Bags in hand, Andy and Ike made their way back up the stairs to her apartment. He was wearing new jeans and a blue t-shirt, and she almost laughed as he attempted to carrying most of the bags in his one hand and carry the pizza she had stopped to pick up in the other. She reached her floor first and shifted the bags into one arm before opening the door.

Books were sitting in stacks on the tables near the couch. She spotted Soren flipping quickly through a volume of the Encyclopedia Britanica. Andria tossed her keys onto her kitchen counter and walked over, dropping bags as she went.

"You read...all of these?"

Soren didn't look up as he nodded. He flipped the page again, his eyes traveling down the page quickly. "Fascinating world you live in. Much more technologically advanced than our own, though lacking any mages as I have seen."

Andy laughed as she threw a bag at him, which he quickly caught. "No, we don't have magic here. Which makes me wonder if your magic is going to work." She gestured at the bag. "I picked you out some clothes. Hope they fit."

He nodded and stood, carrying the bag into the other room to change. Ike sat at one of the stools at her counter, setting the pizza down. Andy picked up some of the bags and put them in her spare room. There was no bed, she used it as an office. Biting her lip, she looked over at Ike, who was focused on the pizza box.

"I don't exactly have a place for you to sleep..." She glanced at the couch. "One of you can have the couch, one can take my bed..."

Ike looked at her finally. "No. You'll sleep in your own bed. Soren can take the couch. I've slept in rougher places than your floor." He poked the box. "How do you get the food out of this contraption?"

Andria smiled and walked over, taking a plate from her cabinet. Opening the box, she took out a slice of pizza and handed it to him. "Sorry, I didn't figure you would be that hungry." Closing the box, Andy walked over to her bedroom door and knocked. "Soren? Are you okay?"

There was a muffled sound from the other side, and Andy blinked. "Do you need help?" Another muffled sound and Andy opened the door.

The archsage was standing there, trying to figure out the hoodie she had bought him. He had managed the black pants and purple button up shirt fine. Walking over, Andy took the black hoodie and straightened it out.

"It goes like this over your head." She helped him into it and took a step back. He still looked like himself, though he was now in regular clothes. "Are you hungry?"

Soren frowned. "I do hope that Ike is not eating all of your food."

"Not at all. I got a pizza for you two." She led the way out to the living room. Ike had the pizza box open and was eating his third slice. Andy had to stifle a giggle. "And Ike seems to like it just fine."

Once the two men were settled down with food, Andy went over to her TV and game system. Neither seemed damaged, just the powerstrip that was plugged in. She removed the outlets and found her extra splitter, plugging that in instead. Reconnecting the TV and game system into the wall, she turned the TV on. The loud blare of a cable channel caused one of the men behind her to drop something. She quickly turned the volume down and flipped the channels. The TV was undamaged. Andy changed the input and turned the game on.

It started up like always, going through the credit screens. When the main title came up, however, there was a gasp behind her and she heard someone leap over the back of her couch and land next to her. Ike pressed his hands up to the screen then whirled on Andy.

"You are a sorceress. You have been spying on us."

"She is not a sorceress, Ike," Soren said from behind her. "From what I have gathered, this is a system upon which games are played. We are...were...fictional characters until whatever accident led us to be here happened." Andy couldn't help but notice the calmness in Soren's voice. He was taking this amazingly well.

Ike wasn't so calm. "Fictional...characters? But we are real! We lived there!" He turned to Soren as Andy continued past the opening scenes into her saved game. "That's...impossible."

"This is how their realm entertains themselves."

Their conversation faded into the background of Andy's mind as she opened her latest save file. All the characters were there. Except Ike and Soren. She stared at her screen for a moment, then dropped the controller.

"What do those numbers mean?" Soren asked.

"They tell how powerful each character is," Andy answered automatically. She switched the game off, pushing herself up to the couch. Soren was leaning on the back of it over her head. Andy rubbed her arm, staring at the blank screen. Her cell phone started going off, causing both Ike and Soren to jump. Andria reached into her pocket and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, girl. We're getting a bunch of us together and going out. You in?"

"Heather, I have company here-"

"Bring them along," her friend said quickly, cutting her off. "Are they guys? Are they cute?"

Andy sighed. "Yes, they are. But we really can't-"

"Oh, come on, you never do anything fun! You're twenty-one and never go out with us."

The pleading, pathetic tone of voice Heather was using was wearing an already exhausted Andy down. "Fine. Just...give me a moment. Where do you want to meet-"

"Down the street, there's that bar. Meet us there."

Her phone went dead and Andy hung it up, sticking it back into her pocket with a sigh. This whole thing was getting out of hand. She turned and looked at Ike, who was looking confused. Soren was less so, having read about cell phones. She groaned and flopped down on the couch, ignoring the sounds of alarm from Ike. A hand touched her back.

"Andy? Are you injured?"

She waved him off. "Sure. Fictional characters come alive all the time around me."

After a moment, she sat up again. "Well, I guess we're going out. Soren, you're fine in what you're wearing. Ike, we need to find you something else." She hurried through the bags, hoping that tonight wasn't going to get any harder than it already was.