Hopefully her awkwardness was looked at as her just not knowing the other was there, or that theyâd caught her in what was essentially pajamas, and not that she had genuinely conflicting feelings about the other girl and all of her friends by extension. On one hand, they were all the youngest of young adults, all of them barely old enough to legally drink, and they were all still learning. She especially was experiencing the growing paints of adulthood, sometimes in an especially lonely and painful way. But on the other hand, they were all old enough to know the difference between right and wrong, what sort of consequences came with their actions, how others might be affected by things. Though she was raised differently than the other girl and her videogame friends, at the base she still thought they were all people, and all people should care for one another despite the obstacles surrounding them.
The fact that she was there specifically for Dewey didnât come as a surprise, but the implication that they were going to be in the game room for the rest of the night did. The boys were almost never home, and she had never really imagined Tinsley as someone who liked to just hang out at home and play videogames for fun. Sheâd honestly always thought people who played for audiences on Twitch and Youtube just did it for a job or for some extra cash. Not only that, but she always sort of took the other girl in front of her as someone who loved to go out to clubs and parties, especially with her friends and a handsome piece of arm candy at her side, and live a more movie-like lifestyle sheâd seen on the screen.
In a way, it was a bit of a relief to know that some of her ideas were wrong. â Ah. I⌠I didnât know⌠â Stumbling over her words, she felt weird just being there and for seemingly stepping into their date, even if it hadnât started. â I honestly thought you both were going out tonight, or something. Like you normally do, yâknow ? â Obviously not all of Deweyâs social activities revolved around his girlfriend, but many of them did, and they usually didnât include her. It just wasnât her scene.
Yet the question, the gentle smile, the show of her own console - Tinsley was trying. It was obvious, and it made Webby smile just a bit in return. â No no, itâs okay. I donât want to interrupt or intrude, â she conceded. â Thankfully itâs a handheld thing, so itâs no big deal. Iâll just go play in in my room. â Or one of the million other sitting areas in the mansion, or a heating vent. There were a thousand choices, and she was still small and lithe enough to fit just about anywhere. â Itâs just uhm⌠Itâs Stardew Valley ? â The statement was posed more like a question, not really knowing how the other, who was well-versed in gaming, would react to that, weather they liked the game or not. â Itâs one of those life simulator games. Itâs cute - I really like the music. â Sheâd probably heard all about, though, so the blonde stopped herself from babbling about it.
    The fact that Webby assumed she and Dewey usually went out at night was eyebrow-raising. For the most part, the couple tended to make outings during the dayâtrekking to picturesque locations where he could take as many photos as he liked and she could escape the stress of her life for a while and feel refreshedâbut at night? Apart from occasional dinner dates, they tended to stay in and hang out, either playing video games, or Dewey singing and goofing around while she baked and decorated pastries. That was at her house, of course; when she came over to McDuck Manor, they generally stayed in Deweyâs room as much as possible, which explained Webbyâs surprise at seeing her in the game room for once.
    âWe go out sometimes, but not like, a ton,â she replied with a shrug. Ever since everything went down with Randy in front of the arcade, the fight being live-streamed and then spread across the internet like a fire that resisted being tamped out completely, there had been eyes on her and Deweyâs relationship, from supportive fans to trolls and haters alike. It was enough that Tinsley had to see nasty comments in her gaming streams on a daily basis and that they had to deal with some of their own friends being non-supportive of their relationshipâthe last thing they needed was more attention from people who werenât involved in that relationship. It was why spending time away from it all was so nice; they could just enjoy each otherâs company and not worry about anything else while they were together.
    âI mean, we usually just stay in Deweyâs roomâI didnât mean to take your chill spot,â Tinsley explained, realizing that even as the other blonde offered to head back to her room that she had initially planned to hang out here tonight, and it would be rude to let her and Deweyâs plans interfere with Webbyâs night. She had the rightful claim, considering that she probably used this room more than they did. Tinsley didnât want to run off and hide in her boyfriendâs bedroom either, however. This was a long-term relationship and if she and Deweyâs best friend couldnât sit in the same room together for five minutes, that was eventually going to become a problem. They should just get this female-bonding thing out of the way as soon as possible; maybe theyâd even be friends by the time Dewey got back. (That was hopeful.)
    âWhy donât you stay?â she asked, motioning to the comfy available seats. âAt least until Dewey gets here.â With Webby finally opening up a crack and talking about the game she was playing, Tinsley relaxed and opened up, herself, âStardew Valley is fun. I usually prefer more competitive game-play, butâdonât tell anyone, I secretly love games like this. Itâs like, the one time I donât have to try so hard to be the best at everything, you know? So, what year are you on?â