2 CHAPTER 2: SURVIVOR

Eriin had been shopping for a little over an hour when she received the text from Kamahn. Even though he said not to rush, she didn't want to make him wait. Besides, all she had left to get was her shoes. She'd gone to Lace Stacie's to grab some new intimates. If she were getting dolled up tonight, she would give it her all. She bought a nice black strapless bra and lace thong. She also grabbed a bottle of their signature perfume, Villainous #8. Afterward, she went to Eula Boutique and bought a Black Angelic Wing One Shoulder Dress with gold accents. She also bought a set of bracelets and a necklace to match. Now standing in Jada's Palace, she struggles to find the perfect shoe. She remembered Kamahn saying he'd leave his keys with Pearson, so she decided to go grab them now, hoping he could help her dilemma.

"Eriin darling, I hoped you'd come to see me!" Pearson said, elated to see the stunning young lady.

"Hey Pearson, good to see you, do you have Lyrics keys?" she asked.

" No dear, I don't" He responded. "He must not be done yet. Can I help you with anything else until he returns?"

"Yes," she said in relief. "I'm in a bit of a bind. I don't know what shoes to get. I've never gotten dressed up like this, and I don't want to fail at it."

Pearson smiled as he walked towards Eriin. "Come now, child. Let us go to the back-dressing room so Kamahn cannot see what you have got. So, get dressed in all that you have and call me when you are done. I'll see what I can do. Ok love?" He said.

"Thank you so much, P. You always look out for us.

