𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠: 𝐢 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 - 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐬

"This is the location, right..?" they thought to themself.

The building loomed over them. Like it would collapse onto them, and crumble into a myriad of pieces. The exquisite lights and bold sign was a sight that one couldn't miss from miles away.

The translucent windows had a soft blue hue where couples and families in extravagant dresses and suits who dined together could be seen through.

Just standing near something as elegant as this restaurant could make someone feel like they are in the spotlight and rows of paparazzi are asking for their autograph.

[Name] bought some formal attire for the occasion due to the restaurant's dress code. Although it was not as expensive as the high class ones, it was for a decent price for the firm material and silky fabric. It may have been a bit of a waste to buy all of this for a mere date, but they needed to do what they can to get as close to the man as possible, even if it means sacrificing a bit from their wallet.
As they walked in, the revolving doors greeted their master/mistress and the lines of greenery bowed down.

And just as exquisite was it inside as it was outside. Spotless marble floors, smeared with a luminous glow, where you can see your reflection. In the corner of their eye, they spot a middle-aged man, fairly tall, walk up with a clipboard in hand.

"Good day, Mx. Do you have a reservation with us today, or would you like to book a reservation?" he asked in a monotonous voice.

"Ah, I was coming here for a date."

"I see, what is the name and number under the reservation you're attending?" he asked.

"U-uhm.."

"Crap, I never got his name," they thought.

"Uh, so you see, I'm not really sure what the name under the reservation is.. but I can assure you I will be attending it! He's about this tall, blonde hair and purple eyes!" they stated, gesturing with their hands.

"I'm afraid if you have no evidence of the arrangement, we cannot permit you to stay. Please show us evidence or leave the restaurant's vicinities," he said, his voice sounding deeper and more stern.

"N-no, I am meant to be here! Uhh, I have this piece of paper with the place and time if that counts for evidence!"

"Anybody could've written that. Leave the area now or else we will have to call for security to escort you. There are customers behind you who are required to be seated, who likely did make a reservation, considering your attire.." he glanced me up and down, as it he could see the cheaper price of the clothes.

"Why you..!" they yelled, gritting their teeth. "You may not think I'm your customer, but who are you to insult me on my clothing!? What right do you ha-".

"Hold it right there."

They felt a cold embrace on their shoulder, as if it was cooling their body from the tense argument. As they turned around, the familiar face was seen yet again, but this time, in the most striking suit they've seen, with a dazzling green aventurine stone embedded in the middle.

"M-mr Aventurine..! A-ah, as if it isn't our most valued customer! To what do I owe the pleasure of helping you with..? D-did you have a reservation made or do you wish to make one?" the man asked, fixing his tie and fumbling over his clipboard, as he greatly bowed down to the blonde man, treating him as if he was a prince.

"I've made a reservation for this time, and I see you insulting my guest. I will let you off the hook this time, but if this happens again, it would be best if you start job searching." He had a fierce dagger-like look in his eyes, which will not hesitate to slash anyone who tries to defy him. A look that was never seen from his usual playfulness.

"Y-y-yes, I understand! I very much understand! I-i sincerely apologise, Mr Aventurine and Mx..! I will make sure it doesn't happen a-again!!" His face was overwhelmed with a sense of fear from Aventurine's threat. "I will guide you to your table.." he stuttered, guiding them along as the two followed behind.

"The menu is left on the table.. please call for one of the staff when you have decided what to eat.." he said as he walked away.

"Ah, I'm sorry that your first experience had to be such a hassle. Please take a seat, dear," he said charmingly, pulling their chair back.

"A-ah, thank you.." they quietly said as they sat down, but just loud enough for Aventurine to hear. "So, your name is Aventurine..?"

"It is, Mx [name]. You must've forgotten to ask me yesterday! You're so brave to go on a date with someone whose name you don't even know!" he chuckled.

"I still don't understand why you were so willing to go on the date with me though.. any normal person would've denied it and left it at the 10,000 credits, let alone the interest."

"Well... because I'm not normal I guess! Life is so short, we should take risks and have fun in our primes until old age and crippling sadness catches up to us. And you intrigued me! It's rare to see someone so confident to ask the person they attempted to pickpocket on a date at an expensive restaurant!"

"I guess I can kind of see where you're coming from.. well, what are you going to order? I've never tried such gourmet dishes, so I'll trust your tastes and get the same as you."

"Hmm, for a starter dish, I suggest you should try their chicken noodle soup! A rather simple dish, but the one here is magnificent! The spices are of amazing quality, and the proportions are perfect that it will leave you mouth-watering at the mere sight of it

"Huh, I see.."

Aventurine called over the nearby waiter, and put in an order for 2 chicken noodle soups. Shortly after a few minutes of waiting, a waitress comes by with the two dishes in hand.

The dish looked so perfect, more perfect than any dish [name] had seen. The piping hot noodles released the hot steam released and the stunning patterns on the bowl were delicately carved in. [Name] carefully grabbed the pair of chopsticks on their table and twisted them around the noodle. After just one bite, they craved for more and more, from a dish they've never would've tasted before if they never met him.

"Hahaha! You seem to be enjoying it with that childish look on your face!" he joked.

"Well who wouldn't? It's been ages since I've had a proper meal after living off of things like Soulglad and Floatdisc burgers. H-hey, you better keep your promise of treating me every week..!" they informed.

"Oh of course, don't worry. A gambler always keeps their promises in a bet," he winked.

"Oh, so you're a gambler? No wonder you got so much money.. throwing your savings away with a chance to gain it all or lost it all.. truly sounds like you, haha!"

