blind date || unexpected match

Chanel enters the bar where her newest blind date is scheduled, abandoning the cold and icy air of the street behind her. Although the warmth would often be welcomed, it's hot and crowded and poorly vented inside. The air is thick with the odour of whiskey, drugs, and sweat, and Chanel is considering ditching the establishment before the date even begins. This is her fault! Why does she keep trusting the Church of Sulfur with these ridiculous scenarios?

This certainly isn't her type of place, and she doesn't know why the dating service would set her up somewhere so overwhelmingly basic and grimy.

She wants to give things a second chance, and glances around to gauge the actual atmosphere. There are a plethora of buns, some chatting with their friends, others throwing it back in the middle of the room - the usual in Burrowgatory. With determination, she attempts to seek out her date from the sea of faces.

A lust Succubun with green gossamer wings; it should be easy enough to find them.

Though those distinctive traits are quite specific, Chanel doesn't anticipate a perfect alignment with anyone she's familiar with. She has to pause, both physically and mentally, when she proves herself wrong a solid second later.

"Patron?" she questions, her eyes locking onto her long-lost friend, utterly unprepared for the unexpected reunion.

…

Patron had entirely forgotten about the whole ‘blind date’ service the church had offered. His own date with the pink church bun had gone spectacularly well, of course, but that was his closest friend and love. The unlikely circumstances and fact he'd been so busy planning for the height of the season worked well to put it entirely out of his head. Normally, this would be fine since he would only have one date, then he'd be done with the service anyway. 

So when he was pulled from loading a new batch of laundry into the washing machine by a date notification, it was like a jumpscare. At first, Patron spent several minutes bewildered- he'd only signed up once and had no reason for another date, what had happened? It took a bit for him to come up with a theory- perhaps there was an error and they accidentally double-booked me. That seemed plausible enough, considering the buns planning this were probably experiencing matentines at the same time as well. 

He'd briefly considered not going at all- it was just an error and he had a final doctor's appointment soon to triple check if he was healthy enough to proceed through the season without suppressants- but he quickly dashed the idea. He would simply feel too guilty leaving a bun hanging, especially one already struggling to find a partner for matentines. Instead, he'd make a quick trip to the location and explain the error. Maybe find them a new partner for the date if it didn't take too long. 

It had been a few days since he'd last been in a bar, since he'd already taken the rest of the month off for…well, ‘mating times’, but he finds himself wishing for the neat stained mahogany and sweet scent of his bar. This one was dingy, cheap, and rather shady. Patron shuddered just thinking of what normal customers this bar must receive- you couldn't pay him to bartend here. He knew those extra rooks on the top floor had to be the sole reason the church was using it as a venue.

With a little sigh, he checks his phone again for the description of his partner. This was a different technique than the first date he went on, though he supposed it was much more difficult to use the number system in a bar's layout. 

In any case, he was having a difficult time finding his date. He'd been looking for the shimmery white bun everywhere, but to no avail. He'd been on the cusp of giving up and leaving after all, when an achingly familiar (so much for these dates being blind) voice spoke up behind him. Patron immediately spun around, shocked to see his littermate in a place like this. Glancing at her ears, though, he could pick up that she must have been his unfortunate match.

“Chanel!” He cries out, and pulls her into a hug, damn near sweeping her up entirely in his excitement. “Oh, darling, it's been too long, I was getting worried I'd never see you again!” He wondered about inviting her along to visit the doctor with him. He didn't want her in such a rough place, and he certainly wanted to catch up with her, but he absolutely could not afford to skip this appointment. “Let's get you out of this nasty place, yeah? You aren't afraid of doctors, are you?”

…

Chanel feels like she's being scooped up into a long-forgotten embrace, and the tears begin to well in her eyes as the gravity of the situation settles. There are so many buns that live in Burrowgatory; how would she ever find Patron again after she left their home?

She remembers the countless nights spent worrying at his bedside, wondering if he'd be well enough to join her by the time their group was forced out into the world. It was so scary and so unknown, and despite the stories she'd been told, she still found herself crying after leaving his room.

She never wanted to leave her guardian or her littermates. It was so easy to be a child. Nobody could have prepared her for growing up.

If only the demon had allowed him to leave earlier - she wouldn't go through so much turmoil, and he would surely understand how to guide her. She can't dwell too much on the what-ifs, because he's here in the present, which is better than him being gone forever. Surely the extra time did him more good than bad, and she was simply making selfish wishes due to her strong desire for companionship. 

Chanel doesn't have to glance around the disgusting, decrepit bar again to know she wants to escape. She nods, quick to reply, "Let's leave; I'll take a doctor's office over this any time."

…

Patron gently pats his sister figure on the back, brow furrowing in concern as he catches a glimpse of tears in her eyes. At that moment, he couldn't help but wonder what Chanel had experienced in the long time between when she'd left for Burrowgatory and their reunion here now. A good look at the intricate detail and frills of her clothes had left him hopeful that she'd been treated well, but watching her cry now made him rethink that.

He hadn't been well enough to leave the close care of his demon guardian when the other buns in his age group had been sent off to live in the city. He had been treated extremely well in his extra time spent with his caretaker- spoiled silly, really- but he certainly felt lonely in those moments, missing the silly bun who would bring him tea and sing at his bedside.

His own entrance into Burrowgatory was…well, it wasn't ideal. But he pushed those thoughts out of his head, instead smoothing Chanel's hair out of her face. “There now…it's okay. I missed you too.” He murmurs soothingly, letting his littermate cling to him as long as she'd like.

“Alright. Let's get out of here. I'll show you an actually decent bar some other time.” He fusses, ushering the white bun out with a hand on her back.

“...I admit I'm due for an appointment to check my health before I get into the worst of matentines. I admit it's not much of a ‘blind date.’” he snorts, “although such a dingy bar is hardly one either. What possesses that Oleander, I swear…”

…

Chanel, once again, doesn't hesitate to follow her littermate out the door. She would hug him for longer, but she knows there are better places to reminisce on old memories than this.

"Are you in good health lately? I hope this checkup is nothing serious," she begins, and continues, "I'm unsure; it's odd he would do such a thing, because I've gotten both nice venues and awful ones." Chanel thinks back to her multiple dates. Some went downhill the minute they began, but others were quite pleasant. 

She recalls going out on shopping sprees, strolls through picturesque gardens, and even convincing one of her dates to film a silly vlog with her. However, none of these experiences could fill the void in her heart left by her former roommate. Although this isn't what she expected of such a meeting, it was a welcome change.

…

Patron sighed, then smiles, shoving his hands into the pockets of the revealing little shorts and crop top combo he'd worn out today, shaking his head. “Nothing serious. I just need a final check before I let myself go for the season. I don't want my partner to end up caring for me being violently ill instead of getting down to it.” He wondered if it was weird to be disclosing this information to someone he'd only just reunited with it, but he'd always been rather open on the topic. Just a part of being a lust bun, he supposed. 

“I've only had one other date, at the church itself. It was much, much more pleasant than this dingy bar.” He was only half paying attention, searching the street for a taxi he could call over. He didn't intend on walking halfway across the city to the doctor! “We should have plenty of time to catch up later. It'll be a bit of a long ride.” He admits to his littermate, finally spotting a cab and throwing a hand up to call it over.

Thankfully the driver spotted him easily, and Patron watched as the taxi pulled over beside them. Without a moment of hesitation, he opened the door up for Chanel, sparing one last glance at the date spot before going about continuing his day, albeit with an unsuspected yet precious surprise in tow.