week two | dates

[showhost]

You worked up your courage and asked someone out on a date! Good job!





Now you have to hope the producers are kind re: where they send you.

Comments

anna & steve

[showhost]

Welcome to the zoo!

It's a pretty classic date, right? There are all sorts of lovely animals to enjoy and see and admire here.

Oooh, aaah!

Highlights:

- be sure to visit the reptile enclosure
- it's bright and warm! Maybe a little too warm
- this is probably a multi-hour affair

[newlugers]

[ anna has displayed some mildly concerning behaviors, but none of it has been directed towards him, so Steve isn't worried. She's cute and pleasant enough! The zoo wouldn't have been his first pick, but he's not bothered by it, either - only the hot sun has him concerned. He's definitely going to get sunburned. Should've brought a hat, Steve. ]

Oh, cool. I haven't been to the zoo in ages... I hope they have wolves.

[ like every angsty teen, he feels a deep kinship with them ]

[makeine]

[ one of them knows how to take care of their skin, at least... but anna does keep the sunscreen on her unfortunately so. steve's getting what every teen boy dreams of besides lap pillows i guess as she squirts a bit onto her hand, rubs them together, and smacks it onto his cheek. rubrubrub ]

I think most places do! The last one I went to was in Non Hoi Park, it was really fun... but it also has a lot of other things there too, like a museum and an amusement park.

[ and a botanical garden... ]

You know what the first thing on our to-do list is, Steve-kun?

[newlugers]

Woah! Hey, give a guy some warning!

[ he's definitely taken off-guard by the sudden sunscreen attack, shoulders jumping, but he at least catches himself before trying to brush her off. This feels very cutesy to be doing with a girl he doesn't know all that well; such is life on a dating show, he supposes, and he gives in, leaning down a little so she can reach his face easier. ]

Uh, what's the first thing? Other than slathering me.

[makeine]

[ oh good thank you, much easier, she's getting both hands in on the action now, making sure to smooth the protection over his face, ears, and neck... hm. maybe she shouldn't do this with someone that isn't will. too late. ]

Matching merchandise. We'll get some animal hats and snacks. What do you think would suit me?

[newlugers]

[ it's fine!! think of the views!! Steve tries not to be too ticklish about it all. I forgot to mention it in my tag but rest assured he is dressed appropriately for the summer of 1998 in America. He is still wearing that choker, though! Since she's close, she might notice that it's got an electronic face displaying the numbers 0267 in red like an alarm clock. ]

Is this a trick question? [ hmmmm. what's an inoffensive animal to suggest to a girl you don't know too well... ] I dunno. A bunny, maybe?

[makeine]

[ ..........................................

what a unique fashion choice, that collar!!!!! with numbers!!!!!!! she admires the courage to wear it!!!!!! ]

Oooh, they're so cute and so me! You're totes right. I wonder if they have any bunny hats...

[ not like she's thinking anyway but it's fine. okay. he's slathered on the face, she's taking his hand to squirt some on his palm. ]

Do your arms too or you'll come back looking more like a lobster than a wolf.

[ and then they can drop into the gift shop real quick to buy some. she's going to end up with an alligator hat. like this. ]

[newlugers]

[ thanks anna

gift shop is a hell of a place to start, but he supposes it's all on Tsukasa's dime, so why not?! His appraisal of Anna actually rises when she ends up with an alligator hat instead of a generic cute animal. Clearly, she has hidden depths... or this is just a reflection of that red flag. Well, either way, she's at least interesting. Steve refrains from buying anything (other than a matching hat, as instructed) - half because he doesn't want any, half because a part of him keeps reminding him that he's dead and won't get to keep any of it for long.

Anyway. ]

An alligator, huh... That's unexpected. [ nodding. ] You got a favorite animal?

[makeine]

Otters! They're gentle, cute creatures, just like me. But B*g Ch*llenges won my heart with his design.

[ oh my god the crew is editing the fuck out of that they CANNOT handle a lawsuit from sanrio. also, otters are known gluttons. ]

But I like anything that looks like it might give a good hug too, like sunbears and sloths.

