September 5th, 2021.
Elizabeth woke up early after throwing a fit the night before until passing out on her couch. The lack of sunshine made her look towards the sky, but instead she saw a bunch of dark gloomy clouds covering the entire city. With a loud yawn and a blanket wrapped around her body, Elizabeth walked over to the right side of her living room and looked at the city spread out in front of her.
“You’re looking as depressed as I am.” She spoke to the world in front of her. “We should spend the day together, misery loves company right?”
After a quick warm shower, Elizabeth changed into some black jeans, a gray hoodie and a pair of black sneakers. She was tired of being in her home, just thinking over the fact that someone was using her father’s name, again. To make things worse, they thought she was working with the imposter. She wasn’t going to get anywhere by going around the city searching for the man though and she was sore all over her body from the beating she took the day before. Therefore, she decided to spend the day surfing the internet for information and what better way to do it than at your local coffee shop.
With her laptop in her trusty Hello Kitty Kiss edition backpack, Elizabeth left her home. She went to a nearby coffee shop named “Coffee and Smiles.” The place was not that big, it had 5 tables, with three chairs each, a bar aligned with the front window, which allowed the customer to see the people walking by as they enjoyed their beverage, The front counter with a line up of different baked goods and Elizabeth’s favorite spot, a corner table made for two with two long stools, one for her and one for her backpack.
“Time to be a geek for the day. I earned it.” Elizabeth told herself as she sat down, set up her laptop and connected to the shop’s wifi.
“Hey, welcome back, what will you be having today?” A young man with puffy curly black hair and brown eyes smiled at G, with a small notepad ready to start writing.
“Hey JC, hot cocoa and a blueberry muffin.” G looked at the waiter with a friendly smile. “How’s work today?”
“It’s okay, I'd rather be home playing League. But mom needed help with the shop today. We got butterscotch cookies also, wanna try some?”
“Sure, but later, I plan on being here all day. Got anything for lunch later on?”
“I can make you a sandwich? It will be a special treat for my future wife.” A sly smile appeared on the young man’s face.
“Nice try kid, you’re still too young and I'd rather stay away from jail.” G couldn’t help but laugh along with the young teen.
“Your loss, I can’t wait for you forever. Once I become LoL champ, you’re gonna wish you had accepted my offer. Besides, you're like 6 years older than I am. When I’m eighteen you’ll be 24, it’s perfect.”
G gave the boy a pat on the shoulder with a sympathetic smile. “I hope your dreams do come true one day little boy.”
“Wow, I’m gonna spit on your coffee. I’ll be back with your order, MA’AM.”
G laughed once more as she waved goodbye at the waiter and got back to her laptop. She spent the entire morning on her League of Legends account, replying to messages and playing some quick matches on Aram just to make sure she showed activity for that day. She then proceeded to manage her social media, uploading some pending photos to her Instagram and updating her Twitter with a photo of her coffee and muffin. The day had been completely normal until a small girl arrived.
“Excuse me, are you G?” The small blonde kid stood next to G’s table while looking up with her brown eyes.
“Yes I am.” G replied with a smile, feeling a bit annoyed she got interrupted in the middle of her sandwich.
“You can have this because you’re my favorite.” She held up a shiny red apple.
“Oh wow, thank you. Here…” G took the apple, grabbed a napkin, signed it and gave it to her. “My autograph for your healthy snack, sounds fair?”
“Thank you!” the little girl shouted before running off towards her mother, who was waiting by the door and whispering thank you to G before they left.
G sighed softly, with a smile on her face as she closed her eyes. The memory of her and her father going to their local coffee shop together sat on her mind. She could carry her dad’s wallet around and give him the money he asked for when he was paying. They would drink their chocolate, her father working on some documents while she figured out puzzles or played games on his laptop. He would always buy her an extra cookie with the promise that she would eat all her dinner and she wouldn’t tell mom, that was Elizabeth’s favorite part, she felt like they were partners in crime, working together.
“You know what they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
A familiar voice interrupted G’s daydreaming. She quickly opened her eyes to see Dr. Solo standing there with a bright smile. Part of her was happy to see him again, until the other part wondered what were the odds they would meet up at the same coffee shop. She stayed speechless, waiting for him to give her any clue that hinted he knew she was Wintry.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt. I just saw you from afar and I’ve had this doubt bothering me and I just needed an answer.” He leaned closer to her and whispered, “Are you Elizabeth Elric?”
