WEEK THREE MINGLE

[potatomance]

ᯓ⭐ WEEK THREE MINGLE

Happy third week, lovebirds! Here's to hoping you're riding high on the wave of success of one whole pair being correct! Surely you must have an idea by now how to win this thing!

Probably?

The good news is that you're not going to have to find yourselves in any weird clothes this time around, except maybe that just leads to a strange sense of foreboding for a future scenario...? Who knows. You can't quite brace yourself for it this time.

But don't worry, it's not like there's nothing happening. On the contrary!

For the entirety of this week, you'll find yourself feeling... clingy. It's going to start feeling very strange if you're not leaning on someone, holding their hand, cuddling with them, sitting in their lap, stealing a kiss, or engaging in some other form of affectionate physical contact. And if it's someone you're already feeling fond of OR someone you actually can't stand, guess what?

That feeling is doubled!

You may realize this is an unusual feeling, but so what? Trying to ignore it is only going to make it feel stronger and do you really want to make yourselves feel miserable?

Shut up, masochists.

FAQ ⭐ Truth Booth Voting ⭐ Mysterious Thing ⭐ Sex Dungeon ⭐ Perfect Match Voting

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MATCH DISCUSSION

[hearthwarming]

[ Awww... she really was rooting for Maruki and Phoenix. She thought she was onto something with her "second chances" wisdom... ]

Well... that's all right. Thanks to everyone's secrets, we got an important hint.

"For Team Steampunk, two matched pairs share this team."

[ . . . ]

Sooo, um... Now what?

[ Help!! ]

[alcoheal]

No, you just act like one.

[There's no effort made to hold her hand, and she doesn't make any to initiate it, either, but she does draw her thumb along the back of his knuckles. She'd sooner be caught dead than saying it out loud, but after going so long without sleep, it's a relief he was able to rest. It would kill someone who wasn't a wizard.]

But I can still tell you something if you wanna hear me yammer. [It's her offer of a return secret but nothing he's required to take. He just seems annoyed by most of the things she tells him.]

[thefinalcontract]

[He runs a finger along the rim of his cup.]

Pick within the teams for now and see what occurs? It's not enough information to do anything with at present but we are running of time to do much of anything else.

[hnl]

[Information is information, and though useful in its own right… It sure would be nice to be granted a win at this point.

Well.

The hint will just have to do.]

Then we decide who are the two most likely paired candidates on Steampunk are, and make certain they coordinate to pick each other for the next ceremony.

[hearthwarming]

We should probably all agree on which two pairs, or we'll end up with three, and then everyone on your team gets all jumbled up...

[ She sighs, melting into her chair a little bit, her tail giving a nervous flick. ]

And we still don't really know anything about how the pairs were chosen. I guess Maruki and Phoenix did have some similarities, though, right? Maybe that opposites theory might work...

[ringsmaster]

[ He's putting on his brave face! (And also hoping no one has noticed or brings up the fact that he and Zhongli seem to be avoiding each other since the Battle at Fort Blanket.) ]

If I'm being honest, Takuto and I have clicked really well from the beginning. [ who the fuck is takuto. ] And I also seem to be one of the few who doesn't have a problem with the things he's admitted to, so...

Him and Phoenix were both considerations for me for tomorrow, and if it's better to pick someone on my own team, that's who I'm going to pick. Provided Takuto and I can agree to pick each other, of course.

[bewrightback]

[There were a few factors indeed! Phoenix offers her a small smile while he nods.]

I think you're close to the mark, Yukong. That feeling of betrayal is something I want to avoid experiencing again at all costs. An ideal partner for me would definitely be someone I can trust with my heart.

[Luckily he has plenty of people in life he can trust and love, but no one who he's had that particular kind of relationship with.]

And you're right about that, too. Taking care of Trucy has keep me busy for the last eight years... [(And I adopted her only months after that trial where I found resolution regarding Dahlia and Iris. I've really kept myself busy since then... I haven't really given myself the chance to try again.)]

[hearthwarming]

[ She nods... ]

Any... thoughts on who those two most likely pairs are...?

[ Though should any of them really be listening to anything Brenner says at this point,, ]

[thefinalcontract]

[Mithra and Brenner should be a perfect match. One will certainly make the other miserable an that would be a fine thing indeed. But those are inside thoughts. Ones he'd never voice. But he will not soon forget Cloud Retainer sitting beside him the previous night, furious and with good reason to be. He clears his throat.]

