[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/hhZ5lcS.png[/img][/center]
[center][color=#b18f71][u][b]Location[/b][/u][/color]
[url=https://i.imgur.com/D7wANsa.jpg]🌑 Restaurant Duncan.[/url]

[color=#b18f71][u][b]Interactions[/b][/u][/color]
🌑 None.

[/center][hr]

"Aiden!" She was quite the stunning sight, without fault. Curly, golden locks made their way down her neck in perfect symmetry, with brilliant blue eyes shining like a sun-touched ocean surface. Indeed, the young woman's lithe figure was draped in a dress borrowing the sanguine hue of roses, displaying a frame most would consider athletic. Standing taller than Aiden himself was not a feat anyone considered impressive, but as her arms wrapped their way around the boy's slender torso in a tight embrace, the confirmation was made. 

[color=b18f71][b]"Hey, Rose,"[/b][/color] the young Angel offered, displaying a small if forced smile in response to this most welcoming approach. 

"Ah, Aiden," came another voice, this one belonging to the girl's father, Michael Henderson, the head of several pharmaceutical companies. One ought to have wondered why a manufacturing company for weapons such as Infinity Enterprises wished to gain pharmaceutical allies, and Aiden's skepticism had been clear since the very start of this odd partnership. "I am glad you could join us, son," the man continued, extending his hand to shake the Angel's before Aiden lowered himself to a chair. He needed only look at his parents to note their reaction, with the boy's mother tapping her wristwatch.

"Four minutes late," the woman stated, before reaching for a glass of wine which she then brought to her lips for a sip. "I hope this won't become a habit, Aiden," she raised a brow, and lowered the glass to a wooden table draped in expensive white cloth. 

"That is quite alright, Mrs. Connors," Mr. Henderson retorted, offering the group a small chuckle. He was a larger man, with wealth clearly making its stride across habits and stomach, alike. It would not have been a stretch to consider the man jolly, for that, he truly was. One would have had quite a difficult time in pinpointing a single frown bridging across his thick lips. "We're all here now!" He continued, shifting his attention to Aiden's father who managed a sigh, in return. 

"That, we are," Bradly spoke, "let us order, shall we?" Opening the menu revealed rows of appetizers, entrees, and desserts, all of which were accompanied by a price tag most would scoff at. Forty dollars for scollops as a mere treat before the actual eighty dollar meal, with a thirty dollar side was either less than a drop in the ocean, or an investment one would save up towards, for a romantic date. Yes, Aiden could still recall his first dinner with these specific patrons, his father, mother, Rose, and Michael Henderson. He could still pinpoint the moment he realized that it wasn't a mere dinner. It was a business transaction between two companies, and their products in question sat only inches away, at the very same table. 

"How have you been?" Rose tried, an attempt at breaking the ice which was formed by the esteemed Bradly Connors, and his wife, Samantha Connors.

[color=b18f71][b]"Alright,"[/b][/color] Aiden spoke, tapping his dainty, slender fingers against the cold surface of his chilled drink. In truth, the boy had taken a liking to whiskey, but despite his circumstances, rules still applied. He was considered nineteen, even though he would technically remain sixteen for every year to come. [color=b18f71][b]"You?"[/b][/color] the boy continued, tasting chilled excellence of a well-stored soda. At the very least, his parents had the foresight of ordering his favorite beverage. At times, it did surprise him how well the Connors couple knew their son, while also dismissing him, entirely. An odd combination, indeed. 

"Oh, you know," Rose chuckled, "work," the young woman turned her attention to the large man at her side, revealing a pearly white smirk. "Because someone doesn't let his daughter have a single moment of peace," she laughed. It was clear that Rose and Micheal maintained a far more lovable relation that Aiden and his parents. Though, it would have been a lie to claim that the young Angel did not cherish the sight. It was a rare display, and solely desired.

"Oi'!" Micheal retorted, "business can't wait, love!" 

