Players:
Summary: Dashenka and Taylor go out together for the first time in a while.
Date: May 20, 2012
Log Title: Первый день
Rating: PG
NYC - Le Bistro Bestial
At the Le Bistro Bestial there are no menus, all the specials for the day are written up on chalk boards around the restaurant. A variety of sandwiches, soups, salads and other small dishes can be found featured here. There are shag carpet covered chairs and tables are set up around the small restaurant and in the summer there are some tables set up outside on the sidewalk. On the walls are colorful Richard Scarry pictures along with a faux Lion head above the bar.
Le Bistro Bestial has been in business for thirty years is run by two families, one American family and one French Family. Both have mutant children and grandchildren who help in running the restaurant. One reason their food is so good is the head chef has the mutant gift of knowing and understanding flavours.
Dashenka has been back for all of a full day since her exploits at Dracula's magical tower. While her bed isn't as luxurious or as plush as the one while she was held under capture, it was one in more familiar and more friendly surroundings. The first thing she did was sleep until noon. The second thing she did was go outside and all but stare at the sun, something she hadn't seen in months, for nearly an hour. The third thing she did, even before checking out where her new car may be, would be to give Taylor a call and let her know that she's all right and back in town and would like to meet up with her, here, at the bistro. So here she is. She's sitting at a booth for a bit of privacy, and is dressed nicely. Modern nicely. Not the old 19th century nicely that she had when she was in Romania.
At receiving the call, indeed Taylor comes to the Bistro to see Dashenka again. On the phone, the feline seemed rather relieved and happy to hear that Dashenka is back. Taylor comes through the door to the Bistro wearing a sleeveless red dress with a high neck and not activating their image inducer, so as to appear quite feline. The teen also wears a sling that supports the teen's arm and there appears to be some bandaging around Taylor's shoulder. The teen sniffs about and looks across the restaurant before their eyes settle on Dashenka. "Dash! I'm so glad you're okay!" The teen walks over quickly, "I was worried, so worried!"
"I was…" begins the Russian, but whatever it was she was going to say falls short when she sees Taylor in a sling. "What happened?" Dashenka's voice is filled with concern for the smaller mutant.
Taylor headtilts and then looks to the sling and says, "Oh, no, it's nothing. Someone was stirring up anti-mutant sentiment so I got shot… It's just my shoulder. It shouldn't take long to get better…" The teen frowns and then sits down, shrugging one shoulder and remarking, "Are you okay, though? You were gone a long time…"
"I…" Dashenka starts. She's not sure where to go from there, however, realizing how ridiculous it all sounds. "I was, er, captured by Dracula along with other girls so that his son could choose a bride." She winces as she says that. "There was magic that turned off powers and we could not escape for a long time."
Taylor's eyebrow whiskers shoot up at this mention of Dracula and the teen looks aside and says quietly, "Holy shit." Tay headshakes and then says, "I mean, it sounds crazy, but I mean, given that you were kidnapped by a fucking dragon…" Tay rubs the back of their neck, "I hope they treated you okay? What happened? How'd you get away?"
Dashenka laughs bitterly at the question. "I was treated like princess," she explains. "It was… nice, for a while. Never have I been able to dress up, yes? I was given dresses that cost more than mother would make in year." She sighs, and shakes her head. "But still. Was prison."
Taylor's ears fold back at the last part before flipping back up. "I guess, yeah, prison is prison. I'm just… well, I'm really really glad that you're back. I missed you and I worried a lot." The feline idly plays with their own tail for a few moments, "I'm glad they didn't harm you, though…"
"You did?" Dashenka asks, sounding as surprised that she actually asked the question as Taylor's statement. She blushes furiously, and coughs into a hand. "I mean, da… yes… I was missing you as well."
Taylor headtilts slightly at Dashenka's surprise and then says, "'course I did." The teen considers that for a few moments and then says, "You've been a really good friend to me, and… I wanted to go help the people who were going over there, but I kind of got rejected. Due to a lack of useful skills, or so I'm told, but you're back so… I guess everything went okay with that."
Dashenka makes a disgusted sound. "Bah. I am sure you have useful skills," she says, her brow furrowing in outrage. "But you are right. I am back, and it did go okay. There were no injuries but one of the girls… Jill… did turn into vampire."
