recolle | VALENTINE'S DAY EVENT - BLIND DATING [OPEN]

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persona 4: souji seta

VALENTINE'S DAY EVENT - BLIND DATING [OPEN]

WHO: Anyone and everyone! Even those who didn't sign up for the event!
WHERE: Anywhere in Recolle
WHEN: Valentine’s Day - Feb 14
WHAT: The log for the blind dates event! Awkward dates and disasters within.
WARNINGS: None!

It’s finally the fated day: Valentine’s.

Some of Recolle’s citizens might be going out, spending the day with their loved ones, while others might be sitting in bars, crying into their drinks. For a number of “lucky” ones, they might have gotten dragged into a blind date!

The Narukami twins have done their jobs. All the matches have been released. Partners have been assigned. Messages have been sent out. Now all that needs to happen are the actual dates. So, run free, everyone. The entire city is there to be their playground. They can go on their own respective dates, join up with other couples, spy on others, sabotage some, anything is fair game. After all, it’s not really fun if someone’s not crashing on another person’s party, right?

( ooc: As promised in the OOC sign-up post, here is the IC post for all the blind dates and related events to occur. This is an open mingle post, so multiple threads can happen anywhere and everywhere. Indicate if the thread is closed if you’d like to keep it private, however! Feel free to use the post as a general mingle as well. Anything is free game here! For any questions, please direct them over here and we’ll try to get back to you ASAP. Have fun! )

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Of course I'll foot the bill. Anything for the sake of new experiences. We did talk about breaking up the usual routine, or something of the sort, didn't we?

[Listen, he'll gladly buy her a 30 dollar cup of coffee if she really wants it, just for the sake of saying they did something so ridiculously pretentious.

But, ah. The subject of sleep.]

So I've heard. Compared to most people, my sleeping habits are rather poor. But I'm alive and functioning well enough, so who am I to complain? Are you one of those rare unicorns who manages eight hours a night?

We did, but that sort of expense is a little too silly. We could get coffee and dessert for that, and still have enough left over to buy some silly knick-knack to remember the occasion like some kind of date souvenir.

[As for her and sleep... well, a rare unicorn might be a word for it. She laughs.]

I suppose one of the souvenirs we should buy me is one of those plastic unicorn horns, then. Or one of those rubber unicorn horse masks. I do manage eight or - and here's a rarity - sometimes even more per night.

My family do work with the brain, after all, and lacking too much sleep is one of the first things that begins to affect it very, very negatively.

More than eight? Surely you jest.

[Such people to exist, it seems.]

If you want a plastic unicorn horn, a plastic unicorn horn you shall have. We'll find a shop that carries one in stock, if it's the last thing we do.

[If they're done here, though, he'll motion at her to follow. Off to find a chocobo attraction or two, likely set up for all the tourist-types that come into the city. Surely they can find a place willing to offer them a ride and a trot around the square.]

Your family is a long line of neurologists, then?

No, not at all. But it's all worth it for the lack of getting out I usually have otherwise. At my age, I need as much beauty rest as I can get.

[Another bad joke, she's not bad looking but gasp! Maybe that's her secret.]

Alright. Then I'll be taking that as my souvenir for the date. You better think of yours.

[She does follow, though. Yeah, they've gotta have some kind of stable somewhere around the park. Or at least a carriage or something.]

I wouldn't say a 'long line' - my father's a neurologist, and my brother took up the mantle to keep things going strong. I can't say I blame him, the money is great, but so is the risk. I like just keeping the clinic together without the part where you use a little saws-all on someone's skull.

I suppose we're starting a long line of neurologists, then. How about your family... you all in law?

And what better way to start, but with one's best foot forward?

[Along they go; a carriage ride would suffice, even, if they can't ride the chocobos themselves. Anything with the creatures would be novel for this little outing of theirs. They were still new to this world, as far as Ardyn was concerned, and therefore something of a growing fascination for him.

The mention of his family, though, earns her a scoff before he can stop himself. It isn't directed at her, however, not really, and his oddly light tone reveals at least this much.]

No, not at all. I come from a family of politicians. My initial foray into law was their idea, of course. A stepping stone into the political realm proper. Unfortunately for them, I "settled" for teaching instead.