Elizabeth felt her entire body freeze up, how did he know that? What else did he know? She opened her mouth to reply, but her mind was buzzing with questions and decisions, not allowing her to say anything besides, “Yeah.” Idiot.
“I knew it. You look just like your father.” Dr. Solo seemed relieved as he placed his hands on his hips. “I’m a big fan of his, of course. I understand you do some streaming and stuff, but that’s not really my kind of thing. You see, I specialize in Electrical Engineering and have read every paper your father has to offer, at least ten times. I happened to come across a few pictures of him with you and you look exactly the same, except older and when I saw you on the internet and then here in person I just knew it was you.”
Elizabeth nodded slowly, she wasn’t used to someone who looked up to her father’s work to be talking to her. “Thanks, I’m sure he would’ve loved to have met you.” She was still on the edge while at the same time trying to stop herself from thinking of how good looking the man was. “Wait, engineering?”
“Yeah, I’m just a big technology geek.” He held his hands up as if surrendering. “I have to admit it. I can’t skip on the opportunity to meet my idol’s daughter.”
“That’s nice.” Wasn’t he a doctor? “You don’t look like someone who does engineering. You look like a more medical kinda person.”
“Oh, well thank you. I’ll take it as a compliment. I do volunteer during my free time and I have taken several courses, you know, to help those in need. I’m a doctor at heart.”
Elizabeth began to feel uncomfortable, maybe he had a twin brother who was a doctor? “You know, I feel like I’ve met you before.”
“Right? I got the same vibe from you. But then again, I’ve seen you on the internet so that’s probably it.”
“What’s your name?” She held out her hand, maybe if she went along she could get more answers.
“John.” He grabbed her hand with both of his. “John Solo.”
It was him. “Do you have a brother?” She had to ask, she needed to know if the person who found her unconscious was to be trusted.
“I’m afraid not.” He replied with a confused look. “Mind if I join you to talk about some of the papers your father published?”
“No.” She slowly shook her head, still looking a bit shocked. “I don’t mind at all, but I’m nowhere as smart as he is. I can’t help much.”
“That’s fine, then please tell me about him.” He took the seat that had been occupied by G’s backpack. “I would love to know what kind of man he was, behind the brains you know.”
“I know where I saw you.” She gave the man a suspicious look. “I was in The Ripples yesterday, visiting some friends, was it like a shoot out or something? I saw you help people. I don’t know why I thought you were a doctor or something.”
“Oh!” He seemed taken back by the question. “That? Yeah, I sometimes tell people I’m a doctor so I can help them out. It’s my frustrated dream, you know? So I pretend I made it.” He shot her an embarrassed smile. “Don’t tell on me please? I promise I only say I’m a doctor when people need one.”
For some strange reason, the way he looked, smiled and his gestures made her believe what he said. In her mind, the story made perfect sense. “Oh, that’s a weird hobby.”
“I know, I know.” He chuckled. “But I can’t help it, I see people suffering and I have this need to help them, you know?”
“I do.” G said proudly, feeling Wintry in her heart. “I feel the same way.”
“Ah, I see you’re a woman of culture. A famous streamer, daughter of one of the smartest people ever and you have great looks, yet you still go out of your way to help those who need it. What kind of angel are you?”
Elizabeth was taken back by the compliment, feeling a small blush rush to her face. “I’m just doing what I can. I don’t see what my looks have to do with it though.”
“Oh well it’s just obvious, you're the daughter of Elvis Elric.”
G raised one eyebrow playfully. “Did you just call my dad good looking?”
“Oh what? No, not at all.” John said while fumbling through his words.
“So I’m not good looking?”
“No, I mean yes, but not your dad. Well he is but not like in a sexy way, like you are. Not saying you are sexy, you are, but I’m not saying that.” He stopped for a second, trying to organize his thoughts before he continued. “What I’m saying is that you have really good genes.”
