[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/2QsEgZc.png[/img]

[color=slategray][sub]Collab with [@Fabricant451]
Featuring: [color=b57f13][b]Henry “She’s 12/10” Green[/b][/color] and [color=ffefd5][b]Min “Feels like the First Time” Seo[/b][/color]
Location: An empty dining room —> The dance floor for couple’s song[/sub][/color][/center]
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[indent][indent]Every guy, whether they tell people about it or not, has a scale he rates women (or men, or both) on. Henry Green’s scale went to ten, but... Twelve was Henry’s favorite number, so he liked to liken [i]really[/i] attractive women to twelves on the scale of ten. Before tonight, only one girl had hit that number, and she’d later been downgraded after he [i]really[/i] got to know her.

Henry didn’t know how they did it. Women were kind of like magicians. When one combined mastery of /r/makeupaddiction and good genes, then you could make a six look like a ten out of ten. That was as far as looks could take you, though.

It took more than just looks to be a twelve. Riding on just looks alone, you could be an eleven or an eleven point five after a heavy makeover and wearing [i]just[/i] the right stuff (in most cases, short dresses). You could even be a physical seven and be a ten on the scale if you were a good person. The scale didn’t rate just looks, but took personality and character into account. A twelve was a girl worth marrying — or at least dating and not just hooking up once.

If Henry had been asked to rate Min-seo on his scale before seeing the commercial on Parker’s phone, he would have comfortably given her a six and a half. It hadn’t really registered in his head that Min-seo was a viable sexual or romantic partner, because he’d only ever looked at her as a friend. [i]But[/i], Min-seo was a [i]good[/i] friend. A very good one, in Henry’s humble opinion.

She was kind and patient with Parker, and that meant a lot to Henry. On top of that, she was nice to him and had even been happy to sell her soul for a night to work behind a bar with him, where he knew she’d struggled to figure everything out. Min-seo was also one of the few people that Henry trusted to watch Benedict and Arnold when he wasn’t around. She had a certain air of ‘awwww, that’s cute’ to her, mostly stemming from the way she hadn’t yet grasped all of the intricacies of American society. Even before the events of the past twenty four hours, Henry was of the opinion that Min-seo’s infatuation with ducks was a very cute quality. Her reaction to the Donald Duck stuffie he’d gotten her had made him smile.

Min-seo wasn’t perfect, nobody was, but she tried. She tried really hard, and Henry could see that — honestly? she probably tried harder than he did — and he appreciated it and in a lot of ways admired it. It wasn’t easy to jump across an entire ocean, and try to find your way with nothing but a family that had agreed to host you. Especially a family like his, headed by a sociopathic woman and her slightly less sociopathic partner, who had raised on sociopathic child, one child that was likely to end up in prison before he turned twenty-two, and one child who had been traded for Min-seo…

It wasn’t easy, and Henry knew it wasn’t easy. He’d been there with Min since the first day she’d landed at the airport. [i]He[/i] wouldn’t have stood a goddamn chance in the scenario she’d thrust herself into, and it was cool that she did it! So, because she was such a nice person, she got a six point five by default, without Henry taking her looks into account — why would he?

Today, through the power of the internet, Parker Ashford had either made a mistake or she had accidentally played matchmaker. Henry had learned today that Min-seo looked [i]pretty damn fine[/i] when she was dressed and trying to be hot, rather than trying to be unassuming. This made her a nine. Henry had asked her to the night’s party there, and then he’d dropped her off with the twins, the magicians who would wave their magic wands and turn Min into Cinderella for the night.

Henry hadn’t seen her yet, but he was excited! He trusted Stella and Luna to do her up right, especially since they were his sisters, and knew what he liked. He knew that they’d have done something truly magical, and whatever he saw here was the absolute top of Min’s looks — at least until she got married and got to wear a flowing wedding dress and all that jazz.

