puppycrush2 | week two

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!week: two,
mingle

week two | mingle

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

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[Well... She's going to let other people talk about their choices first, silent but also not touching any more of the lemons.

Since she didn't have the chance to choose last week, she might be up. (Better think fast, Kat...)]

[ Pocky stick for Kat.

And one more. ]

Courtesy of me and the stubborn guy who also asked me to make sure you were okay.

[Pocky sticks...

She will mow these down in a little bit. She shakes them appreciatively at Ritsuka, pulling her knees up and dangling her arm across them.]

He really surprised me this week. Thanks for checking in... and for taking over as leader, like you always do! You're really good at it.

He kinda surprised me too. Looks like you made a better impression on him than we thought.

[ Especially after last week... ]

But thanks! I've got experience with keeping a bunch of different personalities in line, so if it comes in handy now, I'll take it.

... How're you feeling, though?

Hm... maybe! Tsukasa did say I've got star power. [But it's a little troubling. She's still confused about how this all happened. Maybe Goro really did just need someone who was willing to hear him out, but he also doesn't seem to feel sorry at all for anything he did before. It's hard to wrap her brain around.

She starts eating a piece of pocky, maybe so she doesn't have to speculate just yet.]

I'm okay! Just listening to everyone's thoughts.

[(A lot of people here have a really strong idea of who they might choose... That's good. I'm glad they're so confident.)]

Tomorrow's... definitely gonna be interesting.

[ What a nice, neutral statement. ]

[A nice, neutral statement from someone who does her best to be neutral but could probably stand to be a bit more demanding with her feelings.]

Eheh... Pinky promise we won't let anymore disasters break out. [Her hand comes out.] You're lucky, Ritsuka... you already got to go through with your picks!

I can get a little carried away when I think someone might like me, so I've been trying not to come on too strong to anyone...

[(But maybe I could have tried to come on a little stronger...)

Then again, Asa did accuse her of being a whore earlier, so...]

[ Hooks pinkies with her! ]

It was really stressful last week, so I at least know how it feels...

But I think it's okay to be a little more straightforward with people. Otherwise, a lot of guessing does or doesn't happen. Not that it makes it easier either way, though.

[ It takes a lot of courage. ]

I think I was hoping I would... know know. Maybe not love at first sight, but like a lightbulb went off, that little "ding!" ... feeling. Maybe it's because I've never...

[Well, she's never actually been in love, just had wild random crushes that appeared out of nowhere because someone happened to be nice to her.

She actually does envy Anna and Will a little bit, though it's not the kind of jealousy she'd ever say out loud, just the kind she'd mope over in bed with an extra large piece of cake or something like that.]

Or maybe I kinda hoped someone would be super into me right away. [She laughs nervously, seeing this as obviously kind of a selfish admission.]

[ Oh, she is the wrong person for this. Ritsuka, who has also never... ]

That's not exactly a bad thing to hope for. I'm still kind of stunned and impressed by Ryuji and how he figured it out so quickly. [ And then had to get gently bullied into doing something about it, but it's fine. ]

Though, I don't think that works for me. I feel like if someone's super into me right off the bat, it just feels weird because they don't know me yet. So I take a lot longer than I probably should in a game like this.

But everyone's different, right? I do think you've been turning heads ever since the beginning. [ Because! She's super cute!! ]

[. . . giving her a tiny nudge. he didn't intervene (b/c I was at work) but he did see the little tiff with Asa]

[And Kat turns and gives him a bright smile. No need to ask who he's picking.]

What do you think about our other matches?

[nope, he is making that one clear as day!]

. . . I don't know if my instincts are helping us, here. I was wrong about the two that I was most certain of.

[that is, Mark/Josuke and Dorothea/Sanji]

Yeah... [Her cheeks puff out as she pouts, her only recourse to agree.

