[frida's] it's all about perspective || danny

Eleanora should have known better than to let Janae talk her into these sorts of things, especially when her own mood tended to change so easily from one moment to the next and what sounded terribly appealing a couple of days ago only sounded terrible today. But a promise was a promise and though Eleanora could already see this not going well, she figured that once she got the entire experience over her, Janae wouldn’t be able to hold it over her head. It was time for her to move on; to live her life a little and see what adventures the city of London held outside of her quaint apartment. It was comfortable to avoid interacting with people but her feelings also took her right out of her element, a personality that had once been built on making new friends, socializing with others, and just having a great time. The longer she spent at home the more she delved into her own thoughts, a dangerous place for someone so fixated on the tragedies of the past.

Janae had not given her much information about this mystery man, at least not enough for Eleanora to know what to expect or who. She could only assume that it was not somebody she had met before and had spent much time thinking about whether there was someone in their group of friends that might have demonstrated some interest. But the young witch kept to herself even in the company of her friends and they were such bold souls anyway, she would not have been surprised if they had told her in person. Eleanora had not done much dating since River, purposefully abstaining from involving herself in a romantic relationship because she felt it betrayed the one she had had in the past. But Eleanora felt reassured by the idea that this date didn’t have to mean anything; in fact, if this mystery guy had been handpicked by a close friend of hers, she could only assume that he would be as good-natured and easy to talk to as she was.

Donning a simple black, polka-dotted dress that reached a few inches above her knees, a black purse, and strappy high heels, nothing too uncomfortable just a couple of inches to take away from her short stature, she set out of her apartment before she had the opportunity to change her mind. The weather was pleasantly warm for June and though she immediately regretted not bringing a sweater should she need it, Eleanora figured that it would serve as the perfect excuse to leave if things went awry. Though saying Oops, I’ve forgotten my sweater was probably not the best way to get out of a date, it would serve its purpose in a pinch. Arriving at Frida’s as instructed, a relatively short walk from her home a few minutes prior to the decided time she waited patiently, shifting from one foot to another as she waited outside. Spotting a young man standing close by, she hesitantly walked over to him.

“Excuse me, might you be Danny?” she asked, feeling unsure about approaching a stranger in that manner but figuring that if not Danny, it was good practice. “I’m Eleanora,” she said, but it sounded stuffy, “Well Ellie, actually…Janae’s friend?” she continued, giving the stranger a nervous smile.

"It's not a joke, she said it's not a joke," Danny muttered to himself under his breath as he shuffled about on the corner outside Frida's with his hands shoved in his pockets.

He had asked multiple time, really was a nag about it, when Janae had told him that she was setting him up on a blind date. He wasn't sure how his lack of dating parents had gotten out so much, but he was all gung ho about it. A date and he didn't have to do any of the pre-work? Score! Until he realized that this could all be an elaborate ruse to publicly embarrass him. It wouldn't be a stretch for his best "friend" and fellow master prankster to pull something off like this and to be honest, it was a stellar idea, but he didn't want to be the butt of the joke.

So he kept telling himself that it wasn't a joke and that Eleanora would show up. His dirty blonde hair was in its usual mussed style as if he had been running his hands through it over and over again and was wearing his best shirt and jeans. AKA whatever was the cleanest in his room. Turns out that it was a pair of dark wash denim jeans, a navy graphic tee with a Puddlemere United logo on it, and a dark gray bomber jacket over top. Luckily for him, he decided not to take Jeremy's suggestion of wearing the stripper outfit they had worn to Emma's birthday party.

Hearing his name, Danny turned and blinked. And then blinked again. Holy. Fucking. Merlin. "This is a prank, right?" he blurted out dumbly at her as he stared at one of the prettiest girls he'd ever seen. He even had the gall to glance up and around as if expecting Jeremy to jump out around the corner of a building and point and laugh at him. "Did Jeremy put you up to this? Swear I'm going to kill him. I know he's my roommate and he's been my best friend for ten years, but don't you think this is taking it a step too far?" Danny just couldn't believe this gorgeous girl was both single and not in on some elaborate prank.

Eleanora’s relief to know that she had found her mystery date only turned to confusion at his sudden question. He was handsome, much more than she had expected but then again she trusted that her friend would look out for her in the looks department, too, though looks had very little to do with the type of people Eleanora tended to fall for. But then, his response was not one she expected at all. Her eyes widened slightly, unsure if his surprise only meant that he wasn’t the type of girl he was looking for or that Janae had gotten it all wrong.

