Yeah, sure, alright. You better at least hold the fucking bus for me if all this short notice makes me late.
[this is the most inoffensive of grumbling, weakened even further by the fact you can hear her putting her shoes on. Hazel really only had obsessively tweaking her decorations to look forward to tonight, so she doesn't mind the intrusion in the least.]
We're kind of relying on good traffic conditions, so it's probably better if you don't go causing any accidents.
[He can be heard chuckling as he leaves his house now, shutting the door behind him and lightly jogging down the walkway on his way to the sidewalk. The bus stop's not far from there, but by the looks of things, they've got a few minutes yet before it even turns onto their street.]
And hey, if you're worried about primping, you can just use my comb!
Josuke, I thought you of all people would know better than to do something as unsanitary as that.
[which one of them is the gross comb-ruiner in this retort? it's impossible to tell, and that's part of its charm. more charming than the muffled cursed as she drops her keys while trying to shift the comm around when she starts walking, at least.]
-we're like a block away from each other, this is fucking stupid! I'll talk to you when I get there.
[which is Hazel's way of exiting this conversation with GRACE AND DIGNITY AND ABOVE ALL SUBTLETY rather than make the strangled noise of embarrassment she can feel coming. so smooth. no one will ever suspect her real game.
the bus stop really isn't that far from the housing block, so it's not like she's missing out on more than a few minutes of conversation by hanging up abruptly. he's beaten her there, of course, but with his longer strides that was a given she doesn't even bother internally grumbling about as she draws up.]
[It's with the biggest, dumbest, know-it-all grin that Josuke greets Hazel at the bus stop. He hadn't quite expected her hangup to be so abrupt, but he'd nevertheless found it amusing.
The timing almost seemed to suggest embarrassment on her end, after all! And how could he possibly refrain from finding that cute?]
Hey, you made it! And without causing any pileups, too! Nice.
[that expression is pretty much what she was suspecting she'd see, and it just solidifies her look of willful obliviousness. she has absolutely no idea what could possibly be causing that expression because she did nothing to suggest being flustered. Hazel waves nonchalantly to dismiss the facetious praise, plowing forward steadfastly.]
You can't say that for sure. Anything could have happened between here and my house.
[and with her, that's actually a pretty accurate statement. she rocks on her heels once to check the (empty) street for the bus before settling down into a more patient wait.]
So do I get to ask where we're going or is this going to be a dumb guessing game?
I guess, but I don't see smoke, so we should be good.
[Hazel's carefully crafted guise of willful obliviousness is admirable, but it probably doesn't get the reaction from Josuke she no doubt would have preferred.
Hands dug deep into the pockets of his jeans, he rocks back onto his heels and hikes his shoulders upward playfully. Obviously an attempt on his part at looking too cute in zebra print to despise for being such a gigantic brat with no shame whatsoever. In fact, rather than appearing the slightest bit discouraged, he actually seems to be pretty pleased with himself!]
You can ask, but I'm not gonna tell. Where we're going's a surprise.
[ugh, whatever!! she can't call him out on it because she's pretending that there isn't anything to be called out over, and that's almost as frustrating as just taking the teasing.
almost. this is a battle of wills now, and giving in just means she loses her pride twice over. so Hazel just chews on her lower lip petulantly and takes solace in the fact that the crop top she layered over her usual long-sleeve shirt isn't the dumbest outfit to wander the streets today.
where does he even find that shit? he looks like a total nerd, definitely not cute at all.]
Oh, that's good. We've got an amazing track record with surprises.
[Heaven help her should she ever see the inside of his closet. It is a treasure trove of animal print, geek chic, high fashion, knitwear, and retro trends...none of which he's ashamed to wear, and at least half of which would cause secondhand embarrassment for others.
The only thing it's missing is something a little more...Hazel-aesthetic. Though, given enough time, he'll probably try to get her to take him shopping wherever it is she manages to find stuff both cute and occult.]
Our track record's just fine. [That mall ban never happened. They totally didn't throw pie and mud at each other. Who stole a bus in the midst of a sharknado? Wasn't them!] Don't worry, everything'll be fine! You're gonna love this.
[He thinks. Most girls would love what he's got planned, but Hazel's not exactly like most girls...which is too late to worry about as the bus pulls around the corner and he fishes his wallet out of his pocket.]
[because that mall ban never happened, going shopping to places Hazel frequents would obviously be nothing more than an enjoyable outing for all and sundry. there is absolutely definitely not at least one weird hole in the wall run by a strung-out hippie that she gets a lot of stuff from.]
