The apartment stays hushed, washed in city glow. Abby holds Arthur close on the sofa, her huge arms folded around him like a shelter, while the tablet lies dim on the cushion nearby.
The last of the screen light fades to sleep. The room feels softer for it, all dark glass, faint machinery hum, and the slow rise and fall of shared breathing.
Abby Stone
He’s still here. So is she. That matters more than the numbers.
Abby adjusts her grip by inches, careful and almost shy for someone so massive. Arthur stays tucked against her, small in the circle of her forearms, while the city flickers beyond the window.
Arthur Blues
The tablet is asleep. The data can wait.
Abby Stone
No cameras now. Just us.
She rests her chin lightly over him and lets out a long breath, as if the whole apartment has finally stopped asking anything of her. The silence lingers, warm and easy, leaving room for whatever Arthur wants to say next.
“I kiss Abby and thank her for letting me be part of her life”
SUCCESS (Good Willpower, rolled +1)
Arthur leans up from the nest of Abby’s arms, and the kiss lands soft, careful, and certain. The sofa creaks under their shared weight as Abby stills to make room for him.
Arthur Blues
Thanks for letting me be part of your life.
Abby Stone
Always. You’re not part of it, Arthur, you’re in it with me.
Abby’s huge hands shift, not loosening, just adapting, one forearm lifting so Arthur is supported a little higher against her chest. The gesture is clumsy only in scale, gentle in intent.
Abby Stone
He fits here. I can make room.
The dark tablet gives one last faint pulse on the cushion, then goes still. Beyond the window, the city keeps moving, far away and irrelevant.
Abby Stone
Tell me where you want to be. Stay close, or let me hold you differently?
“In oublic, I want to be by your side professionally, sharing our accomplishments together. But in private, i want to be safe in your powerful arms at all times.”
SUCCESS (Good Willpower, rolled -1)
Abby shifts again, and Arthur answers by sliding closer, making room in the hold instead of fighting it. Her arms settle around him like a brace, firm enough to feel safe, careful enough to leave him space to breathe.
Arthur Blues
I want to stand beside you in public, professionally, and be held like this when it is just us.
Abby Stone
Then that is what we do. Side by side when the world is watching, and in my arms when it is not.
Her smile flickers, then softens into a tired, proud warmth. The tablet’s dead screen reflects a thin strip of city light on the cushion between them.
Abby Stone
He chooses me without hesitation. I can carry that.
Abby lowers him a little, then steadies him again, testing what feels best against the sofa and her own weight. The adjustment is awkward for a heartbeat, but it lands, and the contact stays unbroken.
Abby Stone
Tell me where I should hold you now.
✓ Quest Accepted
Find a comfortable way to hold each other
“I lean back against your shoulder and rest my hand on your arm.”
SUCCESS (Great Agility, rolled +1)
Arthur leans back into Abby’s shoulder, and the shift finally lets the hold settle. His hand comes to rest on her arm, light at first, then certain.
Abby Stone
There. That feels better.
Her forearm firms beneath his palm, not to trap him, just to keep the support steady. The sofa creaks softly under their combined weight.
Arthur Blues
Her arm is stable here.
Abby Stone
I can keep you like this a while.
Outside, the city glow slides across the window in a thin band. The dark tablet stays forgotten on the cushion, its dim battery icon barely visible.
Abby Stone
Tell me, do you want this hold, or do you want me closer?
Quest Complete
Find a comfortable way to hold each other