HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
FUUUUUUCK YEAH! Damn I feel good now, really good.
Probably cause of that.
[Congratulation! You finished the swordman challenge!]
It even comes out of my mouth in a slow and relieved laughter.
Fuuuuuck. I litterally don't know what I would have done if I needed to fight again.
The coils in my guts rise up, giving me a clear answer.
I would have. For sure. But damn....just. Just no.
I don't want to.
My legs feel energized with that news, so much that I push myself up and look at the new, big opened door. Far away from us.
Annie is the first one that joined me in the laughter.
"Commmando go brrrr-!" ALRIGHT NO, NO, I'LL STOP THIS NOW!
"AGAIN!?" She turn around to look at me. Strangely enough she look like she kicked some sand at malfoy.
'Accidentally'
"Again!"
From the look malfoy is giving her. I'm not the only one that think she did it while meaning it. HER VIEW OF FUN IS RAGEBAITING MALFOY!
"You need to stop that." She look back at malfoy after what I said, sad face.
"This reccuring gag has been going for too long" her eyes widen, realizing I'm talking about the commando thingy. Not STOP THE MALFOY BULLYING!
"Buuuuuuut commando is funnnny"
Malfoy answer before me "No it is not"
I SWEAR! I fucking swear she tsk'd and gave him a side eye "you're just jealous your boyfriend talking to me"
WHAT THE FUCK!?
Jenna voice resonate from my left. More a small Chuckle than a word to be honest.
What the fuck did annie said!? What in the fuck!?
Malfoy is staring down at her with the widest eyes ever, he smartly answer. "Whathefuck?"
She look at me, then at malfoy.
And I decide to wave it off, not enough energy for this shit.
"You know what mousy? Keep up the rage bait only on malfoy"
[Please walk forward to gather your rewards!]
Ah. Right. The side mission.
It brings me out of my focus as I stare at the door again, everyone thoughts taken up by that.
Only malfoy voice zone out.
"What is rage bait?"
No one answer him. I walk forward though, pass by his side and lead the way forward.
"Let's go."
Everyone get out of their trances and follow me. Annie ragebait longer, all as I ignore balrow staring.
Does he want his shield back or what? He's staring at me like I killed his childrens.
Actually no, that's a bad example. Dunno why he's staring. And he said some dumb shit about fighting a minute ago.
Fighting that I hate! Just-just remember that alright?
Pushing through the weird feeling, I take some steps toward balrow as jenna is trying to stop the fight between Mousy and malfoy.
He looks at me. I look at him, lift up the shield.
HE STILL DOESN'T STOP STARING!
"Balrow....sorry about your shield"
He finally fucking stop staring to look down at his shield, that I'm handing at him.
It's rugged. Dented. From the whole guardian challenge and now beating up wood.
"That's fine Ludger." That's all he said. Grab his shield, and murmur "inventory" as it dissapear.
His hand come up and rub my shoulder, firm but gentle. "That's not a problem. As long as this shield protected you, it did it's work"
First time I see him talk such a long sentence I think.
I nod at him, a small smile on my face. He's acting like normal.
That's not the shield the problem. SO WHY IS HE FUCKING STILL STARING AT ME LIKE THAT!?
Taking me out of my thoughts, a hand insistently pull at my sleeve. Still bloodied, no one say anything about it.
It's less weird that with the boars and goblins though. The blood is blue this time. And from robots. Better.
"Hey hey hey hey hey hey" each hey. One tug.
A litteral goblin child I swear.
"Yes annie?"
She lift her hand up and point at malfoy as Jenna look at me with a sorry look.
One that say 'sorry. Didn't manage to stop them'
"Say he's dumb"
Malfoy eyes twitch as he stare at annie, all of us taking some steps forward toward the door.
We're getting closer.
You know what man? I'm not involving myself in their fight, she's gonna ragebait me too if I do. Instead, my hand push the bloody dagger she shared in her hands.
"No. Now take that."
She grab her dagger, look at me, then at the dagger.
"Don't know why I forgot you had it?"
Malfoy jump. AGAIN NOT LITTERALLY, WHAT DID I SAID THE FIRST TIME!? on the occasion. "Did you knew amnesia is a real problem for mouses?"
She clinch her hand and stare right at malfoy, teeth clenching way too much.
And here they go again.
Freeing my hand, my head look left. Looks like jenna sneaked her way here too.
"Do you think they will stop one day?"
Is she really doing puppy eyes at me?
Looking at the two beside me before answering, I search for said answers.
"You're uglyyyy uglyyyyy uglyyyyy" "and you never learned basi-" "UGGGGGGLY" "c!? Could you sto-" "blabalznalsbzksnzkzbak" "p interupting me!?"
