Dance the night away [open]

[Deleted]

Clubbing. Elina absolutely loved it. Despite the fact that she had to turn her ability off in order to remain sane while surrounded by so many people and her limited ‘vision’ given the darker surroundings, it did not stop her from attending a club anyway. Normally she would have someone accompany her to reassure herself help would ne nearby if something were to go horribly wrong, but that could limit her chances of drawing a guy near.

Finding a way to get back to Hammel would be something to worry about later on. Right now her mind was set on dancing the night away and to do so without hitting the floor once. Perhaps alcohol should be avoided, but eh. You only lived once and she would be restricted again once back at school. With that in mind, the girl ordered herself a simple beer and kept the bottle securely in her hand while leaning back against the bar.

It probably seemed as if she were scanning the room, but in reality the brunette was working with the echolocation caused by music and other conversations. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone got the idea that she was staring though.

[Richard McAuliffe]

If there was anything that Richard enjoyed doing as much as sports, it was clubbing. In fact it combined two things he loved ; loud music and pretty girls. Only a few days after arriving at Hammel Institute, he was already exploring the clubs of Point Ridge. So far he liked what he had seen. The music was good and the girls were certainly pretty. Well some of them at least, not everyone was blessed with the genes of good looks.

For most part, this wasn't all that different to what it had been like back at Kocher in Switzerland. Except one thing, meeting girls was a bit different for him here. In the years he had spent at Kocher, he had built up quite some popularity, mostly due to his accomplishments at sports. Which meant that alot of the time, he was actually being approached by the girls rather than the opposite. But here at Hammel he was no one special, at least for the moment. It was of course his goal to climb to the top-tier of Hammel's social hierarchy, one way or another. But for now he'd have to swallow his pride and accept the fact that few knew his name and instead rely on his looks.

Right now he had been at this club (which name he couldn't remember, he sort of just wandered in there) for about an hour, dancing with random chicks. He sort of just chose the hottest one he could spot and danced with her until he saw someone better looking. Unfortunately the last one... wasn't quite exactly he had expected when he first saw her, so he snuck dancing out of the crowd to escape.

He wiped a little bit of sweat off his forehead with his sleeve and turned around to take a look at his surroundings. It was then, when he spotted a girl his age all by her self at the bar. What's more, she seemed to be staring at him! The thought of catching someone taking a peek at him was rather exciting, so he put on a big smile and walked towards her casually.

Reaching his destination, he leaned on his side at the bar right next to her. "Hey... you like what you see?" he asked with a grin.

[Deleted]

Footsteps approached, but Elina could not be certain that this person was heading in her direction. He (based on the less graceful steps) might as well be moving towards the bar to order another drink. Being as curious as she was, the girl didn't even bother to avert her gaze, so when Richard spoke, eyes still rested upon him as if she had indeed been taking in his handsome appearance.

It even made her turn ever so slightly on the seat, resting her own arm on the bar as lips mirrored his into a grin. Ellie was not going to make it obvious that her eyes lacked vision. It was so much more fun if he found out later. Either it would make him feel uncomfortable or... well, that's how it tended to end nearly every single time. Not that she cared though. Not her loss.

"Quite," the brunette responded while dipping her head to the side, twirling the bottle of alcohol with one hand. "I may hope the feeling is mutual?" Elina had never been subtle when it came to earning herself compliments. Given the guy had walked over, surely he hadn't judged her to be ugly.

"Do tell me though, why are you here by yourself? A mental disease?" Because clearly he deemed himself hot, and it was also her way to find out if he was indeed by himself that night. If alone, it didn't really make sense.

[Richard McAuliffe]

Things seemed to be going well so far. His approach hadn't caused her to panic and look away like some, more shy girls did when they realized that he had caught them staring at him. Oh no, to him it looked like she simply couldn't take her eyes off him. His first impression of her could be summarized into one word ; confidence. He could see it right away that this girl was certainly not shy.

As she answered his question, he ran his eyes up and down her body, checkin' her out. She was indeed as pretty as he had thought at first glance. No scratch that, she was even hotter than he had thought. With a sideways grin he replied to her. "That feeling certainly is mutual." He ran his fingers through his hair and pushed it to the side in a graceful movement as he continued. "In fact you're the hottest girl I've seen in this club so far."

Having said that he smiled even wider and let her process his words for a moment. What he found a little bit strange is why she was all by her self like that. Perhaps she had only just arrived and he had beaten everyone else to her? Also, wasn't she with any friends or anything? Usually when girl friends of his went clubbing he insisted on them going together in pairs or groups.

