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Stepping out of the cab that smelled like tuna fish and Dunkin Donuts coffee, Star hurried as fast as she could into the lobby of her apartment building. She could hear the rain pour down even after the doors closed shut.
She approached the doorman's desk; he was too busy drowning his ears in a reggae playlist to notice she was standing there. His hair was drooped in front of his face, it's the longest it's ever been; the curls not even past his ears, though the front had barely met his brows. It was her favorite look on him, though it made him look incredibly younger than he already looked. She waved her hand over his face and snapped him out of his gaze.
His face lit up for a split second when he saw her, then she noticed he checked the time. "Late shift, I see"
Her shoulder fell, "Gabriel — "
He bit his lip, "I told you I don't like you playing that game — "
"It's harmless," she retorted, tired of discussing the same conversation over and over again. "I was only in there for like, five minutes, max."
"It's hella sketchy," he added, resting his headphones around his neck.
She chewed on the inside of her cheek, "When's your shift over?"
"Four, don't change the subject," he shook his head.
She stressed her tone, "I can stop whenever I want."
"Okay, now you sound like an addict."
She scowled, "Don't be a dick."
"Star, you're putting your mind on a server where you could fuck a lot of shit up."
She clenched her jaw, "I've been getting better at it, okay? I used to practice on you all the time."
Gabriel sat back, "You'd what?"
Parting her lips she went on, "You're the only one close enough I could practice on, you can't be surprised."
"That's an invasion of my privacy — "
"A subconscious is anything but private," she interrupted, catching herself as someone exited the elevator and walked through the lobby.
Gabriel smiled and waved, "Have a nice flight, Mrs. Tulane, should I call you a cab?"
The old woman held her chest, "Thank you so much but I already called one. Have a nice night you two."
"Bye Mrs. Tulane," they both projected, staring at one another.
"It's not my fault once you moved in I stopped having my own dreams, okay?" Star continued once she stepped out into the rain. "Just because you got a hang of your shit when you were a kid doesn't mean — "
"Oh, come on! You know I'm still learning. I just got a head start."
"Okay and?" She waited, dramatically shrugging her shoulders. "They're dreams, I'm not creating memories."
"I'm not conscious, that's my time to be alone. My body is in recharge."
"You sound like a Hermeticist."
"What? No, I don't — do you even know what a Hermeticist is?"
She uncapped her EOS and applied the balm to her lips, "Um, I know enough."
"Um, apparently not," he chimed back, mimicking her tone.
She rolled her eyes, "I like playing Sweven. And I'm gonna keep playing Sweven. We're not gonna have this conversation again, okay?"
"Then maybe we shouldn't have any conversations from now on," he blurted out.
They looked at each other for a long, short while. Gabriel looked somber, with a hint of regret but he didn't go back on his word.
Star felt a tug in her throat, "So you're breaking up with me, is that it?"
Gabriel's shoulder fell, "Star — "
"Nope," she caught herself. "You're emotional compromised, I understand. I'm a catch and you're delirious. It's three AM. You didn't mean it."
"But I did," he told her.
She zoned out for a bit, nodding while her vision unfocused while she stared at the tiles on the floor. "Right, um, you can get your stuff and — "
"Star — "
"Don't," she stepped away from him, walking towards the doors and stepping out into the pouring rain. She would've gotten pneumonia if she hadn't remembered the 24-hour pizzeria a few blocks down. Dripping wet, she sat in the corner of the carry-out, next to the window, silently hoping Gabriel would come after her.
She lost track of the time, twirling her phone around on the table, waiting for him to call, when someone walked towards her. "Chill, you're the Duchess of Winnipeg, ain't you?"
Her vision refocused and she looked up to the young man, holding a pizza box in one hand and a to-go cup in the other. "Do I know you?"
He shook his head, "My name's Gerald — sorry, Colonel Stone. I hit up the White Rabbit every now and again. You're hair's different, it looks nice."
She had no idea who this kid was. He looked maybe eighteen, nineteen max. "Yeah, no color damage in Sweven."
He nodded, taking a seat across from her, "I'm sorry to bother you, I'm a huge fan. You're time in the Hall of All Livid Things is record breaking. I'm surprised you don't use a deceptor."
She blinked, "Sorry, a what?"
"A deceptor," his eyes widened. "It's mostly used by clans but I go to one for solo players. It stalls the clocks so you don't need a time limit."
"Wait, what?" She leaned in closer, wanting to know more. Gabriel wouldn't approve. But where was he at? She couldn't go home, he lived there. So many thoughts ran through her mind before she made her decision. "Can you get me in?"
"For the Duchess? Anything," he smiled. "I was just on my way there now, you wanna come?"
She hesitated, "Is it um, dangerous in anyway? My ability requires other people."
He shook his head, "Totally safe. It's been around a few months. If there was a flaw, there would've been some type of tell by now, ya'know?"
"Right," she drew out.
"Hey, if you're not up for it, I totally understand," he assured her, unable to contain his inner fangirl. "I just ... it's not everyday you get to meet the Duchess of Winnipeg, that's like, like meeting the Beyoncé of Sweven, ya'know?"
Star's face felt flustered, "Thanks, you seem like a sweet kid."
He nodded, "So what'd'ya say, Duchess?"
She sat her back up against the chair and from the corner of her eyes she saw she was getting a phone call. The number was saved as a heart emoticon. Star picked up the phone and pressed her fingertip against the power button, "Let's go."
