Closing up the shop on a Saturday night was not something that Liam Darrow was used to.  He usually had quite a bit of business on Saturday nights and well, he didn't really go anywhere, so keeping the store open was common sense to him.  But not tonight.  No, tonight he had agreed to something he really didn't care for.  A blind date.

He'd been talking to Johann, one of his only friends that he really trusted, and the subject came up.  Before he knew it, the conversation was over and he was told that under no circumstances should he be late meeting whoever was coming to meet him.  Grumbling as he remembered all of this, Liam pulled on a shirt that was laying on the back of his chair and stomped down the stairs of his flat and into his shop.  He'd already cleared out the customers, but he still checked every corner just to make sure.

He turned off the lights with a whispered charm and as he stashed his wand in the back pocket of his jeans with one hand, he pulled the door closed behind him. The click of the lock as he secured the door just made him want to turn around and hide in his apartment until the sun came up the next morning.  But he'd promised his friend he'd try...

He made his way slowly down the street until he saw the place where he was supposed to go.  He'd only been in the place once or twice and both times he was dragged in, so he took a deep breath and walked into the bar and looked around.  He didn't see anyone yet, but then again, he still had no idea who he was meeting and he vaguely recalled that Johann said he'd meet him there  probably to make sure he actually came or something.

He took a seat at the bar and waited.  He was still contemplating leaving, but figured since he was already here, he might as well see how the night was going to go.

Punctuality was important to Johann Storm. It provided an excellent first impression, and his mother had brought him up to be polite. That way, when you were impolite, people noticed and paid attention to your reasons. It was also imperative when one had arranged a good lady friend to meet your other friend for a drink because there was a possibility they might like each other for more than a mutual acquaintance in Johann.

Liam appeared a whisker after Johann expected him. Sat at a table away from the bar, the lean German wizard closed his pocketwatch and approached his friend who had taken a seat at Death & Co.’s bar.
“Alright mate,” Johann greeted, rather less formally than he might another, but as was the way of his and Liam’s friendship. “Had me worried you had got cold feet.”

His bright blue eyes swept up and down his friend’s appearance.
“You wearing that?” He asked, unable to mask the suggestion in his tone that he didn’t entirely approve.

Liam looked around to see Johann standing by him.  "Oh, there you are.  I had hoped you would of forgotten about this little arrangement so I could go home."  His expression leaving nothing to the imagination.  He was not happy that he had let himself be convince that a blind date would be a good idea.

"Who is she?" he asked right as Johann asked him if he was wearing what he was.  "Yes, this is what I am wearing.  I may not want to be here, but I will be comfortable, mate." he said with a small smile - thinking in the back of his mind that there is no way his friend would let him meet a date wearing the shirt he was. 

“She’s a lady who appreciates a well dressed man,” Johann replied, “And trust me, you’ll be comfortable. She’s brilliant.” He assured his unenthusiastic friend. Honestly, it was no wonder Liam was single and sad about it if he was so grumpy at any opportunity to meet someone new.

Without giving Liam a chance to protest further, he drew his wand and uttered a few choice incantations at the t-shirt to transform it. It was still Liam’s style, but a little smarter. “There!”

He glanced at his pocketwatch again.
“I should slip away - she’ll be on time. Organised sort, be a gentleman - I know you will be, but really, try it. Have a good night.” Johann grinned, and backed away, “oh! It’s Dosia - and don’t ask about her sister.” He gave Liam a double thumbs up and turned on the spot, pushing open Death & Co.’s front door, just in the nick of time.

“Looking lovely, Ms Fortescue,” he greeted Dosia, “Hope you both have a good night.”

Dosia didn’t know what to expect.  This whole thing was sort of a foreign concept, but she promised she would give it a shot.  It wasn’t like she had anything better to do and if she didn’t say she was going somewhere and didn’t actually leave the flat, she might be dragged into something with Tine. 

She had a lot going on now and rehearsing for some new piece or another always made her extra demanding.  Not to mention the animals.  There were so many possibilities for what she could before forced to do, that the suggestion to go on this date at least gave her a choice in what she was doing for the evening. 

It also gave her a chance to dress up, which was something a Fortescue almost always took up the opportunity to do.  Doing what she thought was her final check before the mirror, she pursed her lips and rolled her eyes.  Terrible shoes.  She kicked them off with a flick and dropped the five inches to the ground after them.  She needed something brighter.  She’d save the maroon pumps for another day.  No, when she leaned down in the closet, she found the perfect pair.

It was basically a hop, skip, and jump from the Moonstone Mews to Diagon where she’d been instructed to go.  A dive-y sort of place from what Dosia knew, but she liked to slum it a little sometimes.  And Johann had insisted.  So, she went – precisely on time and strode into Death & Company as though she owned it.  Despite the fact she was quite small, Dosia walked tall and you couldn’t tell her she was short, definitely not to her face. 

