You know what doesn't pay?

Under the table, all cash dishwashing.

Raine's hands were somehow both dry and water logged at the same time. It made no sense. Trudging back toward the bus, Raine planned to sit and doze all the back to the Sanctuary after another dinner rush hour where she made only pennie on the dollar. She'd never worked so hard in her life.

On one hand, it was great. She was out and on her own and nobody knew her. Nobody cared if she went to class or slept in, painted her nails or kept them neat, wore a mask or went face-first into a fight, or a hundred other things she knew she should do but didn't want to.

On the other hand... Rianne should have been back by now. She had been caught or delayed somehow. Maybe dead, but Raine didn't want to go all doom and gloom. Or, Rianne had never planned to return. Another thing she didn't want to imagine.

So, while Raine knew it wasn't what she should be doing alone at night on the Upper West Side, she was standing with her hands splayed out in front of her and she was questioning her life choices.

A strong tap on her shoulder brought Raine out of her downward spiral.

"You got any change?"

"Tch! That's all I got." Her eyes weant heaven-ward in a monumental eye roll before settling on the stranger who seemed to need her pennies more than she did. Raggy shoes. Dumpy coat. Smells for days. Raine was working overtime to keep from falling into that. Thank goodness for the Sanctuary.

"So, maybe like a dollar?"

"Yeah. I got a dollar. You want to come to McGreasy King with me? I could get nuggets for both of us." She would broach the idea of going to a shelter only after she'd gotten to know the clearly homeless man's story.

"I have a gluten intolerance so McGreasy's kinda out. I just need, like, 5 dollars. Just 5. I could do a lot with 5."

First it was change, then a dollar, now five?

She took a deep breath and then regretted it. Uegh. Stale B.O. "Okay. Five dollars. But you do me a favor." Raine rummaged in her pockets for the little roll of cash she had from the night's work. She unrolled the dollars and pulled out 5 different ones as she talked. "If it's drugs and things go sideways, you can go to a hospital and they can't have you arrested you if you don't have any on you. Not unless you have pipes or evidence. You could tell a nurse that you took PCP two minutes ago and they won't do jack except help you, okay?"

He licked his lips. She saw her mistake then, in showing that she had more cash on her person.

"Here's your five." She shoved the bills at him and turned to run, but it was too late. He had her hair.

It was a sloppy fight. Mostly shouting and flailing, scratching and grabbing. It ended with both of them getting gravity'd to different buildings. Raine saw his head hit hard when he wasn't prepared to fall that direction. She let his tether go too late. He fell again, this time back down with the usual gravity. He fell against a metal trash receptacle. And he didn't get up.

Raine sobbed and covered her mouth. What kind of X-man was she, that she couldn't even properly defend herself? She needed the money bad enough that she considered going through his pockets, but she was afraid to get close. Afraid he might be dead. Afraid he wasn't and that he'd grab her again. She let the guy go, with more of her money than she'd meant to let him have. Apology money.

She ran around the side of the building and threw a tether across the street, inconsolable. One, two, maybe fourteen tethers later, Raine realized that she should have called an ambulance. Not that there were payphones anymore. Or bystanders. She scanned the street below for someone who might have a phone and she tried her best to calm her puffy, watery eyes.

That's when she saw a glimpse of ginger rounding the side of the block.

Impact. Before she could calm herself, she was already sobbing in relief. Impact would know what to do and how to make it right. Raine tossed another tether and tried to catch up, keeping an eye out between the fall foliage of the curated sidewalk trees between herself and the X-men's leader.

((Tag: Rebecca Grey-Morris))

Life was weird and confusing and Rebecca was still not convinced she was any good at it. She had a friend-with-benefits she recently spent a night beside a hospital bed for after a nightmare event that could only happen on Halloween. Her ex-girlfriend was back in town looking to be friends while simultaneously exerting her sexual will upon the redhead. She had an alternate universe doppelganger who was married to the alternate version of her friend-with-benefits and the couple had a freaking kid on the way.

