last chance for carefree Aimintas nightlife!

[rootandbranch]

Who: All
Where: The Palai marketplace and surrounding city
When: Day 53, evening
Open/Closed: OTA (Geir's toplevel is here if you want him specifically, otherwise use these prompts for your own purposes! I thought we could all use a place to play with ideas from the weekly announcements.)


[it's been a few days since the latest exciting attempts to take down the island barrier and the even more exciting SPEED DATING extravaganza. the Palai have been working hard to get their city back in good shape after the attack earlier in the month, and now that their mating season has kicked off with such a bang, they're doing as much as they can to maximize it-- no one in the coven has ever seen the marketplace look so bustling and full of wares. perhaps you have the leisure to shop or spend time with someone special this evening?]


A (smells like teen spirit)

[per the mods: "The Palai mating season is still in full swing. During the second week of this season, the Lyna begin creating a special pheromone potion that is traditional as the week winds to a close and Palai begin to make their partnership choices. While the intended targets are the Palai, of course, these hormones also affect humanoid coven members. The effects can range from flushed lightheadedness to unabashed affectionate behavior."

as you wander by a perfume stall, the strangest scent catches your nose, something sweet and dizzying. hopefully no one you'd be embarrassed to have catch you is around to see you stumble... or catch you as you fall. if nothing else, there's a good chance that if they're close enough to catch you, they'll smell it too.]


B (what a beautiful wedding)

[per the mods: "Based on the results of the speed dating log, the Palai will obviously be rooting for unity within the coven. Some "successful" attempts at matchmaking will be noticed by the Palai, who will try their best to convince others to help these pairings along. Post here with a thread you want to volunteer for tribute -- the characters within this thread will have goods devoted to them made by the Palai, and gossip will be started about them in an effort to ~strengthen their bond~. It's the Palai version of shipping, tbh."

in another part of the marketplace, one of the Palai shopkeepers tugs on your sleeve with a wide smile. they offer you a (bad) action figure of one of several incredibly attractive coven members and ask if you've heard the good news about their marriage engagement! it seems that the Palai have watched enough soaps to know how this sort of thing should go.

if you're the subject of one of these works of art, you'll get congratulated instead. do you know any of these characters? if you don't, do you like gossiping about strangers? either way, you're in luck.]


C (don't you want to see these clothes on me)

[maybe you don't like falling in love with or relentlessly teasing your fellow coven members. you still might be interested in impressing them, or in fashion in general. for this very special week only, the Palai who sell clothes in the market are making an unusual effort to include larger items without tail holes for their discerning coven patrons. wares range from sumptuous silks and velvets to perfectly normal clothes of all descriptions, though the latter are harder to find.

because the Palai are hoping to encourage fancy humanoid mating displays by producing these new kicks for their benefactors, everything is available at discounted barter prices. shop with a friend! or just quietly buy something to replace that shameful shirt you've been wearing holes in since you got kidnapped.]


D (all work no play)

[as well as being a place to shop, the marketplace is still one of the best locations in Aimintas to gather, both people and supplies. perhaps this is the time to get in a few conversations with the Palai and each other about character projects like the recent island trip, or setting up a barrier around Aimintas, or anything else that you might have had in mind. there's plenty of Palai around to help out, as well as several shops selling the best weapons and general technology that the locals have available to them. there's also a big pile of junk that coven members brought back from the island in the corner of the market square for the refurbisher merchants to pick through -- this may be a great last shot to put some pieces together.

or you can just pick through the junk pile yourself and find a free cell phone! make your dreams a reality.]


E (loose ends)

[MAKE SOMETHING UPPPP]

Comments

[imsorey]

A.
[for a good portion of the morning Sorey managed to avoid inhaling any of the special pheromone potion as he made his way through the marketplace—until he hit the perfume stall, heavy with the smell of it and enough to knock him off his feet. he doesn't make it more than ten steps away from the stall before deciding that it would be a very good idea to sit down, which is why anyone passing by that particular area will find him slumped up against the nearest wall with a hand over his mouth and nose]

They should really put warning signs on some of the stuff here...

B.
[at the booth with the very enthusiastic Palai shopkeepers/shippers, several (bad) action figures are being shoved into Sorey's hands as he stammers, tries to clarify, and tries to edge away with as much dignity as he can muster. he has still somehow ended up with an armful of every single figure available, though several of them are people that he hasn't even met.]

While I'm impressed with your craftsmanship, I really don't need so many of them—yes, that one does look just like me, but—no, I'm not engaged, honest!

[please come save him. or make fun of him.]

b

[talim]

[ jude is in very much the same predicament, and when he spots sorey, he rushes to him for safety. unfortunately, that doesn't seem to help very much, seeing as they're the center of attention at the moment. more specifically, their friendship.

or relationship, according to the very enthusiastic palai. ]

Why is this happening to us? What did we do to deserve this?

[ jude is clutching an action figure in one hand, beet red. ]

[imsorey]

I think we just...got along? Maybe they took the flirting competition too seriously.

[as soon as he says it he realizes, far too late, what the source of the misunderstanding is]

That's my fault, then. Sorry for getting you dragged into this.

