Scarlett lit up a fresh cigarette while Skye paced about in the kitchen yelling into her phone. It sounded like they were quitting. Scarlett had hoped for the day Skye's eyes would open up and they'd realise they hated their job.

Skye was beaming as they hung up, Scarlett watched cautiously but her heart was fluttering. Then Skye sat down and grabbed Scarlett's cigarettes.

She went to raise a protest, but Skye had a seriously look of satisfaction on their face and she just didn't want to ruin it by talking.

"You were right, I should have quit years ago."

They sat on the back veranda, the sun was starting to set and the wild flowers growing in the garden had started to wither. There was a growing chill in the air around the tiny wooden table. It was nice though, they both laughed and smoked. It made her think of days.

"I guess I'm working for Kriemhilde von Leere now," Skye scowled, "They'll be happy to hear that."

Scarlett inched her bare feet along the rough brick ground, leaning back slightly until her head grazed the smooth white adobe of the house's exterior.

"About that, I-"

She leaned back in over the table, not sure what to do with herself other than not cross her arms.

"I'm sorry about... everything. I fucked up and could have really hurt Indie."

Skye brushed away her apology, "It's alright, Scar. I over-reacted."

"No," she struggled to maintain eye contact, "No, you were right and I hurt you."

Skye blushed, "I-"

Scarlett finally looked down at the table, to the phone now in her hands. Then, Skye placed their hands over her own and she looked up into their warm eyes.

"It's alright."

She swallowed, "I..."

"No, seriously Scar..."

Scarlett's heart fluttered, "Thanks."

She offered Skye another cigarette, she might as well - looked like that bad habit had won out again. Skye took it, a serious look on their face.

"We should celebrate, I finally quit."

Scarlett smiled, "Yeah, alright."

Skye went inside to put on some music and grab some drinks while Scarlett sat outside and enjoyed the sunset. Skye returned and after a while they ordered a couple of pizzas, just sitting outside together in the cold talking about nothing in particular. About high-school mostly, and how they thought their lives would be different.

Scarlett had always imagined she’d be a painter or a musician, talents she had never really bothered to learn. Skye had always wanted to help others.

Scarlett finished her drink, finished her cigarette and didn’t feel like any more. It was enough to see Skye enjoying herself.

“Hey, remember when we were dating and you used to steal my room-mates cigarettes?”

Skye laughed, “She wanted you so badly.”

“She was a creeper, I don’t even feel bad.”

Skye took a drag of their cigarette and smiled, “College is for experimentation, bruh.”

She laughed, “Fucking, bruh…” uncontrollably.

Skye snorted, they laughed so much.

Then Scarlett sighed, and put out her last cigarette.

"I missed this."

Skye smiled, "Yeah."

Scarlett leaned back in her chair, "We should do this more."

Skye glanced up at her, "Now that I'm not working for that asshole, maybe I will."

That made her smile, genuinely. Her heart raced, that was the Skye she used to know, the Skye she had fallen for and it made her wonder what life would be like if she and Skye were still together. She thought about it often. It was good now just to be talking to her friend again and to see them excited about things for once.

***

Indie sat at her desk, staring at her computer. Panic still gripped her, she struggled vainly to think of what to tell her sister, how to explain the sudden, strange appearance of someone Skye knew. She barely had the sense about herself to pull on a pair of sweat-pants and a clean t-shirt before a knock on the window nearly gave her a heart attack.

She let out an unhuman squeal and clutched her chest, Clementine's stupid amused expression grinned at her through the still open blinds. They waved, standing hunched on the roof. A nice slope to their posture to match the gentle incline of the tiles under their feet.

"How the fuck?"

Indie opened the window, anxious but not so much that she wanted Clem out where they could hurt themselves.

Clem easily slid through the window and into Indie's room, "I've got experience sneaking into people's houses."

Indie shut the window behind them, trying not to think about it.

"I've dated a lot of nice guys with evil parents."

Indie definitely didn't want to think about that, turning to examine Clem, who stood in the center of her dirty room drinking it all in. For the first time in her life, Indie was embarassed about the state of her room. Maybe because this was the first time someone that wasn't related to her, saw it.

Clothes were strewn around her room, where-ever she had decided to throw them. Her desk was covered in drink cans, her bedside table was overflowing with dirty dishes - some a few days old. Computer parts filled up boxes near the door, and the tools for them were scattered around book-less bookshelves - the books were on the floor under her clothes.

Indie siddled inconspicuously towards her bed-side table, shutting the open draw to hide her shame.

"This is exactly how I imagined it."

Indie blushed, Clem glanced at her as they spoke - something Indie wasn't used to. It was surreal to her, this pretty and elegant woman standing in the middle of her mess of a life. Even in gym shoes they were elegant. Loose jeans, an orange hoodie, their hair slicked back and wet, a backpack thrown over one shoulder.

Indie looked away, "You imagined my room?"

Clem smirked, then deflected the question, "I'd have come over sooner but, I had to get that thing I promised you."

She cocked an eyebrow, "Uh?"

Clem put their bag down on her bed and rummaged around inside it, "I told you if we ever met in person, I'd lend you this."

