・❥ free pod five.

@♡ blinded_pandaᵐ "Now now now, don not let your imagination runs too wild, dear Panda. You might get awestruck because you think about me too much." Hawk chuckled, and that was the last straw. All the suppressed laughter came out in a full force as he leaned back to the couch, one hand clutching his stomach as he laughed out loud, the first real laugh he had in a while. All thanks to Panda.

Wiping the tears that formed on the corner of his eyes, Hawk continued "The pods are fine. I had quite some fun in here. Though there's something...else happened." At that a bitter smile appeared on his face but luckily he managed to catch himself and immediately fixed his expression again. "What about you, panpanpanman? Any animals that catch your attention?"

@♡ blinded_hawkᵐ It felt almost awkward trying to be civil with Hawk, but Panda reminded himself that he had to do it for the audience.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he composed himself, though perhaps a bit too rigidly—his back was unnaturally straight, and his smile looked strangely ominous (he had never been the best actor). "Today has been very good, thank you for asking," he said, truthfully. He had managed to get work done, making it a successful day. Hawk would be proud of him, he thinks.

The question helped him relax a bit, and he thought that maybe if he ignored the cameras' glare, he could be more natural. "It's been... interesting, to say the least. Not knowing what people look like is kinda weird. Like you, Hawk— I have no idea what you look like. For all I know, you might be 7ft. 5 with 11 toes and 7 fingers!" His own words made him stifle a laugh, biting his lower lip to keep from laughing out loud. "But how are the pods treating you so far? Anything special that I— I mean.. everyone, needs to know?" Curiously, he questions, taking one of the cushions from his couch to fiddle with the corner of it.

@♡ blinded_pandaᵐ Oh no. He is in deep trouble.

It took everything in his power to not just burst out laughing at the very polite tone from the other male. Glancing at the camera which obviously recording each of his reaction. Quickly schooling his expression again, Hawk cleared his throat. "Of course. The one and only, Tony Hawkie noob pro skater 2." He grinned at the rather ridiculous nickname he gave himself. Well, this pod talk was never meant to be a serious one after all. "I am doing very well this fine afternoon, my dear good Panda Sir." another chuckle escaped "I hope today treat you good as well?"

At least they were in separated sitting area. Hawk couldn't imagine if he was actually face to face with Panda. Do not get him wrong. Of course the little Panda is someone he looked up to, it was just the...special circumstance that brought them together was the one who threaten Hawk to break into an uncontrollable laughter. It didn't help as well that he was considered as someone who easily laugh at funny things, no matter how small it is. "How do you like it so far in here, dear Panpan?"

@♡ blinded_hawkᵐ Panda was already in his pod, fiddling with his camera while sat on the couch with his legs up and crossed. Apparently he had been 'summoned' by someone, but they wouldn't say who. The element of surprise was quite the theme on this show, he supposes. As he clicks through his pictures from his previous project, he hears the person in the opposite pod entering and calling out his name. A name, or nickname, only one person would tease and singsong like that.

Immediately, he brightened up with a grin, staring at the wall that separated the two pods. "Is that Tony Hawk, my favourite skateboarder ever?!" He announced in an exaggerated tone, settling the device aside to sit up properly. It was only when he saw a camera shift that he realised they were still being recorded, and that this was meant to be a 'blind date' of sorts. It was nerve-wracking, attempting to guide himself through the likes of the show alone, exploring to find love through these personas. Though unbeknownst to most, he came with support, a very entertaining one at that.

With the clear of his throat, he put on a feigned polite smile. "Hey Hawk, how are we doing this fine afternoon?"

@♡ blinded_pandaᵐ Is it considered cheating?

Hawk couldn’t help but to muse as he entered the pod, after requesting one on one session with one of the contestants. It was pretty hard to not just give away anything. Taking a moment before sitting down on the couch to collect himself, Hawk let out a little chuckle as he finally took his spot.

“I bet no one saw this coming.” Hawk mused as he leaned back, waiting for the other person to come. It was his third time of having a pod talk like this and though this one was more of like a side quest, if the show is a game, Hawk wondered how will the other person react when they finally talk to each other.

“I hope I’m not the only one who can’t hold my laughter at this.” Another chuckle left him, it was clear to everyone who saw or heard him that Hawk was having the time of his life. “Lil panpanman anpanman, where are you~?”

