Alexander cleared his throat, “Awkwardness… runs in the family.”

  Emily smiled, “So I wanted to thank you for the other night, I’m sorry you had to leave before we started our movie.”

  “Thank me?”

  “Yeah, you caught one of those rats didn’t you? I wasn’t able to sleep that night just thinking about how it must of got in! But, you saved us from being embarrassed at our own house party, so thanks are in order.”

  “That’s not exactly correct, but I will be happy to take credit for saving your party.” Alexander smiled. “I thought I came out of that looking a tad crazy.”

  “Oh, you did!” Emily laughed. “But not to Janelle and I. We know a bit how you operate now.”

  “I appreciate your patience with me.”

  Emily nodded and was quiet for a second as she glanced in Alexanders apartment.

  Taking in the room, she could easily see the order and precision by which Alexander seemed to live his life. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was an odd magic in the air. Like something grand was hidden behind Alexanders calm facade. She thought this as her eyes had landed on Alexanders piano.

  “Would you like to hear me play my keyboard? I took some time off and I haven’t had a proper audience in years.”

  “I would love to!” Emily said. Her face genuinely lighting up.

  Alexander gestured into his apartment and poured Emily a glass of tea he had conveniently ready.

  Sitting down he unplugged his headphones. He was suddenly nervous with Emily in his home watching him. Cracking his knuckles he paused to think on his mood. What should he play?

  He turned around to Emily. “I will be playing a modern piece, a piece I would often find myself playing, honestly, as a child. I would turn to this piece when I was trying to work through my frustrations. It was inspired by the man who invented the piano—a message to the past—of how his invention would move hearts and shape the landscape of art forever. This is Cristofori’s Dream, by David Lanz."

  Alexander turned his back and left Emily slightly starstruck by his unexpected gravitas. His presence suddenly denser as he took control of his stage.

  Rolling a single hand over three simple notes he started to trace the outlines of a delicate mood, peaceful with a touch of tension. The first progression started simply but ended with a haunted movement before the right hand descended to introduce a calming dance. What was at first playful moved into a short lived storm.

  Alexanders mind began to calm and he moved into self reflection. He had always felt his emotions were at an arms reach from his soul, but he knew that he wanted some understanding of peoples emotions. He never felt closer to blind emotions than when he played music, but he felt like he could move at least a little closer if he allowed himself to… He had changed the last few weeks—and if he was to be honest with himself—he was enjoying the changes. The wizardly hobbies and his social life had increased the richness of his life. He was moving forward.

  The musical storm he conjured with the piano transformed into a triumphant return of the sun, which brightened the hearts of those it had first started in quiet melancholy. At its finale, the song dropped the passionate melody to land on the feeling you have at the end of a dream.

  As Alexander finished, he settled his hands in his lap. The quiet of the room was broken by a sniffle behind him. This song did that from time to time. The first time hearing it had a hypnotic effect often leaving people baffled at whether the song was short or long, happy or sad.

  Mind now clear, he pulled up his screen, the turmoil in his soul from meeting with his brother fading as he had played his song. He decided to put one more point into charisma bringing it to a 9. He knew he was different, often blind to the steps of the socially capable. It felt right to remain slightly socially awkward as he wanted to keep perspective on his strengths, but always feel the need to improve himself, as himself. So he made an internal vow that would never put a point in Charisma again.

  ^

  You have locked the stat Charisma using a vow.

  Turning around Emily was lightly dabbing at her eyes using her wrist.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  "I think you must be a far deeper man than you advertise Alexander. You must of had many lady callers when you were performing."

  “If there were, I was certainly too blind to see it. A mixed blessing I suppose, a woman would have made for a very distracted performer. To much of a distraction to compete at those levels.”

  “Are you still so averse to distraction these days?”

  “I am beginning to feel I don’t have enough distractions in my life. Today has pointed that out to me. I find days off are terribly boring.”

  “Well excuse me for boring you.” Emily teased.

  “Wait a second, I didn’t…” Alexander stuttered.

  Emily just laughed seeing him blush when he realized he was being teased.

  “So about making it up to me for missing that movie…”

  “Well, I supposed that I could…”

  Bang. Bang. Bang.

  They both jumped as someone knocked on the door hard.

  “Aren’t I popular today.” He said sightly perplexed at all of his visitors.

  Alexander brushed himself off as he stood and moved to the door. As he opened it, he sighed with a bit of agitation.

  “Ridley, I distinctly remembered not giving you my address.”

  “Yeah well, magic hand remember!” Ridley said shaking one hand in the air.

