[WORLD ONE] SPEED DATING EXTRAVAGANZA

[spellbindmods]

Who: Participating coven members
Where: The Palai marketplace
When: Day 49
Open/Closed: OTA

[ Any and all who are in the marketplace will find that there is suddenly a mysterious barrier around the marketplace (that may be eerily familiar to some) -- specifically one large portion of the marketplace with a large number of tables and chairs, perhaps purposefully set out for nefarious reasons.

A few Palai are ushering coven members to chairs, and everything seems about normal. As normal as the Palai can be when they're putting on a show anyway. It's not until a sizable portion of the coven members are seated (and also supplied with breadsticks and small shrimp), that things get a bit more bizarre.

Thanks to the power of the Eltos, a small band of energy keeps coven members stuck to the chair (magic can interfere, of course), but that's not the end of it. On each table, next to those delicious smelling breadsticks and shrimp, is a bowl of scraps of papers. Every five minutes, a strip of paper will pop out from the bowl.

If you ask the Palai, they'll be inclined to explain speed dating to you. Asking questions, getting to know a person, then being shimmied off to the next potential mate -- this is made possible by Elto magic yet again, through flying chairs that transport their holder to a new table at standard intervals.

The Palai are extremely invested in this exercise? Will you let them down? ]

[ OOC: In the spirit of speed dating, each character will have a top level. All who want to respond to this top level can with questions from this post, but the threads have to end at 10 comments from each character. After this last tag, the characters can be assumed to have been whisked to a different potential match. You're free to have characters make up their own questions, interact with Palai serving food, etc. ]

Comments

[soulcomet]

[Madoka is 100 percent on board with getting to know fellow coven members better, but it isn't until she's stuck in her chair and she's asked a Palai a few more questions that she realizes what's happening, and she just. sits there, bright red, staring at her hands in her lap.]

[dating when you're a magical girl isn't really a thing, okay.]

Um ... Is it okay if we just ... talk like friends, and not about dating?

[p_mortem]

Sure. What do friends talk about?

[ Honestly. Minato's used to the eventual "here is my emotional baggage, good luck" talks, but before that... trivial chatter he isn't sure constitutes friendship. ]

[soulcomet]

[Madoka relaxes considerably when she sees Minato sitting across from her — she's perfectly comfortable around him, despite the fact that she's magically stuck to a chair and allegedly supposed to be looking for a mate.]

Well ... anything you want, really. Whatever's on your mind!

[p_mortem]

[ What's on his mind is, well, the bread stick he has in his hands. He tries to keep his mind relatively empty and unconcerned unless he has to be, so... okay, bread.

He raises the stick up, as if in toast. ]

The bread's good. I can't remember the last time I had a fresh loaf... I usually get the packaged buns at the store.

[mech_and_mutt]

Just think of it like a free meal. And somethin' other than kelp, too.

[Though after a chomp of those breadsticks, he's starting to think they're somehow made of the stuff, too. ...Well, hopefully there wouldn't be any in the shrimp.]

Have ya had a hard time in this place?

[soulcomet]

I really like seaweed though ... [not that seaweed is particularly strange, but Madoka will try pretty much anything at least once.]

It hasn't been so bad — I've met a lot of really great friends here! What about you?

[mech_and_mutt]

Guess you gotta grow up with it. Ain't seen a real ocean before I came down here, just... lotsa clouds.

[Still, at least it made 'fishing' a lot more interesting.]

Back at 'our' island, sure, but not so much down here. These little lizards have just been...

...well, look at what's goin' on in here.

[decipheringeye]

[The other girl looks relieved at the proposition.]

I'm relieved, actually. This is the first time I've heard of speed dating, and I don't know if I really want to go along with it...

[soulcomet]

Me either ... It seems awfully impersonal, doesn't it?

[not that Madoka has any idea of how romance is supposed to go, but she did at least figure, if she were to go on a date, it would be with someone she already knew.]

[decipheringeye]

Maybe it's for people who are so busy that they don't have time for normal courtship. That sounds like a pretty miserable way to live, though.

[Madoka's not alone in having no idea how this is supposed to work normally.]

[talim]

Of course. Trust me, we're on the same page here.

