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It had been a while since Infume had played private rooms. The throws of the season, the race for 2800 elo, the fight for rank 1 – they all had kept him away from a proper private room session, from anything that was more than some warmups or bridging the time between queues.
She didn’t like when he stayed away that long. She grew moody and bored without the challenge. In that aspect, she was just like Infume. Except she didn’t have the option to find that challenge elsewhere.
“H-hi, it’s me”, Infume called as he tentatively knocked on her door, hating how shaky with nerves he already felt. He didn’t like disappointing her like this, but he simply didn’t have the time during the highs and lows of the season.
There was no answer, but the door swung open to reveal her crossed arms and pouting face.
Looking at the Ranked Bot always felt like looking in a slightly warped mirror. At a glance, she could be mistaken for Infume, if it wasn’t for her softer features, her slightly longer hair or the confidence she carried herself with. She had been created in his image after all, trained on his peak performances. In short, she was everything Infume could only dream to be.
“You were gone for ages”, she complained, stepping back to grant Infume access to her room.
“I’m sorry. The season…” Infume trailed off, unsure how to finish the sentence. She knew the reason. He wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t already know. He just always got so nervous around her, never knew what to say.
Why was it his bot that had to present as female? He knew technically the Ranked Bots had no gender, no personality. They weren’t supposed to be more than a mirror, a perfect opponent to measure up against. As far as Infume knew, none of the other top runners had female presenting bots. They were either slightly perfected male versions or more androgynous, depending on the runners’ own appearances.
Yet, somehow, Infume had pulled the short end of the stick, had not only gotten a bot that never messed up and was almost impossible to beat, but also one whose mere presence turned him into a stuttering, nervous mess. It simply wasn’t fair.
“I know. You were too busy running around with your little friends. Couldn’t stand the thought of losing to a girl, could you?”
“That’s not -“, Infume whined, but shut up when her raised hand stopped him.
“I don’t need to hear your excuses. I’ve been watching your runs. You’re good, but not as good as me.”
“We’ll see about that”, Infume dared to say, shrinking in on himself at her derisive snort. All the courage he’d gathered wilted in a second, leaving his hands shaking and his cheeks burning.
“I guess we will. Shall we get going then? Or did you want to stand around some longer?”
“No, no. We can go”, Infume agreed quickly. “I’m not scared!”
“Never said you were. Scaredicat.”
“I’ll show you”, Infume grumbled, humiliated and lacking any conviction.
“You’re cute”, she laughed, suddenly leaning far too close for Infume’s liking. Her lips pressed against his cheek, the barest of touches. The next moment the bot was gone, throwing a coy look over her shoulder. “Come on, I want to sub 5 on you! Or are you backing out?”
Infume sputtered, hand raising to touch his burning cheek where her lips had been just seconds before. For a moment he was almost stun locked, then her words registered in his racing mind. “Coming!”, he shouted, racing after her. How was he already behind?