[hider hell is in other people]Matt’s roving gaze came to a stop on a pair of players. Swordsman and archer, by the looks of their equipment. Just what he needed. And they seemed to be chatting too, probably already in a party. Even better. He knew he should get to them before anyone else could. 
 
He beckoned Darren to follow, then walked briskly over. 
 
“[color firebrick]Hey guys.[/color]” -He greeted as he approached, an easy grin on his lips –“[color firebrick]What’s up?[/color]”

Wendel froze. She hadn't anticipated on getting approached like this. Talking to one person had been more than enough but now?

Her eyes caught sight of a merman behind the demon. Oh no, another one. The swordsman remained silent, looking to Sunny to answer for their party.

[color 3ed1c2]"They don’t look like they want to join. Maybe a different group?”[/color] Darren offered, looking around when Wendel only stared blankly at them.

Sunny grinned, giving the newcomers a half wave, [color=FFD100]“Heeeey! Just hangin’ out! Waiting for this thing to get goin', y’know.”[/color] she glanced towards the merman, giving him a curious look, [color=FFD100]“Woooooooah, neat bubble. What’re we joining?”[/color]

[color 3ed1c2]"Thanks,”[/color] came the reply with a quick flick of underwater tail. A bit of the water splashed onto the ground at the movement, though the quantity in the half-bubble remained the same.  

"[color firebrick]Yeah, thought you guys wanted a group? New campaign and all, ya know?"[/color] -Matt just shrugged, glancing briefly at the quiet Wendel before focusing on their more talkative friend -"[color firebrick]So, do you? Me and Darren here are looking."[/color]

Sunny nodded to herself, giving them both a glance. [color=FFD100]“Not a bad idea.”[/color] she gave her newfound ‘partner’ a side-eyed glance and half-smile, [color=FFD100]“Whatd’ya think, Wen?”[/color] she said, a little bit surprised by her sudden decision to start calling him ‘Wen’. 

Wendel regarded them with a wary look, then immediately felt guilty for it. Come on, she was meant to talk to people now. Plus, Sunny seemed eager to join this pair. No good reason to refuse. Unfortunately.

[color=f7941d]"I think that sounds okay,"[/color] she replied after some deliberation. Remembering Joy's advice, she also tried to muster a smile.

[color=FFD100]"Well, if Wendel's in I'm in!"[/color] Sunny exclaimed, looking between the two. She pulled out her pocketbook, sending the pair an invite to their party. 

"[color firebrick]Perfect!"[/color] -Matt accepted with a wide grin and pocketed his book -"[color firebrick]I suppose we should get introduced. Name's Carcinogen, but that's just edgy. Call me Matt. I'm running Acolyte"[/color]

He gestured to the mermen next to him -"[color firebrick]This here is my friend, mister...Miso-tee?"[/color] -He mangled the spelling, half on purpose to watch Darren huff a small breath of annoyance. [color 3ed1c2]"Darren,"[/color] he corrected, doing away with the cumbersome username.

Sunny stuck out her hand towards Matt, giving a grin, [color=FFD100]"And I'm Sunny! Alongside my friend Wendel."[/color] she said, tilting her head towards him. 

Matt took her hand, but instead of shaking it, he leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss against the back of her hand -"[color firebrick]Pleased to meet you, Sunny."[/color] Unaffected by Matt's usual display of overbearing greetings, Darren waved at her from behind him.

Wendel blinked, then widened her eyes in abject horror. Oh god. Was he going to kiss her too?

Her hand, which had initially been raised like Sunny's for a handshake, whipped towards the merman instead.

[color=f7941d]"Pleased to meet you!"[/color] she parroted with a hint of panic. Darren hesitated, then took the hand with a quick shake before letting go. [color 3ed1c2]"Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you,"[/color] he repeated, retreating into the center of his water field instinctively. First the one didn't want to talk to them now Matt had them both freaking out. Perfect.

Sunny suppressed a grimace, maintaining her smile without missing a beat. Oh god, that was [i]weird[/i]. [color=FFD100]“Y-yeah, you too.”[/color] she stammered a little, giving Wendel a glance with the corner of her eyes. 

The awkward reactions didn't seem to faze Matt in the slightest. Quite the contrary, in fact, as the demon's grin only grew wider, clearly amused by his own antics. 