They both shared a laugh. G felt comfortable again, just like she had when he had helped her out the night before. It’s a good thing none of her bruises were showing, otherwise he would probably have been able to put the two and two together. She had a chance to talk to him again, and it felt nice.
“So, doctor who’s not a doctor, what brings you here? Are you my stalker?” G took a drink from her lemonade, one she had ordered with her sandwich.
“Oh trust me if I was your stalker, you wouldn’t know it.” He seemed proud of the fact.
“Oh really?” G’s curiosity got the best of her, she always wanted to know how someone stalks their prey. “Tell me, no, delight me, with the knowledge of expert stalking.”
John let out a nervous laugh. “Well, IF I was a stalker. I wouldn’t let the stalkee know I am stalking them. First, I would follow them home. If I know where they live, I can get their mail and that can give me their name, already have their address and if I’m lucky it’s a phone bill.”
“Okay, that’s not bad, BUT nowadays, we have tech. You look em’ up on facebook.”
“Ah but people hide their information online. Tell me, how many people know your true name, G?”
“True, very true. Please teach me more.”
“Very well my student, pay attention. After you gather their name and address, you need to secure their phone number and social media. So you bump into them.”
“Rude.” G let out a giggle, she felt she was learning from an actual expert. “Why?”
“You do it when they’re using their phone. You pick it up, look them in the eyes and say ‘Excuse me, I was in a hurry, did I hurt you?’” He looked into G’s eyes as if he was really talking to someone else.
On the other side of the table, G felt her heart beat harder as they looked into each other’s eyes. “No, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be walking with my phone.”
“Oh it’s no problem, we all have things to do. I happen to work in a phone store, you mind if I check your phone in case something happened to it?”
“Of course not. Here you go.” She handed over the apple to him.
“Ah yes, the apple phone, one of the best out there.” He shot a teasing smile, which was replied by a small giggle from G. “It has the best technology in pies and Halloween games.”
“Halloween games?”
“Bobbing for apples? Terrible joke.”
“How old are you? 40?”
“34, but back to your phone miss.”
G was astonished by the age given to her. The man seemed way younger than that. “Oh yeah, of course. Hurry up, I want my apple phone back.”
“Here, I put my number into it, call me just to make sure I can save yours.” He passed the apple back to G.
“Ring ring, there.” G smiled, trying not to laugh as she looked at the apple in her hand. “So you got my number, now what?”
“I call asking for your parents, you say they’re not home. I show up and force you to marry me and we live happily ever after.” He pretended to drop a mic and held his hands up. “No need for applause.”
G clapped her hands rapidly. “Bravo, you truly are a master of stalking.” She took a bite from the apple. “But your plan failed, I ate my phone.”
“Ah! Well you got away this time, but I will get you Ms. Powers!”
“Yeah baby!” G replied, trying to do her best Mike Myers impression.
“You got the reference!” John burst into laughter. “And you made fun of my age!”
“My dad loved those movies okay? Not my fault.” She took another bite from the apple, followed by a big yawn. “Excuse me. I should get going.”
“Oh yeah, we didn’t even get to talk about your dad. Mind if we meet up here again?”
G couldn’t help but nod in response, for some reason she felt like she could trust him with her life. “Sure, call my apple phone.” She playfully stuck her tongue out. “Give me your number, I’ll text you when I’m on my way.”
“Perfect. Here ya go.” He handed her a business card, it had his name and number. “I help people with their computers and stuff to get some extra cash, this is my card.”
“Well thank you kind sir.” She placed the card into her backpack, followed by her laptop. “Nice meeting you John.”
After paying and shaking John’s hand one more time, G went home, feeling like she was floating through the sky, completely ignoring the fact that it had begun to rain. Back at the coffee shop, John smiled to himself as she stepped out of the coffee shop and watched G walk away. When she was out of sight he walked over to a woman and a small girl, giving them some cash. “I’ll call you if I need you again.” He said in a stern voice before walking away.
G stumbled out of the elevator, feeling like she was now sinking into the sky. Her head felt light, like if she blinked too long she would fall asleep. She was just a few feet away from her home, her front door in sight. She used the walls of the small hallway as support as she made her way to her goal. Home. It was just within her reach, when her knees gave out. Once the impact traveled from her knees through her back, her mind went blank as she lost consciousness.
