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[ Welcome to hell! Welcome to hell!

Which is to say, welcome to the morning after Ouma and Shuichi's game went a little further than it probably should have. Ouma had ended up killing even more time in the tacky love hotel by giving it another, more thorough investigative sweep -- not that he found anything particularly useful, but it's good to know the layout of the place and what exactly can all be found in there item-wise. Who knows what might end up being useful or relevant in this mutual killing game fiasco. Although he lowkey hopes some of the shit he found never ends up being relevant -- but knowing Miu, it's possible.

So Ouma's a little sleep deprived, between staying out that much later and...the general exhaustion...plus his inability to stop thinking about it. Even though he'll act like he slept like an absolute baby, 'cause he's a liar. He's even dragged himself to the cafeteria for breakfast, because that's how utterly unaffected he is. Plus, he is hungry.

Thankfully (but also annoyingly, because now he's gotta go see what they're up to right now), most of the ~*~student council~*~ of Angie's, aka the brainwashed idiots, aren't really around right now. That leaves...Korekiyo, Maki, Miu, and Kaito. What a wack group. Although one of the others might show up later...or altogether, since they're teaming up. No Shuichi either, which is interesting.

But not unsurprising, he supposes.

He doubts anything would've happened to him, but there's a paranoid part of him that kind of wonders.

He's almost considering just nabbing some snacks and taking them up to his room right now, because this is pretty uninteresting!! No fights breaking out or anything. Plus, the meal quality around here has really taken a nosedive since Kirumi's death. Oh, well...

The Monokubs will probably show up to say something inane, so he should stick around. ]

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[ Oh lord. Conditioner. Does he even own a bottle of that back home?? Probably not. If anyone keeps conditioner around, it's probably one of the better kempt members of DICE or something. ]

Pfft-- More like boring. You got me all excited for a second there, too...

[ He really didn't expect anything but something like this of course, but he's going to bitch about how lame it is just because he can. ]

But hey, at least you're thorough. Maybe you should give up on the detective thing anyway and be my stylist. No more dead bodies, yay!

[ He gives a half-hearted cheer at the suggestion, his tone entirely in soft jest as he settles his hands on Shuichi's knees in the water and lets his shoulders relax again. ]

[There's a moment where he's distracted wondering what Ouma could possibly have been excited about. The answer hits him about the same time Ouma's hands settle on his bare knees, and he pressed his lips together slightly, flushing. His slip might go entirely unnoticed with this positioning, at least, save for maybe his slight tensing that Ouma might be able to feel in his legs.

Ugh. Chill.]

I think you need to know a lot more than just basic haircare to be a stylist...

[He knows it's a joke, but it's an easy distraction to latch onto. And besides, Ouma always seems to enjoy it more when he engages with the bullshit rather than just ignoring it or dismissing it immediately.]

Not to be my stylist.

[ That bears clarification, okay. Ouma's not picky. Although if Shuichi were his stylist, he might become picky just to mess with him a bit.

Ouma does catch the slight tension in Shuichi's legs not long after Ouma's hands had settled on them, and the urge is strong to just turn around on the spot to see what he's potentially missing.

... Oooor he could play dumb here and make it worse. His mischievous smile is at least equally hidden in this position as he slides his hands further up to settle them on Shuichi's thighs, feigning a relaxed sigh as he leans back even more -- although it's not entirely feigned, because this really is all very comfortable for him. ]

And I'd pay you handsomely! My payment methods include money, soda pop, and sex -- so it's definitely rewarding work. Maybe I'd even let you pick a power structure or two to usurp if you're good.

[Of course he doesn't buy it for a second. And of course Shuichi isn't fooled for a second into thinking Ouma is clueless about what he's doing. He frowns even as he moves his arms out of the way, because there isn't really room between them with Ouma leaning back like that. It's a good thing he was basically done with the conditioner anyway.

Lord. He draws a breath, trying not to be horribly obvious about it, and dips his hands into the water to wash off the excess conditioner.]

I'm not really into soda...

[Yes, that is definitely the biggest problem with this proposal.

Another beat, in which he hesitates just a moment too long -- fuck, is Ouma trying to angle towards something specific with all this, is Shuichi enabling him, does he necessarily mind if he is -- and then he settles his hands back on Ouma's shoulders, lacking that level of ease he'd managed just before but at least not entirely awkward.]

You should rinse again.

