(Untitled)

[change_just_is]

WHO: Don and Yukino
WHEN: February 14th, 1953
WHERE: Starting out in the lobby of Midgard. Probably moving.
FILTER: Closed.
WHAT: Blind date!
NOTES: See icon
STATUS: In progress

Comments

Ahahah that icon XD

[epitomeofvanity]

Yukino had made sure she had something suitable to wear for her blind date many days in advanced. She'd had seven additional days to prepare, so she didn't waste them, working on valentines and one big, special present to be delivered by hand. Walking out of Schwarz and towards Midgard, she couldn't help but smile in anticipation at giving the gift.

It was going to be so funny.

Walking up the steps, she unconsciously reached up to touch the hair she had combed up. It had modest curl, but her hair didn't curl easily with modern equipment, much less with what she had available now. She had on her standard issue coat, but below the hem the tail of her dress could be seen, a bright and cheery color. She had on boots with a modest heel, something she had bought recently to combat the cold but weren't entirely too bad looking enough.

Yukino opened the door and peeked around the lobby. She was early, but her date might have already gotten there.

Re: My computer died within like 5 minutes of posting this--sorry for not being around before XD

[change_just_is]

Don continued to look around the lobby, and caught a glance of a young woman entering the lobby. He immediately stood up a little straighter, smoothing his hair back and taking a few steps toward her. He smiled at her a little as approached, already starting to put out his hand to offer it to shake.

"Are you looking for your date?"

That's okay. I took a nice 5 hour nap 8D

[epitomeofvanity]

Yukino missed Don's preening of a few moments earlier, but his voice got her attention. She reached out to take his hand and give it a firm shake. "Yes! This is the place it said for me to meet them." She was going to use 'him', but there was no guarantee of that, was there? If they had odd numbers, someone would have to double up...

"I'm Yukino~ It's nice to meet you," and she gave him her best smile.

Re: Nice!

[change_just_is]

He's pleasantly surprised at her firm handshake, and smiles at her, this time more comfortably. It's been awhile since he's met a woman who shook his hand so confidently, and he's already starting to think that she's very pretty, if a bit young. Happy to find that his blind date luck was good so far, at least, he nodded at her.

"Pleased to meet you, Yukino. I'm Don Draper."

[epitomeofvanity]

"That explains it. You were before they were forced to show the research..." Blinks up at him, not sure she wants to break it to him. It'd be kind of cruel. 'Oh, by the way, it causes cancer.' "I'm from the year 2000, in Japan."

"We're cheap labor," smiles. "They don't want to pay us for what we're worth. I guess they figure we can't get another job and will stay." A light shrug of her own shoulder and managing not to blush at his eyebrow. "They're partially right."

[change_just_is]

He raises an eyebrow, shrugging a little. "Research?"

He glances at her again when she says where she came from, "2000, eh? How long have you been here?" He appraises her again--she looks like she's gotten used to living in Veles, so it must have been awhile. Otherwise, she'd be as confused and out of place as he was, probably more, since she was from so far in the future.

[epitomeofvanity]

"About the effects of cigarettes on your body." They're still walking, though the buildings have turned from apartments and home dwellings to store fronts. There are more people lining the streets now, and there is a bit of white noise of others talking. "They found out it's bad for you."

Yukino has adjusted well, given she wasn't too big on technology in the first place. If she'd been attached to a computer or television, she would have had a far harder time of it. "I've been here a year and three months now, I think." She's looking around as they walk, taking in the sights, even if she's been here so long. Things do change, occasionally. "There are some things I had to get used to. They don't have many things for convenience here."

[change_just_is]

He shrugs and looks around at the other people in the streets. "Most of the fun things in life are. Doesn't mean we shouldn't enjoy them when we get the chance." The look he gives her could be interpreted as suggestive, but only if someone were very quick to catch it, and familiar with flirtatious glances. Part of him hopes she catches it, part of him hopes that she doesn't, as she might see it as too forward.

"A year and three months..." He lets this sink into his brain for awhile before saying anything else, just walking beside her and staying quiet. When he finally speaks, he sounds a little concerned, "And in all that time, has anyone ever made it back home?"

[epitomeofvanity]

That automatically makes her cheeks puff out in irritation. "Just for that, I'm going to go to the library and find a song to memorize so we can sing it together!" And she will. It might take her a while to find one that will play. Longer still for her to play it enough times to get the melody without bothering the other people around her, but she would get it. Hopefully she could find something catchy. She wasn't about to dance to it, but a jingle could go a long way to improve someone's day

[change_just_is]

He laughs and nods. "If you go to all that trouble, I'd give it a shot at the very least." He admires her perseverance, and he figures he doesn't have much to lose. Again, the fact that nobody here has known him for very long makes him feel freed. He was more willing to reveal things to Yukino because she didn't have as much invested in him as other people might. His wife, his coworkers... they all had something they wanted from him. But here in Veles, people were just acquaintances. Or dates

[epitomeofvanity]

Yukino was used to paying her way, though she wouldn't turn down someone if they offered. Before Soichi, she paid for herself. She played the stock market, and that was how she was going to pay for at least one year of college. She read all the money magazines, did the quizzes, took the tests, and traded online. That was unusual for people her age, much less a young woman

[change_just_is]

Don peruses the menu once more, and sets it down. He isn't the most adventurous of eaters at the best of times, and he's skeptical about the food around here. The rations are bad enough--incredibly reminiscent of military rations, which he isn't sad to have left behind, so he hopes the food in the restaurant is better.

