Taste The Blast

[Benjamin Chase]

Benjamin was thrilled that he was traveling. Of course he had to travel his ass off to go to America, where his life would lead him on there, but Benjamin was thrilled nonetheless. His cautious mother ensured that his traveling would be of the safest and most comfortable ride one could travel through. International apparition was out of the question because that just sucked his guts out and made Benjamin feel like a wreck. No, his mother thought that using a portkey that led to different stopovers would be the best option because it was safe, comfortable and it could be customized. Benjamin just arrived in wizarding France since it was a stopover and as soon as he hit the ground of the French, he felt tired and famished. He had been to two countries today and the culture was so different from each other that simple interaction was a chore to the young man. Regardless, he survived by nodding his head and flashing polite smiles whenever he had to interact which was unfortunately, quite often. Soon, Benjamin was finally entered their familial French home that was not as large as their original one, but still gave him the comfort he needed after being to many places he was not familiar with.

He was sitting next to the mini poolside when a disturbance caught his attention. A grumble from his stomach caused him to abruptly stand up and search for his pouch of money. If he stayed longer in the vacation house with nothing edible around him, Benjamin then was sure he would not be able to concentrate on absolutely anything for the next hour. Having some dinner first sounded great to both his ears and stomach and picturing a dish of tenderly cooked meat with buttered vegetables at the side made his mouth water. The young wizard made sure the wards of his home where intact before he stepped out to apparate to a newly opened restaurant he had heard about. The place apparently was praised for its lovely decor and affordable food. Even several purebloods came to stop by and Benjamin was certainly not going to pass the opportunity up. He knew where it was located - thank Merlin - and wasted no time to apparate to the street that harbored the well lit restaurant.

People were not really standing to wait, however he could see that inside, the tables were full. This suddenly made him feel irritated and he went up to the maitre d' to ask if there were any available tables exclusive one person only. He stated it in slow English and his mood was lifted when the middle aged man responded with perfectly formed English with an accent that was too strong to be recognized as French. Apparently the restaurant had one table left however it accommodated 2 people instead of 1. "I shall pay extra if you could accommodate me with a table; whether it is for 2 or 5 or 10, I don't care," replied Benjamin in a slightly demanding way. A scowl insulted his features and his eyes were dark when the man replied that he would have to wait for a few more minutes, just so the table for 1 would be vacated. It was apparently, unfair, that a young man would have a bigger space for his own dining when he was the only occupant. Benjamin had to resort to wait for at least thirty minutes and it left him biting the inside of his cheek. His hunger was biting his own stomach whilst his mood darkened his spirits childishly. When the waiter politely went away to serve the other customers, Benjamin stood at the side of the restaurant's door with his arms crossed against his chest. He eyed that vacant table that was slightly larger than the ordinary table for 1 person. True, it would be unfair to those pairs who came if he got the seat instead but the restaurant's fairness policy was strictly implemented. He would just have to wait... And dear Lord, Benjamin Chase hated waiting.
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[Elle Volkova]

