maskormenacelogs | if life was a game you would never play nice

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if life was a game you would never play nice

WHO: Josuke Higashikata and Hazel Lockwood
WHERE: Around Heropa
WHEN: October 6th
WHAT: Miraculously, these two (and the rest of the world) have survived an entire year of these two dating! That means it's time to celebrate.
WARNINGS: Cheese, probably. Maybe language. If anything else crops up, I'll edit!

[One year ago to the day Josuke and Hazel shared their first kiss.

As Josuke heads over to Hazel's, he recalls with equal parts amusement and fondness the unexpected development that was the beginning of their relationship; the panic he'd felt thinking Hazel might not reciprocate, and the subsequent relief that followed when she'd made it undeniably clear that her feelings for him were the same as his for her. There was nothing else traditional about the encounter, however. They'd embraced in the shadow of nightmarish mural Hazel had painted, in front of spooky jack-o-lanterns carved to resemble shrunken heads, and if it weren't for the presence of a murderous serial killer from Morioh talking Hazel up shortly before, Josuke might never have gone out of his way to find her.

Whatever stars aligned that allowed them to get this far, he's pulled out all the stops to show Hazel just how grateful he is. And first on his list of ways to demonstrate those affections?

Showing up unexpectedly at her house, dressed casually with a seasonal twist so as not to arouse suspicion, and holding behind his back and out of sight a bouquet of orange flowers that Aerith was kind enough to help arrange specifically for the occasion. Nestled neatly in between some of the leaves are origami flowers of glittering gold and vibrant tangerine, which Josuke painstakingly folded the day before and had taken a good deal longer to perfect than he expected. In fact, the ends of his fingers show his dedication to getting them right, but with any luck Hazel will be too surprised by everything else to notice the sparkly band-aids concealing his tiny cuts.

And even if she doesn't, Josuke still has one more surprise up his sleeve to distract her with!

When Hazel finally answers the door, he smiles broadly and pulls the bouquet out from behind his back.]

Guess who remembered what today is?

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[Hazel knows what today is. dates have become desperately important to her since her resurrection, and (embarrassing as it is) this particular date rises above all others.

to celebrate managing to hang onto Josuke for an entire year, she's planned...absolutely nothing. there's no possible way that her boyfriend knows the exact date of their first kiss and she has no intention of informing him. who wanted a reminder of having to put up with her all this time? in Hazel's mind, there was nothing to be excited about from his perspective.

for her, though? she's happy just knowing that they'd made it this far - genuinely happy, not the plastic veneer she's forced over awful unchangeable things. the whole thing was a wonderful, stupid miracle.

once it's too late to go out anywhere she might clue Josuke in on the missed opportunity, but for now she's just happy wearing his stolen gold studs around on her day. it's so common that no one could possibly guess at the sappiness lurking beneath the surface, and that just inflates the bubble of contentment in her chest further.

it's a surprise to hear a knock at the door, then, so much so that her mind assumes anyone aside from Josuke behind it. she's definitely not dressed like she's expecting any sort of doting, and the completely blank expression on her face when she finally gets off her ass and answers completes the look perfectly.

there are several seconds more of vacant staring before Hazel takes the bouquet from him; with how nerveless her hands seem to be at the moment it's a wonder that it doesn't fall right through them onto the ground. her eyes are a little sharper as she inspects the flowers, the ten ton emotional punch her boyfriend just delivered unable to stifle the pride of a florist's daughter.

it seems that the blooms pass muster. a genuine smile slowly spreads across Hazel's face, poorly hidden by the tilt of her head and the flowers themselves. she lifts a hand to brush some hair behind her ear before looking up at Josuke for the first time -

as she takes a step back to wordlessly slam the door right in his face. it seems she's learned her lesson about getting into a tug of war with her boyfriend, as the sound of a lock clicking into place follows soon after.]

[Hazel's stoking of Josuke's ego and immediate ruthless smack down shouldn't come as such a surprise, but it does. Smitten with the tiny smile that she allows as she inspects the flowers, her boyfriend is completely taken aback when suddenly the front door slams in his face, such that the only sound he can muster in response is a wordless sputter.

For several seconds he stands there. Stunned. Confused. And then, flustered, he tries the doorknob only to learn that she's locked him out.]

Figures!

[He frets at first, thinking that maybe her smile was masterfully faked and she really hated the flowers, but that can't be it. She's never had any trouble before with telling him whether or not she hates something. Which means this is definitely a case of...ahhhh, yes. That'd make sense.