I don't know, this is already pretty damn suspicious...
[but she's grinning playfully when she says that and gives his arm a grateful squeeze before rushing ahead onto the bus. truth be told, she probably only pays for her bus rides about half the time - it's just so much easier to wait for crowded buses at crowded stops and just clamber through the back door when it lets someone out.
miraculously, Hazel doesn't even have to roll an old person out of the way to stake out a couple seats. she's got her ass planted on the border of both of them to keep anyone from getting any stupid ideas; when Josuke meanders back she stops swinging her legs like a kid and sidles over so he can sit down.]
[Absolutely not. And Hazel and Josuke are absolutely not going to visit said hippie someday in the near future. No way.]
How's it suspicious!
[Dropping fare for both Hazel and himself, Josuke catches up with his friend and takes his seat next to her. The playful squeeze she'd given his arm? Answered with a squeeze of his own, followed by Josuke catching her hand and lacing his fingers with hers in between them.]
I'm just being spontaneous, you tellin' me you can't appreciate that?
[Hazel's too busy teasing to immediately register what he's done; those sorts of little gestures had been seeping into their daily interactions long before they'd held any other meaning, so it feels natural and commonplace.
but it does have weight now, and her mind catches up to what's happened soon enough. it cuts her retort neatly in half, but the bus' return to motion is enough to cover that up - less easy to explain away is the pleased little smile that slips out when she looks down at the intertwined fingers.]
And you've got no one to blame but yourself for that, before you try and pin it on my cynicism.
[look, the teasing was on pause, not stop.
since the general calamity of the other passengers is enough to make the subtler edges of her expression difficult to pick out unless one is looking, Hazel allows herself a little leeway in the form of gently leaning against him. it's only fair - his huge ass is probably crowding into her seat anyway.]
omg i'm sorry i forgot about this with all the other threads going on
Well, you're shit outta luck because I don't know how to be one of them boring guys who stays at home all the time and doesn't do anything.
[Which essentially means that whenever Josuke is possessed by the sudden urge to go out and do something random, like he was today, the first person he's going to think of calling up to come along with him is his best friend and girlfriend.
Not that he thinks she actually minds, or else why would she be tagging along?
Her pleased smile at the light grip he has on her hand is matched by one of his own, but instead of pointing that out, Josuke focuses his attention beyond her and out the window, at the scenery passing them by. It gives him a reason to lean closer and draw her attention to something outside. Not that there's a whole lot to look at as the bus nears the city's limits...]
So you can see for yourself we're not gonna be doing something in town. Any guesses yet what I got planned?
[even if there really isn't much of a view, the plan still works; Hazel's gaze follows his out the window as she idly chews her lower lip in response to his question.
she really honestly can't imagine what the hell Josuke's lined up, but admitting complete mystification isn't something her pride's going to allow her to do. instead Hazel hums thoughtfully and falls back on the safety of jokes, hoping maybe he'll drop a hint unintentionally that'll give her a better guess.]
Are we finally taking you back to the wildlife preserve?
[man, it feels really good to finally be able to bring this back around to his dumb shirt. even if Hazel doesn't get any clues it's a successful gambit in her opinion.]
[It takes a moment, and then—oooh, he gets it. Because of his shirt. But do you think he's going to give her the satisfaction of overreacting? No way, not a chance in hell.
Besides, the sweeter payback right now is holding over her head (hah) the nature of their destination. Which is why he replies with a vaguely smug sounding...]
Hmm...you're not wrong.
[...before sitting back in his seat and waiting to see if she can connect the dots with what little he's given her so far.]
Edited 2015-11-16 06:23 (UTC)
gosh i don't know, maybe it's because i keep tagging you or something
[can she? nnnnot really. the best guess that Hazel can hazard is the zoo, but that's a location still safely tucked into the confines of the city limits.
instead of admitting that, however, she just decides not to answer at all and deny him the satisfaction of lording the mystery over her. she pats Josuke's leg with her free hand, mock sadness creeping into her tone.]
Man, right when I'd gotten used to having you around! I'm gonna actually miss you, Josuke.
[If Hazel's still trying to figure out where they're headed, she's doing a good job at disguising the fact with playful banter. To which Josuke is morally obligated to respond to teasingly...]
You trying to say you won't come visit?
[Untangling his hand from hers so he can brush her hand away from his leg, Josuke turns his face away from her and crosses his arms. Despite being thoroughly amused, he is outwardly the very picture of a sulking teenager.]
