Dinner (Closed to Sophie for [date] plot.)

[faramir_hurin]

It has been quite some time since I asked Sophie to have dinner with me but there is no way I could have known I'd go home in that time. I'm back and she still wishes to go. Finally we are. I am pleased and slightly terrified at the same time

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[half_divine]

It's no surprise that Sophie takes a moment to open the door. She has to slip on her shoes and feed Sai so that he doesn't dart out the door the moment she opens it, but when she does it is with a small smile.

"Bonjour, Faramir." Although she isn't sure which restaurant they're planning to go to, she's dressed casually enough that it shouldn't matter. A brown sundress with sheer shoulders (and back) and her kitten heels, as she doesn't feel comfortable in shoes that are too high. The dress dips in the middle of her chest a little, but she's made an effort not to choose anything too racy.

[faramir_hurin]

"Good evening." I just have to remember that the beginning is the most difficult part. "You look very fine."

It's a very natural-looking sort of dress and not at all harsh. I like it even if part of it is... well, I can see through part of it. That's not necessarily a bad thing, just unexpected.

"Are you ready to go now or did you need a little time?" I'm not sure how it works and I was slightly early.

[half_divine]

"I am ready, yes." She picks up her bag from the coat-rack near the door and bends down to adjust her shoes before she nods to him and motions out the door.

She has to lock the door, after all. Sophie always makes a point of being ready a little early, just in case ... so Faramir is in luck.

[faramir_hurin]

It's odd to know that there is an animal in there and not have him visible or trying to escape, as Thumper does. But cats are very different.

I offer my arm, though certainly a walk to the elevator is well within her abilities. (I wouldn't have her walk the stairs, even in the shoes she's wearing, which do not seem as precarious as some ladies' footwear.)

"I do not know if you've even thought of it, but I've spent much of the day wondering what the village would choose to give us. I'm hoping that it favours me tonight." It did for the weekend, I was not called to sing against my wishes. I hope the goodwill continues.

[half_divine]

Sophie grins a little, turning to lock the door.

She takes his arm easily enough, resting her hand against his forearm while they walk toward the elevator.

"Well, I should hope that it gives us something edible, at least." And for Faramir's sake, something that isn't too foreign or strange - she's not sure a sushi restaurant would put the man at ease.

[faramir_hurin]

"It would be ideal to have something edible for supper, yes. But if it does not, then I can still offer you the cafe, so we shall not go hungry, if nothing else."

I'd rather have something more private, more special. I do not get to choose these things. Waiting for the elevator is not something I'm used to doing, and I'm still not comfortable with riding in it. The ride is not long and we're out again. I'm careful not to go too quickly, being rather taller than she is. And I am in no hurry, not being too hungry due to nerves.

Thinking about it, this is the first time I've ever really taken a lady anywhere formally. I wish that had not occurred to me.

[half_divine]

This isn't Sophie's first date by a long-shot, but she doesn't think about that in the least. She smiles again once they are out into the street.

She isn't terribly hungry herself, if only because she had a snack before she left so that she doesn't overeat at the restaurant. It's a silly thing to do, she knows, but it's a habit that she has a hard time breaking.

"I am not terribly worried about going hungry at all, Faramir." She has confidence in the village so far.

[faramir_hurin]

She should be--there is not so much of her. Do women simply not eat anything?

"Well, a little something will not do you ill." She did accept my offer of dinner. Perhaps I should have asked her to do something else. I don't know what, but I'll think on it.

I almost start laughing and look down at my feet for a moment before I recover. "At least it is a lovely evening out. We could go walking when finished, if you like."

[half_divine]

Some women don't, but Sophie happens to eat quite a bit. It's just that restaurant food is so very expensive, in her mind. It's always been something she's done in Paris, to only order an appetizer instead of a full meal that she wouldn't eat anyway.

She manages a soft laugh of her own and gives his arm a soft squeeze. "I would very much like to go for a walk when we are finished, I think." Things always go back to the weather, she thinks, when things become awkward.

[faramir_hurin]

We are nearing the place where the restaurant is. For a moment, I imagine that there is no restaurant at all because the building looks so strange. It's... tall. There is a walkway with railings around the second level and strange inset windows in what looks like the roof. It's very dramatic.

"Brennan's, I read the name on the front of the building. Est. 1946, whatever that means. "What do you think? We can see what it is like at least."

The building looks intimidating, which is unusual since I'm accustomed to Minas Tirith. It's just so very different.

[half_divine]

Sophie isn't terribly picky, despite growing up in Paris. She thinks the building looks very interesting, at least, and from the little she can see of the inside it seems like it would be a good place to start.

She nods. "There is no harm in taking a look, at least. I am sure that it will be all right here, as it looks rather nice." After last night's dinner ... experiment with Regulus, anything cooked by a professional seems like a good idea. It isn't that she doesn't like that he cooks, but that he's still learning means a few mistakes.

[faramir_hurin]

I do not know what qualifies for rather nice as I have only the cafe and taverns to compare. This place has high, white ceilings with glittering lamps with candles on them and more candles on the tables. The cloths are cloth, the silver appears to be silver, and the wood is rich.

"It smells..." I don't even know. Spicy, different. "It smells very good, though I imagine I don't know what anything is. I think we should at least try."

I hope she agrees as a man in a black suit is coming towards us.

[half_divine]

It sounds good, if Faramir hasn't had anything like this before. She has her suspicions that it is a Cajun restaurant, or perhaps Creole, but she's not entirely sure. Nonetheless, the man in the suit is coming toward them and she gives him a faint, friendly smile.

She keeps her hand on Faramir's arm while the man takes them to a table.

[faramir_hurin]

The man gave me an odd look. Well, he sort of looked at my shirt, before leading us to a table. The legs of the chair are curved in a most unusual way. Not as heavy as chairs in a feast hall, and Sophie's dress does not reach the floor. Still, I have seen men here hold out and help ladies with their chairs even as we do. I don't imagine the reason is the same but perhaps it started off that way.

The man leaves menus. These are heavy parchment and leather, very different from the bright cafe ones, and another man comes by to put water in the larger goblet. He looks at me and I'm uncertain for a moment. Oh.

"I am not yet certain what you have. Please give the lady and I some few minutes to decide." I nod in approximation of a bow and he looks less sour as he walks away. Apparently there's something wrong with what I'm wearing. I'll worry about that later.

"Would you care for wine, Sophie? I do not know what any of this is or the customs here for drinking--formally." Informal drinking is the same everywhere.

[half_divine]

She imagines it's because Faramir isn't wearing a tie, but since the man says nothing about it, she doesn't bring it up. Sophie sits down easily enough and takes one of the menus, opening it up to look first at the wine list, since Faramir suggested it.

"I would, thank you. Are you more partial to white, or to red?" She's not entirely certain about the alcohols of Gondor, so she hopes that she's at least asking him about things that he knows about. She scans the wine list carefully.

[faramir_hurin]

"I generally prefer red, but that is because it is most common. The wine I brought from home is red but the Elven wine that appeared to me for the new year was white." That's not helpful. "Likely red, but I do not know these names. And why..." There are three prices for some types of wine on my menu. There are no prices on hers. Oh, little tiny print at the top--glass, half and full bottles. More than half are only available by the bottle, which might make it simpler if Sophie does not care for red wine.

"Are certain wines reserved for certain foods here?"