[ jude offers her what he hopes is a reassuring smile. she seems much more nervous than he is, so he'd like to ease those nerves as best he can. putting things into perspective, worse things have happened over these past few weeks than some awkward dates. ]

How about a simple introduction first? I'm Jude.

[soulcomet]

[OH THANK HEAVENS Madoka does her best to straighten her expression into something less embarrassed and something more cheerful, but her face is still about as pink as her hair.]

It's nice to meet you ... I'm Madoka.

[talim]

Jude Mathis. It's a pleasure to meet you, Madoka.

[ sensing her relief, his reassuring smile brightens. ]

So... There's a slip of paper here with what I presume to be a question written down on it. Should we take our chances, or come up with our own?

[potentite]

[God and he thought he was the only one too flustered to talk properly.]

Of course it is. I'd much rather be your friend. [Wait. Is that insulting? Shit.] N—Not that you're not cute as a button or anything but uh— I—It's not you it's me? Fuck.

[soulcomet]

[OH NO NOW SHE'S EVEN REDDER.]

No, it's all right! I mean — I think you're pretty cute, too, but —

[oh god someone please strike her down where she sits. Madoka just. hides her face in her hands for a minute, trying to recompose herself.]

[and, when she's a little more confident she's not going to sink into a pit of embarrassment:] What I mean is ... I think you're really sweet, and you obviously care a lot about everyone... ["and I think you underestimate yourself." but she leaves that unsaid.]

But I do agree with you. I think we make much better friends than, um ... anything else.

[potentite]

[Oh she called him 'cute'. He can't help getting flustered at that. But what really gets him is hearing her say he's caring. Jesus. Talk about a one hit KO. Jake takes her pause to recover as well. ]

Yeah, I think you're um, well, the bee's knees too, Madoka. You're a sweet, considerate girl. Any boy— or girl—! would be lucky to know you. In any way.

[So there.]

So, um, I'm still interested in your world!

[Smooth.]

[secrowtary]

Aren't friends supposed to know their names at the very least?

[ This friendship thing is still kind of confusing to him, but at least he seems to know the basics... ]

[soulcomet]

[oh god, yes, thank you. Madoka can do this.]

Yes, absolutely! My name's Madoka.

[secrowtary]

My name's Hibiki. I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance...despite the circumstances.

[ Which are very special, indeed. ]

I simply cannot believe that they forced so many people to take part in this. It's definitely a good way to meet new people and get to know each other better, but potential...

[ He can't even say the mate word...she's so young?! So, instead, he clears his throat. ]

It's just too much.

[doublesharp]

[Oh no.... oh no. He knows it's not his fault, but Riku still feels bad that this poor girl is so flustered.]

Y-Yeah, don't worry! It's totally fine! Let's be friends, okay?!

[soulcomet]

[luckily for Riku, her relief is instant. whew. she dips her head forward slightly, in thanks.]

Thank you ... Um. We can still ask each other questions, though, if you want?

[drizzle]

...mmm, it's totally fine on my end....

[Nike had no intention in talking or eating with anyone as a sign of protest against the Palai. She didn't like the way they orchestrate the situation by tricking them into a speed date with one another against their will. It was correct, and was beyond embarrassing.

She was just glad someone else thought so too. A girl, no less. A shy and just as nervous one too. With only one difference.]

But to be friends, we should introduce ourselves first, right? [With a tiny smile.] I'll start. My name is Nike. You are?

[The other girl was brave enough to think about the other person and was trying her best.]

[soulcomet]

[everyone she's been paired with so far has been so nice — Madoka would think that she couldn't believe her luck, if she hadn't already been so sure of the kindness of everyone in the coven already.]

[she smiles, relaxing considerably.]

My name's Madoka. It's nice to meet you.

Did you still want to ask each other questions, or would you like to just talk?

[imsorey]

[Sorey looks instantly more relieved that she seems to feel the same way about this situation as him, and nods in quick agreement.]

That sounds more than fine to me. It can be a, uhm, friend date? To get to know each other.

[soulcomet]

A friend date ... that sounds so much nicer! Let's do that.

[and of course, with a friend date, first things first.]

My name's Madoka Kaname.