bakerstreet | dialogue prompt!

[Shuichi always takes the time to humor his nonsense. Most people just brush him off. No wonder Shuichi is his favorite person to bother.

He trails after his companion into the bathroom, nearly snickering at the caution.]

For someone without a taste for it, you're awfully quick to help me with criminal activities!

[This is relatively gentle teasing. He could have gone a completely different direction with it ("oh so you wanna get under me huh?"). Truly, Kokichi is a merciful soul.

While Shuichi washes up, Kokichi takes a moment to examine his escape route. Small, yeah, but so is he. It should be doable. Hell, he'd probably manage even without Shuichi's help, but he certainly isn't gonna say no.

He turns back to find Shuichi staring thoughtfully at the signet as he wraps it up, and grins.]

And you're even thinking about stealing evidence from a crime scene right now, aren't you? I think Saihara-chan might be a bigger liar than me.

[But he's feeling generous. Or maybe he just wants to ensure Shuichi has to keep hanging out with him. Either way, a hand suddenly darts out and snatches the wrapped bundle from Shuichi's hand, and it quickly disappears into some sleeve or pocket like magic.]

But I don't want my darling detective to get sent to jail for being such a shitty thief, so I'll hold onto this for now.

H-Hey...!

[ He'd hardly made up his mind yet, so he can't say he was ready to hand that over. Which means of course, he jumps when it's taken from him, slightly worried, though he has little choice but to stop the next moment and... look at the other with the full understanding he's lost this round. Damn it. Ouma's too quick, he has no idea where exactly he hid that. If he wants the signet again, he'd probably have to thoroughly body-search him and... let's just say he might not be ready for that in this lifetime.

Alright. Time to give up for now, and address the part he still can instead. ]

We're not stealing it. Alright? I'm going to turn it in with my report, it's just... If the culprit was never caught, and also isn't a client like the investigators suspected, there's a chance they're still working here. So I can't risk the staff realizing I found this yet.

[ In fact, he plans to go back and backtrack their earlier route real quick, just to make sure they haven't left any traces of what they did. But for now, the window is more important, so he moves closer while sizing it up. He doesn't exactly... scale walls for a living, so what would be best in a case like this? Should he just fold his hands and try to give him a boost...?

Probably better to ask the source. ]

...How do you want to do this?

Sure, sure. Ethical stealing. Whatever makes you feel better.

[He waves off Shuichi's justifications, instead putting a hand on the other's shoulder and guiding him to a spot below the window.]

You don't have to do anything special, 'k? Just stand right here.

[And before Shuichi can even ask what the plan is, Kokichi makes it obvious by simply climbing that boy like a tree.

Truthfully, it's not like Shuichi's super tall either. But it's like having a decently high stepladder, at least. He clambers on up to Shuichi's shoulders none too gently. The awkward part is getting to his feet once up there, but he manages, and soon she shoes are planted on Shuichi's narrow shoulders.]

Hold still! Unless you want me to crack my head open, anyway. I wouldn't blame you!

[He doesn't give Shuichi long to ponder the potential murder opportunity. On his tiptoes, he can just barely reach the window, and he fusses up there for a bit until with the creak of mechanisms long untouched, the small window flips out and open. He gets a grip on the ledge, takes a breath, and then heaves himself up.]

[ !?!?!?!?

He's certain the yelp of surprise he gives, only half-muffled by his own abruptly held breath and the somehow subconscious awareness of where they are, sounds the furthest from graceful or dignified one could get. This isn't what he expected?? Even remotely?? It takes him longer than a second to comprehend, and it's a miracle he doesn't just stumble in his spot and end up falling somehow, dropping them both to the floor.

But at least by some providence and the aid of one palm on the wall for a measure of balance, he's recovered enough presence of mind towards the end to at least help Ouma up by supporting one of his ankles with his other hand. Which... he tries his best to time letting go of as soon as he feels him climbing further. ]

Wh-What!? No, I don't...! I'm serious, be careful!

[ He's too distressed by this point to even care about considering the other wasn't serious, or to worry about looking like a fool if he takes that in earnest. Whatever. It doesn't matter as soon as Ouma doesn't injure himself somehow. It's not like it... would actually be the first time he did, so Saihara can't be blamed for wanting to play it safe.

Stepping back as soon as his companion seems to be in place on the window's frame, just enough to be able to see him, he glances up with a trace of genuine worry. ]

...Don't do anything too reckless, okay? I mean it. I don't want you getting hurt, Ouma-kun.

