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He stayed.

The damned idiot stayed. And he seemed completely unperturbed by her attempts to make him leave. Who the hell was this guy?

She narrowed her eyes at him in muted frustration and answered his question in her usual impatient tone. "Nah, couldn't care less, actually." His name was the least of her concerns. She was unlikely to use it anyway. What was the point of learning his real name when she could just call him something like "That Guy" or "Dude" or some random nickname based off of his mutation? After all, what were the chances they actually interacted outside of missions and such?

With the exception of this speed dating thing, of course. This was a special situation. Some professors though it would benefit her to chat with some of her fellow male teammates. While she wasn't so sure how talking would benefit her, she was pretty certain that shoving them across the room would be extremely therapeutic.

And this Felix guy, in particular, was inches away from tasting the effects of her mutation.

Words rolled out of his mouth like the rehearsed lines of some crappy rom-com. Did he seriously just call her 'darling'? And did he also say she was mildly attractive and that he liked the plain Jane type? And "strike my fancy"?? Where the hell was this guy getting this stuff? She glanced at his ears, trying to see if he was wearing some sort of communication device. She wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Nicholas Sparks was sitting in a hidden room somewhere feeding words into this guy's earpiece.

After a moment of silence on her part, she looked at Felix with a slightly flabbergasted expression and said, "So, are you just biologically incapable of having an original thought, or are you just required by law to speak in nothing but tired cliches? Because I've gotta tell you, that's gonna get old really fast."

A part of her wanted to leave. Another part, however, awaited his reaction like an impatient child on Christmas Eve. Holy hell... she was actually mildly enjoying this thing. She glanced around, momentarily observing the other speed daters. Most were actually trying to get to know their dates. It was silly... but undeniably amusing.

Then, looking back at Felix, she said, "So, since we're doing this thing and you seem to function in cliches, aren't you supposed to buy me a drink or something?"

"Eh, I'm more of an October kind of girl," Maddy said. "August is too hot and I just get really sweaty after awhile," she said, smiling, before realizing how that sounded. Her smile flickered away as she closed her eyes and cursed at her self internally. Off to a great start. From her experience, all it took as something stupid like that to make a guy think they could get you in bed that night. She couldn't wait until one of these guys found out she was bi. They'd probably be trying to get her into a threesome like half the creeps on those bad dating websites. "Don't," she quickly warned putting up a finger, and trying to smile again, to salvage any respect he might have for her at this point.

Oh, and what was he saying about sports? She had hardly been listening. Honestly, she hadn't expected him to actually take up that line of conversation. She hadn't actually noticed the accent through the awkward stumbling around that she was doing here. What the hell was wrong with her? And why hadn't she pre-gamed this?

"Oh, god, no wait," she started. "I can't be seen with a New Yorker. Boston will take away my Charlie Card and throw hot chowder on me in the streets," she said, raising her eyebrows. "It's one of those archaic rules from the 1800s, but they enforce it. No joke, man... But to be honest, I don't really give two shits about sports unless I'm super drunk," Maddy said, waving her hand, dismissively. "I just have to say I care about the Boston teams because of the same rules as why I can't be seen with you."

And, oh god, he was winking. Wait, was that supposed to be a double entendre? Boy was not trying to waste any time. And with her awkwardness she was probably blushing so much he thought it was working.

But for some reason whenever anybody asked her what she liked, she always suddenly forgot everything she actually enjoyed doing. "I don't know, man. I dissected a skrull this morning and did an analysis on the specific neural pathways that let them control the unstable molecules in their body. Which is how they can shape-shift. So that was pretty fun." she shrugged. "And uh... well, I guess I like to draw. But I don't usually have time these days. And I do a lot of archery."

"What about you then? Anything you like to do besides besides get tattoos?" she asked, motioning to the side of her eye, towards the palce where his facial one was. "I haven't actually gotten a new one in a long time."

"Yeah, I really regret not sticking a flask in my bra for this, to be honest..." she said, trailing off.

