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Oh, boy, she’s, like, really fuckin’ lost. She doesn’t like being lost. Maybe it wasn’t the brightest idea to stick her headphones it at full volume and wander around the city while zoning out, but the past was in the past; either way, now she’s furiously checking her metro map over and over again.

... Hey, since when did the metro map work for aboveground streets?

She will now stop dead in her tracks, take a moment to imagine terrifying, heavy, wet breathing behind her, and resist the urge to bolt.

Freaking out will only get her more lost, and she knows it. On the other hand, it sounds great when she rounds the corner and finds ---

Um.

“Well, we….” She’s holding one of her own CDs, looking over her shoulder. “You can go buy something else if you want to, you know.”

HOLY FUCK, WARN HER FIRST!

She’s going to blame Callie for smacking into said idol, given that it was in a startle response triggered by her   ( Cap had promptly half-snapped, half-backed into her ). The CD drops with a plastic rattle and Cap’s hands connect with the railing, spun on a flustered heel to face Callie, and just as she thinks her heart might start to calm, she recognizes her.

“Nothing. It’s usually ‘cause people don’t see them, purely because I hide them from everyone - with good reason. The only reason you saw ‘em was because I forgot to cover ‘em up with my shades, this morning.”

“Purely because I was so tired that I forgot to have my early morning caffeine. Oh, well. Shit happens.”

Sorry, but all she’s getting out of that is:   “ So ... does that mean you wear shades inside, too? ”

Wow. That’s like, the trademark move of both douchebags and people that want to hide something. Cap arches an eyebrow and turns her head away ever-so-slightly, giving the other squid an appraising stare.

hey.

like for a starter.

heyy its sprite and this is a super low activity blog but i wanna let ppl know it exists so

Her team’s winning the match by a landslide, so she doesn’t have much to do --- of course she notices the poor thing off by himself on that one ledge of The Reef (okay, he wasn’t a total dumbass). Rollers have more than enough reach to splat things up there, so she’ll put him out of his--- actually, why not have a little fun?

And, as if on cue, a giant wave of purple ink sploshed over the side, just a tad too far to the right, to meet him.

    “Oh! Hey, y’made it!” was said, but not before a sip of his drink was taken. It was definitely coffee, the scent was strong, not to mention the steam rising when he pulled it away. Dustin leaned up against the handle of his Inkbrush, giving a small coffee-cup-filled salute for the other as hello. He popped up and back onto his feet, approaching his soon-to-be opponent…a second cup appearing out from his back.

    “I made a run for a couple of drinks while I waited. You a fan of smoothies?” The second cup was offered to…Cap, Dustin nodding at her name. It would be registered and remembered. She was pretty cool! Names weren’t really his strong suit, but he’d make a strong effort for this one. “Nice t’properlymeet’cha too! I’m Dustin,” He smiled, though one lacking its recent lacing of cocky spunk. Nope, this one was all friendliness. It slid up half his face, raising cheeks and brightening every detail his face had to offer. You just couldn’t get any more welcoming than that. “And yeah! Next t’dualies, this old thing?” the brush now returned to being a glorified armrest got a stare, receiving a smile soon after.

    “Gosh, soon as I could remember. It was one of my first, actually. The price of it was cheap, cash was short back in th’day…put the pieces together and I’m sure you can figure out what happened after that.” Another sip of his drink. “Whatever you’re down for! Guess I’ll put my vote down for Ranked. Mm, but if E-liter’s your second, what’s your first, huh? Mine givin’ up the deets?”

    She huffed an out-of-breath laugh, half-nervous and eyeing his cup of coffee; she briefly thought to warn him about the spilliability (no, that wasn’t a word, but did she care? Also no) of that coffee he was so casually tossing about, but he’d finished the motion before she could open her mouth. Which, in split-second retrospect, was also probably better for her health. On the other hand, the production of a second cup had her elation replaced with genuine surprise --- this guy had spent real money on her? When they’d known each other for all of... twelve minutes? Now, she accepts it (it’d be horribly impolite to refuse), but she has to stare at it for a good ten seconds before believing it’s real.

