I made you a match!

[glitterateur]

WHO: The lucky souls signed up for the matchmaking event
WHERE: Various locations in various cities!
WHEN: The 22nd-24th
WHAT: Romance
WARNINGS: N/A for now! If hanky panky or violence happens I'll edit this


[Today's the day! Mabel, after days of matching, unmatching, and then re-matching, has finally wrestled the final dating forms away from the pigs assisting her and decided to make magic happen. Everyone will have found a message or two in their communicator's inbox on the 22nd from Mabel herself:

Gooood morning! Mabel here, with good news for you-- your match has been MADE! Your all-expenses paid date is just waiting for you to find true love. Enjoy the company and the free gift included, and thanks for participating!

Included in the message is the exact location and time of the date(s) in question. Transportation is provided, so no worries there, and the gift bags are... okay? Enjoy all the free candy, glitter, and lip smackers in various flavors. For all the smooching they're gonna do, get it?]


[1. Crusty Weirdoughs in De Chima is a cute retro throwback to those arcades of old— which is to say it’s crawling with punk kids and has a charming level of grime. At least there’s a snack bar! Which lets all the lucky couples order whatever they want on the house. The menu covers anything and everything a gamer could need: pizza slices, onion rings, fries, and every flavor of DESERT THIRST!!, the popular energy drink/soda, a person could ask for (today’s special is a lovely red color).

Meanwhile there’s a wide variety of games and Mabel has provided everyone with enough tokens to try most of them. Get to know your special someone with a match on the Alley Puncher machine! Participate in the DDR contest, if you think you can take those mean looking twelve year olds in a fight on their own turf! Check out the claw machine and try to beat the long, long odds and win yourself a stuff animal that could be any number of species. Racing games, fighting games, something called Co-Op Tetris Invaders Part V. It’s all here. And there’s always a Pac-Man ripoff for anyone who needs to work their way up to the more modern games.



2. Popular (but not too popular) Nonah pizza joint Slice to Be Here is hopping, but Mabel’s made sure to reserve the best tables in the house for the matchmaking participants. What makes them the best tables? Why, they’re right up next to the stage— the stage where the animatronic band of singing animals performs every hour! The band has seen better days. Their movements are jerky, the fur is worn off enough that their scary Terminator skeletons are showing in places, plus the song they’re singing is just slightly familiar and just as creepy. And is that mouse staring at you?

The other patrons don’t seem to notice. They’re too busy ironically appreciating this reminder of their childhood nostalgia! And the waitstaff just doesn’t care anymore— unless you try to fight or otherwise poke around their technical abominations, in which case they’ll sigh at you until they give up and move along. At least the food is good! The pizza comes in many varieties, from basic pepperoni to more gourmet options like raspberries and marscapone. There’s salads and other non-pizza foods you can request from your aloof hipster waiter (flannel is apparently part of the uniform) but why would you? Be adventurous, order a pizza with quinoa and kale.




3. The Epicurious George Memorial Food Festival is a small but lively event going on outside of Heropa. Restaurants from all over the eastern seaboard are represented here and free samples abound! It’s possible to stuff yourself silly on all kinds of things, from gourmet candy to literally anything ever sold on a food truck. Mabel’s provided coupons to the couples for a few free meals and a candy bar or two, but they may not even be necessary considering all the stuff just sitting around, waiting for people to eat them or shove them in a purse.

There’s plenty to see besides the food, of course. Celebrity chef Guff Doldman from hit reality baking show Gluten for Punishment! is doing a demo where he builds a cake portrait of a lucky member of the audience (which somehow always ends up being an import—Mabel may have bribed a few people). There’s kale smoothie chugging contests and a gourmet hot dog eating contest. Couples are welcome to watch or participate,using the patented tag-team system to drink the most foul vegetable juice or eat the most phallic food for a fantastic prize: gift certificate to the restaurant of your choice and the coveted Golden Antacid bottle (real antacids not included).




4. Kit-Tea Cat Cafe is a small cat cafe just starting out in Nonah, but you wouldn’t know it from the interior. It’s cozy and cute, with small tables perfect for conversation and approximately a hundred different versions of the classic cat motivational poster hung on the walls. Mabel’s made sure that each couple gets vouchers for several free drinks and has a nice table reserved just for them. The menu’s extensive— the food stuff is mostly small sandwiches and pastries, but the drinks range from coffee of all kinds to milkshakes to fancy sodas and teas. Enjoy the quality drinks and appreciate the latte art— it’s a cute kitty face in every cup!

The place where the newness starts to show is in the cat wrangling skills of its employees. They’re not great at keeping the cats in the play area, which is mostly alright— the majority of the cats are sweethearts eager for attention and petting. But some are complete hellions that have mastered the art of attacking even the most aware imPort from behind, above, or below. There’s even one cat that takes particular joy in hopping up on tables and trying to knock cups and glasses off of tables while staring patrons right in the eyes. Adorable.



5. Cee-Me Rollin’! is a safe haven in Maurtia Falls for those who want to get away from hover technology and go back to the days when skates with wheels were king. The inside of the building is dominated by a giant roller rink, complete with a truly epic number of disco balls constantly spinning above the skaters. Mabel has done everyone a solid by paying off the DJ to play only the finest in pop music while people skate around and around in circles. Enjoy those earworms and 80s throwbacks!

Skates are rented out for free, and Mabel has made sure that participants can grab whatever they need from the snackbar to fuel their skate-tastic dates. Overall the place seems like it’s all about the pretty chill atmosphere... if you can avoid getting run over by the roller derby team that’s taking this opportunity to practice their moves. The Maurtia Falls Pterrordactyls are very sweet ladies as long as you avoid getting elbowed in the face. Team captain Miss Demeaner might even try to persuade couples to join up for the day and learn the fine art of kicking butt on roller-skates.



6. Quiet coffee joint Espresso Yourself in De Chima is almost impossible to find unless you already know where it is. They don’t believe in signs, or advertising, or putting themselves on search engine map functions. Luckily Mabel has provided a map as well as provided coupons for free drinks and pastries. Once people manage to get inside (talk to the man in front of the green door in the alleyway off of Beatonna Street, and tell him Mabel sent you!) they’re greeted by welcoming snaps from all kinds of black-clad poets and beatniks. There are more berets and sunglasses in here than should be legally allowed.