And here I thought we had something special.
no that can't possibly have anything to do with it
You should've known better to expect something like that from the girl who caps her friendships at three people max.
[which means that once again this is all Josuke's fault. she knows that he's just playing along with that petulance, which means that Hazel doesn't need to take it seriously.
if he's not going to look at her and pretend sulk, she might as well get some sort of use out of his dumb ass in the meantime; with a nonchalant shrug at the loss of the handholding she just leans more heavily against him, substituting Josuke for the less comfortable window.]
Besides, who in their right mind would fucking let me in at all? I'd probably try to bust you out and ruin all their work on wild rehabilitation or whatever.
[although envisioning that is making it hard to keep up the facetious disinterest. something about replacing Josuke with Free Willy is just fucking hilarious.]
[...Josuke doesn't mind being a substitute for the window, really. In fact, he quite likes it when Hazel leans her meager weight against him, squishing against his side. Might make it a bit hard for him to keep pretending to be sulking, but with his girlfriend saying such sweetly heroic and endearing things to him, why would he want to?
Laughing as he uncrosses his arms and throws one around her shoulders, Josuke beams down at Hazel.]
You'd really come to my rescue, huh?
[If he had any idea she was envisioning him in the place of Free Willy, that half hug would become a headlock so fast...]
How'd I get so lucky?
[Their stop's not far off now, and before long Josuke's leaning into Hazel to reach for the cord. He gives it a quick pull, hears a little ding, and then shuffles to the edge of his seat, pulling Hazel along with him.]
There's about a five or ten minute walk once we get off the bus, but that's it. You ready?
[this is barely intelligible with how aggressively Hazel's mumbling, exacerbated by the fact she's staring very intently at her lap. it's a pleased sort of embarrassment, though, and when she finally glances up to meet his gaze there's a tiny smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.
she'll tell him about his stellar performance as the orca's replacement later, she thinks. right now it's nicer to let him think her intentions were pure and just enjoy the closeness in companionable silence.
it's a testament to how much she's already enjoying herself that she allows Josuke to tug her along without complaint; Hazel doesn't even do something shitty like go limp or dig her heels in just to be a pain in the ass, although it certainly doesn't keep her mouth from running again.]
I'll try and keep myself from falling apart after all that exercise.
Edited (I FORGOT MY STUPID HEADER AND DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE UNTIL LIKE THREE TAGS LATER) 2015-11-23 18:10 (UTC)
[As if digging her heels in or going limp like a rag doll would help her. By now, Josuke's gotten used to her rebelling in those ways and knows enough to just throw her over his shoulder if that's what it comes to. She's light enough that it'll be easy, and short enough that her fists and toes won't be able to kick at places too sensitive. And if she somehow managed to get close? He could always just princess carry her and watch her clam up from embarrassment.
Fortunately, such tactics aren't required right now! They're able to hop off the bus without too much difficulty, though Josuke doesn't exactly let go of Hazel when their feet touch country road. He's enjoying the closeness. More so now that it's just the two of them, even if that's temporary.]
Alright, I could cover your eyes until we get there, but that'd be a pain in the ass and I'm sure you'd find some way to peek anyway, so...
[He tilts his head so he can glance down at her.]
...where we're headed, it's a little ranch. They take people horseback riding along the trails, and a couple times a week they do evening runs. Thought it might be nice.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
deadtective) wrote2015-01-08 01:21 am
no subject
[Just like that, he's inserting himself into her schedule.]
By the way, I mean like...right now right now. Meet me at the bus stop?
no subject
[this is the most inoffensive of grumbling, weakened even further by the fact you can hear her putting her shoes on. Hazel really only had obsessively tweaking her decorations to look forward to tonight, so she doesn't mind the intrusion in the least.]
no subject
no subject
[a little more grumpily now as keys jangle around a lock in the background.]
no subject
[He can be heard chuckling as he leaves his house now, shutting the door behind him and lightly jogging down the walkway on his way to the sidewalk. The bus stop's not far from there, but by the looks of things, they've got a few minutes yet before it even turns onto their street.]
And hey, if you're worried about primping, you can just use my comb!