And God, how were they still on sports? August mentioned something about the Rangers and Bruins being rivals, which wasn't at all what she meant about cities being rivals. But at this point she really didn't want to bother correcting him and burning more of their already dwindling time. She had wasted a huge chunk of it already being awkward, like she was sixteen again.

It was hard to gauge whether or not he even cared about the biology she was rattling off, though. Maddy knew a lot of it kinda flew over her head. "Yeah, I think it depends on the mutant, though. Like, Skrulls don't have to think about maintaining the form. Like, it's a once and done thing that their cells and molecules change too until their shift them again. I think a lot of mutants have to focus on the form constantly," she said.

"I mean, I guess I never really had time for the mechanical end of things, though. I've had people try to teach me, and compare it to organs and that kind of thing, but it's a weird analogy, I think," she said, trying to at least connect with something he liked. But she was clutching at straws, and probably came off as rambling. He was coming off flat at this point, and probably was getting more bored by the second. She wondered quickly whether it was too late to turn on some of that cheese-y girl-ish charm, or if that would even work on him. One of the girls two tables down might as well have just put her boobs in her date's face.

Still, she couldn't help but burst out laughing at his side comments about relationships and one-night stands. The boy was hot, but he didn't exactly seem to be subtle. "Yeah, well, kinda been a long time since I had either of those, unfortunately," she said, still laughing.

She glanced around the room, and over her shoulder, trying to see if there was an obvious timer laying around, as she listened to the boy talk about his tattoo artist. It had to be winding down in time soon. "Oh yeah?," Maddy asked, tilting her head. "You'll have to give me their details. I only have the two, one on my arm, and one here," she said, pulling her blouse and bra strap to the side to show the tattoos of serotonin and dopamine molecules on her upper chest. If she was boring him with talk, at least maybe she could flash a bit of cleavage. She could live with that, even if he did walk off and never talk to her again. If nothing else, maybe he could be a booty call one day. "I also have a 'thug life' tattoo, but I won't show you that right now," she said, laughing at her own lame joke. "Which, uh... which is your favorite?"

As expected, though, soon enough a single, loud 'ding' came from a bell somewhere behind her. She glanced around, checking if anybody else was moving. She didn't think she had to move, at least. The boys were supposed to come to her, right? She kind of liked that sentiment, at least.

She wanted to say something about how she wasn't usually as terribly awkward as she came off at first, but stopped herself. She didn't want to come off as too desperate or anything. She knew she was probably sending a thousand mixed signals. Which maybe was a good thing. Keep him guessing. She highly doubted that would work, though.

Jacen’s foot silently tapped under the table, his wandering mind almost causing Jacen to miss the woman’s name. It didn’t help his memory, but he’d make new ones. “It does seem like ages doesn’t it? What was your last mission?” An Omega mission they could pinpoint might be the thing to jog their memories. Gnawing curiosity and a terrible long-term memory were not Jacen’s favorite combination.

Gracie’s laugh was nice, and Jacen was glad to see that she seemed to be at relative ease. Some of the other tables didn’t seem as relaxed. “Is it really that boring?” Jacen was extremely new to the Academy’s fresh digs, and the novelty of the bunker had yet to wear off. He spent what little time he’d been here exploring the labyrinthine complex, though the higher-level clearance areas were currently giving him trouble. Some people just had no trust…

Taking the event seriously seemed off the agenda for most everyone gathered, though Jacen had assumed the organizers were actually trying to get anyone together. Surely the amount of canoodling amongst the Junior X-men was already a nightmare for their professorial overlords. He tilted his head as Gracie asked her question “Shack up?” Some turns of phrase still eluded him.

“Oh, right. Sex!”

Some.

The figurative light bulb took a second, but at least the question landed. “Huh. I’m not really sure…” Most of the faces here were unfamiliar too him, he didn’t really have a basis to judge who’d end up using the event as hookup springboard. “Do you have any ideas?” He’d always been rubbish at guessing relationships for others. His few attempts at matchmaking had ended in literal disaster, and he had it on good authority that he should never, ever try it again.

“So why Jinx?” He moved on with a shrug, hoping to get to know at least a little about his new friend while the date was still on. “You don’t seem like bad luck.”

