We always have a great time, when we are having lunch at work. We sit in a little room, jokingly knows as The Nook. Old, distinguished furniture (can furniture be distinguised? If they can, they must be looking like these). The library, where we work, is in an old proud building, from the times where quality was the core. The good old days. Ms Turner surprised us with homebaked cookies, "just because" as she always put it. There are three of us, Ms Turner, Mrs Delaney and then I, Piper. The young one. The lesser experienced. The assistent. The two ladies are librarians, old school, proud, distinguised. I'm thankful, I get to work here as I learn so much from them. Maybe I should rightfully have said "the three of us, who's left", since we have experienced lay-offs and budget-cuts. The trouble also is that, not that many actually come to our library anymore. We are specific oriented towards research and scientific matters. Universities along with private researchers come to us for help. These days they "come here" by email and thru live-chat. They talk with me. Im the one scanning articles and pages of magazines and books and mail it to them. That makes me feel kind of secure in my job, knowing the two librarians are from another timeperiode than now. I love them both and I also feel a little sad on their behalf.

"Are you to go explore with that young man this eve?" said Ms Turner.

"I'm afraid not", I said, "It's thursday and we don't meet online on Thursdays"

"That is right", Mrs Delaney said, "and tomorrow it's friday and you go dancing".

"That we do, we meet on fridays and we go do something, usually dancing", I said. I blushed a tiny bit, I hoped they didn't noticed it. "Usually we go to the Junk Yard and listen to blues music and hang out".

I sensed they wanted to add, "like we did back in the days. For Real" as a comment on the modern life, lived online artificially. I know. I try not to believe my life should be lived online. It's difficult not to.

"I might get some done in the appartement we share", I said.

"Good for you" they both smiled and said. "Now you are sharing an online home, does it mean it has now become "serious"?" Ms Turner said.

I know what she was hinting. "No", we are not in that kind of a relationship-relationship. We just like spending time together and go explore the world", I said. I didn't belive we were a couple. Yet. That thought made me blush a little bit again.

"Oh, Mr Squirrel is busy today", Ms Turner said.

Feeling relieved not being the center of attention anymore, I looked out the window. The only window in the Nook showed the Campus Park and the Ol Great Oak right outside. Sure, Mr Squirrel was busy running up and down his tree.

Coming home from work, Noah took shoes off and got dressed in his usual "at-home"-robes. Sweatpants and a T shirt. Being online thru the headgear also meant his body was to sit in a relaxed position because of lack of physical movement. He got himself something to eat and poured something to drink. He had his meal, standing by the window. It was a new routine of his. Standing up and eating. He sat hours at work. Hours at home too. Now standing up was a luxury. He didn't care to decorate his studioappartement much. Instead he took great pleasure by the view of the city before him. Buildings, lights. Cars going and planes flying. Thursday nights were Brawler Night as he and Tirpze met up and went Brawling. The people who ran Sphere recently added a new area to the worlds. The Pirate Bay. The world was one big sandbox and you could go anywhere you choose. One giant world, all connected and all within reach. The little worm behind his mind chewed a bit. The portal. The gate. There is a gateway to another world inside the world. Someone found their way and he ached so much to find it too. He wondered if Tirpze knew more than he did.

Carrying plate and glass to his sink, he then visited the Loo to prepare himself for 3 hours online. He timed his online time to get the sense of Control. He longed to speak with Tirpze. As he settled in the giant beanbag he used as a gaming chair, he adjusted the headgear and connected to the computer. They had been online for ages and knew each other well. He loves her voice, it was kind of a deep velvet-like one and he felt drawn the the sound of her laughter.