Pearl lead me to a door on the same floor as mine on the left side of the building and didn't knock before entering. "I brought the new guy." She announced. The room was highly crowded, evidentially this apartment was much smaller than the one I was in though a similar layout, it only appeared to have one room.

"Hey." Rose said running over to me, the girl I had talked to on the plane!

"Why didn't you mention that you lived here when you gave me the number?" She cracked a smiled throwing an arm over my shoulder, I suppose we had just spent 13 hours on a plane together at least that meant I knew a few people here.

"That might have seemed a little forward." She laughed flipping her blond ponytail to the side as she gestured widely with her hands.

"What? Forward?" I asked cocking my head at her in confusion.

"You know for me to ask you to move into my house, that seems a little forward. We just met, come on keep up with me silly!"

"Don't confuse the poor man." A voice said behind me. A man with shoulder length dark hair joining us at the door, he was dressed in a suit which seemed oddly formal for the event. "Look at him isn't it bad enough already Rose?"

"What?" I said.

"Hes making fun of you." Rose said slapping my arm lightly. "But don't worry thats 'cause he sucks, by the way this is Reiji he lives next door to you guys." I nodded everyone here really hung out weekly? Funny!

"Hey I wanted to introduce everyone!" Pearl snapped stomping her tiny foot at the older girl.

"Sorry kiddo." Rose said ruffling the little girl's brown curls affectionately.

"So wait." I said. "If you live here why didn't you back with Cassie?"

"She gave you a ride? Thats great good thing she was there, oh yeah they were going today... I had to run to the store to get snacks and such for this." She motioned to the room. "This is my place."

"Did you pay for the snacks?" Chief Yagami asked, pay? I looked back at Rose, granted she was a tad offbeat, but stealing really?

"What kind of a question is that?" She asked indignantly.

"Did you?" He asked again in the severely paternal way that he sometimes spoke to me.

"No. But I'm still offended that you asked."

"You stole?" I asked why didn't anyone seem surprised by the fact that she would do something like that!?

"Well yeah." She shrugged rolling her eyes unenthusiastically.

"She does that all the time." Reiji snarled flicking his hair from his shoulder pretentiously. "It drives Cassie insane. She always ends up going to the stores and leaving money for the stuff that Rose takes. I don't really understand why, its not like it makes a difference if it is already taken, but she says its something about honesty. Whatever thats supposed to mean in the modern market..."

"Is anyone going to want drinks?" A girl yelled from the kitchen interrupting his ranting. Pearl pulled me over to her.

"This is Lisa." Pearl said gesturing to the young woman who was bouncing around the counter tops preparing a few glasses. She had long red hair which was swept back in a ponytail to one side wearing what looked like work out clothes with a over sized sweater.

"Hi." I waved at her which caused her to smile and return the gesture.

"Hey ya! Rose told me she met you on the plan." I nodded. "Cool. What do you drink?" She ask showing off the wide array of options which were all strewn across the counter.

"Beers fine by me." I said having always been over stimulated by the fancier drinks, who could ever remember all the names and stuff to know which ones weren't sick!

"Thats no fun." She pouted moving to the fridge. "Justing kidding beer is fun too Rose keeps like a hundred kinds in the house, so anything in particular?" I shock my head. "Here this is good then, at least thats what all the 'Northwest has the best beer' snobs tell me." She handed me a beer with a label which read 'Full Sail Pale Ale.' Worth a shot I guess... "Don't worry its not to fruity."

"Are you giving this man a girl drink?" An older man with brood squared shoulders walked behind the counter to kiss her on the cheek.

"No I'm not actually." She laughed snuggling against him affectionately. "You want something?"

"I'm good." He said. "Do you know where I put the cigars?"

"There on the table." She indicated a spot not far from them.

"Thanks so much honey." He smiled pecking her cheek once more as she rolled her eyes.

"No problem babe." She said as he walked to retrieve the cigars in question.

"Thats her boyfriend Ado. They live in the apartment across from here." Pearl explained, him he did look a little old for her, not that it was right to judge other people or poke into their business but she literally couldn't be older than 17.

"If your playing in the first round get your butts in seats and around this table!" Called Rose to the general room. "Where the hell is that roommate of yours?" She asked Reiji who was now sitting next to her.

"I don't know sulking." He shrugged dramatically leaning back in his seat.