At certain times in Rebecca’s life, she could picture a future for herself. With all the unexpected variables and potential futures she had on her plate, she suddenly found herself unable to project her life more than a week in advance. So many things were in flux, the best she could do was cling to the pillars of stability in her life. Her jobs gave her a schedule to build around, but for emotional stability, Rebecca had to rely on the friends she had in her life.

Without a girlfriend, Rebecca was doubling-down with the positive female friendships she surrounded herself with. Juliette Lawson was, of course, the core of that support structure. Jules was Rebecca’s best friend as well as her roommate, and she was a reminder that it was nice to have someone to go home to at the end of a long day. Living with Agnes had that feeling too, but it was a pleasant surprise to still get so much of that from a platonic friendship.

One friend was not enough to keep a girl on her feet, regardless of how wonderful Jules was. Rebecca had her friends on the X-Men, including Mirror, regardless of the extras associated with their friendship. She sadly felt like she let Gina Schuyler drift, which was her own fault and she had to remedy that in the near future. Even if the gargoyle was dating her ex, (which Rebecca initially did not believe when a mutual friend mentioned it,) they were friends. It was Rebecca’s choice to leave Vanessa, and after everything she did to the girl, she was the last person who had a right to question her romantic decisions.

Rebecca could use new friendships as well, but until one turned up, she was content with shoring up old friendships. It was a rainy day and Rebecca had a few stops to make before returning home for the evening, but she made time to drop by One Comic to Rule Them All. Akshay was onto bigger and better things, but he handed the place off to Lexi. Even after their one-off, once-upon-a-time hookup, Rebecca and Lexi were still easy friends. The bombastic blonde bombshell kept Rebecca at the shop for almost half an hour catching up with gossip and nerd talk, but she was not going to complain.

“Drop by again soon, sweets,” Lexi said in between kisses on the cheek, before following up with a slap on the bottom Rebecca gave her a scolding glance for.

”Ay coorse, hoo else am Ah supposed tae pick up mah pull list?” she asked with a grin, holding up the plastic bag filled with new comics. ”Ta ta, Lexi!”

“Ta ta, Becca!” With a wink and a wave, Lexi retreated from the crisp autumn air into the warmth of her shop.

Becca liked how clean the air felt when it was cool. It was a great illusion; the air in New York was anything but clean. The colder it got, the easier it was to deceive herself. Still, it was coat and scarf weather, which was always worth appreciating, even if she might have been better off opting for pants over a dress.

Sifting through her bag, Rebecca pulled out a new issue of “Escapees” to thumb through while she traversed the sidewalk. With a few places to go and New York parking being garbage, Becca opted to walk around the city to get things done. She had her firearm holstered at her thigh under the hem of her dress, so even with the sun falling past the horizon, she felt safe enough on her own.

Though as she scanned through the adventures of superpowered runaway teens, Rebecca could not shake the feeling that she was being watched. She reminded herself of her therapist’s reminder that the feeling was just a byproduct of her paranoia and shoved her concerns aside, focusing on the people in her peripheral vision so she did not bump into anyone.

She should go meet the X-men of this world.

Raine had been putting it off because of the weirdness, but Gawain hadn't been uncool about it. S/He even knew about Impact and Jesse and, maybe because of the emergent nature of the night, they'd worked together to somehow defeat the portal girl. At least, that was what she was going to take away from that night: teamwork making the dream work.

Or maybe Raine should try to apply for one of those cross-dimensional visas. SUPER couldn't extradite her, could they? She could just... live here forever. Hiding. And if she had a visa, she could be her actual self and earn actual dollars.

Raine stopped to catch her breath once she was only one good wall sprint away from catching Impact. It wasn't like Impact was running or anything. Raine had just started that far behind. She would have loved to drop down in front of the boss, but it was never a great idea to scare a lady with lasers. Even less of a good idea if she was too out of breath to explain.

