( can you feeeeeel the loooove tonight )

[tectus]

CHARACTERS: Octavia Blake and the dating crew
LOCATION: A BAR ON A...FLOOR idk
WARNINGS: probably a hell of a lot of grumpiness lbr there's only like one volunteer
SUMMARY: Speed dating, basically, with more duplicity
NOTES: Mingle log kids, go nuts. Use the headers or create your own or do what you like


[ so octavia has totally repurposed the bar for a round of speed dating, or at least as close as she can manage given that she a) did this last minute and b) doesn't know what speed dating is. still, it's not a hard concept, and there's name badges on a table and a hell of a lot of booze already up on the bartop.

there's some music playing in the background, but given that she's hardly an expert it's just as likely to be really out of place as it is romantic. feel free to use that as a talking point. there's coffee too because she doesn't really know how to cook, and a bunch of ready to eat stuff scavenged from the kitchen nearest the bar. all in all, it's...pretty budget-- BUT SHE TRIED

People volunteering their friends will obviously be told the truth about the nature of the evening, but anyone not friends with Octavia can opt to have received an anon message stating something like " MEET + GREET ON THE xTH FLOOR BAR, PLEASE BRING YOURSELF AND ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR APPROPRIATE ATMOSPHERE. THANKS "

although if you'd prefer their volunteer tricks them into arriving, that is of course also an option. ]

Comments

[alsohawkeye]

Not unless you want to be. I promise to help with the annulment! Good news is there's no way to legally file here, so it'll be very easy.

[ Kate's beam is innocently helpful, but she drops it after a second to lift her drink for a sip and scan the room again. ]

But who are the most likely candidates? The only people here I really know are not that gullible.

[overdraws]

[ Allison takes a bite of her cookie and ponders, also scanning the crowd. ] I think we can count Sirius and Remus out. [ She says, around a mouthful. ] And I don't really know anyone else so far.

[alsohawkeye]

Oh, I don't know. [ Kate drums fingers on her glass, nails clinking as her smile tugs crooked. ] Sometimes I get the feeling they could talk each other into basically anything given the right incentive.

[ What that might be and if she's inclined to test the theory remains to be seen, and instead Kate tips her head slightly to shoot Allison a smile that's narrower and commiserating. ]

So did someone sign you up, did you drag in a friend, or are you here as moral support?

[overdraws]

[ Allison sighs, fully aware that she's busted. She gives Kate a sheepish look. ] I signed my best friend up, and... apparently someone signed me up. So all three, I guess.

[alsohawkeye]

Same here. [ Kate shrugs and drinks, smile undimmed. ] I signed up a couple friends but apparently they did one for me, too. I'm not sure who yet, but they'll pay when I figured it out. Who did it match you with?

[overdraws]

[ And now Kate gets a wry look. ] Sirius Black and Harry Potter. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was a set up. You?

[alsohawkeye]

[ Kate chuckles at Allison's luck, if luck it is. ] Fitz and a girl named Clarke? [ She shrugs. ] I don't know Harry, but Sirius would be a good time, I'm sure. Or if he's a bit [ she doesn't pick a word, searching for one and instead just gesturing with her glass a couple times, like you know ] himself, then you should consider Remus. Everyone should date Remus, in my opinion.

[overdraws]

Sirius would probably be too good of a time. [ She does her best not to roll her eyes at the thought. She likes Sirius, well enough, absolutely thinks he's cute, but-- well. Sirius. ] What's Remus like?

[ Asking for a friend. Literally. ]

[alsohawkeye]

Probably. [ Kate's smile is quick and very understanding.

She shifts, side-stepping to find a corner of a table to lean an arm against. ] Remus is great. He and Sirius are a lot alike in some ways: the goofy humor and banter stuff, the wizard plans, helpfulness, the endless loyalty. He's fun. But minus the arrogance and the affect. You can have a serious conversation with him, if you want to. He is a little shy, though. I had to drag him here. Almost literally.

[overdraws]

[ Allison leans on the table as well, having finished her cookie. She looks thoughtful, and starts glancing around the party, as if looking for someone... ] I only met him once, during the whole... boggart thing. He seemed really nice. Do you think he'd like someone who wasn't a wizard?

[alsohawkeye]

Definitely. [ Kate doesn't hesitate at all, until after she's said it, and then she backtracks a little. But only a little. ] But I mean being tolerant and open-minded about weird things like magic and the supernatural would also definitely be necessary.

[overdraws]

Oh, that—is absolutely not a problem. [ And Allison maybe laughs a little too casually at that. Ha ha ha!! No secrets here!! ] In fact, that's kind of normal, where I'm from. A lot of weird things going on.

[alsohawkeye]

[ Kate raises a brow. Super subtle, Allison. ] Oh yeah? Like what?

