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“Okay, okay, but consider my idea for a second,” Aloha interrupted Army’s strategy explanation and produced a pink glitter gel pen from seemingly nowhere, standing up just to make sure he could lean over the table in order to write in Army’s manual in the most disruptive way possible. “Let me carry the rainmaker in this part, okay? Mask can be my bodyguard.” He punctuated his proposition with a series of pink strokes onto the already heavily marked paper that made little to no sense.Army crossed his arms across his chest, gently tugging on the bottom of Aloha’s shirt to get him to sit down. Not one of the S4 had gotten into a conflict this entire meeting yet, and Army would rather it stay that way. Ever since he decreased the frequency that which these sorts of strategy and reconvening meetings were held, things had mellowed out a little bit. “I suppose that could work,” the orange inkling thought aloud. “Mask’s agile roller means he could easily get ahead of you and keep you covered from the front.”“Exactly! Then we can just rush to the finish every time!”Army moved his pointer and middle fingers from where they were resting at his chin to point them at the sub-user sitting across from him. “What do you think, Mask?”As usual, Mask had been distracted, though curiously, it was not by his phone this time. He appeared to have been fiddling with his gas mask, twisting the filters back and forth repeatedly. At the sound of his name, however, Mask’s hands immediately dropped to his lap. “Uhhhhh…it’s fine, I guesssss.” One eyebrow becoming visible through the lens of his mask, he added, “Dooon’t think I like being referred to as a “booodygaurd”, thoughhhhh.”Aloha stuck his tongue out at Mask, but Army quickly managed to take hold of the situation before it escalated. “Let’s try that idea out sometime, then,” He concluded, placing a hand on his temple in an attempt to wrack his brain for more topics. “What else, what else,” he mumbled to himself, before a grin broke out across his face. “Ah - Skull! You said you had found some info on that X-Ranked team, yes?”Skull’s eyes did a quick flick from side to side, as if he wasn’t really sure that Army had been addressing him, before he took in a breath. “Yeah, I did.”The three of them fell into a discussion once again, but the little clicks floating into Army’s ears from across the table kept threatening to pull him out of it. Mask was still adjusting his gas mask, though his eyebrows remained arched downwards and his shoulders were hunched over. Was he really just fooling around with his mask just to fiddle with something? Maybe it had been bothering him?Army didn’t even get a chance to put their conversation (which had long since strayed from the topic of X-Blood) on hold for a second to ask Mask if he was alright, however, because after a mutter of something like ‘I hate this stupid thing’, all three inklings’ attention was quickly snatched up by the quiet sound of a gas mask being unclipped and gingerly placed on the table.Mask of the S4, out in the open for all to see, rubbed his eyes and groaned. Now, none of them had ever actually seen Mask’s entire face before. Unlike Skull, his facial covering couldn’t be easily flipped up by the wind or willingly pulled down. That was if he even wanted to take it off in the first place. They had all assumed that he didn’t, but here they were nevertheless. One part of Army’s mind began instinctively attempting to commit Mask’s face to memory while the rest of it just stood still in shock, his mouth hanging open like a salmonid.He had had a round, pale face with a pointed chin and a wide, pinkish button nose sitting squarely in the middle. His eyes, which had always been slightly obscured by the lenses of his headgear, were half-hooded and a sort of faded periwinkle. They blinked lazily in the midday sun. His eyebrows were thin, though not as thin as Aloha’s and pulled together into a grimace of discomfort. His eye mask dropped notably low over his cheeks.The inkling’s gaze lingered on the three others a couple seconds after their eyes met. “The filters were being weiiird, okaayyyy?” Grumbled Mask before sinking down slightly into his seat, cheeks flushing a little bit. “Quit looooking at me like thaaaat.”Mask’s embarrassment suddenly embarrassed Army as well, and thus he was the first one to respond. “R-Right, I apologize for staring,” He said after clearing his throat. “I was simply…surprised by your sudden action.”Mask replied with something unintelligible, bringing his gas mask down to his lap and beginning to examine the inside of it. This seemed like it would have been a sign to simply continue their meeting as usual, Army even picking up his pencil to write something, anything in his manual, but it also seemed like all three inklings were too preoccupied with ogling at their teammate. Under his gas mask, he looked a lot less dangerous. Sort of like how Emperor’s threatening aura had faded a little bit ever since he started wearing a simple t-shirt instead of his eminence jacket.“He kind of looks like the Judds,” Aloha whispered to Army, and his point was proven a second later when Mask sneezed and then stuck his tongue out in irritation, eyes scrunched shut.“Dooooes anybody have a stick or somethiiiing?” He asked after poking at his mask a couple more times.Skull reached into his shorts pocket and pulled out three lollipops. “I’ve got these.“Mask made an expression somewhere between a sheepish smile and a grimace. “I think I’m alriiiiiiiight.”“I’ll take one!” Provided Aloha cheerfully, not about to pass up a chance for free food. Skull’s lower eyelids perked up a little bit and he popped one into Aloha’s mouth before the inkling could even take it himself. Army couldn’t tell if that was meant to be a way to shut him up or not.Intentions aside, it worked, and Army glanced down at the table for something to give to Mask before spotting the very thing he was holding. “Here, Mask, you can use my pencil.”Mask practically ripped the pencil out of Army’s hands the second it was in reach and stuck it somewhere in his gas mask. Army intently watched him work, internally groaning when Mask began chewing on his eraser. Then there was a click, a little “there we go,” and all of a sudden Mask was fastening his namesake to his face and obscuring his features once more.The cyan inkling took a deep breath and pulled out his phone, and everything was back to normal again. Well, except for one thing. He still hadn’t given Army his pencil back, but in all honesty, Army didn’t really see the need to ask for it back. He had plenty.Also, now it had the inkling’s slobber all over it. Disgusting, but he supposed it was to be expected.