WGS 202

You arrive at your place of work: a beautifully boring town hall in a bustling, lively city. It is terribly murky outside. Not quite a complete downpour, but the scattered showers are enough to set the mood for the day. If you had been at this office for more than a week, you would have considered taking the day off—just one day to experience space and nothingness. But, that is not today. Walking inside, you try to keep your joy up to seem like the cool new hire who fears nothing. The lack of light in the room and dampness of your clothing are trying their best to weigh you down, but you're still here—living, breathing. About to walk towards your cubicle, you feel a thud in your head: //Shit, I should probably go say "Hi" to my boss, shouldn't I?// [[Yeah, I guess I should...->See Boss]] [[Nah, I can get away with it today.->Meet the New Guy]]

You work up the courage to push yourself towards your boss' desk. At the end of the day, greeting your boss in the morning is the least you can do for them. And, yes, you're a new hire, an intern at that, but reminding them of your presence reinforces a team-centric mindset. "Good morning, Annalise! How are you?" Annalise peers up from a manila folder she had been scanning. Or, who knows? Maybe she was just looking at it for fun, as she always seemed to be scanning random files whenever you walked in. "Good, good..." she responds, her disinterest showing in her tone. "Good to hear." An awkward air fills the gap between. "Well, the fees and fines spreadsheet is going quite well. I'm sure it will be done by the end of the week." "Yes, very good." //Good, good, good! Everything just seems to be "good" when it comes to Annalise!// "Well, I'm off to work on that, then. Have a good rest-" "Oh, James!" she interrupts. "Remember yesterday? I told you about that new intern that you'd be working alongside, no?" You had totally forgot, but now it was all you could think of. How bad could a new intern be? Think of the potential friendship! If anything, it would make work a more enjoyable experience—especially useful on a dreary day like today. However, this new intern could also be a major annoyance. The last thing you would want right now is a total snob who takes credit for your work, or worse, does not do any work at all. You cannot imagine going to this job being forced to work with someone you hate. These thoughts have now tangled your brain into mush. The unknown has always terrified you: there could be an unlimited range of outcomes from this, and not a single one of them is within your control. "You can go meet him at your desk and update him on your progress with the fees and fines report." Annalise says, clawing you back to reality. "I gave him a summary, but I assume you can provide a lot more information than I can about the structure of your spreadsheet." [[Meet the New Guy]]

You turn the corner near your cubicle and lock eyes with a new person, who appears surprisingly familiar. Your eyes shift back in time to your days in college—much simpler, and yet, much more complicated days. That familiar face, bonding, friendship, laughter, turned desire, attraction, intensity. //Christian?// "James?" Christian echoes through your dream-like flashback, snapping you back into a far more dull and simple reality. "There's absolutely no way! What are the odds, dude?" His chuckle projects through your wide eyes, propelling you back to that same dormitory where the infection began. You wondered if you had just been more welcoming, would you have spawned in the future as one? Forward, you moved to that same apartment, where life incorporated felt like the only option. "Always copying me, aren't you?" You jest. "Truly, what are the odds you end up in administration?" "Hey, it was an easy in for me! My father knows a ton of people who have worked with these folk, because, as you know, he's in construction, and-" "Yeah, I get it, I know. Still telling long, braggadocious stories, huh?" Christian chuckles once more. Not much has surprised you since moving to this city. Although, you suppose the lack of surprises has been a surprise in itself. All of the people you have met have been warm, welcoming, and encouraging. You suppose of all the people from college you expected to see again, it would be your best friend Christian. However, you thought it more likely to see him at some sort of overly well-planned reunion. //What could this mean? Is he following me on purpose? He had to have seen my post on LinkedIn, so he knows I work here, but why follow? Well, if he misses our friendship, that makes sense. And, if he's struggling to find a job, I would also rather work somewhere I know someone than take a position somewhere totally new and different. But, isn't that what I did? I took that risk, why didn't he want to? Does he really care that much about me?// [[Offer Christian to Hang Out Later]]

"Hey, I don't know how far away you live, but you could come over to my place after work? Just like old times?" You say to Christian as he begins to skim over the fees and fines report that you both should be working on. The mere thought of you asking this question has sent you to another dimension. There truthfully was no intent behind it other than catching up with an old friend. But, something was lingering over the galaxy. A comet of unknown size, of unknown origin, of unknown materials. "You mean watching random videos and essentially accomplishing nothing?" There's an intense, purposeful pause. "I'd love to!" He responds, putting your mind at ease after such an unnecessarily intense question. "Sounds great! Now, we should probably get you caught up on this report. Then, we can go visit Liv from the health board to collect some data. You'll love her, she's great. Honestly, all the interns are." "I never would've expected the government to hold such wonderful people." "Well, the interns are nice. Everyone else is kind of just old and really aggravating. You can ignore them, for the most part." [[Talk to Liv]]

