LANDON STARK

‘ —- so , as much as i would L O V E to help you , i can’t . i’m enjoying a nice , hot , UNHEALTHY  serving of chips && burger sauce . now if you will excuse me, i would like to get back to stuffing my face . && no . i’m not sharing . ‘

“Ah dude, what the hell. I’m a growing boy and sharing is caring, come on. You know you want to really...” Eros smiled and slowly reached towards the bowl of chips in front of her. He didn’t know how passionately she would fight for her food. Some would let it slide with a slap, others would whack out a blade. You could never tell with this lot.

“Your secret is safe with me. Unless I ever need to blackmail you. But until then, you can count on me to keep your secrets and pitch in with your share of the pizza money,” Alce couldn’t help the grin that was spreading over her face, and she tucked her hand through the crook of Eros’ elbow as they walked, linking their arms. “I can’t believe you got lost without me. I’m shocked and upset,” she said, shooting him a look of mock-disapproval before ducking into the cafe. “You’re kidding right? Cakes and cats are like, my two favourite things on this planet.”

“Ah blackmail, the glue that holds our friendship together. And don’t worry, next time we’ll get lost together.” Eros nodded at the woman behind the till before picking a table near the window and some conveniently placed cat toys. “Personally I prefer dogs, but even I can be temporarily swayed by cakes and cats. You seen that video of that woman who eats cat hair? She even licks it straight off their backs to feel closer to ‘em. It was straight up nasty.” He picked up the small menu and then paused for a moment, letting it lower slightly as he stared at Alce, a look of horror on his face. “Actually, come to think of it, she looked a lot like...you...” He made sure to say it loud enough so that nearby customers would hear, but his serious expression soon faltered as he felt himself struggle to contain a laugh. “So that’s what you’re into, hm?” he  joked, laughing softly. “Straight. Up. Nasty.”

❝ Yeah, and I’m a fourth degree black belt in martial arts. Are we just going to state the obvious, here? ❞ she retorted in a playful manner. ❝ Guess that depends what that challenge is, now wouldn’t it? I’m just saying, even if we don’t exist in the world, I would rather not have us arrested. Even if I can possibly get us out undetected. ❞

“Alright, alright. No one likes it when people boast, damn...” He smiled, letting his voice trail off as he tried to think of a challenge that he wouldn't fail at miserably. She couldn’t be great at everything, right? “Okay, so no getting arrested. I dunno, man. That brings our options right down,” he joked, cocking his head slightly. “...How good are your bowling skills?”

She nodded, not breaking eye contact with him. "Sounds good to me, if you’re up for that kind of challenge. I’ll see you at…7?”

The girl intrigued him, so he actually didn’t mind having to spend a little extra on a night out. He had a feeling it would benefit him in one way or another eventually. It usually did. “Make it nine.” He paused for a moment, briefly studying her face before leaning back into the chair. She was interesting. The night probably would be too. He pushed himself out of his seat, smirking as he grabbed his jacket and turned towards the door. “I look forward to it. Here’s hoping you don’t disappoint.”

“Not sure yet. Been past this place a few times when I’ve been wandering around, and the weather’s been pretty shit today. Felt like as good a time as any to see if there’s anything worth getting.” He shrugged, smiling as he browsed the nearby albums. “What about you? What are you into?” Laughing softly, he held up his hands. “Music-wise, I mean.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’d love that.” He laughed softly, shaking his head as she teased him. Part of him regretted giving her the option. Begging wasn’t really his style and he was glad when she dropped it. “Oh right, I get it. So what’s the fascination with learning different accents anyway?” Eros had never felt the need to do the same, and understanding why different people did certain things or behaved a particular way had always been somewhat interesting to him.

She leaned in close, locking eyes with his. “Well, that all depends on what you want, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, you know. What everyone wants.” His voice was low as he leaned forward and closed the distance between them, only leaving about an inch of space between their noses. “...World peace, mainly.” A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes as he held her gaze. “But I realise that’s a bit of an ask. I’ll get you your drinks. You give me what you think I deserve at the end of the night. Fair?”

“If that was meant to be an insult, congratulations you played yourself. You realize there’s more sea than land right? Which in return makes me more powerful and awesome.” She turned to throw him a sarcastic smile. “But we already knew that didn’t we?”

“Somehow I think I’ll be just fine. I mean, unless you develop gills, your time in the sea will be very short.” Sighing, Eros moved further into the store and away from Artemis as he continued to browse, eager to put a little distance between them. “The world will probably thank me for my honourable contribution to mankind,” he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. “You almost done, or? ‘Cause the shop’s a little small, feels a bit crowded y’know? Go...do whatever it is you do when you’re not mixing potions in that cauldron of yours.”

Alce breathed a sigh of relief that it was Eros she had collided into. And, even without words, he seemed to know exactly what she needed. Wrapping her arms around her friend, she returned his hug, enveloping him in a tight squeeze. “You know me. Attention span of a fruit fly,” she said, letting out a soft laugh at his words. Stepping back from his embrace, she pushed her hair off of her face, looking up at him and forcing a bright smile. “You know how to treat a girl. Where are we heading?”

“Don’t go telling anyone else that. I like everyone thinking I’m too stingy to spend money on my friends. Means people rarely ask me to pitch in when gettin’ pizza.” He laughed, lighting his cigarette as they continued down the street. “There’s a little cafe down this road somewhere. Found it the other day when I got a little lost.” He shrugged, exhaling a smoke cloud as his eyes searched for the building. “Ah, this one,” he murmured around his cigarette, pointing to the brightly coloured cat cafe a few metres in front of them. “Dude, this place does these insanely good cakes. You’ll love it. Oh shit, yeah, hope you’re not allergic to cats by the way.” Smiling, Eros chucked his cigarette butt onto the ground and held open the door for Alce.

❝ I mean it helps me. I get to shoot people and strategically plan out my attacks. It’s really a win win situation for me, ❞ she mused with a shrug. It really wasn’t that much of a shock that she’d rely on first person shooter games to keep her sanity at bay. ❝ If it makes you feel any better, I could probably also take you in a fight, obviously one that doesn’t involve weapons. That’d just be unfair, or at least for your sake. ❞

Eros paused, eyebrows raising at her subtle trash talk. “Wait, you think you could take me? That is so not something you say to someone as competitive as I am...” He laughed, shaking his head slightly as he watched the girl. “So if I challenge you to a contest of some sort, obviously you wouldn't back down. Right?”