In the end I only managed to kill six goblins, though if not for the fierce competition I reckon I could’ve done eight. 

“Oh?” Cat’s voice entered my ears the moment I stepped through the door to her apartment. “You’re back early. Where’d you go?”

“Internet cafe slash public portal.” I said, while closing the door and removing my shoes.

I received a raised eyebrow from Cat who was in the kitchen cooking something.

“That’s what they’re called now it seems.”

Cat rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, I know, why’d you go to one?” 

I’d taken a seat in the lounge and switched on the TV, but I could see Cat’s lips hold themselves in place. Oh, what ever did she have in store for me?

“Games.”

There it was, her smile. This smile was the worst, it wasn’t forced or fake, no, it was her genuine, god forbid, “I’ve got something up my sleeve” smile.

“Oh, that’s good.” 

C’mon Catherine, don’t disappoint me. At some point I’d started to make predicting her behaviour a game.

“So, Aaron, I hear people use those portals for certain adult activities. You weren’t screwing some digital model were you?” Cat’s voice made her words sound serious, even though I was pretty sure she was trying to mess with me.

“No, why?” This was a whole new topic for Cat and I, and I may have just screwed myself over by introducing it to the mix.

“I’m just worried about you.” 

It felt nice to hear those words come from her mouth, but the fact this was probably building up to some epic climax in her master plan wasn’t.

Cat stopped whatever she was doing and took a seat beside me.

“You know, if you’re ever feeling that despe- stressed, you can always let me know.” 

“Mhm.” I took note of her aborting from using the word “desperate”. There was a chance she was genuinely worrying over me, but past experience told me it was too early to decide for sure. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I know I tease you a lot so I’m probably to blame for this.”

Oh c’mon, one of the only times she’s nice to me, and it’s because of this? 

“I didn’t screw anything. Okay? I was just playing Alternate Earth.”

Cat looked at me for a moment, then two.

“Oh... I thought you said yes.” Cat stood up and turned towards the kitchen. “Well you heard what I said anyway. Mum's not around anymore, so if you ever need to talk...”

“Yeah, I know. Can we move on?”

“Sure.” Cat returned to making lunch.

This side of Catherine was rare, but it did remind me that she was looking out for me, like all big sisters did. Though, at times, she had an odd way of showing it.

I grabbed a cup of water and sat down in front of the TV again.

“Kelly in her room?” I said.

“Yup. Probably playing that game as well.” Cat’s love for her daughter's choice of hobby was very much apparent in her tone of voice.

“Ah, right, that’s why she hardly ever leaves the house. She all good at school?”

“Grades wise? Yeah, she’s killin it, but I’m just worried she isn’t enjoying her final year as much as she should be.”

“I never did anything in my final year.”

“Yeah but you’re you. Uhh, I guess she might be like you, but I don’t want her to regret not doing anything later on.”

We both sighed in unison.

“Yeah… that’s true as well.”

I still wish I’d had the guts to ask out that girl I liked in high school. Probably not what Cat had in mind now that I think about it.

Cat finished cooking lunch, toasted sandwiches for all, and Kelly came out of her room to eat.

“Sup,” I said, to my niece.

Kelly looked at me blankly, took a seat, and initiated stuffing her mouth.

“In a rush to get back to that game?” 

Kelly stopped stuffing herself for a moment to reply.

“Yeah.” 

The stuffing resumed immediately after.

I could at least empathize, Alternate Earth was a pretty wicked game from what I’d seen. Sadly for her, I don’t think Cat felt the same. 

“Aaron played your game today by the way, why don’t you give him some tips?” Catherine’s voice had switched to her nice-but-serious tone, aka, her mothering voice.

Kelly stopped, again, and took a deep breath.

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“Um, try not to die.”

I swear, of all the things Kelly could’ve said, that one took the least effort. Maybe I should commend her for being so efficient? 

“You know that’s kind’ve true for everything?” I said.

Kelly eyed the other half of her toasted sandwich and looked at me.

“Well how much have you played?” Said Kelly.

Her voice had a sprinkle of… I don’t know, effort? I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Compared to the morning though at least her voice was back to its youthful tone.

“About, two hours, I think.”

“That means you’re still a starter.”

Kelly had completely ceased feeding herself and actually had a glimmer in her eye I hadn’t seen in awhile.

“If you play for a couple more hours you’ll get to choose if you wanna be a hero or an empire. Pick hero.”

“Oh yeh… why?”

I was enjoying seeing Kelly like this this, and the information could be useful if I ever played AE again. It literally cost me nothing to play it though, so I can’t see why not, especially so if playing that game got Kelly to talk to Cat and I.

“I heard it’s really tough at the start. The bigger empires stomp anyone who's starting off.”

“That’s not very nice.” Said Catherine.

“I like a challenge.” Plus taking down a couple bullies sounded fun.

“It’s not a challenge. It’s just you getting wrecked.”

I ignored that last past.

“So basically everyone picks hero because they’re too scared of getting stomped by a bunch of bullies? That’s sad. I’m playing whatever I want.”

Kelly had returned to stuffing herself as I spoke. She must’ve been eating pretty fast because she finished eating the moment I stopped talking.

“I’m done, thanks mum.”

Kelly whizzed off to her room leaving Cat and I at the table. I took a bite into my lunch before it begun.

“Aaron do you like getting fucked up the ass that badly?” Said Cat.

I put down my lunch.

“What are you talking about?”

“You know, fighting the power and all.” Cat held up a fist and shook it a bit.

“You’re interested in this?”

“Of course I am. Kelly is.” 

It took a few seconds of silence for things to click, and oh it was all so obvious.

“Cause it gets her talking.”

Catherine didn’t have the personality to hide things.

“So? You should listen to her.”

A sigh escaped my lips. “I did.”

“Then pick hero.”

Sorry Cat, right now the only thing I’m picking is my toasted sandwich. “It’s just a game Cat, and you haven’t even played it before so chill.”

“I’m coming next time.”

“Go ahead. Now can we eat?”

Cat shut up, which I found hard to believe, allowing me to finish my lunch.

The time was 1:14 pm. It’s surprising how fast time can pass.

I spent most of my weekends either at home or out trying something new, like today. The “at home” part of my weekend was about to commence. What activity would I indulge myself in today?

Sleep. The other options are board games with Cat or TV, neither of which I’m in the mood for.

“I’m gonna take a nap, when’s dinner?”

“Uhh, I don’t know, I’ll wake you up.”

“Kay.”

A couple dozen seconds later and I was in bed, a couple minutes after that I was comfortably to sleep.

***

In my slumber something poked my cheek.

“-uo should at least change your clothes if you’re gonna take a nap.” Said the unmistakable voice of Cat.

Even in a semi-conscious state I can recognize that voice. This kind of familiarity takes time to foster.

I rubbed my eyes before sitting myself up. 

“It was just a na-.” Wait. “Did you change me?”

“Nope.”

I definitely was not wearing my briefs and a t-shirt before my nap so I knew it was a lie.

Leaning against the doorway and looking down on me, I could see Cat holding back a smile. Briefly the thought of tackling her to the ground and knocking her out popped into my mind. Perhaps games did make people more violent.

My day ended with that thought. Oh, and a stomach full of curry.