Out of sight | Lusie & Toby (blind date)

[Deleted]

Lusie had never before in her life signed up for the blind date thing. She heard of people doing it, and some of her friends and roommates had signed up and gone on the dates, but she never trusted it. She never trusted that someone who got her would want to be on a date with her, or, if they did, they’d just want to be on a date with a princess.

A while after signing up, she got an owl back saying that she had been matched and that over the winter holidays, she would meet the man at a restaurant in London, where they would eat in the dark and weren’t allowed to tell one another their names. A thrill of excitement overcame her. At least she wouldn’t have to tell whoever it was that she was a princess. They could just talk. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to know the man after the date if they weren’t allowed to know each other's names. Suppose they really hit it off and wanted to see one another again. She supposed there must be some way to get that information.

Lusie walked into the place and explained to the host that she was here for a blind date through the Bliskwick service. The host, it seemed, had been warned, and lead her over to a table. They told her that she was the first one there and they would seat her date when they arrived. She ordered a cup of tea in the meantime while she waited, though it was rather hard to see it in the dark. There wasn’t even a candle on the table.

tobias charles watkins

[tobias charles watkins]

Toby couldn’t believe he was actually going through with this. Somehow, Kinsey convinced him to sign up for the Blishwick blind date thing. Well, it was more of a dare; she bet him he wouldn’t do it because he was ‘too scared’. Truthfully, he was, and Toby always felt the need to prove himself for some reason. So, he stupidly agreed to the challenge.

He never thought his first official date would be a 'blind' date, but he figured any practice couldn’t hurt at this point...he needed anything to bring him out of his shell. All morning he battled himself back and forth if he was going to show up or not, ultimately, he decided that flaking out would be rude to his date. He’d feel very guilty leaving a lady hanging from being too much of a wuss. Maybe this could have ended up being a great thing! The idea of finding his person was something he was very open to though, Toby wanted a significant other. He had so much love to give, he just struggled putting himself out there in fear of rejection, but he was slowly getting over it. The timid Ravenclaw was tired of missing out on things from being too shy.

Toby couldn’t believe he was going through with this after his huge fight with Kinsey before leaving for home for Christmas holiday. A part of him wanted to do it for her still, to show her that he really did care how she felt, and that her opinion did matter to him - about everything. Toby obsessed about their fight since the moment it happened, it was eating him up from the inside out. The Ravenclaw knew he was wrong and he felt like a total idiot for not taking his best friends advice. She was trying to help him with her special ability....and Toby was too stubborn to accept the information because he didn’t want to believe it, or hear it from Kinsey anymore. Toby felt so much regret for ruining his friendship with his best friend, all because of a girl that was out of his league.

Earlier that week, he received an owl with info on his date; where he found out he’d be dining in the dark with rules of no exchanging names with his date. Truthfully, Toby hated the idea. It was so ironic that his blind date, would be literally blind. He was already dreading the awkwardness that would ensue. So, there he was... The front steps of Dans Le Noir. His heart was rapidly beating out of his chest and in his ears. He felt so on edge, but he wasn’t going to back out now. Toby stepped into the restaurant with a brave face, attempting to force an easy going demeanor about him when he approached the host, which took much too much effort. Toby explained why he was there which much too many words and gestures, but the host happily guided him toward the back of the restaurant to where his date already was. He was already dreading the fact that she was there before him. Merlin, he was such a worrier...

As Toby was guided into the dark room, his eyes tried to focus. His heart was beating so fast, he was trying his best to appear calm and collected. Luckily, his date wouldn't be able to see the freaked out look on his face. Toby greeted the dark room, knocking into the table first thing. "Uh. Sorry." Toby said with an awkward laugh. "Hi, my names--" The Ravenclaw paused, "--Not important." he said with a smile in his voice, before letting out another awkward laugh. "This is going to be hard."



@lusie

(Hey! Sorry it took so long! So excited for these two!)

