We ate in comfortable silence for a bit, the kind that didn't feel awkward at all. Just forks, chewing, and the soft hum of the apartment around us.
"So," Tessa said eventually, swallowing. "Long day?"
"Yeah," I replied. "Not bad, just… long. A lot of meeting thingies, a lot of nothing, somehow."
She snorted. "That sounds about right."
Minne nodded. "You looked tired when you came back, Master."
Well, and a bit concerned…
"I am," I admitted. "But this helps."
Tessa leaned back slightly in her chair. "Work at TechForge still crazy? For me, it still is."
"Yeah." Nala agreed. "It is."
"God, I still can't use Excel." Jasmine muttered. "It is so hard."
"It's calmer now," I said. "At least on the surface. Still feels like I'm always waiting for something to explode, though."
Kim raised an eyebrow. "Occupational trauma?"
"Something like that."
Minne tilted her head. "Did something happen today?"
