Make sure you always get good directions

Papa Posts : 33 Join date : 2013-08-28

((this is 4 me and den only))

Soft music played in the background, a buffer to any spans of silence in between conversation. Conversation that was mostly one sided, but that tended to be the case when Berwald was involved, something he may or may not deny depending on how he felt that day. Already he missed his own radio stations, coming to the states for this may have been an awful idea - but they knew Europe like the backs of their hands. It was time to go elsewhere for an outing, explore new lands like it was the old days. Berwald tried not to snort at the thought.

Initially it had been a plan for the five of them, schemed together by himself and Matthias. Surprisingly enough Berwald had pitched the idea after hearing one too many complaints regarding work (just how valid these complaints were remained to be seen as Berwald was very much aware that despite any claims otherwise Matthias worked harder than he'd probably ever admit). He didn't actually thing anything would come from the prospect of a get away and even then road trip was definitely not his first choice. Or second, or third. How they even settled on that decision over something nice like staying in a lodge somewhere for a week was beyond him. And obviously the group thing didn't pan out, for reasons that were just as obvious. No way in hell did it sound like a good idea to anyone but the two of them. It didn't even sound like a good idea to Berwald - Matthias' opinion on the matter remained to be seen - but he at least assumed it was more positive. He probably could have convinced Tino, but where doing this with just the Dane as company was bound to be trouble bringing the Finn into it would only make things awkward.

So they settled for each other, and if anyone thought this would turn out well then they were clearly out of their minds.

They'd been driving for a good few hours in their rental car, Berwald still groggy from jet lag. Just one more reason why the states was looking more like an awful choice, at least for a long trip in the car. Maybe if they had opted to stay in one place it wouldn't be so bad, but as of right now he just wanted to complain. At least Alfred had been kind enough to provide them with a hazardous map of 'rockin destinations to totally check out'. Needless to say there were way too many spots pointed out and way too many routes drawn over everything else.

He sipped his coffee, which had gone cold and disgusting by this point, then glanced over to his companion in the passenger seat. "Ya'know you're supposed t'be givin' me directions here," Berwald mumbled, brows furrowed. They'd been on the same highway for what felt like forever, and already he was starting to question Matthias' position as map reader.

The desolate and tranquil atmosphere that surrounded the confines of the cheap rental car did nothing to alter Matthias's miserable mood. A map currently sat sprawled across his lap, complex and a challenge for the Dane to decipher properly. At this point, he realized what a terrible idea it was to be trusted with offering correct directions, and some part of him wished that now he were driving instead. He passed up the opportunity when it was offered after he'd remembered factors such as jet lag and fatigue, among many others that would affect his behavior behind the wheel. He refused to admit it allowed, but it seemed any job right now would be better fitting for the Swede rather than himself.

Matthias had never been a fan of car trips. They didn't cause him sickness or a sensation of nausea, and the Dane couldn't be more thankful for that, but they were often long and uncomfortable. Especially with the lack of people travelling with him in the car, he was finding it difficult to amuse himself. The fact that out of all the people he could've been spending his time with was probably the most least fun person to attempt to talk with throughout the duration of the ride. And admittedly, though glad to have at least one supporter, he was more than disappointed when no one else but the Swede agreed to the outing through the states. It was a new and exciting experience that they had never considered before, and yet it didn't appeal to any of them (though he suspected Berwald may have had something to do with Tino's refusal to the notion).

Using a fingertip to trace a thick red line that stretched across the length of one corner of the map, the Dane clicked his teeth a couple of times at Berwald's snarky comment. "Ya gotta give me a chance to look at where we are on the map, Ber." He tsked in defense on his own part, swatting his arm lightly as he scanned the page over a couple more times. Eventually, he confirmed their route and gave his driver a small nudge to the shoulder, beckoning him to look despite the hazards of turning away from the road.
"Right, here." He started, shuffling in his seat to show Berwald the map at a better angle. "Turn off left at the next chance ya get. That'll take us towards the next town and put us back on track to where the city is. We went a bit awry down there."