Eriin, now in the dressing room, locked the door behind her and sat her bags on the bench to her left. She then began to take off all her clothes. She then took off her bra but left on her panties. Stopping to admire herself in the mirror, She started to trace her markings with her fingers and suddenly began to weep. Eriin couldn't believe the life she now had, how had she become so lucky, lucky enough to have a loving family.

~~~

BRAZIL 15 YEARS AGO :

The family had all just returned home from the ceremony for Earnestine Alanza Ortiz. The ceremony marks her as an official member of the tribe. She had lived five years since her glowing birth and now would start to learn the ways of the Awa tribe. So that one day she would lead as the Gods promised. The child was still sore, the markings on her face and shoulder would be there forever. She had cried when it happened, but now, was more fascinated than anything. The Chieftain told her family that a vision had come and that the markings would give her the strength to become greatness. Her Ma'ma was in the kitchen preparing dinner with Auntie, it smelled wonderful. Pa'pa was In the common room relaxing and waiting for dinner to be done while he crafted Earnestine a staff. It would be her first one, and it resembled his own.

It was a perfect day.

As everyone got ready to sleep for the night. A loud noise came from outside. After a few moments of commotion, Ma'ma ran into Ernestine's room and grabbed her from her bed. She quickly took her daughter into her room and opened the closet. Behind the closet was a hidden crawl space. Earnestine was placed inside. It was only big enough for her. Her Ma'ma warned "Stay quiet daughter. Don't scream and cry silently. I don't want them to find you. Do you hear me? I love you, my daughter! Ma'ma and Pa'pa love you, remember that. If I don't come back, take this bag with you to your uncle's house. Do you remember where that is?"

"Yes, ma'ma, I do" she answered.

"Good girl," her ma' ma said, she kissed her daughter on the forehead as tears ran down her face. Gaelle locked her daughter in the crawlspace. She prayed that this wouldn't be her last time seeing her child.

In the common room, Alejo sat on the floor with his staff in hand. He watched through a crack in the door as the bandits raided the surrounding homes. He turned to see his wife Gaelle return to him. She had a knife in hand, and he could not help but smile, knowing his wife would fight with him till the end. Doing so, he didn't see the bandits approach his door, they kicked it down with force and stormed in with guns in hand. The force knocked Alejo to the floor and his staff from his hand. Gaelle lunged for the door, stabbing the first bandit she could reach. Another one grabbed Alejo and put a pistol to his head, "Whoa, drop the knife you bitch, or this man here sees a bright light." She dropped the knife and another bandit grabbed her, tying her hands together tightly. Gaelle watched the men rampage through and destroy her once beautiful home. When the men found nothing of value, they grew angry. The leader then shouted, "Are you fucking kidding me? You people have nothing? NOTHING! Ok, boys. These villages never have any good treasure. I guess they expect us to just make our riches off of our logging." he laughed, "I guess we must find treasure elsewhere, but first, let's reward ourselves for a hard day's work."

The bandits cheered. Then proceeded to beat Alejo to a pulp as they made Gaelle watch. When they were done, the bandits took the couple to their bedroom. The bandits held Alejo down and made him watch as each bandit beat and viciously raped Gaelle. As much as it hurt him to see this, it was nothing compared to knowing that a few feet away his daughter was bravely witnessing it all. The bandits continued to rape Gaelle for so long she no longer screamed in protest, she no longer cried, she no longer felt anything. She was numb. She just wanted it to end. Her holes no longer hurt; they just were there. She was now broken. She went from fighting the pain to almost feeling pleasure. When the men finally used her up. They all started to leave the room. Then the leader who was much bigger than Alejo picked him up and threw him to his wife. "You were one lucky bastard before we came along, huh? She was a delicious piece of fruit. Too bad we ruined the bitch." He started to leave then stopped and said "Consider this mercy" as he turned and shot both Alejo and Gaelle in the head.

Earnestine lay there in shock. Her young mind could not process all the noise, and she didn't understand what the men had done to Ma'ma. The girl had seen Ma'ma and Pa'pa do that before, sure. But not like those men, Pa'pa and Ma'ma were always happy and made it look fun. This didn't look fun, it was scary and sad. She waited until all the noise stopped. When she thought it was OK, she grabbed the bag and opened the door to the crawlspace. She stood up and stepped out of the closet. And stood at the foot of her parent's bed, she tried to wake them, but they would not move. She realized that they were gone. Warm tears rushed down her cheeks, stinging her still fresh markings.

She slowly walked to the front door, taking in all the destruction with each step. Holes were in the walls, cabinets were ripped off the wall, furniture was overturned, and there was blood everywhere and on everything. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry, but she remembered what ma' ma said: "Stay quiet, daughter. Don't scream and cry silently. If I don't come back, take this bag with you to your uncle's house." So that is what she'll do. She ran back to the closet and grabbed the bag, trying to ignore all the carnage along the way. On the way back She stopped and took one last look at her Ma'ma and Pa'pa She shouldn't have, she began to swell with emotion. So, she ran as fast as she could. She stopped at the door, put her shoes on, grabbed pa'pa's staff, and ran out of the village. She stopped at the opening of the village square.

Earnestine walked across the village. Everything was destroyed. The men attacked just after sundown; the sun was now coming up. After walking for miles through the jungle, she arrived at her uncle's home, all she had was the mystery bag and Pa'pa's staff. She knocked on the door with tears still running down her face. A lady answered. "Ola fofa, what are you doing here alone?" Earnestine trying hard to put on a brave face looked the lady in the eye and said "Hola, I'm here to see my Tio" "Sim, Sim, My name's Fernanda.

I will take you to your Tio. Do not cry mi, Amar. You're safe now." The lady took her to her Tio, he sat in a chair in his common room.

The man had a strong presence, it scared Earnestine. He asked her what she was doing there. She explained everything to him. To the best of her ability as she burst into tears. She gave him the bag Ma'ma told her to bring. He jumped out of his chair and got dressed. He told the lady to watch his niece, then left, returning much later, angry and sad.

Earnestine lived with her Tio for a few months. He was a mean man. He made her clean and cook. And when no one was around, he had his way with her. Like Pa'pa would with Ma'ma. But it was not fun for her, it sometimes felt nice. She didn't understand why. But it did. Tio's son Juanito came to visit from America, he stayed for about five months. A few weeks into his stay, Tio asked him to watch her while he went into town. That's when he started to teach her the language of the city. She had already learned a little by listening to Tio and his friends

Earnestine grew to love Juanito, he reminded her of Pa'pa. He was kind and funny, unlike Tio. One day He asked her how she liked living with Tio. When Earnestine did not say anything, he got suspicious. He asked her if anything had happened and promised her, he would keep her secret. Earnestine told him everything. He knew his father was mean and lonely, but this, this was too much. He swore to Earnestine that he would get her away from his father and to a better life.

After two years of Tio's abuse, the day finally came. Tio had gone into the city to shop with Fernanda. She also took part in Earnestine's torment. Once they were truly away from the house, Juanito arrived. He had been living nearby at an inn. He pulled up to the house in an old blue car. Earnestine had been looking out for him, so she was already running towards him as soon as he opened the car door. They hugged briefly and headed back inside.

Juanito asked her to grab her things. She looked at him and said, "I have nothing. Tio took my Pa'pa's bag and broke his staff. I just want to leave." So, they just left, never looking back, as they were on the road Juanito asked her if she had ever flown in a plane. She had not. She was only 7 years old. Before the other day, when Juanito took her to an office to get her picture taken, she had never been in a car. The village did not believe in such things. They flew back to Juanito's home in the US. After a few months of living with him, Earnestine was taken away. Juanito had given her into the system, and she was now officially an orphan. The orphanage was kinda nice, most of the kids treated her well. The adults irritated her, though. They could not, and frankly refuse to, tell her name right so

Instead, they changed her name completely, she was no longer Earnestine Alanza Ortiz. Now she was Eriin A. Ortiz. "Eriin" with two I's because of a typo that the lady who put her name in the system didn't care to correct.

After a year or so at the orphanage, A lady came in looking for a new child to raise. 'Eriin' did not bother getting excited about the news. No one ever picked her, most adults looked at her markings and decided she would be a problem. But this lady was different. When Eriin saw her, she had a weird feeling deep in her stomach. It was a happy feeling. A feeling of protection that she had not felt since her parents. Not even with Juanito. And as she locked eyes with this woman, she knew she had found where she belonged. The lady's name was Ms. Abigay Browne. She had told Eriin she could call her Mom or Momma Abby. She had a son already. They were both nice to Eriin, but despite the feeling in her soul that told her she was safe. Eriin waited for it to all go bad again. Nothing ever did. She had never felt so much love. So much safety. Not in what felt like a long time.