"Well, if you're just back, then I'd've had a hole in my shoulder when they went anyways, so not too much help regardless," says Taylor, grimacing slightly at that. The feline's ears twitch lightly and Taylor says, "Jill? The sweet blue gooey girl? How did… what does that entail? Is she still… herself?"
Dashenka scowls at the question. "I do not know. I do not think she was thinking when she did it," she explains. "I do not know much about vampires but I know they thirst mightily for blood, and she was well stocked with it when we were captured. Now….." she shakes her head again. "I do not know."
Taylor frowns for a few moments down at the table. Or at least, Taylor looks sad for a few moments down at the table, as a feline mouth isn't that capable of proper frowns. "I… I hope that they take care of her well at home. She goes to the same school as me, if it's the same girl I'm thinking of…"
"You said 'blue gooey'?" asks Dashenka, nodding. "She had mentioned that before the tower she was not all human. So I am thinking that it is." She reaches out to take one of Taylor's paws in her own. "Keep eye on her, da? I worry that she may harm others."
"I will keep an eye on her, yeah. I mean, she always seemed so friendly and harmless, but I don't know what being a vampire can really do to a person, exactly…" says Taylor, sighing softly and then giving a confident nod to Dashenka, "I'll watch and make sure that nothing bad happens."
Dashenka nods, looking relieved. "Is good," she says. sitting back in the booth. "Now. For foods. What would you like?"
Taylor glances up to the menu with a bit of a squint and then says after a few moments of leaning forward and back as if trying to read something that is impossible to read, "Well… last time I was here I just had roast beef with some chicken fingers and a little bit of fries, that didn't upset my stomach any, so that'd work for me."
Dashenka laughs heartily, "Roast beef it is." She gets up to put in their orders, including drinks. Even though she didn't ask Taylor what drink they would like, she does remember from the last time they had dined out. Once that's in she sits back down at the table. "So. Um," she begins nervously. "Being locked in tower for months have been good for thinking. And I know I am confused about things, but I have come to conclusion: I would like to, uh, be in dating with you."
When Dashenka begins speaking, Taylor's ears perk up ready for listening, and towards the end, Taylor's ears redden a little bit before tilting back and away from Dashenka, the feline's expression seeming surprised. "Oh, wow. I mean, I'd love to date you, Dashenka. It's just, I'm not sure how much you'd actually want to date… me. I mean, it's complicated but… I'm not normal. I'm not… I'm neither. Neither a boy or a girl. Just… nothing." Taylor's eyes are downcast, and the feline's voice hushes a little bit.
Whatever reaction Dashenka was prepared for this was not it. As Taylor speaks, her eyebrows knit together, leaving her with looking puzzled and lost. "I am sorry," she says. "But I do not think I am understanding."
"I'm not a girl. I'm not a boy," says Taylor, restating as simply as possible. The teen takes a sip of the drink, staring at it for a few moments quietly. "I have a condition, and as a result, I am intersex…"
Dashenka blinks at Taylor when they restate. "Oh," she says, still trying to process this information. "I was thinking you were…" she shakes her head, as if to clear it from cobwebs. "Nyet. Nevermind. Is not important, da? I am thinking that you are cat person," She says, working her thoughts out loud, "which is not normal, and I am bear person, which is also not normal, and I am thinking that to be dating is never simple da? I do not think that changes my… uh… desire? To be dating."
Taylor's eyebrow whiskers once again raise up as Dashenka gives her response. The feline is silent for a few moments before nodding and saying, "Well… if you're okay with all that, it's like I said, I'd love to date you. I think that'd actually be really nice… I just didn't realize you felt that way about me." The teen rubs the back of their neck awkwardly.
Dashenka looks hesitant. "I… am not sure what to be thinking about it," she admits, sounding just as awkward as Taylor feels. "But it is not changing way I feel about you, so, it must be okay. Have never dated anyone before."
"Oh, I don't think there's anything wrong with feeling that way about anyone, really…" says Taylor, taking a small sip and offering a happy feline expression to Dashenka, "I only sorta dated someone before so I guess we'll figure out this whole dating thing together?"
Dashenka gives Taylor an equally happy grin and nods. "Da. We will."
