deadtention | R1 DEADLAND PT2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO

[ All right, well. Mishima feels a little bad about Actively Not Inviting Mitarai to the party yesterday (though it was absolutely the right choice; hell if his birthday present to Waver was going to be sticking him in a room with his killer), and he appreciates how he's been willing to help facilitate communications with the living for everyone, so... he might as well try to be something resembling a friend by bringing over some anime to watch, right?

He'd kind of like to distract himself from some things anyway.

So, late morning on Thursday -- at least late enough that he assumes he won't still be asleep -- he'll knock on the door to Mitarai's room, a stack of DVDs tucked under his arm. ]

[Getting breakfast first thing in the morning is kind of the hardest thing in the world for Mitarai, so he always goes back to his room right away and pretty much screams into a pillow. When he answers the door it's in button-down shirt and pants instead of the zip-up hoodie he wears everywhere, and he seems still kind of tired, not literally sleepy as much as drained in the manner of a generally anxious person. His eyes light up thinly when he recognizes Mishima, with only a slightly crooked forcing to his smile.]

Oh, good morning, Mishima-kun. What—

[—brings you here, he was probably going to say. It's at this point Mitarai's head openly swivels down as he takes in the DVDs, pretty much literally like a starving man.]

—are THOSE?

Uh, h-hey!

[ Mishima smiles and raises a hand in a somewhat awkward hello. Wow, that is sure a reaction. ]

I asked Eve-san for some anime, and thought maybe you'd want to watch some too?

[ Here... he holds the cases out kind of like he's asking him to draw a card. There's at least a variety -- some sports anime, some moe trash, something about women with ridiculous boobs who turn into dragons, some darker, more psychological stuff that may seem pretty familiar... ]

Some of them look pretty crappy, and I know your whole thing is that you make really good quality stuff, so sorry if this is insulting or anything?

[Mitarai steps out closing the door behind him. He seriously looks like an inflated air mattress compared to the deflated air mattress that Mishima has seen around the campus at all previous times particularly when he's not mooning up at Yoosung.]

You understand sight unseen that I could outdraw any of this with my eyes closed. That kind of faith in my talent is all I could ever ask for.

[He clasps his hands together and smiles.]

Let's do this! Lead the way!

[ Well, okay, wow, that invitation was sure accepted a lot faster than almost any he'd ever texted to Kurusu.

Mishima blinks, but returns the smile. This is probably the happiest he's seen him, at least in a genuine way, so he's kind of happy to get to contribute to that. ]

Okay, cool! I've got a TV and everything in my room if you want to just go back there.

[ So they can watch these dragon boobs without getting judged by passersby.

Anyway, he doesn't expect opposition to that, so he's already headed in that direction across the common area, but he can always change course if there's a problem. ]

Oh, sure.

[It's not quite what Mitarai expected when there's so many public rooms equipped with monitors, not to mention a guy in the picture whom both of them would associate with the possibility of two people occupying a bedroom alone together. But Mishima clearing isn't making this weird, so Mitarai won't either. He maintains chipper conversation and follows the diagonal path. Fetching snacks doesn't occur to him.]

Have you already seen any of these yourself, Mishima-kun?

Edited 2018-10-09 09:28 (UTC)

[ Shakes his head. ]

Mm, some of them look similar to ones I've seen, but the names and everything are different... It's actually kind of weird. Like, if she was making these from my memories, wouldn't they actually match what I remember? [ He shrugs. ] But I don't know, maybe these are like, some kind of amalgamation of everyone's anime memories...

[ Not that he knows how many other people here besides the two of them actually have many strong "anime memories".

Anyway! Here they are. He opens the door and holds it open behind him. His room is predictably unremarkable, aside from having a decent gaming setup, and a futon next to the bed for when someone sleeps over. ]

Sit wherever you want! And just let me know which one you want to start with. I'm okay with whatever.

[ Dropping DVD cases on the bed for your review... He'll go ahead and start turning stuff on. ]

[Why is there a futon in this room?

Mitarai can't draw his eyes away from that square of color. He knows it shouldn't be weird that a Japanese guy has a futon in his room. It's next to the bed, though, not a replacement for the bed. And Mishima didn't make a big deal out of taking off their shoes. Mitarai slips off his loafers, still gazing vacantly at the futon. A second person sleeps on it, and frequently at that, right? Someone among them - Mishima would put away something Kurusu left out for Tsukasa, wouldn't he? A person comfortable with this alternative to a bed or even a sleeping bag, trusted by Mishima, so...

