Vriska: It's late afternoon during late Autumn, and Vriska Serket is hurrying through the thick trees lining the school grounds. She took a huge risk- especially with that creepy murderclown groundkeeper always lumbering about- and had snuck off a bit to go exploring. Not like anyone else was brave enough to go and she had something important to do out there. Her hands covered in loamy dirt and her expression gleeful, she creeps back up to a thick bush to see if anyone is near the lake or treeline that might take note of her sudden appearance. Wouldn't want to have to blackmail and/or threaten anyone into keeping their stupid fat mouths shut, after all.... It would be a total disgrace to be caught for something like this when she was already a second year! Her mom would be so disappointed if she let herself get tripped up like that!

Eridan: Eridan always enjoyed spending time by the lake, he enjoyed watching the surface for any sign of the dangerous creatures that lurked below. He had the biggest fantasy of actually being one, one of those creatures that all the 1st and 2nd years freak out about. Just being able to breathe underwater would be a great experience in of it's own. Though there were spells and such for that kind of thing he hadn't tried it out yet, not that he hadn't had massive discussions with Feferi about that sort of thing before. But that wasn't the reason he was here today! Today he was studying. The weather was quite nice and the lake was calm, the only downside being that Feferi had other plans so Eridan was all alone. Books spread out in front of him on the ground and his nose buried in a notebook, he almost misses the rustling behind him. Eridan drops the notebook and leaps to his feet, wand at the ready only to wilt in disappointment. "Oh, it's just you, Vvris. Wwhat're you doin' here?"

Vriska: Having already had her wand in hand, she whipped it up the moment he jumped and stood from the brush with a wicked grin. Stepping lightly through the underbrush and running her free hand over her hair to push it back over to the left, she takes her sweet time answering and gives a hum of pleasure at her find. She hadn't expected anyone to be here or else she'd have stepped more lightly. She could have gotten the drop on Eridan, but she keeps it in mind for the next possible occasion. "Hmmmmmmmm.... I don't share my plans with looselipped diaperbabies, Eridan.... But what are YOU doing here, mm? Nice day for studying, isn't it? *She feigns a sugary sweet tone, her accent slightly french and her tone grating. She intentionally keeps moving, circling around his little area and flicking her wand as she goes."

Eridan: Seeing her pace around him with that grin didn't give him a good feeling, he sighs heavily and turns with her, not letting her out of his sight at all, his eyes dart over her and he notes the dirt all over her hands. His nose wrinkles in disgust. "I AM studyin', alright? There's actually no wwind right noww so I'm enjoyin' it for once. Are wwe playin' twwenty questions or somethin'? Do I get some answwers for once? Wwhy're you covvered in dirt? *As he turns he makes sure not to step on any of his books."

Vriska: "You seem like YOU'RE the one playing twenty questions here, Ampora! And NORMALLY I'd be suspicious of such a banal excuse.... but seeing as it's you and you're the definition of nerdy looser ravenclaw, I guess I'll let is slide." She says snidely, realizing, doh, she just ran her dirty hand through her hair. She doesn't let her expression change, though, simply lifting her hand to her face and inspecting her nails, flicking the crud out from under them.* Mmm.... And as for why I'm covered in dirt, I DID just tell you I don't tell anyone my plans. I knew you were shortsighted but since when are you DEAF? *She says in a high, shrill voice, glancing over at him haughtily.*

Eridan: I just wwant some reasonin' as to wwhy you're sneakin' around in the wwoods." He huffs. "An I am not nerdy just because I actually study! Maybe if YOU didn't go sneakin' around so much doin' wwhatevver you do out in the fuckin' wwoods you'd actually knoww somethin'! Though I highly doubt it since you're pretty lacking in that department." He eyes her up and down again then looks off towards the woods where she came from. "I'm not deaf, Spiderbitch! I just think you're bullshittin' wwhen you say 'plans'. That or you actually are up to something and in that case I wwant to knoww wwhat!"

Vriska: "Hehehe. I'll have you know I'm already way too far head in the curriculum to have to be worrying about something lame like studying! Mere always gives me lessons over the summer so I'm ahead of everyone else!" Her mother always said it was important to have a leg up on people, after all. Or eight, rather.

"And I'm not "sneaking" anywhere!" She quote-unquotes with her fingers, giving him an unimpressed look. "I was simply going for a nice stroll and saw you sitting here, so I figured I'd pop up and scare the living daylights out of you! *She grins, wiggling her dirty fingers in his direction as she continues. "After all, I do love seeing you all a-fluster and oh so stupid! You have such a lovely flail. Like a fish out of water, gasping for breath as it slowly suffocates!" She gives him a vicious smile, drawing a bit closer with a cruel look in her eyes.

Eridan: "Wwell aren't you special. I'm sure you really need them the wway you think." Huffing, he crosses his arms and watches her expectantly. "It sure seemed like you wwere sneakin' around!" He returns the unimpressed look right back to her. "You wwere takin' a wwalk in the forest? Wwhy wwould you do that? And I doubt you could havve scared me! An I don't flail like a fish out of wwater! That's ridiculous! You're so creepy!" He glances down at his books that are still spread out on the floor, he'd back up if he didn't think she'd mess with them if he walked away from them. He crouches down and quickly gathers them up. "Anywway, I don't havve time to deal wwith you bein' you're owwn special brand a fuckin' wweird an psychotic."

