“Video games allow a different kind of vulnerability,” says Leilani. “When you’re playing with another person, the engagement you have with the character, the story, the journey – it makes for a collaborative, communal experience that Edie and Akila are desperately searching for. It’s also worth noting that these are two black women who move through the world with that layer of self-protection who are gravitating toward this safe space. The fantasy game provides a place for them to relate to each other where they don’t have to be concerned with the curated self.”