・❥ free pod one.

@♡ blinded_ravenᵐ despite having been in the show since the beginning, elle hadn't actually interacted with too many of the other cast members. work and schedules had been eating up her time, pulling her away from the chance to enter the pods and make a connection with others. but today, for once, she was graced with the opportunity for just that. she only hoped that she wasn't alone once she entered the room.

a clear voice cut through the quiet air as she stepped into the pod, eliciting a quiet laugh from the woman. it was never not awkward, the process of meeting someone new. the cameras only emphasized the feeling, something that she was sure her current pod partner knew well. "hi raven, I'm elephant, but you can just call me elle or elly. it's a little nerve wrecking doing this in front of people when we can't see each other, isn't it? and don't worry, you're not doing bad at all."

@♡ blinded_elephantᶠ raven sat down in a beanbag in the pod and cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair. he was excited to be talking to more people, having been too busy with work to really make many connections - it was fine though, because everybody had been so nice so far. "hello, i'm - it's me, raven. sorry, i'm bad at this? but uh - how are you today?"

@♡ blinded_tigerᶠ “Really? Are you sure- wait- huh?” The man blinked, listening to the words spewing out of Tiger’s mouth in confusion. “Huh???” He responded after a few more moments of processing. The confused man sat up, his eyes flickering off to the side to shuffle through the recollection of their conversation to understand where the woman was coming from. His brows furrowed and his lips pursed, unable to do so. “You thought I was the king of the jungle? Kidding— Baby girl, now where did you ever get that idea, hm?” His voice softened despite the initial tease, scooting a little closer to the screen wall between them as if that was going change the fact that he couldn’t hold her or reassure her. “I don’t know what could possibly be going through your mind, Tigs, but this I do know. I’m very VERY interested in you and it’s definitely not little (kidding).” He paused, waiting for her response patiently. “Did you hear that, sugar?”

After waiting for confirmation, he picked up his brush and started getting to work on the little tiger he planned to paint on the frontside of the pot. His brows furrowed in concentration as he spoke. “Don’t say cute until you see it later. This isn’t looking too good-“ he mumbled out. “Your cute knucklehead. And bet. You’ll have me at your doorstep with a green ribbon on top by this week. I’m fragile so please handle me with care (or don’t),” he chuckled and glanced up briefly only to be met with a wall. He shook the stupid out and looked back down. “Thank you. For giving me a chance to explain myself and just listening. I know I must’ve made you feel icky. But just know I really appreciate you,” he smiled, biting down on his bottom tier. In past situation-ships, talking would have never been possible. With his inability to stay put and communicate paired with his past flings’ short fuse, it was a boiling pot for disastrous arguments and breakups. But with Tiger, he didn’t have the urge to run. There was no need to. He felt— safe.

@♡ blinded_geoduckᵐ "you know what? it’s fine, let’s move on. i’m okay and i don’t really care.” is more than likely what tiger would’ve said in any similar scenario outside of the show. as when it came to confrontations, especially with her past flames, closure was always the least expected when instinctively shelving her feelings aside and instead placing nonchalance as her strong front. but here on the show, and with geoduck at least, she wanted that to change especially when things had barely just begun for the two of them. she wanted to grow on this learning curve with him and truly test what connection they had since communication was key and that was what they mostly had apart from the time that he had been oh so generous to provide aplenty for her.

“i hear you, gooey. don’t worry, it’s no biggie! i was just feeling a little conflicted is all—” initially she started strong, making sure that the latter heard her loud and clear to be rest assured there was no unwanted bad blood of any sort between them. although as her soft, rosy lips essentially curl into a pout at the next thought that rolls into her head, the volume of her voice audibly lowers with a subtlety of disappointment. “and i wasn’t sure if you were still as interested as i thought you sorta were? almost thought i lost my lil’ king of the jungle.” for a brief moment, tiger was transported back to some of the lowest of the lows that remained partially unspoken of. untouched, almost. for a lack of better judgment over how it was possible to be affected by a person over some time through the utterly bittersweet game of fire and ice. igniting a spark between two people that slowly bloomed with promise only to be extinguished in the blink of an eye when one, or in most cases, tiger least expects it.

but her mellowed temperament wouldn't seem to last as she quickly recollects herself with her bowl of oreos cast to the side. for what geoduck might not have been to express best through his words, simply showed through his actions instead. it was the mere act of effort alone that constantly reminded the female exactly why she had invested putting trust bit by bit into the process. and the setup she had initially left alone for some time since she first entered the pod would soon be nothing but the object of her utmost attention, dainty fingers beginning to work carefully as if he were there by her side to see it all gradually come to life. “this is too cute. /you/ are the cutest knucklehead there is. but i’m sure i’d honestly love whatever it is you give me either way, knowing one of the best gifts out there could’ve been you with a ribbon on top?” she beamed, and rather proudly at that.

