2019-04-02 - Best Laser Tag Team!

Summary:

Nothing like the non-lethality of laser tag to bond over! Oh, and pizza.

Log Info:

Storyteller: Group
Date: 04/02/2019
Location: Laser Tag Compound

Related Logs

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Theme Song

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steve-rogersbuckythorgwen

"How is this armor? It feels bulky but hollow," Thor wants to know, skeptical. There's problems. The main one, at the moment, is with sizing. The entry room before the laser tag zone has caused a problem with Thor wearing the general equipment. Or perhaps part of that is that Thor is skeptical and not working his buckles in a proper manner.

"It defends against lasers? I am not concerned of being struck," Thor says, aside, to Steve, in his loud stage whisper that shields zero of his speech from the others in the room. Thor may be dressed in civvies - jeans, a green t-shirt, boots - he shed his jacket once he realized that wasn't helping matters of equipment-fit. He did have a hat on and some sunglasses, but he's recently shed those, having forgotten how effective they are about masking his identity: or not realizing he should care, more likely.

*

"These aren't lasers that'll hurt." Steve looks up from adjusting his own equipment. His broad chest, while not as wide as that of the Asgardian, involved some loosening and lengthening and buckling of his vest beyond that of standard human fitting. "The sensors will light up if you get hit. It's proof that someone tagged you," he explains. No doubt the docents will be doing the same shortly to the small group as a whole. Arriving at an odd time on a weekday during standard business hours meant less exposure for the Avengers as a whole — nobody wants to field fans while laser-tagging.

Steve's jacket is hung up to one side. He's in a black t-shirt and dark jeans and…dark sneakers, wow. He's buying into the camouflage effect of the clothing. "It's that buckle," he adds, pointing from one clip to its insert by Thor's rib.

*

"Whoa…" A sunny little blonde in 3D printed armor that's almost reminiscent of something in World of Warcraft over a black and turquoise bodysuit comes traipsing in easily. Her armor is fitted to perfection, and her hair is twisted up and tied, with a spray of sunny blonde escaping and flouncing as she walks. But she stops dead in her tracks as she approaches. "Aren't you…." she begins, then tosses an offhanded look at Steve, and she just swallows. And remembers to close her mouth. "….uncomfortable in that? You don't even have it buckled right…here, I'll fix it." She sets about to fix buckles on Thor, unless she's swatted away. In which case she will brag that she got swatted by Thor and lived to tell the tale. If she lives to tell the tale.

*

"Proof? I wouldn't lie about being struck. That would not be very honorable," Thor observes, but is game to squint and attempt to rotate to get the buckle properly clipped that Steve is showing him. "I am uncomfortable, well observed. Ah, I appreciate it," Thor says, allowing her to help, in the same manner he would allow servants to apply armor before a battle, lifting his shoulders back in a heavy rotation. It's all very acceptable and regal.

He sucks it in to make it work - in that he attempts to sit up taller so as to slim down - and then, once clipped, lets a breath out very … very slowly, with an expression similar to that of a man cautiously playing Jenga.

Nothing snaps, and he gives Steve a sudden bright, sunny smile. And the helper girl a thumbs up.

~ Click-snap.~

Thor winces.

*

The Captain says nothing as to Gwen's significant glance at him. It also both confirms and denies nothing. His is the perfect poker face broken by the ghost of dimples on both sides of his mouth. He steps back as to better allow the sunny blonde to assist Thor in his battle armor — last tag vest — laser armor! His gaze travels around the room and the few other contenders. They haven't seemed to notice the presence of local heroes…just yet.

Glancing down at himself, Steve fusses with two more buckles of his vest before apparently declaring it properly fitted. He then makes to look over his gun. Gleaming black plastic with highlights in pain that glows under UV light, he runs fingertips over the bubbles of protection over the laser-sensors. "This should be fun?" he asks mostly himself, though his glance slides over to the brunet nearby with a knowing grin. Chaos is expected — nay, welcome.

*

Gwen's face falls. "That sorta didn't work. Hang on, I've got something…." She slides hands beneath her perfectly printed armor - probably Blood Elf inspired, but all in grey with pink highlights here and there, and turquoise "jewels" that encase the sensors. "It's here…somewhere…"

The blonde is effectively chasing her tail, as she turns in a circle, trying to reach something behind her, beneath her spaulders. Then another circle, and then! "Aha!"

