puppycrush2 | week two

[After school special, he thinks. After school special. Something with a happy ending--which is his preference anyway. Even if it's bittersweet, even if it's just a hope for the future, there has to be something happy there.

Besides... Anna is smiling, but she also looks... like she might cry.

... He smiles, letting his hands loosen at his side.]

Then... if that happens... I'll have a new side of Yanami-san to fall in love with.

But I think... yes. I'll still fall in love with you... every time.

[Because that's what love is, isn't it? He thinks--at least, for a stage show, for something performed in front of others, it needs to be this sort of sweeping, hopeful dream of true love.]

[ god, she hopes that's true.

she opens her mouth to say something and half a croaked word comes out before they're called off the stage by one of the hands -- it serves as a good shock back to reality as anna shakes her head and turns to start back downstage, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. okay. okay. come on, happy journeys ahead. ]

You're the real deal, Tsukasa-kun! I totally fell into role thanks to you -- I'd love to see you act with the rest of your peers someday.

[ it's a little shaky but she's trooping on!!! yup!!! all good!!!! ]

[Tsukasa is profusely apologetic to the stage hand as they're escorted off the stage, and then he clears his throat once they've made it back to the proper area for them to be.

She's shaky but saying the magic words to, uh. Ruin this thread.]

Ha ha ha! Of course! I am a star, of course! You'd be blown away by WonderlandsxShowtime, I assure you! And I would be there as well, naturally.

[.......... Okay he can't read the room but he noted before that she was wearing... some interesting expressions during their acting exercise, and she's wiping her eyes now.

Besides which...

... Hm. He offers her his arm again.]

Still... are you okay, Anna-chan? You seem overwhelmed.

I'm fine!

[ sharp and high, and after a moment of hesitation she takes his arm again with a huff. ]

Is Wonderland whatever your troupe?

[Uh huh.......

Tsukasa's eyebrows arch a little, but he doesn't push. Yet. For now. Instead, with her hand on his arm again, he leads her out of the theater and towards the bar.

Refreshments time!!]

WonderlandsxShowtime! That's right.

Much as I'd love to talk more about my troupe [and lord would he. forever.] I'd like to point out how impressive you were on stage as well. Have you done any acting or improv before?

[ refreshments? say less she's perking up. ]

I was a ghost for my class during the culture festival, but I can't say I've really done much otherwise. I totally hit it out of the park then too!

[ she was... soooooo scary... ]

I always thought I'd be a good actress though. [ a flip of her hair. ] Star power, you know? Game recognizes game.

[Refreshments! People are trickling in at this point, so there's a bit of a line, but Tsukasa doesn't seem to mind as he listens to Anna.]

Hm, hm!! Star power! I do indeed know exactly what you mean!

[She is so good at derailing him, I can't believe this.]

Still, you brought something to that role, that was very...

[Hmmmm... he's not sure how to put it himself, except--]

I was touched by the amount of emotion you were able to get across.

[ there's only a handful of braincells between them is why i'm crying ]

Well, I have experience in turning people down. I got a lot of confessions after the entrance ceremony.

[ because she's hot ]

Ohhh! So that's how it is!

[God.

He buys this with his whole ass.]

Incredible... so that's how you did it. Ah, I probably wouldn't get any confessions either way [QUITE FRANKLY, HIS REPUTATION AT SCHOOL IS TRASH EVEN IF HE'S PRETTY] so that isn't an option for me, though.

[ why would she lie? she isn't but this isn't the whole truth either.

anyway despite her first impression anna is?? actually bewildered??? ]

Really? But you're so handsome on top of being a gentleman.

Ah, thank you! That's very kind of you!

[........ though he kind of... looks a little sheepish at that.]

I do get along well enough with my peers, I think... [He's actually pretty likeable at school, it's just.

It's just...]

But I'm afraid I have a bit of a reputation these days for being... [..........]

[..... gloom.......]

Ah, no matter how hard I try, I end up in a situation where I'm causing everyone trouble...

[RUI....]

[ oh dear. she'll pat his hand with her free one. there, there. ]

Aw, come on, what's wrong with that? Causing others trouble is just what happens when people care about you... and maybe it's because you're trying to avoid it so much that it ends up happening anyway.

