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]

[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. ]

[hgeegh]

[Mark is earnest, all right. Sanji's gaze lingers for a second before he points at the house with his free hand.]

I'm heading back inside. You coming?

[Truthfully, he'd like a smoke break, but it would be less conspicuous (and nerve-racking) for Mark to be indoors and blending in with more of their peers.]

[titlecard]

[ ! ]

Oh! Yeah, yeah — I'm right with you.

[ Once again cognizant of Sanji saving his ass before he completely fumbles this (and so close to the end, too). Another appreciative smile as he joins him on heading back inside, blissfully unaware of Sanji's need for nicotine — just happy to be back here, safe and sound, with a friend. ]