The two continued on with some mindless banter and conversation, which felt like minutes despite being hours, and [name] having a taste at smocked salmon, jaw-dropped at the perfection of the dish. As they were waiting for their dessert of 3 types of scones: plain, spiced fruit and cheese with pear preserve, and lemon curd with clotted cream, Aventurine offered up to a small game to play.

"Hey, while we wait, what do you say we play a small game? If you win, I'll let you take my whole portion of the scones, but if I win, I take your portion." he asked with a cunning smile.

"And what type of game are we talking about?" they asked back.

"Why, a game of luck of course!" he retorted.

"Ha! With you? Yeah, no thanks. You're an affluent gambler who likely knows nearly all the tricks in the book when it comes to these types of games, and I'm a measly thief who is barely getting by. Plus, I'm not sacrificing the opportunity to try all those scones, when I have the possibility to lose it all." they scoffed.

"Oh come on, it's a game of luck, so I can't even cheat by with it, so let's leave it to fate! You may have the chance of losing them, but consider the chance of winning and being able to feast on all of it on your own. It's a 50/50, take the chance! It'll be fun," he encouraged, gently tapping his index finger on the white table cloth. [Name] tried to resist the temptation, but eventually caved in and accepted his offer.

"Alright, I have a fresh deck of playing cards with me, so you know I didn't tamper with it." he said as he pulled out two specific cards from the deck, as if he memorised the exact order of all the cards. "One card is the King, and one is a Joker. We both choose a card and whoever chooses the King gets all the scones. Simple enough, right? I'll even let you pick first," he stated, rapidly shuffling the cards so the naked eye wouldn't be able to keep up with which card is which.

"What kind of shitty game is this?" they laughed. "Fine, hm, I'll pick the right one," they stated, firmly grasping the card on the right.

"Then I guess I'm the one on the left! On the count of three, let's both flip our cards at the same time. One. Two.. Three!"

[Name] held out their card: a Joker.

Aventurine held out his card: a King.

"Ha! Guess I win all the scones!" he shrugged.

"Hey..! No fair, you definitely cheated.. I demand a rematch!!" they yelled, catching the glances of the other customers surrounding them.

"Relax, relax! I was intending on giving you all the scones, I'm a regular at this restaurant, and I want to make sure you enjoy your first date here by letting you eat what you like. And anyways, I knew I was going to win," he said.

"Wait r-really? Ah thank you. But what do you mean you knew you would win? You said it  yourself that it's a game of luck and you clearly haven't tampered with the deck..?" they asked with curiosity.

"Well.. because I'm just that lucky!" he chimed with a cheeky grin plastered on his face.

"H-huh? Is your luck that good that you can predict that you will win a match..? No wonder you are so famous among the city as the world's best gambler.." they pondered in deep thought.

"Hey don't take it literally..! I just meant that since I was young, I was blessed to have good fortune follow me wherever I go."

"Since you were young? What a lucky bastard you are..! You could have practically everything you wanted! Your parents must've felt they've won the lottery when they had you! I bet they're proud of you right now." they beamed

"Huh.. yeah, they would feel proud of me.." he muttered quietly. "Ah, look, your reward has arrived," and as if on cue, a waiter with a pyramid of scones arrived, arranged on top of each other.

"A-ah! The scones..!" they stuttered, gawking at them as if it was the definition of perfection. "So.. I get all of these, right..?" they inquired.

"Yes, yes, It's my treat for our first date," Aventurine responded with a comforting smile. [Name] began to stuff the many scones as quickly as they can, also trying to keep mind of their presentation towards those around them.

No matter how irresistible the treats appeared, they weren't able to shake off those pensive lavender eyes he had towards them, admiring their every action and every bite they took. However, as if he realised that they saw him staring, he immediately jolted from his seat. He brought a pure white handkerchief with elegant designs embroidered on by a talented seamstress towards the left side of their lip.

"You have a few crumbs left," he quietly whispered into their ear, gently wiping them off

"A-ah... thank you.."  they stuttered quietly, their ears turning a pinkish hue from embarrassment, at least, that's what they told themself.

"No worries," he politely said. "I'll go hand in the bill, and we can head home after this."

"Y-yes, of course.." Aventurine got from his seat, began stacking the plates and bowls on top of each other with the help of [Name] and strolled over towards the main counter, paying the bill, leaving a tip on the side.

"Well, I guess this is it for our first date. I'll see you next week, [Name]."

"Oh.. yes, you too.. Aventurine."

Their name in his voice felt so unexpected yet so harmonious.

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙨:

𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙧. 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙, 𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚. 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢. 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙡𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣. 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚. 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝. 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛. 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚. 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚. 𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙧𝙨. 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙨. 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨. 𝙬𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙚𝙥'𝙨 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜.

𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵：2269
08／05／2024

𝗔/𝗡:
-> sorry if this chapter came out unnecessarily long, I tried to shorten it down so the story doesn't feel dragged on, but I wanted to try to introduce some points in here to build up the setting for future plot points

-> i tried to do a bit of research into luxury hotels such as etiquette, food served, dress code to make the story seem more authentic, but google was being quite annoying and wouldn't give me direct answers for some, so I'm sorry if any of it seems very out of place! 😔

-> I want to ask if the pace of the story is too slow and dragged on and if you want to make it more faster (or vice versa)!

-> the beginning feels a bit cringey and out of place, but please trust me i'll try to get it to be a bit better !! 🙏

-> (i think?) the day this chapter is published is the day where robin/topaz are officially out on all servers so good luck to anyone trying to get them/their light cones !! 🫶🤗🤗