“Handsome as always, Mr. Storm,” Dosia complimented as she strode past and confidently made her way forward, chin tilted up as she approached the rather dazed looking man who could only be the guy Johann described as being less than enthusiastic, but at least decently attractive.  Dosia stuck out a manicured hand, “Theodosia Fortescue,” she greeted, “but please, Dosia.  You must be Liam?” she looked him over – well mostly with her neck craned, and smirked.  “He mentioned you were tall.”     

Grumbling under his breath as he watched his shirt transform into something a little dressier.  He didn't mind really, and he had to hand it to Johann, he knew what would work for him and it was his style.  Still, he didn't really want to be here, this was way too far out of his comfort zone. 

"Yeah Storm, if it all goes south, I'm blamin' you." he called towards his friend's retreating form.  And then he saw her.  Oh well, it was too late to back out now. She was shorter than him and she was attractive, so when she walked up to him and held out her hand to him, he shook it.  Upon hearing her comment that Johann mentioned he was tall he couldn't help but return with, "Well, Johann didn't mention anything about who I was meeting until tonight right before you walked in."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Fortescue." He had heard her say to call her Dosia, but even though he didn't really want to be here and he didn't think this night was going to go smoothly, he would be a gentleman, it was in his blood.

Both of Dosia’s eyebrows quirked upward as he said Johann didn’t mention anything about her.  He had to mention at least htat she was obviously good looking – wasn’t that part of the whole thing?  There were two possibilities and neither were really great.  Either Johann neglected to mention it because this bloke was so desperate he didn’t care OR Johann didn’t think she was attractive so he didn’t use it as a selling point. 

If he thought Augustine was the selling point… Oh.  That made her momentarily perturbed.  But, she wouldn’t let that get in the way… yet.  “He just knew there were no words adequate enough for description,” Dosia finally shook her head and resumed the wide, grin.  “I’ve always surpassed expectations anyhow,” she added breezily. 

It was a habit, to talk a lot, and Dosia didn’t like to leave too many silences, especially when it was possible that someone very well either didn’t want to be here at all or wanted to be here way too much – either prospect was grim.  From the distinct lack of words coming out of his mouth, she assumed it was the former.  “We should get a drink,” Dosia finally clapped her hands together, “you do drink, don’t you?” 

Liam rolled his eyes as he listened to her come up with an explanation as to why Johann didn't mention her and well, he was feeling rather put out at having been coerced into a blind date by his good friend, he thought it only kind that he tell this nice lady why he was here on a date with her.  Then she asked if he drank.

Before thinking he said, "I could probably drink you under the table missy." he said as he sat at the same place at the bar he was at before Johann came in. "I mean, yes I drink occasionally." And then he actually did look at her.  He supposed she was pretty enough, he never really cared that much for how people looked though, it was all in the personality for him and he wasn't so sure about this one.  She seemed too.... well, girly for his tastes.

"And sorry to burst your bubble miss, but my dear friend Johann didn't mention you to me until right before he left because he used some clever language to get me to agree to something I didn't realize I was agreeing to until he was smiling at me when the conversation ended." he told her as he signaled to the bartender that he'd like some scotch.  It was his drink of choice, the older the better.

"I don't date much." he said as he sipped his drink.

Now she understood why Johann had led with his height.  That was not first date behavior.  Was he raised in an Abraxan barn?  Honestly, who talked to women this way?  He was probably even worse than Jai, and that was saying something because Jai was hopeless.  “I’ll let you think that,” she replied flippantly, crossing in front of him to lead the way to the bar.

There was a little extra swing in her hips as she went – she didn’t like to be told about herself.  She certainly didn’t like that he didn’t even pick up on her clue to compliment her!  She was obviously very pretty, that much was visible to even a murtlap, but he hadn’t mentioned it at all. 

And now – oh.  Dosia definitely didn’t like that.  He wasn’t even pretending like his mind had changed – he still didn’t want to be here and was sure to let her know.  That was just… leaning against the bar, she softened her look for the bartender to order a vodka soda: after all, she[1] had done nothing wrong in this interaction.

As drinks were delivered, Dosia put the tiny red straw in the corner of her lips and took a sip.  “That’s entirely unbelievable,” she commented with a matching eye roll to his earlier one.  “What with all the charm and smiles,” she motioned to him, the sarcasm evident in her voice even with the sunny-plastic smile on her face.  “Next thing you know, you’ll actually try and beat me at billiards.  Which is a shame for you really, either way,” she glanced at her nails and pursed her lips, “I’m unbeatable.”

1.	Dorsey James

He knew he should really tone it down, but something about her and the whole situation just clouded his brain and therefore he said something he knew was completely the wrong thing to say.  "I'm surprised you know what the game is, being of the more delicate side of the species." he took another sip of his scotch.  He was going to curse Joh up one side and down the other for this.

He turned towards her and leaned closer, "I'll have you know dearie, I've been playing for quite awhile, I would hate to ruin your evening by trouncing you in a game." He smirked, "Then again, it might be fun."

