Re: Coffee . . . With Dissatisfaction Attached [Open]

[Damon Fauci]

"Really. Perhaps you should remedy that. For educational purposes, of course." While Damon was indeed speaking about the fact that Titania had not danced the duo for some time, he did not speak his reply in a manner which would suggest to her that he was being suggestive or flirtatious. His words had their meaning at face value - he truly did believe that it might be wise for her to explore that avenue. If it was connected to the source of her power, she could very well learn something useful. Damon was a man reared to acquire or gain information by any means needed or necessary. It was rare that he didn't find a method of gleaning new facts worthwhile, and even rarer that he'd find a method reprehensible.

Speaking of finding things reprehensible, the waiter was less than sated by Titania's answer. "I see. If you will allow me, I will remove them from your hands?" Damon's lip curled into a bemused little smirk. Setting his inky black eyes upon the waiter, he spoke only a single word. "Do." It was all the waiter could do to keep his composure from falling victim to his pride. He glanced over his shoulder, caught the eye of one of the bus boys, and gave his fellow employee a pointed look. From the speed the bus boy traveled one would think he had hot coals in his shoes. The appetizers were promptly removed, and this allowed the waiter each entree in front of Titania first, then Damon. To the vampire he added crisply. "I will have someone bring you a fresh drink. Enjoy your meals." A bow of his head, and the waiter left with a stiff tension in his walk.

"Do let me know if you find your pasta less than satisfying, as I'll be sure to pontificate about the proper shape, texture and taste of pasta when he is within earshot should your dissatisfaction be the case." Damon's grin was both wan and brief. The brevity was in part due to the great amount of food on the table, and the mixture of the pungent odors of two very different entrees. He did not surround himself with food regularly, and to senses as heightened as his the initial moments could be overwhelming, even after all these centuries.

For that reason he sat back in his chair, gesturing at Titania to proceed. "After you, bella." Damon said nothing more about lifestyle changes, night shifts and did not even pry further into her history and recent curious exploits. He would, instead, allow her a few moments to eat.

[-:|[ Titania ]|:-]

She looked thoughtful just a moment, as if she was mulling over his words in her head. Seeing she told him what she had about self love, he did have a point, because maybe something else would happen when it was more then just her there, when it came from somewhere else, or maybe because it was coming from elsewhere nothing would happen. “I think you have a point!” The words rather plainly spoken, though she started to lose that thoughtful look of a moment ago. She had not thought his words were spoken as a you and I should do the tango sort, so that would not be addressed. After all, they had just met! What type of girl did you think she was if she was to simply say, your right, you me, under the table now.

She watched the waiter and the busboy. A part of her wanted to laugh, but she held that in check. Instead she merely had a grin slip over her features, but if one looked at her eyes, they could see laughter there. It was hard to hid emotions in ones eyes, window’s to the soul and all that. And the busboy, it looked as if he was clearing the dishes as if the poor guys life depended on it, but with the waiter here, maybe it did!

When the pasta was indeed set down before her, she smiled once more to the waiter, though she was being polite. She knew how it was to wait on people, but she did not take her job as serious as this man. Though it was probably a good thing he was very serious about his job, even if it just gave her fodder to think of something being rather funny. When a staff cared as much as this one, about impressing the man, whom obviously had old world class and style, it meant she would not have to worry about having a hair or anything else in her food that should not be there. Unless they poisoned them, but she doubted such a reputable establishment would do such, bad press and all. And they were pretty much courting Damon as he was merely pointing things out.

“I shall do that. I have gotten some pretty bad noodles before.” She made a face, “The not quite cooked but almost or the overly mushy sort.” She frowned, those were not good noodles at all. And no matter how good the sauce it could not make up for it. She lifted her hand to her napkin, which she unfolded and placed upon her lap, just like many others had done, and how she had been raised. Then picking up the cheese grater, she would grate fresh cheese over the spaghetti. Setting that aside she picked up the correct fork, for these places always had way to many pieces of silver set out, and mixed up her food, careful not to let a single drop of the sauce slush off the plate. Then her fork would twist into the dish, coming out with a few noodles covered in sauce, and into her mouth they would go. As the fork moved lower away from her mouth, she would close her eyes, to better savor the taste. She could of left her eyes open, but she wasn’t sure what anyone would be able to read in them.

When she had finished that single bite, she turned her attention to Damon, though she was thankful that her senses were not as heightened as his at the moment. “The noodles are done to perfection. So far.” A impish little smile would form over her lips at that. Did she think she would find a bad over or under cooked noodle? No. But one never knew these things.

[Damon Fauci]

"Then you have your first assignment." Of this fact Damon was absolutely serious. One might think it unsavory to bid a woman to find sensual recourse in the name of learning, but they were both adults, were they not? What could prove profitable could prove profitable, whether it was sex, prayer or anything in between. "I will do my utmost to give you ample time to complete this assignment before I pay you another visit." Those words and the crook of his smile revealed a few things just then. First, that he expected her to investigate the matter in full between now and when they saw each other next, and second . . . he would be the one to get in contact with her, not the other way around. There were precious few that knew where Damon resided when he was in Rhy'din. This was knowledge Titania did not yet earn.

