Asher: Y’know, if you keep working these long hours, you’re gonna burn yourself out.
Atlas: Tell me about it. These deadlines are ridiculous.
Asher: Well, if you keep meeting their ridiculous deadlines, they’ll keep giving them to you.
Atlas: What else am I supposed to do?
Asher: Tell them you need more time.
Atlas: [scoffs] It’s a little late for that.
Asher: Maybe. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t say something.
Atlas: Doubt it’ll do any good.
Asher: Well, fuck ‘em then. If we’re gonna be killing ourselves over a game, it should be our own. We haven’t touched it in over a year, y’know.
Atlas: Has it been that long?
Asher: At least.
Atlas: Damn. So, what are you saying? We quit our jobs and work on our own game full-time?
Asher: I think it’s worth considering.
Atlas: How are we supposed to do that? We can’t not have an income. Unless we got investors or something.
Asher: So, let’s do that. We could put together a pretty good pitch.
Atlas: You’re serious?
Asher: [shrugs] I don’t know. Maybe. We don’t have to decide anything tonight. Just think about it?
Atlas: [deep breath] I’ll tell you what. Once the wedding is over, and this is wrapped up, you and I are going to take a long vacation. And then we can talk about it.
Asher: [smiles] I like the sound of that. In the meantime, you should get your ass to bed. I miss you.
Atlas: Alright. I just need a bit to wind down. I don’t think I can go to sleep yet.
Asher: I didn’t say I wanted to sleep. I said I miss you.
Atlas: Oh, well, I better get my ass to bed then.
Asher: Mhm.
To sit alone or with a few friends, half-drunk under a full moon, you just understand how lucky you are; it’s a story you can’t tell. It’s a story you almost by definition, can’t share. I’ve learned in real time to look at those things and realize: I just had a really good moment.