It was the end of another work day delivering around the winding tunnels of Argo, the girl whose friends now know her as Steam still unable to shake the thrill of such a winding delivery route even months into her new job delivering sensitive hardware. Even with maps and experience, it felt like the caves grew around her, revealing strange new nooks and crannies, her moped able to squeeze between those alleys that saved time and showed her a new side to the city. Sometimes she just wished she could spend all day driving around the town in a cave, but as she felt a familiar feeling inside her, she knew she couldn't. Each day ended with it, a familiar clenching around her heart like it was being pulled away if she didn't pay attention and go along with it, so takes a few breaths to steady herself, grabbing a bag of fast food from the basket on the back.
It was easy to smile during a day of delights, but as she walks towards her apartment, the muscles in her arms tense. She just had to have faith today was one of the good days, knocking on her own door a bit before opening it up...
"Oh, hey there Vive!" she giggles, the tension dissolving in a flash as her wide-eyed spotted cat looked up at her innocently. Vive considers her for a bit, looking out at the nighttime lights of the city in a cave, and decided it was going to rely on her continued unconditional generosity, sauntering off to find a place to lay down and wait until it was the center of attention. Even Vive knew by now that any time Steam arrived home...
"About time you're home."
Before Steam could stammer out any caution or attempt an eager greeting, the white-haired woman's snatched the bag of fast food, popping it open to peer inside. Her gaze was almost cold enough to steal the food of its heat, but a scowl of actual disgust replaced it as she reaches in and grabs a small paper container of curly fries, "Yuck, they keep putting these nasty things in our orders. You really need to speak up to them about it, sis."
Steam found herself once again too slow on the draw, watching as her white-haired older sister casually tossed the fries on top of the building pile in the garbage bin she'd have to see to later. Steam's gaze lingers on the pointlessly discarded fries for a bit as her sister moves back to the sofa, settling down slowly and carefully to avoid more pain and panting despite how short the walk was. She tries not look like any of it had got to her though, occupying herself with the bag of food to begin planning what to eat first as she returned to watching the news. Steam takes deep breaths to avoid a sigh escaping, only to see on the coffee table in front of her sister was an already open pizza box, hardly touched.
"You ordered a pizza?" She finally found her words.
"Well, yeah, you were late and I was getting hungry," her sister says without looking at her.
Steam double checks her phone quickly, before laughing a little to play it off, "I'm actually early today. You know we can't be spending our extra money getting pizza delivered willy nilly..."
The white-haired woman had been about to start eating the fresher food before now looking at her younger sister, eyes wide for a moment before she slouched a little. "I just got hungry early is all. You don't have to remind me about the budget. ...It works as leftovers, right? I'll just eat it another time."
Steam felt that clenching on her heart ease a bit, smiling with a hint of weariness but not one her sister ever seemed to notice. Walking over, she moves to collect the pizza box to keep for later, trying not to get too irritated when she felt just how warm it was. The box was too big to fit in their fridge, Steam whipping out a set of ziplocs to start storing the slices individually for later, even trying to make sure they didn't sit atop each other in the bags so they microwaved more nicely. It was the little touches she liked to do to try and make things easier-
There was the sound of a metal flick, Steam straightening up as she knew it too well. Her white-haired elder sister had pulled out a lighter, ready to light a cigarette despite only barely having started the food Steam brought her.
"I said no smoking indoors!" Steam calls out, clenching her fists as she raises her voice and immediately regrets it. Head lowering, hands now clenching the sleeves of her jacket, she immediately regretted her "shout" even though it was hardly a yell at all.
The white-haired woman looked down at the cigarette she only just put in her mouth, taking a second to comprehend before snubbing the end that had only barely caught a flicker of flame. "Yeah, yeah, sorry, I know you told me not too... it's a habit."
The hand on her heart clenched a little less, Steam almost gasping as ground was given. She told herself that's all she needed. A battle of inches, an effort to get her sister to do a bit better each day, to show that's she trying. That bag of fast food was clearly not long for this world though, and Steam already knew not to check the pizza toppings. Her sister always ordered with green peppers, even though if she didn't, they could share it for a change. "Sharing" was a one way street since they started living together though. Steam tried not to dwell on the failures, instead smiling a little that there had been a bit of progress at all...