But the chairs are comfortable, the coffee is good, and it seems like a nice place to have a conversation! ...if you don’t mind talking around the poetry that’s happening. It’s open mike night and do these people have feelings and words to share. Some of it’s good, a lot of it is questionable, and that guy in the corner definitely just tried to rhyme “door hinge” with “orange” in his free verse poem about the existential angst he’s faced with. Make fun, talk around it, or even hop on stage and impress your date with your wordplay.]

Comments

Kaneki + Leon || Kit-Tea Cat Cafe || Nonah

[enucleation]

[ Kaneki has had one very terrible date in his whole life (like you wouldn't imagine) and he has had actually pretty and nice and fun dates while in this world. Though he doesn't consider none of these dates serious, he always came to them - they were awkward, stressful, and they aren't really Kaneki's element in any way, but he still came out of respect for the other person and in the end, none of them were terrible.

This time, he is going because Mabel set this up (he isn't surprised, after talking to her during the FanPort) and also out of respect for his "date" (he won't call Leon that ok this is not a real date. Nope. Nope. nopenopenope).

Kaneki arrives at the Café earlier, sitting down at the table Mabel reserved for the two of them. As he waits, he looks around the Café, making sure everything feels right (Kaneki is very paranoid and always on alert) and eventually a cat comes to greet him and he has little choice but to give the animal his full attention since it climbed onto Kaneki's lap without any shame. ]

[leonized]

[Leon still really didn't know how to feel about this— or how he even got signed up. He was a little annoyed— especially coming off of how embarrassing FanPort was for him. That didn't stop him from coming though. He didn't want to stand anyone up and be rude. And he liked Mabel, from what he knew of her.

He arrives about five minutes after Kaneki does, and looks around. So this was a cat cafe ... didn't someone ask about those at one point on the network? Either way, it didn't matter, it's not like he was going to start talking to the cats. Probably.

He notices the young man sitting alone at a table, and hopes that he's making the right assumption so that this isn't even more awkward.]

... Are you Ken Kaneki?

Tetsuo + Rikki || Slice To Be Here || Nonah

[iamtetsuo]

[He was going to say no.

Tetsuo didn't sign up for this, and he had no interest in actually addressing for good the likelihood that Kaori would appear here or really face acknowledgement that he was well and truly alone in a house where at least half of the occupants were dating someone or otherwise ... involved. He took this out initially by trying to sulk in various places if he wasn't outright threatening, but in the end, he's sitting at a designated table with all the cheer and charm of a wet cat, staring intently back into the dying faces of robotic nightmares.

Now, he's a tough kid, raised on the streets of Neo Tokyo. He's a jaded psychic, exposed to all kinds of thoughts and imagery both real and surreal or downright nightmarish. He's fought battles- both on his own, and as part of a larger group once or twice, and he's caused or seen his share of horrors.

That's exactly the excuse he has to never let his eyes leave those automatons easily, half afraid if he did they'd be looming over him the next second, or distorting further into horror in an attempt to kill him. Merrily oblivious to his concern, they sing on, joints squealing from poor maintenance, casing creaking in the more sudden movements, nuts and bolts loosened to make them shudder at every stopped motion.

In a past life, a world away, this would be an alarmingly similar situation to one very specific hallucination... But fortunately, he has no such connection here beyond finding those robots both fascinating and highly unsettling. And even moreso, no one else seems to share his mistrust, merrily laughing or singing along in one case.

When Rikki approaches, she'll find all 5'4" inches of him hunched under Kaneda's jacket a table right by the stage, brooding as best as one can when being sized up by a robot band from Hell, bleached white hair mostly covered under a black leather hat. No one said he had to dress up for this, and even if they did, it's not like he has nicer clothing.

Maybe he'll have just psychically launched a packet of something all the way across the room into the singing guy's widened mouth mid-refrain, or maybe she'll just hear the offensively off-key wailing in the distance cut short in a startled yelp.

They should be grateful he showed up. He didn't have to.

(He absolutely had to.)]

[girlwithout]

[Rikki's still kind of confused as to how she ended up in this whole blind date matchmaking thing - she did meet Mabel, like, a couple times? She also considers ditching it, but she doesn't like the idea of standing some poor person up. Plus, she's never really been on a blind date before, so she figures she might as well try it. What's borrowed time for if not to use on new things?

She didn't dress up a lot since a pizza place doesn't seem like the most formal date setting, although she kinda wishes she'd brought, like, some of her throwing discs cause those animatronics are creepy as heck. It doesn't help when she realizes that the table she's supposed to go to is right up near the stage.]

Uh, hey? I'm Rikki. I guess I'm your date? [She doesn't sit down yet, giving him a chance to confirm she's in the right place first. Also, he looks kind of glower-y, which isn't the greatest first impression.]

Duv + Kasumi | Espresso Yourself | De Chima

[komarran]

[ He's not entirely sure where the message or gift bag had come from. Nor the instructions with a date, time, and person. Part of him thinks it's some kind of joke or trap until he learns who Mabel is and decides he'd rather not acknowledge that an assassin that sends a bag full of glitter and lip balm might exists.

The decision to go wasn't an easy one. This isn't a venture he signed up for personally (and he has to wonder if Miles played a part in that) and the last date he remembers going on was god, how many years ago? He's almost not sure it's worth the risk to his personal dignity should this go poorly, but...

He finds himself inside Espresso Yourself, after spending a few agonizing moments outside trying to find the damn place. Why was it hidden? Stepping inside immediately reminds him of the places he avoided studying at in his academic career and he settles down at one of the main tables rather than one on the outer fringes. If whoever he's supposed to meet here shows up, he wants to be easily seen. The coupons provided by Mabel are neatly in a pile before him as he decides to wait for his date before making any orders. ]

[stealwithit]

[ As of yet, it is a mystery whether Kasumi signed herself up or if certain busybodies within a certain crew thought it might be good to volunteer her name onto the date roster on account of her "needing to get out more," but when the time and date comes, it isn't difficult for Kasumi to decide to attend. She's got nothing better to do, plus she trusts Mabel's judgment. Mostly.

It takes a hidden person to find a hidden place, so Kasumi arrives well in advance of the arranged time, and she spots Duv easily enough when he enters, mostly because he's not wearing a black turtleneck, a beret, or sunglasses, but she waits until she's sure, until she sees Mabel's coupons atop the table to make her silent approach.

