The True Endgame

She even manages to somehow squeeze the backpack below deck.

Everybody goes to look at what she"s doing.

As soon as she unzips the backpack, dozens of tools, materials, schematics, books, and piles of clothes shoot out from it! Not only was the backpack twice her size, but it looks as if she somehow condensed two times its size"s worth of items into it!

Fenrir is pretty sure that he feels the ship sink lower into the water just from the sheer weight of everything she"s brought onboard.

Tabitha slips on a pair of heavy gloves and straps a toolbelt on around her waist that has an arrangement of tools hanging from it.

"So, what"s first?" Fenrir asks.

"I"m going to tear out every single nail and screw of this ship and replace it with my own! I can"t trust her to hold up properly with anything but the best I have to offer," Tabitha explains.

"Your... screws and nails are better?"

"Of course they are! They"re specially made by me! Well, I guess it"s fairer to say that they"re specially trans.m.u.ted by me. What I do is just buy some old rusty nails and the like from merchants trying to get rid of junk only usable as sc.r.a.p metal," Tabitha"s explanation is already making Ca.s.siel regret agreeing to the deal even more, "and then I use a technique I developed durin" my time with the scholars to make them like brand new – better than brand new! Whatever metal they were made out of before, I turn it into Strismetal!"

"You created a new metal and named it after yourself?"

Tabitha excitedly nods.

"You"re awesome."

"Of course I am! Now, I"ve got lots of work to do," Tabitha says before getting to work.

Fenrir leads the rest of the group back above deck.

"I was worried, but I like her," Serra says.

"I"m still worried, but… I guess she"s fun," Ca.s.siel says.

"There you go, Ca.s.s Ca.s.s. Fun is the most important thing. People shouldn"t play games if they"re not having fun playing them," Fenrir says. "Anyways, I guess we should wait for Olly and Bone to meet back up with us. We still need to hopefully convince them to enter the tournament with us."

Rock barks, running down the pier.

Fenrir is ready to shout at Rock to come back, but he sees who Rock is running to.

"Speak of the… what"s that saying again?" Fenrir asks.

"Speak of the devil," Serra answers.

"Yeah, that. Speak of the devil. Well, devils. Wait, who"s that?"

In addition to Bonekraka and Oleander, Oleander is clinging to some unknown guy"s arm. He looks totally smitten. Surprisingly enough, this new guy doesn"t look anything like what Fenrir believes Oleander"s type is. This new guy isn"t that tall nor masculine looking, has short blond hair, looks more like a pretty boy, and… actually looks like a pretty nice guy. Fenrir is used to Oleander bringing back guys that look like ex-prisoners.

"Who"s this? Got yourself a new boyfriend?" Fenrir shouts out to Oleander, turning the teasing onto him for once.

"Yup!" Oleander shouts back.

"Wait, really?"

The only one who doesn"t look shocked is Bonekraka. He"s just groaning.

"We go to bar. Bar nothing like thought it would be. He met new guy and stuck to him entire time. Had to pry them off each other, but was too late. Got kicked out," Bonekraka explains.

Excessive public displaying of affection definitely sounds like something Oleander would do.

"So, wait, are you guys like, actually dating dating? Like, it"s official?" Fenrir asks.

"Yup! I know, crazy, right? I"d normally never date somebody I don"t know in reality, but like, we just click," Oleander explains.

"Yeah, and you"ve only known him for… a few hours?" Fenrir says, sounding wary.

They"ve only been in the city for half a day and they"ve already managed to acquire a new crewmember and one of them got a boyfriend.
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"Not everybody takes forever like you do, Fenny!"

"What"s that supposed to mean?" Fenrir asks, not noticing Ca.s.siel"s and Serra"s stares at him.

"Besides, those resp.a.w.n counter things are important. Me and you don"t have any left, so if we don"t want to get totally screwed next time we die, we need to have some fun if you know what I"m saying!"

Neither of the girls is staring at Fenrir anymore.

"Right. Anyways, uhh, new guy, hey. My name is Fenrir. What"s yours?"

The male that Oleander is clinging onto looks at Fenrir. "Ah, my name is Corwin Hale. Pleasure to meet you, Fenrir," Corwin says.

The proper way of speaking throws Fenrir off for a moment. Corwin sounds the most proper out of everybody Fenrir has met in-game thus far. He really doesn"t seem like Oleander"s type. This whole thing feels suspicious, but he isn"t going to get in his friend"s way. "Don"t hurt Olly here or else me and the big green guy are going to have to have some words with you, alright?"

"Geez, dad, stop trying to act tough around my new boyfriend," Oleander teases, making himself sound like a teenage girl.

