New Member Application Thread

“Oh my God—is that Blake Darling?!”

As soon as she hears it, her heart sinks.

It was supposed to be a fun evening. Blake and some of her new friends had made plans to have a girls’ night at a trendy new bar a handful of blocks from Blake’s apartment.

It was all going according to plan until less than thirty minutes before she’d planned to leave the apartment, Talia texted the group chat that her fiancé was sick, Sophie had an emergency plumbing issue, and, well, everything devolved from there.

The group chat was flooded with well-wishes and apologies, and though Blake had sent a handful of heart emojis of her own, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed. It was the first time she’d had plans to go out with friends in New York City and she’d had her outfit and makeup picked out for days in advance—she’d even filmed a tutorial on the look.

She sighed and set her phone on her kitchen counter. The setting sun cast solid beams of light through her apartment, making the whole room glow golden. A glimpse of herself in the hallway mirror gave her pause. She took in her distressed black jeans, flirty but not too flirty silk and lace top, ethereally glow-y makeup with perfectly crisp winged eyeliner, auburn hair curled into seemingly effortless waves… Then her back straightened and she grabbed her phone. There was no way she was letting a look this good go to waste.

So she’d headed to the bar and told herself not to look like she’d been stood up on a night out but like she’d meant to go by herself the whole time. She’d have a good time.

But, since today does not seem to be her day, almost as soon as she enters the building, she hears her own name across the din. She winces. The last thing she wants is to be mobbed by fans; aren’t there supposed to be fewer of them in New York City? She loves her fans, she does, but…but not tonight. Tonight is her night.

Luckily, the bar is crowded and the fans are too far away to walk right over to her so she whisks herself towards the bar. There are only a handful of empty seats and as her brain races to come up with a plan, her gaze falls on the back of a man who seems to be drinking alone.

Lightning fast, the plan crystallizes and Blake acts on it—before she can truly think it through, really. Blame the hunter training; act fast, ask questions later.

She slides into the seat beside the stranger and flashes him smile she hopes leans more towards winning than nervous.

“Hi, God, sorry, this is stupid, but my ex just walked in and she was kind of the worst so would it be possible for you to, um, pretend to be my date? Just until she gets the hint? I really don’t want to talk to her right now,” she finishes in a rush with a small chuckle. She hides a casual glance to check on the fans with a bashful smile and duck of the head.