[newlugers]

B*g Ch*llenges?

[ i like to imagine that the entire phrase is bleeped out so it just sounds like they're cussing each other out. Anyway, Steve has no idea what she's talking about. ]

Wait, what's a sunbear?

[makeine]

[ me too. the energy is unreal. ]

You don't know what a sunbear is?!

[ this can't stay. she's taking his hand. ]

Come on. We're seeing them first!

[newlugers]

[ holding hands!! they're accidentally filling out their scavenger hunt cards and they don't even know it. Or Steve doesn't, anyway - he lets her tug him along without complaint. ]

Uh, no? There's panda bears, grizzly bears, polar bears, regular bears... koala bears. That's all the bears I know.

[makeine]

Then you don't even know about moon bears! They're also cute!

[ please she sounds like she's pulling his leg not his hand. ]

The only thing I don't really like is snakes, I guess? They move really fast.

[ kinda scary ]

[newlugers]

[ this is a lot of bear enthusiasm. Steve nods along. ]

Yeah, snakes can sneak up on you. But they're kinda cool, too.

[ any animal that a second grade boy thinks is cool is one that he also thinks is cool. ]

If you wanna see gators, we'll probably have to go by some snakes on the way.

[makeine]

[ ... her hand squeezes his. ]

And you'll protect me from them, right?

[ nevermind they're behind glass she'd absolutely put steve between herself and the snakes. ]

[newlugers]

[ at that, he snorts. ]

You got it. Even if one of the bears came at you, they wouldn't stand a chance against me! Snakes are nothing compared to the stuff I've fought.

[ talking big, but he also seems to entirely believe what he's saying?? He's nothing if not confident. ]

[makeine]

[ wow. that's so attractive, it's too bad she's into will. it won't stop her from the usual romcom tropes when they get there though. unfortunately. ]

Oh yeah? Like what?

[newlugers]

Just some zombie freaks. There was a big outbreak in the j - uh, the place where I was staying. Basically, everyone other than me ended up getting turned.

[ he says this casually - but he's clearly doing so because he thinks he was really cool for it. ]

Me, though? I grabbed some guns and blasted my way out.

[makeine]

[ whoa.



she wishes she could call bullshit but they have a literal demon among them so. ]

Weren't you scared? I mean, zombies aren't like, super terrifying or anything in the movies, but being the only person sounds pretty frightening.

[newlugers]

[ he shakes his head. ]

Nah, I wasn't scared of them. They're slow and dumb. Stressed out, though, sure. [ this is a lie; he was definitely scared, but he's not about to admit that to a cute girl. ] I did end up running into another survivor, so I wasn't totally alone.

[makeine]

[ steve!!!!! your gap moe!!!!! we have to remember your gap moe!!!!!! ]

Was it a girl?

[newlugers]

[ why does he suddenly have the feeling that this is a trap...? ]

Uh, yeah, but what's that got to do with anything?

[ thinking about Claire right now... he can't do that. He's not that terrible of a person! Or maybe he is for being on this date at all?? Steve does his best to keep any doubtful thoughts from entering his expression; results are mixed. ]

[makeine]

[ oh, he's like cute-cute.

anyway. they're at the sun bears now. look at their dopey fucking faces. anna's enamored even as she talks. ]

Because that's totally how end of the world romance stories go? You and a cute, cool girl against a bunch of brainless brain-eating dead people! Having each other's backs in the heat of battle...

[ so cool. so good. ]

[newlugers]

[ meanwhile, Steve suddenly doesn't seem very interested in the bears, staring out at them with an expression that gets stonier as Anna speaks. ]

Yeah, well, real life's not like the stories, [ he replies, a little terse. ] You don't get a happy ending.

[ this is why he didn't want to think about Claire!! ]

[makeine]

[ oh.

she's staring at him quizzically before a sort of understanding dawns on her and she pats his shoulder. ]

We've all been there, buddy. It's pretty rough being dumped, huh?