"Settling's a smart way to go about it, Sashie," He said with a nod. "I don't think I've had a slow moment in the past two years, to be honest, it'll be nice once I get into some kind of routine again, like in high school. I miss all the time off we had back then," He joked, "Growing up for me was the moment I realized that summer didn't mean you were on vacation just because the weather got nice. But at least I'm pretty well-off and I'm not going to work because 'that's just what you do,' y'know?" He swirled his drink around in the glass, watching the dark brown-ish liquid spin. The ice tinked softly every with every round, he almost didn't realize that the conversation had moved back to his work and he laughed.

"Aye, they've not had the money to do much since The War," He observed. "But I don't follow economics or politics or most other -ics, so I could be wrong. I'm not worried about the competition, just focused on getting my own stuff done. Time spent worrying about somebody else's progress is time wasted anymore. Of course, I really don't know how other countries are faring financially, it has been quite a while since the ceasefire. My aunt and uncle left Princeton for a university in Luxembourg once the kids graduated and shortly before the accident. It was pretty good timing, since we could have everybody back together for that. But otherwise, I haven't been 'stateside' in ages."

He put his hand up, realizing that he was sucking on an ice cube after his next sip, "'Nother Rum & Coke, please?" The bartender nodded and sent a waitress out with his drink. James grinned greedily and took it with a polite nod, "Thanks, lass." He waited a moment to turn back around, taking a sip of his drink as she walked away. "Ahh... I haven't had a drink in a long time. I try not to go alone, so it's nice to have somebody to come out here with again. My mates and I are so busy, we mostly keep our discussions digital. After uni, we kind of scattered; most of the guys I work with are either past their thirties or lucky co-op students and interns, so I don't have anybody my age that I can call a 'colleague' at the workplace. I'm not complaining, just saying there's not as much alochol in my diet as there was in school," He said with a cheeky grin. Not to mention that drinking alone was how the habit could develop and that was last thing he'd needed.

"Despite popular belief," He pointed out, "jet packs are hardly an avenue worth pursuing. Sure, they look fun, but the practical application is pretty much nil. Not to mention the dangers of that... You think a drunk driver is bad, wait until we have jet fuel explosions from the winos strapping on a rocket... Devastating. And dumping a brain into a robot... isn't that kinda the movie Surrogates? I never actually saw it, but it sounds kinda like it. A bit scary, sometimes, yeah?" There he went again, over-analyzing everything. He shook his head and smiled, "Oh, but there's VR and stuff. I mean, even I know a lot of older people who're starting to lose their ability to walk themselves around and stuff... I've heard they use the games to kind of... Relive their youth, since the avatars aren't restricted by their own physical abilities. It makes for a real interesting experience, I hear, getting that feeling back, even if it's temporary. Or even feeling it for the first time; I remember when some of the first reports of that stuff were coming out," He explained, turning back into that kid Sasha knew, the one that got all kinds of excited over technology and how it could help people and provide new experiences.

It was really nice to hear from James, so much so, that she didn't mind hearing his ramblings. When he used to do it, she'd tell him to shut up. She'd do that by either kissing him or smacking on the arm, she was sure he much preferred the former solution. But it had been ages since she had heard his voice and she was honestly interested in what he had been up to. It was good to hear his family was together again, reunited back home. Of course the accident itself wasn't good but if people were apart by oceans, she was sure it could have been handled much worse. James then mentioned how busy he was with work, even though he did enjoy it. It sounded like he needed more friends around and she hoped she could help him get out more.

"We did get a little overboard with the drinking sometimes." She admitted when he mentioned how he didn't drink as much as when they were younger. No one really minded if teens drank, it was easy for them to get and often times it just meant they would grow out of it later on, as opposed to just becoming drunks. Sasha didn't do a lot of drinking back in high school, but she knew at certain parties or occasions, she and James had definitely had some good times and usually that was thanks to the wonderful elixir of alcohol. "I'm glad to hear you're not a bumbling drunk, drinking alone is never good." She mentioned lightly.

Then came the topic of technology and Sasha already felt like she was being hit by all sorts of deja vu moments.

Her lips curved into a bigger smile as she sat back and continued to listen to the blond boy babble on and on. It really was cute and she found herself missing him even more, despite the fact that he was sitting in front of her. VR was an amazing feat and she was happy to part of such an invention. Back in they day, people could only speculate and it was like the future was finally here and it was amazing. "James...James." She tried to settle him down and bring him back to the present. She knew how he could get and often, he could leave everyone else far behind if he latched onto topics like these. She smacked his shoulder lightly from across the table and shook her head.

"I know you're excited but slow don't." She said gently. "Speaking of games, that new Pokemon MMO is pretty fun, it's about time they made such a massive game with different regions and difficulties. Not only that but you can pick your path, I got so bored of being a trainer who took on the Gyms you know? I know everyone is already on other regions but I'm taking my time." She mentioned. "If you haven't tried it, I'd love to pay for you join." She was still trying to think of some kind of way to give him something that showed she cared and that she was sorry. "I still can't believe Doctor Who is still running, I guess it rakes in the money." She shruged as she took another chip and ate it. "You know you've got to let me cook for us sometime. I've learned a few tricks since I've been gone and this," she gestured to the tray between them. "isn't a proper meal."

James laughed at Sasha's perception of 'overboard,' adding, "You should have seen my mates and I after finals every semester. I swear that any places we hit on our pub crawl were funded for at least the rest of the year. And that's just us, I know we weren't the only ones who did it. Da always got a good laugh out of it when mum couldn't figure out why I'd spend my first day home in my room, with the lights off and the door locked." He readjusted in his seat, taking another swig of his drink. It was such a relief that this talk came as easily as it used to, he was so afraid that they weren't going to have anything to talk about.

The smack on his shoulder brought him back to reality. He was pretty thankful for it too, most people would just sit there and get annoyed or wait for him to tire himself out with the talking. Not Sasha, she'd cut him off and he respected her for that because in honesty he really didn't mean to do it and he certainly had no desire to keep talking; James just didn't care for the silence.

"I gotta give GameFreak credit, they made a great choice finding somebody to develop a non-handheld MMO for the series. I played for a while, but you only get so much time to do that kinda stuff anymore. Not that I don't play some games, just don't get to spend my day at work or school thinking about when I get home to do it like I used to. Losing focus is not a safe idea when you're doing such thought-intensive work. It's a great way to unwind at the end of a day. Beats the hell out of some of the things on TV nowadays," He agreed with a nod as she mentioned Doctor Who. "Oh, yeah, every time they announce the next series I'm baffled. It's not like there are new ideas, but there's always a new generation to watch who won't watch the old ones. Instant gratification, updated characters and all that. It's definitely still good, I'm completely happy watching the new ones, gives a bit of nostalgia for the ones from our generation's Doctors. One of the only shows I'll watch anymore, to be honest."

Her next comment found him dumbstruck and he stared at her like she'd just lost her mind right in front of him. "Are you crazy? This is 5-star stuff, here!" He grabbed a chip and popped it hurriedly into his mouth, sighing in relief as he pretended the near-flavorless spud-bit satisfied him before laughing and shaking his head. "In fairness, though, you say that like you didn't go to college. You mean to tell me you didn't live off of Hot Pockets and Ramen? We all tried to find any way we could to not cook... Plus, most of the women in my school stayed far, far away from us. Engineers don't typically attract them unless they're engineers too... And then they just fight all the time. I had this one girl I dated in my... second year? Yeah, it was only a couple of months, but she was Aerospace too... God, we couldn't agree on a single thing if you could believe it. I'd say improve lift, she'd say decrease drag... Well, you know how I tend to get a little too involved, so tension got kinda high one day and I made the idiot mistake of correcting her English in a paper she showed me... It wasn't even on purpose, honest! It was kind of a passive-aggressive, childish jab at her and she just absolutely lost it on me. We had to sit on opposite ends of every class we shared after that... Which was all of them. I hear she's in Egypt now, got an internship out there or summin'."

