"Junji's late." said Tala.

"Yeah, I noticed." Tex replied.

"He's never late."

"Yeah, I noticed."

"Did you tell him where we're meeting? Maybe he went to the wrong room."

"I told him fine."

It was ten minutes after six, and Junji still hadn't shown up. Tex had been waiting with Tala by the door of Bianca's office to make sure Junji didn't walk past by mistake.

Tex pulled out his phone and sent a text to Junji asking where he was. Five minutes later, he still had no response.

"Think I'm gonna go knock on his door." Tex told Tala.

"Alright."

Avoiding the stares of expectation from his associates, Tex made his way out the door and to the elevator. It didn't take him long to get to Junji's floor and find his front door.

Tex tapped his fist against the wood. He didn't have high hopes for Junji answering, considering that he hadn't answered his phone. But to his surprise, he quickly heard the sounds of someone stirring behind the door.

"Just a minute!" Junji called from inside.

When Junji did open the door, he was fastening the tie around a bathrobe.

"Howdy." Tex greeted.

"Hello."

Junji's expression was one of mild perplexion. It wasn't the one Tex had been expecting. Furthermore, it was clear that Junji had been naked before he'd put on the robe.

"Is something wrong?" Junji asked.

"The meeting started. Was wondering where you were."

"I'd thought we were meeting at six."

"It is six."

"Are you sure?"

Tex pulled out his phone and showed Junji the screen. Junji groaned when he saw that it was indeed six o' clock.

"My clock must be broken." said Junji. "I'm sorry, would you mind a bit of a wait?"

"I can handle it."

"Thank you. Would you like to come in? We're just finishing up."

"...We?"

Junji opened the door for Tex. Tex slipped off his shoes and stepped inside to get his first look at Junji's room post his move in.

Although it was a bit early to tell, the tidy and dust-free interior implied that Junji was very clean. The only decorations Junji had chosen to display were a lucky cat, an antique dagger, and a clock that Tex could see was stuck on four thirty.

The lucky cat had writing on it. Tex knew a total of zero Japanese characters, but he got the feeling that it was a sentimental gift note. Most interestingly, however, was an unfamiliar person sitting at Junji's kitchen table.

It was a woman. She was a petite, plain-looking woman about Junji's age, holding a thin folder. Her dark hair was cut short and simple. She looked familiar, somehow, although Tex couldn't place her. Next to her was a large pad of paper on a stand, which she eyed with an expression as blank as Junji's had been when Tex had first seen him.

She was very naked.

"I, uh--" Tex stammered. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Yes." the woman replied.

Even from just a single word, Tex got the impression that he could save half her family from a burning building and she still wouldn't invite him to her wedding.

"This is Kwon Ying." Junji explained as he took down his wall clock.

"Ha, I ain't that dumb." Tex chuckled.

"What do you mean?"

"She ain't Ying Kwon. She's like--your long lost sister or something."

Junji paused the battery swap he was making to type something into his phone and hand it to Tex. When Tex looked at the screen, he saw that Junji had made a google search for 'Kwon Ying images'.

"I'll be damned." Tex said as he darted his eyes between the pictures and the identical woman before him. "I read your book."

"What did you think?" Ying replied.

"Little eugenic-y."

"Yes, it was."

Ying Kwon was a well known but controversial author. Tex was surprised Junji had managed to get her into his room without the both of them getting pelted to death by tomatoes in the lobby.

In the corner of Tex's eye, he caught that Junji was finished with the clock.

"There a reason you're naked?" asked Tex.

"Is there a reason you're clothed?" Junji replied as he undid his robe.

Quick as he could, Tex wiped his glasses off and slipped them into his front pocket.

"What--why..." was all Tex could say.

Ying let out a short laugh.

"Is he a puritan?" she asked.

"He's a Catholic." Junji answered.

"I should have figured."

Even without his glasses, Tex could see that Junji's body was in irritatingly good shape. But what was more interesting was the blurry pattern of red and white tattoos that started at his biceps and continued onto his waist. They might have even gone lower, but Tex had no intentions of looking.

Junji took a seat at the table.

"We were almost done with our discussion when you knocked." he said. "Would you mind if we finished up?"

"Do what you want." Tex replied. "I'm intruding."

Although the sight before him was a bit intimidating, Tex's curiosity won over and he took an anxious step towards the empty seat at the table.

"You can't sit with us." Ying said with a frown.

"Why not?" asked Tex.

"You cannot wear underwear at the table during formal discussion times." Junji explained. "My apologies, Dallas, but I cannot change the rules without extensive protocol."

"Uh..."

