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Blinded by the dates

The BLIND DATE Meme

The Blind Date meme. Pretty self-explanatory. No matter how awkward and unexpected they might be, there is always something exciting about them. Who is your company for the evening going to be? Will it be a person of your innermost dreams or someone you absolutely can't stand? And most importantly...

How are you going to handle it?

What do:
1. Post with your character! They're now in the middle of a blind date.
2. Comment to each other! When you do that...
3. Go to Random.org and roll a single die!

1.
First date
-- You've never been out on a date before, so someone's decided to give you a helping hand.
2.
On the rebound
-- You're recovering from a painful breakup, but your friends/family think they found a great person for you anyway.
3.
Not strangers at all
-- Someone thought you didn't know your date. Turns out you know them from somewhere.
4.
Hideously awkward
-- Hey wait, that's your ex/boss/doctor/distant family member! Or, even worse, it's that person you absolutely despise. This will go well!
5.
Existing partner
-- You two are just acting like strangers to spice up your love life.
6.
Future spouse
-- Unfortunately, you have to have an arranged marriage. Fortunately, you get to meet that special someone for a date beforehand. How will the night go?
7. ...or, instead of rolling, come up with your own scenario!

4. Play out the date. This meme can be completely fluffy, smutty, or hilarious. If you don't want smut, you can put that in your subject. It doesn't even have to be romantic.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ooc: Maybe 2 or 4?]

[Most interested in 1, 2, 3 and 4. Prefer characters 25+ please.]

[Flan loves blind dates. She knows that they're torture to most people but she sincerely loves the chance to meet people she typically wouldn't. It's easy to find guys who like the outdoors at the places she frequents and Flan's dated an interchangeable spread of men named Chuck or Karl or Ted who wear hiking boots everywhere and know exactly what mountain ranges in the area can be reached with a day trip (with the day trip starting at 4am sharp, of course). And she likes these men and their enthusiasm and their bloated egos and the way the break under pressure when a real crisis comes along.

But a blind date means meeting someone new. An accountant. A retail worker. A lawyer. Self-employed. Unemployed. She likes to know at little as possible so she can find out about them while they talk, or eat, or head off to do watch a movie or go ice skating or do whatever they think a date consists of.

All she knows about today's date is that he's a scientist named Newton, and that she should look for a guy in classes with a quote-unquote "sloppy tie". And he's been told to look for the redhead with braids and overalls. Being as neither of them are particular sticklers for restaurants with picky dress codes, they're meeting at a hole-in-the-wall Italian place that Flan is reasonably sure is mob owned, but the food is amazing so who cares about a little money laundering on the side?

The sound of her motorbike heralds her arrival and she parks around the back, leaving her helmet hanging off one of the handles. Nobody here should be stupid enough to take her helmet when some guy named Petey Carabone is watching the security cameras, but if they are, then honestly that's almost kind of worth losing the helmet to hopefully get a chance to watch him get worked over. She takes a second to pat herself into place and then heads on inside to see if Mr Newton has arrived before her, or if she'll need to grab a spot and cool her heels.]

[Is it sad that Newt can't remember the last time he's been on a date? It's probably pretty sad, right? At least from a social standpoint. He's spent the better part of the past few years in a lab in Hong Kong getting up close and personal with Kaiju viscera and their corrosive bodily fluids, studying them and making new discovers about just what makes the Kaiju tick. All are things Newton loves to do but it's a lot less fun when you're under constant pressure to make those discovers as quickly as possible with as little resources as possible and under wartime conditions. It certainly didn't leave much time for dates, let alone blind dates.

Fortunately, the Breach is sealed, the Kaiju Wars are over (or so he thinks) and he's free to get out into the world again, and it's a great feeling after spending so much time trying to save it. He loves his work but it's important to enjoy and appreciate all the things you're fighting for along the way. That includes having fun and eating good food. If there's anything Newt is hoping to get out of this blind date, it's to have some fun, eat some awesome food and maybe even make a friend outside of work.

It's a small restaurant inside but there's a nice little outdoor dining area which is where Newt has chosen to sit. It's surrounded by walls of lattice laced with climbing vines and has a "ceiling" of bare wooden beams wrapped in string lights. It's actually kind of pretty and, after spending so much time in a windowless lab, he's had an urge to be outdoors. Newt sits at a table for two, his foot resting on the chair across from him while he looks through the menu. He's ordered himself a round of soft bread sticks which he graciously dips into a cup of melted cheese and takes a big bite. He's dressed in his favorite pair of Doc Martens, a button up shirt with a tie (which is indeed sloppy and absurdly loose but at least it's not stuck in his pocket), black skinny jeans with rips at the knees and up the thighs. A leather jacket tops off whatever this look is that he's going for.

There's the sound of a motor on the street and after a couple minutes, Newt looks up from his menu and his breadstick to see a lady enter the restaurant. Red hair, braids, overalls, ...combat boots! There was no mention of combat boots but he notices. Removing the breadstick from his mouth, Newt stands up and waves a hand to get her attention.]

