They didn't really know how Silabus could deal with that ponytail of his. It was constantly smacking their back if it wasn't flying off into the wind everytime they ran. They watched Silabus fight when they were alone together, and knew that Silabus preferred to throw the ponytail over his shoulder when fighting. They didn't understand why, if anything it was a hindrance when They tried fighting monsters alone using Silabus's face.

So, They tried fighting with the swirly ponytail behind them, like a normal player would do-

And their hair got grabbed by a goblin and instantly they understood the reason.

'He's not just cute but smart too.' They couldn't help but gush. They also came to realize something. Because of their fondness of Silabus, They enjoyed wearing his face and his clothing. It was strange and made them only want to stay like this. To never transform into anybody else again. They really couldn't describe this feeling they felt whenever they were with Silabus in that snowy area. It was a feeling that made them happy, giddy, and left them feeling like they were floating in a weird sense. They would have to do some research, for sure.

After they took care of Haseo that is.

It was the perfect plan. Pretend to be Silabus to trick Haseo, PK him, then finish it off with a data drain. The data would go to Father and Haseo…well, Haseo wouldn't have a character anymore, because once they've been PK'd their entire character would be sent to father and deleted permanently. Once it was all said and done: They would be Haseo and Silabus would be none the wiser.

They do wish that they could do something about their name. Apparently their name didn't match who they were mimicking, it was something They would probably have to bring it up to Father whenever they talk to them again.

After They were sure they got Silabus's mannerisms, voice, and facial features correct, then came the next part of their plan. Waiting for Haseo to show up. They thought about Silabus the whole time they waited around Mac Anu alone. How long has it been since their little date? A couple of hours? A whole day? It was hard to tell. All that They knew was that they missed Silabus more and more. Their mind went back to that kiss they shared. It would make them smile and excitedly blush.

They sat on the platform and happily clicked their boots together while they waited. As time ticked by more people started to warp in, but nobody paid them any mind. Some did toss wayward looks their direction, but said nothing.

It felt like forever, but finally-finally, Haseo showed up. Warping in, Haseo gave a swift look around the dome. Before They could stand up, Haseo spotted them and his eyebrow rose up in slight alarm. "Oh, hey, did…did you just log on?" Haseo inquired as he approached.

'Silabus must be offline.'

"Yep!" They grinned at Haseo.

"And… you immediately sat down?" He kept his eyebrow raised high as he looked Silabus up and down.

"I was waiting for you!" It wasn't exactly a lie. They made sure to keep Silabus's tone chipper and in character. They even threw one of their arms up like Silabus would.

"Oh…" Haseo relaxed at this and smiled. "You could have messaged me-" He brought his hand out for Silabus to take. "Dork." They took Haseo's hand and felt alarm at the warmth his hands generated.

'He's so warm.'

"I'm sorry," They rubbed at the back of their head and gave an awkward laugh. "I didn't want to bug you."

"Please, you'd never bug me." Haseo gave a weak laugh as the two of them just stood there. Haseo then looked right into their eyes. He stared intensely and at one point his own red eyes narrowed as if what he was looking at didn't make sense. It was the same look Silabus had given them when they sent them a friend request. When the name didn't match the player. That suspicious narrowed eyed look.

"Did you change your character in anyway?" Haseo inquired as he looked Silabus up and down like he was trying to find the odd thing out.

"No, why?"

Haseo grabbed his arm and inspected the white sleeves, then looked at their chest, before backing up for just a moment to take all of them in. He just looked so confused. "I don't know. Something is different but… what?" He whispered the last word while he tilted his head.

They felt themselves start to panic a little. 'I thought I did everything right? What did I get wrong? Hair shade? Eye color?' They had thought as they tried to think of a way to weasel out of this. They kept their face blank for just a moment before they could only muster a bit of a shaky smile.

"He-hey is everything okay? You look a little…flustered?" They mimicked what Silabus had said to them before. Well, for some reason that seemed to work on Haseo and the adept rogue relaxed just a smidge.