Gwen pulls out an emergency kit with a red cross on the front. She opens the small, flat plastic case and pulls out a length of strap, a needle and thread, and she goes to work, giving Thor's armor what it needs to accommodate his girth. Pink strap, iridescent sparkly thread. "Sorry….it's all I had…" But just a few more whips with the needle, and she can buckle him up. "VOILA!" She pirouettes and bows with a flourish. "Your girth…is…accommodated…eth."

*

So there's the fourth - a young man in a long-sleeve dark green t-shirt, jeans, a worn army parka. Long brown hair with the front tied back, very 'Men of the North'. Grinning and eager - happy Bucky is such a different animal from the brooding assassin of the past. He looks more like a grad student gone astray than a serial killer.

"Sorry I'm late," he says to Steve and Thor, before giving Gwen that sunny little smile. He lets himself be helped into the laser tag armor with the absent-minded skill of someone who's spent a lot of time in actual tactical gear. "We're gonna wipe the floor with 'em," Buck assures Steve. "Just like back inna day."

*

Thor decided to just ignore the broken belt - the thing is staying in place for the most part anyway, across his upper back and shoulders, but it is just as well that it's now repaired: maybe they won't be charged for it. "Well done," Thor approves to Gwen after he testingly breathes, standing up from the bench and following Steve's attention to the guns. Thor moves his own gaze, then, to his own gun, examining it gently, including the peeling '01' tag on it, 'hefting' it with skepticism but no comments.

"Indeed, much entertainment will be had!" Thor says loudly enough to engage the whole room, attempting to clap Steve on the shoulder, cheered.

"You are not late," he welcomes the last arrival. "Well met; I am —" oh, is he supposed to not announce this to the room? There was clear intent to not blare identity earlier. He sends a question with his eyes at Steve, leaving that introduction hanging awkwardly.

*

The pink strap's adjustment, accompanied by its sparkly thread, is given a thoughtful nod. The Captain's no stranger to making do on the field of battle, after all. The thread was never sparkly, however!

"They've got no idea," Steve confirms under his breath towards Bucky, watching to make sure there's no issue with getting the laser armor on his person. Thor's vocal volume, however, has him turning a look towards the man with a flick of brows. It takes no prompting, however, for the realization of potential exposure to set in.

He introduces the two to one another quietly — Gwen will be able to hear. "Buck, this's Thor, the crown prince of Asgard and our ally. Thor, my shieldmate and oldest friend, Bucky Barnes." He glances up at the sound of one of the staff hollering for folks to gather close so explanations and rules can be shared before the game starts.

*

"I knew it!" Gwen exclaims in a barely restrained whisper. She beams, blue eyes flashing between Steve and Thor, then her gaze rests on Bucky. She's certain she's seen him somewhere before. Maybe on the news - some…college kid who snapped, and went full-on serial killer. "I am DEFINITELY on your team," she announces definitively, as they gather round to hear the rules. She brandishes a standard-issue grey laser tag gun. It once had a sticker that bore the number "08" but the center has peeled off, leaving something that looks like a cat emoji with a unibrow. If anyone can shoot true, it's probably the serial killer. And she figures Thor and Steve are pretty good, too. Her spray of blonde hair bounces as she walks alongside them, stopping and bending down to stretch while the rules are outlined.

*

It's even odds if Buck and Steve mean the same thing by 'shieldmates' that Asgardians do. Good luck on that. "A friend of Steve's is a friend of mine," Buck finishes, amiably, as he holds out his ungloved right hand to shake. The grin only broadens. "Man, you guys are all over the city these days, I met another prince of Asgard just the other day. Dark-haired guy - Luke? Lucky? Something like that." Ho boy.

Indeed. Wanted posters, news alerts, back when he was busily trying to kill Steve Rogers on the regular. Now they're apparently cool. He turns that pale stare inquiringly on her. "Hey," he says. "I'm Buck. This is Steve, that's Thor. We need four to a side, so you're with us, sound good?" Sentinel of Liberty, God of Thunder, Fist of HYDRA, punk rock drummer. It works out.

