A welcome surprise.

Gene slept in his tee and gym shorts like he always did. Today was Saturday, so he slept until noon like every day he has off. He only worked Thursdays and Fridays, which was fine since he hated working for an uncaring capitalist machine.

Gene got up shortly after noon, and went straight to the tiny-ass bathroom next to his bedroom, which was to his left at the other end of the walk-in closet. To his right was the living room, and a girl in one of the living chairs. Gene presumed she was a visiting relative of some creepy old guy who moved in. He went into the bathroom and was reminded yet again why he hated it. The door to it wasnt a true solid door. It had a fixed blinds-like structure, ensuring there was no real privacy in the bathroom.

After using the toilet and washing hands, during which he had to drown the spider hiding in the sink bowl, Gene went into the kitchen to make some cereal. What Gene didn't notice was the girl checking out his bum as he walked past her, before the half wall counter behind her obscured her view. As he made some cocoa puffs, he looked around and noticed that the door to the other room was wide open, with the lights off, and the girl in the living room watching tv was the only person in there. Gene presumed the guy to be upstairs meeting with the GH owners or something. Finally finishing filling up his bowl, he set it on the table on the far end of the kitchen and began eating.

"I take it you're Gene, my man?" The girl asked from the living room. She had a soft spoken voice.

"Yep, that's me!" Gene said, in between bites. "You?"

"Christa Midlock, your new roommate." With that, Gene momentarily paused before taking his next bite.

"Oh shit. I'd better behave myself then." He thought to himself.

"Oh yeah, nice to meet you." He responded.

"You too, hun."

After several minutes of just the TV blaring, Gene finally finished his cereal, poured the rest of the milk into a cup, and used it to take his meds. Afterwards he sat on the living room sofa, next to the large windows, to watch TV with Christa who was watching CNN.

"So what brings you here?" Gene began with an ice breaker after a few moments.

"Ahh, broken back. The day after I graduated college 4 years ago, the taxi cab taking me back to the airport to go home crashed, and I spent the last 4 years recovering, and so now I'm here on SSI to get back on my feet."

"Ohh. Sorry they broke your back, Christa." Gene consoled. He was also using her time to speak to see what she looks like. She had natural red hair, braided into two long braids going from her crown, circling behind her head before coming back to the front onto her shoulders and chest. She had an asian appearance, with a few tasteful facial piercings and dark violet lipstick. She was wearing fancy goth clothes too. The red hair was likely a genetic quirk.

"Ahh, it's fine." Christa dismissed. "I'm here now and that's all that matters. I'm actually kind of surprised to be here; my Social Worker **** the hands of the owners here to let me move in AND take the downstairs room. I thought for sure I'd be upstairs."

"Wow, that surprises me too. They have definitely told me in the past they allow women only if they stay upstairs."

"I know! Isn't that wierd?" Christa giggled.

A few more moments pass before Gene conjures another ice breaker.

"So, what didja study in college?"

"Political Science. I've always had an interest in politics."

"Oooh, nice!" Gene's attention perked up.

"Disappointed my High Expectations Asian Parents tho. They wanted me to be some world renowned hospital director or some shit. Probably why they refused to let the hospital fly me back to Japan." Christa shrugged.

"Oh damn." Gene commented sympathetically. "Sorry they did that to ya."

"Hey, I like it here. Soooo much less repressive than Japan."

"Niiiiice. What was your favorite part about political science?" Gene was hoping she liked leadership stuff. Christa excitedly gasped. She was eager to share her favorite experience.

"My college was a humor-themed one, really out in the middle of nowhere, simply named 'State University,' because 'Minnesota State University' was already taken. And in Soohomore year, they had a 'lab' class where we could design our own Monarchy!"

Jackpot, baby! Hearing that made Gene grin ear to ear.

"So now I kinda wanna be queen of some big 'ol honkin' tonkin' empire someday, haha."

"That's actually right up my alley!" Gene began, as Christa's eyes widened with excitement. "I have a creative worldbuilding project all about me becoming King of an inter-galactic empire!"

"I LOVE outer space stuff!" Christa gleefully exclaimed. "Bring it out and show me, I can't come in your room for obvious reasons."

Gene eagerly ran into his room, bringing out his phone; most of his worlbuilding posts was online. He loaded the political satire game his stuff was on, and gave his phone to Christa to look at.

"Ooooh, let's see here." She began. "The Pluto-- Really?! That's my favorite planet!" Christa squealed.

"Yay! Same here!" Gene and Christa fist pumped.

"The United Planets of the Plutonian Empire, a 'left leaning college state.' Wait... I use this site too! Hold on a sec!" Christa gave Gene his phone back and rushed to her room, walking slightly oddly due to her back injury. Within seconds, she was out with her own, loading up her own "nation."

"Check it out, Gene!" Christa suggested as they traded phones.

"Oooh, Sexy Plutonians!" Gene exclaimed. He and Christa compared stats, and they were pretty similar, having passed similar "legislation" in response to each game issue. Only Gene's "nation" had any detailed worldbuilding in it's factbook. When he finished reading over

"A redheaded Queen named Amy O'Rinn, with nine redheaded princesses, huh?" Christa giggled. She was flattered by Gene's fondness for redheads.

"Uhhhhmmmm yyyyeah." Gene confirmed, mildly embarrassed.

"Oooh look at the birth order, and those indents. Does that mean what I think it means?"

"Uhhhhhhh....." Crap. Gene was caught, and turned beet red. "Yeah."

"Hawt. If we ever get together, I want both genders cuz I want in on that royal sexiness." Christa flirtatiously suggested.

Gene couldn't believe his eyes and ears. He had lead himself to believe that all women were prudes because of all the times he had been rejected during his school years and online. He pinched himself to make sure it was not a dream. That launched Christa into a fit of giggles.

"This is definitely not a dream, sweetheart!"

Gene couldnt help but blush. Guess his pessimistic generalization was wrong then. To be fair tho, Minnesota women WERE pretty bad; there were multiple studies they were not only the pickiest daters in the country, but also the most adulterous, leading Gene to conclude he'd have better luck with girls not from the midwest. And lo and behold, (Christa) was from Japan, having escaped from a repressive environment. And Gene was reminded of his boss interrupting his daydream yesterday.

"You know, that's funny, cuz my boss interrupted a superrealistic daydream yesterday when I was scrubbing dishes at Fast Burgers."

"Ohhh, the one on the other side of the highway opposite from McDonalds?"

"Yep! That's the one!" Gene confirmed. "And my daydream involved meeting an alien coming from my favorite sci fi planet I made up, Belle Hades, itching to give me my Plutonian Empire dreams." Hearing that made Christa want to work with Gene at Fast Burgers, in case that were to happen.

They spent hours going over Gene's creative works, with Christa enjoying every bit of it, especially Belle Hades being Proserpina's origins at Delta Trianguli. Eventually dinner came down and they watched the 5pm local news together, especially savoring the political gossip of the day. Afterwards Gene spent the evening in and out of his room, alternating between his games and watching CNN with Christa.