[ Party's a lot more aware than anyone gives him credit for, but he lets Ghoul act all sneaky, anyway, rolling his eyes at his stolen magazine. Sometimes it's more fun to let someone worry about your revenge than to actually carry out anything. Dumb motherfucker's been skittering around Party like a cockroach and some sadistic part of Party's brain thinks that that's just fine with him.
He flips a page, barely looking down at Ghoul. After a moment he lets out a breath, closing the magazine and placing it on the table. Wordlessly, he snakes a hand down to Ghoul's hair and takes a tight grip, twisting his hand. ]
Me? ( nonsense. complete and utter nonsense. Ghoul ends up having the gall to sound surprised at the accusation, like a guy can't flop around and look pitiful anymore without having an ulterior motive.
the hand wrenching around in his hair is... tolerable, so he makes no move against it- he probably deserves it, fine, he'll accept that if it'll make Party feel better. but it continues pulling, and harder at that, and that's what eventually has him flinching beneath the table with a quiet grunt of protest. ) C'mon, fuck off. ( he turns his face downwards a bit, burrowing further in to Party's leg as if that'll help him relieve the pressure against his scalp.
in order to make his stance of fuckin' damn let go extra-clear, though, he makes sure to sink his teeth in to the topside of Party's thigh, a few inches above his knee.
may not be all that effective, though, because Kobra was right. Ghoul doesn't bite as hard as Party does. )
[ Party probably should have expected something like this, but he tends to act without really thinking things through, so the bite manages to surprise him.
He lets go with a yelp and smacks Ghoul's shoulder hard. ]
Gonna be sleepin' with one eye open for a month at this rate.
[ Difficult as it would be, he's got half a mind to just stand up forcibly and dump Ghoul on the floor. ]
( he can't help grinning after prying his teeth loose again, and even goes so far as to wriggle an arm up, swatting at Party's hand from beneath the edge of the table. it's a terrible position; his arm's folded all at the wrong angle and he's got no range like this, so all his effort ends up looking like is a useless handflap. ) Don't get all pissy, it wasn't even bad. ( it's unclear whether he's talking about the bite or being pinned down and scrubbed over with flea dust... )
( there's a bit of a struggle over ownership of his own arm- some tugging and near-rolling away, but it's short-lived. inspiration strikes, and Ghoul changes his course of action. after some wiggling around, he ends up on his back, squinting up at Party with an impish grin. ) Not too upset if you're over here trying to hold my hand. ( totally not what's going on there, and he knows it.
it is now, though. Ghoul twists his wrist in Party's grip, somehow finagling his hand in to a position that allows him to wrap his fingers securely around Party's. then, suddenly, he's all business. the expression on his face turns very serious as he holds on to Party's hand, also very seriously, because this is, indeed, a very serious moment. )
I'm real sorry that I tried to make you less of a pain in the ass to be around by rudely murderin' some of your bug infestation.
[ Party squeezes his hand just hard enough to know that it has to be a little painful. ]
Should drive you out into the desert and leave you there.
[ He raises an eyebrow at Ghoul, daring him to call Party on the bluff that it obviously is. Sure, Party might drive him out there and throw him in the sand, but they both know he'd loop back around within about ten minutes. ]
( he's pretty good about keeping a straight face, until Party's grip gets a little too tight to ignore. then he finally crinkles up his nose. that doesn't feel great, but there's still a point to be made... )
You'd miss me. ( yeah, sure, Party likely would dump him out in the middle of nowhere. Ghoul feels reasonably confident that he'd eventually come back, but even if he never did, there would totally be a Ghoul-shaped void in everyone's lives. it'd be miserable. )You'd miss me, everyone else would miss me. You'd have to find and train up some shitty replacement. Kobra'd probably cry. You really wanna go through all that?
Pretty sure we just keep you 'round here to be annoying. You're like a yappy dog. We'll find Kobra a replacement. Thinkin' a rat or armadillo will be quieter 'n you. Girl might like it better, too.
