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“The freedom and safety,” Lex answered promptly, “especially the safety part. Since I accidentally learned about the cultivation world, the strongest impression I’ve gotten is that it is very unsafe. I spent a lot of time researching various organizations, but Ballor’s castle is the one I felt could best safeguard me and my interests.”

“Well we would like to thank you for your confidence in us. We try our best to uphold our standards to the best of our abilities. Have you tried joining any organization before, and if so which ones?”

“No, I haven’t tried joining any organization before. I am very new to the cultivation world, and considering how dangerous it seems I’ve tried to minimize my contact with other cultivators as much as I can. I did take a self defense class for cultivators, but even then I have kept mostly to myself.”

“Mr. Lex, you’ve mentioned a few times that you are concerned about your safety. Do you have any enemies?”

“No of course not! Why would I have any enemies?”_.

“Mr. Lex, I hope you don’t mind but it is standard procedure to run background checks on our applicants. According to our research, there was an incident report at your apartment just a few hours ago. Could you tell us about that?”

“There was a breakin at my apartment. They completely destroyed everything I own and even threatened me. That is what prompted me to come here, I realized that I wasn’t safe on my own.”

“Yes, of course, I can understand how such an incident can be traumatic and make one want to protect oneself. But tell me, do you have any idea why you were targeted?”

“No, I’ve never seen them before and have no relation with them.”

“Mr. Lex, I don’t know if you’re aware, but the cultivator community in New York is very tight knit. Rumors get around quickly, and rumor is that a lot of people have been investigating your self defense instructor, Mr. Marlo. Do you think you could have been targeted because of your connection to him?”

“He is my instructor, and other than that I have no connection to him. I don’t know why I would be targeted because of him.”

The three investigators looked at one another, before pulling out a picture to show Lex. As soon as Lex saw his lips twitched – it was a picture of him when he was going to Marlo’s apartment right after returning from Vegus Minima. He was battered and bruised and completely covered in dry blood. Suddenly he felt his chances in this interview had dropped drastically.

“Mr. Lex this picture was pulled from security footage of you entering Mr. Marlo’s building some time ago. Having no context about this picture at all, it does not seem to me that your relationship with Mr. Marlo is simple.”

Lex gulped as quickly started thinking of a good excuse.

*****

Velma was standing silently in the Gift shop. She was an A.I. that worked at the Midnight Inn, however that did not mean that she was an emotionless and cold machine. It just meant that she was created and given intelligence artificially, and not born in the usual way. Although technically her age was less than a month old, she was mentally around seventeen. She was extremely disciplined and obeyed orders so her mental age never compromised her work at the Inn, but when she had no work to do she felt extremely bored. Gerard had the mental age of a fifty year old man, so the two of them could not relate very much at all. The new addition to the Inn, the Gardener, was very boorish and Velma did not get along with him at all. All he wanted to do was dig and dig and dig.

Her 2nd boss, the tiny floating projection called Mary, was a little more fun. She would occasionally gossip with Velma about her first boss, the Innkeeper. Speaking of whom, the Innkeeper was incredibly handsome and Velma always felt very shy around him. A few times she wanted to strike up a conversation with him, but every time she wanted to she could not make herself do it.

She let out a sigh, she was really bored. But right then her 2nd boss appeared before her.

“Velma, the Innkeeper is busy and some new guests are entering the Inn. Receive them.”

“Immediately,” she answered as she disappeared, reappearing at the entrance. From a bright light a young man ran out, holding the hand of a young woman. The pair of teenagers looked very troubled.

“Haris, where are we?” asked the young woman, panting.

“I have no idea Ayesha, but I think we’ve lost them for now,” the teenager replied, wiping the imaginary sweat off his brow.

Ayesha, who was relieved to hear that they had lost their pursuers, threw herself into Haris’ arms and started sobbing.

“Oh Haris, what are we going to do? They’re never going to let us be together! Your family will move away across the oceans and I’ll never see you again!”

“Then I will swim the oceans if I have to. Nothing can separate me from you!”

The two lovers continued to talk to one another, professing their love and imagining the various struggles the world would throw their way, denying them the one thing that they both wanted – love. It was as if it was predestined that they were not to be, their difficulties far beyond the petty hurdles of Romeo and Juliet.

Velma, who was waiting for a chance to introduce them to the Inn, completely forgot her purpose, and was listening to their sweet nothings with glowing eyes. Since there was no television, or basically any kind of media available at the Inn, this was the first time the young A.I. was getting a taste of teen romance and she was hooked.

“But long distance never works,” said Ayesha, breaking free from his arms and looking away. “You’ll go to college and make new friends and fall in love with some blonde bimbo, and I’ll be left alone, with nothing but a memory of a time I was happy, if only for a moment.” Their extremely cheesy lines and over the top emotions held Velma in a vice, and at the thought that the two lovers would be separated Velma suddenly remembered her job, and along with that she came up with an idea.

“Welcome guests,” she said loudly, interrupting Haris’ monologue about slaying all the bimbos that would stand between the two, “to the Midnight Inn, the universe’s best rendezvous for estranged lovers.”

The two teenagers turned their attention to Velma with a frown, but then suddenly realized that they were not alone. Ayesha quickly pulled herself out of Haris’ arms – he had hugged her once again – and quickly straightened her clothes, as if removing all proof or memory of the lovers embrace.

“Our humble Inn caters to people from across the universe, wherever they may be. It brings lovers together so that they can spend time with one another, walking in our gardens, climbing our hills, making memories free from pursuit or judgment.”

“Across the universe you say?” asked Haris, intrigued. He accepted Velma’s words quickly, as if traveling the universe were the most natural thing, and started rubbing his chin as if he were coming up with a plan.

“So this is like a dating spot?” Ayesha asked, curious. “How scandalous, I love it.”

Velma lost a bit of her composure when she heard the Inn being called a dating spot – if her bosses ever found out she’d be too embarrassed!

“Uh, well, no the Inn doesn’t cater to just lovers. Anyone who wants to enjoy our services can come. But lovers, especially lovers who have been separated, can come to the Inn to enjoy their time together, so that their love can overcome all adversity.” Poor Velma did not know that to some people what she was saying could be taken as the description of a ‘Love Hotel’ that charged by the hour. It truly was a good thing that neither Mary nor Lex were here to hear this.

Ayesha’s eyes started to slow as she looked at Haris excitedly. The both shared a look, and it was as if they both had found the solution to their problem.

“Why don’t you show us around,” said Haris with a smile. “I feel like we’ll be coming here a lot.”

“Please follow me, I believe you’ll like what we have to offer.” Just as she began to lead the two towards the Inn, she came close to Haris and whispered, “You should buy her a Saturn cake, trust me. I’ll show it to you later.” The three ‘teenagers’ excitedly made their way into the manor, all of them thinking of their exciting futures.