They're a strange thing: job interviews. It's like trying to advertise your best qualities to a stranger while avoiding fibing about all the other ones. The whole thing felt very wrong to Simon, almost like bragging, but worse somehow.

After attending about half a dozen interviews Simon had decided it all basically boiled down to: please see me as competent so you'll give me money in exchange for time and energy. What he didn't get was why there were so many different rules. Don't forget to dress up, but don't overdo it or you'll look like you're trying too hard. Don't spin every bad quality into a good one or you'll seem fake, but don't embellish too much or they will think you can't do the job. Always arrive early even if you have to spend a very stressful twenty minutes sitting and staring at the wall. On and on the advice went until he decided it didn't actually matter. Or at least if it did matter he wasn't gonna bother with it.

"That's the spirit," Izzy told him, trying to be supportive. Unfortunately Simon was in no mood to be cheered up.

"Oh what do you know, you've never had a job before in your life," Simon groaned.

"Someone woke on the grouchy side of the bed this morning," Izzy scoffed, as she turned her nose up at him and moved away.

"Urg," Simon groaned. The last thing he wanted was his girlfriend being mad at him. He consoled himself that she didn't look that mad, for he hadn't the energy to do more than collapse on the couch at the moment.

It had been weeks now that he'd been trying and failing to look for a more 'grown up' job while still doing shifts at Tim Hortons since that was all he had to pay the bills right now. Not that living with a Lightwood meant there were so many bills to pay or anything, but that didn't mean he was just gonna quit and become a kept man. Especially since being a graduate, he had student debt to worry about now as well.

"Oh, come on," Izzy said, mockingly. "It can't be that hard, this finding a job thing."

"Oh yeah, well I'd like to see you try it," Simon challenged.

"Deal," Izzy said sharply, taking him quite by surprise.

"Wait- what?" Simon asked, taken aback.

"I've got a whole summer to kill," Izzy shrugged. "Whoever finds a job first wins." She grinned. "And this way I'll be safe from any potential life lessons my parents might spring on me."

"Wait a minute," Simon said, sitting up to face her, sure he'd misheard. "You're gonna spend the summer looking for a job? Did I hear that right?"

"You sure did!" Izzy exclaimed. "Sounds like fun."

"Um it isn't," Simon whined.

"Oh hush," Izzy mocked. "You say the same about shopping."

"Getting a job is like the exact opposite of shopping," Simon told her. "Also if you are gonna make this a competition, it's gonna be fair. I mean you are just gonna be looking for summer student work which isn't that hard to find. I'm looking for a career. They are a bit different, you know."

"Ah, but you forget I have no job experience. I haven't done this before, and I haven't been paying any attention to you and your resume building lectures," Izzy grinned.

"Hey they weren't lectures," Simon defended himself.

"Even so that will make it fair," Izzy concluded in a tone that broached no argument. Simon sighed in defeat. He still wasn't sure she was right, but it was easier to just give in, especially if it made her happy.

Either way Simon was so done being productive today. Claiming defeat he changed out of his nice interview clothes, and into his favourite pajamas to slumped down on the couch with a video game controller in his hand.

He was about an hour into playing his new favourite video game, Horizon: Zero Dawn, when Maia got home from work. Or at least Simon assumed it was her when he heard the door. He didn't realized she'd brought Jordan along until he heard his friend's voice. Simon called hey back without looking away from the screen as he was currently in the middle of a battle with a herd of corrupted behemoth machines.

"Oh, have you figured out who Aloy's mother is yet?" Jordan asked as he sat down.

"No," Simon sighed. "This thing keeps killing me. Then the next quest is climbing down into the ruins and finding out."

"Well then kill it faster!" Jordan exclaimed. "I've been so good not googling spoilers."

"You wanna try?" Simon scoffed as he died again. This is what he got for playing video games on the hard difficulty the first time out.

"Sure!" Jordan exclaimed. Surprised, Simon handed over the controller and watched as his friend made his avatar turn tail and run away.

"Oh yeah great strategy," Simon said sarcastically. Jordan didn't reply. He just waited for the machines to give up on him while re-equipping different weapons.

"You have a tripcaster," Jordan said. "And you aren't using it?"

"Buying it was part of a main story line, but I hate using it," Simon replied. "Setting traps in combat, just gets you killed."

"Ah, see my silly friend that's why you set the traps before combat, and then trick the beasts into setting them off, see watch," and he began setting a field of traps in front of Aloy.

When there were over a half dozen of them Jordan shot an arrow at the herd and they began charging. This part Simon had become familiar with, not so much with what came next. All but one of them was killed hitting all the traps on the way, and the last one was down to half health.

"And see now you just shoot it with the high damage arrows for a bit," Jordan was saying as he did just that. "Until-" And as if on cue the huge beast died.

"Okay that can't be luck!" Simon whined. "You've played this before."

"Maybe," Jordan smirked. "I played on an old roommates console before but I never got far into the main quest. I had a horrible habit of just playing the open world game part and ignoring the main mission, and then he left for the summer and I never got to see how it ended."