He chuckled against and leaned back, sighing with a big grin on his face, "What a year that was... I look back and wonder who the hell decided that the difference between a comma and a semi-colon was a big enough deal to lose a relationship over. Then I realize it was me and I can't believe what a dolt I can be. I think I have to blame you for that one, though," He said, pausing to allow her a moment to react to such a teasingly pointed statement, "After all, I'm pretty sure you taught me the difference."

Changing gears and lifted up his glass and nodded, "I like your hair long like that though, it really suits you."

In her mind, Doctor Who should have been canceled years ago but somehow it was still moving along and while it was still a guilty pleasure for Sasha, she was glad others could enjoy it. The BBC clearly knew where their cash cow was and how to keep feeding it so money and licence fees would still be a goldmine for them. Sasha laughed when he then mentioned their top notch food in front of them, which was slowly dwindling down thanks to their addictive seasoning paired with the lush refreshing taste of liquor. "When I went to school, I cooked my food most of the time. Junk food was eaten sparingly. The portions over in America were gigantic! I did not want to turn into one of them who hobbles around battling obesity with bacon breath." She said proudly. "Although I will say, their McDonald's tastes much better than ours." She added.

James then mentioned how he tried not to cook, which was no surprise there. She would have loved to beat some common sense into the boys but they had no TARDIS so it couldn't be helped anymore. Sasha was impressed James dating someone who was into Aerospace. That sounded pretty exciting to her. She wished she could have dated someone who could put things into outer space. It was a bit laughable to hear about him and the girl being total opposites. But it was even more of a surprise as to what led to the breakup. Part of Sasha felt a little proud of James for having learned a few things from her, back in the day. "Well there's no way you could stick with someone who causes so much friction, let alone have errors in her paper. You did the right thing." She chuckled softly with him.

"Me!?" She exclaimed.

Of course she wouldn't mind taking credit for the breakup, even if she just found out about it now. "Some people have to learn grammar and punctuation the hard way, I bet she has at least." She smirked. She was sure back in high school, her nitpicking James' papers helped him be a better writer, as it was where he sometimes struggled. In the same regard, he helped her fumble through math and some sciences. She wished she could have used his help when she had to face even higher levels of maths in college but there, she only had to take two courses and she was done forever. That was the happiest day of her life. "Aww thanks James." She smiled when he then mentioned her long hair. It was a real pain to deal with and some pervs back in America often liked to pull on it and try to get her to come over to them.

Whenever that happened though, she was quick to attack them with her book bag.

A big part of growing up was learning to take care of yourself, your money, your health, your classes and even your safety. While it would have been easier to have someone around to help out, Sasha was glad she went abroad and made friends. It was hard but she was a better person for it. "I do miss my short hair." She sighed and gave some of her side bangs a tug. "You know your hair looks a lot more tame too." She mentioned. "We look like a better pair than when we were younger." She teased him. Of course things were getting a little too close for comfort. Sasha wasn't sure how wise it would be to flirt, even if it seemed to come naturally to them, given their already well established chemistry. She wasn't trying to start anything back up again or absolve herself of guilt.

When she was with James, she had fun and she was happy.

Sasha just didn't want things to get complicated before they found proper footing again. "So uhm...let's get out of here, I could use some fresh air and a party of eight folks looks to be bargin' in here." She gestured to where a big group had just come in, obviously looking to have a good night out. She got up and grabbed her things. When James was ready to go as well, they paid their own tabs and wiggled their way back out the crowded door and down the street. "D'you smell that?" She sniffed the air. "Smells like...Korean food." She nudged him. "Come on, we're following my nose." She grabbed his wrist and tugged him down the street.

After turning the corner, they saw a small park with a few food trucks. There seemed to be some kind of stage getting set up and she wondered if a pop-up concert was in the works. A lot of pop-stores and venues were becoming a tend and Sasha had only been lucky enough to stumble into a pop-up cafe when she was going to school, about two years ago. "We have got to get in on this." She grinned and let go of James and glanced to him. "Whaddya say?" She asked him. A DJ booth was being set up now and so were lights as more people gathered on the grass to check it out. Of course she wasn't sure how this would all go but she didn't mind a little fun, it felt great to be back home again and this felt like a proper welcome back.

Now that he could actually stock his shelves with food, James was grateful to be eating the "real" stuff again. In college, the pickings were slim and the assignments were stacked high. Simply no time for it. Even had Sasha been there to make them food, he mused silently, she wouldn't have wanted to. There would have been a dozen guys all over her at all times - no, worse, a dozen engineers. James mentally shivered at the thought.

"Yeah, you! How many papers did you make me let you proof-read before turning them in? Almost every one of them was pretty much dipped in a vat of red ink," He chastised, shaking his head, "And then I'd get the same grade as the kid next to me who didn't have this 3-hours-of-editing paper in his hands." The man grinned, "So it developed to an intrinsic need. My constant attitude of correction is your fault, ya little perfectionist."

He ran a hand over his head and shook out his hair with a shrug, "I work a lot harder than I used to, can't go walking around like a snotty kid, eh? Gotta be professional, I represent da at work; I can't let his recommendation go to waste." He laughed at her small comment about being a better pair, downing the small remainder of his second drink. "I like to think we looked a lot better at high school's end too. But I admit, I think we've both kinda 'grown into' ourselves since then. It's nice," He said, deciding to leave his thoughts at that. Sure, there was more, but he didn't want to create an awkward situation from nothing. In fact, it was preferable to just enjoy her company like this again; after all these years, it was amazing that the spontaneous, young gamer had evolved into a writer and editor, and she even taught. Tutoring wasn't exactly a classroom, but it was a step in the direction of something he always thought she'd be good at.

The sound of a crowd was approaching the door and it seemed that Sasha had the exact same idea as James: get out. He didn't really have much to grab, so as soon as she was ready he felt her hand grabbing his arm and tugging him though the doors. "H-hey, what's the rush, Sashie?" He asked teasingly once they were outside. He didn't pull out of her hand by any means, but his other one dug down into his pocket and pulled out his pack of B&H, expertly opening it and withdrawing one using just the one hand and his pocket. He pushed the pack back down and brought his lighter up with the cig, letting it rest in the corner of his mouth as the flame clicked on and started to burn the very tip of it. Once he had replaced the lighter, he took the cigarette between his fingers and blew the smoke away from Sasha, where the breeze caught it and carried it down the street.

"Korean food..?" He asked, sniffing at the air himself, "Uh, yeah, I guess. Wai- ah!" He laughed as she excitedly continued to lead him to another pop-up party. These things were everywhere nowadays weren't they? Thankfully, he'd only had to deal with them from time to time, they rarely found their way to Canterbury. James wasn't much for parties, she knew that, but she also knew he couldn't say no to her. "Hey, I'm just here to spend the evening with you - let's just have a good time," He replied, smiling lightly as he tilted his head back and released a single, solitary ring of smoke. He grinned, "Damn, I can never get those things to come out right. But that was perfect," He said, blowing the rest out in a cloud behind it. "One of my mate's showed me that, makes me feel like Gandalf or somethin'." James teased, letting the tails of his blazer hang out in front of his wrists as his hands rested in his pockets.

