"Hey Dean."

"Hey Nikki, what's up?"

"Look, don't pretend nothing happened. I wanna talk about this whole thing, and get it out of the way."

"You're gonna have to fill in the blanks here for me then."

"Your mini episode Dean? Your shutdown?"

"You sure you wanna talk about it?"

"Considering if it wasn't for my best friend Audrey, I would probably never speak to you again. So yeah, I want to talk about it and resolve it so we can move on."

"Okay, you ask me a question about it and I'll do my best to answer."

"I just mostly want your side of the story. A couple people told me the basic summary, but I want to know what you have to say about it. So we will start at the beginning, with this Axel guy's fiancé. What did she say to scare you?"

"Well, I thought that I was gonna talk to them about the story and nothing else. I didn't plan on changing or thinking differently about some things. When I told them about the story and how dedicated I was to it, Kyu thought that I should be in love first."

"And why's that?"

"She said something about writers being the loneliest people out there. I tried arguing with her, but she kind of forcibly convinced me that if I keep working on this story, I won't be happy. So she said I should I fall in love."

"And I'm pretty sure this is where I come back into the picture?"

"Kind of."

"Dean, don't do this to me."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Don't try dodging saying the wrong words, or coming off the wrong way. Just please say it, I already know the answer, I just want you to tell me. Not someone else."

"Well what do you want me to say exactly?"

"Tell me where I fall into the whole 'fall in love' order from Kyu."

"Well, you're gonna think I'm pathetic, but don't forget you told me to do this. She told me I should fall in love, but that she thinks I already was, and with you. And part of me realized, I think I am. But up until that point, we were just friends, and not even for that long and under some odd circumstances. I thought 'falling in love' with you that early was just a bad sign."

"And?"

"And on top of that, I didn't want to be that lonely miserable fuck Kyu was warning me about. So I had such an overwhelming task ahead of me, I started to flip out."

"Why didn't you just talk to me?"

"I don't know. The day before you were just that friend to me, but then the next you became my seemingly only ticket to happiness."

"Still doesn't answer my question."

"I'm the kind of guy that would rather do nothing at all, than do something wrong. I figured I couldn't mess things up with you if I never gave myself the chance to."

"And look how well that turned out."

"I know. Nikki, I'm sorry."

"No no, we ain't doing that here. No unnecessary apologies, no sob stories, just closure."

"So what do we do now?"

"Well now I'm gonna say something."

"Okay."

"Your story checks out, I'll give you that much. But that doesn't mean I'm still not kind of pissed at you. I understand completely why you got scared, I know I would have to. Neither of us have the most success when it comes to relationships. But I know I still would have at least told you why I wouldn't being texting you for a while, no matter how much I was intimidated by my future."

"You said no apologies, so I don't know what to say now."

"Dean, this was the second time you avoided me completely. Both of which happened, and I didn't know why until it was almost too late. But Dean, something you need to realize is I wanted you to contact me more than anything during those periods of silence. You weren't the only one that thought you might have been falling in love."

"So what do we do Nikki?"'

"Well first, we come to an agreement. Dean, it's too soon to really confess our undying love to each other, do we both agree on that?"

"Yes."

"But I'll do this first since I hope we both agree on this as well. Dean, I do have feelings for you. Even though you are mostly just a bunch of charismatic words that I look forward to reading every day, I do think you're cute, and whether we stay here or become more in the future, I want you in my life right now."

"So I can't confess my undying love, but you can confess your undying crush on me?"

"I'm a stripper Dean, I have more rights than you."

"Instead of dignifying that with a response, I'll instead just say that I know I have feelings for you to Nikki. I found you on accident, and I just needed an expert to help me write a story. But as a bonus, I found an extremely wise yet down to earth girl, and that even if we never meet in person, you are someone I definitely want in my life right now."

"Now please tell me you felt your shoulders just lose a ton of weight like I did."

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did. This is all it takes?"

"It's just honesty Dean, nothing special. This isn't high school you know."

"You couldn't be more right about that."

"So, we are all caught up to speed, everything is set to go."

"You sure?"

"Oh, I forgot to ask about Josh."

"Not a lot to tell about that."

"Well you got to tell me something Dean. Because all I know is the last time you guys saw each other, he was trying to kill you. So forgive me for being worried."

"It was a nasty scene. I was flipping out about love and such, I started judging everything and everyone around me. I always discouraged Josh's behavior, but it's not like what he was doing was really hurting anyone. Well, anyone but himself mostly."

"So how come you didn't say anything beforehand?"

"It was just a matter of me not wanting to get in his way, because I thought he was happy. One night stands seemed to be normal for him."

"So what happened exactly?"

"Welp, Josh found himself a high school girl. A sophomore, mind you."

"Oh, gross."

"Yeah. And you can guess in my mental state of being at the time, I didn't handle it well."

"From what I previously heard, you tried telling him off, and he flipped out?"

"Pretty much. I told him what he was doing not only at the time, but his lifestyle was flat out wrong and abysmal. I didn't know this about him, but he had a very short cord being stretched out too much. Me doing that to him snapped him, and after hoisting me up by my collar, he just poured out all of this information that I had no idea about. His aborted children, why he hooks up, and etc."