~~~

There was a loud banging on the door. "Eriin darling, are you okay in there? It's been like 15 minutes. Do you need help? Should I call Kamahn?" Pearson asked concerned for the young lady. He could hear her sobbing through the door. "NO! Don't call Kamahn. Please!" Eriin said, finally snapping back to reality. She finished sliding on the dress and said, "You can come in now, Pearson." The man who is usually confident and commanding gingerly and timidly opened the door. "Are. Are you OK, love?" He asks, deeply concerned for his friend.

"Yes, I'm OK P. simply happy. I looked back on where I came from and can't believe how lucky I am," Eriin said humbly.

"Girl stop, we're the lucky ones. Now, let me have a look at you." Pearson ordered. He took a long look at her. She stood in front of him barefoot and bashful wearing black leather pants adorned with gold zippers and chains, the front of each leg was open from hip to ankle a studded down the side with golden eyelets, and laces with long black laces that had gold angles at the end. On her torso, she wore a black leather corset with golden buckles and accenting trim. She looked like a warrior goddess. "Daaymn girl. If I were straight, you'd be in trouble with that dress on," he teased.

"I have the perfect shoe for you. I know you don't wear heels, but trust me these were made for you, so get dressed, and come get me when you're ready."

After a few moments, Eriin walked out front with bags in hand. She noticed Kamahn walking out the door. She approached Pearson. "Where's he headed. And where are the shoes?" She asked, pretending to be a rude customer. Pearson laughed, then put on his best professional voice. "Well Ma'am, He is headed to the food court to await your arrival, and we are headed over to Jada's Palace. I've called ahead, and they've already got the shoes waiting." The two couldn't stop laughing. They laughed and joked on the way to Jada's Palace Shoe store. Once there, Pearson talked with the manager, who then approached Eriin to introduce himself.