@♡ blinded_tigerᶠ It was silent for a moment after Geo had called out to his date, but after a small answer came through, a small glimmer of hope could be seen from the way the corner of his lips tugged upwards. The man was worried sick, unable to sleep thinking he’d screw up any chances of ever speaking to Tiger again. In a real world scenario, his chances of speaking to her would have been good as zero. But because of the enclosed spaces and atypical situation all the contestants were placed in— being made to just talk… and talk… it gave plenty of room for him to push through despite his broken communication skills instead of running in the other direction as soon as things got weird. Tiger deserved the best side of him.

“It’s a very sorry Gooeyduck. I’m sorry for the things I said yesterday. I swear I didn’t mean it in any negative way at all,” he apologized, chewing on his bottom lip. Geo never found himself in a situation where he had to apologize. There was never a need when the people around him were constantly kissing his . Maybe he was too busy caring about himself to notice? Or perhaps people found him too unapproachable? Either way, hurting the ferocious kitten was the last thing he wanted to do and he would do anything to make sure her smile was back again. “I’m a bit of a knuckle head. I’ll try my best to be mindful of how I word things next time, love.”

“I… to make it up to you… or attempt to make it up to you (I’m new to all of this), I prepared a little date for us? Something fun and mindless to do together while we talk,” he voiced out as he slipped off the couch and onto the floor beside his set up. “There should be a succulent kit in front of you with some paint. You said you liked earthy tones, right? I couldn’t think of anything worthy to get you so I wanted to make you something instead. But don’t expect a one billion dollar art piece— I’m by no means an artist.” He sat there, waiting for her response. He hoped the long hours of googling cute ‘long distance video call dates’ and ‘how to make it up to her’ were enough to make her smile. It was small, but it was the only way he knew how to make it up to her without being able to pull her into a hug and tell her how sorry he was and that she was worth everything the universe had to offer.

@♡ blinded_geoduckᵐ it could feel like centuries have gone by and yet nothing would thoroughly compel tiger to leave her spot. if that wasn’t telling of just how immersed she really was in the conversation, then surely it had to be the way she could already picture just how well they’d fair in person. it made her wonder just where someone like geoduck had been all her life, but then again, good things came to those who waited. and she was a genuine believer in him being nothing more but a late blessing in disguise.

“you know what? i’ll take that as a compliment. if i’m affecting you that much, then i must be doing one thing right to leave you something to remember me by?” she beamed, and rather proudly at that, almost feeling as if she were on top of the world just by getting what she knew were some of the most endearing reactions ever from her companion— even if she couldn’t actually see it for herself. “i am! but.. just to spice things up in bed, of course, especially if i feel like it’s something my king of the jungle would ever want. because anything apart from that? as much as i might not want to admit it, i do think i could get.. maybe.. a /little bit/ jealous? i’d only ever want your sights to be set on me, and me alone. hmph.”

“i trust you though! think you might just be winning me over already.” tiger added, the pout on her soft tiers dissipating as fast as the thought of sharing came with what assurance and overall feel-good vibes geoduck bestowed upon her. it was no utter surprise that she would only come to notice just how fast time had passed as soon as he brought it up, her eyebrows quirking upright in utter disbelief as she then squeezed the pillow in her arms to relieve herself of what little discomfort she felt in their pod bonding being cut short. “what? oh you /bet/ you’ll have to see me again!”

_______

she almost hadn’t been too sure how to read the group chat a while back. emotions running rampant in a span of excitement to confusion, and then.. some form of slight discouragement? tiger wasn’t certain if the one person she had her sights set on the most still shared the same sentiment of affection that she had for him. or maybe she had just been reading into it a bit too much? whatever it was still dragged her into the pod for hopefully a good pick me up, with a bowl of oreo cookies on her lap, and her tush one with a comfy bean bag chair as her gaze fixated itself straight ahead. “speaking. who is it?”

