Cupid is stood underneath a street light, checking his Tinder and seeing if he has any matches yet. Still none. He sighs, locking his phone and putting it into his pocket. As soon as he looks up, there's a girl maybe... 2 or 3 feet away from him? Smiling. Really wide. Too wide. "Hi!"
He takes a step backward, awkwardly waving back as his mask covered his slightly shocked expression. He didn't expect anyone else to be out here.
She hands him a bright pink pamphlet. "Pamphlet?"
Slightly confused, Cupid gently took the pamphlet and started reading it. It's all binary. There's pictures and a discord link on the back. He cautiously put the pamphlet into his pocket, staring at the woman through the holes in his mask. Cupid eventually gets bored of the staring contest, waving and trying to walk away from the girl back to his home.
He eventually reached his home, decoding the binary code and attempting to join the Discord.
-- SOME TIME LATER --
Elizabeth is just off her shift, in her work outfit, which is a white dress shirt with a red vest and red bowtie and a black skirt. Her long blonde hair is in a cute ponytail and she sits at the bar, sipping a lemonade. A tall, masked man with white hair entered the casino and walked over to the bar, pulling out his phone to text Elizabeth. Ellie looks around, notcing the man with the mask and tilting her head curiously.
Cupid made eye contact with Elizabeth, slowly walking over to her and taking a seat a few seats away. His rose earrings could be seen from a mile away. "Hello." Cupid said sheepishly.
"Hi! Are you Cupid?" She asks with a light smile. Her eyes are an emerald green that shimmer in the various light sources.
Cupid nodded, his eyes slightly visible through the mask as his entire body relaxed slightly. Good first impressions were made. At least, he thinks so. "I take it you're Elizabeth?"
"I am!" She extends a hand to him. "Nice to meet you," She seems pretty relaxed, in her element.
It takes him a few moments, but he firmly and respectfully shakes her hand. "It's nice to meet you too." Cupid remarked, smiling slightly behind his mask.
"What do you like to drink?" She asks, resting her chin on her hand
"Wine, if you have it."
"Of course. What kind?"
"Red, please."
Ellie looks over to the bartender. "Hey Jerry can I get a red wine? On my tab. Thanks." She looks back to Cupid. "Does that mean I get to see your handsome face?" She teases with a coy smile
Cupid laughed a bit, resting his chin in his hand. "Part of it." He slightly raised his mask, revealing only his mouth as he waited for the red wine to be delivered.
She giggles. "Well, handsome mouth, perfect for kisses," Ellie grins, hoping to see him fluster
It works, causing Cupid to smile very wide and laugh slightly. She can see a slightly pink hue to his face. "Thank you, nobody's ever told me that before."
She grins more! "Well then theyre blind. Im sure youre very handsome under there." The wine is sat by Ellie and she pushes it to Cupid! "Enjoy!"
Cupid ran his finger along the rim of the glass before gently picking it up and sipping from it. "Thank you." He slowly turned the glass in the air. "Is there anything I can do for you? You seem to be carrying most of the weight of this interaction, and that just isn't fair."
She laughs a bit. "How do you mean? I got everything I'd ever need, possession wise~"
"Well, I could help you with things that aren't completely material. Like I could braid your hair, or make you something." Cupid sipped his glass.
"It is fun when people play with your hair..." she says, taking it out of the ponytail. "If you want too." She smiles
He took a quick sip of his wine before setting it down and gently gripping Elizabeth's hair, starting to braid it. He's actually doing a very good job of it. It's clear this isn't his first time braiding hair.
She is vibing! "Youre pretty good at this!"
"Thank you! I've done this quite a few times." Cupid smiled, occasionally taking breaks to sip from his glass.
"Of course,," She smiles. "Mind if I ask what your experience is from?"
"...I used to date someone who made me do this a lot for them." His tone shifts slightly to one of sorrow.
"Oh... Im sorry,,," She leans back and gently places a hand on his knee.
"It's fine, I just try not to think about them most of the time." Cupid forced a smile, continuing to braid her hair and eventually finishing it. "There."
"Thats understandable... thank you,,, Are you hungry? Can I get you something to eat?" She asks, turning to him, seemingly wanting to bring his mood back up
"I could eat, but you've already done so much. How about I pay?"
"If you want to! But I have plenty of cash to burn so dont feel pressured-" She says somewhat nervously
"If you really want to, you can, but I just don't want you to feel like I'm using you for a free meal or something."
"I don't feel that way at all!! I just try to pay for people when I have the money because I know what its like to not have it-"
He took one final sip from his glass, gently setting it down between the two of them. "I understand. I'm sorry for being so difficult, it's just that my manners make it hard for me to just let people pay for my things."
"No! Youre not being difficult at all,,," She smiles. "What would you like to eat?"
"I'm alright with whatever." Cupid lightly smiled. "I think you should pick."
"Have any allergies?" She asks
"None involving food."
Ellie nods! "Alright! Well, want to try my favorite, golden shrimp balls?"
"I've never tried that. I'd love to." Cupid's smile grew slightly.