[ For a second, enjoy Ouma leaning his head back even further like he might be able to crane it backwards to see Shuichi's face -- it's impossible of course, and he's going to end up getting some of that runny conditioner on Shuichi's chest (since Shuichi's already begun rinsing a bit of it out), but it doesn't stop Ouma from doing it anyway. ]

Huh? Does that mean you're into the other two then? Saihara-chan's tastes suuure are unseemly!

[ Shuichi walked right into that one, honestly.

Ouma takes his hands off Shuichi as per the suggestion to rinse himself again, shifting in the water and sitting up again like he's going to begin to do as much -- but not before opening his mouth again. ]

Well, good thing I'm fine with that. More soda for me, anyway.

[Look, everyone likes being paid with actual money, and their activites from less than an hour ago should be pretty decent indication that he's into the other thing too. Don't call him out like this, bro.

Shuichi bites back a sigh and wills down the blush, less out of embarassment than sheer exasperation at this point, knowing perfectly well that Ouma's just trying to get under his skin and continuing to get worked up over it is dumb.

So, rather than dignifying that with a response, he just sets a hand at the nape of Ouma's neck again and unceremoniously presses him forward and down to dunk his head under the water. To rinse, of course. Just being helpful.]

[ oh my god

Ouma, of course, isn't quite expecting this at all -- the lack of response just makes him assume Shuichi's just going to ignore his shit and put up with it quietly. But then he's surprised to feel Shuichi's hand at his neck, and before he can even contemplate what that means, he finds himself being propelled head-first to finish dunking his head under the water. He's quick enough to hold his breath, but his arms don't go to rinsing so much as they flail a bit in surprise, and he grabs both edges of the tub to get a good enough hold to bring his head back up.

Even though he's certain Shuichi isn't trying to kill him or anything here and is just being really ballsy right now. Wow.

Whenever he resurfaces, he's going to dramatically cough a few times and push his soaking fringe out of his face while whininess pervades every aspect of his tone. ]

... You're the worst!! I can't believe you would try to drown me while I had my guard down... Saihara-chan's tastes really are awful...

You know I wouldn't try to kill you like that.

[Does that sound like sweet reassurance for a second? Think again. He sighs, lifting his hand again to rub at Ouma's hair and scrape some of the suds out in a somehow long-suffering manner.]

I really don't need everyone investigating this as if their lives depend on it.

[A bit more darker than his normal sense of humor -- joking about their whole situation here in the murdergame is usually too much for him -- but fuck it, it's better than letting Ouma have the upper hand in teasing him right now, and maybe he's feeling just slightly bold for the moment in the privacy of the bathroom with even Ouma turned away from him.]

[ Luckily for Shuichi, inappropriate jokes about death amidst murderous situations is exactly Ouma's forte, so he only ends up smirking about that. His lil Shuichi is all grown up and doing morbid humor!!! ]

You say that, but if someone were getting brutally murdered right now, what would your alibi even be?

[ The public desperately wants to know, Shuichi.

Ouma's kind of over not being able to see Shuichi's expressions though, so even with Shuichi in the middle of trying to finish Ouma's hair all properly here, he's going to begin shifting in order to turn around in Shucihi's lap. ]

[He's about to just roll his eyes and insist that it won't come up because no one would kill anyone, but then Ouma's spinning around to face him, shifting between his legs in a way that has Shuichi tensing worse than just from the effect of that gaze on him again, and he loses that train of thought.]

Th-that we were just...watching movies.

[It'd be a solid alibi as long as Ouma played along. But he can't help but think Ouma might take the opportunity to throw a wrench into the theoretical trial. Just for a little while, probably, because he doesn't think Ouma is suicidal and he does always seem to end up subtly helping in the end, but no doubt he'd love the chance to see Shuichi sweat.

Lips pressing together uncomfortably, he hoverhands again for a moment before forcing himself to relax a little and returning his hands to Ouma's hair to continue working out the suds.]

[ Ouma laughs softly, moving to place his own hands on Shuichi's shoulders...just because he feels like it. Maybe it's just a distraction for Shuichi, Ouma wonders, but it's still nice to have Shuichi's hands in his hair again. ]

We sure are watching a lot of movies together lately. I hope nobody gets jealous!

[ Not that. Anyone on earth would get jealous over Ouma, but for Shuichi maybe...especially since he's got that whole training regime going on. Too bad Ouma has other plans for training Shuichi out here. ]

What do you wanna watch next time, Saihara-chan?

[ Welcome to the most loaded question on earth. ]

We like some of the same kinds of movies. It's not that weird...

[Unless Ouma was lying about that part to just...end up in this situation, maybe. But he doesn't want to think that. And besides, of all the details Ouma's revealed about himself since they all woke up here, that's one of the most believeable ones.

