[closed-ish] Signs of love overshadowed by dreams

[pseudonyms]

Who: Everyone who signed up for speed-dating/speed-friending! (and maybe some people who just wander in?)
When: IC Date: 6/9
Where: A large booth at the CERES Academy cultural festival
What: Rise's holding a special event to help bring people together at the cultural festival! This may be chaotic
Rating/Warning: N/A thus far! Rise with a megaphone might be a warning though...


[The cultural festival at the school has been in full-on planning mode for a few weeks. Rise is no exception to the planning and included in the flyers that have gone up is a notice printed on bright pink paper and bold lettering for a very special event.

The booth itself has been set up with a small cluster of tables to accommodate for the amount of people who have been signed up and even for a few last-minute sign-ups. The tables themselves have been decorated with special candles and a tray containing two bowls, two spoons, and a a tray with all the ingredients needed for an ice cream sundae.

At the front of the booth is a collection of heart-shaped name tags with all of the names of each individual whose signed up, along with a number attached. Rise will smile at each person, handing both the name tag and a small envelope to them with instructions not to open it until she says so.

It’s only when everyone has arrived and is crowded inside the booth that she pulls out a megaphone (and really, who gave her that?) and she turns it on.]

Hello ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Cerealia School Speed-Matching event! Meeting people can be really hard here, but don’t worry, we’re making it easy! You’ll see that the tables all have numbers assigned to them. On my count, open your envelopes and see who you’re starting with. When the bell rings, switch partners! Seems pretty simple, huh?

[Nobody gets to get a say in this apparently, but they may see one Yu Narukami who’s sitting on the table behind Rise just watching everyone casual as can be. Why is he wearing glasses? Who knows.]

Okie dokie! Let’s get this show on the road! On your mark…get set…open!

[Hope you’re ready, colonists. Inside each envelope is a starter number for the first match, and also a list of starter questions for asking people about themselves. Some people have lists corresponding with the speed dating route, while others are for the “friends only” route. But wait…what’s that? Some of those lists are crosswired? Your character would try to mingle with everybody and flirt anyway? Well hey. At least people will be talking and mingling.

Oh, and don’t mind the people who may wander in and out of the event. Rise will try to moderator the event to her best ability but hey, she’s pretty social herself. Some people are bound to slip in and out under her watch. Have fun! And remember, beware of the bell! (Or Rise announcing "SWITCH" in a loud voice via megaphone, same thing.)]

[ooc: Hello everyone, welcome to the speed-friending/dating event! Thank you to everyone who signed up; above you’ll see a list of people and numbers for you to pick from! Pick your number and your friend/date by visiting the number generator to randomly pick a number to match your character with! Feel free to post top-levels inviting others to just tag in or tag around, too, without using the RNG. Any questions, please hit me via PM or on plurk at alternatively]

Comments

[good_ideas]

[Shiho has to actually think about this...but comes up with only one answer:]

...maybe you have fun doing it...?

[She doesn't do any cosplaying so she's really not sure.]

[saudadist]

[ She's still not 100% certain on how that could be fun. Humans amuse themselves in weird ways, but she knew this already. ]

I don't do any of that. Doesn't seem interesting.

[good_ideas]

Oh. [Shiho isn't sure what's fun about it either. Maybe it's like dressing up for a drama production or dressing up for parties.]

Then why do you have horns?

[saudadist]

Because I was born with them.

[ There are a number of ways this could go, and Lucy's already mentally preparing herself for them. She's expecting a bad reaction, for her to just get up and leave the table, or just freak out in some general sense. Hell, the way Lucy keeps her eyes locked on her in a steady stare dares her to do any of those. ]

[good_ideas]

[She recognizes that steady stare if only because she's seen it so often in other espers who have gone through discrimination their entire lives and who out themselves with the knowledge that someone who accepts them for what they are is the exception and not the norm.]

Oh.

[Her next words are slower, more careful than before:]

I guess that makes it hard to sleep on your side then, huh?

[saudadist]

[ Despite the disarming comment, she doesn't physically relax for a good few seconds. Even then, it's only her jaw loosening and her leaning back slightly in her chair. ]

Not really. [ They actually kinda point upward and back. It's weird. ]

[good_ideas]

....sorry about the staring. Earlier.

[Minamoto would have been so proud of her for actually managing to apologize for once.]

And the cosplay thing.

[saudadist]

[ She's fully prepared to fire off something snide, but the apology catches her off guard. What's she supposed to say to that? Nobody's ever actually apologized to her for staring or anything like that before. ]

Just...don't do it again.

[good_ideas]

[It's because Shiho would have wanted an apology when she was five years old and found out their babysitter was trying to slip them psychic-power-suppressants in their food. And when she was ten and their supervisor told them to be good and had them wear shock collars like animals. She's long since past the point of thinking anyone will actually give her an apology but that didn't mean she'd begrudge others theirs.]

Of course not!

[saudadist]

[ Regardless of whatever reasons she has, Lucy's pleased. It's strange to hear someone apologize, but it's pleasant too. Something tells her not to get used to it, but then, another part of her chastises her for being so negative. ]

...cosplaying is for that "anime" stuff, right? Or video games...you ever seen any?

[good_ideas]

Well, yeah.

[Her best friend plays Monster Hunter all the time and then there were Patty, Tim and Bullet who were an experience all their own. At least the three of them seemed to really enjoy the anime they watched.]

Why, haven't you seen any?

[saudadist]

I don't really sit down and watch TV that much.

[ Living basically on the streets for five years, then imprisoned in a research facility for three more years tends to rob you of the chance to watch the latest Kamen Rider. ]

[good_ideas]

Careful about that. Some people might take it as an invitation to show you their favourite shows or something, you know?

[She's pretty sure that Tim, Patty and Bullet would very happily show her and not only because they'd empathize with what had happened to her in the past.]

[saudadist]

I'd decline, then.

[ Because being social? Ahahaha, ohhhh, not fun. Not from her experience, anyway. ]

[good_ideas]

Good choice.

Kind of a boring choice too, but good because they never stop at just one episode.

[saudadist]

[ Hey, she'll take boring over gaggles of humans throwing their energetic babble at her any ol' day. She's had enough "excitement" to last a lifetime. ]

Watching such things with others seems like it'd be uncomfortable anyway.

[good_ideas]

Sometimes. It depends mostly on what kind of thing you like, you know?

Bullet and Tim have a lot of fun watching together. [They're so excited about their magical girl animes, honestly.]

[saudadist]

[ Well, she's certainly in a bit of a pickle, then. The only thing she's ever really enjoyed doing was going to the zoo. There can't be an anime solely about that...right? ]

I might look into such things later...on my own.

[good_ideas]

[Shiho would tell her that there is an anime about pretty much everything.]

Sure. I won't stop you.

[Not even to warn her that there's always the possibility that she'll fall into it hard like the ex-Black Phantom kids.]