Blind Date [Rufus]

[Helen Atalanta]

Of all the things she'd ever had to do- of all the stupid, pointless things that had to be done, this, was probably the top of the list. She never should have taken that bet with Reno- never should have listened to him.

Hey, I'll bet you 50 gil that you can't pick up that guy over there.

"Okay, you're on. But make that 150 gil instead." By Minerva, she should've told him to sober up and quit acting so childish... but she was just as childish.

Alright- your loss. She should've known that Reno would pick the one man in the bar that was not single.

To put it short, she lost a bet and didn't have the money to make the wager. So she was offered a second way out.

How about a blind date? I know just the guy, and you might actually hit it off.

In hopes of piecing together her broken pride, the Turk accepted the deal, unknowing of what was to come. She had been told to dress formally, and had been forced into a little black dress with scarlet accents.

"Bloody Ifrit these heels are uncomfortable," she muttered as she stepped into a quiet restaurant. It was fancy and expensive- something she probably couldn't afford with her current paycheck.

A sharply dressed waiter glided over to her and lead her to an empty table at the back of the spacious room.

"Of course the guy would arrive late." Helen sighed and took a sip of her third glass of champaign. "Not that I'm any better at punctuality."

When someone eventually stepped into the room, the martial artist paled noticeably. If the man that she was looking at was to be her date, bu Minerva was she being screwed over by luck.

[Rufus ShinRa]

How did Tseng manage to talk him into going on a date? Oh, Rufus remember very well. It all went back to one of the slow days. Tseng had walked into his office and started on about the future of the company. How Rufus should have been proposing to someone soon and have an heir to the coorperation and sitting idol in his office all day wasn't getting him a wife.

Rufus had to admit that this was all a little sudden and out of nowhere. For the first few days, Rufus managed to shove enough work on Tseng to keep the topic away. But after enough whining from the Wutainese man, he agreed to start dating to shut the Turk up. But only people that were cleared through the Turks first so that he didn't end up a sitting duck for some past grudge.

Looking back, Tseng had looked a little too happy about it all. Reno looked like he had been up to no good too. Why had he agreed. So, Rufus let Tseng arrange everything. Sadly, the place seemed a little too much for a first date with anyone. He'd walked in to notice a rather quiet restaraunt. That is, till he looked straight at Helen, dressed up rather nicely....this was hardly a coincidence.

He calmly followed the waiter....to the same table as Helen. "Well.... This was obviously a set up for some reason. Was it Tseng or Reno?" He asked as he sat down across from the very pale Helen. Hopefully she didn't freak out. He didn't need that right now.

[Helen Atalanta]

Helen's expression relaxed ever so slightly when she saw that her... date was in good humour.

"Well.... This was obviously a set up for some reason. Was it Tseng or Reno?"

"I don't know where you got Tseng from, but Reno won a bet with me..." She glanced around, taking in the surroundings and wondering if Rufus had picked the restaraunt.. to flaunt his power or something. "Take it Songbird set you up?"

She waved the waiter away, lightly sipping at a half-full glass of champaign, as he offered to take their orders.

"So... I guess we can leave if you want...." she hinted heavily, knowing that if Rufus was the one to give up, she would still be even with Reno- ie, her current foe.

[Rufus ShinRa]

"I don't know where you got Tseng from, but Reno won a bet with me...Take it Songbird set you up?"

"Ah, I see. Tseng has been bothering me the past few days and pressured me into dating again. I suppose they may have co-conspired." Rufus paused to pour himself a glass as well, not being as stingy, drinks a good bit before sitting the glass down again. "Actually, Tseng set everything up. I've actually wanted to eat here to see how good the food was. Tseng must have been listening."

"So... I guess we can leave if you want...."

Helen actually waved off the waiter. Rufus gave her a strange look. But he shook his head. "I'm planning on eating. You don't need to stay if you'd like to leave." This wouldn't let Helen off the hook. "I can tell Reno you were hear the whole date if you want."

At this, Rufus stopped to look the menu over. He wasn't paying attention to Helen at the moment.

[Helen Atalanta]

Helen grimaced as Rufus's next words hit her like a bulldozer.

"I'm planning on eating. You don't need to stay if you'd like to leave." Her jaw almost hit the table. He was going to stay...she was gong to have to spend a whole dinner date with her boss. "I can tell Reno you were here the whole date if you want."

She shook her head, slightly.

"No... if you're staying, I guess I will, too." A sullen expression overshadowed the falsely polite one that she was working at keeping up.

[color-b000ff]"So... What're you gonna order?"[/color] The Turk shifted uncomfortably. There was a need for a topic change- so she created one. "Oh, and by the way, you get to buy mine, too. You still owe me for the tree incident," she quipped. Might as well get something free out of a date that you don't want to be in.

[OoC: Yah... it's short... -shot-]

[Rufus ShinRa]

Rufus didn't miss the grimace. He was watching her lightly over his menu. It was so amusing. Rufus felt a light smirk appear on his face. He listened as she sighed and agreed to stay on the "date". Rufus felt himself physically chuckle a bit.