Would have been nice to actually explore that whole commonality for real. Not that he regrets how things actually went -- he doesn't think he does at the moment, anyway -- but he's allowed to be a little bummed that his sincere attempt at friendly bonding got hijacked by Ouma's libido.

He shakes his head, idly dipping his hands to scoop up water and pour it carefully over Ouma's head, avoiding any drips that might run into his eyes.]

So we could try watching one of the movies we picked earlier.

[And, after a beat, he frowns and adds:]

One of the ones I picked.

[ Ouma's libido isn't the only one at play here, okay!!

Ouma closes his eyes preemptively when Shuichi scoops more water over his head, but then none of it even comes close to getting on his face (Shuichi really is too good at this), so they're open again soon enough.

He was mostly messing around, but he's admittedly a little internally happy over the fact that Shuichi is up for actually hanging out with him more. Which might be a stupid worry at this point, since he's literally kind of settled in Shuichi's lap in a shared bath right now, but still.

Ouma nods at what Shuichi says. ]

Sounds a-okay to me! I didn't think my picks were that bad, though...

[ Casually ignoring the fact that Shuichi clearly means the porno that ended up being put on. ]

[Ouma's libido was the one that decided to break out the porn, Shuichi's just got dragged along for the ride. And he's definitely pretty convinced about that distribution of blame here, because the look he goves Ouma is very, very flat.]

Did you pick anything that wasn't porn?

[This isn't exactly a hard truth to work out. The movies are all still just sitting by the TV in the other room, ready to be checked. But Ouma's never been shy about lying obviously and outrageously before.

Sighing at the thought, he fusses with a last wet strand of Ouma's hair, eyes breaking away from Ouma's to glance up and appraise his own work.]

...I think you're all set.

[ That's fair, but Ouma's also not the one who broke out the orgasm denial first thing.

Ouma rolls his eyes at Shuichi's statement while Shuichi's still mussing with his hair a little. ]

I tooold you, the disks must've gotten mixed up... Not my fault!

[ Says the guy who is generally at fault for most things.

Ouma's distracted from the topic with Shuichi finishing up on his hair, though. It's a lot more time spent on his hair than he ever spends on it himself, and Ouma wonders if it really even makes a difference, but he's still appreciative of the fact that Shuichi bothered to spend so much time on him. He grins, all of a sudden moving to lean in and almost theatrically kiss Shuichi on the cheek. ]

Thank for washing my hair properly, Saihara-chan! You're so useful!

That's definitely a lie...

[He can definite make a trial-worthy argument about the porn and subsequent friskiness being entirely premeditated, but fuck it, he does not have the energy for that right now. Someone really wore him out today.

He's about midway through another sigh when Ouma suddenly leans in to kiss him, and he startles like he really wasn't anticipating they'd come back to this shit despite the track his own train of thought has been on. Eyes widening, one of his hands flies to his cheek without his really thinking about it.

Lord. He should really be used to this shit by now, but somehow it feels like he never will be.]

It's...no big deal, really...

[ Ouma tilts his head at Shuichi, still grinning if only because of his reaction to that. Only Shuichi would get so thrown off over a cheek kiss despite the fact that they're both completely naked in a bath together right now. It's almost endearing, really. ]

See, that's why you should be mine. It's easy work!

[ Ouma takes his hands off Shuichi's shoulders so he can slide his arms a little further past Shuichi, wrapping them over Shuichi's shoulders slightly as he leans more against him. What's personal space? Ouma's never heard of that. ]

Unless you're into the hard stuff... Then I could give you extra duties.

[ Ouma's still pretty worn out himself, but it's not due to exhaustion (even if he might proclaim otherwise) that he settles his chin against Shuichi's collar, making himself awfully comfortable here even though Shuichi had said he was finished with Ouma's hair. ]

[Goddammit. He was doing so good for a bit there, too.]

Your...

[It's a thoughtless murmur, his eyes wide as he tries to process in real time. Of course Ouma is wrapping that little statement up in more of the "work" nonsense. Of course it's all dipping into what sounds like innuendo, probably, while he gets even closer. That's Ouma's M.O., isn't it? He buries anything real or valuable or significant in piles of bullshit so he has an easy out if things don't go the way he wants, so he can brush everything off as a lie if needed. He set himself up as unreliable from the start so no one would ever take his words too seriously or think too hard about what might be true.

It's a little maddening to think about, and exhausting, and...sad, he thinks.

