highfiving | (no subject)

[he knows it and he's heard her say it a lot over the past year, but it's always still nice to hear it. so he chuckles.]

I know, I know. [and he's glad for it.] And don't worry—I'll keep my jerk levels to just tolerable.

You're usually pretty tolerable already.

[ which, even if she's kidding around, is something she actually means. ]

So, does that mean you're going to be seriously nice?

Well I haven't been half-heartedly nice.

[Alvin stop with the wordplay and semantics.]

[ he's going to drive her crazy before they even reach xian du at this rate. ]

You know that's not what I meant!

[it's what he does best.]

I know what you meant, but do you know what I meant?

[seriously, who's the kid in this group.]

[ at least his antics are keeping her mind off of how cold it is...? ]

Nope, you totally lost me. If you wanted to keep your jerk-levels down, you could always fill me in, though.

[mission accomplished 8)]

That would be way too easy. I thought you preferred surprises.

What, do you want me to try and guess, or something?

[ because she definitely will. ]

It's either that or just wait for it to happen. But I might not even tell you if you get it right.

You know, sniffing out the truth is kind of my job now. I bet I could figure it out pretty easily.

[ but then she gets a better idea— ]

How about we turn it into a game of twenty questions?

[crosses his arms behind his head.]

And let me guess—I can't lie, right?

I guess you could try, but that would be cheating and I would totally figure you out.

[ and does he really want to go there? ]

All right, all right.

Go ahead and shoot your questions.

All right, let's see...

[ and then she quiets down, because she's taking this kind of seriously. ]

You said something was going to happen, right? Does that mean you're going to do something?

Depends on if the situation calls for it.

[ well, that's one question down the drain. ]

Come on, don't be so vague! [ which brings her to her next question: ] What do you mean by that?

[he can't help but laugh.]

Call it a practice as a reporter.

[but okay.]

Well I think it's pretty self-explanatory. I won't do anything unless I think I have to or if it seems like a suitable time.

[ if he puts it like that, she's just going to take this even more seriously than she was before. so, she considers her next question very carefully. ]

What would make you feel like you have to do something?

There are a lot of variables. Time, location, the mood. Can't really give you a specific answer because it's more of a whimsical thing.

[and she has the worst practice partner. or best, depending on how one looks at it.]

[ then it's a good thing that she's not one to back down from a challenge, because that's exactly what this is turning into. ]

That means it's something that might not actually happen, right?

You got it, but chances are it probably will.

Do you think it'll happen before we get to Xian Du, or after?

[thinks for a moment.]

It could happen at either way, but probably before.

[they still have a ways to go after all.]

You're a tough nut to crack, you know.

[ also, even if this is distracting her from how cold it is, she's starting to sniffle a little. ]

Can I use one of my questions to ask for a hint?

[ one that doesn't involve vague answers. ]

[cue the drippy nose attachment.]

I told you I wasn't going to make it easy for you. [grins.] But yeah, sure. I'm feeling a bit generous.