"The only clothing that I would allow you is a thin piece of cloth designed to keep your testicles from sticking to your leg."

As he spoke, Junji held up a long piece of cloth.

"I, uh--" Tex stammered. "I'll just sit on the couch."

Tex kept his glasses off after he'd situated himself, even though the table cut both Ying and Junji off from below the waist. Squinting, he sent a message to Tala saying that they were going to need a few minutes.

"Are you prepared to resume our meeting?" Junji asked Ying.

"I am prepared to resume our meeting." Ying replied.

"I am also prepared to resume our meeting."

"Where were we?"

"We were considering situation twelve thousand six hundred and fifty-seven."

"Refresh me."

Junji cleared his throat as he fished a paper off the table and examined it.

"In the event that we no longer have enough resources to support our species," Junji started, "but we have the means to travel to a parallel universe and force the alternate versions of ourselves there to give us their resources, should it be considered ethical to do so in the case that it's our only chance of survival?"

Tex looked over at Ying, who appeared to be a little more than deep in thought.

"I believe it would be alright for us to do so." she answered slowly. "For if a scenario forces us to choose between ourselves and something of equal value to ourselves, nothing would be lost from us choosing ourselves."

"I agree." Junji replied.

"However, I would not support us acting as if we are of inherently greater value than our alternate selves. We may take from them, but only while understanding that our positions are circumstantial."

"I agree."

"What if they got more people than us?" asked Tex.

Tex began to regret the words the second they'd come out of his mouth, as he was sure they were going to be ripped to shreds.

"Hmm?" Junji hummed.

"What if in their universe, the Chernobyl power plant never melted down?" Tex explained. "So they had more people than us."

"If we only steal what we need for our numbers, we will leave enough for however many more they had then us in the other reality to survive." Junji replied.

"Could you actually go to a parallel universe? Theoretically, I mean."

"I highly doubt it."

"So why you worrying about it?"

"Just in case."

Although Ying's face was coated in what looked like obvious irritation, Tex was too curious not to ask another question.

"You got any time travel protocols?" he pushed.

Ying let out a long sigh.

"I hate time travel." she replied.

"Why's that?"

After turning halfway around in her chair, Ying began to write on the paper pad. Tex was forced to put his glasses back on to see what she was writing.

1. It is our duty to alleviate discomfort.

2. The past contains a large amount of discomfort.

3. However, traveling to the past is unethical, as doing so would cause a paradox that would destroy the universe as we know it.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Is that what we decided on?" Junji asked once Ying had finished writing. "I disagree."

"How do you disagree?" Ying replied.

"Time paradoxes are impossible."

"State your argument."

"First, let me clarify that this is your argument?"

After pulling the pad closer to him, Junji began to furiously scribble on it. Tex read as he did.

1. the past is bad

2. we go back and make it good

3. the past is good

4. we have no reason to go back and make it good

5. the past is bad

To Tex's relief, Junji stayed seated as he wrote.

"And here is my counter argument." Junji followed as he started to write in a clean section.

1. we are not stuck in a time paradox

2. therefore, if we travel backwards in time, we will only be capable of doing things we have already done OR we will create an alternate universe.

"Alternate universe time travel is for poorly written movies and pornography plots." Ying said as Junji scribbled in the phrase 'that was destined to be created' to the end of 'we will create an alternate universe'.

A moment later, Junji crossed out his entire section on alternate universe time travel.

"How do you know that we're not stuck in a time paradox?" asked Tex.

"Because the universe is not in shambles." Junji replied.

"How do you know that a paradox would lead to the universe going to shambles?"

Junji scratched his head. After a few moments passed, he crossed out his entire argument from the pad.

"Time travel is too confusing." he said. "Why don't we just pronounce it illegal?"

"My suggestion from the start." Ying replied.

"...What's gonna be illegal?" Tex wondered.

"Are you prepared to initiate the illegalization process?" Junji asked.

"I am prepared." answered Ying.

"I am also prepared."

Ying pulled out a sheet of paper from her thin folder, along with a fancy looking pen.

"Traveling backwards in time will be deemed illegal." she recited as she wrote.

"...Unless it is proven within acceptable certainty that we can only commit acts in the past we've already committed." Junji added.

"Traveling backwards in time will be deemed illegal unless it is proven within acceptable certainty that we can only commit acts in the past we've already committed."

"I second this notion."

"Hell's legality got to do with this?" asked Tex.

"We're constructing law." Ying replied.

"...Why?"

"It's what we do best."

"Would you like to browse our list of illegal things?" Junji asked as he pulled out a massive leather-bound book from under his chair.