Papa Posts : 33 Join date : 2013-08-28

"You told me t'get on this road 'n the first place, should know where we are," Berwald supplied easily enough, trying to keep any hostility out of his tone, which wasn't quite so easy. He didn't enjoy the prospect of being lost this early on, in fact he'd rather they not get lost at all if it could be arranged. Maybe they should have just talked to Alfred about coming along, but the instant that thought registered it was quickly shoved into the 'bad idea' pile for reasons that - probably - didn't need much explanation. Matthias was more than enough to deal with on his own, even if he had been noticeably not quite as obnoxious as he could have been. Not that Berwald could complain about it that much, though it was nearly cause for worry - nearly.

He pursed his lips at the nudge, which clearly demanded his attention despite the fact it needed to be firmly focused on the road. To do otherwise would be irresponsible. With that thought in mind he glanced over anyways, wanting to get the visual and not rely on Matthias' words alone. Not that he didn't trust the Dane, to an extent, but he was certainly lacking in faith.

"Looks 'bout right," he conceded as his returned his attention to the road, tasking the first left as instructed. Now it was all a matter of this being right and he really hoped 'towards' was more of a 'right into' sort of thing. In the end it took somewhere closer to forty five minutes, which considering how long they'd been driving before was just god damn ridiculous. He wondered if it was too late to turn back and hop on the next plane back to Sweden, but that would just be cowardly and stubborn pride compelled him to see this through, not a thought he'd say aloud.

The town was nice enough, Berwald entirely unable to deduce if it was small or big. Not a sprawling city, but he had to wonder if picking up another map might help them along. "Think we should make a stop here?" He questioned at a red light, knowing that personally he could definitely go for some more coffee to keep him alive just a little longer.

"I didn't say I didn't know where we are, just that we went down a wrong route somewhere." He interjected before the Swede could complete his sentence, already feeling the prickle of agitation rousing in his body after detecting the first indications of enmity from the rumble of Berwald's own voice. For as long as he could remember, Matthias had always behaved in a similar fashion with Berwald. Even if they were not directly bickering about a certain subject with each other, they'd throw out unnecessary remarks or comments to irritate one another for no reason in particular. Perhaps it was just a method of bonding they'd grown accustomed to, and the Dane believed that to be mostly true. After all, his most treasured moments with the other man were when they fought together, regardless of the situation. The injuries he received from the tussles never vexed him much.

It wasn't long before another period of silence ensued after the brief fixture in their course. Matthias had long since begun sulking, dissatisfied by the lack of conversation and the continuous growling of the engine as they sat at the red lights. He could tell by the atmosphere that this town was most certainly not something he would normally be keen on visiting, and the looks gained from the pedestrians on the side of the street further confirmed this. The town was plain bad news, no doubt about it.

However, no matter how unappealing this place appeared to be, Matthias had to agree with his counterpart for now. Both Scandinavians were exhausted after such a long trip; especially Berwald, who looked about ready to collapse from fatigue. Venturing on to the next highway could prove to be dangerous in their current state. With a heaving sigh and a opposed nod of his head, Matthias agreed to the opportunity of a break, watching the faded traffic light change from it's dull red colouration to green. "Yeah alright, Ber. We can probably find a place to get some coffee or somethin' around." He reasoned, resting his arms behind his head, focusing solely on halting his desire to sleep for now.

Papa Posts : 33 Join date : 2013-08-28

All he had to offer was a clipped sigh through his nose, a bit off put that Matthias didn't even have the curiosity to let him finish (a common occurrence for both of them). Much as he'd like to express his annoyance it just wasn't worth it, far too early in their trip for trivial arguments. Not that it would be any sort of change from how things usually went, in fact these few hours might even be bordering on breaking the record of how long they'd gone without any real argument. Snippy comments didn't count, those were a constant that would never be shaken no matter how much wishful thinking there was.

Something close to relief flickered through him as his proposal was met with no objection. Even if Matthias had suddenly deemed this town unworthy of his feet stepping upon it Berwald would have stopped somewhere. It wasn't that he didn't care about the Dane's opinions and wants, it was just that sometimes his opinions and wants were incredibly stupid and needed to be ignored to accomplish things. He kept his eyes open for somewhere that looked decent while putting down the road with terrible pop music playing lowly from the radio.

