Friend Request Pending
Caleb looked at his discord in shock. He blinked a few times, but it was a message from someone other than Astrid of Wulf. It was a request from someone who had a name that looked vaguely familiar. As he rarely forgot something, the man figured that meant he knew this person on another platform and gave out his discord or someone he knew had. So, he clicked accept on FjordTough and went to shower after work. It had been a long shift of stocking the bookshelves with his work mom and rare friend. The odd moment slipped his mind until he came back and there was a message from this person and an invite to a group chat. He froze, concerned, and clicked the message.
FjordTough hey, we played siege for a few hours the other week and you said to reach out again. hope this isn’t weird.
Well, Caleb thought to himself. He did remember saying that, but he had not actually expected someone to respond. They had been a randomly matched team online and had used team speak more than anything, as they were not friends on any platform. Their fifth had to drop out and he happened to have been ditched by his friends from work. They did well and somehow fell into a solid rhythm by the end of it all.
FjordTough the guys were wondering if you wanted to hop in our gaming chat so we can play again some time.
FjordTough maybe not siege. They’re on an among us kick like everyone else on the planet
Caleb looked at the block text with the bright green “accept invite” button to a server with three people online and a few others offline. They had all been nice. And it looked like a gaming chat, as it was named “Game Hoes.” He sighed. If this is not optimal, he could leave and block them all, at least.
Widogast Yeah, sure. Didn’t think you would actually message me.
He had just clicked over to the new server that popped up and saw FjordTough, who he thought went by the name Fjord, but he was not sure, online as well as MT and SleevesRBS online. And by the looks of the conversation, the latter two were in the middle of what could have been an argument or a strange form of showing affection. It was hard to tell.
GAME HOES
SleevesRBS intruder alert.
FjordTough relax, it’s the guy we played with a few days ago.
SleevesRBS fucking bitching. we need someone who actually fucking shows up.
SleevesRBS unlike some hoe.
MT are you talking about me?
MT sorry I have a job
Caleb swallowed and was already debating on leaving when he got a private message from Fjord.
DM: FjordTough and Widogast
FjordTough don’t worry about them. They use each other to work out frustrations
Widogast That sounds healthy
FjordTough would you be shocked to know it is
FjordTough they’re harmless
Caleb sighed and flipped back over to Game Hoes.
GAME HOES
Widogast Fjord invited me, and I figured it would be okay? We did work well together.
SleevesRBS youre the one who kept playing Valkyrie right
Widogast Yes
SleevesRBS he can stay
SleevesRBS so whats up
MissJester WE HAVE A NEW FRIEND?!
MissJester That’s wonderful! Hello, I am Jester or Jes, or Jessy. I haven’t been around that much recently so I must have missed playing with you :((((
Widogast I’m Caleb. And it’s okay, I just met everyone once, really.
MissJester I hope you had a good time! It’s so rare that Fjord actually tries to make new friends. He usually ends up with them on accident
FjordTough: Thanks a lot
MissJester <3
MissJester Tell us about yourself!
MissJester If you’re comfortable of course~
MissJester I wouldn’t want you to open up if you’re not ready
SleevesRBS jes, not everyone is a butterfly like you let the kid breathe
MissJester :( sorry
Widogast No it is fine. There is not much to really say. I work at a bookstore and I have a cat
MissJester A CAT?!?!?!?!
MT here we go
MissJester Shut up Molly.
SleevesRBS get reckt
Widogast Yes. He is old, I have had him for quite some time
MissJester Oh, I think this means we need to be spammed with pictures!!!!!
Widogast I can do that another time.
Widogast I actually have to get to bed as I have class in the morning
MT mood
SleevesRBS mood
NottListening Just skip
MissJester NOTT!
FjordTough Don’t skip. Nott, hi and shut up
NottListening You’re not my real dad
NottListening Also, I’m older than you so fuck off
MT ooooooooooo
SleevesRBS oooooooooo
NottListening Also, hi again, Caleb. I see Fjord actually was a big boy and added you
FjordTough Nott
Widogast I have a feeling you are all rather teasing in nature with each other
MT Makes it easier to accept it now so you don’t get booty tickled later
SleevesRBS ^
SleevesRBS in our defense
SleevesRBS fjord makes it really fucking easy
FjordTough On that note I’m going to bed
SleevesRBS bitch
MissJester Night Fjord! <3!!!