[Aww. Shuichi does absolutely look like a fool for falling for lies so clearly meant to get that reaction, but it's sweet enough that Kokichi can't even give him shit for it. There's just a satisfied little giggle as he pulls himself up until he's settled with his feet on the window ledge. The window's so small he can't even perch there properly, so he keeps a grip on the top of the frame and leans back as he looks down at Shuichi.]

What a worrywart. You really think I'm gonna get hurt just climbing out a window? Relaaax, I'm a pro!

[He gives a grin and a salute, and then slides himself out the narrow window feet first.

There's a beat. And then a loud metallic crashing sound, and the sound of Kokichi yelping.]

Ah...!?

[ No sooner is he done with the thought that maybe it's fine after all, than his heart almost leaps from his chest and he's rushing right back to the wall. Damn it, he feels like almost everything with Ouma works like this. But it's not like he can see much; he can barely even touch the window if he stands on his tiptoes and reaches as far with one hand as he can, to the point that his back starts to hurt. No wonder the other had needed to climb all the way to his shoulders.

...Okay. First off, he has to stay calm. There are other ways to assess the situation than looking. ]

Ouma-kun...? What happened? Are you alright?

[There's a long beat of silence. Ominously so.

But then suddenly Kokichi's smiling face reappears in the window as he pulls himself back up from where he was hanging down on the other side of the wall.]

That was a lie! But you've got a pretty dumb look on your face right now. Were you that scared?

[On the other side of the wall, his feet kick happily where they're dangling above the trash can he knocked over.]

[ ...

Yeah, he probably does look pretty stupid, trying desperately to find ways past a wall he already knows he can't cross, over a lie he just fell for without second thought. And sure, he might be relieved that the other seems safe in the end; he logically knows this is preferable as an outcome but... something else bubbles up to the surface first. ]

What does it look like to you? No... you obviously know that already.

[ Ugh. Never mind; he's not even doing this. ]

Just... forget it.

[ Turning around, he doesn't even so much as spare a single glance back while he sees himself out through the door. It doesn't matter anymore; if Ouma wants to wait for him somewhere, then he will, and if not... he's gonna sort that out too. Just not right now. ]

[Oh shit. Is Shuichi actually upset? The thought niggles at the back of his mind, but he simply smiles and gives a cheery wave as Shuichi turns his back on him.

As soon as Shuichi's gone, though, he makes his way back down. It's easier on this side – there's a dumpster just close enough to hop down onto it to cut the drop to ground level in half. And then he hurries to the side of the building, peeking around the corning to wait for Shuichi to leave again. He doesn't want to risk any trouble by waiting in sight of the front door, of course.]

[ To be honest, by the time he's done with everything he wanted to do -- looking around the premises one more time, checking the places they've been to make sure no one can tell what they tampered with, returning the wristband to front desk and so on -- most of that initial frustration's worn off. It only takes a few minutes, but with all of that on his mind, it turns out difficult to hold a grudge.

...Well. Okay, he's kind of bad at that in the first place. And he hates to admit it, but the matter never really leaves the back of his head, which gives him ample chances to overthink it and feel a little bad. A couple of times, he finds himself almost reaching into his pocket, before he remembers he doesn't... actually have a way to contact Ouma. ]

...

[ He's barely taken a few steps outside the building, when he can't help but stop after all. He casts an apprehensive glance to one side, then the other, but of course he can't see Ouma anywhere. Did the other really leave...? He hates he's more worried about that somehow than the loiterers who still seem present. ]

[One second Kokichi's nowhere to be seen, and the next he's suddenly there. Which is to say, he deliberately waited for Shuichi to be looking the other way before he darted over to join him. For dramatic effect.

He doesn't give Shuichi a chance to react, just hooking their arms together and immediately dragging the other boy back towards the street, whining loudly as he does so.]

Jeez, you took forever! I've been waiting for hours!!

[Is that his usual compulsive lying exaggeration, or is it a slightly less exaggerated display of having been waiting outside the whole time in case any of those loiterers have been paying attention? Who fuckin' knows, honestly.]

[ In a different context, Saihara might have been more surprised, but given the situation they're in, he does have the presence of mind to interpret it as the latter. So he simply cuts back on the impulse to pull himself free, accepting his fate for now after only a couple of stumbled steps.

His acting might not be the best on such short notice, but he still makes do. ]

S-Sorry...? I, um... ran into someone and we ended up talking longer than I thought...

[ Embarrassing, thank you. And he isn't sure how he feels about the note of relief he experiences, knowing that Ouma did wait for him after all. ]

Ah... Ouma-kun?

[ Saved by remembering the issue he was just in the middle of experiencing earlier, he finds his voice again by the time they turn over into the more crowded main street. ]

I-I mean, this is only if you don't mind, but... could you give me your number? I realized I don't have it.

