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[alias_savant]

	✔ Cʀᴏssᴏᴠᴇʀs/AU ✔ Aᴄᴛɪᴏɴsᴘᴀᴍ ✔ Pʀᴏsᴇ	✔ Pɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴍᴘᴛs ✔ Oᴛʜᴇʀᴡᴏʀᴅʟʏ ✔ Sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇʀs	♥ F/M ⏰ Uᴘ ᴛᴏ Dᴀᴛᴇ

Comments

[easily]

[alias_savant]

The restaurant is a din of noise around them and it takes time to sort through the conversations that are important and the ones that aren't, especially with the additional white noise of silverware and plates (and heartbeats) adding to the confusion. He briefly considers taking a deep breath but he doesn't breathe anymore so he's not sure how much good that will do.

Then again, placebo effect. It was calming as a human, maybe it will do the same as a vampire.

He closes his eyes and leans back in his chair, letting his shoulders rise and fall as everything comes back into focus again. It doesn't make the heartbeats go away, however, and Neal sets his jaw as he opens his eyes again, focusing on the woman across the table from him.

"Sorry, it's just ... " Loud. It's very, very loud. " ... Is the wine here yet?"

[easily]

He couldn't stay hidden away from people forever -- eventually they had to take steps like this so he could get used to being around other people, even large amounts of them, without losing control.

And that's why she's here with him, in case that proves to be a struggle.

She leans forwards, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze, trying to center him a little.

"It should be here soon."

[alias_savant]

He glances up at her with a small smile, grateful that she's here. He gives her hand a squeeze in return before nodding and going back to the menu. He can focus on the date. He knows he's strong enough to do that and if he can make it through tonight, it's going to be a step in the right direction.

"Did you see anything you like on the menu?"

[easily]

Besides, he'll soon enough learn that food -- much like alcohol -- can help kill the cravings, make it easier to be out in public like this.

"A few things. What were you thinking about?"

[alias_savant]

"Well, I'm always a fan of a nice fish dish." Especially when prepared well. He glances over the menu for a moment before raising an eyebrow. "The salmon sounds nice."

[easily]

"You should get that, then. Indulging in food you like helps." With dealing with the bloodlust when in places like this.

[alias_savant]

He nods. "Then I guess I will." He pauses for a moment, before folding the menu and turning back to her. "What are you thinking of?"

[easily]

"I was looking at the bacon wrapped filet. It sounded good."

Something new to try, at least.

[alias_savant]

"It did." He nods, closing the menu, before glancing up at her. "Maybe we should get both and share."

[easily]

She smiles, closing her own menu. "An excellent suggestion."

[alias_savant]

He smiles. "Fantastic. We'll order both."

[easily]

Finally, the waiter comes to serve their wine and Rebekah places their orders.

[alias_savant]

Once that's done, he takes a long sip of his wine, letting his eyes scan the room. He seems lost in thought for a moment, almost as though his attention is focused elsewhere, and then he smiles.

"Eavesdropping is so much easier like this."

[easily]

She grins a little at that, taking a sip of her own wine now.

"Isn't it? Who needs your fancy fbi devices when you have you have supernatural hearing..."

[alias_savant]

"Well, occasionally they're needed for evidence in a court of law." That's the lame part - they can't just rely on their hearing for that. "But it could come in very handy in my other line of work."

[easily]

"Yes, I had a feeling you might find some uses for your new abilities." Hearing only one of many that could make the whole thieving business much easier.

[alias_savant]

He grins a bit at that, before turning and glancing around the room. "I'm surprised more vampires aren't conmen. They'd make a mint."

[easily]

"Right? It's a lost opportunity, to be certain." She smirks a little. "But I suppose that works in your favor, if more did maybe the government would of caught onto to the existence of us more."

[alias_savant]

"That's true," he says with a nod. "It'd be hard to cover it up when we started brainwashing their agents. Vervain would be everywhere."

[easily]

"Exactly. And then we'd have a lot else to worry about." Better the masses never figure it out.

[alias_savant]

Yes. Much better. Though if Neal were working a con, he probably wouldn't use compulsion. It would take all the fun out of making people do what he wants. "Like the rest of our day-to-day life?"

[easily]

"Exactly. The less people know, the better." And yes, there's something to be said about the fun of getting people to do what you want without supernatural help.

[alias_savant]

As the waiters circled in and out, bringing them drinks and Neal reaches for his wine, taking a long sip as he does. "I could do without the heartbeats in my ears, though."

[easily]

"That can be a little distracting, though you do learn how to tune it out."

At some point, you kind of have to to stay sane.