Malfoy look up at me "Ludger! I require assistance with this mouse, help me!"
First time he ever asked me for help. Looks like he really think we're close.
In any case, my head turn left, steps heavy and tired.
"No. I don't think so"
The rest of the way forward continue like that.
With some single exceptions though.
Malfoy is...way closer to me. He prompt me. Almost everytime, and he even...praise my moves and plans to mousy and jenna one time?
I'm not even talking about how balrow gaze is staring even harder at that?
Is this because of this?
Of the weirdness that's installing itself? A small lull?
Not caused by malfoy change of attitude toward me. He's still the same with everyone else. No. Just...is it because of me?
Because I'm not reciprocating?
Because I take too long to answer? And that malfoy barely realize it from the outside?
Is that what they picked up? Is that why some silence get brought up?
Maybe.
Or maybe not.
My head turn to give him a glance as he ask me a question I don't answer. The mood get weirder because of it.
My thoughts are focused on the bullshit he said. He's the cause of all of it.
My title isn't the problem.
No. No it's not. Well yes, IT'S A PROBLEM, but it's not all the problems.
All of this bullshit would never have existed if he didn't act like that.
None. I would be fine. I would feel fine and that's all his fault.
That's all.
And I'm not finding more excuses. No.
So I won't play friend friend with misunderstanding man.
Before they can talk about the weirdness slowly creeping up. If they do. Or before malfoy can realize his unriceprocated friendship.
We reach it.
The door.
______
105: A FUCKING SWORD!?
Ah! The door!
Big, spacious, and completly not in my mind right now.
Maybe focus would be a better word? Yeah, it's not my focus right now.
Why?
Well, let me say it like that. No matter how cool it look, how the big entrance leads to a barely lightened up room, way too big compared to the reward in it.
No matter how malfoy is looking around it, me and him in the lead, as I answer his prodding with lazy answers more and more people notice.
Well. No matter what. I can't really seems to be able to focus on it.
And the reason why is exactly because of that.
"It is quite dark don't you agree Ludger?"
Malfoy speak, and I answer. "Yeah I guess"
Jenna give me a small look from my left, eyes wondering if my lazy tone is because I'm tired.
Malfoy doesn't give up and prod again, talking more than he ever did before. "There is a small glint forward. Do you believe it is wise to go forward? It may be our reward"
And I answer. "Yeah I guess"
Annie look at me from jenna left. Hand comming up to nervously play with her sleeve. Bad ambience for sure.
Worse? Balrow is still staring at me from behind.
WORSE THAN THAT!? Malfoy fucking nod like everything is more than normal and we keep walking.
No social sense I guess.
Or maybe that's just me being a bastard. But I can't help it.
I litterally can't. I'm slowly poisoning the relationships I tried so hard to build but I can't seem to care.
Between the whole system throwing them at me. Their reactions. And worse of all.
Malfoy. Fucking. Misunderstanding.
I just can't help it.
So here we are, walking in silence, getting closer and closer as I feel balrow stare digging in my neck.
A small nervous laugh. "Yeah...yeah, kinda dark around here" horrible try from mousy to bring the mood up.
It didn't work.
What the fuck am I doing? Am I acting like a child right now?
But what else can I do? Damn I don't even know why I'm angry at him. But I am. This I am, I think it's because he idolize what I hate about me?
Something horrible block my chest, it makes my breathing hurt. A simple reminder of why I'm avoiding the answer.
No-nononononono I think it's because he idolize the title, yeah, the title. He's not idolizing any part of me because that's not me.
So yes. That's all. That must be the reason.
"It's...dark yeah." Jenna answer annie, not leaving her alone in the silence.
And so we're here.
Walking.
It's weird right? I know it's weird.
Nothing to say.
It's boring.
Just. Walking. While all of them kinda try to launch a conversation again that doesn't land.
Annie seems to be the most impacted by that, she definetly tried hard to bring everyone together.
And it's breaking in front of her.
Well, I am the one breaking it. Usually I help.
She's probably confused as fuck.
Jenna is just worried, like usual, she's probably finding excuse for me in her head right now.
I can just see it. In her side glances as we get forward, closer and closer to this reward.
Probably saying I'm tired. Everything will be fine tommorow. Just an oddity, nothing bad, nothing else.
Balrow is STILL fucking staring for a reason. Don't even want to talk about him.
And Matt-Malfoy.
And Malfoy is at my right. Speaking up. To me more than anything.
I answer him with randoms delayed hums.
He doesn't pick up the problem. No. For him, everything is fine, and the guy that understand him the most. His pal. Ludger. All based on a misunderstanding, a MISUNDERSTANDING, is just chilling with him.
