[OPENish] ~LIFE NEEDS MORE BEACHES & BONFIRES~

[unbreaker]

WHO: Josuke, Kaneki, Hazel, Annie, Hide, Reiner, Usagi, Jolyne, Giorno and possibly Hisoka
WHERE: Cape Canaveral Beach
WHEN: Saturday Night, February 7th
WHAT: BONFIRE! BOOZE! ROASTED MARSHMALLOWS! ...skinny dipping?
WARNINGS: Teenagers. Shenanigans. Probably mentions of nudity. TBA IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE!
NOTES: More or less OPEN? I mean, if one of the above characters would have or did invite yours (talk to the muns!) then please come join us! Opener's in prose, but feel free to use whatever works the best!

They'd come from their homes to the military base in Cape Canaveral, and that was where they'd agreed upon meeting one another. The plan from thereon in was simple. (Maybe too simple to start with—Josuke had originally under planned, after all—but thanks to some helpful 'intervention' things were on course and running smoothly.) A hop, skip, and a jump away was the beach, but in order to be sure they were appropriately distanced from military property, those who were able and willing were to visit the garage and borrow vehicles that could be used to usher their small group a little ways down the coastline. And by the time they had all arrived at the designated location—an end of the beach decorated with bits of driftwood and only a very light dappling of footprints—the sky was already beginning to darken. The bands of color that had once streaked the horizon like the layers of a sedimentary rock were now fading to a beautiful blue-grey monochrome; the rippling waves looked less like glimmering silk and more like impenetrable velvet; and the sun was barely a glowing sliver, minutes away from disappearing entirely behind the skyline. It was cool, but not cold, and as the fire was struck, as it reached brightly skyward, flames dancing and crackling, warmth soon began to fan outward. Around the bonfire were blankets and towels for people to sit on. There were snacks of all kinds: marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers, chips, and hot dogs—and there were skewers with which to stab several of these foods. There was a volleyball, too, pairs of binoculars, someone's media player and headphones, and a small cooler full of drinks on ice: water, some selections of soda, and of course...the alcohol. In short, everything anyone calling themselves a 'teenager' might need to cut loose on a Saturday night.

Comments

[unbreaker]

Huh?

[What's with that look!]

I'm feeling just fine! You must have water in your ears if you didn't hear someone shouting.

[deadtective]

Seriously, there hasn't been any shouting over here. Have you been drinking too much? You need to watch that, you know! I can't drive everyone home, somebody else needs to pick up the DD slack.

[she pushes up onto her tiptoes so that she can press a hand to his forehead, checking for the flush that comes from fever or drunkenness. this is really damn amusing, so she's actually selling the false worry a lot better than her usual lies.]

[unbreaker]

As if I can help with that. I ride back to the base behind the wheel and I'm gonna have more trouble than the joyride's worth.

[He'll save that for somewhere farther away from soldiers, thanks. Less chances of having his fun spoiled.

...as for Hazel pressing her hand to his head, that just earns her the most confused look ever.]

What are you doing? I've hardly had anything to drink, and... [Gently grabs her wrist. Lowers his voice, too.] ...you can't check for fever, you're not fooling me. Besides, even if you could, you're soaking wet and cold, you wouldn't be able to determine shit.

[Ah. He's not letting go. Not holding on too tightly, either, though.]

Stop treating me like I'm some kind of idiot. Spit it out. What's going on.

[deadtective]

[you know what, she's starting to regret a) having friends and b) having friends who don't treat her like a horrible abomination hardly worth the effort of disdain. it made lying SO MUCH EASIER

VAMPIRES WOULD NEVER HAVE QUESTIONED THIS GAMBIT, JOSUKE, YOU'RE RUINING EVERYTHING

she stares at him wide-eyed, expression blank rather than panicked because she's desperately trying to work out what her next move is supposed to be that doesn't actually involve the truth. should she kick him in the shins? break her wrist off in his hand? try to convince him someone's spiked his drink with crystal meth????]

...your forehead's covered in sand now.

[yes. perfect. go for the distraction, completely somersault over literally everything he just said. nothing can go wrong here.]

[unbreaker]

[Not buying it. At first. And then, attention brought to it, he can kind of...feel the sand now. Especially as he makes a face.

The serious facade breaks in 3, 2, 1...]

Hazel! Shit, it's gonna get in my hair...

[Oh my god is he one of those guys? He may just be.

Let's go of her wrist so he can start brushing off his forehead—which isn't half as covered as she made it out to seem, but that's for the best, really.]

[deadtective]

[OH BLESS YOU UNIVERSE FINALLY SHE MADE A GOOD READ ON SOMETHING

Hazel rocks back onto her heels as he lets her go, finally able to get off those damn tippy toes. while he's busy brushing himself off like a huge baby she just. crouches for a brief second to grab a bunch of sand in both hands before straightening up again.

no reason. definitely not using this newfound 'Josuke is a huge fussy baby when it comes to his hair' knowledge to load up on ammunition if he decides to return to the previous subject. nope. she just like the feeling of sand between her fingers.]

You should've been more careful, then!

[unbreaker]

Me!? You're the one with...

[Looks at. Looks at hands. Looks at sand running between her fingers.]

...what are you up to.

If you're thinking what I think you're thinking...you better not be thinking what I think you're thinking...

[Stabs a finger in her direction.]

So help me, Hazel, I will throw you in the water!

[deadtective]

Do you really want to play that game? [she grins wickedly, holding one of her sand-bunched hands a little higher.] I'm telling you right now, you won't win!

[unbreaker]

Don't. You. Dare.

