Starting Days

"Ah, I shoulda checked the ratings for food here," Nicola groaned as she took another bite out of the pizza. It was disgusting but food was food - it shouldn't go to waste. Her only problem with the entire thing was the likeliness of getting sick afterwards and having to vomit every other second. Better than having to try and hunt for everything or scavenging through trashcans like the hobos in some place or town out there. She could at least be a little grateful. Turning her head a little to the side, she glanced back at whatever choices there were left on the stands, eyes wandering to the snacks. There was no way she was ordering another meal, but since those came from outside the arcade, they wouldn't taste awful. Unless their standards were that bad and it had already expired. Resting on a red box of chocolate-covered biscuits, Nicola contemplated for a few moments before letting out a sigh. They were all sweets.

As soon as the waiter came back with their drinks, her hand snatched the glass before she took a sip. This was her chance. If she wanted to get one, then she could ask now. It'd get in the way of her health and not only that, it'd probably hinder her if she had to fight anytime soon. A few won't hurt anyone. It was better that she got the experience and learned from her mistakes, and not do it again. Maybe that sort of mindset was naive or too optimistic, but the only thing that mattered was getting rid of the taste of that terrible excuse of food. "Oi, waiter! Could you get me a box of Pocky?" From where he was, he had launched it into the air and she raised her arms up, catching it with ease before lowering it.

One finger pried open the lid without much difficulty and Nicola stared at the unopened plastic bag, sealed inside. It was too late to back out. It'd be a waste if she just put it back. Taking a deep breath, the bag was unsealed and inside was a trove of thin, chocolate-covered sticks. Before reaching inside to get one, it was almost as though a light bulb lit in her head and a crooked smile crept its way up her face. Eating or drinking something sour before swallowing something sweet makes the sweet thing just as sour, if not more. "Jeez, I can't believe I forgot that."

"What's that?" Madison forced herself back to reality in a whir of focus, like she was adjusting her focus from near to far, and she smiled to assure this was natural, that she was all right and not suddenly lost in thought, but her hand shook and she wanted to go home. But she didn't want to go home, because mother was out there. It was like a prison.

No matter, what did matter was what Nicola was holding. Pocky. She'd never heard of it.

Pocky? Owen wondered what on earth they would be doing with the Pocky sticks, unless Nicola just expected them to all share one box. If that was the case, they would need more than one box; he could eat a whole one by himself.

"It's delicious, that's what it is," he answered Madison. "The real question is what are we doing with it?" Something in his mind was going off, some sort of game, possibly? It was ringing bells, but he couldn't recall what exactly it was. Either way, he just wanted to eat some quality food after having to pay for the trash this small joint called French fries.

Nicola blinked, half because she was genuinely confused as to how the hell any teenager didn't know what Pocky was and the other half because Owen was questioning her motives in buying a box. Then again, she did have an actual reason, but the fact that he asked what they were doing with it rather than why she bought it was almost a bit off-putting. "I want to get rid of this awful taste in my mouth." Her voice was loud enough that it echoed across the ceiling and throughout the game lounge, some players turning to look at her in confusion - some out of annoyance - before turning back towards their respective booths and games. The waiter from before was glaring at her now, and Nicola simply stuck out her tongue, swinging her legs on top of the counter. She was grinning from ear to ear, fingers plucking one of the thin biscuits from the bright red box, and placing one in her mouth. A mellow, sweet flavor sizzled on her tongue before it burned sourly, and Nicola winced a bit from the aftertaste.

Her hand held one out to Madison, the lid fully open and bouncing a bit in hopes of tempting her friend to try one. "All the cool people eat Pocky. Kinda sad you don't know what it is." At the same time, she leaned her head back, eyes glancing at the person all the way down two seats. Searching through the archives of her mind, Nicola's head bobbed back and forth for awhile before it clicked. "Hold on, you weren't thinking about that game, where 'ya?" If she had to be honest with herself, she hadn't ever tried to play it before, mostly because it seemed weird and the number of people she hung out with during childhood were always some business people, all gorilla-faced and draped in black. They weren't the most cheerful looking fellas, and the only other option would've been Hieta... but her brother was rather distant back then, and wasn't that weird to play with your siblings? It implied incest, right?

"Truth be told, I wouldn't mind playin'~"

The girl ignored Nicola's jab, used to it a little too much. She was more interested in how they were talking about it. Do with it? Play a game? Madison was visibly confused, and gave a frown towards behind out of the loop, head tilted sideways to clearly see the both of them as she sat at the edge of the counter. "What kind of game do you play with food," she asked quietly. Wasn't playing with your food something parents always warded against?

Owen couldn't help but smile wickedly, his mouth somewhat lopsided.
"If you guys wanted to play, I'll join," he said. He was imagining every way this could go, and there was no way he could possibly lose no matter what happened. Admittedly, ending up with Nicola was still a little intimidating, but she was nice and seemed to at least tolerate him. Even if she didn't like him as a friend, he had still spent quite a bit of time with her, and they were acquaintances by association with Madison. He was starting to get a little excited.

Hell yeah, she and Owen were on the same page. Nicola placed the Pocky box on the table before using her free hand to pat Madison on the head. "It's not just any ol' game." A Cheshire-like grin stretching the corners of her lips upwards. This would be good payback for Dance Dance Revolution before - as if she would lose this one. No way, not happening. Her competitive spirit was burning bright, and she leaned back on her chair with her hands behind her head. Clearing her throat, Nicola's eyes drifted back towards the vibrant carton, the contents inside threatening to spill out and one was practically taunting her, sticking its tongue out and all. "Mind putting one Pocky in your mouth for me, Madison?" There was a small pause in her words as she gestured back towards the snack with a dramatic motion.

