when the moon hits your eye... [Valentine's Day Date Night]

[ayes]

Who: You Watanabe (ayes) & lots of folks!
What: Valentine's Day Matchmaking: DATE NIGHT
When: The evening of February 14!
Where: Olympia
Warning(s): Some mild druglike effects, and probably some NSFW stuff in threads?

Earlier in the week-- about the night of February 12 or so-- you received a letter in the mail. Upon opening it, you found an invitation, hand-written in a sort of looping script.

Hello [YOUR NAME HERE]!
You're invited to a really great night!
On the evening of February 14, please come join us in Olympia for a special surprise!

Your friend,
You

P.S. "You" is my name. I'm not saying it's from you!

She's drawn a little smiley face on the invitation, and you may remember her from her earlier post to the network. For some of you, this invitation isn't surprising. You signed up for her party, after all. For others, though, this may come as a surprise.

[I: The Message & The Arrival]

Nevertheless, you decide to go anyway. She's listed an address in Olympia, and the night of the event, when you show up, it's a decent-sized dining hall. There are pink and red ribbons and balloons and lacy heart shapes everywhere.

You may catch sight of the young woman scurrying around, looking a little harried. Or you may just find other people who seem confused to be here. Did your name wind up in the drawing list? Did theirs? What's going on?

[II: Dinner...]

Be it as it may, you go inside. Inside, you can find more of those ribbons, and balloons, and hearts, as well as dozens of small, round tables for two, each covered in a white tablecloth and with a pair of candlesticks. Approaching the tables, you find that each seat has a small nametag, written in that same looping handwriting. They're names you may recognize: Reinhardt Wilhelm, Isabela, Mikazuki Augus, and more.

One of these names is yours. And across from you is another name. Maybe you recognize them, maybe you don't.

Either way, it's not long before someone comes by to light the candles and take your food order. You've got a date.

[III: ...and a show!]

Maybe half an hour after your meal order is taken and has been served (it's delicious, by the way) a spotlight cuts through the dim light, illuminating a small raised stage off on the side of the room. The young woman, You, is standing there, wearing a short dress that almost looks like that of a ballet dancer, her hair pinned up. She has to reach up to bring the microphone down. She's not very tall.

"Ah... um, hello? Is it on? Hi!" she says, her voice fast and a little nervous. "I'm You Watanabe, and... happy Valentine's Day! I hope you're all having a wonderful time, and maybe the person you're meeting tonight, um, I don't know, something could come out of it, I hope!"

She pauses, like she's not sure what to say. "Anyway, uh, I thought I'd perform some songs while you're eating, so listen if you want!"

You takes a breath and then steps back before gesturing to someone in the darkness, presumably who then starts a music track. She begins to sing and dance, performing a number of different songs. Some of them are sweet and slow, others a little more upbeat, and there's even one that's kind of... sensual in a rockin' way? Still, while her dance moves are well practiced and her voice pretty and clear, you get the sense that these song and dance routines were meant to be performed with way more than just one person. There should be harmonies or other parts there that are missing.

Still, there's an empty dance floor in front of the stage, and there's something catchy and almost strangely inspiring about the girl's singing-- even if this genre of music isn't your particular favorite, it's somehow encouraging. Why not ask your partner to dance?

[IV: Sin and Sweetness]

Eventually, You leaves the stage, thanking everyone, and the night continues uneventfully. As your dinner wears down, you may be drawn to a cart off to the side, piled high with desserts, pastries of all types and color. Eventually, a pair of waiters begins pushing it around from table to table. Do you want some dessert, they ask.

These pastries have been baked by your hostess, You herself, based off a book of recipes she'd found in some of the... seedier parts of the Entertainment District. There's another one of those handwritten notes in that looping script, written on thick card stock folded in two to make a simple sign:

Tonight's a night of excitement!
If you want a little help feeling romantic, try the pastries!
They'll definitely spice things up! (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ

The various pastries themselves have similarly handwritten signs on them, notifying you (if a little obliquely) of some potentially interesting effects...

• Strudel: "Find beauty in the world!" (For whatever reason, other people look a little more attractive.)
• Baklava: "To tell them how you really feel!" (You'll feel more likely to be honest, if not overshare.)
• Cannoli: "Because love needs laughter!" (Everything other people say is somehow funnier than usual.)
• Cinnamon Roll: "The nose knows!" (The first person you look at smells oddly like your favorite smell.)
• Blueberry Scone: "For a bit of courage!" (This will make you feel bolder, intensifying emotions you already feel.)
• Mooncake: "To feel like falling in love!" (Every time you look at the first person you see, your heart beats a little faster.)
• Taiyaki: "Try to see someone else differently!" (Every time you look at the first person you see, there are little sparkles around them.)

The effects themselves aren't designed to be overwhelming or all that powerful, and can be resisted with just a little effort. However, You's recipe only dealt with one effect at a time. Mixing and matching multiple pastries? Who knows what might happen...?

There are also plenty of non-magical desserts, for anyone looking to sate their sweet tooth without chancing an odd experience.

[V: Singles Mingle]

You's spent most of her time arranging the couples event, of course, but if you didn't sign up, there's still a place for you! (Or maybe your date went terribly and you're here early.) There's a bar off to the side where people are welcome to sit and drink and meet other folks.