She's also not going to question if he's having the same instinctual uncertainties about his match with Anna. They need encouragement in that regard, not to attack each other...right? They're both super lucky to have sorted things out so quickly, and Kat really wants to believe in that being right.]

I felt good about them, too... Plus, this kinda makes it seem like there's no exact "theme."...Sanji and Dorothea are more like Wednesday and Ryuji, I think.

Maybe instead I should ask you...if you were matching matches, what would you base it on?

[ So... all that earlier was awful. He didn't really... know... what to do... but now that things have quieted down some, it's easier to go up to her. ]

Hey... you doing alright?

[ soft smile?? ]

Yeah! [She gives him her little smile.]

... Well, I'm pretty disappointed for Sanji and Dorothea's sake, but I know we can bounce back from this!

[ God, she's so cute. His smile broadens. ]

Yeah! At least we know a little more now. And — I still think we'll all be happy in the end. We just gotta get there.

[ And — very much in the back of his mind — knowing that there's still a good chance Kat is his match... ]

I think so, too. I'm ready to do whatever it takes to make sure we all win this one.

[There are a lot of people who are here primarily to win a wish... Matters of the heart might be deathly important, but the ones who might not get what they worked so hard for are the ones who will suffer the most if they fail.]

... You're one of the people I really wanna pick if it's my turn. But I'm bad at thinking about it logically like some of you guys. [It's just sort of...based on how she feels.]

[ Mark nods; it is important they win this. He originally came here for the wish, too, and maybe he's been getting a bit more swept up in the romance aspect as time has gone on, but... the wish is desperately, desperately important.

... But maybe so is who his match ends up being. ]

I don't think I'm good at thinking about it logically either. I just... went for it with Josuke, we're so similar. I don't know if that's why we aren't a match, I just know that we aren't now. But... you and I could be.

[ He hesitates a second before reaching to take her hands in his. ]

We could try to figure out how much we have in common and how much we don't... or maybe just wing it and see what happens?

[(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?]

[ 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! ]

[They probably went into the weekend with such optimism, such joy...]

Oh, yeah, sorry. I keep losing track of who knows... [That seems to have held her back a little bit, insofar as building relationships might have gone. Maybe there's something about her past that would make the game easier... but she doesn't want to think about that right now; wouldn't it be better to get to know people who like Kat for herself as she is now?]

I kinda... don't remember anything about my past? [She smiles halfway, semi-embarrassed, with a tiny cracked smile.]

[ Losing track of who knows... Only Ritsuka knows about him, and he hadn't been planning on telling anyone. He doesn't envy Kat there; he does envy that she's in a position to apparently tell people secrets, though.

And use her powers openly. That too. ]

... Oh. [ Well, that's as clear an answer as any. Mark blinks, but then matches her smile. ] That seems kinda intense, to not remember anything. But I mean, you're still so nice, so as long as you're doing alright... who knows, maybe we will uncover something?

[ Gotta think positive! Especially for someone as sweet as Kat. ]

[The truth is, it's not even really a secret. Most people in Hekseville don't really care about Kat's past, where she comes from, or where she goes when she's finished talking with them. The people she loves all know and understand, but what else can they do? There's so little to go on - just Dusty, just an apple, just a few strange feelings.

In some ways, it's freeing. In others, it's unbearably lonely.]

Dorothea said something similar... well, if something comes along, that's fine! I'll take any clue I can get.

[What does it sound like when someone wants to know but also isn't sure that they do? Well, it probably sounds a bit like Kat does right now.]

If Dorothea said it, then it's probably true. [ Nevermind little old him... ] I mean, that's really all you can do, right? Just... roll with the punches, kind of?

[ He can hear the uncertainty in Kat's tone, and kind of envies that a little, too, however unfair it is of him. There are some things he's learned recently he'd love to not know, so he gets it. Wanting to fill that gap, but at the same time, maybe it's better off not knowing something.

It isn't his place to tell her that, though. So, ] We'll have to see what comes up. And if nothing does... we can work with that too.

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