What of you, Miss Ori? You have a lot of viable matches on your team. I would be remiss that we were not paired but your likely options do appear on the other side of things.

[alcoheal]

I think one of those lucky ducks might be you, dear.

[Can they trade being the one doing a little too much drinking? Now Manuela has to think about her choices and getting steamed about the loss and she let her finger food appetizers go cold, so she's just lazily eating them.

She doesn't have a lot more input than that to give.]

[hearthwarming]

[ No but actually, ]

Um... Takuto...?

[ . . . ]

Oh! Maruki?

[bewrightback]

[Phoenix is just lying facedown on the nearest couch with some bags of ice on his back. Aside from staying awake to keep from being thrown off, he's just lying there practically dead. But he's ready to groan input if needed.]

[thefinalcontract]

[Avoiding? Yeah. A bit, perhaps. He's very much at Cloud Retainer's side for most of the day. But when the meeting comes to a small lull he'll go from where he's sitting to lean down to speak softly to Lucifer.]

A word, if you would, once you have things sorted for the ceremony tomorrow.

[And so not to leave him with the sense of dread a "We need to talk" statement brings he'll give him a quick and chaste forehead kiss, right beneath the brim of his hat.]

[ozzz]

Then I'll choose Brenner.

[hnl]

[well you’re GONNA

Vaguely echoing Manuela’s sentiment-]

Don’t you have thoughts on the matter? If Uroko’s paired with a woman, then you’re a likely candidate, after all.

[voxnozzz]

[ ........ giving him a glance, but that's about it. ]

[hnl]

[ …

Okay not that he can say this is a dumb strategy because he employed it himself, but coming from Mithra, he is baffled now-]




Why.

[voxnozzz]

[ better than charcoal. oz gives uroko a glance when he enters stage right in a silent second of acknowledgement.

he appears to linger on something as he quietly offers the following as an aside: ]

If they would allow that to happen.

[ hilarious, when he's the one beating up mithra. mithra is an exception. anyway, what oz is thinking about sure becomes clear when- ]

... That is not a balanced meal.

[ he can single dad at people his own age too. ]

[thefinalcontract]

Why not?

[He smiles over his tea cup, pleasantly.]

I think it's a perfect match.

[hnl]

If we’re angling for nothing short of drama, yes.

But I’d like to hear his logic.

[Mithra “logic”.]

[alcoheal]

[Has she been unhappy here? Did she come into this competition already feeling like she was bound to lose it; is that why people keep thinking she isn't trying? Her hands leave Ori's cheeks to reach for the tiefling woman's flailing arms and clasp them instead.]

Haven't I failed? You'd think I couldn't screw it up the way I have with only thirteen other people to choose from. [Something strange about that number. Anyway.]

Meeting some of you has been a delight, don't doubt that. If you think you wanna look up to me, who am I to refuse? I'll try to be that person.

[hearthwarming]

[ They can most certainly take turns, yes, and Ori who is now sans rubber glove just reaches over and strokes Manuela's hair gently. ]

It's going to be all right. I know we'll figure it out.

[ A beat. ]

I do think... Uroko and I could be an option, as well. Since we have no real idea what these matches could be based on, it's almost as good a consideration as any. It's just...

[ It could be another Zhongifer situation, maybe...? ]

[hearthwarming]

...

[ She nods. ]

I am. There's... genuine interest, h-haha.

[ But look what happened to the two who caught feelings in Week 1!! ]

[hearthwarming]

[ Her gaze goes distant, finding its direction out one of the windows and the garden beyond. ]

Well... Uroko is the first to come to my mind when it comes to picking someone from my own team, of course. He genuinely listened to my request for him to get to know me for more than my looks, and I really do... Feel closer to him for that. But...

[ A knowing, pointed look. It hasn't exactly gone well, to pick based on any genuine feelings. ]

[voxnozzz]

[ this feeling is aggravating. it mixes with the implied insult, coaxing and urging him to get up and—

—he doesn't. he chooses to finish his sip of tea, as if what was said did not land at all. ]

... It is not as if that is the only thing I do.

[ is it one of the few things he does a lot? yes. does he need to hear that from mithra? no. ]