In true Kasumi fashion, her arrival comes in the form of her suddenly appearing, flaring into view when she deactivates her cloak across the table from Duv. She's comfortably settled into the chair with her legs crossed and her body turned slightly, leaning against and one elbow propped up on an armrest. ]

This seat taken?

Kel + L'Arachel |Cee-Me Rollin' | Maurtia Falls

[protects_the_small]

[Kel knows she's been Had, but Aerith DID say she should get some hobbies. If talking to people can be considered a hobby.
And getting out and exploring Maurtia Falls beyond walking from the porter to RISE headquarters seemed like a good enough reason, and perhaps she'd make a friend who knows. She even has the chance to show off some of the new clothes Kanaya had made for her.

But walking into the roller rink is like walking into a wall of sound. The lights and music and shouts from the roller derby team make her blink and wonder how she would ever find anyone in this mess.

So she waits right by the door, glancing for any imPort tattoos and down at the picture that came with her message. Occasionally she tugs at the hem of her shirt, awed by the vibrant colors and still not entirely comfortable with how high the hemline is.]

[lightandglory]

[The message is a confusing one, but not an unwelcome one. L'Arachel didn't sign up for any date, but she very much enjoys meeting new people, so what could be the harm? And surely they must mean 'date' in an entirely platonic sense, like having a lunch date with a friend. Proper courtship would be quite impossible in a realm where her uncle isn't around to give his blessing, after all.

It's with a cheerful spring in her step that she enters the roller rink, and her eyes immediately widen at the onslaught of new sights and sounds, her face breaking into a delighted grin.]

Oh! How exciting!

[Now to find her date... ah, right there! That looks like the young woman from the picture! L'Arachel hurries to her side, calling out over the music.]

Hello! You must be Miss Keladry!

Lexa + Aerith | Kit-Tea Cat Cafe | Nonah

[annihiliner]

[So this is about as far from Lexa's wheelhouse as it is possible to get. She's never been on a "date" in her entire life, let alone been set up for and encouraged to go on one by a friend (or something like it), and she really had no intention of changing that. But, well... disappointing Mabel is not the easiest thing in the world. ESPECIALLY for someone who lives with her. Don't judge!

...

Okay, there may also be a bit of curiosity about what sort of person someone would imagine Lexa becoming close to, romantically or otherwise. Which is how she found herself seated at her reserved table with a simple glass of water, trying valiantly not to look endeared to the very insistent kitten that has refused to leave her lap for the last several minutes and is currently chewing on her finger.]

Sen ai in, strikon. Taim yu nou set daun, taim yu hod op. Ai nou ste non-non gon feisripa, nami? Nou jomp ai op mou.

[23wishes]

[Aerith, however, loves dates. She's practically a professional dater. She'd been happy to sign up herself, and her roommates, and all of her friends. Of course, she'd guessed on some preferences, and left herself open to whatever came her way, because she's just as interested in making friends as she is in actually romantically dating.

She's a bit late, but not by much. Just five minutes or so. But she's still running in like it's much more than it is, hobbling around loose cats before she sits down at the table. She stares at Lexa for a moment, trying to place her face, then--]

Oh! I remember you!

Norman + Yuri Petrov | Espresso Yourself, De Chima

[manofmanylegends]

[When he found out the Mighty One had set him up on a date, Norman wasn't exactly sure how to react. One one hand, this is all set up to find true love. And on the other, there really isn't any point in being negative about it.

Moments before the date, the Mighty One chided Norman for eating, but he wasn't sure whatever would be at the cafe could sate his appetite. Anyway, the red-headed Native American Viking finds himself arriving at Esspresso Yourself comfortably late, as he and Virgil are sometimes accustomed when meeting with the Mighty One.

Now, who is Yuri Petrov?]

[insinerate]

[Etiquette and an appreciation for punctuality bring Yuri to Espresso Yourself on time and dressed to the nine's in a sharp black suit with a crisp lilac colored undershirt and a deep plum paisley necktie. While this date was not his idea, it would simply be too rude to stand up the one supposedly waiting to meet with him.

...except he was the one waiting, it seemed.

He enjoys (or tolerates) the poetry being recited in the meantime, but when Norman finally makes his appearance (and Yuri recognizes him because why would he ever agree to meet someone whom he hadn't at least been able to find a picture of?) he rises from his table and gestures for the man to come over.

The picture, of course...didn't quite do this man's largeness justice.]

You must be Norman. It is a pleasure.

Komasan + Laurie | Kit-Tea Cat Cafe | Nonah

[monge]

[If there's anyone who could be described as the embodiment of nervousness, it'd more than likely be Komasan. It's obvious by the way he hunches over his cup of coffee, shaking like a leaf as the cup rattles in his hand against his tiny plate. He had made his way over to the reserved table as quickly as he could and didn't say much of anything since he got there, only occasionally making strange, high-pitched noises whenever his thoughts traveled from worried to down right terrified.

Why did he agree to do this? ...Okay, he knew why, he was caught up in the moment, and it's near impossible to say no to Mabel. Then why did he follow through? ...Okay, he wasn't really sure if he could live with himself if he let anyone down, and Maya reassured him that everything would be okay. He's allowed to have fun, the thought repeats several times in his head until he stops shaking so violently. The least he can do is not look like a complete disaster before his supposed date shows up.

Everything will be fine, all he has to do is avoid mentioning he's a dog.

Which shouldn't be too difficult, his human appearance was always much more different than his usual, smaller form. Although he still suffered from eternal baby face and his cheeks still had their trademark swirls, he was more than double his original height, the proper size of your average young adult. The name Mabel gave him wasn't familiar, so he had some confidence he wouldn't be recognized. Although he hates the idea of deceiving someone, it isn't technically a lie anymore; the porter made him human.

Not that the cats would let him get away with it, they must be able to tell on some level because a few of them have joined him while he waits. And here Komasan thought cats hated dogs, of course it's the cat cafe with the more accepting felines. Although he doesn't mind the company, a guy with a few cats on his shoulders while he occasional sips at his coffee or fiddles with his necklace is probably not the greatest first impression.

You can almost hear the internal screaming.]

