John nearly threw his phone into his inventory.

He ran his hands through his hair, probably more aggressively than he meant to, he could feel the scratches gouging into his scalp, but fuck that was embarassing. Last time he did something like that, it was in June’s class.

He tried, and failed, to not beat himself up over the slip, because she genuinely did seem to care about him, but still, Kiana wasn’t his girlfriend or mother. ’There is more love than that. Pack is large.’ Again, the deep voice in his mind was almost on the same page as him. The gamer sighed, watching the world go by out the window of the bus while he thought for a moment. ’A pack is large. A family isn’t just a mom and a girlfriend.’ He finally settled himself with that thought.

The bus groaned to a stop downtown and John was more than glad to be back on track for his day. He hopped off at the stop, mumbling a passing thanks to the driver, and started walking up the street towards Emily’s shop. Focused on the plan, the gamer was half muttering to himself, “Alright, pizza, training room, Chester. Pizza, training room, Chester. Please don’t turn into a fight.” ’Cool as that dagger is, I’d rather not use it just yet.’ “Pizza, training, chest.” John repeated the mantra until he was at Emily’s door.

The little witch burst out the door, in her full shop costume, before John’s hand could even grip the handle. “Finally! Can I see it?” she squeaked excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet while she leaned towards him, making the gamer chuckle nervously and look around at the passersby giving them both coy and disgusted looks.

He lowered his voice to not draw more attention. “Once we’re inside. I think I have an idea to try to make this go easier.”

“Oooh! Yes, in, in in in.” Emily’s excitement was difficult to contain as she ushered him into her shop and threw the lock behind him. “There. Now, tell me.”

“Alright, hang on,” he placated, pulling up the party window to so she could see Chester’s Observe screen. “So, according to that, it’s hungry. I kinda figured as much when it ate my pillow, but that just wound up in my inventory, so I don’t really know how it works.”

“He ate your pillow?” Emily piped, notepad in hand like some eager student on a research trip.

“Uh, yeah.” John paused. “Well, I kinda tried to hit it with my pillow. But it ate the thing instead.” He shrugged. “I don’t really know anything more than you do now. I ordered a pizza thinking if that is what it eats, I could maybe feed it, but if not, then we will at least have something to eat while we figure things out.”

She closed her notebook with a snap and tapped her pen against her deep red lips. “If it’s hungry, and actually eats the pizza, then what?”
John just blinked at her.

“I mean, if it is actually friendly, is it like a pet? Would you keep it?” Emily’s brows arched, her face unsure.

“I… guess if it doesn’t want to hurt us? Maybe? We won’t really know until we try, right?” The gamer closed the windows they’d been looking at confidently as a kid on a bike pulled up outside with their pizza. “Perfect timing. You ready?”

“When you are,” she said simply, unlocking and opening the door for the pizza boy.

’Not gonna lie, It’s a relief it wasn’t Steph this time. I don’t think I want those two to meet yet, if ever,’ John thought, frowning to himself as he nodded at the kid, tapping the appropriate tip on his app, and locking the door once Emily was back inside.

Without saying another word, the pair made their way to the office door in the back of the shop, switched the knob to the training grounds, and walked into the field.

“You know,” John quipped with a smirk, “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that.”

Emily giggled, summoning a table with a wave of her hand to set the pizza on. “Don’t worry, took me a few weeks myself. Grandma loved having tricks up her sleeve like that. I swear she had a carpet bag that was bottomless. Could pull an entire conference room table outta that thing.” She put the box down and looked up at him with bright eyes, the subtle glow in them back.

“Stories for another time, I guess?” John asked and the witch nodded.

“Alright, before we get too distracted, bring our new friend out to play. I want to see the mimic you keep in your pants.” She smiled slyly, making John roll his eyes dramatically.

“I said pocket, not pants.” And, to prove his point, he pulled Chester out of his inventory in the open air in front of him, the chest landing on its gilded feet, eyes wide and mouth open.

“Oh my fuck,” Emily squealed, “that’s the cutest thing ever!”

John had to grab her wrist before she charged forward to hug the damn thing. “Careful. We don’t know if it’s friendly yet.” ’I swear, this girl has little to no survival skills.’

“His info card said he was friendly, though, right?” She looked back over her shoulder at him as she pulled her arm from his grip. Stepping up, she crouched down to be eye level with the silly chest. “Aren’t you friendly, little guy?”

Chester tottled forward clumsily and, though the gamer backed up, Emily stayed put and even put her hand out for the chest’s giant tongue to lick. She didn’t flinch, though John shuddered, still expecting the worst possible outcome.

“Yeah, poor thing. You must be hungry,” she said, pulling the entire pizza off the table and offering him a slice. “Want some pizza, Chester?”

The toothy smile widened, sending a shiver down John’s spine, and the mimic lashed out.

“Shit!” The gamer jumped back forward to kick the thing away as it clamped its gruesome mouth around Emily’s extended hand.

Before his foot could connect, Chester jumped back and John pulled Emily behind himself protectively, pizza spilled on the ground.