"Why?" Rose asked raising an eyebrow and screwing up her face at him, clearly she thought it was something the other man had done.

"Because he doesn't like the new counter tops." Reiji explained exasperatedly.

"Really is that all!? Go drag his ass over here." She commanded smacking the other who sneered at her.

"He's mad at me."

"Some one go get Shingo!" She yelled yet again to everyone, it seemed she had a lot of authority for someone who seemed like sort of a spaz.

"I'll do it." Offered an old woman who was sitting on a nearby couch twirling handfuls of a her flora house coat between her fingers.

"Thats June." Pearl said continuing her introductions of everyone in the room. Reiji flipped his long hair over his shoulder in an annoyed way.

"Fine than, I'll go get him!" He snapped stalking from the room.

"June sometimes forgets things." Pearl told me simply, shotting a glance at the couch.

"You know I used to be in the pictures." June muttered eyes wandering the room, but obviously directed at all of us.

"Touta come play." Rose said offering me a seat. Ado, Brandon and Bob were all sitting with her already. The chief was at the couch talking to Cassie. I sat down between Rose and Bob.

"I wanna to play too." Pearl said climbing on my lap. "Don't worry I'll help you."

"Me too." Lisa said sitting on Ado who wrapped an arm around her waist while holding out a box to the general table.

"Cigars?" He offered.

"Of course." Rose said taking two and handing one to me.

"No thanks." I said.

"Loser everyone knows that you can't play poker without smoking."

"Really?" I asked, I'd only ever played once or twice before but there hadn't been any smoking at the event...

"Yeah really. Think about the dogs."

"What dogs?" Lisa asked.

"The ones on tacky tapestries duh." She said lighting hers. I was starting to get that feeling that Rose made obscure references often, and thankfully it seemed mostly no one got what she was talking about which made me feel better in a way. She held the cigar out to me again.

"I'm still not going to." I said.

"Suits yourself." Bob took one from the box looking over at me again. "You don't mind though do you? I mean smoking near you..."

"Nah, go ahead." I shrugged.

"Its really gross that you do that in the house." Lisa complained flopping back to lay her head on her boyfriends shoulder.

"Its not like it will do anything." Ado said.

"It will make you smell." She pointed out, that had always been my feeling on the matter as well one of the many reason I would never start smoking.

"Alright lets start with a five card draw" Rose said dealing the card. We played a round before the door open and two men walked in, Reiji and another who was clearly his roommate as they were bickering still about counters as they both pulled chairs up to sit with us.

"Thats Shingo." Pearl said as the sandy haired man sat down.

"Sorry you can't play." Rose said looking at the new man.

"And why not." He asked in a bored tone that could only be rivaled by his roommate.

"You don't remember." She asked.

"No." The man rolled eyes which were obscured by rimless glasses.

"You were cheating last time." Rose said with exasperation running a hand through her blond hair which pulled out her ponytail.

"Was not." He sneered contentiously.
"Yeah you were." She attempted again looking around the table for back up.

"Its called strategy." Shingo sighed raising a hand in mock innocences.

"He was card counting." Bob said leaning towards me to fill me in on what was going on.

"But we aren't betting money." I pointed out causing the younger man to laugh.

"Yeah I know." he said. "Just let him play." He told Rose.

"Fine." She said. "But if you do it again I'm going to mess you up."

"Uh hum." He scoffed dramatically and we dealt the cards.

After several hands there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Several people called at once. Gary entered the living room.

"Dad you made it." Cassie said standing up to greeting him at the door.

"Great." Brandon mumbled scrubbing his hands over his face.

"Move over boy." Gary said sitting down next to Brandon. "This reminds me of back in the wars..." He started.

"Boring." Rose interrupted.

"Whats that girl? you talking bad about us!" He yelled, how was it that no one seemed all the phased by his ranting, though I suppose you get used to it.

"No sir sorry." She smiled at him waving a hand to show him he could continue speaking.

"Now back to my story."

"These can go on a while." Bob said. "I'm getting another drink. anyone else." Almost everyone said yes. "I'll go get that." He moved most of the bar on to the poker table before offering drinks starting with Gary. "Sir would you like one?" He asked politely, for a kid who dressed like he thought he was tough he sure was nice, odd.

"Of course boy, get me a scotch" He nodded. "What was that?"

"Yes sir." Bob said flipping the bottle in a practiced way and filling a beer mug which he handed to the older man.