She's embarrassed!]

You know I can just break the door down, right? I mean, I don't wanna 'cause it's our anniversary and I'm trying to be mature, but I'm also not gonna spend the whole damn day waiting on the front step!

Oh, thanks for reminding me.

[like the wet blanket that she is right now, Hazel's nullification abilities settle down on the surrounding area. boy, would she have felt stupid if he'd just punched his way through the door after all that trouble!

free to indulge in a little sappiness now that she's safely out of sight, she leans against the door and buries her face in the bouquet for a deep inhale. this was the first time he'd given her flowers, wasn't it? cute.

it's so sweet that she decides he deserves a little something for what was probably a harrowing purchase for him. Hazel leans her head back against the door and allows just a small bit of sincerity into her voice.]

You did a good job, so you can just go home now.

[that's all there was to it, right? she gracefully allowed him to acknowledge the date, and now they could just put it all behind them. done. finished. no more.]

[Without fail, a feeling of discomfort settles over Josuke as he's cut off from his abilities. Hazel doesn't often resort to using this particular ace up her sleeve, but when she does, he's reminded of...well, things best not thought about today of all days.

Besides, he knows that isn't her intention, and it helps soften the blow a little when she speaks again and he picks up on those sincere undertones. Of course, that makes it even harder for him to do as she says, and stubborn as she is, she's gotta know that. There's no way now that he can leave, not when he knows he actually did good by the flowers. Even if he did get help with them.]

I don't wanna go home. [He turns around and leans against the door, arms crossing over his chest.] I wanna spend the day with you.

It's beautiful out, I thought we could go for a walk. That's not asking too much, right?

[well, she was allowed to hope. it isn't surprising to Hazel when even a rare admission of honesty fails to shoo him away, even if she had been holding out for an anniversary miracle. this wasn't a day she'd wanted to wage a war of attrition.]

You're always spending the day with me, dumbass.

[she feels the quiet vibration of his heavy body leaning against the other side of the door and her gaze drops back down to the flowers as if Josuke could actually see her. it was stupid to be so embarrassed with a literal wall between them, but she can't even attempt to help it. this whole thing has Hazel completely giddy.

the paper flowers in the bouquet catch her eye as she studiously works at avoiding an invisible stare, and as she continues speaking she carefully tugs one out and tucks it behind an ear. there's no mirror available, but she's pretty sure it looks cute as all hell. god this isn't doing anything for un-flustering her in the least.]

I'm not a fucking idiot, I know there's no way in hell we'd just take a walk. And - you don't have to, alright? You don't have to do anything. I'm happy.

[it's clumsy, as she always is, but Hazel hopes that's enough to free him from any lingering sense of obligation. in this moment she was really, truly happy. all of her meager expectations had been met and exceeded, like some kind of unexpected dream. he didn't have to put himself out anymore for today.]

Yeah, and we're always spending the day inside! I don't wanna sit in the house today, the hell's wrong with that?

[Aside from the fact that Hazel knows him well enough by now to see through his attempt to mask his sentimentality. Any other day she might have bought into this without suspicion, but today of all days? Not bloody likely.

Josuke groans, half expecting this to turn into another one of those kicking and screaming episodes they're famous with their neighbors for having. How can he avoid that? How can he get her to open the damn door again?]

You say you're happy, but you're not.

[He pushes away from the door...]

It's the flowers, isn't it? I totally fucked those up. I knew it.

[ironically (or perhaps not, for her) it's not the doubt cast on her emotions but the shade directed at the bouquet that gets Hazel's dander up. her response is sharp and immediate, bordering dangerously on offended.]

Don't be a dipshit, they're fucking perfect. The hell would you know about that anyway?

[he'd probably know a lot about it, actually, being the boyfriend whose honor she's so vehemently defending. the thought comes about a half second too late to be useful for anything but total embarrassment, leaving her once again grateful for the very solid door between them.

if Josuke didn't leave on his own soon then she just might, because hiding under the couch for a few months is starting to sound awfully appealing to Hazel. she scrabbles desperately for some damage control, tone lightening accordingly.]

Someone really pulled your ass out of the fire with these. Although they probably shoulda warned you about the orange lilies...

[was it enough to pull his thoughts from everything else? she has no idea, but it helps her own mind settle down a little.]

Not a damn thing, if I'm being honest.

[Which he is. Surely he'll get points for that?]

But...I figured you would. That's why I got help with them. I wanted to do it myself but I didn't wanna screw it up and...

