Arc took a moment to meticulously wipe down the cutting board before selecting a vibrant bell pepper and placing it center stage. With practiced efficiency, he used the knife to remove the stem and seeds, leaving two pristine halves on the wooden surface. "Alright I've done a little of the prep for this one. Come here and I'll help you cut this one."

Missy stepped closer, following Arc's detailed directions as he demonstrated proper cutting technique while carefully maintaining distance. He winced and apologized profusely the couple of times he accidentally touched her while gesturing, his movements becoming increasingly hesitant. Missy had to assume that Jezel must have talked to him about her aversion to touch. She appreciated his considerate efforts, but guilt gnawed at her seeing how much it seemed to stress him, his usual easy confidence replaced with careful restraint. Missy wondered if she should do something about it but decided to shelf thinking about it so she could concentrate and maybe a little because the thought made her feel very uncomfortable.

It took her a couple of attempts before she earned Arc's approval as she sliced the pepper into uniform thin slices while keeping her fingers safely tucked away from the blade's edge. "Nicely done, I knew you'd be a natural," he beamed with genuine pride. As he spoke, his phone chirped insistently. He held up a finger as he backed away, answering the call with his usual cheerful greeting.

While he was engaged in conversation, Missy decided to attempt some of the impressive knife tricks she'd observed Arc performing while cooking in the food truck. She attempted to twirl the knife between her fingers but miscalculated the speed, sending the blade plummeting to embed itself point-first into the ground near her foot. She heard a strangled noise from Arc. When she glanced towards him, concerned something was amiss, his face had drained of all color, his expression suggesting something terrible must have happened to whoever was on the other end of the line. Missy's head tilted in concern. "Is everything okay?" Her voice trembled with worry as she watched Arc's distressed expression. Arc took a moment to speak, seeming to be struggling to find the right words, his hands gripping the phone tightly. He took a deep breath, running his free hand through his sandy blonde hair. "Missy, what on earth were you doing?"

That wasn't exactly what she had been expecting. "I was just trying one of the tricks I've seen you do. Shouldn't we be more worried about the other person on the phone? You looked like they were in trouble." Her tails swished anxiously behind her as she waited for his response.

Arc took another deep breath, his shoulders tensing. "That wasn't because of the person on the phone. You scared the crap out of me with that little display." His voice carried a mix of relief and lingering fear.

Missy's ears and tails drooped in uncertainty, her posture becoming smaller. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you. I'm not sure what I did to scare you. Could you tell me so I don't do it again?"

Arc shook his head, which in Missy's experience wasn't a good sign. His blue eyes were still wide with concern. "You almost cut yourself badly. How could that not freak me out?"

Missy's ears perked up when she realized he was worried about her getting cut. That was good. She could easily fix that. She reached down and picked up the knife, its blade glinting in the light. "It's okay, you don't have to worry about that. Watch." With that, she drove the knife into her other hand before pulling it out, the gash quickly closing after she removed the knife. She twisted her hand back and forth to show Arc that she was fine, but stopped mid-motion. He didn't look good at all, his face ashen and his grip on the phone loosening. Maybe he just had a fear of knives cutting people. "If you are this scared of knives, maybe you shouldn't use them?"

Stolen story; please report.

Arc took a shaky breath, steadying himself against counter. "Although I'm glad you weren't hurt, could you please never do that again?" His voice was barely above a whisper, still processing what he'd witnessed.

Missy nodded emphatically, her tails lowering submissively. She definitely wouldn't do that again. She didn't want to scare Arc, especially since he'd been nothing but kind to her since they'd met. Missy gently set the knife on the counter and backed away a little, her tails drooping with shame. "I'm really sorry. Maybe I should just leave." She hung her head as she started heading towards the door, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Wait! Missy, it's okay, please don't leave - you just caught me off guard. I would really like to keep going if you're okay with that?" Arc's voice was steadier now, though still carrying traces of his earlier shock.

Missy turned back and nodded meekly. She had been having a lot of fun before the incident. Her ears and tails stood to attention, and she silently promised herself she would do her very best not to mess up again.

It took a moment for things to calm down, but eventually they were both back at the counter, this time with the ham on the cutting board after they had cleaned up the remnants of the bell pepper incident. Arc demonstrated how he wanted it cut before letting her try. As she worked carefully to cut up the ham, her movements more measured now, she decided to ask, "Why did you decide to join the competition? You didn't seem sure you would."

Arc took a moment to think about it, absently wiping his hands on his apron. "I guess I decided it was about time I started chasing my dream. I have always wanted to own my restaurant, and this might just be a step in making that happen. Don't get me wrong, I love the food truck, but I want more." Arc let out a deep sigh, his eyes distant with memories. "For years it was just me and Jezel just scraping by. I tried my best but it's hard when you're just a kid without any money or experience. There were a lot of crappy jobs before I managed to save enough to buy that truck. It was one of the best days of my life."

Arc was clearly emotional as he spoke, his voice growing softer. "I can never thank you enough for what you did that day. It might not have been a big deal for you but when the truck's power went out the day of the earthquake, I thought that was it, rock bottom. I still owed payments on it and there was no way I could make enough to pay it off, let alone afford to take care of me and Jezel. The cost to magically recharge a battery like that is more than the truck is worth."

Arc looked over at Missy, tears now streaming freely down his face. He swallowed, his voice thick with emotion. "You saved me from the depths of despair that day. That's why I will do everything I can to help you. So to answer your question, I decided to join the competition because you gave me a chance at a brighter future, and I don't want to squander that. Besides," he added with a watery smile, "you did say I make the best food you have ever had."

Missy was completely caught off guard. When Arc had started crying, she had been worried and wondered why she kept making her friends cry, but this time was different from when Aspen had cried. She had no idea things were so bad when she had stopped to help Arc that day. Arc hadn't seemed like he was that concerned at the time, but Missy was starting to learn that people often hide their true feelings behind brave faces. As she looked into Arc's eyes, Missy felt something warm and pleasant bloom in her chest, a sensation both foreign and comforting.

“I care about both you and Jezel. I will never let anything bad happen to either of you. I promise." The very air crackled with power as Missy spoke, a feeling of fierce protectiveness surfacing similar to the feelings she had felt when she protected Jezel from Razuroc. The intensity of her emotions made the shadows around them dance and shift, though neither of them seemed to notice.

Arc chuckled slightly as he gave her a lopsided smile, his eyes still glistening with unshed tears. He held out his fist, the gesture casual despite the weight of the moment. "Well then, I guess we're in this together. Partners in crime." He held out his fist for a moment before he realized what he was doing. "Oh sorry, my bad," he started to retract his fist, remembering how unfamiliar she was with human customs.

Missy smiled warmly as she raised her fist and bumped it against his. "I don't know what that means, but yes, we are in this together." Strangely, as their fists touched and the familiar discomfort returned, it didn't seem so bad. Maybe it was due to the warm feeling blooming in her chest, or perhaps she was finally starting to understand why humans sought out these small moments of connection.