Max met Lance outside the cafeteria before heading to the central area. "Are you ready?"

"Of course," said Max. He gave Lance a weird look. His friend had been acting a little strange about their planned double date and dating in general. This was ironic considering Max still didn’t really feel too excited about any of this and Lance was the one trying to have a social life lately. Max hadn't had enough time to really ask his friend what was up, and it’d been the wrong place and time before. But if he had to guess, he would assume that Lance was still a little conflicted about giving up on, or at least postponing, his relationship on Earth.

Of course, Max was also willing to admit he might just be projecting. Not everyone felt the same about relationships as Max did. Back on Earth, sometimes his friends and classmates had told him that he was like an older man in a young person's body. He always found those comments a little irritating…probably since it was the truth.

The moment they began walking, he noticed three golems begin following them from a discreet distance. He’d already told everyone who was going to expect the chaperones.

Max and Lance met up with the girls near the path out of the academy grounds. Lance's new girlfriend, Belle, and Momo were standing awkwardly together. Max had told Momo ahead of time that Belle would be joining them so at least there was no surprise. He wasn't sure how long the two women had been standing there. Luckily, he and Lance hadn’t been running late.

But the two women were very dissimilar, in appearance and vibe. Momo, despite her small stature, was like a razor blade. She was sharp, dangerous, and stood out in a crowd. Belle was physically larger and seemed much more approachable. Max wondered if the two of them hadn't made any efforts to be more friendly or any efforts to do so had failed miserably. There was no way to be sure, and no real diplomatic way to ask right away.

Max wasn’t worried. Group social activities could usually be salvaged once people weren’t just standing around trying to come up with something to say to newly met people.

As the group began walking to the gates to the academy grounds, Max had a thought. He asked Lavinia if she could just speak to one of Momo's spirits, find out about how her meeting with Belle had gone. Less than a minute later, in a bored tone of voice, Lavinia confirmed that the two had met and barely spoken to each other.

Although the entire sequence of events over the last few minutes was somewhat trivial in the grand scheme of things, it got Max's mental wheels spinning. He started to wonder why Summoners didn't speak privately to each other more often using their spirits.

Then he answered his own question: messaging on tablets was easier and more convenient. Plenty of Summoners might not trust each other enough to give others information on their spirits, either. However, some sensitive communications might not be good to send via tablet…like an ongoing clandestine sponsorship relationship with the headmasters of the Quartet. Speaking spirit-to-spirit would probably be quicker and more secure than exchanging notes. Mang Hao Han must be incredibly private about what types of spirits he had.

Max mentally asked Lavinia if there was a way she could radiate, or maybe send a signal to other spirits that she wanted to talk. I don't know, but I can give it a shot," she said. Luckily, she'd immediately grasped Max's intentions.

If Headmaster Mong Hao Hong was clandestinely observing him with a stealth spirit, maybe it might unstealth long enough to have a conversation with Lavinia, to pass on a message. If so, that would be one less thing Max would have to worry about.

Right now, high on his to-do list was getting a message to Mong Hao about the Summoner Academy competition at the end of the semester. After all, the people expecting Max to do well at the overall Quartet competition hadn’t really given him a lot of specifics yet. Max wasn’t sure exactly how they wanted him to compete yet. He figured he’d be ready for the senior division at the end of the year, but not yet.

Lance laughing brought Max back to the present. He’d worry about the Quartet headmasters later.

While she hadn't been very outgoing just standing with Momo, now Belle was very chatty. "It's great that I get to go and see the central area again," she said. "I've been in the Summoner Academy for more than two years now, but I've still barely made any money. Being poor makes the trip less fun. Like, there really isn't much use going out unless one of the restaurants is going to have live music. But even then, if the tables fill up and you're not paying, they'll kick you out."

Max listened as Belle continued like this, detailing her experiences in the central area. Momo stayed quiet too, content just to walk next to Max and observe the passing forest. When he realized the group was almost to the Summoner academy gate, he took a quick scan around the area, noticing the Momo was already doing the same thing. It seemed she’d been literally watching his back. Max quirked a smile. Whether she was currently just a friend, a comrade, or a romantic interest, Max's appreciation for the red-eyed woman increased.

Belle seemed oblivious to everything until the group actually stopped at the gate and she seemed startled when the gate guards wanted to scan all of their hands. So far, Belle had not exactly made a great impression on Max. For the sake of his friend, he planned to get along with her and look for good aspects of her personality.

Just like Lance, Belle had left behind a partner and a child on her home world. The fact that this fact bothered Max when he was trying to give Lance a pass about it, he knew was hypocritical. Then he amended that since Lance’s choices recently were bothering him too, perhaps he wasn’t a hypocrite. He was just… not willing to judge his friend harshly on the matter.

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Max just couldn't stop thinking about his deceased son. Even though all of the tragedies of his past life had happened hundreds of years before, they had left scars that he might never heal from. Anyone with a living child just…putting that aspect of their life on hold bothered him. But he was willing to admit it was illogical. There wasn’t anything that Lance or Belle could do about their situations except adjust. Wallowing in misery wouldn’t help their training.

By the time Lance got done with his time in the Quartet, everything back on Earth will have changed. Whether he returned a year after his disappearance, or ten years, there was no way he would be able to just pick up his old life like nothing had happened.

Not for the first time, Max was glad he didn’t have a girlfriend or wife back on earth. Worrying about his family was bad enough…and Max had been back to ensure they were all still alive so far. That was a fact he had not told a soul.

