"You can't have Cinderella in space, it just doesn't make any sense!" Penname insisted.

"I do not understand your argument," Jade complained.

"Cinderella is always poor, and has no resources of her own, while everybody who can go to space is already rich," Penname insisted.

"There are many technicians, specialists, and researchers who are not rich," Jade argued.

"Skills are resources too? Why do you think people waste so much of their lifespans on school? If Cinderella had those kinds of skills, she wouldn't need some rich guy to rescue her from her family!" Penname insisted.

Danika started to zip toward them, but Kit stopped her and held a finger to her lips to indicate silence. The little fairy dragon hovered beside the Jade Empress on the third story balcony with a very puzzled expression.

Below them Jade explained, "It is not the setting that tells the story though, it's the interactions between the characters, so Cinderella is still an appropriate story for humans with limited resources who are living in family groups in space."

Penname put her hands on her hips and glared up at the man in front of her. "So you think stories are all character driven? Then which of the three of us do you think makes the best main character for a story?" She pointed at herself, and Jade, and then at the small flying pig that she had pretty much adopted since it had joined the guild.

Thimblepot looked up at her and said quietly, "It is Penname."

Jade nodded and agreed, "That is correct."

"Bzzzzzt!" Penname exclaimed. "Wrong! It's Thimblepot!"

"Why do you think that?" Jade asked patiently.

"Because in every story, things are always happening to the main character, and Thimblepot can't go anywhere without something happening!" Penname announced triumphantly.

"I see," Jade replied thoughtfully.

"I am the main character?" Thimblepot asked worriedly. "Will I have to get married?"

Penname gave the little pig a startled look and then burst into laughter.

Kit giggled and clapped her hands over her mouth to muffle the sound. Danika edged closer and whispered, "Why aren't we joining them?"

Kit's eyes sparkled as she murmured, "We're just letting the kids play together for awhile? Shall we go find a quest of our own to work on?"

Danika glanced at the three figures below. Only Penname actually looked like a child, but Kit wasn't exactly wrong. "I was going to take Thimblepot to meet Sea Song Tione today," she told Kit quietly. "Should I take them all along?"

Kit grinned at ZipZing and replied, "Yeah, take them all then. Have room for one more?"

Danika smiled and nodded, while below them Penname told Thimblepot firmly, "You don't ever have to get married unless you want to!"

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"Quicksilver is obviously a really good mom," Kit whispered a little enviously.

Danika paused at the edge of the balcony and looked back at her. "I think you'll be a really good mom someday, if you want to," she said quietly. Kit's smile faded and Danika added, "I didn't forget. But you know I think Ryuske is a great parent, and he doesn't have any biological children either."

Kit's smile brightened again and she asked teasingly, "Isn't it a little difficult for you to really think of him as a parent when you think Ryullusion is hot?"

Danika grinned at her. "Actually, weirdly? Talking to my dad's fiance made me feel a lot better about that."

"Oh?" Kit asked, with an inviting wiggle of her eyebrows.

"She thinks my grandpa is good looking and really charming, and says that she's looking forward to when papa gets older," Danika explained. Kit still looked a little puzzled, so she added, "It made me realize that most of the things I find attractive about Ryullusion are things that I love about Shinichi, so it's normal."

"But those two aren't blood relatives, they are both pretty, but not in the same ways," Kit pointed out.

"Even if they were, they might not look the same. Mei told me she thinks it's a shame that they aren't blood relatives because Ryullusion's family has a long history of lifelong marriages, like that's a genetic thing," Danika said with a shake of her head. "But I think it's just… I mean, haven't you noticed? The way he and Shinichi look at people, it includes all the messy stuff? How they both think it's cute when you're feeling the most awkward?"

Kit's laughter was warm as she agreed, "Yeah, I have noticed that."

"I think that's probably how people can stay married for life, I mean, the ones who still enjoy it," Danika muttered with embarrassment. "They can still laugh about things that other people get angry over."

Kit was nodding as her smile widened into a grin and then transformed into the beak of her favorite hawk shape. The Jade Empress perched on the rail beside ZipZing for a moment, and then her path changed, not to her usual 'Druid' disguise, but to a new path labeled 'Mender'.

ZipZing's wings were still flashing a mix of eye catching bright white and nearly crimson sparkles, and the hawk's wings flashed their pale under feathers as Kit balanced herself, so it wasn't too surprising when Penname looked up and shouted, "Captain! You're finally here!"

Danika zipped downward and asked, "You were waiting for me?"

"Yes!" Penname agreed enthusiastically.

"I have been waiting for you to finish talking with Kit," Jade agreed with prompt honesty, that contained none of the sly tact that the traveling merchant or the Jade Emperor might have shown. Danika shot him a sharp look, because she was pretty certain that the King of Cats would have responded just as honestly, with the intent to embarrass her. But since Jade was using a mobile interface, it was impossible to see if he had that kind of smug expression.

"I have been hoping that you would remember to introduce me to the great bard," Thimblepot added nervously.

"Yeah, I planned to take you to meet Sea Song Tione today," Danika told the little flying pig. "What did you need Penname? Jade?" she asked the other two.

"I've been waiting with Thimblepot! I'm coming with you!" Penname insisted.

"You two are glued together these days," Kit told Penname teasingly.

"He's a lot of fun," Penname insisted. "Nothing is ever boring since Thimblepot joined this guild, I really made the right decision when I asked to join Endless Song!"

The little pig gazed at Penname with a startled but a happy expression, while Jade announced, "I do not need anything at the moment, but I have been waiting to ask you something, because I was told that I should not use the game messages to ask about work related matters."

"Is everything okay on your server Jade?" Kit asked worriedly.

"Yes, for now," Jade assured her.

"For now? What did you want to ask?" Danika asked a little anxiously.

"He doesn't understand why people think some stories are not suitable for space," Penname announced authoritatively. "I have been trying to explain, but I don't think he believes me!"

"Is that it?" Danika asked doubtfully.

"Yes," Jade agreed promptly, "although I do believe that Penname's theories are honest and have a logical basis."

Penname looked almost as surprised and pleased as Thimblepot had, and Danika suppressed a grin. "Are your storylines getting criticized by the beta testing team then?" she asked Jade.

"Only a small percentage, but I think it is high enough to impact my chances of having this game considered a successful demo," Jade complained. "The part that I do not understand is that according to my memories of Living Jade Empire, it is usually the most popular story lines that are being criticized. Do you also think that some stories are unsuitable?"

"Well… I don't think it's so much that some stories are unsuitable for space, unless they aren't being adapted properly to their circumstances, as that players have built up expectations about what will happen based off of older games, and Fantasy RPGs are pretty different from most Space MMOs. Maybe we could ask Silvam if you could play other games on your phone too?" Danika suggested.

"I have asked about other games before," Jade replied doubtfully.

Penname patted Jade's arm and told him comfortingly, "Don't feel embarrassed, I used to have to get my mom's approval on everything I had on my phone too."

Danika decided that hawks were not intended by nature to laugh as she watched Kit apparently suffer convulsions. When she recovered, Kit told Jade cheerfully, "I'll ask her for you, when she logs in tonight."

Jade replied hopefully, "The request might be approved if you and ZipZing are the ones who ask, thank you."

Danika blinked and glanced back and forth between them. She wondered why Jade thought that she and Kit had a better chance of getting Lin Hao's approval than he did, but she just asked, "Are we ready to go play in the ocean then?"

"Yeah!" Penname agreed first.

"I'm not sure that I know how to swim well enough," Thimblepot worried.

"Then just fly," Danika advised.