Chapter Text
Having moved out of your childhood home, you were determined to explore what the world had to offer for, possibly, the rest of your life. The glossy magazine covers and buzzword-filled internet articles did this city no justice; to look at an image of a location confined by four corners and comprehend words describing it would not prepare you for the riot of color and noise that surrounded you all at once.
You had dived head first into into a succession of turf battles that had more than convinced you of the reason why the city’s denizens were so addicted to this beloved pastime, you were now catapulted out of an exhilarating situation and into a, frankly, rather distressing one: It was now past midday, and in your excitement, you had not made a head-start to seek out what should have been your number one priority: your home-sweet-home to-be.
Cheap hostels were aplenty, and given enough willpower you probably could live out of one, but that did not mean that you should. Having bid goodbye to your teammates, you made your way over to the train station, grabbing a quick lunch along the way.
Stepping out of the station and into the afternoon sunshine, you glanced around and back down at your map to get a sense of your bearings. In its heyday, Inkopolis Plaza had been the place to be, but Inkopolis Square had since superseded the grounds on which you were now standing on. Along with its popularity (not that it was no longer popular), rent had fallen and so it was here that you had decide to look for an apartment rather than for one near Inkopolis Square. Inklings and octolings mill about, going about their daily lives amidst the flashy billboards and towering buildings. Out of the corner of your eye, you spot a nook well-shielded from the afternoon sun. The cool shade hid its secrets behind a cluster of vending machines, creating a path between them that appeared to beckon you closer.
That was the alley. The one you had read about in passing, in older articles on the net. There was a consensus that it was best to steer clear of it. Though, you thought you remembered a few user comments mentioning deals with a certain someone that could boost your efficiency in battle... Was it still true today? Or rather, did such a character even exist in the first place?
Driven by curiosity, your legs carried you ever nearer to the entrance of the alleyway, and once there, straight into its cool depths.
A tall, lanky figure was lounging upon a patterned mat, staring into space. The first thing you noticed about him were the dark, dramatic spikes that made up his hair. You swallowed. Even if your family and friends hadn't warned you about staying out of a sea urchin's way, your instincts alone would have been enough. Your eyes traveled nervously over him. He was sitting down, but you had no trouble imagining him tower over you had he been standing. It was not the appropriate time to think so, but he was was well-dressed and not unattractive. He had on a gauzy poncho, black harem pants and leather loafers. Having shifted his gaze over to you at your approach, the man pushed himself up with a sigh, the bangles on his wrist jangling as he did so. His outfit was a mismatch for his surroundings.
"Now who're you? Can't say I've ever seen you 'round these parts. The name's Spyke, by the way."
Shyly, you greeted him, confirming that you were indeed new. Alright, maybe you shouldn't have admitted that. You were alone in a back alley with a suspicious sea urchin, and he didn't need to know.
"I'm just here for a bit for old time's sake. I'm pretty comfortable nowadays, but - tell ya what - since it's your first time here, how about this? Let ol' Spyke give ya a taste of wot it's like to do business wif' im, yeah? Having said so, Spyke launched into an elevator pitch of his services. He must have done this countless times. "So wot'll it be then?"
For a lone urchin, Spyke sure offered a whole host of services you didn't think a one-man show was capable of. He offered gear you wanted - albeit at a premium - but also customized them, which was the part you weren't sure was entirely legal. Nevertheless, you had decided to place an order, and he had informed you that it would be in the very next day - impressively, but suspiciously, fast.
"Will that be all, then?"
It must have been the nerves that arose from your first brush with such dealings - you had blurted out that you would be on your way, since you had let yourself be distracted from apartment hunting by too many times.
Spyke appraised you with a level gaze, drumming his long, ringed fingers upon his knee. Nervously, you watched as the unsettling green eye slid down your form. Uncomfortable, you shifted your weight from one foot to another. Was this his way of saying, "Why're you still here then?"
When his eyes next traveled back up to your face, your own couldn't help sliding away, a subconscious desire to not admit that you had been staring at him as well.