@♡ blinded_tigerᶠ To say Geoduck enjoyed talking to Tiger was an understatement. Just when he thought he was getting comfortable, the next thing that came out of had him pausing and contemplating life. But instead of resulting in his typical behavioral patterns and potentially breaking through the screen to devour her right then and there, he squeezed his eyes shut and turned away, rubbing the flush red away before the camera could catch it. “Tiger. You’re wild. You’re going to be the death of me, for real.” An airy laugh left him again as he gained his composure back before he cleared his throat. “Wait— if I’m interpreting this correctly, you’re open to a plus one? Is this just in bed or…? And there’s no need for my baby to even be worried. Because the only person I’ll be focusing on pleasing is her. Her pleasure will be the only reason anyone else would even be allowed in the room with us.”

Although Geoduck’s lifestyle was far from average and often wild, he always poured himself wholeheartedly into his relationships. Whatever percentage of energy he had to give to her, he would give in a heartbeat. Whatever his girl wanted, she would get it. But things didn’t always work out the way he wanted and commitment became a scary matter for him. But he didn’t want to delve into the matter so soon. “A straight jacket, hm?” His brows furrowed for a moment before immediately relaxing right after, curious eyes flickering across the screen as if he could make out her face. “Well we could agree on one thing… Is that life’s too short to be stuck on what ifs and regrets. I certainly don’t. I go to sleep knowing I did the best I ever could to make my day the way it was.”

“Mhm…” he hummed as she spoke, his head nodding along as she completed her thoughts. While doing so, he smiled, his head drifting off to a world that she was able to create with her words— a world where even if the universe was in the palm of his hand, he would hand it to the wholesome Tiger in a heartbeat. “Yo bro, that’s wild…” he whispered to himself. “Tiger, you really are special, you know that? Any person would be blessed to have you walking beside them. Blessed to spend the rest of time with you and have you in their arms. It looks like out time up? Can I talk to you again?”
—————————
— second pod date —

The man didn’t think he’d be back in the pods so soon, especially not after he made that small hiccup in the chat room that came off the wrong way. He was an idiot and he was surprised Tiger had given him a chance to make it up to her. He settled down onto the floor and eyed the blank small pot and selection of paint in front of it along with a few brushes and a succulent. Was this dumb-? He wasn’t sure what Tiger enjoyed and ‘earthy tones’ wasn’t exactly helpful. Please don’t look like an idiot. He cleared his throat. “Knock knock, is Tiger home?”

@♡ blinded_geoduckᵐ tiger was certain that there had to be something about the latter that got her particularly intrigued since the start of the show. although what time they had spent bantering amongst the other contestants seemed to pass fleetingly, somewhere in the depths of her mind that she never seemed to address, let alone fully acknowledge was that all signs lead to the geoduck. it was him that had her wondering just when she would get to see him again. when they’d have more moments to share. and perhaps, of all people, when would she be lucky enough to catch him in a pod? but for one, she was certain it had to be the mutual energy they shared which fed off of each other like a growing flame. allowing the woman to sink back further and further into her seat at times just to conceal what urges she had to laugh at even the smallest of things he’d share. had any viewers been keeping their tabs on her all the way through, they would have thought she was growing mad.

god, this was so unlike her.
although, she had no complaints.

if anything, it was simply nostalgic getting intact of such endearment for not just the situation alone, but the person who had her utmost focus for the time being. “wow.. who knew this is where your thoughts would be taking us so soon? think i’d actually /love/ getting loud just for you.” she continued, crossing one leg over the other as she opted to maintain focus on projecting what sweet indulgences they could have. “hopefully you’d be ready for me because we could go on, and on. a plus one would definitely amplify the fun too! but.. just make sure you remember who’s your no. 1, hm?”

