New Players Added (Again)
So much and so little changed.
Their personal schedules kicked back into high gear. Caleb worked at the school bookstore and saw for almost a fortnight constant shifts during the week where people were coming in to get or return their textbooks, getting subscriptions to software, or picking up their scanner sheets and other odds and ends that they had not known they needed beforehand. Weekends were when he did the bulk of his homework, as he was taking five classes to make up for the change in his academic plan that made one of his freshman classes no longer applicable, but his General Education had been completed the semester before.
Fjord had hockey, still, as well as his shifts at the café and classes. As a college athlete, he had to keep a high GPA as part of the program which meant late nights studying. His schedule was less set in stone as Caleb’s, but it was as constant. He woke every day well before the sun and some nights would come home 15 hours after his day had started. What time they did have was spent talking with everyone in the friend group, however. For nights where Caleb was unavailable to chat, he streamed. Caleb, in turn got back into writing himself to pass the time when his soon-to-be partner was busy. And it worked well enough. They had their date coming up, after all, and the mass trip to Dave n Buster’s with both friend groups. Something that seemed to be mildly more exciting now that New Year’s had not only gone off well but dusted off much of the awkward tension.
But the lucky nights where they were available together was the best and both would admit to that in earnest.
GAME HOES
> Watch out! Dynamis and BigBadWolf are here!
DramaKween caleb you did not
DramaKween get both of them to agree to proximity chat
BigBadWolf I was promised beer.
Dynamis I rarely turn down a chance to watch Caleb become positively psychotic on people in this game
MrAllocke2 I promised both that Darrow would not mess with their names.
HeySailor rude
DramaKween lololol
ItsYaBoi Lmao
SleevesRBS fair lol whats up guys
BigBadWolf Nothing aside from new classes, which I think is what we all can say
DramaKween mood
DramaKween is astrid playing tonight
Dynamis If you would have read her text to you, that wouldn’t be a question
DramaKween rude again but fair
SleevesRBS why is astrid texting you
SleevesRBS she likes me more
MrAllocke2 ಸωಸ
SleevesRBS …
DramaKween fjord your boyfriend is taking after his husband
MrAllocke2 He actually did send me his list of these faces last week when I had stocking to do.
HeySailor don’t say I never gave you anything
DaddyTough I prefer this to be honest
Dynamis What even is your name, may I ask?
DaddyTough please don’t ask
SleevesRBS daddy
DramaKween daaaaaadddy
BigBadWolf Wtf
DaddyTough eyep. Welcome to hell
GreenTea They forgot the other part.
GreenTea How do you uwu?
GreenTea Oh.
GreenTea UwU
DramaKween akskskdkfjansnf
SleevesRBS hdhfhdjs
SleevesRBS cad
SleevesRBS you’re an angel omg
DramaKween I am torn between adoration and being ashamed rn
GreenTea This is why Yasha is my favorite. She is not laughing.
SleevesRBS she isn’t even here
GreenTea No, we are getting her hair done and she is lurking.
SleevesRBS PICTURE
DarkAngel Not if you wish to live through the night. Either of you.
BigBadWolf I repeat wtf
MrAllocke2 Welcome to Hell.
Some things had changed as well.
“Alright, we have some new people here,” Fjord told his viewers, shocked to see he had quite a few. Ever since the New York trip, people had trickled over to his account here and on other social media platforms to the point where he made a separate one, under the suggestion of Jester, just for his internet life. His Instagram with the photography had taken off better than he expected and now he went out often with Rissa, Wyatt, and Cad throughout Boston for some picturesque sights. “We have some old faces. Today it’s proximity chat and I am muted right now just to welcome y’all here. We have Jester, Molly, Beau, Bryce, Darrow who is officially back for the foreseeable future, Caleb, and Nott. But we also have two new people joining us why are going by their usernames but be kind to them. They’re Caleb’s friends. Dynamis and Wolf.”
His eyes watched some people comment. Names he recognized. Some he didn’t.
“Yeah, I am excited to have Darrow back,” he answered a question as he joined Jester’s lobby. “Thank you Stargayzing for the follow. And yes, I did see that Caleb had decided to start getting together a set up for his own streaming.”
He saw it and had helped him pick it out with Nott and Beau on voice call with him and Astrid as they were shopping for physical things. The pair, along with Molly who had gone up to Amherst with Fjord’s truck one of the days he had an out-of-state game, had rearranged the small den-like nook in his oddly shaped apartment and put in some sound-proofing tiles and a small folding screen to hide the rest of the house for privacy. It had been on that trip that Caleb had bought the LED panels and projection lamp for his room that made it look less like a school dormitory for his viewers and more like a real bedroom. He had become a fan of the pecan-like pattern that was illuminated now. Caleb had noticed he had followers on his Instagram following Jester’s posts and decided he would get into streaming as well, even if smaller games he liked such as Stardew Valley, Minecraft, and Don’t Starve. It wasn’t ready to be used just yet as his microphone and webcam were on the way, but the test runs that Nott put him through both for that and apparently for something Astrid thought would be “cool” had gone very well.
