As the blustery winds and steady snows of January give way to the cool breezes of February, the city begins to notice strange trends amongst its volunteer citizenry: an uptick of online searches for things like flower shops and cheap romantic meals, a surprising increase in chocolate purchases (though, perhaps more surprising, no increases in consumption), and a report from the local pharmacies regarding a sudden shortage in contraceptives, of all things! Consider the administration officially flummoxed — that is, until the city's favorite and only volunteer coordinators begin to investigate further.
You see, Valentine's Day isn't quite the thing in Cadelle. Here, St Valentine never led couples in matrimony under Roman rule, and so, no time-honored capitalist dream could be established. However, the date of February the 14th is still a special one in the city — it's the day that many honor as St Trifon's Day, or "Winemaker's Day". It's a day of celebrating the first pour of the prior year's winemaking, with the first bottle of each vintage reserved for drinking with one's special someone... preferably privately, where post-drink merriment may commence uninterrupted. (Scandalous.)
Not wanting to leave out any of their volunteers from the city's special day, the volunteer coordinators have arranged a collection of meeting locations, each perfect for getting to know a potential special somebody in advance of the big day. To help people get acquainted, they've partnered with that reclusive (and anonymous) mogul behind okCuddle to add a limited time special feature for the season — that's right, a matchmaker!
Simply press the bright red button on your app's home screen to be enrolled in a Match Meeting. There are five unique locations, each offering a different experience to appeal to those who might find true love or common ground in its midst, and each location will host a different couple each day to ensure everyone has an opportunity to meet their one-and-only... or maybe just their one-night-only. (We won't judge.)
▸ Any opportunity to incite a little romantic feeling would be remiss if it didn't include the time-honored date experience: a candlelit steakhouse dinner at the city's best dining experience, DeWolfe's. Whether you're hungering for a porterhouse medium rare or a more demure airline chicken breast, the wait staff here will be more than happy to attend to any needs you may have, and delighted to disappear shortly after, providing plenty of privacy for quiet conversation and those ever-important lingering glances. Feel free to extend your night with a walk through DeWolfe's famed gardens out back, or perhaps a nightcap... the only question left, then, is their place or yours?
▸ Let The Good Times Roll offers those who enjoy athleticism and coordination an evening of nostalgic fun under twinkling lights — courtesy, of course, of the disco ball hung prominently in the center of the risk, a perfect match for the classic jams that are piped out from the speakers on each wall. Strap on a pair of rental skates, and when the lights get low, be sure to hold your honey's hand tight for that all-important couple's skate. When you're done zooming around the linoleum, be sure to try a bite of the rink's famous pizza and popsicles meal, the perfect treat for summer campers and kids at heart alike! Groovy!
▸ The Vinery, while not necessarily a classic first-date location, offers a bit of non-traditional romance with its gorgeous hill country views and a seemingly endless assortment of local blends to sample. Visitors paired up for a Match Meeting here will have the opportunity to enjoy a rarely experienced grape-stomping session, during which they'll become bonafide vinters (winemakers, for the uninitiated) and the proud recipients of a complimentary bottle of the Vinery's own St Trifon's Day special blend — the perfect reason to ask for a second date, no? (And if you don't want to wait, there's always the cover of a gazebo or the fields nearby...)
▸ Animal aficionados, fear not: the expansive nature reserve at Nahtazu offers an opportunity to get up-close and personal with your favorite wild beasts — no, not the ones in your pants — and one of the reserve's most knowledgeable guides to show you the way. Of course, since it's an hour away aboard the local trains, the city has arranged a private compartment for two, where Match Meeting attendees will enjoy a catered lunch, the perfect way to fuel for a long day of hiking, climbing, and maybe even a few jungle swings. On the way back, feel free to enjoy the plush seats for a little post-adventure cuddling... or more, we won't tell!