[She quirks an eyebrow, wondering if she offended him, somehow. Sometimes family can be a sensitive subject - she's worked in her field to know that. Hell, she knew that first-hand when her mother passed, but...

His tone, at least, doesn't sound entirely offended. Curiosity baits her to keep along with the line of thought, however.]

Hmm. I see. I suppose I can see some similarities; my brother was under a lot of pressure to become a doctor, as well. Luckily, he liked the call of it. I'm not sure it would've gone as well if my father had placed all his hopes on me.

[She tilts her head back, looks to the sky. Time for a probing question.]

Was there something you wanted to do, though, that you never got the chance?

[Ardyn usually does open up with a bit of probing, funnily enough. Though he doesn't talk about his family very often ~~and probably shouldn't speak too bluntly anyway if Souji is creeping around somewhere~~, he has nothing to hide when it comes to revealing certain truths about himself. Though Ardyn may at first glance seem like too vacillating of an individual, he's surprisingly honest at his core.]

Ironically, I actually enjoyed my pre-law classes, and law school itself. In that way, I should be thanking them for pushing me into a career I didn't know I would have enjoyed otherwise.

But, if I give it some thought... if not law, I might have been interested in pursuing a history degree instead.

[Well, that's at least good. It is a bit of a jump, but, maybe, it'll be worth it. Don't make friends without getting to know them a little bit more than whatever facade they give on the surface.

Also, it might be partially from her growing up in the household of a neurologist. Mental illnesses are a part of what he's always treated, too. And those require the right kinds of questions to pinpoin.]

At least it wasn't all for nothing, then. Nothing like having expertise in something you despise to make you despise it more. And since you're already a teacher, then I suppose the fact law would make you more money under most circumstances doesn't hold bearing.

[Still, history is interesting.] Any particular part of history, or is it all interesting to you?

I suppose it's not so much a when, but rather a who. I do have a thing for royal figureheads and their lives. The tragic ones are particularly thrilling.

[It's not so much sadism, but rather just a morbid sort of curiosity that he's always harbored within himself.]

What about yourself? Tell me of yours interests; such is a pre-requisite for these things called blind dates, you realize. I don't wish to go on about myself the entire time.

Ah, I see. Something like... Jeanne D'Arc, and the like? Or more like King Richard. And his kingdom for a horse -

Chocobo?

That line is so silly now.

[It's okay, she can sort of deflect and make light of it.]

Well, I'm not sure I'm nearly so interesting. I have a small house with a garden that I tend to, and aside from work, I spend time photographing things as a hobby. Other than that, I suppose I did let myself sort of be boxed into the job, as well, but I enjoy what I do, because I doubt I'd be a very good doctor. Besides, my brother says Biochemistry is a hellish subject.

A kingdom for a chocobo? Not silly at all.

[But he listens to the rest as she explains.]

Gardening and photography. Nurturing and creative; good signs, for a first date. But may I ask why you don't think you'd make for a good doctor? Are you not giving yourself due credit?

A chocobo, a chocobo, my kingdom for a chocobo!

... No, I don't think it has the same ring.

[It sounds... cartoony to her. But that's alright, it's not supposed to be serious, she doesn't think.]

'Nurturing and creative'... [She chuckles.] I suppose so, all things considered.

But as for the medical field... It's mostly a personal preference. If I was going to get into the field, I'd likely do it as... a therapist rather than a doctor. Talking to patients, helping them figure things out, and work through things is much more interesting to me.

Besides, I can sew if I need to, but I'm not entirely sure I'd trust myself with a scalpel and a living brain. Too messy.

Still, it was just nothing I ever pursued. I didn't really need to, and they really needed someone to keep the front end of the business going. The men are brilliant at what they do, but I don't think either of them could generate a decently detailed profit and loss sheet if their lives depended on it.

And that's the real challenge, isn't it? Keeping one's numbers organized.

[Out of context, someone might take that as patronization. Sarcasm. But Ardyn doesn't mean it in either way, instead taking appreciation in someone knowing exactly what they want to do what their lives. Knowing just what they're suited for, and what they're not. Some people never achieve that.]

I think you'd do well as a therapist, if you don't mind me saying. First impressions, and all. You can pierce into someone's mind without a scalpel that way.

