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]

[Sanji drops his arm. Okay. He's livid, because he can see where this is coming from, but okay. It's not his place to tell Mark what to do.]

You can be both . . . but you're right. You're involved, so that means it's your responsibility to take care of what happened.

[titlecard]

Yeah.

[ Small nod, like he isn't even really here at the moment, still stuck in the past. A beat; a more certain nod, properly meeting Sanji's eyes this time. ]

Yeah. Okay. As long as I fix this... maybe then. After.

[ But he can't take time for himself until after he's helped everyone else first. It wouldn't be fair, so he can't — and he assumes Sanji sees that, too. He said he was right, after all. ]

[hgeegh]

[He gives a sharp nod in return. If this is Mark's condition, then so be it.]

You will. That's why you're here . . . and there's no way we're gonna lose after making it this far.

[The journey to make amends only starts here. Mark has a long road ahead of him, but at least he has 15 others with him at the house—more, if they count the ancillary staff. If nothing else, they can remind him that he isn't alone on this particular quest.]

[titlecard]

[ ... That gets him to relax a little, a shaky exhale, shoulders slumping like he's been reminded that the weight of the world actually isn't on them alone. ]

You're right. Shit, I— you're right. [ kind of just. reaching out to grasp one of Sanji's hands now, like he can shake it in thanks. ] We've got this. All of us. Together.

[ Because it's a hell of a lot easier when you don't have to shoulder things alone — and when you have to fight for other people, too. He doesn't want to admit it out loud (even though present company probably would want him to), but there is a selfish component to Mark's wish — he wants the dad he knew back — but it's... really not fair, compared to what others lost, compared to what some others might wish for.

Okay, there's a new resolve... except for one issue, as he looks around them. ]

... Just as soon as I figure out how to get us out of here.

[hgeegh]

[Mark grabs his hand, and Sanji lets him. He really is tactile, isn't he? This means something to him, so Sanji doesn't complain about the absence of feminine company. Besides, "all of us" has always had a nice ring to it.]

You don't know? [He scratches the back of his head as he gazes up at the aftermath of the avalanche.] This mountain alone will take us all day to search. How about we fly up and see where that takes us?

[titlecard]

[ To be able to hold Sanji's hand despite not being a girl... what an honour...

Mark does let go, though. Follows Sanji's gaze, thinking. ]

Well, it'd take you all day to search. I could probably do it in an hour, but I wouldn't want to leave you behind. [ Just a bit of friendly ribbing, but how about we fly up...

That gives him an idea. ]

I think you're on to something, though. [ Looking up. Way, way up, until he turns back to Sanji with an easy little grin. ] Ever been to space before?

[hgeegh]

[He bares his teeth on one side with a pinch in his brow, unseriously miffed by the ribbing. Like he'd want to stand around for an hour.]

Space? [Following Mark's line of sight, Sanji also glances up.] The highest I've been was 10,000 meters off the ground. Is there some kind of island among the stars or something?

[titlecard]

I mean... I guess that's kind of what the moon is. [ Awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, but. He doesn't know what 10,000 metres actually looks like. Anyway. ] No, I was just thinking... everything down here kind of sucks. Bad day. So maybe just leaving the planet entirely is the way to get away from all of this... I wouldn't know where else to go.

[ He holds his arms out, like... does Sanji want him to pick him up again, or, ]

What do you say? If I'm wrong and it gets to be too much I'll fly us back down, and we can figure something else out.

[ Which, he's really hoping he doesn't have to do that. But if it comes to it, it's not like he's going to suffocate Sanji on a hunch. ]

1/2

[hgeegh]

[This some bullshit.]

[hgeegh]

[Well, he's not against this plan. First things first, though: He points past Mark.]

Turn around.

[titlecard]

[ Listen—

Mark blinks, confused, but obliging. He turns around, facing where Sanji is pointing. ]

You see something?

[ what is he looking for, ]

[hgeegh]

[As soon as Mark is in position, Sanji puts a hand on his shoulder. In one swift motion, he kicks off the ground and throws both legs over Mark's shoulders to sit on them.]

Okay! That should do it.

[titlecard]

[ He squawks, an undignified little sound. ]

What are you— [ Looking up, trying to meet Sanji's eyes. Hello??

...

...

... ]

Okay, I guess that's a new one. [ Defeated that this is his new reality, at least for the next handful of minutes. ] Uh, you're good up there? You're not going to fall off or anything?

[ And he'll hover a little off the ground to test things first. ]

[hgeegh]

[Sanji peers down from above. Hello. His core and legs tighten accordingly to the shift in weight once they go airborne. It's different, but not bad.]