My feet carry me forward, eyes glinting up. Seeing the reward.
Almost by instinct now, to distract myself from the weirdness. I desire to see everything about it.
About it's hilt. And the smooth deadly metal.
[Rapier:]
Yep, that's a Rapier alright.
Fuck. Should have inspected the weird binnary error too. The one that always pop when we enter a door, the one I'm pretty sure I'm the only one I can see.
My head come up. Looking almost in slowmotion at the others.
I give a glance at everyone.
Everyone.
Not a single one is excluded.
Am I really doing this? I just told myself I'm sick of those dumb choices? Of doing dumb ridiculous shit because of my feelings.
Am I really doing this?
It's a struggle. Truly it is. To find a middle ground between those horrible coils and my title.
A small plan form in my mind.
It's already done when malfoy take the small steps forward. Jenna and annie trailing behind, closer to the sword. Small curious faces.
It's here. It's ready. The problem isn't knowing how to do it. It's doing it. It's convincing me to do it.
I can feel shit so that's fine. I'm just making a plan, a normal plan. Just a normal plan, like usual.
Urghhh.
Whatever.
My hand come up. High! Extremely fucking high before shoving itself toward the new sword.
No one but balrow see it.
"REALLY!?"
Everyone shift and look back at me. Now everyone see it.
They all look at me, with different measures of whatthefuckisim.
"HE GET A SWORD AND I" my hand dig the necklace off my chest, pushing it forward over my shirt instead of under.
"I GET A FUCKING TEETH COLLECTION!?"
Let's see if that work.
Jenna blink first, looking behind at the sword, and then at me again.
Malfoy is after, looking at the sword, and then at the necklace. He put his hand on his chest, pushing it up like some kind of bird. "Ah yes. It looks like the system know who deserve the best rewards."
My head snap at him. Pointing him like he's some kind of evil being. "Best rewards!? BEST!? We didn't even got the best one! And you get a fucking sword!"
Mousy look at us playfighting. And get less fidgety, finally back in the bath. She skip toward me and whisper way too loudly.
"Told you the system is rigged. Let's steal the sword from malfoy. Come with me" she lift her hand for a handshake, eyes glinting evily.
"Join the dark side...bully malfoy"
Malfoy give her a glance but before he can answer, jenna, who did my whole inspect quest with me speak up.
She's squatting in front of the rapier that's deep into a some sort of wood receptacle. "At least it's not a magic sword"
Malfoy turn his head. One hand raised high toward jenna. "Ah. You see? You got a magic necklace and I got a normal sword. You got a better item"
My eyes trail on annie hand. Eyes squinting. That kind of handshake sounds evil as fuck. That's why I bring my hand up. And shake it.
HER EYES LITTERALLY GLINT!
Not waiting for a second as we shake our hands, she turn with this grimlin like smile toward malfoy.
"A bettttter one? Ludger can barely feel the necklace it's useless"
GREAT ASSIST! A finger point at the blondy "YEAH! Just what she said!"
He raises both of his hand in defense and take a step back "Wait here. Are you teaming up to bully me?"
Annie answer before I can. "NEVER!"
His eye twitch as he point at our handshake. We're still shaking hands actually. "Then pray tell. What is this?"
My focus almost get taken by balrow, wait did he just stop staring for once?
And my focus is taken back by mousy answering "Just two friends shaking hands!"
"Do you believe I do not have ears?"
Before they fight at two again, I insert myself.
"If you do. What did we said? Say it, exactly"
Mousy eyes widen at my words, recognizing my ultimate technique.
GASLIGHTING!
Malfoy eyes widen too, and jenna head turn from observing the sword. Point at me.
"Gaslighting!"
We three look at her. Balrow touch the swort hilt.
Malfoy answer first "Jenna I would oh so love more he-!"
We both point at him.
"WHAT DID WE SAY!" "Answer the mouse!"
He turn back to us. A small smile on his face. "This is harrasment, I shall call my lawyer"
And this continues for a while.
The mood coming up.
It worked.
"THE NECKLACE IS USELESS IT DOESN'T COUNT!"
Annie is happy.
"It's not that useless, truly, it's magical"
Malfoy is just as before, now just not ignored.
"It's useless, litterally. I can't feel shit. You know it. I know it. Bad necklace."
"BAD NECKLACE!"
Jenna is too. And balrow even stopped staring at me.
For a while.
Now he's staring again...
Whatever, I stopped the relationship for detoriarating.
Even if I need to play a small role that's worth it.
Those feelings will come down, I know it. I just need some time to think, that's all, everything will be fine.
Won't it?