Had he been expecting someone else? Who was Jeremy? And what sort of pranks had he been the victim of? She wasn’t really sure if she should feel embarrassed or thank him for the five seconds of a conversation that they had had and return home. “Um—” she started, unsure of how to begin the conversation, “Were you expecting someone else?” she asked, though she didn’t know if it was a question that she wanted the answer to.

Those pre-meeting jitters were beginning to get to her again, she knew that it had been a bad idea to follow through with this in the first place and now, here Danny was, sort of reiterating all of the thoughts she had had before leaving her apartment. “I’m not really sure who Jeremy is to be quite honest,” she said, her tone a little flat in comparison to the one she had used just moments prior. “But I do know Janae, she told me that you two were friends, she set this whole thing up,” she added, just to make sure that he knew she wasn’t particularly desperate or anything. Janae had insisted, and well, Eleanora had promised.

“But you’re free to go,” she suggested, offering a polite smile to make sure that he knew there really were no hard feelings. It wouldn’t be fair for her to hold it against him, especially if he figured it was a prank. This Jeremy person didn’t really sound like a very nice person, she briefly considered suggesting that he find another roommate but decided against it. “Anyway, I haven’t had dinner so I’m going to grab some takeaway,” she suggested, “It’s pretty good, this place, I come here often,” she added, Eleanora figured she ought to be polite at least, they still shared a mutual friend. “but if you want to get your best friend back, there are a few questionable places on the other side of town,” she offered with a smile. Fully intent on writing Janae as soon as she went back home to tell her what a disaster the entire thing had been.

"You've got to be shittin' me," Danny muttered under his breath as he turned to look behind him, scanning the crowd to find his stupid friend's stupid head of red hair. "Really, I mean, if he's going to prank me, he could have picked someone less conspicuous. What are you? A model? Actress? Model slash actress slash recording artist?" Danny asked, trying to sort through it. She was clearly gorgeous and clearly out of his league. Way out. As in not even in the same solar system. He had to be crazy to believe that this was a set up.

No wonder Jeremy had been wagging his eyebrows at him before he left. Bloke couldn't even hold in his excitement about this epic joke he had planned. Danny was going to get him back good. And then steal some from his stash. And eat the rest of his cereal clearly marked with "Jeremy only" on it. That'll teach him.

He narrowed his eyes at her, sure that this was a rehearsed line, but nodded along. "Of course, he would tell you to say that. Was Janae in on this whole thing too?" he asked, trying to connect the dots. Janae had told him she had set this up and he had been excited about it, but he didn't quite realize that Janae and Jeremy were secretly working together. He sighed and scrubbed his face with his hand.

His stomach grumbled as if answering her question and he took another look at the place inside. He was pretty hungry. But then he looked back at her, trying to sort out what Jeremy's plan would be and how Danny could foil it or one up him. "And how do I know you're not trying to lure me inside to carry out his elaborate plan, hmm?" he asked suspiciously.

“Ha—!” she could not help but to snort with laughter at his question. Now that was something she had never heard before. Though she had to admit that she was flattered by what she assumed was a compliment, “I wish,” she added as an afterthought. Eleanora had never put much thought into her appearance, not as much as she should have considering that part of her family’s money came from a business dealing with cosmetics-based potions. But more than what he said to her, it was the amount of suspicion with which he came on this blind date that spiked her interest. He was rather handsome himself but the way the conversation was going, she figured he’d rebuttal everything she said with something along the lines of I don’t believe you or Are you in on this prank?.

“I hope not, because if she was, looks like she pranked us both,” she considered, but wasn’t sure Janae was the sort of person to do something like that. Then again, with the angle of suspicion that Danny was applying to everything that was happening at the very moment, Eleanora was not sure if she needed to start wondering about her friend’s intentions as well. Though, to be fair, Eleanora did not really know what Janae would get out of pranking her or Danny. “I really don’t think she knows this Jeremy guy,” she muttered, crossing her arms as she stood there listening to him.

“You say lure you like I’m planning to kidnap you or something,” she smiled, it was hard to take what he said seriously but it had to be the most she had smiled in a while, therefore she didn’t mind it too much. “What about you interrogate me inside while I eat, then you can see for yourself that I honestly had no idea about this entire ‘set up’” she added, punctuating her words with air quotations as if to emphasize that he was being paranoid and in reality, no such thing was taking place.

As if to further insist on her point, she moved over to the door of the restaurant, opening the door and beckoning him inside, “Come on then, after you, if we get caught up in the dinner rush I’m going to blame you,” she teased but her tone was rather light. “Go on," she insisted, "I’m not nearly as nice when I’m hungry.”