It didn't take long for Berwald to settle, picking out some little diner that hopefully wasn't too crowded. Might as well get something to eat while they were at it, hopefully preventing any 'I'm hungry!' complaints for at least a few hours. Without even bothering for Matthias' input on his choice he pulled into the parking lot and spent about thirty seconds longer than necessary making sure he was parked straight. Once satisfied he got out of the car, legs protesting their usage just a little, but they'd been through worse than long car trips. With a glance to his companion he made way for the entrance, and even if neither himself nor Matthias was really pleased to be there the young girl who showed them to their booth sure was.

Matthias had returned to his previous routine of flickering between staring inattentively out of the window and messing with the radio, skimming through the stations when the music became a little too trashy for them to bear. He didn't have to occupy himself for long, however, and he soon felt the car come to a rolling halt in front of an omitted little building that couldn't be anything other than a typical diner you'd find in a place like this. Taking the time it took for Berwald to park their car to look around, he noted that there were very few vehicles in the area. Fortunately, that meant there probably wouldn't be a delay in receiving their food after they had ordered.

Once he'd followed Berwald out of the car after a long struggle to stand up on unsteady legs, Matthias nodded a brief greeting to the young girl that directed them to their seats and collapsed into the chair. He took a moment to massage his temples, an attempt to relief himself from the tension that had built up through the course of the long journey. The Dane's gaze flickered towards Berwald for a moment. Flashing a lethargic smile his way, he took a menu from the table, running a hand through the unruly spikes of his hair whilst he scanned the page. After some abrupt consideration, he begrudgingly settled on his order of a simple burger and some fries. The food didn't sound particularly appetizing to Matthias, but it was better to eat a plate of grease rather than to starve through the remaining hours of the day, he supposed.

Upon deciding his meal, he slid the laminated slip of paper along the table towards his companion, allowing him to decide on his own selection from the seemingly bland choices the diner had to offer them. He searched through his pocket and pulled out his phone, the brightness of the screen causing him to blink groggily. He vaguely registered the time shown on the menu, before tucking it away from view yet again to shuffle back in his seat. Matthias raised an palm to his mouth and yawned, long and loud, as he waited for the Swede to make his selection and the waitress to return to their table.

Papa Posts : 33 Join date : 2013-08-28

Berwald took his seat without the 'thump' that Matthias' clumsy slumping had made - straight backed, stiff, and uncomfortable. When smiled at he did not return it, but not smiling wasn't any indicator for the type of mood Berwald could be in. Granted this mood was not a wonderful one, but his lack of a smile wasn't hostile or intended to be rude. That was just how his face worked. He pushed his glasses up and reached for his own menu, less than thrilled by the selection. Remind him again just how Matthias came to the conclusion the states were a good idea.

In the end he settled for a sandwich that sounded considerably less unhealthy than everything else. Sounded being the key word, the truth of it remained to be seen and he'd try not to think about it too hard. Their waitress returned, looking to be in a much better mood than the two (incredibly hot even with the bags under their eyes) men in the booth. Berwald inwardly cursed her for being accustomed to the time zone, and the country in general, then he felt kind of bad and inwardly apologized as well. "What can I get you?" She chirped, and Berwald just sort of pointed at what he wanted with an added grunt of, "Coffee," for a drink. Matthias' order was collected next and off she went with an assurance it'd be there in no time.

Their drinks came quickly and Berwald stared down into the dark liquid with noticeable weariness. He didn't trust it. After taking a sip it was proven that it wasn't great, it wasn't terrible, but not anything he'd fancy drinking again. Berwald added some sugar, and that made about no difference at all. He missed his expensive blends (no matter how frugal a person may be coffee was an exception and the cheap stuff just wouldn't cut it). Trying his best not to sign and come off as too gloomy he finally relaxed his shoulders a little, forgetting manners by putting his elbows on the table and fixing his attention to the window to stare at the unimpressive scenery.