[Because of course he always carries one.]
no subject
[which one of them is the gross comb-ruiner in this retort? it's impossible to tell, and that's part of its charm. more charming than the muffled cursed as she drops her keys while trying to shift the comm around when she starts walking, at least.]
no subject
[Which is really just his playful way of saying he can't exactly worry about sharing his comb with Hazel when they go around kissing each other!]
no subject
[which is Hazel's way of exiting this conversation with GRACE AND DIGNITY AND ABOVE ALL SUBTLETY rather than make the strangled noise of embarrassment she can feel coming. so smooth. no one will ever suspect her real game.
the bus stop really isn't that far from the housing block, so it's not like she's missing out on more than a few minutes of conversation by hanging up abruptly. he's beaten her there, of course, but with his longer strides that was a given she doesn't even bother internally grumbling about as she draws up.]
whoops sorry stepped out for a bit
The timing almost seemed to suggest embarrassment on her end, after all! And how could he possibly refrain from finding that cute?]
Hey, you made it! And without causing any pileups, too! Nice.
conveniently while i was taking a shower
You can't say that for sure. Anything could have happened between here and my house.
[and with her, that's actually a pretty accurate statement. she rocks on her heels once to check the (empty) street for the bus before settling down into a more patient wait.]
So do I get to ask where we're going or is this going to be a dumb guessing game?
hah! i've got great timing
[Hazel's carefully crafted guise of willful obliviousness is admirable, but it probably doesn't get the reaction from Josuke she no doubt would have preferred.
Hands dug deep into the pockets of his jeans, he rocks back onto his heels and hikes his shoulders upward playfully. Obviously an attempt on his part at looking too cute in zebra print to despise for being such a gigantic brat with no shame whatsoever. In fact, rather than appearing the slightest bit discouraged, he actually seems to be pretty pleased with himself!]
You can ask, but I'm not gonna tell. Where we're going's a surprise.
it's truly impeccable
almost. this is a battle of wills now, and giving in just means she loses her pride twice over. so Hazel just chews on her lower lip petulantly and takes solace in the fact that the crop top she layered over her usual long-sleeve shirt isn't the dumbest outfit to wander the streets today.
where does he even find that shit? he looks like a total nerd, definitely not cute at all.]
Oh, that's good. We've got an amazing track record with surprises.
thank you thank you
The only thing it's missing is something a little more...Hazel-aesthetic. Though, given enough time, he'll probably try to get her to take him shopping wherever it is she manages to find stuff both cute and occult.]
Our track record's just fine. [That mall ban never happened. They totally didn't throw pie and mud at each other. Who stole a bus in the midst of a sharknado? Wasn't them!] Don't worry, everything'll be fine! You're gonna love this.
[He thinks. Most girls would love what he's got planned, but Hazel's not exactly like most girls...which is too late to worry about as the bus pulls around the corner and he fishes his wallet out of his pocket.]
I got this, just grab us a nice seat.
np of course
I don't know, this is already pretty damn suspicious...
[but she's grinning playfully when she says that and gives his arm a grateful squeeze before rushing ahead onto the bus. truth be told, she probably only pays for her bus rides about half the time - it's just so much easier to wait for crowded buses at crowded stops and just clamber through the back door when it lets someone out.
miraculously, Hazel doesn't even have to roll an old person out of the way to stake out a couple seats. she's got her ass planted on the border of both of them to keep anyone from getting any stupid ideas; when Josuke meanders back she stops swinging her legs like a kid and sidles over so he can sit down.]
no subject
How's it suspicious!
[Dropping fare for both Hazel and himself, Josuke catches up with his friend and takes his seat next to her. The playful squeeze she'd given his arm? Answered with a squeeze of his own, followed by Josuke catching her hand and lacing his fingers with hers in between them.]
I'm just being spontaneous, you tellin' me you can't appreciate that?
no subject
[Hazel's too busy teasing to immediately register what he's done; those sorts of little gestures had been seeping into their daily interactions long before they'd held any other meaning, so it feels natural and commonplace.
but it does have weight now, and her mind catches up to what's happened soon enough. it cuts her retort neatly in half, but the bus' return to motion is enough to cover that up - less easy to explain away is the pleased little smile that slips out when she looks down at the intertwined fingers.]
And you've got no one to blame but yourself for that, before you try and pin it on my cynicism.
[look, the teasing was on pause, not stop.
since the general calamity of the other passengers is enough to make the subtler edges of her expression difficult to pick out unless one is looking, Hazel allows herself a little leeway in the form of gently leaning against him. it's only fair - his huge ass is probably crowding into her seat anyway.]
omg i'm sorry i forgot about this with all the other threads going on
[Which essentially means that whenever Josuke is possessed by the sudden urge to go out and do something random, like he was today, the first person he's going to think of calling up to come along with him is his best friend and girlfriend.
Not that he thinks she actually minds, or else why would she be tagging along?
