probably would, but she was a special case.
Also Kit looked really anxious, and that was really sad-making.
“I’m not uncomfortable. Promise. Honest. It’s just I got into this spiral in my head, like you know when you’re trying not to think of something, so you do.”
“Oh man—” Kit made a frustrated gesture “—I just lost The Game.”
“Oh thanks, me too.”
They stared at each other helplessly, caught on the verge of laughter.
“There’s a guy on my course,” said Drew, “who refuses to play The Game.”
Kit blinked. “What does that even mean?”
“It’s kind of weird actually. It just means that every time someone loses The Game he goes into this speech about how he doesn’t play The Game because, like, he’s like not a follower or something. I think he actually used the word sheeple at one point.”
Kit flinched, a bit theatrically, but it was cute.
“But the thing is, he’s basically playing this boring meta game of his own, which means he spends all his time waiting for people to mention The Game so he can object. It’s like he takes it way more seriously than anybody who actually plays it, and has way less fun.” Drew paused, and picked thoughtfully at his muffin. “By the way, do you want some?”
Kit nodded, and they sat there companionably, sharing it.
And it didn’t feel weird at all. In fact, it was even better than killing frogmen in a swamp.
“Actually,” Drew went on, “thinking about it, the funny thing about The Game is that the most hard-core way to play it is the most casual. Like if you actually care about going a long time not thinking about The Game—”
Kit yelped. “We are losing The Game so hard right now.”
“Omg, nerf conversations. But, anyway, if you actually care about winning The Game, you’re going to lose The Game, whereas if you don’t give a crap about The Game at all, you can actually do pretty well at it.”
“To be honest, I’d never really thought about it.”
“Well, I’m kind of interested in games, and the way they work. Uh, obviously.”
Kit was nodding thoughtfully. “I guess it’s a social thing as well. Because, as you say, you can’t really play The Game seriously. What it really becomes is a sort of signal. Like wearing a Dinosaur Comics T-shirt.”
“Oh don’t.” Drew folded his arms self-consciously over the killer whale. “I really wish I’d worn a shirt. You’re all smart, and I look like I made no effort.”
“No, it’s perfect. I’ve got ‘Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow’ at home, but I only wear it for running.”
That gave Drew an image he wasn’t quite ready for: Kit, tousled and a little bit sweaty, jogging through the trees in Victoria Park or something. In his nerdy T-shirt. “It’s probably a good thing you didn’t wear it. We’d have looked a right pair of numpties.”
“Or the Leicester Chapter of the Ryan North Fan Club.”
Drew laughed into his hands, and then sort of panicked because he couldn’t think of anything funny to add. “So you like running, huh?” Shit. That was even worse.
“Yeah.” Kit nodded. “Well, since I spend all my time gaming or in lectures, it’s kind of my bastion against becoming a fat bastard.”
Drew dropped his voice a couple of octaves and adopted a faux cowboy accent. “‘Kid just rages for a while.’”
Kit stared at him, not unkindly but clearly bemused.
“Sorry, you said ‘bastion.’”
“Oh right, I haven’t played it. I don’t do so much gaming outside of HoL.”
“It’s good. It’s basically just an action RPG, but it’s got this cool voice-over that kind of gives context to all the pointless shit you normally do in that sort of game, like smashing barrels with a hammer, and stuff.”
Kit smiled shyly at him. “I might take a look at it.”
“I’d wait for a Steam sale. It’s about a tenner most of the time. And the sequel’s pretty cool too. It has a killer soundtrack, although I think you’re supposed to be in love with your sword, which is a bit weird.” He stopped babbling. And then babbled in a different direction. “I mean, you could come round and try it on my desktop if you want. See if you like it.”
“I bet you say that to all the boys.”
Drew spluttered, and knew he was blushing, but it wasn’t a bad feeling. “I picked up AssCreed IV in the last sale as well. I thought it was worth it because you get to be a pirate.”
“I kind of lost track of the series. I think