[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

[rootbound]

I have never had time for a 'real date' with another human in my life and I don't intend to start now. Ugh.

[for all his obvious anger he is, in fact, able to speak fairly levelly, though his tone's pretty biting; after another moment's consideration, he breathes out through his teeth and leans back in the chair, tamping some of that down]

--Vern. It's Vern. You?

[talim]

I can understand simply being not interested, but you've really never had time? None at all? What is it that keeps you so busy?

[ a thoughtful pause. jude clasps his hands together, looking slightly nervous. ]

Jude Mathis. Um, it's— it's pleasure to meet you?

[ he sounds unsure of whether or not it's even appropriate to say it. ]

[rootbound]

Iiit's. I don't know. I don't think either of us are actually feeling that it's a pleasure. It's fine, though, I guess? You're trying to be polite.

[blunt as a rubber hammer, this guy. sorry, Jude. he does seem to mean the 'you're fine' part, though, and seems to be slowly, gradually unbristling]

...you probably don't actually want the answer to that question, though, it's not great.

[talim]

[ jude doesn't mind. he's rather good at reading people, and while, no, vern doesn't exactly seem thrilled, jude doesn't feel any malicious intent either. he's good. ]

You do know that saying that just makes me even more genuinely curious, don't you?

[ the barest hint of a teasing smile curves his lips. ]

[rootbound]

[well, he asked for it.]

I was busy traveling and researching to find out the most reasonable way to accomplish the complete destruction of Midgard and end men warring to enter the halls of the gods. A lot of what I needed was in pretty inhospitable areas, and you don't exactly call up destruction with faeries and rainbows, so I had little to no company and no reason to trust the company I did get. Are you happy?

[his tone was entirely bland and reasonable through -- most of that? it trembles just a little on the last three words, ruining the effect, and he scowls again when he hears it

damn

he wanted to be edgy but couldn't pull it off]

[talim]

[ don't cut yourself on that Edge. that being said, jude is appropriately baffled. ]

Um. Wow.

Seriously. Wow.

[ a brief, uncertain pause. ]

Am I supposed to be happy?

[rootbound]

[oddly, that seems to fluster Vern; he actually tries to slide lower in his chair and possibly attempt to hide under the table, but is of course held firmly in place by the magical band on his chair...]

That's up to you, isn't it? You got the answer you were curious about. I don't dictate how people feel in response, or anything...!

[talim]

[ jude notices. it's... oddly endearing. ]

I didn't mean to imply that you did. Well, you were right... it wasn't a great answer, but that's not your fault. If anything, I'm a bit concerned for your well-being.

There's no obligation to answer this, but... were you lonely? ... Are you lonely?

[ and he doesn't just mean in a romantic sense. ]

[rootbound]

Who taught you to ask strangers such personal questions on your first meeting?

[it's a snap of embarrassment rather than real anger; he is pretty distracted from anger at this point. he jabs a finger up to point at the head of the GIANT BLACK DRAGON who's crowding the shielded space]

I have Geir. I'm not lonely. I'm fine.

[he is also at MAXIMUM SLOUCH down as far as the seating will let him go, and definitely blushing.]

[talim]

[ jude flushes with a combination of embarrassment and guilt. vern isn't exactly wrong. ]

You're right, I'm...

[ ... sorry? jude trails off when he stops to, you know, take a long, hard look at geir. ]

Hold on. Your best friend is a giant dragon?

[ his eyes are almost comically wide. ]

[rootbound]

[that gets raised eyebrows]

Is that not normal? He's perfectly friendly.

[talim]

I'm not saying he's not friendly, but... no, I wouldn't quite call it normal...

[rootbound]

That's kind of rude. For all you know I could be from a world where it's customary for people to befriend giant dragons, you know? You're not recommending yourself all that well as a date prospect.

[is he kidding or not, it is so hard to tell]

[talim]

Oh, well... Er. Sorry. I guess you're right. I'm still getting used to remembering the whole alternate dimensions thing.

[ the apology feels stifled and awkward, but he really does mean it. he's just a little flustered, red with embarrassment. maybe he should have been just a little more considerate... ]

To be totally fair, neither of us are actually looking for a date here.

[rootbound]

[that actually makes Vern snort; the tiny laugh that follows does a lot to soften his expression, if only briefly.]

Okay, you've got me there. I need a date like I need a hole in the head.

[talim]

[ just seeing vern laugh is enough to make jude laugh, too. not at him, but with him. it's like it's contagious. ]

Looks like we're finally on the same page. Some of the questions I've been asked today...

[ he shudders. vern doesn't need to know. ]

[rootbound]

Let me guess: overly personal and sexual, with very little knowledge of you as a person or your actual status with regards to romantic and sexual partners?

[that's about what he expected, which is part of why he was so mad about the tied to a chair thing]

[talim]

You hit the nail right on the head.

[ jude never want to hear the words 'mommy' or 'daddy' ever again. ]

Let's look at it this way. This could have been much worse.

[rootbound]

Yeah, I guess you weren't that bad. Would have a conversation again.

[...the chairs are jiggling and lifting; he sighs]

Let's hope that pattern continues, huh? See you around.

[talim]

Then we'll make it happen.

[ jude smiles, giving him a parting wave. ]