puppycrush2 | week three

Entry tags:

week three | mingle

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Don't you have a kingdom to ruin with your very presence?

Oh? You're skipping backwards to insults Minami-kun used in the first week? Can't come up with anything yourself? I guess those accolades you lauded aren't...

[ oh, will.

...

a turn of her head. ]

It would've been ruined with you at his side.

[ that's all she'll say. ]

I haven't listened to anything Minami has said so if it's being repeated that just means we're on the same page.

I know you think your little mangas are going to help you but running anything takes skill, patience, level headedness, dedication and heart. All things you really haven't shown.

Save for heart but even that is constantly in the wrong place.

Can you woman's intuition yourself into running a kingdom successfully? It hasn't done you any favors here. You constantly seem to be confusing it with guesswork and are just plain wrong all of the time. It's really embarrassing to watch.

[after gently carting Anna away and getting her permission to step in (if only because he knows she is capable of fighting her own battles and does not want to take that from her)]

[he just sort of]

[gives Akechi a firm look, eyes fierce]

. . . you know nothing about what my country needs. I do, as does Anna. It is why. . . I have chosen her to be at my side. Because I believe she can help me in everything I must do to ensure my country's future.

[well. one of many reasons, but. . . Anna knows those now, so he does not need to clarify]

What you think of that choice doesn't matter. To her, nor to me.

[. . .]

. . . I thought it strange, how you lashed out at me at the ceremony, even though Anna and I hadn't been secretive about what we were together. You immediately forced me to make a choice between you two— and you were right, in that Anna wouldn't want me to be your friend, after the unnecessary vitriol you have given her. I can't blame her.

But you never gave her and I the chance to talk about it. You never gave me— or her— a chance at all. And I suppose, in that moment, I realized. . .

[his stern look turns. . . pitying]

The world doesn't hate you, Goro.

[spoken softly, and kind of sadly]

You hate the world.

[He saw this coming from a mile away. He adjusts his gloves while Will speaks, keeping his gaze on the leather and when this, whatever this is, is finished does he look up.]

Are you done? Do you think you're telling me something I don't know? It can, in fact, go both ways.

I can hate the world just as much as it hates me. [He lets out a sharp laugh.] Do you think you know me? Do you think third hand information you got from someone who is not my friend and never has been allows you to know me?

Do you think anything that's transpired here allows you to know me? You get your information from my former enemy and some girl that's been nothing but foul to me and tells you half stories that you have not bothered to get the full truth of. Because it's only her words that matter. [He shrugs his shoulders.] No chance to talk about it... please. You spend every waking moment together. So don't bullshit me. And don't give me excuses.

I really don't care what you think of me. I don't. I don't give a single shit what any of you think of me. And I hope, at this point, you've learned that you can't save me. And I'm not about to let you. You think I'm going to use my wish to better my own life? To bring myself back into the waking world and live happily ever after?

I could use it for anything. I could use it against the two of you. And maybe I will. Who knows? No chance at a black out now. No chance of losing it without losing anyone else's. Such a conundrum. I could do anything!

[The laugh that escapes him borders on manic as he lifts his hands up in a shrug. It's been... a long three weeks.]

So... If you're done with your self righteous speeches I suggest you get the fuck away from me.

[shakes his head]

You're right. I don't know you. But you still assume that Anna has been whispering nasty things about you on my ear. And. . . she hasn't.

[she did tell him the things Akechi said about her, the harsh names and insults he had flung her way, and that did make Will's hackles raise, but it wasn't enough to turn Will against him. she also mentioned that Akechi didn't believe in Will's dream, but that was but a blip on his radar. . . because Akechi would hardly be the first. to that, he took no offense; he has even forgotten about it]

[no. . . the vitriol he talks about is what he saw here and now. not just towards Anna, but to Tsukasa as well. and. . .the things he heard Akechi say straight to his face]

[and the fact that he almost certain. . . that Akechi will throw away his wish for the sake of stealing away everyone else's. and he can't let that happen]

But it's true that you don't know us, either.

[he lifts a hand and clutches at his bag strap, knuckles white underneath his gloves]

And If your intent is to destroy, then you and I stand in direct opposition.

And we will see. . . [chin up!! determined face!!] . . . which one of us is stronger.

Edited 2024-11-29 20:42 (UTC)

She has. And you don't know what she's said to me when you're not around either. I know that doesn't matter to you.

You preach pretty words but you don't mean anything by them.

[He returns to fussing with his gloves, flexing his fingers and listening to the leather creek at the movement.]

I don't want to know someone like you. We're not a perfect match. Because you're the kind of person I hate the most.

Now retract that proffered hand before you lose it, if it was ever there to begin with. [Which he doubts.] And make no mistake... if we all get our wishes I will use mine to make you and her suffer. There's no hill I wouldn't die on to get my revenge. And while the two of you are really nothing from all that I've had to deal with in the past... I think it'd put me back in the ground with a smile on my face. And I think that might be worth it.

