bumping purposes. “You got it.”
Drew was heading out the door, all jumbled up with this swirly mess of relief and excruciating embarrassment, when Sanee called after him.
“Genuinely not making a joke but I am a bit worried. You haven’t even seen this guy in real life yet. It’d be different if you met him on Tinder or Gay Tinder or whatever.”
Drew turned reluctantly. “Why?”
“Rule number one: games aren’t real life.”
He didn’t have an answer for that, so he shrugged and left.
The whole awkward interaction with Sanee had bummed him out and made him later than he’d hoped to be, so he was in a bit of a panic as he got himself settled and logged into HoL.
He’d left Efthalia parked in the city of Minea, which was supposed to be this ruined shadow of its former glory, but was actually far cooler and more impressive than the generically medieval human capital of Whitepeak. It had this Clash of the Titans vibe: all gold and marble and hanging gardens. And an honest-to-God snake-headed colossus standing astride the entrance.
[Aconite] whispers: I was beginning to think you weren’t coming
To [Aconite]: omg no
To [Aconite]: just got held up
Aconite has invited you to join a group: y/n
Aconite is now group leader.
[Group][Aconite]: You okay?
[Group][Efthalia]: honestly not so much
[Group][Aconite]: :(
[Group][Aconite]: It’s okay if you don’t want to do this. I get it.
[Group][Efthalia]: it’s not that
[Group][Efthalia]: just had this really stupid argument with Sanee
[Group][Efthalia]: one of my mates
[Group][Aconite]: What about?
[Group][Efthalia]: this actually
[Group][Efthalia]: he kept taking the piss
[Group][Aconite]: :(
[Group][Efthalia]: i guess maybe he could deal with the online thing or the boy thing but not both
[Group][Aconite]: I don’t think either of those should be things
[Group][Efthalia]: they are though
[Group][Aconite]: To you or to him?
[Group][Efthalia]: right now i can’t figure out what’s a thing and what isn’t
[Group][Efthalia]: i just know I missed you
[Group][Efthalia]: it might not be the same now I know
[Group][Efthalia]: but i’d still like to find out
[Group][Aconite]: So, more ophidian adventures, then?
[Group][Efthalia]: depends what ophidian is
[Group][Aconite]: Of or pertaining to snakes
[Group][Efthalia]: oh
[Group][Aconite]: It wasn’t an invitation to the homosexual underworld
[Group][Efthalia]: i’m only level 10
[Group][Efthalia]: i only get [Portal: Homosexual Underworld] at 25
[Group][Aconite]: Hee
[Group][Aconite]: It didn’t unlock until 50 in vanilla
[Group][Efthalia]: was there a long attunement
[Group][Aconite]: That would be quite the pick-up line
[Group][Efthalia]: don’t tell Bjorn
[Group][Efthalia]: he’s probably always telling people to check out his long attunement
[Group][Aconite]: :D
[Group][Aconite]: I really did miss you, Drew
Drew glowed, his argument with Sanee already almost forgotten. He’d expected hanging out with Kit to feel different now, but truthfully, it didn’t at all. If anything, it was even easier to fall back into their . . . their thing. Whatever that was. He felt like there’d been something holding him back but he hadn’t known it was there, but it was, and now it wasn’t. Or something.
[Group][Efthalia]: so what’s the plan?
[Group][Efthalia]: i’ve only got this crappy quest to unlock the flight path to krytos
[Group][Aconite]: Do you want to try Bubbling Marsh?
[Group][Efthalia]: seriously
[Group][Efthalia]: this our reunion medusa date not date thing thing
[Group][Efthalia]: and you want to pug
[Group][Aconite]: Hey, we first met in a pug
[Group][Aconite]: I was thinking of inviting Burnzurfais
[Group][Efthalia]: lol
[Group][Aconite]: Seriously though, I reckon we could 2-man it
[Group][Efthalia]: at lvl 10?
[Group][Aconite]: Well, it was balanced for 12 at release and Bjorn swears it’s been nerfed since
[Group][Efthalia]: lololol
[Group][Efthalia]: i’m just imagining them at Tempest HQ being like nerf BM it’s messing up endgame
[Group][Aconite]: Hee hee
[Group][Aconite]: But look. You also get access to a lot more stuff at level 10 now. I think it’s probably doable
[Group][Efthalia]: i guess it’ll be a challenge
[Group][Aconite]: See, I knew that would get you excited
[Group][Efthalia]: you know me too well
[Group][Aconite]: :)
Normally, they would have hopped in the Group Finder, which would have transported them straight to the instance, but then they’d have had to run with randoms. Instead they trekked up there on foot, which neither of them had ever done. They bickered for a little while over the best route and eventually agreed to do the quest that unlocked the flight paths and then take a Pegasus to the City of Ash since Kit, out of loyalty to his dark elf main, was still refusing to have anything to do with “high elf scum.”
Unfortunately, when they finished the quest, they realised they couldn’t fly to the mainland unless they’d already been to the other cities to open the Pegasus towers there. Which they couldn’t do until they got to the mainland.
[Group][Efthalia]: wtf
[Group][Aconite]: I think I’ve spotted a flaw in our plan
[Group][Efthalia]: wtf
[Group][Efthalia]: are we trapped
[Group][Efthalia]: this is terrible game design
[Group][Aconite]: I