Yeah, this is fine. [He plants a palm on the top of Mark's head.] Now let's find that exit.

[titlecard]

[ Oh, this is weird. This is so, so weird. He's just going to stay in place a moment longer, especially with Sanji's hand on his head like that. It's not like he likes princess carrying people, but this is so much worse?? But what is he going to do, tell Sanji no?? The moment has long since passed.

Okay, done sulking at the indignity of it all now. ]

Alright, here we go.

[ And he'll actually take off now — a lot faster, but not so fast as to dislodge Sanji. He hopes, as they start to clear mountain peaks... ]

[hgeegh]

[Just tell him no, Mark.

If nothing else, Sanji is excellent at maintaining his balance when he knows it's about to be upended. It helps that Mark moderates the flight to be easier on the senses as opposed to taking off at neckbreak speed. All that to say, Sanji hangs on just fine with a low whoop.]

Whoa, we're at the top!

[titlecard]

[ That would be even worse??

It still feels weird, but whatever, he's getting used to it. More used to it actually as he can glance up and see Sanji taking it in, and it's... kind of nice sharing this with someone, actually. ]

Yeah. [ A small smile to himself, as he pushes himself a little faster. ] We're gonna go a lot higher than that.

[ As they rise above them, where the air starts getting thinner, and, ] Just... pat me or something if you're running out of air, alright? But you might want to hold your breath soon.

[hgeegh]

[Small wonder Mark enjoyed his date with Kat if this is what he sees on the regular. Sanji glances around, not missing a thing.]

Huh?

[He's going to run out of air if he holds his breath. Then again, the air does thin out the higher they go, which makes him wonder. Mark is the expert, so Sanji takes in the rush of wind around them before sucking in a deep breath once they start passing the blankets of clouds overhead.]

[titlecard]

[ They clear the clouds in their entirety, darkness decorated with stars overhead, the light of the earth below...

Mark's just gonna go a bit faster, an added urgency to making sure they both get out of this okay. As he clears the atmosphere, and maybe they can have a second or two to admire the view before finding themselves back at the house, hovering just above the roof. ]

[hgeegh]

[The sky is bright. Who knew the space beyond it would be as dark as night—and so weightless, at that? Sanji barely glimpses the world below with a hand cupped over his nose and mouth in reminder to himself when he blinks and, suddenly, the roof seems to rush up at him.

Blinking, he straightens back on Mark's shoulders.]

We're back!

[titlecard]

[ They're back, and— ]

Oh, shit—

[ And Mark is hovering well above the ground, at the house, where a camera could be on them at any moment.

He is going to zoom right back down to the ground maybe a little too fast, but hey, Sanji had a good hold on him before, so he'll clearly be fine, right? Right. He isn't actually doing anything to dislodge him on purpose. ]

[hgeegh]

[Right. Sanji lurches from the sudden descent, but soon rights himself to glare into the lens of a camera when someone approaches from the house. Right—Mark shouldn't be seen with his feet off the ground.]

What're you looking at?

[Never seen a man sit on another man's shoulders before? Pushing his palms against Mark's shoulders, Sanji flips back to land on his feet behind him.]

[titlecard]

[ Mark could. not be any more grateful for Sanji right now than he already is. He's a little bit of a deer in headlights as he stares into the camera — something that he should be used to by now, but he really has gone by and large for a month without using any of his powers, so it feels all the more like it's staring at him — feeling self-conscious as, oh, there goes Sanji.

He rubs at his newly-freed shoulders. Whatever story people want to make up for themselves is better than the truth, so he should get over it... that they were caught like this is fine...

It actually is fine, though. He's just going to go back to ignoring the camera, like he's gotten fairly practised at over the weeks. Turn back to Sanji, soft, sincere smile on his face. ]

Thanks man. For, uh... helping get me out of there.

[ Out of the pocket dimension, sure; out of his own head, definitely. ]

[hgeegh]

[Sanji smiles wryly in answer. Given the nature of his own pocket dimension, he can understand the sentiment. On the other hand, they'd best be careful with how they speak around the cameras . . . ]

Anytime. Who'd have thought the hatch would be so high up?

[It's not a total lie. The exit was high up—higher than anyone besides Mark might have been able to reach—but he hopes this is enough to throw simpler minds off the trail by suggesting something mundane that necessitated their previous position.]

[titlecard]

[ Nervous little laugh but he's just going with it, yeah. Again: grateful for Sanji. And Sanji's ability to think quickly. ]

Right? It really, um. Took the two of us. [ ... ] Thanks again.

[ All of this remains technically true, so he really has to be sincere in his thanks. Thank you, which is not something he thought he'd be saying to him a month ago, but... yeah. Yeah. ]