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[center][color=slategray][sub]A [@Silver Carrot] & [@Silent Observer] collab
Featuring: [color=9999ff]Gib-Gab[/color] & [color=86c67c]Rif-Raf[/color]
Location: Captain Cuddles
Time: Friday, After school[/sub][/color][/center][hr][hr]


Gabriela Garcia arrived at the arcade a few minutes early, and waved goodbye to her mom who had dropped her off. Daniela Garcia had gotten several stares in the process from the arcade-goers, some of whom swore they recognised her from the inlays of her fantasy novels. Others were staring just because she was something of a raven-haired beauty. Either way, Dani had quickly made her exit to stop drawing attention to her embarrassed daughter.

Gab herself wasn’t as eye-catching, even with her makeup and pretty features. She was short, with dyed blonde hair, a leather jacket and a denim skirt, below which were leggings that were laddered and hole-filled when she bought them, and black boots. She was the kind of gamer girl you wouldn’t bat an eye passing in a West Coast arcade.

She looked around as she waited for Raf, hoping he wasn’t too late. Dreamland had been a lot of fun two nights ago. Gab and Raf didn’t talk much. They didn’t really need too. They had spent all night playing co-op games together and having a laugh. It was a chilled, relaxed atmosphere, even more so than the taco meetup a night prior, and she’d had a lot of fun. So much that she’d suggested they hit the arcade together one day, and Raf replied that he was free tonight. She joked at the time that it was kind of a date, but...it kind of was.

Rafael was excited. He had a date with a pretty blonde girl, there would be pizza, and there would be vintage arcade games. If he played his cards right, he could probably super impress her by beating his own high score in Ms. Pac Man. He’d been trying to beat that score for a while now anyway. With his goals for the night in mind, Riff skated down the sidewalk on his bright green penny board. He was sober (a rarity) and had one earbud in as he listened to music and enjoyed the weather on his way to Captain Cuddle’s.

Apparently, he had taken a bit longer than he thought in his skating through town, because Gabriela was already standing outside the arcade. Hopefully he hadn’t upset her, he couldn’t be [i]too[/i] late. Her outfit was grungy in that cute kind of way and Riff admired it as he put a foot down on the sidewalk and kicked his board up into his hand. He strapped the board to his backpack as he walked over to his date. [color=86c67c][b]“Hey GibGab, ‘sup?”[/b][/color]

Gabriella was secretly elated that she had been called GibGab by anyone. That it was Raf was a bonus. She smiled brightly at him and brushed some stray hair from her face. [color=9999ff][b]“Hey, RifRaf,”[/b][/color] she answered, almost giggling the words out, [color=9999ff][b]“I’ve never been on a date before, but I know how to game, so shall we? You’re looking cool, by the way.”[/b][/color] 

Raf looked down at what he was wearing, having forgotten his outfit entirely. It wasn’t something he had spent too much time planning, just his usual band shirt, skinny jeans, and skater shoe combo. [color=86c67c][b]“Oh, thanks!”[/b][/color] He replied with a wide grin. [color=86c67c][b]“You look good too, I like the, uh, tights.”[/b][/color] Riff nodded, yeah, he was pretty sure that’s what those were called, his sisters wore them too… but like, with less holes in them. He liked them with the holes more, he decided. [color=86c67c][b]“So, I know Toad is your fave Mario Kart driver, but this place has the classics, so what’s your favorite arcade game?”[/b][/color]

[color=9999ff][b]“Thanks!”[/b][/color] Gab cheerily replied, liking the compliment and determined not to make this date awkward for a second by force of sheer cheeriness. She had to think about her favourite arcade game for a second, though. [color=9999ff][b]“Of all time, House Of The Dead 2, but if we’re just looking at the classics, then….I’d have to say Gauntlet. I like a challenge, even if that equates to more money in an arcade. That’s why I usually find a version I can play at home, and practice there. So, what’s yours?”[/b][/color] 

[color=86c67c][b]“House Of The Dead 2! Right on! I love plinking zombies. They have that one here, we’ll have to partner up and fight the hordes.”[/b][/color] Riff flashed a flirtatious grin her way. People might think Raf was a dumb kid, and they weren’t necessary wrong, but he wasn’t romantically inept. Farm from it, actually, he had some innate roguish charm that scored him a few hookups in his past. But, this was different, this was unfamiliar territory. He was pretty sure that he liked Gabby, like, [i]liked her[/i] liked her. [color=86c67c][b]“My favorite is a super classic, Pac Man. I’ve been holding onto the high score on the Ms. Pac Man machine here for like six months, A Dubs is always on my tail to take it back, though… So, you ever been here before?”[/b][/color] Rafael asked as they stepped in through the front doors. The delicious aroma of pizza and fried goodness, like onion rings and mozz sticks, greeted their noses. There was even the ambience of arcade games being played, which was unusual, given that Ty usually kept the door to the back room closed. [color=86c67c][b]“Oh, word, they’re keeping the door propped now. That’s less obstacles between food and games.”[/b][/color] Riff mused aloud.