Tex was hit with a sudden suspicion. In the corner of his eye, Ying stapled the paper into the book.

"I gotta question." said Tex.

"You seem to have many of those." Ying muttered.

"You aren't big on--being too sure of anything, right? And I'm guessing you ain't, neither."

"Neither of us are particularly large on certainty, yes."

"Yes, we are not gods." Junji replied. "We are bound to be at least partially wrong about many things."

"But do you got a way to change stuff?" Tex asked.

Along with Ying, Junji coughed out an amused little scoff.

"Revoking legalities is incredibly easy." Ying explained. "All you have to do is file a complaint to the central bureau."

"I have an example complaint form right here." said Junji. "You simply fill out both sides and fold it like so."

Junji pulled out a blue piece of paper from Ying's folder. He folded the paper horizontally and then vertically.

"After the sheet is properly placed inside an approved manila envelope and sent in," Junji continued, "it will be judged for its composition and taken up by an official if the issue is deemed worthy."

"Then the official only has to spend several months arguing in court to alter the particular law." Ying replied. "If the court rules favorably, the proposition will then be presented to an official of higher status, and then the whole process begins again."

"After five sequences of this cycle, the proposition will reach either us or our appointed kin. If we approve of the suggestion, we will begin enforcing it the moment we finish writing it down along with every detail of its coming to be."

Tex no longer found the nudity to be the most frightening thing in the room.

"We should be going." Junji followed with a guilty glance in Tex's direction. "I've been keeping Dallas waiting."

"Very well." Ying nodded.

"Are you prepared to end our session?"

"Almost. May we first take one last look at our most pondered question?"

"Would that be alright?"

Tex looked over to see that Ying and Junji's faces were turned towards him in question.

"Uh, sure." Tex replied.

After pulling the paper pad over to herself, Ying flipped a few papers down to reveal a question that had already been written.

"Should we give up our planet if species of exponentially higher cognitive functions required our destruction for its survival?" Ying read from the board.

"An excellent question." Junji replied.

Tex stared in disbelief. Neither of them looked like they were joking.

"The hell?" asked Tex.

"What?" Junji replied.

"That's stupid. Don't do that."

"What is your argument?"

"It's dumb."

Under the question, Ying penned in a quick number line and wrote 'it's dumb' in line one.

"What, you think that just cause some tentacle monster from Jupiter says you gotta let yourselves get mowed over for his lawn party that you should listen?" Tex continued. "The hell does he know?"

In line two, Ying drew a crude octopus monster. In the third and final line, she wrote 'what does he know?'.

Junji raised his eyebrows at the paper pad.

"I am afraid I don't understand your argument, Dallas." he said. "Have you considered--"

"Yeah, yeah, let's go." Tex cut in.

With a little sigh, Junji stood up from the table. Tex squeezed his eyes shut and kept them closed until he heard the sound of Junji zipping up a pair of pants.

He opened his eyes to see that Ying had also put on clothes, although she seemed somewhat dismayed about it.

"I suppose I should be going." Ying said as she took a stand. "Thank you for meeting with me, Junji."

"It was my pleasure." Junji replied. "I will see you next week."

Ying brushed by Tex on her way out the door.

"It was nice meeting you." she muttered to him with her eyes straight ahead.

"Yeah, you too." Tex replied as he was hit with a desperate urge for her approval.

Ying closed the door behind her. Junji took a moment to gather his things.

"You gonna call me Dallas, huh?" asked Tex.

"I'm certainly not calling you Tex." Junji replied.

With his mind on the subject of names, Tex glanced off in the direction Ying had gone.

"She call you Junji too?" Tex pushed.

"She is a good friend."

"You're good friends with Ying Kwan?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. Just don't tell nobody."

Junji locked his front door as they left. Out of instinct, Tex let his feet guide him to the stairs.

"What are your friends like?" Junji asked as began their trek.

"Opinionated. Don't talk about politics."

"I will try."

"Luke and Caverly are having some marriage issues, so they might be a little snappish. Just pretend you don't notice."

"Mhm."

The meeting was taking place in Bianca's office down on the first floor. It didn't take long to walk down, but it still gave Tex some time to stress about if and how everyone would get along with Junji.

Upon exiting the stairwell, Tex led Junji over to the door to Bianca's office. He tapped on the wood with his fist. A moment later, Tala's face appeared through the door slot.

"Password, please." said Tala.

"May I guess the password?" Junji asked before Tex could open his mouth.

"Sure." Tex replied.

"Tax evasion. Is tax evasion the password?"

"Wrong password." Tala answered.