Widogast Good night
FjordTough G’night everyone but Beau and Molly
SleevesRBS bitchx2
Caleb had put the group chat on silence halfway through that night when the number of alerts that came through began to drain his battery. He had forgotten about it for a few days. Between school and class, he did not have time to look at more than the personal messages he received, or used to receive, from his friends. When he looked at the chat again, it was not shocking to realize he had missed hundreds of messages. It also seemed that they were awake and active at every time of the day without stop. Caleb humored himself as he waited for his coffee to brew by scrolling through the conversations. He noted in passing the fierce and almost aggressive friendship between Molly and Beau. That Jester seemed to flirt with everyone but had an inkling for Beau and Fjord. That Nott was the oldest, or at least acted like the oldest at times, and had a son. A few names that he did not know appeared briefly, all of which were quiet and rarely spoke. Or they at least were not as prolific as the others were.
Caleb smirked and decided maybe it would be nice to pop back in after all. Astrid and Wulf had rarely messaged him, and his therapist had been asking him to reach out more to friends, after all.
GAME HOES
Widogast I see that it is dangerous to leave this chat for too long, lest you want to end up lost at sea
MT they live!
MT shit, caleb, we thought you were scared off by some of us after the first night
MT Also, that means someone owes be ten quid
SleevesRBS Just say 15 dollars like a real person with actual currency that matters
MT in this economy? I’m about to start using euros as my form of currency
NottListening Didn’t the UK leave the EU
MT aye and I am Irish so your argument is invalid
SleevesRBS you grew up in essex
MT Sussex
SleevesRBS WHATEVER
Widogast Perhaps not that much changed after all.
GreenTea Oh, well you must be the new friend they were talking about. Hello. I’m Cad.
NottListening Resident grandpa friend
Widogast Nice to meet you, Cad. Were you roped into this from meeting them online as well?
GreenTea Oh, not at all. I’m Molly’s brother
MT adopted
GreenTea And he introduced me to Fjord a few years ago.
Widogast Wait. Do you all know each other in person?
MT eh.
NottListening Jes is in New York. I know her and Yasha.
MT and Yasha is my main bitch
Widogast …
DarkAngel And by that he means the only person willing to put up with him through his emo phase in high school, complete with ripped jeggings. Hi, I’m Yasha.
NottListening JEGGINGS?
MT they were not
DarkAngel I have photographic evidence
GreenTea I have physical evidence
SleevesRBS damn dude
SleevesRBS fjord and I are friends. we go to college with Yasha and Jeggings
MT they’re tight, stretchy jeans
MissJester They have a word for those, Molly. Jeggings
MT I have a paper to write
Widogast Is he going to be mad about this?
SleevesRBS nah
FjordTough Why is Molly sulking and drinking milk?
SleevesRBS okay maybe he’ll be annoyed
Widogast Why is the milk important to mention?
GreenTea He’s A1 sensitive.
NottListening He’s just sensitive to begin with.
GreenTea Oh. Goodness, I noticed he used they for you, Caleb. Do you go by they? I have been using he this whole time. I apologize
Widogast What?
Widogast Oh. No, I guess he was being polite. I hadn’t noticed. I use he if it’s that important for everyone to know
GreenTea For some of us, yes. Bryce whenever they show up is one such person. But they’re busy with grad school
SleevesRBS fucking nerd
FjordTough Caleb, welcome back. How is school, then?
Widogast School is not terrible, I suppose? I do not mind it that much.
SleevesRBS nerd
NottListening You’re a history major, shut up
SleevesRBS I never said I wasn’t a nerd
DarkAngel Nerd
FjordTough Nerd
NottListening nerd
ItsYaBoi Nerd.
FjordTough BRYCE!
ItsYaBoi Don’t get too excited, I’m about to dip out again. Hi-bye new friend.
Widogast Uh. Hi-bye?
MT Heh, more like hi, bi
ItsYaBoi go blow up a toilet, Tealeaf.
MT love you too, pookiebear
GAME HOES
MissJester Hey I just met you
NottListening And this iS CRAZY
MissJester But here’s my number
Widogast … So call me maybe?
MissJester CALEB~!
NottListening CALEB!
