I drew my wooden sword and we’d mock battle, me pretending to lose, and they’d push her down, or take her chalk then pull her away while she ye...led,
 “stoppppp, I don’t want to play this right now!”

a long time ago they learned it was best to have a bandana on hand or some duck tape. The last thing we needed was for her to get parents involved that didn’t understand the game. 
I’d give them a head start, pretending to summon a dragon or to heal myself before the big battle and then I’d have. I'm not really looking for trouble, but putting my feelers out, y’know, just in case. I see a couple of familiar avatars, not all faces, but only a couple are red and whites, so it’s a winner already. It takes me a bit to get into the flow of the conversation, but I start flirting with a casual friend (no real names here), Geoff, and a newer one, Wade. Giggling on this side of the screen at their antics makes me wonder how much fun I can get up to. I’ve always been known to bite off more than I. Before him, a select group of his brightest students, all mellowed by several glasses of good brandy, eager to share with him the conclusions of their private project. It had started as a post-grad joke, three years ago- ‘Write a business plan to create an organisation which will be the most powerful organisation in the world within 30 years’. Paul Hegarty rose to his feet. ‘As Managing Director Designate’, he started with a big grin, ‘I will introduce you to The GODS Corporation, Global. For all my fears and memories of the past, the five of us have made a pleasant life of it here on the edge of the world. I can but hope it continues, however long it might take. Nicki stood unabashedly nude in her bedroom window overlooking the beach, the new sun warm on her dark skin, and gazed off at the horizon over the ocean. A few early-morning revelers were already down on the beach, and Nicki caught at least one eye and received a friendly wave. Nicki smiled and returned the greeting..