Deciding to remain quiet throughout a large portion of the conversations finding themselves exchanged across the table, Aiden nursed his drink, which had been refilled twice by the time his company's appetizers arrived. Though he had been asked by the staff if he'd enjoy a soup, Aiden considered the notion, before declining the offer. For him, taste mattered more so than anything. He could not feel hunger, and he required nourishment much like a rock required water. "So, what about these 'vigilantes' running about?" Michael asked, cutting into the steak now placed in front of him. Despite his lack of hunger, Aiden could not deny the wonderful scent accompanying a well-cooked meal. For him, it could be compared to a perfume, a lovely aroma. 

"If you ask me," Bradly responded, wrapping pasta strings around his fork, "the more of those freaks who kill each other, the better." He turned to look at Aiden for a brief moment following his statement, before clearing his throat. "The vampires," he tried, "and werewolves." 

[color=b18f71][b]"Yeah, dad, wouldn't want any 'freaks' on the street."[/b][/color] There was no malice in the boy's words as Aiden offered a response, but more a coy quip. 

"Oh, hush, you know what he meant," Samantha nudged her son, dark eyes glaring at her kin with a sense of embarrassment filling them.

[color=b18f71][b]"Do I?"[/b][/color] The Angel asked, clicking his short nails against the still chilled glass, [color=b18f71][b]"what would you consider me, dad?"[/b][/color]

There was a slight pause that lingered across the table, but Bradly Connors had a response to his son's charged question. "A miracle, of course." 

"Yes," Samantha added, "a miracle." It would not have been farfetched to point out that Aiden's mother, Samantha Connors was more of a snake than Bradly could ever hope to become. Every word dripped with venom, and while Bradly's focus remained on the numbers, hers was on public relations. One could imagine the lies and deception Samantha was privy to. 

"Well, then, let's all raise our glasses, and toast," Michael spoke up, "to Aiden, and the miracle that saved our dearest son." 

"To Aiden," Samantha raised her glass, followed by her husband. 

With a deep breath, the Angel's attempt at changing the subject, if even by a simple margin, turned his eyes towards Rose. [color=b18f71][b]"What's your opinion of these 'vigilantes', Rose?"[/b][/color]

"Hm," the young woman considered his question, a finger moving towards her chin. Much like her father, she had developed the habit, when in thought. "The Police have a lot of restrictions. Vigilantes might have their use, even if it's a slippery slope." 

"While the less vampires are about, the better, they should leave the Police work, to the Police! We're the ones who arm them, for crying out loud," Bradly pitched in. 

Following a prolonged exchange on the subject, Aiden turned his attention to the clock. He had been suffering through this dinner for the past two hours. If he excused himself, it would have brought ruin to the entire purpose of making his presence known, in the first place. It would have been as if he never even came. However, once dessert plates found themselves empty, relief eventually washed over the boy. This nightmare was coming to an end. "It was lovely seeing you again, Aiden," Rose spoke, as the group was moving towards the elevator. "Perhaps next time, we could try a dinner without the..," Rose cleared her throat in the silence of her whispered words, "extra scenery." 

Feeling a hot sensation traveling towards his pale cheeks, the Angel paused in his steps. She had never been this forward, before. It was clear that the young woman was far more invested in this arranged relationship than Aiden was, and most certainly more so than he ever would be. [color=b18f71][b]"S-sure,"[/b][/color] he managed a stuttering response. 

"Perfect," Rose smiled, offering their peers a quick glance, before noting that every back was turned. It was then that she brushed her lips against Aiden's in a quick, soft kiss, freezing her fiancé to the spot. 

[color=b18f71][i]"Oh, wow, if you could crawl out of your skin, right now..,"[/i][/color] for the first time since dinner started, Lumen spoke. [color=b18f71][i]"Maintain yourself! Move your legs!"[/i][/color] The spirit exclaimed, a hand moving to slap Aiden's shoulder.

Snapping out of the trance which he had been put under due to Rose's kiss, Aiden picked up his pace and followed her into the elevator. An awkward dinner with an awkward peak, for sure, but at the very least, he was now free. This was further elevated when he saw Charles waiting in the lobby, ready to take the Connors family home.