"You don't need to seem so upset about it. I understand I'm not the best company. But I may go with the fish platter or the filet mignon done well." He glanced up from the menu. "What about yourself?" The conversation was idle, but he didn't mind it at all. No talking would be fine as well.

Her discomfort quickly became apparent. Rufus was hoping she didn't get too awkward. It wouldn't look good for him. That's when she mentioned that he owed her for the tree incident. "Hmm, fine. I was going to pay for your meal anyhow since I am the one that did invite you out. Plus, it is your job to protect me. So I don't really owe you anyways. But I'll humor you since you fell for Reno."

[Helen Atalanta]

"You don't need to seem so upset about it. I understand I'm not the best company."

Immediately, Helen began to stammer out an apology, flustered and caught off-guard. She didn't want her boss, and current date, to be angry with her. She knew that if he so wanted, he could easily embarrass her in public, or even dock her nonexistent pay. But then she caught his expression and shut her mouth, her expression sheepish.

"What about yourself?" Rufus asked mildly-- almost as if he was a small-talker. She knew better... well.... kind of.

"I guess I'll get the oven-broiled trout with the watercress salad." She saw the price and fought back a smirk. She was going to milk this opportunity for all it was worth. Her discomfort belted away into a confident sort of passive state, and she shrugged off Rufus' poke at her intelligence for falling for one of Reno's plots.

"At least it wasn't Tseng. He can't lie for nothin'." She waved a
waitress over and ordered another glass of champaign. It was going to be a long night and she'd rather not remember the details later if they weren't in her favor.

[Rufus ShinRa]

The apology put a smirk on his face. She had gotten too excited about that. Rufus remained quiet and calmly waved it off. It wasn't a big deal and he didn't want her making a mountain out of a mole hill. Thankfully she caught on and stopped. However, she suddenly became timid. Gosh, she was as bad as Elena!

Thankfully, the small talk was working. Maybe this would make her more comfortable. She answered that she was getting the trout and Rufus nodded. Really, the price was meaningless to Rufus.

When the waiter came over, Rufus also ordered the steak. He glanced over at Helen when she ordered another drink. He was slightly amused. "Am I such a bad date that you're drinking another glass? I don't mind but I'm surprised you trust me enough." He was not being completely serious. As for the comment about Tseng, he shrugged. "I suppose I wasn't paying much attention then. He isn't usually out to trick me."

Now, to wait for the dinners, and the wine. Rufus took another sip of his glass. He was surprised she didn't just order the bottle.

[Helen Atalanta]

"Am I such a bad date that you're drinking another glass? I don't mind but I'm surprised you trust me enough."

Helen laughed, thoroughly amused. "Yeah, you're such a horrible horrible date I have to be drunk not to say something I'll probably say anyways," she grinned, then her tone became a degree less sarcastic and she continued. "Really, though, it's rather nerve wracking to be on a date with your boss. You wouldn't know the feeling, but I'm sure you'll be able to sympathize with me." She leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms over her head, causing a few loud pops to resound from her spine and shoulders. She could feel the alcohol working its magic already.

"So, you eaten here before? Oh- wait... you just said you hadn't... I've been sampling their wines and their selection so far is actually rather diverse." She leaned forward, glancing about as though she was about to tell a big secret, before continuing. "But I've heard that the waiters are all... well... weird. Like.... disfigured somehow or something."

[Rufus ShinRa]

"Yeah, you're such a horrible horrible date I have to be drunk not to say something I'll probably say anyways."

"Point taken." He said with a slight shrug. Her laugh had caught him off guard. Boy, did she change her reactions at will. He had presumed she'd of become slightly awkward at the topic and changed it. That, or apologize pointlessly again. Though, she was beginning to act a bit more like Reno now. No wonder she fell for the bet.

"Really, though, it's rather nerve wracking to be on a date with your boss. You wouldn't know the feeling, but I'm sure you'll be able to sympathize with me."

With that statement she stretched, made a small bit of noise and practically smiled. Rufus shook his head. "No, I don't know the feeling. I don't see why people get so worked up about it. Unless you really think I'm that intimidating." This caused him to smirk lightly.

She muttered some pointless things about how enjoyable their wines are. Rufus nodded slightly until she leaned across the table, looked around suspiciously, and said something about disfigured waiters. This caused Rufus to sigh and shake his head. "How much have you had to drink again?"

[Helen Atalanta]

Helen ignored Rufus' snide remark on his presence being intimidating, rolling her eyes pointedly

"How much have you had to drink again?"

"Oh... only about five glasses. Maybe six- I don't quite remember... but really-- I'm serious!" she leaned across the table once again, lowering her voice adequately. "They only hire people who are willing to work extra hard to get the money. Most of these waiters are ex-Soldier and infantrymen... look at their eyes." she pointed out a passing waiter "They glow. And the women? That one's got a fake ankle... and that one is mute, I think."

She paused dramatically, watching him to see if he had caught on to her train of thought. "See that man over there? He's the only one on the floor wearing long sleeves, and he doesn't look very healthy.... and that woman is wearing slacks- the rest of the waitresses are wearing skirts. See what I mean? everyone here has some sort of... I dunno how to word it."

