week two | mingle

[showhost]

Welcome to week two, Teens Who Are Definitely Searching for Love!

Hopefully everyone got a lot of rest over the weekend, and are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the upcoming week, because there are a few things of interest this week.

But first, some changes of note in the house!

First: there is a giant rectangular box on the living room table, addressed to Lessing. It is a care package. The only thing in it is his sword.

There is some Bauernbrot bread on the counter. Ask Lessing about that too.

There is now a hot tub near the pool. It’s large enough to seat about six teens comfortably, but you can get more in there if you really try for some reason.

Okay I think that’s everything. Additionally, Tsukasa is here early this week! He’s looking pretty perky, seemingly recovered from the Match Ceremony, and he’s got some interesting info to share with everyone.

Embrace Space | Property Damage, etc | Dates | Mini-Event
Truth Booth Voting | Match Ceremony Submissions

Comments

[singurarity]

... [ is that the childhood friend, she wonders. ]

Why you, specifically? Why do you want to rule?

[singurarity]

No, some of them are going to be friendship.

[ It's for the best. ]

[haircared]

[ Oh, that is definitely her hand over his. He wasn't expecting that, and it almost startles him, perhaps evident in the slight flinch he gives during their short-lived kiss. It's not a bad flinch — just a surprised one. He'd generally thought most people would play this game in the most mechanical, through-the-motions way possible, but her hand atop his takes him out of the game a bit. ]

Yeah — guess so. [ What's left of the energy of his eyeroll is still lingering when he pulls back, heaving out a much longer than necessary sigh. ] Though I thought we weren't making this about winning and losing.

[singurarity]

[ She just scrunches her nose at him. Don't send those eyeroll vibes at her, young man. ]

I meant for the points, not us competing. I stick to my word.

[haircared]

[ The soft, polite press of the kiss on the back of his hand almost feels more intimate than some of the three point kisses he'd shared with others by this point — maybe it's because he's not usually treated in such a gentle way. Not in a bad sense; Josuke is just more the type to deal out casual affection, so that is generally what he gets in return. Not... well, whatever that was.

Blinking owlishly, he doesn't immediately pull his hand away — because even though Sanji looks bored as hell and like he'd rather be doing anything but this at the moment, Josuke can feel the pounding of his heart through his Stand. Is it from embarrassment..? Or — something else? Josuke grips on a little tighter, as if it's going to help him get to the bottom of it. ]

...Hah, so it's true. [ He breathes out lazily, almost awed, apparently not bothered by their close proximity. Sanji might not, but Josuke looks directly at him. It just toes the line of being teasing, as if to give himself the perfect amount of plausible deniability. ] You really do have a heart of gold.

[ Sanji's not the skirt chasing jerk he thought he might've been... he's actually pretty sweet beneath it all, to give out a polite kiss like this. He could've done it in the most passive, annoyed way, and made Josuke feel like it was a total bother, but he didn't, despite how he tried to seem on the outside. ]

[gravkitty]

[She lowers her head with a laugh, letting her hand slide down Mark's cheek and leave his face so she can clasp her fingers together.]

What can I say? I've totally got the right moves. [Move over, Asa; Kat is the real Casanova here. She might be flustered by doing so much that she's never really had the chance to do, but there's nothing that can fully temper her excitement. It did feel really nice, after all... even if it's just for a game, and she knows that much.]

What do you think? Did we do a good job?

[willandaway]

[haha! maybe she should ask!!]

[quiet for a very long moment, eyes slipping shut]

Because. . . I want to create a better future for my country. For my tribe. For everyone affected by discrimination, prejudice, and classism.

I want. . . to build a future where everyone can dream, regardless of who they are or what they look like.

[singurarity]

[ She's quiet, blinking at him. That's not an easy thing to take on, by any measure. ]

... So you want a future based on equality. I think that's a really great goal.

[makeine]

[ maybe this state will be fixed tonight. who can say.

regardless!!! of her personal troubles!!! she'll finish this scene off before her composure breaks and she wishes it was someone else standing in front of her, just a little taller with a different-- ]

If you drop that umbrella, I really won't forgive you.