Deep down, she was sure James was grateful for those long study sessions. She never meant to give him any grief but she knew it would benefit him in the long run. Besides, she had a soft spot for editing and those academic fueled dates weren't so bad, so she didn't bother giving James anything else except a smirk and a shrug when it came to his whining. It was awfully interesting to hear how much he had changed. Of course seeing would be believing in her mind. It was easy to assume childhood friends always stayed the same but it would be interesting to see James in a different light.

Sasha had been waiting for James to take out one of those fags and light it up, then she'd go into full raging mother mode and knock some sense into him. No matter what was advertised, smoking was still bad for your health and those around you. No fancy shiny new product could change what smoking was, which was bad. Very very bad. Even though the blond had blown away from her, it wasn't like the disgusting smell had gone undetected and she scrunched her face up. "Gandalf is overrated, just like smoking." She said and smacked his smoking hand, hoping to inflict some pain at the very least. She didn't care if people did it but if someone she cared for did it, that would be another story.

"No matter what they say, women don't like it when guys smoke. It's not that sexy." She pouted slightly.

There had been several guys she had been interested in but when she saw them smoking, it was a large hole in their ship, sinking any chance of her wanting to get anywhere near them. She just hated to think James could die of something related to smoking, a death that could be easily prevented. Not to mention, she was sure it made a small dent in his bank account. Either way, she was bothered but refrained from making a big deal out of it. This was their first night back in the same time zone and as much as she wanted to rant at him and pull up studies and other factoids, she wanted to enjoy their evening.

"You can resume your slow and steady suicide when I'm gone but could you please not?" She lowered her tone a little, trying to show she would drop the matter now. She looked back toward where they were setting up. James wasn't one for parties, that would be an understatement. But Sasha loved to have fun. Though if James was only tagging along to appease her, she wouldn't have much of a good time. Maybe they'd find something they could be enjoy. "There's plenty more to do around here." She suggested to him. "Just don't suggest a movie, those don't really spark discussion, well they do if we want to get kicked out." She laughed softly, putting a hand on her hip.

"I mean, being around a crowd...does seem a little draining." She glanced toward the people already starting to dance as the techno tunes began to play as lights started to move and create designs in the modest park, surely annoying those who were trying to sleep, who had dull jobs to get to in the morning.

"Pfft, they don't find it that sexy, hm? But that means they still find it... kinda sexy," He retorted teasingly. However, when the request became serious, he had one more intake before finding a can to extinguish and dispose of it. Once everything was fine, he quirked an eyebrow at her, "Gandalf is overrated? Now, you can take away the ciggies, but don't ever talk about the White Wizard that way," His voice was 'seriously joking' tone. He furrowed his brow when she suddenly seemed reluctant to join in on the fun of the pop-up party and he shook his head. "Good, it just means we'll sleep better tonight; get home tired, go to work tomorrow!"

Now he was the one taking her hand and pulling her along. Parties weren't his thing, but ruining them was even less his M.O. "Yeah, movies have never been good to us..." He mused, grinning, "But they always sparked discussion." Even now, he could recall multiple times where they'd started discussing a movie and even if they agreed on something, they wound up using 'outside voices' in their over-excitement. The cinemas' managers didn't so much enjoy having two of the next voices for Mystery Science Theater on the premises, apparently.

The fluctuating techno beat reminded James of the time he spent as an Underclassman. At the time, he used nothing but the new waves of electronic sound and mixing to focus on his studies. Once the workload became too intense, however, it just made his head hurt. "Now, you know I don't dance, but we can still have a good time," he said, hoping she found his enthusiasm as sufficient. Of course, as in the past, she could really make him do anything she wanted him to as long as she asked nicely. "First stop, though, is for actual food. I believe I was promised Korean..?"

Once the food was situated, they'd find a place to sit down and eat amongst the rest of the party, where they'd have a good view of the dance "pit" and, hopefully, anybody who looked a fool for lack of dance ability. People watching was always an excellent pass-time, no matter how old you got, James decided.

It was good of James to put it away, some guys would flip her off or take the piss out by mocking her accent but at least with James, he listened.

"Hey, Dumbledore could take on Galdfalf so watch it boyo." She wagged a finger at him.

He then grabbed her hand and pulled her along, forcing her eyes to roll. He then decided he could dance a bit, or make an attempt at least, which she'd get a chuckle out of. He then brought up the food though. "Oy, you are a troublesome date ya know?" She teased him. "I didn't promise anything but I will get us food because I am a lady and treat ma mates kindly, thank you very much." She grinned and tossed him a wink while sticking out her tongue. Some things didn't change but she was chuffed to bits that he was standing up for himself more and being more outspoken. She often had to steer them to do something and she sometimes felt like he hardly contributed to ideas but now, it seemed like James was more comfortable in his own skin, able to be more vocal about joking and what he wanted. Of course, back then they joked plenty but at least now it seemed as though James was more upfront, than shy like some wallflower. And for that, Sasha was very pleased.

Then she realized she had used the word "date" but really it had slipped out as a joke.

She opened her mouth to correct herself but though it would be weird to do so, and that he surely knew it was a joke.

The last thing either of them needed, was to get bogged down in awkward fuck ups.

"Anyway, yeah, food, come on." She nodded her head toward where she assumed the food truck would be, without too long of a line hopefully. They got their food within fifteen minutes and found an open bench, as it seemed most folks were dancing and taking video. Sasha had ordered some Korean taco trio and a big cup of lightly spiked lemonade. "It's a bit camp but," She looked from the scene of rowdy people a little younger than them who were taking chugs from a neon pink flash while dancing. "it's home." She looked back to James and snorted. "I know it was cliche to do but we should go up on the Eye and get a good view of this place with all the lights. I'm sure loads have changed but most people here are stuck in their ways unless they have to be PC." She commented.

"I still need to head out to mum and da' but wanted to when I'm settled." She added. "I wonder the old school looks like. If they ended up remodeling it, I'll eat my hat." She complained. "They had such outdated crap...those little snots should have to deal with ancient tech just like we did eh?" Sasha laughed a little more and took a few long sips from her plastic cup before digging back into her beef soft taco, enjoying the savory taste. It was salty, sour, sweet and had a rich filling flavor that chips couldn't beat. Not by a long shot. When she finished her big bite, she licked her lips and sat up slightly to get some stray strands of hair out of her face. "Mmm...ya know, I'm glad you agreed to hang out." She knew it would have its own snags but right now, this just felt right.

Sure, her time overseas had been amazing and unforgettable but home would always be in London with her friends and family. Sasha was sure she'd go back to soaring to other destinations but it was just very reassuring to know she could come home and find things as they should be. "It feels good to be back." She nodded slightly, thinking about how the weekend or week visits here and there, couldn't compare to finally settling back to the gray island of misery. "No one knew how to make a proper cuppa." She told James. "People kept trying to show me their rubbish accents or use our slang...it was awful." She took another drink and a bite before continuing. "Or they said I was cute and asked if I knew the Queen, it's nice to be back home where everyone avoids eye contact and knows how to make polite chit chat if needed." She still wished James would catch the travel bug, but so far, she wasn't giving up that notion.

"Of course you know how they are..." She considered. "I think Japan or China is next on my list of places...you should tag along!"

"WHAT?! He most certainly could not, you're nuts," He said with a shake of his head. "That's just... Nuh-uh, Dumbledore never fought a fekkin' Balrog. He only fought a dude without a nose."

