Speed Friending Dating

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  –  24 HOURS AGO – 

After placing her order at Lettuce Eat food truck, Katsuko stood by the delivery window next to a guy dressed as Mr. Fantastic.

(He’s in cosplay. And he looks fit. This is a good opportunity to try out my sales pitch for the photoshoot.)

The idea had come to her when she was prepping for ‘Fandom-Con’. What could be cooler than capturing kickass superhero action poses while doing urban parkour? It was the perfect combination of her interests. There had to be others out there who felt the same. A convention was the perfect place to find them.

“Can’t believe our luck in finding vegetarian options here at the con. Pretty great, right? Or should I say … Fantastic?”

The man turned around when she started speaking, head swiveling to see who she was addressing. It was just the two of them at the food truck. He pointed to his chest as if to ask ‘Are you talking to me?’ with a quizzical expression. 

“Oh! Because of my costume for Reed Richards? That’s a good pun!” A joyful smile broke out.

(Well, damn. That face contained the heat of a thousand suns. He should have dressed as Johnny Storm with a 500-killowatt smile like that, not Reed.)

The man continued, “Oh, I’m not vegetarian. But this one had the shortest line of all the food trucks, so my chances of getting back inside for the next panel were statistically better.”

Well, that was disappointing. Regardless, she was undeterred in her mission: Find out if he does parkour.

“Oh, that’s valid. Totally. But I gotta say that costume really is…” she mimed finger guns at him, “...Fantastic! The spandex fits so well; you’re like, really fit, too. What kind of training do you do to stay in shape?”

The minute the words were out of her mouth, she cringed inwardly so hard it felt like a blackhole had opened inside her gut. She wanted to crawl into it and disappear. 

(That is such an obvious pickup line! I should have practiced in front of a mirror. I hate talking to new people.)

She wished her Mockingbird eyemask was large enough to hide her discomfort. 

If the man had noticed it sounded like flirting, he gave no indication. In fact, it appeared as if he was oblivious of the connotation as he replied with an earnest smile, “Thank you! I don’t do much, but I do have an elliptical in my apartment that I use when I’m reading.”

They were interrupted by the window opening next to them, as hands held out take-out boxes. The man accepted one, she took the other.

“Ugh! Mushrooms?!?” came from her, at the same time he groaned, “Carrots? Whyyyy…..?”

The forlorn pout on his face was too cute. The food in his container looked like the stir fry she ordered. And hers? There was no way she would have asked for this many mushrooms.

“I think our meals got mixed up. Here.” 

The change on his face was instant, clouds clearing away to bright sunshine once more. He reacted as if she was doing him a huge favor. “Oh! You really don’t mind trading with me? I can’t thank you enough. You’re so nice!”

She would have argued that they were handed each other’s orders by accident, but he had already started jogging away.

(Shoot, I never got a chance to finish trying out my parkour photoshoot questions.)

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  –  8 HOURS AGO – 

Would this line ever move? The long queue in the autograph area snaked back and forth. Katsuko had been standing for an hour before being told that she was in the wrong line for her favorite celebrity.

After finding the correct line and being at the very back of it, time stood still. 

The line crept forward inch by inch. 

Another glance at the clock on her phone.

(Aughhhhhh! If this line doesn’t start moving faster, I’ll never get to the Star Wars panel!)

Besides this autograph session, that panel was the one thing that made her sign up for the convention. Why did they have to be back-to-back on the schedule? 

Her feet were falling asleep,; her legs were killing her. 

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  –  THE SAME 8 HOURS AGO – 

What a find! The vendor room had been crowded and over-stimulating, but at least Mitsunari had found something worth reading at the rare book dealer’s booth. A first edition printing of the schematics of the vehicles in the Star Wars trilogy! Now all he needed was a quiet place to read it.

Every square foot of wall space was occupied by bodies, and there wasn’t one open chair in the food court. After peeking into the large rooms, he found one that was empty. Taking a seat at the front, he began to read. The world around him disappeared as his brain absorbed the technical diagrams. 

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  –  6 HOURS AGO – 

Katsuko sprinted from the autograph area to the Star Wars panel at the other end of the convention center. Legs on fire, ankles still numb, dreaming of the chair she would finally sit on.

She opened the doors, only to be met with a room full of people. Every seat taken. Even the wall was packed. Exhaustion made it difficult to mask her frustration. 

(No-no-nooo… Could this day get any worse?)

As if on cue, her left calf spasmed with a cramp. A little cry of pain escaped Katsuko, to her chagrin. 

(Why did I ask that question? I jinxed myself.)

Putting her weight on the right leg, Katsuko hobbled forward as she scanned the packed room for any place to sit down, even on the floor.

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  –  THE SAME 6 HOURS AGO – 

(Oh boy, what a great book! Ahhhh.)

Mitsunari closed the cover and returned to the real world with all the smells and heat of a hundred people crammed around him. His nose wrinkled as Mitsunari noticed the empty room was now filled to the brim.

His ears picked up a tiny sound of distress in front of him, seeing a woman favoring one leg and looking miserable. Oh no! He had to help her.

“Miss? Ma’am?” What was the appropriate thing to say in this situation? He gestured to the limping lady as he stood up, indicating his chair, “You, with the pretty turquoise and brown hair? Please have my seat!”

He was oblivious to the grumbles of the crowd that had been standing for the past hour as this newcomer was given a chair. After seeing that she was comfortably seated, Mitsunari smiled at her and left.

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  –  1 HOUR AGO – 

“Give it a try? Please?” Hideyoshi had cornered Mitsunari, taken away his new book, and was now begging him.

(Why did he have to grab my book? He better not damage it!)