She hadn't realized that it was misting, or borderline raining, until that moment. The chill of autumn seemed to run right through her clothes like they weren't even there. They looked dry enough, but touching the cotton of her crop top sweater was enough to remind Raine that maybe it had been at the thrift store for a reason. Winter and belly skin were natural born enemies. Knits and water were also not friends.

But Impact was a friend. Or, maybe more of a mentor. She was trusted and right now Raine really, really needed a shoulder to sob on. She followed for another block or so before she realized it.

This wasn't Impact.

The awareness rocked Raine down to the soles of her kitten heels. There weren't enough tattoos. Even with only a little skin showing, Raine could tell that much. Plus... comic books?

How stupid was she? Impact was back home in her universe probably pissed because Raine was a no-show. This girl was her copy. Raine bat her hand at a passing leaf and when it stuck to her rain-slick skin instead, she made unreasonably frustrated sounds and flailed her arm because leaves were not supposed to stick and people were supposed to be who they were and she needed Impact and probably chocolate and definitely she needed to go home.

Only, in this universe she had none.

There was less rain in New York than Rebecca was used to, but it still came on occasion. Weather was everchanging in the American Northeast, so she made a point of keeping an eye on the forecast. As clouds overhead started a mist that quickly turned to rain, Rebecca went for the umbrella in her purse.

Of course, with hands full of comic she was not looking to put down, Rebecca opted to take advantage of her mutation. Tugging at the metal body of her umbrella, it emerged from the purse and telescoped out, shielding her from the elements. Being a mutant was not always easy, but with the umbrella being held steadily in place by magnetism, it could be convenient.

Rebecca was walking along casually, enjoying her peaceful day before a noise caught her off guard. Well, more than one noise. The whacking of leaves and what sounded like frustrated grunting? More troubling was how close the sounds seemed to be.

Turning around to look for anything out of the ordinary, Rebecca’s hand rested on the firearm at her thigh cautiously. ”Hello? Is someain thaur? Ah’m…” What? Here to help? Not looking to be followed? Armed and paranoid? ”Jist… come it, whoever ye ur.” Rebecca focused on her magnetic sense, looking for anything out of the ordinary—particularly anything that could be a weapon. No one was catching her off guard again.

Heels, no matter how low and kitten-y, were not made to be worn for wall walking. They were also not made for full blown petulant semi-adult hissy fits.

Raine fell on her butt-- sideways, stuck to the wall of a brownstone where she'd defined her own gravity. It effectively put an end to her petulance, but not before not-Impact was put on alert.

At least some things didn't change.

> ”Hello? Is someain thaur? Ah’m…”

Though they did sound remarkably different. Raine stood and rubbed her butt. The leaf, she was able to calmly pluck off her rain wet skin and it fell downwards, towards the actual ground, as soon as she'd released it.

> ”Jist… come it, whoever ye ur.”

Sigh. She wasn't getting away from this one, was she? Raine swapped her tether from the brownstone to a nearby tree and landed carefully on her toes against the trunk so she wouldn't break a heel. The entire thing shook with her impact and more than a few autumn leaves fell.

"Don't laser me! I'm a friend." Was she friends with Impact? Sort-of. Impact was almost more like the mom she'd never had so maybe friend was a stretch. "I mean, I'm Impact's friend. Kinda. We work together? Or did? You know? Do you know?" How much could she bungle her own introduction? She must have been shooting for a world record. Raine raised her hands and walked down the trunk of the tree until she was in easy visual range of Impact's doppelganger. The red-head looked spooked, but that hadn't been her intention.

And looking so soggy and bedraggled for a first introduction really hadn't been Raine's best idea today.

"I thought-- It doesn't matter what I thought now. Can I get down?" Being so close to the ground in a perpendicular kind of way wasn't her favorite. A few more steps and she could just walk down and swap gravities, no big deal. But if it turned out to be a big deal, Raine wanted to be able to dash back up into the meager coverage that the leaves provided.