*

Thor lets his sentence go, taking the cue from Steve and accepting the introduction with a smile and deep nod to Bucky. When that a hand is offered, there will be a clasp of forearm coming from Thor. "…Loki," Thor says flatly, with a thoughtful little brow movement, but there's no real time to linger over that name.

He gives Gwen a bemused look, but moves to follow and listen to the rules, moving to look over a few of the other participants' heads to observe the demonstration with the gear with an interest normally reserved for worried first time fliers watching a safety demonstration in an aircraft.

*

"And no climbing on the walls," the bored teenager says. "Watch where you're going if you're going to run. I'm not going to tell you to not run." He at least assays a laugh before radioing to someone via the shoulder-clipped unit. "Alright, once the door opens, you've got ten seconds to get someplace. Once the horn blares and the music comes on, it's survival of the fittest." His voice drops to a proper dramatic movie announcer's pitch.

Steve looks around their small team. "Wait until they see the scores," he says to the three others, his grin a thing of deep dimples. The Captain looks pretty raring to go.

The kid then pulls a sliding door open. The interior of the place is a dream for anyone with a love for UV-paint and dark corners. Everyone starts to scatter. Steve, laser gun in-hand, motions deeper into the large room, half the size of a football field. "Team, move out!" Off he jogs into the weirdly-lighted depths.

*

Gwen flits right past Steve's military hand signals as if she has NO idea what they are. Because she has NO idea what they are. She takes a gazelle-like leap over an obstacle and lands lightly behind it, disappearing completely. She's versed with the game. She doesn't /always/ follow the rules, because walls were meant to be climbed. It's sorta her fault that rule exists in the first place, after all. Silently, invisibly, panting softly with excitement, she awaits.

*

Well, this is not the kind of environment likely to give them flashbacks to the streets of Foy or Carentan, thank goodness. So Buck's getting into it in the spirit of fun, rather than actual PTSD. He splits off to cover Steve's flank, replying with hand signals, heading to take up position near Gwen. The two big blonds will have to shift for themselves, it appears.

*

"Our scores shall entirely wipe the ground," Thor agrees, having picked up on the phrase earlier from Steve. Thor doesn't take cover. He does see the hand signals but doesn't react to them right away. No, Thor stalks into the center of the area, taking it in.

There's a sauntering gladiator feel to the movement as he rapidly gets what he needs: a lay of the arena, and also a clear posture of intimidation and dominance to anyone that might see him doing this. There's something to be said in just staring down the other team, really. Thor has a style of overbearing confidence, which he'll radiate through the room. He doesn't look lost or confused. He IS a big target, either way, though, since he hasn't bothered to go into cover yet. He heard that he had ten seconds; he has plenty of time.

*

Silly Steve. What comes so knee-jerk naturally to him in signals is lost to all but one of his cohorts. Still, there's no doubt in his mind that the team will hold their own in the end. Steve dances lightly backwards as he watches Thor take up that centralized position within the room. Indeed, it's a display of confidence that does shake the other teams, but light nervous titters are also heard from the opposite half of the room. The Captain ends up nearby to Gwen and Bucky without giving away their position, half-behind a wall leading into a narrow, crank-turn tunnel.

"On the mark!" the man hollers, getting WAAAAAY too into it.

Ding…

Ding…

Ding…

BLAAAAAAAAAAAAT

Hectic techno music comes on to signal the beginning of the bout.

*

Despite her completely hidden position, Gwen springs into the open. Her armour is now flashing with the techno music - both the pink and turquoise highlights blink chaotically, and the soles of her shoes glitter and light up with every step. Because some people hide, and some people want you to see them coming for you.

She runs - STRAIGHT up a wall and perches atop it in a rave-inspired shimmering crouch, where she can see everyone, but more importantly, she can see them. One boy rises quickly from behind a spraypainted barricade, and Gwen fires off a shot, echoing with a blinking red light on the chest of the brave opponent who instantly shrank down behind his barricade with an obscenity. With that, Gwen springs lightly off the wall and somersaults down to the ground in a superhero landing that Deadpool would be proud of, then takes off in a quasi-superspeed run toward another wall.

*

Buck is momentarily bemused by Gwen's skills. But then he's back with Steve. Just like the old days, indeed. He pops up to draw a bead on one of the other team's members, lands a perfect shot.