He palpably "snaps out of it" when Mishima tells him where he can sit.]

Okay, then!

[Mitarai sits on the foot of the bed and picks up the "dark psychological" one.] This one is definitely... really eerie... [He puts it down to flip the box and read the text on the back.] I really can't tell if it's plagiarism or a Mandela effect...

You know, I think this would be a good comfort viewing. [He's picked up some moe trash. It's that kind of day.]

[ ...? Well, Mishima can tell that Mitarai just snapped out of something, but he hadn't noticed what he was looking at before, so... he quickly glances around to make sure he didn't leave any dirty laundry sitting out or anything, but on finding nothing -- because he is still pretty much in the dark about the extent of Mitarai's feelings for Yoosung, which may be for the best -- he simply shrugs it off. ]

Sounds good to me.

[ He reaches over to take the case and slides the disc into the player, then comes back to take his own seat -- also on the bed, just because it's more comfortable than anything else if he's going to be sitting there for any length of time, but a respectable distance away.

>PLAY ]

[Mitarai seems nice and focused on the anime, not giving Mishima an uncomfortably long glance when he sits down.]

Oh, it seems the crowd shot bubble still hasn't popped yet.

[Practically scoffing - in an extremely amicable way. He's more approving of the earnest protagonist running out with bread in her mouth. Pink hair, yellow blouse, light blue tie and skirt, so he says:] Excellent color balance!! She really is moe, that's for sure.

[Mishima always keeps his door ajar so Yoosung can come and go freely to hang out and play games - but today, he noticed he spent the day hanging out with Mitarai, and well, he had no need to get between that guy and his anime, so of course he found other stuff to do.

Except... they were together all day.............

Which is fine!! He's happy they are becoming friends. It's good for both of them. But when he hears little clips of anime still playing a LOT later into the evening, he has to bite his lip to keep from making an irritated noise. He thought he saw Mitarai leaving earlier, did he come back? Well... in any case, he's sure nothing is wrong, but it's times like these where he definitely appreciates that he can just walk in instead of barging in.]

Yuuki, hey!

[His hand closes around the doorknob as he slips in, smiling brightly to tamp down the nerves which even release their tension when he sees the back of only one head. But also...

...What is that on the screen?]

[ What is on the screen is a lesbian makeout scene from the dragonboobs anime, which Mishima is intently and thoughtfully staring at as he clicks through frame by frame.

At the sound of Yoosung's voice, though, he jumps and turns around with a look of wide-eyed horror... which he quickly pretends didn't just happen, forcing a smile and strategically standing in front of the screen with his hands on his hips to cover up as much of the view as possible. ]

O-oh! Hey! Uh. What's up?

[Well if THAT isn't the most suspicious reaction. Yuuki's hips may be big but they sure don't cover all of this... He doesn't even have to read his codes to see through it.]

Uh... I was just wondering what you were doing in here still...

[there's a beat. And then he just says (in a tone that is way more confused than it is accusing)]

...A-Are you hiding something from me?

[ WOW, rude??? He just owns unflattering clothes and wears his suspenders like a moron!! ]

I mean, it's my room, where else would I be?

[ He laughs anxiously in a way that he's sure isn't remotely convincing, and steals a quick glance back at the screen. Yeah, there are. Definitely still tongues on there. Hm. ]

N-no! I... not really? I mean, I'm just rewatching some anime scenes.

That's true! I just, actually meant what, instead of where. Cause it didn't seem like you'd left at all today...

[not that he's stalking you or anything! It's clearly just the tetherball effect! Anyway, Yuuki's body language was definitely mortified when he showed up, and... well, those are indeed tongues... of course it would be awkward to be caught with this on the screen.

But if he was just embarrassed over watching something like this with someone else in the room, why could he watch it with Mitarai? He said rewatch.... wait a minute. His eyes glance to the corner of the screen.]

... That doesn't say "pause." FR ADV? W-What's that mean?

[ADULT VIDEO??? That's his first guess since the picture is so steamy... he's just leaning in slightly and searching Yuuki's face for answers, allowing himself to be confused rather than immediately question why his boyfriend he has not kissed is watching two girls kissing.]

Fr... frame advance?