The boy grinned victoriously as Sasha conceded to them getting food and couldn't help but laugh at her use of the word 'date.' Sometimes, she spoke too quickly for herself, but she wouldn't learn her lesson if he didn't tease her at least a little bit, right? "I'm a bothersome date? I'm sorry, have you gone out with you, Sashie?" He asked, sticking his tongue out, "I think I'm a very good date, thank you very much." They ordered their food and sat down. James really didn't need much - he'd had a rather large lunch and was enjoying the company more than he was hungry. His eyes ran over the crowd when Sasha looked out - did he ever look like that? Dear god, he hoped not. But at least they were having fun, so he nodded, "Home, yeah."

"Oh god, The Eye... Don't subject me to that Hell above Earth," He said with a laugh, shaking his head, "I get queasy looking up at it from the ground, let alone the other way. I can do planes, but for some reason... The wheels and the coasters... I just don't trust 'em. It's not that I think they'll break, it's just that it doesn't feel stable, even if it is," he admitted. "Why do you think I dodged as many of those trips as I could when we were kids? I'm enjoying my dinner, let's not make the guy in the seat below us enjoy it less than I am."

"Do you want some sauce?" he asked finally, seeming rather random. "Oh, sorry, I mean... for your hat. They tore the whole thing down - big building up now; they wanted to make classes smaller, but they had more and more kids going... So they got what they needed and they have a fekkin' campus now. Can you believe that? Like with a quad and buildings and stuff... Absolutely unfair," He said with a shake of his head, "I'd hardly call our tech ancient, but... Well, things are going so well out here that it's kind of hard for them not to spend their asses off on stuff like that, y'know?"

"Oh, speaking of annoying Americans and Asia..." James started, taking a second to finish his bite, "My cousin, Kendra, you know what happened to her? Fekkin' Japan. Like, not kidding, she's an ESL teacher at Tokyo. She's not even at some hoity toity school, she's teaching kids whose parents can't really afford to send them places where they have a really high curriculum, y'know? And she loves it. Keeps trying to get me to go out there and see her, but... God, the time, and everything out here is so hard to handle. Plus, I don't wanna leave Nathan behind so I can go live like that all of a sudden and taking him with me... Well, I love the kid, but I can't take him from his home for so long - he's too young for it," he explained with a shrug. "Plus, I couldn't stay with her. I love Kendra, I do, but dear god she can talk. And she's shown me pictures of her apartment, I'd never fit in there with her hogging all the space!" He laughed and sighed, relaxing into the bench. It was nice to catch up, really it was. Suddenly, he perked up, remembering that he had something he'd wanted to tell Sasha earlier, but it had completely slipped his mind once they started talking. Not that it was a particularly good or great thing, but it was still something to talk about.

"Hey, you remember that rock, out by our old neighbourhood?" He asked curiously, "I know you do. Anyway, I checked it out a while back... The entire development got finished - didn't take 'em as long as I thought it would. Whole place looks different, but uh... It's actually gone - the built right over that spot," He said with a bit of bittersweetness. It'd be weird, never being able to go back to there... He shrugged, "It was weird, though... Part o' me never thought they'd actually go that far. Dunno why."

She could understand his paranoia.

The internet has been flooded with videos of people falling out of amusement part contraptions as well has having other nightmare quality accidents. Even so, she was still itching to see the city from The Eye and get a good look at the place she could always call home. If James wanted to be a scaredy cat and wuss out, she'd drop the topic. No need to get into a debate about fear and anxiety, not at their age anyway. The banter with the date was annoying, she had hoped James would brush it off but of course he didn't, so she had to try kicking him under his seat since in her mind, a good date wouldn't need to declare themselves one. Either way, she was happy the topic could move onwards once again. James then made a comment about sauce for her hat which caused her to pause, confused for a moment.

"Oh! Ha...great thanks." She slouched her shoulders a bit.

She was sure a lot had changed but seeing it was a whole different story, not one she was certain she could handle. Change was hard but overall a good thing, or so she liked to think. "Gosh really? Sounds a bit too fancy, I reckon. Funny how the nanny state finally starts giving a rat's arse about education and rules and bloody appearances when we're out the door." She grumbled. "Kids today don't have ta work as hard as you an' I did, spoiled brats are now polluting online too." She mentioned with a shrug, thinking back to some of the players she had run into when she had the time to sit down and game for a few hours. James then brought up his cousin and Sasha knew exactly who he was talking about. It was pretty surprising to hear what she had gotten herself into. It wasn't something she thought Kendra could handle but despite being given a tricky hand, she was doing just fine it seemed.

Though the more he spoke, the more Sasha really did want to go pay the wild one a visit and catch up. Any excuse to travel was good on her. But James was already trying to muster up some kind of wacky defense as to why he couldn't go and catch up. What a wanker. She finished her food and glanced off, trying to think of a way to twist his arm into going, even for just a week. Of course Pokemon was a mighty good temptation, check out the many Pokemon Centers and theme parks they had but before she could finish plotting, James brought up that rock by their houses. Of course she remembered. How could she forget? "Mmm?" She glanced back to him as he then said they finally finished work and had destroyed it. More change. This news hit a bit harder than their school though. As much as it didn't surprise her, it was still disheartening. "It was bound to happen, I suppose." She considered with a heavy shrug.

Still, going to see her folks and looking around the new remodels, would be tough but she clearly couldn't put it off for much longer, not when she was a local girl once again. "It would have been nice to get part of it, ya know for some sentimental treasure." She said but it didn't matter anymore. They were adults, grown ups, having moved far beyond the life of kids who clung with crazy dreams. Having to grow up and face challenges and sometimes fall so hard on your arse, that it ached for days, was part of life. It was unavoidable unless you colored yourself a coward. "Any other shit news for me?" She grinned slightly. "Wanna tell me the Tooth Fairy is a lie or that the nation had sworn to protect Australia in its time of need?" Sasha teased him. Just then she got up and threw away their waste, James's too if he had any.

When she came back, she patted their table with the palm of her hand. "Come on boyo, I'm not done with you yet." She chuckled.

With all the talk of change and people moving on or away, Sasha wanted to find something, anything, that had stayed the same, that could keep the past alive and not as dead as it appeared to be. "I know one place that surely hasn't changed, had somehow avoided the plague and remained as trusty and low key as I remember." Sasha declared and led James away from the noise behind them and down a long stretch of blocks. As they kept going, she wondered if James would remember the old internet cafe they'd sometimes frequent after school. With her still unpacking, she was sure that she'd rely on such places until she was settled. Their old club would come to this place a few times a year, have their own tournaments and what not. Sasha hoped it was still running and had forsaken any tacky makeover. As they took a right, she stopped and looked down at the dirty steps leading into the cafe. "Bingo."

It looked the same as ever. It had a neon sign that said OPEN and of course it listed its hours but for regulars, it was open 24/7. And with gaming being a great escape these past few years, Sasha was happy to see the owner, Andy, was still bringing gamers a safe place to scamper off to. She pulled open the door and motioned for James to head inside first. The computers and decore had been restored but the walls and everything else, the foundation, had remained. "Brings back good ol' memories of kicking your ass." Sasha said as she turned and tapped on the counter and Andy came out from the back, tinkering with a remote. "Hey An, long time no see." Sasha greeted with a wave and nudged her head towards James. For now, she wanted to keep things light. Talking about the past and where it once stood, was depressing. There was no way in hell, she'd let her first time seeing James, become riddled with regret and other crap. Andy, with her dirty blond hair and hazel eyes, gave them a wave and then suddenly realized who they were.

"God, it's been too long, kids!"

"Please, we're hardly kids anymore." Sasha laughed lightly.

"You two, together as always I see..." Andy looked between them. It smelled like she still smoked but Sasha could tell the habit wasn't as bad as it was five years ago.