It can be, when you're brain's too full of other brains. Luckily, I don't have to remember which amino acids cause which reaction and which hormones affect what nerological functions, so I can focus on the numbers.

[That sounded like a dumb joke even to her. Oh well.]

This is true - it's the only branch of neuroscience that interests me personally in such a way, but... [She sighs, then shrugs.] Oh it sounds more complicated than what I have going for me right now. The money's good, and the work needs to be done, and it'd be easier than trying to hire an outside source to do it. Though I'm sure there's plenty of noteworthy CPAs about and other qualified office workers, it feels better to just keep it family-operated.

[Oddly, she just doesn't seem to have many aspirations to be more than she is.]

I suppose with all the people I've met through this app and otherwise, though, I've been playing a bit of counselor anyway, though.

[Ardyn laughs at her latter comment. As they walk, it appears they might be coming across a larger, more open part of the square; undoubtedly meant for tourists and the like, but a telltale pen can be seen from the distance -- that, and the bright yellow feathers of a certain large, avian creatures.]

Have you been playing counselor? To what, existential crises? A stress-induced breakdown from the endless notifications pinging on one's phone?

[Oh look, indeed, the chocobo pen. She focuses on the birds for a moment as she strolls casually along beside him.]

Well, I'm fairly certain I may have saved a younger acquaintance of mine from an arson charge... twice. As much as I'm also sure no one would care if the RetroSpec building did mysteriously go up in flames at this point, I can't condone property damage.

[She tilts her head, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully at her focal point in the distance.] But people do tend to open themselves a bit when they meet a friendly, listening ear, even if they wouldn't normally.

I just suppose I'm lucky I've worked around neurologists all my life, so I can make a better educated guess as to how to help them than others. And at worst, just send them to an actual professional if it's not something they can just talk through on their own.

[Finally, she swings her head back to look at him.] Of course, I'm sure, working as a teacher you've had your share of students who favored you telling you things. Not to mention if you learned any interrogation techniques out of your law classes. Then you learn all sorts of fun things, I'm sure.

Quite so. [An admittance, then, to both of these things.]

I've had any number of confessions take place in my office that I wasn't very much prepared for; they skew anywhere from a near panic attack, to anger, to complete apathy. [And despite the casual way he says all of this, Ardyn does feel sympathy for his students. Law isn't easy. Law school is, and will be, even more unrelenting.] As one person, there's only so much that I can do, but... well. I'm obligated to aid them to the best of my ability, aren't I?

[#secretbleedingheart]

[Well, she supposes it makes sense. Her experience is watching her younger brother go through med school, and that seemed very stressful. She imagines it would be similar for law students.]

It's still very nice of you, even if you think it's an obligation. Some people wouldn't care. [Too bad, suck it up and do your homework or fail, etc. Sakuya would never be one of those people, of course, but... you know. Some people are just unsympathetic like that.]

I think it's better to help out, either way. Even if it's just to sit and listen to them. I find that's what most people need anyway, unless they have a more complicated illness or the kinds of issues that may lead to one. Then it can become rather sticky.

[And they're almost there at the chocobo pen, so she looks it over.]

... It's still strange to see these creatures like they're meant to be here, but I guess it's not changing any time soon.

True. But what harm is there in lending an ear from time to time? I feel it's essential, given all that's been happening lately.

[And he glances at the chocobo pen as well, smiling as he sees creatures give faint warks of curious greeting as they draw closer.]

Do you think that you prefer the horses instead? [-he asks, motioning at the closest chocobo to them. It wanders closer in their direction, the sort that apparently wants attention.]

That is very true. Even those worse off sometimes do just need to vent. I'm always happy to.

[She almost makes a joke about deep, dark secrets, but decides against it. Maybe the next time they meet up.]

Maybe if only because it's what I grew up knowing, I think. To have them suddenly replaced by birds I've never seen so large before - even ostriches - like it was that way the whole time is too jarring. It still almost feels like a practical joke, but I'm not sure what the punchline's supposed to be.

[She's going to be the first to reach in to pet it, though. Even if it's a weird creature she has no idea wtf it is, she seems to have no real fear of it.]

They're a cute replacement, at least. Even if horses always sort of symbolized... hm... power and utility, and these critters don't look quite as physically brawny.

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VALENTINE'S DAY EVENT - BLIND DATING [OPEN]

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