Post 1, Round 1

Lyn was no stranger to dates, but she was definitely a newbie to speed dates. She wasn't nervous about meeting new people (guys, mostly), or even making multiple first impressions in a row during this little activity. The most stressful part of the date was just deciding what to wear, and that problem was solved by going straight to her sister: it was easier to figure out what looked best on you by getting input from someone who looked a little like you, after all. Lyn wanted to get something flashy, to get her dates' attention, something Charlotte was quick to correct by saying she wouldn't need to do much, thanks to their figure. Charlotte also reminded her younger sister that these dates, fast as they were, were a good way to leave her impression for some of the base's teams (at the very least, the boys). If Lyn was gonna wow them, she needed something nice and left a lasting impression that lingered even after the date was over. If her image stayed in their mind while the boys started their next date, then mission success. To get that effect, Lyn would need something that complemented her figure, and that didn't include any flashy colors or crazy designs. At the same time, it couldn't be too casual or bland.

It didn't take long for the perfect black dress to be picked out with matching black heels, and Lyn confidentially striding into the little speed dating area, the spitfire taking in the scenery. There were tables set up with cups and plates, but she didn't know if there would be food available, but that didn't matter: she'd already eaten before getting here, at the request of her sister ("You should be talking more than eating.").

The first round of pairs were set up and Lyn took her time letting the others find their seats while she tried to find her first meeting. She approached a table, and was surprised to see a somewhat familiar face approach her, pulling out a seat for her, and took his own seat: all with a smile on his face. "Well, thanks!" she said cheerily, gracefully accepting the well-dressed man's manners as she took her seat across from his. It was good start to what was sometimes seen as a nervous type of outing. His well-mannered speech certainly did a lot to remove some of the awkward air. "Oh, aren't you a flattering guy. And with the looks to match." she said, giving his suit a look over. Compared to some of the other guys in the room, he'd definitely took more in his presentation. To say he was a man of class would be a safe assumption, something she hoped all Englishmen like him carried.

And with class came confidence, it seemed: he looked much more in control than some of the other dates around them, everything about him, from the drink to in his hand to the pristine shoes he wore, breathed charm. The same charm that he exuded came through his introduction, though his name wasn't that much of a mystery: they were both Alphas, after all. "Lynette Gauge. A pleasure to meet you too." she said, meeting his introduction and hand with her own for a brief handshake, trying to match his elegance with her own. Normally, she'd be a little more excitable, but with someone as calm as him sitting at her table, she had to try and mirror it.

He asked for some information about her, while also offering a drink. With as little time as they had in these speed dates, information was just about everything they had to share right now. "For you? No problem." she said, easily falling in line with his wish. "Though, I'm a little iffy about drinking" she said, before snapping her fingers and producing a quick spark of flame between her fingers. "It'd be pretty embarrassing to start a fire this early, huh? A little shouldn't hurt though! But you have to make sure I don't have too much, okay?"

She brought a finger to her chin, letting her mind wander on some information about her. "Well, where to start? You already know a little about me, teammate, like being firestarter and doing some cooking." she pondered aloud, eyes narrowed in thought. "Well, I'm from Nashville, Tennessee. If you want to call me a southern belle, go right ahead. I know I sound like one."she said, placing a hand to her collar to imitate an upper-class belle. "And I guess you're English?"

August arched a brow at her comment about regretting on not slipping a flask in her bra. “I gotta admit, between purses and bras, girls seem to have storage places wherever they go. I'm kinda jealous.” He had seen some girls pull some crazy s**t out of the bags and bras before. But it was kind of embarrassing when he would take a bar date home and take her clothes off only to see cash, cards, and ID’s fall out of her cleavage. Not to mention it would leave weird little indents in their skin.

He asked about her theory on shapeshifting mutants and if what she discovered in skrull seemed to correlate to the abilities of mutants. Maybe talking about something she was interested in would bring a bit more light to her dark eyes. But, it didn’t seem to work much. She moved on to him and relating that she never understood mechanical work quite like she did her own. “Guess it depends on the ability of the mutant. Met a guy once that could morph into whoever he was closest to. It was completely unintentional. Stayed at his place one night and woke up the next day and he looked just like me. It was weird.”