[fridgeflower]

[ Laurie's done the blind date thing here more than once, and she always goes back and forth about whether each new opportunity deserves a chance. It's never that her dates turn out to be bad just... They're always pretty blatantly an ill fit, or there's some underlying factor that makes the whole thing too strange. Maybe the fact that she usually gets good friends or good stories out of it helps to drive her on, along with the hope that something will stick if she just keeps trying.

And Mabel had seemed so earnest about her venture. Laurie doesn't know her well at all, but it's probably hard for anybody to say no to such a sparkly, enthusiastic person so concerned with love lives.

Whatever the reason, here she is. She enters the door of the cafe and spots the reserved table, already occupied, after a glance around. There's no immediate red flags that go up at the sight of her date, except maybe that he's got a very nerve-racked posture. That's fairly understandable, though. Weird social situations can be tough to handle. She's definitely been there.

At least the cats seem to really like him. That's... That's a good sign, right? ]

Uh... Hi, there. [ See? Her nerves aren't steel themselves. She holds her hand out in greeting as she stops by the table, but she doesn't sit down yet. ] I hope I've got the right place and time. And table. Um... I'm Laurie. Laurie Collins.

riku + joaquin | the epicurious george memorial food festival

[resipiscent]

[He wasn't really expecting such a message in his inbox. A blind date... that he hadn't signed himself up for? That's curious. He's aware of Joaquin's name -- has seen it associated with Manolo, perhaps, and knows that he's friendly with Newt and Hermann. But that's where his knowledge ends. Riku's not even sure he knows what he looks like.

What he does know is that he himself is pretty easy to spot and so he doesn't try to stand out any more than he already does, really. He's sitting on a bench close to a display of dried hot peppers (advertised as being unbelievably unpleasant), just people-watching for now. It seems to him that he recognizes some of the other imPorts wandering around this, but he doesn't make a move to talk to any of them -- he's waiting on someone in particular, after all. For now he's simply fidgeting, toying with the end of the thick ponytail he's pulled his hair back into. It's long enough now that he doesn't have to reach too far to be able to mess with it, so it's convenient as something to busy his hands with.

It occurs to him that he's not sure he's here at the correct time -- he's pretty sure he's early, actually. But that's fine -- he'd rather be early than making Joaquin wait, after all.]

[medalsome]

[Joaquin shows up exactly on time; he liked to remain punctual in most circumstances and dates were no different. Though, really, he had been a bit of a nervous wreck from the moment he received the date invite. He busied himself all day fretting over his uniform, shining up his medals, barely eating anything (though luckily they were going to be surrounded by food for the whole date anyway), then spent the hour or so before the meeting time just walking around the perimeter of the festival grounds. Yeah, he could do this. Totally cool.

Worked up but so ready, Joaquin makes his entrance and uses a pamphlet he's given to find the vendor where he's supposed to meet his date. It doesn't take long to find, as the food festival isn't overly large, and there only seems to be one person sitting close by that isn't already attached to someone else.

Joaquin moves closer and gives Riku his most charming smile. Unlike his date, Joaquin actually signed up for this himself.]

Hey, nice day to get out in the sun for a while, isn't it?

Junpei Iori | Cee-Me Rollin' | Maurtia Falls

[homerunning]

[You know, as far as 'Signed up against your will' blind dates go, it wasn't such a bad turnout to have it at a roller rink. A natural athlete when the motivation strikes, Junpei's not one to shy away from a little activity like this. It was in Maurtia Falls, too, which made it easy to access and surprised at how nice it looks. A true gem among the sketchy city. And best of all? It was free.

He's not going to look a gift horse in the mouth too bad--after all, maybe he did have to kind of work past this whole thing. Relationships were awkward since his arrival, considering it had only been a week since Chidori's death. But months passed...and he couldn't just stay indoors watching TV forever. Maybe...whoever did this...maybe this was just the kick in the pants that he needed.

He stands on the edge of the rink, watching others circle about with their friends and family, pushing himself away and leaning back towards it again in a sort of idle motion. His date hadn't arrived--that he knew of...not that he really knew what to look for. All he knew was her name was Mina. Pretty cute name, though. How bad could this be?

Then again, this is Junpei, and the Magician Arcana has been known to be cursed.


He smiles to himself, though, doing a loop or two around while he waits, lazily skating backwards and forwards. No matter how this day turned out to be...he'd have to make the best of it, right?]

Re: Junpei Iori | Cee-Me Rollin' | Maurtia Falls

[electromedic]

[Mina wasn't all to sure what she was doing signing up for the blind date matchmaking service, but she considered it a nice way to get out and maybe meet somebody new, somebody not within her immediate household or random acquaintances. Besides, she hadn't really been on a date before. So that was also something new and exciting!

On entering the rolling rink, it's almost painfully obvious that she's an imPort: not only because of her... unique dress style, but also the conspicuous customized face mask and gently glowing robot parts jutting out of her neck. It's not something she really tries to hide. Of course, in the commotion, she has no idea who this "Junpei" guy that she's supposed to meet looks like, so...]

HEY, JUNPEI!

[Well. That's one way to get his attention, probably.]

Cindy Moon + Keith Goodman | Epicurious George Memorial Food Festival

[skyhiiigh]

[He's quite lucky perhaps that this was staged outside of Heropa, but in truth Keith doesn't even remember approaching Mabel's booth during Fanport. He had passed by it several times and it seemed quite lively, but...Since when was he meant to come here, alone no less, for the purpose of a date? The idea cemented in his mind made him nervous and he couldn't help but shuffle a little on his feet. He had met Miss Moon at the Fanport, and while he thought she was quite nice, he had never envisioned such a thing as this!

However, he wouldn't be the kind of man to stand her up, let alone keep her waiting. So Keith came to the Festival, punctual. The food festival was something semi casual to dress up for, so he didn't need to worry about donning a suit. That would have been silly wouldn't it, if he came overdressed? So he waits for her, of course, by the entrance, keeping a lookout in case she was already among the crowd.]

[lunaraneae]

[To be honest, the food festival felt kind of like a nightmare. The people, the heat... the hipsters. And the food trends of 2016 were completely baffling. Weirdly focused on coffee? What are chia seeds? How do you eat honeycomb? Everything is pickled now. Isn't poutine a Canadian thing?