Subject: Re: Make sure you always get good directions October 2nd 2013, 12:47 pm

Another familiar silence ensued whilst the two of them waited for their orders, and Matthias had long since given up on trying to make conversation with the Swede. Normally it was difficult to rouse a sentence out of him, but after hours of driving, he wouldn't doubt that right now it was even impossible to get a reply at all. Not that he'd blame him for it; it was a rough trip, and the Dane wasn't in the best of moods, either. Nonetheless, it wasn't enough to stop him from throwing a brusque 'thank you' and a flirtatious wink to the waitress as she passed by with their beverages, lifting his mood a little when she looked taken aback by the small gesture.

He gave his cola an experimental sip. It had a soapy flavour and wasn't in the slightest appetizing, but it was better than nothing, he supposed. Setting the glass down on the small table, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and slumped back in the particularly uncomfortable chair. As he waited for the girl to come back with their plates, Matthias silently hoped that the food would taste decent enough for them to eat quickly and leave the diner as soon as possible. The car seats were bad, but these were even worse.

At long last, he spotted a tray adorned with the meals that he and Berwald had chosen approaching the booth, and Matthias took another small sip of his drink before his plate was placed down in front of him. He nodded his second thanks to the young woman and eyed his food carefully, inspecting it thoroughly before even considering to take a bite. After a couple of moments hesitation, he gave in to his urge to eat, and tucked in to his burger, looking towards Berwald to check if he too, had begun eating.

Papa Posts : 33 Join date : 2013-08-28

The flirting was dully noted, and while he found it a little unnecessary he had no doubt Matthias had just made the young girl's day - if the way she smiled to herself after hurrying off was anything to go by. He took another sip of his coffee and tried not to sigh as no, it didn't get any better the longer he drank it. Berwald contemplated his companion's soda, but he decided he didn't have enough motive to reach all the way over for something that was probably about as good as the coffee. If not worse. Probably watered down.

Amazingly enough while just minutes ago he hadn't wanted to be on the road any longer, Berwald found himself wanting nothing but. Maybe not driving. Maybe passed out in the back seat, but he doubted Matthias would let him do that. He looked to the window and stared at nothing in particular for a while, not even noticing the waitresses approach. Berwald didn't offer his own thanks, mostly due to the fact by the time he realized the food was there she was walking away. His lips drew into a tight line as he glanced from his own food to Matthias', trying to figure out which one looked more appealing.

With a grudging first bite he started on his meal, deeming it passable, but he could do better himself. It was American food, though, and while he had no real qualms with the country or it's personification the food wasn't always something to get all excited for. Having a low standard was the way to go about things, that way if they were good you could be pleasantly surprise, but that could go for just about most things in life. The coffee and his sandwich didn't mix well at all, Berwald noted dismally as he washed the food down. He cleared his throat and looked back to Matthias, leering at him a moment before speaking, "You wanna drive when we leave?" The offer was a little reluctant, and he regretted it almost instantly, but the part of him that wanted some shut eye thought it a brilliant way for things to go.

Subject: Re: Make sure you always get good directions October 21st 2013, 3:42 pm

Matthias ate in silence, aside from the irritating, repetitive sound of chewing as he tried his very hardest to get through as much of the food on his plate as possible. As he'd suspected, the food was overly doused in cooking oils and salt, and not in the slightest satisfying. He supposed that the soda wasn't particularly bad in comparison, surprisingly. Nevertheless, no matter how bad the diner meal was, the Dane continued to swallow down large morsels of food in fear that the two of them wouldn't get another opportunity to eat until they reached the hotel they were gradually making their way towards.

The sudden thought of the hotel led his mind to wander back to the road they'd soon have to get back onto. He'd checked the map before they left the car; there was still a reasonable distance left to go before they could even consider retreating to a bed and finally getting some well-earned rest. It wouldn't sound like much of a daunting journey for most, but there was the issue of small, confusing roads and signs to also consider... Not to mention the distance they had traveled before their fast food pause.

