The app searched a bit then connected to a user with a rabbit icon on his profile picture. The name was 'Rabbit' too, probably a random generated one.
"Hello"
She messaged, she waited a bit for a reply but it didnt come so she went for a shower. Lately everyday had been tiring for her, her superhuman body helped with tanking the physical pressure but for a shut in it wasnt just physical exhaustion that bothered her. Laura was pretty tired mentally and she needed a break. Luckily she could now go for a vacation on the moon or someplace quiet and just relax, she made a plan for a moon vacation while showering.
It sounded romantic in a sense, just sunbathing on the moon sipping some floating liquid not even in a cup. If you could ignore how otherworldly even thinking about 'sunbathing on the moon' is. Soon the shower was finished and she came out, the first thing she did was check her phone and she had indeed gotten a reply.
"Are you trying to deal something? Sorry not interested. I dont trust outside items"
Apparently this person thought Laura was trying to make a deal outside of the app, indeed the app wasn't trustworthy but it was more trustable than any private dealers as she herself knew. She raised her phone and typed down a reply.
"Ah sorry, I was just testing the chat function. I am from the 'modern' earth"
Forgetting that each person had a different world attached or even had different names for the world. Her 'modern' world was probably called something else for him. it was probably so that it was easier to understand after all it would be weird for the person using the app to live in 'future world' right? Everyone in the world has a small illusion that they themselves are the center of it, she wasn't mature enough to deeply think before sending a message.
"Isn't this the modern world? nvm nvm just testing right? done? good, then goodbye."
Pretty impatient for a person isnt he? Indeed modernity was relative but he didnt need to run that badly, or is it a she? She wondered had she said anything wrong for him to just end chat like that.
"Um, I am sorry if you are busy but could you tell me more about your world?"
The other side took a while to respond but eventually he said. Apparently the other side was a slow typist.
"Its nothing interesting, mana rules the world and anyone who is good at it is treated better, magitech is especially rewarding for an occupation, Oh magitech is the act of making tools like magicars using mana running engines. Engines are.. things that make the magicars run and magicars are moving boxes that run on mana and can be used as a transport"
Basically it sounded like her world but with mana instead of fuel and electricity. She wondered what mana even was or how it was even used in such equipment but such a question was basically the same as asking 'Why does fuel burn? Yes we know the process is called combustion but why does fuel do that to begin with?' or 'Why does gravity exist'. Such questions are pure philosophy that would never be answered from the start, not by our current standards of science anyway.
"That sounds like our world, we use electricity and fossil fuel instead"
The other side replied right away.
"HOW! sorry caps, how? electric magic is just used to zap people and fuel is just for burning when mana isnt enough right?"
Glad to see even things like 'caps' were properly translated.
It appears the otherside is a techgeek.. well magi-tech geek, Laura was actually glad it wasnt some weirdo and only half a weirdo.
"Well, electricity...."
The two continued their chat about their own worlds, meanwhile Alex had reached the meeting place. He saw Mercer running over to his car pretty happily, he wanted a friend but he knew the debt he had given would mean that Mercer could no longer act as his equal. Heaving a heavy sigh he parked his car.
He could still try to be his friend right? Alex got out of his car and waved to Mercer, he soon reached Alex and Alex held up his hand. Mercer figured it out and flawlessly gave a highfive.
"Hey man, so I checked out this mansion, its pretty run down. Its large hell of a large piece of land, but honestly you are being overcharged. Let me handle the negotiations alright" (Thank you commenter for pointing out its overcharged, yes this bit was unplanned but it wont affect the overall plot I figured itd be a good way to switch price to something more normal. I might lower it too much tho so dont expect too much)
Alex just shrugged as if he was giving his consent. Mercer put his arm around him and led him to the Agent. He was waiting in a cafe, it was a man with sleek hair wearing a black suit, he looked around 40 and had a very kind smile on his face. Alex knew that this smile was just a facade and that he shouldnt let it fool him.
"Hey Mr.Smith this here is Alex, dont let his age fool you he is partnered with doodle itself and Alex this is Mr.Smith. He doesnt tell people his full name. A mysterious gentleman"
Smith was alarmed, his eyes shot wide open but soon he calmed himself.
"Yes please, have a seat. I didnt know our client would be someone so young but having such achievements at your age is really promising. I am honored to help you find a new home"
He slowly extended his hand as if asking for a handshake
"About that" Mercer cut in.
"You see, that was the original plan but Alex here was actually gonna turn down this deal. He said the land was too expensive for its worth, the mansion is run down is it not? Yet the price is still twice that of its surrounding area, Mr.Smith I led him to you in good faith so please dont cheat us like that"
Mr.Smith withdrew his hand, then gravely said.
"I dont see where you get those numbers, the land is in prime area and the mansion would be good as new if you just furnished it a bit. We will even furnish it free of cost for you. I might have raised the price a bit but only my own commission surely you wont deny a poor old man like me that?"
Mercer cut in again. He started ticking away at the table and looked Smith in the eye
"Surely you jest, the price of land being your commission is a bit too much right. Surely misses smith doesnt have that much shopping to do."
Smith sighed, he put his hand on his forehead and said.
"Alright Mr.Mercer I will forgo my commission this time based on our past dealings and future cooperation, I will even reduce the client set price to 300, sound good?"
Mercer shook his head.
"Mr.Smith, really? I am afraid we cant afford that. Alex lets go I know someone else who will surely be cheaper to deal with."
The two got up as if ready to leave, Smith panicked. He knew Mercer alone could afford the mansion let alone Alex a supposed doodle partner but they clearly did not wish to purchase from him. If this spread to his boss that he let both a celebrity and a possible doodle partner go to his rivals then he might as well prepare for a pay cut. He hurriedly got up and chased them.
"Alright Alright, Mr.Mercer you win. I will sell it to you for 200 alright? I cant go any lower, I really cant not if I still want to feed myself."
Mercer nodded and the deal concluded, they didnt sit back down but Mercer finalized the deal with Alexs consent. Alex then told mercer to hire people to break the mansion down for him, he intended to have the mansion remade after all he had the resources to make a better more secure mansion more suited to their needs.
This confused Mercer but he still rode off, He would send one of his own workers to hire people to do that. Breaking down a mansion doesnt need him to handle it personally, besides he has his own work to do as well. He was primarily a celebrity, he didnt need to sleep with any old goats anymore thanks to his connections with doodle as directors flocked to him for a chance to get financial aid from doodle but he still needed to work to feed himself.
Alex drove home as well, he thought about buying a mansion straight from the app or atleast a plan and have it built using machines. He could afford the points now.
While driving home he coincidentally drove past a cinema and with his super vision he caught glimpse of a movie sequel he really wanted to see from his still moving car. He then realized ever since the app came into his life he had never given himself time to do things like hobbies or normal life things.
He had no clue how attuned his thoughts were with Lauras. The siblings really did need a break, unlike some novels where a character can kill entire families and basically act however they want without any form of guilt, acting as if it wasn't modern times but an old clan based world. The siblings were born and raised with societies standards which are pretty hard to shake off even with all that happened.
He decided to go watch the movie with Laura later on, he could afford the break now. His plans were already in motion and all he now needed to do was wait.
He couldnt rush doodle, He couldnt create a new mansion out of thin air and he had no ongoing deals well apart from the one with the Immortal on the phone. He did not intend to let himself be conned out but, he intended to profit of this after all he was no longer prey. He would not let himself be one.l he now needed to do was wait.