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

[titlecard]

[ He nods, now a little too in his own head to recognize how awkward Akechi's shoulder pat might be. It's just. Shoulder pats are a normal thing, yeah? Yeah.

... wait

aaaand he's blushing a bit again. ]

Th—Thanks. It was fun. Um... sorry it couldn't work out, but I really did have a good time.

... Not like there's anything stopping us from going out again next week anyway, right?

[ Sure, they've been ruled out as a match, but it's not for anything either one of them actually did. So the good vibes between them can continue. ]

[flaweddetective]

[Huh. Mark wants to hang out with him again. He thinks that's pretty weird but also... he smiles. Might as well, right?]

I don't see why not. What do you like to do for fun? I never got out too much myself back home but I do enjoy a good physical endurance type of thing. Ah, maybe we can go biking.

[titlecard]

[ He smiles back, encouraged. ]

Oh, biking would be good! I haven't gotten to do that in ages. [ why bike when you can fly— ] Especially if we've both been kind of cooped up in here, huh? It can be kind of like... our thing, I guess.

[flaweddetective]

Sakamoto-san and I go jogging every morning. You should join us. But I love a good bike ride. It's easier than owning a car in Japan, just biking from place to place, so I do it a lot.

[Our thing, huh?]

Yeah. That sounds fun.

[titlecard]

[ Oh— so whatever that was between Ryuji and Akechi last week, they figured it out? That's good. ]

I'd like that. Going running on my own kind of feels like it'd be... boring.

[ their thing!! ]

But huh. I never thought about that in Japan. I guess since in the States most people have to use cars... Biking place to place sounds more fun, I guess people just don't do it as much in the U.S.

[ too empty-headed to get into the why of that— ]

[flaweddetective]

Might as well do it with us. You work harder when you're racing against someone else, after all.

[He hums.]

I've never been to the States but I do know that it's not easy to bike if you don't live in the city. Where are you from in America? When I hear the United States I can't help but think New York or... Hollywood. Somewhere bombastic and big and bright.

[titlecard]

[ Working harder is exactly what he needs to not do, so he just smiles and nods. He'll actually work easier, running with two people who don't have super speed, so... good! ]

I'm in Baltimore. Well, more like the suburbs, so I guess biking is a little easier there, but there's nowhere to really... go. [ A beat. ] It's right next to the capital, so I'm still in kind of a big city, and it can still be bombastic, just not the level of New York.

[flaweddetective]

Oh. I am not familiar with Baltimore... but I have seen pictures of the capital. It's quite pretty. Very ancient Greek inspired. One of those places that you want to see at least once with your own eyes. As is the case with many capitals, to be honest.

I live in Tokyo so... you can imagine. It's very lively.

[titlecard]

Yeah, there's lots of cool things you can do there. Sight seeing, and museums, and... oh! [ He perks up as the thought comes to him. ] I've never been to Tokyo; I should really go some day. But I think we both have cherry blossoms.

[flaweddetective]

Ah, I think we do. [He chuckles softly.] But you really should go… Maybe I’ll tell you all my favorite secret places before all this is over. I think you might appreciate them.

How do you feel about jazz?

[The answer is important.]

[titlecard]

I...

[ he definitely gets the sense that the answer is important. This feels like the kind of question that's going to dictate everything going forward, but Mark hasn't really thought about jazz before.

Damn he needs to think of the right way to answer this, and fast. ]

... If somewhere with jazz is one of your favourite secret places, then it'll be at the top of my list to check out.

[flaweddetective]

[Hmm... He feels neutral about that answer but he'll allow points for earnestness, he supposes.]

It's a place called Jazz Jin in Kichijoji. You can take the train systems to get close. It's tucked away and a little easy to miss. There's a man whose name is Muhen that works there and if you drop my name he'll let you in no fuss.

Even if you're not a particular fan of jazz the drinks are really good. I hope you enjoy it. If we ever get our hands on some pens I'll write down all the best places to visit.

[titlecard]

Jazz Jin. I'll remember that.

[ The alliteration helps, but this is clearly important to Akechi — and it isn't going to take much for Mark to put two and two together later, thereby rocketing it to the top of his list of places to check out one day. ]

I mean, I'll appreciate the list, too. But I can remember this. [ A beat. ] I should think up some local places for you to check out... beyond the obvious, I mean. But I think you'd really like the National Mall, since it's got a ton of museums and monuments, all along this one strip. The museums would probably be really up your alley.

[flaweddetective]

Museums would be up my alley, yes. [He lets out a puff of a laugh.] And I know America has some interesting ones that I'd like to see. And some very incredible zoos.

[He doesn't know where his future might lie but... Just in case it might be nice to have a small list of things to do. A plan that exists past revenge. Something he didn't have before.]

I appreciate it. America is too big a place to be left floundering and uncertain in regards of what to do. Best to make the best of the time you have, right?

[titlecard]

[ That final sentiment brings him pause, because it's like a reminder of how fragile life can be. Except not his life — everyone else's, like that of everyone here, Akechi included.

So he's a bit more subdued in answering. ]

Yeah... yeah. I think— it's important to do that, yeah. [ And he tries to brighten up some, but it's hollow. ] America's big, but there's still a lot to do in my neck of the woods. I'll think up some other stuff for you.

[flaweddetective]

[He lets out a chuckle.]

I look forward to seeing it one day. I appreciate the sampling of what Baltimore has to offer.