[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

[talim]

Uh...

[ jude wrings his wrist with his hand in a nervous gesture and averts his gaze, cheeks flushed a warm pink. this... well, he doesn't know what he expected, but whatever it was, this is the exact opposite of it.

he's never been on a date. a purple talking doll stole his first kiss. why is he here? ]

So... Come here often?

[ an attempt to lighten the mood, but the laugh that follows is terribly, terribly awkward. he sort of wants to bury his head in his hands, but he resists the urge. ]

[thatdamnknight]

[awkward blushing kid meet awkward blushing knight. flynn smiles shakily. he is so not in his comfort zone right now and it shows. his partner being jude puts him at ease somewhat but not entirely. chances are he'll be awkward and uncomfortable up until this nightmare ends.]

Never again if I can avoid it. [if the palai don't drag him into something like this again, that is.] You?

[talim]

[ that drags a short laugh out of him, although the tips of his ears are still red. ]

Not particularly, no. Great breadsticks, though.

[ there's a short, awkward silence. ]

... Sorry, Flynn. You must be more used to this than I am, huh? Being a knight in shining armor and all, I bet people are swooning over you all the time.

[ was that a weird thing to say? that was probably a weird thing to say. just kill him. ]

[thatdamnknight]

[weird enough to make flynn's awkward blush return full force. jude better kill flynn, too, because flynn can only handle so much blushing before he ends up evolving into an actual tomato.]

I... I wouldn't say that. Whenever someone... swoons over me, I honestly don't know how to react past politely rejecting their advances.

[awkwardly rejecting their advances, more like.]

Which admittedly doesn't always work.

[so that usually ends with him being a blushing and stuttering mess as he looks for a way to escape.]

[deem]

[All of his human allies today sure are pink. Maybe some kind of contagion is going around... Should he be worried? 9S is starting to suspect that he ought to be, by the time his seat plants itself at a table with Jude, and his First Human Friend™ is also more rosy-cheeked than usual.

But when Jude expresses no discomfort, 9S relaxes slightly. He's still watching like a hawk for any signs that something's wrong, but the question captures his attention]

Pretty often, since what's stocked changes from day to day, and we still need more supplies to work with, between setting up that barrier and making a functional flight unit...

[Talking's a thing 9S sure can do, oblivious to the nature of this activity they've been forced into]

[talim]

[ jude just. blinks at him. he should learn to stop being surprised by 9s' antics, but, well, he hasn't. he doesn't think he ever will. ]

That's... not exactly what I meant...

[ well, it did lighten the mood, so he supposes he's accomplished something. ]

You know, there are probably hundreds of questions I could ask you, Nines, but I'm drawing a blank here. Are you seriously comfortable with this whole speed dating thing?

[deem]

[Well, he's had the concept of dating explained to him, but 9S is pretty sure this doesn't match Jake's description. People do keep coming up with really odd subjects to talk about, he supposes, but he hadn't really thought that much of it.

Mostly because people went in so many different directions he hasn't identified a clear pattern of any sort]

...Isn't this a team-building exercise?

[Because why in the world would an android be involved in anything related to dating with humans? The status difference is enormous]

[secrowtary]

I do all my shopping here, actually.

[ He should know by now that he's not meant to answer that question truthfully because that's not the point. Yet, he does. ]

They always have fresh vegetables.

[ Nailed it. ]

Do you?

[talim]

[ jude has to hold back a laugh. honestly, their odd sort of conviviality has made jude quite fond of hibiki. he's never bored when he's talking to him.

if he had to choose someone to be stuck in this awkward situation with... well, he's not exactly complaining. ]

Fresh vegetables. Right.

[ he nods, a mock serious expression on his face. ]

On dates? No. In general? I suppose I do.

Next question... I'm going to pull out one of these slips of paper. Sounds easy enough.

[ so he does, and jude squints when he reads the letters on the page. not because they're difficult to read, but because... ]

If you were a color, what color would you be— what kind of question is this? What benefit is there to even answering this?

[secrowtary]

I recommend the stand in the middle of the marketplace. It's usually pretty crowded.

[ He's not even mocking Jude, he's 100% serious. Best vegetables out there, man. ]

I don't come here on dates... [ This needs to be rectified right away. ] Just shopping.

[ These papers are useless, aren't they. Hibiki raises his brows and eventually glares at the stripes of paper remaining in the bowl.

