drawn back to her.
-- by Camille Brown
She was especially fond of watching the man playing piano. She loved how his fingers seemed to run across the keys, like they were racing towards some peculiar goal. She sipped her water, smiling back at Chance and catching him watching her. She'd blush and inevitably look back towards the piano players hands, fascinated by their movement.
As the song closed, she realized with some embarrassment that she had not responded to Chance's question. She turned then, ignoring the beginning of another song, though she could feel the beat in the pulse of her own blood. She was here to spend time with Chance, not to watch people making music. She grinned to him, her fingers subconsciously moving as if playing their own invisible piano as she responded. "I think that I do like Jazz. I was not sure if I would, but it's very resonant."
His questions had become easier for her to answer, the more that he had asked them. They were generally of "what is" and not "what was", which meant that she could take a moment and realize her answer. She knew the questions of "what was" would still be harder to divulge.
She stopped her tapping on the table when the waitress arrived again to take their order. She had immediately zoned in on the Sweet Potato fries, remembering that her favorite vegetable from the tempura had been sweet potatoes. A raised eyebrow over a half smile at Chance indicated she had figured out at least one reason he had brought her to this particular Cafe.
She'd ordered a buffalo burger and the fries to go with her cold water. After Chance had placed his order, she decided it was time to switch sides and become the questioner rather than the questioned. "So what do you like to do, Chance?"
-- by Rex Celestis
Chance paused, hiding and reticence to answer behind a sip of his her beer. His mind ran through a number of witty remarks, humorous perhaps, but not too revealing. His father used questions as a tool. He would reflect the question back to the inquisitor getting them to open up. Chance had met only a few politicians that didn't enjoy talking about themselves.
Chance usually deflected questions, not out of some desire to get someone to open up; more because he didn't believe that anyone would really want to know about him or not use some bit of knowledge gained to tease or otherwise hurt him. Here she was, though, and in the space of a sip, Chance decided to answer honestly.
"You can probably tell that I like music," he began. "All sorts. From Ray Charles to Chopin, Los Campensinos to tiako drumming. My iPod has around 35,000 pieces of music and it's very rare that I turn down an opportunity to hear it live. It's how I tested out this place. I brought my homework over one night, sat at the bar, and re-wrote my astronomy notes." Chance smiled.
"What I really like to do is read," he continued. "I don't get to read much for pleasure between school work, practice, and spending late nights fighting crime on the west side, but I usual have a novel with me; some Butcher or other brain candy. Now that I'm on break, I've had a chance to read some headier stuff. I just finished The Sparrow. Not easy reading. A good reminder that even with the best of intentions, things can go terribly wrong."
"I just got a recommendation of an author that's new to me from a friend," he grinned. "I hope to devour a few of those books before school starts back up."
He took another sip and leaned forward. "And you Ms Pearson? What is it you think you'd like to do?" He smiled broadly. "I do need to start planning our second date, you know."
-- by Camille Brown
Dani watched him sip the beer, surprised to find she is curious as to it's flavor. She is not new to alcoholic beverages and with her unnatural metabolism can actually consume inordinate amounts if she chooses. However, she finds that her tongue is far too loosened by the liquid, and therefore stays away from it.
Perhaps it was just the way he seemed to enjoy the drink. She cannot remember ever really enjoying the flavor of beer. The music had created an interesting background to the comments coming from Chance. She watched him speak, enjoying the way that his face became so animated when he spoke of things he liked.
"Well I believe many people do enjoy music. I did not necessarily know that it was a particular interest of yours, though you're correct that I assumed." She found herself tapping her fingers in mock piano play again while she responded.
She liked the sincerity in his smile when he speaks about reading. "I enjoy reading as well. Though I must admit that I have not spent a great deal of time doing so lately." She thought back to her old apartment in WestSide and how after crime fighting, she would always curl up in her sparse studio to read about other adventures. It surprised her, upon reflection of her past, that she had always loved books with depth to the emotions of the characters. "I don't think that I have picked books of a similar style to those you mentioned, Chance. I love to read things that evoke thought, but I tend to read those that evoke emotion above so."
"I must admit that I am curious about The Sparrow now. Perhaps I'll stop by the library and pick it up." She grinned then, "You did mention there was a series I should try..." She had thought a moment before remembering, "Ah The Sandman. I am very curious about this Delirium character that you spoke of."
She'd tilted her head, as she watched him thoughtfully. "You'll have to tell me how long you'll be off of school. I hadn't even thought about the fact that you would be on break right now." She took another sip of her drink, the soft skin of her lower lip sticking slightly to the glass a moment and leaving a slight frosty imprint. She rubbed her lips together, hoping the tinted chap stick is still mostly present.
"What would I like to do? A question you've asked me before, though I had no answer then." She'd stopped her fingers from their movements and folded her hands in her lap. "I would like to do so very many things, Chance. I have kept myself isolated for 14 years, feeling that I had no choice in the matter." She stopped, realizing she had leaned forward as she spoke and their waitress was having difficulty in placing down the food. She'd smiled lightly at the waitress, and then started up her statements again. "I want to get over what happened to me, so that I can be myself again." She blushed, "Oh, but obviously that's not a desire that can be worked into a date."
The thick smell of grilled buffalo, the mellow sounds of the Jazz trio, and chatter of the other customers created a friendly background for Dani to relax into. She found that she actually did not mind being out among people when Chance was with her.