Becca did not like the idea of being followed. She was publicly known as an internet personality and an X-Man, so anyone interested in following her could be a stalker, a criminal, or even a SUPER Agent, heaven forbid. Knowing someone was nearby had put her on her guard; she had no interest in being captured or worse.

There were so many things Becca was mentally preparing herself to deal with, but she did not expect a wet blonde woman in heels to walk down the side of a nearby tree. The initial tree rustling was almost enough for Becca to pull out her firearm, but the sight of the blonde gave her pause. She did not look like a criminal or SUPER Agent, but then again, that was probably how they got you.

Thankfully, the blonde woman spoke, or made an honest effort to, at least. She asked not to be lasered, which was a very particular request and made more sense when she name-dropped Impact. Being Impact’s friend was worth a raised eyebrow, but knowing they worked together painted the bigger picture. Becca knew her doppelganger owned a bar, but given the woman’s obvious mutant abilities, it was safe to assume she was dealing with an AV X-Man.

With confirmation that she was probably safe, Becca’s breathing returned to normal and her body relaxed. Everything about the newcomer tugged at Becca’s heartstrings. She was sopping wet, she seemed worse for wear, and even her tone sounded defeated when she asked to get down. ”Och, ay coorse. Ah’m sae sorry, Ah can get a wee bit jumpy.”

Giving the blonde time to get her bearings, Becca moved closer so she could levitate her umbrella over both their heads. Whoever she was, the new girl looked like she was in desperate need of an escape from the rain. Becca offered a hand and a warm smile. ”Ah’m Becca. Thocht Ah suppose ye coods probably guess 'at,” she added, giggling at the realization. It was so odd introducing herself to someone who had a vague idea of who she was. Impact talked about the members of her team, but mostly in codenames: Shivs, Zero, Geo. She had met Mirage, Combatant and Seraph, (all of whom were surreal experiences for different reasons,) but she was not certain who she was meeting this time.

She was apologizing. Apologizing. That almost put Raine over the edge right there, but she knew she had to keep to together for a minute so that she didn't come across like a crazy.

Instead, Raine focused on walking down the trunk of the tree at not-Impact's invitation and making her gravitational transition as seamless as possible. The fact that no one seemed to care about her blatant mutant display was still so new. In fact, she had to do a double take when the umbrella came close. That wasn't being held by anyone. It was... automatic? Uh. No. Different woman. Different mutant power. The this-universe Impact came closer, concern painted across her features.

> "Ah’m Becca..."

And she was giggling. Impa- Becca was so different, the same only in looks. The laughter and good temperament made her look ten years younger. Maybe because she was carrying too much inside all on her own. Maybe because it was Impact, but a nicer Impact. The secret moments of softness that the real Impact kept mostly hidden were freely shared here with Becca.

Raine wiped at her cheeks. "Can I have a hug?" Otherwise, she didn't even know where to start.

Becca cared about her friends and she considered her fellow X-Men to be friends to varying degrees. There was a sense of camaraderie that came from having each other’s backs in life-threatening situations. From her conversations with Impact, it sounded like her X-Men were more like a dysfunctional but loving family. Impact put up a tough front, but it was clear she worried about her team when they were unaccounted for. The Rip did not help since communication did not easily transfer from one side to the other.

The AV X-Men were not Becca’s family yet, but she did feel a connection to them. She wanted to be there for the blonde woman and it was more than just her desire to be a Good Samaritan. She was ready to help in any way she could, and the first request was right in her wheelhouse.

”Oh, honey, ay coorse ye can.” Levitating the umbrella high enough to open up the space between them, Becca moved in and wrapped her arms tightly around the woman’s body. She noticed that it did not feel like hugging a stranger.

