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Verity knew everything. That was simply a fact. He knew everything from minecraft, to the internet, and even the real world. He was quite literally made to be the perfect assistant that could answer any question and help the player with whatever they needed. Despite this, Verity itself hadn’t experienced much beyond the tasks it was assigned to do.
It was for this same reason that Verity has decided he wants to experience new things. More specifically, experience them alongside its dear Mob. One of the things on his ever-growing list was ice cream, the idea coming to him after he stumbled across a website listing the best first-date ideas while snooping through Mob’s computer.
However, if Verity were to tell Mob that it was a date, he was pretty sure the enderman would most likely explode from embarrassment. Friends also go out together to get ice cream though, right? So it could just say it’d like to spend more time with its bestest friend.
With his plan now made, Verity headed off to set it in motion by rolling over to Mob’s room where he was currently trying to craft a new pickaxe. The moment Mob noticed the little yellow ball rolling in, his face lit up, emerald eyes shining in a way that absolutely did not make Verity blush.
“Oh, hey Verity! I was actually about to ask if we had any spare iron so I could make a new pickaxe.” Mob said, looking back down at the two sticks and single piece of iron he had laying down on the crafting table. “Second chest to your right, and later I can tell you where the nearest diamonds are.” Verity responded, followed by his signature smile. “However, before that, I wanted to ask if you’d like to go and get ice cream together! Hanging out just like best friends do!”
Mob paused for a moment as he grabbed the iron from the chest, turning to look at Verity while raising an eyebrow. “You can eat? How does that even work, considering you’re an ai and all.” Verity simply smiled before replying. “I can do lots of things, Mob! Eating is just one of them. Also, I have a mouth, don’t I?”
Mob brought a finger up to his chin as he thought. “Well…I guess that does make sense. Sure then, we can go get ice cream. I haven’t had any in a long while anyway.” Mob agreed, looking pleased as he finished up his pickaxe. “I think I know a nearby park with an ice cream truck we can head to, though I may have forgotten the location-” “1,400 blocks northeast!” Mob blinked in surprise before laughing, picking Verity up and positioning him on his shoulder as they headed out.
The walk wasn’t very long, taking only a few minutes, but by the time they arrived the sun had begun its slow descent, painting the sky in streaks of orange, gold, and deepening blue. “I come here occasionally with Twixxel to hang out, the view is beautiful at sunset! Maybe we could even stay out for a bit and stargaze?” Mob said excitedly, holding Verity up towards the sky. “I suppose we could! I haven’t seen many sunsets, but I’ve heard they’re quite pretty.”
Mob simply nodded as he continued walking, chattering away and leaving no room for silence while Verity listened quietly, gazing up at Mob’s face illuminated by the sun’s glow. He looked almost angelic, the light gracing his features and emphasizing his bright green eyes mixed with waves of purple like a watercolor painting. He truly was perfect.
Oblivious to Verity’s wandering eyes and thoughts, Mob jumped up as he pointed towards a trunk in the distance, one arm hugging Verity to his chest. “Over there! That should be the ice cream truck I was talking about.” Mob sped up a bit as he walked over to the pink-and-white truck. As he got closer, however, a familiar figure appeared.
“Oh, yo Mob! Good to see you bro.” A voice shouted out, the figure waving at the two with a cheerful grin. Mob practically lit up as he waved back, while Verity’s smile twitched almost imperceptibly. “Twixxel! What are you doing here dude? Didn’t think you’d work at an ice cream truck. Looking good in the pink apron though.” Mob teased, pointing at the frilly pink apron Twixxel was wearing with the ice cream truck logo and name.
Twixxel crossed his arms and pouted as he turned away. “You’re just jealous that I can pull off pink and you can’t!” He said, sticking out his tongue while Mob just gasped and placed his hand on his chest, being mindful of the yellow ball sitting in his other arm. “I absolutely can! I bet it’d look better on me anyways-” Before Mob could finish, Verity let out a cough and spoke up. “Mob, didn’t we come here for something?” It gritted out, barely able to hide its disdain for the void hybrid.
The sudden interruption brought Mob’s attention back to the entity he was still holding, and he let out a nervous laugh. “Sorry about that, Verity!” Mob said, a guilty smile on his face as he patted Verity’s head while turning back to Twixxel. “Could we order something, Twix?” Twixxel flashed a grin and gave a thumbs up. “Course dude! What would you two like?”