That said, they're bringing the pastries around here, too...

[VI: Wildcard]

Didn't see a prompt here for you? Write your own! The night has plenty of dancing, food, romantic moonlight, and plenty of places you can sneak off to be alone.

((OOC: As always, please label your threads if they turn NSFW, and make sure your thread partner(s) are okay with whichever pastry effect you're getting!))

Comments

[judicia]

( So much for not making an embarrassing first impression. Once Anders notices the ears twitching atop the other's head, he couldn't help but stare, wide-eyed and in wonder. He doesn't notice that he's doing it until he hears his name being spoken by his date. )

No, that's... that's me. ( He stammers, his face already flushing a soft red to match the sweater that he's wearing. He steps up out of his chair a little bit too eagerly, and thrust his hand out for the other man to take. )

It's a pleasure to meet you, X'rhun. ( He mimics the pronunciation as best he can. Knowing what he is, he really wants to get this man to like him!! )

[verflair]

[ For whatever it may be worth, everyone stares at X’rhun’s ears when they first see them. He’s more than used to it by now, and doesn’t seem bothered when Anders’ gaze lands on them and stays there, wide-eyed.

He chuckles a bit, the sound accompanied by an amused flick of his feline tail. (Oh yes, there’s more than just the ears. Poor Anders is doomed.) The pronunciation of his name is close enough, and he accepts that offered hand for a shake. ]

The pleasure is mine. Shall we?

[ He motions to the table set out for them. ]

[judicia]

( Doomed to fall in love with him you, you mean. Anders does notice the tail a little moment later, and his infatuation becomes all the more pronounced when he squeezes X'rhun's hand and settles back into his chair. He's staring at his date the whole time, not with the wide-eyed look that he had when X'rhun first appeared, but with a softer, more enamored expression. )

You're not what I expected. ( He says, before realizing how bad that sounds and he forces himself to bow his head in embarrassment. )

Sorry, that didn't come out right.

[verflair]

[ It’s probably a small blessing that X’rhun is notoriously hard to offend, and at Anders’ remark he only laughs, tail swaying. ]

Worry not, my friend. I have taken no offense. I have ever been one to defy expectations, after all.

[ And, just because Anders keeps staring at his ears, best to get the obvious and potentially awkward out of the way first. He flicks his ears in his date’s direction, something playful in the motion. ]

Before you ask, I am a miqo’te. But one of an entire race, though the rest of my kin yet lay sleeping.

[judicia]

( He was just about to ask that, actually, once he found a way to phrase it without making a total arse of himself. At least X'rhun doesn't seem too bothered by it. That seems to draws a small, if not shy, smile out of Anders. )

Does that mean that all the miqo’te look you? You know, with the ears and the tail and everything.

( It's probably a good thing that they're all still asleep in their cryopods. Anders would probably go into cardiac arrest if he saw more than one. )

[verflair]

Aye, that they do, though the shape of the tail and the fur color can vary wildly, even among the same tribe.

[ Yes, it's probably a good thing. Never mind that there would be a decent number of them, but not all of them were as nice as X'rhun and likely wouldn't take his staring in stride. ]

[judicia]

( Anders would gladly take whatever abuse or insult they give him just as long as he gets a chance to stare at them. X'rhun will always be his favorite, though, since he's the one indulging him in these questions. )

I see. ( There's a single, imaginary tear rolling down his cheek right now. )

Well, if I'm allowed to say so, yours looks very nice. You look very nice. ( He smiles genuinely, hoping that X'rhun won't mind the compliment. )

[verflair]

[ X’rhun has no shortage of good humor, and smiles at the compliment, tail swaying even while seated. ]

My, my. Keep up with the flattery and you may well have me blushing.

[ He leans an elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand. His free hand he uses to motion to Anders himself. ]

But it would be unfair of me to monopolize the conversation so. Tell me of yourself.

[judicia]

That is my intention.

( It seems only fair, he thinks, given that X'rhun has already seen what Anders is like when he gets flustered. Luckily, Anders has already recovered from that embarrassing ordeal, his amber eyes twinkling playfully as he leans forward in his seat. )

I wouldn't mind spending the rest of night listening to you, to be perfectly honest, but since you asked so nicely... ( His smile broadens. ) I suppose I could tell you something about myself. What would you like to know?

[verflair]

[ It’s going to take more than a few compliments to truly fluster X’rhun, but he does enjoy flirting so it’s easy enough to make those kinds of remarks. He’s enjoying himself already, evidenced by the fact that his tail won’t sit still and continues to twitch happily. ]

Whatever you care to tell. Vague, I know, but I hardly want to ruin the mood by prying somewhere I ought not.

[judicia]

Fair enough.

( There isn't a whole lot about himself Anders is afraid to talk about. Some of it can be quite a bit of a mood killer, though, so he'll do his best to try to stay away that and onto lighter topics. Anders leans back in his chair a little. )

I suppose the first thing you should know, then, is that I'm a healer. I work at the clinic here in town, brewing potions for patients and taking care of the needy. It's actually not all that much different from what I used to do back home.

[verflair]

A healer, truly? [ Well, X’rhun seems interested, at least! He likes hearing about what others do, and how it differs from those from his own world. ]

Are you practiced in alchemy, then? Or have you other healing skills at your disposal?