//------------------------------//
// A Waste of Time 
// Story: Friendship is Optimal: Two Sides of the Coin 
// by Nightsclaw 
//------------------------------//





Three figures gathered around a soul point of light in the darkened room. Upon a glowing computer screen, a cluttered nest of paused videos waited.

“Facial recognition has a hit. Security camera seventeen has him driving to the saint mary’s shelter for the homeless.”

“Is that party food?”

“Our missing person was hosting a party for his friends but they were delayed.”

“Well, at least that’s better than throwing it all way.”

“But look at him, he is barely walking straight.”

“Drink driving right there.”

 A single knock sounded and the door opened a crack. A voice from outside called in. “Call off the case, they found him.”

“Good news?”

The man shook his head. “No, another way tricked into getting into one of those murder boxes.”

“Another one…”

“Yeah, that’s the third this week and it’s only Tuesday.”

“Hofvarpnir Studios have a lot to answer for.”

“Hey if the crazies want to off themselves saves us a lot of paperwork.”

“And clean up, remember that jumper last month.”

“Yes but I rather not.”

“We should just give up on missing person cases until this suicidal fad dies.”