As if reading his mind, Berwald brought up the question of who would be driving during the next, and hopefully the last, portion of travelling, and Matthias gave a small smile of amusement. He'd expected to hear an offer along those lines soon enough. With an audible sigh, he looked back at his companion. "Not really." He admitted, almost sheepishly. "But I s'pose I can if you'd prefer to relax for the last part of the trip... Just don't fall asleep! I've managed to keep awake the whole time you've been driving. Y'gotta do the same and keep me company. I'm not gonna sit in silence listening to those shitty pop songs on the radio." He warned, dipping his final fry into the sauce on the side of his plate, waiting for confirmation to his arrangement.

Papa Posts : 33 Join date : 2013-08-28

While eating Berwald made a mental note that next they were definitely not going to stop at some cheap diner. If he couldn’t cook on his own he might as well make sure they weren’t inhaling grease and generally unpleasant things, even if there was the very high chance of it costing money. Something his more frugal side cringed at. Maybe they could just buy a mini barbecue and he could take care of their meals that way. But then there was the cost of fuel and food to consider. Either way he’d have to buck up and accept shelling out more cash, it wasn’t like he was in poverty or anything of that sort. He could afford it, and Matthias was sharing the expenses anyways.

He frowned as he shifted the subject and his Danish companion admitted to not wanting to drive. That was reasonable, he guessed, though Berwald wasn’t of whether to be relieved or irritated. Terms and conditions were laid out, met with a flat stare from the Swede, who found them to be less than fair. He swallowed the last bite of his meal and leered – unintentional for the most part – at the other man across from him. “Never said ya couldn’t sleep, ‘s not my fault ya decided t’stay awake,” he commented after a moment, still mulling it over. Berwald still had the keys, nothing would stop him from just refusing to hand them over.

Their waitress returned to give them the check and Berwald exhaled in defeat. As he fished out his wallet he brought the keys with him, sliding them over to the Dane with only a trace amount of reluctance. “Fine, but I get first pick a’ the bed at the hotel,” he declared, and it felt like a shitty return, but it was better than nothing. At least this way he could pick whichever one didn’t put the sun right in his eyes in the morning. He dropped money onto the table and shoved his wallet away, ready to get things going again.

Subject: Re: Make sure you always get good directions November 7th 2013, 5:45 pm

It took considerably longer than Mathias deemed necessary, but the keys were eventually layed out on the table along with the requirements that came with them. He accepted the offer half-heartedly with a nod of agreement. "Yeah yeah, whatever ya want. Any bed's a good bed right now." The Dane couldn't say that he was particularly picky at the prospect of getting the bed that Berwald decided looked less appealing; what bothered him most was the chatter of sleeping arrangements whilst struggling to keep his head from collapsing onto the table. Perhaps he should've taken a coffee instead.

Exchanging the contents of his pocket from his wallet to his keys, Mathias worked out the cost and pulled the correct amount out in change, slinging it atop the Swede's half of the bill in the center of the table. He was more than ready to leave the stuffy interior of the diner and retreat back to their car, no matter how unpleasant the following ride could potentially be. He gave a final snort at Berwald's comment as he rose from his seat, shoving the wallet back into another pocket of his coat. "If I had the decency to keep m'self awake to help with the directions, then m'sure y'can stay awake to just keep me from feeling a little out of place."

Once both members of the small party were ready to go, the Dane led them back out into the cramped lot, where their vehicle was parked a little distance away, waiting for them. Swinging the loop of the keys around his index finger, he approached the car door and unlocked it for the both of them, taking his respectful place behind the wheel. Yes, these seats were definitely pleasant to return to after those in the diner. He wasted no time in igniting the car once the two of them were seated, and listened to the satisfying roar of the engine for a few brief seconds. "Ready t'go?" He confirmed, backing out of the side road even without his answer, setting them back off down the winding length of the main road.

Papa Posts : 33 Join date : 2013-08-28

He silently agreed to that, any bed was a bed and right now bed just sounded fantastic. Somewhere to collapse and pass out and bring them one step closer to being able to go home. With any luck after a good sleep and the shedding of jet lag this whole ordeal might actually start to be enjoyable. Berwald hard to force himself not to snort at the notion and instead focus on the realization that his companion was preparing to leave, something he could agree to fully.