Elizabeth woke up early after throwing a fit the night before until passing out on her couch. The lack of sunshine made her look towards the sky, but instead she saw a bunch of dark gloomy clouds covering the entire city. With a loud yawn and a blanket wrapped around her body, Elizabeth walked over to the right side of her living room and looked at the city spread out in front of her.
“You’re looking as depressed as I am.” She spoke to the world in front of her. “We should spend the day together, misery loves company right?”
After a quick warm shower, Elizabeth changed into some black jeans, a gray hoodie and a pair of black sneakers. She was tired of being in her home, just thinking over the fact that someone was using her father’s name, again. To make things worse, they thought she was working with the imposter. She wasn’t going to get anywhere by going around the city searching for the man though and she was sore all over her body from the beating she took the day before. Therefore, she decided to spend the day surfing the internet for information and what better way to do it than at your local coffee shop.
With her laptop in her trusty Hello Kitty Kiss edition backpack, Elizabeth left her home. She went to a nearby coffee shop named “Coffee and Smiles.” The place was not that big, it had 5 tables, with three chairs each, a bar aligned with the front window, which allowed the customer to see the people walking by as they enjoyed their beverage, The front counter with a line up of different baked goods and Elizabeth’s favorite spot, a corner table made for two with two long stools, one for her and one for her backpack.
“Time to be a geek for the day. I earned it.” Elizabeth told herself as she sat down, set up her laptop and connected to the shop’s wifi.
“Hey, welcome back, what will you be having today?” A young man with puffy curly black hair and brown eyes smiled at G, with a small notepad ready to start writing.
“Hey JC, hot cocoa and a blueberry muffin.” G looked at the waiter with a friendly smile. “How’s work today?”
“It’s okay, I'd rather be home playing League. But mom needed help with the shop today. We got butterscotch cookies also, wanna try some?”
“Sure, but later, I plan on being here all day. Got anything for lunch later on?”
“I can make you a sandwich? It will be a special treat for my future wife.” A sly smile appeared on the young man’s face.
“Nice try kid, you’re still too young and I'd rather stay away from jail.” G couldn’t help but laugh along with the young teen.
“Your loss, I can’t wait for you forever. Once I become LoL champ, you’re gonna wish you had accepted my offer. Besides, you're like 6 years older than I am. When I’m eighteen you’ll be 24, it’s perfect.”
G gave the boy a pat on the shoulder with a sympathetic smile. “I hope your dreams do come true one day little boy.”
“Wow, I’m gonna spit on your coffee. I’ll be back with your order, MA’AM.”
G laughed once more as she waved goodbye at the waiter and got back to her laptop. She spent the entire morning on her League of Legends account, replying to messages and playing some quick matches on Aram just to make sure she showed activity for that day. She then proceeded to manage her social media, uploading some pending photos to her Instagram and updating her Twitter with a photo of her coffee and muffin. The day had been completely normal until a small girl arrived.
“Excuse me, are you G?” The small blonde kid stood next to G’s table while looking up with her brown eyes.
“Yes I am.” G replied with a smile, feeling a bit annoyed she got interrupted in the middle of her sandwich.
“You can have this because you’re my favorite.” She held up a shiny red apple.
“Oh wow, thank you. Here…” G took the apple, grabbed a napkin, signed it and gave it to her. “My autograph for your healthy snack, sounds fair?”
“Thank you!” the little girl shouted before running off towards her mother, who was waiting by the door and whispering thank you to G before they left.
G sighed softly, with a smile on her face as she closed her eyes. The memory of her and her father going to their local coffee shop together sat on her mind. She could carry her dad’s wallet around and give him the money he asked for when he was paying. They would drink their chocolate, her father working on some documents while she figured out puzzles or played games on his laptop. He would always buy her an extra cookie with the promise that she would eat all her dinner and she wouldn’t tell mom, that was Elizabeth’s favorite part, she felt like they were partners in crime, working together.
“You know what they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
A familiar voice interrupted G’s daydreaming. She quickly opened her eyes to see Dr. Solo standing there with a bright smile. Part of her was happy to see him again, until the other part wondered what were the odds they would meet up at the same coffee shop. She stayed speechless, waiting for him to give her any clue that hinted he knew she was Wintry.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt. I just saw you from afar and I’ve had this doubt bothering me and I just needed an answer.” He leaned closer to her and whispered, “Are you Elizabeth Elric?”
