A VALIANT ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN DOUBT is made, but max has an uncanny ability to make anything sound cool with a minimum amount of effort so her inadvertent sales pitch lands with ease. colour him intrigued. he inspects the cards in turn, eyes the one she picks up with an analytical gaze before his verdict is made — fitting the theme, he musters his boyish charm to retch, tongue out childishly, gross sound effects very much included.
it doesn’t take him long to spot the trend of names across cards, a delight that has him instantly searching for familiar epithets : if he can find a lucas, a dustin, even a max he’ll be satisfied with his search. no permission to rummage is asked for ( both a decision of impulse on his behalf and the trust that they are close enough friends that he may nose to his heart’s content ) and with a victorious ‘ a-ha ! ’ he pulls out a card titled mad mike.
❛ found mike. ❜ he spots a billy one amidst the masses as well, chooses not to point it out due to equal parts respect for max and queasy dislike for her brother himself. ❛ do you have them all ? ❜
her eyes fall on a lumpy bodied brute , a mulleted man - child bearing a chunky sword and labrys , his beat red face twisted in eternal anger . she barks a laugh , a single syllable bray , amusement for its apt name . MAD MIKE . “ fitting . ”
quickly and suddenly , as if conjuring a great idea , her gaze sets out to search the strewn mess . sifting with deliberate haste she scans through a sea of ugly printed children , rewarded in less time than expected . she extends it enthusiastically , an arrogant smirk befalling her face . the title reads : DYNA MIKE . she grins . “ i like this one better . think he’d be totally freaked out tomorrow if i slipped it in his locker before class ?? ”