Thor, however, gets a sidelong look. "Steve, get Prince Meatball to take cover, wouldya?" Oh, the Brooklyn accent. They don't make 'em like that anymore, do they?

*

Thor counted, but the very weird scenario is distracting: the techno music made him orient towards the speakers. He'd been focused on listening to people moving around behind the barriers, and the loud music certainly made him look towards the nearest speaker imbedded in an obstacle. He slides out of the center behind a decent obstacle, but he'd had at least half of the enemy guns aimed at him, and he didn't realize that his obstacle has some holes in it. Who makes ordinary looking rocks and then cuts strange oval holes in them?!

Thor dodged much of it, but did get hit in a shoulder-sensor. His reaction is not to duck back down, but to follow the light that got him, and suddenly streak across the center, barely caught in the strobing lights. It wasn't a superspeed run, it was just a 'normal' Thor leap. That means it also had a challenging yell.

Thor doesn't shoot /anybody/ during the leap: not that he didn't try. He'll need to learn he can't shoot for a bit after he's been shot. Still, other players don't much like big people leaping at them, and he'll cause disarray and scattering by the time his gun is working again.

*

Distracted by the mod display of multicolored madness that is Gwen and her armor+shoes combo, Steve looks up at Bucky's prompting belatedly. At this point, Thor is a blur of blinking armor into the distance and there's an impressive arcing leap involved.

"Dunno, he's got a good plan. Pick 'em off!" he shouts then, to include the young blonde with her wall-crawling powers alongside the war-trained sniper extraordinaire. Then, Steve does what Steve does best:

Runs in behind Thor with a whoop of his own. Given that the Asgardian has scattered one team to the winds, he's in like a fox in a chicken coop, his gun firing in electronic blings of sound. Still, as he takes a corner, he runs smack into an opposing player. BLOOP — right in the chest.

"I've been hit!" His shout rings out even as he keeps jogging, dodging other players with their vests also blinking in momentary reset.

*

Gwen is a blaze of flashing color that seems to skip and hang in midair in the strobing lights. She runs sideways along the wall behind the team that's still unscattered, firing shots at each of them, not even waiting to see if they're hit before moving to the next. Four shots, four players. A handful of profanity. "We need a swear jar!" she shouts to the others as she turns back to a kid who shouted something about climbing the walls. "I'm not CLIMBING them, I'm RUNNING on them, THANKYOUVERYMUCH!" And she fires one parting shot directly at his chest sensor before bouncing into a roll behind another barricade.

*

The Soldier just shakes his head. But he's out there ducking and dodging like a maniac, managing to avoid any hits. Supersoldier reflexes will do that for you.

At least until a thirteen year old kid with big glasses hits him square on. There are Red Room ops rolling over in their graves, at this point.

*

Thor charges through his area, a running gun now, though his aim isn't great. He's not familiar with the gun, though he'll improve from use over time. Maybe: it's not exactly a quality instrument. For now he's being a big target, and mostly just dodging. He's managed not to be hit again, though someone comes close when Steve calls out. Thor responded with an intent to aid his friend without thinking, which drew him over. He isn't shot, though. "You have missed," Thor announces, and reacts by jolting sideways: into an obstacle.

And out the other side.

The metal creaks and the whole of it starts to fall over from the crushed support. The bull has, in fact, arrived in the china shop. Thor looks at it with some surprise: deciding if he should catch it or not.

*

"LANGUAGE!" It can be no other person than Steve as he rounds the corner of a collection of tunnels and startles the hell out of two teenagers. Able to shoot again, he effectively takes them out and continues running on. Gwen's got an excellent point. Where is the local swear jar?

However, he does hear the sound of a spectacular sound of impact and skids to an abrupt halt, half-crouched.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me…!" He makes to run towards the sound rather than away from it. It's creaking loudly enough to be heard through the frenetic dance music — someone's singing about a candy shop now? "Don't let it fall!"

*

Gwen has come to rest nearby Thor, and she's turned to see what sort of collateral damage she managed on the team on the opposite side where Steve emerges bellowing something about language over the music. "Huh…" and then there's a familiar tingle and the structure that basically now has a Thor-shaped hole in it comes down over her head. Gwen gets her hands up before the structure falls completely, and she keeps it from hitting the ground, though she effectively lowers it quickly to keep from being too obvious. Unfortunately, as her hands are up to catch the twisted metal structure as it falls, she takes a hit to the shoulder, and a red light replaces the turquoise one. "Awwww crap," she mutters as she releases the structure safely on the ground.