"I guess it's been a while since I was last on. There's just something about you that's off."

"Well, gee, thanks," They joked and gave a laugh. "I'm sure it's nothing."

"Yeah, yeah, you're probably right. Oh, also, sorry about last night. I know I said I'd be on, but I ended up falling asleep after studying." Haseo rubbed at the back of his head.

"Hey, it's no problem! We all make mistakes. :)" They made sure to add the smiley face for good measure all while giving a little hop as Silabus would. It was working as Haseo seemed to have relaxed a little more and a tiny smile graced his lips.

"So, are you free right now? Feel like going to an area with me? I heard they have snowy areas and I thought you might like that."

"Yeah, that sounds great! The snowy areas are only in Breg Epona- but you should already know that!" They gave another fake laugh as they continued to mimic things Silabus had said to them before. It was working like he wouldn't believe because now Haseo no longer seemed to suspect them of anything. The smile that Haseo had was one that made them almost feel weak at the knees.

'Oh, he's cute too!' They thought when Haseo turned away from them for just a moment. 'But I have a mission to do. Get rid of him.'

"Oh, before we do that, I need to do a few things around Mac Anu. Namely talk to Dr. Kepel. I finally gave mecha grunty enough chim spheres. Then I need to talk to Bikman… again… that NPC is getting on my nerves." Haseo sighed

That's how They started to walk with Haseo. Well, run after Haseo. Turns out Haseo was much faster than he looked. They had a hard time keeping up with him. Silabus just wasn't as fast as Haseo was and was a good few feet behind him the whole time.

The both of them did what needed to be done. Haseo spoke to Kepel, though They could have sworn Kepel's beady little eyes looked at them a few times and looked just confused before they focused back on Haseo. Then when it was done they moved on to Bikman.

Bikman actually jumped when they saw Silabus or rather They pretending to be Silabus. "Oh…oh my. Hello there, dear." they greeted Haseo, and Haseo only.

They hung back and observed Haseo. His mannerisms when he spoke. His hand movements, his smile…kind eyes…and face…

They gave their head a good shake. 'Get a hold of yourself.' They thought to themself as they quickly focused back around to Haseo's mannerisms…

'Gods, why'd he have to be cute too?' They cradled their hand against their cheek as they watched Haseo speak. It seemed it was good enough for Bikman, whatever Haseo was doing that was.

"See you around, hun." Bikman winked and trotted off.

Haseo relaxed. "Bikman takes so much out of me… but regardless, are you ready, Silabus?"

They nodded eagerly. "Yep!"

Haseo smiled as he approached. "Good, let me just invite you-"

'No! He'll see Silabus is offline.'

They reached out to try and stop Haseo from bringing his party up, but it turns out they didn't need to do much of anything as only moments later a voice rang out. "It's Haseo and his boyfriend! Hang on I have to take a screenshot!"

That was when their wrist was grabbed and Haseo started to book it away from the gaggle of players clearly taking screenshots of them.

"I just want one day. One day of not being harassed." Haseo grumbled as he marched along towards the nearest warp gate. "Are they following us?"

They did a quick look over their shoulder. "Yeah." The girls were, in fact, following them.

"Great, they're not just fans, they're fanartists. Taking screenshots to try and draw our characters later, alright, hang on." Haseo sighed in annoyance. There was a roar of an engine then next thing They knew they were on a motorcycle with Haseo driving. "I'm not playing this game today."

The motorcycle was fast. So fast that They thought they were going to go flying off so they wrapped their arms around Haseo's torso to keep themselves steady. They kept their face planted firmly against Haseo's back and squeezed their eyes tightly shut at the harsh roaring winds that rushed past them at an alarming speed.

Still, despite the roar of the machine or even the whipping winds, They could hear something else. It was soft and faint and it was coming from Haseo. From his body.

They pressed themselves tighter against him an attempt to understand what they were hearing.