He mentally smacked himself.  What the hell was he doing? His mother had taught him way better than this and even to himself he was sounding like a petulant child who was being told to do something they had no intention of doing.  He knew he should really apologize and start over, but with every sip of scotch, that rational part of his brain was taking a back seat and letting his emotional part take over.

“More delicate side?” Dosia raised her eyebrows at him in sincere shock.  She’d like to see him walk around in the shoes she was sporting just to look good for a bloke who obviously thought you were completely beneath him.  This was, of course, completely deranged of him.  Dosia knew that she was totally hot and he was the lucky one. 

She was doing this as a favor for Johann, not because she was desperate for a date or anything.  Clearly, not in the same boat at this… charming young man.  Sure, he said he hadn’t dated much, but at the rate he was going, it appeared he had never dated at all.

Throwing her hair over her shoulder, Dosia refrained from even attempting to smile at this point and again looked him over again.  This time, she was much less forgiving and her stare far more judgmental.  She meant him to know she was sizing him up.  “I don’t think it’s a trouncing that will ruin my evening,” she informed him sardonically.  It was much too late for that.

She let the silence hang between them for the moment and took another sip of her drink.  “Besides, I’d be the one having fun.  If your billiards game is as good as your game,” she did air quotes with one hand, “then I’d definitely win.” 

By the way she was looking at him, he was letting his words take over and not his brain. He needed to salvage this somehow so he didn't hear from Johann later how horrible he'd been to a friend of his.  He ran his hand over his face and then through his hair and looked at her.  "I'll be right back."

He headed away from her before even checking to see if she'd said anything and headed to the restroom.  He cursed himself as he stared in the mirror. He wasn't like this, this wasn't him, he wasn't one to be rude or arrogant.  He splashed some water on his face, feeling like a total loser and then headed back out to Theodosia. He hoped she hadn't left.

When he got back he immediately said, "I would like to apologize. I have been a bit rude to you and I am sorry." He knew it wasn't a perfect apology, but at least it was something, hopefully she wouldn't ask him why he was being rude, he wasn't prepared for that answer.

As if this date could not get any worse, he was ditching her!  Lifting her vodka soda to her mouth, she looked up at him skeptically and nodded as she took a sip out of the petite straw, wondering how quickly she could drink this and still get out able to walk in her shoes and not break her ankle.  Of course, she’d wait for a couple of minutes anyway…

Even as he walked away, she looked around the room to assess where she would set her sights next.  There were quite a few options milling about, though it was a little sad she’d have to work for it.  Wasn’t the point of a blind date that you did a favor for a friend to pretend to be into their unfortunate friend?  Though she couldn’t exactly say Liam wasn’t good looking, his personality really put a damper on that. 

Ah well.  She took another sip of her drink and swiveled in the spinning seat by the bar before he returned.  Wow.  She wouldn’t have guessed that – thought it was the old sneak out after going to the loo trick.  Honestly, it was kind of good it wasn’t – that meant she still had time to do that if this got any worse. 

“That’s an understatement,” Dosia scoffed before the corners of her mouth relaxed and she laughed.  The whole thing was pretty ridiculous.  Now that she wasn’t as mad, she could laugh about it.  “Well, whatever your damage is just like… keep it down, get me a few drinks, and try and have a little fun!” it might have sounded a little bit harsh, but Dosia wasn’t one for tip-toeing around a situation. 

She glanced at her glass and held it up with a smile, “Start with a vodka soda – and meet me by the table.”  Dosia made sure the glass was firmly taken care of before she hopped down off the stool and sauntered toward the currently empty billiards table, starting to rack the balls. 

Liam took a deep breath when she asked for a drink, maybe he could try to salvage this night.  If not just to ease his friend's mind when he asked how it went.  He turned to the bartender and got the drink and one for him and then headed slowly over to the billiards table she was at.  "If I let you win, will you forgive me for being an arrogant jerk?" he asked her as he held out her drink with an attempt at a lazy smirk.

Dosia selected her cue stick off the wall as she waited for her drink and her apologetic date.  Johann would definitely be getting this full story next time they saw one another, but thankfully the end could rewrite itself, if Mr. Darrow was committed to not being an ass.

It was a lot to ask, given what she’d already experienced of him, but even Theodosia could attempt to wipe a slate clean (well, as clean as possible).  After all, a few drinks were worth it!  She grabbed the blue chalk and attentively applied it to the top of the stick (which was just about the same size of her) and watched Liam approach. 

“No,” she responded with sass and placed the chalk on the edge of the table.  “If you let me win, I’ll think you’re even worse than an arrogant jerk.”  It was true – and Dosia believed she did not need to be allowed to win.  She felt she could do it on her own merits.  Seizing the drink from his hand she took a sip and smacked her lips before smirking, “but I’d be happy to make things interesting.  Put your best game forward.  If I win, you owe me another two rounds of drinks and another apology.  If you win, I forgive you.  Fair?”