Standing up, fists clenched at her sides, Gwen raises the gun and stalks forward. "EVERY ONE OF YOU IS GONNA DIIIEE….Just as SOON as I can shoot you…."

*

On the upside, those that are near the obstacle are busy looking at it, not shooting Thor or Steve. "Are you all right?" Thor asks quickly, moving to deliberately intend to assist and guard Gwen from being smushed, extreme concern all over his face: clear even in the flashing lights. But she's going hunting, she's clearly fine.

"I will ….just put it against the wall, amid the other rocks," Thor calls back to Steve, shoving his gun under his arm to be able to use both hands to manhandle the whole of the very broken and dangerous obstacle backwards. He's careful with where he's taking it, and attempts to just lean it up gingerly. As if it would even matter if he broke it more at this point?

The teenage girl and boy - one of which just shot poor Gwen - to the side end up just staring at the whole 'move the giant obstacle' thing instead of shooting Thor, but do run to cover before Gwen can retaliate. Maybe.

*

"That's a good plan." Steve's kept a safe distance back as the broken scenery was addressed by both the Asgardian and the blonde. He did, in fact, note the strength put on display by her and gives Bucky, now at his side, a significant look. The brunet returns it and smiles crookedly.

"Glad she's on our side," says he.

"No kidding," the Captain agrees. In the distance, more sounds of laser guns shooting and the BZZZT of vests reacting have the two soldiers turning on a dime and firing across the room. A chorus of groans and curses erupt.

"Geez, these kids. Language!" mutters Steve beneath the thump-thump of music. Something about dropping a phat beat now…?

*

Gwen is firing furiously…well, clicking furiously, as her shoulder continues to blink. "You're dead…in fifteen more seconds!" she shouts over the music, as the boy and girl disappear behind barricades. Gwen doesn't even pause, but instead climbs straight up the vertical side facing her and over the top, leaping to tackle the boy and perch atop him as the girl scrambles backward. "Three…two…one." BLZZZT. Her shot is fired point blank into his chest sensor, as the girl screams.

"NOOOO, JOOOEEEEY!!" And Gwen turns on the girl who is crabwalking backward at this point. Joey, for his part, is still lying on his back, blinking and dazed.

"Get up." The blonde in the fancy armor keeps pace with the crabwalk, until the girl finally stops. So does Gwen. "STAND UP."

Her senses are tingling. Someone is behind her. The girl starts to stand up, and just as she rises, Gwen does a back handspring out of the way as the kid behind her fires, hitting the sensor in Joey's sweetheart's chest. "THAT'S. WHAT. YOU. GET." Gwen explains in no uncertain terms as she clings to the wall behind her, crouched downward, facing poor Joey and his love. Then she turns and fires at the kid who shot Juliet, and laughs as he scrambles and runs back toward Steve and Bucky.

*

Thor doesn't let the destruction get to him. He never really does. He got the rock/metal thing out of the way, and pulls his gun back out, returning to the game with gusto. He's got the gist of the whole of it now. "INDEED, our light beams shall find your glowing weak points!" Thor thunders challengingly, sighting over Gwen's shoulder as he (more carefully) hops up onto an obstacle, crouching neatly on the top of the stairway platform there to shoot a few times.

Thor does take in Gwen's interesting pouncing and wall-climbing, though he doesn't think much of it for now. Perhaps later it will be more important to someone. It's natural for his team to do great things! He, himself, leaves her to it, and opts for turtling targets on the other side of a fog machine, enjoying the 'challenge' the slight visual impairment poses. Sitting in one spot isn't his thing, though, and Thor's moving soon enough, his laughter a pleasant peal of sound that cuts through the urgent music.

*

"Atta-boy, Meatball!" Bucky's shout breaks through the squealing and yelps that follows the resonant announcement. Poor guy scrambling towards Steve and Bucky. It's unclear who shoots him in the chest first, but his vest goes out to indicate he's been tagged. Letting out a frustrated wail, he disappears off into the mists in total abandonment of his team.

Steve watches him go with a small frown of concern until his friend elbows him. "Hey, it's a game." With the man's reminder, Steve rejoins the fracas. How to avoid smiling when Thor's amusement rings out?