[ Well, the jig is clearly up here (as if it had ever been anywhere else), so Mishima just sighs and drags a hand down his face, shoulders slumping in defeat. ]

All right.

[ He briefly ponders how he should say this, but honestly, there is no way of phrasing this explanation that isn't going to make him sound like a total loser. ]

This is really embarrassing. But I was kind of...

Studying.

[Wow, that heavy sigh really makes him worry...]

Oh! ['Studying!' That sounds completely unlike the petty things that he was anxious about, so he looks like he pepped up... and then what that must mean in the context hits him and, well, yikes.] Oh. Haha...

[So his Yuuki wants to know how to kiss!? Yoosung isn't nearly suave and confident enough in his kissing abilities to immediately suggest a private tutoring session though. Besides, his junior's heart may not be prepared for that. It kinda explains why he didn't go for it when he had the chance earlier. But this is an anime, isn't it? Of all the places to look for tips. Maybe he shouldn't knock it though!?]

Did you, uh, learn anything?

Uh, well... Mostly just that this studio apparently put more money into this scene than any of the plot-important ones. And even then, it's still not that useful.

[ JUST... turns off the screen so that's not going on in the background during this conversation... ]

I-in my defense, not having the internet right now kind of diminished my source options. And I, uh... you know, in case you wanted to do it soon, I just wanted to be prepared. I don't want to disappoint you if I suck at it.

Dude... [That's so like him. But also, so comforting. Yoosung's eyes shift away and he frowns, suddenly pretty guilty. He spent the day getting jealous but Yuuki was thinking about him the whole time. About kissing him, how sweet... God, he's such an idiot. All that tension from before is melting away now, turning into gooey feelings that gently morph his face back into a natural smile.]

You didn't have to worry that much about it. I'm not really an experienced kisser either! I don't have much to compare you to, honestly.

[He only had a pre-girlfriend who he never got to kiss. College experimentation was sloppy and awkward, devoid of romance. And he wouldn't want to compare him to anyone else.

It's starting to dawn on him, though, that if he's going this far it might mean something else for points of comparison.]

Would it be- be your first?

[He sounds way too hopeful at that, his heart already skipping a beat at that thought. As nervous as Yuuki is, that exclusivity is at least one perk he could possibly offer.]

[ Huh, really...? Well, he guesses Yoosung and his girlfriend were long distance, so that makes sense. It is a little reassuring, actually. The skill level might not be that different, then, so he might be able to catch up. And... well, being ranked like, 3 out of 3 still feels a lot better than 9 out of 9 even if they're both last place. ]

Well. Yeah.

[ Does he look like someone who's ever been kissed? ]

[No.... but life holds many surprises....

Okay okay, he should probably sober his reaction since Yuuki is glaring at him a little. But he's so cute...]

So... I have a sweet boyfriend, that's preparing his first kiss just for me.... how lucky. I'm sorry I interrupted, hehe!

[Yoosung holds a finger up to his smiling lips like he's silencing them. Knowing this makes him want to take the kiss right away, but tormenting himself by letting him practice longer has strong appeal too. This is probably why people call him an M.]

[ This isn't making him feel less embarrassed...!! ]

I-it's fine!

[ He's not sure why he's seriously accepting a joke apology, but the response is just kind of automatic. ]

Anyway, I guess if there's a specific time you think would be good to try it out later, we can probably... [ He trails off, cringing as he considers what he's suggesting. ] Oh my god, I can't believe I'm trying to schedule a kiss.

Oops, your voice squeaked. [Yoosung laughs fondly. It's fun getting to be the one teasing someone for a change. He winces too after he cringes like that.]

God. I feel bad if you have to schedule it... like we're some old married couple and I'm neglecting you... I just want to kiss you when you're comfortable with it, Yuuki!

[Then again.... it IS Yuuki.]

Ah, are schedules comfortable?

[Yuuki is his world!! He can schedule him wherever he wants!! It's a day Yoosung would gladly look forward to!! But he'll sound like a freak if he says all of that at an awkward time like this.]

I mean, kind of, but that's still really lame regardless.

[ He appreciates the willingness to go along with that, though. ]

Mm, maybe we can just say, like... starting tomorrow, whenever it feels appropriate, let's go for it.

R1 DEADLAND PT2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO

closed to mitarai

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fool, nothing is closed to me~!!

1/2; INCLUDING THE DOOR... i was, indeed, a fool

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