[color 3ed1c2]"Are you guys sure you wouldn't rather, uh..."[/color] he wondered how to put it that wouldn't be offputting, then decided it didn't matter. It wasn't like he lived with them or anything. [color 3ed1c2]"If we make you uncomfortable you can always leave party."[/color]

"[color firebrick]I mean, that goes without saying, Derry."[/color] -Matt raised an eyebrow at Darren, but he quickly schooled his expression back into neutrality. He turned back to their new teammates -"[color firebrick]My friend here got some pretty ballin' DPS, but I'm shit. Like, I didn't even bring heals or anything, so yeah. Just putting your options out there."[/color]

Shouldn't they have mentioned this stuff before accepting the invite? Wendel looked to Sunny again as she wiped the residual moisture off her hand.

Sunny laughed uncomfortably. This was more awkward than what she was used to. [color=FFD100]"I mean, uh, we're noobs too so..."[/color] she gave Wendel a glance again, looking for backup. Was it too much to hope that he'd tell the skeevy dude to back off? Probably. [color=FFD100]"It's no big deal."[/color]

'No big deal'? Really? Wendel felt a tinge of despair.

[color=f7941d]"Yes, we're quite new so,"[/color] she tried a casual shrug, [color=f7941d]"Your options are also...out there."[/color]

"[color firebrick]Oh, I'm sure you guys will do just fine. You totally have that...badass thing going on."[/color] -Matt didn't hide the way his gaze flicker over Wendel's armored form. Needless to say, he approved -"[color firebrick]And don't worry. I'll figure out a way to earn my keep."[/color] -He winked at Sunny, obviously implying something indecent with a broad grin. 

[color 3ed1c2]"He has a passive luck bonus,"[/color] Darren explained, shifting his tail so the water swirled lazily around him. [color 3ed1c2]"We'll probably get good drops earlier than most."[/color]

Sunny's smile dropped with Matt's wink. She could almost feel her stomach turn, mild regret already setting in. It probably would've been a lot more fun with just her and Wendel, but now she felt obligated to stick around. [color=FFD100]"Yeah. Sounds handy,"[/color] she agreed reluctantly. 

Wendel regarded Sunny's expression curiously but nodded anyway. [color=f7941d]"Handy."[/color]

Matt only chuckled at the comment, his gaze had already turned elsewhere as he reached for his pipe again -"[color firebrick]I'm gonna go take a closer look at the gate. Coming?"[/color]

[color 3ed1c2]"What's there to see? The other two already bounced off. Just wait for the NPC to open it."[/color] Despite what he said, Darren still fell into step--or hover--behind Matt, though he seemed uninterested in the surroundings now that the novelty had worn off. The player book popped into existence near him and Darren opened the crafting tab briefly before checking the inventory window for materials, already summing up what he would need to buy and what he could feasibly farm in a separate set of notes for later visits to the auction house.

Sunny gave a look to Wendel. [color=FFD100]"Uh, sure, go check it out. We'll uh, just be over here."[/color] as the duo left towards the gate Sunny let out a quiet sigh, turning fully towards Wendel. [color=FFD100]“I… really don’t like that guy.”[/color] she said lowly, eyeing Matt with a sour look on her face. [color=FFD100]“Like, total creep, right?”[/color]

Wendel, who had been watching them leave, whipped her head back to Sunny. [color=f7941d]"Huh? You didn't like...?"[/color]

[color=FFD100]“You kidding me?”[/color] Sunny let out an exaggerated huff, [color=FFD100]“The whole kiss on the hand? And the wink? C’mon, only goobers go for stuff like that. Soooo awkward.”[/color]

[color=f7941d]"Goobers?"[/color] The word brought a smile to Wendel's lips before she realised exactly what she'd missed in that whole direction. A frustrated expression took its place.

[color=f7941d]"Sorry."[/color] Damn it. It happened again. [color=f7941d]"I didnt--I mean... I couldn't tell."[/color]

Sunny gave him a half smile, [color=FFD100]“Oh… it’s… it’s fine, I was trying to be polite…. so, I guess it’s good you couldn’t tell, right?”[/color] she ran an idle hand through her hair, sighing. 

Was it good? They were stuck with some strange fellow and his friend now.

[color=f7941d]"I guess,"[/color] Wendel said. A thoughtful pause before she spoke again. [color=f7941d]"You're a nice person."[/color]

Urgh, that sounded out of line.

Sunny smiled. Wendel [i]was[/i] kind of awkward… but it [i]was[/i] also almost kind of cute, in a way. She let out a little chuckle, [color=FFD100]“T-thanks.”[/color]

…

[color=FFD100]“Uh, you’re nice too.”[/color] and she was fully aware that she was being the awkward one now, but at least they were both being awkward. 