Henry’s sisters had texted him where they’d left Min. Per Henry’s request to leave her someplace private, the two girls had abandoned her at the empty dining area near the boat’s ballroom (which was more of a rave room tonight), and Henry had decided to get himself and Min-seo food. He was walking now, with a plate full of finger foods. He strolled into the empty room (people didn’t want to sit and eat a party, who knew?) and held the plate up, [color=b57f13][b]“Min, I brought us some food…”[/b][/color] Henry was now able to see the result of the twins’s handiwork, and it made him stop in place, and nearly drop the plate. His breath taken away, Heny spoke in a voice that was oddly soft coming from him, and barely audible over the loud noises emanating from where the actual party was. [color=b57f13][b]“Oh, wow.”[/b][/color]

There was now a second woman who was, in Henry’s opinion, a twelve out of ten.

There was an older show that used to air its reruns on a regular, near daily basis; the idea of the show was similar to many reality dating programs in that a bachelor or bachelorette had a series of suitors carted off a bus one by one. The bachelor could move onto the next suitor at the snap of his finger and often this was done as soon as a suitor stepped off the bus. Physical appearance mattered tremendously in this case. It was a silly show but it was fun to watch if only to get a sense for what certain people really were looking for in a date: namely someone that had minor to no actual imperfections. It was not a coincidence that many of the bachelors went home without a date because of their desires. For some reason, Min-seo found herself reminded of that show, along with many other dating shows that she often watched in the two months she’d been here. 

The day had been a whirlwind. Moreso than usual and it started with that car ride. There was a whiplash of emotion going from ecstatic over the Donald Duck stuffy right into fear when Parker accidentally stumbled onto Min-seo’s biggest secret. That fear gave way to a whole plethora of emotion that culminated in Min-seo agreeing to be a date to a party. Not just any date, of course, but Henry Green’s date. Even in her brief time in America she had heard stories about her host family’s ‘favorite son’ though given the language barrier many of it had been lost in translation. 

Min-seo had gotten to know Henry over the two months though she didn’t really have a clear opinion of him until the second month. That first month was still so overwhelming, but sticking around had allowed her to see a side of him that she doubted many got to see. The side that acted very mature given that he was sometimes like a cool older brother to Parker - when he wasn’t being an enabler - the side that had a fondness for animals. The side that surprised Min-seo with a gift of a stuffed Donald Duck. That the biggest slight against him that Min-seo could think of was his questionable choice in girlfriend spoke volumes; of course learning that Parker [i]wasn’t[/i] his girlfriend was as much a shock as American culture. 

Now she was sitting at an empty table in an empty area of an unfamiliar room on a boat, having been deposited there by people who had done their hardest in dolling her up. They were efficient and worked faster than the makeup team that had been on set of the commercial work she had done back home. Min-seo didn’t even have to say much at all, they seemed to have the girl well enough in hand. There weren’t any mirrors in the dining area but she trusted them enough to believe that they did their job well. 

And certainly they had. 

It started at the top. Min-seo’s hair had been brushed and washed, styled to be sleek black and volumetric, it practically bounced at simply turning her head; this stood in contrast to Min-seo’s often unruly hair that had a bit of bedhead to it as well as hanging on her head loosely, like someone who was stressed beyond measure. Her eyes had a smokey contour to them, a marked difference from the confused sleepy gaze she had so often rocked; the makeup brought up the most of her brown eyes and the lashes helped. There was makeup and lipstick on her face, but it wasn’t caked on or layered on to where she looked like she was trying to stand out on the street corner. Pink lipstick to bring out their already thinly perky shape, and her face was blemish free and her cheeks were rounded in line with her chin, hiding the stress lines. 

Then there came the outfit. It was as if someone put Min-seo in a short dress and chopped off the middle half. The dress, or half-dress, was a slinky red number that worked well with her makeup. Sleeveless, the top stopped just above her navel, exposing the fit midriff that all but started it all. Below that was the lower half of the dress, a skirt that was light but had an elegance to it and was hemmed perfectly to rest above her knees. If there was one asset she had, it was her legs and her outfit made that rather clear, down to the chic flats on her feet - wearing heels all night would have been absolute murder. 

