perfectmatch | week two

[ he's standing there holding the comically large shoes in one hand and wondering where he went wrong in his life......... which he does often, but especially now. ]

What foolishness is this?

[ Two things Poppy is very confident she knows:

1. Messmer is a sad little boy who needs to learn how to have a good time.
2. Messmer is scary.

So she's got to try to apply some tact. Figure out how to thread the needle... Maybe if she stays away from anything resembling a personal attack she'll be okay? ]

It's bowling! [ She chirps happily, deciding she is going to be undeterred, as she starts lacing her shoes up. ] You throw a ball down the lane and try to whack the pins over. It's fun!

[ And she even stops short of asking him if he knows what fun is. She's doing a great job, if she says so herself! ]

[ a sport, then. Maybe the shoes are part of some uniform, but he can't imagine why one would need shoes to throw a ball indoors. It surely isn't to protect the hideous neon carpeting they have installed everywhere; he's sure the food and beer do more damage than feet ever could. After a moment, he simply drops the shoes back on the counter. They smell weird. Plus, what's the front desk guy gonna do, stop him? ]

Thou'rt in unusual good spirits.

[ there's a hint of suspicion to his voice. She was really getting on his case last time... ]

[ Oh he's just ignoring the shoes... can you do that? Poppy stands back up as she finishes tying hers, looking up at him. Yeah she heard that suspicion in his voice. ]

It's not unusual to be in good spirits. [ He. He knows that, right?

A beat. ]

Look, we're here to have a good time, right? So I think we should just... go with that. Try to have a good time.

[ Surely that's okay... ]

[ you can do a lot when you look like Messmer... ]

Then I pray thine insolent questions hath been put to bed.

[ if this is some attempt to get him to Cheer Up, he'll be annoyed. Although he supposes she had little say in where they were going - as did he. ]

[ ............

ooooohh she wants to prove him wrong with another insolent question so bad right now. This is also a 10' tall man with snakes that might bite her. Poppy is visibly wrestling with what to do for a moment, before survival instinct kicks in. ]

Okay then. [ Just going to. Head over to their lane.

Shoots a look over her shoulder at Messmer if he hasn't followed along with her. ]

You can ask me insolent questions if you want, though.

[ Look at her! Look at how equal opportunity she is! ]

[ he is indeed following! The poor attendant at the shoe locker looks like they want to say something about Messmer wandering off in his gladiator sandals rather than the sneakers, but they can't quite bring themselves to do it... ]

What question would I ask of thee? We are worlds apart.

[ literally, but also figuratively. ]

[ The poor shoe guy...

Poppy just grins cheekily up at Messmer. ]

Whatever you think will piss me off. C'mon, get your revenge on me!

[ She's in a good mood, she's totally revenge-proof right now. ]

Thou thinkest me a petty fool. I have no need of revenge against thee.

[ Poppy being annoying was only a tiny blip on his radar, all told. Maybe it bothered him in the moment, but he's back to being 80% tired and 20% apprehensive here in the bowling alley. Messmer looms over the lane and ball rack, hanging back near the seats while he squints at the alien scene in front of him. ]

[ Oh my god does this guy have ANY sense of fun. He won't try to needle her. He's staring at their bowling lane like it's an impossible math problem.

As usual, it will be up to Poppy to take charge!

So she forces herself to perk back up and marches on to the bowling balls, picking one up and turning back to him. ]

You throw this down the lane and try to knock all of the pins over. It's fun. See?

[ And she turns around to throw the ball down the lane.

It is a gutter ball, she knocks nothing over, except for maybe her pride. ]

[ he watches in silence as the ball rolls off to the side and plunks into the gutter. ]

... 'Tis unimpressive, thine arm.

[ rude. Meanwhile, one of his serpents is investigating the next bowling ball in line in the rack, trying in vain to put its mouth around it. ]

[ .......... ]

Okay, well, I wasn't warmed up.

[ A beat, as she looks over at the snake making a valiant attempt to do... something. ]

Uh, try to make sure your snake friend there doesn't break his teeth on the ball.

[ at the comment, he glances over at the snake, then gently tugs it back towards him, walking over to pick up the bowling ball himself - which he does as easily as if it was a football instead. Messmer's fingers are too big to go in the holes, but his bigass hand has a decent grip on it regardless. This is one way of keeping the snake from swallowing it? ]

The creature is merely curious.

[ Geez he really is just picking up a bowling ball like that. Okay then. Poppy blinks. ]

Creature? Doesn't he have a name?

[ ... it was kind of cute watching the snake try to. swallow a bowling ball whole, or something, though ]

[ why is everyone in this place so insistent on giving his snakes names?! This is at least the third time it's come up, and he remains perplexed by it. ]

Wouldst thou name thine arms separate?

My arms don't have their own eyeballs. Or mouths. Or... brains?

[ ... seems like a fair assumption? ]

Yet they remain part of thee. So too are the serpents; we are as one creature.

[ as Messmer says this, he goes ahead and bowls, heedless of any turn order or anything, because he doesn't know how bowling works. Also, by "bowls," I mean he straight up lobs the bowling ball like it's a dodgeball at the pins, where it manages to knock over most of them but mainly just makes an enormous hole in the lane with a loud crack of snapping wood.

Everyone stops and stares. Messmer gets the feeling that wasn't a legal move. ]

[ She would have had a rebuttal, except Messmer is then chucking a bowling ball through the lane. Poppy is among those stopping and staring.

A long moment. ]

... Okay, that was cool.

[ And broke like, so many rules, in addition to some of the actual structure of the place. But also, you know. Cool. ]

week two | dates

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject