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

[whatisright]

How strange. [It's never occurred to Justice that he may go on a date before. But this is a holiday meant for romance, so he supposes that dating would be a part of that. It does not have to end in romance to be an interesting experience, so he settles in for the ride.

Justice eyes the strudel warily. It has the same mind alteration power that the glitter at the party did, and he's not a huge fan of mind alteration, but thus far, the effect in others seems utterly harmless. A greater appreciation for beauty is not something he is against.]

I am honest when I say that I do not eat. I have not eaten anything before. [But he wants to try this mortal experience, and he wants to celebrate the holiday in a traditional manner. So he starts cutting a sliver from the strudel--minuscule, only enough for a hint of the effect.] I do not recommend a large piece.

[poolhall_killer]

Is that so? If it's all right for me to ask, are you a robot of sorts?

[They're the only ones he knows of that wouldn't eat, unless it's stuff like oil. Or that's what Robo Ky would say.

He takes a smaller piece as recommended and tries it, noting the flakiness and light sweetness. And when he looks at Justice again, he blinks.]

If I didn't mention it before, I'll say it now. You look very dashing.

[whatisright]

No, not a robot. I am a spirit. Under normal circumstances, I would not even have my own physical form.

[And as such, complimenting his physical appearance doesn't flatter him as much as it might a mortal, but he still understands that it is meant as a compliment. He dips his head in thanks, taking only a sliver of the strudel onto his plate and picking at it.]

It was the people in the sky who recommended this particular form. [He swallows only a little bit of the strudel. The sensation is foreign, strange, and sweetness explodes in his mouth. He feels the magic already settling in his mind.] Is your hair naturally that color?

[poolhall_killer]

[A spirit? This will mark the first time Venom's been on a date with a spirit. They weren't uncommon in his world, but they almost never took on a body unless they were possessing someone. At least the moon people were nice and gave him such a pleasing form.

He takes another bite, and that form becomes even more handsome.]

It is, actually. At first I thought it was the result of dyeing, but as I grew older, the white remained.

If I may ask, what do you think of your new body? I find it quite suiting.

[whatisright]

Is the blue natural as well?

[Justice may not have the same instinct to discern what is attractive or not in a human, but he does have an appreciation for the aesthetically beautiful and unusual. The man's appearance is striking, and he's not entirely certain that it's the strudel that makes it beautiful in a way.]

I am pleased to have my own physical form. It does not limit me the way a truly human body would, and I do not have to possess a body in order to exist in this realm. I was forced to possess a corpse before I came here. [It was rotting while he was in it. It was awful.

...Justice is good at flirting, clearly.]

[poolhall_killer]

The blue is my personal mix of dye and magic. I refresh it as needed and the magic holds it in a specific place.

[Venom takes another nibble and then continues to admire his very handsome date. It doesn't appear to bother him that Justice had to possess a corpse before being given a proper form here.]

At least now you don't have to worry about possessing corpses any longer. You have a lovely form and you can do what you like with it.

[He's happy Justice can exist. And be really cute.]

[whatisright]

Does the symbol mean something?

[It's a beautiful shade of blue, and Justice is pretty sure that he would think so even without magic making it look particularly beautiful at the moment.]

You are correct. It is pleasing to have my own form and not concern myself with matters of possession and corpses. It makes fulfilling my purpose significantly easier.

[poolhall_killer]

[He absently reaches up to touch the dyed part of his hair.]

I chose it for numerous reasons, mostly because I have rather sharp vision.

[That and Lord Zato said he was unique, special... and he hoped one day Venom would see that. He tries to brush that thought aside as it makes him feel warm and kind of embarrassed in a good way.

Besides, his date is exceptionally cute and all the attention should be on him.]

Your purpose? And what is your purpose, if I may ask?

[whatisright]

[Justice's eyes linger on the mortal's hair and eyes. It's the vivid, unchanging colors that draw him, brilliant and beautiful even in a space completely unaffected by dreams.]

Justice.

[He says it like that explains everything, which to him, it does.

Then he remembers that not everyone really knows how spirits like him work.]

