Under a starry night where stars sprinkled across like luminous pearls cushioned upon an ink violet sheet; two figures appeared in midair. Below them was a breathtaking view of jumbled shapes - like ones randomly thrown on a play mat by a toddler - and glittering lights scattered everywhere. Similar to the twinkling stars, the lights in the city glowed along tangled routes. Twists and turns connected one street with the next.
Mini lights flickered actively as drivers turned their headlights on and raced at their own speeds. Together, the lights intertwined in an odd yet magnificent mess.
"Wow! We made it just in time. How is it, master? Do you like how beautiful the scenery is? This is the city at night. It is happy hour time right now, so many people are still outside. Most of them got off work and are headed to dinner or back home." Axle nudged Eros' elbow and shook his arm.
"Looks like an army of ants covered by glazing honey with blackberries on the side. It is pretty, but shouldn't we be going to our destination? That apartment place you showed me with rooms...." He remembered what Axle had told him earlier. Humans live in their own homes and some lives in relatively smaller rooms with many floors.
Although villages and farms still exist in modern today, most people resided in the city where fancy houses and apartments are located. Since the Oracle drew houses made of wood and hay, Axle had no other choice but to explain it to Eros again.
Axle couldn't help but wonder to himself. 'If you could draw wood and hay, why couldn't you draw bricks? There are brick houses everywhere here! Geez, I have to remodel the whole city description just to not confuse master. Grandpa Oracle...Please update your information already...'
"Anyway, should we head to where we are staying at? I wanted Master to adapt to the lifestyle here quicker, so I brought you a gift. Come with me." Axle snapped his fingers and transported them to an empty parking lot where a Mercedes Benz car was sitting in one of the spots.
"Master, remember what this is called?" Axle pointed to the newest model with a hint of doubt in his tone. As he questioned Eros' driving ability, his hand rummaged his pockets. Hooking his index finger through the keychain hoop, he smiled and shoved the car keys to Eros.
"A car. It's bigger than I expected it to be." Eros commented as he examined the keys in his hand.
"Master, this is the real product." Axle straightened his arms and wiggled his fingers towards the car's direction. Hearing nothing but the hidden crickets' sympathizing tunes, Axle gave a brief introduction about the car model. Until he gained a nod from Eros' head, he didn't dare stop explaining every tiny detail about the vehicle.
"Master, of course, this is bigger than expected. This is the real product, not the ones you see in that Gameboy the Oracle gift to you. Let's try driving it to our new home." Axle mumbled as he slipped into the shotgun seat. The sound of his seatbelt clasping snapped him back to reality. His head turned to the left.
"M...Master..." He couldn't hide the nervousness in his voice
"Hmm?" Eros reached for his seatbelt and secured it.
"This is your first time driving...." Axle swallowed loudly, no longer caring how Eros interpreted the situation.
"Nonsense, I have enough skills. I practiced. Sit properly or your face will smash against the window." Eros warned him with a side glance before starting the car.
"M...Master, this is your first time driving on earth! You don't even know where you're going! Those games don't count!! Those were racing games with cars that don't crash or explode that goes kaboom!!" Axle reminded him about the severity of getting into accidents on earth.
However, Eros only smirked at his anxious concerns.
"Don't worry, I drove pretty well in that game. I didn't crash into any cars when I played. The other players crashed into each other." Eros patted Axle's shoulder reassuringly.
'Haha...It's even worse if you make others crash into each other. Master, please drive safely. This is earth, not your zoo. Even when you're in your zoo, you wouldn't allow fights...' Axle closed his eyes as he felt the vehicle move.
To Axle's surprise, Eros controlled the car extremely well. Along the ride, the road was smooth and Eros avoided other cars easily. After a while of driving, Axle questioned where Eros wanted to drive to.
"Master, aren't we going to the apartment? Also, you are accelerating too much! Slow down!" His eyes squinted shut, afraid to look at his surroundings. They were racing down the highway at an incredibly high speed, causing his poor heart to bounce like a rubber ball.
"Yes, but you haven't given me the exact location nor have you told me how to get there. Oh? Isn't that the minimum speed I have to drive at? How is it too fast?" Eros replied lazily.
"Minimum speed???? That was the maximum speed you could drive at!!!! No wonder you're driving 150 mph!" Taking his phone out, Axle entered the address to their apartment and connected it to the GPS in the car.
Finally, after much difficulty, Eros listened to his instructions and slowed down while driving towards their new home.
While Axle and Eros were on an adventurous journey on the highway, Primrose finished her work shift. In the middle of cleaning the coffee counter, a small accident occurred causing a whip cream explosion.
"Ah!" Primrose stopped the machine and looked at her surrounding. Seeing that most of the mess landed on her face, she sighed in relief. Since she was the last person there, she decided to remove her makeup before cleaning the mess she created.
Quickly taking the makeup wipes and lotion from her backpack, she rushed to the restroom. Soon, the sound of running water echoed.
Ten minutes later, the knob on the restroom door rotated. With a small push, the door opened. Holding a pack of cosmetic remover wipes and a bottle of lotion in one hand, Primrose held a damp paper towel in the other.
"Phew, luckily everyone has gone home already. Ah, time to clean up quickly and go home." Primrose closed the door from behind and walked behind the coffee counter to continue cleaning.
In ten minutes, the counter became sparkling clean - not a speck of dust could be seen. Only the glossy surface and some rays of light shooting down from the ceiling could be spotted on the smooth counter surface. Looking around, the chairs and shelves were tidied. Everything was organized and positioned in its original places. Nodding, Primrose untied the apron's knot and hooked it on the wall. After double-checking everything once more, she switched off the lights and exited the store.
The street light flickered as Primrose locked the front doors. Pulling the door handle, she confirmed that everything was properly locked. Before turning around to leave, she made sure the keys to the store was placed in her bag.
"Umm, excuse me, is the store closed for the day already?" A young man's voice sounded in her ears from behind. Startled by the sudden presence of another person, she stepped back a step.