Mob moved Verity back onto his shoulder as he thought for a moment. “Cookies ‘n cream for me. What do you want, Verity?” Mob asked, nudging the entity slightly. Verity paused to think before settling on a choice. “Coffee for me!” It replied, followed by a dirty look from Mob. “Coffee? Really?”
Verity just kept its same smile, watching the way Mob’s nose twitched as he laughed. Meanwhile, Twixxel turned around and began working on making the ice cream, humming softly as he worked. “So, what are you two doing out here?” He asked, grabbing a scoop of cookies ‘n cream. “Oh! We just wanted to walk around and get some ice cream. Maybe stay and watch the sunset too.” Mob replied, not so subtly eyeing the ice cream Twixxel was making.
Twixxel glanced back at the duo, eyes moving between the two of them before he turned back to his work. “Well, enjoy your date then!” He said, giggling a bit under his breath. Mob froze, nearly choking on his own words. “W-WHAT? THIS ISN’T LIKE A DATE OR ANYTHING! W-We’re just..! Uh…hanging out?” Mob stuttered out, face buried in his hands to hide the heat creeping across his cheeks.
Twixxel rolled his eyes while Verity let out a small laugh at the flustered mess Mob was, greatly enjoying the sight of the other so embarrassed. There was no need for Mob to know that it actually was a date. “Whatever you say, dude. Anyways, here’s your guys’ ice cream. That’ll be 5 emeralds.” Twixxel said, handing over the two ice creams and some napkins while beginning to clean up.
Mob groaned as he went into his inventory, grabbing out the emeralds he had and handing them over to the voidling. “No discount for your friend? I feel betrayed.” Mob placed the back of his hand against his head dramatically, as if he were going to faint. “No way, bro. I need this job.” Twixxel snorted, taking the emeralds and storing them away. “Anyways I’ll see you guys later. I need to get back to work, so, enjoy your not date!”
Mob rolled his eyes, ignoring the comment as he walked away holding the two ice creams, Verity finally relaxing against his shoulder now that they had left Twixxel. They walked along the path for a while, Mob taking small licks of his ice cream as he enjoyed the view, while Verity simply stared at his own—unable to reach it from where he was sat—occasionally glancing over at Mob’s face.
Eventually, Mob found a clear field of grass and flowers for the two of them to sit in, also giving them a good view of the sky. Mob sat down, moving Verity off of his shoulder and placing him down on the grass before going back to enjoying his ice cream. A few seconds later though, realization struck him. “Hold on…Verity, how are you even supposed to eat the ice cream considering uh, you don’t have any hands?”
Verity considered the question for a moment before an idea crossed his mind. “Well, my dear Mob! It seems you may need to help me!” It said, its smile widening at the soft blush on the other’s face. “O-Oh! Uh…alright? I guess?” Mob replied hesitantly, moving Verity onto his lap so he’d be closer before holding the coffee ice cream in front of him so he could eat it.
“Does this work..?” Mob said, turning away slightly as he continued to eat his own ice cream. “Yup! Thank you for the assistance!” Verity smiled, licking at his ice cream before stopping to look up at the enderman who was very obviously avoiding looking down at the yellow ball. Verity giggled softly, and Mob made the mistake of glancing down only to frantically snap his head away the second their eyes met.
“Stop staring at me like that!” He grumbled, trying to hide his face though doing so very poorly. Verity tilted its head, watching the other’s reaction with obvious amusement. “Like what, my dear Mob?” Verity said, sarcasm dripping in its voice. Mob ducked his head further into his mask, desperately trying to hide the purple creeping across his cheeks. “Just eat your stupid ice cream before I leave you here.” He muttered under his breath.
Verity laughed once more before taking another bite of its ice cream. It certainly tasted good, however…with how much Mob was enjoying his own ice cream, it grew curious as to how it tasted as well. His gaze kept drifting back to the other, lingering far longer than necessary. More specifically, it kept settling on his lips, where a tiny smear of melted cookies ‘n cream ice cream stubbornly remained at one corner. It should have been insignificant, yet Verity found himself staring at it anyway, unable to tear his attention away as it practically taunted him. He could just ask Mob for a “taste,” however, and technically he wouldn’t even be lying.
Unfortunately, there was one flaw in his plan. He couldn’t really, well, reach Mob’s face in order to kiss him. He could, however, get Mob to move him closer up. “Hey Mob, could you move me up onto your shoulder?” It asked, a bright, innocent smile crossing its face as it finished its ice cream. Mob tilted his head slightly in confusion before agreeing, grabbing the yellow ball and placing it on his shoulder. “Thank you! I wanted to try out your ice cream and thought this would make it easier for the both of us.”