Perhaps she sounded drunk, but she seemed to have a- if only partially- valid point.

[Rufus ShinRa]

"Oh... only about five glasses. Maybe six- I don't quite remember... but really-- I'm serious!"

This is where Rufus calmly leaned back in his seat, not really as interested as she seemed to be. He sighed and took a few more sips of his own glass before looking back up to listen to her babble on about the "freaks" working in the place.

However, he was going to respond with logical answers to her curious statements. She began with saying they only hired people that worked hard. This caused the president to smirk a bit. "Most businesses want people who work hard... and there are a lot of ex-soldiers in Edge. Though, most of them joined up with the WRO. So, that might be a little strange, but not too abnormal." He replied smoothly, showing mild interest.

That's when she pointed out two women. "The one might also have a limp and the other might be shy and not like to talk." He was enjoying shooting her concepts down. She was a strange drunk. That's when Helen paused to look over at the President. But, it was obvious the man was not seeing what she was. "Give me a few more drinks and I might start agreeing with you."

She then proceeded to point out the man with long sleeves along with another women. "The man could be getting sick and thought it'd be best to dress a bit warmer tonight. For the women, she might think she does not look that good in a skirt or has the seniority to wear slacks. So no, I do not see what you mean. Just try not to stare and make people self-conscious. It's not polite." That's when the waiter came up and placed their dishes on the table.

"Thank you." The waiter nodded lightly in response. "Do you need anything, Helen?"

[Helen Atalanta]

[OoC: I am totally not insanely late <<]

"Give me a few more drinks and I might start agreeing with you."

Helen paused to look at him, almost irritably. "I'm serious..." she stated in a deadpan, amethyst eyes narrowing slightly. As the President continued to shrug off her comments, she couldn't stop herself from sighing in frustration.

As the waitress quickly placed their plates on the table, and stepped back to wait for Helen's response, the Turk stared at her, searching for anything that would drive her point through. After an awkward pause, she shook her head. Maybe Rufus just couldn't see the things she could. She knew she wasn't nearly as drunk as she sounded, or she wouldn't notice the things she was noticing. Right?

"Just wait... I'll prove myself... " A mischevious plan began to take root in her mostly-sober head, and she stared intensly at the woman with a limp as though already enacting her plot. The night was only just begginning, right? Why let it end in a bore? With a flick of her wrist, she waved the waitress over, inconspicuously nudging a bag in the lady's path.

As the waitress neared the table, her ankle caught in the strap of the borrowed bag and she tumbled forward onto Rufus, revealing that she did indeed have a false ankle. Helen smirked at Rufus before standing to help the woman up.

"I'm so sorry-are you alright?"

[Rufus ShinRa]

The look he received was pretty intense and all he could do was smirk at it. But, it didn't matter much. He watched the waiter leave and looked back over at Helen. She seemed deep in thought so he left her to it. He took this brief time to start eating. It looked really good as he took his first bite. Actually... it was pretty good, however it was not the best he had ever eaten. Hm, it really wasn't worth taking out Helen for the meal sadly. It was not worth it in the slightest.

'Just wait... I'll prove myself... '

"Mmm." He responded with an uninterested nod. After his mouth wasn't full, he glanced up. "You should really eat something or else you'll be really sick in the morning after all that wine you drank." Sadly, he didn't believe she would really do anything strange or attention gaining. That is, till she called over a waitress.

His expression changed as he shifted to tell her not to start with anyone. However, the waitress tripped and landed square on him. It was extremely awkward. He was very ticked off at his date now. Boy, was he going to take her home NOW. The room had gotten VERY quiet at this.

With a little restraint, he helped the women up to her feet. She was apologizing for falling on him and Rufus waved it off. "Don't worry about it at all." It took him a bit to get the women to leave before he turned and gave Helen one of his biggest glares.

"Stop being paranoid and eat your dinner. If you don't want it, I will call you a cab and send you home now. I don't have the patience to deal with a childish delusion." With that done, he began to eat his meal again, taking a good swig of his wine before continuing. His expression was blank...

[Helen Atalanta]

"Stop being paranoid and eat your dinner. If you don't want it, I will call you a cab and send you home now. I don't have the patience to deal with a childish delusion," her date ordered with a fierce glare.

Paranoid? Childish? Rufus didn't know what he was talking about. She was trained to act the way she was acting, and she made a point to take a large bite out of her watercress salad.

"I'm not as drunk as you seem to think, Rufus... these people here... there's something weird going on. I might not have a great a tolerance to alchohol as Reno or Rude, but this much only gives me a little buzz." She made sure to lower her voice so the passing waiter wouldn't overhear more than a word or two of what she was saying. Helen then glanced at the lady with the false ankle, pausing to look at her bewilderedly as she glared back. Something was up... the floor manager was casting far too many looks and making too many comments toward them to be normal. She took a dainty bite of her fish before an expression of confusion glanced across her face. She glanced at her plate.

She was suddenly feeling abnormally tired.

"Something's not right..."