blooming_resonance | IC Inbox for Recollé

[ On the morning of the 13th, one day before Valentine's Day, a sudden text message appears from a Souji Seta. Perhaps you've talked to him before. Perhaps you haven't. Perhaps you're wondering why the hell you are receiving a text at six in the morning but look, let's not sweat the small details. Pay attention to the larger ones, like the contents of this very important message: ]

Hello.

Through the tides of fate, you have been chosen to participate in this year's Valentine's Day event: Blind Dating. It is believed that no one should be alone for such an important day and as such, you have been paired up with another lonely soul.

Your match is with Ardyn Izunia. Please contact them to plan out your date for tomorrow.

However, if you and your partner do not know what to do, there will be a booth in Recollé Square for the sole purpose of assisting unsure or confused participants of the event. There will be date suggestions, booklets of pick-up lines, and refreshments.

Happy Valentine's Day.

- Cupid

[Guess who you get a date with? This guy!

The text comes later in the day, after they've both received Souji's courtesy texts.]

Good afternoon, Miss Haibara. I hear we're to be each other's dates on Valentine's. Isn't that exciting?

[At least there's the smallest modicum of familiarity, given their very brief exchange on Retrospec awhile back.]

Oh goodness. Why, thank you, 'Cupid'!

[Haha. Ha. At least she knows this one. Kinda.]

[If all goes well he'll be off the 'explode face' list. ~~Dumb canon joke ignore me~~]

Yes, that seems to be what we were dealt. Shall we meet in Recolle Square? I'm curious to see what the booth has, and it seems neutral ground.

[anything but the face]

Neutral ground, indeed. What better place to begin? In fact, I was eager to take one of the aforementioned pamphlets. The one with all the pick-up lines.

Actually, that was what caught my attention, as well. Since ideas for dates are usually pretty easy to come up with, even without pre-planning.

If nothing else, they'll be good for a laugh.

I agree! After all, I often find myself with a dearth of proper pick-up lines when I need them the most. What's a man to do?

There are plenty of places around the square that we might find food and entertainment. We'll be impulsive.

I feel like the old-fashioned pickup line has become... old-fashioned. I refuse to believe a well-placed or timed one wouldn't be very effective, though.

And ah, impulsive. I haven't done that in a while. [She hasn't been on a date in a while.]

It's all about timing, or so I hear. What's a pick-up line if not used to comical effect?

You haven't been /impulsive/ in awhile? Surely you don't know what you're missing.

It's true. Humor does tend to grab attention faster than anything else.

And no, I haven't been impulsive in this sort of a way in a long while. The most 'impulsive' thing I've done otherwise recently is bought cupcakes because they were on sale. [#AdultLyfe]

Ah, you must be one of those "responsible" types, I take it?

[He's just teasing, mostly. Ardyn is responsible, as well, when it's required of him. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to hold a position of law professor at Recolle U.]

Which is all well and good, but it's sometimes better to spend a day completely unplanned.

Well, I think our patients would hope I am. I keep that office running. It just happens to drag down other aspects of my life... like all of them.

And that's true. I can't see a downside to a little 'wherever the winds take us' in this case.

That’s right, you said you were a receptionist at a medical clinic, didn’t you? Responsibility and order are of upmost importance. But you know what they say, you should always keep your personal and professional life separate from one another.

Wherever the winds take us, indeed. Perhaps a nice place to eat, or a rowdy one. Or maybe we forgo a fancy meal altogether and go for a chocobo ride around town. Have you had the pleasure of doing so yet?

Oh, I do reception and a whole lot of paperwork. I have to 'negotiate' with the insurance companies, too. You know, those totally not glamorous things that have to be done to ensure things move smoothly. I don't hate it, though. It just so happens to be I've done it for so long I think the routine leaked into everything else I do.

I suppose we'll have to see when we get to Recolle Square. I rode one in that little pen during Founder's Day, but I didn't leave that area. I wasn't sure what to make of the creatures and how their temperament works.

[No offense, Sakuya, but it kind of sounds like this date is exactly what you need. Ardyn decides not to type that much out, at least.]

We are all creatures of habit. Routine is comforting. I’ll not blame you for it; even I have my own habits that I refuse to deviate from. In the end, it just makes an outing like this all the more novel, wouldn’t you say?

Just a pen? That’s not the same as racing down an open street, clinging to dear life on the back of the creature, a fistful of feathers in each hand. [This is a thing that happened, ok. He’d do it again if she wants to.] Not for the faint of heart, however. Generally speaking, they seem to be tame and friendly creatures.

[She probably wouldn't deny it. And the dating pool keeps getting smaller as she gets older. Well. For her own age range. It technically was the same size as when she was 18 if she wants to deviate wildly one way or the other.]

Yes, I think so. [See, not denying it.]

Racing down the street sounds rather dangerous. Perhaps a quiet trot around the park or something would be more in-tune. I noticed the chocobos are a little skittish, but they don't seem to buck like horses do. I just don't trust the fact I've barely ridden a horse a couple times before to be able to keep control of a bird I've never even seen before last week.

[Good for her that Ardyn is more than eager to indulge himself in an entertaining blind date, if he must have one. His nephew signed him up for this, but he’s good-natured (or just unaffected) enough to go along with it.

That being said, Ardyn rarely takes the dating scene very seriously.]

Oh, don’t worry, I wasn’t considering another race. My own experience with that has already been a cautionary tale.

Instead, a trot sounds nice. But we needn’t commit to it if you’d rather avoid sitting so high up from the ground.

I'm afraid I'd have to let you win by default, anyway. [By not participating.]

No, I'm fine with riding them at a more controlled pace. Sounds fun, in fact. And a little different than the dinner and a movie fare of dates.

Though maybe dinner would be a good idea anyway, even if it's just falafal from a street vendor.

A victory born from pity is no victory at all.

And of course. What kind of man would I be if I let my date starve to death? We’ll find food, hopefully nothing too questionable where street vendors are concerned. We should avoid chicken around the chocobos, however. They may get the wrong idea.

Not pity so much as an unwillingness to be so reckless. That is my practical side, as well.

Oh my, death by starvation does sound like a terrible fate. We can figure out something a bit more friendly to our feathered friends, then. Seafood or something.

Ah, I see. A wise inclination, to be sure.

Seafood it is. We'll certainly try our best tomorrow, at any rate. I'll see you then, and look forward to it.

You're quite welcome.

If you require any information or advice on your date, please let me know. I would definitely at least suggest to bring him an overpriced and pretentious cup of coffee as it is his favourite.

[ souji is such a nightmare nephew ]

[ At her office, attached to a box of chocolate hearts wrapped in pink is a card. ]

Happy Valentine's Day, Aunt Sakuya! I hope you have a good one.

-Yuuko

Then it's a plan. See you then, and I look forward to it, as well.

Overpriced and pretentious, huh? Well, I'll see if I can find something suitable for him.

I think I'll be alright with what planning we have, though. [As amusing as it would be to get date advice from teenagers at their age.

Well, not that she knows how old Ardyn is, but she assumes closer to her age.]

IC Inbox for Recollé

TEXT → FAST-FORWARD TO FEB 13

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