Even her snort with laughter was beautifully done. Damn, Jeremy had picked the most gorgeous girl to prank him with. He would have highfived his friend if he wasn't so mad at him about all of this. So she wasn't a model? Or an actress? Surprise to him, but for all he knew, she was a professional prankster. Pranked us both. He tilted his head a bit, his brows coming together in confusion as he looked at her, trying to sort out what she was saying. Was it a practiced line? Something Jeremy told her to say? Or did she really think this was a prank on her? Merlin knew Danny wasn't a Ravenclaw for a reason so this sleuthing wasn't really his cup of tea.

You say lure like I'm planing to kidnap you or something. The way she said it and the smile on her face made him grin in return, laughter making his shoulders relax a bit as he folded his arms in front of him. "How I am supposed to know," he said lightly. "Stranger danger and all that. But I am hungry," he added as he glanced at the restaurant and then back to her, considering her plan shortly before agreeing without much thought. "Sure, works for me. I'll get to the bottom of this "set up"," he said as he stepped forward, mocking her air quotes playfully.

His bravado of irritation was slipping away, it was never something that clung to him naturally and he was quite good at letting it slide off his back. He was still suspicious, but curiosity was growing too. She seemed really easy-going and hell, even if it was a prank, he was about to spend time with a beautiful girl instead of in their smelly apartment with Jeremy. So win either way.

He watched as she opened the door and urged him inside. He grinned and nodded, acquiescing and following her instruction. "Duly noted," he said as he passed her, stepping inside and asking for a table for two before the server sat them in an alcove with a bright turquoise wall behind them, fresh flowers on the table beside a flickering candle. Even if this was a fake date, Danny was gentlemanly enough to pull out her chair for her before sitting down himself. "Do they have nachos?" he found himself asking, looking for his favorite snack as he perused the menu. "Oh, I'm Danny, by the way, but you already know that since you're working with Jeremy, right?" he said off-handedly with a side-eye glance at her, trying to see if she'll slip up in her prank role.

Eleanora decided that she liked the way he laughed, even if he might not have been completely convinced of her intentions at least it felt as if they were moving in the right direction. Stranger danger he said as if the shorter witch had the look much less the strength of someone who could threaten anyone of his stature. He had to be at least several inches taller than her after all. In the end, however, it had been enough to convince him to go inside the restaurant which worked perfectly for her as she truly as getting hungry, her stomach seemingly tight with imaginary knots though she could also attribute those to being slightly nervous.

Following him as they were led to a table, Eleanora considered what she might enjoy eating, her eyes glancing over at the plates of other guests as she did. By far not interested nor remotely good at cooking, Eleanora had spent much of her time living off of takeaway dinners since she had relocated to her apartment on her own. The Lovecrafts had the money to afford house elves or even a maid had she been so inclined but the young witch enjoyed her freedom, and the last thing she needed was for someone to be spying on her and reporting back to her parents about her whereabouts. Either way, it was a nice change. On one hand, it gave her the chance to explore the sorts of dishes that London had to offer. On the other, she had more reason to go out and make new friends instead of sitting at home sulking with her cat or nagging her little brother, Andy.

“Thank you,” she said softly, not expecting him to pull out the chair for her considering how he had treated her outside just moments prior but grateful nonetheless. He had manners after all! Now that was something in a man a girl like Eleanora could always appreciate. Now it was a matter of time before the interrogation began she was sure. “Nachos?” she wondered, looking over the menu before pointing them out, “Ah, here they are, the beef nachos. Don’t know if those are any good, I usually get the guacamole with chips,” she mentioned. She’d be interested in trying either, Eleanora was thankfully not a very picky eater.

“Oh yes, Danny, I received a rather lengthy file about you on my desk when I was contacted for this secret mission, I heard you work at the Ministry, too,” she said, though the consistent smile on her face made it obvious that she was joking. Who knew how he’d take it. “So are you going to tell me about yourself, Danny, or this vengeful, ex-girlfriend of yours, Jeremy?” she teased, looking back down at the menu with a slight smile on her face. “Unless of course, you’d like to ask me more about my assignment” she added sarcastically.

"Sure," he replied easily as she thanked him about pulling out her chair. He smiled, his mum would've been proud of him. Maybe even Jere.

As soon as she had pointed out the nachos on the menu, Danny said, "We're getting them!" with a grin, already licking his lips at the idea. "I'm sure they're great. Did you see the size of that burrito on that bloke's plate over there? Looked so good. But we can get the guac too. Or guac on the nachos?" he added, glancing up at her over the menu. It had been a while since he had been on a date and normally ordering food as of late consisted of him and Jere talking over each other naming which foods they were going to order first and then arguing about whose turn it was to pay the bill. Luckily, he had thought this as a real date and brought enough money to cover it, even if she was an undercover prankster posing as a real date. He'd just make Jere pay him back later.