Vriska: She moves the moment he crouches down, shoving him over onto his side and moving to straddle him quickly while she grabs his cloak and jabs her wand under his chin. She gives a triumphant cackle, getting close and in his face to let him get a good look at her special eye. She examines him closely, grinning wide and mean as she taunts him. "You really need to learn when not to turn your back on people, carrot top! Look at you getting all flustered already though! Don't tell me the next "great and powerful" Ampora is really such a huge weenie! Mon mere says that all Amporas are a disgrace to the claim of pureblood and huge losers like you ought to have been born mudbloods!"

*She sneers, honestly more angry that he's not showing her any backbone so far. Where's the hate? Where's the real fear? She won't stop until she gets a glimpse of it. Half assed comments about her being creepy didn't count. She expected more from him. Wanted it, really. He wasn't a potential ally so there was really no need to be nice to him... but maybe he could be, one day, if she pushed him to get to her level... He was too dumb and too nice. Besides. She hated being dismissed out of hand. She controlled when the conversation ended!*

Eridan: Eridan yelps and instantly starts struggling beneath her, smacking the wand from under his chin. "Wwatch wwhere you point that thing!! Didn’t your mom evver teach you any manners?!" He frowns heavily after stilling a bit, always with that jab huh? "You say I should be the mudblood yet your family is the one that relates so much to a bunch of bugs. And to be honest I don’t care about your opinion, Vvris! I thought I made that clear last year!" He grabs Vriska by her shirt and throws all his weight to the side along with putting all his strength into shoving her off, they were probably rolling all over his books but he’d make sure to put in a complaint and have them replaced. That didn’t give him much in the way of his notebook though.

Vriska: She laughs excitedly when he starts fighting back, rolling off when he throws her and waving her wand at one of the books with a smooth motion. "WINDGARDIUM LEVIOSA!" She sends one of the heavier books floating up high and then dropping towards him with intent to give him a good whack. "Spiders are great, and manners are for talking to important people! Besides, don't kid yourself! You know you wish you were half as good at magic as me!" She stands his books purposefully, one foot firmly planted on his notebook.*

Eridan: He jumps up and away from her the moment he’s free and shoots her the dirtiest look he can muster, eyes flicking to the book he dodges out of its way quite easily and even catches it as it falls. "Spiders are disgustin’ and vvile just like you and the rest a your family!" He sneers at her, noticing her movements he quickly raises his wand. "Accio!" With a quick flick his notebook flies from beneath Vriska’s stomp just in time to dodge any damage that could have been done to it, he catches that as well and sighs in relief. Who knows how many times he’s had to recreate this thing because of either Vriska or Sollux. Not like he didn’t retaliate but still, it was always such a pain. Eridan shoots Vriska a smug smile. "You think you’re better than me? Seriously? That’s rich, Vvris. Evven comin’ from you."

Vriska: "That implies someone else has told you I'm better than you. Aww, poor Eridan... Everyone thinks you're completely worthless! Which, to be honest, is pretty much the truth. Unless you consider being a stooge worthwhile, which come on- today they're a dime a dozen." She says as she goes back to picking at her nails and keeping half an eye on him as she pretends none of their tussling had even happened. She's vaguely impressed, actually, but it's not like she'd ever let that on. He's still the same emotionally incompetent brat he's always been.

Eridan: "An you said I’m bad at hearin’. You don’t evven listen to yourself wwhich is funny since no one else does either. Wwhat you just said implies that you think you’re better than me. And I thought you wwere smart." He huffs and raises his wand again. "Looks like you got somethin’ under your nails there, Vvris. Lemme help you wwith that. Aguamenti!" Bringing the wand up pointing directly at Vriska as the tip erupts with a fountain of water. Books be damned he could replace them himself for all he cared so long as Vriska ended up the loser of this fight.

Vriska: "Evanesco!" She shouts the moment Eridan casts his spell, flicking her wand at the water and making it disappear back into nothingness. She laughs mockingly, moving so her back is to the castle. "Don't be stupid, Eridan. No, wait- sorry if that's too much of a request for someone like you. I don't have to IMPLY that I'm better than you. I know I'm better than you. I was just pointing out how everyone else knows you're a huge loser too. But no thanks on the impromptu bath. I'm headed up to take a nice hot shower right now, so your services aren't needed. Now be a good house elf and disappear." She says dismissively, flicking her hair over her shoulder and looking smug.