"No biting, no chewing, nothing to break it." Unsuspecting victims of the Pocky game were the greatest victims. Madison seemed to timid and awkward to play if she knew the rules; seemed like the kind who would back out of the challenge the moment she heard how to win the game. Better take advantage of the situation while she still got the chance. Nicola liked having the upper hand and right here and now, she wasn't going to waste the opportunity.

Madison glanced down at the Pocky, and back at Nicola. She didn't like the look of this. Nicola's expression was too mischievous, and it was obvious something was up. She gave a look backwards for no reason, and complied. She had to. She didn't want to be that lame person, the one who didn't go along with what the group did. She needed to. She didn't have the confidence to do otherwise.

So, she placed one end of the Pocky in her mouth, the delicate stick kept between her teeth carefully.

Owen shifted his position in the seat so he could see better. He could see the twinkle in Nicola's eye at what she was tricking Madison into doing, and Madison's movements were hesitant. He wondered how far they were going to let this go. For the first time, a small pang of reluctance rushed through him. It was getting kind of late, but they didn't have school tomorrow. It had also been a while since he had done something like this.

As soon as it had come, his trepidation passed.

Maybe this action would shred Madison's confidence and courage entirely. But how much effect could one kiss have on someone, let alone someone with nightmarish and deadly hallucinations that wanted to kill them whenever there was no light? With the chocolate biscuit clenched still, Nicola took her chance and snatching the other end between her mouth, her smile widening only more so. Before giving her partner a chance to react, she quickly nibbled down the line, the sweet stick reducing in size within a matter of seconds after the small one she had taken. It finally reached Madison and the adrenaline rushed through her as their lips connected. Her heart began to slightly pound against her chest for reasons unknown to her, pink slightly brushing against her cheeks with the way the kiss felt. Soft, warm, and left a fuzzy feeling rushing from head to toe. The salty taste of the bread stick and sugary chocolate mingled together, her mind whirling as she only just realized that this was her first, legit kiss from anyone that involved the lips.

Nicola didn't plan on pulling away anytime soon, almost feeling elated with this new experience. Maybe she should try it more often. But as they always say, the first time is always the best; she was going to try and dissect every single detail before letting go. That is, unless Madison decided to break off first.

Bright blue eyes stared innocently at the person in front of her without even a hint of regret with her actions.

Madison didn't know how to react when Nicola latched to the other side of the stick. She just kept coming closer and closer...there was no possible way that she would...

Madison's first kiss was with a girl. The soft feeling of Nicola's lips was something she never expected to feel. The firmness of Owen's was what she'd been thinking about for the longest time, the thought that had been making her red in the face for the last few days. It was not going to be her first. It would not be the perfect first kiss. Madison's kiss with Nicola was not fuzzy, did not make her feel warm. It was a harbinger of icy shock.

It took a few seconds for Madison to break away. Anger was in her eyes, an anger she had never given anyone before. A shameful blush shaded her cheeks. "Why did you do that...?" How could someone be so emotionless? So nonchalant all the time? It drove her crazy; Nicola had always been like this.

As he watched, Owen suddenly felt his heart sink a little. It was unexpected, and he leaned back, almost determined to somehow give Nicola and Madison some privacy in this public space. Unbidden images flashed through his mind, and he grabbed at the Coke he had been neglecting in an effort to distract himself.

He felt the entire mood between the three shift subtly. Once he was satisfied he could look again, Owen set the drink down and returned his attention to the girls. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the look on Madison's face. What was that? Betrayal? Anger? Emotions he had never expected to see come from the small girl. His mouth fell slack; he had missed something, he was sure of it.

There was a slight twinge of disappointment once Madison had stopped, and the practical glare that the other girl was giving her wasn't as off-putting as she thought it might've been. Maybe it was because she never seemed like the kind of person who decently made someone scared of her or actually knew how to look threatening, but Nicola shrugged off her comment, her head resting on her hands as she swung her feet onto the counter top with a benign whistle. Nicola had assumed at least, that it'd all pass over and they'll go back to whatever they were doing before all of this. But the way Madison seemed so ashamed and beyond disbelief with what she had done caused an exasperated sigh bubble out of her throat. "That's the game, 'ya know," she replied simply without a second thought. With a quick glimpse towards Owen before shifting back to Madison's beet red face, the idea clicked in her mind.

"Ah, shoulda known." Readjusting the cap on her head to block out the light, one hand rested on her forehead in a lazy manner, her energy seemingly going down the drain in the twist of a minute. "Probably should've had Owen show you how it worked."

"Whaa? No--I..." Why was she doing this? Why was she being so relentless. She was feeling bullied, overwhelmed, and she was dazed, daisy spots flittering across her vision with black blue petals. "I want to go home," she decided. Should she walk out? Could she risk walking out? She surely felt willing to. She hated Nicola, hated her sociopathic sense of humor, her filterless smile, the way she kissed her. She couldn't stand the way she kissed her. It was so soft, transparent like glass. Her eyes were so uncaring. Why was she so fine with kissing her?

"I want to go home," she repeated, and she stood, willing to take on her mother before the decoys before her, the illusions of friends. At least her mother was real. At least New Mother was real.

Copying Madison, Owen stood as well, a hand resting on the seat he had just climbed down from. His senses had sharpened, and he was acutely aware of everything. How much taller he was than the two girls, how his jacket was shaped at his bellybutton, the tension in the air, the chatter of all the other guests in the arcade. For some reason, there was an odd buzzing in his ears, a gentle background noise.

"It is getting kind of late," he said, attempting to soften the situation a little. "Maybe I'll just, uh, walk Madison back. Since I'm the Human Flashlight and everything." He chuckled lightly, bringing his hand off the seat.