He gave a nod of thanks to a server as he dropped off a bowl of tortilla chips and two smaller bowls of salsa, one green, one red and Danny wasn't shy about grabbing the first chip. His brows perked up and he flicked his hazel eyes up to her as she mentioned his 'file'. He liked her playfulness and it brought out his in return. "Ooh, a whole file? What else did it say? No need to reiterate all of the info about my dashing good looks, obviously," he said with a self-deprecating sort of charm as he played along. "See! I knew you knew Jeremy! Also, he's the ex-best friend, not girlfriend. Although, it has been said that I wear the pants in the relationship so take that as you will."

Her sarcasm had him chuckling and he was about to retort with one of his typical witty replies when the server came back asking if they'd like any drinks. He glanced up at Ellie with a question, already having skimmed the menu. He'd decided on a pomegranate and hibiscus margarita and ordered it with an easy smile after he let Ellie go first. It wasn't rare for Danny to order the fruitiest cocktail, usually opting for the ones with the funniest names like Fuzzy Navel or Sex on the Beach. His manly ego wasn't something he was super concerned about and considering this was a fake date, he wasn't exactly needing to put on airs.

"What do you want to know about me other than what they put in my file?" he asked as he loaded up another chip full of the green salsa, liking the spiciness, glancing up at her. His gaze honest and open, ready to answer just about anything like usual.

“Yeah, let’s get the guac on the nachos,” she agreed, figuring that the best of both worlds would only amount to an insanely delicious meal. He had decent taste in food, Eleanora would at least give him that. “Hm, it seems like the dashing good looks bit must’ve been edited out or something, definitely did not see that part at all,” she joked. But Eleanora would not outright deny that he was good-looking because he was, but wouldn’t give him the pleasure of knowing that so soon on their first date.

Eleanora smiled a little, reaching for one of the chips and opting for the red salsa first, taking a discreet bite in case it was much too spicy for her liking. Thankfully, it wasn’t. The green one, on the other hand, seemed suspicious. “You wear the pants in the relationship and you let your ex walk all over you like this?” she said, her expression playfully surprised, “Sounds like someone’s been tricked into thinking they wear the pants, Danny,” she continued, taking another bite from her chip with much amusement.

When the waiter returned, she settled on a sparkling sangria. Eleanora had turned her frequent visits to Frida’s into a way for her to explore the menu, forcing herself to at least try something new every time. If Danny wasn’t too possessive of whatever food he decided to get, though that burrito he mentioned did sound good, she would use this opportunity to try a couple of extra things. She was hungry enough, the young witch had an impressive appetite when the occasion called for it.

She wasn’t really sure what she wanted to know about him. Everything he wanted to say, probably, she had grown accustomed to listening more so than talking but so far it wasn’t too bad. Though he was certainly paranoid, he had not made her feel uncomfortable which was a feat in its own right.

Eleanora considered his question, allowing for several moments of silence to purposefully create a dramatic pause, before leaning in just slightly, “Would you rather,” she started suspiciously, lowering her voice slightly as if she intended to ask something that no one else was allowed to hear. “Only eat nachos for the rest of your life or eat anything you want but never be able to eat nachos again?” she asked, struggling to keep her composure as the corners of her mouth upturned in almost laughter.

"I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” she said after a few seconds, leaning back into her chair as she brought a chip up to her mouth, “but seriously, I’ve never been on a blind date before,” maybe it was starting to show, she wasn’t very experienced with this sort of thing. “What are our options here?” she asked, bringing up her other hand as if to count each available topic with her fingers, “your self-proclaimed dashing good looks, nachos, hmm—your ex Jeremy—” she smiled, “or, do you think all your dates are spies?” she continued.

If anything, she’d be able to size up her competition. There was no way a guy this handsome was single for long.

Danny nodded with a bit of a smile on his lips, agreeing with her on the nachos. Even if this was a fake date, at least she was easy enough to get along with. He smiled wider at her joke, seeing a similar spirit in her and liking it. Lots of girls rolled their eyes as his humor and no doubt it was others didn't think he was as funny as he thought himself, but she seemed to get it and Danny found that intriguing. He had a mind to owl his brother Edmund and let him know that yes, look, not all girls thought he was stupid. Well, he thought again, maybe the jury's still out on that one.