"Oh yeah, James and I got married." Sasha joked, unable to help herself. "We have a few homes, one in New York, another in Italy. We're looking at property in Japan, that's why we've been so damn busy." She said and hooked her arm with James's. "Life is just so crazy that we thought we'd pop by and reminisce a bit before we head back to our flat. Real estate is practically robbery these days you know?"

"Oh I know." Andy nodded quickly as if thinking a bit more slowly than Sasha's tall tale. "I don't charge as much as some places do, they do anything to scam people who need to game." Truth be told, gaming addictions were becoming more and more of a thing and Sasha hoped Andy was doing her best to look out for her fellow gamers. "It was nice catching up." Andy said and held up her remote. "I need to get this bugger to work but you two are free to hang out here." She commented before she sat down at her front desk and went back to what she had been doing, using small tools and such.

Andy was a good woman, a little slow, but she was still one of the good guys.

"Speaking of gaming...Christmas sales are bound to start popping up." Even if it wasn't for a few months. "I gotta get you a mega awesome present, so you better tell me what you like. I've got a few years to make up for." Sasha said. She loved buying things, wrapping them and what not. She liked being thoughtful and spoiling people and she was already planning on what sort of cool things she could get James for Christmas. "Tell me what you're into these days? Or should I just get you a dozen USBs filled with the finest porn?" She laughed.

"Bah, our school wasn't so bad," James replied with a shrug. "But no, no more shit news that I know of. I don't think things are so bad," He said, giving her a small laugh, "It just sounds bad. It's just what we make of it though." When she pulled him away, he was a bit perplexed. The feeling didn't last long, he recognized the route she was leading him down after only a few minutes. "We're going to see Andy?" He asked, perking up - he hadn't gone to see Andy in a long time. There was no reason to. The Internet Cafe wasn't a huge scene for his group anymore. They could all afford their own gaming equipment and internet speeds.

"You never kicked my ass! Please, I gave it to you. Didn't want you to feel bad," He boasted teasingly, sticking his tongue out. He lied. As Sasha wove some story about the two of them, he made sure not to look at Andy at all. James was an awful liar - still. And as soon as the woman was back to what she had been doing, he looked at Sasha, "Hey, what's the big idea? I can't support a story like that - I haven't been to any of those places. I could never propagate that kind of lie." The grin on his face showed he was clearly not at all upset.

At her next proposition, he crossed his arms and quirked a brow. "Sasha, the Amazing Gift Giver, doesn't know what to get her own 'husband?' Tsk-tsk..." He muttered, shaking his head, "Mega awesome? That's tough... I don't think I could ever think of something Mega Awesome for myself... Besides - it can't be mega awesome if you have to ask me what it is, right?" Could he have made it more obvious that he was teasing her word choice? Probably not.

Minutes turned to an hour and it wasn't until James accidentally glanced at his watch. Sure, Nathan was with grandma and grandpa for the weekend, but James still had things to do. Namely, an agenda of things to get on and do for Endless Realms in his free time for a couple of days. "Hey, uh, Sashie... I hope you don't mind, but it's getting kinda late - I gotta get home for the night soon here." He rubbed the back of his neck, watching her reaction, "I really don't wanna cut this short or anything, but we've got each other's numbers, we'll definitely hang out some more, right? I had a really good time tonight, it's been great to see you again."

It was laughable that James tried to say he let her win. Maybe a few times but Sasha was very certain that she had beaten him rightfully so, many times. Though when it came to her making up stories, that wasn't anything new. She liked to have fun. She didn't see it as lying or being cruel or something, in her mind is was fun to make reality sparkle a little more. Sometimes people would go along with it, sometimes they'd try to back track out of her wild tales. Her parents weren't fond of her habit when she was a kid but she grew out of it and only did it when she wanted to lighten things up. Most of the time people didn't seem to buy it but sometimes when others did believe her, she could admit to having fun and seeing how far she could take the little adventure.

When James tried to act upset, he often never was when she did such things, she feigned hurt and gave him a quivering pout. "Oh, read Wiki, will ya?" She stuck her tongue out at him. "Maybe I'll get you a tie." She commented when James pointed out that his own 'wife' wasn't sure what to get him. "Fine, don't help me. I'll do my own stalking and figure something out on my own." She huffed though by her tone as well, she wasn't as cross as she acted. "Just know I'm watching ya, I'll hack you and figure out all your dirty little secrets!" She wiggled her fingers at him. The rest of the time was spent fooling around online, chatting and such. When James mentioned how late it had become, she knew she had kept him out long enough. He had his stuff to do and she needed to go back home before countless drunk chavs populated the motorways and whatnot. "Alright fine, I get it, your carriage is turning into a pumpkin."

She pulled out her slim flip phone, a smart phone made my LG which was like the modern style but had the cute old style flip design. She and James swapped contact information, phone numbers, work numbers and addresses before they parted way. Sasha headed back to grab a cab home. When she got back, she slipped into her pajamas and washed up. She pulled her long hair back into a loose bun and settled down into her desk chair, ready to do some online stuff before she turned in for the night. She was a little tired but she was eager to sign up for an end of the summer thing on E.R. She was a level 26 and pretty proud of her skills so far but she knew the quest would pair her with someone who was a few levels above or below her. Either way, she saw it as a good way to make more friends who were in a similar situation.



Sasha finished reading the information in the Endless Realms Forum and decided to apply. She didn't need to fill out a form since it was all connected to her account, Fracture. She decided she should log on and do some shopping. It was getting close to the deadline to sign up and she had been on the fence but seeing James again made her want to take the plunge. As she logged on and slipped on her virtual visor, she now become a pink haired Mythic, named Fracture. The Mythics lived in lush natural environments while Mechanics lived in modern and futuristic towns. The game was divided into halves, one for each class of player: Mythic or Mechanic. Many people had a few characters but Sasha liked to keep to her own, finding it comforting to be so close to the lore and history of the game.

As a writer, she really admired those who made Endless Realms feel so real.

Fracture found herself in one of the main root towns of their half of the world, Rukeria. Rukeria was a large town made of wooden houses which were built at the foot, as well as atop the trees. Trees were different shades of green, special trees were white, red, blue and black. Many quests for Mythics involved fighting beasts in the wild, collecting herbs, finding special trees or runes to power their magic. It was very fun and she had no regrets being a Mythic. In her mind, Mechanics could be very full of themselves and entitled, as if the past didn't matter at all because of their laser guns and jetpacks and whatever else. Fracture was a nice, down to to earth Warlock Cleric. In other words, she loved helping and healing people with the old magic of the world.

Some users would post a need for someone like her to tag along on Personal Quests. She would often accept on the Forum and end up meeting some great people. Sometimes it would end up being for naught, a trap. Some players liked to kill other players for fun, which made very little sense to Sasha. Of course such things could happen anywhere, except for the Neutral City which was one of four neutral places that both classes could mingle and trade. In these four places (aside from normal towns/villages/cities) PK'ing wasn't allowed and Mods were always keeping an eye out for reports and odd interactions. E.R. was meant to be fun for all types of gamers and players. It was becoming very popular and Sasha was certain that her recent joining would be a good thing.

After she took the portal, a wooden ring with a glowing white light, to Harmony Hill, she did some trading and selling to merchants. Some merchants were AIs, some were Mods, but most were other players. Some gamers liked to collect and sell things. Others just liked to learn about the lore and history, where others wanted to become rich and strong. Sasha played Fracture as a simple woman who could dabble in a few things. She liked to romp around woods and other areas, help people, explore and sometimes battle monsters. All in all, she was enjoying E.R. a great deal and was eagerly awaiting the matching process to begin and end so she could meet up with a Mechanic, who hopefully was a good teammate. While she didn't need Gold, it would be nice to have in order to treat Fracture to some new runes and maybe a better staff for said runes.