It was finally time for a break, and Elle couldn't wait to break free from her school, and her home. It had been six years of living without her mother, instead living with the step-b*tch who could get away with murder. The brunette had decided a year ago that it wasn't worth fighting with her any more. She let her rant and rage, and Elle had surprised herself by not retaliating. The loving relationship she once had with her father had long since disappeared as he listened to the lies that his new love Lidiya fed to him. Elle knew that as soon as she graduated, she would move out and never look back. She had become very independent and, due to her indifferent attitude, didn't have many friends.
Russia had a bitter after taste, and Elle couldn't stand being in the country any more. She figured she would move to somewhere in America or maybe France. Elle hadn't travelled in Europe yet, though had been to a couple of places in America. She didn't know where she would go, but after throwing her dart at her globe, France seemed like the right place. Luckily, Urals wasn't too far from France, so the young brunette apparated into the country with no hassles. Elle clutched her purse near to herself, making sure she still had her coins. She knew she should probably check into her hotel first, but it definitely felt like the trip sucked out any food in her stomach. Quickly checking her reflection in the mirror, Elle felt satisfied that she looked good enough to go any restaurant. Her hotel seemed to be quite near a popular restaurant, from where she was standing, it seemed to have a good enough vibe. Elle walked confidently towards the place, entering only moments after rather handsome looking boy.
The place was beautiful, but it was full. Elle sighed as she looked around. The brunette was not far from the man that had entered before her, and wondered if he would spare his seat for her. As she approached the maître d', she overheard the end of the conversation which seemed to not be going the man's way. Apparently, he would have to wait until a table for 1 freed up before he could eat. Which seemed to make sense, but that meant that Elle would have to wait even longer. Elle had half a mind to leave and find another place, but a thought trickled into her mind. What if she shared a table with the man? That way, they could both be seated now and have the food they both apparently needed. Elle wondered if the man got angry when he was hungry as her father did. Quickly shaking the useless thought from her head, the brunette figured some company would be nice. Besides, the restaurant seemed wonderful, and the man was very handsome. Even if they didn't speak, the view would be great. Putting on her best smile, Elle stepped forward, gently placing her hand on the man's arm. "Hi, I am so sorry that I am late." Elle said politely, putting her idea in motion. She didn't have a second thought that the man might think she was weird and told her to go away. It was a win-win situation. Turning to the maître d', Elle flashed him a smile also. "A table for two, please?"

 

[Benjamin Chase]

Hunger and irritation never went along. Well, hunger was precisely the root of Benjamin's irritation right now so whenever somebody tried to make eye contact with him in the restaurant - possibly to provide a sympathetic smile or to simply stare, all he would muster was a scowl that reached even the depths of his eyes. He was not supposed to wait outside like an idiot. Benjamin wanted to be fed and even if he offered to triple his bill, the maitre d' did not accept. Typical, because these men always valued fairness. Benjamin bit the inside of his cheek rather painfully when the same middle aged man appeared in his line of sight. He caught the same smile he received from those who overheard his conversation; one that was filled with sympathy and kindness. The last thing he wanted was their apologetic frowns since what his priority at the moment was food. Anything edible would be nice, as long as it was warm and it reached his standards. The restaurant was the perfect place to dine in for tonight but troubles with the seating created obstacles for him to be at rest. After a long way of traveling, Benjamin truly felt the tiredness that was eating his eyes away and all he wanted was a massage and probably some sleep for 48 hours straight. Arguing with the waiter did not help and he doubted anyone could assist him right now.

He was about to turn his back away from the restaurant when a young girl approached him and delicately placed her hand on his arm. His bicep tensed and when Benjamin realized she was helping him, he raised his chin to play along with her game. She was intelligent and daring to have done that, because people would have either snickered or avoided him because of his misfortune. She however, decided to help, in the most convenient way for herself. "So my date arrived. My luck has not abandoned me yet," Benjamin breathed as he took in the unknown lady's appearance. The maitre d' smiled and approved and turned his back to make sure that the table that had to be for two was ready. Indeed it was, so Benjamin and his fake date were escorted inside the restaurant and Benjamin could not resist but lean in and whisper. "Just who the hell are you?" It was not harsh, but curious and suspicious all at the same time. They were a few meters away from the waiter who was putting the finishing touches to their table. He did not brush her hand off his arm and made sure they looked like they were definitely together for tonight. "At least you got us both a table. Intelligent, aren't you? Clever too." Benjamin smirked and led her when the table was finally all theirs. Like any gentleman, he went to her chair and pulled it open and allowed her to take a seat. When she was all ready, he went to his end of the table and sat down, looking at her expectantly. This "date" was happening so suddenly that Benjamin still expected to have their introductions. The waiter was not with them yet and they had at least thirty seconds before they were interrupted.
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[Elle Volkova]

