"There's a reason why everyone's targeting us. And that reason is very simple--we have two Aces and they're one of the most powerful high tiers in history." - Arlo
In this world, Seraphina's position is balanced. She is more carefree due to John but...
Doctor Darren couldn't handle the thought of his date being ruined by the kids...so he decided to compromise. They all could pick whatever locations they wanted to be in...but it had to be in a 1-mile radius to Westmiere Restaurant and they must travel in groups of three or more. Seraphina and John are happy since there's a Woaba Boba near there and Darren decides to pair them up with Elaine and Arlo, which both John and Arlo got riled up about.
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(1) Seraphina and John / Elaine and Arlo:
Location: Woaba Boba (Opposite ends of the room.)
Orders:
John: Mango Slushy with Honey Boba (Large), Tator Tots (Small)
The platters of food were brought out one by one. There were the sizzling bowls of udon and ramen, which Leilah.'s eyes widened at. But the real prize in the Doctor's eyes was...his chicken wings. The outer edges had been fried to a crisp but the insides were as juicy and savory as can be. His mouth watered as he saw the sight and tears came to his eyes.
The purple-haired woman beside him laughed at this. "Darren, do you not get the chance to eat a lot? You should have brought in the kids to receive a discount to this place."
But Darren shook his head. "No, Leilah, you wouldn't want them. Besides, this is our date." He took her hands and she smiled in response.
The beautiful high-tier had simply ordered a glass of water while Darren took some black coffee. The doctor took a look at Leilah's orders and then proceeded to tease her.
"Do you really need to be this healthy? You already look beautiful."
Leilah smirked in response. "Oh, I'm on the normal side of the spectrum, trust me. But I can't afford to eat all this junk food on these dates...when I already have been guilty of doing so in private." She brushed a hand over her hair, pulling out a loose strand, before sighing. "I've gained several pounds, Darren. It's not good for my job."
"You shouldn't need to worry about that...do you? I thought your company--"
"Oh, don't worry for me. My company's one of the best in terms of how they treat their customers and workers. But...appearance helps. A lot, if I'm to be honest. So does power." Leilah's voice grew softer, the light in her eyes fading softly.
But Darren put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Let's not focus on that right now. Let's just eat." And the woman gave him a sweet smile in return that sent a spear through his furiously beating heart.
In two hours, they were both finished with their meals, Darren calling for another order of large chicken wings. As they exited the place, Leilah initiated the hug. He obliged but then proceeded to give her a surprise kiss, the stars in her eyes widening before she laughed.
"I didn't think you'd be the first one to do so. I may have underestimated you, Darren."
He offered her a faint smile. "Then be prepared for even more surprises, Leilah."
They exchanged their goodbyes and then left. Darren made his way towards Woaba Boba, where four of the children were there. He had told them to just stay in their spots until he was finished and then gave the responsibility of sending him a call to both Elaine and Isen. But-- "Dammit."
He forced himself to keep his abilities at bay before narrowing his eyes. It seemed almost empty, except for a few people who ignored him.
"Eep!" A squeal that probably belonged to the turquoise-haired healer led to their hiding spot.
"Elaine, hush!" John said harshly, confirming the Doctor's suspicion and Darren charged through, his ability activated.
John, Seraphina, and Arlo were unaffected. Elaine, on the other hand, had jumped, releasing a whimper as her face turned as pale as a sheet. None of them bothered to comfort Elaine except for Seraphina, who seemed uncomfortable while doing it.
"What are you four doing? I told you to be in plain sight--"
"But what if they come back for us? You never know how many more people that group back at the movies has," John said. His tone was casual but there was something...off about him. Something disturbing. Darren reminded himself to keep an eye out for John.
"Okay, we have to nullify our abilities but we also have to protect ourselves. Three god-tiers and two elites will make quite a ruckus. It seems like the organization that is targetting high tiers also has some sensor or tracker abilities."
"So John, you keep your ability passive and make sure to stay completely alert," Darren's voice grew to a soft whisper, "and Sera, you don't activate your ability yet until we're in the darker parts of town." He raised his voice a bit. "Elaine and Arlo, don't activate it until the situation comes. I'll do the same. Oh, but Elaine--keep your Pepper Spray out."
They nodded before leaving the place.
"Do you know if Remi, Isen, and Blyke are still eating?" Arlo demanded.
"No, but I trust them slightly more than you. Only slightly though," the Doctor responded as he saw the beginnings of John's smirk.