[He trails off, not even sure if she's heard his quiet mumbling through the barricade between them, but he certainly catches her mention of the orange lilies. It's enough to bring him back a little closer to the door, not pressed against it, but near enough.]

...what's wrong with the lilies? [Does he sound legitimately worried? Because he might be. What if they had a really offensive meaning he didn't know about? Sure, Hazel might just laugh it off, but...well, he'd really wanted this to be special. Which is turning out even harder to make happen than he'd anticipated since he hasn't even set eyes on her yet or convinced her to open the damn door!] It's your favorite color, right?

[oh no, he really does sound worried about it. there's a soft pause as Hazel wrestles with whether or not to actually go through and actually tell him, but finally figures that he'd just stew on it by himself if she didn't.]

They're exactly my favorite color. [and she can't help it, a small giggles escapes. maybe he can't hear it through the door.] But they also mean hatred.

[she almost feels bad, but between those mumbles she most certainly did catch there's something almost endearing about an unintentional slip-up like that. it's even more fitting for a Halloween bouquet, though, which would have pleased her even without the sentiment attached.]

N-no way!

[Except...for once, Hazel doesn't sound like she's ribbing him. Even despite her giggling, Josuke believes her, just as he trusts she's not upset by the accidental choice. She's gotta know that's not what they meant coming from him, after all...right?]

Who's stupid idea was that? What kinda pretentious fuck gives flowers to someone they hate? That's not what it means, okay? It means it's your favorite color and lilies are great and together...y'know. They're pretty—like you.

[And as if to drive home his point, he even taps on the door with his index finger. How peculiar it must look to the neighbors, them talking to one another like this. But he doesn't care.]

[the devastation is palpable in Josuke's voice, and it sends her facefirst into the flowers again as the giggle fit becomes a torrent. she's laughing so hard that she nearly misses when his complaints take a sharp turn into precious - something she'd have really regretted. he's cute all the time, truth be told, but it's rare that Hazel gets the chance to soak it up without restraint.

it's why she can't help but tap back at him, stupid as the gesture is. Josuke is trying so hard here, even as he continuously ends up tripping over his own feet with every attempt. surely it can't be that terrible to indulge him with all this anniversary stuff, right? just a little?

...oh god dammit no. he was not going to soften her up this time! he had his way every single damn time something like this came up, she wasn't going to bend!! probably!!!

christ, fuck her life. this wasn't fair.]

I hit you in the face with the door or something? 'Cause I'm pretty sure you completely forgot what the hell I look like.

My face is fine! And so's my vision, dumbass.

[Dammit. Tapping back at the door like that. It's more cute than it has any right to be!]

I just...I know what I like!

[And what he doesn't like. Which is the door still being shut in his face. Which is why, finally, he sighs loudly enough for her to hear on the other side and steps away again. Far enough that, if she dares to peek through the peephole she might see his back. His shoulders slumping. And his head shake in defeat from side-to-side.]

If you really want me to go, I will. Might just go hang out at the arcade or something. Or that new place that opened up downtown...

[There is no new place. But he gives her the rough address, anyway. Because if he can't take her there himself, he can at least meet her there. Her curiosity will get to her. She'll show up eventually. And then he can give her a real gift. Something with a meaning behind it that can't be fucked up by mistake. Something he knows she'll love.]

[is he really going? she thinks that he might actually be going. he's certainly headed that way, and at this point Hazel knows that he knows he can't fake her out like that. he's probably really leaving.

there's no reply to all that depressive moping he does, but if Josuke's not too wrapped up in hoping his ploy actually does prompt her to show up he'll notice that the nullification that's been pressing down like a wet blanket suddenly vanishes. he can't know with the door in the way, of course, but Hazel's moved out of range.

it'll only take a minute at most. if he's still there when she gets back, well, that's great. if not...guess she got what she's supposed to want.

she just wants to put the bouquet in some water - an easy task considering how often she brings in cuts from the garden to display for her own personal satisfaction. unfortunately, while fussing with the flowers to make sure the paper ones won't be sliding down into the water, she gets a really good look at what she's wearing today.

what the fuck was she thinking with this!? there was no way she could change, either, because Josuke's already caught a glimpse of it. different clothes mean he'd know she was embarrassed, and no matter what special day it might be there was no way he'd let that go. Hazel's stuck with the shirt, plain and simple; all she can do is bite down hard on her fist and give a muffled scream of frustration, slamming her free hand down repeatedly on the counter.

man, fuck her. she deserved to have him totally skip on her over this.

in all her tantruming Hazel completely forgets to pull the paper flower from behind her ear. it remains sweetly in place as she slinks back to the front door and finally opens it up, sticking her head the smallest of slivers out in order to size up the situation. you'd think she was checking to see if a nuclear weapon had gone off.]

