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

[vorrutyer]

[ Byerly shrugs amiably. ]

Wouldn't be the first time I ate shit.

[ Whether he means that literally or metaphorically, he does not say. ]

[milesedgelord]

[That small snort was now a full-blown laugh.]

You're certainly witty, I'll give you that.

[vorrutyer]

[ Byerly bows from his seated position. The gesture is graceful - he clearly is accustomed to lazy gestures of obeisance. ]

That I am. Any who deny it are simply jealous. As are the ones who deny my incredible handsomeness.

[ Clearly a modest person. ]

You're a lawyer, no?

[milesedgelord]

I see.

Of course.

That must be it.

[Miles shook his head, smiling slightly still, finishing up the rest of his gin.]

Was it that obvious? I was the Chief Prosecutor of my city back home.

[vorrutyer]

[ Byerly nods thoughtfully, and shrugs in a yes-it-was-that-obvious sort of gesture. (Truthfully, he snoops perpetually on the network, like any good spy.) ]

Sounds like an important job.

[milesedgelord]

Mostly administrative. My fellow attorneys and I worked primarily on reforming the judicial system, primarily corruption. Though all of our hard work ended up being for naught.

[A waiter stopped by dropping some menus for the pair.]

What did you do back home?

[vorrutyer]

Professional parasite.

[ He looks completely unembarrassed. ]

Remarkable thing if you're High Vor like me - other Vor tend to feel rather uncomfortable about ejecting you from their house. Often, you can sleep on their couches for months at a time before they finally pluck up the courage to - to continue the metaphor - confront me about the plate of shit I've served them. [ And - ] So you were not, then, one of the people who benefitted from that corruption? People like you have always puzzled me. Who has principles nowadays?

[milesedgelord]

So...

You go around to stay with people who have to, because of their social standing house you until you wear out their hospitality?

[How did anyone in life go and live like that?! The second bit was a tougher question to answer of course.]

It was never about having principles per se. And yes it is a system that I myself had benefited from in the past. I'm certain I've sent many an innocent man to their death sentence in the early years of my career.

The only principle I believe in is the principle of Truth. And I detest men who will bend the will of the law for their own benefit or hide their crimes.

I suppose in essence it was more about atonement than anything else.

[vorrutyer]

[ A casual shrug of agreement confirms Edgeworth's assessment of his position in life. As for the latter - ]

Atonement. For...sending innocent men to death? Good heavens. That's quite a weight.

[milesedgelord]

We all have our crosses to bear. Metaphorically.

[Edgeworth had the vague inclination that he was giving more information than he was receiving. He had no issues with talking about his professional past. He owned it, after all.

He pressed slightly.]

How did this self-proclaimed parasitic lifestyle translate here? Surely you must be missing the accommodations you have had back home?

[He took a menu and looked it over.]

I think I'll go for the fish option.

[vorrutyer]

Oh, I work as a prostitute.

[ And then, cheerily, to the waiter - ]

The filet for me, cooked rare, merci.

[milesedgelord]

[And that resulted in him choking on his drink. Miles was such a smooth man.]

Er... Excuse me.

[He tried to stem the coughing into his handkerchief, He feared some of the alcohol had moved up his nose. It burned.]

My apologies I must have drunk it too fast. Is...is it an enjoyable profession?

[Yup that sure did sound as awkward out loud as it did in his head.]

[vorrutyer]

[ Byerly's grin broadens, and in answer, he purrs: ]

Quite pleasurable. [ And taking a drink - ] It's quite unlike practicing the law. In my work, everyone gets screwed, and no one walks away disappointed.

[milesedgelord]

You certainly seem to hold your er... professional skills in high regard, in that case? If you say that no one is disappointed.

[He placed the handkerchief on his lap, before sipping the rest of his gin.]

As long as you enjoy it I suppose.

[vorrutyer]

I'd offer to prove my claims, but I doubt you'd take me up on it.

[ A cluck of his tongue. ]

Pity. It would work out so much better for me if this were a business dinner.

[milesedgelord]

Not at this time, perhaps a raincheck.

I generally don't make it a habit to sleep with people on a first date.

[He was usually too oblivious to know when he was on a date and had only really slept with exactly one person, that event being recent. He didn't feel like sharing that though. So he did the sensible thing and ordered another gin.]

However, I don't really understand how one can be so casual about something so intimate.

[vorrutyer]

Well, it depends on how you approach it, really.

[ Byerly comes across as a lush, to be sure - but an eagle-eyed observer might note that he's drinking his drink rather slowly. Working his way through it. Not that he acts altogether sober - his manner seems just a little too expansive and wry - and yet his argument is plain and logical. (He's taken the measure of Edgeworth, and is trying out tactics to gauge their efficacy in swaying the man.) ]

Some people see it as something painfully intimate. [ He shrugs. ] Others see it as something that's simply rather...fun. A chance to get the heartrate up in a way that's far more pleasant than going for a jog. Stress relief. Really, it's quite an efficient way to relax, so that you can get right back to work.

[milesedgelord]

You're saying that to some people having sex is nothing more than taking a late night run?

[How did anyone live that life so easily? It was obvious that this subject was making him slightly anxious. Miles was not in anyway used to discuss such sensitive things, especially out in public. Even worse, recently he had been busy sorting his feelings on sex and expressing sexuality in general.

In the meantime, a waiter brought them their meals.]

I would think that there is a sense of vulnerability involved in performing sexual acts that one wouldn't have to worry about in other modes of exercise or recreation. Wouldn't sorting out these messy feelings after such get in the way of getting back to work, so to speak?

[vorrutyer]

Only if you allow yourself to acquire those feelings.

[ By tilts his head to the side. ]

After all, it's only social conditioning that equates sex with true love and monogamy and all that nonsense. If you allow yourself to think of it as something else - as something fun that two people do together, like playing tennis or dancing the tango...well. Then you don't have to have any messy feelings at all.

[milesedgelord]

How would one go about and preventing the acquisition of feelings in the first place?


Social conditioning in equating sex with love? Doesn't that sort of perspective ring as a bit of a hollow one? I would think that any such endeavor would require a certain amount of trust. And perhaps a bit more trust involved in a sexual partner than a tennis or a dancing partner.

Every endeavor is one built on mutual trust after all.

[vorrutyer]

Ah.

[ He leans forward, resting his chin on his hand. ]

But so you do admit that it's similar. Just that you need a little more trust for sex.

[milesedgelord]

...

Oh.

[Shit. Byerly certainly had him there.]

I suppose so.

[vorrutyer]

So then it becomes a matter of how much trust you're willing to extend to someone.

What does it take to earn your trust, M'sieur?

[milesedgelord]

[And there it was. The caveat of it. He took a moment to compose himself before answering.]

Now, what would the fun be in just telling you that? You seem the type of person who would enjoy the joy of the chase of his quarry.

And it is already obvious that you have figured out this much about me from our short conversation thus far.

What would your estimation be in that case?

[vorrutyer]

Oh, I'm just a drunken fool. My estimation is hardly worthwhile.

[ But By's lips are lifted in a smile. He clearly wants Edgeworth to press. ]