Elizabeth felt her entire body freeze up, how did he know that? What else did he know? She opened her mouth to reply, but her mind was buzzing with questions and decisions, not allowing her to say anything besides, “Yeah.” Idiot.
“I knew it. You look just like your father.” Dr. Solo seemed relieved as he placed his hands on his hips. “I’m a big fan of his, of course. I understand you do some streaming and stuff, but that’s not really my kind of thing. You see, I specialize in Electrical Engineering and have read every paper your father has to offer, at least ten times. I happened to come across a few pictures of him with you and you look exactly the same, except older and when I saw you on the internet and then here in person I just knew it was you.”
Elizabeth nodded slowly, she wasn’t used to someone who looked up to her father’s work to be talking to her. “Thanks, I’m sure he would’ve loved to have met you.” She was still on the edge while at the same time trying to stop herself from thinking of how good looking the man was. “Wait, engineering?”
“Yeah, I’m just a big technology geek.” He held his hands up as if surrendering. “I have to admit it. I can’t skip on the opportunity to meet my idol’s daughter.”
“That’s nice.” Wasn’t he a doctor? “You don’t look like someone who does engineering. You look like a more medical kinda person.”
“Oh, well thank you. I’ll take it as a compliment. I do volunteer during my free time and I have taken several courses, you know, to help those in need. I’m a doctor at heart.”
Elizabeth began to feel uncomfortable, maybe he had a twin brother who was a doctor? “You know, I feel like I’ve met you before.”
“Right? I got the same vibe from you. But then again, I’ve seen you on the internet so that’s probably it.”
“What’s your name?” She held out her hand, maybe if she went along she could get more answers.
“John.” He grabbed her hand with both of his. “John Solo.”
It was him. “Do you have a brother?” She had to ask, she needed to know if the person who found her unconscious was to be trusted.
“I’m afraid not.” He replied with a confused look. “Mind if I join you to talk about some of the papers your father published?”
“No.” She slowly shook her head, still looking a bit shocked. “I don’t mind at all, but I’m nowhere as smart as he is. I can’t help much.”
“That’s fine, then please tell me about him.” He took the seat that had been occupied by G’s backpack. “I would love to know what kind of man he was, behind the brains you know.”
“I know where I saw you.” She gave the man a suspicious look. “I was in The Ripples yesterday, visiting some friends, was it like a shoot out or something? I saw you help people. I don’t know why I thought you were a doctor or something.”
“Oh!” He seemed taken back by the question. “That? Yeah, I sometimes tell people I’m a doctor so I can help them out. It’s my frustrated dream, you know? So I pretend I made it.” He shot her an embarrassed smile. “Don’t tell on me please? I promise I only say I’m a doctor when people need one.”
For some strange reason, the way he looked, smiled and his gestures made her believe what he said. In her mind, the story made perfect sense. “Oh, that’s a weird hobby.”
“I know, I know.” He chuckled. “But I can’t help it, I see people suffering and I have this need to help them, you know?”
“I do.” G said proudly, feeling Wintry in her heart. “I feel the same way.”
“Ah, I see you’re a woman of culture. A famous streamer, daughter of one of the smartest people ever and you have great looks, yet you still go out of your way to help those who need it. What kind of angel are you?”
Elizabeth was taken back by the compliment, feeling a small blush rush to her face. “I’m just doing what I can. I don’t see what my looks have to do with it though.”
“Oh well it’s just obvious, you're the daughter of Elvis Elric.”
G raised one eyebrow playfully. “Did you just call my dad good looking?”
“Oh what? No, not at all.” John said while fumbling through his words.
“So I’m not good looking?”
“No, I mean yes, but not your dad. Well he is but not like in a sexy way, like you are. Not saying you are sexy, you are, but I’m not saying that.” He stopped for a second, trying to organize his thoughts before he continued. “What I’m saying is that you have really good genes.”