Hey! Excuse me. Are you... Flan?

[Nice, he's already here, and he's cute - just like Flan was told he was. She's also deeply delighted to see that he looks nothing like she expected, and yet she can tell by a glance that yes, this man is a scientist - specifically the kind who spends every day in a lab instead of only occasionally. It's something about the button up being buttoned up, but the jeans being ripped that really hammers that home. She gives him a grin and a wave.]

That's me! Doctor Newton, I presume!

[Flan heads straight for him, pausing only long enough for him to move his foot so she can sit in the other chair, and picking up a breadstick to dunk in the cheese. She loves a date that gets straight to the causal slouching-and-eating part, which is when the best conversation happens. Flan looks at him through her heart shaped glasses and nods with approval.] Perfect starter choice, the breadsticks are so good here. Actually, everything is. I'm like 99% certain that this place only exists because someone's nonna left them their cookbook with all the little notes in the margin and they realized they'd be leaving money on the table if they didn't make it into a menu.

[And, while taking a bite, she offers her other hand to shake. It's a little rough and calloused and her grip is strong, but she does her best not to squeeze too hard. Only a total asshole would turn a greeting into a competition on a first date.] Also, I really hope you're not allergic to seafood because their zuppa di pesce is like, wow. Anyway, hi! How are you?

[Newt can feel the strength in her handshake and as someone who works with his hands enough that they get beaten up a bit, he can sense the same in her. As Flan digs into the breadsticks, he happily joins in, encouraged by her eagerness. She's nothing like he expected either which comes as a great relief. She has an effervescent, free-spirited energy that makes him feel like it's safe to just relax and be himself around her. Plus those heart-shaped glassed practically scream 'girls just wanna have fun!']

I'm doing well, actually! Thanks. Things were a little crazy there for a while... [Or a LOT crazy. It's probably not a good idea to open with 'I almost got eaten by a mother Kaiju and its baby in short succession' on a date with a stranger.] But everything's pretty great now. I finally have time to chill and have fun again and I'm so ready for it.

[The zuppa di pesce is one of the top things he's been eyeing in this menu since he laid eyes on it. And now that Flan is touting it, he's pretty much sold on trying it.]

I've been living in Hong Kong for the past few years so I'm definitely not allergic to seafood, thank god.

And, please, call me Newt! It's only 'Doctor Newton' if you're nasty.

[A grin and a wink.]

Hell yeah! It's a big open world now! I've been mostly inland for like, ever, and I spent most of the last decade on or near mountains. It's been great to get closer to the sea these days and take in the sights.

[It's been weird having the kaiju attacks end. Everyone's childhood looks rosy in hindsight, but that truly was the last time Flan's life had been peaceful. High school started and bam, the Pacific was impassible and monsters were at the coastlines, threatening the whole world. Now it's all over and the world's opening back up again. It's nice, and she's glad, but it's just a little weird to get used to the new-new normal.

Newt also gets a laugh out of Flan and a grin in return. Cute and fun, now that's a perfect combination in her mind. Guys looking for their soulmates give her hives. But guy with a sense of humor who isn't afraid to put himself out there? That's the kind of guy up for an adventure.] Newt then, for now. Hong Kong though, that's cool! Were you near their Shatterdome?

Uh, yeah, actually! [Excitement lights up his face and pours into his voice the moment Flan brings up the Shatterdome.] The Shatterdome is where I've lived and worked for the past 5 years in the K-science department. I've spent many a night there shoulder-deep in Kaiju guts.

[And there he goes. It's been, what, one minute?, and he's already mentioned Kaiju. One would think he'd be a little less fascinated by them after nearly getting killed by them, but nah. Newt catches himself just after talk of Kaiju guts has already left his lips and cringes a bit.]

Sorry about that. Didn't mean to gross you out while we're eating. I forget sometimes that not everyone's into that kind of stuff...

[Clearly, first impressions are still a thing he's working on. At the very least, he's starting to recognize when he's made a faux pas in a more timely manner.]

[Flan's eyes might be framed by her pink sunglasses, but that only serves to better highlight the way they're gleaming with excitement. If that's not enough of a clue, the huge grin on Flan's face should be a dead giveaway. Congrats Newt, you met a girl who loves to talk about guts over dinner.]

Holy shit, that's so cool! And no no, keep going!

[She makes sure to take a bite of her breadstick to show him for sure that she's not disgusted at all, and it sure isn't effecting her appetite, which is strong as ever.] I always wanted to visit the Shatterdome in LA but my family is super paranoid. They already freak out over all the mountain climbing I do, so getting to see the anti-Kaiju headquarters was out of the question. Which like, it's fine, I still like climbing mountains more than seeing monsters but I would have really enjoyed doing both.