"Good morning, Liv!" You shout into the dark atmosphere, standing at the peak of a crescent moon-shaped desk. Luckily, Liv hasn't tuned completely out of work for the day, at least not yet. "Oh, James!" She shuffles non-existing papers on her desk before launching towards the moon. "Wasn't last night just so fun? You know I really appreciated your company!" The flirtatious tone of Liv's voice would have led to questioning from Christian had he not already been familiar with your sexuality. Albeit, last night was still fun and filled with sexual expression, just not the most intimate nor god-sworn type. Yet what made last night so exhilirating was the simple fact that there was something to talk about. Even in college, going out did not interest you much. Drinking, in its entirety, came with tremendous guilt and hatred. The feeling of poisoning your body hit too close to home, and so you surrounded yourself with those who kept you in a safe, comfortable bubble. Not a bit of regret about those days came from last night, but it was nice to know that although you are aging, you are still young enough to enjoy a night out. In fact, you are a prime age to do so. While all of this is true, you can't help but ignore the fact that you went clubbing with your coworkers on a Monday night. Of the many days to choose from, a Monday. A dawn, a rebirth. You suppose a rebirth it was. "This is Christian, by the way. And, of course, Christian, this is Liv." You usher an introduction in as soon as possible to not leave Christian awkwardly floating beside you. "And, yes, last night was fun, but holy shit I am tired!" "You went out? Like, //out// out? Man, no wonder you're tired, you never used to go out!" Christian jests. "Good for you, though!" "Oh, do you two know each other?" Liv inquires. Christian responds with some dull, not-the-whole-story rendition of your lives. Just the basic "we went to college together," which, to be fair, was probably the right introduction. It wasn't like Christian to discuss your odd relationship. Nonetheless, the conversation still had an intensity to it that was undesirable. "Well, I would ask you to come out tonight, but James seems too tired." Liv said in a suggestive way as to actually say: "Convince your lame friend to go out again, will ya?" "Oh, come on James, you have to!" Christian pleaded. "It's my first day here, please? For me?" [["Fine, you're right. I'll go."]] [["I really don't think I should..."]]

You stare outside the windows of your Uber with clear discomfort. As cars and people move rapidly around you, you feel the Earth spin along its axis at the same unpredictable, hectic pace. The gigantic cityscape, while bustling, feels especially empty now, like a silent black hole. It is as if you, Christian, and the stranger driving this Uber are the only three people safe from the suffocating void outside this vehicle. "I'm really excited, James." Christian shines with brightness, oblivious of your state of mind, which, isn't necessarily his fault, at least so you think. Maybe he does have good intuition and is just making an attempt to lighten up the mood? "Feels really good to still be going out even after college." "Yeah," You say with emphasis on your tone being both lame and //not// excited. You fear making Christian feel bad before an eventful night, so you feel the need to explain yourself. "I'm just not really in the mood to go out." "I thought you said it was fun last night?" Christian responds in an annoyed mood, at least it felt annoyed to you. "Yeah, I did. But I'm just really tired and afraid of this becoming a regular thing for me. It's not who I am." "You're thinking too much." He leans into his phone and away from your face, as to avoid continuing this deemed uninteresting conversation. You are used to this response from him, so you launch back into space with your thoughts. Even on the Moon, they will always be with you. [[Arrive at Club]]

In your apartment, you and Christian are catching up while sinking into the confines of your couch. You listen to Christian closely, analyzing every word in case, after all these years, your universes have finally been approved to collide. For some reason, you have not been able to get out of his orbit. Although, now it feels like he's in your orbit, circling around your life in tantalizing, confusing ways. "Yeah, so basically my dad was hella mad at me for it, and just needed me out of the house. So, he got me this job hoping it would be steady enough to leave him alone for a few months." Christian dials in, tuning your focus back to reality. "Sorry, can you go back? I completely zoned out..." You chuckle, hoping to offset the fact that Christian might have just trauma dumped and you absolutely were not listening. He does not seem annoyed at all to repeat himself, however. "So, you remember Sofia?" "Of course I do! I thought things between you two were going quite well?" You don't actually believe that, though. Ever since the start of their relationship, Sofia has felt more like a temporary solution to a larger problem in Christian's life. But, that was for him to figure out on his own time; you were not going to say anything. And, now that Christian has brought it up to you, maybe he finally figured his shit out, and was ready to touch down on your planet. "Well, I thought things were going well too. So much so that I proposed to her, but, yeah." There was a brief, yet so lengthy pause. You purposefully did not want to say anything. "You can imagine how that ended up." "I'm really sorry, Christian, that's terrible. And that's why your dad got upset?" He nodded his head, holding back tears to the best of his ability. "I could use some fresh air. Let's go for a walk." [[Roam the City]]

