Page 8 of Looking for Group

Solace reeled in her line and cast again, right where the moon reflected on the sea.

[Group][Orcarella]: let me know if you catch it

[Group][Solace]: Hee hee

[Group][Orcarella]: So what else are you into apart from HoL

[Group][Solace]: I’m pretty boring really

[Group][Solace]: I read, I study, I run, I sometimes play other games

[Group][Solace]: Mainly I play HoL. All my friends are here.

[Group][Orcarella]: what about your mates at uni

[Group][Solace]: I’m friendly with my coursemates

[Group][Solace]: I just don’t really like to do the things they like to do

[Group][Solace]: It was the same at school

[Group][Orcarella]: dont you get lonely

[Group][Solace]: I used to before I met Morag and Ialdir

Drew wasn’t sure what to say. He’d always known lots of people and had plenty going on, so it was hard to imagine having no real-life friends.

He wished he wasn’t trapped behind his keyboard, because he felt this rush of protectiveness towards this shy little elf in her pretty dress and silly hat.

He typed various things and they all sounded wrong or stupid or patronising, so in the end he fell back on the old standard.

[Group][Orcarella]: ?

It didn’t really say what he wanted it to. But at least it wouldn’t say anything he didn’t.

[Group][Solace]: No ?

[Group][Solace]: It wasn’t a big deal, and I’m a lot happier now

[Group][Solace]: Nobody was nasty or anything, just nobody really got me

[Group][Solace]: I sometimes think I’m maybe hard to get

[Group][Orcarella]: you don’t seem hard to get to me

[Group][Orcarella]: omg that came out wrong

[Group][Solace]: hee hee

[Group][Solace]: How about you?

[Group][Orcarella]: I’m pretty boring

[Group][Orcarella]: I’m on a UF team

[Group][Solace]: A what team?

[Group][Orcarella]: Ultimate Frisbee

[Group][Solace]: How’s that different to regular Frisbee

[Group][Orcarella]: its a bit like American football and a bit like netball but

[Group][Orcarella]: with a Frisbee

[Group][Solace]: lol

[Group][Orcarella]: mainly I’m just kind of a nerd. I read fantasy novels and play games

[Group][Orcarella]: i used to play the guitar

[Group][Orcarella]: it was supposed to be my cool thing

[Group][Solace]: What happened?

[Group][Orcarella]: I just kind of stopped

[Group][Orcarella]: I guess I’ve given up trying to have a cool thing

[Group][Solace]: I’ve never had a cool thing

[Group][Solace]: I’ve always done things I liked

[Group][Orcarella]: Thats pretty cool

[Group][Solace]: Oh I see what you did there

[Group][Solace]: Thank you

Shit. He’d run out of steam, but he didn’t want to stop talking.

He had to remind himself he’d only met Solace twelve hours ago, but there was a strange intimacy to sitting here together, and just chatting like this.

Most of his friendships were structured around doing things and going places, and that was fine, but he couldn’t remember the last time anyone had just been interested in who he was and where he was coming from.

[Group][Orcarella]: You were right. Its nice here.

[Group][Solace]:

[Group][Solace]: I know this is silly but it feels like my place

[Group][Orcarella]: Yeah, its just you, me, a bunch of mobs, and a kobold herbalist

[Group][Solace]: Don’t spoil it

[Group][Solace]: Oh look, the sun

Drew brought his camera back into alignment, and turned east. A sheen of light gathered at the far horizon, gilding the edges of the ocean, setting fire to the sky, and rushing over the ruins of Raziel’s kingdom in shades of crimson, purple, and gold. 16

[Group][Orcarella]: nice

[Group][Solace]: Yes

[Group][Orcarella]: its kinda weird nobody ever sees this anymore

[Group][Solace]: Yeah

[Group][Orcarella]: seems like a waste

[Group][Orcarella]: its good stuff

[Group][Orcarella]: looks good

[Group][Orcarella]: i like it

[Group][Solace]: There’s some nice quests here too. It’s all spooky lore type stories, and you help ghosts find peace and stuff

[Group][Solace]: It’s also where you first meet High Theurgist Venric 17

[Group][Orcarella]: oh i hate him

[Group][Solace]: He’s pretty cool when you first meet him. He’s all betrayed and lost his faith and things

[Group][Orcarella]: and now he won’t shut up

[Group][Orcarella]: it’s like you can’t walk into CoT without him whining about his ex-gf before you’re allowed to kill anything

[Group][Solace]: Ahaha

[Group][Solace]: He’s probably going to be really important in the next patch as well

[Group][Orcarella]: if he kill steals us on Raziel I’m going to be so pissed

[Group][Solace]:

[Group][Orcarella]: Shit its like 2 in the morning

[Group][Solace]: I had a nice time

[Group][Orcarella]: me too

[Group][Solace]: Night night

[Group][Orcarella]: Gn

[Group][Orcarella]: Aren’t you going to bed as well

[Group][Solace]: I’m going to fish for a bit longer and then head off

[Group][Orcarella]: kk

[Group][Orcarella]: sleep well

[Group][Solace]: you too

Drew gazed blearily at the screen. He really did have to go bed, and he’d just said goodnight about twelve times, but he felt oddly reluctant to log off, like if he did, he’d break something fragile.

After dithering for an embarrassingly long time, he typed /hug .

And was weirdly touched when Solace /hugged him back.

Then he shut down the game, followed by his computer, and went to bed, slightly confused.