"Guess you don't know me as well as you thought you did." Tex said with a smile and a head shake. "Password's actually tax fraud."

"Correct password!"

Tala opened the door.

"After you." Tex muttered as he nudged Junji forward.

Junji stepped through the door, and Tex followed behind. Three new pairs of eyes turned to them and stared.

"Howdy." Tex greeted with a little wave. "Sorry we're late."

"It's fine." Caverly replied. "Sean ate the brownies that were supposed to be for Junji."

"Are you going to introduce him?" asked Sean.

"Sure." Tex answered. "This is Junji, uh, something. He came here from Japan for, um, some reason."

No one looked particularly satisfied with Tex's introduction.

"Why don't y'all form a line." Tex followed.

As a crude line formed in front of the wine and snack table, Tala walked over and situated herself next to Junji and Tex. Tex stuck his palms out instinctively when Tala gestured that she was going to hand him something.

"This is for you." Tala said as she gave Tex her dirty plate.

"...Thanks."

Tex drummed his fingers on his new plate as the first two people stepped forward.

"This is Luke." Tex said to Junji, pointing at the one on the right.

Luke was a blond man with stubble and a pair of reflective aviators. Clipped into his pocket was a Spyderco Para knife, and Tex knew that he had a Taurus PT111 handgun in his backpack.

"And Caverly." Tex followed.

Caverly was a blond woman with crow's feet and a pair of reflective aviators. Clipped into her pocket was a Chris Reeve Sebenza knife, and Tex knew that she had a Beretta Nano in her purse. She reached her hand towards Junji and caught him in a tight handshake.

"Oh, he's adorable." Caverly noted once they'd parted hands.

"I feel like I should be upset about you saying that in front of me." Luke replied. "But I'm really not."

"Thank you." said Junji.

"Tagawa, right?" Caverly asked.

"Yes."

"You should really come over for dinner sometime."

"I'd be alright with that." Luke added with his gaze glued to Junji's face. "Are you alright with that?"

"Wow." Tex cut in. "You two sure are quirky."

"Uhuh."

"Stop holding up the line."

Upon snapping back to reality, Luke and Calvary both gave a reluctant wave goodbye and make their way back to the center of the room.

"Hell was up with that?" Tex muttered to Tala once they'd left.

"I thought it was pretty self-explanatory." she replied.

"Least they're still agreeing on everything."

Before Tex could think about what had happened any further, the next person stepped forward. She extended her hand towards Junji.

"This is Bianca." Tex explained as Junji took her hand. "Our landlord."

Bianca was a pretty brunette woman with crow's feet and a pair of reflective aviators. Clipped in her pocket was a classic Buck 110 knife. In her bag was a Ruger LCRx, which Tex found to be quite tasteful.

She was married.

"Good to meet you." she greeted with a slow smile and a little cock of her head.

"It is nice to meet you too." Junji replied.

"Are you enjoying the work?"

Junji fell silent for a number of countable seconds. After about twenty of them, Tex cleared his throat.

"I'm not not enjoying it." Junji answered.

"I guess that's better than not enjoying it."

Bianca didn't say anything else, just waved goodbye as she retreated to Luke and Caverly.

"She thought he was hot." Tala whispered once she was gone.

"How would you know that?" Tex replied.

"She only ever makes that smile when she sees someone she thinks is hot."

Up next was Sean. Sean's face lit up upon seeing the three of them.

"How's it going, Tex?" asked Sean.

"Going alright." Tex replied. "How's it going with you?"

"Great, man. I finally got my penis back from the lost and found."

Sean was a merry prankster with a hawkish nose and unclear motivations. He threw an arm around Junji's shoulder the second he was in proper range.

"I'm Sean." he greeted. "Who's this fucking herb?"

"Why was your penis at the lost and found?" asked Junji.

"Cause somebody found it."

Sean left, but only once Tex had shooed him away from Junji. Tex watched as Sean flashed him a look over his shoulder.

'Wow.' Sean mouthed when Junji wasn't looking.

"Hell does everyone think he's so hot?" Tex said with a hand on Junji's shoulder.

"Because he's really hot." Tala replied as she gave Junji's other shoulder a little pat.

"He's not that hot."

Junji frowned.

"Let's give him a tour." said Tex.

"You have fun." Tala replied. "I'm gonna fraternize."

After waving goodbye, Tala went straight for Sean. Tex scanned his eyes over the contents of the room to search for things that should be included on the tour.

Besides the people, the only things of note were the snack table and a collection of two white boards on the far wall.

"Uh." Tex said as he ran his hand over the back of his neck. "Over here's the snack table. Don't drink too much wine."

