Speed Dating Year 2

[selfhelp]

Who: Anyone who wants/is forced to come
What: Speed Dating!
When: Today (Saturday) afternoon-ish
Where: The Rec Center
Summary: Details here, Roster here!
Rating: PG/13/T/R/god I don't know there's too many people

[Much like last year, the rec center is decorated and freshly cleaned, with a plethora set up throughout the main floor. Each set includes a small table and two chairs facing each other. Along with number plates to help direct people to their partners, there is a small pile of coloured paper cards, stacked down, and pencils on every table.

Further back there is a collection of couches forming a lounging circle, as well as a couple of tables with drinks and snacks all set up and ready to be eaten. And yes, the fantastic rainbow cookies from the year before have made a reappearance. No doubt they'll disappear just as fast. The lounge area has a recycled sign from last year that says, "If you find yourself on a turn without a date, come hang out!", and this year, a new weird-looking potato man is hanging on the wall. ...But whatever.

All in all, the whole place looks ready for a big event, and when enough people have gathered - and the clock ticks to the agreed starting time - Teddy and Billy step forward to get things moving at last.]



Hey, hey! Announcement time here! Can everyone hear me? [...] All right, good!

So, some of you may remember this from last year. If you didn't come then, or if you're new, or happened to get roped into this by one of your friends, then on behalf of... uh...

[He glances down at Billy and, taking the cue, his partner speaks up.]

...We'll call the name a work-in-progress for now. Kurt says he's got it covered.

[His response is a raised eyebrow, because really, Kurt? But Teddy gets right back on track with a smile after that.] … Welcome to the second annualish speed dating event! I'm Teddy, this is my fiancé Billy, and we'll be your hosts for today. I know you just want to get started already, but unfortunately, we've got to go over the rules and stuff first. Everyone should have a list of numbers. When Billy gives the signal, everyone will head to the table with the first number on your list, where you'll either wait for or meet up with the person you're paired with. You'll both have five minutes to talk and get to know each other, for better or for worse, and leave with some sort of impression of them. Hopefully good, but can't win 'em all, right? After those five minutes, one of us will blow the whistle, and then you'll head to the table with the next number on your list. Repeat steps one through whatever, until we've reached the end! Hopefully by then, you'll have a new friend, a potential date, or hey, you might have just met the new love of your life!

[Teddy looks to Billy then, who speaks up next to him.]

The tables have conversation cards, in case you're not sure how to get things rolling, or if you're feeling shy- it has topic ideas, questions to ask your partner, whatever we could come up with. As you go through the list, try to give a little 'yes' or 'no' to the people you speak to- yes for wanting to see them again, no for it not being a good match. Once it's over just hand in your papers and we'll let everyone know - discretely, of course! - who gave and received a mutual yes. You don't have to wait for us, though- if you hit it off with someone really well and you both want to hang out right away, don't let us stop you. We have games and stuff set up over in the lounge area-

[He gestures to aforementioned lounge, complete with couches, a couple of tables, a stack of assorted games, and a snack and drink table.]

-Or you could just sneak off to keep yourselves entertained. We don't judge.

We totally do judge, just so you know.

[Billy elbows him. Gosh, boyfriend, behave.

Teddy just laughs a little, waving his hand as if to dismiss a joke.]

Okay, okay, we don't. Anyway, that's about it. We're going to give everyone one minute to get to the first table, then we'll blow the whistle and let everyone start. Thanks for coming, have a great time!

[They go back to sitting at their host table, and then, after the minute passes and everyone's settled, the whistle is blown. BEGIN!]


(( ooc: directions are as follows:

1) check your roster
2) make a top thread for your character with their name in the subject line
3) tag and be tagged
4) MAKE AWESOME NEW CR FOR GREAT JUSTICE ))

Comments

[generalflirt]

Well, glad to hear it. So let's reverse it- [ and he taps both of his hands on the table twice ] your turn! Introduce it up.