Over the intercom: ONE MINUTE REMAINING!!! The music doubles in speed as psychological enticement to increase the intensity of the sparring at hand!!!

*

After the one minute warning, the teen with the microphone in the judge's box hesitates, then calls out again, "And Gwen, are you SERIOUSLY on the wall AGAIN?"

"THAT'S NOT MY NAAAAAAAAME…" Gwen shouts back, still clinging to the wall.

There is an audible sigh over the loud speaker as the boy picks up the clipboard and reads the name she signed in with. "Death…Muppet….are you SERIOUSLY on the—"

He looks up, but Gwen is gone, nowhere to be seen as she rousts one more teen from behind a barricade with a barrage of blasts that leaves all his lights flashing.

"Please…come to the judge's box after the round…" comes the resigned response over the speaker.

*

During the last minute, Thor has not only sorted out what he's supposed to be doing, but found a 'small' L-shaped obstacle to pick up and use as a mobile barrier; he'd found one of the metal pipes where the forklift would grasp it at the base to use as a comfy handle, and has brought the thing along with him while he uses the very center of the arena. It's a beautiful spot, able to see down all the various channels and lanes, so he can pick off people when they show themeselves changing positions. Just needed a nice barrier!

Thor clearly is enjoying himself, and his mirth is generally infectious: his open, relaxed nature conveys even in the dim room with a musical frenzy. "Excellent game, competitors!" Thor calls, with complete honesty and appreciation for the strange light-zappy game played.

*

*

"That's really her handle?!"

"That's really her handle."

Regardless, the one minute warning has everyone scrambling. The two soldiers work double-time to herd startled youngsters back towards both Death-Muppet (er, Gwen) and Thor. If they aren't shot in the front, they're shot in the back. Steve takes one last hit to the shoulder and Bucky to the back from someone who slipped the gauntlet, but then, the overhead slowly begin to rise to usual white interior bulbs. All of the guns and vests shut down and blink in a specific pattern, letting the players know to return to base.

"Good job, team." Steve offers high-fives all around to their eclectic collection of individuals. Of course, they get sullen glances from the other teams. Too much fun was had! The judge waits off to one side for one Death-Muppet, his face flat and unamused.

On an interior screen, the user-names show up as well as the number of points scored. While hanging up his vest on one of the racks extended from the wall, Steve glances over. He busts out laughing.

"You owe me five bucks," he says to Buck.

"Pretty sure it was coffee," the brunet argues good-naturedly as he puts his own vest away.

*

Gwen bounces through the boys on her way up to the judge, giving him a wiggle-fingered wave. "I knoooow, a month's ban…."

"TWO months," he replies. "You think we didn't see you tackle that kid?" the judge asks incredulously.

"I know you weren't SUPPOSED to see it…" Gwen winces.

Trotting back toward the guys on her team, Gwen's still smiling brightly, her blue eyes shining with the excitement of the match. "Banned for TWO MONTHS, can you believe it?? What am I gonna do for the next two months?!" She huffs, but her good-natured expression and grin gives away her thoughts before she can speak them. "SOOO very worth it."

*

"Even I have suffered a ban for deeds done in the midst of battle," Thor says smoothly to Gwen, in a clear attempt to cheer her. "You zapped well." He offers her a handshake and a bright Thor smile: unassuming and open. They can be an echo-chamber of positive, good-natured vibes, between them.

At least, until he turns back to Steve, hands up and out as he removes his equipment. "And now, we feast?" Thor suggests, jubilant. "I know of a place of the pizza." As if there were only one.

*

"Now, we feast," confirms the Captain. "Figured we'd go to Coppola's. The place does great friend calamari too, if you're into that kind of thing. What?" He gives Bucky a wry smile as his friend shakes his head in amusement. Steve then turns his attention to the young blonde woman.

"Gwen — or…Death-Muppet: you did a good job. Thanks for playing with us." A glance between Thor and Bucky and back to her again. "Why don't you come along for pizza? Feel like you have a few stories to contribute." He probably means her earlier actions of sacking innocent players and running along the walls like gravity meant nothing.

And off they go to the Place of Pizza, to enjoy both it and camaraderie. Or calamari. Both? Yes.

*

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