  Alexander flushed and looked back at Emily who seemed confused, then scandalized, but then confused again.

  “Oh! You have a lady friend. Hiya lady friend!”

  Trying to avoid any misunderstandings of any variety Alexander introduced them.

  “Ridley this is Emily my neighbor. Emily this is one of my coworkers at Congo, Ridley.”

  “Pleased to meet you!” Ridley said walking in uninvited and shaking Emily’s hand.

  “Nice to meet you Ridley.” Emily said attempting to put a picture together, but failing.

  “Now I’m not sure if you are initiated yet, but get ready for a rollercoaster if you aren’t!” Ridley said turning to Alexander. “I assume you got the message that the world might end tomorrow evening. I will be putting together a swat team of three individuals, one of them is you. You have no choice in the matter as I want to live, and I assume Emily here would vote with me on the living part. So you are outnumbered.”

  “What? I am definitely missing something.”

  “Um, ahh. She is talking about a game that we play… at work.” Alexander said unconvincingly.

  “Oh yeah! Crazy off world platypus, poo monsters, Alexander gave me a magic ring… technically we are married, in game.” She grinned impishly.

  “I disagree with Ridley’s assessment of our relationship. I even quit the game as it wasn’t my style, but I may just help her out of a pinch if she doesn’t annoy me to much.” Alexander responded through gritted teeth.

  “Come on! It’s not that big of a deal. You should… you know. Show off a bit.”

  “Show off what?” Emily sat up a bit straighter.

  “Nothing important or related to my relationship to my neighbor.”

  “Yes, definitely missing something.” Emily nodded. “I am not one to pry so I will see myself out.” She said coolly before exiting the open door. “Have a good day. Nice to meet you Ridley, I hope your character survives.”

  “Right back at ya sis!”

  Emily shut the door hastily.

  “I think you are supposed to go after her now.”

  “What? Why? She clearly told me to have a good day.”

  Alexander, still annoyed, looked at Ridley. “What are you talking about? Wait…” Alexander said remembering he had turned off notifications.

  You are invited to a global event!

  Denizens of another plane are attempting to seize control of a local territory!

  Objective: Stop the army from claiming territory.

  Your Location: Congo Distribution Center - Mekland, OK

  Time until attack: 15 hours 12 minutes

  Quest rewards:

  -Crystalized Essence of Choice

  -2500 xp

  -50 silver

  -Mystery Box (uncommon)

  “Well?” Ridley asked. “Are you ok with helping us?”

  Alexander looked at her with a serious expression. Ridley in turn looked ashamed.

  “I won’t say I don’t have reservation about how we participate in this system, or how it is effecting us as individuals. I do however see ignoring it as foolish. In depth study of it, and why this is happening to us now, is a worthy goal for us.” Alexander said with sincerity.

  Ridley just nodded, feeling the need to not push Alexander on anything right now.

  “How do you think you will handle your change in demeanor?”

  “I don’t know… but I do know I want to be needed in this world. This looks like the best quest to find out if I am. Will you help?”

  “As your superior I will take responsibility for you. I’ll see what I can do to help you meet your goals.”

  After some awkward silence Ridley decided to reset the mood.

  “So! What’s the plan Stan?”

  “You said you are putting together a team?” Alexander asked hesitantly.

  “Do I look like the type to make the plan? You are the smarty pants that’s probably decent at chess. I would just use chess pieces to play checkers.”

  “It is obvious that there is a threat to Congo. I don’t see a way to prevent delays if there is an army involved. So we call the local authorities…”

  “Bzzzt! Wrong, what do you think the popo are going to think when we tell them an army will teleport—or however these things are appearing—to the middle of the city.”

  “True.” Alexander nodded.

  Ridley thought for a moment. “I don’t know about everyone being on board, but aren’t there a lot of angry employees? Could we get one of them to make a bomb threat?”

  Alexander mused, “A bomb threat would be too great of a risk for someone to take without severe repercussions…”

  “Wait… I have an idea.” She cracked a smile before saying, “…but you are going to hate it." Ridley couldn’t help but giggle menacingly.

  “I think it would be best if you didn’t tell me then.”

  “Alexander! You are going to be in so much trouble!”

  Alexander groaned, “It will keep people safe?”

  Ridley nodded grinning ear to ear.

  “And I won’t have to fill out incident reports?”

  Ridley nodded again, “It will be so much worse.”

  “Don’t say anything more, please.”

  Ridley shrugged, “By the way, do you want to come meet my platypus friend who says we are in deep trouble?”

  “I would but I am afraid I have to much work to do. It seems that I will need to spend some time optimizing.”