"How was your game?" My mom returned home to find me watching shows on the couch.
"It was good, a little more mundane than I thought it would be, but the graphics and sensory stuff are crazy good."
"Oh, is that why you're out here watching shows rather than in the game-world? I thought you took the day off to play." She sat down next to me on the couch and gave me a kiss on the side of the head.
"Heyy," I leaned away from her too late.
She only giggled and settled in next to me.
"It was fun, it was just more tiring than I thought it'd be. I'm doing runemaking which is kind of like…I don't know a mix between engineering and coding, kind of? Anyways, it's kind of complicated so I thought I'd come out to let my brain cool off for a while."
"Engineering and coding? And you're doing this for fun?"
"I've done way weirder things for fun than that, Mom," I rolled my eyes. "Besides, all your results are pretty immediate, so it's actually really satisfying. Like carve a few runes into a stone and you get a handwarmer or a pocket-sized fan, and all the underlying principles are sound so you could probably make some crazy shit with it. I bet the beta-testers are out there building computers or robots or something."
"Well, that sounds cool, but I thought you'd had enough of engineering after your high school robotics competition."
"That was…" I flushed a little at the embarrassing memory. "That was different. Besides this is just a game. If I lose interest or mess up it's not actually going to hurt anyone."
"Well, let's hope so. Don't go breaking any more virtual hearts young lady."
I frowned and pushed her away from me, grumbling. "The same can be said of you, you know."
"Rude! Since when have I broken any hearts?"
"Remember Takashi from your last workplace?"
"I swear you read too much into that! Just because he invited me out for drinks occasionally did not mean he was interested in me."
"Sure, sure, maintain your innocence. I'm sure he came over with soup when you were sick out of pure and wholehearted friendliness."
My Mom huffed and we both hid our smiles as we kept watching the cooking show that I had left on.
After another hour or so we got up and made a simple dinner. And after helping with the dishes I headed back into my room to dive back into the game.
***
"Alright, let's see where was I…" I logged back into the game and looked around the dark wooden room that was now pitch-black with the onset of night.
"I guess I should use that light stone…" I fumbled around with the various stones I had carved earlier that day, until I found the one with the light rune and activated it. A soft glow burst from the stone, illuminating the room around me with around the strength of a bedside lamp. I set it back down on the table then looked back towards the rest of the room.
"KYAAAAA!!" I nearly jumped out of my skin as I saw the dark-haired figure of Violet looming over me as soon as I turned around.
"Holy f***! What are you doing here? Were you just waiting there in the dark!?"
"Mmm," Her voice rippled through the room strangely, and she let herself down from where she had seemed to be hanging upside down in mid air. "I've been waiting for you."
"You took a while." She looked at me cooly with those dimly glowing red eyes.
"U-um, sorry?" I sat back down in the chair, still totally unsure of what to make of this strange NPC.
"Where do you go, when you're elsewhere?" She tilted her head slightly.
"Um? Do you mean when I log out? I go back to the other world, where I'm from."
She frowned, looking at me closer. "Is there a way to force you to return here?"
I shuddered unconsciously "Uh, no, um, there shouldn't be…Why…would you even want to?"
Some of my annoyance at being bothered was leaking into my tone, and the girls' eyes sharpened. And I felt a cold chill down the back of my neck.
"Ah, sorry." I said, instinctively.
"Your existence is strange," She lifted her head, still looking at me "I think I shall watch you for a while."
"Umm…ok, but where exactly are we? I know last time you said something about the Greyrock kingdom, but I was wondering if there are any villages or towns that I could…"
"Why do you wish to go to town?" She retorted curious, though with a sharp edge under her question.
"Uh no, no, it's not for much, I'm just, ah…supposed to register with the Mage Tower and…"
The pressure around me intensified at that name, which left me scrambling. "I mean it's not that important, really, but…"
"Hmmm, they told you to get registered?" I nodded, uncertainly. She blinked, and the pressure let up. She looked at me another moment
"Do not get involved with the Mage Tower." She said, finally.
"Ok," I said simply. I knew the Mage Tower was supposed to be a huge deal with Magia's storyline, but getting involved with an underground insurgent movement also sounded kind of fun, and it seemed like I had some kind of special start in that regard. Plus I was scared of what she'd do if I refused. "But, um, what about food…?"
"I shall provide for you," She said curtly. "I see you are making rune devices?"
"Yes, I've been learning runemaking from the encyclopedia course."
"Encyclopedia?" She tilted her head again.
"Ah, how do I explain this?" I scratched my head. "It's like a book that I carry with me."
She narrowed her eyes. "In your soul construct? Did the Mage Tower provide this then? What kinds of things are written in it?"
"Uh, something like that I guess? To be honest, I'm not too sure how it works…It just has info on, like basic magic concepts, and how to do runemaking…"
"Hmmm…" She looked down, pondering. "Very well then, you shall stay here and make rune devices, and I shall take some of what you make as payment. As for your soul construct, I shall bring someone to examine you. Do you need any other special provision?"
"Um…I don't think so? For now my basic wand and the stones from the stream seem to be fine, but maybe there are material requirements for later runemaking? As for food, whatever's fine. I don't really pay much attention to what I eat. But um…may I ask?"
She looked at me blankly as if to say 'go on.'
"Is this the kind of thing where once I'm trusted more I can move around with you guys or join your organization or whatever…? I'm fine being here for a while, but it might be nice to…"
"That will be decided later."
"O-ok, um, sounds good then." I gave her a thumbs-up which she only looked at oddly.
"Ah, it's a gesture from my world that means like 'ok' or 'all good.'"
"Ah, I see." She blinked and I reluctantly withdrew my arm. "Farewell. I shall find you again before long. Do not wander." With a sweep of her arm, the shadows wrapped around her, and she vanished.
"Fuuu," I sighed, and titled back my head. "She's really a lot, huh."