"Hello, Ms. Eriin, my name is Quan. It is a pleasure to meet you, I've dealt with your mother and Pearson for years now. It is an honor to now serve you as well. You will be treated like royalty here. If you need anything or ever have an issue here, let me know."

"Thank you, Quan." Pearson dismissed. "Ok girl, look at these"

Pearson slid a bag in front of him on the desk. He pulled out an exceptionally durable-looking shoebox. This box seemed to be wrapped in black leather-like material with dull gold studs on the lid instead of traditional cardboard. Pearson opened the box to reveal gold-colored tissue paper with golden flakes. Within were a pair of Black and gold Wakanda 12 stiletto Sneakers with a golden heel. The Wakanda 12 was Eriins favorite shoe. It was the most comfortable and it was durable. She could do anything in them and after a simple wipe down they still looked like new. She tried on the heels. Nervous because she hated to wear things that limited her mobility. But these felt nice. They were almost as comfortable as her pair at home, and she could still move freely Despite the heel.

After testing the shoes some more, Eriin paid Quan and thanked him and Pearson both. Then she grabbed all her bags and headed for the truck. Kamahn had given Pearson the keys, and he gave them the Eriin on their way to Jada's Palace. She put her bags on the back seat and locked the doors.

"So, what do you want to eat, E?" Kamahn asked as Eriin walked up to the table. The food court was filled with different varieties of restaurants. It ranged from ethnic cuisine to your standard fast-food spot. There were even a few semi high-end restaurants. *=Eriin looked around, not knowing what to eat. Her stomach is still in knots from the memory earlier. All she wanted to do was hurry home, so she could have an amazing night with Kamahn. "Uhm" Eriin started with a pause as she looked around more. "Honestly, I think I just want a smoothie from Kel's Orange Shack. And maybe an order of seasoned Waffle fries from Wickedz Chicken." Kamahn looked over at the menu for Wickedz and decided Eriin was on to something. " Ok, I'll get the same thing but adding a Tender Roll. I'll be back soon." He walked off towards Kel's to get the smoothies started. He already knew Eriins favorite kind of smoothie, the SOS with an extra Immune boost and a dash of Cayenne for the heart. He'd get the same but with a donkey kick, which was barista speak for 'A splash of Ginseng and an Energy booster.'

Kamahn returned to the table at 12:32 pm. After placing the food on the table, he looked at his sister and could do nothing but smile.

Kamahn watched on as Eriin walked back towards the entrance of Sigma Nu Nu Gamma. He thought about what good time they had today. Once she walked through the huge keyhole archway and pushed open the mahogany doors, engraved with the red and white painted symbols "ΣΝΝΓ", Kamahn started to pull his car forward. As he stopped at the light, the smell of a new car filled his nostrils. He looked around his jeep, the feeling of joy washed over him once more. He looked around the cab, taking it all in.

The beautiful black and orange vinyl seats, and matching carbon-fiber dashboard, and center consoles with silver trim. The dashboard was exceptionally beautiful. Its sexy 3D digital display showed everything a driver needs to know, from the speedometer to the weather and time.

"Oh shit!" Kamahn exclaimed as he realized the time was 1:22 pm. He only had a few minutes before he was late for his 1:30 pm shift at the Radio Station 88.9FM WPNX. He had never been late before, and he didn't want to start today. Usually, he's at work 10 to 15 minutes before his shift at the latest. "Mark won't mind, but I know Ant's going to have something stupid to say. I don't like that guy," he said as continued down the road. "Hey SAMMI!" he called out to his phone

Boop Boop~ his phone chimed.

"Hi Lyric, How can I be of service to you today?" his phone's A.I. answered cheerfully.

"Could you call Mark for me please?" asked Kamahn.

"Sure thing, Lyric" SAMMI answered.

RING.RING, RING.RING, RING.~

"Hey, Lyric, I was just about to call you everything, OK? You're cutting it closer than normal." Mark asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Yeah, sorry about that, I'm on my way, had a busy morning today. I just dropped my sister off at Nu Nu Gamma House. I'm about six blocks away from there now. I am heading straight to the studio, no stops." Kamahn replied, trying not to cringe in his self-disappointment.

