week three | mingle

[showhost]

So, uh.

Welcome to Week Three! We’ve officially passed the halfway point, and after a super, duper successful Match Ceremony, I’m sure the teens are feeling all hyped up and raring to go.

Right?

Regardless, there are a few changes this Monday morning to greet the teens:

• First off, there is a new bathroom! Oooh, aaaahhhh. Three whole bathrooms in the house for the teens now. Enjoy.
  
• There is also a set of video games in the living room to connect to the TV. They are pretty much all multiplayer party games like M*rio C*rt. Don’t kill each other.
  
• There are a few packs of dorayaki now scattered around the house.
  
• There is also a piano now in the living room!
  
• On the counter in the kitchen, there is also some paper and writing implements, like basic ballpoint pens. Wait, doesn’t that break the rules?

Tsukasa’s extremely loud and obnoxious voice is not here to greet you guys this morning, which means it seems there isn’t a Task for the week–

But something else seems to be going on.

Embrace Space | Property Damage, etc | Dates | Mini-Event
Truth Booth Voting | Match Ceremony Submissions

Comments

[warhawks]

[ Later in the week — from Wednesday (not that one) onward — Asa can be found trying to navigate various situations thanks to her new, highly impractical arms. Maybe she's trying to make food, play M*rio K*rt, do her hair, or even put on pyjamas later at night. Whatever the case, she lifts up her taloned hands, stares for a few seconds, then slumps her shoulders with a tired sigh. ]

It's fine. I didn't want to anyway...

[counton]

[ They're in the kitchen, because this is probably a less horrific scenario for her than being caught by a boy as she tries to put on her pjs, and she is allowed the smallest amount of dignity as most of it is stripped away.

Either way, Lessing is quiet for a moment as he watches her struggle, before finally asking. ]

Did you want help?

1/2

[warhawks]

[ She tenses up at the sound of his voice, immediately defensive. ]

Do I look like I need help? I'm managing just fine without your pity, thanks.

[warhawks]

[ Then she sighs and deflates, raising a hand to press against her face — and immediately regretting it when the talons prick her skin. ]

Ow. ... Sorry, Lessing. It's been a long day. [ A long few days, but she can only blame one of them on this. The rest was all something (someone) else. ]

[counton]

[ She's so lucky that his both his grandfather and his friend/boss are volatile shit heads that yell and berate him all the time.

... He's not that lucky about it, but she is, because he barely even blinks as she starts to chew him out for offering to help.

Instead he moves towards the fridge like she just said "yes please help me" instead of snapping at him. ]

Seems like it. What did you want?

[warhawks]

Just a sandwich is fine. I should at least be able to hold that...

[ And she will literally choose to starve to death over having someone hand feed her. Having to ask for help with something this basic is bad enough. ]

Um. You don't have to answer if it's too personal, but do your horns ever...? [ Get in the way like this. ]

[counton]

[ Sandwich it is. He'll start by pulling out just... a plethora of ingredients. Too many ingredients to possibly all be good on one sandwich. Let's hope that he's just putting out her options for her to pick, and not that he's about to make her a fairly horrifying turkey, avocado, peanut butter, jelly, egg salad, and pickle sandwich, and that's just some of the many ingredients awaiting her.

At least when he goes to grab the bread he just grabs one loaf. ]

Ever what?

[ He doesn't quite follow, but he doesn't look bothered at least as he plates the bread, and stops to look at her, waiting...

Either for the rest of her question, or clarification of what kind of sandwich. It seems he is not, in fact, making her a sandwich that could upset a stomach. ]

[warhawks]

[ LESSING WHY ARE YOU CHANNELING DENJI ]

Please don't — just the turkey, thanks. [ Saved from potential culinary disaster, but not the awkwardness of having to ask her question outright, she winces. ] I was going to say that your horns seem like they'd get in the way sometimes. Not as much as these, [ she raises her hands ] but do you ever get stuck? In, um, doorways?

[ What kind of example is this. Stop being racist. ]

[titlecard]

[ It's M*rio K*rt time.

... Or it would be, except for, well. It's... probably not possible to play like that at all, huh. Mark's just got floppy pinscher ears and a skinny tail to contend with; he should probably be happy he didn't end up with paws, too, but it feels kind of bad, being that lucky when she isn't.

He puts his controller down in sympathy. ]

We could always try again later? When, uh, you know...

[ she isn't like... that... but he doesn't want to say it out loud. ]

[warhawks]

No... who knows if there'll even be a later? I should just get used to it.

[ She's accepting she could be stuck like this forever. Because why the fuck not, at this point. ]

I'll try not to break anything. [ Staring down at the pair of joycons in her hands, then at Mark with a panicked expression. ] ... Um. I didn't — I think they're supposed to look like that.

[titlecard]

[ Oh she went full on depressive just like that, huh. His ears droop, both because he feels bad and because it hadn't occurred to him that this kind of thing could be permanent...