Mob let out a simple “Ooh!” sound before innocently pushing his ice cream towards Verity with a grin. The sight made something warm flutter inside Verity, its admiration growing each time it was left drowning in the other’s emerald eyes. “Could you look at me for a second, Mob?” He asked, hoping the nervousness he felt wasn’t too noticeable. Mob turned his head, a bit confused, until the entity leaned in close.
Verity pressed his lips against Mob’s. For a second, neither of them moved. Mob froze completely, eyes wide with surprise, while Verity simply soaked in the feeling of finally getting to feel like this. Only then did it push in further as it tried to taste as much as it could, licking up the lingering cookies ‘n cream from the corner of Mob’s lips. A moment later, Verity finally pulled away, licking its lips once more as if savoring the taste. “You chose a great flavor, Mob!” Verity chirped, looking into the enderman’s dazed expression.
Mob could only blink at Verity in shock, his mouth hanging open as he tried and failed to speak. He paused for a moment, attempting to regain his composure. “W-What was that, Verity..?” Mob eventually asked, his hand coming up to rest against his lip. “Hm? Oh! I just wanted to try some of your ice cream! But it’d be boring if I just ate it normally.” Verity replied, as if he hadn’t just kissed Mob in order to do so.
Mob looked seconds away from short-circuiting on the spot. He stared at Verity for a long moment before grabbing the entity and moving it closer, fingers tightening around the yellow sphere. His gaze flickered from Verity’s eyes to his mouth before quickly darting away again. Then back, as though internally arguing with himself and steadily losing.
“Well…” Mob started weakly.
“It wouldn’t be fair if you got to try mine and I didn’t get to try yours, right..?” Mob said, trailing off at the end as he leaned in and closed his eyes, lips once again meeting before he could lose his nerve.
Verity’s eyes widened in shock as Mob kissed him before eagerly reciprocating. It was a bit of an awkward position, but they made it work, with Verity being held in front of Mob’s face and giving him close access to the other’s mouth. Verity began to push harder against the enderman’s lips, tongue licking at the underside as if trying to persuade him to open up.
Mob complied near instantly, opening his lips to give Verity access, which it took advantage of. It slipped its tongue into Mob’s mouth, exploring each part as much as it could. He could still taste faint traces of melted ice cream shared between them as their tongues intertwined, the sweetness mixed together with everything else that was just so uniquely Mob, making it impossible for Verity to think about anything else.
After what felt like hours—but could only have been a few minutes—Mob pulled away in order to breathe, cheeks tinted a light purple as he gazed into Verity’s eyes. Neither of them moved. The world seemed strangely quiet, reduced to the fading warmth of the sunset and the sound of their breathing. Then, Mob abruptly cursed and buried his face behind his arm, soft laughter following a moment later and filling the silence as Mob attempted to muffle it but failed miserably. All Verity could do was admire the way Mob’s eyes scrunched up while he laughed, the sound sweet as honey.
“I- I just made out with a yellow ball, didn’t I?” Mob managed to say in between his laughter, the disbelief clear in his voice. Verity couldn't help the fond look that crossed his face, unable to suppress its own giggle. “I didn’t even know you could—well, kiss in the first place!” Mob added, still trying to collect himself after the very, very new experience.
Mob moved to lay down on the grass, arms behind his head as he rested Verity on his chest. His gaze wandered to the sky, watching the sun as it descended and disappeared beyond the horizon, leaving only soft blues and purples. “My first kiss was with a yellow ai ball, underneath the sunset. So romantic.” Mob joked, though the softness in his eyes betrayed him.
Verity stayed silent, simply snuggling itself closer to the enderman. It pressed against his chest, listening to the steady beat of Mob’s heartbeat beneath the hoodie. It was oddly comforting. Proof that Mob was real and still here with him. “Thank you for coming back to me, Mob.” Verity whispered out, somewhat muffled from the other’s hoodie. Mob raised an eyebrow in confusion, eyes squinting slightly as he strained to hear. “What was that, Verity?” “Nothing.” Verity simply sighed, giving another soft smile. Its eyes drifted towards a patch of flowers nearby and paused as an idea formed. “Can you close your eyes for me?”
Mob’s eyes scrunched up as he hesitated before eventually complying and closing his eyes. All he could hear was the shuffling of grass and rush of wind as the previous weight against his chest lifted. He wouldn’t dare admit that he missed the feeling the moment it left. The silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity, only being disturbed by the occasional sound of the trees rustling and Verity moving around.