These thoughts keep Cindy distracted while she lurks near the entrance to the festival. She vaguely remembers Keith from FanPort and her Silk sense gives her a helpful buzz when he's nearby. Spotting the blond hair and broad shoulders, she gives a weak half wave.]

Keith Goodman + Yuri Petrov | Kit-tea Cat Cafe

[skyhiiigh]

[He's never been to a cat cafe before! As far as he was aware, Sternbild had the occasional place where you could bring your dog, but nothing like this. To think that the cats themselves could go into the dining area seems almost like a hazard but he doesn't fault them at all. Keith cannot say he's a cat person exactly but, even so. He's here. In his white crisp suit no less, awaiting his date. This time he's unsure of who it might be, but his curiosity is getting the better of him. He cannot help but think that they must be as blind as he is, regarding this date!

In either case, the notification he received alerted him to the place and time, and the rest, as they say, was history. So he sat alone at a table, waiting patiently, looking over the menu and asking them for some sencha in large part due to Ivan's influences. Amazingly, they seemed to have quite the selection, for how small a cafe they were!]

[insinerate]

[Having adopted a semi-formal appearance for the occasion, Yuri arrives at the cat cafe on time (despite sanitary concerns) and informs the head waitress of the table that had been reserved for him and guest that was to be a surprise. Happily, he's escorted to a quaint corner of the cafe with a tidy setting—where Keith sits in wait.

And of course at that point in time Yuri wonders inwardly if perhaps fate isn't very real and doesn't enjoy tormenting him.]

Mr. Goodman.

[He's left with his 'date' but doesn't yet take a seat. After all, it's possible by now that Keith has learned the truth, and even if he hasn't, their professional relationship might make this sort of arrangement...undesired.]

Perhaps there was a mixup...

Keith Goodman + Ivan Karelin | Crusty Weirdoughs | 24th

[skyhiiigh]

[One might say by this point, during the course of the last several days, Keith was a popular man. But really, this sort of thing was beyond him. He was out of his element, not that he was protesting himself. It was a matter of due course that he come, when invited. And so he did, awaiting on a bench with hands pressed together outside of the arcade as if hoping that someone he was supposed to meet would show up any time now.

But then...Whoever she was, she'd surely not be confused by the address, or the fact that they were here for a date, would she? Surely he wouldn't fault the person if they were a little late...He'd come a little too early, after all. But etiquette dictated that he do so! Keith was a man very much led by his own politeness after all.

He would understand if she was put off by the name "Crusty Weirdoughs", however. It sounded strange to him, as well! How was he to know that the person he'd be inevitably meeting was not a "she", but a "he" all along?]

Dick Grayson + Wally West

[performance]

[ Maybe the most surprising thing is that it isn't surprising at all.

Oh, sure, he already knew he and Wally were perfect for each other. The word "soulmates" had been thrown around more than once. Vows and donut rings were exchanged. He'd definitely die for the guy. And the few times they'd kissed, which felt like forever ago now, hadn't even been a complete disaster, in retrospect. (So Wally's the straightest of the straight, but hey, everyone's got something in their Cons column.)

And if he were to make a list of every person in the entire world, and pick just one to spend a day with, Wally would probably be at the top. Maybe behind, like, Cher or Superman or one of the really good presidents or something, if he had a time machine. But it'd be a tough call. Anyway, a fight-date with Teddy Roosevelt was off the table for several reasons, so Wally would do just fine.

And, he figures, if it's supposed to be a date, they might as well play it up. So Dick makes himself just as cute as can be for their food festival adventure, wearing a smart, stylish vest and a blue shirt rolled up to his elbows. Really, he and Wally are already close enough that they shouldn't have any trouble making it look authentic. Is it weird that he's kind of into the subterfuge of it all? ]

For you, mon ami, [ Dick says, as he pays for a bacon bouquet at one of the stalls and passes it to Wally with a wink and a flourish. ] You know, I'm actually a little disappointed. I was looking forward to doing a stealth background check on my mystery date and showing up all perfect.

[runningstart]

Holy crap, you're already perfect. [Wally bites a bacon rose in half, this is the best.

Wally had kind of signed up just for fun, because he likes flirting and he likes dating and, just for shit and giggles, he'd gone ahead and checked the 'bisexual' box since, hey, so, kissing Dick wasn't terrible. And it's not like he's obligated to mack on anybody, maybe he'll find a cool bro friend doing this.

Kind of hilarious that she matched him up with Dick, but then again, not all that surprising. Wally's used that whole 'robot soulmate' word a billion times with Dick, and he wasn't kidding about it. Besides, they'd been looking to have a day to just do stupid stuff and chill, right? Perfect opportunity right here. And they got glitter.]

If you want, you can go ahead and do an extensive background check on me now. Maybe you'll find all the scandalous stuff you never saw before because you trusted me. Go on, take a look. [Offers Dick a bacon rose.]

Keith Goodman + The Iron Bull | Cee-Me Rollin'

[skyhiiigh]

[Disco balls and spinning colorful lights, with old-school music and roller skates to boot? This was a classical kind of entertainment, one he hasn't visited since perhaps his high school days! Of course, given it's Keith, he's bound to find just about anything fun and his enthusiasm is sort of infectious. Which is why the lucky someone he's bound to be stuck with in this misadventure would find him already with skates on and ready to go.

Given last time they met, Iron Bull should recognize him even if it might be a little strange to spot him out of his Hero suit. It seems he's not at all minding this turn of events in any case, and it doesn't appear there's that many people here at the moment. All for the best evidently, given a certain someone's size. Which is why he'll give a salute and a wave, and again a wave, to grab his attention.]

[rideme]

[... A giant circle of ice. With people skating on it. Lights and music and colors and... fucking hell. Is he supposed to go out there? And... what? Fall on his ass?]

[This probably won't end well. For him. He squints down at the brace around his ankle, then looks out at the ice. Okay. Well... maybe he could stall this out.]

[He's easy to spot though. Being the only Qunari here.]

( barnaby brooks jr. & karen starr / kit-tea cat cafe )

[boobwindow]

[ Karen hasn't figured out how these things happen to her, but she's not going to complain this time. What really helps is the particular location of this blind date; a quaint and utterly adorable cat cafe is far from a terrible set-up and she doesn't mind so much when a cat brushes up against her leg or tries to hop up into her lap. Not to mention she hasn't gone on any real dates in... well, she actually can't remember, which is indicative that she needs to treat herself more often than she actually does. One blind date isn't going to hurt, right?