But no, no, she's willing to keep going, so so is he, ears perking up again. ]

It's okay! You're all good. [ Positive thinking!! Which inadvertently has his tail wagging a little, because like hell he can actually control it. ] We can just mutually agree to not button mash.

[ And he can load up the character selection... ]

[warhawks]

[ The tail wag... hm. She's a cat girl for sure, but maybe she'd be more of a dog fan if they were all as cute as him... ]

Thanks. [ Trying not to blush, she focuses on the array of characters on the screen, absolutely none of which she recognizes except Mario. Her first instinct is to choose one of the weird but still cute characters, like Yoshi or Koopa Troopa, but in her head, she hears: "No. The turtle warlord, girl. Intimidation is its own weapon."

Sighing, she moves the cursor over to Bowser. Some things aren't worth the battle. ]

Jeez... this is way more advanced than anything I'm used to. Even the arcade doesn't have games like this. [ Not that she can remember the last time she ever went there. Probably when was young, before her parents died. ] At least you know what you're doing. [ his confidence is sexy........... ]

[titlecard]

[ Mark remains pleasantly oblivious, going to select Yoshi himself. Yoshi's awesome. ]

Really? Huh... I guess you're not the only one here not used to things like this. [ He sits up straight, ready to get engaged. ] It's alright! We can play an easy level first, so you can get used to the controls. We don't even have to really race the first time. No pressure, right?

[ As he's just gonna select the introductory track, apparently only confident when he gets to geek out about stuff, ]

[hgeegh]

[This newfangled console is all the rage. There's usually somebody there going oooh and aaah over it, so Sanji drops by with a tray of goods for the next set of players.]

You're still playing? Then have some snacks while you . . .

[He freezes in the middle of setting the tray down on the coffee table when he glimpses a familiar face. His eyes flit to Asa, taking in her strange and new appearance, while his jaw remains slack from trailing off mid sentence.]

[warhawks]

[ She looks back at him — her expression changing from surprise, to horror, to sadness, then carefully and deliberately blank. ]

Actually, I was just leaving. Would you mind getting out of the way?

[hgeegh]

[The kaleidoscope of emotions tells him who this is. He takes half a step aside before stopping, the tray forgotten and abandoned on the table.]

Wait, Asa . . . Can we talk?

[warhawks]

No.

[ She says immediately, getting ready to push past him... then stops. No matter what happened — no matter what she thinks of it — she at least owes him an explanation. Only one of them knows how close to death he came on that rooftop, and she doesn't have to like him to feel guilty over nearly killing him. ]

... Fine. But not here.

[hgeegh]

[He nods once, twice, and thrice. Then, before she can change her mind, he backs away to give her some space.]

Uh, y-yeah. [That was close. His heart's starting to pick up the pace.] Where do you want to go?

[warhawks]

[ Long.





Pause.

She's looking at the wall now. No Will to be seen. ]

There's only one place that's private, right...? [ The fact she says this flatly instead of being a flustered mess really shows her mental state rn. ]

[makeine]

[ wow......................







asa sure looks like she's having a fun time with her pyjamas. anna watches her struggle for a minute, sheep ears flicking, before she roots through her suitcase and comes back with folded... clothing, probably... ]

You really got the short end of the stick, huh? And I thought my wool was bad...

[ it sticks up cutely from her collar. no one knows how far it goes down. ]

[warhawks]

Don't worry, I'm used to it by now.

[ Her life is one long series of progressively shorter sticks. She gives up on changing and sits down, prepared to just sleep in what she's already got on — gross, but what choice does she have? At least she can complain more freely around Anna. ]

Honestly? This whole week has been a total nightmare, for a lot of different reasons. Even our date got ruined. [ Not half as bad as her one with Sanji, but still. ]

[makeine]

[ oh good, she's sitting. anna sets the clothes down and studies asa's changed form, carefully lifting an... arm...? and then working out how best to do this. definitely nothing her friend can manage on her own. ]

Really? I thought it went pretty well, though. The garden was really nice -- definitely the pick-me-up I needed.

[warhawks]

[ ??? she doesn't fight when Anna lifts her arm, but she does look incredibly confused. ]

Hold on. What are you doing? [ < girl who's closest female friendship before this lasted like five days. ]

[makeine]

Gonna help you change, duh. I got something of mine you can wear that's not as... difficult to get your arms through.

[ aka it doesn't have sleeves. ]

[warhawks]

You're not weirded out?

[ By the arms, specifically, but also everything else. She knows her figure is perfectly average, if a little scrawny, but—

"Don't be a fool, Asa. Did you forget we share a body? Modesty isn't something you ought to concern yourself with anymore."

Her cheeks darken, and she turns her head to one side to yell at — absolutely nothing, apparently. ]

This is different, okay? [ Wait. ] Sorry. I didn't — um. Just ignore that.