[ Shoving his magazine across the table, Party brings his free hand down to pinch Ghoul's cheek. ]
( Ghoul's mouth drops open, feigning shock. fine, maybe some of it's real. just a little, though. ) Fuck you! Armadillos are fuckin' garbage, and if either of 'em wanted a rat, all they gotta do is look at your fuckin' face. ( Party started it. he asked for this.
he may have also asked for that stray fingertip being jabbed between his ribs shortly after Ghoul gets a pinch to his own cheek. ) I do lots of stuff for you. I'm good for morale, for one.
Bullshit I'm not. ( that weird choked-back smile definitely isn't a tell, Party.
it also absolutely is not infectious. that is 100% not Ghoul smiling cheekily up at Party. it's just, like, some kind of weird, non-terrifying sneer. obviously. ) But, okay. You need me around to help Jet keep the car in one piece after you drive it half to shittin' death.
( Ghoul just laughs, quick and short, and he has half a mind to ask what kind of excuse Party has for the other half of his bat out of hell driving. he gets caught up in trying to think of an acceptable example of useful things he's done today, though. the look of concentration on his face is way too intense for such a simple question. ) Been real charming. ( look at that smirk. )
Also apologized. That's important, so we're good now, yeah?
[ Party rolls his eyes and tries real hard not to look fond. Fine, so Ghoul's kind of charming in his stupid little way and Party would probably be sad without him around. Probably. ]
Fuckin' shiny.
[ He takes his index finger and pushes on the tip of Ghoul's nose. ]
You try that powder thing again and I'll kill you myself.
( r u d e. he sniffs and swipes the back of his free hand across his nose after Party pokes it. ) Bet you will. ( yes, clearly, the best way to handle Party's threats is to humor him. and silently hope he never makes good on any of them.
Ghoul's on the move after that, all awkward elbows and knees flailing about as he worms his way both out of Party's lap and from under the table, ultimately ending up upright in the seat, but facing Party instead of forward as one should. because fuck the police, apparently. ) Neither of us gotta worry about that as long as it worked just the once. ( he reaches out, lifting up a clump of Party's stringy hair and leaning in close as though he's examining him for bugs.
it kind of started out as a joke, but now that he's this close... he's looking awfully squinty, like he really is for real giving him a flea-inspection. why. why why why. )
( Party having no concept of gentle-touching is a fact as well known as basic, elementary-level shit such as the sun is hot, but sometimes he still manages to catch Ghoul off guard. like now. the push is rougher than expected and, to keep himself from tumbling right out of the booth, both his arms shoot out and latch on to whatever parts of Party they can grab as soon as he feels himself tilting. )Now you wanna share? Yeah, no. Gonna pass.
( and also get the fuck out of here before he does indeed end up with a head full of bugs. Ghoul gives Party a quick little return shove while he's still latched on, and then almost as quickly as he'd first attached himself, he's releasing Party and scooting himself backwards. )
[ Party's got a wicked grin on his face as Ghoul moves away. He's not letting Ghoul get to safety that easily and he starts to shuffle right after him out of the booth, grabbing at him like a child reaching for a new toy. ]
Sharing is caring, motherfucker. C'mere!
[ And that's when he does what people should really always expect from him and he throws his entire body at Ghoul in what can only be described as a vicious tackle. ]
( oh no. oh no. oh nO. Ghoul can only multitask so much. he's only human. he's doing all right with shuffling away and swatting at Party's grabbyhands, at least until he's met with the full-body-tackle move. Ghoul doesn't get far before he's collapsing under Party's unexpected weight, sending them both to the floor.
this isn't technically a life or death situation, but Ghoul's putting much of his effort in to it like it might be- using his entire body as a weapon as he thrashes about in a wild attempt to worm away, all while yelling incoherently. maybe it's threats, maybe it's general objections. maybe a mixture of both. hard to tell, really ,'cause it kind of sounds like nonsense. whatever it is, it's loud.
shame no one will come to his rescue. everyone knows the situation, and probably knows better than to interfere with justice. )
[ Party doesn't even know how to fight halfway. He's planting all of his weight on Ghoul and he's vicious with his arms, trying to pin him down and get him still with elbows and a full body hold, all while ducking his head to rub his hair against Ghoul's. Oh, yeah, if there are bugs in there, they are both going to suffer for it. ]
Sit still and take it like a man, you shit!
