It's a Date

[earthborn]

Who | Commander Jane Shepard, and Venus Dee Milo
What | Fancy shipper-baiting dinner date at
Where | a suspiciously loud restaurant
When | TWO-KNIGHT
Warnings/Notes | canon-typical language

The restaurant was a high-end replica of some wealthy Capitolite's idea of what a London dive-bar looked like. It was too clean by half, full of wood beams polished dark and thick wine-reds and navy blues. The brass was real, but untarnished by the supposed age proclaimed by the signage, and the beer tasted like shit, too weak and watery. You'd think with all this money, they could at least get good fucking beer. The whole business reminded her of nothing so much as plastic silver cutlery, functionally one thing, but only a child believed it to be what it was trying to be. Hell, even the food was off; she'd spent long enough in London to know exactly how much grease should've been soaked into these chips and this wasn't it.

The only authentic thing in the place was the volume. Vidscreens broadcast some mutant descendant of football and the enthusiasm of the patrons hung around like smoke from green wood, liable at any minute to rise up and choke you.

And all that suited her purposes just fine.

So Shepard perched herself in good view of the door, more than dressed for the occasion, and waved Venus over when she made her appearance. Soak it in, girlfriend, the beer might be piss, but the greasy, inauthentic shepherd's pie is still damned good no matter what's in it. Romantic as fuck.

Comments

[earthborn]

You can't snarl at someone who parties with Krogan and think she'll be impressed by flat omnivore teeth.

"Well. Ask him about Kant. You wanna get with a killer, learn to shoot well. You want to make out with the world's fanciest straight guy, talk the talk. Hell, Venus, you might just have to find something else to do with your time," And then, Shepard had an idea. An awful idea, "Unless... You know, we are on a date."

A wonderful, awful idea.

[celebrityskinned]

It's not a snarl so much as a "heeek that's a situation I don't want to contemplate" face. With exactly that sound effect.

She bats her lashes a bit. "I want to say 'are you thinking what I'm thinking', but since it's coming from you I'm about twenty percent sure it's something more vulgar."

[earthborn]

"Hey, I would never be vulgar, I am an exemplary professional. They had me on recruitment posters and everything," Sincerity is overrated anyways; she can't even keep a straight face, "Think he'd actually react to a little competition? Because you're cute and all, but I'm not planning to keep you."

[celebrityskinned]

Venus snorts again, then kills her soda and takes a sip of her stronger drink.

"Honey, as far as you know I don't even date women. As far as you know." She props her chin on the back of her hand and grins. "But I'll try not to be offended. I don't think he will, anyway. I went on a date with Zelos and he didn't even notice."

[earthborn]

"I'm starting to suspect you of bad judgement. Honey," A tip of her beer, for foolhardy ways and bad choices made in men, "Least when I pick a target, I have the grace to make sure they like women, first."

You wanna be mean, we can make a few catty noises over here. Still, Jane's got an answering smile pulled on by halfway only, like pants that no longer fit— but she keeps trying. Sometimes fitting into the person you used to be is just a matter of effort, no matter what reality wants to say.

"So, to recap, he's blind, stupid, possibly not into women, or all three at once? And you're sober? Braver than me."

oooh I like that line about the pants

[celebrityskinned]

"I have terrible judgment. I'll own that." She rubs her nose, as if trying already to figure out if she's drunk despite having not had nearly enough time or alcohol to even get tipsy. "But are you saying that you're not the kind of person who likes a challenge?"

Generally people like that don't join the military, but Venus supposes it doesn't have to extend to every piece of someone's life. After all, her own confidence is far from all-encompassing.

sometimes, I get it right.

[earthborn]

"I like professional challenges. Impossible odds, suicide missions, galatic fates hanging in the balance, I could tell some stories," Lord, was that an understatement, but confidence was a way of life for Shepard, not a play-act she put on, "But when it comes to sex? I got enough stress in my life, thanks. I'll take the easy route any time you ask."

Besides, everyone likes Asari, right? Shepard is confident of this fact, at least in her own experience. Not for the first time, she feels that twisting pain of wishing tow contradictory things at once; Liara would have mustered out of the Hunger Games first thing, and thrived in the Capitol.

"Sometimes, a couple of hours with a classy courtesan is pretty much exactly what you need."