Suddenly, Mob felt something being placed on his head and he had to fight back the urge to open his eyes, hand instinctively raising to touch it. “Verity-?” “You can open your eyes now!” The entity chirped, a proud smile splayed across his face. Mob lingered for a second before slowly opening his eyes as he grabbed at whatever was placed on his head, bringing it down in front of him. “A…flower crown?” Mob muttered out, turning it from side to side as he analyzed the light green flowers positioned around.
“They’re called Gladiolus Green Stars! I thought they’d complement your eyes.” Verity replied, looking up at him with an unfamiliar nervousness twisting in his chest. For something that knew nearly everything, waiting for Mob’s reaction felt impossibly difficult. “Oh! Thank you Verity. That’s really sweet.” Mob smiled softly, placing the flower crown back on his head, oblivious to the light blush covering the ball’s face. “N-No problem, friend..!” It managed to stutter out in embarrassment.
Mob covered his mouth as he laughed, raising an eyebrow at the other. “We just made out and you’re calling me friend?” Verity immediately turned away, suddenly finding the flowers far more interesting to look at. Mob giggled again before scanning the field they were sitting in. Then, a moment later, he picked up a flower and carefully tucked it atop the yellow sphere. His hand lingered for just a second before pulling away. “I don’t know how to make intricate flower crowns like you, but you always did remind me of dandelions.” Mob said, eyes looking anywhere but at the entity as his face heated up.
Verity glanced up at the flower resting atop his head. He knew hundreds of facts about dandelions, thousands even. Yet somehow none of them felt nearly as important as the fact that Mob had looked at one and thought of him. The thought fed the fire of adoration that Verity felt for the enderman, growing ever more consuming with each little thing he did, each smile, and each laugh that Verity was rewarded with.
As Verity lost himself in his thoughts, Mob laid back down on the grass, looking up at the sky. The last traces of the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, a dark, rich blue being the only thing left behind. By now, a few of the brighter stars had started to appear, painting the sky in sparkles of light as the moon slowly followed, lightly illuminating the field. A comfortable silence stretched on until Mob spoke, pointing up at a cluster of stars curved across the sky. “That’s like the one uh, spoon constellation, right?” Mob said, glancing to the side where Verity was sitting.
Verity giggled before correcting the enderman. “It’s called The Big Dipper, and it’s actually an asterism, not a constellation.” Mob rolled his eyes. “What’s the difference exactly?” He asked sarcastically. “Well, an asterism is-” “It was a rhetorical question!” Mob laughed, cutting Verity off. He looked back up towards the horizon, gaze pausing at a specific star shining through the darkness.
“That’s the North Star, also known as Polaris!” Verity chirped, a smile soon following as he answered before Mob could even ask. Mob hummed softly, turning his attention to Verity. “Can you tell me about some others?” He asked, interest clear in his voice. “Of course! The bright red-orange colored star is Betelgeuse. It’s a dying red supergiant that marks the shoulder of the Orion, an actual constellation.” Verity replied, a slight somber look crossing its face before quickly being replaced by his usual smile.
“The white light that isn’t twinkling like the other stars is Venus. The planet was named after the Roman goddess of love, beauty, and passion.” Verity continued, though his gaze remained fixed on Mob as he squinted his eyes to find it. It smiled for a moment before returning its attention back to the sky. “The two gleaming stars sitting next to each other are the twin stars of the Gemini constellation, Castor and Pollux, which come from both Roman and Greek mythology.” He explained. He had stopped staring at the sky completely by this point, simply content with watching Mob’s reaction with each new thing he pointed out.
Before Verity could move on to another celestial object, however, Mob let out an excited squeal and sat up, pointing at a bright flash passing through the sky. “Verity! It’s a shooting star! Quick, make a wish!” Mob yelled, already closing his eyes and clasping his hands together. Verity stood still for a moment, gaze lingering on Mob before closing his own eyes as well and making a wish.
After a few seconds passed, the two opened their eyes and Mob excitedly turned to Verity. “What did you wish for?” The enderman asked curiously. “Wouldn’t that ruin the magic? I thought you weren’t supposed to tell others what your wish was or else it wouldn’t come true.” Verity giggled, smiling fondly as Mob turned away with a pout.
They laid there for a few more hours, light conversations being shared between them before eventually fading to a comforting silence. When Verity looked back at the enderman, his eyes were closed and a peaceful smile was left on his face. Verity moved closer, snuggling up against the other as it listened to his breathing. A strange warmth settled somewhere deep inside him, fragile and hopeful all at once as he sat there.
I wish you’d stay with me forever, Mob.