Finally loosening her grip, she looked the damp girl over and decided her errands could be held off for a day. ”Why dinnae we gie ye it ay th’ rain. Mah apartment’s nae far, ur we coods jist stop at a coffeeshop nearby if ye’d feel mair comfortable?” Jules would be working until late in the night, so Becca was willing to open up her doors to her transdimensional X colleague. The concern and paranoia she dealt with earlier did not seem to plague her anymore.

Becca waited for the young woman’s choice before leading the way, sticking close so the umbrella could protect them both. ”Sae Ah did nae say afair, bit mah hugs dae come wi’ a price: a name, preferably,” she joked, trying to keep things light for the moment. It would be nice not to continue referring to her mentally as “the blonde woman.”

Of course? She wasn't expecting an 'of course.' Not in New York. Not when Stranger Danger was a very real, very dangerous thing.

Raine got her hug. She'd almost kind of been joking. She was so, so glad the Impact of this world took it seriously. She sobbed involuntarily and hugged back with her face buried to the nose in Becca's shoulder. It wasn't Impact, but it was home. It wasn't Cait, but it was a hug.

Maybe it was time to give up on going home and start focusing on this universe.

Becca was the first to step back. That was fair, she'd been the first to step in. Were Raine's eyes a bit soggy? Well, so was the rest of her. It took legitimate brain power to decode what this Impact was saying. Coffee shop or the home of this world's Becca?

"I don't want to— I mean, it's not creepy, right? To- your house- I mean, I love coffee." No. Really. She needed to stop and just start all over again. Raine tucked her hands up into her armpits to try to get the feeling back into her fingers. "I have no money for coffee, but I'm a barista back home. If you have the stuff, I'd love to make you a cup. I don't know if you guys have like a secret handshake or something? But X's honor, I'm not a—" Killer? But what if she was? "—not all that dangerous. I hadn't been on the team too long."

She did her best to be non-threatening and that seemed to be enough. Becca turned to go, though Raine wasn't sure which location she'd convinced the other woman was better: home or a coffee shop? Raine certainly wasn't about to take any strangers back to her place. X-men or not.

> "...mah hugs dae come wi’ a price..."

Her stomach had time to sink before buoying back up.

"Uhm. Lorraine? But they call me Zero for gravity." Raine eyed the umbrella which bobbed faithfully along. "Is magic a thing here? Or, telekinesis maybe?" Either way, it wasn't eye-beams holding up the umbrella. Raine trotted along, happy to be adopted yet again.

Running into Lorraine was serving as a great reminder that Rebecca’s nerves had improved over the years. A year or two earlier and she might have pulled her firearm at a prospective stalker, which might have soured her first impression to a potential friend. With the day Lorraine was apparently having, the last thing she needed was a nervous woman putting her at gunpoint.

Hugging was the better option. Becca held the younger woman tightly, rubbing her back reassuringly as she sobbed. Everyone had days like those; at least Becca could be there for Lorraine in her time of need.

Lorraine eventually let go and contemplated Becca’s offer. Becca did not want to come across as forward or make the girl uncomfortable; despite their otherworldly pseudo-connection, they were technically strangers. It turned out Becca was not the only one worrying about overstepping her bounds. The way she tried to vouch for herself was endearing. It was hard to see her as anything other than genuine, and the way she almost rambled was something Becca was all too familiar with.

Becca smiled and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. ”Nae handshake, but Ah will defer tae yer coffee expertise. Let’s gie gang an’ gie it ay th’ raine… Lorraine.” Ha. Not the time for word play, but still.

They stuck close together as they walked up the sidewalk so they could keep under the protection of the hovering umbrella. Lorraine was naturally curious, which made sense; Impact was not a magnetomancer. She did chuckle at the implication, though. ”Oh, Ah wish. Having magic woods be wicked, bit Ah’m sadly jist a magnetic mutant. Really, Impact an’ Ah really feel loch different people. She’s sae cool,” Becca admitted, still a little in awe of what kind of woman the other her grew up to be. She chuckled, finding humor at her own expense. ”Thes universe got stuck wi’ th’ lame Becca.”