Mitsunari couldn’t focus fully on what Hideyoshi was asking, as his mind was on his precious rare book. Purple eyes were tracking the hand holding it, which was making erratic gestures. 

“You want me to do something for you and Mai, correct? Yes, of course I’ll help if I can. Now please give me my book. You’re creasing the cover.” 

“...I don’t believe he heard all of your request. Allow me,” Mitsuhide’s smooth voice preemptively cut off Hideyoshi’s frustrated reply.  “Hideyoshi is asking you to attend a speed dating activity to get a girlfriend so the two of you can go on a double date with him and Mai. It starts in one hour. It’s not a simple errand. You’re trying to find a date. Is that what you really want to do?” The sardonic tone suggested it should be the last thing anyone should do to help their friend. 

Mitsunari processed that for a second, gears whirring in his brain. He weighed the concern for his friends and wanting to fulfill their wishes against the impossibility of convincing a woman to go out with him. Yes, he wanted to help, but was he able?

(Surely Mitsuhide was better at flirting than me.)

He looked between his two friends, the concern written on his face, “Me? Why not Mitsuhide? He’s more popular with the ladies.”

The words were barely out of his mouth before Mitsuhide closed in, wearing that scimitar smile and pointing a warning finger at Mitsunari, whispering a deadly “NO.”

At the same time, Hideyoshi gave an uncomfortable laugh, looking off to the side, “Yeah, no. Mai would rather it be you, Mitsunari.”

“But I have no ‘game’,” Mitsunari repeated something he had heard one of Mai’s friends say about him.

Hideyoshi sighed, “Yeah, buddy. I get it. It’s a lot to ask. I just wanted to make her happy…”

Guilt gnawed at Mitsunari, shoulders slumping.

“What if I sweetened the deal, hm?” Mitsuhide’s good humor had returned, “A $50 gift card to your favorite bookstore if you get a woman’s number. I’ll bump it up to $100 if you manage to secure a date.”

Hideyoshi, scandalized at the mercenary turn this conversation had taken, spun on his white-haired friend. “What? No! I don’t want to buy his agreement. I wanted him to actually make an honest effort in getting a girl. Mitsuhide, that’s … unconscionable.”

“Oh, but you’re not the one asking him to do it for a wager. I am. So you can keep your intentions pure. And I get to have a fun stake in it.” He turned his gleaming gold gaze on Mitsunari. ”What do you say? You can make an honest go of it for the sake of friendship, and you get books out of it. That’s a deal too good to pass up, Nari.”

(Those are all excellent points…) 

“I’ll do it. When and where?” He was already pulling out his phone to add the event to his schedule. 

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  –  NOW – 

The room looked exactly like Katsuko expected it to: small tables with a numbered placard and two chairs facing each other. A coordinator directed her to sit at table 17. Waiting for the first round to start, she mentally prepared her speech to make the most of the 5 minute time limit.

Mitsunari almost walked into the wrong room, but noticed the sign said Speed Friending. Close call! Next door was the sign for Speed Dating. Inside he was told to wait along the wall with the men. He looked at his number: 16. The girl sitting at table 16 was wearing a yellow wig. Then he looked to table 17. 

(Oh! It’s the limping woman! I hope she’s feeling better now.)

The first man to sit down at table 17 only wanted to ask about what Katsuko’s ‘type’ was. Whenever she steered the conversation towards her photoshoot goal, he seemed confused, and then was finally sullen by the time he left his chair. She rolled her eyes, thinking it would have been more efficient and less frustrating if she had made a sign announcing her intentions.

Meanwhile, the bubbly personality seated across from Mitsunari was trying way too hard to sell herself. It was two minutes before she took a breath. He grabbed his opportunity to ask for her number. She produced her phone instantly with a high-pitched giggle, exchanging contact info with supernatural speed. Mitsunari was stunned at how easy it was. That gift card was as good as his!

Soon the time limit was called, and the men were told to move to the table to their left.

Katsuko hid her dismay at seeing yet another man sit down, but soon recognized him from the Star Wars panel.

“Thanks again for letting me sit down,” she started at the same time he asked, “How is your leg now?”

She was the first to recover, giving him finger guns and a grateful smile, “Fantastic, now, thanks to you.”

Mitsunari grinned at their simultaneous talking, his mind flitting back to a similar situation at the food trucks. 

The finger guns and the word ‘Fantastic’ triggered enough similarities for him, while his solar-flare smile was unforgettable to Katsuko. They both leaned forward inquisitively, their movement mirror images.

“Were you dressed as Mr. Fantastic yesterday?” she asked – almost nearly at the same time as Mitsunari exclaimed, “You were the one cosplaying Mockingbird!”

They both chuckled at talking over each other again. 

Katsuko asked, “Are you into parkour?”

“...What?” Came his reply with polite confusion.

She explained the sport, hopeful when recognition dawned on his face. Turns out a friend of his, Sasuke, did that. And why yes, he would consider trying it some time. In costume, even. And take photos. He simply kept nodding and agreeing to every suggestion. So cute.

Keeping her cool, she pulled out her phone, “Great. Let’s schedule something. I’ll get your email address.” 

Mtisunari’s eyes widened. Wait – were they setting up a date? Had he fulfilled both Hideyoshi’s and Mitsuhide’s requirements without even meaning to? “I never thought the Speed Dating event would be this easy,” he hummed cheerfully.

“Speed Dating? No, this is Speed Friending,” she replied absently, opening her calendar app.

He shook his head gently, “Ah, that event is next door. The sign on this room definitely said Dating.”

Katsu: *breaks the fourth wall, looking at the camera with deadpan disappointment*

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