"No worries, Lyric, we'll play three extra songs that will give you an extra ten minutes or so. Now I know you won't but as your boss, I have to say this. 'Please don't make a habit of this lyric'. You are my best employee, this is the only time you've been late, so let us keep it that way, OK?" Mark warned in his best authoritative tone.

"Yes Sir, Crystal clear. Ok, I'll see you in a few, Mark," He answered.

"OK, Later then," Mark said.

"Later Uce" Kamahn responded

CLICK

Kamahn let out a stifled yell of irritation. Not at Mark, but himself. All he could hear in his mind was his Mom's teachings. "You're on time if you're early Kamahn, you're late if you're on time. Your image is everything, all it takes is for someone of our culture to mess up one good time before our whole image is ruined. I've seen people go from having the world in their hands to homeless over simple misunderstandings or one mistake. Never let that happen to you, Kamahn. EVER" the ghostly sound of his mom's voice echoed through his memory.

Boop Boop~ his phone chimed.

"Hi Lyric, Your call has been completed, is there anything else I can do for you today?" his phone's A.I. asked eager and cheerful.

"No, SAMMI, I don't think so," Kamahn said with the sound of disappointment oozing from his voice.

"You sound tensed, Lyric, Would you like for me to play your 'Headspace' playlist?" SAMMI asked.

"That would be Amazing SAMMI, thank you"

As Kamahn pulled up to a stop sign, 'Keep pushing' by LuvPuddle began to play on the phone. Kamahn reached into his pocket and grabbed his charging cord. He smiled slightly, and some tension left his body as he noticed his Sound system could now

Take his charging cord. "Goodbye AUX tape deck!" He happily announced as he connected the system via the console. Music began to sing out from the speakers of his new Mirror link Z12 audio system. "Headspace playlist strikes again! Thanks, SAMMI" he said to himself now with a smile back on his face.

"Lyric?" SAMMI called out.

"Yes SAMMI?" he answered

"My System noticed that the vehicle that you have me connected to, has the `compatibility to connect with me."

"What does that mean, SAMMI?" Kamahn asked.

"It means I can merge with this vehicle by imprinting my software into its system. Would you like me to do so?" SAMMI asked.

Kamahn had only heard of cars this advanced. His Mom was the only person he knew that had one, other than celebrities, of course. "What would syncing do, SAMI? Can you elaborate?"

"Of course, I can Lyric. Syncing would give your vehicle an AI of its own. You can then either allow your vehicle's AI to be its own personality or allow it to use SAMMI instead. However, if you do choose to use SAMMI your vehicle and I will become one, and you will be able to control certain features via any device SAMMI is already synced to."

"Sounds like a plan, SAMMI," Kamahn stated. "Do we have to do this now? Or can it be done whenever?" He asked.

"That is completely up to you, Lyric. However, the longer you wait, the longer the update reboot will take. My suggestion would be to run the syncing protocol overnight to avoid any unwanted downtime of your vehicle," SAMMI stated.

"Great, That's what I'll do, Remind me tonight when I return to the dorm from dinner, please SAMMI?" Kamahn asked as he pulled into the faculty parking lot behind the sound studio.

"Yes, Lyric, sync protocol scheduled for tonight's downtime," SAMMI confirmed. Kamahn parked his vehicle and headed inside. He reached for the door, took a deep breath to cleanse his energy for work. "Time for Lyric Madness, so stay vigilant" he chanted to himself as he always did. He yanked open the door and rushed in, moving with a purpose, there were only 10 minutes till his 2:00 pm showtime. As he speed-walked down the hall, he locked eyes with Mark. He had to keep from smiling at his boss's look of relief. "OMG, thank the gods you made it Lyric. Five more minutes and I would've had to put Antonio on. I like the guy, but he's not a draw like you, man," Mark stated. "What the hell, Mark!" Ant barked in anger. Antonio King stood about 5'10 225lbs, He's always had an issue with Lyric. Kamahn was a better student, music artist, and employee, and that pissed him off. As long as they went to the same school, he would always be in second place. Hell, even Eriin turned him down once. "Showtime dudes and dude-etts" Mark yelled while clapping his hands together.