"I think that I would like to see a live performance... a play perhaps?" She'd wondered if her request would sound odd to him. Then again he had been the one to ask and she was only being honest. She'd heard of several plays and musicals that were planned or currently running. The thought of going to see living people on a stage, pretending at true emotions. She found the concept completely fascinating. "However, I think that I would be happy even just to go for another walk with you Chance."
She'd taken a bite of a fry then, and grinned back at Chance to show her pleasure in the dish, before quickly devouring several more.
-- by Rex Celestis
Chance blushed, letting his chicken dish cool at the table. "I think... I think I'd like that, Danielle. I enjoy our walks. And I look forward to sticking around as you be yourself again. I really like what I've seen so far."
"But that reminds me." He turned around in his chair to fish inside his satchel. "I love the theater. So many questions. Musical theater? Something dramatic or funny. Something experimental?"
He turned back towards her, a package in his hands. "This might seem way premature, but... well... I didn't even know if you celebrate Christmas, or if I'd see you before then and... hmmm... well, I got you something."
He slides over a 16" x 9" x 2" rectangular shape, intricately wrapped in hand made, textured washi paper. Small purple petals fill the grain of the paper, tied fast against the object with a lavender bow. "I'm fighting the urge to say 'it's a small thing,'" he chuckled with the tilt of his head and a raise of his eyebrows. "Instead I'll just wish you a happy Christmas."
-- by Camille Brown
For a moment, Dani didn't know what to do. So many thoughts crossed her mind. The last Christmas she had celebrated had been with her parents. Firmly she puts that at the back of her mind. It's time for her to move on with her life and allow herself some joy again.
She accepted the gift, looking from the beautiful paper to Chance. "I didn't... I mean I haven't..." She runs her fingers over the handmade paper, feeling the texture. "I haven't celebrated Christmas since the-" She glanced nervously at the other patrons, "well since the incident. I'm afraid it hadn't crossed my mind to buy anyone gifts. I haven't gotten you anything. I feel quite ill prepared." She blushes then, "I mean, Merry Christmas and thank you."
She looks back to the gift, carefully removing the ribbon before turning over the object. She finds where the paper has been taped down and slides her finger under it delicately, to lift the tape without tearing the paper. She unwraps the object, removing the paper in a way that she can fold and keep it. "As far as what type of performance, I would enjoy Musical, dramatic, or funny. I think Experimental Theater is something I would have to work up to."
She then turns the object back over to see what Chance has given her.
-- by Rex Celestis
"The whole story originally came out as monthly comic books in the late 80's and early 90's. I didn't start reading until a friend suggested it. Something to keep me occupied while I was in the hospital."
The item feels heavy in her hands. Pulling off the wrapping paper reveals a slipcover of surreal images and an ornately lettered title. The Sandman: Absolute Edition Vol. I. Black leather binds the book, its pages filled with words and images drawn together to make tales.
"A few years ago, they took the entire run of the comic, enlarged it, recolored it, and printed it on high quality paper. The first volume includes the first 25 issues. There are three more and one about his sister, Death. If you like it, I figure I've got four more presents for upcoming holidays. This is the best way to read the book. The over-sized pages really show off some amazing art."
He grinned and took a sip while he paused. "Oh, and don't worry about me. I didn't expect anything. Really. Not even meeting you or you finding the opportunity to come out with me. I'm very content."
-- by Camille Brown
She was captivated, immediately flipping from page to page. She loved how the artwork was drawn in so many genres and mediums. Her eyes would flit from a sentence and skip on to another, as if she wished to read the entire book in small bite sized pieces. She didn't realize she had been silently admiring the book for several minutes, until a new song started up with the jazz trio.
She'd looked up at Chance, finally closing the book and clutching it to herself. She was surprised to feel her eyes welling up with tears and she blinked, forcing them back, before giving him a tremulous smile. Her voice was barely loud enough to carry over the slow swell of music, "Thank you... truly thank you Chance. It's beautiful. I do not even know the story, and I can see that I will love it. It's so..." She stopped, trying to find the words. "I feel often that art, music, books, all... they are all part of a grand tree. To express the -is- of the tree, there must be many branches reaching up in their own path to the light. Each branch is unique, but part of the whole"
She'd blushed, hearing herself. "I apologize. The concept is peculiar, I am sure." She'd looked back to the book, flipping through the pages again as an excuse to avoid his gaze. She'd felt he was sure to find her comments odd, or incomplete.
-- by Rex Celestis
Chance watched her. He could tell how long. He just watched her delight. The words made perfect sense. "No, nothing to apologize for. It seems to fit just perfectly. What you said, I mean."
Chance watched her. Her eyes as they scanned the book, the movement of her fingers to the rhythm of the piano, the smile on her face. This felt like the start of something. He watched her, silenced by the moment.
-- by Camille Brown
She'd enjoyed herself immensely. The music, the food, the atmosphere, and the wonderful gift. Chance had been attentive and sweet. She'd caught him watching her several times when he didn't think she could see him.
Though they'd planned to take a walk after the dinner, it had already been getting late. Dani's concern of being away from Keelie for too long had caught up to her, and she'd requested they end things a bit early.
That did not stop the lingering kiss on the front stoop of The Haven, before they'd reluctantly separated and said goodnight.
She'd blushed as she waved goodbye, and then had hoped the blush would fade before she was caught. It hadn't helped that Dani had walked into The Haven to find half of the kids pressed against the front window, laughing and calling "oooooh".
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