I couldn't believe it. I stared at the empty wrappers and containers littered across the table, feeling a mix of disbelief and annoyance. It hadn't even been two days, and Aubrey had managed to devour every last bit of the groceries I bought right before I pulled that Back-To-The-Future stunt and ended up in this god-forsaken place. Sure, I ended up trading almost half of it for information, but I figured she would have rationed what she had instead of wolfing all of it down without a thought.

"You ate all of it?" I asked, trying to keep my voice level. "I mean, it was a lot of food, you know? Four days worth…for two people, and it’s barely been two days."

Aubrey looked sheepish, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "Well, I guess I was hungrier than I thought," she mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

I stared at her in disbelief, waiting for her to say she was joking or that there was more food somewhere. But she just shifted uncomfortably in her seat, clearly embarrassed by her gluttony.

"But...but that was all I had," I stammered, feeling a bit betrayed. "I thought we were going to ration it or something."

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice barely audible. "I haven't had real food like that in so long. I just...I couldn't help myself."

I sighed, realizing that she probably had been living off of ration bars and MREs for years. I couldn't exactly blame her for wanting a taste of something better. But it still didn't help the sinking feeling in my stomach that we were now without any fresh supplies.

"Well, what are we going to do now?" I asked, trying not to sound too accusatory. "We don't have any food left, and I have no idea how to get more in this place."

Aubrey's expression brightened, and she suddenly seemed much more confident. "Don't worry, I'll teach you how to scavenge for food and supplies. It's part of your survival training, after all."

I raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced. "Is that just a convenient excuse to get out of trouble?"

She grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Maybe. But it's also true. I'm your mentor, remember? I'm supposed to teach you how to survive in this world."

I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head in disbelief. "Fine, you're off the hook...for now. But you owe me, Aubrey."

She laughed, too, a genuine smile lighting up her face. "Deal. I promise I'll make it up to you."

As annoyed as I was about the food situation, I couldn't bring myself to be mad at her for long. There was something about her laugh that was infectious, and her sincere apology had disarmed me.

I knew we'd have to figure out a way to get more supplies soon, but for now, I decided to let it go. After all, I had a lot to learn in this new world, and Aubrey was my lifeline. Getting mad at her wouldn't help either of us.

"Alright then," I said, resigned. "Let's get started on survival training. I have a feeling I'm going to need it."

She nodded, a determined expression on her face. "You can count on me, Connor. I won't let you down."

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After the food fiasco, Aubrey decided it was time for me to learn some basic combat skills. She'd quickly figured out that I had no experience with anything more deadly than a butter knife. So, we found ourselves in the backyard of our makeshift hideout, with her attempting to teach me the basics of swordplay.

"Alright, Connor, let's start with some simple moves," she instructed, taking a step back and demonstrating a fluid swing. "Just try to mimic what I do."

I nodded, attempting to imitate her movements. But my swing felt awkward and clumsy, nothing like her effortless grace. Aubrey stifled a giggle, trying to hide her amusement behind a hand.

"Hey, don't laugh!" I protested, feeling my cheeks heat up with embarrassment. "I'm trying my best here."

She tried to compose herself, her lips twitching as she fought back another laugh. "I'm sorry, Connor, but you look like you're trying to swat a fly, not wield a sword."

I groaned, knowing she was right. I'd never been particularly coordinated, and my lack of skill was painfully obvious. But instead of getting frustrated, I decided to lean into the humor of the situation. If I couldn't be a skilled swordsman, at least I could make her laugh.

With an exaggerated flourish, I swung the sword in a wild arc, nearly losing my balance in the process. Aubrey's laughter burst forth, a joyful sound that filled the air.

"Is that better?" I asked, grinning at her.

She wiped tears from her eyes, still chuckling. "No, but it's definitely more entertaining."

Emboldened by her laughter, I continued with my ridiculous swordplay, mimicking the moves of a dramatic actor in a cheesy action movie. I spun, lunged, and swung the sword with all the finesse of a drunken monkey, much to Aubrey's delight.

As I continued to perform my ridiculous routine, I noticed her laughing even harder, her eyes sparkling with amusement. In that moment, I felt a strange sense of pride, glad that I could bring her some joy in this bleak world.

Finally, after one last overly dramatic swing, I bowed to my audience of one, my breathing heavy from the exertion. Aubrey clapped, her laughter subsiding as she caught her breath.

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"That was...amazing," she gasped, wiping away the last of her tears. "I don't think I've laughed that hard in forever."

I grinned, feeling a little out of breath myself. "Well, if sword fighting doesn't work out for me, at least I know I can make it as a comedian."

She shook her head, still smiling. "We'll work on your technique, I promise. But for now, thank you for making me laugh. I needed that."

I shrugged, trying to hide my own happiness at her gratitude. "No problem, Aubrey. We all need a good laugh now and then, right?"

Her smile softened, and for a moment, we simply stood there, sharing a quiet understanding. In this harsh world, laughter was a rare and precious gift, and I was grateful for the opportunity to share it with her.

"Alright," she said, picking up her own sword and assuming a more serious expression. "Now that we've had our fun, let's get back to training. I've got a lot to teach you, Connor, and not much time to do it."