[He's warning you! ...and it's only because you're his friend that you're getting multiple warnings. Don't waste those!! He'll make you regret it!!]

[deadtective]

Then just drop it.

[HER EXISTENCE IS A REGRET YOU CAN'T DO ANY WORSE

and then hand just...inches up a little higher.......]

[unbreaker]

[NOPE!

You're messing with the wrong guy.

Allow him to demonstrate...

...as he pushes a bare foot into the sand and springs left to dart around her.

And given the chance? He'll grab her from behind and pin down her arms.]

[deadtective]

[WHY DO PEOPLE CONTINUOUSLY PUT HER INTO CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE SHE HAS TO FIGHT WHEN SHE DOESN'T KNOW HOW Hazel laments as though 90% of those situations were caused by herself.

as soon as she's caught she immediately begins squirming, stamping her feet really hard as she wriggles in the hopes of stepping on his feet enough times to get him to give up. her voice has hit that shrill outraged tone that is probably really familiar by now.]

That's not an answer!

[unbreaker]

[Not letting go, not letting go! In fact—

—hiking her up because fuuuck stop stomping on his bare toes, that actually kind of hurts you bony little gremlin!]

As if you were giving me an answer, either!

[deadtective]

At least I was using my words like a human being!

[INSTEAD OF HAULING INNOCENT GIRLS AROUND LIKE SOME KIND OF CAVEMAN

said innocent girl is now windmilling her legs like she's still on land, because obviously it can only come into contact with something that might help her out. god why can't she just wiggle hard enough to slide right out of his grip? it's not like she'd feel any damage it might do, body work with her!!!]

[unbreaker]

I was using my words! Ow!! You just ignored them!

Stop—hey!!

[It's not fair that someone so petite can kick so hard!]

For crying out lo—OW!

[Dammit! That last kick takes him a bit by surprise with how forceful it is (seriously, does she not know how hard she's flailing?!) and...

...looks like they're both going down into the sand.]

[deadtective]

[proportionate blows are for people who are shackled by the kickback of their own impact and also used to being able to do much damage in the first place. she will probably apologize for that later. probably.

in the meantime Hazel's getting a faceful of beach...again. she can't taste it but she's damn well aware of the fact half her mouth is packed with it now; instead of maybe crawling away and exiting this debacle like a wise person, the most movement she takes is to roll onto her side and start spitting it all out. it's kind of pathetic and filled with quiet 'pbfft' and 'blegheghugh' noises.]

[unbreaker]

[Don't bother. Seeing her eat sand is apology enough, even if...

...it means faceplanting the sand himself.

Guess it was bound to happen eventually at a beach party, though—his hair falling out of that fabulously styled pompadour and into his face...]

I guess we're even.

[Only they're not, not as far as he's concerned. But he can bide his time for the right moment to really get her back.]

[deadtective]

[at least she hasn't turned over yet to see his disgraceful hairdo. Hazel spends a little while longer making more raspberry noises instead of responding to him, because if she doesn't get this all out it's probably going to end up in her body cavity for the rest of her existence.]

If you say so.

[she's mumbling this into the aether in the wrong direction, so it's about as audible as any of her stupid noises have been.]

[unbreaker]

[...Josuke grabs her foot and gives it a light tug.]

Are you pouting?

[And then a sigh, because jeez...he really can't let a lady suffer, even if she asked for it.]

Want me to get you a bottle of water? I'll just head back to the fire, it'll only take a second...

[deadtective]

No, I'm not!

[she totally is. even if he can't see her petulant expression, it's pretty easy to tell by the half-hearted wiggle her foot gives and the fact she still doesn't feel like rolling over to face him.]

And I'm fine, don't waste the good water on this. I can just stick my head back in the ocean for a while.

[unbreaker]

[...He can't help but laugh at that pathetic wiggle and give her foot another tug. This time pulling her closer.

Let's him grab hold of her waist and...up they get, back to their feet.]

You're a really shitty liar, you know that? And believe me, I'd know.

[He's pretty awful at telling fibs himself.]

But maybe we should get the sand washed off. This is gonna get real uncomfortable real fast...

[deadtective]

[she ragdolls up until he starts hauling her upright out of childish spite (because she must weigh so much now that her insides are nothing more than sawdust and packing) before giving up and standing on her own power. she is such an adult, everyone marvel at her.]

I'll have you know that I was a way worse liar before all of this. I actually have to try now.

[and if that's not a scary thought, I don't know what is. Hazel's churlish expression flickers for a bit as she brushes some sand off her arms, more for appearance's sake than any actual discomfort. take that, you asshole alive teen!! she's got that over on you!!!!]

If the dirt bothers you so much, though, just hop in the water for a little bit. I can dive to the bottom and freak you out by not coming back up again if you do.

[unbreaker]

You know, I believe it. But it's kinda sad that you call this trying.

Anyway, if you went under, I'd wait for you.

[Josuke shrugs and marches past in the direction of the waves.]

You'd have to come back up sometime, anyway. Otherwise, my chum, you'd be chum to some shark! And that wouldn't be very cool.

[The grin he flashes back at her past a hanging mop of hair is...shameless.]

[deadtective]

...ok, I'm going to have to drown you for that one.

[but she can't help laughing as she follows after him (presumably to make good on her threat) because it was just so bad. that was the kind of joke she'd expect while volunteering at a nursing home.]

[unbreaker]

You trying to say you wanna get stuck with me pestering you for the rest of your afterlife?

[He stands with his feet in the wet sand, toes curling as the water comes up to meet him and washes around his ankles.]