When the motorcycle stopped and the winds died down they still didn't let go. Mainly because they could hear better now. It was almost as loud as the day was bright.

Thump bump.

Thump bump.

"Uh…Silabus? Are you okay?" Haseo inquired as he spun around a bit.

"Uh…" They looked at him.

The sunlight of Mac Anu hit Haseo just right. It bathed him in a heavenly light with the way it shone down on him. It set his red eyes alight and just all together made Haseo look…etheral. Something nobody should be able to touch.

'But I can…' They realized. They were wearing Silabus's face after all. Weren't they?

"I'm fine…" A happy sigh left their mouth as they let go of Haseo. The moment they did the bike vanished and the two of them were in front of the dome. "Haseo?"

"Hm?"

They grabbed on to Haseo's face quickly and did as Silabus had done to them the day prior. They kissed Haseo.

Just as they thought. It felt just as right as kissing Silabus had.

The two broke away with Haseo blushing. "You…you said you weren't going to do it in public…" Haseo gave an awkward laugh as he rubbed at the back of his head.

"Consider it a bit of a surprise because…uh…"

'I can't PK him either…' They realized as Haseo started to walk up the dome. 'I can't join his party either. He'll know something is up if he sees my name isn't Silabus's. There's something different about Haseo. Something I can't place. That being said. He gives the vibes of someone who can't easily be fooled… he already suspected me earlier. If he sees my name, or if he sees Silabus isn't actually online it's all over.'

"Work called…" They gave a comical sigh. This was something they had heard in passing before. They could only hope it'll work. "I'm being called in. They're short-staffed and need me bad."

"Damn." Haseo huffed. "Oh well, next time then, right?"

"Yeah!" They excitedly smiled, glad their lie was working. "Next time for sure, Haseo!" They made sure to beam.

"Okay… well, try and not bust your ass too many times, Yuuichi- Silabus. I meant Silabus." Haseo gave a caught.

They paused at that for only a second. "Of course! And I'll try!"

With that they took that moment to warp away like they were logging out. In all reality they only warped away out of Mac Anu's bounds into an outer dungeon away from preying eyes. They were the only one in this dungeon all of their brethren out doing what father requested of them.

They only stayed there on their knees for a few moments before they fell over on to their side.

'There's something wrong with my code.' They realized as they laid there. 'I'm going against Father and his wants. But…there's something about both Haseo and Silabus. I just want to be closer to them. I want to know them, to love them the way they love one another…'

Touching their chest. They sighed heavily. 'I have a lot of work to do then.' They decided almost immediately as they sat up just as quickly. 'For starters. I need to change things. I need to learn how to change my name and I need to find a way to look like I'm online.'

They stood up and looked around the area. 'No doubt Father is probably watching me. Especially here…' They really didn't know where this sense of rebellion was coming from. But they didn't hate it. If anything, they embraced it.

'I'll find another outer dungeon. One away from here and go from there. I'm sorry father, but I think I'm going to make some modifications to my code. Ones that suit my needs.'

Yuuichi Morino was trying to be fit. Or at least trying to be healthier when he took up jogging. He did it to counteract how much time he spent playing The World to try and better himself. Jogging did help him in a way he never thought. It helped him with these damn rollerblades.

"This is a lawsuit waiting to happen," He couldn't help but huff under his breath as he skated through the dining room of the busy restaurant he worked at. A tray of drinks in both hands as he cautiously rolled one foot in front of the other. Every day he got a little better with these damn rollerblades. That didn't mean it was easy when he has a tray of drinks that he has to balance on while simultaneously rollerblading his way past others.

"Alright." He smiled when he finally got to his table. "One diet soda." He had to move the tray to one hand while he handed the drink off to the person who requested it. "One regular soda." He placed the drink in front of it's owner. "And a lemon-lime soda." He gave them smiles as he put the now empty tray under his arm. "And are we ready to order?" he inquired taking his notepad out.

Everyone agreed. "I'll have the american hamburger." The first male had said.