"So that's why you've been watching me play," Simon chuckled. "You wanna see the cutscenes." He laughed. "You know those are on youtube right?"

"Not the same," Jordan shook his head. "Didn't I tell you I'd been so good not googling spoilers."

"Alright then let's climb down into the ruins and find ourselves some cutscenes," Simon chuckled.

"Um hello," Maia called and they both turned.

"Yeah?" Simon asked.

"No boyfriend stealing, Simon!" Maia ordered.

"This so is not my fault," Simon whined. "He just sat down. I'm blameless."

"That he did," Maia laughed. "Like he lives here or something."

To Simon's surprise he saw Jordan blush a little and knew at once what his friend was thinking.

"Would that be so bad?" Simon asked Maia.

"Um," she seemed taken aback as if her joke were suddening not being taken as intended. "No I mean, of course it would, but since it's not-"

"Izzy!" Simon called across the room to his girlfriend. "Would you be cool with Jordan living here instead of just being here all day and eating all our food."

"At least then he'd be paying part of the groceries!" Izzy called back from the kitchen. "Like really I just went shopping three days ago, people!"

"What just happened," Jordan asked, his head turning from Simon to Maia and back.

"Discuss amongst yourselves," Simon told the lovebirds. "I have side quests to do."

And though he turned his attention at that point back to the tv and his idle Aloy avatar, Simon could still hear their conversation behind him.

"Is this what you want?" Maia asked softly.

"Yeah I mean if you want me here," Jordan mumbled awkwardly.

"Makes sense doesn't it," Maia said, her tone making it seem like she was smiling. "You're here all the time anyway, plus you already have a draw of things in my room."

"This way it would be our room though," Jordan replied, as if asking her permission.

"Yeah," Maia said kindly. "Yeah it will be."

"We never got to living together last time," Jordan said. "Are you sure?"

"I am," Maia said and then Simon heard kissing.

"Oh come on," he whined. "You have a room. Use it."

And with that the two disappeared down the hall into the aforementioned room.

"I see how it is," Simon muttered to himself. "Hoes before bros." He laughed to himself smiling as he continued to play his game, avoiding the main quest Jordan so wanted to join him for.

Simon eventually tired of his game and went to make something to eat. Izzy had gone out an hour or so earlier and it wasn't until Simon was sitting eating a sandwich that the door opened again to reveal his girlfriend and his best friend in the midst of a conversation.

"It's really not that hard," Clary's voice was saying as Simon heard the door open.

"Which is why I'll win," Izzy was saying while the two girls set down their purses and took off their sandals.

"I can understand why Simon thinks it's a bit unfair," Clary replied. "Maia's in the same boat as Simon, looking for career work now, and she says it's not as easy as a student job. But then again I'm in a similar situation to you." Clary sighed. "I've barely had any jobs and with just a semester left in school. I'm worried that I won't even be able to get a summer job."

"Then you and I should work together," Izzy told Clary.

"And Maia and Simon should as well, and we will see which team wins first."

"Oh, so it's teams now?" Clary laughed.

"Yep," Izzy stated. "Makes the most sense."

"How do you figure?" she replied.

"Well that way career and student job people are matched up," Izzy stated.

"Still we will have to see what Simon and Maia think of this plan," Clary laughed. "Speaking of where are those two anyway."

"Well Simon is over here," Simon said suddenly standing up and moving out of the kitchen to be in sight of the doorway. "And Maia is still welcoming our new roommate."

"And has said roommate agreed to contribute to the grocery pool?" Izzy asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Honestly having talked to him since you left," Simon laughed. "They haven't come up for air."

Izzy turned to look into the distance before sighing. "Does that make us the old boring couple in the apartment?"

Simon gasped dramatically, as if offended. "Never, my love," he said, moving closer to kiss her on the cheek.

"I don't know," she smiled. "I think there's a big difference between a peck on the cheek and hours alone behind closed doors."

"Well in that case," Simon laughed, moving forward to dip Izzy in his arms before kissing her properly.

"You two are so adorable," Clary said with a slight giggle. "I could just spread you on toast."

Simon couldn't help but blush at that, even though Izzy was grinning. Still with an arm around his girlfriend he asked the room at large, "How was lunch?"

"Good," Clary said. "Izzy told me all about this new challenge you've given her."

"Hey now she decided it was a challenge all by herself," Simon refused to take credit. "I gave nothing."

"I'm thinking teams," Izzy explained. "Clary and me, and then you and Maia."

"But she has yet to get Maia in on the idea," Clary explained.

"I see," Simon said. "Well at the moment might be a hard sell."

"Oh please," Izzy scoffed. "They can't stay in there all day. At the very least they'll get hungry."

Simon loved seeing Izzy and Clary get along the way they'd done these last few weeks. Clary had been spending a lot of time here lately, crashing on the couch every now and then. Simon knew she sometimes slept over at Magnus's too. He wasn't sure what the actual arrangement was between her and Jace, and wasn't going to ask. It made him feel lucky that he'd never broken up with someone he'd been living with as it seemed to be making everything more complicated. Neither her nor Jace could afford to live alone he knew and though they both had many friends there were only so many couches.