As for the oysters. As succulent as they were, they received Damon's half-hearted attention. His taste for them was a drab flicker when compared to his thirst for blood, after all. The ones he ate were deftly stabbed and spooned from the shells. He was obviously not the sort of man to slurp out the meat of shellfish from their containers. His level of breeding would find doing so abhorrent. The vampire made certain to leave at least half the oysters with their meat intact and untouched. Not because he wished to share, but rather because he knew this would make their waiter and the kitchen's britches burn with ire.

Yet, to be fair. "I'm not surprised. Despite their unseemly level of pomp and self-importance, the food is skillfully prepared. Is it safe to wager that this little jaunt to Agea has been all you hoped it would be?" Despite the question, Damon held up his hand. Gesturing for her to hold her answer until the dealings with the freshly returned waiter were complete. A drink was set before Damon, and as the waiter busied himself with silently freshening Titania's wine glass even if it hardly needed freshening, Damon would deliver the coup de grâce. "Thank you. We would like to settle our bill. The lady is still dining, but please remove my plate."

If looks could kill, the one the waiter was trying to stifle could have been considered a murder attempt. The amount of tension in the man's body as he took Damon's plate was enough to make one wonder if he was going to snap like a dried out rubber band, and yet Damon returned the waiter's gaze entirely nonplussed. "Right away, sir." The waiter meant that, too. At this point, the last thing he wanted was this pair to stay for coffee and desert. The insults dealt already were too great, and he suspected that the tip he would receive from this table would be paltry.

Once the waiter left, Damon beckoned for Titania to answer his question - was Agea all she hoped it would be?

[-:|[ Titania ]|:-]

Her first assignment, as far as assignments go, she was pretty lucky. Nothing to creepy. And really she would benefit either way with this assignment, perhaps even find some special perks. Not that she had anyone in mind, but surely she could find someone if not out and about, perhaps some soul would wander into Starbucks and be attracted to her. And if luck would hold she could/would be attracted right back and the rest was up to nature. Not saying she wouldn’t give nature a little helping hand. She gave a small nod of her head, it did make sense to her. “Perhaps I might have to experiment a bit, to see if we can find out what we need.” That was her agreeing to him saying that it might take some time, before he came back to see her. And really she was not so naïve to believe that the man, Damon, was going to tell her where he resided. They did just meet, even if one might not believe it by the intimate setting and the words that were being spoken, and he was vampire. He would not of lived very long if he went about saying, ‘Hi I am Damon, a Vampire, and I live here.’ If he had she might have had to wonder about how smart this man was. And have doubts of the trust and faith she had put in his knowledgeable hands.

Fingers would lift the glass of wine up, taking a sip, perhaps two, before setting it down, and eating the spaghetti. She was doing her best not to slop even one flick and so far she as doing rather well. Fork was twisted and brought to her mouth a few times, while Damon ate. It was not to say the woman was a speed eater, but she knew how to eat. She wasn’t a salad only eater. They were here at her request and she was going to make sure she filled her belly. Once the spaghetti was half gone, she would set her fork down very carefully upon a napkin. Picking up a piece of the garlic bread she would break a small bite sized piece off, dip it in the sauce and pop it in her mouth. She could not resist, she loved the taste of the sauce upon the bread.

When he spoke, she had just parted lips to answer, when his hand went up. She knew what that meant and her voice did not find its words at that moment. Instead she watched the play by play of Damon and the man. Then she would look down at her plate, picking up her fork, and eating another bite. Once that was out of her mouth, she set the fork down once more, picked up her glass and took a drink. Right before the man topped it off.

Once the play by play was over for this moment with Damon and the waiter, she would answer his question. “Yes, this night was all I thought it would be, and more.” A small grin slipped over her lips. It was more for she had found someone whom was willing to help her. Someone she could talk to about things, and who would help figure things out. Even if it was going to be hard on her, she was ready, and this place was just the icing. A very scrumptious icing.

[Damon Fauci]

When she mentioned experimentation, it drew a short laugh from Damon. The laugh spread into a wan grin. "Yes, do experiment. With such things, they manifest at their strongest level when there's a considerable amount of 'vigor' behind the will." While they had only met this evening, Damon had no doubt that this young woman could summon an incredible amount of vigor if she put her mind to it. "And besides, things that aren't amusing to learn are hardly worth learning."

While the waiter had recently brought him a fresh drink, from it Damon took a single sip. He seemed determined to leave each thing brought to him half-consumed. "I am glad, bella. I do like to oblige wishes for those who show promise. As for the return price, I will be frank. If you are to be my pupil, I plan to withhold your experience of my method of dining until a time when the lesson will prove most beneficial to you. Tonight, this evening will end with me taking you to your doorstep and nothing more." Not that an evening spent in Damon's company should be seen as nothing. Quite the opposite. Furthermore, there was no question to how Damon posed this news, no hint that it was up for debate. In his mind, it wasn't. If he was to be her instructor, she needed to understand that he knew how best to instruct and when.

It was not long before the waiter came with the check. The leather book sat upon the table until it was clear that Titania was finished with her meal - simple decorum stated that no gentleman should reach for the check until he was absolutely certain his companion desired nothing more. What Damon left in said leather book would most likely take the waiter by surprise. The tip was handsome, a modest amount over the minimum that was expected. This was not an apology on the vampire's part, hardly so. It was simply an act of high breeding.

Their matters settled with Agea, Damon would hold good to his word. Once free of the restaurant and back in the crisp winter air, the vampire would see her safely to her door without a single scratch to tell tale of her late-night affairs.

[ End of thread. ]

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