[Shuichi already seems less upset. Did he get over it at fast, or is he just simmering or something? Kokichi can't help but think about it. He didn't hate it – there's something a bit exciting about it whenever Shuichi stands up for himself, surprising and challenging at the same time. It's like beating a game only to discover a secret extra stage, and he does like to play on hard mode.

Still, he doesn't want Shuichi to just ditch him, so...maybe it's something to keep in mind.

Will that save Shuichi from the inevitable teasing here? Of course not.]

Ehhh? Aren't you supposed to ask someone for their number before you take them out to dinner?

[Well. Technically he is...]

[ Neither of those... is entirely wrong. He'd be lying if he said there's zero lingering frustration from the stunt Ouma pulled, but at the same time... lecturing the other might be pointless. And besides, believe it or not, what he's doing right now is a little related. It's the better way of dealing with it that he thought of while mulling things over during his few minutes alone.

That said -- this is actually pretty low-level teasing compared to some other things he's been put through today. ]

We haven't... exactly gotten to dinner yet, though. So wouldn't this still count?

[ Ignoring the implications there for a second. We're not about to think of this as a date. ]

It's fine if you don't want to. It's just... I can't really ask you to trust me when we don't even have each other's contact.

Hmm...well, I guess. But y'know, not just anyone can get the number of the Ultimate Supreme Leader! Even my highest ranked minions don't have that kind of access.

[That makes it sound an awful lot like a no. So it's probably more of a surprise when Kokichi suddenly reaches over with his free arm to dig into Shuichi's pocket and snag his phone. The lock doesn't slow him down for even a moment. Just as smoothly, the arm hooked around Shuichi's tightens and the hand grabs Shuichi's and holds the thumb out so he can press it to the phone for the fingerprint ID.

Boom. Access granted. And Kokichi carries right on, brightly.]

Soooo you'd better appreciate this!

[He's already opening Shuichi's contacts and seems to be inputing something. There's a chance he could be fucking with a different person's info, or putting in a fake number or something. But hey, wasn't Shuichi just talking about trust?]

[ I mean... it's not like he can't see what the other is doing on the screen, given how closely in each other's personal space they are and everything. So honestly once he gets past the initial second of almost-protest he doesn't quite manage to give because Ouma's much quicker, he's fine. ]

That sounds... pretty inconvenient. Wouldn't you need to at least have a dummy phone that you'd still have to check from time to time?

[ He's feeling skeptical, to say the least. ]

Ah, but... I do appreciate it.

[ Which still doesn't mean he won't test it, though. Trust is a two-sided road, and besides he already said that himself from the start. They're both exchanging contact info. As soon as his phone gets returned to his hand, he takes a moment to thumb through it, pulling up the most recently added entry. Although, as he appears lost in thought for a second over what exactly to do with it, he ends up holding it a little higher, and angling the display in such manner that it might be difficult for someone shorter, like Ouma, to really follow what he's doing.

A few more touches later and... It looks like the other might like to have given him his real number if he wants to find out what it was.

Which, in all honesty, is a very simple text message: ]

Thank you.

[The name on the newest contact was input as "my beloved ouma-kun ♥" so...do with that what you will.]

Nah. I actually don't even have a phone!

[Kokichi makes a show of craning his neck and walking on his tiptoes for a few steps, trying to see what Shuichi is doing. ~~Better not be changing the name!!~~ He can probably guess, though. Shuichi's smart enough to doubt him. But after a moment, there's a muted buzzing, and Kokichi grins as he pulls his own phone from his back pocket to check the message. Don't look at him, he's smiling at his phone like an idiot.

One handed, he shoots a quick response.]

kyaaaaa!! a text from my darling saiharachan???
(≧◡≦) ♡

Edited 2021-01-27 07:56 (UTC)

[ So much for not having a phone. He contemplates stopping now that he's gotten his confirmation, but...

Just one more. ]

Figured it was the least I could do for "my beloved Ouma-kun."

[ In translation: don't think he hasn't noticed. He does have the full intention to change it later, but for some reason... he can't quite bring himself to do it with Ouma still there. The other does look like he's having fun... and there's such a thing as not having the heart to put an end to that, even though he probably really should.

But texting each other in the middle of the street while they're less than a meter apart is still pretty embarrassing, so enough of that. (Yes, it's just that and not the fact that he really went and typed what he did. Shut up.) If Ouma sends anything else, he does still read it, but the phone goes back to his pocket after that. ]

Alright... we should go. If we stall any longer, we might end up missing dinner hours.