"No worries, the dashing part is something you don't need the file for," he said with an exaggerated bat of his eyelashes and an easy smile. Danny dug a chip into the green salsa, loving the spice of it and taking a big swish of water right after as the salsa singed his tongue, and then right back for another bite, glancing at her as he said. "Try the green one, it's good." A chip was on its way into his mouth when she dropped her little revelation on him and he paused, his eyes squinting slightly as he thought through it. Had he been tricked? Again. Her playfulness had him smiling and it was the kind of banter he lived for. After a moment, he shrugged and gave her a look that said he gave up. "I thought talk of exes were off limits on the first date. Someone's awfully nosy," he said, grinning before sliding his menu up in front of his face so she could only see his eyes.

"So what're you thinking of getting?" he said as he eyed at least three different entrees he wanted to try. He was hungry and his eyes were huge, he wanted one of everything on the menu. His gaze wandered over to her and he said without thinking, "You're not one of those girls who just order a salad, are you?" Merlin, he hoped not because otherwise she would be offended and this date would be over before it began. Unless it was all fake? He couldn't even keep it straight anymore.

He grabbed another chip, hoping they got free refills on the basket as it started to get low, and leaned back as she considered his question. "Go on," he encouraged her, wanting to know what questions she wanted answered. Her 'would you rather' had him perking his brows up and leaning forward as well, his eyes twinkling with amusement, anticipating her question. But she surprised him, again. And he started laughing as he shook his head. "No way, no fair, you can't use nachos against me. It's probably in my file but I loooove nachos. So I would take one for the team and eat nachos for my entire life and I wouldn't regret it one bit."

Danny cocked his head a bit as his brows came in with surprise. "Never?" he asked around a chip as he bit into another one. "Me neither, although I'm surprised you need a set up in the first place," he said, thinking of how pretty she was and how Greg or Jere would date her in a second given the chance, but not realizing it was a bit tactless. The counting off of their conversation options made him smile, but shake his head. "Clearly, you haven't been on a date in a while because you're supposed to ask all the boring things like what do you do, where did you grow up, what's your favorite toothpaste flavor," he said teasingly as he steepled his hands in front of him like this was an interview. "So go on, give me your most boring 'typical date' question or should I go first?" And it was a wonder why he hadn't been on a date in a while? Exhibit A right there.

“Looks dangerous, but I’ll try a bit, let’s hope I don’t regret it,” she said, dipping a small part of the rest of her chip into it just a little and leaning forward to take a bite. She wrinkled her nose, making a face before taking a bigger bite of the plain chip in an effort to make it better. “Spicy,” she noted, returning to the red salsa with much eagerness. But the pain was all but forgotten with his statement which made her laugh a little. She had never considered exes to be off the table but she also didn’t have a long list of lovers waiting to be exposed, “Gotta know what I’m up against, this Jeremy guy sounds like some really tough competition,” she said, making a face as if to express that it seemed like a risk that might not end in her favor, “I’m starting to worry I won’t get rewarded for my hard work,” she joked. What reward she was expecting she wasn’t so sure but she did know that with this Jeremy guy involved, she surely did have her work cut out for her.

Eleanora leaned in closer to take a better look at the menu, not exactly fully decided on what she wanted to eat but certain she intended to eat plenty of it. But before she could start naming out options he continued to ask if she intended to order a salad. She laughed, “Are we on a salad type of budget here?” she asked, but fully intended on splitting the check with him if that’s the conclusion they came to. She had made sure to bring money with her as well should she need it and had never been the sort to exclusively expect the man to pay on a date. “Because I was thinking that the carne asada tacos, the ceviche, and the quesadillas are a good start, there are plenty of vegetables too, in case you’re worried about eating all your veggies,” she continued. Her diet could be better but Eleanora was too much of a foodie to pay too much attention to nutritional value and all that fun stuff. “Sound good to you?”

“Good answer,” she said pleased with his response, “things are easier when you limit it to many variations of the same dish,” she continued. It was true, Eleanora could easily eat her favorite foods on a daily basis, as long as variations of that same dish were allowed. It was probably why she could happily eat pizza everyday of the week without much complaint. Her mother would be appalled at what she would consider commoner behavior. Eleanora waved down the waiter as he brought their drinks over, “Chips, please,” she asked with a polite smile, before returning her attention to the man across from her.

“I’m surprised you need to be set up at all, with your dashing good looks and all, must have all the girls at work lined up at your desk looking for a date,” she said. Eleanora was not kidding this time around, but she doubted he’d believe her. Maybe it was why she felt it easier to say as much. “Hmm,” she considered his question, “I’m a waitress part-time, from Bibury, just the sort of super minty type?” she tilted her head, unsure if there were other possible answers to that question. “Boring date question, okay,” she agreed, thinking hard for a moment. “Uh—what do you like to do in your free time? What odd talent do you have? How am I doing?” she asked, taking a sip from her drink.