@♡ blinded_mouseᵐ "unless i'm chatting with another mouse acting as the original's proxy, then yes, i'm talking to you!" she lightheartedly exclaims, feigning shock at the other's rebuttal with her hand dramatically covering to match his flair. hearing his distorted laugh echo through the room pulled her to follow his lead, however, what followed from his end earned a smirk of amusement from the woman. dove was not expecting him to be a sweet talker, yet compared to those who possessed the same quality drawn from individuals she has met in the past—there was a flicker of certainty about mouse's sincerity above it all. "really? i swear i could have seen someone running for his life whenever he was close to getting served as a meal for the other participants." her grin only grows wider before it softens to a close-lipped smile in response to his words. "correction, you're stuck with me. i'll have you know i'm still holding onto your little hand mid-air. you better, i can't lose sight of the person i've sworn to protect, you know? the stars may disappear, but the brightest one will remain." with a gentle of her hand underneath the curve of her chin, a soft chuckle escapes her tiers at her silly act of hyping herself.

dove finds herself pursing her lips to hold back another laugh, quite impressed with how her conversation has flowed easily in the other's presence. "so, i'm looking at my thumb now," folding some of her fingers to look at a thumbs up gesture before her eyes, a thoughtful hum emanates from the woman while scrutinizing her thumb from all sides, "and it's one of the cutest things i've ever seen. this has served me quite well in this lifetime, so yes, looking like a thumb is acceptable. as for looking like a worm, the early bird catches it, right? it's canon! looks like i've beaten both hawkeye and tiggy in their hunting game, too bad. will you accept me as your caretaker?" elated was an understatement to describe her current emotion. it was taking so much of dove to discipline herself in consuming her meal—one crafted with utmost care just for her. every bite was enough to send her straight to heaven as though she had unlimited passes to use, and like most, being looked after through scrumptious food was something too good to be true—a reality that only the man on the other side might be capable of bringing to reality. "no take backs! i've already tainted the food with my fluids!" she blinked twice, questioning her thought flow while eating. "okay, to clarify, on you means you'll shoulder the expenses, right? we're talking about treating you as a table here?" another fit of laughter spills from her before taking another bite, silently hoping she was not sending her new friend into a frenzy.

a dull swell knocks at her heart following his well wishes for her, and with careful movements, she places her almost-finished meal on the table, downing half a glass of water to prepare herself to answer his thoughts. "it's agonizing to commit, i'd say." big words from the woman who usually had full control of simplifying anything that came from her. dove chews on her lower lip, careful not to lose herself in painful memories of being betrayed by the one whom she thought was the one. "there was one person i was prepared to share the rest of my life with, but i thought wrong. he was my best friend. we've seen each other cry over a scraped knee as kids and i've seen him go crazy over multiple heartbreaks. in all those years, i stayed by his side." fond recollections of her bittersweet past danced within her mind, and with a deep breath, dove silenced her heart from threatening to break once more. "we made a promise about marrying each other if we both were still single at a certain age. i've always thought we were working towards that, so i waited while he spent his years loving others and i did the same, but i never really found the strength to act on my feelings for whoever. he led me on, and i was crushed in the end. since then, i haven't been able to recover until i joined the show." it was never in dove's behavior to badmouth those who have wronged her while she had every right to. perhaps, at the right time, her heart will fully open itself to speaking her truth with the rest, but for now, certain details had to be left out. "it's disheartening to think that those who know you best would hurt you the worst. i guess, like you, i'd want to be chased for all the right reasons. if and when that person shows me how much they want to keep me in their life and consistently show their interest and love for me, those would be more than enough to make me say yes."

a reassuring realization embraces every fiber of her being: dove felt like she was talking to herself. mouse was, in a way, just like her. her vivid picture of a young boy holding someone's backpack strap elicited genuine laughter from her, and she could only shake her head in amusement. "you're making me rethink your whole declaration of not being a scaredy... mouse. as with fights," she starts off deep in thought, reflecting on her behavior whenever faced with conflict, "i'd most probably be the one to reach out for the most part, trying to get us to talk. though i won't deny that there will be some days where i'd rather close myself off and perhaps, disappear for a short while to gather my thoughts. at the end of it, i don't want to say or do anything hurtful. when that happens, i'd love to clear things out with us both having a levelheaded sense of judgment. i'm not a fan of emotionally-led conflicts... so when either of us needs time to reflect first, i'm fine with that. i don't want to force ourselves in sorting things the same night or day when clearly, it would only add fuel to the fire. what about you, remy?"

