Be ready for a perfect lesson in social engineering kiddos, you'll soon be jealous of how amazing my talking skills are.
I don't even have to think about what to do, but I'll still do, just for, you know, help you all understand what's happening.
It's absolutely not because I need to, not at all, me? Needing to monolgue in my head, alone, while saying dumb jokes, and talk to an imaginary public to calm my fraying nerves for exploding?
Pfffft, never who do you take me for? The blondy in front of me?
Nah, talking about that blondy, it's time to attack.
"Matthew right?"
The sound of his name bring Matthew out of his reverie, giving me a glance, he's ready to listen.
He start moving his mouth in the goal of confirming that he indeed is named Matthew, not malfoy, I beat him to it though.
"Thanks for believing in me."
The words make yellow head blink in shock, hah! Wasn't expecting that did you!? You fucking sarcastic half baked version of draco malfoy, TAKE THE POWER OF HONESTY AND GRATITUDE IN YOUR FACE!
With the gentlest smile I can muster I speak, my eyes carry me, showing off emotions.
"That means a lot."
I pat his shoulder like balrow did to me, I'm sure he tried his fucking best so that everyone understood that he only believed me SARCASTICLY bet you weren't expecting me to act like I didn't get your sarcasm huh?
MUAHAHAHAHHAH, My evilness is so evil, I shall steal candies from babies, and crush them in front of their eyes like I crushed...Twitchy.
Suddenly in a much fouler mood, I realize for the ninetieth time that monologuing in your head can be a boon and a problem.
Trying to keep my hand steady, I take it off malfoy shoulder and move away toward the door, I don't feel like giving a lesson anymore.
Draco look at me in shock as I leave, as if he wasn't expecting those words, he nod, gather his calm back and say a simple "you're welcome?"
Confusion and something else lacing his voice, I nod at him one last time before continuing my road.
I pass in front of the talking girls and give them a simple wave with a smile by habit, mousy don't hesitate to wave back as Jenna nod at me before they go back to their conversation.
I reach balrow side, and rest beside him staring at the counter in silence, then he speak up. "A fight?"
Don't really know why I hid it to be honest, bloody knuckes, bruised face, I'm not thinking straight at all, that's a problem.
Made myself suspicious in their eyes, I need to correct that fast, I have no idea what this tutorial is.
At least they'll probably let it pass considering our situation.
"Yeah"
My answer make balrow nod.
Seemingly happy that I didn't lie this time.
But I did lie didn't I? It's not a fight anymore when your opponent has so many broken teeth he can't speak anymore.
Balrow don't say anything else as I keep going, deciding to go with the fight story because now that I think about it, it always was the better lie.
"Don't know why I lied, I didn't want them to think I'm dangerous or something I guess"
Balrow, old grandpa as always pat my back...with a good amount of strength, that's good dad strength here alright.
"sometimes, the truth is worse than lying, I understand why you lied, I forgive you Ludger" damn, this old man is a sage or what? I like him already. Nodding at him we stop talking for a while and silently stare at the timer.
Two minutes and 58 seconds.
I need more information.
After a while I turn around and lift my hands clapping them two times loudly to get everyone attention.
"guys!"
I look at the girls. "and girls, please come here, we have no idea what the hell could be behind this door and planning something is the bare minimum!"
Me and balrow wait. Me against the wall, him at my right. Both of us left of the door.
Everyone stare at each other before the blonde guy speak up "Anyone have a plan or?"
The mouse, Annie answer "I do it's called wing it, and I do it super well!"
Jenna frown at that answer, worried about this....wing it.
Quickly enough I decide that the major plan for now, is for me to get information.
the plan I say out loud is different than this though.
"I don't think winging it is a great idea Annie, I think we should be ready to fight something though"
"And why do you believe so?"
Malfoy answer me directly before being stopped by a certain middle aged girl, jenna of all people. "never played games before? It's like a tutorial, this always happen"
Huh, wasn't expecting her to talk to be honest.