"He aborted children?"

"Well from what he told me, he got a couple girls pregnant back when he was younger, and even though he was committed to being a father, the mothers aborted the children."

"Wow, and it all led up that scene at the diner?"

"I guess. I'm not a psychologist, but I can only imagine his past relationships and how he acts now coincide with each other."

"So are you gonna try to fix things up with him?"

"I've been thinking about that, and I'm convinced I should stay away from him."

"Scared he'll attack you?"

"The opposite actually. I'm scared I'll make things worse for him."

"How so?"

"Well, Axel made me come to grips that I can be pretty selfish at times. All Josh did for me was try to motivate and support me, and never judged a single decision I ever made. All of that, I threw back at his face. So I think the best thing I could do for him is stay away from him."

"So what about the job?"

"Well, I quit today actually. I got money saved up, I'll last a bit even without another job. Hopefully, this will give me time to perhaps work on the story some more."

"Well that's all fine and dandy, but I'm still concerned about Josh. I bet he agrees this was your fault, and I hear he is a big scary dude. What would you do if you ever crossed paths again?"

"I guess if he acknowledges me, the first thing I'm gonna do is apologize. And hopefully, that is all I ever have to do."

"Yeah, hopefully."

"Plus, I don't want to add even another distraction to this story of ours."

"Man, is it easy to forget about this thing."

"So where did we leave off before quite literally everything got in the way?"

"I think you sent me the first chapter, I recommended you to Axel, and then the shit hit the fan."

"You know what, you're right. I haven't touched the second chapter yet."

"Isn't it supposed to be based off of a heavy metal song now?"

"No no, not necessarily. Yes, there was a heavy metal song involved with inspiring the plot, but that is as far as it goes."

"You sure?"

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm the one writing it."

"Are you down?"

"Yes."

"Are you gonna get up, and then get down?"

"Uhh….yes?"

"Can you feel that?"

"Feel….ah for fucks sake you're quoting down with the sickness."

"OH WAH WAH WAH!"

"Jesus, fuck! You just blew my ear out!"

"Really? I did it that good? I thought only the bald guy could do it."

"Nikki, you could have just meowed like a cat for all I care, you didn't have to do it so loud!"

"Maybe I should scream during my live shows."

"Since when do you listen to Disturbed?"

"I don't, but everyone knows that song. If it wasn't for the fucked up lyrics, the karaoke fails would have made that song popular enough."

"Good enough point, now excuse me while I go drain my ear canal of blood and discharge."

"Don't be such a baby."

"Well what if I do it to you?"

"Can you do the 'oh wah wah' thing?"

"….. I said 'if' Nikki. Just imagine some apostrophes around the 'if'."

"You can't do it! Ha ha, that is rich!"

"Up until you did, I thought only one person could! So add a nerdy stripper to the list of people who can 'oh wah wah' along with the bald metal-head Jew."

"He's Jewish?"

"I'm pretty sure."

"But nonetheless, why the Jew comment?"

"Because I called you a nerdy stripper. Just calling him the singer wouldn't be fair."

"I'll take that for what it's worth."

"I'll leave it up to you to decide that."

"So back to the story. So the first chapter was just the pirate getting the haunted artifact?"

"No no, it was the thief getting the artifact."

"Oh God, I've dishonored you my grace."

"Take it down a notch, before that sarcasm starts leaking."

"Will do. So what's in the second chapter?"

"I guess maybe set up the captain. Talk about where she is, what she is currently doing, etc."

"So where do we start?"

"Well believe it or not, I still haven't even decided what either or looks like."

"Really? All this time?"

"Yup."

"Well wanna talk about that?"

"I guess."

"Have you brainstormed anything yet?"

"No not ye…well, actually."

"What, you got one?"

"Umm, just hear me out on this."

"I have nothing to do but hear you."

"What if I based one of them on you?"

"Me? Why me?"

"Well Josh actually gave me this idea a while back. He figured since you played such a big role with helping the story, It would be appropriate."

"I gotta hand it to him, that's not a bad idea."

"So you don't mind?"

"No, not at all. Hell, I'm flattered."

"Awesome! So which one do you want to be?"

"Hmm. Epic possessed thief, or pirate captain. Who knew this would be such a tough choice."

"Got an idea yet?"

"You know what, I think I wouldn't mind having the captain be based off my design. Plus, considering you have seen my epidermis in its whole, which makes thing easier."

"Yes, yes I have. And it is the best epidermis I have ever seen."

"Let's not make a habit of using the scientific terms for things."

"Welp, my erection is gone now."

"Too many jokes, questions, and complaints to go with that one."

"Yeah, sorry."

"So with the captain decided, what about the thief?"

"I'm back to nothing with that. God, if only Josh didn't hate me for a couple more days."

"Yeah, if only buddy boy."

"What if he is just waiting for me at the Lucky Hat diner, waiting for my return to shoot me on the spot."

"It happened at the Lucky Hat? The local place?"

"Yup. Couldn't have happened to a nicer, more mundane little eatery."

"Dude, I use to get lunch from that diner every day."

"Can't beat their chicken salad…wait, what?"