Gab, despite being a social butterfly and not that bad looking, had no former hookups to speak of. Because of her lifestyle choices and hobbies in elementary and middle school, whenever she wasn’t spending nights alone, she spent them with people who hadn’t the social confidence to ask her out, even if they wanted to (and a few of them probably did). Raf was the first time a boy had ever told her, without a hint of bashfulness, that they thought she was cute. Whatever it was that she had with Raf, she didn’t want to lose it. In fact, when he shot her that grin, she was the bashful one, looking away with a small smile and a sudden flush of color to her cheeks.

[color=9999ff][b]“No,”[/b][/color] she replied, not wanting to change the subject away from the unspoken conversation but not brave enough to address it yet, [color=9999ff][b]“I’ve never been to this arcade before. I haven’t had many free evenings since I got here, and when I do, I usually game alone. Used to play at the arcade all the time in Arcadia. Heh. That pun wasn’t on purpose.”[/b][/color] Determined not to let that, of all things, cause and awkward silence, she soldiered on. [color=9999ff][b]“I don’t think I’ve ever set a high score, though, but then again, I’ve never tried. That’s it. That’s my goal for tonight. I’m gonna get a high score in something!”[/b][/color]

[color=86c67c][b]“Arcade in Arcadia, heh…”[/b][/color] Riff responded with a token stoner’s giggle. He was easy to amuse for the most part. [color=86c67c][b]“Well, you don’t have to game alone anymore!”[/b][/color] Whether that would be interpreted as another gamer pick up line, or a confirmation that she was officially a bonafide part of the burner crew, would be up to Gabriella. But to Rafael, both things were true. [color=86c67c][b]“Since you’ve never been, here’s the crash course on Captain Cuddle’s. That—”[/b][/color] Raf pointed towards the food counter, [color=86c67c][b]“Is where you get the best pizza of your life, I swear on it. And back there—”[/b][/color] He pointed through the propped open door, [color=86c67c][b]“Is where you are going to earn your first ever high score in House Of The Dead 2. So, you hungry, or do you want to start off the night gaming?”[/b][/color] As they walked through the dining room of Captain Cuddle’s, it could be noted that Riff had his hand softly against the small of Gabby’s back as he guided her around.

Gab didn’t see ‘won’t have to game alone anymore’ as a pick-up line. It was already true. Even if nothing came of Gib-Gab and Rif-Raf romantically, they were going to become best friends as a worst case scenario. She noted the hand on her back but didn’t even address it yet, let alone make any move to change things. She actually liked acting like a couple with Raf. It was relaxed. Gab had heard all the cliches about dating and how it was stressful and awkward. She didn’t get any of that with Raf. He was too chill a person to get stressed about and she was too positive a person to get stressed easily. 

She looked to the food court, then looked to the propped open door. [color=9999ff][b]“Hmmm, I’d say food first. That way we don’t have to take a break from the gaming later. Plus I know that you can’t focus on anything but food when you’re hungry. I’ve only met you three times before this and I already know that,”[/b][/color] She stated with an impish smile and a cheeky nudge to the side.

Rafael grinned at that very accurate accusation. [color=86c67c][b]“I mean… you’re not wrong. You got me!”[/b][/color] He held his hand up in mock surrender and laughed. He took a moment to browse the menu, not because he needed to, but because he wanted to give Gab some time to look it over. [color=86c67c][b]“My recommendation is the pizza bar special. The pizza is as endless as you want it to be, as long as you aren’t too picky about toppings, it’s the best value.”[/b][/color] He nodded as if he was a real mathematician. Hell, when it came to food, maybe he could be! [color=86c67c][b]“And it comes with the staple sides, like onion rings and mozz sticks and some kind of potatoey treat. Salad too, but who needs that kind of negativity in their life?”[/b][/color]

Gab was going to legitimately read the menu, but upon the mention of endless pizza, she immediately put it down. [color=9999ff][b]“Okay, you’ve sold me. That sounds amazing. I’ll even eat the salad. I don’t care. I actually like salad. What kinda pizzas do they do here? Is there a good selection? I mean, even if it’s just cheese, or pepperoni, I’m still super down.”[/b][/color]

[color=86c67c][b]“All kinds, dude. One of the chefs is super creative and is always putting out new combinations, so you get a wide variety. There's almost always a plain option too, though.”[/b][/color] Raf responded as they walked up to the register. The cashier recognized him and greeted him accordingly. Riff paid for both of their buffet costs, because Mamá taught him that's what gentlemen do on dates. [color=86c67c][b]“So you like video games, and computer stuff… you even made your own game, right? What else do you like doing?”[/b][/color] He asked Gab as he used a spatula to pull a cheesy slice of Hawaiian pizza off the buffet pan, and put it onto his plate.