[overdraws]

Animal attacks. Mountain lions. [ And-- okay maybe she can drop this next bit without revealing anyone's secrets? Because Kate very obviously ain't buyin' it. So Allison turns to her fully and lowers her voice a bit. ] My family, we um. Hunt. Although it's more like keeping the peace, now, since my dad and I decided we weren't going to go around killing innocent people.

[ Yeah, people. They're not monsters or animals, unless you're counting the really heinous among them. ] We... go by a code. 'Nous protégeons ceux qui ne peuvent pas se protéger eux-mêmes' -- 'We protect those who cannot protect themselves'. And that goes for everything, human or not.

[alsohawkeye]

[ Kate twists against the bar to give Allison her attention, and it's clear from the more serious line of brows and jaw, the steady hold of her gaze, that this is something she is taking seriously, despite the setting and her earlier tone. There's no question that 'hunt' strikes her poorly, but Allison goes on and while there's a wariness that remains Kate seems cautiously accepting. ]

So where do you draw the line? [ she asks, still intent, ] Is it whether they try to hurt someone? If they actually do? If they could?

[overdraws]

[ She holds up her hands briefly in surrender, dropping them in front of her as she speaks. She laces her fingers together, almost nervously, and she's very obviously being careful and talking around something. ] Threats are a big part of it. Actively hurting people and doing it on purpose with no intention of remorse. Basically anyone someone might consider a 'bad guy'. And that goes for people who hunt supernatural creatures, too. I won't — can't — let someone hurt someone innocent, regardless of their status. Humans can be monsters, too.

[ And in Allison's experience? They're usually worse than the so called 'monsters' she knows. ]

[fullmoon]

Mmm.

[ It's an approving mmm, a yes-humans-are-awful mmm, hummed while he's sliding in like he was invited—which, look, to be fair, they were just talking about him. You don't have to have superhuman hearing to pick out your name being repeated at a relatively small gathering. And he was able to tune most of the embarrassing bits out, but now he's interested.

Plus, they're near the food. He's also interested in that. He looks at the spread instead of at Allison, since if he did look at Allison he would probably look a little too interested. His hand stops over the dried rice before he actually chooses anything to eat, and for the moment he's frozen that way, staring at it. What? ]

What sort of supernatural creatures?

[overdraws]

[ She has really, really screwed this up now. So might as well out with it. At least she won't have to name names? ] Back home, it's werewolves, mostly. Kamina. We had trouble with Japanese demons before I died and woke up here.

[alsohawkeye]

[ Kate has the grace to look very slightly guilty as Remus arrives. She has been talking about him. But then again that was sort of the point of this and after the initial lying involved in creating a profile for him at all she's been upfront about that. So only a tiny bit guilty, and it doesn't last. ]

Kanima? [ She asks, in a way that makes it obvious she's unfamiliar with the term. While she does she shifts the plate of cookies until it's under Remus's hand. Don't eat the rice. ]

[overdraws]

Homicidal werelizards.

[ She did, in fact, say that with a straight face. ]

[fullmoon]

[ Biscuits—cookies, whatever—are more edible, yes, thanks Kate. He takes one and tips it at her like a hat before smiling at Allison. Werelizards, to him, would mean people turning into lizards. Vicious lizards, sure, but actual lizard-sized lizards. He needs a second to remember it isn't like that for everyone here and stop looking like he thinks it's a little funny. It's probably very serious. ]

Are there non-homicidal werelizards?

[overdraws]

[ It's a little funny. Allison shrugs at him, reaching for another cookie. ] Not in my experience. But maybe?

[fullmoon]

Someone ought to do a survey. [ Surveye are great. Right, Kate? ] Our government keeps a registry. Not many people volunteer for it, but that's what the Werewolf Capture Unit is for.

[ He's smiling, and his tone is on the dark side of amused but not quite bitter. And he only needs a second to lighten up, anyway, turning to Kate with the remainder of his biscuit poised to go in his mouth as soon as he gets his question out. ]

Is there a list of handsome half-insect aliens somewhere?

[alsohawkeye]

[ Kate shoots Remus a dry look at the mention of surveys. Thanks, friend. Despite his choice of topic she is considering starting to fade in the background to let them talk, having still failed to figure out that Allison was seriously asking for a friend and not at all for herself. But then there is a question and more need for flat, unamused looks. ]

No. Well, actually, I think SWORD does keep track of known Kree operatives on Earth. But they aren't all handsome. I'm not sure if they've all got insect DNA, that might've just been his world.

[ This is weird enough that she feels the need to turn back to Allison and explain: ] My ex is a genetically engineered alien supersoldier.

[overdraws]

[ Allison just nods in semi-understanding. ] Sounds tough.

[ She's not going to out Scott, but her tone is of someone who understands what it's like to date outside your technical species. ]