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

[makeine]

[ ... cruel?

she's never really thought of them as cruel, apparently, from the wide, open surprise of her expression as she turns to will. ]

Really, it's whatever. I don't care, I'm still gonna do and say what I want even if he hates my guts for it. I was more mad at how he spoke about your ideals.

[willandaway]

[he can say what he wants about Will's ideals, it's whatever!! he knows that his dream is difficult to believe in. especially in a world that is harsh and unkind]

. . . that's good.

[she should still do what she wants, and he is glad he isn't letting it get to her (SO IT SEEMS), but--]

It is cruel, though. And it isn't fair to you. Just because you're positive and optimistic-- which are some of your greatest strengths.

[he knows Akechi is probably lashing out from a place of hurt and bitterness, but still. still!!! he definitely looks kind of mad about it!!]

[makeine]

[ oh... he's mad on her behalf about it... that's sweet of him, and she scoots closer to kiss him shortly and sweetly, just the crackle of the fire beside them for a moment before she draws back. ]

Thanks. I just wanted to let you know though, in case it changed your mind any.

[ she doesn't think it will. will's stubborn, like her. it's a pain sometimes. ]

[makeine]

At least you're open to letting yourself be spoiled. That's a huge difference between you goody-two-shoes.

[ just a little tease, grinning down at him. ]

[willandaway]

[yeh I'm sorry Anna he is Like This (TM)]

[he seems a bit surprised by the kiss, sudden and short as it is, but-- he doesn't mind it, either. his cheeks turn a bit pink when she pulls away, and his irritation melts back into a smile. an Anna smile!]

He's. . . complicated. It doesn't excuse what he said, but his life has been. . .

[he trails off]

[he knows better than to give too many details. it's not his story to tell]

. . . difficult.

[willandaway]

. . . am I being spoiled right now?

[yes]

[makeine]

Right? And if they leave out a single detail, I'll tickle them to death!

[ that'll show 'em. ]

It'll probably get worse the longer I'm away, but it's been so fun here I only think about it when I'm talking to someone and I think "gosh, Lemon-chan would really get on with this person!" or "Komari-chan would really be into what's going on right now, for some reason!"... Nukumizu-kun would hate it here. I think his perfect match would be the bathroom.

[ shoutout to nukumizu love u babe you're michael in the bathroom for real ]

[makeine]

Duh? You're laying in your girlfriend's lap while she messes with your hair. What else could it be?

[ will doesn't know this is the dream of teenage boys everywhere......... ]

[makeine]

I didn't ask about it too much, but I know his mom died. That's pretty rough. That's about all I got -- he feels like he's overcompensating, though.

[ ... just a hunch, from how he'd gone on and on like he was trying to prove something. another marshmallow onto the skewered, and this time she's roasting one for will to enjoy too -- the same way she had before, letting it catch a little flame and rolling the stick between her fingers to move the fire. ]

Well, whatever, not my business. It's his life to choose if he wants to be a jerk in or not.

[haircared]

That doesn't sound so nefarious at all. With the way you were going around day one telling everyone "watch out, I'm a pirate..."

[ When his crew is full of people wanting to cure the world's diseases, reunite friends, and and solve history's mysteries. Josuke laughs, genuinely amused. That card about him is starting to make more and more sense. ]

Are you guys close, then? Or just coworkers...?

[rosethorns]

[There’s an appreciative little hum from her, both at the physical gesture and his tactful avoidance of any pity. Because she is all too used to facing either pity or disdain when others learn of her less than ideal origins and she’s frankly sick of it. She wishes it didn’t bother her as much as it does, but it’s hard to fight the heart when it has strong feelings of any sort.]

I appreciate you saying that. Truly. Sometimes others might feel sorry for me, but I don’t think most of them really understand how hard it was to live like that.

[Particularly when she spent the last few months surrounded by the sons and daughters of wealthy or noble families who were used to simply overlooking the struggles of anyone they deemed beneath them.

A tiny bit of tenseness is there in her shoulders now that the conversation’s hit a less than comfortable topic for her, but as she glances back up at him there’s some gratefulness in her eyes, and maybe a bit of an emboldened spark there too—he understands how it feels, at least in one aspect.]

But we’re more than where we come from, right? We’ll take life into our own hands and show those worthless fathers of ours that they’re the ones missing out on us.

[hgeegh]

Well, we did attack the World Government.

[He can't just pretend that there aren't dangers around the corner. It's better to be upfront now than to spring a nasty surprise on someone later. He's here to help, not deceive.]

But we're a crew. That makes us as good as family.

