[open] he ate my heart

[journaler]

Who: Leia & anyone, especially anyone bitten by the love bug (or even if they haven't been--)
When: 02/03 - 02/14 (Valentines' Day!) IC.
Where: Over the network/in front of the Game Center
What: Heart candies for everyone -- aka an IC hearts meme, modified from here! Come get 'em and give them out to anyone and everyone to tell them how you feel!
Rating/Warning: none

a.) actual tv star (video)

Hey, everyone! Wow, I'm really recording, huh...?

[Leia's face appears on the camera. She might look a little bit nervous, because wow--you can't take back something you say live on video as easily as you can on paper, but don't be fooled. She's determined, and since signing up for a blinde date, she's far more into this Valentine's thing than she ever expected.]

So I know there's a lot going on right now, with everyone recovering and exchanging information. The last thing I want to do is interrupt all that, but it's a new month, and I think Mabel's got the right idea. We need cheer in our lives again, and we need a little romance!

I'm going to be helping her out by selling these adorable heart candies I found. [She holds up one between her fingers before the camera pans to show a small bowl of various colors.] They're color-coded with meanings, so you can tell your friends and loved ones exactly how you feel--and you can even make up your own meanings if you want to.

I'll have them available starting today all the way up until the big day, so be sure to stop by the Game Center and see me! The name's Leia.

Thanks for listening!

[WIPES SWEAT drinks juice really fast. That was a lot of talking she just did. Hopefully she made sense.]

b.) but what if you're color-blind (action)

[Later on, just like she said, Leia can be found behind a booth near the gaming center. She's set up with little jars of the aforementioned heart candies, as well as small fancy-looking pouch bags coming in white, pink, and red. There are also two neat piles of tags with string attached so they can be tied to the pouches: with one side having the standard To: and From: labels, and the other containing a legend of various colors corresponding to the hearts.

In one pile, the meanings are spelled out; and on the other, they're blank, in case anyone wants to write their own, as she promised.

At the end of the table also, there's a copy of the latest issue of the Cerealia Times for anyone to pick up and read, as well as fliers for Mabel's blind dates. She hopes you've signed up! She isn't shy about inviting people over, either, so if you're passing by, even without having seen her video, you might hear her calling out to you.]

Hi! Need some special candies for your special someone? Maybe a friend?

[She'll give the explanation as many times as she needs to, and talk about all of the different meanings if that's what your character wants! Anyone is welcome to try a couple pieces from the free sample bowl as well, to see how they taste (spoilers: sweet as hell).]

(( ooc: Interact with Leia or amongst yourselves (top levels are welcome)! This mingle log is dated all the way up til Valentines' Day ICly. You can expect the booth to be set up for at least a couple hours almost every day, likely after her work shift (so if you want cat costume shenanigans, just say the word).

Backtagging and forward dating (with discretion) is encouraged! ))

Comments

[journaler]

[This is news to Leia, who hadn't realized there was such a dichotomy in his culture. Her smile melts into curiosity.]

One month later. That'd make it... March 14th.

[She's gotten a pretty decent grip of the calendar here.]

So there are two 'big days'?

[particularity]

Yeah, exactly.

[He smiles.]

The second day is White Day. It's a pretty recent thing; it only started being celebrated in my world in the last fifty or so years. And as far as I know, it's just Japan and a few other countries near ours that celebrate it.

[journaler]

[Huh! She's not entirely convinced that two separate days are necessary, but finds it hard to complain about two chances at presents.]

That's pretty neat! But you shouldn't have to wait, if you have gifts you want to give now.

[She'll gesture across the booth.]

I think these candies would be a great place to start.

[particularity]

[Hinata shifts his attention to the candies, peering...]

They all mean different things, huh...?

[So, feasibly, you could just get one full of red hearts.]

[journaler]

That's right. And they're color coded, so you can choose which ones you give based on how you feel.

[You could totally get one full of only red hearts. But then Leia will palm one of the tags from the other pile, turning it over and offering one to Hinata. There are no words on it.]

You can also make up your own, if that's more your style.

[particularity]

[Hinata takes it slowly, idly flipping it over and back again.]