Only for an envelope to lightly smack into her face. "Ha! Good throw, my arms still got it," the white-haired woman congratulated herself. "Think it's a bill, so get paying right away. Those three days without cable last month were torture." She had a talent for couching a criticism in something that sounded like a joke, but had none of the warmth that someone searching for a laugh would hold.
Steam grabs the envelope, but since she actually bothered to look at it beyond the fact it was mail, she managed a smile, recognizing it as a personal letter for her. She'd open it later so she could appreciate it more fully, but since today was a special day, now that everything was in order here, she moved towards the door. "Yeah, I've got it, thanks! I'm heading out for a bit longer tonight," she said, lingering on it for a bit, looking at her sister and waiting to see if she'd say anything.
The white-haired woman eventually realizes Steam had not moved, looking over before waving a hand dismissively, "Okay? I'll be fine, you don't got to announce you're leaving over every little thing." Steam hoped she meant it, although considering she was no longer being asked about these little evening trips on the town now, she had gotten comfortable enough not to do it with a package in hand as an excuse.
When Steam left (with a quick pet to Vive for good measure), she felt herself easing up again. Her smile returns with ease, no longer having to worry about that quiet little battle that awaited her at home each night. As she climbed back on her bike, she tried to keep any intrusive thoughts at bay. Yes, her older sister was a bit like the Origin of almost all her worries these days, but she couldn't bring herself to blame her. She may be the Origin of this pressure on her heart, but Steam was the one responsible for the state that white-haired woman had found herself in.
She did her best to chase the thoughts away as she drove. It was usually much easier, compartmentalization was almost a talent. It let her keep her smile and feel that happiness deep within her. She knew she shouldn't get worked up just because it was today in particular, her sister hadn't even done much and was even showing signs of improving her attitude. That Origin point for stress was something that built over time though, the little releases keeping her from cracking, but some days come with more build up than usual...
She was at the PlayStation Experience before she knew it though, the sight of the building helping things melt away. Here she could be the girl called Steam, where her friend PS2 did her best to make her laugh, and PS3 did her best to understand why she was laughing. She almost felt bad she had stuck with the fake video game name after the initial jokes, but now it helped. People said Steam with care in their voices, but when she heard her real name lately, it was often her sister getting on her case.
Entering the front door, Steam looks to the prize counter expecting Two to be there only to see it unoccupied. The brief confusion showed all too well on her face, Steam relishing that she could be as goofy and open as she liked here, and quickly she spotted the answer to her unspoken question. Two was waving from a table in the nearby "experimental" table area, a spot where people could eat and drink outside food as long as they kept it away from the games.
"What are you doing over there? Oh hi Three," Steam says, almost bowing as she spots the tall woman sitting with Two as well and not wanting to ignore her. Three repeats the clipped gesture, Steam not able to keep a giggle to herself at how Three was always doing her best to be agreeable.
"We just got promotions," Two said, Steam clapping her hands in excitement.
"Oh really? Does that make you One now?" she laughs, easily able to spot a Two set-up by now.
"I'm Two, so One would be a downgrade. We're working our way up the numbers, I'm Three now."
"Oh? And when do you reach the top?"
"I want to get really high up there, but I don't think I could handle the months where people would call me Sixty Nine."
Steam waves her hand at the joke, "Naughty!"
"Darn, dirty jokes get me demoted back to Two. And I was just liking my new job warming this bench," she says, patting the spot next to her. "Careful, I haven't sat there yet."
"I'm pretty sure I signed the right liability waiver," Steam settles in next to her friend, looking over at Three who was struggling to keep up. "Your hair is looking very nice today, are you using something new."
Three nodded in the affirmative, "I did attempt to present myself better today since-"
"I have a package for you," Two blurts out, having to interrupt her fellow Sony Hard Girl as she pulls out a box and slides it to her side in front of Steam.
"My improved appearance does not have a direct tie to the package, but they are related." Three explains, as if that helped with anything.
Steam, a little confused, accepted it was indeed her job and this wouldn't have been strange any other day. She looks down at the box, ready to set it aside... before she saw who it was addressed to. "Oh... this is for me?"
"Yes, and I need it delivered post-haste," Two smiled, "I hope it won't be too much trouble."
"I'm on it!," Steam holds the package out in front of her, before moving it in a circle in front of her and pulling it towards her, "Oh, look what I got! A gift from my friends," she giggles as she begins to open it up and finds inside... another box.