Surprisingly, as the car arrives at the club, you can sense similar anxiety in Christian. You thank your driver before stepping out onto the sidewalk, Christian following close behind, visibly having difficulty taking everything in at once. "You got everything?" You ask to feel out his emotions. "I'm sure Liv and the rest of them are already inside." "Oh, they already went in." He responds as a way to show his sensitivity towards the club. It sort of confuses you why he feels this way, since he seemed so ready for adventure just a few moments ago. "Yeah, well, if I was them, I wouldn't want to wait out here in this weather. C'mon, I texted Liv asking where they are inside." "Hey, hear me out." You stop everything, truly everything, to hear his next thought. "Wanna just walk around?" "What happened? I thought you were so excited to go out tonight! Either way, it's pretty shitty weather right now." "I'm just really stressed, I'd rather just walk around. Please?" [[Roam the City]] [[Stay at the Club]]

Everything in the city moves so fast, and yet feels so slow. Some times, you are staring down at the damp sidewalk to make sure you aren't about to trip. Other times, you can't help but look into Christian's tantalizing, yet blinding planets for eyes; entire worlds to explore, and explore you already have done so much. But will you ever venture deep enough? There almost is not enough space to. Tall, judgemental buildings loom over you like alien spaceships. They see all and question all, alerting the rest of the world of your actions, but not your thoughts. As much as your thoughts have haunted you in the past, here, in this open world, they feel like the one thing you have to yourself. A cab energizes some leftover water from the earlier rainfall over the curb. "I think we should head back now," Christian says calmingly. "I'm feeling a bit better." You smile in agreement, walking back to your spaceship to whatever destination awaits next. You are willing to go anywhere, but control is lacking. A mysterious alien taunts your thoughts. If you could just control them, the ride would be much smoother. [[Return to Apartment]]

The spaceship completes a smooth landing back at your apartment. You and Christian walk inside, waving through the smoke as you venture forward. There is an unsuredness that permeats through the clouded air. That taunting alien has mystified behind the smoke. You feel at home, but there are only two things on this planet right now: you and Christian. He must feel the air. Its thickness, how it dances around you in unpredictable, scary ways, how it forces its way into your lungs with grace. He must, right? [[Ignore the Tension]] [[Finally Give In]]

Slowly, the smoke begins to fade, but the feeling continues to linger, until you both fall asleep with adequate distance between. It was easier to say no, but what would it have looked like? To know nothing has changed in you, to know nothing has changed in //him//. It could have been fate, but if neither of you were willing to even try, was it fate at all? At around three in the morning, Christian wakes up slowly and glances around your apartment with uneasy eyes, searching for any of his posessions. Struggling to conduct a proper search at such a late hour, he convinces himself that you will find any belongings and bring it to work the next day. He walks out of your apartment, shutting the door slowly out of respect. [[Dream->Floating to Saturn]]

For the first time, your planets collide. A domino effect occurs, causing everything to explode around you, pulling you further and further away from anything in reality. The universe accepts a chaotic shockwave of fear, confusion, desire, and lust. Even though so much has led up to this moment, none of it makes any sense. This moment you have tirelessly thought about begs to be studied more, but you won't let it. At least, for now. [[Continue -> "What?"]]

You float endlessly in a null space, catching a glimpse of the ever winding rings of Saturn as you oscillate at nauseating degrees. Those rings will always revolve in the same direction, having no clear beginning and to no end. They just keep turning, and turning, getting older and older with each revolution. Maybe there's a way out of it, maybe there isn't. From your perspective, there is no resolution in sight.