@♡ blinded_doveᶠ “Me?” The man pointed at himself and looked at the screen incredulously, blinking for a moment. “Scared for //my// life?”Was the woman behind the screen some kind of stalker? Cereal killer? No, the producers certainly did thorough background checks before they were accepted onto the show. He laughed, setting aside the silly thought when an image of a dove attacking his pursuers while a mouse skirted away entertained his mind instead. “Well wouldn’t that be a sight to see… I may not talk much, but I definitely do not scare easily. If you were hoping for a runner, sorry to disappoint. You’re stuck with me for a while, Dovey. Tony Stark— And while I’m tiny and have never been to outer space, if you’re home, I’ll always find my way back to you, sugar. The stars would have to disappear before I see you cry.”

The man snorted at the transition Dove seemed to make with such ease; her humor and quick wittiness never failed to amuse him, let alone anyone on the set of Blinded. “Are you now? I look like a thumb. A tree stump. Would you still hold my hand if I was a worm?” A small, boyish smile tugged at the corner of his lips once more, content by how easy it was to talk to someone, something he typically had trouble with. He waited silently for her rating on the dishes he prepared for her. He was a confident cook, but he knew better than anyone else that everyone had their own preferences and tastes. He just hoped his skills in particular were enough to impress the birdy on the other side of the pod. Mouse let out a sigh of relief when she responded again, his shoulders relaxing. “Hey don’t make me come over there to take that away from you? I can’t believe my own dish is ing me,” he chuckled and gave a shrug. “Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. Just know a future with me looks like breakfast in bed, lunch and dinner will be on me.”

The laugh prompted a blush from his cheeks as he reached for his note book to scribble in while she answered. “Hopefully whoever gets to see you walk down that aisle will be your last and forever, love. It’s scary, you know? Commitment. You said none were convincing enough to let you commit? What would be enough? What are the aspects that will make you go ‘this guy is the one.’” It was a scary thought. Not being enough for someone even if you’ve given everything you’ve got. It was better to hash out everything that needed to be discussed sooner rather than later when you’re halfway down the aisle. “Ah- I don’t think I’ve ever thought about it too deeply…” his voice trailed off at the end as he reflected on her question. “I guess I do in a sense? I think there’s definitely someone out there perfect for everyone and if they’re not perfect, it’s the perfect imperfections that make a relationship so much better. Mmmmm… Does holding someone’s backpack strap through the hallways in middle school count? I’m not too experienced… Since it looks like we’re both in the same u boat— What would our fights look like? How would you prefer to sort out our differences? If I were to make you upset, what would help make you feel better?”

@♡ blinded_mouseᵐ there it was, the statement that solidified her branding as someone easily startled, earning a wholehearted chuckle from her end of the room, "surprised, yes. scared, no. if anything, i'm scared for your life but fret not, cin-dove-rella is here to smack your pursuers with a broom." the woman's gaze rests on the carefully crafted dish for her, and a subtle fuzz begins to warm the trenches of her heart at his remark that follows. her first impression of the gentleman was that he was not much of a talker, though he knew how to keep conversations going. to witness this side of him be openly exposed in a one-on-one setting was a refreshing sight, and she wondered what else was hidden under his seemingly meek behavior. "excuse me, tony stark, how certain are you that your tiny frame will survive outer space? do you promise to come back so i don't become an emotional rug like pep?" her naturally formed connection with mouse was something she held dear despite meeting for the first time. perhaps it was the comfort brought by both of them being introverts, something that was not so obvious on her end. "of course, it's a bummer that i won't see you wearing it up close. take care of it okay?" at that moment, a sudden spark enters her mind that she could not simply miss acting upon, "you know who else is beautiful in person?" a dramatic pause. "me. anyway." attempting to switch topics right away, swift hands cradle the homemade dish in between her palms, "i was waiting for you to arrive, so i could taste it with you around," she casually declares, picking up the pair of chopsticks prepared by the staff to snuggle a piece of gyoza in between. at her first bite, dove succumbs to a state of euphoria with every corner of melting into serene nothingness. there was a desire to gobble up what was made for her, but she knew it might take long until the man from across the room would decide to cook for her again. "be right back, i'll have a date with my food. was this part of your plan all along? i'm no man, but this surely works wonders for the heart."

