Chapter Text
Riko presses him against the wall, seeming to relish in the terrified chill that ripples its way down Neil's body. He grins, turning his head to the left, as if looking at an invisible camera. “Chat, this kid is so cooked.”
Neil blinks. “What?”
“Shut up.” He grabs Neil by the collar of his suit and slams him against the wall again. “You were totally clip-farming in the interview, weren't you?”
Neil tries to decipher the strange verb he used. “Clip… farming?”
Riko laughs. “Holy larp.” He scoffs. “You're tryna aurafarm off me, dude. Admit it.”
Neil feels slightly embarrassed, but he doesn't know who for. “...What's an aura?”
Riko laughs so hard he releases Neil to rest his hands on his knees. “Were you born yesterday, man?”
Neil's starting to feel like it. His face burns. “No, I wasn't.”
“Sure, dude.” Riko turns to the side again, and Neil is honestly trying to find the camera he seems to be talking to. “Chat, this guy's a fucking cloutfarmer. Watch this.” Neil braces himself as Riko slams him against the wall again. “Was that aura?” Riko asks.
Neil was thinking that aura might be a good thing. “No.” He takes a gamble, answering despite not knowing what he's talking about.
Riko gasps as if Neil said something extremely offensive. “Are you serious?” He spits. “Fucking fakecel. You think you auramog me?”
Neil hesitates. “...Yes?”
He must’ve said the right thing to push Riko's buttons, because Riko burned red with rage. “You stupid little larper.” Riko spat. “Your ratios are fucked.” He points to Neil's temple. “Look at your fucking canthal tilt and tell me that's aura.”
“It is…?” Neil's starting to think he needs a dictionary.
Riko laughs derangedly. “Holy cope. Just rope dude, seriously.”
Neil thinks that's bad. “...No.” He thinks of something he heard Riko say at the interview. “I'm locked in.”
Riko scoffs so hard he might spit blood.
“Riko,” Neil hears a shrunken yet stern voice, turning to see Kevin at his side. “Leave him alone.”
“Shutup Kevin, I frame-mog you.” Riko snarls.
Neil sees Andrew on his other side. “I think you already knew the rule about touching my things, Moriyama.”
“Holy tag-team.” Riko looks behind him, seeming to move the invisible camera to another direction so he didn't have to look at Andrew. “Chat, idk if I can clutch this.”
“You can't.” Andrew folds his arms, giving Neil a little shove. Neil snapped out of his shock, skirting around Riko to escape to the exit.
Riko whips his head around, looking right at him. “You're fucking dead, you fakecel.”
Whatever that means.