Coffee

He followed happily as Kaycee gently pulled him through the front door and up the stairs. He knew there were people around him, but the entire party felt worlds away as they climbed the steps.

Before he knew it, they were entering a bedroom. It was decorated simply and elegantly in varying shades of brown and blue. A medium-sized bed sat to the left, with its headboard against the wall.

A small table rested on either side of the bed, each with various books and knick-knacks. There was a dark wooden dresser and a matching vanity with a small padded bench across from the door, and a comfortable-looking leather couch and chair set with a small coffee table to the right.

Kaycee turned, still holding his hand, to the right. She took a seat in the chair facing the wall across from the door, at about a 90-degree angle from the couch. He sat on the couch and noticed another table in the very corner between the couch and the chair, with a single-serve coffee pot on it alongside a small bowl filled with K-Cups. A stack of Styrofoam coffee cups was next to the coffee pot.

"Coffee?" Kaycee asked.

"Sure, that sounds good."

He could hear rain pattering against the window above Kaycee's dresser as she turned to her right and started making coffee. He sat back and waited patiently, enjoying the peace. There was still a slight buzzing in his body, residue from his first use of [ABSORB]. A minute later, Kaycee handed him a cup of steaming hot black coffee.

How'd she know I like it black?

He shrugged and took a sip. The warmth felt good. He watched Kaycee as she made an identical cup for herself. She started talking while going through the process, and he settled back into the seat, getting comfortable.

"So, what do you make of all this?" she asked.

"Honestly? I have no idea... I guess we've been chosen to fight monsters."

She laughed, and he saw, for perhaps the first time, who she was. Maybe it was the environment, or maybe the circumstances, he didn't know, but he felt differently about Kaycee at that moment, like he was seeing her for the first time. She was gorgeous...

"You say it so calmly."

"I guess I've learned to just take everything in stride."

She smiled, "I wish I was more like that. It seems like I stress out way too much about everything."

"It's not too difficult once you learn that you have no control."

"That sounds a little ominous," Kaycee said.

He smiled now, "I just mean that we spend so much time railing against things we have no control over. We suffer far more because of our fighting against things we can't change, instead of accepting it and moving forward."

"Wow, I didn't know you were the introspective type," she said.

"I'm alone a lot," he chuckled. He took another sip of the coffee, enjoying the heat and bitter flavor. The rain was growing heavier, battering the window panes. They sat in silence for a few moments. He didn't mind sitting quietly with her.

"So, it seems like you accepted my invitation."

"Huh?"

"My invitation? To the party?"

He remembered what TJ had said earlier, that Kaycee had invited him to this party, and how he still didn't have a memory of that actually happening. He got the feeling he shouldn't let her know that he didn't remember it, though.

She continued, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to come hang out earlier. Everything happened so fast..."

"Oh, no worries," he told her. "It was a pretty painful experience. I can see how you'd get distracted." He smiled reassuringly. He couldn't make her feel bad, considering that he hadn't even believed she'd invited him.

How could I forget something like that?

"So, tell me about what happened with you."

She looked up after taking a sip of her coffee. She explained what occurred in the restroom, from the pain and passing out, to waking up with EDS, and choosing her Specializations.

"Wait, you have a Knight Title?" he asked.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Well, you said 'Specializations.' Plural. Only those with Titles can pick more than one Specialization."

"Yep, that's true. I guess that means you have a Title too?" she asked.

"Yes. I'm the Storm Knight."

"Storm Knight? That sounds cool!"

"Yeah, it does," he laughed. "I unlocked the Lightning Affinity as well, and chose Striker and Commander as my Specializations. What about you?"

"Well my Title isn't so imposing," she said, chuckling. "I'm the Blossom Knight."

"Well that suits you pretty well," he told her. "I can't think of any other of the seven Titles that would better fit someone as beautiful as you." He said it all without really thinking and only noticed something was off when he saw Kaycee's soft smile and red cheeks.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it weird."

"No, it's not weird. Thank you for saying that." She looked at him, and her eyes were full of emotion.

He didn't know what to say, and didn't want to look anywhere else. She had him trapped there, and he didn't want it to end. He didn't know how much time went by, but eventually, she looked away, drinking her coffee with that same soft smile.

"So, what was your affinity?"

"Oh, I unlocked the Nature Affinity," she said, "and I chose the Scout and Healer Specializations."

"Scout and Healer? From what I read, those sound like two very useful Specs to have."

"I thought so too," she smiled. "Striker and Commander seem to be pretty good picks, too."

"I thought so," he laughed.

Suddenly, he felt something shift. He could sense the POWER all around, already, but now something was different. It felt like some kind of disturbance, or a break, in the continuity of the POWER. And there was something else there; some kind of energy that he hadn't felt before...

He looked at Kaycee, a concerned expression on her face.

"You feel it, too?" she asked.

He nodded, "Something's wrong."