[color=9999ff][b]“What else? Um...I write, I suppose. Nothing really serious. I’ll never be an author like my mom, or anything, but it’s fun,”[/b][/color] replied Gab as she picked a slice of pizza without even looking. It was meat feast. [color=9999ff][b]“What about you? I mean, I know you’re a mean Mario Karter, but what else do you do?”[/b][/color]

[color=86c67c][b]“Oh, word? Your mom’s an author? Like… what kind of books?”[/b][/color] Riff asked before taking a bite of the first of many slices of pizza that would be consumed that night. He remembered to chew with his mouth closed and swallow before talking, trying his hardest to be polite. It could be pretty hard, ya know? [color=86c67c][b]“Me? I uh, like art and music. Digital stuff, like the kind of art and music you can do with computer programs. But, like you said, not really serious…”[/b][/color] Raf said with a shrug. It wasn’t very serious yet, at least.

Gab shrugged too, and gave Raf a smile. [color=9999ff][b]“That’s what high school’s for. If we haven’t figured the next step out when we’re 18, we’re in trouble, but now? I’m not gonna sweat it. May as well enjoy myself till then. And yeah. My mom writes fantasy novels. The Westermount series. Her name’s Daniela Garcia, but it was Daniela Johnson when she started them.”[/b][/color] she explained, gauging Raf’s reaction to see whether he’d heard of them, but Gab doubted he would have. He didn’t seem an avid reader unless the book was online.

She doubted him right, Raf didn’t have a clue. [color=86c67c][b]“I pretty much only read comics ‘n stuff, unless I have to for school, so I don’t recognize her. That’s really cool though, I don’t think I’ve ever met an author in real life…”[/b][/color] He looked a little dazed out for a moment. [color=86c67c][b]“... unless maybe I [i]have[/i], and I just didn’t know. You know? Guess it’s pretty silly to think they’re all shut ins like that one movie… uhh…”[/b][/color] He mentally ran through the filing cabinets of movie knowledge stored in between the grooves of his brain. [color=86c67c][b]“Secret Window! That’s it. Yeah, can’t all be that crazy!”[/b][/color] Riff proudly chomped down another slice of pizza, pleased that he remembered something, for once!

Gab giggled and shook her head, as she grabbed another slice of pizza. [color=9999ff][b]“Nah, my mom’s pretty normal. She’s something of a socialite and likes going to meet and greets, and signings. She keeps telling me that she was a cripplingly shy shut-in recluse for all of her teenage years, actually, but I just can’t buy it. I’ve seen pictures. If she was here, she’d be turning heads. What does your family do?”[/b][/color]

[color=86c67c][b]“My parents?”[/b][/color] Rif asked. His family’s professions weren’t glamorous by any means, but he was too chill to let that embarrass him. Plus, they were hard working and loving, and no kid could ask for more than that. If they did, they were a douche. And douches aren’t chill. [color=86c67c][b]“My Mamá’s a housekeeper, mostly works for the Hemsleys. And Papá does landscaping for… whoever needs it around here, I guess. He runs a company for it. Then, besides my rents and siblings, the rest of the family lives in Tijuana.”[/b][/color]

[color=9999ff][b]“Ooh!”[/b][/color] Gab replied, interested. [color=9999ff][b]“I wonder if they know my dad. Brian Garcia. He’s a bit of a jack of all trades, but primarily an electrician. I’m fairly sure he’s done gardening at some point, though.”[/b][/color] Gab put the crust of her third slice of pizza back on the plate. [color=9999ff][b]“I think I might be eating this pizza too fast,”[/b][/color] she explained, to justify her behaviour.

[color=86c67c][b]“Nah, it’s totally hot, don’t worry about it.”[/b][/color] Raf said with a smirk. He liked a girl that wasn’t afraid to eat, especially on a first date. There was one thing sticking out to him, though… [color=86c67c][b]“Are you not going to eat your crust?”[/b][/color] 

The wording stuck out to Gab. When they say ‘are you not going to eat that?’ then it means they want you to eat it. It’s when they say ‘are you going to eat that’, that they want to eat it themselves. Gab was inwardly screaming and squeeing at the fact that the food-obsessed Raf was looking out for her in his own way, and she picked the crust back up, even though she still felt that she had rushed the pizza and perhaps didn’t have room for this yet. She did not want to let Raf down! He called her ‘hot’! There’s no way she could leave this crust after that!

[color=9999ff][b]“Of course I am,”[/b][/color] she tutted with an eyeroll, before eating it slowly, trying to hide that she was almost forcing it. After consuming the whole crust, she turned to the bar and asked, still with a mouthful of pizza crust and no moisture, for a large glass of water.

[color=86c67c][b]“Good, it's the best part!”[/b][/color] He grinned. [color=86c67c][b]“I like to dip mine in hot sauce.”[/b][/color] Riff explained before doing just that, finishing off his fourth? Fifth? However many-th slice. [color=86c67c][b]“Shall we make our way to the games now?[/b][/color]

[color=9999ff][b]“Hell yeah!”[/b][/color] answered Gab with a fist pump, as she downed her water in one, left the glass on the bar, and followed Raf into the arcade proper. [color=9999ff][b]“I’ve gotta get me a high score today!”[/b][/color]