"Bet!" She grins and orders it. "So, what do you do for fun?"
"Usually I just read or go for walks. What about you?"
"I gamble." When she says this a spark ignites in her eyes and she grins.
"I've gambled a bit here and there, but it's never been something I do regularly. Would you want to show me how the master does it one day?"
"Why of course! I know most of the regulars here. Either because I serve them or because we've gambled together. Usually both."
Cupid laughed. "I'm looking forward to it." He said as he pulled his mask back down over his mouth.
"Of course,," She smiles, watching him. "So, what do you think of the group chat and the LARP stuff?"
"I'm mostly just interested in the social aspect of it. Meeting new people is always fun."
"Thats true." She pauses, looking at her lemonade. "I wouldnt mind having deeper connections with people. But they might mind having one with me." She sighs
"Why would that be the case? You seem great to me."
"My life style isnt exactly... sustainable. When I'm on a winning streak, life is great, but when im on a losing streak... I'm less fun to be around." She sighs, sipping her drink
"Just because you don't have a lot of money sometimes doesn't mean you're not fun to be around. The people who think that are just using you for your money."
She sighs. "Its not... that. I just... when im on a winning streak its easy to forget my issues. But when im on a losing streak its more clear. I hate the pity... And well, I'm more easily irritated when I'm losing. More stress an all that." She sighs, still not looking at Cupid
"Hey, Elizabeth. Look at me." He scooted slightly closer to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'll try and help you next time that happens, alright? You'll be fine."
She looks at him and smiles a bit. "Thank you... you dont have to though I mean, it's my own mess I get into. No one should have to help me."
"I'm offering because I want to, not because I feel like I have to."
She smiles at him. "Thank you,, I appreciate it a lot" She has a sort of. sad look in her eyes. She hopes he means what hes saying. She hopes he wont let go of her shoulder
He doesn't let go, instead opting to gently massage her shoulder. "You don't have to thank me. We're friends now, it's what friends do."
She leans into it. "I like that... that makes me really happy...."
"You know, you strike me like the kind of person who needs a hug. Do you want one?"
Elizabeth nods. "Please,,,"
He pulled Elizabeth into a firm yet gentle hug as his hands gripped the back of her shirt tightly.
She hugs back, leaning into it. "This is nice..."
"Yeah, it is..."
After a bit she lets go. "Sorry, didnt mean to get emotional on ya..."
He let go aswell. "You're alright, we all get emotional sometimes." He chuckled.
She laughs and nods. "Aint that the truth. So, are you from around here?"
"Yeah, I live a few blocks away. Why do you ask?"
Ellie shrugs. "Just curious. Have you always lived here?"
"I've lived here for a few years, but I used to live in Wisconsin."
"I used to live in Texas, funnily enough."
"Interesting. What was your favorite thing about Texas?"
"The food." She says. "I fucking LOVE good barbecue"
"I can understand that. My favorite part of living in Wisconsin was seeing the look on people's faces when I said I lived in Wisconsin."
She laughs. "That's good. So you like cheese?" She jokes
"I love cheese." Cupid laughed. There's your confirmation that Cupid's white.
"Whats your favorite cheese it's important"
"Mozzarella."
"The only correct answer"
"Truly."
"Should we get going to the meeting or perhaps play some games while were here?"
"That's up to you. I'm alright with anything."
"Which would you prefer though?"
"I think it'd be nice to get some fresh air."
"Alright! Would you like to walk there? Its not a super long walk."
"Sure." Cupid smiled under his mask.
Elizabeth smiles and gets up, grabbing her jacket and putting it on. "Youll be warm enough?"
"Yeah, I should be."
"Alright! Lets go then!" She tries to take his hand and lead him outside!
He let her take his hand and calmly followed her.
They be walkin! "So, may I ask why you wear a mask? its okay if you dont want to respond though-"
"I just like the privacy of it. I started wearing it after my last relationship." He walkin'.
"That's understandable. I could never personally. Old men tip more when they think youre young and pretty"
Cupid nodded. "You stop caring about how you look after enough people use you for it." He said, feeling the cracks along his mask with his fingers.
Ellie nods. "Well youre pretty with the mask on too. Youre pretty on the inside, as cliche as that is"
"Thanks. So are you." Cupid said, his rose earrings bouncing a bit as he walked.
She smiles. "Thank you,," Ellie giggles, watching his earrings. "Pretty earrings"
"Thank you. I bought them a few years ago. I like your's too."
"Thank you!" Ellie looks at their feet in synch on the pavement as they walk. This was nice... too nice maybe. It felt more like a nice memory then the present. Maybe soon thats all it would be.
"The thing's at 8, right? You sure we could wait there for 2 hours?"
Ellie shrugs. "Just a local park. Not like its private property or anything. Less you wanna get dinner before?"
"It's just, what're we gonna do for that long?"
Elizabeth shrugs. "We could go to a bar on the next street. Get some food, play pool maybe?"
"We could go pick up something from Walmart to keep us occupied. Like Uno."
"Bet. I will kick your ass in uno"