[ He giggles and licks at Ghoul's face in between thrashes. ]
Nooooo! ( there has never been a more anguished sound heard by human ears. it's awful, on par with that of a small animal being tortured.
it truly is torture, in his mind. he's covered in dead weight that smells a little bit like stale desert garbage, there are (possibly) hundreds of eggs being rubbed in to his hair, and now the side of his face is fucking wet. and that, evidently, is the last straw. rather than fighting to escape, the arms and legs he still has control of suddenly wrap around Party like an octopus and clamp down, smashing them both together. close enough that Ghoul can hook his chin over Party's shoulder and, without warning, spit the largest gob of saliva he can muster up on short notice down the back of Party's shirt.
[ What little weight Party might have been keeping off of Ghoul comes crashing down with a laugh. If Ghoul wants to hug him to death, that's just fine.
Then comes the spitting. ]
Ugh, gross! Knock it off!
[ Because Party's lines are arbitrary and unstable, but that's definitely one of them right now. ]
Ghoul!
[ He turns his head to try to bite at whatever he can. ]
( well, if it makes Party feel any better, Ghoul isn't spitting anymore- only because he's dropped his head back so he can laugh maniacally. the obnoxious sound is sort-of-kind-of interrupted as Party's teeth gnash at all the unguarded soft parts of his neck.
it's really hard to cackle and "ow" at the same time. he should at least get credit for trying. ) Okay, I stopped! Quit with the fuckin' teeth! I'm sorry!
( ah, yes. the magic words.
he slides a hand up Party's back in what could possibly be taken as an apologetic gesture... except he settles his palm right over where he spit earlier, and purposely rubs it in to Party's skin. 'cause fuck him for biting. )
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He flips a page, barely looking down at Ghoul. After a moment he lets out a breath, closing the magazine and placing it on the table. Wordlessly, he snakes a hand down to Ghoul's hair and takes a tight grip, twisting his hand. ]
Lookin' awfully fuckin' guilty, sunshine.
[ He tugs harder. ]
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the hand wrenching around in his hair is... tolerable, so he makes no move against it- he probably deserves it, fine, he'll accept that if it'll make Party feel better. but it continues pulling, and harder at that, and that's what eventually has him flinching beneath the table with a quiet grunt of protest. ) C'mon, fuck off. ( he turns his face downwards a bit, burrowing further in to Party's leg as if that'll help him relieve the pressure against his scalp.
in order to make his stance of fuckin' damn let go extra-clear, though, he makes sure to sink his teeth in to the topside of Party's thigh, a few inches above his knee.
may not be all that effective, though, because Kobra was right. Ghoul doesn't bite as hard as Party does. )
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He lets go with a yelp and smacks Ghoul's shoulder hard. ]
Gonna be sleepin' with one eye open for a month at this rate.
[ Difficult as it would be, he's got half a mind to just stand up forcibly and dump Ghoul on the floor. ]
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You still itchin'?
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No more 'n usual.
[ He grabs for Ghoul's wrist, trying to take advantage of the awkward angle and how much leverage he knows he's already got. ]
You plannin' to apologize? 'Cause I can think up all kinds of fun ways to get back at you.
[ His teeth practically gleam as he grins down at Ghoul. ]
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it is now, though. Ghoul twists his wrist in Party's grip, somehow finagling his hand in to a position that allows him to wrap his fingers securely around Party's. then, suddenly, he's all business. the expression on his face turns very serious as he holds on to Party's hand, also very seriously, because this is, indeed, a very serious moment. )
I'm real sorry that I tried to make you less of a pain in the ass to be around by rudely murderin' some of your bug infestation.
( that counts as an apology, right? )
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Should drive you out into the desert and leave you there.
[ He raises an eyebrow at Ghoul, daring him to call Party on the bluff that it obviously is. Sure, Party might drive him out there and throw him in the sand, but they both know he'd loop back around within about ten minutes. ]
That'd take care of my infestation.
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You'd miss me. ( yeah, sure, Party likely would dump him out in the middle of nowhere. Ghoul feels reasonably confident that he'd eventually come back, but even if he never did, there would totally be a Ghoul-shaped void in everyone's lives. it'd be miserable. ) You'd miss me, everyone else would miss me. You'd have to find and train up some shitty replacement. Kobra'd probably cry. You really wanna go through all that?
