puppycrush2 | week two

[ oh....... right. that must be tough. just like akechi and his corner store sushi. except that's because he's busy. cheese into her mouth. ]

Bad blood?

Not as much, anymore.

[ And after he munches on a piece of cheese: ]

My old man got with my mom one time when she was in college. He was sixty-two... and married. Didn't even know I existed until this year, when his family was trying to figure out how to split his inheritance. But mom spent all this time heartbroken over him.

[ For as upsetting as the topic is, he delivers it pretty neutrally. Anna seems to be pretty serious about the sanctity of love. Maybe she'll understand, intrinsically, how all that shaped him, without him getting into it deeply. It's the biggest reason why he's slow to make these kinds of connections. ]

I used to feel a type of way about all of it... we've made up, but it's still weird, you know?

[ immediately: ]

Filthy cheater.

[ ... ]

Oh, yeah, no, I totally see how it'd be weird. Did you punch him?

[ sorry. this is important. ]

[ Immediately: ]

He's like, a seventy-nine year old man, Yanami.

[ HE'S NOT GONNA PUNCH THE ELDERLY!!!! ]

I got pretty pissed at him and told him off at one point, though... that's in the past, now.

[ giving him a look that couldn't be more clearly "what does his age matter" before she spears another line of cheese cubes. ]

Your mama raised you well if you turned out such a gentleman... I'll make pudding for you to take home for her before we're kicked out of the house at the end.

[ Oh? Pudding??? The promise of sweet treats down the line in the future makes him forget momentarily about the subject of his old man. ]

Seriously? Well, if you insist...! [ He'll find some way to repay her, though. Fondly: ] You'd get along great with her. She's a total romantic, like you, and she doesn't take shit from anybody. But she can be pretty scary when she's pissed.

[ wonder where he gets it from..... anyway, now he's moved on to eating crackers and grapes. He hesitates to say what he does next, almost like it's a little too personal to say on TV. ]

As for me, well, I dunno if it's as much how she raised me, [ cronch ] But more how I saw her growing up... she used to cry over the old geezer all the time. It pissed me off.. nowadays, I just can't stand irresponsible guys like that.

[ If a man seems the type to make girls cry, he is just programmed to hate on them :/ ]

Sounds like you hate 'em too.

[ ooh, the fruits are out... now she's focusing on making a kebab of cheese, grapes, and a drizzle of honey. yummy. don't worry, she's listening, glancing up from her work to make sure josuke knows too. ]

I'd love to meet her! And I do, from the very bottom of my heart! No one's worse than someone who cheats -- man or woman. [ monch ] It's why I'm really glad Will-kun's such a good guy... he always makes sure to check in with me if he's using the Embrace Space with someone else, which has only been once but he was super honest about how long he was in there, too.

[ and

she's supposed to get double the kisses for it but we're not touching that. ]

[ He listens patiently about her relationship tidbits, chewing thoughtfully all the while. Sounds about right — he couldn't imagine Will acting any different. ]

You guys are getting kinda serious, yeah?

[ As serious as something can be after two weeks. The exclusivity makes him think their bond goes beyond just thinking about the game — good for them. ]

[ her untimely inhale's sending that grape right down the wrong way please she's waving her hand for something to drink or... maybe just a hand to help ]

— you okay?

[ LORD... mercifully, Josuke pats her on the back, and using his invisible powers, he can easily and gently help her expel the grape without struggle. ]

[ oh my god. you're so useful, josuke. she feels so much better when he's patting her back... that thing's going back in and being mercilessly crunched though. try and kill her, huh. see how long you last in these pearly white gnashers. ]

I'm fine now. Thanks, Josuke-kun. I seriously would've died if you weren't here.

[ nevermind it's his fault in the first place, technically...

anna stabs another grape, but it's... just to stab at it. it doesn't lessen her pink cheeks, which are not from her choking. ]

Will-kun's just a decent man, like you. Whatever he feels about it, I've been serious about him since day one.

[ you know, love at first sight and all that. or so she's claimed. ]

[ It's his #1 skill.... making everyone feel better :) ]

Well, if he's doing all that about the Embrace Space and stuff, he's gotta feel somewhat serious about it.

[ Though... also, Will said he only came here for his political campaign. Maybe his situationship with Yanami is just a happy accident? Or is he just trying to be diplomatic? ]

What do you mean, "whatever he feels about it," anyway? Shouldn't you know?

[ ??? he's seen yall go in there and hang out there's no way they've just been making small talk this whole time, right... ]

Checking in with me is because he knows how I feel about cheating, that's all, really. A decent guy, promise. He's good and kind. I mean, of course he's doing it because we're together, but it's kind of a courtesy thing.

[ that much is true, it is because he knows how she feels about cheating and potential cheating.

but crap, right, she should, shouldn't she? because they're oh-so-close and stuff? that poor, ravaged grape is being paired with a cheese and eaten. god, she wishes she had some meat. salami would kill with this. ]

... Will-kun... is both easy and hard to read.

[ this. too. is true. but not for the reasons that one might assume. reasons she cannot confess to towards her fellow contestants for the most part. ]

But I guess if you think so, then there's truth to it.

[ He still thinks she should have an inkling... during the first week, he might've thought Will passive enough to just be swept up into anything around him. He knows better now, though; Will's a pretty resolute guy. If he's by Yanami's side, there must be a reason for it. ]

I'm just an outside observer, [ He drawls, looking up when a waiter brings by two flutes of fancy grape juice for them. ] The only way you'll know for certain is to ask him directly.