He was just about to ask her if she was alone, when she beat him to it. "A mental disease?" he wondered. The question was a little bit odd, but he wasn't going to let it catch him off balance. Oh no, when ever he spoke to girls he saw him self as James Bond. And Bond always kept his cool, regardless of how strange the conversation could turn out.

"Because I don't need wingmen. They slow me down when i'm out chick-hunting." he said jokingly and chuckled. "Nah... I've been living abroad most of my life so I don't know many people in this town so far. Besides, I kinda like going out on my own every once in a while." Richard smirked "And what about you fair maiden? Why are you alone? There are some creeps out there y'know."

[Deleted]

Well, duh. Did he really expect to come across a hotter girl that evening? Elina did not think so. If he did hope for that, this guy was as naïve as they came. Despite this encounter only having started a minute ago, she could already tell he was the type who could deal with a vain response, hence the reason she opted to put that opinion into words. ”So far? Trust me, it’s a fact that won’t change.” Male confirmation like this helped her strengthen the mental image she had of herself. Lacking the possibility to observe her own reflections, that’s how her ego got fed.

And yes, a mental disease. If his appearance was as flawless as his attitude made her believe, surely something had to be wrong in that head of his. Why else would he lack feminine company? Luckily Richard served her ears an entertaining answer, one which brought a slightly amused smile to her lips. His statement about this being a chick-hunt interested her way more than his lack of social contacts, even though it had been said in a joking manner. Nevertheless, she did opt to fake interest. Kind of. ”So… this is my lucky night, mh?” To be one of the people to get to know him first. ”Or perhaps you’re the lucky one here,” she quickly added. ”You might have ended up with the wrong girl if you aren’t careful.”

Pretty much like the warning he had given to her. So while smoothing a strand from her face, she verbally danced around his ‘concern’. ”I am not alone, am I? And there clearly is nothing to worry about with a strong guy like you around.” Bringing the bottle to her lips, Ellie gulped down some of the bitter liquid and then decided to continue being honest. ”And as to why I’m alone: I don’t like competition.”

[Richard McAuliffe]

She seemed to be the type that thoroughly enjoyed being flattered. No, scratch that, he knew she was the type that wanted to be complimented. In some cases that could be pretty difficult to deal with in relationships, but in his own experience it meant that he could sometimes literally get a girl by doing nothing but flatter her non-stop like she was a princess. Would it work on her? He didn't know and there was only one way to find out. "I think you're right miss. I probably won't find any prettier girl in this club because you're absolutely smoking!" he said looking her in the eyes while casually adjusting his position so he was a little bit closer to her.

The fact that his answer to her question about his mentality had brought a smile on her face, certainly didn't go unnoticed. Excellent, complimenting girls wasn't the only thing he knew would work. Good humor usually worked every time as well. That combined with confidence and flattery could be very effective. "Your lucky night? Hmm, perhaps. But truth be told, I think this is my lucky night." For a second he thought back to that 'beautiful' girl he had seen on the dance floor, who had turned out to be about as good looking as the back side of a chimpanzee when she turned around. Once again he complimented him self for being so smooth and actually managing to ditch her without being noticed. "Oh? I could have ended up with the wrong girl? I might have, but are you saying that I have found the correct one?" he asked with a grin as wide as his ego.

The longer this conversation went on, the more successful he felt it was. In his mind, she had already taken the bait. "Depends," he replied "you wouldn't be in any danger with me since like you guessed, i'm a pretty strong guy." He found this a little bit funny. She probably had correctly assumed that he was strong because he was 6'3 and built like an athlete, but in reality that was only the tip of the iceberg. Chuckling slightly at the thought he once more moved a bit closer. "Competition? With your looks? That's like Usain Bolt competing with Stephen Hawking in marathon." He ran his fingers through his hair and added "But I can see why you're alone. Your friends know they can't get any guys when you're nearby."

He turned around, leaning on his back against the bar so that he was facing the dance floor. "But take a look out there... see all these guys? You're way out of their league. That's why you're alone, because i'm the only one in here who has the slightest chance, ain't that right?" With a grin he leaned closer to her until his mouth was right next to her ear. Speaking in an intriguing, provocative way he added "Besides, I've got a pulsing, big and thick, throbbing sense of humor."