“Well, aren’t ya a real lucky one? I just so happen to have another offer on the plate for ya. Room in my apartment's been sitting empty for awhile now. Could be yours if you like.”
Your eyebrows shot up at his words. You had not expected for your apartment hunting to end even before it had begun. But.... you frowned. While the thought of not having to spend days, weeks, even, scouring for a roof over your head made the offer tempting enough, you still weren't sure about moving in with someone who looked like he could have you for dinner.
“Tell ya wot. Let me have your number, love, and this offer will stand 'till someone else claims it.”
***
Almost three weeks later, you found yourself standing in the corridor to your new living quarters. The wooden door was perfectly innocent, its peep hole staring back at you. Your search to expand your list of living options had unfortunately not gone on smoothly, and your increasing anxiety had persuaded you to circle back to the first offer you had received.
Your hands fumbled as you fit the key into the keyhole. Turning the key, you sighed in relief at the telltale click of the lock and pushed the door open. Spyke wasn't here with you today. He couldn't get out of work, but you had informed him that you knew the way already, so it was no big deal.
An unfamiliar figure sat in the unfamiliar apartment which you now held the keys to.
What Spyke did tell you about the other inhabitant of this apartment was that he was a musician. Worries of a potentially raucous flatmate must have crossed your face, because Spyke had reassured you that he mostly worked in studios and clubs away from home and that even if he was in, wasn’t the type to put music on blast.
You’d met Spyke twice after the fateful encounter, once for him to take you to view this apartment, and another to secure the deal. His flatmate had not been around when you visited, so this was your first time seeing your now other flatmate face-to-face.
What Spyke did not tell you about your other flatmate was that... well... that your flatmate was the Warabi.
He wasn’t in his signature outfit. An oversized distressed tee covered his form, paired with loose black shorts. What surprised you was how his hair looked as good as it did on the album covers; vermilion roots melted into cyan before being tipped in lime green. What sounded like a disastrous mix of colors, Warabi could pull it off. Moreover, you had never seen anyone who had gotten their hair pierced before. It made you wonder if he’d gotten pierced anywhere else.
Warabi regarded you briefly from where he was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, a laptop balanced in his lap. He had the cool countenance that seemed inherent in every octoling from birth. Then, he greeted you with a little smile and a quiet voice that messed with your preconceived notions of the Warabi that you had only known through album covers and recorded videos. “Hello."
You were reminded of a page spread that advertised Inkopolis as an urban hub where a youthful population lived amongst idols, but you had not expected to live with one.
“H-Hello. It’s nice to meet you.” You introduced yourself as you stepped inside, closing the door behind you.
Warabi gave a small nod in acknowledgement, echoing your pleasantries along with his own name before returning his attention back to his laptop.
You hurried past him and into the hallway, making straight for your room. Pushing the door open, you were greeted to the sight of a mostly empty room. Spyke had been nice enough to supply you with a bedframe, a desk, and a wardrobe, but it seemed you would have to put in the effort to make the place more livable.
Loosening the straps of your backpack, you let it fall to the floor next to you as you slid down the door to join your backpack and waited for your heartbeat to return to normal.
You were starstruck. You'd always thought you'd be composed if you were to come face-to-face with a famous figure, but it appeared that you didn't know yourself well enough. Well, alright, Warabi was close to you in age, had the whole bad boy aesthetic down and was a highly successful figure - world famous! You may have daydreamed about getting with him once or twice. But those were supposed to be just that - daydreams. Why didn't anyone tell past you that you will have to live with him? How?
Shutting your eyes tightly, you willed yourself to redirect your attention to more pressing matters.
Inkopolis was rather far from home, and you had made the decision to travel light so you wouldn't have to lug bulky suitcases the journey here. That also meant that you would have to do alot of shopping in the following days. You sigh, rummaging in your backpack for your wallet before standing back up. If you wanted to get back to your new-found hobby, turf battling, as soon as possible, then it was high time you stopped replaying the smile Warabi gave you in your head and got started.