[ That's what he thinks she should do, anyway... based on his impression of him, Will doesn't seem like he'd be a very good liar. Asking him straight out ought to do the trick! ]

[ uuuuuggggggggghhhhhhhh thanks for the drink she's draining the whole thing in one go. this is something she really can do, setting the glass down firmly. ]

... Not a chance.

What? Why not?

[ Visible confusion??? Seems like a pretty obvious solution to him... he's gonna wait on the juice until he gets to the bottom of this. ]

Confidential. But there's no way I can ask him, okay? Just trust me on that.

[ moodily picking at her cheese now.

... it... sure does seems like she wants to be asked about it though, not gonna lie, with how she peeks at her from under her bangs. maybe. ]

If the two of you are going to keep picking each other, it's probably best to get to the bottom of these things... sooner rather than later.

[ Which he offers mildly, keeping his comment contained to the matters of the game so that she hopefully doesn't take it too personally. It's possible there's a real reason she can't talk about it, which he can understand. But the way she's peeking at him through her bangs makes him think she's just being bashful about it. ]

[ ...

back to spearing a poor grape. another board arrives, this time with Stinky Cheeses, and anna stares at one before giving it a shot

and deciding she isn't a fan. ]

It's for publicity.

Will told me he came here because of an election, yeah.

[ He's not as brave as Anna, he's not even going to attempt to eat stinky cheese. He'll just keep eating crackers. It's pretty easy to make the next logical conclusion, but he's careful with his words, his voice gentle. ]

Was pairing up with you part of that?

Wanna know how it went?

[ with the tone of it's a pretty stupid story. ]

Also, you cannot tell anyone else. We did it in front of cameras, so I don't really care about those.

[ He gives her a flat look over the rim of his grape juice, almost as if to say really? ]

I'm not gonna tell.

[ He likes to think he's a pretty trustworthy guy... ]

I just want to help.

I trust you, I just wanna make sure.

[ because it's very important. their little act. that's apparent as she twiddles her toothpick. ]

So, he overheard me saying that he was my type, and I pretty much immediately asked him what he was here for if it wasn't love, and he said publicity. So I told him we should date.

[ like

within two minutes of knowing him, from the sounds of it. ]

There's no one better at drawing attention than me, [ for better and worse, ] so I figured I could help out -- everyone loves a tale of love at first sight, an immediate spark, and being with someone could show off sides that he might not be able to show off otherwise. I didn't actually know why he needed it until he sat me down with a book and told me about the election stuff though.

[ and even then, there's more to it. she ignores the stinky cheeses and goes for more fruit. ]

... We're both getting something out of it, and if I start to like someone else then it's an amicable end to our whirlwind romance. Those were the terms.

[ but. the problem. is pretty easy to puzzle out. ]

[ Josuke listens intently, brow creasing the more she goes on. On its face, it's a pretty smart plan. Better for Will to get involved with someone quickly and get screentime rather than be stuck in the middle between a bunch of other matches. It helps him keep his image stable, too — easier for any of the masses to remember.

That's about where the cleverness of the plan wears off, though. He leans his cheek into one of his hands, propping an elbow up on their shared table. ]

Right, but now it's not only about logistics, for you.

[ She's right, it is easy to puzzle out. For what it's worth, he looks deep in thought, now understanding why she might read all of Will's actions as part of his act for publicity, or his considerations as practical parts of their terms. His brow furrows, the immediate solution evading him — but he's going to simmer on it, let him cook. ]

If I give my honest opinion, I don't think Will is very good at lying. He's serious about his goal... but I don't think he's cold enough to lead you on for it.

[ Their PDA has been a little hard to miss. At least from his perspective, Will doesn't seem like the kind of person that can just parrot that for the sake of clout. ]

But I get why you'd feel uncertain. [ His words are deep with empathy and understanding, like a warm, soft pat on the shoulder. ] What's your plan as of right now? Just let this ride out 'til the end?

[ smart boy. she mirrors his position, nodding with a sort of tired look. tired of herself!!!! ]

I mean, duh? I just have to keep reminding myself that as genuine as his actions and stuff are to me -- because you're right, he's too honest and wouldn't ever lead someone on, if the idea even crossed his mind to -- it's... I mean, it's not for any real romantic purpose. We're even planning on putting off the booth as long as possible since there's no cameras there. Guess who had to remind him why it was a bad idea to be shipped off too soon, if we are a match.

[ guess, josuke. it's rhetorical. anna rests back against her chair, hands stretched out on the table as she looks up. ]

I'm stuck looking at the bigger picture and I really, really like him. I wanna be a match. I do think we probably are, maybe, and he's certain of it, but I don't actually know if he's like that 'cause we should be certain we're one, or because he really, really thinks we are, but I just want us to be anyway. [ because she'd like to be. his match. hers, his; his, her. ] But I gotta remember the reason he agreed and I can't let anything else distract him from that.

[ even if

she is going to be putting her own heart on the backburner, to put it simply. she does seem determined about that part, even if she's got a kind of... resignation about the rest.

... goes without saying that she doesn't want to think about not being a match. even if she tells people it doesn't matter beyond the game, she doesn't want to think about it. ]

week two | dates

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