Adding to Jenna point I try to crush Matthew retort "Yep, and even if we don't need to fight, it's always better to be ready for the worst of all situations don't you agree man?" I again pat his shoulder, trying to make him more favorable to me through sheer repetition of good behavior.
"I guess it is wise" malfoy relent and I take back "yep it is"
Taking my hand off his shoulder, I keep talking.
Even if I say bullshit. It doesn't matter much as long as it sounds logical.
We're in a strange situation. That's a good opportunity to get attention and pass off weird behavior
"how about we all share the information we got from our consultant? Here I'll do it first, you see the really annoying system messages that blind you? You apparently can change them in the system settings"
Talking about system settings.
Settings.
[Settings:
Please ask, or think about what you wish to inspect for futher information]
Does it work like a search engine or something?
"Ohhhh cool! And how do we open the settings?"
mousy ask and before I can say anything Jenna say "just think settings"
"thanks! What do we need to search?"
That's a good question, I try to search system messages and
[271916291 results:
-system messages in relationship with mental disorders
-origin of system messages
-improvement of system messages.
.
.
.
.
.]
That's a lot of results, curious, I try to access the first result and [you do not possess enough clearance, please finish the tutorial for more information]
Fuck, abandoning this idea but remembering it for future reading, I think about the system messages, the way they annoy my view, the way they escalated my encounter with Twitchy, the way I thought I was becoming crazy from stress and-![please adjust at your will, here are the most common templates and settings used:]
What is this? A lot of settings, everywhere, templates, with names under them, are they credited?
Did people made these templates, I choose one and mentally focus on an option that propose tests to run through for new setting, pressing mentally on it, another pop up appear.
[This is a test message]
It's slick red, and more importantly, it's only on my periphiral vision, it's transparent too, Almost as if two reality were in front of my eyes, I can easily see it if I focus on it and then see my surrounding if I focus on them, that's pretty good.
"Think about it, searching is useless."
The gratty voice of the old man come from my left as he answer the questions of someone, they kept talling while I was focused on that.
Taking the time to inspect this new reddish template, I inspect and analyze, again, dad influence coming in clutch, satisfied after some seconds I focus back on their conversation.
"Yeah, they talked about a multiverse integration too" mousy provide
"so we can expect monsters" Jenna add
Malfoy still participating keep the flow going "any of you know how to fight? Especially monsters?"
Balrow grumble and sigh at the same time "A gun would have been great." I think I'll call him badass grandpa in my mind now or something.
I look at the timer above the door....fifty five second. "Alright, I have no idea what's gonna happen, but I think getting ready for a fight is a smart idea, let's move away from the door, I'll-"
I really don't wanna be the frontline, I look around, I'm the biggest, and considering malfoy build, strongest too, fuck.
Just keep someone close to throw or something.
"-take the frontline, malfoy you're strong enough to help me beat up some monsters right?" A small smile accompany my words and malfoy with a small grimace nod
"Great, balrow and you two, could you please stay behind us and try to support us whenever you feel is necessary?" I ask, still trying to be polite considering our strange start and mousy run beside me and start shadowboxing the air.
"I can beat those fuckers in two seconds, I'll jump on them and rip their hair out till they bl-" damn she weird, whatever ignore her.
I see Jenna coming behind us same for balrow, balrow however, stop for a second in front of me and hand me his cane before walking away with a slight struggle but nothing more.
Fucking badass grandpa. I have a stick to hit people with now.
Looking up at the timer reveal 20 seconds.
Malfoy suddenly frown and point at the side of the doors, understanding I nod, jogging with him toward them, I rest on the right, my body pressed against the wall with the cane in my hand as malfoy do the same but on the left, ready to ambush anything that come.
The timer tick down as the other three start to go a bit further, trying to act as a bait...I think? Five seconds on the clock as my hand squeeze hard against the polished wood of the cane.
Four seconds, and mousy stand in front of the three
Three seconds, and Jenna take her hands out
Two seconds, as berlow stand beside the girls, his fist squeezed.
One second, and malfoy bite his lip in concentration, hands raised in the air.
Zero second, the door open.