August and Sophia laughed together and enjoyed the lighthearted moment. Once dinner was done and the dishes were put away, Sophia yawned and stretched, retreating to her room. "Goodnight, August! Don't stay up too late gaming!"
"No promises," he called after her with a grin.
---
August headed to his room, already focused on the game. He flopped onto his bed and pulled out his phone, opening the group chat with Lilo, Boris, and Ezran.
August: Hey, you guys hear about the Swordking Dungeon in No Man's Wasteland?
He waited for a response, but nothing came. Checking the timestamps, he realized they were all already in the game. He scrolled up and saw a series of messages from earlier in the day.
Boris: Let's grind tonight. Aleman, you better join us!
Ezran: You owe us for bailing last time.*
Lilo: You're not escaping us this time, mister.
August sighed upon reading all of these messages.
"Figures."