"I will not drink too much wine." Junji replied.

"Over there's the presentation boards. If you ever have any ideas for...anything, really, we're the people to talk to."

As he spoke, Tex pointed to the white board on the right where someone had written the word 'federalism' and then drawn a frowny face.

"What about that board?" Junji asked as he pointed to the one next to it.

"That's a list of corporations I try not to support."

The board was covered with over a hundred names, including but not limited to Amazon, Monsanto, and Hot Topic.

"Do I have to refrain from supporting these corporations if I live here?" Junji pushed.

"We'd prefer it if you didn't, but do whatever you please."

"I'd have thought you would be supportive of more corporations."

"I’m supportive of corporations I think are innovative and ethical-ish. Like Space X, Tesla, Musks by Elon..."

Tex might have listed others, had Luke and Caverly not made their way over and made themselves at home on either side of Junji.

"Hello." Luke greeted.

"Howdy." Tex replied.

"Are we interrupting something?"

"Uh--"

"Great. Can we borrow Junji for a moment?"

Tex supposed he had wanted Junji to make friends. So with a little shrug, he stepped out of the way and let Junji be consumed by the hive.

Sean, Tala, and Bianca were all standing a bit to the left in a separate conversation. Tex, however, refrained from joining them, opting instead to pretend to be on his phone so that he could eavesdrop.

"You having a good time?" Caverly asked Junji.

"Good enough." Junji replied.

"Glad to hear it. Did Tex tell you anything about how we run things round here?"

"Yes. I have several criticisms."

"Did he say anything about us?" asked Luke.

"He said you were having marital problems."

Tex grabbed a handful of his bangs and began to tug.

"I didn't know Tex knew about that..." Caverly trailed off.

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd be interested to know more about the issues." Junji said. "I am fascinated by relationships."

With his hand still in his hair. Tex started to chew on the inside of his cheek.

"At this point, we'll try anything." Luke replied.

"Any kind of therapy." Caverly added.

"We could open our marriage."

"I'd like to open our marriage."

"In the 'three's company' kinda way, you know?"

Neither Luke nor Calvary had ever given much of a care for customs regarding what was and was not appropriate to say, but Tex was still a little amazed.

"It is my honor to bring about pleasure," Junji replied, "and I've no prudishness towards what kind."

Junji paused for a moment to clear his throat.

"However." he continued. "I fear we've wandered off track."

"What were we on?" Luke asked.

"Your marriage."

"Our marriage!"

After sharing a glance, Luke and Caverly both opened their mouths at the same time.

"I love him." Caverly said.

"I love her." Luke replied.

"...But?" asked Junji.

Luke and Caverly both began to talk at the same time, and too quickly for Tex to understand.

"--leaves her dishes on the counter--"

"--snores, so loud--"

"We used to be best friends."

"Absolute besties."

"We dated for seven years and it was great."

"But ever since we got married--"

Junji cleared his throat again.

"You say that you enjoyed your relationship more before you got married." he said. "What have you changed about your relationship since getting married?"

Luke and Caverly both opened their mouths to reply, but Tex did himself the favor of ending his eavesdropping session.

Tex walked over to Sean and Bianca to see that Tala had broken off from their conversation.

"Oh, hey Tex." Bianca greeted. "Tala wanted to talk to you."

Bianca pointed to the snack table. Tala put down her glass of wine and waved when she noticed Tex was staring.

Tex would have liked to talk to Bianca for a few minutes, but he got the feeling Tala wanted to talk about work.

"Thanks." he said as he left, giving Bianca and Sean a little wave.

He'd talk to them later.

Tala pulled the Pain Finder Thing out of her bag as Tex began to make his way over. When he got there, she held it outright for him.

"Our next target just opened up." she said as he examined the screen.

"Portland, huh." Tex replied. "Shouldn't be too hard."

"I'll check the location tonight to make sure it's a tetragram."

"Alright. Will you be ready by tomorrow?"

"Probably."

Tex pulled out his phone and opened the group chat, ready to see if everyone was alright to set out for Oregon at midnight of the next day.

"Shit." Tex swore.

"What?"

"I don't got Junji's number."

"I do."

Tala pulled out her phone. A moment later, Tex's phone buzzed to tell him Tala had shared a phone number with him.

"Thanks." he said as he clicked on the number and created a new contact.

"Yup. I'll see you tomorrow, I'm going to go to the bathroom."

"Ok."

After putting her arms behind her, Tala leaned forward and ran off in the direction of the bathrooms.

Tex wasn't sure why, but he felt like she was mocking him.