"Just try it once," Danny said, grinning, as he nodded his head, urging her on and then following her chip with one of his own, loading it up with the green salsa spicy goodness. With eyebrows high on his forehead, he waited for her conclusion and laughed a bit as she made a face. "'s alright," he said, nudging the red salsa toward her. "Red one's all yours, I'll stick with this wicked little one," he said before dunking in another chip and sucking in a breath as the spice singed his tongue.

Danny waved a hand at her concern over Jeremy. "Don't worry about him. He's like a 3.5 out of 10, can't even compare to you. But! If you do talk to him after this, tell him that you think he should cut off his hair," he added with a laugh and a little devilish glimmer in his eye. Jeremy's big head mane was like his pet and he wondered if a hot girl like Ellie told him to cut it, would Jere actually do it?

As talk shifted back to the menu, Danny felt his stomach grumble. He was hungry. But he found himself laughing and shaking his head as she called him out about budget. "No, no," he said, his shoulder shaking. "Order whatever you like," he told her. Merlin, she could have ordered the moon and he would have somehow figured out a way to pay for it. Or considering this was a fake date, he'd make Jeremy pay him back for the bill, all things considered. The fake date thought had him tilting his head at her as she looked at the menu, giving him a moment to study her. He really couldn't quite figure it out.

When she listed various menu items, he followed each one with a nod and a quick "yep," agreeing to the whole order. "Plus let's throw in the chimichangas too. They look good." Veggies? He wasn't exactly counting his veggies these days, but he and Jere were getting better. Just last week, they had purchased a cucumber. "I'm not too worried about my veggie count," he admitted with a smile and a careless lift of his shoulder.

His eyes went wide with delight as the waiter dropped off their drinks, Danny's dark red in a big margarita glass and he leaned in to take a sip before stopping himself and remembering they had to toast. Holding his glass up to her, he suggested, "To spies and fake dates?" with a grin. Then clinked her glass lightly and sipped, the fruity explosion hitting his tongue.

Danny laughed loudly this time around. "Yeah, all the girls lining up for me to date them, all of them so stunned by my good looks they can't even speak to me," he exaggerated, his dimples showing through as he smiled widely at her. Cute and funny? Merlin, was she a genius too? He hoped Prosper didn't know about this place. Even if he was with Ari right now, one look at him and Ellie would probably fall in love. Danny vaguely wondered if he should try his French accent to win her over, but then remembered it hadn't really worked out last time so gave up on that thought.

He nodded along with her answers, taking note of all the standard first date answers. Waitress, Bibury, normal toothpaste. He grinned at her questions and shrugged. "They're alright, pretty standard, just boring enough to get you bonus points," he said as he took another sip of his margarita. "But I'll give you equally boring answers. I like to hang out with friends and listen to music, you might as well leave now if you tell me you're not a fan of the Weird Sisters. As for odd talent? I can lick my nose with my tongue?" he said, before crossing his eyes to look at his nose as he stuck out his tongue to touch the bottom of his nose. He sat back at little triumphantly as he glanced at her. "What about you? Free time, odd talent, siblings, all that?"

Eleanora was pleased with the arrangement; if he was the type to divvy up meals based on their personal preferences then she would have no qualms about splitting meals with him in the future. Here they hadn’t even gotten to the main bit of dinner and she was already thinking of when they might meet again. There was a bar down the street closer to hers that served nachos, it was a bit posh so they were considered gourmet but she wouldn’t mind taking him there if he was interested. But she’d save that bit of the conversation later, he didn’t need to know so early on that she was already considering seeing him again. “3.5 sounds kind of harsh, doesn’t it?” she laughed a little but wasn’t bold enough to ask if that meant she was more like a five in comparison. She shrugged playfully, “I don’t know, long hair is in these days, you might want to consider it yourself,” she added with a grin.

“Oh, quite generous, aren’t we? What’s the most expensive on the menu, let’s see,” she looked down again, though she was pretty pleased with what she had chosen so far. Her mother had always been the type to order expensive things at restaurants, Eleanora figured that her mother thought it was a power move to show guests of just how much she was capable of spending in one sitting. Eleanora, on the other hand, found that the most expensive food was strange or somewhat gross and was more interested in something that actually tasted good, not something that was served in a tiny place. She wasn’t sure who exactly had chosen Frida’s, whether it was Danny or Janae, but she had been glad they’d done so. Had Danny taken her to some swanky, overpriced place closer to hers she might not have been so charmed.