[rosethorns]

[of course, who could possibly disrupt the sanctity of anna’s dibs. putting my hand over what happens the very next day.

Dorothea is at least grateful for the discrete show of concern, even if she’s mentally preparing herself to offer it in return if the Will situation dovetails for Anna. Ha ha. Ha.

With some quiet amusement:]

Normally I’d love the tale of a good romantic rivalry, but I think I’ll stick to the ones in novels and operas.

[The stakes are too real when it concerns a friend!!]

[makeine]

[ putting a hand over it too. remember when we were young, thirteen. young and stupid. ]

It's not my first rodeo. A girl like me has plenty of experience, after all.

[ she lied as easily as she breathed ]

I do hope you're never caught in one though. A refined lady like yourself deserves no troubles at all.

[haircared]

[ A little forceful? Mark? It's hard to imagine when he seems a bit meek... he gives him a slight look of disbelief, before admitting to his own secret side: ]

Hah, really... me, I can get so mad I can't see straight.

[ Very literally, even. He admits this extremely casually; it's kind of a Thing in his family. Josuke's mom is also known to have a violent temper - it's where he got it from. ]

Especially if someone disses my hair. [ he is being 100% serious ] I can't stand that.

[haircared]

You could think of it like practice before the real thing, maybe.

[ He surveys Will as he adjusts the crown, thinking privately to himself that it suits him. ]

But I get what you mean.

[haircared]

[ Not because of him, doesn't have to do with the show.. but it's because of the match, at the same time?

Yeah, the tangle must go deep. Josuke's brow knits, deep in thought. ]

Well, I'm not gonna lie, that was the impression I was starting to get.

[ And he's glad that's not the case, but... this fills him with unease, too. ]

I don't want to stress him out more... but I'll see if I can help somehow. It's gotta be a problem bigger than just me. [ She did say it would likely need to be between the two of them, so it makes sense for him to be one patting around for clues, rather than Ritsuka continuing to push the issue. He gives her shoulder a pat, nodding in understanding. ] Thanks for telling me.

[gravkitty]

[(Oh... his hands!)

Kat glances down at Mark's hands grasping hers, earnest and warm and reassuring. It takes her off guard a little bit, having someone reach for her in so forward and honest a way. She gives them a squeeze, holding them up so their fingers can pass through each other.]

I think we should! If anything, it's a chance to know each other better, right? There are a lot of blanks in my memory, but... maybe this will help uncover something!

[Given the events of the ceremony and the weekend... it will probably end up being postponed at least until the next week. Hey, at least it will be somewhere to start once everyone's managed to regroup?]

[rosethorns]

[Sweet Anna and her wonderful charade. At least Dorothea has no reason to doubt her right now.

Her smile, though, slips into something a little more wry.]

No troubles at all… Now that sounds lovely. If only it could be true, though.

[titlecard]

[ His smile softens as she squeezes his hands, laces their fingers together. Just to get a warm reception, to be made to feel warm in turn... It's nice.

Although it fades a bit at the mention of blanks in her memory. That seems... concerning? ]

Blanks in your memory? I— [ Mark cuts himself off, unsure how much he should broach this. Kat did bring it up herself, but then she moved on so quick, so...

He gives her hands a little squeeze back. ]

If I can help then I'll be really happy to.

[ Even if it's postponed to the next week... They'll have even more to consider then! ]

[rosethorns]

[If only more of the contestants here could be in it for the romance of it all… Oh well, they work with what they’ve got.]

Exactly, there’s not really any losing for us then. Probably a good thing, since I’m not sure I favor our odds of turning this into a more tactical approach this round.

[What Could Go Wrong?]

[makeine]

A life well-lived is full of them or whatever, right?

[ sounds like something an old person might say, so chances are she's heard it from the same source. ]

Love will always make the bad times worth it. That's what I think, anyway. So they seem really small instead of overwhelming.

[ be it friends or family or more... anna's always felt better when she was around people she loved, like her troubles were so far away. even when they'd appear right in front of her. her recovery time for seeing sosuke and karen together really improved. ]

[counton]

[ One ear tilts back at Mark's struggle to respond to his admission. Sorry, man. He didn't mean to make it awkward, so he won't force the conversation to go on for longer. ]

Thanks.

[ He'll let him skitter off. Sorry for the startle that started this talk. ]

[counton]

[ It's hard given the situation they find themselves in, but...

Let's give Mark something to cheer him up some. ]

Anna was telling me earlier that her wish will be for a way for all of us to stay in contact, so it might work out for us.

[counton]

Let's see what the three of them think at least, and who is the most comfortable with what.

[ And hopefully it'll work out without two people wanting the same guy. ]