    “ Yeah! ”   she finally rushes out, gathering the presence of mind to lean her E-liter against her and wipe her hands on her shirt and take a sip of the thing.   “ Yeah, I do! I make ‘em at home all the time! ”   Her grin finally comes back, and she beams at him equally genuinely, appreciative and not a bit satirical. Fuck, this dude was way nice! Maybe she oughta speak up more often, if it nets her a free smoothie.   “ Y’told me, Mister Inkbrush Extraordinaire! So I’m facin’ a regular profresh, huh? Same, act’lly. Wit’--- ”   And he beats her to the punch, asking her main, so she has to laugh.

   “ I’unno, maybe that’s classified information, ”   she says playfully, bothering to meet his eyes for the first time the whole conversation. Don’t blame: he’s got a few inches on her.   “ Naww, I’m a big ol’ heartless roller main. Have been since day one. Cheap and I can’t aim ta save my life, so it worked out. ”   She paused, and then realized what she said.

    “Mm, maybe you’re right. All my head’s filled with is a good and classic charger whoopin’! Historians are gonna toss and turn over this one, I’m sure. You’re so on!” The boy pointed his brush at the other, grinning. But he seemed rather taken aback by her words, eyebrows raising. At first, it was beginning to look like a bow for the clapping, but he stopped mid-bend, his free hand went to his chest, scoffing.

    “Ooh, sorry, buddy. Doubting my speed was the first mistake you made, but prompting me to show it? Now you’ve done it. If y’wanna call it a race, I’ll catch you at Inkblot!” he laughed right back, lifting legs to dust off red hi-horses before he tapped the right one’s tip on the ground. And he was off, a plume of smoke forming at his blastoff, shooting for his destination with a wave of goodbye!

    Recon, recon, recon! She’d wanted a sense of just how fast he actually was, since anyone with enough upper body strength could whip a brush around like that --- so maybe that was a tad manipulative, but it wasn’t like it hurt him. In fact, it takes her a solid ten minutes longer than him to get to Inkblot: she didn’t try, but it’s still more than enough of a hint. Red Hi-Horses. ISM, wasn’t it? Pretty traditional for a brush. Did he have any SSU, too? Maybe he was slower in ink to counter his speed on land? She’d find out either way.

    She arrives still mulling over his words, having had positively no time to respond in the moment, but she’s shot for a clever response (and it’s probably better that way). Historians sure were gonna toss and turn, but------well, really, did he even think her a good charger? Yikes. She hoped not, actually.

    “But I don’t think I’ve got a record on you ever hittin’ this one! Let’s see the aim you’re rockin’, pal! Th’name’s Dustin, and I’m happy t’ be your unhittable target!”

    There was a flashy showcase of his brush, spinning it around and round to the back his neck, ending it all by finally locking it across his shoulders. His smirk was wide, laced with confidence in his abilities while an index finger waggled at the girl. He was ready to see what she was made of!

    Accidents and mistakes --- that’s what she was made of. None of her trick shots were ever intentional. Ever. The aforementioned brush she’d hit had been caught with a disruptor in enemy ink and had not, actually, been running in the first place. She had to clap when he showed off, though, even if it was just for her own imminent demise.

“I really like the dualies!! And anything that’s not too heavy.” She’s still grinning, excitedly bouncing around on top of it now. “What do you play? Do you want to right now this second?”

“Hicap!” She waved, holding out a surprisingly sticky hand to shake. “WecanplayturfwarifyouwantbutIamfinwithtalkingtoifthat’sokay.” Provided she can keep up, that was.

“Well! I liked them a lot!! But not so much anymore…” She stands up on her tiptoes. “Whoareyouandwhatdoyoulikedoing and doyouplayturfwarorranked?”

“I’m Mani Ikako, and I like uhhhh….. I think I like the Squid Sisters.”

“Can I play with you.”