“Oh, the chimichangas, a man of very refined tastes,” she complimented him, quite sure that they might not have the appetite to eat as much as they had ordered; probably something to do with big eyes, little stomachs, the plates were notoriously generous at Frida’s which was most likely why it was so popular with the clientele. Eleanora smiled in agreement, “To spies and fake dates,” she replied. Though at this point, Eleanora did hope he didn’t still think they were having a fake date. Maybe he was being cordial and charming because he wasn’t taking this seriously? It was hard to tell, but she hoped he was just kidding.

Eleanora smiled when he laughed, amused by his statement but not believing it at all. “That sounds like something a playboy says,” she retorted, leaning forward to take another sip from her drink as she went in for another chip. Who knew how many girls he was dating, that was a thing now right? To have multiple dates until you figured out who you liked the most. Her friends often talked about it. “The Weird Sisters?” she made a face before she relaxed her expression, “they’re great! I’ve been to a Banshee concert recently, not the same but you might like them too?” she wondered. Bringing her hands together in delight, she clapped quietly, “Look at you, so much talent!” she smiled.

Spotting the waiter, she waved him down once again to place their order: chimichangas, quesadillas, the tacos, and the ceviche. The waiter gave her a bit of a look, almost as if to wonder if they intended to eat everything by themselves or if they were expecting company. But, he said nothing on the matter, instead of repeating the order for confirmation and leaving right after. She turned to Danny once again, “I think he’s judging us,” she said, buying herself a little time as she thought about his questions. “Oh I don’t know, I’m kinda boring,” she confessed. “I’m into photography, nothing serious just sort of for fun, I also spend a lot of times with friends, mostly eating,” she laughed. “I don’t know if this is an odd talent but I can write with both hands? In case I break one or whatever,” that had sounded dark but it was the only instance Eleanora felt it would ever be any use. “I have a little brother, Andronicus, goes by Andy, he stays with me sometimes. Recently got a girlfriend so basically talks about her nonstop, still in school though, and a little sister, Morgana, she’ll be a fourth year,” she added.

“You from London, Danny? Got any siblings and the like?” she asked in return, “anything you’d be embarrassed to admit you’re into?” she tried.

"Harsh? No, not at all," Danny said with a tilt of his head, his brow furrowed a bit. "I gave him three whole stars and a half. Trust me, if you meet Jere you'll understand," he said with a laugh and a shake of his head. "Or wait.. you've already met him right? When you do your debriefing make sure you tell him I said that," Danny added with another laugh. It felt a little like payback for this fake date.. although considering how nice and funny Ellie was, Danny wasn't sure if he should be thanking Jeremy and Janae now?? Merlin, he wasn't cut out for this much intricate strategy and thinking.

"Me with long hair? Think I could pull it off?" he asked as he turned a bit in his chair and placed his chin on his shoulder, giving her his best model stare, pretending to flick some hair out of his face. He grinned at her, breaking character and shrugged.

As she looked for the most expensive thing on the menu, Danny smiled and tried to ignore the nervous feeling that shot through him. "This place isn't expensive, right?" he asked, taking another look at the menu and eyeballing the prices. He hadn't brought all of his cash with him and it's not like he had a ton of savings anyway. Maybe he should've encouraged her to get that salad...

"I mostly just picked them because I like saying chimichangas," Danny admitted with a laugh as he stole a chip from the new basket the waiter dropped off for them. Danny hadn't been on many dates before, but for some reason, he had a feeling even this fake one was starting off on the right foot. Even if she was a spy fake date with an assignment, at least she was good company. And her smile? Made him smile each time she did.

That sounds like something a playboy says. "Oh does it?" he asked as he placed an elbow on the table and leaned closer to her. "Wasn't that in my file? Danny Willbond, Ministry mail man, playboy," he said as if writing his own headline, his tone playful and light. She didn't even know him that well and could probably already tell he was just a step from hopeless when it came to girls.

He narrowed his eyes when they started talking about the Weird Sisters, noticing that look she gave him. He pointed an accusing finger at her. "What was that look?" he asked suspiciously. "Are you not a fan? Please tell me you've at least heard of them?" he tacked on, almost pleading the last part. It would be blasphemy otherwise.

Danny gave a warm smile to the waiter as he came back to take their orders and he let Ellie do the honors as she ordered everything including the chimichangas. He saw the look the waiter gave her and it made him smile. "And that's all for her, I'm not even hungry," he stage whispered to the waiter who simply repeated everything and left. Danny cracked up as soon as he was gone, sliding his gaze back to his date. "Judging you, not us," he said laughing.

He took another sip of his margarita, already wanting another as she mentioned her interests and odd talents and then all the standard first date questions. "Andronicus? Whew, your parents were just asking for trouble with that one," Danny said with a wide eyed look and a grin. Who named their kid Andronicus. Danny was sure he wouldn't even be able to spell it. "What sort of photography do you do?" he asked, taking another chip, loading it up with the green spicy salsa.