She's waiting for this mystery date to show up, wondering who she or he is when one of the cats leaps onto the empty chair opposite her. She rises from her seat, vaguely amused, but gently picking up the cat to get it off the seat. Hopefully her mystery date isn't allergic... ]

Sorry, sweetie. You're cute, but you can't be on this chair.

[attainment]

[Barnaby was stunned by the message on his phone, particularly since he has no recollection of signing up for any sort of matchmaking service. Despite his best attempts to get in contact with Mabel, though, he's ultimately left with the choice of either leaving his mystery date high and dry or going along with the outing that's been planned for him.

In this case, he forgoes the rude option and reaches Kit-Tea Cat Cafe at the appointed time. When he gives his name, he's promptly escorted to a table for him and...]

Karen?

[Barnaby blinks in surprise. They'd been set up on a blind date for charity over a year ago, and now something (Fate? Someone's idea of a joke?) had brought them together yet again.]

Let me guess. [He gives a dry smile.] One of the many charming people in your life decided to sign you up for another blind date.

Felix + Shatterstar | Epicurious George Memorial Food Festival

[newwaver]

[Felix hadn't been expecting much when he signed up at the booth. Truthfully, he hadn't expected her venture to get any further than that. She seemed too young to be able to pull off something like this, so he'd been assuming it was all just a bit of fun. When he'd got the message in his inbox he realised he'd underestimated her, but it's only now he's here he sees just how much.

It's not really his idea of a good date venue, but who knows? Maybe the company will be good, or at least hot. He's made himself up and put on his tightest jeans just in case. He looks through his gift bag as he waits. The glitter is unwelcome. He could take or leave the candy. But the lip smackers? Yeah, he'll be keeping those. He pockets them, then abandons the bag on the ground, trying to brush away the glitter that's already managed stick itself to his skin.]

[dramaking]

[Shatterstar hadn't even quite understood what the booth was about. After it had been explained to him what it was, he almost pulled his name out.

He didn't.

He probably should have. He knew that if Rictor ever found out about it he'd be upset. But Star's been here for months now, and he's frustrated and fed up at being stuck here and his willpower is waning. He has no idea how long he's supposed to stay "loyal"--he has no idea why it's important in the first place. He'll never understand Earth customs.

So he stayed signed up, despite his best judgment. Now that he's actually at the assigned place, he regrets it. Truth be told, he's never actually been on a date and isn't all that sure what one is supposed to entail, but if it's this he'll chalk it up to yet another human behavior that makes no sense to him and he doesn't see the appeal of.

But he's here and he's not going to back out like a coward. He can tolerate this for a day. He has endured greater trials.

He hasn't bothered to wear anything special at all (he didn't know he was supposed to), and he looks pretty out of place, clutching his gift bag and scowling at the crowd. Even if they hadn't been given exact directions, he'd probably be pretty conspicuous.

He notices Felix nearby holding the same bag, and makes an educated guess.]

Are you Felix Dawkins.

[It doesn't really sound like a question. Star is not in a good mood.]

Flynn + Ivan | Crusty Weirdoughs | De Chima

[knightunerring]

[Regardless of his feelings about being set up on a surprise date (exasperation) and whether or not he's going to grumble at Yuri for this later (definitely), Flynn had still decided to go. Partially to avoid disappointing whoever his hapless partner in this was, and partially because he suspects Yuri--if it was Yuri, but who else would do this?--was implying that he doesn't think Flynn knows how to go on a date on his own. Which he definitely does. And has. He just can't remember any occasions at the moment. Unless he can count that time reconnoitering at a bar where the ladies were very friendly to him, which in retrospect he absolutely thinks he should.

Regardless. He arrives at the arcade punctiliously early and had been planning on waiting by the door to keep an eye out for his date. But he's really never seen anything like this before and within a few minutes he's deeply engrossed in watching two teenagers try to maul each other in Alley Puncher, his gaze flicking rapidly between the controls and the movements on screen as he studies how it works. That doesn't look intuitive, but maybe not so hard...]

[idontwanttoknow]

[Dating is universal. At least, that's what Ivan told himself when he signed up for this event. You show up, you woo the lady, and if you're lucky, you go home together. What could go wrong?

...well, a lot of things could. Going out with another man certainly isn't one Ivan had anticipated.

This never would have happened on Barrayar. Men just don't date men. Men especially don't go home with men after dates. What if his date expects that?

What is he going to do?

The only thing he can do: show up, dress up, and do his best. Even if his date is a guy. He wears some comfy new jeans and a navy button-up shirt that's way too classy for this place. Slouching casually, he heads to the entrance of the arcade. He looks around for his date and reminds himself to smile.]

nicolas demidov + wanda maximoff

[unwiseheart]

[ Whoever signed him up for this mess -- if he ever managed to find them -- was going to have a mildly bad day. The gift bag and note had seemed so absurd, he'd considered ignoring it entirely, but, well, let's just say sometimes curiosity overcomes good sense. Even Nicolas isn't immune to that, despite assuming this will all end poorly.

Finding the place isn't a problem for him. He can find just about anything. It's when he's finally gone in -- and gets all those people snapping a greeting at him (who does that? who?) -- that he hits that immediate wall of regrets. Beatniks were a cultural movement that passed him by entirely, mostly thanks to it being before he was born. Also to the entire "growing up in the Soviet Union" thing, to some extent. Confronted by it now, he can't help but fall back into his usual defense of linger uncertainly by the door for a moment.

It doesn't help that he stands out like a sore thumb, obviously not one of the usual people you'd find in a coffee joint like this one. Despite his best efforts to appear otherwise, he still comes off as scruffy, and most definitely not wearing all black or sunglasses or attempting to be trendy in any way. All that is attracting more looks from other patrons than he'd ever want.

So it's either figure out if this is all a grand joke or retreat, but on the off chance it isn't a joke, he'll at least attempt to ask around-- ]

Um, excuse me? I'm here looking... for someone...?

[ Maybe. In any case, the question's asked to the first person who also looks like they aren't a regular (desperately hoping no one immediately reacts to the Russian accent as he asks, which, understandably, does happen). And as it so happens, there's really only one other person besides him here who does not, in fact, look like a regular. ]

[divaricate]

[She also has no idea who signed her up for this, so they're in the same boat there too. But her life is hilarious enough here that she figured, WHY NOT GO. So here she is.]