"Alright, with or without cheese?" Yuuichin inquired.

"Hmm…with."

"Okay." He wrote it down. "Would you like a side of fries?"

"No. I'll have a side of kimchi." The man said and Yuuichi nodded.

"Anything else?"

"That's all for me."

Yuuichi then turned to the woman. "And you?"

"Hm… your menu is so diverse…I love that it has American and Japanese options." She mused as she looked over the menu one last time. "I think I want…American waffles."

"For dinner?!" The other girl gawked as if it were the most absurd thing she's heard.

"Yes, for dinner."

"I think it's an excellent choice, ma'am. The American style waffles are so good." Yuuichi smiled at her. "What kind of syrup would you like? Maple or pecan?"

"Ohhh…pecan."

"Good choice." Yuuichi nodded. "Anything more to add?"

"No."

Yuuichi got to the final girl. "And you, ma'am?"

"Udon." She simply said as she folded her menu shut. "I'm not big into american foods." She then sighed.

"Very well. Would you like a side of rice with that?"

"No, thank you."

Yuuichi smiled and took their menus. "Alright, we'll get your order out briefly." He waved to the customers before rollerblading away. It was a little easier this time with him not having a tray of drinks in his hands.

Skating to the back of house, he ripped his ticket out of his notebook and hung it up. "Order in!" he called back to the cooks as he let it zipline to the cooks.

"Hey, Yuuichi." His coworker, and fellow waitress, expertly zoomed up to him like she's been on rollerblades her whole life.

"Good evening, Rushi," He gave her a polite bow. "Excuse me, now. I have other tables to attend to." He then turned from her and got ready to rollerblade away, but was stopped.

"Hold it." Rushi swiftly said as she swiftly skated in front of him to get him to stop. She then grinned as she reached up and poked his nose with her index finger. "You know, for the longest time I just couldn't place your voice. You sounded so familiar, but different at the same time."

"Is that so?" He gave her a little grin.

"Yeah, it is. When it's the two of us just shooting the breeze, I don't really hear it, buuuut, when you're at work and you're talking to customers it's like that-" She snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Your tone changes. It's the tone you use with customers that really sounds familiar to me and finally, it hit me! You're Silabus, aren't you?"

"Ah!" Yuuichi waved his arms madly like it was some big secret. Wel, to him, it was a secret. "Please, not so loud." He requested.

"I knew it!" She grinned madly at him. "I don't know if you remember me, but you helped me learn the game. I'm a harvest cleric by the name of Rubybird!"

"Oh yeah! Rubybird! The cleric all dressed in red!"

"Yep! You do remember!" Rushi gave a happy little hop while wiggling in place. "I just can't believe I work with someone famous."

"Oh-" Yuuichi blushed while rubbing the back of his head. "I'm not famous-"

"Sure you are! Not only are you technically a demon palace emperor, but you're also part of Canard. A pretty famous guild. That and anybody who's anybody knows you're dating Haseo."

Yuuichi blushed even harder now. "Heh…" Was all he could say. "I should really check on those customers. See you Rubyb- I mean Rushi." And with that he rollerbladed away like his life depended on it.

He checked on all of his tables, refilling drinks when needed, eventually taking food out to those that ordered.

"Yuuichi! You got a two-seater in your section." His manager informed him and Yuuichi bowed.

"Thank you, sir." He then skated up to the two new people in his section. Yuuichi immediately paused as he stared at the man. The man had his hair hidden by a hat and kept his eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses but there was still something vaguely familiar about him. From his dark olive skin-tone, to his mannerism. Still, Yuuichi regained his bearings.

"Thank you for joining us for dinner tonight, my name is Yuuichi and I'll be your server tonight. Can I get you started on any drinks?" He inquired with a smile.

"Er… yes… could I get a water?" The woman asked. Like the man, she too had her hair hidden away under a hat and sunglasses on her face. What an odd thing to wear indoors at night.

"Of course, and you, sir?"