[Deleted]

Lusie heard her date being sat across from her and a small flutter of butterflies flew threw her stomach. She had never been on a real date before. She had gone as a date with people to events, she had been set up several times with various other royals for large gallas and such, but she had never been on a proper date. This was the first time and she wasn’t even allowed to know who she was on a date with. “Yes, it will be rather difficult.” the Hufflepuff said. “It sort of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it? Isn’t the point of a blind date to get to know some new people? How are we meant to get to know one another if we can’t even know one another?” Lusie asked with a light tone. She wasn’t actually upset about the venue, but it wasn’t her first pick, naturally.

tobias charles watkins

[tobias charles watkins]

As soon as a females voice responded back to him, it had a very familiar, soothing, ring in his ears. He probably wouldn’t mention that to his date though. He wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise so early on...maybe playing along could be fun. Toby was trying to push himself to do new things to push himself out of his comfort zone to grow more as a person. ”It is definitely an unconventional way of getting to know someone.” Toby agreed with her easily, still smiling. Sometimes he smiled and joked too much when he was nervous; it was a weird sort of defense mechanism. It was either that, or being too quiet. This date he was trying to find the middle ground. ”I contemplated bringing a lighter or flash light to sneak a glimpse, but I didn’t follow through in fear of getting thrown out...” he whispered in a playful jest, breathing before continuing. “If things end up kicking off I’m sure we could meet up in the back alley in secret to reveal the mystery.” Toby said with a laugh, trying to keep the mood light and fun, his tone was so innocent it could only be taken in jest. Toby finally sat back in his chair, trying to get a better grip of his other senses. This was such a different experience than what he was used to. ”Have you ever gone on a blind date before?” Toby asked curiously, already looking forward to getting to know his date.  

@lusie

[Deleted]

Lusie giggled when her date said that he had thought about bringing a flashlight or lighter to sneak a glimpse of his date. She thought it was a great idea, but in theory, but, “Yeah, I think that would kind of defeat the purpose of the venue.” she shrugged. “But that’s a great idea, if this works out well, we can pick a time to meet in the Alley, or maybe at the festival in Hogsmeade.” she suggested. She knew that whoever was sitting across from her went to school with her, so they’d see each other again if they wanted to. That was comforting at least. He asked if this was her first blind date. It was her first date. Ever. But saying that sounded incredibly dorky, so she just nodded, “Yeah, it is.” she didn’t need to go into the whole story, that wasn’t first date conversation, she thought. The waiter came and talked them through the menu, since they couldn’t see it to order themselves. Once they had put their order in, Lusie spoke, “So tell me about yourself…” that was a typical date question, right?

tobias charles watkins

[tobias charles watkins]

The waiter stopped by and took their order. Toby wasn't really worried about food, he was too nervous to eat. A tiny part of him was dreading the food because he knew that he wouldn't be able to see it, which for some reason made him a little uneasy. He'd never been a fussy eater, but he definitely wanted to know what was on his plate before eating it. That was just a little thing though. His date seemed very easy going and she had a sweet voice. When she revealed that it was her first blind date, he took ease learning that. At least she wouldn't have anything to base their date on from the past if he completely butchered it. When she agreed to meeting in the back alley, or better yet, the Winter Hogsmeade festival, he liked that idea. Almost sounded like a second date before the first started, but he wasn't questioning it. "That sounds like a plan." He smiled. Toby already felt like it was off to a good start since the conversation flowed easily.

Then, his date hit him with the dreaded 'tell me about yourself' question and he already felt the tidal wave of anxiety washing over him. He felt like he was such a dork, he didn't really want to talk about himself too deeply in fear of her falling asleep right there, or walking out. Okay, maybe he was a bit dramatic. Blame it on the over thinking... Toby rubbed his hands together and sat a straighter in his chair, "Oh, alright, straight to the nitty gritty..." he countered jokingly, more to earn himself a couple of more seconds to answer her question, while keeping a cool and collected demeanor. Really, he was trying to keep his voice from getting caught in his throat!  "Heh, well let's see...I grew up in Winchester, England, and I have three younger sisters. I am currently in my sixth year at Hogwarts in the house of Ravenclaw. I spend a lot of time reading and tutoring...school has always been easy for me, so I enjoy it. Animals and magical creatures have always been an interest of mine, so I hope to pursue a career in either." Toby stopped, still trying to add more about himself, but he was struggling. "I can play the piano. I've got a knack for reading tarot cards, as well as dream interpretation... and if you couldn't tell yet, I'm  terrible at talking about myself, my apologies." he ended laughing awkwardly, but happily, there was a smile in his voice. He scratched the back of his neck, "Your turn. Tell me about yourself.." Toby challenged her, a sweet innocence in his tone. He'd much rather talk about the lady in front of him instead of himself.

