Tiffany: (sighs) Fine....
Luke took a silent Tiffany in his van for a ride on his van.
Luke: So, what's up?
Tiffany: I'm fine.
Luke sighed as he continued to drive around the streets. It was a hot, sunny day.
Luke: You sure?
Tiffany: Yes.
Tiffany answered him curtly.
Luke: You always get like this whenever we lose a fight.
Tiffany: Yes, I do. That's right.
Luke took a sharp turn.
Tiffany: And, like always, I will be fine. All I need is some alone time, and I'll be good to go.
Luke: (sarcastically) Right.
Tiffany: So I take it you don't believe me?
Luke: Yep.
Tiffany: Mmmmmmmm. (sighs) So where do you plan on taking me?
Luke: To buy some drinks.
Tiffany: We just ate breakfast.
Luke: Yeah, but it's just a few drinks. There's no need to worry too much about it.
Tiffany: Ugh. Fine. But after this, you're taking me home.
Luke drove them all the way to a place called Eloquence.
It was a restaurant with little to no lighting and cool that specialised in selling drinks. The whole gimmick was selling drinks in a cool, dark place for privacy.
Tiffany: This place?
Luke: Yep.
Luke parked the van and walked out calmly before turning around to a confused Tiffany.
Luke: Hey. Come on, we're getting takeout.
Tiffany: Oh. Right.
Tiffany eventually followed him to the man at the counter.
Man: Greetings and bienvenue, my friends. Welcome to Eloquence.
Name: Jeffrey Coolman
Age: 30
Description: Acts like a vampire
Occupation: Eloquence cashier
Fact: Is considered to be one of Eloquence's best employees. Who knew cosplay could help a guy out?
Luke: Greetings.
Jeffrey: I see you have brought a mate.
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Luke: Yeah. One coke, please.
Jeffrey: Oh, I see. And the madam?
Tiffany: One cherry soda, please.
Jeffrey: Alright then.
He inputed the data on his cash register.
Jeffrey: And I will give you a table at...
Luke: We'd prefer it to go.
Jeffrey: Oh. Very well.
He covered himself in a cloak and disappeared under the table.
Tiffany: Where did you find this place?
Luke: All the jocks come here with their girlfriends to make out in the dark.
Tiffany: Oh.
Luke: But hey, they sell the best drinks this side of town. Nothing comes close.
Tiffany: I see.
The cashier came back with their drinks.
Jeffrey: That will be 7 dollars.
Luke: Here.
Luke handed over the cash.
Jeffrey: I bid you, Adieu.
The cashier then bowed, and the pair simply left.
Tiffany: That place is...
Luke: Weird, huh. Why not take a sip of that cherry soda?
Tiffany: Huh. Ok.
It hardly looked different from any other kind of cherry soda, but after tasting it, she immediately recoiled.
Tiffany: No way. This stuff is amazing.
Luke: Told ya.
Luke gulped down his coke quickly and threw the cup into a trash can from a long distance.
Luke: And now...
Tiffany: Now?
Luke: Back into the van.
Tiffany: Where are we going this time?
Luke: To a place.
Tiffany: Huh?
Luke entered the van, and Tiffany followed. Luke drove her to an increasingly greener area.
Tiffany simply watched outside the window while sipping her drink.
They eventually found themselves in the park. It was, naturally, filled with greenery.
Tiffany: The park?
Luke: Not quite.
Luke sped up and drove them uphill. The road grew ever steeper, and he tried to force the van to go further.
Luke: C'mon. C'mon. C'mon. Eh.
He finally stopped.
Luke: Alright. I guess we'll huff it the rest of the way.
Tiffany took yet another sip of her drink.
Tiffany: So that's where we're going.
The cliff's edge, also known as the Knife's edge. It was a common tourist trap for most people. But on a Tuesday afternoon, it was completely empty.
Luke and Tiffany walked out to the cliffs edge.
He took a deep breath and walked into the blowing air.
Luke: Feels good, doesn't it?
Tiffany: Yeah.
Luke: Sure brings back memories, doesn't it?
Tiffany: Y... yeah...
The pair remained silent for a moment.
Luke: Look, Tiff. You know you can tell me anything. You know you can tell me what's wrong.
Tiffany: Yeah, I know.
She sat down in the grass and sighed.
Luke: After all, we made a promise to each other to stick together.
Tiffany: I know Luke. I know, it's just....
Luke: Is it Max?
Tiffany: No. And... well. Yes.
She looked down depressedly as she spoke.
Luke: Well, what is it?
Tiffany: Luke... I... I... failed to protect him.
Luke: Wha...
Tiffany: I'm supposed to be fighting the darkness. And then this guy shows up, and then I need to be saved by the very thing I'm supposed to be protecting.
Luke: Oh.
Tiffany: I just.... I just need some time.
Luke: Tiff...
Tiffany: Luke. We promised to protect the civillians from any dangers. We promised that to each other. But now, how can we call ourselves protectors if we need protecting?
Luke: I see.
Tiffany: It's just... so frustrating. I... I don't know what to do.
Luke walked up to her and gently slapped her head.
Tiffany: Hey.
Luke: I thought you said you were going to be a tough leader.
Tiffany: What! Hey, I...
Luke: Listen. I can't speak for Ken and Rose, but I can speak for myself. Believe me. We all feel the same way.
Tiffany: Wha...
Luke: Hmph. It's like that thing Vince says. (imitating Vince) Out there its all of us against all of them, for us. So don't let us down scrubs.
Tiffany: What does Vince have to do with this?
Luke: Oh, him. Well, let's just say that in school, he's a bully. But on the field, he's a better team player than you could ever imagine.
Tiffany: Really?
Luke: Yeah. There's a reason the Hypercity Howlers are so well known.
Tiffany: Well, ok. But... what are you getting at?
Luke: What I'm trying to say is, is that all of us feel the same pain. We didn't sign up for this for giggles after all. To all of us, this is far from a joke.
Tiffany gasped.
Luke: So stop acting like you're the only one who's feeling down and get up already, alright? You're supposed to be the leader.
Tiffany took a moment to let those words enter her heart.
Tiffany: Well, you're not very good at pep talk, but...
Tiffany smiled.
Tiffany: Thanks, Luke.
Luke: Heh. Don't mention it.