Scrabble. Team Gino is starting to sort things out.

All the good things belong to MonolithSoft.

"Okay, okay, it's cool," Diego said, stomping down on his personal hysteria. Gino's legs were smeared with mim fluid and India ink. The scratches on one leg were still oozing, although most were in the crusty stage that came before healing.

"Someone been playing adult Scrabble with you?" Josephina's laughter wasn't unkind. Diego wasn't the only one freaking out.

"I can't read it," whined Susu.

Diego ignored those two. He was going to remain calm. He covered his mouth to keep everything inside, laughter or a scream or his dinner. When he was sure he'd be okay, he slid his palm down the length of his chin, trying to pretend he'd been deep in thought. "Gino, you said you were going on a date."

Gino's eyes were screwed shut tight. His groans switched to panting, and after a moment he managed a name. "Cesar."

"You know Jennifer?" squeaked Susu.

Everyone looked at Susu in amazement. Nice kid but air-headed, a civilian with no clear purpose (except making Josefina smile). Susu never knew anything of importance. Even Gino blinked open one eye, for a second, to make a shuddering groan of agreement.

"You know his date?" Diego asked carefully.

"Yeah, sure. We met on the Whale. She was a PA for that singer, Lacy2, you know the one. Well, she didn't make it in the crash, but I guess Jennifer did. We didn't call her Jennifer, well I did, because after meeting your seventh Jenny you switch to last names. But she was real interested in things."

"What things?"

"Makeup. Other things." Susu fluttered her hands and didn't ellaborate. "The makeup was for Lacy2 mostly, but also she has a nice style. Eyebrows and so on. Interested in how having mims made permanent makeup the easiest thing in the world. Put it on and ..."

"She did not mascara my legs!" shouted Gino, sitting up with a lurch. He flopped back immediately, his face turning a mottled grey brown.

"Probably liquid eyeliner," Susu said with consideration. "Except she just swabbed it on, didn't she? But hey, I've got something that'll remove even the permanent, like really permanent, stuff. Back home, I mean."

"Okay. The plan. I'm gonna help Gino into the shower, get that leg disinfected." Diego wasn't sure he'd manage it without needing to put his own head between his knees at some point, but that was Later Diego's problem. "Susu, could you go grab that makeup removal stuff?"

"I'll go with you," said Josefina. She grabbed a couple coats out of the closet, made sure Susu was zipped to the neck, and the two of them left with obvious eagerness.

"I just hope they come back," joked Diego. He scooped one arm under Gino's shoulders. "Okay, count of three?"

"Diego, man. You gotta call her."

Diego wouldn't have been able to hear Gino if they weren't practically face to face. "That Cesar woman? Later. When I'm not in the mood to tell her everything going through my head right now." Diego pulled Gino a little closer. "Okay. One."

"Not her."

"Two."

"My boss. You gotta call Lila, man."

a/n: And there she is, Lila Brown the OC NPC that started me on this terrible path of fan fiction.

Next up: Request.