Ouma's already powered on through it too, cuddling close in a manner that is definitely not helping Shuichi think -- god, he prays Ouma can't feel him beneath the water, there's nothing to feel at the moment, mercifully, but it's still a horrifying and distracting throught he was to shove away. His hands linger where they are, hovering and pressed to his cheek respectively, while he rapidly tries to draw some meaning out of Ouma's bullshit and decide what to do with them.

He'd at least gotten that bit of sincerity out of Ouma before, if by somewhat dubious means. It feels like a Rosetta Stone of evidence, a small hint that might help him translate the nonsense and work out the truths.

Ouma likes him. Like, likes him. It's hard to swallow, despite making perfect sense with everything else Ouma does, because it's him and Ouma but he has to accept that basic fact to make sense of anything else. Ouma likes him, and thought about the possibility of being ditched if he was understood comepletely, and dropped that curiously-worded comment in with his babbling about his organization where it's surely meant to be overlooked in favor of exasperation or embarassment and continued rejections, because...it's easier to palate? Because he wants to be able to dismiss it all as a joke if called out on it? Because he wants to see if it'll be picked up at all?

All fhe possibilities seem very lonely, and very sad.

Shuichi frowns, and delicately settles for laying his hands at Ouma's waist and shoulder.]

I-I said...I'm not sure yet. You have to let me be your friend first, remember?

[Maybe he's drastically overthinking this. But there's something endearing about Ouma pressing himself close like that and dropping what might be breadcrumbs to something real, and he wants to at least try to make sense of it just in case.]

[ Ouma almost anticipated Shuichi dismissing that all on his own (and Ouma had certainly made for it to be easy enough to dismiss), so the fact that he addresses it gives Ouma momentary pause as he considers Shuichi's response. His expression evens, if only for a second, although it doesn't really matter since Ouma's so close that his face in Shuichi's collar is likely obscuring enough.

It's not a no, but Ouma wonders if he should even be fooling himself with the fantasy idea of Shuichi ever being his. Especially in this situation. It's more wishful babbling than anything, he realizes, but there's still that fragment of legitimate yearning. It's good enough that Shuichi is humoring him like this and letting him flirt excessively. It's even better and utterly delightful that Shuichi's been open to fooling around with him, which completely annihilates any expectations Ouma had for this game they've been playing.

-- Of course, he'd probably short-circuit or break or something if Shuichi was legitimately into him or confessed or anything. So where they're at now is probably for the best. It's not going to stop Ouma from aggressively flirting with Shuichi, though. After that brief pause, he responds dramatically: ]

Are you saying we're not friends?! So cruel, Saihara-chan--!!

[Was he hoping for sincerity? Maybe a tiny bit. Shuichi sighs, shaking his head slightly against Ouma's wet hair.]

I mean...I barely know anything about you.

[Maybe he understands Ouma better than most of them just by virtue of trying. But that doesn't mean he really knows much. And most of what he does know has been gleaned from observation rather than anything Ouma actually told him, especially given the Ultimate Supreme Leader's tendency to lie outrageously.

Frowning thoughtfully, he glances down at Ouma's head tucked under his chin, mildly frustrated by his inability to see Ouma's face. Is this how others feel dealing with him when he's feeling shy? Jesus.]

I did say I wanted to, just...I mean, it's been less than an hour. If you give me something to work with, maybe...

[ How the turn tables... Ouma turns his head to the side before he speaks, kind of just letting the side of his head lie against Shuichi as he speaks with newfound amusement. It's really nice, even having Shuichi interested in knowing more, but naturally Ouma is kind of the worst about opening up here. ]

Ehhh? You wanna go for more than an hour? I dunno if I can handle that!

[ Still... Shuichi is his favorite, and if he's asking for a hint without any semblance of pickiness here, it probably means Ouma can make a game out of this.

Because that's what you do when you're experiencing feelings, clearly. Play games. ]

...O-kay! I'll let you ask me anything you want. But I get to ask you anything I want in exchange, alright? That way it's totally fair.

[The obviously intentional "misunderstanding" isn't even surprising at this point, just kinda aggravating. He lets out a breath, frowning, but before he can even respond Ouma carries right on and the sudden apparent acquiescence actually is surprising, enough so that Shuichi just blinks wordlessly for a moment.

Shit, really? Just like that? It seems too easy to be real, which ends up being true of a lot of things where Ouma is concerned, but...well, he'd like to believe it's sincere. He really would.]

...You have to be honest. It's not fair if you lie.

[Just gotta...nip that in the bud quick. Doubtlessly Ouma will find a way to make it difficult regardless.