Richard moved back away from her head. "Your dirty mind thought I was going to say something else, didn't you? he asked and laughed. "But anyway... do you dance?"

[Deleted]

Ah, so many flattery. Elina didn’t mind though. In fact, she easily absorbed the compliments and beamed at the nice words coming from Richard. Of course she knew he might expect something in return later on, but that should be dealt with later because for now she planned on enjoying her night as much as possible. With a chuckle, she shrugged shoulders and left him without a clue. ”Who knows. Perhaps you did find the correct one, but would it not be more interesting to find out yourself?” At that, a finger gave his muscular chest a little poke. ”After all, you seem like the type of guy who likes a small challenge.”

Listening to all the rest that he said, her features lit up even more and an entertained look appeared. ”How convenient,” she mused. ”I clearly don’t have any competition tonight and yes, you clearly are the only guy with the slightest chance of keeping me interested, so that has to stand for something, mh?”

As Richard leaned in, Elina could feel his breath caressing the patch of skin surrounding her ear. It was an extra sensitive spot, immediately sending small goose bumps to appear, especially as words began to leave his mouth. Even the purest of minds could have gotten the wrong idea, but heck… it did disappoint the girl to have her mental completion been smashed and corrected. So as he moved back, a little sly grin crept upon her mouth. ”You let me down there,” easily confirming his suspicion of her having thought of something completely different. But dancing? Yes, of course she did.

Slipping off the stool, an eyebrow got raised at him. ”Coming?” She asked before spinning around on her heels again, attempting to make a way through the dancing crowd without bumping into people too much. Luckily most of it could be blamed on the fact that no one was standing still, so surely it wouldn’t stir any suspicion. Besides, it was dark enough for it to not be as obvious. Once confident the found spot was big enough for both of them to dance (or be squeezed together since it was quite crowded at the club), Elina waited for Richard to make it out of the sea of people alive.

Once he was, knowing it was him because of the slight hint of his aftershave, the girl leaned in. ”Elina,” her voice raised enough for him to hear. They had clearly skipped the pleasantries. ”What’s your name?”

[Richard McAuliffe]

"Perhaps," he replied to her question, not getting deeper into whether he liked a challenge or not. Truth be told, this girl seemed to understand his personality pretty well, he did like the more challenging girls for the one reason that they tended to be so hot that they knew guys would like up for a chance. So in the end, they were usually worth the time and effort.

Richard grinned at the girl's words. "Yes, how convenient" he told her. In fact he not only considered her to be the hottest girl in the club, but he was positive that he was the most handsome guy as well! So naturally they'd fit together and their search for a partner was over. At least for the next few hours or so.

So far, so good. When he leaned back from her head, he realized that she seemed to like that. Perhaps she had a sensitive spot there. Feeling the sense of a minor victory, he made a mental note not to forget this. At the right moment, this information could be crucial in his attempts to charm this girl. "Oh don't worry, I don't disappoint in that department either" he added in a slightly cocky voice (pun intended) as she mentioned being let down.

"Comin'" he answered her when the girl stood up and started walking towards the dance floor. He followed her, not taking his eyes off her on the way. Poor girl, everybody was naturally bumping into each other at the crowded dance floor but she seemed to get it pretty bad. Remembering that he had seen her with a drink, he didn't see anything unusual and dismissed any suspicion of her eyesight not working properly.

Reaching their destination, he immediately took stance in front of her and started dancing, letting go of him self and following the flow of the music. The area was... crowded. So crowded that everyone was practically squeezed together. Not that he'd complain being tightly pressed against a beautiful girl, he sort of liked it, but the most important thing right now wasn't what he liked. Deciding not to take any chances by being too bold, he put his power into good use by "accidentally" bumping into a few guys he felt were a little bit too close, sending them stumbling away.

There, now they had some space to breathe and more importantly, he'd be able to slowly work his way closer to her. "Elina? That's a beautiful name for a beautiful girl!" he answered loud enough for her to hear. "Name's Richard" he added.

Now, that they were starting to reveal a bit more about each other. He wondered whether she was a meta or not. She looked his age so she couldn't help but wonder if she went to Hammel. But she could also be a year or two older and study at either of the collages. "You study here?" he asked while making his way bit closer to her. He kinda wanted to know, she'd probably ask him the same question eventually and well, he didn't really want her to know that he was in High school if she was a university student.

