week four | mingle

[showhost]

Welcome to your fourth and final week, teens!

There aren’t many changes around the house today: it seems everyone is dialed in on what needs to be done and the upcoming week. Everything that was on the fritz last week is now back to normal, aside from the Dress Up Your Blorbo curse. You can still do that at will.

Anyway, it's fine that all seems quiet.

There’s plenty going on anyway this week.

Dates | Embrace Space | Property Damage, etc | CR Event | A Thing
Truth Booth Voting | Match Ceremony Submissions

Comments

[hgeegh]

Asa . . . ?!

[No matter how dark it is, he would never mistake that silhouette for anyone else (never mind that there's two of them). Spurred on by what sounds like a disagreement, Sanji rushes to close the gap with little thought for the items littering his path. In the process, he scuffs the picture frame with the toe box of his loafer.]

[warhawks]

[ Sanji gets the same experience Steve did, because I'm not writing that out again. The main difference is having gone through this several times now, Asa's a little more prepared when the vision ends — her only reaction is an exhausted sigh. ]

... Hey, Sanji. [ From the other figure: "Shall I introduce myself properly? It's not our first time meeting, after all." ] He already knows who you are, idiot. He just can't see you most of the time.

[ The look of offense on the girl's face is comical. "I... idiot? I'm not an idiot! You're the one who keeps ruining things for us both!" ] Okay, jeez! I take it back, so calm down already! I was trying to make it easier for you!

1/2

[hgeegh]

[Sanji's expression upon realizing that Yoru shares Asa's face:]

[hgeegh]

[Sanji stands in the alley, gobsmacked and winded by the events of the memory that are soon overtaken by Asa and Yoru's bickering. Mouth agape, he watches the two go at each other like sisters while his heart is a whirlwind of grief and sorrow. He hates how cute the War Devil looks, wearing Asa's face like that.]

Wh . . . what's going on? [He waves his finger wildly, reluctant and unsure of where to point. His eyes flit to Yoru.] Is that the War Devil? How come there are two of you?!

[Why does Yoru have to look like Asa?!]

[warhawks]

[ Oh, he's freaking out. She can't exactly blame him, but with Yoru throwing a fit and Sanji's wild finger-pointing, she kind of just wants to disappear. Too bad that's not an option. ]

Um... we share a body, so normally, other people can only see the one in control. But for me, it's always like this.

[ Permanent devil babysitting duty. It's why she sometimes has to forcibly stop and remind herself that Yoru is the War Devil, not some bratty teenager. ]

[hgeegh]

[His hand drops. After the date at the zoo, he'd expected something like this. Even so . . . ]

Why does she look like you?

[How is he supposed to stay mad at Yoru when she looks like that? This is going to be a serious problem!]

[warhawks]

I just told you we share a body! [ Though now that she thinks about it... to Yoru: ] Why do you look like me? Couldn't you — I don't know, change it up a bit? At least in here?

[ "Did I not tell you this already? Your brain sees me as a hallucination. If anything, your own self-centered nature is what gives me this form."

Asa puts her face in her hands. ]

Fine. Whatever. It's not like it matters anyway... [ Except to Sanji, apparently. ]

[hgeegh]

[Please change it up. He can't take this, though that doesn't stop him from snapping at Yoru.]

Hey! Don't talk to her like that. It's not her fault that you took over her body.

[No sooner than the outburst ends does he worry his lips, the distortion in his face betraying his roiling emotions as regret lances through his heart for yelling at Asa's likeness.]

[warhawks]

[ As much as she'd love to agree with him: ] Technically, it is my fault. We made a contract. I guess since she's using my body, it makes sense for her to look like me.

[ "In the end, the blame lies with you, Asa. As always." Asa flinches, but doesn't rise to the bait. ]

... Let's just get out of here, Sanji. You shouldn't deal with her any longer than you have to.

[hgeegh]

[He scowls anew in Yoru's direction, but turns back to Asa easily enough.]

Ah, do you know the way out? Let's go, then.

[Is this how Yoru speaks to Asa all the time? His brow starts to crease again at the thought. It's no wonder she can hardly sleep or concentrate on her schoolwork.]

[warhawks]

Not exactly... but I recognize this place. From the nightmare I told you about.

[ She'd been vague then, but there's no point hiding it now. ]

It's always the same dream. I'm running down an alley just like this one, but the ground is covered in dead chickens. At first, I try not to step on any of them, but... eventually, there's too many bodies. [ She looks further down the alley, where the light dims before vanishing completely. ] I keep running towards the darkness, and then — I wake up right before I get there. Every time.

[hgeegh]

Chickens?

[Although Asa's sensibilities can be quite particular, he wonders if the growing number of bodies means something. It would be easy to lose her footing, too, and stumble. Couldn't she slow down, then? What's chasing her that she feels the need to run without stopping?

He follows her line of sight to the darkness. Concern laces his tone as he turns back to her.]

Are you sure?

[warhawks]

[ It's not a story she feels like getting into now, when she's already dealing with so much, so she just swallows. ]

Honestly? Not at all. But I don't have any better ideas, and neither does Yoru. [ Hence them arguing before he got here. ]

[hgeegh]

[He'd really rather not stand there and give Yoru reason to fire ammunition at Asa before they've even done anything.]

All right. Then let's give it a try.

[Together, he thinks as he holds out a hand. If obstacles start appearing on the ground, he doesn't want her to slip or trip and fall.]

[warhawks]

Don't look down.

[ Is all she says before taking his hand, though it's easier said than done once the corpses start appearing. Like in her dreams, it's one at first, then two, then five, then a whole carpet of them blanketing the ground; pliant and bloody underfoot, almost more human than chicken. She grips his hand tighter as they approach the darkness—

—and at the last second, she falls, because of course she does. All she can do for him is let go, so she doesn't take him down with her. ]

[hgeegh]

[She lets go, and his heart stops. He tightens his hand, but it's a fraction too late and he feels her slip out of his grasp.]

Asa . . . !

[Slamming a harsh heel down, he whirls around to grasp Asa by the underarms before she can hit the blanket of carcasses beneath them. His foot slips on the uneven surface, falling into what precious space is left between bodies, and he braces his legs as he draws her into an embrace.]