Caleb smiled at the shocked reaction from the girls when he jumped in on their little game. He was sitting at the café at his job with Astrid scrolling through her own phone and promptly ignoring him. They had been like this for a year now, still not quite through the breakup but also “friends, of course we can be,” as she had said herself. She came to visit, yes, and they spoke often, but it all felt as though she had done it out of solemn purpose than desire to stay close. They had been all far too close as children, the pair and Wulf. The breakup had strained what had always been their main friendship. Caleb had been the one to ask if they could go back to how things were before dating when he knew things were starting to fall apart. It wasn’t bad, exactly, it was simply clear they had reached the highest point they would, and it would go downhill from there. It was safer to turn back. Or that had been what Caleb hoped at the time. It seemed he miscalculated. Still, she was trying.
He must have huffed a humored breath or two from his nose louder than he intended as she looked up with her face pinched with confusion. Caleb offered a small shrug.
“Shenanigans,” he explained with a light wave of his phone.
“Your group chat or whatever,” she asked slowly. She watched as he nodded in response. “You seem to get along with them well.”
“It is… interesting. Not something I thought I would enjoy this much.” Caleb was shocked at his own honesty, but the man also knew he had become quite fond of them in the days since he joined.
“Have you played with them again, or has it dissolved into…” in lack of further explanation, she motioned at the phone with a limp gesture.
“Ah, no we played Fall Guys yesterday.”
“I thought you were terrible at that game.”
“Oh, no I am. It was still fun to play with a group.” Caleb shrugged and went back to the group but could feel her eyes on him.
He did not feel bad that he had a new set of friends. Not at all. He liked them, even if he had never met them and never would. There was something comforting in the anonymity that came with their lives being behind screens. There was no expectation from him other than to play when he could and show up in chat here and there so the group knew he was okay. After the first disappearance, Caleb realized belated through private messages from Nott that they had all been concerned. None of them knew him well enough to contact him outside of Discord, after all, and the sudden silence could have been anything. He promised the woman, whom he gathered was the official mom friend of the chat, that should he need to vanish again, he would at least let herself know ahead of time so they would not worry about him as much. It was strange to have these people concerned for no other reason than he played games with them and talked for a few minutes a night. It always felt too good to be real until, like now, the purple LED light glowed saying he was pinged directly on the app.
GAME HOES
SleevesRBS @Widogast way to cocktease us with the song and then ditch again
He snorted at Beau’s usual tactless demeanor and ignored Astrid’s arched eyebrow. He just shook his head.
Widogast Apologies. I am out with a friend at the moment and do not want to be rude to her.
SleevesRBS oooh. she hot?
Widogast She is pretty, yes. But this is not going where I think you are pushing it
SleevesRBS more for me
Caleb laughed out loud to that and acquiesced to the long stare Astrid was giving him. She was pretty. Caleb had felt as though he had somehow dated well out of his league when they had been together. The dark roots were just peeking out of her bleached, ashy blonde hair. The eyebrow that was quirked had two stylistic lines shaved into it and highlighted with her makeup. Today was a basic day as she was not working, but the man knew that her simple look somehow took longer than when she went all out. He had watched many times as she painstakingly hid away all of the “flaws” she had just to paint an exact but even replica of her features. The only outstanding difference was her love of matte, dark lip stain.
“One of the girls wanted to know if you were hot and was delighted that I was not staking my claim,” he explained simply. Astrid seemed to consider this for a moment then shrugged.
“Is she hot,” Astrid asked. Caleb blushed as red as his hair and stammered he was not sure.
And if he should bother asking. Why not?
Widogast She asked if you were hot, Beau.
SleevesRBS fuck yeah I’m hot
MissJester fact
FjordTough fact
MT debatable
SleevesRBS fuck off jeggings
SleevesRBS [image sent]
Caleb rubbed his chest like it itched, hopping to push away the strange pang he felt at seeing that Fjord thought Beau was hot. It seemed to be the general assumption, after all. And as Molly refused to admit it, he had confirmed its truth. He was about to look up and inform Astrid that his friend was, indeed, attractive when he saw his phone light up and an image was sent through the chat. In it was who Caleb assumed was Beau, as it was a tall, strong woman flexing in the mirror at a gym by the weight set. She was a smokey tan skin with muscles that made him instinctively flex his own out of self-conscious jealousy, and her undercut tied up. The picture was too far away to tell what her eyes were, but it seemed the chat was correct. He showed Astrid who whistled.