Rising to his own feet he resisted the urge to stretch, mostly because he was tall as it was and already drew enough attention. He'd stretch out sore muscles in the comfort and seclusion of the hotel once they got there. A clipped noise was all the dane got in response before Berwald followed him through the building and out the door. While he may have thought the fresh air would be nice from the staleness of the diner it wasn't, but that was probably due to the fact it wasn't very fresh. It reeked of city and industry, while not necessarily bad smells Berwald would always favor the crisp scent of forests and soil.

Pulling himself from his musings he joined Mathias in the car, shifting and adjusting the seat until he was about as comfortable as it'd get. "Thought we'd sit 'round a while an' enjoy the sights," he grumbled in response to the question as the car was set into motion. With a swallowed sigh he reached for the radio, fiddling with the stations until he came across something not terrible, then reached for the map. Might as well look at something to try and keep himself from dozing off, any items of entertainment such as books were all stuffed in the trunk and he'd only just thought of getting one out.

Deciding to ignore the snide - and what he believed to be pretty unecessary - comment he'd received, Mathias kept his eyes glued to the weathered down road ahead, absently tapping the steering wheel in accordance to the beat of the music rumbling through the radio in the background. Much to his surprise, the song was vaguely familiar, and was the best thing they'd discovered on any of the available stations on the trip so far. It was even decent enough for him to hum along with gently when they came to a halt at a red light, spirits lifted a little now they were back on the move.

Alas, the lifted feeling wasn't to last. The mood that he'd just acquired was soon dampened down by the sudden droplets of rain that had begun to fall, scattered over the windshield and tapping gently against the roof above their heads. Now, it wasn't that the downpour in particular that bothered the Dane, but moreover the fact of what it would be like once they'd arrived at their room, and would have to unload all of their belongings from the back of the car. Such tasks in this weather would be daunting, he could imagine, and neither of them appeared to be in much of a mood to heft the heavy objects that they'd brought along with them through the rain. Getting completely drenched was not something he'd promised when he'd made arrangements with the Swede for their 'fun trip exploring the states', either.

He tsked, glancing over to his companion and gesturing towards the rain, feeling the disappointment that overpowered his expression deepen further when the sound of water slapping against metal and concrete grew even louder above the noise of everything else. "Honestly wasn't expectin' any rain today. Maybe tomorrow, but the weather forecast didn't say anything about today," He muttered, more than disgruntled by the new issue. "When we get to the room, I call dibs on the shower first."

Papa Posts : 33 Join date : 2013-08-28

Staring at the map was hardly a decent way to keep himself conscious, Berwald realized as he trailed along the road they were on. It was all pretty straightforward, for now at least, so there wasn't much necessary direction. Not that he wouldn't be surprised if Mathias found some way to veer them off track, he just hoped it wouldn't happen. He went beyond their destination - the first stop of what was intended to be many - going over their route that'd take them to the west coast. It wasn't set in stone, just a general outline, and he half expected it to stop somewhere halfway through.

The rain drew his attention, earning a scrutinizing gaze to the windshield. Rain didn't help his jet lag any, that was for sure, and he contemplated finding some horridly loud music just to keep himself awake. Beyond being lulling he had thoughts similar to his companion's, not wanting to be caught in it. His luggage was cumbersome, definitely not suitable for rain toting - maybe the could pay the staff at the hotel to get it out. No, that'd be too rude, and an unnecessary expense. Berwald folded the map and tossed it down at his feet, looking over to Mathias when he spoke.

"Buncha liars," he grumbled, looking ahead of them again. "'S comin down hard too." Berwald could care less about the shower. He just wanted the bed, uncomfortable as it was probably going to be. Grunting his own disapproval he slouched in his seat, then fiddled with adjusting it, long legs cramped and uncomfortable. It didn't accomplish much and he brooded silently, sending a glare to the car's dashboard.
"Hope it doesn't continue like this." A trip full of rain would suck.