The swordsman nodded, trying not to dwell on if that sounded forced or not. She didn't say anything more.

Sunny smiled a little more even if the pause was a little awkward. [color=FFD100]“Definitely a lot nicer than that guy, at least.”[/color] she said, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. 

Wendel leaned on one foot, swaying to the side as if the punch had been much stronger, before bobbing back into place. Something she and Lucas did a lot.

[color=f7941d]"Yes, Matt seems like a...stranger kind of nice."[/color]

[color=FFD100]"Yeah, if by that you mean 'sleazy'. I dunno, maybe people act different in games but... y'know, I know his type."[/color] Sunny shrugged, [color=FFD100]"Or maybe he's a nice guy. I dunno. Didn't seem like one, but I could be wrong."[/color]

Sleazy. That definitely wasn't a good word. It was a shame that Sunny was apparently familiar with it.

[color=f7941d]"It's only been one conversation. Who knows?"[/color] Wendel's gaze drifted off somewhere. [color=f7941d]"...You could be right too."[/color]

[color=FFD100]“N-no, don’t get me wrong, you’re right. It’s not like I…”[/color] oh geez, she didn’t want to look bitchy, [color=FFD100]“Just… in my experience there’s only a certain type that does stuff like that. And I don’t… particularly like that type. But I’m not judging him.”[/color]

Wendel turned to look at another piece of scenery, but it was mostly so Sunny wouldn't see the frown growing on her face. She wasn't good at this stuff, the back-talking and figuring out double appearances. So she did what she always did with Joy. Topic change.

[color=f7941d]"Do you meet a lot of 'types' at work?"[/color] she tried with a small smile, [color=f7941d]"You said your place was hipster-y, right? There must be some interesting people who pass through."[/color]

Sunny laughed, [color=FFD100]“Yeah. There are a lot of characters.”[/color]she let out a little cough, [color=FFD100]“And a lot of guys that try to hit on me.”[/color] she added quickly with a smirk.

[color=f7941d]"Try to? What makes them fail?"[/color]

Sunny blushed a little. [color=FFD100]“Well, uh…”[/color] she hesitated for a moment, but it wasn’t exactly like it was a secret, [color=FFD100]“I like girls, for one.”[/color] she said nonchalantly. 

Oh. Ohhhhhhhhh. God, Wendel had been thinking something along the lines of guys coming in with ugly flowers. Or in the middle of a lunch rush. Wendy briefly entertained the thought of telling...but nah.

[color=f7941d]"That's nice."[/color] Argh, did that sound forced? [color=f7941d]"My sister dated a girl once. My brother too. Not the same girl."[/color]

Sunny laughed, [color=FFD100]“Well, I’d sure hope not. That’d probably be awkward.”[/color] she paused for a moment, thinking, [color=FFD100]“But characters, though. There’s this one dude that comes in every single morning, without fail, and he’s always got this big white bird on his shoulder. Like some kinda parrot. Of course, you can’t have a bird in a place that serves food, so he always has it wait outside and it always does. He’ll get his drink – flat white every time, head back outside, and the bird will just fly right back to him. Pretty crazy, huh?”[/color] Sunny said with a smirk, well satisfied with her story.

Wendel giggled at the mental image of an armor-clad Sunny making coffee while a bird stared menacingly from the outside.

[color=f7941d]"Yeah, that's..."[/color] she chuckled some more, [color=f7941d]"How long do you think it took to train it like that?"[/color]

The conversation shifted comfortably to Sunny's work once again, with Wendel more than happy to listen and laugh along.

Meanwhile, Matt chewed on his pipe thoughtfully, once again abusing the examine command on other people. He stopped a bit away from the unopened gate, just enough to be out of earshot from most people around them. As Darren was still immersed in his crafting calculations, Matt left him alone, humming a quiet tune to himself. 

"[color firebrick]I think they are nice."[/color] -He commented offhandedly, exhaling a puff of smoke. 

[color 3ed1c2]"Mm,"[/color] was the noncommittal response as Darren expanded his warehouse tab, immersed in perusing his material storage.

"[color firebrick]You like them?"[/color]

[color 3ed1c2]"I don't know them enough to like or dislike them."[/color] The merman avatar settled into the water, submerging up to his chest. [color 3ed1c2]"But I don't think they like you much."[/color]

"[color firebrick]What gives?"[/color] -Matt played dumb. 

[color 3ed1c2]"You know what."[/color]

"[color firebrick]Maybe I don't."[/color] -Matt chuckled, watching his friend through the corner of his eyes.