[No additional response comes. And it's a good thing he's shorter than Shuichi. When he's got his head down like this, Shuichi can't see his face. And that's a good thing, because he has absolutely no idea what kind of expression he's got going on right now.

Obviously, the text is teasing. The use of quotations makes it obvious. And it's not like Shuichi's a flirty sort anyway. But it's so borderline that Kokichi feels like his soul may have just left his body. And this while they're walking down the street together, arms still hooked (because Kokichi of course has not let Shuichi go)?

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

He takes a few seconds to respond. Just a slight bit longer than feels natural, but it's time needed to get his shit back under control so he can look back up at Shuichi with a careless grin plastered across his face.]

Hm? You have somewhere in mind, huh?

[ It's long enough, that he was actually just considering calling out to the other again, a tinge of worry back up in his expression. There's something... off, he can tell that much. And even if he couldn't, the question his companion asks next tips him off more than anything else ever could have. ]

Ah... No? We talked about going to the dining hall at school, remember?

[ Seriously, what is wrong with Ouma? Is he messing with him again in some weird, convoluted way? But it doesn't feel like it this time, so just in case... he still patiently explains. ]

It has time slots assigned for each meal through the day... so if we go too late, we'll miss the right hours and there probably won't be any food on display. Though I guess... we could still use the kitchen to cook for ourselves.

[ Not that he expects Ouma to have any interest in doing that; and frankly, he skips it too if he can. He can make simple dishes, but... why bother when it's a lot easier to just conform to a given schedule? Besides, the whole point was to make sure Ouma eats a healthy meal for once; that's better achieved if they get actual food that was prepared with that in mind.

...Damn it. That still doesn't help his worries. Give him a minute maybe, he's thinking about what to ask. ]

[ oh fuck he forgot

(jfc get ur shit together kokichi)

The grin doesn't slip. If anything, it's a bit too stiff as he determinedly refuses to give any indication of how fucked up he is right now.]

Aww, here I was thinking I could trick Saihara-chan into taking me somewhere fancy. Too bad!

[Maybe next time.]

[ Unfortunately for Ouma though, with the way things are right now, that just ends up giving Saihara the chance he needed. ]

No... you weren't. I think you're lying, Ouma-kun.

[ But... why? Just saying that probably isn't going to magically make the other reveal the reason to him, even if by some chance he admits it was only a pretext. ]

You're probably... just avoiding what's actually on your mind. Are you still thinking about earlier?

[ Personally, he means the bathroom and the whole window thing and their little argument, but hey. He doesn't think to specify right now. ]

[Immediately seizing on that opening to distract from his current disastrous state. He gasps dramatically, looking up at Shuichi with a mix of shock and awe.]

Ah...you could tell? Is Saihara-chan secretly the Ultimate Psychic?? Quick, tell me what I'm thinking!

[There we go. A solid redirect, and some insight into what
Shuichi is thinking. He's pretty proud of himself.]

[ It's... not an outright refusal, though. Does that mean Ouma might be willing to talk to him about it if he says the right thing? He thought about it quite a bit while he was still in the building on his own, and there were a few avenues he'd explored with regards to what his companion might have tried to do. Mostly, he just thought he might have been tested due to lack of actual trust.

But... wait. It feels too convenient, and nothing ever is with the other, at least not without a catch. ]

...No. I don't want to assume anymore. I want you to actually talk to me for once.

[ With a sigh, it's like he's really given up and his fullest honest thoughts just spill out on their own. ]

It doesn't exactly... feel nice for me either when I start to doubt you. Because... we're not quite strangers, Ouma-kun. I can't just make myself not care.

[Damn. So close.

The smile shrinks a bit and he eyes Shuichi thoughtfully. What is he supposed to take from that? Is this the moment where Shuichi gets tired of him if he doesn't act more straightforward, or the opposite? Maybe he gives the game up now and then Shuichi gets bored because there's no more walking mystery to puzzle over endlessly.

For all that he's a meek disaster, Shuichi's pretty brave. He can look someone in the eye and ask for the truth. What does it say about Kokichi that he just wants to avoid it?]

You don't think I've been talking to you all along? Everything I say is pointless, is that it?

[It might seem like a dodge, but there's just a hint less to it than normal. Less...exaggerated? Dramatic? The smile is still there, but it just feels different, somehow.

Maybe he's never straightforward, but he's still always said things for a reason. And he's always like Shuichi because Shuichi actually tries to figure out what that reason is. Does the meaning matter less if one has to work harder to find it?]

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thank u for this gold opportunity

the rare Angry Saihara

he's great at this

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CRITICAL HIT

rest in pieces ouma u will be missed (maybe)

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oops

go to sleep!!!!