So you were working in their K-science department? All kinds of dissection's and experiments, huh? Do you have any pictures? I've seen lots of photos on the internet but they're always kind of grainy or from far away, and all the up-close ones I'm pretty sure are fake. Does the bioluminescence go all the way through to the insides, or does it only show up in the skin and blood? And oh man, that blood right? It always reminds me of like, that dye they put in rivers to find out where the water's going.

[Flan only stops her barrage of questions to finish the end of her breadstick, forced to stop and chew instead of hitting Newt with even more requests for information.]

[Now that she's signaled her approval, there's no stopping the torrent of Kaiju science spew from pouring past Newt's lips like a waterfall of Kaiju acid.]

Oh, dissections and experiments galore! Their viscera absolutely glows, especially the organs with the largest blood supply. Once the blood is drained, they're more of a dull translucent blue, but it's still really cool though.

[Newt leans forward onto his elbows, eager like he's finally found someone with interests after his own heart.]

Their blood is highly corrosive and if the tissues aren't preserved right, they become an aerosol upon decomposition like a giant bug bomb going off but for humans. It's pretty ingenious in a way... and horrible and extremely dangerous. They were designed specifically to wipe us all out so handling Kaiju material properly requires great care. But once the blood and toxic fluids have been drained and the tissues have undergone processes to preserve them, they're much more stable and safer to handle.

Those photos you saw on the internet — if they came from Hong Kong and it looked like they were in a lab — 100% hoaxed. I would know because I'm the only one who would have leaked them and literally everyone would know it was me. That was pretty much the only reason why I didn't do it.

[Grinning, he drops his voice a little above a whisper, eyes darting away and back like he's letting Flan in on a joke.]

Technically this stuff is all supposed to be top secret but, ya know, I don't mind spilling a little tea under the table.

[Is there anything better than someone excited and passionate about monsters? Absolutely not. Newt is not only excited and passionate but he's also knowledgeable, which Flan is happy to eat up, leaning forward when Newt does. And oh yes, all kinds of fun little secrets too.

She's also quick to cross her heart and nods.] I don't kiss and tell. Especially not when it's fun stuff. And this is all very fun stuff. I'd heard their corpses were deadly but I didn't realize just how deadly, that's ingenious. Too bad they were more interested in wiping us out or we could have done some very cool stuff together.

[This isn't something she can talk about with most people. They're all pretty traumatized by things. Of course, Flan wasn't. Yes, it's been annoying not being able to visit the sea side and she supposes that the threat to all human life was pretty grim. But a part of her has always felt pretty distant from the threat, and she's been more fascinated than repulsed by the creatures. It's so nice that her date feels the same way, maybe even moreso than her since he worked so closely with them! No wonder they were set up on this date.]

So, okay, what was your favorite thing about working with kaiju?

Favorite thing? [He leans back as if overwhelmed by choices.] Oh my god, pretty much everything.

I love studying their tissues, their cells, their DNA — by the way, all Kaiju share the same genome which means they're all clones! It's their phenomes that account for their wildly different appearances.

But if I had to choose my favorite thing, it would have to be every time we get fresh Kaiju specimens in. It's like my birthday and Christmas all rolled into one, times a million. Kaiju specimens are extremely rare, especially intact ones. Part of the reason is, well, obviously the carcasses break down at such a fast rate and they're often damaged by the Jaegers, but another reason is that Kaiju parts are extremely valuable and they're sold as black market commodities. So as soon as a Kaiju drops, it gets poached and picked over pretty fast.

But even for poachers, the hardest part to get is the brain because it breaks down so quickly. I'm always ecstatic to get even a tiny piece of Kaiju brain. Luckily, I managed to get my hands on a secondary brain and run some experiments.

[After a quick glance around, Newt leans forward again, grinning, and drops his voice.]

Some very important, top secret experiments.

[There's a teasing pause and a playful waggle of his brow.]

Are you, by any chance, familiar with the concept of Drifting?

[1-4 are all good, though in the case of 2 she's not the rebounding one. Showed up early, did not dress up beyond her usual (if your tastes skew Stevie Nicks energies and general Boho Shit, great news! here's hoping this was not intended to be formal!), if anything is complimentary she's already gone through a lot of it. Visibly out of her element but psyched to be here.]

[voice testing!]

[ His mother set this up for sure. ]

[ Open to canon and cross-canon.

I’d prefer prompts 1, 2, 3, or 4. ]

Edited 2021-08-21 02:51 (UTC)

[ Any MCU folks want to be set up on a date with a millennial superhero spy with a not great dating record? Could be awkward, could be cute. ]

[ Open to canon and cross-canon.

I’d prefer prompts 1, 2, 3, or 4. ]

[open to 1, 2 or 4. Any of them you're more keen on? Could easily AU Rey as a telepathic human in the Angel!verse. ]

[ Sorry, I have been dealing with the move from hell. I’m down for 1 or 2, or even a combination of both.

I’ll leave it up to you if you want to go the AU route. ]