"From Chalford, actually. Gloucestershire farm boy. But living here now with the ex Jeremy since we work at the Ministry," he explained with a smirk referencing their little inside joke from earlier. "Loads of siblings. Marjorie, Simon, Edmund, Mark, Maisey, Wendy," he said listing them quite quickly, all the names running together, practiced from years of rolling through them. He sat up a little straighter as she asked the good question, his eyes lighting up.

Rubbing his hands together, he said, "Ohh something embarrassing? Now it's getting good. Hmmm, let me think. I love the Sugar Quills?" he offered, mentioning the all female pop rock band that was known for female empowerment. But he shook his head, wasn't embarrassing enough. He wanted to give her something juicy. "I once slept on my kitchen floor and woke up to having a full on Santa beard growing from my chin. Took me three days to get rid of the hex," he said, remembering with a laugh. "Is that embarrassing enough?" It wasn't exactly a hobby or pastime, but it was memorable. On second thought, he probably shouldn't be advertising the less advantageous parts of his personality. He glanced up at her wondering how she'd react.

If you meet Jere, sounded promising, she decided, since it would only make sense for her to meet him through Danny, which in turn would only mean that she might meet Danny again. Then again, she could have been reading too much into what he was saying because just as quickly, he had moved on to talk about the covert ploy he believed her to be involved in. Eleanora decided that she would not be complaining to Janae about Danny, but instead, about this mystery man named Jeremy, who was still a prime feature in their date even though he wasn’t there at all. Janae might not know who Jeremy was, but at least it would make sense for her to poke around for more information.

“I’d say you’ve got the right bone structure,” she smiled a little as she watched him comically turn in his chair, it was only for a moment, but she was able to get a better look at him, allowing her eyes to linger on him enough to know that he was indeed very handsome and quite charming. Danny wasn’t a fixer-upper, that was for sure, but Eleanora did come with a host of baggage no one needed to deal with. But maybe she was thinking too far in advance, for now, she knew that she was enjoying herself immensely.

“Don’t think so,” she replied when he asked if the place was expensive because as much as Eleanora wanted to be financially independent of her parents, it was a habit difficult to break from. What exactly was expensive? It wasn’t a question she was going to ask; it hadn’t gotten across the way she intended last time she had asked a friend something similar. Eleanora considered revealing to Danny that she spoke Spanish very fluently. But it felt a little too early for that, and instead, she laughed, finding that she very much liked the way that he said the word as opposed to how she would have said it.

So he was a mailman at the Ministry, now she felt like she was getting somewhere. “I know who they are, just not super familiar with their music, I’d be open to a proper introduction though,” she suggested, wondering if he would take her up on her offer to share the music he liked with her. Music told you things about people that words couldn’t—maybe though his favorite songs, Eleanora might be able to figure him out a little bit better. Looking back at him with wide eyes at his words to the waiter, she giggled, actually giggled, gross before giving the waiter one more glance as he walked away. “I’m never coming here again,” she declared but certainly didn’t intend to follow through, food was too delicious anyway.

“His middle name is Octavian, my parent’s like very—outdated things,” she explained, but it didn’t nearly do her parents any justice. They were traditionalists that gave their kids ridiculous names to prove it. It was stupid. “I actually have two models that often feature in my work, Birdie, and Milo, very cheap, easy to please with catnip and tuna treats,” she explained. Eleanora was an amateur in photography at best, “Sometimes people, landscapes, pretty things in stores, can’t live off it, but I enjoy it,” she continued.

“Did you have like cows and sheep?” she wondered, her interest piqued at the mention of farms. Eleanora had always been very fond of farms and had spent a few family vacations on farm stays where she got to do fun things like feed the livestock. “A big family sounds like so much fun--! Got lots to choose from, I only get two choices, but I guess Andy’s alright,” she teased. She loved Andy and Morgana, maybe Andy, a little more than her sister.

“Yeah, the Sugar Quills are great, doesn’t sound embarrassing to me, but that kitchen floor situation now I’m rather intrigued,” she said, leaning forward as she wondered if there was more to that story. “Why were you sleeping on the floor in the first place?” she ventured to ask. Was he a party boy? “Hmm—I think you’re holding out on me, Danny, sounds like you’ve got all kinds of fun tales right up your sleeve, is that really the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you? Or are you still trying to look cool?” she asked, taking another chip and dipping it in the red salsa before leaning in to take another sip from her drink. “I thought I had you all figured out with the file and all, but I’m starting to suspect you’re a playboy and a partier. Is that a misconception?” she wondered with a grin.