Her pleased smile at the light grip he has on her hand is matched by one of his own, but instead of pointing that out, Josuke focuses his attention beyond her and out the window, at the scenery passing them by. It gives him a reason to lean closer and draw her attention to something outside. Not that there's a whole lot to look at as the bus nears the city's limits...]
So you can see for yourself we're not gonna be doing something in town. Any guesses yet what I got planned?
haha it's cool, there's...an awful lot...
she really honestly can't imagine what the hell Josuke's lined up, but admitting complete mystification isn't something her pride's going to allow her to do. instead Hazel hums thoughtfully and falls back on the safety of jokes, hoping maybe he'll drop a hint unintentionally that'll give her a better guess.]
Are we finally taking you back to the wildlife preserve?
[man, it feels really good to finally be able to bring this back around to his dumb shirt. even if Hazel doesn't get any clues it's a successful gambit in her opinion.]
there really is????? how'd that even happen
[It takes a moment, and then—oooh, he gets it. Because of his shirt. But do you think he's going to give her the satisfaction of overreacting? No way, not a chance in hell.
Besides, the sweeter payback right now is holding over her head (hah) the nature of their destination. Which is why he replies with a vaguely smug sounding...]
Hmm...you're not wrong.
[...before sitting back in his seat and waiting to see if she can connect the dots with what little he's given her so far.]
gosh i don't know, maybe it's because i keep tagging you or something
instead of admitting that, however, she just decides not to answer at all and deny him the satisfaction of lording the mystery over her. she pats Josuke's leg with her free hand, mock sadness creeping into her tone.]
Man, right when I'd gotten used to having you around! I'm gonna actually miss you, Josuke.
i kinda keep giving you stuff to tag tho
You trying to say you won't come visit?
[Untangling his hand from hers so he can brush her hand away from his leg, Josuke turns his face away from her and crosses his arms. Despite being thoroughly amused, he is outwardly the very picture of a sulking teenager.]
And here I thought we had something special.
no that can't possibly have anything to do with it
[which means that once again this is all Josuke's fault. she knows that he's just playing along with that petulance, which means that Hazel doesn't need to take it seriously.
if he's not going to look at her and pretend sulk, she might as well get some sort of use out of his dumb ass in the meantime; with a nonchalant shrug at the loss of the handholding she just leans more heavily against him, substituting Josuke for the less comfortable window.]
Besides, who in their right mind would fucking let me in at all? I'd probably try to bust you out and ruin all their work on wild rehabilitation or whatever.
[although envisioning that is making it hard to keep up the facetious disinterest. something about replacing Josuke with Free Willy is just fucking hilarious.]
well if you wanna take all the blame.....!
Laughing as he uncrosses his arms and throws one around her shoulders, Josuke beams down at Hazel.]
You'd really come to my rescue, huh?
[If he had any idea she was envisioning him in the place of Free Willy, that half hug would become a headlock so fast...]
How'd I get so lucky?
[Their stop's not far off now, and before long Josuke's leaning into Hazel to reach for the cord. He gives it a quick pull, hears a little ding, and then shuffles to the edge of his seat, pulling Hazel along with him.]
There's about a five or ten minute walk once we get off the bus, but that's it. You ready?
[MUFFLED BABY COME BACK IN THE DISTANCE]
[this is barely intelligible with how aggressively Hazel's mumbling, exacerbated by the fact she's staring very intently at her lap. it's a pleased sort of embarrassment, though, and when she finally glances up to meet his gaze there's a tiny smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.
she'll tell him about his stellar performance as the orca's replacement later, she thinks. right now it's nicer to let him think her intentions were pure and just enjoy the closeness in companionable silence.
it's a testament to how much she's already enjoying herself that she allows Josuke to tug her along without complaint; Hazel doesn't even do something shitty like go limp or dig her heels in just to be a pain in the ass, although it certainly doesn't keep her mouth from running again.]
I'll try and keep myself from falling apart after all that exercise.
no subject
Fortunately, such tactics aren't required right now! They're able to hop off the bus without too much difficulty, though Josuke doesn't exactly let go of Hazel when their feet touch country road. He's enjoying the closeness. More so now that it's just the two of them, even if that's temporary.]
Alright, I could cover your eyes until we get there, but that'd be a pain in the ass and I'm sure you'd find some way to peek anyway, so...
[He tilts his head so he can glance down at her.]
...where we're headed, it's a little ranch. They take people horseback riding along the trails, and a couple times a week they do evening runs. Thought it might be nice.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)