As the sun begins to rise, you can sense tension in the room once more. A different kind of tension, one of concern, one of too much thought. Christian rises, appearing distraught. "Hello?" You murmur to him in response to this action. He holds his hands over his face, wiping away all of the progress that was just made. "That can't happen again." He says with both anger and fear. You feel like a character. A person written to portray a stereotype. You feel common. You feel nothing. "What do you mean?" You try to reason with him, but he has yet to reason with himself. "I don't want to hurt you, and, in the long run, this won't do me any good." He says, slowly rising from the bed to start putting his belongings together. You spend a good amount of time studying his movement. [[Talk More]] [[Accept the Situation -> Floating to Neptune]]

You float endlessly in a null space, catching a glimpse of the freezing mysticism of Neptune as you oscillate at nauseating degrees. Your body feels nothing but an aura of frozen captivity. There's nothing left ahead of you in this reality. There is no more "maybe one day." It is just you and this big, empty void. It feels cold now, but there is much warmth to come.

"Christian, at some point, you're going to have to accept your truest self. I don't care when that is, but you can't keep hiding it in me." You say, trying not to force him into a corner. At this point, you do not even care who Christian ends up with. But you have had enough being treated like a side-kick to his adventurous story. You want control over your life. Unfortunately, Christian does not seem to understand your intent, his anger furthering into a concerned territory. You don't know what he's saying; you don't really care. You have said your peace, and that is all you can offer. Yet, your anger is revving up for a journey of its own. Why are you holding back? Does he deserve your patience anymore? [[Respond with Anger -> Floating to Mars]] [[Let Him Leave -> Floating to Venus]]

You float endlessly in a null space, hearing the deafening cannons of Mars as you oscillate at nauseating degrees. Each time you complete a rotation, the cannons seem to get more and more intense. They feel closer and closer, edging towards a climax point, but with each cycle, the hope of an end seems to get further away. You don't even know where the cannons are pointing. There is so much anger, confusion, and disappointment. Nothing makes sense, and you hate it.

You float endlessly in a null space, catching a glimpse of the bright purity of Venus as you oscillate at nauseating degrees. At this point, there is no where else to look but ahead. You feel nothing, but in the best way possible. You feel the planet's aura cleanse you of any worry or continued stress. There are other, more powerful dreams to work towards. Nothing matters in the best way possible.

Christian books an Uber home as he watches you enter the club. You feel conflicted. On the one hand, you are doing what you truly want, finally letting go of the paralyzing aliens that used to hold you back. But, at the same time, you're leaving a friend behind—a friend who you haven't seen in forever. As you walk up to the bouncer, you are faced with one final thought to conquer. You see Christian in the corner of your eyes, and with him, the many possibilities of his galaxy. [[Return to Christian]] [[Enter Club->Floating to Jupiter]]

"You came back." Christian says in a sorrowful tone. "I didn't mean to drag you out of something that interested you. I'm sorry." "No, I'm sorry." You respond with passion, gesturing him to walk in a random direction. "I want to spend time with you, and, to be honest, I wasn't that interested in the club anyway. I'm just trying to fit in and make new friends, but that's not who I am." You are starting to get emotional because you are not quite certain about anything you are feeling. Everything feels tied to strings in space. There are treasures and junk aimlessly floating everywhere, and you cannot tell which is which. "You don't have to be sorry. It's hard moving to a new city no matter what. It's even harder when you don't know a single person in the area. I copped out of that one." Christian pauses to reflect. "Really, I'm just jealous that you've made so many friends." "They don't feel like friends, at least not like the way we felt like friends." You respond hastily. "You just met them, James, don't worry. If there's anyone I know who could make friends anywhere, it's you. And you're proving it right now. You're trying new things and experiencing a new life. I can't say the same." [[Become Overwhelmed->Floating to Mercury]]

You float endlessly in a null space, catching a glimpse of the joyful, vibrant giant that is Jupiter as you oscillate at nauseating degrees. Its sheer presence is enough to overload your brain, but you accept its intensity with pleasure and excitement. With so much to explore, you cannot imagine a more horrifying, yet satisfying place to be right now. You are terrified at the planet's towering presence, yet you are completely one with yourself, in tune with every joint in your body. There is no point in thinking about the future, for joy is bound to the present.

You float endlessly in a null space, catching a glimpse of the tiny, simplistic planet of Mercury as you oscillate at nauseating degrees. You want to feel at peace, but it is not quite within your reach. In reality, you are not sure what is going on—at all. Stars and space junk soar past you, only serving to confuse you further. If only someone could offer up all of the answers to you, maybe life would feel more simple. Or maybe life is not meant to be simple.