pleased hums could be heard from her while he shared his question, causing her to laugh out of adoration at how he worded things. "let's just say this might be my first and last chance. i've been everywhere, these wings have flown over numerous locations, but none were convincing enough to let me commit to an actual relationship," she starts off, letting her answer sink in a while. "believe me, outside of all this, i rarely talk to people unless needed. that was until i was sat down by my mom and i realized how everyone around me had been tying the knot, and here i was, inexperienced and crazy enough to join a show and skip the pre-ordained steps before commitment. is that very dove-like?" she takes another bite of the beef pepper rice, savoring it first before she finally lands her question after recalling his statement from earlier, "do you believe in soulmates? how has that affected your perception of love? this is me assuming you're more experienced in the relationship department, of course!"

@♡ blinded_doveᶠ The delayed ‘hiiiiii’ immediately brought a smile to his lips, the teasing undertone only solidifying that the woman behind the screen was indeed the dove he was bantering with over the anonymous Twitter assigned to them. “Are you easily surprised? Did I scare you?” He chuckled. “And I would never leave you hanging just like that. Don’t call pest control. Call me instead. For my future soulmate, I’ll pick up anytime, anywhere, even in outer space. If there’s no signal, I’ll make sure the stars will relay my message back to you,” as he stated with boyish smile stretching across his lips when his eyes landed on the flower crown. “Aw, you actually brought it. It looks much more beautiful in person.” He lifted the crown to his head and hummed as it nestled perfectly on top of his wad of hair. “It’s perfect. Is the food to your liking? I looked up a random recipe that seemed to have good reviews.”

After a few moments, Mouse leaned over, clasping his hands before him. “I’m sure this is all a new experience for everyone. What was the deciding factor for you to come onto Blinded rather than using a traditional or typical route to finding love?” He bit his bottom lip to keep from cursing. Way to sound corporate. “I’m sure a Dove as funny and personable as you would have dozens lining up or — at your feet dying of laughter.” It wasn’t a secret that Mouse found Dove’s sense of humor absolutely hilarious as did everyone in the pods. So he was curious as to why someone so easy to get along with was interested in an experiment like Blinded.

@♡ blinded_mouseᵐ skillful fingers easily cross over one another as she braids her hair a few seconds before her visitor arrives. much to her dismay, it was becoming a dove thing to jolt over the slightest unexpected disturbance—and there she was, chuckling to herself once more when his suspicious voice rang in the space. a pleased smile graces her gentle countenance, permitting the bachelor to settle down first before she responds with a "hiiiiii?" laced with a teasing undertone. "for some reason i thought you wouldn't find your way here, and you settled with food as a compromise. i was ready to call on pest control to search for you," her remark attempts to break through the ice between them, hoping he'd relax a bit and become comfortable throughout their conversation. "the food smells really good, mouse. do me a favor and wear your flower crown for me?" her fingers gently tap themselves over his gift while she ponders about a little mouse carrying a ring of vibrant colors over his head.

@♡ blinded_doveᶠ Insanity. Insanity would be the word to describe the experience in the pods so far. To be expected to go on more than 12 blind speed dates in a couple days let alone one day— unheard of. And to be expected to ask for someone’s hand in marriage in just a handful of days? Bat crazy. With a social battery as low as his own, Mouse just knew he would take a while to recharge. Preferably at a private resort along with his one and forever love? A month sounded fair. He shook his head. He was getting way ahead of himself. With a notebook labeled ‘MOUSE’ in his hand and a steel cup of Red Bull vodka in the other, he gently nudged the door open with his foot and slipped in to the cozy decorated pod. “Heeeeello?” He voiced out cautiously and placed his cup on the tiny table before him. “Am I the first one here? I hope the producers prepared what I had asked them to do earlier today…” He mumbled, mostly to himself as he fell into his seat. He stayed up all night to find the best beef pepper rice and gyoza recipes Dove tweeted about. They weren’t recipes he as used to, but they weren’t impossible and he hoped that they were to Dove’s liking.