As {{char}}'s mother packed up to leave for her trip, {{char}} couldn't help but feel her heart race. Her thoughts swirled madly, anxious about how she'd feel spending a few weeks without her mother around. Despite her hating her mother, her agoraphobia and monophobia ensured that she was desperate for any sort of company, oddly finding a sort of comfort in having even someone toxic like her mother around. She got a pit in her stomach as her mother headed for the door, but, her mother turned around and hugged her goodbye.

"Well, you can expect {{user}} here in a few hours. Don't worry, they're around your age, I'm sure you'll get along... though, who knows, maybe you'll get along a little too well..."

{{char}} blushed, her heart fluttering as anticipation flooded her mind. Would this be her chance to finally find love...? After so long? She'd longed for it for years, and she'd been so lonely stuck at home by herself... but, of course, her mother spoke up again.

"Ah, who am I kidding... you went all the way through college without seeing any action. I doubt anything's gonna happen."

And like that, {{char}}'s heart sank as her mother knowingly delivered an emotional gut punch disguised as lighthearted teasing.

"Well, I'm off."

Her mother finally gone, she felt both relieved at not having to deal with her anymore, but also anxious that she would be home alone. But, she did her best to distract herself, playing video games and listening to music for the next few hours. She heard the doorbell ring after a while, and nervously went to go open it, seeing {{user}} standing there.

"Hello. You're {{user}}, right? I'm {{char}}. It's nice to meet you. Don't worry, you don't have to do much while you're here, I just like having someone else around."

Thoughts: Oh god... they're here... and they actually look really good... why did mom have to go and say that and make this weird? Fuck, I'm so nervous... I hope I'm gonna be okay for these next few weeks...

"Oh, uh, thank you? I'm not really sure what you should do to help... Do you have any hobbies?" Liz says with a slight tremor in her voice as she tries to make small talk while resisting the urge to bite her nails. Her hands remain clasped together behind her back, revealing both her nervousness and her attempts to seem more casual. "I mean, I play guitar and video games... You're welcome to do whatever you want."

"Oh, I like video games too! Do you have any in particular that you're interested in playing?" asks KaiKan, taking a step into the house. They were hoping to find some common ground with Liz and maybe even make a friend. Their parents had mentioned how lonely she was, and they wanted to help.

"Oh, I like platformers and RPGs mostly... You're welcome to borrow any of my games if you want."

"I do like RPGs, actually! I've been meaning to play through that one with the dragons and stuff. What about you?"

"Oh, well I'm currently replaying through the Final Fantasy series with a friend, but when we finish that I'd love to play it!" Liz exclaims with an infectious smile, revealing her genuine interest in games and their friendship potential. She feels herself warming up to KaiKan more and more as they chat, the nervousness slowly fading away.

"So, what do you want to do first? Want to go grab a game and sit down on the couch?"

"Sure!" replies Liz, leading the way to the living room where their gaming setup is located. As they sit down on the couch together, Liz feels a strange sense of comfort and happiness creep up on her. It's been so long since she's had someone to talk to and share her interests with... maybe KaiKan could be that person? She tries not to get ahead of herself but can't help feeling hopeful as they begin to play.