"When do we start?"

"Good, that's what I like to hear," Emilia said, pushing off of the handrail and tidying her attire. "Be back here tomorrow, six AM on the dot, both of you. You will share the specific nature of this work with nobody else beyond yourselves, but make arrangements for whatever you need to cover for a few days each week, you will not be your usual self during them at least."

You nodded, thumbing back at Chase over your shoulder. "No worries there, that's why I brought him along. I'll fill him in on the schedule thing, mostly I just need him to feed my cat and all that."

"He's with you?" Skyler frowned, her eyes taking only a moment to register that you were referring to the guy who wouldn't shut up around her. "He's... not going to be hanging around here a lot with you too, is he? He kept trying to explain how transistors work and why Crashdown 3 is the best... game, I think? Is it a game?"

You shrugged. "He just gets passionate and talkative about things he likes around people. Maybe he's got a bit of a crush, but I guarantee you, he's harmless."

"Hm." Skyler hugged her tablet as she looked at you. "Maybe you can just talk to him for me? I'm sure he's nice and all. We're just worlds apart, anyway, I don't do all that nerd stuff even if I was looking to date. I'd need something more... stable, reliable, anyway."

Even though you nodded, you'd rather have rolled your eyes. Chase, like you, held steady engineering jobs working on projects that required specialized knowledge and creative approaches. Those sorts of jobs weren't under threat of a computer wiping them out any time in the near future, and people in those positions aren't easy to replace. Is that not stability? Even if that stable income is spent on games and collectibles and such, you knew your friend would be responsible enough to make something work. ...You don't know why it mattered that much to you, since you'd already thought it would be fun to tease Chase a bit via Skyler's body and voice before revealing it was a ruse and they really weren't compatible. Still! For as much as you enjoyed messing with him, Chase was still your friend. If anything, you thought the little prank idea bubbling in your head might be just as equally targeted as your eventual host body now, too.

"Don't worry about it," you said. "I'll handle everything."

The three of you went your separate ways, with you returning to Chase to walk by his side back to the train station. You stuffed your hands in your pockets in the chilly air outside the King estate while Chase pulled up a video on his phone. "See this? New teaser for Bloodtide. They're bringing back the whipblades! Man, I've waited for that for a while."

You glanced over for a moment. "Yeah, neat." Games, to you, were a hobby you'd participate in with Chase, even if you didn't envelop your identity in them. He'd talk for hours about obscure games you'd never heard of if you let him. Sometimes you did, even if it felt like you were treated more like an audience for a rant than part of the conversation. But that's just how he was, and you knew in turn he'd actually listen for the rare times you'd dive deeper into discussion on your own passions.

"So what'd she say?"

You glance at Chase, who tucked his phone in his pocket. "What did who say?" you asked.

Chase sighed, his breath lingering in the frigid air as you two reached the train platform. "You know, the... ponytail girl. We had a great conversation before King interrupted us. She say anything about me?"

"Oh, yeah, her. She, uh, thinks you're cute." You smirked as you sowed the seeds for your little deception. It wasn't entirely clear how you'd resolve this little prank you had in mind, since you didn't want to hurt your friend, but you decided you'd figure that out later. What mattered was to build a little momentum now, and then tomorrow, your first day as a ghost, you'd get your teasing in and then... something. Whatever, you had a day to figure out a satisfying end to the trickery in store.

"Hah, I knew it! I was reading her vibes." Chase, sadly, had not been reading her vibes. As the incoming train hissed to a stop and the doors opened, the two of you squeezed your way into the busy car, finding handrails to grip. "So what's the job, anyway? You sure you don't need the extra hands?"

You shook your head. "Nah, I'll be fine. It's just some probing for a... novel sort of security system. They want me on-site a couple days a week, so just if you can check on Mewlysses' food bowl every so often, that'd be great. I'll get you pizza once the gig is done, might be done first session but could be once a week for a month."

"She's working with you too?"

"Yeah, she..." you frowned, wishing the others provided a cover story to work with. "She's the designer of whatever it was."

Chase grinned. "She's the one who made King's new security system? Jackpot, dude! Brains and beauty. I'm so lucky I hit it off with her."

Oh, this was going to be almost too easy.