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[ Party snorts, incredulous. ]
Pretty sure we just keep you 'round here to be annoying. You're like a yappy dog. We'll find Kobra a replacement. Thinkin' a rat or armadillo will be quieter 'n you. Girl might like it better, too.
[ Shoving his magazine across the table, Party brings his free hand down to pinch Ghoul's cheek. ]
So tell me... what have you done for me lately?
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he may have also asked for that stray fingertip being jabbed between his ribs shortly after Ghoul gets a pinch to his own cheek. ) I do lots of stuff for you. I'm good for morale, for one.
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You ain't good for my morale, asshole.
[ And maybe there's a little smile coming through on that, but he tries to force it into a menacing grimace. Party is totally intimidating, right? ]
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it also absolutely is not infectious. that is 100% not Ghoul smiling cheekily up at Party. it's just, like, some kind of weird, non-terrifying sneer. obviously. ) But, okay. You need me around to help Jet keep the car in one piece after you drive it half to shittin' death.
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[ By which he means that Ghoul is in the car at all. It might be a stretch of what those words actually mean. ]
'Sides, what have you done for me today?
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Also apologized. That's important, so we're good now, yeah?
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Fuckin' shiny.
[ He takes his index finger and pushes on the tip of Ghoul's nose. ]
You try that powder thing again and I'll kill you myself.
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Ghoul's on the move after that, all awkward elbows and knees flailing about as he worms his way both out of Party's lap and from under the table, ultimately ending up upright in the seat, but facing Party instead of forward as one should. because fuck the police, apparently. ) Neither of us gotta worry about that as long as it worked just the once. ( he reaches out, lifting up a clump of Party's stringy hair and leaning in close as though he's examining him for bugs.
it kind of started out as a joke, but now that he's this close... he's looking awfully squinty, like he really is for real giving him a flea-inspection. why. why why why. )
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With a sort of growl, he shoves at Ghoul a lot harder than is really necessary to get his point across. ]
Knock it off. Gonna rub my head all over yours. How's that for a test?
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( and also get the fuck out of here before he does indeed end up with a head full of bugs. Ghoul gives Party a quick little return shove while he's still latched on, and then almost as quickly as he'd first attached himself, he's releasing Party and scooting himself backwards. )
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Sharing is caring, motherfucker. C'mere!
[ And that's when he does what people should really always expect from him and he throws his entire body at Ghoul in what can only be described as a vicious tackle. ]
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this isn't technically a life or death situation, but Ghoul's putting much of his effort in to it like it might be- using his entire body as a weapon as he thrashes about in a wild attempt to worm away, all while yelling incoherently. maybe it's threats, maybe it's general objections. maybe a mixture of both. hard to tell, really ,'cause it kind of sounds like nonsense. whatever it is, it's loud.
shame no one will come to his rescue. everyone knows the situation, and probably knows better than to interfere with justice. )
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Sit still and take it like a man, you shit!
[ He giggles and licks at Ghoul's face in between thrashes. ]
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it truly is torture, in his mind. he's covered in dead weight that smells a little bit like stale desert garbage, there are (possibly) hundreds of eggs being rubbed in to his hair, and now the side of his face is fucking wet. and that, evidently, is the last straw. rather than fighting to escape, the arms and legs he still has control of suddenly wrap around Party like an octopus and clamp down, smashing them both together. close enough that Ghoul can hook his chin over Party's shoulder and, without warning, spit the largest gob of saliva he can muster up on short notice down the back of Party's shirt.
a fine example of maturity, right there. )
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Then comes the spitting. ]
Ugh, gross! Knock it off!
[ Because Party's lines are arbitrary and unstable, but that's definitely one of them right now. ]
Ghoul!
[ He turns his head to try to bite at whatever he can. ]
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it's really hard to cackle and "ow" at the same time. he should at least get credit for trying. ) Okay, I stopped! Quit with the fuckin' teeth! I'm sorry!
( ah, yes. the magic words.
he slides a hand up Party's back in what could possibly be taken as an apologetic gesture... except he settles his palm right over where he spit earlier, and purposely rubs it in to Party's skin. 'cause fuck him for biting. )
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Don't get to complain 'bout how dirty I am when you're makin' me dirtier.
[ And he's just going to settle like this. Ghoul is his captured pillow now and he can deal with it. ]
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