She was in the room for what seemed like hours before finally she heard footsteps and heard Henry just as he arrived. Min-seo stood up, standing in front of the table and the full breadth of her makeover was on full display. She smiled towards Henry and waved with a demure fashion. [color=ffefd5][b]”Henry...hello. It is...good to see you.”[/b][/color] She was still quite nervous, but she was owning it as well as she could.

Henry’s face had an initial mask of happy surprise as he took in Min-seo’s entire ensemble. He brushed it off though and replaced it with a genuine smile before he spoke. [color=b57f13][b]“It’s good to see you too. You look… amazing, breathtaking even.”[/b][/color] He smiled wider and held up the food again, [color=b57f13][b]“I brought us some food.”[/b][/color] He said, before he danced around Min and sat the food down on the table. He took a seat at the table, and looked over his shoulder, gesturing for Min to sit across from him.

[color=b57f13][b]“I thought it would be better for you if we didn’t like… jump straight into the deep end, I guess? The whole party, I mean. Since it’s your first date in America, I thought it’d be more special if we were, alone for a bit. So that it didn’t seem like I just dragged you to a loud party just to… well, y’know what I mean.”[/b][/color]

It was impossible for Min-seo not to blush and look away with a smile at the response from Henry; she might not have been fluent but somethings were universal and even she knew a genuine compliment when she heard one. She just wasn’t used to hearing them. As far as first time experiences went, this first time date was off to a good start. [color=ffefd5][b]”[i]Kamsa-hamnida[/i]”[/b][/color] Min-seo found her response coming out in her native tongue before she could even catch herself; it only added to her flushed tone with a mild embarrassed turn of expression. [color=ffefd5][b]”Ah...I mean...thank you.”[/b][/color] 

She took a moment to collect herself, to take a breath, and most importantly to try and stop trying so hard to be perfect. Min-seo had it in her mind that Americans liked things a certain way when it came to dates and the last thing she wanted was her own lack of experience on the subject matter to be a detriment. But, as she reminded herself, this wasn’t like those dating shows she watched on the side. This wasn’t a blind date sort of thing. They knew each other, now it was just a matter of getting to know each other on a different sort of playing field. 

Min-seo sat across from Henry and exhaled a small breath, nodding at Henry’s reasoning even if she picked up only about eighty percent of it which was, by her estimation, an improvement. Being around quick talkers while in a salon booth for a few hours had a few benefits to it where listening was concerned. [color=ffefd5][b]”I like it. Party is...fun but...loud.”[/b][/color] Min-seo gestured with her hand by her left ear. [color=ffefd5][b]”I want you...to have...good time. I am too.”[/b][/color] Min gave a smiling bow of a nod before reaching for a small bit of food. [color=ffefd5][b]”Jal meokgesseumnida.”[/b][/color] Some habits of Min’s were unlikely to pass. 

Henry was happy to see she was enjoying herself. In a moment very unlike himself, Henry had earlier found himself idly wondering if he’d be able to make sure the night lived up to what he assumed may be unrealistic expectations from Min-seo. He wasn’t sure how much she’d played up her first date, like in her mind. In a different place, under a different light, Henry was confident that he could meet and exceed those expectations, but in this place, with this many people surrounding them and denying them intimacy?

It was questionable, at best. Henry figured he had a thirty three point three-three (repeating, of course) chance, at best, of beating those expectations.