What still rather surprised, but also delighted him was how well Clary and Izzy were getting along. He kept waiting for the penny to drop, and to have the two women he cared most about suddenly make him choose between them. It wouldn't be much of a choice, but still he didn't want to have to make it. Despite there not being a single sign of it happening he couldn't help but worry, even if irrationally.

"I wonder if I order pizza, will wafting the smell down the hall get them back out into the world?" Izzy mused.

"I say order the pizza and enjoy it without them," Simon laughed. Izzy thought this a great idea and was on the phone moments later ordering.

And indeed the lovebirds did eventually make an appearance and even in time to sweet talk a couple slices of pizza out of Izzy.

"On one condition," Izzy said. "You agree to be on team: Career Job with Simon, while Clary and I look for student jobs. Whoever gets employed first wins."

Simon laughed as he saw Maia open her mouth. Then a moment later she seemed about to speak and Simon cut in. "Best not," he chuckled. "Just take the pizza and roll with it. I've learned not to disagree with her when she makes that face."

"What face?" Izzy scoffed, her hands suddenly on her hips.

"The determined-not-even-a-brick-wall-will-stand-in-my-way face," Simon answered.

"And what do you mean by that?" Izzy asked him.

Simon smiled, moved closer and kissed the top of her head. "That I love you," he said.

"Nice save," Izzy said with narrowed eyes. Simon tried to look innocent.

"Aren't you lucky there's no time to hold a grudge!" Izzy explained. "I have job listings to circle." And with that she marched off towards her laptop, dragging Clary with her.

"I should probably get started too," Maia sighed. "I just don't wanna adult, you know."

"I hear ya," Simon agreed.

"So," Jordan said.

"So," Simon added.

"Aloy," they both said together and were sitting down with the game loading screen music playing just moments later.

"I got right up to the part you want to see," Simon said. "Finished the side mission so we can go right into the ruins."

"Awesome!" Jordan said.

Author's Note:

You can blame Horizon Zero Dawn for the extreme delay in updates. I don't even want to tell you how many hours I've logged on that game. What's worse is that the game knows! The manual save is constantly reminding me that I need a life.

Update: I wrapped the game with over 70hours of gameplay…. Oh and then I got strep throat and an ear infection and was totally out of commission for over a week so…. And then the strep throat came back again… and again... So yeah sorry for the VERY late update. :)

Anyway :)

Guest Review:
:Ok. So I am a horrible fan. I have read and re-read your story so many times since it was OP and I have left less than half a dozen reviews. Here is the thing. This fanfic is AMAZING! I find myself trying to figure out where things are going and what will happen next and I fail every time. There were a few chapters with minor writing issues but nothing big enough to make you take down and repost. Oh! And can I say I think you are amazing because this story is turning into a legitimate book? 164 chapters so far! Thank you for sticking with this story and us. We love you and look forward to the rest of the story.

Review Reply:
Aww you most definitely are NOT a horrible fan. It's amazing to hear you've read it so many times. You've probably read R&S more than I have. So glad to hear that I surprised you! Interwoven plot lines without a clear break in story, that stay interesting despite continuing on for ages was the goal when I started writing R&S, even before it had a name. ^_^
And lol it's WAY longer than a book. An average novel is between 80,000 and 120,000 words. This story is more like 417,000 words so it's kinda like 4 books.
I'm curious, in the context of your review what does OP stand for? Cause as far as I know OP stands for Overpowered like in a roleplaying game or video game when a character is such a high level they can't even take any damage. That doesn't seem to work in the context you'd written.
Also this is chapter 162, not 164. Sigh I think I confused alot of people by working those timelines into the chapters. Maybe I should have put them at the end of a chapter like a footnote. Oh well, not changing it now.

Sneak Peek Chapter 163

With a sigh, Jace decided he might as well get a work out while he was here. He could definitely use the stress relief. Sitting down in his favourite leg machine Jace started doing reps. One, two, three, one, two, three. With each repetition of his muscles it was like his mind calmed. Jace couldn't ever understand how people got by in life without working out. How did they keep their anxious impulses in check without the physical exertion he'd never know. It was somewhere he could always find peace no matter the level of chaos. Where his mind was free to flow over his thoughts at will.

Jace hoped he hadn't annoyed Alec too much with all his whining. Sometimes it seemed to Jace that Alec had the patience of a saint for he wasn't sure if the situation was reversed that he'd be as accommodating.

But no matter how he tried there was no keeping his mind off the topic he'd rather not think about, especially since that topic still technically lived with him. Sure, Clary hadn't really been home at all but her stuff was still there. They couldn't exist in this limbo state forever. Jace knew he needed to ask her to move out, he just wasn't sure if he had the heart to. Where would she go?

It was so strange to think he'd spent all those months wanting nothing but her presence and yet now was working to avoid an encounter. And stranger still he'd come here today to meet someone else.

How had his world changed so fast?