They produced a slim black aluminium block, unmistakeably an external hard-drive. A strap of masking tape wrapped around it as if to hold it together, scribbled in elegant script on the tape was 'Movies #1'. Clen offered it up, Indie took it gratefully though it was a long time since she even watched anything but a few kid's cartoons while eating breakfast.

"Oh, uh, thanks."

Indie ran a hand over the smooth metal case, unsure what to say.

"No prob, Bob. Maybe next time it won't take me three years."

Indie nodded weakly, looking down at their feet but smiling widely. She had always expected they'd be different... maybe a bit too much like their avatars.

"Yeah."

Clem watched her through an awkward silence, waiting for her to say something. Neither of them really remembered why Clem was here, what brought them here now at this strange hour. Indie eventually sat down in her desk chair, Clem sat on her bed.

They even sat with elegance, they crossed their legs and kept their back straight. Indie was starting to think they were messing with her.

It was a small purple flash drive, that they offered up to her. Indie, reminded of why Clem was here, took the drive and thanked them.

"Thanks."

But it was hard not to think bout Clementine's job, and... well everything she had learned about them. They were still her friend, but there was a weight to a spy handing over anything - let alone something that they could use to spy on you.

"Any time. One of the perks of my job, my boss pays for my internet connection."

Indie nodded slowly, not really in the mood to think about that whole ordeal.

"Uh thanks."

Clem watched her place the drive on the table, "I noticed you use ubuntu on your laptop, but I made an educated guess you'd be gaming with a windows PC."

Indie laughed meekly, "Yeah... it's not worth the hassle. Ubuntu I mean..."

Clem leaned back, still watching her intently, "Had dinner yet?"

Indie daringly glanced into their hard blue eyes, "No."

"Awesome, lets get something."

"Uh," Indie froze.

"Or, I can get us something. How about burgers?"

Indie checked her phone, it was dinner time and she was getting hungry. She would message her sister but, they weren't in the best mood. Might be better to just fend for herself tonight.

"Y-yeah, alright."

Clem pulled themself to their feet and towards the window.

"Y-you can use the front door, you know."

Clem smirked, "That'd ruin the fun."

Indie glanced at her bedroom door, thinking about how she'd have to explain it to her sister, and was grateful when she turned to see Clem disappeared again - out her window. Indie sighed, turning to her computer, and started scrubbing the flash drive for spyware.

***

"I got a strange offer today."

Skye was quite a few beers in, and had loosened up. It was eating at her a bit though, the offer.

"Mhm?" Scarlett handled their booze better, they were a slower kind of drinker.

"Indie let slip that I... they apparently know people who can teach you bondage stuff."

Scarlett's expression was strangely unreadable, normally they wore their emotions on their sleeves.

"Like... a bondage instructor?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, people learn somehow right?"

Scarlett's face was flush, "Yeah, you should do it."

"Yeah?"

Scarlett smiled, "Yeah," looking down at their phone again, "it'll be fun."

"I just think maybe, if I learn how to do it properly, I won't be so nervous about you know, meeting people."

"Yeah," Scarlett's voice at a sense of humour to it, "to be fair, you're not exactly smooth about it. Remember Beatrix?"

Skye almost cringed thinking about that poor girl. They had been into it, but after Skye royally fucked up and broke their wrist - they broke up and never spoke again.

"I... can't forget that."

Scarlett sipped their beer, "She's a doctor now."

"How do you know?"

"I'm friends with her on facebook. We talk all the time, I promised her I wouldn't tell you - because you know."

"Right," Skye looked out over the dark garden, the menacing shadows looming in against the veranda's dim light.

"You ever wonder, what went wrong?"

Scarlett glanced her over, but was engrossed in whatever was on their phone, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, how'd I end up in that job for so long?"

"You gotta support Indie. Though, I guess not so much any more."

Skye looked back at her friend, their face dreamy.

"It's good, I... I know she always had friends but seeing her enjoying herself and not lost on that computer. It's good for her right?"

Scarlett nodded, half-hearted, "Yeah, I just... rich people are crazy."

Skye smiled weakly, and finished her drink.

***

Indie finished checking for malware and installed the new games before Clem rocked back up through the window with a bag of fries and burgers in hand.

"Thanks."

Clem nodded, handing over Indie's food. They sat and ate, while Indie finished installing her new games.

"What're we playing first?"

Indie looked up from her burger, "We?"

Clem patted their backpack, "I brought my laptop."

Indie took a slow, thoughtful bite of her burger, "I need to finish my dailies."

Clem laughed, "So WoW then?"

Indie sighed, "How about..." she examined her new games, "Civilization 6?"

"That's more like it," Clem crumpled up their burger wrapper and scarfed down some fries before opening up their laptop.

Indie loaded the game up and before she knew it, it was midnight and Clem was falling asleep in her bed. Indie herself was getting tired, but she didn't really want to wake them up. Something told her, Clem didn't get many nights like this. So instead she pulled a blanket over them and lied down next to them. It wasn't exactly comfortable but tonight was a night of firsts.