take me home / to the mingle i belong

[grandschemed]

Who: WHOEVER
Where: WHEREVER
When: day 21, afternoon~evening, some time amorphously post after onsen opening

[ boy onsens were fun weren't they?? maybe they ARE still fun and you're still enjoying them. or you headed home for the evening, or you were never there at all. whatever is the case here it is a Day 21 Mingle Post ]

Comments

[rollplayinghouse]

[If you are Boss, you have been texted a picnic location in the park, and Maki is there with a bunch of sandwiches and other assorted foods, as well as a blanket pulled off a Taisho bed, setting things up while attempting to conceal any visible nervousness.

If you are anyone else, you can potentially catch her prepping sandwiches in the kitchen after getting back from the onsen, or attempting to stealthily leave a few sandwiches in Taisho's common room before escaping before anyone comes back... it looks like she decided the "ingredients for a meal for 5" option was more cost-efficient than paying 2/3 the amount for just two people.]

[criminaljustice]

[he arrives to the location with a nice-looking box in hand, looking over the spread with some surprise.]

This is really nice. You really put in a lot of effort.

[rollplayinghouse]

...It wasn't that much, really. I said I'd make some food.

[criminaljustice]

There's the blanket, too.

[offers over the nice-looking box]

Here.

[rollplayinghouse]

I just pulled it off my bed.

[the offer makes her actually look at him instead of embarrassedly avoiding eye contact, and she takes it]

What is this?

[criminaljustice]

Something a sweet tooth will appreciate.

[and gonna settle on the blanket next to her.]

[rollplayinghouse]

[/////////

she opens the box]

[criminaljustice]

[assortment of chocolate truffles!

meanwhile, he's gonna be getting a sammich piece.]

[rollplayinghouse]

...Thank you, they look really good. I'll try some after we eat...

[puts the lid back on for now and gets a sandwich for herself. she looks a little hesitant still]

[criminaljustice]

[nooootices that.]

Something wrong?

[rollplayinghouse]

No, not wrong, but...

[...]

...It's a little awkward to do on our first date, but can we talk about A for a minute?

[criminaljustice]

[... yeah, it's awkward but also.

munches sammich, calm? calm, sure.]

Sure?

[rollplayinghouse]

[her fingers are making indentations in her sandwich as she grips it slightly too hard]

...Earlier... he asked me if I wanted to ditch you and run away with him. Obviously I didn't want to do that, but...

[criminaljustice]

... yeah, that sounds like him.

[unsurprised. but also s-sigh. of course A would think this kind of thing would bother him.]

If you want to date him, that's fine. I was assuming that sort of arrangement was mutual in the first place.

[rollplayinghouse]

[her face turns slowly red]

Y-Yeah, I assumed in general, but... it's not like I really want to do things with anyone else! It's just him, which I know makes it weirder, when you two are...

[...]

I told him it would probably be okay, and he said you wouldn't even care. He's still... bitter. There's basically no way it won't be awkward, spending time with both of you... I mean, that's true even if we were just friends...

[criminaljustice]

[oh my god, that loser.]

It's not like I don't care. I care about you being happy. And if being with him makes you happy, then I'm good.

[looks down at the sandwich he's been eating, trying to figure out how to say this next bit.]

... if anything, the only awkward thing is that... I did want things to work out between me and A. But I don't think A's ever really trusted me to begin with... and you can't really fix a broken bridge if one was never built on his side in the first place.

[rollplayinghouse]

I know you care.

[said with enough emphasis to be embarrassing. moving on]

...He said that too... well, that neither of you had ever really trusted each other. Maybe it's too hard, as long as the past is still ambiguous.

[criminaljustice]

He really projects his own feelings onto others, doesn't he.

[said with a touch of frustration before. releasing a sigh. and nomming food again.]

Not that I can say I don't do some of that.

But I guess we'll see how things go. Still, I am happy for you both, and you can feel free to tell him that since he's avoiding me.

[rollplayinghouse]

[she gives him a slight eyebrow raise, like, are you trying to imply you did trust him, after all that? but she doesn't really want to get into that argument, so she just huffs]

I will, though I doubt he'll appreciate it. ...He also did say he's acknowledged he probably can't avoid you forever. Probably a little longer to cool down wouldn't hurt, though.

...But don't expect me to keep being your go-between.

[criminaljustice]

[more willingness to trust than he had!!1]

I won't. You'd probably throw me across the room if I tried.

[not seriously, obviously. since he's smiling like it's a funny joke.]

[rollplayinghouse]

Something like that.

[she is... probably also joking? she has a very small smile]

[criminaljustice]

... though I could always make it hard for you to do that.

[rollplayinghouse]

What, are you planning on running and hiding?

[criminaljustice]

Nope.

[there are arms going around Maki's waist, pulling her over and close to him and if he gets elbowed in the gut for it, so be it.]

[rollplayinghouse]

Wh—

[she squeaks and drops her sandwich as her arm moves instinctively, but she does not elbow him in the gut. not quite. but then she just freezes for a few seconds]