"Yeah, it's not much, but it's home," Jiang said, tossing his jacket onto the couch. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll grab some stuff, and we can head out soon."
Aylin nodded, her eyes wandering around the small apartment, taking in the details of Jiang's life on Earth. She had grown used to the chaos of constant survival, but this—this simplicity was foreign to her. She traced her fingers over a wooden carving on the shelf, her expression thoughtful.
Jiang disappeared into the bedroom to pack, emerging a few moments later with a half-packed duffel bag. "I'm just throwing in whatever seems practical," he said, chucking a few more shirts into the bag. "You'd think packing for a mission would get easier."
Aylin smirked, placing the carving back down. "In my world, we don't pack. We go with what we have. Anything else is a distraction."
Jiang laughed. "Yeah, well, we don't have magic portals or beasts to carry us here. It's just overpriced tickets and long lines at security."
As Jiang zipped up his bag, he glanced at his phone. "I should probably check in with my boss again. Told him I'd need some time off, but I better make sure he doesn't think I've bailed completely."
"You still need your job after all this?" Aylin asked, puzzled.
Jiang shrugged, dialing the number. "Yeah, I still need a job once I get all this madness handled. Can't exactly come back from saving the world with no paycheck."
The phone rang a few times before his boss answered with an exasperated tone. "Jiang. You again?"
Jiang winced, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, just wanted to give you a heads-up. I'm definitely out of town for the week. You know... that family emergency I mentioned."
"You do realize we have deadlines, right?" his boss replied sharply. "You already told me about this emergency. Now you're telling me again?"
"I know, I just—look, I didn't want you to think I ghosted the project or something," Jiang said, trying to sound casual. "I'll be back after the week, ready to catch up."
His boss sighed. "Just get back in one piece. But remember—if you drop the ball when you get back, don't expect any favors."
Jiang grinned, grateful the call was going better than expected. "Noted. Thanks, boss. I'll make it up."
"And Jiang?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't send me any more screenshots of your plane tickets, alright? It's not like I don't have enough paperwork to deal with."
Jiang chuckled. "Promise. No more ticket screenshots."
He hung up, tossing the phone onto the couch and exhaling slowly. Aylin, who had been watching the exchange quietly, raised an eyebrow. "So... your boss doesn't care that you're leaving in the middle of a crisis?"
Jiang shook his head, laughing lightly. "Nah, he cares. But as long as I get the work done eventually, he'll survive."
Aylin tilted her head, clearly intrigued. "You spend a lot of time managing people's expectations."
Jiang nodded. "Yeah, well, people here like things to stay normal. Even when everything's falling apart, they want to pretend it's not."
Aylin looked thoughtful as she glanced out the window, the soft hum of the city below filling the silence. "In my world, there's no time for pretending. You either survive, or you don't."
"Sounds... intense," Jiang said, zipping up his bag. "We're big on pretending here. Helps us feel like we're in control."
Aylin didn't respond, her gaze distant, as if she were contemplating the weight of their worlds.
Jiang sighed and pulled up his brother's contact, deciding it was time to give him a call. The phone rang twice before Lee picked up.
"Yo, what's up?"
"Hey," Jiang began, trying to sound casual. "Just wanted to let you know I'm heading out of the country for a few days. Rome, actually. Kind of a last-minute thing."
"Rome?" Lee's voice was incredulous. "What, are you finally going on that vacation you've been talking about?"
Jiang laughed, though the sound was hollow. "Not exactly. Just handling some things... unexpected stuff."
"You've been acting weird lately," Lee said, concern lacing his words. "Everything alright?"
Jiang paused for a beat, glancing at Aylin, who was still watching him from across the room. "Yeah, I'm good. Just dealing with some... things. But I'll be back soon. Don't worry."
Lee was quiet for a moment. "Alright. Just don't get yourself into any trouble, alright?"
"Trouble? Me?" Jiang forced a laugh. "You know I'm always careful."
Lee chuckled. "Yeah, that's why I'm worried. Call me when you get back. Don't disappear on us."
"Promise. I'll be back before you know it," Jiang said before hanging up.
He set the phone down and let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. "Well, that's done."
Aylin gave him a curious look. "You spend a lot of time explaining yourself."
"Yeah, that's the deal when you've got people who care," Jiang replied with a shrug. "I can't just disappear without a word. They'd freak out."
Aylin folded her arms, her expression softening slightly. "In my world, we don't have time for explanations. You're either there, or you're not."
Jiang smiled lightly. "Yeah, well, here, we try to keep things grounded. Helps us feel like things are normal."
Aylin considered his words for a moment before nodding. "I suppose there's something comforting in that."