Black Sheep

It was only at the sound of the other boy's steely response that Cas hesitated in his charade. The guise of nonchalance he'd constructed waned suddenly and, feeling vaguely uncertain, he blinked, casting a reluctant glance in Iggy's direction to find that he'd turned away, his posture as tense as his expression. Casper's uncertainty bloomed at the sight. So... maybe that comment had been a bit over the line, but it wasn't entirely his fault. After all, what other choice did he have? Begging hadn't worked in his favor, so naturally manipulation would have to do. Too bad it wasn't going nearly as well as he'd planned.

At least, that's what he thought - until Iggy spoke, the words as unquestionably harsh as they were a ray of hope. His hesitation dispersed in seconds and, too startled that the other boy was even considering his suggestion to care that he was on the verge of some kind of meltdown, he blurted in disbelief, "Wait, so -- so you'll go?" His bewilderment quickly gave way to excitement and he stepped around Iggy so as to face him, the beginnings of a dazed grin parting his lips. His face lit up with the gesture. "You're gonna give me a chance?" 

Annoyance rolled off of Iggy in waves. Caught up in some bubbling excitement though he was, Casper wasn't entirely unaware of this - the other inkling's irritation was palpable in the air, and it made him hesitate. Given the nature in which Iggy spoke, Cas found himself almost unnerved. The words fell painfully short of amiable, and though he surely should have expected the boy's displeasure, what with how he'd just been blatantly manipulated, Casper couldn't help but feel disappointed. This wasn't quite how he pictured things working out - not at all.

Easing up on the enthusiasm as much as he was capable, Cas leaned back, feeling more threatened by Iggy's halfhearted smile than anything else. He frowned a bit, lips pressing to a thin line, and glanced off to the side, lifting one hand to rub the back of his neck. The crowd in the plaza was rapidly thinning. "I mean... yeah, but I'm not, like..." Cas dropped his hand and gestured loosely with it while he tried to find the words he was looking for. "That good. Those guys were probably on steroids or something." Exhaling, he rocked back on his heels and then refocused his attention upon Iggy's face, managing a playful smile. "But I'm also not a complete asshole, so... there's that." 

If his guilt was a flame, every word out of Iggy's mouth was fire retardant. It didn't take long for his remorse to die out almost entirely, but Cas held on to it as much as he was able, if only for the sake of salvaging his chances at becoming part of this new team (even if over half of its members didn't exist yet). His smile didn't last long.

Feeling defensive, Casper retorted, trying to keep the annoyance from his voice, "I didn't say I was terrible." He fought the urge to scoff, forcibly smothering the anger stirring in his chest. "And I'm less of an asshole than your old... friends, so count yourself lucky, alright?" Crossing his arms again, he frowned back at Iggy. Then, after drawing a deep breath, he continued, "It's just a bus ride away, if you're coming." His gaze lingered upon the other inkling's face a moment longer, as if thoughtful, and a smirk tugged at his lips. "Not totally sure you're the best guy to be hanging around if I wanna become less of an asshole, though."

So his efforts at making light of things hadn't helped - no surprise there. Equally unsurprising was the fact that Iggy's response managed to do away with his amusement within seconds. Casper's smile waned to a grimace at the sight of the other boy's smirk, expression suddenly dry, and he rolled his eyes. "Kill it with the sass, pal," Cas said, looking incredibly unamused. "You're really just proving my point here; and I don't see you denying it, either." He allowed his attention to rest upon the taller boy's face a moment longer, as if to assert control, and then started past him, visibly unenthusiastic. "And no, you're not forcing me to stay." There was a pointed, almost pained, tone in his voice.

Fate was cruel.

When little response was given on Iggy's part other than an annoyed glare and an unhappy remark, Cas felt strangely gratified. That had shut him up pretty quickly, hadn't it? Folding the paper in his hand and tucking it into his coat pocket, he fought a smirk. He hadn't stopped to think about why he wasn't more upset by the fact that Iggy was unhappy with him. He needed this to work out, after all; he wasn't sure how many other opportunities he'd get. All the same, Cas wasn't sure how willing he was to completely swallow his pride for the sake of earning a position on the team - especially when he was dealing with someone who was as big of an asshole as Iggy.

... And it couldn't hurt to tease him a bit more.

Trying (and failing) to conceal the smug smile tugging at his lips, he continued towards the bus station, taking little notice of the fact that the sun had nearly set and the crowd in the plaza had almost completely dispersed. "I'm not forcing you to stay," Cas replied without turning around, tucking both hands into his pockets. There was an air of amusement in his voice. "Remember?"

Of course he'd been expecting a snarky response from Iggy, but when it came, Cas found himself momentarily surprised. The complacent look drained from his face, leaving in its wake a rather blank expression. He hesitated, footsteps slowing until they stopped entirely, and then turned his face to give his companion a somewhat incredulous glance. 

"Dude, who said anything about me not being invested?" he asked, looking as bewildered as he did amused, though the latter emotion took a moment or two to develop again. "I wouldn't be dragging you to tryouts with me if I didn't care about joining your team. You're the one trying to get out of it, unless I totally missed something."

As usual, Casper wasn't too happy with his companion's response. Regardless, he refused to let it get to him. It wasn't his fault he was such a stick in the mud - some people were just born that way. Smile broadening, he waved a hand dismissively, "Nah, dude - if all you do is wait around for good stuff to come your way, you're gonna miss it! First come, first serve, right? 'Sides, I'm not really good at that whole... 'patience' thing." His voice trailed off a bit with the statement before he perked up again and continued, "But there's nothing wrong with being a go-getter!" Satisfied with his response, he proceeded forward, adjusting his backpack straps. "And you didn't really have to say it, by the way. Unless you always have that... i'm-not-interested look on your face."