@lusie

[Deleted]

He answered her question when she asked him to tell her about himself. He said that he was a sixth year and in Ravenclaw house. Lusie knew then that they must have had classes together, it was weird that she wasn’t able to connect his voice to a face. Her senses were all off, this darkness was throwing her off. Who enjoyed this type of experience? Why was this a popular place in the city? Who enjoyed dining in the dark? She’d never come here again, she was pretty sure. “Oh that’s awesome, I’m sure we have some classes together, then. I’m a 6th year and in Hufflepuff.” she told him with a smile that was wasted because he couldn’t see it anyway. “Well let’s see.. About me…” What could she way? If she said anything about her family it would be easy to know who she was. She was pretty sure that everyone at school knew of her at least and knew that she was a princess. “I’m a 6th year Hufflepuff, but I already said that… I’m really into most classes. Herbology and potions are my favorites. But in my freetime I like to learn languages.” she told him. She was fairly sure that not everyone knew that she spoke many languages.

tobias charles watkins

[tobias charles watkins]

Sitting in the dark was a very surreal feeling for Tobias. Never in his life had he felt so vulnerable in such an intimate setting with a stranger. It was slowly becoming more of a thrill the more he allowed himself to let his senses take control. As he listened closely as the female spoke, things started to click, rapidly. Toby was confident that he knew this girl. Especially after hearing her talk about herself, even for a brief moment. Toby was very aware of his schoolmates, more than he often lead on to be; he may be quiet but was always watching and listening. Due to her interest of languages and Herbogy, he was pretty confident that it was Princess Lusie Windsor.

Now, the fact that he wasn’t supposed to reveal that he knew the girl stressed him out a bit. Toby had always been a rule follower, until this year, when he started entering the Forbidden Forest with Kinsey...all starting with a unicorn. This year he broke out of his shell a lot, he pushed himself to do things that would make him uncomfortable, which was mainly why he signed up for this date. Toby bit down on his lip, “I’m almost quite certain that I know you...” he said, trying to hide the hesitation or awkwardness from his voice. Then again, if it really was who he thought it was...that could be a bit of a relief, although he felt kind of bad that she got stuck on a date with him.

@lusie

[Deleted]

Lusie felt her face blush when he admitted that he thought that he knew who she was. She began to wonder who all knew about her hobby and interest in languages that would have been able to guess her from just her voice. Who did she talk to often? “You are?” she asked. “Who do you think I am?” she wondered. Upon listening to his voice a little closer, and putting the pieces together of him saying that he liked creatures and was in her year and Ravenclaw, a face began to form in Lusie’s mind. Was she on a date right now with Toby? “I think I might know who you are too…” she admitted, worrying that maybe she was wrong and not wanting to make it awkward with her date if she was wrong and had thought that he was another man.

tobias charles watkins

[tobias charles watkins]

Toby wanted to come out and say it, but he didn't want to break the rules of the restaurant, or for Blishwick Dating. This was making him way too nervous.. All he could do was let out a nervous laugh, nodding along when she asked who he thought she was. The more she talked, the more apparent it became. Toby sighed, "I don't want to break the rules, but I'm pretty sure I could give you some clues.." he started, there was a smile in his voice. "If you are who I think you are...I'm pretty sure you're my partner in Herbology. A couple of weeks ago...you went to the Hospital Wing due to a man eating plant and I still kind of feel like that was my fault." Toby said, allowing an awkward laugh to slip passed his lips. Of course, his awkward self mentioned one of his top 10 awkward moments of his six years at Hogwarts. Everything ended up being okay, but Toby still felt guilty about the accident. They had actually become really good friends after the incident.