▸ At The Worm Hole, nerds and geeks and casual gamers alike will find plenty to shoot and score on over pints of everything from sweet ciders to dark ales. There's no shortage of games here, so if your idea of a great night out involves beating your date at Super Smush Brothers — and no, that's not a typo — you'll definitely enjoy your time here. To help set the mood, a special booth has been set aside for Match Meetings in the far corner of the room: get cozy, play some Pong, and maybe make things interesting. Strip Marco Kart, anyone?
Of course, those that opted not to sign up for the city's version of eHarmony won't be left out of all the fun! In preparation for the big day, Flora and Cornelius have put together what they're affectionally calling the single mingle: a weeklong invitation to enjoy the best in everything but romantic films and features at the local theatre. Feel free to come alone or bring a pal or two, and enjoy complimentary admission and select snacks each night — just don't let them catch you getting frisky! That's what the drive in is for!
Surprise! It's a Valentine's event that's almost not about Valentine's Day! For those of you that participated in our survey, you should have received a private message from our moderator journal with information regarding your character's match assignment by now. If you did not receive one, please let us know!
Because this event runs a little differently than many of our other events, we've opted to tweak our process a little as well. For your character's date, please locate your appropriate date and location in our BLIND DATE THREAD HERE. If it's still empty, your character has beaten their date to the punch (and maybe the free food, too). If there's already a reply, greet your date! (Pretty simple, right?) For all other threads, including pre/post date experiences, feel free to post traditional open top levels as usual!
For example: Flora may have a blind date with Cornelius on Monday at DeWolfe's, so she'll comment to the Monday thread's DeWolfe comment with her starter. This will make it easy for Cornelius to find her thread and reply. However, Flora may also be lingering outside beforehand looking nervous, or shopping in the mall the day before and looking for help in finding an outfit — these prompts can be posted as traditional open top-levels!
If you have any further questions specific to this event, we encourage you to ask away on our QUESTIONS COMMENT here in this post. If you have general questions, or prefer a more private venue, our GENERAL INBOX (and SCREENED INBOX) is always available for you. In addition, if you've got an idea for a future event, feel free to drop us a line at our EVENTS SUGGESTION POST.
Peace out, cuddle scouts! |
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cuddlecity2018-02-01 11:13 am
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It hadn't lasted, of course. "I was still moving, but it was like I was going around in circles. It's better now. It feels more worthwhile."
Now, he drives because he loves it. Because he loves the feel of a car around him, loves the control and the power and the ease, loves kicking an engine up a gear and feel it roar. He loves the speed and how he can do incredible things with it. For plenty of people, it might be shallow, but to Baby, it's like a metaphor to his life. Everything had been going by so fast, for years, he'd barely been able to hold it together. But now, he's the one in control. And for someone who hasn't had control over his own life for years, it's important.
"Do you want to talk about Allison?"
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Lydia realizes suddenly that...nobody has ever asked her that question. Not her mother, not her friends...not even Allison's father. Nobody has ever asked Lydia if she wants to talk about it. So, she might look a little bit confused and taken aback as all of that registers and she swallows her mouthful of food only to pause for what feels like forever.
Wetting her lips, she clears her throat. She'd shared a little bit with Spencer, but he hadn't asked. She'd just shared.
"Nobody's ever asked me that before," she confesses, her lips pursing together in thought. "...she died to save my life. She died because I couldn't defend myself. Or maybe because I wasn't convincing enough warning her to stay away; I don't know. I don't know if I'm ever going to forgive myself for that, but I'd really like to. Someday. You know?"
This is literally the most depressing date of all time. Lydia's pretty sure they're breaking records right now, but maybe she'll at least get a friend out of it.
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"I don't know the story, and I'm not going to assume I do. But Allison, she made her own choices, right?"
What he's trying to say is that it's not on Lydia, if she made the decision to go, even having been warned. It's just... some people's ways. Heroes.
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It's too late now. Would've, could've, should've never got anyone anywhere and Lydia knows that much. That doesn't make it any less frustrating a pill to have to swallow, though, after the fact.