Ca.s.siel pulls Serra back away from the rest of them to whisper into her ear. "Is this what it was like when he met us? Did things happen this quickly?" Ca.s.siel asks.

"I think so. I… guess it is kind of weird to see it happen," Serra answers.

"By the way, I"ve got somebody for you three to meet," Fenrir walks over to the stairs leading below deck. "Come up here for a minute, Tabs!"

"Tabs! I like that!" Tabitha shouts back. "I"ll be up in a min!"

Oleander and Bonekraka look at each other curiously.

Tabitha comes up covered in sweat with dirt all over her. Fenrir has no idea how she"s gotten so dirty so quickly, but he"s going to take it as a sign of hard work. "This is Tabitha, The s...o...b..ll"s new engineer," Fenrir introduces her.

"Glad to meetcha"ll! I"ll be makin" sure this baby takes wins us the tournament!" Tabitha declares.

Oleander and Bonekraka narrow their eyes on Fenrir.

"Told you no," Bonekraka says.

Oleander is about to back up Bonekraka, but somebody else speaks up first.

"You"re entering the fishing tournament? Can I accompany you?! Please, let me join you! I"ve always wanted to join and be a part of something like this!" Corwin says.

Oleander immediately changes his opinion on the tournament. "Yep, we are! Corwin can join… us, right, Fenny?" he asks, hoping to not get called out for the sudden change.

While Fenrir wouldn"t accept Oleander doing something only for his sake, he will accept Oleander doing something for somebody else"s sake. "Of course. What"re you good at, Corwin?" Fenrir asks.

"Ahh, I am experienced with all of the tasks a ship requires. I can manage the sails, steer, keep lookout, and anything else you would have of me. I may not be the best fisherman, but I would be glad to practice if that is what you would need of me," Corwin answers.

"Sounds good to—"

"I said no," Bonekraka rea.s.serts himself.

"Well, we need seven people, and we only have six if you don"t help us," Ca.s.siel says. Fenrir looks surprised to hear her speaking up about it.

"Do not care what new girl has to say. I said no. Tired of boat and fishing! Want to PvP and raid," he shouts at her, directing all of his anger toward her.

Tabitha slinks back below deck since she has a bad feeling about where this is going.

"Bone, come on, be nice. She was just stating a fact. We can find somebody else if we have to. There"s no need for you to talk to her like that," Fenrir says, standing between Ca.s.siel and Bonekraka.

"Do you think I"m stupid?! I know she just say that to make me feel bad and agree!" Bonekraka shouts at Fenrir now.

"Relax, I only—" Ca.s.siel starts talking, but gets interrupted by Bonekraka.

Fenrir regrets not warning the girls about never telling Bonekraka to relax.

"I do not need relax! You just another girl who know nothing and make him change mind! He always fall for stupid girl who he listen to!" Bonekraka shouts at her. Even random pa.s.sersby on the pier are looking their way and listening to the drama. "I said no! Do not want stupid tournament! I bought this game with own money, want to do things I want to do! Have barely played because on boat for so long, now in city full of s.h.i.t carebears!"

"Haah? Listen here, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d. I don"t know what you"re on about, but I"m not making him do anything. I just agreed to try it out and thought it was fun. Maybe you"d have fun if you"d actually try it instead of being so stubborn," Ca.s.siel shouts back.

Serra clings to Fenrir"s side, but he gives her a gentle push away so that he can focus on breaking up Ca.s.siel and Bonekraka.

"Alright, drop it. Ca.s.s, don"t let him get to you. Bone, n.o.body ever said you had to join. Look, I won"t lie, I really want you to join us and if you don"t then it"s going to really suck, but if we"re only going to be one member short then I can find somebody else for the tournament while you do whatever you want," Fenrir explains.

"So you replace me?! You never want to do what I want to do anymore!" Bonekraka shouts, glaring Fenrir directly in the eyes. "Yeah, what that? You cry now? Big f.u.c.kin" baby crying because not getting his way?"

Fenrir wipes his eyes. As tightly as he tried shoving that cork back into the bottle, it"s popped back out. "No, I"m crying because one of my best friends is a total f.u.c.king a.s.shole. Get out of here because I have nothing left to say to you. If you really think I never do anything you want, if you really think I just selfishly always make you do whatever I want, then get the f.u.c.k out of here before I do something I"m going to regret."

Neither Serra nor Ca.s.siel have ever heard Fenrir sound so intense before. Even Tabitha has stopped making noise below deck to listen in on what"s happening above her.

"Guys, come on, stop. We"re friends, remember? Don"t let something stupid like this ruin tha—" Oleander is cut off by Bonekraka slamming his fist into Fenrir"s face.