That makes two of us. [She says, her tone friendly enough, in her obviously-not-a-regular-here appearance. She also doesn't react to the accent, because hey funny story, she has a story of similar one herself -- it's Sokovian, though it could be mistaken for a vaguely Serbian accent, most notably. Though she has been mistaken for Russian a couple of times here.] If you're looking for a Wanda Maximoff, you found her. [She took a guess. They really do stick out.]

the Doctor & the Iron Bull, Epicurious George Memorial Food Festival

[helpline]

[ The Doctor apparently has not gotten the memo (or just plain doesn't care) that Heropa in April is hot, because he's shown up in the same purpleish velvet suit that he's been wearing a lot of lately. He doesn't seem to be sweating though, let's just blame this on weird Time Lord things. That very classy suit however is just ruined by the fact that the Doctor's holding a fried twinkie on a stick.

It's a lot easier for the Doctor to find the Iron Bull than it is for the Iron Bull to find the Doctor (mostly because the Iron Bull is a giant bull-man). So, as he spots the Iron Bull, he walks up to him and just straight up tries to force the fried twinkie on him. ]

Do you want this? I know that Scottish, I'm supposed to like fried food, but this is going just a bit too far. [ he's a mix of impressed and just downright confused. ] I'm the Doctor, by the way. Apparently I'm your date.

beautiful

[rideme]

[Bull should have known Mabel would do something weird. Granted, it's charming, and he's sort of flattered she thought to include him. Good kid, Mabel. Weird, but good.]

[He's not even remotely dressed up. His pants are an awful series of clashing neon green and purple stripes, he's wearing his harness, and no shirt. The food festival is probably the greatest thing he's ever been to, and the grin on his face reflects that.]

Huh? [He looks him over for a moment, before accepting it, the easy grin sliding back into place.] Sure thing. And hi. Iron Bull.

How's it going?

Bruce + Betty | Cee-Me Rollin' | Maurtia Falls

[catalysmic]

[Maybe Betty would be having more distinct emotions about going on a date-date with her ex (more like The Ex, really,) if she were to really try and process them, but as far as she's concerned, she did that years ago. Now Bruce is a regular feature in her life again, and with a little intervention, they're going to go out somewhere new for a change.

She shows up at his door ten minutes later than she had said she would because she kept forgetting things on the way out the door and then misplaced her keys twice. She has a pair of tights on under her skirt, and a cardigan, because Pennsylvania is chilly, right? But otherwise, her only concession to the occasion is a little extra attention to coordinating makeup to outfit, and the pack of hair ties in her bag. The walk to his heavily secured door is familiar by now, and she expects him, when the door opens for her.]

Sorry, I know I'm late. I was just-

[Um. She was just... definitely something.]

[hyperkinesia]

[ So alright, Betty probably isn't thinking of this as a proper date, but despite his best efforts to try and do the same, Bruce isn't quite as successful there. Probably a stupid thing that'll come back to bite him in the ass, but it's just difficult to pick something all that casual to dress, particularly when he still has a fairly empty closet, even after he's bought a few new clothes. So he ends up going out again, looking for something more... different.

And that's how he ends up in the suit he's wearing when he opens the door for her, dark blue pants and blazer fitting his form almost perfectly if not for the fact they're maybe just a hint loose, a white shirt with the couple top buttons undone. Because that makes it look more casual, right? Anyway. At least he managed to talk himself out of buying a bouquet of flowers, so just be glad for small mercies. ]

It's okay. I didn't even notice.

[ Except he might've spent the last half hour obsessively checking the clock and fretting over how much of his appearance was too much. He smiles at her, coming off a little awkward, but he tries to ease into things with a joke. ]

I was worried you were going to bring the pig along. You sounded very excited about it.

hawke + qubit, fooood festival

[whathawksdo]

[ Now, unlike many, many, many other poor saps stuck in this dilemma, Hawke had actually thought, hey, this might be worth a laugh! So of course she put her name down. Worst case scenario, free stuff, and she's perfectly content with that, especially since they ended up at a food festival, of all places. She'd only made a vaguely acceptable attempt at looking good, too, once she saw it was going to be outdoors. Red shirt, leather jacket, jeans; it was her usual fare as far as dressing here went, not terrible, but also not fancy.

She's also made short business of tracking down her Mabel-provided match, which, on spotting him, she can't help but give a snort of laughter to herself. That hair... Anyway, anyway, she'll make the final approach and raise a hand in the air, waving as she closes the distance. ]

So, is it you, then? Courtesy of blindingly over-glittered invitations?

[ Hello there, Qubit. Her voice may sound startlingly familiar as that one lady who was all out for killing the Soviets months ago. ]

[superposition]

[Qubit remembers Mabel's booth at FanPort. He also distinctly remembers wanting nothing to do with it, but apparently somebody had signed him up as a joke, he didn't know who, and it wasn't clear how he could back out of it. The obvious solution was simply to not go, but he didn't feel right just standing someone up or cancelling via text. (He may not have dated since before texting was a Thing, but everybody knows that's a dick move, right?) ... At any rate, it's a food festival, and being something of a food snob he figures he may as well check it out whilst he's there. So he shows up, but he doesn't dress any differently than normal - button-up shirt, slacks, trenchcoat, all green, of course.

He actually doesn't recognize her voice - he'd remember the argument, sure, but it was only one argument, months prior. He keeps his hands loosely on his lapels, greeting her with a tense smile. He's had some time to consider his approach, and tearing off the band-aid seemed like the best idea. Don't let it seem like you're stringing her along.]

I suppose it is. You're Miss Hawke, I assume?

Charlie + Edward | Crusty Weirdoughs | De Chima

[foreverbouncing]

[Charlie had signed up for the matchmaking thing assuming that nothing would come of it. How often did little kids follow through on stuff anyway? And Mabel was clearly tiny. But hey, if she did, then....it could be fun? So when she actually received her match information, she'd been somewhere between surprised amused. Why not, right?]

[Which was why she was waiting by one of the arcade machines near the door for this 'Edward' to show up. She hadn't dressed up all that much, in a black skirt and blue blouse and sneakers, but it was better than jeans and a t-shirt, right?]