No handshake? Raine was legit disappointed.

"Can we make one?" Maybe like the Romans always checked enemies' forearms for knives. They could do that, but with candy. God, she could go for a pound of gummies. Or chocolate. What woman in her right mind would say no to chocolate, honestly? "Maybe with a little boogie in it." Raine busted a bit of a move before her embarrassment caught up with her. Plenty hips. Definitely a handshake best reserved for woman-kind.

> "Ah really feel loch different people. She’s sae cool..."

"From what I can tell of the me from here, she's not exactly... well liked. I think it's better to be the lame one in my case." They walked past a little corner spot that looked coffecapable. Raine had been pretty sure that was their destination, but Becca kept on. Could it be—? She looked up at Becca's face, impressed at her nerve. Not that Raine planned to take advantage of her hospitality for more than a hot second, but... would she really show her where she lived?

"So, I know what Impact does. You don't also own a bar, right?" Because they could be going to the bar, if there was one. What tricks could a magnetic mutant do in a bar? Metal shakers. There was potential there.

It was so disheartening to see such a sweet young woman beaten down by the world, particularly when Becca felt some kind of otherworldly kinship with her. It was also impressive how quickly her energy seemed to pick up now that her mind was being put to good use. In this case, “good use” meant crafting the world’s most superior secret handshake.

Despite the night she was having, it was good to see Raine’s genuine enthusiasm as she proposed mixing in a dance move. Giggling, Becca tossed the idea around in her head playfully. ”Hmm, boogie micht, in fact, be necessary. Fer authenticity. Maybe a shimmy ur a hip bump? Ah’ve got hip tae spare. Clearly ye dae, tay,” she joked after Raine put her own moves on display. The girl just had an energy to her that was hard not to like. Even more importantly, Becca was genuinely starting to feel like she might be able to take Raine’s mind off things and be a sorely needed pick-me-up.

Raine was evidently aware of her doppelganger, and while Becca would not press her for the information, Becca could have sworn she bore a resemblance to a woman who spent some time at the Mansion. They did not really speak, and the woman always struck Becca as “out of place,” particularly when considering the stories about her.

As far as Becca was considered, Raine was the better choice of the two. She had known the girl for fifteen minutes and received a hug and a handshake planning session. Nudging the other woman’s shoulder, Becca smiled. ”Weel, noo Ah’ve got tae hae yer back. Us lame doppelgangers shoods stick taegether.”

They were close to the apartment and Raine was growing more curious of her new hostess. It was easy to connect her to Impact, but Raine would quickly find the two Rebeccas were very different people. ”Nae bar, thocht Ah coods probably dae some wicked things wi' metal shakers,” she mused aloud. ”Nae, Ah teach at th' mansion. An'... Ah kin' ay make videos oan th' internit.” It still felt awkward talking about her ViewTube career with people she did not know well yet, given how quickly some people could judge.

Becca pushed the glass doors to the lobby of the fairly nice apartment building she lived in. ”At least we’re it ay th’ rain,” she said, magnetically closing her umbrella as she moved toward the elevators, hoping Raine would continue to follow.

> "...Us lame doppelgangers shoods stick taegether.”

Raine was starting to think that maybe lame was the safe of the two options. Impact was amazing, but having a version that was younger and more accessible was nothing short of a dream come true.

"LAME - Ladies Angrily Making Evolutions? Hmm. That's not quite right. Less Ambitious Mutant... Extravaganza?" Raine felt close. Really, really close to making the BEST lame acronym a fresh pair of dopplegangers might need. She followed Becca in from the rain and dried the soles of her slippy heels on the mat, distant as she thought it through.