Now for the last time, get the fuck away from me.

[ARE YOU NOT EXHAUSTED OF BEING THIS WAY. WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS. DON'T YOU JUST WANT TO BE NICE]

You know nothing about me if you think I'd let that happen. You know. . . absolutely nothing about me at all.

[ducking his head slightly in a polite bow, but keeping his gaze lifted just so Akechi knows it is not a gesture of submission or defeat]

Good day, Goro.

[and he is out!!]

[ ...

so, like, she's been keeping an eye on them from the corner of hers, bouncing her leg trying to resist the urge to step in.

but she sort of wants to now.

she won't for will's sake, but she'll hold out her hand to him when he moves away from akechi. it's a different side than what she's used to, but... she's more settled than she was before. just a bit. ]

[. . . he takes her hand in his. squeezes it tightly. there's tension in his shoulders, and a hardness to his gaze that no one here has been privy to]

[this is not how he wanted things to end up. but he is, surprisingly, a pragmatic person. if it's how they are, then. . . he will step up to deal with it]

[nobody wanted to vote them into the truth booth because Akechi wasn't willing to go. that's. . . fine. that's okay. it's a valid stance to take]

[. . .]

[but now Will knows he has to step up]

[quietly, only for her]

. . . I wanted to help him. But I am not the person he needs.

And above all. . . I will not let him destroy everyone else's happiness.

[ she'll return the squeeze, pulling him one of their three bathrooms for, at the very least, some privacy from the other contestants.

once she shuts the door, she'll rest against the sink counter, sighing loudly. ]

You might've been at some point, but us having constant spats didn't help at all.

[ ... ]

If... you ever do want to try again, I'd ask him what happened at the aquarium. Hear his side. See what he says. Don't rise to any insult he has for me or you or anyone else, just... ask for the facts, and then decide yourself. That's probably what he's been looking for from you.

[ since it is true that, as truthful as anna's tried to be through her anger and frustration, there's pieces that get missing or glanced over. ]

[he goes willingly, and it's a testament to his mental state that being yoinked into the bathroom doesn't faze him. he finds himself leaning against the door, arms folded in front of himself, eyes affixed on the floor]

[. . .]

I can believe that there are things that you said to him that I'm not aware of. Things that hurt him as well. I'm not discounting that fact.

[when emotions run high. . . cruel things can be said. he did see Anna rise to Akechi's level during their argument, too]

. . . but he is wrong.

[firm!!]

You never once tried to turn me against him.

Even now, even after all he said, you. . .

[he trails off. his features soften]

[. . . he looks up at her]

[ ...

he looks up at her, soft as can be, and anna turns her face away. her expression can still be seen in the mirror though; guilty, eyes closing as she chews her lip, arms crossing.

when she does speak, it's only because they're the only ones in the bathroom that he can catch her quiet, sheepish words. ]

... I mean, I'd be-- lying if part of me... hadn't hoped you would turn against him, after hearing what he said. I knew you wouldn't. But I still kind of wished you had, just... [ a short exhale. ] Because I wanted to know you were on my side, not sitting in the middle.

[ she's no angel. she's a fairly good person, and she is thoughtful to the people she loves -- but there is a side of anna yanami that's cold and angry, who believes that if a girl's so willing to step aside just because "someone was there first" then that girl should lose the race. it's not a pleasant look. it seems as unlike her as the shyness will has seen first hand.

but it is something she admits to. something he should know about her anyway. ]

It was dumb. I was mad, I wanted to get back at him, wanted to show him that you'd choose someone with no skills over his dozens that could help you out -- because those aren't what matter, even if he wants to act like they're all that matter. I can't deny any of that, Will-kun.

But I was sincerely trying to figure out his match, so he could find someone that makes him as happy as you do me, when we were talking in the aquarium. I even had Tsukasa-kun arrange a date between him and Kat-chan since I felt he owed her that much for snapping at her during the ceremony, just so he'd be forced to give someone a chance to get to know him more that really, really wanted to, that reached out and was slapped for it. She's a good girl. It seems like they really hit it off, so I'm glad -- I just feel bad that she's gonna get caught in his piss-poor attitude.

[ though it doesn't seem like he turns it onto her any. which is sweet, if only because... kat hasn't spoken badly to him, and "jumped when [he] did," whatever that means.

... but... ]

I think we're alike. That's why it's a toss up. Why-- we can't get along, and why we're both attracted to you, Will-kun, even if that's soured on his end.

[. . .]

[he listens, but the softness in his gaze never once wavers. not at her admission, and not even when she compares herself to the person with whom she has fought since day one. and when she is finished. . .]

