Game Boy

19 - Refresh

"So is this where your character spawned? I mean, somewhere kind of like this?" Kenneth asked as he shaded his eyes to the sinking sun and peered around the camp. He glanced back at Byrd who was helping some of the little girls make their own flower crowns as she'd been doing all afternoon. His own was wilting a little but still sat on his head. It had been removed a couple of times for demonstration, but the little girls seemed to think he looked funny in it and he liked making them laugh.

They were adorable, even if they weren't real. Reminded him of his cousins that used to visit when things were better. 

Byrd looked up at him as she finished twisting together a couple of flowers. "Hm? Oh, no, I spawned in a city just out over the east part of the map. It was one of those neutral settlements. I guess cause I was a player and not an NPC. I knew these places existed, but honestly, this is the first one I've visited," she said with a giggle. 

"That makes sense," Kenneth said. He stretched his arms out in front of him and rocked back on his heels a little bit. He shouldn't be this sore after one day, especially a day without any quests. Still, he stretched his neck to one side then the other. It might just be the stiffness from outside the game creeping in. His chest had been tight all day too. 

At some point, he'd have to come out of the game and talk to her. Address the elephant in the room. Maybe if I wait here long enough, though...she might just leave and I'll wake up alone.

Alone sounded nice. Kenneth popped his wrists and then sat down. He arched his back and tried to stretch out his spine a little. Whether or not the in-game stretching actually helped, it felt good.

Byrd settled one more crown on a little girl with round eyes and long black hair and the girl turned to run off giggling and show her friends. Planting her hands behind her, Byrd exhaled heavily and leaned her head back.

"There's so many of them," she said and yawned. "Why do people have so many kids? They're all over the place. Don't get me wrong, they're adorable, but there's so many."

Kenneth leaned his head back and laughed. "What's wrong with that? They're kids. The next generation, ya know? Populate the world and everything."

"I dunno..." Byrd just shook her head and stared off to the side. "I suppose people just like having them around. That would be a lot to do, though, caring for a kid. I can't imagine it."

He leaned over and poked her arm. "What, you don't want kids someday?"

Pulling her arm away, Byrd looked back at him and then put her hand back down and shrugged. She rolled her head to one side and peered out across the camp from where they sat in front of Amanda and David's little house. "Honestly, not really," she admitted. Her fingers brushed over the grass and dug into the dirt as she traced it into shapes and mounds. 

Kenneth shifted and sat beside her to watched the sun sink over the hills that they'd crossed the day before. He hadn't met a lot of people who didn't want kids. Plenty of people who never should've had them, but that was a different matter. He sat forward and crossed his arms over his chest, resting his elbows on his knees. "Why not?"

"Oh I dunno," she said quietly. "I just don't see myself doing that great at being a mom. I'm not exactly...attentive?" She finished playing in the dirt and brushed the earth off her hands before stretching her arms over her head. "That takes a lot of time, attention, and money, none of which I see myself having in the near future. Who knows, though, maybe someday I'll change my mind."

The sunlight disappeared as the last orange glow settled under the brow of the hill. Kenneth looked over at her. "That's fair. Just don't let anyone pressure you into it, alright?"