Can he just destroy them all. Using his powers. Or his hands. Or even both. This question might be tame, but who knows what will the future unfold!! ]

A color? Blue, of course.

[ It's not like he's wearing mostly blue right now. Speaking of benefits, he has absolutely no idea what purpose does this question serve. ]

Yours would be...white, I suppose?

[ Hibiki, give him a chance to answer? ]

[lohengrins]

I don't have much choice.

[ deadpan. i'm sorry jude, he's just...stating the facts...as he knows them. suddenly, he sighs. ]

Allow me to ask the questions. Do you have a purpose: something you strive to achieve over the course of your life?

[talim]

[ jude's lips part in surprise, expression turning into one of curiosity rather than total humiliation. how is he so laid back about this? the seven mysteries of percival. ]

... I do. There's a lot I could tell you, but if I went into detail, this wouldn't exactly be a speed date anymore. What I will say is that, no matter what, I'm going to change the world. At all costs.

Whatever it takes; that's the ideal I'm striving toward. I've chosen a path, and I'm sticking to it.

[ jude clears his throat. how, exactly, does he follow up to that? what's your favorite color? ]

Percival, what about you? What lead you to the path of knighthood? Is there something — or, perhaps, someone — you wish to protect?

[lohengrins]

[ percival's brows raise at that, and he leans in the slightest bit, eyes clearly alight with interest. that's a good answer -- one he likes. ]

Ha. Easier said than done, but it's an admirable goal -- one I can both respect and understand.

[ oh right, he has to talk about himself in turn. in all his arrogance, it's...a surprisingly difficult endeavor for him. ]

Those who cannot protect themselves. I suppose that I believe a home is a right that everyone deserves. It's more than a nation: it's the right to live in peace and seize prosperity, should you choose to.

[ he gets a bit too immersed in it, truth be told -- the question alone has him caught in a dream of sorts. ]

Hm. And how do you intend on changing the world you've come to know?

[imsorey]

[Sorey just. grabs breadstick.]

I'm not an expert, but I think you need to work on your pick-up lines.

[Zaveid's are better??? step up your game Jude]

[talim]

[ jude and zaved 1v1 no items fox only final destination. ]

N-No, I... I was just trying to joke around, lighten the mood! It wasn't a serious pick-up line.

[ he's burning. ]

Do you think you could do better?

[imsorey]

I wasn't planning on trying to do better, but if you're asking then I can't say no to a challenge.

[he leans back in his chair for a second, hand to his chin as he thinks. and then he leans forward at takes both of Jude's hands in his and very seriously looks him in the eyes]

There may be a barrier surrounding us, but I'm grateful that there isn't one between us. Seeing your vibrant face is like staring into the sun, so beautiful and bright that I would never want to look away.

[this is his best serious face. is he joking, is he serious, do you want to find out]

[apatheia]

I do, yes. [She thinks probably everyone does, honestly... More importantly, Jude seems incredibly uncomfortable for such a difficult question, and of course, the fact that he's bothered by something concerns her.] Are you alright, Jude?

1/2

[talim]

What? No! I'm alright... !

[ no, he's not alright. ]

Perfectly fine.

[ no, he's not fine. ]

2/2

[talim]

Sorry, it's just... This whole dating thing is sort of awkward. Especially when you've never been on a date in your life. I don't know what I'm supposed to say.

[apatheia]

[JUDE.... THIS ISN'T EXACTLY REASSURING!!]

Well, you're not alone in that. [She thinks she even has less of an idea what to do here. Taking a cursory glance at the papers though, it seems like maybe they're supposed to ask each other questions? Although these questions seem kind of strange...] Why don't we just speak like normal for now?

[dragoness]

Did you just use a tired pick-up line on me?

[ LIZZIE THAT'S NOT ... STOP. ]

oh my god i was just about to tag yours LMAO

[talim]

... It was just a joke. You know, to lighten the mood and all?

[ what was jude thinking? there's just no lightening the mood with this girl. ]

Do you want me to try another one, or... ?

HEY! i'm psychic! \8D/ 1/2

[dragoness]

Hmmmmmmm...

[ensorcel]

[ camilla wants to break her own arms why is jude so cute...... ]

I can't say I do, but if there are more cuties like you around, I might start making it a habit to come here.

[talim]

W-Wait, wait...

[ jude flushes a brilliant shade of pink. ]

Camilla, you're not... actually hitting on me, are you... ?

[ IT WAS A JOKE............... ]