“Do I know these friends of his—yes. We met a few times, but only recently. I’m convinced one is a legit genius.” He snorted and clicked off his chat mute. “Dynamis, my chat wants to know what your major is. I may have called you a genius.”
“Such a flatterer,” Essek replied. His chat went nuts for his lilting accent. “I am studying astrophysics.”
“Thank-you for proving my point. I had to do the same with Caleb.”
“Of course. Is there anything else they would like to know?”
“Uh,” he looked for one a question that was not wildly inappropriate. For all the confident swagger he had the night of the club, Fjord had come to realize through the side chat he had with Essek following the club that the man was almost cringe-worthy awkward when not in his element. “Nothing you’d want to answer. They say you sound dreamy though.”
Essek’s silence was replaced by Molly purring, “Fuck yeah he does. Can we just have him, and Darrow talk to each other and the rest of us not?”
“You can shut up,” Beau offered, and the others snickered. “Let’s get started.”
It was the fourth game that the other thing that had changed came to light on a full scale.
Stargayzing: hey fjord I just wanted to shout out that youre one of the best allies as a streamer. Thank you for always blasting people for misgendering or being rude to your found family <3
JukeboxHero: yeah dude I hope you like it here as a new follow
Klienbot: uh have you not looked at his ig like the new one
JukeboxHero: no
Firefliez87: omg
Firefliez87: IS IT TRUE
JukeboxHero: FJORD
RyukuRyder: hdhfhdjs
PuffandProud: Fjord?!
Stargayzing: what
Klienbot: this is from his new ig the other one went private
Klienbot: Veteran | student/streamer | he/him | Demi-Bi
Fjord watched those words push through the chat at an alarming rate as the chat exploded with those words. Those words he had not even told the crew he had put out with the last photograph he had posted of him before the stream forty minutes ago. He/him | Demi-Bi
It was an admission he was almost shocked that he made. He had ditched the cellphone before he could back out of the statement and delete it. He had sent it off into the universe, messaged it into the void for anyone to see. Now that it was flashing by with comments of mixed reactions, he realized it was less upsetting than he thought to have people know. He watched and knew there was no turning back.
Klienbot: We all could have guessed let’s be real
Stargayzing: please confirm?!
DatPeachDough: ARTE YOU WITH MOLLY?!
“Hey Fjord,” Beau asked with an unsure chuckle. “What did you do to your chat? Some people are over here asking for me to confirm but they won’t say what.”
He had not expected that part. So, he swallowed and clicked off the mute button as they were all in the lobby again.
“I, ah…” he paused and rubbed under his nose. “I came out.”
“Came…” Beau started. “Oh my god.”
He could hear Jester cut off her microphone as she squealed, and Beau kept repeating the same statement.
“Yeah… on Instagram before the stream.”
“Fjord!”
The buzz of conversation matched the stream now, but he heard the oddly loud movement of Molly after he hurriedly said, “Hold the fuck on.” It was not a shock a moment later to watch his own door open and his best friend come charging into his bedroom in a Celtics jersey and basketball shorts. His chat shifted to the fact that Molly had now joined the moment as the smaller man wrapped his arms around his shoulders and squeeze. For a moment, he was frozen. Then he gave in and hugged him back. Their conversation was muffled and under the scratches of their clothing rubbing against the mic as Molly moved forward, but the chat heard it all.
“I’m so proud of you,” Molly kept saying softly. “Fucking Christ on a cross, Fjord.”
“I… can’t believe I did it either. I just had to.”
“I know,” Molly replied and kissed his temple. “I love you Fjord. It’ll be worth it. I promise.”
“I’m scared,” he admitted with a wet laugh.
“I know. But we’ll fuck up anyone who comes at you.” Another kiss and a wet sniffle. “Fucking love you, mate.”
“Love you, too, Molls. Thank you. I… just. Yeah.”
“Hey guys,” Caleb muttered after a moment, almost embarrassed. “Your mic is hot.”
JukeboxHero: OKAY BUT FRIENDSHIP GOALS
DM: NottListening and Widogast
NottListening Did you know he was going to do that
Widogast Not at all. I figured he would still keep it all private. I was not upset by his privacy.
NottListening Are you okay?
Widogast I am in shock I believe. That this was probably the one thing that would have prevented us from being together.
Widogast I am not sure I deserve this after… everything. I am not a good person.
NottListening Caleb you know that’s your own mind working against you. There is a lot that you give him even if you don’t see it.
Widogast He’s gorgeous and wonderful. Veth, he deserves the best and I cannot deliver that. What if I just mess it all up?