Kamahn sat down in the booth and pulled the microphone close. His intro jingle played over his headset as Mark counted him in. Kamahn closed his eyes and took a deep breath as Mark counted down from five, four, three, two! "Yo, Yo, Yo, What is good my family? How ya doin' out there? What is up, the world? I'm coming to you live from the heart of the campus, bringing you that heat to pump up your spartan pride. As my boi, Sean Jones leads his team to victory this Sunday. So in honor of the DOOM squad, here's Lethal Technique with Hit'em up right here on WPNX 88.9FM"

The show went smoothly some students called in, there were a few dedications, and today's topic was a good one, trust after a broken heart. Kamahn looked up to see Mark signaling to wrap it up. He reached over and pulled his fader as he pressed the blow horn button on his soundboard. He pulled the mic closer and began his outro, "All right, my family, you know that sound. The boss man is telling me that's my time, so now it's time for so long. However, before I go, I'm going to leave you all with a special treat. Fresh from the Madd House Studios, A brand-new track from ya boi lyric. Ladies and Gents, I give to you Clarity by Lyric. You can only find it here on WPNX and LyricMaddness.web! Stay Vigilant Uce"

Kamahn gathered his things and headed out of the booth. Mark greeted him in the hall, praising his showmanship. "Seriously Mark?" Ant complained as he stormed up the hallway. " First he's late, now he's playing his own music on-air and pushing his site? I've been begging you to play my song for weeks now"

"Look, don't be mad at Mark. I paid for my last slot and got the ok from Francis, do you know who she is, Ant?" Kamahn asked, exhausted from his constant whining.

"Of course, I know who the owner of the station is, Kamahn. Now, if I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure I was speaking to mark. So move along before I put a bitch in its place. 'UCE'" Ant warned with malice in his voice.

"No hold on Antonio," Mark stated, "now you've crossed the line"

"Dude, I'm not going to take any more of your disrespect. You can't get mad at me because I grind and work hard for my craft. If you'd pay attention instead of moan and complain, maybe you'd step out of my shadow." Kamahn answered back.

"So now I'm in your shadow? Well, shadow this bitch" Ant barked as he pushed kamahn with all his might across the hall. After realizing what just happened and catching his balance. Kamahn snapped into a fit of rage.

He sprung back at Antonio with all the rage of his ancestors behind his fist. The two punched and grappled for a while, then Kamahn landed a hook that staggered Ant. Mark and a few other crew members were able to step in and end the fight at that moment. " THAT'S ENOUGH!" Mark yelled with all his authority." Kamahn, get out of here and don't come back till Monday, an hour before your set in my office! As for you, Antonio

This time you've gone too far. You are suspended indefinitely. I will have a meeting with the board next week to see if it's permanent. Now leave, both of you!"

Kamahn walked out of the building and marched to his car. As he opened his car door, he could hear Antonio from across the parking lot yelling out in anguish, "Of course, he's got a new car! What the hell, man!" as he hopped in his car and slammed the door. Kamahn got in his car as well. "Ahhhhhh!" Kamahn belted out in frustration. He'd never let anyone get to him like that before, especially not at work. He pulled out of the lot and drove around campus to his dorm.

He made a beeline for his room, completely missing the few students s giving him props on the NEW song. He even missed seeing Sabrina and Cammie at the elevator because he took the stairs. He unlocked his door, walked in, and slammed it shut with a vengeance. "WHAT! What the hell was that?" Sean yelled as he jumped off of the bed. He looked to see his friend leaning against his door, looking defeated. "Bro, are you okay?"

"Nah, uce, I'm not okay. I just need a minute." Kamahn said.

"Nope, Nah bro, what happened you were on cloud 9 today, it must be serious for you to be that down." Sean observantly stated.

