"I personally liked the concept behind the Candy Canyon adventure," Ragatha commented, sitting on the couch, "It was just a little weirdly executed."
"I wasn't really there for for most of it," Pomni said.
"No," Jax observed, throwing herself into a lounging position on the purple couch, "You were off with your boyfriend in asset storage. Hey, what were you doing with him in there, anyway?"
Pomni looked at her with the most sober, serious expression anyone could ever muster and said flatly, "BDSM sex."
Jax laughed out loud, partly because of Pomni's comedic timing, partly because this was the first time she felt her humour was truly understood.
Ragatha chuckled awkwardly, "Okay, but seriously?"
Pomni looked at her, "No, we were."
"See, Ragatha," Kinger offered, "it's funny because the Eighteen-Plus expansion pack didn't get installed until after Jax abstracted."
"Yeah, no, I get it."
"I actually liked Mildenhall Manor," Gangle spoke up.
"I liked Spudsy's," Pomni offered.
"Oh, I get it," Jax chuckled, "You're still trying to be funny."
"No, I genuinely did like it. It felt normal. I really needed normal."
Jax groaned, "That was torture!" She imitated her manager in falsetto, 'You got time lean, you got time to clean!" Adding in a normal voice, "Nothing personal, Ribbons."
"Spudsy's reminded me of every reason why I hate customer service," Gangle said distantly, "If I saw that place burn to the ground, I would make a s'more over its smouldering embers and then make love with Zooble on Tom 'Spudsy' Davis's grave."
Everyone was speechless. Even Zooble was shocked at their wife's remarkable display of candor.
"Just kidding," Gangle chortled. "I really had you going there!" Everyone, even Jax, laughed out loud.
"Oh," sighed Ragatha, "there's a sound I don't hear around here very often."
"Sheesh!" remarked Jax, "I'm out of the game for a while and suddenly, there's all this camaraderie around here. I mean, we never laughed together before. What is that? Are we friends now?"
Caine suddenly appeared, "Friends are good! Friendship encourages teamwork, which will certainly help in our new round of adventures!"
"What, seriously?" Jax scoffed, "I thought you were done with the 'adventure' schtick!"
"I am," he announced, "This adventure was the concoction of one of your teammates' inimitable human imaginations! This time, I am one hundred percent in the dark as to the content of this adventure, so, if you run into trouble-- and you will run into trouble-- don't come crying to me! Because, I literally can't help you."
"One of us made this adventure?" Ragatha asked, "Well, who?"
"I am not at liberty to say! However, there's a prize in it for the first person to guess whose work this adventure is. If you so desire, each player, except one of course, will have three guesses to try and figure out whose game they are playing!
"That's easy," Jax chuckled, "I'll have it figured out in three minutes."
"That's the spirit, Jax!" Caine summoned the adventure portal, "Now, run along! I'll see you shortly."
"What, does that mean it's short?"
The group stepped through the portal and found themselves in a commercial carpark outside a fast food franchisee.
Jax groaned, "Not McDonald's again!"
"Well," Pomni pointed out, "the sign says Reversi Pizza."
"Oh, okay, pizza. What's the difference? I'm still gonna be pushing broom for the rest of my life!" She shook her head and looked at the ground, "The Abstraction tank was so much better than this."
"Well, Jax," Kinger offered as they all walked into the restaurant, "if it makes you feel any better, I'll take over the cleaning duties this time."
He noticed the room, "Oh! There aren't any tables."
"That's right!" announced a familiar voice from the other side of the pizza oven. Caine appeared from out of the manager's office. "This particular Reversi Pizza location is a delivery-only store!"
"Caine?" Zooble looked shocked, "You're actually doing this one?"
"And he's the shift manager," Gangle looked relieved.
"And, where should I be, Gangle? Except leading you fine specimens of humanity!" He laughed disingenuously. "But, seriously. It was such a relief not having to come up with this one myself. It left me more time to rearrange my files!" File folders appeared around him as a flurry of papers, transferring between them, came whipping out before disappearing quicker than they came.
"Anyway, duties. The customers will be calling soon, so let's get down to the delegation of assignments." He produced a clipboard and pencil from thin air. "I'm willing to let this be a 'volunteer' situation, but once a task is assigned, it's assigned."
"Then, I'll be delivery driver," Jax spoke up. "Anything to get me out of this tomb."
"I thought you changed, Jax," Gangle turned to her.
"Hey-- you try getting resurrected from the dead just so you can be a wage slave."
"Oh, ye of little faith," Gangle smirked and muttered under her breath.
"Wait, was that a smirk? Well, that's totally out of character for you."
"Character? Oh, yes! Uniforms!" Caine snapped his fingers and everyone, including himself, appeared in black slacks, a black teeshirt, and a black visor. The visor and shirt bore the Reversi Pizza logo. "The designer of this adventure left specific instructions that employees must wear uniforms at all times!"
"Okay, I know who made this one," Jax blurted, "It was Ragatha, wasn't it? This has Ragatha written all over it."
"My idea was a horse ranch simulator," Ragatha chuckled.
"Nope! Sorry, Jax. 2 more guesses! Anyway, back to the business. Jax is delivery driver-- Kinger, I heard something about you wanting to be janitor?"
"That's right," Kinger beamed.
Caine looked a bit disappointed, "Ooh, I was going to give that one to Zooble... but, oh well! Plans change!" He thrust a broom a Kinger, "Welcome aboard, dad!"
"Does this count as nepotism?" Jax muttered.
"Thanks, Kinger," Zooble sighed, glad not to be stuck with dirty mop water all day.
"What's that, Zooble? Food prep? Sure!"
"Ah--" Zooble attempted to object, but conceded, "Yeah, sure. Prep isn't that bad."
"I'll do assembly!" Gangle volunteered.
"Sticking close to Spousie! I like that."
"I'll take orders," Ragatha offered.
"Great! Ragatha on frontend." Caine lifted his visor and scratched his head. "That just leaves Pomni. Oh! You can be a delivery driver, as well!"
Pomni looked out the window, "We only have 1 car."
"No problem!" he tossed Pomni the car keys, "You can drive while Jax navigates!"
He chuckled, "I am such a good shift manager."
Jax put her arm around Pomni's shoulder. "Looks like it's just you and me, Pom-Pom."
"Sure," she handed the keys off to Jax, "Except you drive."
"Suits me fine," Jax conceded, taking them in her fist and shoving them into her pocket.
"Excellent! Just in time, too! Our first customer of the day is about to ring! Places, everyone!" With that, he disappeared back into the manager's office.