"Isn't that a bit much?" Lisa asked quietly leaning in so she was closer to us.

"Not if you want that story to end." The red head boy responded. And Bob was right within minutes Gary was sound asleep. "No need to thank me." He said with a smile. "Thats a trick I learned back in the war."

"You were in the war too?" I asked.

"Hell yes! I was with Gary." He laughed putting out his cigar and replacing it with a cigarette from the pack he was carrying.

"Oh I didn't know that Bob."

"Hes lying." Lisa said. "And why do you call him Bob?"

"Because its his name."

"Oh." She shrugged turning back to look at Ado's cards.

"Well that clears that up. Can we continue now?" Rose asked.

The night continued in this fashion, it had been a while since I'd really just had time hang out with people who totally unconcerned with work or anything really for that matter. It was nice to not feel like anyone expected anything of me, besides which it was also giving me a chance to finally wind down after everything that had happened in the last few years, something I had yet to be able to do.

"What time is it?" Shingo asked. Ado looked down at his watch.

"Its almost one damn..."

"We should get going." The brunette man said towards his roommate.

"Yeah we should." Reiji agreed. "Good night all," He wave. "It was a pleasure meeting you."

"You too." I said. The two men headed for the door. I looked down at Pearl, who had long since fallen sleep in my lap.

"I can take her." Cassie offered. "I was going to walk June back so I might as well drop Pearl off as well."

"Do they live together?" I asked realizing that I didn't know which person Pearl went to for the first time.

"Yeah thats right." She said. I stood up trying not to wake the young girl as she traded arms.

"Did I fall asleep?" She asked groggily.

"You did, its okay love." Cassie said sweetly cradling the girl closer to her body. "Come on now June we need to get back to your room." She took the old lady by the hand to lead her away.

"I'm not even tired." Said Lisa who was falling off her chair by this point, it seemed that she had been drinking about half of everything she served. "I could stay up all night." She attempting to pour herself yet another.

"Honey I think you've had enough." Ado said taking it from her which was causing him quite a struggle. Bob laughed covering it with a cough when the older man glared in his direction.

"On that note I think I'm out." Said Brandon standing up to leave.

"No way." Said Rose.

"Why not?"

"Not without him." She motioned to Gary who was still asleep where he had dropped hours ago.

"Why me?" The blond man asked indignantly.

"Sorry you live the closest by."

"Because this building is so big?"

"Yep." She smiled slapping his shoulder with affection.

"Fine." He shock the older man awake and started dragging him away before he could restart his story.

"We're leaving too."Said Ado who was practically dragging Lisa along with him.

"I'll miss you guys." She said near tears by this point. "I love you all!"

"We Love you too!" Bob yelled. "Every time." He smiled as they closed the front door.

"Maybe one of you should cut her off." the chief who was sitting near us having joined the game as the evening went on.

"Hey thats not my business." The red head defended.

"You encourage it."

"Thats true." Rose said. "He's the bad friend. You know the 'I bet you can't drink that kind of thing' and well Lisa always can, her fault to you know?"

"I wasn't even that bad today." Bob said leaning back in his chair.

"True." Rose said.

"Do you need help cleaning up?" I asked.

"Clearly your the good apartment, who love me best of all."

"Hm?"

"Mr. Yagami is usually my cleaning buddy." She said throwing an arm around his shoulder.

"What am I chopped liver?" Bob asked.

"You never finish cleaning."

"Thats 'cause it boring, but I keep you company don't I?"

"If you call playing video games keeping me company."

"I'm there aren't I?" He asked pulling out another cigarette, it seemed he always had one hanging out of his mouth.

"Not really." She said.

"Well fine then maybe I wouldn't stay."

"Yeah right." She laughed. The four of us cleaned the place quickly, but Bob did get bored and ended up playing video games on the couch leaving the three of us to finish.

"Thanks guys." She said as we left.

"See ya." Bob said heading down the stairs where his apartment was clearly located.

"Bye." I called back. We went back to the apartment. "Good night." I said heading to my room.

"Good night. See you in the morning." In my room I lay in my bed, somewhere in subconscious I knew there should be alarms going off in my brain telling me how wrong all of this was and strangely well the whole day had worked out. Yet they weren't, my thoughts were just blank. In fact blissfully so, for the first time in over five years I fell asleep free of anxiety and ready to face whatever came next.