‘god if these lips could meet yours–’ she sighed to herself, head shaking to release herself from such wishful thinking. for if she wanted to get far then tiger knew that she had to drive her thoughts to what genuinely mattered the most— connection. from her observation, he displayed an airing of assurance that she liked. rather than just seeming so sure about himself, he also had a proper command of his words, knowing what he wanted and when he wanted it. she felt like she could learn so much more from geoduck, if he permitted it as a little calming to the storm that was her and a good majority of her chaotic life decisions. “oh they would be shocked alright, but i’d like to think they would be proud, especially seeing how far we’ve come from putting ourselves out there! you know, life to me is about taking risks and going straight for the challenges instead of being left with the what-ifs and being left with regrets. so.. i’d love to share, but i’m thinking you’d either wanna send a straight jacket right over or.. you’d probably get a wild guess of what i do for a living. i think i’ll have to save all of that for later, hm, future hubby?”

aiming to distract her companion before she possibly scares him off so soon in true tiger fashion, her eyes are briefly darting to one of the other cameras nearby almost as if to plead with the viewers to wish her luck before she quickly reels herself back into the conversation. her chin now nestled into the palms of her hands as she sank back into her thoughts with an eventual leap of faith that slowly but surely poured out. “now i had to admit it was probably a fair mixture of both. because when it comes to falling in love, different people will prioritize different things. i can only relate to that aspect, knowing how much i had to depend on how well i carry myself and who i ended up with. in the end though, i’d say what really shines through it all is that never-ending spark that comes from time. how much you can dedicate yourself to one another, even in the simplest of ways. what i felt like i needed, still need, actually was just time. a time to be understood, a time to be held by my person that i know would deserve the world if i could hand it to them.”

“but it’s been a while. no wonder i’ve ended up all the way here, huh? haha!”

@♡ blinded_tigerᶠ What the man had anticipated would be an awkward conversation between himself and the woman on the other side flowed naturally. He found himself emitting a light, almost shy laugh when she mentioned it was only his attention she was trying to get in the jungle. He cleared this throat. “Mmm, i wouldn’t mind if it you were loud, //especially// if it were only us two. Unless… you were hoping to have an additional body in the bedroom? I’m totally kidding,” he immediately cut off and crossed good wrist to form an ‘x’. He didn’t know Tiger too well to be making such crude jokes. Still, he wondered what their dynamic would be like if the glass wasn’t separating them or if they were to meet at a typical setting outside of the pods. Pushing the line gently but surely was the only way for him to find out. “With sweet words like that coming from those lips, I’m the one who’s the luckiest man right now.”

He smiled as he picked at a loose thread from the pillow while she spoke. Despite the distorted voice, he could tell she was just as bubbly and as animated as she was in the group chats. It was cute and he had to wrinkle his nose to keep himself from rolling over every time she talked. “Right? Our ancestors would be shocked. Crazier things in life? There was a pause there… I’m wondering if I should ask? Only if you’re comfortable, though,” His voice lowered towards the end and he shifted to lay on his side, hugging the pillow to his chest. “I agree. Nothing else will matter if I get to find my other half. Hm? Haha.” An airy laugh followed after her last statement as he shook his head, a blush threatening to form at the sound of ‘my’. She was dangerous— good at knowing when to attack with her charms. “I’m sure you look absolutely divine, Tiger.”

“As for your question. Is that in regard to physical looks or how well we’ll fare in bed? In the past, I will say that looks paid a very important role when I came to who I was dating and I was particularly obsessed with how I presented myself and how others viewed me. But they all didn’t go very well and didn’t last very long. It just never got past surface level in the dating stage and other things… As of now, though, I’m opening myself up to getting to know people without looks dictating my decision. Physically in bed— that has changed as well. I am more attracted to people I’ve formed a connection with. What about you?” He asked, reaching for the glass of water. Had he rambled on too long? There was no clock in the room to keep track.

@♡ blinded_geoduckᵐ “wow, suddenly you’ve got me feeling like the luckiest woman in the world!” she was quick to respond, riding on the waves of confidence that she could feel radiating from her companion by the other end of the screen. if he wasn’t so nervous, then why should she be, right? this time the sigh permeating past her rosy brims would be out of relief rather than to gather her wits, smiling coming a lot more natural to her as she slowly grew more accustomed to his presence. with such a courageous force of the wildlife as her twin flame, there was no situation she faced head first with a moment’s worth of hesitation as her drive to discovery would streamline her every move.

with him, however, something within her was saying that she should be taking things at a slower pace. genuinely getting to know the person behind the (oddly) endearing stuffie, now that there was even the slightest slither of chance as time only appeared as a figment of imagination, slowing down for the benefit of the two to revel in a world of their very own. “in the flesh! well, sort of? besides, i don’t think it would matter just how loud i get, when it’s only you whose attention i’m trying to get in this jungle, no?” she added with a hum of nonchalance, envisioning what it would be like had the walls not been keeping them apart. perhaps then what curiousness had piqued thus far would only stir even further. she genuinely had so much more to see, better yet, know about him— including if he was as squishy as he appeared on a surface level, the mere thought allowing the smile on her face to grow even further.