[notyourutopian]

Ah...[Eleanor hesitates. She's never really sure what people want to hear when they ask her about herself.]

I'm...Eleanor? I already said that didn't I. Let's see. I'm seventeen? For another month or so...

[generalflirt]

Going by national standards... blood type? Hobbies? How much you say is your call though, of course.

[notyourutopian]

My blood type? [That's a question now?] My blood type is...complicated. But I enjoy art. Well, doll-making.

[She's less embarrassed about that than she really should be.]

And reading. I do that a lot.

W-what about you?

[generalflirt]

Hoooh. Doll-making? That's pretty cool. In my case, [ and he counts this off ] I, too, have a tendency to read quite a bit. But I've been trying to write too. Aside from that, I've gotten into an exercise habit and work at the Convenience Store.

[notyourutopian]

[Ooh, a common thread!]

What do you like to read? Or write?

[generalflirt]

I've always been a fan of the classics, personally. Currently though, my passion's been for poetry, to re-learn the forms.

[notyourutopian]

I'm not a big fan of poetry. [She shook her head.] I'm not really sure why, though. It's just never struck a chord in me.

The classics are nice, though. I just finished reading A Tale of Two Cities the other day.

[generalflirt]

Hoo. That's a wordy one, right there- But a lack of interest in poetry? You'll wound my artist's heart.

[ And he makes the exaggerated hand motion of a heart being crushed by a fist ]

[notyourutopian]

It's probably my mother's fault, she was quite rational, and I'm afraid she got a lot of it on me.

[Even if Eleanor didn't want to admit it most of the time.]

I need a story, and poetry just tends to...go on.

[generalflirt]

Oh, but poetry captures a mood and a moment. Life, in essence, is just a lot of those, and a story's a collection of them with a start and a finish.

[notyourutopian]

But without a lot of the pretentiousness that goes along with it.

[Well, this is better than a conversation she was expecting.]

Don't get me wrong. Poetry can be nice to listen to sometimes, it's just not what I'd choose if I had to pick a book off the shelf.

1/2

[generalflirt]

Pretentious...? Wow, I have to say that I think my heart might have been wounded by that one.

[ He says this with a mock annoyed face... ]

[generalflirt]

[ Before it fades into a smile ]

But no, I get that. The Best Words in the Best Order's something which can't be appreciated the same way a story can, unless you've got the emotional connection to it.

[notyourutopian]

I imagine you'll survive. [It's only words, after all.]

But yes, exactly. When I read, I want to be transported to another world or time to read something amazing.

I suppose some poetry might do that, but nothing I've ever bothered with.

[generalflirt]

Hey, I'm not here to hard sell. [ With both of his hands raised up here for a mock surrender ]

But hey, what "world" did you like the most?

[notyourutopian]

[Eleanor is quiet as she thinks about it, her head tilted slightly to the side.]

I found these ridiculous books in the library called 'Star Trek', have you ever heard of them?

[generalflirt]

Yeah, at least in passing.

[notyourutopian]

They're a bit silly, honestly. But there's just something I really like about that idea of a future that isn't horrible, you know?

Where maybe humans don't turn out to be monsters.

[generalflirt]

[ A future that isn't horrible... huh? ] So that's something you've concerned about, that the soul of humanity's something a little bit rotten?

[notyourutopian]

Concerned? Mm.

I doubt it's everyone, but where I come from, you'd have a hard time convincing me that most people aren't awful.

[generalflirt]

Ah... well then, I'm sorry to know you came from that sort of situation, Eleanor-san.

[notyourutopian]

[She shrugs.] Hopefully I'm wrong about the rest of my world. I've never seen it, so I imagine I'll find out someday.

Where are you from?

[generalflirt]

Ikebukuro! In Tokyo, which is in Japan. [ Which is on Earth but he'll go broader if needed ]

[notyourutopian]

Oh. There are a lot of people from Japan here, I've noticed. Far more than I ever saw back home. There were only a few...the only Asian I ever really knew was from Korea.