He would try his best though. Underneath the table, he reached out and put a hand on Min’s knee, giving it a squeeze and nodding. [color=b57f13][b]“I know I’ll have a wonderful time. There’s only one way tonight can go for me, and that’s up.”[/b][/color] He assured her, using his free hand to grab a bite to eat himself, while the hand on her knee rested comfortably. [color=b57f13][b]“Were the twins nice to you?”[/b][/color]

There was a brief moment of confusion when Min felt [i]something[/i] on her knee and for the initial seconds she assumed it was some kind of bug or, worse, a rodent. She had every intention of slapping the creature from her knee until cooler heads - and senses - prevailed and she understood that it was the furthest thing from a gross insect. It still made her twitch, but not unpleasantly so; she would just have to get accustomed to such direct gestures of affection. She came from a place where dates were full of awkwardly cute pauses and difficult eye contact. Score one for American bravado. 

[color=ffefd5][b]”The twins? They...they are good with their work.”[/b][/color] Her language was still choppy but it was sounding less robotic and sluggish every day. There was no mistaking her for a native speaker but it was clear she was putting forth effort where she could. [color=ffefd5][b]”But...I think...I won’t go back...unless...serious. It is very...in-tents there.”[/b][/color]

Henry nodded. He could understand that. The whole Sunset Castle could be a bit much, if you were rushed in by someone who decided you needed a makeover [i]right then[/i], and given to the twins. Henry decided to fight the good fight for his second mom. [color=b57f13][b]“I understand where you’re coming from. The twins were a little rushed, by me.”[/b][/color] It’s important to note that Henry’s speech patterns were slowed down a little at this point, and he was enunciating more clearly. This was to make it easier on Min-seo. He wanted to be able to talk to her, not just ramble and hope that she caught everything he said. [color=b57f13][b]“I promise it can be a lot better than that. Next time, we’ll give them a notice and I’ll make sure you’re relaxed, rather than rushed.”[/b][/color]

Henry squeezed her knee again, trying to reassure her. Realizing that he wasn’t sure the gesture would be accepted positively, or even wanted, Henry did a quick once over on Min, to see if there were any obvious signs of confusion or discomfort. Seeing none, he instead munched on another snack. [color=b57f13][b]“Sorry that’s it’s kind of all snack food… They didn’t have much else. It’s still a party.”[/b][/color]

It was the little gestures that mattered most of all and while she didn’t say as much, Min did appreciate Henry’s slower manner of speaking. When she was around people that spoke rapidly it often felt like the teacher from Charlie Brown, which was part of the reason why she’d still had trouble with some of the more simple concepts like articles. But she knew that Henry wouldn’t get on her case for her pronunciation and she truly did try to improve for her sake as well as others. [color=ffefd5][b]”Food is...food.”[/b][/color] Min offered with an appreciative nod and an accepting bite of a little hot dog wrapped in a pastry. 

[color=ffefd5][b]”The food is...second. What is first is...time together, yes?”[/b][/color] Min-seo all but tilted her head in response, but it was a genuine response. It didn’t matter to her if they were having a five star meal or bags of corn chips from the vending machine. As if to drive the point home, Min gave the hand on her knee a gentle pat before she took another nibble of the plate of food.

At this, Henry’s face lit up in a bright smile. It was reassuring to hear it from Min-se like that, and he turned his hand upside down and interlaced his fingers with the Min’s before she could pull her hand away. Holding hands under the table, Henry ate in silence for a moment, before he leaned toward the wall the music was leaking from. Later into the night now, he could hear that the music being played had shifted from the more intense and loud music of a rave, to something slower. Something that seemed to encourage slow dancing, as opposed to the fast paced grinding and sleazy dancing that Henry knew was going on.

He tilted his head at Min-seo, and thought about it. Was he a very good dancer? He was [i]okay[/i]. He and Evelyn had taken mother/son dance classes, as a birthday present to her, and he was alright. So he wasn’t worried about that… It was just embarrassing, and he was certain Min-seo wasn’t aware that he knew how to dance. Oh well, all good things must come to an end. In the name of love, and doing it all for the nookie, Henry smiled at Min-seo.

[color=b57f13][b]“They’re playing slow songs. Do you want to go dance?”[/b][/color][/indent][/indent]