It was a weird situation, and the dude was really apologetic. But, August couldn’t resist the opportunity of sleeping with someone who looked exactly like himself. It was strange, and surreal, but also kinda fun. Definitely pushed his ego in the right direction, even though his partner was much more responsive than he typically is.

He mentioned his past relationships, and she laughed a bit. So, she was on a bit of a dry spell? Maybe that was why she was here. He hoped, for her sake, that someone would come along to break it. Right now, he couldn’t seem to be bothered enough to play on that more aggressive side. She was a nice girl and all, but not something he was jonesing for at the moment.

He raised a brow when she pulled her shirt to the side to give a peek at her tattoo, and her cleavage. Subtle. He looked her over a moment longer before laughing. “That almost sounds like an offer for me to see it eventually.” He opened his mouth to answer her question about his own personal favorite tattoo before the bell charmed, signalling for them to move seats. He stood up, straightening his clothes.

“Maybe I’ll swing by the lab some time and let you pick out which one is your favorite.” He winked at her before saying his goodbyes. People were more interesting when they were engrossed in something that they enjoyed. Maybe Maddy was a different person when she was focused on her work. August moved to the bar, ordering himself a Captain and Coke while he waited for the other tables to start their move.

Round 1, Post 2

“Yes, it always helps to stay positive.” he answered, his nerves settling a bit more as he slowly but surely got acclimated. He actively sought to stop fidgeting, silently thanking his “date” for sliding a glass of water near him. He then responded, more calmly “And it is certainly nice to properly meet you.” Taking a sip, it eased him a bit as the cold water flowed down his throat, hitting his empty stomach. Even though he basically gorged himself before hand, his metabolism burned it all up. The blessing of his mutation, he supposed.

He wouldn’t risk throwing up if things got stressful.

Alexandra gave a description of her abilities, to which he nodded with genuine interest, “Certainly one of the more interesting mutations I’ve heard of.” he then answered her question “My body synthesizes tungsten carbide into bolts that I can expel from my body.”

“It requires a lot of energy though, so I rarely use it unless I absolutely have to.” the feeling after using his powers was painful. After a couple shots he felt like he’d been hit with a truck after running a marathon.

“I know we’re running short on time, so what can you tell me about yourself?” he asked quickly, hoping to at least know more about the woman than just her power. He was finally calm in his chair, comfortable with the young woman.

He’d be having an anxiety attack on the next date.

Round 1, Post 3

She smiled faintly and felt her cheeks heat up slightly. "Really? I do not get that response very often. It is nice to hear that." She admitted honestly. "Thank you."

Alex listened to Gabriel's answer with slightly widened eyes. "Oh wow." She couldn't say she heard of that ability before. "Do you ever wish you did not have that restriction? I know I wish sometimes my own mutation was a bit more....offensive in nature? Just more useful in combat so to speak." Alex explained before sighing. "It would be nice if someday, your mutation did not have such a heavy cost."

At hearing Gabriel's question, she knew she didn't have a lot of time to think of what to say. She just let herself blurt out whatever came to mind. "I love cats, but I am unfortunately allergic to them." Oh how she wished she had said something else than that. "I can play the flute. And I have been told I write good poems and can act pretty well." She answered him, mentally making sure she wasn't consuming all of the time left. "And I have started to learn how to cook. I am mostly learning French and American cuisine at the moment."

That seemed to be a good answer to his question, right? "What about you? Is there anything you feel comfortable telling me?" She asked him right back. Hopefully, she hadn't taken up all the time left.

But soon after asking him the question and hearing what she could of his answer, she heard the bell ding for time up. She chuckled softly and smiled warmly at him. "Seems our time is up." She offered her hand again to him. "I wish you the best, and maybe if you want, we can talk again soon." Because even though he was a nervous wreck, he did seem friendly and someone she might want to get to know more. It was all in his ball court now as they say.