@lusie

[Deleted]

Lusie usually wasn’t one to break the rules, but when it came to something as silly as a blind date, the rules seemed to be more like suggestions than actual rules. He refused to say her name, which she supposed was actually for the best since they were in public in muggle London. While no one could see her, him saying her name could cause a bit of a havoc among anyone who cared for the royals, which was most of the country. He explained though, that if she was the one who he was thinking about, she was his herbology partner who got injured the other week. Lusie laughed, “Yes, that would be me.” she admitted. So it was Toby. Well that took a lot of pressure off. She was already friends with Toby. There wasn’t any pressure to impress him. “Wow, who would have thought that we’d get paired together. I didn’t even know that you signed up.” though she hadn’t asked, she wasn’t sure how she was meant to know.

tobias charles watkins

[tobias charles watkins]

A wave of relief crashed over him when Lusie confirmed who she was. "Well, that's a pleasant surprise. Everything happens for a reason." he said in an easy going tone, smiling. Toby and Lusie had become great friends recently, they had great chemistry from the beginning, there was no wonder why they got paired up together. The princess mentioned that she hadn't known that he signed up and he laughed, "To be completely honest, my best mate kind of dared me to do it because she thought I was too chicken..." Toby shared with Lusie, already finding it a lot easier to talk knowing it was her on the other side of the table. If Toby got paired up with some other mystery lady, he wouldn't have told her that he signed up because of a dare, that would have been extremely rude. Toby couldn't help but joke about the situation, it was more of a coping mechanism. "Hopefully you weren't too set on meeting Prince Charming tonight." Toby jested playfully to the princess. The easiest way for him to get over an awkward encounter was to joke about it, his sense of humor pulled him through a lot.

@lusie

[Deleted]

He admitted that his friend made him sign up and she nodded, but then realized that she didn’t really know who his friends were, “And who is that?” she asked in regards to his best friend. Maybe it was someone that she knew, someone else in their year. Though, she didn’t usually see him sitting with someone in class regularly, so maybe she was wasn’t in their year. He stated that he hoped she hadn’t had her heart set on meeting her prince charming and she laughed again, but also shook her head, whether or not he could see it. “Honestly, this is my first date… ever. So I can’t say I had a lot of expectations for tonight. I don’t even know why I signed up. I’m trying to be more impulsive.” she decided. She had agreed to attend a snowball fight and now, here was she on a blind date. “Though, i think if I wanted to find a charming prince I could do so pretty easily.” whether or not she was interested in the prince was another story, but she had met plenty of them.

tobias charles watkins

[tobias charles watkins]

When Lusie asked curiously who his best friend was, it hurt more than he wanted to admit to think about her. They were still fighting. Toby forced a happy tone while talking about the matter, "Her name is Kinsey Bainbridge. She's in year seven, Ravenclaw.. you may know her? She's kind of pissed at me right now though, which is why I really didn't want to come tonight, but I didn't want to be rude and flake out on my date." Toby said with a laugh, a little surprised how much he was sharing so much with her. Sometimes laughing or joking about things that upset made him feel better. Unfortunately, this didn't. Nothing would make him feel better until he apologized to his best friend.

Toby eased more into his chair, finally allowing himself to get more comfortable. When Lusie revealed that this was her first date ever, a weight was instantly lifted off of his shoulders. Maybe he wasn't as lame and inexperienced as he thought... She couldn't see it, but his eyes widened. "Wait. Really?" he asked curiously, unable to hide the surprise from his voice. Since she was being honest, it made it easier for him to share. Toby swallowed, biting down on his lip and scratching the back of his neck. "You're my first date too." Toby told her in a slightly bashful tone before clearing his throat. "That's actually pretty cool we got paired up, then...I'm more relived than I should be to know my blind date is you and not a stranger." Toby shared honestly with a chuckle. Friend Dates were a 'thing', right? This would probably be a lot more fun than Toby originally thought, and a lot less awkward, thank Merlin.

@lusie

[Deleted]

“Her name is familiar, she has sisters in my house.” Lusie nodded, she wasn’t sure that she could pick Kinsey Bainbridge out of a crowd, but, she was pretty sure that she knew of her at least. “Why is she mad at you? Or, is that not proper date conversation? I have no idea.” she admitted. She did want to know why they were fighting, but maybe it was a conversation better to be had another time. She nodded when he asked if this was really her first date, but upon further thought, let a soft, “mhmm.” come through her lips. She had gone as a date with someone to an event, or, rather, she had been escorted by a gentleman, but, it wasn’t a date. They rarely talked. They were a publicity stunt or a diplomatic agreement. Nothing more. He admitted that it was his first date too and she had to fight her jaw from dropping. Toby was so cool, at least she thought so, she could hardly believe he had never gone out with anyone before. “Yeah, it’s nice. The pressures off, we can figure it out together that way we’ll be better prepared when we have our real first dates.” she agreed. It was rather convenient that they had been set up.

tobias charles watkins