thenearshore | [closed] can't imagine your OTP?

Who: Chikusa Kakimoto and Minako Aino
What: Chikusa thinks his god's love life isn't as good as it could be. Clearly the solution is to plot out an entire blind date get together for the whole Far Shore with some far too energetic blonde he barely knows, right?
When: January 8
Where: The Far Shore's Park

It's been some days now, since Befana, and since the latest string of activity from the Heavens. That means it's enough time to have passed for Chikusa to have any inclination to go outside again. He has a lot of options: Heaven's Library, Hakkai's school, shrines.... but today he's chosen to go outside to a large park which dwells within the Far Shore.

It's a good place for a couple of reasons. For one thing, on the occasions that Ken tags along with him, the various spirit animals are guaranteed to keep his partner busy. For another, with the chill being what it is, that means he's not as likely to run into too many people unlike the always bustling library. The bench he's gotten, over the many wooden paths which wind over the creeks, is now utterly dominated by his usual bag, an open laptop, and small stacks of books all around him.

Lots of them, in fact. Which means there is a stunning around of pink, and red, and white... Mhm, they're all various flavors of shoujo manga, bodice rippers, and more indepth novels (which are notably a little less pink). The one that is in his hand, however, is a bit different in that it's not fiction. The one he has held up to his face, legs crossed on the bench, has a simple title: How To Help Your Single Father Find True Love.

It's a very apt name. Very on point. Chikusa appreciates it for that reason, honestly, although its advice is something he's struggling to match to his situation. The only reason he'd chosen it is because, well, "adult male figure who you live with" doesn't seem to be something that shows up on books a lot. Hakkai isn't his dad, his lover isn't dead (except he sort of is), he's not divorced (unless this would count?), and....

Sighing, he narrows his eyes at the book. "This is so troublesome..."

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"Yeah, and I think that's something you enjoy more with someone you already like.." If it's just a meeting for the first time, he can imagine that getting very awkward, at worst. Although... Something hits him, and he digs around for a notebook and pen. Flipping over to a blank page- ignore all the other scribblings and notes on romance tropes, Minako- he starts to make a list.

"...If we really went through with this kind of thing..." Which he's pretty sure he's trapped in now, but, whatever, fine. "Then we could have a romantic breakfast at the start... the aquarium or whatever else in the middle of the day... and the end could be the amusement park. If people went to the ferris wheel or something... That'd be a good spot to view a sunset, right...?"

Minako nods as she's incredibly unsubtly leaning over to watch everything he's writing down over his shoulder. She's too nosy not to read along, which means she also definitely caught a glimpse of those romance tropes notes. Chikusa seems to have a few very intellectual interests, she can appreciate that!

(Or, well, intellectual in Minako terms, anyway. What's more important than romantic tropes in this world?)

Don't mind her breathing down your neck, Chikusa. At least she seems enthusiastic enough about this idea. "So it's like a whole day's worth of a date, huh? I guess that'd give people enough time to get to know each other.. And the ferris wheel would be the perfect ending to it! Just imagine them sitting high up there, the setting sun in the background, and as they realise the deep, deep love that's been growing in their hearts all day, they..."

Minako squeals.

"No, no, I can't think of it now! It's too much already!"

At least, if there's one thing he's used to, it's people invading his space. What he's not so used to is the sound of high pitched squealing right in his ear, and he jerks away with a grimace. "Quiet..." He only has this one set of ears, after all, and he'd rather keep them.

Besides, would it be good for just one date? Could Hakkai stick through all of that with just one person? His pen rests along the paper, carefully thoughtful.

"...What if... they were all different dates?"

Sorry, Chikusa, there's no controlling the volume when it comes to Minako. There's literally only one setting - although she's stopped squealing for a moment when his question pulls her out of her dreamland, at least.

"Different dates? What, you mean on different days?"

"No... On the same day." Moving neatly to a spare piece of paper, he draws out a small box of a schedule. "So, they could spend a little time with one person, then time with another person... It would up the chances of finding someone they like."

To be exact, it would up the chances of getting Hakkai to find someone he likes and who can stand him in turn, which is his real goal here.

