Trigger warning : Hunger, starvation. Vexed being a hangry mess.
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It’s a lovely day, blue skies, shining sun and you are more bored than you ever though humanly possible. The mall is completely empty and the food court is even more deserted. The employes of the other restaurants around you are mostly scrolling on their phone, you’d love to do the same, but your phone died an hour again. Oh well, there’s only what…5h left to your shift !? Uuuugh…
You then notice that one person is browsing through the food court. Well…lurking would be more accurate. This strange lean individual is scrutinizing every food stand with a fowl look on his face. Like a predator ready to pounce and his prey. Maybe he’s just undecided ? You aren’t sure why, most of the food offer is the same for all stands just with a different sauce really. But you leave him to his indecisiveness as you go back to stare at nothing.
After a few minutes that felt like hours, you realize that the strange individual is still roaming around the stands !? Is it that hard of a decision. And why does he look so….angry ? You hope he’s not gonna pick a fight or something.
Until….he stop…and stairs at one stand with great intensity. Your stand. Now, the shabby looking young man is standing still, hands in pockets, glaring at your menu. You decide to adopt the “if I ignore the problem, it’ll go away” approach and start doing busy work while trying to ignore the strange individual.
This approach did not work. And instead, you got spooked by his raspy voice. You turn to him and attempt to greet him with a smile.
“Y-Yes…sir ? Can I…help you ?...”
With the same cross expression, the man points to the box of cookie near your counter as if that answered your question. You look at him with a confused smile. Understanding that he’ll sadly need to use words, with annoyance he scoffs :
“Ugh ! T-The cookies ?! How much ?!!”
“O-Oh ! One is 2$, three is 5.50$, and a dozen is 10.95$”
You have said this phrase so much that it comes out robotic and sales-like. It seems to weird out your client.
He begins looking around as if he doesn’t want to be seen and approaches your counter a little more. Instinctively, you back away. Unsure of what to do. This weirdo is starting to seem…menacing. His whole disposition changed and there’s something weird about his eyes ? Is it their colour…or their…glow ? Are they glowing ? And why now it feels as if you can’t detach your gaze from them ?…You start to feel a little weird. As if there’s only you, this strangers eyes and his deep voice.
“Listen now, You will-….uuuuugh…”
GROOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooowls
You suddenly snap back into reality as your strange client is gripping at his stomach while holding onto your counter to not fall over. This individual that seemed menacing a second ago now looks as feeble as a paper doll ready to topple onto the floor at any moment. You can’t help but feel a tiny bit of bad for him.
With visible effort, the young man pulls him self back up in a miserable manner.
Cookies ? Really ? It was his stomach you heard right ? Would cookies really fill him up ? Well, maybe he has a sweet tooth or something. It’s true that you were the only food stand that sold desert.
“S-sure ! How many would you-“
You are interrupted by the sound of multiple small coins dropping on your counter.
The man says in a dead pan way.
So it was a price issue after all. You pick up the coins to put in the cash register. You notice he’s actually 5 cents short but decide to ignore it as you get his one single cookie that you hand to him.
The man grabs the cookie from your hands and with stars in his eyes, gobbles it up in a few big bites. In milliseconds, the cookie is no more. And it’s now, with a little more in his belly that the strange man begins to be embarrassed of his behaviour.
The stranger looks a bit better. But not by much.
“Was that….enough for you ?..” You ask, uncertained.
“………What do you think ?...” Your heart aches at his response.
He shyly bows his head and is about to go when you decide that your conscience won’t let him leave hungry. You sigh loudly.
“Hey !” you shout, dropping all formalities. “Order something, it’s on the house.”
The haggard stranger looks at you with disbelief. “H-Huh !W-wha ?! HUH !?”
Before getting angry. “I-I’m FINE ! I don’t need any-“
GROOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooOWLS
His stomach cuts him off, proving that one mere cookie did not in fact fill him up. The young man is as red a a beet.
You can’t help but be amused. “Come on ! Before my boss comes back !”
Reluctantly, the stranger trots back to your counter. “….Alright…”
“ I dunno….just…anything will do…”
“Haha ! Alright ! Fried napkins and dirty socks sandwich then !” you say jokingly.
“Eh. Fine by me, I’ve eaten worse.” The tone of the young man is not sarcastic, which is..alarming…
You decide to make a chicken wrap. Maybe not the most filling, but definitely more nourishing than a single cookie. As you start up the fryer, the man is staring at your every moves which is starting to get annoying. So you decide to chat a bit while you work.
“I’m (Y/N) by the way. And you are ?”
“…Why are you…I mean…won’t you get in trouble for this ?..” The man looks nervous as he pats his quietly humming tummy.
“Why would I ? My job is to feed people and that’s what I’m doing ! I was kidding about my boss coming back soon. And even if he did, I can just pay for the meal, it’s no big deal.”
The stranger seems very confused by your action. You are too, you don’t usually do this. Quickly, the meal is done and you hand it to your “customer”
He looks at it with stars in his eyes. For a moment, you aren’t sure if he’s going to eat it or just stare at it all day. Until he starts to wildly devour it like a starved beast would. After all crumbs have been inhaled, he calms down and embarrassment washes over him.
“S-…Sorry….it’s just been a while since……….” He stumbles through his words. “……Thanks for this (Y/N)…seriously…I don’t think I could’ve go on much longer….haha..” He laughs a bit, clearly in a better mood. You smile too.
“No prob ! Glad I could help. Also, if you need some money, we were looking to hire someone new. I can talk about it too my boss if you want ?”
The man freezes for a second. “You…want to HIRE ME !!?? Ahahahah !” He burst up laughing. “That’s….wow….thanks but..hmm…I’m no good at stuff like this..”
“Hmmm…” You become a bit concerned. “Well I won’t force you…but then…what will you do ?”
“Why ? You worried about me or something ? Haha.” As he said these snarky words, he notices your expression and suddenly becomes all shy. “Ah….well…don’t be…I’ll manage…”
This doesn’t completely ease your worries but you’ll have to let it go. “If you say so. Offer still stands if you change your mind. For the job or the food.”
The man is dumbfounded. “That’s…..Really nice…” He then adopts a more sombre. “But…you’ll probably never see me again…”
He evades your eyes and displays a sad smile. “It’s just….better that way…”
With those words, he slowly walks away before you can offer any parting words.
Before running back to your counter energetically. “A-Actually !! Do you think…you could get me another one of those wraps to go ? I-It’s for a friend of mine !”
You look at him with a sarcastic smile. “Yeeah…a friend…suuure.”
“I-IT REALLY IS F-…..ugh….whatever. It’s a no then…”
“No, no.” You respond. “I’ll make a wrap for your friend. So, what should I put in it ? What does your FRIEND like ?” You are having such fun.
“Uuuuh…not sure…Not fish…Maybe strawberries ?” He answers
“A…strawberry wrap ?” You repeat, puzzled. Which makes the man irritated. “J-Just make it the same as mine !!!” His reaction makes you laugh. Maybe this mysterious friand does exist. You make another order to go and give it to him.
“T-thanks…a-and sorry if I’m………I-I mean….this is all really nice…thank you (Y/N)….”
“No prob again, mystery boy.” He laughs a bit. “V-vexed…it’s Vexed.” You are surprised.
“That’s not a name.” You state. “Y-YEAH ! W-well…….yeah….” He offers as an explanation.
Vexed takes his leave for real this time and you never see him again. You don’t know if it’s “for the better” but you hope he really is managing out there. Maybe his situation got solved and he no longer needs to lurk in malls eating cookies to survive. “Yeah, let’s go with that. Vexed is doing fine.” You tell yourself.
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