NottListening Look. I had the same thought with Yeza when I went back to him six months pregnant with a kid he didn’t know for sure was his. But you can’t decide for him if you will make him happy
NottListening Don’t miss out on this just because you’re too scared to be wrong.
Widogast What if he decides I’m not worth it?
NottListening He won’t. But if he does, then I think he would lose a lot of friends. Because you are.
NottListening You deserve to be happy
Caleb and the rest of the group shared the clip that Fjord made of his chat and friends realizing he had publicly come out. And it included the conversation with Molly, to a lot of people’s delight.
GAME HOES
SassyWitch OMG I CAN’T BELIEVE I MISSED THAT
SassyWitch FJORD?!
DaddyTough :)
DaddyTough hi Astrid
SleevesRBS we already got to ban like three people
MissJester It was fun~ >:)
SleevesRBS fuck them hoes
DarkAngel Fjord agreed this can be added to for the Dave N Busters outing for celebration. Apparently the “we won over Wulf and Essek” party has started.
SassyWitch WOAH WHAT WAIT
MrAllocke2 Ja. They stayed the whole night and we just stuck to voice chat afterwards. That is what you get for volunteering for a double.
BigBadWolf I need everyone to know Astrid sent me a video of her doing a celebration dance
Dynamis I also received one. Caleb are we all on for tonight?
DaddyTough tonight?
MrAllocke2 Ja. We are going live for my first stream with… what did Molly name us?
DramaKween Team Lamehurst
MissJester Lol~ that’s mean but cute
MissJester Which is just, pretty much Molls <3
DarkAngel What are you playing?
“Hey, your boy is live,” Molly called from their shared space.
Fjord came out of the bathroom in a towel as Molly turned on the television and screen shared his phone’s video with it. Sure enough, it was part of Caleb’s apartment, but not where he thought they would set up for the first stream. It was in the living room, which was now very cleared, cleaned, and orderly. Caleb had not been messy, exactly, but he had a lot of stuff that he had no space for previously. What looked like two new bookshelves were up and the crates that acted like storage were gone or at least out of view. His couch was covered in the blanket his great aunt had apparently knit him and a few pillows that he figured were bought by his mom. In the room stood Essek’s long form with Frumpkin in his arms. Astrid and Caleb were fussing with the laptop that was on an end table and the cords they had tapped down and off the webcam shot. Wulf was at the television and they had the same lo-fi as always playing while they waited.
“What are they playing,” Fjord asked then looked at the banner properly. It was nice and clearly had been done by Astrid or even Jester. Far more elegant than Caleb would have as he was utilitarian at best.
“Beat saber,” Molly replied with a smirk. As he did, the screen changed to the game feel itself and Astrid stepping up with the sabers and the VR headset.
For the next hour, Fjord hosted Caleb’s first stream along with Jester and held their own chat. It was strange to see the four of them, all of which clearly played this game more than once or twice. The three who were not playing would talk to the chat, mostly Caleb as it was his stream. It was more shocking, as Molly pointed out, that Wulf was so graceful with it, even if he did one-handed. Astrid showed off with the Darth Maul setting on expert almost every time. And while Essek did one-handed because he was still new to the game, it was obviously not his first time. But it was Caleb who Fjord could not get enough of, for obvious reasons. He and Astrid made it almost seen like a dance rather than just swinging their arms. Of course, without the visual effects of the game in the foreground, they’d look completely foolish, but with it, they looked almost fancy.
He told his chat he would probably never play that with them lest he sent one of the handles out the window on accident.
Molly later dared him to on a level that was impossible to turn down.
Caleb (9:44pm): I miss you. I am sorry that I have not been as available as before.
Fjord (9:46pm): I haven’t been better
Fjord (9:47pm): did you get Wednesday off
Caleb (9:50pm): Ja. I am really looking forward to this.
Caleb (9:51pm): But I do have to ask. As it has been on my mind for a few days. Are you sure?
Fjord (9:52pm): about
Caleb (9:53pm): Everything? Me? I know you claim to be in front of everyone, but I just have to know for myself.
Caleb (9:55pm): I am worried that I will just be a letdown.
Fjord (9:57pm): Cay. I wouldn’t have agreed if I didn’t think you were worth it. I know we have yet to dig out the skeletons you keep promising me, but I know nothing you have to show me will change this. It’s early and soon, but I care a lot for you.
Caleb (9:58pm): I fear I do not deserve you. That everything I haven’t said is unfair.
Fjord (10:00pm): I haven’t said a lot, too. I promise that I won’t stop caring because you’re not perfect
Fjord (10:01pm): I ain’t looking for perfect. I know who I want to be with
Caleb (10:02pm): Why is it so easy to trust you? Everything says not to but… I do
Fjord (10:03pm): we’ll make it work, darling.
Fjord (10:10pm): you want me to call
Caleb (10:12pm): Ja
[Call duration: 1:25:09]
Fjord (11:40pm): I mean it when I say I’m the lucky one get some sleep