“I need to get into video games again,” she replied evenly as Caleb laughed. He looked back to the chat and noticed belatedly what everyone pointed out. That there was someone bent over in the picture.
MT mmmm dat Texan ass
MT daddy more
FjordTough Molly I will smother you in your sleep tonight
MT harder
GreenTea Molly, be nice to Fjord. He doesn’t need you harassing him with new friends around.
MT fine dad
Widogast In Molly’s defense, I would not have known that was someone Beau knew had he not so eloquently called my attention to it. Also, I am hardly one to question how they show their affection
FjordTough ?
FjordTough Oh, we are roommates
MT oh my god, we’re roommates
FjordTough Stop.
“Now what,” Astrid asked. “You’re blushing.”
“Two of them are harassing each other because one of them is the man bending over in the picture.”
“I really need to get into video games,” she reiterated with clear appreciation, then laughed as Caleb grumbled. “Here, let’s send a picture back to them and be on even ground.”
“Suddenly you’re fine with me knowing strangers on the internet,” Caleb asked hotly and suddenly aware of how unprepared he was for a picture to be taken.
The long silence told him he had no say in the matter. The man huffed and took off his beanie, undid his hair, then loosely finger-combed it back into a low ponytail. It was automatic to hand Astrid the phone as she was the one who both had a major Instagram following and could always make him look at least decent in pictures. She took it and fussed with the timer settings for a moment, pouted at his beanie that was slipped on slowly, and yanked it off. Her fingers played with his fringe a bit and then tugged him in. The third picture was the one she chose and sent for him before he could snatch the phone away.
Widogast [image sent]
Widogast Astrid (Caleb’s friend)- because he’s too shy to send it himself ;)
MT he would be a ginger
MT also hey girl what’s up
GreenTea You are both lovely. Molly, leave to poor lass alone
SleevesRBS and I think that was for me thanks
SleevesRBS sup girl
Widogast well hello both ofhnm4 32rh2w hwyg
Widogast iuh3e n
MT busted
Widogast I am deleting that
MissJester IS THAT YOU CALEB? YOU ARE SO HANDSOME~
MT delete it. we’ve all saved it
MissJester Is that your 𝖌𝖎𝖗𝖑𝖋𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖓𝖉
Widogast No, we are just friends. She is visiting me before my shift.
MT Damn dude either you’ve been friendzoned hard or you’re gay af
Widogast Ah, no we dated previously but it did not work out. We are better as friends
MT sorry
Widogast It’s fine.
MT Didn’t say you’re not gay though (͠≖ ͜ʖ͠≖)
GreenTea Molly.
Widogast You’re correct. I didn’t.
Widogast Oh, look at the time. It’s almost work.
MT NO YOU DON’T CALEB. NO ONE LIKES A COCKTEASE
MT !!!!
Molly laughed as he saw the reaction of the :joy: emoji pop up under his comment from Caleb. He chucked to himself and stepped out into the hall, where he saw Fjord showing up with the bag slung over his shoulder. He looked up, puzzled for a moment at the laughter on his roommate’s face. Fjord was always so alarmingly expressive for someone who tried to stay so mild and reserved. His amber eyes glowed with distrust and confusion as Molly held the door open for him.
“Group chat got interesting after you left,” Molly explained brightly.
“With you not in class, that’s not shocking,” Fjord replied as he dumped his gym bag onto the floor by the door. “What happened now? Nott and Jester start talking about dildos again?”
“Nah,” Molly purred. “Our mystery friend was forced into a selfie from his friend that I guess Beau was hitting on.”
Fjord pouted slightly in confusion then took the phone out of his pocket. He groaned seeing all the missed messages and scrolled up idly. He found the picture and clicked it, curious despite himself. The picture opened on a blonde woman with honey skin and a stylishly cut side-shave that was combed over to the side. She was gorgeous and had a lot in common with Jester with the rounded off features and full mouth. Next to her was, who he assumed, was Caleb and he blinked. The man was almost tan with the freckles that dusted his face with strong bone structure, ruddy hair that was pulled back in a ponytail and the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen. Oh no, a mocking voice in his head said and sounded so alarmingly like Molly he almost thought that was who said it, he’s hot.
He needed to stop living on the internet.