Twenty minutes turned into an hour and she saw it was nearly 2:30 when she logged off.

"Gah...so much for being a responsible adult." She grumbled and put herself to bed. The next few days went by smoothly. She and James texted on and off, mostly about what they were up to and everything else. They made plans to meet up for a movie and dinner next weekend, which by then, she should have her match for the Co-Habitation Quest. As she checked her email on her phone while on campus, she saw that matching had been finished. She and James had to hang out tomorrow afternoon but she figured she could log on and see who she was paired up with before then. She stepped to the side of the large library so she could send this user an email:



Sasha sent the PM through the forum's system, knowing Spectre would get a notification even if he was online. Flash mail was a quick message one player could send another to see where they were and whatnot. Neutral City was the northern of the four locations for both classes to mingle. Harmony Hills was east, Blue Harbor was south, and Whispering Village was at the west point. She put her phone away and went back to talking with the other students who needed help editing their papers, some of them were struggling and Sasha knew she had to focus in order to make sure their work was polished properly. After work, she headed back to Kennington to make herself a quick dinner. She hadn't checked her email or her notifications for online or the forum but as she was waiting for her pasta water to boil, she did just that, trying to figure out if her nerves were justified or not.

James was both surprised and relieved that the encounter with Sasha had gone off without a hitch. Even the pauses didn't feel too awkward despite how much time apart they'd spent. He felt rather bad about leaving, but they'd been out longer than planned and the night felt like it was reaching an end anyway. Not to mention, he had some good scores to get on Endless Realms tonight. Nathan was staying at James's parents' house, so he had the weekend to himself.

The engineer had a great set-up for his gaming. He had a small study area in his flat. It wasn't his own room, but it was separated from the parlour by an open wall. His computer rig was hooked up on the desk in front of him, as were his headset and VR console. He let out a comforted sigh as he sat down and leaned back, clicking the device on.

-----

Spectre was greeted with the new forum announcement for the Summer's End Quest. He read through the rules, nodded, and swiped the notification away after putting himself into the registry. With a shrug, he gave a quick glance to his surroundings. Yeming, a small city in the Fantasy Zone. Out here, there were few mods and even fewer negative-alignment players. The houses were inexpensive and the goods were low and mid-level crafted items. The Mechanic had a tendency to move through towns like this one, often on the Fantasy side of the world. He had no regrets about his starting class choice, but he quite liked the thrill of blending in over here. He wore little armour, as it provided stealth boosts, and it was made of red leather. Over his shoulders he wore a dark grey cloak with a white 'X' crossed over the back. The hood was pulled up over his head as he walked down the road. Most of the player shops were closed - many were getting to bed. However, it wasn't so late, a few souls wandered the streets with him. Some were shady like him, but others were just at their shops. It wasn't like the town was busy during high-traffic times either, but their goods wouldn't fetch a good price in the major cities. This zone was for the people who played in this level range, so the goods would sell best around here.

Checking the roads north and south, he slipped between a pair of buildings and started checking one particularly for windows. His alignment, while not publicly visible, was mostly Chaotic. It was hard to really put much more of a label on it, as his playstyle was far from consistent. Finally, he found a good spot and pulled out a couple of tools from his inventory, starting to pick at it. As soon as it popped open, he grinned. "Score!"

Over the following couple of weeks, James waited to get his partner and kept in touch with Sasha. Nathan was getting ready for school; the boy was rather autonomous, all things considered, and James was shocked daily by Matt's ability to have raised the child. Levels in Endless Realms moved incredibly slowly, so he actually hadn't advanced much thanks to how little time he had and how much work the game required. Finally, the day came. The registered users were all paired up and James furrowed his brow, "Hm... Fracture? Interesting name. Nice get..." He muttered to himself, dismissing the message. He'd touch base later. Meanwhile, as he walked through the streets of Whispering Village, he sized up the other players around him. While walking through the throngs of people, Spectre would wait for the right, low-level character to pass by before sticking a hand into their pocket. Simultaneously, he would bump into them and just as he walked away from the aghast fellow player, the coin would transfer to his own stash. It wasn't much at all, but to be honest, it gave him a different kind of thrill. Were he caught, it was likely that he'd have all eyes from those around him. He got caught once and they took half the cash he had on him all at once for reparation. It was still pretty god damned fun.

Ding! The little notification rang out and he looked to the upper corner of his screen. A message? From whom? Checking the message, Spectre read it and rubbed his chin. "How nice..." He muttered, furrowing his brow. At first, he'd assumed "Fracture" was a male player, but... based on the mail, there was no way. Finding a seat, Spectre pulled up the interactive keyboard and starting typing away.

[Indent]To: Fracture
Subject: Re: Hello new friend and partner!

Content:
Nice to meet you. I'm not too worried about placement, either, but I'd like to at least aim for a ranking of some kind. I'll add you as soon as I get this sent out and sure, I can be in Neutral City. Meet me in a shop called Bogarted Blues - it doesn't see too much business, so it'll be a good meeting spot.

-Spectre
Sabre Soldier
212 Overview LN, Blue Harbor Residential District

After clicking 'send,' Spectre felt satisfied. It wasn't exactly long-winded, but it got to the point. Bogarted Blues was his store, it wasn't big and it wasn't popular, but it was locked down fairly tightly. It was how he fenced a lot of the little trinkets. He kept it in Neutral City because he didn't want to keep it in the same place which he lived, so Neutral City brought the most business. Sometimes, Spectre got a good score, but mostly it was just some extra goods which were marked way down. The shady origin of the store is why it didn't see many customers, but in all honesty they would face no penalty for the fenced goods.

After her work day ended, she finally allowed herself to check back online and see if the other person had gotten back to her. She was anxious that her partner may be someone rude or not interested in interacting, which was the entire point of the quest itself. Either way, Sasha read over the message and felt somewhat relieved. It seemed as though the player she had been matched up with, was fine with meeting right away. Sasha made a quick stop at a cafe so she could treat herself to some fresh tea before she finished the trek back to her flat. Once there, she brushed her hair out, started a load of laundry before sitting down in front of her computer.

Sasha did some writing, replied to some personal emails and finally hopped onto the E.R Forums and from there, she logged into the game. She put on her goggles and sat back for a moment. She enjoyed the scenic tranquility of where she was and she hated to venture into Neutral City. She didn't have a shop like some players but like many, she established her own home of sorts where extra inventory could be stored and where injuries could be healed up. Fracture let out a soft but shallow sigh before she climbed out of her tree house and landed on the lush grass, a light few sticking to her bare legs. She had on a brown Japanese styled top and a yellow ribbon, as a sort of shout out to her blond hair in real life.

Fracture also had pink hair tied back. She had a long boot and a short one because to her, it seemed fun to mix and match. She also had long white and red sleeves attached to her forearms, something that might come from the old manga, Naruto. In her hair was a brown ribbon and she had decided until she had more currency, her look didn't need to change. Players had so many unique items and attire. You could hardly find people who looked the same and usually, that sort of thing was done on purpose. She waved to a few friends and headed over to the ring which could let her go right to Neutral City. She did just that and within seconds, she was in the middle of bustling chaos.