[. . . Will pushes himself from the door to cross the bathroom towards her, arms snaking around her waist, weight pressed warmly against her back as he rests a chin against her shoulder. he isn't much taller than her. . . but he is tall enough that his presence envelopes her, that he can gather her into his arms tightly, as if trying to shield her from the world and the anger outside]

. . . I don't sit in the middle. [he thinks. . . that may be becoming more and more obvious as things get more and more harrowing. but he can see why people think that about him, based on what he has tried] I just believe in giving people a chance.

[he has given Akechi a chance, and that has been spat on. and now. . with the wishes, and his world, being so openly threatened. . . he is forced to take a stance against him]

And even if you had hoped I would turn against him. . . [which he can also believe, because of what Anna had said about jealousy] I believe that's something you understand about me.

[. . . a small nuzzle]

And would have understood, had he given us the chance to talk about it.

[ he is just tall enough for it, but more than that she's still slighter than him -- she hasn't got the broad shoulders of lemon, born athlete, nor is she as tiny as komari, but... she's still very much "a girl" in dictionary definition, her picture right next to the word. anna tenses at first, just because she hadn't expected it, and relaxes soon after, resting her head back a bit on his shoulder in return.

the nuzzle is sweet, the warmth is sweeter; it feels like he's acting as a barrier between her and the rest of the world in a way, heart tapdancing in her chest. ]

I know you don't sit in the middle. You're too firm for that -- and too kind in the same measure, just... wanting to hold out a hand like one was held out for you, when you weren't great.

[ she gets it. but it's very much that she hadn't wanted will's hand out at all, selfish as it was. anna rests her hands on his, tilting her head against his. ]

... We... could still be a match, you know. For real. I asked Minami-kun to pick me yesterday, since I figure he was as likely as anyone if Akechi-kun was yours, and he's on the opposite team, but I'm sure that's out the window now that Tsukasa-kun's taken Maomao-san's place.

[ and she'll be RIGHT about that. she knows her demon friend (?). ]

I'm probably one of the people who's got hers in group anyway, between you and maybe Steve-kun.

[oh, Anna. . . honestly? in the wake of everything, Will finds himself wanting to indulge in the possibility for just one moment. his smile is soft, but she'll easily feel it springing to life against her skin, a slow movement of lips as he continues to nuzzle]

[they had already decided they were a match, perfect or otherwise. wouldn't it be nice if the show runners believed in them, too. . .?]

What would you do if we were? [he asks, his grip on her waist only tightening] Would you smile like Ritsuka did?

[ yeah. yeah, in the wake of it all, certainly, it'd be nice to imagine, surely just then. not because of anything will said like five minutes ago. his smile makes her smile, bordering on a grin. ]

Wider. I'd make them turn off the cameras in the shed too, just so I could kiss you the way I wanna.

[LISTEN!!!]

[he laughs a bit at that, breath washing warm against her skin. he is not pulling away-- he is quite comfy here, tucked into her neck, nuzzling like a cat who doesn't know how to let go]

I wouldn't mind if you did it in front of the cameras at this point.

[ oh my godddddd she should have locked this bathroom she just SHUT THE DOOR!!!!!!!!!!! her face is getting warm, giggling as one hand comes up to comb through his hair. ]

What, and end up like we did yesterday? [ a tease. ] Maybe men are all perverts.

[IMMEDIATELY TURNING RED!!!]

Not-- not that, I wouldn't-- [help]

[ yeah that's making her laugh louder, shaking in his arms as she shakes her head. ]

I wouldn't let it go that far either -- the only person I want to see me like that is you, stupid.

[ ... and her future husband if this doesn't last, but-- she's not thinking that, really. sosuke was her everything once. will is her everything now. she'd never push him into anything, but he's definitely the face she sees in her dreams.

anna sighs, fond as she continues to rake through his hair, and continues just as affectionately. ]

... I'd be so happy, I think I'd cry.

[Will isn't thinking it either but if he WAS his response to that would be WHAT IF FUTURE HUSBAND AND WILL. . . ARE ONE AND THE SAME????]

[but anyway, he tilts his head into those fingers, happy with the way they feel scraping against his scalp. he's wearing his headband again. I'm sorry. next week she'll buy him a cute fashionable outfit, maybe, and then he'll ditch it for good]

[her answer brings more warmth to a heart that feels like it can't get any more full. will it burst one day, with the depth of emotion he has felt since meeting her? if it does, he can only imagine that would be a good thing]

I don't think I'd cry. . .

[he got a little misty at Casablanca, but. that was the extent of it]

But I'd pick you up and spin you until we were both dizzy.

[ it's fine. she likes his stupid headband, lifting it gently with her fingers to scratch under it too.

anna lets the statement linger, turning her own over in her head, before she admits with a bit of wistfulness. ]

... I wish we'd gone today.

[ just to see. because it'd be nice, to know. either akechi would've had to face the facts and have his hand forced at the final bell, or... they could've spent the next week with each other. waking in the same bed, maybe not getting up until the afternoon -- so wrapped up in each other as they could be -- and

coming to visit, of course, everyone here. after they'd had their fill of privacy. ]

week three | mingle

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