And then he's quiet for a long few moments, thinking hard. If he can ask anything...the little things seem like a waste, especially when he can deduce much of it on his own. And there are plenty of more significant things he could ask, but Ouma could just as easily read into what he does choose and Shuichi's suddenly very self-consious of his own thoughts on what's "important" and what those could suggest.

The pause is probably just a little too long, but at least Ouma seems to have made himself comfortable. It's not a terrible position, really, once the embarassment has died down a little. And if he isn't thinking about their mutual nakedness and whatnot. Ouma's relaxing easily against him, so he takes the moment while he's carefully picking his words to lean back a bit against the tub, his hand at Ouma's waist sliding around his back in a loose hold.]

Ah...what's your family like?

[ Shuichi leaning back in the tub and getting comfortable himself only encourages Ouma in his position, and he's suddenly immensely satisfied (like a kid who's just gotten their way), nuzzling a little more into Shuichi's collar as he continues being very comfortable himself here. ]

I would never lie to you!

[ ...............................Sure, Jan.

Still, he hums for a minute in thought at Shuichi's question. It's...of course, a super personal question. For Ouma, anyway. He never likes revealing much about himself, and as far as family goes, it's not exactly a typical or standard type of family, but only one group of people come to mind...

Thinking of them just dredges up with it a plethora of other feelings -- the paranoia, fear, longing, and tension with that motive video, for example. But Ouma doesn't even know if it's real. But it's still a video clearly depicting something only Ouma should know about, and that frustrates him and worries him altogether. This line of thinking is completely distracting him from the game at hand too, which is why Ouma tries thinking about other things -- Shuichi's hand at his back, how close Shuichi is, and how comfortable and pleased Ouma is to even be in this position. It's an infinitely nicer train of things to focus on. ]

They're a real pain in the ass.

[ Ouma answers, although there isn't any disdain in his tone so much as there is some kind of dissatisfaction. Mostly due to the reminder of his current situation. ]

... I bet they don't even miss me right now! Can you believe that?!

[ Does that count as lying? They're not even technically his genetic family or anything, so it could also be a truth, in a sense. ]

[The pause is just long enough that he's almost sure Ouma will deflect somehow and give nothing at all. It was a risky choice, after all, potentially very personal. He's certainly not expecting the real if bare-bones answer he gets.

But he can believe that's not a lie, at least. If not becayse of the rule he laid out, then because it doesn't seem like the way he'd expect Ouma to lie. A lie would probably be far more specific and over the top. He'd claim to be outcast royalty or something, probably. This vagueness feels more like a truth being played down. And if there was no one at all, then doubtlessly Ouma would admit to it in the same manner, careless if not acting proud of his independence.

So surely, even Ouma does has someone outside this place. Shuichi can't help but think back to the motive videos, Kaito's grandparents and Kirumi's citizens and Ryoma's loneliess, and wonder what could have been on Ouma's. He can't glean much just from those brief comments and that tone, but it doesn't sound resentful. Certainly nothing worse than any ordinary kid's obligatory irritation with their family.]

...No, I can't believe that.

[Shuichi frowns, his tone very serious compared to Ouma's. Glancing down to the top of Ouma's head, still unable to see any expression, he hesitates just briefly before giving Ouma's shoulder a quick squeeze.]

I'm sure they miss you.

[And after a beat:]

You're hard to ignore.

[It's a little bit meant to keep the mood from dipping too much. Ouma obviously has trouble with heavy bouts of sincerity. Buf he means it too, and it's relevant, trying to make clear that that reassurance wasn't just a meaningless platitude. No one who's used to Ouma being around could fail to notice his absence.]

Nee-heehee...

[ Ouma snickers in a way that emphasizes that he's at least entertained by Shuichi's responses (even though he also genuinely appreciates them...not that he'll ever admit as much), and he tilts his head to look up at Shuichi.

Ouma hopes he's missed, whether from some bout of sincerity or simply from missing his 100% good shenanigans -- because it would at least mean that they're still alive, and that Ouma can still save his totally-not-family's asses or get back to them in some way. It's incredibly difficult to focus on the game at hand while also worrying about something so important to him, though. Even if that importance is what keeps him motivated, in a sense. Still...it's something best not concentrated on if he wants to win this, since it's already very purposefully been dangled in front of him as a motive. But for someone like Ouma, it's impossible not to consistently have all of that bothering him in the back of his mind.

Shuichi has been a delightful distraction, at least. It's too bad he couldn't have met Shuichi outside of this game, Ouma thinks.

Or maybe it's for the best that he didn't. ]

So it's my turn to ask something! You can't lie either, okay?

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