After she sent Spectre a quick message, she began to walk around, searching for the shop he had said to meet at. Fracture was a little side-tracked by the window shopping and merchants trying to make a hard sell. Soon she came across a group of players who seemed to be making a bet of some sort in an alleyway. Shaking her head, Fracture continued to walk along the street and finally came across Bogarted Blues. Looking to her left, and then her right, she knocked and then went inside. "Hello?" She looked around, it being hard to miss the collection of items and treasures the player had accumulated over time. It was impressive but she wasn't one for rare items. "I'm Fracture...Spectre, are you around?" She called out and slowly turned around in a circle, hoping this wasn't a shady decision.

Spectre had been working to keep his shelves straight and looked over his inventory. Some fantasy cloaks here, demolitions armour there... He hadn't created any of it, but it sold just the same. Marked down quite a bit, considering he didn't need any materials to gather these things. Some had nice enchantments, others were low-level equipments without any kind of augmentation. He donned a long white trenchcoat with gold trimmings and a high collar. At his side was the handle to his sabre which glowed a menacing black when active. His boots were black and were actually from the Fantasy realm; they were enchanted with a short-range teleport which recharged each day. He couldn't use it through walls, but it was great for evasion, distraction, and escape. The Cloak was a Mechanic item, with a technological armor buff built into the thread. It repelled attacks and absorbed damage that way, rather than being the hard armors from the Fantasy Realm.

Some of the displays showed off the more expensive goods he'd acquired, like a stand holding a katana-like weapon and a mannequin bust adorned with some finely enchanted jewelry. The building was in a more Mechanic-centric district, so it was automated for sales and prices were set specifically. It could run without a teller, but the equipment inside was more expensive. Spectre placed the small trinket he was examining back on the shelf as the door opened. He waited for them to identify themselves before coming out. He'd had somebody come in once and notice an item he'd stolen from them. It only happened once, but it was a real unnerving affair.

"Hi," He said, stepping into view, "Fracture... Neat name. Good get," He observed, pocketing his hands and rolling his shoulders slightly, "Nice to meet you."

He pulled out his menus and looked at the forums' list of rules. "On the plus side, level doesn't matter... Not that it's a huge factor anyway, it's not like anybody's even hit the cap yet, but still... It can really exclude some of the mid-levels like us. I looked into your profile a bit earlier, just doing my own research. Don't see a lot of Warlock-Clerics around. Considering most people who go Warlock like to really specialize their damage - you've got a lot of juggling to do in a large-class raid, considering you watch everything that needs to be hit, but then keep an eye on the health of the others' too. Impressive multi-tasking..." He put a hand on his chin, "Found it kinda strange too... Interesting the way the pairing system works. They put Mythics with Mechanics, which is a cool hook for the quest, but beyond that from everybody I've talked to, the pairs complement well. I'm heavy damage per second and being a Rogue gives me a high crit-bonus for sneak attacks. I draw heavy aggro after the fight starts too, but Sabre Soldiers don't absorb damage, we just dodge... a lot. But you're a healer and a damage-dealer... Kind of a good complement. I know a guy who was a Gunslinging Ghost Healer who got paired up with a Gladiator Flyer. Both of them were about mid-forties too, so they could have their third classes in the next few weeks. Just interesting to me to see how those things work..."

With a small laugh, "Sorry, kind of get lost rambling sometimes. Anyway, my place is upstairs, if you wanna check it out. Nothing too big, but I put a lot of my credits into the details, since it doesn't see a lot of guests anyway," He observed. "Unless you'd rather hang out somewhere else?"

Her silent observations were soon disrupted by the person finally coming out from the shadows.

Fracture turned to him as he greeted her but left without formally introducing himself. He then went on to say how he had looked at her profile. It was public, everyone's was just to ensure that some secrets couldn't be kept. It was basic information though, anything personal was kept away from the players to make them as comfortable as possible when it came to slipping into a new persona when they played the game. "Yes...there are plenty of magic fanatics out there but most people neglect the need for health until it's too late. You can only rely on potions for so long." In her mind, the spells she casted were a lot better, more potent and quick than drinking potions or using herbs in a pinch. He then shifted the topic to the matching itself and how it seemed so far, each pair somewhat complimented one another.

That was a possibility that they had been matched purposefully but Fracture wasn't convinced that someone would take the time to make sure they worked out. To her, it was just a coincidence that some people worked well together, as she was expecting some clashing to happen among the two different classes. But then the topic once again shifted to another point about people Spectre knew and how well they ended up working together. He also noted their level and how they'd get a new sub-class soon. All she could do was nod until he noticed his ramblings. It was something she was used to but it was still annoying. They hadn't really gotten to know one another, all of this talking was just above the surface, it didn't help when it came to their tactics and ideas of how they wanted to have fun but also get the points.

Spectre had mentioned how he wanted to get them and Fracture had been expecting a more harsh, narrow minded sort of Mechanic. So far, she was glad her expectations hadn't been met. "It's alright, we've just met, things are a little weird." She held up a hand to him when he apologized. Then he mentioned how they could go up to his place which was above the shop. At first, she wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not. But she also considered it would be easier to talk without anyone eavesdropping. "Sure, I wouldn't mind taking a look." Fracture finally ended up giving her reply, knowing the ice still needed to be broken. "So...in terms of when you're most online, we should figure out when we can meet up so we've at least got a plan for meeting up."

Once the event began, it would be tricky to find time between her work, social obligations and spending time online for E.R. Even so, Sasha was hopeful that this would be fun, as opposed to stressful. "I'm not looking to spend all night online when I have to get up in the morning but I do think we'd be able to take advantage of the weekends." She considered as she followed Spectre up to where he was staying. She made a quick save as they headed up the stairs, just in case. "You haven't made enemies with any factions or groups, I'd need to know in advance since we'll be needing to spend a lot of time together in the open areas and fields..."

Spectre nodded and headed for the stairs. A soft blue glow blocked the threshold; it was quick to dissipate when he scanned his hand on the pad beside and started up the stairs. The security was good, but not top-notch. Ironically, the thief couldn't afford to keep anybody who was a higher level than himself out. At least, not yet. His store wasn't a target for a lot of burglars anyway, let alone his little apartment above it. He opened the door to his "apartment," which was hardly a large living space, and allowed Fracture to step in first. The kitchenette and living space were not separated by more than a little bit of counter space, a door down the hall lead to what was presumably a bedroom and another to what was obviously a bathroom. Apart from that, it was a fairly empty place. Basic accommodations aside, he had a sofa and chair with a coffee table and holo-screen in the parlour. There were windows which provided only a view to the less-than-scenic street below, but it still felt like a home.

It was apparent where his priorities lie, as the walls were lined with images hung up in frames - a non-digital touch that was typically found more in the traditional Mythic's home. Mechanics preferred electronic displays, but Spectre's were all the virtual equivalent of printed images. The frames were still a sleek, silver colour to blend with the home, but it still made it feel more realistic. There was an array of them too, everything from pictures in Mythic cities, featuring him and some unfamiliar faces wearing the clothing that low-level Mythics often would in all sorts of locations. Some were out in the fields or on floating rocks or even by the water. Only a couple were in the Mechanics' cities or training spots, but he wore gradually-improving gear in each one. Some had repeating players with him, some were him alone, and some were faces you only saw once. It wasn't truly important, but it showed that he liked to move around a lot more than the average Mechanic would.

He scratched his cheek at her question and cleared his throat, "Uh... well, I wouldn't say enemies with a faction, no. Maybe some... particular individuals. But they've got bigger fish to fry than some missing trinkets..." He waved his hand dismissively, "Or the deed to a house..." He smirked, "That was a fun day. You ever try to fence a whole house? It's not easy. I tell you what, if that guy ever finds me, I'm in the shit," He laughed, "Sorry for the language. He has no idea who I am, but boy was he pissed at the guy who bought it."