With renewed determination, we returned to our lesson, both knowing that our lighthearted moment was a brief respite in the face of the many challenges that lay ahead.

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The day had been a whirlwind of lessons and laughter, but eventually, nature called. I excused myself from Aubrey's company, making my way to the edge of the backyard to find a secluded spot where I could relieve myself in peace.

I found a small area, hidden from view by the dense foliage, and began to unzip my pants. Just as I started to do my business, I heard a rustle nearby. My heart skipped a beat, and I glanced around nervously, trying to identify the source of the noise.

To my horror, I saw Aubrey emerging from the bushes, her eyes going wide as she realized what she had just walked into.

"Connor!" she squeaked, immediately turning away to give me some privacy. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were gonna do that here."

I panicked, trying to cover myself and zip up at the same time. In my haste, I lost my footing on the damp ground and tumbled backward, falling down a small ditch that I hadn't noticed before.

“Aaagh! Shit–fuck!” My back hit the ground with a thud, and I groaned in pain.

Aubrey's concern overcame her embarrassment, and she cautiously peered over the edge of the ditch. "Are you alright?" she asked, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Yeah, just bruised my ego," I replied, trying to laugh off the awkward situation. "And maybe my tailbone."

She extended a hand to help me up, but I hesitated, not wanting to touch her with my unwashed hands. "Uh, maybe you could just toss me a branch or something?" I suggested.

Aubrey bit her lip, holding back a laugh as she searched for a suitable branch. After a moment, she found one and lowered it down to me. I grabbed hold of it, and she pulled me back up onto solid ground.

Once I was back on my feet, we both stood there, unsure of what to say. The silence was thick with awkwardness, but I decided to try and break the tension with a joke.

"Well, I guess we're even now," I said, attempting a lopsided grin. "You ate all my food, and I... gave you a show."

Aubrey let out a surprised laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. "I suppose that's one way to look at it," she replied, shaking her head.

"I promise, next time I'll find a better spot," I assured her, my face still burning with embarrassment.

She waved a hand dismissively, the tension between us finally dissipating. "Don't worry about it. I should have been paying more attention to where I was going. And besides, it's not like we haven't all been in a similar situation at some point in this world."

I chuckled, grateful for her understanding. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Just another day in Nexus, huh?"

Aubrey nodded, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Exactly. Now, let's get back to our lessons. And maybe try to avoid any more... surprises for the rest of the day."

With that, we returned to our training, the awkward encounter fading into memory as I continued to drill on my sword swings.

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As the day of training turned into four, I couldn't help but notice that Aubrey always seemed to be perfectly clean, as if she had just stepped out of a shower. Meanwhile, I was starting to smell ripe, and my hair was a greasy mess. It was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, and I couldn't help but wonder how she managed to stay so pristine.

"Hey, Aubrey?" I started hesitantly, unsure if I should bring up the topic. "Can I ask you something kind of... personal?"

She raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk on her lips. "Oh? What's on your mind, Connor?"

I scratched the back of my head, feeling a bit awkward. "Well, it's just that... you always look so clean. How do you do it? I mean, I've been here for a short time, and I already feel gross."

Aubrey laughed, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Is that what's been bothering you? I thought you were going to ask me something scandalous."

I rolled my eyes, feeling my cheeks heat up. "No, nothing like that. I'm just genuinely curious."

She continued to smirk as she pondered her response. "Well, I could tell you, but where's the fun in that? Why don't you try and guess?"

I sighed, knowing she was just teasing me, but I decided to play along. "Okay, fine. Is it some kind of magic soap?"

"Nope," she replied, shaking her head.

"A built-in shower in your Interface?"

"Wrong again," she said, giggling. “What the hell kind of guess was that?”

"Alright, I give up. What's your secret?"

Aubrey leaned in close, pretending to share a confidential piece of information. "You ready for this? It's a passive ability I acquired as a quest reward."

My eyes widened in surprise. "Really? That's a thing?"

She nodded, grinning. "Yep. It's called 'Aqueous Aura.' Basically, it's a low-level water manipulation ability that keeps me clean and fresh. It's pretty common, actually. You'll probably come across it as a reward in one of the quests you do in a Server."

I frowned, feeling a bit envious. "Man, that's incredibly useful. I can't believe I'm stuck smelling like a gym locker while you're walking around like you just stepped out of a spa."

Aubrey laughed, patting me on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Connor. You'll get your chance to pick up some useful passives too. And who knows? Maybe you'll find something even better than 'Aqueous Aura.'"

"Better?" I scoffed. "I doubt it. I'd kill for a built-in shower right now."

She grinned, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Well, until you get your own cleanliness superpower, you'll just have to make do with good old-fashioned soap and water. I actually have a bar you can use. There’s a stream you can go to further back towards where you do your…thing."

Wow, she just had to bring that up. I sighed, resigning myself to my grimy fate. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

With that, we returned to our training, my newfound goal of acquiring the 'Aqueous Aura' ability driving me forward. If I could stay as clean and fresh as Aubrey, maybe I wouldn't feel so out of place in this strange new world.