[ teased as she reaches up to clasp her hands behind tsukasa's neck, standing on her tiptoes and pulling him down ever so slightly for what looks like an uncertain, sweet kiss on the lips, but behind the scenes is just one to his cheek from the front.

her feet drop back down and she smiles wider. ]

Thanks for waiting for me.

[makeine]

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

So you're gonna take Will-kun out, huh.

[singurarity]

To mostly talk about you, yeah.

[makeine]

[ ah

... ]

Y-You shouldn't talk about other girls on your date, Ritsuka-chan.

[singurarity]

It's not a romantic date, Anna-chan, so I'm definitely allowed to.

[ So there. ]

[gravkitty]

[It probably does come across exactly as he means it, but Kat is susceptible to praise and anything that sounds like it, and she latches on to that compliment because it brightens her right up.]

So, hanging out with me hasn't been too much of a drag for you?

[(He could just be shy like the others... but I think he's just being friendly. Yeah, of course he is.)]

You seem pretty reserved normally, but you actually pay attention to people when you're around them, don't you? [She places her hands beneath her chin.] Maybe I'll be even more likable once we give this a shot?

[willandaway]

[it's not easy at all. in fact, most people back home think it impossible. and. . . he can't really blame them for not believing in him. old habits and prejudices die hard, and even if he does become king. . . he has a long fight ahead of him. change takes time, especially something so sweeping and optimistic]

[he is not naive of that fact]

I know it sounds like an impossible dream. But. . . I knew someone who believed in it with all of his heart.

So I want to believe in it, too.

[makeine]

[ nn nnnn ]

O-Okay! We've definitely hung out enough! Let's change back!

[ sorry your uh

your top's gonna be. kinda stretched. a little. ]

[singurarity]

[ She'll live. ]

Ehe... pleasure hanging out with you!

[ suffer ]

[singurarity]

Something may sound like an impossible dream, but I've been told plenty of times that things are impossible and I shouldn't even try.

But I'm awful at giving up. [ On a soft breath. ]

I feel like you probably are, too. So I'm sure I'll get an invite to your coronation one day, right?

[flaweddetective]

[gravkitty]

is this the one where he couldn't win

[hgeegh]

[Look at this beautiful hand he's been granted for a spell. Sanji's heart rate skyrockets as he gingerly takes her hand in his and guides it up to the level of his chest, dropping the one at his head the while. His lips wobble from the effort to contain his grin and maintain some semblance of cool before this very fine lady.

Then, with all the care he can muster, he raises her hand just a little higher and meets it halfway with the duck of his head and his eyes shut. His lips graze the back of her hand for a long, reverent, fleeting moment before Sanji lifts his head to flash a modest smile at Ritsuka.]

[gravkitty]

Kat held hands and hugged and kissed and carried somebody and probably took a nice comfy nap... and maybe even talked about some heartfelt things with people. She did her best to complete her homework!

[aspirings]

[AND LATER ON IN THE WEEK, Tsukasa is shuffling through the turned in papers and nodding to himself. THEY DID IT. BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL GREAT.



anyway, he is going to find as many people as he can and announce, entirely loudly enough to be heard:]

Excellent work, everyone!

I'm now able to give a hint for this upcoming Match Ceremony. [or truth booth, he's not your mom.]

Ah, but first--please decide which person you would like the hint to be about.

[okok discuss amongst yourselves and tell tsukasa when you've decided thank u]

[willandaway]

[executive decision, he knows what fireworks are. I cannot keep doing this!!!]

[. . . a tiny hum plays in his lips at the feeling of those fingers in his hair. he has grown so used to living with the traumatic memories of the village fire that he doesn't mind talking about it. but. . . it's still nice, to be soothed in this manner]

It was such a long time ago. [when he was veeeery little] Some memories of the fire itself are dull, too.

But maybe that's. . . okay.

tb discussion...part 1

[gravkitty]

[Wednesday rolls around, and hopefully, people have been enjoying their dates and their fallout from spin-the-bottle. Everyone's having a good time, right?]

Great job, everyone! [Now she just sounds like Tsukasa...] I knew we could do it.

[Kat holds up her completed sheet proudly, waving it around with the kind of joy some people reserve for their diplomas.]

I can totally taste that hint! We're going to get a good clue, for sure. Um... but should we pick who we want a hint about based on who we want to send to the booth, or the other way around...?