maskormenace | 001 ★ VIDEO

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001 ★ VIDEO

[As the broadcast begins, it appears as though classes at Heropa High have let out for the day and Josuke has wandered off from his peers. Choosing to nestle himself comfortably beneath an indiscriminate tree, his school bag strewn haphazardly next to him on the grass, a bit of a discontented pout tugs downward upon his lips.

Something has been weighing heavily on his mind all day and, with a rather exaggerated sigh, the sort that one might elicit if they were being forced to do something they didn't want to, he begins.]

Alright, show of hands, how many of you have been here before but don't remember?

[Josuke raises a hand and then drops it into his lap again a moment later. Seems admitting that is like pulling teeth.]

I like the scenery, and there's been a lot of cool stuff to check out around town, but all these people acting like they know me is kind of...

[Exhausting? Frustrating?

He takes a few seconds to ruminate on that, but when he can't seem to find the word he's looking for, he shakes his head and dismisses the thought altogether.]

...anyway.

Instead of dragging this out, I figured I should just hit up everyone at once. Or try. That's what this network is for, right? So if you know me, or knew me, I guess what I'm trying to say is...sorry. I don't really know who any of you are — but I'd like to.

[There, that wasn't so hard, was it?]

The name's Higashikata Josuke. It's nice to meet everyone.

[Managing a small and friendly smile at last, he ends the transmission there.]

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[Hazel grins, shoulders shaking as she tries to restrain the urge to cackle at the total horror on his face.]

Gotta be more careful about who you talk shit to, don't you think?

I don't know what you're talking about, I stand by what I said.

[...well, except for the part about kissing his ass. He can't believe he said that to a girl.]

Don't you have a job or something?

[She worked nights if he recalled. What the hell was she doing awake right now?]

Night shift, asshole. Now roll down your pants.

[Josuke may want to forget that little part of their conversation, but it's clear that she isn't going to let him. and that she's pretty serious about the demand, judging from the challenging can of her head.]

[Josuke's jaw dropped, mouth hanging wide open.

And then, eyes practically bulging from their sockets, he scrambled for his book bag and hastily shoved himself off the ground and back to his feet. He wasn't sticking around for this shit. What the hell.]

You know, I totally forgot I had detention. It was really nice seeing you again, though.

Nice try.

[as he's desperately moving to get himself up off the ground and away from the oncoming public humiliation, Hazel flings one of her feet out to collide violently with his rising head. you ask for thunder, you don't complain when you get the boom.]

[Well, at least she wasn't swinging a sword at his head...

...but it's for precisely that reason he's prepared for some kind of batshit attack, and he's not disappointed when her foot flashes out for his head. His book bag takes the brunt of the blow, however, allowing him to rise to his feet unscathed. Too bad he can't say the same for his nerves. Why the hell did the first enemy he have to make be the type of person he'd expect to wake up standing over his bed wielding a chainsaw shrieking at the top of her lungs?]

You proved your point, okay?

[Whatever point that was.]

You know, I really don't think I have.

[there's at least one advantage to his having risen up despite her attack - it makes it exceedingly easy for Hazel's hands to flesh out and latch around his waistband now. she expects there to be heavy resistance but isn't particularly worried; she's got a grip on him now, and it's going to be hell to throw her off.]

[Fuck this shit, he's not getting pantsed in the schoolyard with people watching! Least of all by some crackpot high on gas fumes!

Because that's the only explanation for behavior like this. Clearly.

He doesn't say anything, not fully calling out his Stand — but Crazy Diamond's hands do emerge from his and alight upon her wrists. Wrapping firmly around them, the Stand gives her a sharp tug to roust free the grip her fingers have on his pants. She'd have a hell of a time jerking them down without undoing his belt, but he's not giving her the chance.]

There's a line and you're crossing it.

[things Hazel wasn't expecting to see during all this: bubblegum pink ghost hands. things Hazel is seeing right now: bubblegum pink ghost hands touching hers.

her experience with supernatural summons has been dismal, to put it extremely mildly. her mind snaps to memories of little eldritch terrors borne from business cards and tentacles shoving her through dimensions and all rational thought flies out of her head as she shifts into survival mode.

with a loud shriek she jerks her hands up, trying to wrench them at an angle that will snap the wrists of her assailant if it tries to hold on much longer. at the same time her legs lash out, battering Josuke with a vicious litany of kicks to every part of his body that she can currently reach. no way she's going to play this game again in another world. no way.]

[Fortunately for both of them, Josuke's as quick to fall back as his Stand is to release its hold on Hazel's wrists, giving them all the space between either of them requires.

Space that Josuke immediately uses to nurse a few bumps. For such a petite girl, she sure packs a hell of a kick. He'd be really surprised if he didn't find a few fresh bruises on his knees and sides later.

For now, however, he's more concerned with figuring out what the hell just happened. Had she actually seen his Stand? Was she...?

The hands dematerialize, but he remains ready to call upon Crazy Diamond again in an instant if necessary. There's really no telling what this girl can do. Though he's also not eager to start something, least of all right here.]

Hey, relax...

[He holds up his hands, one wrapped around his book bag, the other empty, palm facing her and fingers spread. A sort of white flag, or at least an attempt to prove he wasn't hostile.]

You okay?

[for her part, Hazel hasn't released any of that defensive energy buzzing around in her empty ribcage. she remains slightly hunched over, shoulders curled forward and fists clenched as if she expects the fight to resume at any moment.]