Yeah, maybe that'd be best for me.

Even though then it's figuring out how to put words to everything... [Feelings are hard.]

[journaler]

I know...

[Feelings are super hard. She understands.]

It kind of defeats the purpose of helping people who are too shy or don't know how to express themselves. But you know, I think it's a good option to have.

I didn't want to be too restricting. [SHE HAS PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO THIS...]

[particularity]

[Feeling feelings is easy expressing them is like trying to chisel out a beautiful work of art in a dark cave... or something.]

It's a really nice idea. And I've never seen it before.

[He nods approvingly.]

Are you going to give some to anyone?

[journaler]

[She beams at the compliment, but answers his question way too quickly when it comes.]

Yeah, of course! It might take me some time, but for once, I made sure to give myself plenty of it.

[A week and a half! And in case it wasn't clear:]

There are a ton of people I want to give them to!

[particularity]

And it sounds like you've got it all worked out already.

[With an amused smile.

He's not surprised, though... Leia seems like that kind of person. A kind person, with a big heart...]

[journaler]

...You're getting some too, you know.

[Because she is dispelling any doubt if there is any, hiding behind that amusement.]

[particularity]

Eh?!

[He wasn't expecting to get some...!! And that's now why there's a surprised blush on his face.]

[journaler]

[Eh?! nothing, he literally has no say in the matter!]

Oh, come on! You thought I'd leave you out?

I know it's supposed to be for couples and that Special Someone, but I have a lot of special people.

[Can't be tamed.]

[particularity]

[NOW HE'S FLUSTERED why are you so nice, Leia.]

No but, I wasn't expecting-- I mean--

[What do you say, Hajime?] Thanks...?

[journaler]

[That's more like it: acceptance. She looks amused at his reaction, but she should probably stop embarrassing him already.]

Don't mention it. Just give me some time.

[...With that out of the way--]

But how about you? Are you going to get some?

[particularity]

[Another faint noise, one Leia can take as a "you can have as much as you like", gosh, her giving him something like this...]

Oh--

Yeah, I think so. No real need to stick to the whole only girl-gives-to-guy tradition here.

[journaler]

That's the spirit!

[She claps her hands together in her excitement, then rubs them together as she looks everything over.]

I'm here to help, so you can count on me. What colors do you like best?

[particularity]

Well, I like green--

[To indicate, he catches at the tie he wears with a smile. Okay, so he's had to patch up this tie a lot because it's seen some stuff and he has no closet full of the same outfits here.

Alas.]

And... blue?

[journaler]

[He doesn't seem sure, so maybe a taste will help. She digs through the free sample bowl, digging out a few pieces before discarding the ones that aren't green or blue back into the bowl.]

I've got a lighter blue and a darker one. Just one green, though--I think that one's apple.

[She'll offer them to him.]

Go ahead. See if you like them.

[particularity]

Is it okay?

[HE'LL PAY YOU LEIA

But he'll take them from her, peering at the shades assembled, but he'll go to taste each one one-at-a-time.]

[journaler]

Yeah, of course!

[PAYMENT OR NOT, Hinata will walk away with something... Of course, then there's her main concern.]

Is it too sweet?

[particularity]

It's-- sweet.

[He says as he chews which isn't... really an answer. Don't mind him, his favourite "sweet" is kusamochi.]

...But it's good. I like them.

[journaler]

[She looks a bit relieved, though she suspects he's humoring her. At least in this case, it literally is the thought that counts...]

That's good. Hopefully whoever you give them to will, too.

Who's the lucky person?

[particularity]

Eh-- Ah...

[GLANCES ASIDE with faint embarrassment. Goodness but it's a wonder he gets embarrassed when he's been dating the guy for a while.

But he's a private person when it comes to this, so maybe not such a wonder after all.]

His name's Komaeda. Have you ever met him?

[journaler]

Komaeda...?

[It's a guy? Leia hadn't been expecting that, but at the moment, she's more concerned about getting the guy's name right anyway.

She can see the faint redness to his cheeks and the familiar embarrassment. He's serious!]

I haven't! He must've been your Christmas date at the ball, right? I knew I should've asked you to introduce me.