"I get what you're saying, though, and I appreciate that sentiment. It's one I've been trying to sell to myself ever since it happened. I take a lot of responsibility for it, though, because I didn't just know she died, I—"
Lydia stops abruptly, frowning slightly and clearing her throat. It felt good to tell Spencer what she really was. This date is not ending in sex, she can kind of already tell, so she might as well see if it also feels good to be that honest and open with Baby. He's listening, after all, isn't he? She can see that he's engaged in the conversation.
"I literally felt it. I knew she was going to die. You know how I said I have tinnitus? It's voices in my head. I'm a banshee; I predict death. The voices are a low buzz all the time, but when someone's going to die, they get louder and I can hear what they're actually saying. So I knew and I couldn't stop it. There was nothing I could do because I couldn't fight back then. It's just a lot to carry, sometimes," she says. Then, she wrinkles her nose. "And now that I've probably sufficiently freaked you out..." she adds loftily, looking apologetic as her voice trails off.
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He'd know, because he does the same thing. And if he was to apply the same logic to himself, maybe his thoughts would be very different from what they currently are. But their circumstances are different, too. Baby has to live with his own choice of killing Bats. Lydia didn't drive into a pole to skewer her friend.
But then Lydia keeps going. Talks about what she can hear, sense, what she knows, her powers. Baby sits back again, his appetite mostly gone by now; not because of what she's saying, although he does feel overwhelmed by it.
"I can't even imagine what that's like. I'm sorry, that must be... awful. I still don't think it means you are responsible for everyone around you, though, Lydia. That's too much to bear, for anyone."
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His reaction isn't actually very surprising. It's hard to explain what she is and what she can do without getting a similar reaction. Spencer had been a bit of an anomaly, she thinks, considering he was more fascinated with the science of it than most people would've been. She gives Baby an apologetic look; one that tells him she knows it's a lot to take in and she's sorry.
"It was," she admits. "It was really awful back then when I didn't know how to use it. Now, I know better. Now, I can use it to help people. But back then? Yeah, it was pretty awful," she agrees with a small frown. "I try not to take responsibility for everyone, but...well. It's just harder to shrug it off when it's Allison. She was my best friend. ...she was my first best friend," she tells him. The truth is, Lydia had been a Queen Bee, so she'd been popular, but she'd never had a best friend until Allison had come around. She'd mainly had acquaintances or boyfriends. Allison helped Lydia grow into the person she is now and she's sure any of the people she's met here so far wouldn't like her much at all if she was still her old self. So knowing that she potentially could've saved her friend, it's hard not to hold herself accountable for her shortcoming.
But being here is important. She's here to get her wish, a wish that would make Beacon Hills safe again; one she's wishing because if she can't save Allison, maybe she can save everyone else and then Allison won't have died for nothing. "It's getting easier over time. But that's probably enough about me..."
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It's the kind of thing he'd say, over and over again, to anyone under the same circumstances. It's the truth. It's not Lydia's fault that she lived through whatever she and Allison went through.
"If anything, you might want to try and live your life to an even higher tempo, to make up for the fact that she can't."
Shrugging, Baby looks down at his empty plate, then back up at Lydia. He's still not really good or comfortable in talking about himself - it's not something he has much experience in.
"Honestly, there's not that much else to say about me..."
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But the latter bit, that makes Lydia smile a little and she nods again. "Yeah, that's kind of the idea. I mean, being here. Part of it is the wish, to pay forward her sacrifice for me the only way I know how. The other part is to live life as fully as I can because she never got to, so now I'm living for two of us."
She pauses and smirks a little in spite of herself. "Which is why I was sort of planning on taking you home tonight and having so, so much sex, but I'm not sure that's going to happen considering this is probably the most depressing date of all time," she replies with a hint of amusement at herself. Hey, admitting it is the first step to accepting it: this isn't a good romantic date and Lydia's failed at something sexual for the first time...ever.
It was bound to happen eventually.
"You want to get out of here? Go for a drive or a walk or whatever?" she offers, instead.