They both shared a laugh. G felt comfortable again, just like she had when he had helped her out the night before. It’s a good thing none of her bruises were showing, otherwise he would probably have been able to put the two and two together. She had a chance to talk to him again, and it felt nice.
“So, doctor who’s not a doctor, what brings you here? Are you my stalker?” G took a drink from her lemonade, one she had ordered with her sandwich.
“Oh trust me if I was your stalker, you wouldn’t know it.” He seemed proud of the fact.
“Oh really?” G’s curiosity got the best of her, she always wanted to know how someone stalks their prey. “Tell me, no, delight me, with the knowledge of expert stalking.”
John let out a nervous laugh. “Well, IF I was a stalker. I wouldn’t let the stalkee know I am stalking them. First, I would follow them home. If I know where they live, I can get their mail and that can give me their name, already have their address and if I’m lucky it’s a phone bill.”
“Okay, that’s not bad, BUT nowadays, we have tech. You look em’ up on facebook.”
“Ah but people hide their information online. Tell me, how many people know your true name, G?”
“True, very true. Please teach me more.”
“Very well my student, pay attention. After you gather their name and address, you need to secure their phone number and social media. So you bump into them.”
“Rude.” G let out a giggle, she felt she was learning from an actual expert. “Why?”
“You do it when they’re using their phone. You pick it up, look them in the eyes and say ‘Excuse me, I was in a hurry, did I hurt you?’” He looked into G’s eyes as if he was really talking to someone else.
On the other side of the table, G felt her heart beat harder as they looked into each other’s eyes. “No, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be walking with my phone.”
“Oh it’s no problem, we all have things to do. I happen to work in a phone store, you mind if I check your phone in case something happened to it?”
“Of course not. Here you go.” She handed over the apple to him.
“Ah yes, the apple phone, one of the best out there.” He shot a teasing smile, which was replied by a small giggle from G. “It has the best technology in pies and Halloween games.”
“Halloween games?”
“Bobbing for apples? Terrible joke.”
“How old are you? 40?”
“34, but back to your phone miss.”
G was astonished by the age given to her. The man seemed way younger than that. “Oh yeah, of course. Hurry up, I want my apple phone back.”
“Here, I put my number into it, call me just to make sure I can save yours.” He passed the apple back to G.
“Ring ring, there.” G smiled, trying not to laugh as she looked at the apple in her hand. “So you got my number, now what?”
“I call asking for your parents, you say they’re not home. I show up and force you to marry me and we live happily ever after.” He pretended to drop a mic and held his hands up. “No need for applause.”
G clapped her hands rapidly. “Bravo, you truly are a master of stalking.” She took a bite from the apple. “But your plan failed, I ate my phone.”
“Ah! Well you got away this time, but I will get you Ms. Powers!”
“Yeah baby!” G replied, trying to do her best Mike Myers impression.
“You got the reference!” John burst into laughter. “And you made fun of my age!”
“My dad loved those movies okay? Not my fault.” She took another bite from the apple, followed by a big yawn. “Excuse me. I should get going.”
“Oh yeah, we didn’t even get to talk about your dad. Mind if we meet up here again?”
G couldn’t help but nod in response, for some reason she felt like she could trust him with her life. “Sure, call my apple phone.” She playfully stuck her tongue out. “Give me your number, I’ll text you when I’m on my way.”
“Perfect. Here ya go.” He handed her a business card, it had his name and number. “I help people with their computers and stuff to get some extra cash, this is my card.”
“Well thank you kind sir.” She placed the card into her backpack, followed by her laptop. “Nice meeting you John.”
After paying and shaking John’s hand one more time, G went home, feeling like she was floating through the sky, completely ignoring the fact that it had begun to rain. Back at the coffee shop, John smiled to himself as she stepped out of the coffee shop and watched G walk away. When she was out of sight he walked over to a woman and a small girl, giving them some cash. “I’ll call you if I need you again.” He said in a stern voice before walking away.
G stumbled out of the elevator, feeling like she was now sinking into the sky. Her head felt light, like if she blinked too long she would fall asleep. She was just a few feet away from her home, her front door in sight. She used the walls of the small hallway as support as she made her way to her goal. Home. It was just within her reach, when her knees gave out. Once the impact traveled from her knees through her back, her mind went blank as she lost consciousness.