[Deleted]

So many compliments. Elina adored him already, even if all she knew about him was his name. And the fact that he would not disappointed in the intimate department. All she needed to be informed about, right? All the rest didn’t really matter. She didn’t mind his questions though, mainly because having a conversation gave her enough reason to lean in closer to his ear. Of course the girl could easily apply her power to avoid having to do so, but where would the fun be in that?

”Mhm. At Hammel.” While she didn’t care if someone found out about it being a school for meta students, she restricted the information at that point. If Richard went there as well, he wouldn’t ask about the school specifically, and it would also keep her from having to retort the question. As hips easily kept up with the rhythm of the music, Elina ended up placing hands upon the man’s shoulders. It was not an abnormal move, so it easily hid that it was her attempt to make sure he wasn’t going anywhere and that she would keep chatting with the right person.

As it became obvious that they both attended the same school, a little sly smirk crept onto her lips. ”Quite sad that I didn’t see you before,” she remarked, ironically enough. If she hadn’t taken notice of him before, perhaps that meant he shouldn’t be on her radar to begin with. Then again, he boosted her ego… so for now he could stay. ”Will you be attending the Halloween Dance?”

[Richard McAuliffe]

Richard merely nodded as if he wasn't all that surprised she went to Hammel. Although curious about her powers, he decided not to ask since she was probably here for the same reason as he was. To escape from school just for a little bit and think about something else than studies and the fact that they weren't normal human beings. When Elina placed her hands upon his shoulders, he responded by placing his hands on her hips. He liked it that she was taking the initiative and doing this without him directly hinting that she should. That way he knew he was making some progress and the girl genuinely had some minor interest.

Since she didn't ask right away, he decided not to mention that they attended the same school. But soon enough she figured it out her self. "You're a pretty good detective, huh?" He wasn't sure how she had figured it out, but used the opportunity to throw more compliments at her. "It's not every day you run into a hot girl that's smart as well." His power wasn't really something that you noticed by just looking at him, but he wasn't surprised she had somehow figured he was a meta. He was abnormally strong after all so that the weight of an average human felt like hardly nothing in his hands, which meant that any physical contact such as dancing could easily hint that he wasn't totally normal.

"It's not surprising you haven't seen me often since I just started at Hammel." Richard smirked and looked away for a moment as he thought back to his old school. He hadn't been able to explain it to his parents why he wanted to change schools when he decided to switch from Kocher to Hammel. Truth be told, he didn't know it him self, he just needed to change something...

Richard snapped out of his thoughts and looked back at Elina with a smile. "Of course i'll be attending the Halloween ball. Even signed up for the match-thingy. You going as well?" If she had also signed up, then who knows. Maybe they'd get paired up? And if not they could maybe take turns and change partners.

[Deleted]

It had nothing to do with being a good detective, but yes, Elina liked to receive compliments, even if they were about skills she hardly possessed. With a smile as wide as her ego, she made a soft approving sound without even parting her lips. "If you promises to keep thinking that, I'll let you in on a little secret." At that, not even waiting for his response for she was convinced Richard would like to hear it either way, the brunette leaned in with lips practically caressing along his earlobe as she spoke. "You would have been curious about Hammel if you didn't attend it as well." With a grin present, Ellie pulled back.

Also, her touch was sensitive enough to feel the muscles hidden away under his clothing. Oh, how she would have loved to be able to see now. Unless he was actually an ugly guy. In that case she was happy with the impairment when it came to Richard.

Smirking as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, Elina nodded. "That Halloween Ball wouldn't be worth a dime if it isn't for me attending it. And, if you prove to be a good dancer, they better pair me up with you because I don't even want to imagine who else I'll end up with." A loser most probably. She had already developed a liking towards Richard because he hadn't annoyed her from the start.

"Why did you sign up though?" Her body continued to sway to the rhythm of the music, being just as subtle when it came to closing the distance as he was. "Too much competition?" He could technically ask out whoever he wanted. According to himself, he had the looks and the attitude to go with it.

[Richard McAuliffe]

She did have a point. If he wasn't from Hammel he probably would've asked questions about it. The school was shrouded in mystery to most people, although he believed that most thought it was merely an elite private school. If only it was, it would mean his parents were rich, which they really weren't although they certainly weren't poor either.

Richard chuckled. "I bet we're both going to be paired up with the nerdiest kids in school!" He wouldn't be surprised if he was paired up with the most socially awkward girl in the entire school. But that didn't really make him all that worried, if that happened he could just easily walk away early in the night and just find someone better. Who knew? Maybe they'd even meet there and switch partners if they weren't paired together and unhappy with their date.