"I got it!" She snapped her finger and the sound echoed around the glass and classy interior that she'd been glossing over while distracted. Raine quieted herself, but not her bald enthusiasm. "Literally Awesome Mega Excellent. L-A-M-E. Because... we needed an acronym." The concept of an acronym that sounded one way but meant the other tickled her. "I just mean that we're only lame compared to ourselves. Compared to everybody else, I'd say you're Literally Awesome Mega Excellent for hugging and taking home a stranger." Assuming there was no murder attempt involved. There was always the chance that this Impact was only a lame doppleganger in disguise.

She rubbed her hands together as they piled into the elevator and ascended, still happily following despite the potential for murder.

Wait. Did she say that she made ViewTube videos?

"So, is your ViewTube channel about fixing washing machines or a how-to makeup channel?" She didn't have scousy eyebrows so maybe not makeup. Teaching was... well, teaching. Bleh. Raine was not at home with the kiddos. They took patience and understanding and empathy and all that junk.

Out of necessity, Becca’s life had felt busy and adult. It was important to be responsible and stay on top of things, but it could be quite draining as time went on. It was actually a breath of fresh air having Raine around. Despite her hard day, it was like the light in Raine was too indomitable not to shine through. There she was, excitedly coming up with an unnecessary, yet at the same time, totally welcome acronym to describe the two of them. Her energy was just infectious.

The acronym she settled on made Becca snort. ”Ah loove it.” She closed the umbrella and it slowly levitated back into her hand so she could shake off the excess droplets. ”An’ yer Literally Awesome Mega Excellent coz yer a ray ay sunshine, ye gie great hugs, an’ ye’re clearly th’ best acronym creator e’er.”

Pressing the button for her floor, Becca watched the elevator doors closing in front of them. It was a good elevator, but it was also a tall building, so they had a little time before they made it to Becca’s floor. She was not living in a penthouse, but she was comfortably in the higher range of floors.

With some more time to get to know one another, Raine asked Becca about her ViewTube channel. ”Ha, funny. What make-up videos woods Ah make? ‘Hoo tae dae yer makeup sae yer freckles still show?’” Note tae self: totally make a video on hoo tae dae makeup sae freckles show. ”It’s mostly advice, rants, nerd talk, and saim newsy stuff.” Becca had never gained a sense for building a cohesive, focused brand, evidently.

”Hoo abit ye? Ur ye warking oan this side? Or… skale, mebbe?” Maybe it was just her enthusiastic demeanor, but Becca was willing to believe the cute young blonde was still college age.

It was the girl code to repay compliment for compliment and Raine got her turn to bask in the sunlight of their fast blossoming friendship. If Raine's experience held true, then they would continue to fling compliments until they either became best friends or hated each other. Chemistry between people was a whole art unto itself.

Becca's ViewTube sounded pretty standard for an influencer. With her good personality, looks, and accent, Raine had no doubt that it was going just fine so long as Becca didn't spout anything too crazy or too boring and so long as she kept uploading things regularly.

Wow. She hadn't been to class in months, but her incomplete New Media Marketing degree still had some value after all.

"I would totally watch a freckle video. Mine aren't as prominent as yours, but I like what little freckles I have." Also, makeup in general, which she could not currently afford. Raine did her best not to feel self-conscious next to someone who seemed so... so... together.

> ”Hoo abit ye? Ur ye warking oan this side? Or… skale, mebbe?”

"I would really like to finish school. I'm waiting for my friend to come back over. She was supposed to be able to recover my ID so I can apply for real to be here. Officially, I'm not yet. I got tossed when the rip, uh, ripped." Raine tugged at the cropped nature of her sweater as the elevator bell dinged. It was probably safe to talk about that here, with Becca. Becca was one of the good guys.

"She hasn't come back yet. She's a big girl and she can handle herself, but... I guess it's mostly inconvenient for me to not officially exist anywhere." She trailed out from their little box of safety and Raine was reminded of her wet clothes by the drafty hall which, compared to the closed environment of the elevator, was still better than being outside in the autumn rain. "I've been working cash jobs here and there. Uh! I'm not a hooker, though! I mean, like, washing dishes and stuff."