[She hadn't been in an arcade in forever though, and was so torn between actually waiting for her date and instead going and starting to play some of the games that she was nearly vibrating in place. Patience Charlie...]

[fullmetalbrat]

[Ed, on the other hand, hadn't actually signed himself at all. That honor went to Winry. It'd been tempting to just blow the whole thing off, but in the end he really didn't want to be responsible for leaving someone waiting around for who knows how long. It wouldn't hurt to just stop in and say hi, right? So he'd thrown on his favorite shirt and slacks, made sure he remembered his gloves to hide his automail hand, and gone out to find the arcade he was supposed to meet his date at.

When he walks in, though, he's completely thrown off. Even though he'd spent the last few weeks struggling to catch up on the scientific advancements of this era he was completely unprepared for the entertainment advances. Things had definitely come a long way from strong man punching bag challenges!

It takes a long moment before he even remembers to look around for Charlie, shaking off his surprise.]

mabel + pacifica | heropa 18 | we do what we want

[glitterateur]

[Here's the thing: Mabel loves matchmaking, but the last week has been an intense ride. She's made a million calls and studied the dating quizzes with more care than she's ever given her homework. Her match board is big enough that it's temporarily taken over the living room, and has enough weird conspiracy thread links that even Dipper's a little intimidated. And it is intimidating, but also incredibly cool. Why, just think of all the happy couples that will inevitably emerge from all her hard work! She'll probably get asked to speak at a couple of weddings in the future. Her speeches will be both heartfelt and hilarious.

But now the messages have been sent, reservations have been made, the gift bags have been stuffed and delivered. It's up to fate now! All that's left for Mabel to do is lie on the floor and quietly flick leftover lipgloss at the couch. And clean up her mess, maybe, but that's for later. Like, way later.]

I called the pizza guys... and the roller rink guys.... and made sure everyone's soul tree matched up... why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?

[justanotherlink]

[As much as she would never admit it, Pacifica had been enjoying getting roped into Mabel's matchmaking extravaganza. Making suggestions on pairings, helping make the bags, keeping Mabel from getting extra insane with some of the places to send people. (She'd lost a lot of those arguments though). But she'd been distracted enough that she hadn't realized until it was too late that she had gotten roped into her own date. With some boy who was friends with Ken?]

[Well, there were worse things than this, she guessed. And if it went terribly she could probably charm them into leaving her alone. But she'd had to abandon Mabel to get ready for said date, and was emerging from her little corner of the Pines household again, in a flattering but simple purple dress, her hair up in a careful ponytail.]

Hey, I'm ready, how do I lo-

[She was halfway into a look-at-me pose as she said it, but she cut off as she found the remains of Mabel Pines sprawled out on the floor. Where had all her energy gone?]

...You okay down there?

Megan + Kanaya | Espresso Yourself

[pixiestyx]

[Honestly, this isn't the weirdest date she's ever been on, despite getting lost twice on the way there. Which wasn't the fault of Mabel's directions (probably), as Megan has always had some difficulty following directions. Too easily distracted, some might say. If they were being charitable.

Actually, it ranks pretty low. Such is life in mutant school. Megan thinks she could like this place! It's got a neat atmosphere, and maybe she'll be able to get some berets and sunglasses of her own here. Maybe they have a gift shop. It could happen.

She's surprisingly nervous as she looks around for her date. She's never been on a date with a girl before--Kanaya is a girl's name, right? She thinks she might have seen it before, but she can't remember where, and thinking about it just going to get her even more worked up, so never mind! It'll either go well or it won't, and if it doesn't this place is big enough that they'll probably never see each other again. It'll be fine. Calm down, Megan.

She's grateful to the gift bag for giving her something to focus on. She'll have gone through half the candy and three or four layers of lip gloss by the time Kanaya finds her.]

[glowsferatu]

[ She remembers the name. It doesn't leave her confident in this nightmare, but someone that volatile, if she's stood up, who knows how badly that will go for the patrons of Espresso Yourself. Better her than them, as usual.

Nonetheless, she takes her time. The remote location and winding directions don't make it easy for her usual shortcuts, so it isn't all by choice, but she doesn't mind, either. She'll turn fashionably late unfashionable, out of nothing more than spite. Once she takes a step inside the coffee shop, she almost wishes she'd taken longer. Even dressed in just as much black as they are, this is very much not her atmosphere.

When she spots her date, her jaw sets and she stops breathing. There's something...different about her. The whole manner and carriage of the young woman isn't what she'd expect from their conversation on the network, but that could easily be a public persona, some facade she's putting on to look less threatening. A lure for her prey.

Kanaya cocks a brow, giving the room a slow glance around without moving her head, then settles an intense stare towards Megan. ]

The room feels a little soulless. I hope that doesn't mean you've been snacking too much already.

Adrien + Enid | Kit-Tea Cat Cafe

[pawdonnemoi]

[Adrien, being the sort who is used to keeping a schedule, arrives a little early. Upon seeing the name of the place Mabel set this up at he can't help but laugh. Did he really come off as that much of a cat person? He makes his way inside and nearly trips over a cat that rushes by as one of the employees comes rushing toward it. He flails around a bit before he manages to catch himself. The employee stops to make sure he's okay before continuing after the cat.

He carefully makes his way to the reserved table, ensuring he doesn't step on or trip over an errant cat.]

This is already proving to be exciting. [Talking to himself?]

[itstheirworld]

[Enid wasn't sure how to feel about this, but the thing with a blind date is that takes two people and she is at least a little curious about it, if not feeling slightly considerate with not standing someone up. So that's why she decides to at least have the decency to show up and tell the other person it's a mistake or whatever.

Only in kinder words if they look like they were expecting a date.

It's something she obviously has to feel out, she figures, when coming into the Cafe at the designated time. And... well, she isn't able to think about it anymore than that when she looks upon all cats there are. Her face grows with surprise and before long an employee notices and shuffles over to help her.

Asking her name, and receiving the answer after she blinks at the person, she is asked to follow 'this way' to the table, just so happening to be a pace behind the blond talking to himself...

Which only makes her more surprised when the waiter gestures for her to sit at the same table as him and leaves them with each a menu to order from. She takes her seat, though, and stares at him a millisecond or two before speaking up.]

So it's already exciting, huh?

[Somehow, she's not sure how she should feel about this date again.]