Soon enough, she asked him a question that he had been expecting. Why did a guy like him sign up to be paired with some girl on a blind date. This wasn't the first time the question was asked and he didn't really want to answer it. "Dunno. Maybe I like being adventurous every once in a while." Truth be told, he hadn't asked any girl out because he hadn't found the one he wanted to ask out. Of course some girls had caught his eye because of their good looks.

But he didn't know who was dating who and had no intention of starting any drama. Of course that was a little bit weird coming from him since it was exactly the opposite of what he had acted like at Kocher. He was probably strong enough to handle any jealous guys, but he had no interest in turning potential allies into enemies so soon after arriving at this new school.

"And what about you?" he asked her the same question. He automatically assumed that she had been at the school for longer than he had, so why had she signed up for the match making? Why weren't there guys lining up to ask her out? Maybe they did and she refused every single of them?

[Deleted]

Of course. Anyone paired up with her would be a nerd to begin with. There wasn't a single guy who reached her level. Obviously. Elina's expression said enough and instead of digging deeper when it came to the topic, she rather found out why he had to sign up in the first place. His response earned him a smirk, yet she opted to accept it as a valid reply. Perhaps he wasn't that much of a womanizer after all. Maybe he had asked a girl out, but had not received a positive answer. No guy would want to admit that.

"Didn't you tell me that I was out of everyone's leageu? Except for you. I clearly didn't meet you before the signup began." Yes, Elina could hand out compliments as well, even though it involved some flattery of herself. "Besides," the brunette continued. "It's better to let someone else make this decision for me. Too many hearts would get broken if I had to cut the knot." With a vain shrug, the girl moved hands off of his shoulder and loosely wrapped arms around his neck to make it more convenient in case he wanted to close more distance between their bodies.

"If you allow me a dance at the Halloween dance, it will make my night though, no matter who I would have been matched to. So, does that sound like a deal to you? Or do you have a specific price in mind?" An eyebrow arched as fingertips playfully moved along the hair at the back of his neck, expecting him to obviously take advantage of that question. You never knew he might want something in return.

[Richard McAuliffe]

So if he understood her right, she really wanted to go to the Halloween dance with a handsome date, but she just didn't think that anybody qualified. It was a good enough reason for Richard to accept, but perhaps there was something else about her he didn't know. Something that drove guys away. Perhaps she was a bit too sure of her self for them, but that's something Richard could easily handle since he had an inflated ego as well.

"And if you had met me before signing-up? Am I really in your league?" He asked curious as to what standards she expected of guys. Richard laughed as she continued and mentioned that it would be better that others took care of pairing her up since there would be so many broken hearts. "So you truly do have lines of guys asking you out?" he asked her grinning. If that was true, if she was a popular figure in school, then he was a lot more interested in her than he had been before.

Arms wrapped loosely around his shoulders, it didn't take Richard long to get the hint and he moved as close to her as he possibly could. Sure, he couldn't see why he shouldn't let her take a turn and dance with him at the dance. But a specific price? Hmm now things were taking an interesting turn, there were a couple of things he could think of right away.

But he didn't want to give her an answer right away. First he wanted to have some fun and see what she had in mind. "A price? Anything specific you have in mind?" he asked her, playing along.

[Deleted]

Of course Elina wanted a handsome date. Why would she settle for something less? He out of everyone should understand, for as far as she could tell. At the question, an amused laugh escaped. "Only one way you could have found out," the brunette mused in a slightly teasing manner, mainly because she was referring to the fact that only those who asked her knew if she judged them worthy enough. Those turned down weren't. "But-" she continued. "If it helps, we're still dancing, so that has to be a good sign, mh?"

When it came to the line of guys asking her out... Yeah, no. In reality, Elina had not been asked to be someone's date. She did like to create the impression that she had tons to pick from though, especially since it kept her ego from deflating. So she gave Richard a simple nod to keep him from questioning her. Therefore allowing him to close some distance came in very handy, and she more then welcomed the closeness. What Ellie did not appreciate, was him retorting the question.

"Honestly, if you let me decide, I would opt to not give something in return. So you're better off not asking me that." At that, Elina leaned in once more, even though she hardly had to put any effort into that since they were as close as could be already. "Unless you can take pleasure with simply dancing with me." Against no price... but she doubted that. And she hoped it would be quite the opposite as well.