A smile played on the young Durmstrang's lips as the boy played along. Of course, the man had tensed as she placed her hand on him, but it was a welcome reaction as Elle had the pleasure of feeling his muscles as they moved. She smiled at the maître d', and raised her eyebrows expectantly, waiting for them to be led through. Elle kept her hand on the man's arm, not only to keep up the façade, but purely because it had been awhile since she had any kind of physical contact. It felt nice, but Elle could definitely control herself. She was only sixteen for merlin's sake. Finally they were taken into the restaurant, which was a good thing, because a low grumbling came from Elle's stomach. The man leaned in and whispered to her, but Elle only smirked. She glanced at the man standing next to her, her smirk turning into a genuine smile as he called her intelligent. The Durmstrang had never been called clever before. Many people wouldn't have called what she did 'intelligent'. Her father would probably call her stupid for doing it. Cocky, for believing that the man would go along with it; naive, for believing that he'll be a gentleman; brave, for following through with her idea. Instead of asking the man if he wanted to sit together, she assumed that this would be the best plan, and that the man would join in.
Following the man, Elle took her seat as he pulled it out for her. It was lovely of him to do so, but Elle was still only in this for the food. The young girl clasped her hands together and leaned forward slightly on the table, smiling at the man in front of her. He was looking at her expectantly, and Elle complied. "I'm Elle. And you are...?" She asked sweetly. Elle looked up as the maître d' arrived back with the menus. Thanking him, Elle took her menu and began flicking through the pages, everything looking delectable.

Out of Character:

Oh gosh, so sorry for the quality. I really struggled with this! Hope it's workable!

 

[Benjamin Chase]

She was a striking brunette now that Benjamin got to look at her face wholly. She had cheekbones other girls would die for and her hair was luscious and it framed her face perfectly. Benjamin felt that this young lady already knew of the physical attributes she had to hook men to her own belt and he told himself to be careful one way or another tonight. This table setup was merely for their convenience and for it to lead to something more intimate later in the night would not be the best step to take in Benjamin's opinion. However Benjamin could simply enjoy the liberty of looking at his spontaneous "date," even if the two were have not met at all in the past.

"It's, uh, Ben. Pleasure, Elle. Thank you again," Benjamin responded lightly and sat back as the maitre d' handed them their respective menus. He was starving alright and everything in the restaurant seemed as good as the other. He had to choose the best however and since Benjamin's impatience to look through the entire menu was wearing thin, he just snapped the menu shut and gave it back to the man. "I'll have the chef's choice for tonight. And how about you... Elle?" His eyes connected with hers, feeling the sound of her tongue foreign on his tongue. He watched their exchange for a second before looking away to another table's food. His eyes landed on another young man instead, who immediately eye contact with Benjamin. The stranger's lips quirked in a smirk, as his eyes motioned to Elle. The stranger sent a message that was almost along the lines of, 'nice taste' and 'beautiful catch for the evening.' Either the way, Benjamin could tell that the young man was silently praising his date even without her knowing it. Instead of responding openly, Benjamin subtly nodded his head in a curt manner and turned away, to look back at Elle. To take away the silence, he placed one more order for their date to look authentic. "How about a bottle of your best champagne? I don't think a date will be complete without it." His lips quirked at the mention of their date which was super last minute than any other date in the world. But Benjamin did not want to eat in front of a young lady without entertaining her. It would be beyond him to cast ignorance upon her, so might as well get to know someone for the evening.

The maitre d' agreed with Benjamin and bowed slightly out of respect before dashing off to give their orders. Now that they were alone, Benjamin had no idea whether he should induce the small talking or openly show his curiousness regarding her. He decided that latter and leaned forward as he clasped his hands. "I'm pretty sure the both of us are definitely hungry by this time. Have you been waiting long outside?" He queried and remembered how he had to wait for about thirty seconds before she came to his rescue. Thank Merlin for cleverness! "Or were you just so intrigued by just looking at me that you had to go on a date with me? Hm, aren't we moving a little too fast?" Benjamin said with a humorous quirk on his lips and his eyes expressed his intent to at least make her feel amused as well.
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