Jack
"She's okay with it."
"And you?"
"I never saw any reason to object." Emily smiled. "Thanks for asking, though. We have an air mattress in the closet we can blow up for him, or he can take the couch. How long will he be staying?"
"A week, then back to America." I grimaced uncomfortably. "I'm going with him. There's a gaming convention that weekend. I'm gonna be there to meet fans and stuff."
She frowned. "Is that normal for you? To have fans?"
"Definitely doesn't feel normal. Will you be okay here alone?"
"I won't be alone. Bloody."
"That's what I'm worried about. You still don't trust each other, and I won't be here to mediate. Will you be okay?"
"How long will you be gone?"
"I'll be back late Monday night. You'll be okay, right?"
"I've dealt with Bloody for a few years now. I can handle a weekend."
She had a point, but I couldn't shake the feeling the two were a little tense with each other at the moment. Usually, when I hate someone, I distance myself until I calm down. That's not easy when the person you hate is literally in your head.
But for the sake of my fans, I had to go. And I would have to go again. I might as well see if Emily can handle it.
So I recorded extra, set up an air mattress for Mark, and waited for him to get there. It would be his first time in Ireland. Usually, I went to visit him in L.A., because we were going to some convention or other in America. But he wanted to visit and meet Emily and Bloody.
I went and picked up Mark at the airport, discussing a few local multiplayer collabs we could do, and even one we could do with Emily. He was curious as to what caused Bloody to come up, as we thought it best to avoid her after the FNAF fiasco. The viewers had accepted the "got over the jumpscare" explanation, but that had been nerve-wracking.
When I opened the door, I half expected Bloody to be there with her card deck, but instead, Emily sat on the couch. She got up, smiling, and shook hands with Mark.
"Lasagna's in the oven," she said. We'd delayed dinner so Mark could eat. I knew him. He could practically eat the whole pan himself.
"Sounds good," Mark said. "'Course, anything but peanuts sounds good coming right off a plane, but still."
Emily laughed. A full, head-thrown-back laugh, something I had heard very rarely. She'd done it while playing Gang Beasts. Bloody had laughed, but this was lighter, happier. Bloody's had always been slightly evil.
The lasagna was delicious, and as expected, Mark ate most of it. Then, we sat on the couch and chatted awhile, but Emily soon said she was tired and headed off to bed.
Mark started to do the same, but I grabbed his arm. "Wait," I whispered. He gave me a confused look, but sat back down on the couch.