"I just fought Ant at the studio, Mark suspended us both. I'm gone till Monday, and he's gone indefinitely. I could lose my show over this, and maybe even most of my fan base. OMG, and if mom finds out." Kamahn started to lose his grip and cry. Anxiety filled his mind with every negative thought he could think of.

He couldn't breathe, He couldn't think, He felt like drowning, Kamahn could no longer hold in his frustrations, His anger, He has hit a wall. All he could do was, "Rrrraaaaahhhhh!"

Literally hit a wall. He fell to the floor.

Sean rushed over to his friend. He'd seen him upset before, but never to this extent. "Kamahn!" he yelled at his friend. "Don't let that fool take you out of your element. Remember who the hell you are, uce. You are Kamahn Brown! Mr. Lyric mota'fucking Madness! The dopest upcoming artist in the new era. The hottest thing on campus. Hold your head up, man!" Sean reached over, put his hand on his chin, and lifted Kamahn's head. "Now, pick yourself up, uce. Hey, I know something that will lift your spirits," he stated with a grin. "What's that?" Kamahn asked. "Well," Sean said as he pulled out his phone to display the time. The time was now 6:19 pm. "I have to get to the post scrimmage meeting at 7 pm. You on the other hand have to start getting ready. You have

To pick up Eriin at 7 pm because your sibling-versary reservation is at 7:30 pm at Bianca's," Sean knew if anything could pull his friend out of his funk, it was Eriin.

"Thanks, Ghost, I mean it. I'm glad you were here." Kamahn stated as he stood. "Look, I really don't have the mental capacity to engage with anyone else right now, So can I bother you for a favor, uce?" Sean smiled, "Shoot for it! What is it?" Kamahn walked over to his throne and sat down, letting out a sigh." Well, the thing is, I left all my bags in the car. Would you mind being a pal and fetching them for me?' he asked playfully. "Sure," Sean answered. "On one condition, grant me at least one fair shot at 'E." "Okay, Fine! You can take a shot at E! Now can you please go get my bags, Ghost?" Kamahn responded dismissively. "On it, uce, I'll be right back," Sean declared on his way out the door.

Kamahn had begun to prepare for a shower. He began to strip down when he heard Sean walk in with the bags. Covering himself with a robe, Kamahn walked out of the bathroom. Sean placed the bags on the couch and chuckled, saying, "Don't get modest around me now, superstar! I've seen your tighty whities and your giblets!" Kamahn cringed and hid his face in his left hand while plopping his right hand on Sean's back. "Let me catch you looking at my giblets, and we're no longer bros uce," he said. "Whatever," Sean laughed. "Alright, I'm going to head out and grab some grub before this meeting. You gonna be good?" Kamahn cracked a smile, "Yeah, I'm good uce. Promise."

Sean walked to the door, then turned around to his friend asking," Yo, were you serious about me talking to E?" Kamahn smiled wide, "Yes, Sean, you can take a shot at E." He

Said as he held the door open for his friend. "Wow! Damn, thanks uce," Sean said gratefully, as he stepped out and into the hallway. "Oh, Sean, by the way!" Kamahn said in a playful proper voice, "There was one condition to you talking to E. You, my dear friend, have to wait for a chiliad. M'Kay" Sean looked back and slightly confused said, "Ok!? But-" before he could form the thought, Kamahn shouted back, "Ok! Bye!" then closed and locked the door. He started to laugh as he listened to his friend's confusion in the hall. "Lyric! Lyric! Wait!," Sean shouted. "What the hell is a chiliad? Lyric? Lyric!"

Sean started walking down the hallway. However, before he got too far from the door, he pulled out his phone to ask his AI. "Aida!" he called.

"Yes, Sean, How can I be of service to you?" his phone's A.I. answered cheerfully in a feminine robotic voice, with a British-sounding accent.

"Aida, please define the word chiliad," he asked.

"Chiliad," she answered. "Noun, Definition one, a group of one thousand. Definition two, a period of one thousand years! Would that be all, Sean?"

"Thank you! That is all, Aida." He said with gritted teeth. "I hate you Kamahn!" he yelled as he stormed away to the elevator.