Private Dunnstads Ocean Avenue

[Erick Stryker]

"Oh, yeah, of course!" he replied without hesitation. There was no way that he was the only one who had learned about this game and made the dive, nor was he selfish or stupid enough to believe otherwise. Erick was doubly worried that others were slowly- or quickly, or perhaps more quickly- coming to the same realizations that he was. About the pain... for now... but about other things, too.

Before he got sidetracked with that line of thought, though, Harukami offered to heal his wounds. He knew that he was marginally capable of taking care of it himself, but thought it was a kind gesture and nodded. The more human people were able to be to one another in this world the better, right? "I'd appreciate that," he answered warmly.

Not unlike the moment Ash had requested to be friends with him, a message box populated in his menu, and Erick turned his palm upright quickly to check it. She had sent him a request to be contacts. He hit the check mark without hesitation.

At her next words, the blue haired youth looked up and studied her face. It was possible she knew something he did not, or perhaps that they knew the same information. Rather than press that issue, he let his eyes close and nodded solemnly. "...yeah, best to let tonight end on a positive note, I agree," he murmured. "Sure, let's plan on it."

 

[Harukami]

With a gentle warmth and light, Harukami placed her hand on the wounds she saw and channeled her energy into it, chanting a spell she'd memorized early in the game to be safe. With any luck, the pain from the briar should have dissipated. When she was done, she let out a deep sigh and smiled, relieved she'd been of some help to the man. He was, after all, very kind to her.

She was giddy when he accepted her request to be contacts. Anytime Haruka met someone new and was able to make them a contact, she giggled and smiled abundantly, thankful they didn't mind her hope of friendship.

She slowly began to eat her food, grinning ear to ear and stopping her worries about the game's secret for the time being. The taste wasn't exactly the same, but it was so close to curry it warmed her heart. "I should make something more like this at home. Tsu- er, my sister would enjoy it."

 

[Erick Stryker]

He took another bite and savored the new, different, but decidedly very good flavor. Nothing remotely like what his mom used to make, but then, his mother was more of a frozen TV dinner sort of Midwestern gal who was home one or two nights a week. Homecooked meals were more the exception than the norm for Jimmy, and so, this was a treat in more ways than one. He didn't make mention of that, though. When Haruka started to talk about her family, he smiled.

Food should make you think about home, he reflected, about family. It's the one thing all people across every part of the world share with the ones closest to them. It made him realize that he wasn't the only one with that kind of experience, and that made him feel more connected. At the same time, he felt even more distant.

He had fallen out of touch with his family long before his dive into Terrasphere. They weren't close in the way they had been before. This was his second dive into the game for more than fourteen hours, and no one had tried to wake him or confronted him about oversleeping. It felt more and more like they were learning not to care.

I'm starting to wonder if I care, either.

Erick looked to Harukami with a soft smile, the kind that betrayed nothing of the storm brewing behind his eyes. "That would probably make her happy," he agreed with a certain confidence in his voice. "I know I'd be glad to eat food like this at home."

After they finished their meal, he stood up and started to help with the dishes. "I'm going to go get some sleep," he announced as they finished up. "It was great meeting and working with everyone, but its about time I..." got some things done "checked out for the night."