Where I come from, every spirit has a central virtue that it is driven to strive for. There are spirits of compassion, wisdom, courage... and I am a spirit of justice. My purpose is to strive to bring justice to those who have none, and it is easier when my appearance does not immediately put mortals on edge.

[poolhall_killer]

[Venom's honestly finding the explanation fascinating. The spirits in his world tend to be more vengeful, attaching themselves to unwitting hosts, sometimes more than one ghost per person.]

I can't say I disagree with your purpose. We dispensed our own form of justice back home, though not many approved of our methods.

[The assassins were looked down upon, after all. And Venom tried to alleviate that before arriving.]

And your appearance certainly is striking.

[whatisright]

Justice can take many different forms and means, but it is important to keep it in mind when you try to dispense it. [He doesn't know what means Venom uses, but it's important to not take an 'ends justifies the means' view of justice, or else it's very easy to become the very injustice one fights against.] Spirits have to periodically purify ourselves periodically to serve our virtues most effectively.

[Justice's eyes linger on the design in Venom's hair. Somehow, it keeps its shape, even as his head moves.]

As is yours.

[poolhall_killer]

And how does a spirit purify oneself?

[There's a slight blush under the curtain, though Venom does pull it aside so his date can get a better view.]

Better yet, how about we continue this conversation on the dance floor? Care to join me?

[He stands up and offers his hand to the older gentleman.]

[whatisright]

If we experience or feel something that may corrupt us, then we make ourselves forget it. It is not a flawless system, but it serves us well.

[After all, Justice has lasted this long. He says it casually, like there's nothing weird about mental self-mutilation to maintain ideological purity.

But he's being invited to dance, and Justice learned at the last party that he rather enjoys dancing. The corners of his mouth and eyes soften, something resembling a smile by his standards, and he rises from his seat and takes Venom's hand.] I would be pleased to join you.

[poolhall_killer]

A bit extreme, but I guess it's necessary.

[And rather sad, though Venom can understand. Having to eliminate unnecessary emotion to keep logic and ideals superior. It vaguely reminds him of when he first became Guild leader.

But this is a joyous occasion. He shouldn't burden himself with those thoughts. He takes Justice's hand, smiling back at the other's softening features.

Once they're on the dance floor, he's going with the slowed music.]

Tell me if I'm not doing well. I only learned how to dance recently.

[whatisright]

I am in a similar situation. I only learned how to dance at the ball between Olympia and Wyver.

[But he can hear thoughts and thus anticipate how his partner will move, so that makes him a very good follower. He doesn't think that should count towards 'good dancing' skills, though.

He follows Venom seamlessly, though there's still some hesitance in his step as he gets used to the feeling again. Ah, yes. This is why he liked dancing so much before.]

Before that, I only danced in dreams. [Literally. Because he lived in dreams.]

[poolhall_killer]

As did I. That was... quite the learning experience.

[In more ways than one, considering how many men he kissed under the mistletoe. He sways and moves with the music, noting how well they mesh and flow together on the dance floor.]

Do you prefer dancing in person as opposed to dreams?

[whatisright]

In dreams, I was always standing in for someone else. In this realm, people are only dancing with me.

[Justice doesn't smile, exactly, but the corners of his eyes and mouth soften, and it's as close to a smile as he can get.]

I prefer this.

[poolhall_killer]

[Venom likes that look. The softness is enough for him, even without the full on smile. He pulls in closer, wanting to briefly curl into his partner.

This date has been more fun than he thought.]

Would you object to a kiss on the cheek?

[He always feels he has to ask to kiss others.]

[whatisright]

[Justice appreciates being asked. Mortals are used to touching each other, but without solid forms or social networks, spirits rarely if ever do the same. It is still a little foreign to him to touch and be touched.

But foreign doesn't mean unpleasant.]

No. I would not object.

[Yes, Justice is glad that he was roped into this date.]

[poolhall_killer]

[With permission granted, Venom leans in for a gentle nuzzle before kissing his cheek. He can sort of relate to experiencing the first touches and kisses, but nothing quite like what Justice has been through.]

Thank you.

[He'd feel bad if he hadn't offered some kind of light affection to his date.]