Darren sighed, closing his screen and looking over. [color 3ed1c2]"Maybe you should stick to flirting outside of the game. No one really seems to bite here."[/color]

"[color firebrick]It's fun to try. That's also not how I flirt in real life, by the way."[/color] -Matt clarified, raising an eyebrow at his own defensiveness -"[color firebrick]Anyway, yes. She looks creeped out. And I have seen girls falling over themselves when guys kiss their hands though. Strange world. Or maybe they were just that drunk."[/color]

[color 3ed1c2]"I just don't want anyone filing any harassment charges against you. Those are no fun. Trust me."[/color] Darren pulled up the inventory tab again, pretending to look busy instead of upset.

"[color firebrick]Only count as harassment if I actually bust out the lewd words. Or get physical. I won't."[/color] -The look on his friend's face did concern Matt, though, so he drifted closer, or as close as the water bubble permitted -"[color firebrick]Thanks for the concern, Derry. I appreciate it."[/color]

[color 3ed1c2]"That one didn't look too happy about you kissing their hand. Might have been a guy for all you know. If they report you, you'd be in trouble."[/color] He eyed Matt, worry on his brow, though the look vanished quickly enough. [color 3ed1c2]"Just don't get in trouble you know."[/color]

Matt paused at that, eyes slightly widened in a split second. Then he recovered, but his face lit up in a warm smile, the happy expression translated surprisingly well due to his pricey VR set. 

"[color firebrick]Yeah. I'll play it safe."[/color] -He suddenly reached toward Darren again, combing through the dark hair affectionately -"[color firebrick]Don't report me, okay?"[/color]

A small smile answered him, though Matt wanted to believe it might have been a bit bigger than that and Darren's low-quality VR set was simply bad at picking up the movements of facial muscles.

[color 3ed1c2]"I would never, unless you really went nuts."[/color]

"[color firebrick]Define nuts."[/color] -Matt took hold of one of Darren's long, rabbit-like lop ears now, rubbing his fingers on it gently. 

[color 3ed1c2]"Like if you tried to eat someone in VR or got really handsy and they didn't want it."[/color] He had forgotten that his VR body processed sensations differently and the long ears translated the touch with high fidelity. His actual ear twitched and the headset picked up the motion, moving his avatar's ears in a similar gesture as well. [color 3ed1c2]"VR is nuts,"[/color] he mumbled, briefly awed despite months of use and calibrating. It still never ceased to amaze him.

"[color firebrick]Oh, it is."[/color] -Matt grinned, almost impish now as he scratched a spot behind the mermen's floppy ear -"[color firebrick]But yeah. I'm an upstanding guy. I won't molest people, even in VR. Probably."[/color]

There was tail movement in response, and Darren watched the water shift around him again, displaced by the large fin. [color 3ed1c2]"I dunno. Some of the stories you tell..."[/color] A half-smile joked back at him as Darren pulled at this memories for evidence. [color 3ed1c2]"Even I haven't tried some of that stuff in VR, the one you need age verification for in the custom restricted instances. It's kind of...crazy there right?"[/color]

"[color firebrick]It ain't that crazy, once you realize we're all here for the same thing: to feel good."[/color] -Matt shrugged, though he did chuckle at some of the memories Darren's comment triggered -"[color firebrick]Like, I can look at those PvP nuts and tell them they are crazy, you know? Cause I'm not gonna spend like 30 hours a day to farm for some knife, okay? It's the same thing. Only thing is they don't get reported for having their fun."[/color]

[color 3ed1c2]"But the game doesn't actually let you feel good, right? It just processes regular touch sensations?"[/color]

"[color firebrick]Eh. This game is shit anyway. I played a lot of others."[/color]

[color 3ed1c2]"Wow. Aren't the nicer VR games really expensive?"[/color]

"[color firebrick]Yeah. But I work and stuff."[/color]

[color 3ed1c2]"Yeah, that's--"[/color] Darren wasn't sure what he would have said to that--certainly nothing about himself in real life--but luckily he had default phrases to fall back on. Vapid nonsense that kept him, the person, away from Myosotis, the avatar [color 3ed1c2]"--that's pretty cool. I should try them sometimes."[/color]

"[color firebrick]Tell me when you do. I have a couple of things I can show you."[/color] -Matt missed the sudden melancholy, so he just grinned and gave his friend a few pats to go along with the promise -"[color firebrick]I'm sure you will love it."[/color]

He turned away then, sticking the pipe back between his lips and watching the gate intently, hoping it would open up soon. 
[/hider]