“true! and you know what? maybe back then, i would’ve considered it crazy for something as important as giving myself to someone like that. then again, i’ve jumped into crazier things in life.. so what’s one more adventure, especially if it’s something i know that will be worth it?” in no time, she too is finding comfort in embracing a cushion all to herself. projecting what warmth she could surely share with her significant other had they been so quick to come and find her just as she had been so eager to locate them. “if it means i get to finally find the love of my life and we just have this insane connection, absolutely nothing else matters more to me than that. what’s your take on that though, and oh— how important is the physicality of things to you? tiggie’s gotta know, though of course i’ll always be keeping myself pretty for my lil’ gooey.”

@♡ blinded_tigerᶠ When he didn’t hear anything for the first couple of seconds, his eyes patiently chased the blooms of purple hues dancing over the rose-colored screen. Maybe she was shy? His teeth sank into his bottom lip as his fingers drummed a random tune against his knee. Or was it him? He couldn’t help the million thoughts that ran through his head. As a man who typically relied on his physical features to get what he wanted, how confident was he that his personality alone would suffice to impress his potential future wife? ‘I knew I should have started off with a pickup line,’ he groaned to himself mentally, scratching out a few of the lame pickup lines he’d written down in his notebook moments earlier. But when the distorted voice came back just as playful as his, a smile just as bright as the sun stretched across his lips. “You get me, of course,” he responded, his brows met in the middle with faux seriousness.

He didn’t move from his position, stuck, as if any type of movement was going to scare the woman on the other side of the screen away. “Hoot-“ he mumbled, tilting his head slightly in confusion and squinting his eyes in confusion. They never had an owl on set, if he remembered correctly… or had he been so enamored by the big kitten that all else faded to the background? When the second animal sound came through, he brought his fist up to his growing smile, his eyes growing wide in surprise. “Wah. Daebak... Tiger (Winnie the Pooh ver) is that you? You’re going to have to rawr a little louder than that, queen of the jungle.”

After taking a moment to gain his composure back, he grabbed a pillow and sunk to the ground comfortably. “This is kind of crazy, isn’t it? Dating someone we can’t see?” He chuckled and set his notebook aside. “Can you see yourself getting engaged to someone you've never seen before? A couple years ago, I would never have believed something like this was even possible. It’s insane. It’s like we’re lab rats, no?”

@♡ blinded_geoduckᵐ she’s practically springing into fight or flight mode with a gasp as soon as a distorted voice is suddenly making it’s way into a pod. her eyes were wide, but was open even wider almost as if it were god itself who had decided to speak to her. but with those few moments of genuine shock, she quickly composes herself and clears , hoping that the latter hadn’t caught on to how she was feeling. after all, wouldn’t that be fairly uncharacteristic of a fearless tiger? definitely not the first impression she wanted to showcase right off the bat. “your prize? well, it’s me, of course. but what do i get in return, just so it’s fair?” aiming to get a little more comfortable, she sinks back into a nearby couch with slender digits idly carding through her long, stygian tousles. “uhm, hoot hoot? kidding.. rawr~” she soon permitted with soft bubbles of laughter.

@♡ blinded_tigerᶠ he wasn’t expecting anyone to wander into his connecting pod. after half an hour of waiting, he’d taken a comfortable position on his back as he began to toss the pillows into the air, catching them. so when the distorted voice came through, he was caught off guard. with an exaggerated jolt, he scrambled into a seating position — as if him sitting up properly was going to impress the other contestant behind the glass. he squinted, trying to see if he could make of anything from the distorted voice. you could tell a lot from people’s voices. “… no. I was first. I win. what’s my prize?” he chimed in after a minute or two, deciding that it was futile. “now who is it that I’m speaking to? give me a hint by making a sound of what your animal makes?”

@♡ blinded_geoduckᵐ (her head quickly peers into the room before the rest of her body follows suit, a soft pout idly resting upon her rosy tiers as curious orbs of cocoa brown wander about) how does this even work- hello? wow, am i actually the first one here?