He was willing to admit that sometimes he fixated too much on training and pondering the world around him instead of spending appropriate time thinking about the people around him. The last few minutes had helped him understand Momo a bit better. In that moment, he decided that no matter what, he’d do his best to honor her request to come to Earth.

The group cleared the Summoner academy gate area and Max paid attention to Belle’s small talk again. He gave himself permission to dislike her if it came to that, but he also made a promise to himself to give her a fair shake.

"Where are we going first?" asked Belle. She seemed to realize that she was the only person that had been talking for the last few minutes. Max turned to regard her thoughtfully. Belle really was quite pretty. He could understand at least one reason why Lance liked her. She had flowing dark hair and sharp, dark eyes that sparkled.

Lance responded, "I don't know, I'm not calling the shots for this one. Max here is Mr. Moneybags."

"Oh my! Then where are we going, Mr. Moneybags?" asked Belle.

Max managed to crack a smile. "We're going to be walking around for a while, so how about we go to a shop to get some snacks and drinks first? I actually have one in mind where I still have some credit. If you all don't mind, I'd like to go there."

"Oh, really? I'm assuming it's not just for the credit. It's good too, right?" asked Belle.

"It sure was the last time I went."

Max grew better at making small talk with Belle and Lance as they got to the shop and placed their orders. Momo still hadn't said much. Max was beginning to feel concerned she wasn't having fun so he caught her eye and gave her a questioning look. In response, Momo gave him a Neusapian hand wave gesture, then her expression went back to neutral.

One thing that Max really appreciated about all his closest friends he'd made in the Quartet was the ability for sub-vocal communication, just like he'd been able to talk to Blake back on Earth sometimes. Momo's message was clear: she just didn't feel like talking and told him not to worry about her. Max decided to take her on her word, but he gave her a wink to thank her for watching his back. She gave him a half-smile in response before turning her head to watch the doorway to the shop.

After the group got done with all their drinks and snacks, they left again. "I don't really like that place," said Lance.

"Wasn’t great this time," agreed Max. Momo just waved a hand and wiggled her ears.

Belle seemed taken aback for a moment before she smiled again and said, "Well, where are we going next, Mr. Moneybags?" Max realized that the woman was trying hard to get along with Lance's friends, to fit in with a strange group. He felt a little guilty about his earlier judgments. Once again, he reminded himself not to make snap judgements during an inherently awkward group date.

It was times like this Max wished that he was just fighting something or someone. Whether it was watching his parents' marriage fall apart, interpersonal relationships, or dealing with unhelpful would-be managers when he was looking for a job on Earth, sometimes Max just had to admit to himself that people just didn't make sense to him. Luckily, he’d still been able to forge some amazing friendships over two lifetimes. Now he was just hoping that for Lance's sake, Belle ended up confusing him less in the future.

The problem was not that she was trying to be outgoing. He really didn't mind talkative people at all. In fact, he enjoyed their company. But she had been speaking almost non-stop since they left the Summoner Academy and had yet to say anything of any real value.

Max remembered a saying back on Earth. “Be the change he wanted to see in the world.” He smiled ruefully to himself, then in one of the rare quiet moments, he asked, "What kind of world are you from, Belle?"

"You know, the same as everybody else. Completely different than the Quaret. And everybody's probably being killed right off by now." She laughed at her attempted joke, but Max could hear the frustration and pain in her voice.

Okay, that was the wrong question to ask, he told himself. However, then he had a change of heart when he realized that almost all the questions he could ask her that were relevant to their life in the Quartet would likely still be related to their worlds in some way. Since shying away from the difficult topic wasn’t possible, Max leaned into it.

Max nodded. "I left my world not long after the first attack because I was trying to get some people away, escaping from my job, and I killed a monster in the midst of all of that. I think I was probably one of the first people from my world to accept the window prompt. Max gestured around them. "Kind of weird that now I'm walking around getting coffee and thinking about going to a mall. You've been here longer than me. How do you deal with all of this, Belle?"

The woman paused, and Max got the impression she hadn't expected him to take that route of conversation. She slowly answered, "Most days, I just don't think about it. This is my new reality, at least for the next few years, and I'm just trying to make the most of it. I’m just trying to live my life, you know? Some people in the academy, they dwell on it all day long, and they just can't get over it. They're the ones who just kind of exist in the academy, dragging themselves day-to-day. And the sad thing is they're usually not the most accomplished in classes, despite the fact that's all they focus on. When we eventually do go back, I think that people who try to keep a good attitude, try to keep living life, and just make the best of the situation, they are going to be the ones who are the most help to their world whenever they get back."

Max nodded slowly. He wasn't sure if he entirely agreed with her, but he understood her logic. Belle turned to Momo. "What about you, Momo? You've been here a while, too."

The petite, red-eyed woman shrugged. "I just want to go wherever Max goes now."

Belle blinked. "Okay. I thought you guys weren't even officially dating. That sounds pretty serious."

Max gave Lance a glance that was meant to say 'blabbermouth,' and he believed Lance got the message despite the fact his friend was making an innocent face and trying to look away.

"We aren't dating yet," said Max.

Suddenly, Lance was paying close attention again and he chuckled. "You just said 'yet,' so it's only a matter of time, huh?"

Max rolled his eyes and sighed. He could tell this was going to be a long shopping trip.