[Josuke is going, going, and...not gone by the time Hazel peeks outside. But he has managed to get far enough down the street that he won't notice her stealing a look through the crack between the door to her house and its frame—or maybe puppy cuddles are to blame for his obliviousness?

The owner of the black great dane, a much older man with a twirly mustache and whistling laugh, makes no attempt to move on, as pleased by his pup getting attention as the dog itself appears to be. All heavy paws and eager kisses, it bounces left and right in front of Josuke, and when the teen kneels, it virtually leaps into his arms to soak up the affection. Who could resist that, right? Even if he's got someplace to be, it can wait!

Because doge.

It really is a shame he couldn't convince Hazel to come with him, because she's missing out! A thought which eventually causes him to steal a glance back in the direction of the house, one taken between a dog's attempt to slather his cheek with kisses and playful tugs on his fingers, all youthful energy needing to be burned off.

And when he does spot her? It's the flower in her hair that saves her from having him break into a fit of laughter at the look on her face. Instead, there's something of a dopey smile in its place, and he waves his free hand for her to come over, the other preoccupied with avoiding playful puppy nips now, much to the dog's enjoyment, its tail like a propeller waving through the air. How can you say no to this, Hazel?]

[with great difficulty, although the temptation remains high all the same.

Hazel likes animals, and she likes Josuke whenever there isn't someone asking her about him. spotting him completely sidetracked by a big happy puppy is therefore probably the cutest scene she could have spied on, and it's completely to blame for the shy smile on her face. what a cutie - and the dog wasn't too bad, either.

what she hadn't been expecting, however, is for her boyfriend to choose right now to turn around and look back at the house. she starts is dismay and nearly shoots backwards into the house again, completely frazzled over being caught looking. couldn't she catch just one tiny break today?

Josuke better be thankful for his sweet doofy smile, because that's the only thing that keeps her from acting on instinct and retreating permanently back into the dark abyss of her house. it's nearly impossible to discern that, of course, because the way Hazel looks as she reluctantly leaves the safety of the doorway is closer to sullen resignation than anything else.

she doesn't look at Josuke as she draws even with him and the way more interesting dog. all attention goes to the puppy, who has never betrayed anyone even once in its precious innocent life. she's embarrassed and cranky, but at least she's here now. that has to count for something.]

[It seems to count for a lot as far as the puppy is concerned, its whole body in a full on wiggle from the force of its tail wagging back and forth. Someone else has come to lavish him with affection! This is the best walk ever! He's all paws as he practically dives off Josuke's lap to greet Hazel, up on hind legs and nuzzling his nose into her palm seeking pets and giving kisses.

If she smells different to the dog for what she is, he doesn't seem to show it. She has enough limbs to hug him, fingers to scratch behind his ears, and one of those weird-shaped human mouths to coo at him with! What more could he want?

Even Josuke doesn't seem to be too bothered, today. No jealousy shows, just a warm smile as, gratefully, he watches Hazel with the pup. They're far enough away from the house that maybe he can convince her to keep on walking with him once the dog and its owner move on...]

Heh, he really likes you!

[Josuke rocks back until he can plant his backside on the sidewalk and watch the two, the owner standing patiently nearby and smiling even more broadly than Hazel's boyfriend. After a moment or two more of letting Duke lavish Hazel with the same sort of attention he wants in return, the old man fishes a steak-shaped treat out of his pocket and offers it to her with the instruction to give it to his dog if she'd like.

Naturally, Duke recognizes the gesture for what it is and bounces around on the sidewalk before, back end up in the air, front end lowered, he gives a ready and playful yap. He's got this, Hazel. Toss it, watch him catch it! Then praise him like the good boy he is!]

[Duke, why can't you be her boyfriend? she already loves you more than her current one. the puppy manages to elicit an actual genuine laugh from Hazel as she happily returns his affections, dishing out hugs and nose-nuzzles in abundance. animals were so great.

she almost ignores Josuke's comment, but thankfully the goodwill of the puppy has melted her heart enough to keep her from taking out her self-directed crankiness on him. her head turns over briefly to even look at him when she speaks, giving as much of a shrug as one can with a puppy trying to climb over their shoulders.]

