Bailey grinned as he attempted to crush Elke's character. Just because it was a date or whatever and he was supposed to be impressing her did not, under any circumstance mean that he was going to go easy on her.

He was having a swell time until her phone beeped and she reached for it. For a second, he was worried that it might be from a different guy or something, but then he remembered that it was her that was initially interested in him, so he had a good amount of hope that it wasn't the case. 

However, his smile fell when he found out who it was really from. "Oh, okay," he nodded solemnly. He had been hoping that she would be able to stay longer, but it had been fun while it lasted.

Bailey took her phone and began to type in his number. He had to stop for a minute half-way through to remember what the digits were, but he eventually got something out that mostly resembled what it was supposed to look like. He just hoped that it was right.

"So... Should I, um, walk you home or something?" He didn't go on many dates, and he wasn't sure what the proper etiquette was, or even if there was proper etiquette in that case. "I mean, I don't have to if you don't want me to, and I'm definitely not just trying to pull anything weird, but I just thought you might like some company? Or would that make things weird? Or would your dad not like it?"

He bit his lip to shut himself up as he looked at her for a response. 

She paused, not having expected much from him other than a 'bye'. The native blinked, stuffing her phone back in her pocket, before she smiled a little. "...Well, you could walk me half way home, if you want. I have to catch a bus at some point and then it gets complicated from there on."

It wasn't that complicated, actually. She just didn't want her dad to catch on and make a rug out of him before she had a chance for a second date.

"... but I would definitely like the company." She blushed a little, and shifted awkwardly on her feet. He was so... polite. It was weird. Good weird. Nothing like the crap her friends gave her, or that she gave them.

"Say... you ever shot a bow before?" She turned back around, a little less stressed with the possibility of company. "Next time I could bring along my bow and some arrows. We could have a good ole' fashion contest!"

"Okay, cool!" Bailey blinked at her in surprise. For some strange reason, he had been expecting her to turn him down. Maybe it was the way she wanted to leave so suddenly, or maybe it had something to do with his past experience with anything even remotely romantic.

Or, maybe it was just that he thought he totally blew things before with his quirks. She was certainly willing to put up with a lot, it seemed.

He reached over and shut off the console and then stood up, extending a hand to Elke. "Shall we?"

"Say... you ever shot a bow before? Next time I could bring along my bow and some arrows. We could have a good ole' fashion contest!"

"Uh... No, I haven't. I mean I have, technically, but only this one time at a summer camp where the bows were really crappy and I couldn't even hit the target," he admitted sheepishly. "So you'll probably win, but it sounds like fun!"

He extended a hand. She openly stared at it for a moment. Ballsy, wasn't he? Gruffly, because she lacked any form of grace whatsoever, the Native reached out and took his hand in a rough grip... and then stood there awkwardly not knowing what more to do.

He explained about his previous bow and arrow usage, and she couldn't help but blink at him. What the hell was "summer camp"? Was that what rich kids did during summer when their parents wanted them out of their hair?

Scratching her head with her free hand (since she still hadn't relinquished her grip on him), she pondered an answer. "Ah, so ya never had a real bow then. I see." She nodded sagely, because she was clearly an expert on all things bow.

"Well, see, you have to have a good bow or else it's a moot point. Kinda like how you have to have a good sword in a video game. Crappy weapons are crappy."

She kinda let him lead the way out, and would then take the lead once they were back on a familiar path to her. "And when you have a good bow, it's all a matter of making the arrow go where you want it to go. You gotta feel it in your gut."

... How long was it acceptable to hold someone's hand hostage when you'd just met them? She wondered if she was breaking some sort of taboo.

She had not let go of his hand.

Repeat: she had not let go of his hand.

He had offered it to her in order to help her up, but it seemed that she had thought they were going to hold hands, or something? Bailey just stared at their hands, entirely unsure of what to make of it. He didn't know exactly what the protocol was supposed to be for that situation. Was he supposed to shake her off? Keep holding her hand? The second option seemed less rude, so that's what he went with. 

He was sort of aware that she was talking, but he hadn't really been listening. There were too many other things going on. He tuned in to the end of what she was saying, though, and caught something about arrows and bows. That made sense. Sorta.

"Mhmm. Sure," Bailey nodded absently. He was still holding her hand. It was starting to get sweaty. "We should, uh, get going."