"...Is this going to be one of those gag gifts where it's smaller and smaller boxes?"
Two shakes her head, "I'm not that funny," she says with a wink, before moving in closer, "That's the only box within a box."
Steam looked the box over and only now realized it wasn't the flimsy bit of cardboard it first appeared. It was reinforced with technology she didn't understand but could recognize from her deliveries, and the big Valve logo was a giveaway it was at least conceptually tied to her main local employer. She moves to open this box, only to see a digital menu pop up.
"OH!" Steam exclaims, "Is this... I don't even know how to say this... like your magic tools?"
Two nods with a big toothy smile, "Yes! Your very own bit of digital magic! Now you can help us and the Kobbers fight evil, so make sure to turn up at 0800 hours tomorrow for the start of your boot camp!"
Three chimes in, "We are not actually expecting you to fight if you do not wish to. The current form of the gift only performs entertainment functions and all violent functionality is disabled."
Two starts pointing at options on the floating screen, "You can add games to your Steam wishlist to decide which things it manifests, and I'd tell you more but One is having so much fun writing a manual for it that I didn't want to take that from her."
Steam was still wide-eyed as she begins to play with its functions, pulling up the game Rock of Ages. A little boulder popped into existence, about the size of a baseball, that she begins to poke across the table, Three poking it back, Steam dazzled by how quickly an idea became reality. "This is so cute! Or cool, or... however you want me to react," Steam laughs, "Are you sure it's okay that I have this? It is made from pretty expensive technology..."
Two smiles softly, "It took some convincing, but you're here more than some of our employees and they get to play around with the gizmos. Besides, today is an important day," she said, Three recognizing the cue and moving to go grab something from nearby. She came back with...
"It's the day you get even more boxes!" Two proclaims proudly, but this box was...
"A cake box..." Steam says, the pieces slotting in. Three opened the box, revealing a small cake the three would be able to tackle in no time, but she also moves to set aside a small plate of sides, including... "Are those... seasoned curly fries?"
Three nods, "Yes, I had noticed you often eat them here and figured they must be your favorite food. ...I realize now that this assumption maybe ascribing frequency with favoritism."
"Bottled water is probably her favorite drink too," Two teases, but Steam was now reaching for one of the fries, surprised it was still warm despite the PlayStation girls not having known exactly when she might drop by. They must have been keeping it warm for her...
"Well, it's not my FAVORITE, but it's up there!" She chirps, only to get a bit bashful, "You didn't have to... I mean, we've known each other for only a bit, and I can't believe you even remembered my birthday..." she trailed off, still a bit dumbstruck.
"It's a bit hard to forget. I had so many jokes ready if it had just been a day later on Leap Day. Sorry I can't wish you a happy fifth birthday instead," Two smiles, before realizing Steam had got quiet. Worry seizes her immediately as she fears she misspoke, hurriedly correcting her behavior, "I liked your birthday as is really! This isn't too soon at all, I already consider you a very good friend! Yup, I wanted to do this because you deserve to have the happiest of happy birthdays!"
Steam was too distracted to notice the switch that had happened in Two, the quick effort to please Steam not punching through the fact the delivery girl was still reeling a bit. People were nice to her all the time, but it felt different when it was so personal...
Two moves to touch her arm to try and hold her attention, Steam jolted back to awareness and almost leaping off the end of the bench, clenching her jacket sleeves again as she looks back at Two and is pulled back into the moment.
"See, I told you that seat wasn't tested, it's launching you up like a seesaw" Two tries to joke, testing the waters on if she could shift back to her more authentic self. Three watched in unmasked curiosity as she tried to understand the complex emotional play before her, but Steam was beginning to blush, realizing she was getting too worked up when what she really wanted to do...
"Thank you so much, both of you! This is an amazing birthday treat... I couldn't be happier," she says, patting the hands of the two girls before turning her attention back to the cake. There were candles to blow out, cake and fries to eat, and possibly even some fun over in the Experience awaiting her. She did worry any moment that the Origin of her stress could message her asking her why she was out so long tonight, but the worries disappeared as the joy took hold instead. It was like a bit of an accidental gift from the Origin, a night without the worries that had held her back for so many years as Steam felt that constant pressure easing up for a lovely little birthday celebration.
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