The haughty mechanic shrugged his shoulders, "Nah, nobody's gonna know who I am from a glance in a field. As far as I know, I'm not being hunted either. Of course, I could be wrong, so we'll just be careful. Wanna take a seat? Can I get you anything? I've got... let's see..." The man made his way to the small kitchen and began sifting through the refrigerator. "I've got water... Or... ooh, water... And bread, I think. Nope, no bread," He concluded as he checked a cabinet, "But there's... Nope, nevermind, ate that this morning." He rubbed the back of his neck, "In fairness, I wasn't on that long before we met today, so I haven't been to the store."

He sighed and shook his head, "Anyway... You seem like a Karmic Player; do good things, good things happen? I bet you haven't made a single enemy since you started playing."

Fracture's eyes scanned the new area upstairs.

When he mentioned he didn't have anything against Factions, that was a relief but only a short lived one. If he had enemies, she was willing to bet they would come into play even with the event in eventual full swing. If his collection had it made it perfectly clear, his mutterings sure did. He liked to steal things. Even if it caused him trouble. Well for now, his trouble was now hers and even though she wasn't really happy about it, Fracture was interested in knowing just who might come them, or even her now. Spectre's ramblings continued for a bit, definitely not offering the girl much reassurance at all.

Her worried face offline, was thankfully not fully translated into the game but it had to be obvious that his new partner was a little more than uncomfortable with his habits and nonchalance. He offered her a seat and she took it. "Thanks." She did her best to remain open minded. That there had to be something redeemable about the guy. There had to be, right? Fracture looked up when he began to see what supplies he had to offer his guest. Her stats were a little low but she was fine. "Don't worry about it, I'm able to get home safely." She said sweetly, raising a relaxed hand.

"Ah yes...I try not to make enemies." She agreed with his assumption. Fracture smiled a little, assuming it had to be written across her face. A part of her feared someone like him could just double cross her at some point and steal everything on her. She hoped that didn't happen. "I am fond of taking newbies by the hand and showing them the ropes." It paid off, some of them went on to reach high levels in which they'd come back and give her things for being so generous with them in the past.

Even though she still considered herself a novice in some senses of the game's aspect, she enjoyed it and liked making friends. It helped when she was too tired after work. She still got to socialize with others even when she didn't want to go out because she was too tired or if money was tight. "While I do healing and combat magic, I'm still training to get stronger so don't think you'll be tasked with doing all the fighting." Even though she wasn't into battling like others, she still found it thrilling and almost beautiful. Well, it was beautiful when Mythics fought each other. With Mechanics, it was just crude and soulless but she didn't meant that train of thought to Spectre.

"I also do a lot of mapping of areas so I should have us covered when we need to scavenge in other areas." She added proudly.

Spectre nodded, "Fair enough. Just making sure my hospitality is on-par with polite standards... Though, I suppose not having any food kind of means it failed." He shrugged; it obviously didn't bother him that much. "I gave up on the new people a long time ago... But to be honest, I didn't want help figuring the game out - I really enjoyed my early months in the game, still discovering new stuff and finding all the little things you could do was half the fun. I can't stand the ones out asking for a handout or a 'mentor...' They let way too many little kids on here, it's almost ridiculous..."

The Mechanic came back into the parlour and stretched a bit, "Ah... Anyway, we don't get our tasks for a few days, so until then, we're kinda stuck just doing our normal thing or seeing how we work together. I do, however, have work most this week... They're keeping me real busy, got a really big thing coming up here soon that could apparently make or break the company. I assure you, not nearly as interesting as it sounds," He stated, waving a hand, "But, if there's something else you'd like to do online, I'm all ears. Otherwise I'm pretty free this weekend. Might go out with a friend for a while, but my nephew's gonna be gone till Sunday, I'm really quite open."

Ping!

James looked to the top right of his field of vision to see a notification pop-up. It was a message, which he promptly opened and began passively reading - he was still part of his conversation, but he wanted to check who this was from.

From: R1ngz
Subject: Got Something...

Hey, Spectre, I think you might be a bit interested in this... Found a guy out on the Mythic Side. Apparently somebody he knows got a really rare drop recently that he's been trying to get himself. He wants it... Bad. Wiling to pay out huge - I'll only charge you a small finder's fee for his information if you want to take the job on. We're talkin' big cash. Apparently this thing, whatever it is, can't be bought on the regular market. We're talking some high-level stuff here. You're a good thief, and I don't think anybody's ever tried to steal from this guy. You can check out his place if we've got a deal. Hit me up.

-R1ngz to Rule them All

Spectre closed the e-mail... God he hated that name, but he found some of the best jobs and there was no doubting that. Maybe later he'd check out the score. It'd be nice to not have to fence something too - paid jobs were the best jobs, but also the hardest. Petty thievery was for skill grinding... This kind of task could only be done with enough work on the less than exciting half of it.

"Nothing important," He said, swiping the message away for now. "So, what are you doing the rest of the evening?"

While it was evident that she and her partner had differing ideas when it came to new members, Fracture tried not to let that dissuade her from working with the guy. She wanted to be able to rely on his support and knew getting into a debate over how you could enjoy the game would be futile, if not counter productive. She glanced to where Spectre was as he brought up what they could do now. He mentioned how his schedule looked with work and how his weekend seemed to be pretty clear, all things considered.

When he was finished filling her in, she gave him a nod of acknowledgement.

"Well I don't have a lot on my plate, I just moved back to town so there is an adjustment period and all." She mentioned to him as it seemed like he was reading something. A message or flash mail perhaps. She shrugged, not sure what else to say. "I may log off tonight, I am a bit tired..." She thought back to her own plans with James and knew she was looking forward to that. She was determined to keep her online life and her offline one separate. The last thing Sasha wanted to do was become a zombie who sacrificed her life for some virtual one, as fun as it was.

So for now, Fracture wanted to keep things pretty vague and she had a feeling her partner wouldn't mind one way or another. "Why don't we meet up tomorrow night? I have plans with a friend tomorrow afternoon but it shouldn't dip into the evening too much." She mentioned to him. She and James were going to meet up for lunch and just hang out. Since they were still trying to get used to one another again, she figured it was best to keep things pretty casual between them.

"Maybe we can show one another around our respective haunts? You'll have to see my hideaway." She smiled a little to him, her pink hair brushing against her cheek as she tilted her head back a little. Normally only certain players could go in certain designated areas which corresponded with their class and level but thanks to the new Quest in place, players can now have more freedom thanks to their new teammate. And since she now had Spectre's information, she and him could pair up and have a lot more access to places otherwise sectioned off to Mythics or Mechanics. It was an interesting experiment, that was for sure.

Since it seemed like Spectre was on board with the plan of sorts, she gave a wave before she logged out, her slender avatar evaporating into tiny golden pixels. Sasha got up from her desk and grabbed her planner. Now that she was thinking of it, she wrote down her plans for tomorrow night and just put 'Meet up with S.' While she could easily keep track of dates and events in her phone, she liked holding something in her hands better. The weight of a planner was something classic and irreplaceable.

The next morning came and Sasha had the rare pleasure in getting to sleep in. She woke up around 9:30 and made herself some toast and tea for breakfast. She didn't want to eat too much since she and James were going to try a ramen place that had been getting great reviews in the city. Sasha took a shower and changed into a pair of back jeans a long navy blue sweater which reached her thighs. She slipped on some sneakers and headed out the door and headed off to meet James, not sure why she still felt a little nervous.