[talim]

What? No, it's not your... if there's blame to be placed then it should be placed on both of us.

... This goes without saying, but I forfeit the contest, by the way.

[imsorey]

Even if I won the contest, doesn't this situation kind of mean we both lost?

[he stares down at all of the little figures piled in his arms. it's debatable. free stuff maybe means they won? but he could do without the misunderstandings.]

[talim]

... That's true. There's no real winner here.

[ jude's only carrying one, but he joins sorey in staring at it. ]

What does Mikleo think about all this?

[oneandmikleonly]

[brightly, only audible to Sorey, before Sorey can mention that hey Mikleo's actually kind of right there--]

I think your willingness to compromise is very romantic.

[imsorey]

[a little too loudly, intentionally trying to drown out Mikleo's commentary]

Mikleo's jealous that he couldn't get a date.

oops i forgot to track this and didn't get a notif

[talim]

Really?

[ jude just sort of... blinks. ]

I didn't think he seemed like the type... Besides, it's not like it was a real date.

[ or was it?????? ]

[oneandmikleonly]

[snickering, just a little]

I wished you good luck getting one, didn't I? Jude's nice. You could have an actual friend date.

[he knows sorey is weak to friends]

[imsorey]

It was a friend date, which is different from the other kind of date, but still counts as a kind of date. I think. The point of speed dating is that it's a date, right?

[scratching at the back of his head and fessing up so that Jude doesn't get the wrong idea about Mikleo]

Mikleo didn't actually say he wanted a date, he's just trying to rub it in. He did say that you're nice, though.

[talim]

Well... I suppose I can't argue with that logic.

[ an amused glint flickers in his eyes, lips quirking upward. ]

I just didn't expect something as extreme as this to be the result— wait, what? He did?

[ jude flushes a light shade of pink. well. he's rather fond of mikleo, himself. ]

[imsorey]

He did! You should go on a friend date with him too. And now you can even give him a commemorative figure of yourself.

[holding up one of the action figures by way of example. this is clearly what they're meant for.]

[talim]

[ he can't help but laugh. sorey is just so... genuine. jude's not sure he's ever met anyone quite like him. his smile and his laugh are like the sun peeking through on a gloomy day.

so... ]

What if we went on something like a triple date? All three of us. A triple friend date, of course.

[ although jude is not going to mention that something about sorey and mikleo seems... well. he's not sure what word he's looking for. close doesn't seem like enough, but intimate seems like too much.

there's just. Something about them. like a gravitational pull that keeps them orbiting together as one entity. ]

[oneandmikleonly]

[oh my god]

You could suggest we try that right now! Take him through the market to check if I'm there--

[imsorey]

[since they're both encouraging him, he doesn't need any more prodding.]

Let's do it then! No time like the present. I'll tell Mikleo to meet up with us.

[it's a good chance to slip away from the pushy Palai shippers, so he accepts a little bag from one of them, dumps all of his figures into it, and then grabs Jude's hand and pulls him off into the market before they can be accosted about anything else. as they go, he gives Mikleo a little extra mental poke]

You have to actually come out if you want to join us.

[oneandmikleonly]

This telepathic signal could not connect, beep beep beep.

[maybe Mikleo's been looking at too many gadgets in the marketplace lately.]

No, seriously, it's fine this way.

[talim]

Right now? Really?

[ a pause. jude raises an eyebrow. why does something feel off? ]

Sorey, you seem a little... distracted. Is everything okay?

[imsorey]

It is not. It doesn't count if I have to keep talking to you in my head.

[glancing back at Jude with an eyebrow raised]

Sorry, just a little distracted, it's nothing. Right now's fine, isn't it? Unless you're busy with something else. If that's the case then we can do this another time.

[talim]

Uh... I mean— as long as Mikleo's alright with it, I don't see why not?

[ jude can't help but feel a bit flustered. it was his idea, but one minute they're lamenting the peculiar situation they're in and the next they're planning a spur of the moment second date. ]

I'm good. I've got nowhere else to be.

[oneandmikleonly]

Okay, I'll be quiet.

[for now.]

Don't mind me.

[imsorey]

I said come out, not be quiet!

[pulling a face, he turns to Jude, completely failing to notice his flustered expression. sorry Jude.]

I think we're going to have to play some weird version of hide-and-seek if we want to get Mikleo to join us. But that can be part of the adventure, if you're up for it.

[talim]

I can't come up with any real objections. I already know that you're an adventurous person. I mean, we are dating, after all...

[ it's meant to be a joke, but it sounds all wrong and jude sort of can't believe what he just choked out, his own playful boldness. all he can do to keep from melting into a puddle of embarrassment is laugh at the situation, right? ]

You know him far better than I do. Lead the way.

[imsorey]

[that wipes the disgruntled look off of his face and he can't help but laugh]

You're taking the friend date more seriously than I am. But you've got the idea! Let's take a look around.

[without needing any more prompting he dives into the marketplace with Jude on his heels]

[talim]

[ jude has to jog just to keep up with sorey and his eagerness. he almost grasps onto the sleeve of his cloak to make it easier, but manages to refrain. ]

So, can you tell you tell me where, exactly, we're going? How do you know where to find Mikleo?