"Hm, just a coke will be fine."

Yuuichi's eyes snapped open. Even though the man was trying to disguise and deepen his voice, Yuuichi immediately recognized the voice, because of how much 'Online Jack' he's watched in the past. His eyes went to the woman and now he recognized her as Michiru Tajima. It was clear that the other two immediately tensed when Yuuichi went quiet.

'Put the fanboy away, they're trying to enjoy their meal.'

Yuuichi cleared his throat. "Of course." He kept his composure while smiling at the two. "One water and one coke coming up." He then skated away. Salvador and Michiru both relaxed at this.

Yuuichi skated until he in the back of house. He then skated past that until he winded up in the walk-in.

Once the door clicked shut-

"Oh my god!" He absolutely screamed out in exhilaration. "That was Salvador Aihara! That was Salvador Aihara! Oh my god! Nobody is ever going to believe me!" Yuuichi breathed and his breath puffed out in a ball of condensation in front of him. "I can't even ask for an autograph." He fell to his knees in despair. "Oh well… I just can't believe he came here to eat and he's seated in my section!"

Yuuichi rose to his feet and his blades immediately slipped from under him; if it weren't for the rack in front of him he would have fallen on his face. He grasped the rack and managed to get himself back on to his feet.

Yuuichi, though internally fanboying everytime he came to check on Salvador and Michiru, kept his composure and treated them as he would any other patron. He was polite and attentive when they needed it. He also treated his other tables the same, of course. What was funny was that Salvador and Michiru kept their glasses and hats on the whole time. Kind of drawing a bit attention to themselves.

Eventually as time past, Salvador and Michiru finished their meals and got up to leave. "Please come back again." Yuuichi bowed to them.

"Of course! The service was excellent." Salvador extended his hand for Yuuichi to take in a handshake. Yuuichi was not going to turn this down and he shook it. Yuuichi felt paper in his hand when he and Salvador shook hands. "Take care!"

"You too!"

Yuuichi slipped the paper into his pants pocket.

He waited until he was off the clock, and out of the rollerblades, fourty minutes later to read it. Salvador had slipped him a napkin and Yuuichi unfolded it to see two thousand yen bills. "Ha!?" He gasped in shock as he sat in his car. Behind the bills was a small note on slip of paper.

I know tipping can be considered rude, but this is strictly my gratitude to you for not making a scene when you recognized us. Thank you.

Until next time.

Salvador Aihara!

"I am keeping this…" He breathed out as he gently put the paper into the breast pocket of his shirt. He then looked at the two bills in his hands. "And you… I'm saving for my date with Ryou." Reaching into his backpocket, Yuuichi pulled his wallet out and put the two bills away.

Then…he squealed with happiness. "I can't believe I got to meet Salvador Aihara!" He cheered to himself in his car. "And I got an autograph! Best day ever! I can't wait to tell Ryou!"

It was surprisingly easy for They to get into their own code. As, changing their code was something they often did when changing their appearance.

Once they were able to do that and modify themselves in the way they wanted with ease. Like changing their strange name. They couldn't do anything about the online and offline button, that'll have to be something for later.

Still, They came to realize something slightly interesting. That They knew things that their brethren didn't. They knew emotions that their brethren didn't and that made them different from their brethren. Different from what father wanted. They didn't even want to PK for father anymore. In fact, all They wanted to truly do was get closer to Haseo and Silabus alike.

They wanted to know more.

They had to know more and be as close as they could possibly be.

And the thing was. If that meant that They had to break the game to do so. Then by all the gods above and below. They weren't above doing just that. In fact, as it stands they were more than happy to leave the game. They knew that Silabus and Haseo had actual people behind their characters and if They were right… leaving the game, going through cyberspace, and seeing the real Haseo and Silabus, sounded more and more fun as time ticked on.

'One thing at a time…first, figure out how to get them to invite you into their party, then maybe, just maybe figure out how to leave this game. I have to make sure that neither of them are suspicious of me.'