Noah was on the brink of logging into his game when his phone suddenly erupted into a raucous ringtone, interrupting his moment of peace. A wave of dread washed over him as he reached for his phone, convinced that it would be his overbearing mother or demanding boss calling once again. His hands shook as he swiped to answer, bracing himself for the worst.

To his absolute relief, Noah's eyes lit up as he saw his friend Dylan's name flashing on the phone's screen.

"Hey man, just checking in, seeing what you're up to?" said Dylan in a warm and welcoming tone, immediately putting Noah at ease. The sound of his friend's voice was like a soothing balm, and he felt his tense shoulders gradually relax as a wave of relief washed over him.

The air in the room suddenly felt lighter, and a smile crept onto Noah's face. “Not a lot. What about you?”

Dylan chuckled. "Actually, I've been playing Age of the Behemoths."

Noah nodded, the small smile spreading across his face. "Yeah, I figured.”

Dylan laughed. "I've been playing it nonstop. And get this - I selected the exact same character we played during the beta. The half-orc paladin. And I named him Durian again."

Noah grinned. "You're kidding. That's hilarious. I also chose the exact same character and name as before. I might have to jump back into the game and join you."

As they talked about the game, Noah's mind drifted back to the events of his day. He couldn't keep it to himself any longer.

"Dylan, I had a shitty day today," he said, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

Dylan's tone shifted, becoming more serious. "What happened, bud? You know I'm here for you."

Noah explained the voicemail from his mother and the phone call with his boss as well as the technical issue he had been called in to fix, and how it had taken hours to resolve. He talked about the stress and frustration he had felt, and how his boss had threatened to use it against him during his appraisal.

Dylan listened intently, his voice filled with empathy. "That sounds awful. I'm sorry you had to deal with that. You know I'm always here to talk, right?"

Noah nodded, feeling a sense of gratitude wash over him. "Yeah, I know. Thanks, Dylan. It means a lot."

"Hey, I'm sorry you had to deal with that," Dylan said sympathetically. "Your boss sounds like an asshole. You're too good for that place. You should definitely find a new job."

Noah let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, maybe you're right."

"I know I'm right," Dylan replied confidently. "And as for your mom, well, as much as she loves you and wants the best for you, she tends to get wrapped up in her own emotions. She tends to put her own desires before yours. You need to let her know how her words make you feel."

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Noah sighed. "I know, it's just hard. She means well, but sometimes she can be so overbearing."

Dylan nodded. "I get it. But you need to stand up for yourself. You deserve to be happy, and if that means setting some boundaries with your mom, then so be it."

Noah hesitated for a moment before responding, "You know, it's not that simple. I mean, when I had taken a stand and moved out and gone after the girl and job of my dreams, well look how that turned out."

"What do you mean?" Dylan asked, concern in his voice.

"I mean, I thought I had it all figured out. But things didn't go according to plan. I lost the girl and never got the dream job I wanted. It's just hard to know what the right thing to do is sometimes, you know?"

Dylan was quiet for a moment before he spoke, his voice measured and thoughtful. "I get it. Life can be unpredictable and scary sometimes. But you can't let fear hold you back from living the life you want. You have to take risks, even if they don't always pan out. Man, if you don't step up and take some chances, you're gonna miss out on all the cool stuff that could happen.”

"I know you've had some major setbacks lately, and your confidence really took a hit as a result," continued Dylan, his voice laced with empathy. "But you need to try to come out of your comfort zone. Try not to be so shy and meet new people. You'd be surprised at how many amazing connections and experiences are waiting for you out there, if only you take that first step."

Noah nodded, taking in Dylan's words. He knew his friend was right. It was time to take control of his life and start making the changes he needed to be happy.

"You're right," he said. "Thanks, Dylan. I needed to hear that."

"Anytime, dude," Dylan replied.

Noah felt a sense of gratitude wash over him. Dylan always knew exactly what to say to make him feel better.

"Thanks Dylan," he said. "You always know how to put things in perspective."

Dylan chuckled. "That's what I'm here for. Now, let's get back to the important stuff - gaming. So what’s your first impressions of the game? Oh yeah and did you have issues logging in at first?"

“I’m absolutely loving it, but it was such a pain to login at first. I tried several attempts before noticing the email notification,” said Noah.

“Same here,” replied Dylan.

Noah continued, "And don't even get me started on the lack of player feedback when trying to login."

Dylan replied. "Yeah, I noticed that too.”

“They definitely need to do some user testing and make improvements,” said Noah.

"I wish I could get into game design,” Noah sighed, “but it's so competitive. They only seem to be looking for senior designers with years of experience already."

Dylan thought for a moment before speaking. "Have you considered reaching out to the team behind Age of the Behemoths and pitching your ideas? You could even ask for a job as a designer and tell them how you would improve the game."

Noah hesitated. "I don't know. It doesn't really work like that."

Dylan countered, "It shows that you’re proactive, passionate, and your understanding of their game. Surely, it's worth a shot."

Noah pondered Dylan's suggestion. "I guess you have a point. Maybe I will reach out and see what happens."

Dylan grinned. "That's the spirit, man. Who knows, you might just land your dream job after all."

Noah laughed. "Here’s hoping. Anyway, how about we hop on and play? I could use a distraction."

"Sounds like a plan," Dylan said with a grin. "I'll see you online, my friend."