January 14, 2026
MOA Complex – 6:05 PM
The evening wind had cooled the air by the time Thomas Estaris stepped out of the Executive Wing, dressed in a lightweight jacket and clean slacks. His boots, shined just enough to suggest effort without vanity, clacked lightly against the tiled walkway that led to the open-air leisure deck on the third floor of the MOA South Tower.
Unlike the first date filled with rides and youthful thrills, tonight was something more grounded. A slower pace. A real talk.
Rebecca Langley was already there—seated beneath a hanging garden of white fairy lights, sipping something from a ceramic mug as she gazed out over the bay. The area had once been a rooftop café. Now it was an Overwatch-operated bistro, repurposed to feed civilians and staff with a view.
She looked up at the sound of his footsteps and smiled.
"No rollercoaster this time?" she teased.