He brushes his hair back again and nods, "I thought you might. Someone like you always has someone waiting for them." It doesn't bother him at all to hear it. Of course, he has a wife and children, it would be hypocritical for him to care that she had someone waiting back home for her. And besides, it wouldn't stop him pursuing her.

[[Sleep well!]]

[epitomeofvanity]

"We do control our lives," and she lifts a finger. "We don't have complete control. I can't ever claim that. But we have the ability to make our lives better or worse through our choices! I bet you're really good at tilting out choices your way," and she gives him a secretive little smile, "but not everyone caves in to even the best marketing campaign." She believes that, wholeheartedly. She has to, because she's determined to live her life how she wants it, even if there are roadblocks.

Yukino was hungry, too, but probably not as much as Don. She'd had a good breakfast, and probably had more food stored up in the pantry than he did by virtue of being there longer and having more money saved. That and she had a large stash of ration books hidden away in various places...

She wonders about his emphasis, but doesn't comment other than to smile again, and brush a little of her bangs out of the way. Her hair has grown a lot in a year, and she only did the basic of trims, which is why she could now pull her hair up.

[change_just_is]

"Everyone has a price," Don says, raising an eyebrow, "And even people who don't consciously give into most marketing campaigns give into some of them subconsciously. Even the choices we think we make ourselves are influenced by other people. And I want to be the guy that influences those choices."

Don was still living on the rations from the cafeteria, having not gotten a job yet, and he was getting sick of those the food he got each week in those rations. This meal would prove to be far better and far more filling.

As she brushes her bangs out of her face, he smiles at her slowly, just watching her, not saying anything. The look on his face is somewhere between flirtatious and blandly friendly, but perhaps leaning more towards flirtatious at this point.

[epitomeofvanity]

In this, she's insistent. "The price isn't always money. Sometimes it's worth being paid." As for advertising, she can't really deny their power. Her mouth screws up a little, as she thinks about her words. "We're... influenced by the people around us. I don't think that's all bad. Every choice we make is our own. It's something that belongs to us, even if someone thinks there was no other choice

[change_just_is]

"You're right, the price isn't always money. There is something everyone wants, though. If I can give people what they want, then all the better." He raises an eyebrow again. Maybe she'll get the implication that there's something he can give her, maybe not, but he has to give it a try.

He wonders if his smile made her nervous. The way she's playing with her hair seems to indicate that that's the case, but she might just be nervous because of the date. Either way, she hasn't told him to stop flirting with her, so either she doesn't realize, or she's interested in him.

He decides to press his advantage. Reaching a hand out, he gently brushes her bangs out of her eyes for her, smiling at her.

[epitomeofvanity]

"Something-?" and her eyebrow lifts. She prided herself being able to hide things from people. Maybe not the best thing to be proud of, but it had been super helpful to her over the years. Even the past year she had been full of practice, but you always had to let one slip by. Really, that was unacceptable. She sighed. Well, she had been caught, so she might as well fess up. Don probably deserved to know anyway, since he was trapped there like the rest of them. "Well, it's just... We don't know if you'll remember anything from Veles when you go back home. People remember things here when they return, but when they're at home it's like they forget

[change_just_is]

"I see." He looks pensive now, thinking about what it will be like to return home and not remember anything from his time here. Upon first arriving, he would have thought that to be a good thing, but now that he's started to meet people and get used to the idea of being here, he wonders if he won't miss some of the people. Getting home would be good, but he doesn't like the idea of losing this big of a part of his memory. Beyond even just wanting to remember the people he's met, it scares him to think that that large of a portion of his life could pass him by without remembering it.

"So that means you'd like to see me again, then?" Don asks teasingly. Although it's just her offering to help him cook, and not a date, per se, he knows that it could easily turn into another date. Especially if he continues to fluster her.

[epitomeofvanity]

She wants to reach over and pat his hand, but it was a bad idea to initiate touch. Or that's the feeling Yukino got. He was a nice man, and she liked talking with him, but if she gave an inch, he might take more than a mile. So instead she gave him a reassuring smile, even though it was tinged with sadness. "I'm sorry. You just reminded me of it when you talked about cooking for your children... I'm not all too fond of this place, but thinking I might forget everyone here is too much."

She looked down, schooling her features. Looking up at his question, hearing the teasing lilt of his tone, a happy flush returns to her face. "I would like to. You're fun to talk to, and I think we have a lot in common." Whatever other implications there were she doesn't acknowledge, and may not even be aware of.

[change_just_is]

"I'd hate to forget you, especially," he says, winking at her. His good mood has returned, and his smile is back in full. He's glad to hear that she wants to see him again, even if she doesn't consider it a date. He certainly will consider it one, and act accordingly when the time comes. Maybe by that point, he'll have a job and he'll be able to wear something a little nicer than what he's wearing right now.

With a little grin, he takes another bite of his food and a sip of his drink. "By the way," he says casually, "You look very nice today."