Who the fuck do you think you are, just throwing that shit out there?

[mages were as well known for being supremely uninterested in who saw them pulling their magical bullshit as they were for using it for the pettiest of reasons. but this was a new world, completely devoid of the protective framework they'd spent thousands of years cultivating. surely they must at least have some remnant of common sense to stay their hands.]

[Holy shit.

She did see his Stand. Josuke wasn't even sure what to think of that, much less how to react...]

I was just defending myself!

[The truth seemed as good a place as any, he supposed.

As it should. He'd been careful to use only a fraction of Crazy Diamond's strength, just enough to secure her wrists and keep her from somehow managing to squirm enough to tug his pants down past his hips. He didn't know her, but the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. Hadn't he made that clear at the gas station?]

Right, because that was totally warranted given the situation.

[Hazel generally doesn't like to have her unimpressive height pointed out, but for once it was actually relevant - not only was he built like a freighter in comparison to her, he was at least a foot taller. between the physical advantage and the completely trivial encounter there was really no excuse for being so over the top.]

[Huffing, he stabbed a finger in her direction.]

You don't get to make that call since you were the one trying to...

[...he stopped, remembering exactly what it was she was trying to do, and made a face.]

What the hell is wrong with you, anyway? You don't just walk up to people you barely know and get all handsy!

[she plants her hands firmly on her hips, staring back at the accusatory finger without even a hint of being cowed. you're the asshole here, Josuke, not her.]

You do when the people who barely know you literally ask for it.

What...? No! What the hell...I didn't mean it literally!

[And even if he did, who the hell goes around obliging those kinds of offers?! This girl needs a babysitter! And a leash and a muzzle, to boot.]

Of course not, you were just trying to be a big dick smartmouth because someone was up your ass about your dumbass decisions. That's the entire point.

[don't say shit unless you're willing to deal with the consequences of it. why this was so difficult to grasp for people was beyond Hazel, who never ever at all in her life ever said anything she didn't mean.]

No offense, but unless you got people hollering at you about stuff you don't remember, you got no room to tell me my decision's dumb.

[Not that he'd think she had room to judge even if she found herself in a similar position. His decisions were his own, and they came from a part of him that wasn't selfish or as young as his years. He absolutely couldn't allow himself to regret that.]

I've got people doing way worse than hollering at me for pretty much everything under the sun. If you wanna make this into a pissing contest then you're not going to win.

[it was honestly the only benefit to her condition. no one could top her on a miserable future.]

Not a pissing contest, just a line in the sand. No one asked you what you thought about my choices, so unless you're one of the people I used to know, drop it.

[He'd lowered his hands by now, but Josuke was still as on edge as before. Fortunately, now that they'd settled back into less uncivilized conversation (in the way that they weren't shrieking at each other, at least) their spectators had all moved on.]

How the hell should I know whose skin I got under or not last time? I'm not fucking psychic.

[it bothers her more than she'd care to admit. people knowing her is dangerous - people she doesn't recognize knowing her even more so. which of them had information that could be turned against her? there was no way to tell. all she could do is try to play along and pray that for once she'd have a little luck.

much as she'd hate to say it, Hazel's hopes aren't very high. she never received any blessings from anyone.]

[As he'd been turning to leave those words gave him pause.

So she had been here before? The way she'd been talking, it didn't seem as though she had. But how could he really take anything she said seriously? She was a self-professed liar.]

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if you pissed off everyone.

[Was that accusatory? Maybe...but it was also spoken much more gently than anything else he'd said since she seen his Stand and started screeching like an angry bat.]

So is that what you've been doing? Telling people you remember things when you don't?

Be more surprising if I didn't.

[she agrees easily and without a hint of hesitation, shrugging before shoving her hands gracelessly into her pockets. whatever front she may try to put on, jokingly or not, Hazel had no illusions about what she was. anyone who tried to claim otherwise was the most dangerous of all, and ignorant to boot.]

That's what makes pretending so easy. I might not remember what happened with people before, but there's only one way it could've ended up.

[she grins, although despite her best efforts it doesn't really meet her eyes.]

Kinda like I never left in the first place, you know?

Bullshit.

[A moment ago he wanted to put as much distance between himself and this girl as possible, and now he found himself hanging back, braced by some of the most defeatist garbage he'd heard in a long time. Did she really believe what she was saying?]

You make your own destiny.

[Choosing to be involved in peoples' lives or not, or to even be someone worth remembering — that was a choice, and it wasn't one that could be made for anyone. It was one they had to make themselves.]

Word of advice...stop pretending. Things get easier when you can be honest with yourself.

[she shakes her head gently, still amused at all the wrong things in that answer. it would have been good advice for anyone else on the planet, but unfortunately Hazel would always remain the outlier.

there was no 'true' self to be when that had been hollowed out of you. there was destiny to forge when your very soul wasn't yours to command anymore. this place was likely the greatest opportunity she'd ever have, and yet she was still trapped by the same shackles as always. there was no way to fight against that which made up the very fabric of your being.]

Would you believe that I've actually tried that before? Turns out bullshitting's a way better option.

[at least pretending gave her some time to believe that there was some justification for continuing to exist. hiding her ugly personality away, deep down where no one could shine a light on it...like this, she could make believe that there was some part of her that could still feasibly be called human.

there is absolutely no trace of irony in Hazel's voice right now. every word of this is gospel truth to her.]

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