Eridan: *Eridan grips his wand tightly and glares daggers at her. He was so irritated, the day had started out so nicely but now this was happening. Now all he wanted was to shove Vriska’s face into the dirt. Being called a house elf was basically the last straw and Eridan puffs up his chest a bit and launches himself at Vriska, tackling her to the ground*

Vriska: Vriska cackles in glee, using their momentum to keep rolling until she's on top, one hand scooping up a pile of mud and the other firmly grasping the front of his shirt and scarf. She yanks down on it until she has a clear view down his chest, shoving the mud down the front of his clothes. "Ahahaha! That's the spirit! Show some backbone, Ampora!! Get a little hair on your pretty chest! Some mud'll do the trick just fine!!"

Eridan: Eridan shrieks, yes he shrieks, as the mud is shoved down his shirt. Reaching up he grabs a fist full of her hair and YANKS with the intent to throw her off of him again only this time he scrambles on top of her and pushes all his weight down on her. Gathering up his own handful of mud he shoves it right into the side of her hair. "Howw about you get a better personality, Serket!" He practically hisses down at her.

Vriska: She hissed in pain when he yanked her hair, squirming angrily under his weight until she's gotten her bearings. She scoops up another handful and pulls down the front of his pants, mashing it in deep and cackling with a note of strain in her voice. So what if he pulled a few strands of hair from her scalp? She could always fix herself up before she went back into the castle. It was the principle of the matter here. "Funny, I was just about to say the same about you! Everyone knows you took about eighty percent of your personality from your DICK!" She continues laughing and pulls her hand out, wiping the dirt all along his robes to get it off her palms and fingers.

Eridan: Eridan yelps when the mud is shoved down his pants, he nearly jumps up at the odd feeling. Instead he shivers and smears the rest of the mud from his hands over Vriska’s face. "I do not! You’re the one wwho’s a hundred percent fuckin’ bitch! Wwhat’s evven your problem?!" He snarls down at her and grabs another handful of mud that he shoves directly down the front of her shirt*

Vriska: Vriska turns her head when he brings the mud towards her face, screeching angrily when he gets some on her glasses. She gets louder when he stuffs the mud down her shirt too, and it's probably a miracle the groundskeeper or someone else doesn't come investigate. She does what her mother told her to do if she ever found herself in a position like this, locking one leg around his and grabbing his arm to buck up and roll them over where he can't catch himself, putting her on top once more. She growls and slaps another handful of mud in his face to get even before pulling off of him and scrambling away, facing him with her wand out. "You're my problem! Everyone in this horrible, awful school is my problem!"

*The fact that no one paid her enough attention here was her problem, really. She was so used to Eridan trying to make himself appealing to her and then suddenly he'd stopped, so if he wasn't going to keep trying to make her like him, she'd make him hate her like everyone else. At least then she'd keep getting his recognition. Friends were for weaky-weak babies anyway, or so she tried telling herself.*

Eridan: Eridan shrieks again and flails as he’s pushed off and rolled over, all noise stopping as another bunch of mud is smashed into his face. He stills for a brief moment before sitting up and wiping off as much as he can. He jumps up as soon as he notices she’s done the same and stands ready with his wand. "I didn’t do anythin’ ta you! I tried ta be nice but you wwere alwways just like…like this!" He motions to her and scowls. "So I stopped! Wwhy bother wwhen you’re just fuckin’ rude an bitchy?!"

Vriska: "Oh, like you aren't just as much of a bitch as me? I thought maybe you'd eventually turn into someone cool enough to hang out with me, but you just gave up!" Although... him actually fighting back and standing up to her was new. Really new. She couldn't help but sort of admire him for that. And, well... maybe if he'd have been like this before, she would have been nicer to him. She couldn't just associate with any spineless toadie trying to kiss her ass. She huffs and scrapes some of the mud off her face with the back of her sleeve, feeling angry and sorry for herself.

Eridan: "But I’m not! You knoww howw I can tell?" he pauses a moment for her to reply but doesn’t actually give her the time to say anything. "Because I actually havve friends!" He huffs and starts wiping as much mud off his robes as possible. "To be honest Vvris, the only one wwho desperately needs a fuckin’ change in attitude here wwould be you." He shoots her a scowl then sighs and stands up straight, giving up on getting all the mud off his robes, he’d have to soak them later.

Vriska: "Whatever, Eridan. The only friends you have are Feferi and Karkat, and even they get tired of your stupid self-absorbed tripe. You'll wind up alone too, just wait." She scoffs, turning her nose up and whirling around to leave. She's walking quickly, not wanting to hear anything else he might say. She didn't have to listen to him. Not him, and not anyone. Her mama always said she was special and perfect and she shouldn't let anyone boss her around, so fuck Eridan. Fuck everyone who wanted her to change.

Eridan: Eridan just watches her talk. Fine, if she needed to say this kind of thing then whatever. "Fine. But at least I’vve got friends noww, unlike you. You’vve been alone since you got here." Eridan knew he was irritating and self-absorbed a lot of the time and he knew that Feferi and Karkat were his only friends. It didn’t bother him, not really at least. He clenches his jaw and crouches to pick up his books. Whatever Vriska said, he’d try not to let get to him. But it was hard sometimes. She was right sometimes and it got to him occasionally. After gathering his books together, he looks to see that she is indeed gone and then walks off towards the school. He really needed a shower now…and some comforting.