He moved toward the door slowly, waiting for Elke to follow so he didn't rip her arm out of her socket.

As they walked, Elke spent equal time watching where she was going, glancing at him nervously, and the side-eyeing the hand holding. She was half tempted to drop it, but then had started to wonder if he was technically supposed to be the one who stop first. Panic was creeping into her features as she gradually realized that she hadn't a single freakin' clue about any of this kinda stuff. Eventually, when her nerves got the better of her, she broker her awkward silence.

"...Alright, so... i'm just gonna come out and say it. I have no freakin' clue what I am doing." She wriggled her fingers slightly. "Is, uh... is hand holding normal for the first date? Who stops first? Can we decide with arm wrestling, cuz I know i'll win."

She spared another side glance at him, before turning her attention elsewhere. They had walked quite a bit since she'd latched onto him like some kinda of weird parasite. It wouldn't be long before they reached the bus stop she intended on using.

Regardless about what he decided on the hand holding, she figured a change of subject was best. "So...uh.. thanks again. For the game and stuff. I don't get to hang around kids my age a whole lot.... at least, not around ones who aren't super lame."

They continued to hold hands as they walked. Just... holdin' hands, and such. Bailey attempted to convince himself that there was absolutely nothing weird happening.

That was, until Elke came right out and said something about it. Bailey released a long breath that he hadn't noticed he'd been holding. "Ohthankgod. I have no idea! I don't go on dates!" He admitted loudly, with a concerned expression. "Can we just let go now? My hand is all sweaty."

They had been walking for a little while, and they'd very nearly reached the bus stop. Bailey was a little sad that she had to go, actually. He quite liked hanging out with her. Even if things had been a little weird and perhaps a tad scary.

He grinned at her when she thanked him. She clearly did not hang around with many kids their age. "You don't need to thank me. It was fun. Let's... uh... hang out again sometime."

Realizing that they wouldn't really have a way to get in touch again, Bailey pulled out his phone. "Can I have your number? That'll be easier than sending a clone to tackle me each time."

"Glady!"

They finally separated hands. Her hand was sweaty from his. She wiped it dry on the leg of her pants without comment. When he agreed that he had been having fun too, she felt slight weight lift off of her. Yes! She hadn't screwed it up by being... well, herself!

Elke grinned widely at the clone comment. "Aww, but that's no fun!" She reached out for his phone, figuring he wanted her to input her number much like he had input his into her phone. A few short taps later, and he had a fancy new number in his phone under the name 'Moose'.

She handed it back to him and stuffed her hands into her pockets, "S'not my real name of course. Just what my friends call me."

A nickname that had started as a joke, turned into an insult, and then transformed into something she cherished from the old days... even if she didn't really see any of those people anymore.

With his hand finally free, Bailey was able to wipe off the sweat that had accumulated on the surface, and then scratch the itch that he'd had for nearly the entire time. No wonder people were always talking about how great it was to be free.

Elke claimed that just giving him her number would be no fun, but Bailey definitely disagreed. He hadn't really enjoyed being tackled by one of her clones. Or watching her melt into pink goo. None of that was really an experience that he wanted to replicate.

Though, he realized, if he hung out with Elke often enough, then that was definitely something that could happen...

Distracted from his thoughts, Bailey took his phone back and held it in his newly dried hand. She'd given him her number under the name 'Moose'. He snickered slightly as he nodded at her explanation. It was kinda funny, given that her real name was Elke.

"Alright, Moose. Well, it was nice to meet you and be tackled by your clones and all," he grinned and extended his hand for her to shake. He wasn't really sure why he was offering up his freshly reclaimed appendage to be taken into bondage again, but there he was.

"Alright, Moose. Well, it was nice to meet you and be tackled by your clones and all,"

With a crooked grin she reached out and shook his hand firmly, before letting go and slipping her hands back into her pockets.

"Yeah, See ya around Bailey." She waved slightly, before turning away.

As soon as she wasn't facing him an expression of panic crossed her features. How bad had she flubbed the whole thing? Was she supposed to hug him at the end of dates? Punch him in the arm and giggle?

God, dating was hard.

Slumping toward where her buss would be, she headed a bit farther and turned a corner, before letting out a sigh. She missed the days you could mercilessly give boys noogies and shoves their heads in toilets to show them you liked them...