Adventures With The SMG4 Crew

Catching up Before... Something Happens

Me: Hey, Glitch, whenever you're done doing what you're doing, do you think you could meet my downstairs at the table?

Glitch: Yeah give me a second... just need to finish editing my latest video; Mario Enters the Matrix.

Me: Sounds like a good video, but I do need to catch myself up on a few things before I even think about another adventure.

Glitch: I'll be down in a second, don't get your robotic prosthetic in a metal knot.

Hopping over the banister and rolling over to the table, I plopped my bag right onto the smooth wooden surface and set myself right in the chair next to me. I twirled my now-dull golden revolver around my finger a slight bit and thought back a little while, back to the whole Battle Royale thing. I slid it back into my holster as the man of Editorial Creativity bounded down the stairs and right into the chair across from me, and all I could do was stare him in the eyes and fold my hands.

Me: Okay. This is a genuine question that I've had for a while. Usually, we have around a dozen or so people in the castle, but lately it's been around four or five. I've been confused for a while now, what's been going on?

Glitch: Jake, I can't really sugarcoat anything about this shit. You know how Axol and Saiko are Japanese? Their Visas expired a long while ago, so they moved back to Japan. I've had great difficulty trying to reconnect with them mostly because it's, what, 14 hours ahead of us? So 8:00 in the morning for us is... 2200...

Me: Ten at night. Flip it to PM and add two. Four in the morning, afternoon, add two, six PM. Essentially, we're asleep when they're awake, and vice versa.

Glitch: Exactly. Fishy and Bob went on to stay with them "Just for a few weeks," but it seems they left their Visa envelopes from the bank rummaging on the floor. So they jumped ship, so to speak.

Me: And Meggy?

Glitch: Both of them are police officers, remember? Just because they "have a day off," doesn't mean they ACTUALLY do. It's more like staying on a permanent On-Call list. Difficult work for even the most experienced, and tiresome at the absolute worst.

Me: I saw Damien and Kapi moved out. And those noises in the walls are gone.

Glitch: Sad to see friends grow apart and head their own separate paths, but it's part of life. We all need to learn from our mistakes, grow as individuals, and be... well, US. It's a serious topic, I know, but it's also the one that explains the most. How we've all changed, mostly growing up and being more our own mature person. Im not saying it's a bad thing to hold onto memories, but it's... it's time to grow up. Become who your mind really wants you to be. I chose video making because it's just fun, but it's also a great way of expressing who I am as a person.

Me: And they left because they couldn't be who they wanted to be, trapped between these walls. They had to get out. I see that now, but it... it's so fucking QUIET around now. And where the fuck's Tari?

Glitch: Meta Running. At least that's what she told me. Anyone ELSE that slipped your mind?

Me: Pico and Luna?

Glitch: They went to Music City, bud. They wanted to get away from the loneliness and solitude of the castle, and they found an apartment to stay at, and there they are. So that just leaves me, you, the boys, and your girl. Speaking of, where is she?

Me: It IS 7:00 in the morning, Glitch. By all accounts, she sleeps in past 9. That, and we had our time last night.

Glitch: Did you at least use protection... PROPERLY?

Me: Glitch, do you ALWAYS need to assume that just because we're alone we immediately choose... well, THAT? But to answer your question, we didn't even do anything. Aside from cuddling, deep kisses... got myself a new mark on my neck, and my heart.