[that's very sweet, Anna, but--]

... Sometimes explosions are involved...

[ANYWAY THEY'RE AT THE FRONT OF THE LINE.

Time to order drinks! And snacks, if they want them. Tsukasa is digging into his pockets for Currency to pay for it, because that's polite. Presumably production gave it to him. Beats me.]

Ah, you order first, Anna-chan.

[ ........................ tsukasa-kun are you ok

oh hello!!!!!!!!!!!! order time!!!!!! ]

See? A total gentleman!

[ anyway. sorry. whatever snacks they've got is what anna's ordering, genuinely, heavier on the sweet side ("because as long as they're in small amounts, you don't gain weight"), and then just water ("to balance any bad calories"). because that's how it works. clearly.

okay. tsukasa's turn ♡ ]

[LMFAO well. Anna's got snacks way covered, so Tsukasa satisfies himself with just getting himself water too.

It's just like.

... Even just looking at Anna's pile of snacks makes him feel like he's Had Enough.

Regardless, he'll pay, and then move to help her carry at least a chunk of the snacks.]

I imagine the show should be starting soon. Shall we find our actual seats? [instead of being Themselves about it.]

[ sorry? is he not getting his own? why does everyone assume she's in the business of sharing... the thing is she doesn't hand things off to people they just need to do what she does and assume it's for them and take one.

so in that sense yeah this is also tsukasa's. ]

Lead the way, Tsukasa-kun! I'll be riiight behind you.

[ actually quite excited now she's definitely totally forgotten her embarrassing display earlier.

no it's still on her mind but she'll canonically trauma dump on him after the show. ]

[oh good he'll be ready, canonical trauma dumps is how we handle things in this house.

Anyway he is just legitimately carrying her snacks for her, because he gives them back as soon as they're settled in their seats. Which are... pretty good! Not the most incredible seats, but decent. Production didn't skimp out at least.]

Ooh, it's starting!

[PLAY TIME!!!

It is... well, it's a happy play. A romantic comedy, starring twists and turns, misunderstandings and musical numbers about hoping the other lead will see them for who they really are.

Tsukasa is Engrossed the whole dang time.]

[ anna gets into it too, chomping down on her snacks quietly as the play goes on. utterly Enraptured. edge of her seat.

plays are so good actually??? she's totally vibing with it??? she really gets the leads' struggles... maybe she might even be tearing up at the sadder laments -- no she is, she's gonna be a cry baby by the happy end. ]

[It's okay, she's not at all the only one. Tsukasa isn't loud (like...... the only time), but he's plenty emotional as he watches too. Bright grins when things go well, the occasional tears in the corners of his eyes as a particularly sad lament hits just right...

This is what shows are all about. This... is what he wants to achieve...!

And it's always good to reaffirm that for himself.

By the end, after the clapping and the curtain call, Tsukasa turns to see how Anna is doing properly, and--well, smiles to see her so emotional.]

They're incredible, aren't they? [Plays. The actors. The stage. All of it.]

... Hey, Tsukasa-kun... they can't use this footage since you're in it, right?

[ what

an odd question. ]

[... Hm?

It is an odd question, but aside from a quizzical tilt of his head, he just answers it.]

That's most likely right. There's no real reason for them to use it, since your relationship with the other contestants is what matters for the show.

[In fact, even if these dates are also recorded, there's much less of a crew here than on Anna's other dates.]

Good.

[ just because

she still doesn't want everyone else to know. back home, within her friends' group. anna breathes in, hanging her head lower so her expression is obscured. but her hands are tight as they clasps each other. ]

... I said I turned down a lot of confessions, but... I was pretty much rejected myself. No, not pretty much -- I was dumped, plain and simple. By my childhood friend, who I thought would never find anyone else to fall in love with.

[ a soft, pained laugh. ]

Not that he ever thought about me that way in the first place, probably.

[... Oh.

So that's where the raw emotion in that portrayal came from. She was acting from true life--from her life, from a moment that has been this meaningful to her, all this time.

And how could it not be? Maybe there are endless incredible people here from all sorts of worlds, but a broken heart is a broken heart. That's the same across worlds, he has to believe.]

... I see... so that's why...

[... Hm...]

Did coming here help at all? [The show. The play. Their little acting stint--any of it.]

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