"At least, if people wanted." One of his shoulders jerks up in a careless shrug. "It's not like we can force people into anything."

"Oh, speed dating!"

At least the concept seems to get through to Minako fairly quickly.. if not mostly since A) it's related to something she actually cares about and B) it's something she recognizes. At least it means Chikusa doesn't have to explain it any further, she just nods.

"Maybe a little less speedy than actual speed dating, but.. this is better! If it's spread out across a day, maybe they could be hour-long dates or something like that? That should give them enough of an idea of each other!"

Even if the day might not end with a romantic kiss in the ferris wheel then. But Minako will generously make that sacrifice if she really has to.

"Ah... So it has a name." He tilts his head to the side, blinking. It's not really something that has ever come up in any of the books he's read, honestly. It's all either overblown drama or hilarious hijinks born of misunderstanding and coincidences. Something like speed dating... He guesses it's a little too mundane for the average story, especially when so many romance stories make a big deal of one true love and all that. Well, at least now he knows what to look out for.

Either way, he nods. "And... If we're going to end up inviting a lot of people, we can just have them choose if they want to do one or a lot... right?"

"Yeah, that'd probably be for the best.. There's bound to be some people who only want to do one."

Even though Minako can't imagine why. She just knows there's always party poopers when it comes to these things-- clearly they have to be party poopers to not want to have dates with tons of people! Who wouldn't want to do that!

"Then you can set your god up with either just one date or multiple ones, depending on how many people you want him to try out."

"Then... I guess we're decided." Somehow, it's come to this point. Chikusa isn't entirely sure how he ended up blinding a bunch of blind-speed dates with an excitable blond, but here he is regardless.

His life is really way too bizarre sometimes.

Carefully shutting his laptop, he begins to gather the various books together. It's a good thing he has a sturdy bag for all of this. Or, well. Two, honestly. He hadn't wanted to be without any sources. "But then that means we're going to have to do research on what places to set all of this up at, right? The amusement park is easy..." There's only the one, after all. "But we'll have to pick a good aquarium and a restaurant..." Or wherever they end up hosting this.

Minako grins, practically radiating confidence. It's almost as if she hadn't thought up this whole plan with him just now, even though no thought of it existed about half an hour ago.

"Don't worry, don't worry!" Yeah, it's just organizing a huge Far Shore-wide event, what could possibly go wrong, clearly nothing to worry about! But Minako waves it away like it's nothing.

"You're dealing with an expert here! I'll make sure to look up the most romantic places of them all! They'll pass a very, very strict selection process!"

At least she seems to be willing to put in some effort.. Even though it's in her typical ridiculous way.

"And once we got all the places lined up and it's a bit closer to the day it'll actually happen, we can announce it to everyone!"

If she's acting so carefree, Chikusa sure hopes she can live up to the boasts. There's still some uncertainty as he eyes her from behind his hair. "If you say so..." Still, he keeps going as he clears the bench of all his things.

"Then does that mean you wanted to go on your own instead of me going with you...?" It certainly works out for him, if he can shove all that energy-wasting nonsense onto someone else with a seemingly neverending supply of it.

Yeah, that working out thing he's thinking about is going about a mile or two over Minako's head. She doesn't even realise that this is an easy way for him to shove the workload onto her - if not just because she thinks it'll be genuinely fun to run around and check tons of places. She has too much energy to begin with.

"Well, it's not really that I necessarily want it.. I just thought you might be busy! I don't want to assume!" Minako is thoughtful when it matters, after all, despite how much of a social bulldozer she can be. "And I don't mind doing it by myself whatsoever."

"I mean, it works out for me..." He has way too much to do and, while he hates that he has to do all of it, it's better that he gets it over with. Chikusa thinks over it for a moment longer, trying to remember just how much spare change Hakkai has stuffed in his cupboards still.

"Then I'll check out whatever choices you make afterwards... and we can make the arrangements necessary to rent out the spaces, or whatever else we need to do." It's not as if they're wanting for money.

[closed] can't imagine your OTP?

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