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Not that he expected what she says next. While she was quite obvious on their drive to the restaurant, her mention of having so, so much sex still makes him choke on the mouthful of coke he just attempted to drink. He pounds on his chest a couple of times, knowing he must be bright red - he is just hardly used to such brazen, unashamed talk, even after months in Cadelle.
"Um," he says, intelligently, before gathering his thoughts. It's not that she's not gorgeous, or fascinating. But he's done the one-night stand thing, here, and he's done the fuck buddy thing, here, and they weren't as satisfying as Baby thought they would be. He thought this is what he wanted - no strings, a bunch of fleeting moments to make up for the heartbreak. Turns out, he isn't sure if what he needs isn't, simply, support and friendship. "Don't get me wrong, Lydia - you are absolutely beautiful, and the date wouldn't stop me, but. I'm still getting over... something. Someone. And I thought this was what I needed, but I'm realizing I was wrong."
Still, at her offer, he nods.
"Let me pay, and then we sure can."
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A small smile crosses her lips and Lydia looks down. A moment later she looks back up again and she's nodding. Somehow, she'd rather him figure it out now than use her and figure it out later. Not that Lydia's never used someone to try to get over someone else. She had a veritable parade of boys in her bed when Jackson left for London and hadn't ever called. Now, she knows, there was more to it than him just moving on from her and Beacon Hills, but it learning that didn't make it hurt any less in retrospect. She'd used sex to try to distract herself from the world around her; she wouldn't have been able to fault Baby for doing the same thing, with her, if they'd gone to bed. Hell, she likes him well enough for a first meeting, but she hardly knows him. To some degree, she'd have been using him, too, and Lydia doesn't like being a hypocrite.
"I get it, I've been there, too," she says. "And thank you, for the record. If you ever change your mind or you end up over the someone...you know where to find me," she adds gently. It's an open invitation because of course she's attracted to him, but Lydia Martin does not beg nor does she wait around. If Baby's interested later and she's still unattached, they can revisit this. If not, then oh well. It isn't the end of the world for her and she thinks it probably won't be for him, either.
Lydia shakes her head and lifts a hand to beckon the waiter. "We can split it," she counters. It's not really a date, anymore, she thinks. They've moved past date and onto two people just hanging out. There's no reason for him to have to pay her way. "Friends split the bill," she tacks on with a wink.
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"Honestly, right now... I think friends is what I need the most."
He thought he should try and flirt with everyone around him. Should try to just fuck and move on. But he knows, he knows it's not the person he is. He's too much of a hopeless romantic. He's too much of a sap. While he enjoys every moment he gets to spend with Jo, he knows the relationship is not one meant to last - at least not the sexual part of it. He knows that it's just not the kind of person he can make himself be, and they've talked too much about Baby finding out who he is, exactly, for him to compromise that.
"But... noted. I'm sorry if this date didn't end up very satisfying for you."
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"Don't feel bad," she says, shaking her head. "I don't. I think we both contributed to the tonal shift of the conversation, so it's okay. Besides...I'm always in need of friends," she adds. Especially friends that she hasn't bonded with specifically through tragic or traumatic circumstances. It'll be nice, she thinks, to cultivate these sorts of relationships, like the one she has with Spencer. Lydia decides Baby probably belongs in a similar file and it's never a bad thing to make a new friend.
Her eyes move over his face and she takes him in for a moment. "So what do you think? Drive?" She can guess that he'll choose driving over walking, but Lydia is honestly amenable to either. He can choose and then they can head out.
no subject
"I'll always pick driving over walking," he answers honestly, leaving half of what's owed by the check, before standing up.
Overall, despite some weird moments in the conversation, Baby isn't mad about the evening. It's been a nice time, and they've talked through a lot, managing to bond even through a difficult conversation. At least, it wasn't superficial, and he has to appreciate that.
no subject
Lydia packs her purse up again and pushes herself to her feet. "Shall we?" she asks and while she'd normally hold out an arm with a coy little grin, instead Lydia just nods toward the door. Not all is lost, at least. Maybe a friendship can be built here instead.
"Ready when you are."