I mean, statistically someone has to, right?

[but then, oops, the dog is once again more exciting. Hazel is all too happy to take the treat from the proud owner, giving Duke an expression almost as playful as his own as she backs up a little bit.]

Alright, let's see what you've got!

[and she lobs the treat gently in the air, giving the puppy a nice easy catch...that catapults him directly into Josuke's lap again. it's an adorable crash rather than anything hurtful - and honestly, she kind of just wanted to see him roughhousing with the dog again. it was precious.]

[Guarded as she is, Hazel's laughter isn't often unrestrained and genuine. The sound is a real treat to Josuke's ears, summoning a smile that brightens his eyes and colors them with the sort of warmth that would cause his girlfriend to scream or sputter.

Better, then, that she didn't see, that Duke held her attention captive...though it would seem, not nearly captive enough. She slips in a wise crack as effortlessly as ever, and it's everything Josuke can do to reply calmly...]

Yeah, right, because it's not like I like you or anythi—

[Hazel tosses the treat and Duke leaps, landing right in Josuke's lap. He collapses backwards on the sidewalk with a grunt that is half disgruntled and half amused, all the while trying to gently wrestle Hazel's accomplice into submission through ear scritches.]

Jeez, how about a little warning next time?

[He sees you looking at him like that, Lockwood! Don't think he doesn't see it!

...and don't think for a second that he isn't proud you think he's worthy of that attention.]

[it's probably for the best that Josuke didn't get to finish that first retort. at this point she's pretty sure that he'd be well within his rights to never like her again.]

Why? Your reflexes aren't gonna get any better if I do that.

[she has no idea what way he thinks she's looking at him, because there's nothing out of the ordinary at all! really!! but even with the most mischievous sparkle possible in her eyes Hazel just can't keep the curve of her smile from trending anywhere but utterly smitten.

to counteract that she shoves her hands in her pockets and makes it clear that she's enjoying his total failure to dislodge her best buddy and partner in crime. she knows better than to get close to him right now, but that doesn't lessen her cheerful spirit. maybe leaving the house wasn't such a bad idea after all.]

It's a little thing called courtesy, you should try it sometime!

[She won't, of course. She never does. And he doesn't really expect it of Hazel, either. If anyone appreciates her particular brand of antagonism, Josuke does. Whether or not that's a bright idea on his part is...still up for debate.]

But uh...now that I got you here...

[He flashes another grin in Hazel's direction as he gently nudges Duke off his lap. A few hand kisses later, the dog's owner cheerily reels him back in and, bidding the duo a farewell, Josuke's able to stand at last and dust himself off.]

We should get going, yeah? On that walk.

[all he gets for his trouble is a derisive snort - and no outstretched hand to help him up when their canine distraction finally leaves. she can't help but give Duke a little wave goodbye, like the dog is going to somehow recognize the gesture, before tuning back into her current conversation.]

Hm?

[she looks down the block, like she expects something awful to be waiting down there to remind her about how badly today can still spin off the rails. what Hazel gets is nothing but sidewalk.]

...yeah, I guess. Someone probably called the fucking cops on you after shouting on the porch for so long, might as well be somewhere else when they show up.

[maybe Josuke will even keep his sort of promise and they'll just have a normal walk. she'd like that an awful lot more than she'd care to admit, but Hazel just can't bring herself to really believe that. it'd just be too easy.

that's probably why she starts off blithely without waiting for him. his legs alone are as tall as she is, he'll catch up fast enough.]

[Don't underestimate the doge. As he leaves with his owner, Duke lets out a chipper bark. It could very well mean goodbye! Or...that he saw that squirrel in the tree across the street and he wants to give chase.]

Nice of you to look out for me!

[Catching up with Hazel, Josuke quickly slips his hand around hers. She's right to suspect him of having something more planned, but until they get to where he wants to go, Josuke intends to play it cool.]

You know, I think I wanna get a dog one day.

[He'll teach it to bury her shit in the yard. It'll be a fucking riot.]

[for all the completely warranted suspicion towards her boyfriend that's swirling around in her head right now, Hazel still happily accepts his hand. he's even rewarded for the action with a small squeeze from hers, although it does nothing to lessen her snarky little retort.]

It'd be nice for you to finally have someone to talk to, yeah.

[he must be awfully lonely now with no one in the house on his level. maybe he'll get lucky in the meantime and someone with a dog will move into his house.]

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if life was a game you would never play nice

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