Role Playing(15)

TheFerocity: Y would you do that

DangerNoodle: B R U H

BigDorkEnergy: FOH

That is, until she started whaling on the archduke. She’d seen how it fought and knew its weak spots. She started stabbing at the back of its knees—a kind of Easter egg/shout-out to LOTR, maybe?—and the ice and drain did significant damage. Predictably, the group was shocked.

Mouse5150: How are you doing that???

BigDorkEnergy: 2500 points? With two stabs? Ya right DangerNoodle: B R U H

TheFerocity: She’s hacking, fr

She ignored them, continuing to kick the archduke’s ass. With the help of the mages and the warriors, who were able to make sharper attacks with the archduke trying to fight off her combination of ice and draining, they took it out handily. She smiled.

TheFerocity: U hacking?

BigDorkEnergy: obvs

DangerNoodle: Total hacks

Now her grin turned sharp, and she typed furiously.

BOGWITCH: Don’t hate the player

OtterLeader: Lol

GandalfTheGay: didn’t think that would work, but you did it DangerNoodle: Hack

BOGWITCH: enough hackusations. Unless you wanna go?

DangerNoodle: Nah—just sayin

Thankfully, Mouse—who appeared to be coleader—stepped in again.

Mouse5150: That was impressive. You’re higher level than this usually, aren’t you?

She took a deep breath. This was it. Time for the truth.

BOGWITCH: Got two level hundred characters. Just wanted to see how you guys would treat a noob before I committed.

OtterLeader: Lol

BigDorkEnergy: You fuckin smurf!

DangerNoodle: Lol Respect

TheFerocity: Totally gonna dominate the leader boards now BigDorkEnergy: One of us! ONE OF US!

She shook her head, still grinning slightly. Until the next line.

DangerNoodle: Y named Bogwitch? R U ugly?

DangerNoodle: Or hot?

She scoffed. If she didn’t stand up now, they’d start in. She knew it. It was prison-yard rules. Don’t show fear. Don’t show weakness. Establish dominance immediately.

BOGWITCH: Not interested.

DangerNoodle: Just asking

BOGWITCH: I’m old enough to be your mothers. Or grandmothers. And good enough to kick your ass.

BigDorkEnergy: Lol

GandalfTheGay: YAAAASSSS we stan a queen TheFerocity: talk shit get hit

DangerNoodle: I’m not into GILF action gross Mouse5150: And on that note . . . next week, we’re tackling the citadel They divided the loot, then did the whole “gg” good-game business and signed off. Except for Otter, who private chatted with her again, catching her before she logged off.

OtterLeader: GG

BOGWITCH: thx, same

OtterLeader: We play Thursdays, same time, mostly. Sometimes on weekends. Today was a one-off. People are welcome to team up for other stuff as well. I sent you the rules. You’re good to join?

BOGWITCH: sure

She was never sure how to end these sorts of conversations. She wasn’t clear on texts, either . . . always felt like she was either being rude by bailing or irritating by keeping someone tied up. It was close to eleven, though, and she imagined they’d have—school in the morning? Work? She didn’t know.

OtterLeader: I think you’ll be a good addition to the team. Looking forward to playing some more. If you have any questions or anything—I know you’re a pro and all, but about the schedule or you want specific quests or whatever—just let me know.

He was very polite. Maybe too polite?

BOGWITCH: Again: old enough to be your mother. No funny stuff!!

There. Just to really put paid to the idea of anybody hitting on her.

OtterLeader: I would never. See you tomorrow.




She signed off, then looked at the chat. Well. That had gone better than planned. She had a life.

Sort of.





CHAPTER 7


THAT CAME OUT WRONG


Aiden glanced at his watch, and his mother finally called him on it.

“What, am I keeping you from some hot date?” She sounded a cross between annoyed and hopeful.

He winced. They were at Annabel’s, one of the nicer restaurants in Fool’s Falls. He had thought he’d take his mother out as a treat and as a sort-of apology for her car still not being fixed. It wasn’t a terribly fancy place—there were no terribly fancy places in the Falls, honestly—but it was a sit-down restaurant that had a decent pasta plate and steaks, and his mother liked both those things. He’d deliberately taken her at five o’clock, when senior hour started. Now, it was two hours later, and she was lingering over her dessert. The waitress looked irritated, and Aiden promised himself he’d leave a good tip.

“I do actually have something to do,” he admitted. “Not to rush you, or anything.”

Her eyes widened, and she almost dropped her fork on her huckleberry cheesecake. “You really do have a date?”

“No!” He squirmed in the hard wooden chair. “Not a date. Just meeting up with some online friends.”

She scoffed. “Fifty years old, still playing video games,” she said, shaking her head.

“Lots of people do it now, Ma.” He grinned. “That woman, the one whose email you gave me, just joined. I think she’s your age.”

“Pfft.” She took another bite of cake. “Why would a woman, especially an older one, want to get involved in that foolishness? I don’t get it.”