Though Vivian hugs me close as close for a while, in the end, she has to let go. Remote work won’t stop for her, and money has to come from somewhere. I’m left on my own for the rest of the day, bar a little texting back and forth.
With Vivian otherwise occupied, I turn my attention elsewhere; this is what I keep a longer Catcall contacts list for, to fill in the gaps and make life more manageable.
Let’s see, who’s on today… Ah. RockHawk’s on.
Silverine: Hey Hawk
Silverine: You still up?
Rockhawk: maybe
Rockhawk: Are there eggs to forcefem or cuties to stab?
Silverine: Do I count?
Rockhawk: you’re a little too grown-up to count as an egg at this point, Mistress Silver~
Rockhawk: I can stab you if you want though!
Rockhawk: *balances her knife on its point then flips it over and catches it on its handle*
Silverine: Sorry, but I’m going to turn that one down for today
Silverine: Had a great scene this morning with Berry and I’m still in the afterglow TBH
Rockhawk: Jelly.
Rockhawk: It’s fine though, if anyone deserves it it’s her
Rockhawk: Still, am free anytime ;)
Silverine: I’ll keep that in mind, little dove. :)
(Chicks dig my ominous smiley faces. I kid, but seriously, sometimes they work. They let them fill in the rest of the scene to be in their heads…
Of course you’ve got to have something actually in mind. Right now I’m imagining Hawk chained up with her wings spread against the Saint Andrew’s cross in my playroom, helpless as I bring out a little tray of fun implements to toy with her body… Ah, it’s good to be queen.)
Rockhawk: *shiver*
Rockhawk: Yes Mistress
Silverine: Good girl. ♡
(The little heart’s from a special phone keyboard I’ve got that Viv helped me install. It always makes me smile. And before you ask, yes, she installed it specifically to help me flirt with other girls when she’s away. It’s an open relationship, and if either of us met someone else we’d actually date it’d be a poly one as well.)
Silverine: So how’s your day going?
Silverine: University going okay?
Rockhawk: mhm!
Rockhawk: am done classes for today
Rockhawk: how’re u doin?
Silverine: It’s going slow, you know how it is since my breakdown
Rockhawk: yeah
Rockhawk: u can do it though!
Silverine: Thanks for the vote of confidence
Silverine: how’s the hormone prescription coming along
Silverine: NHS still dicking you around?
Rockhawk: is all fixed
Rockhawk: not that the Hawk didn’t want to stab somebody over it
Rockhawk: that’d be so much paperwork tho
I wince internally. Hawk’s jokes about stabbing people she doesn’t like never land well for me. Maybe I’m too soft-hearted, but it’s not like the bureaucrats doing the bullshit are doing much more than following orders from on high. Much as I would like to steal RJ McElhenny’s magic quill, I try to stop short of wishing violence on anyone even in play. I’ve seen what that kind of thinking leads to in the long term and it’s not pretty.
Silverine: Sooooooo much paperwork. Piles. Mountains. let’s not go there.
Rockhawk: mhm!
Rockhawk: anyway the Hawk is doing fine
Rockhawk: there is no need to worry about the Hawk
Silverine: glad to hear it
Silverine: it is important that my Hawk be cozy and safe at all times
Silverine: after all, cozy is the real punk rock
Rockhawk: SCRAWWWWWWW
Rockhawk: The Hawk is not cozy
Rockhawk: The Hawk is not a sleepy birb
Rockhawk: its all lies!
I giggle, despite myself. I can’t help but love how unseriously Hawk takes herself, despite all the sharpness in her life. It makes me feel brighter and happier just to interact with her.
Silverine: A propaganda campaign spread by your enemies, no doubt
Silverine: along with the rumours you’re a cute little chick and fall out of your nest when you sleep
Silverine: skydiving while asleep is just one of your kinks!
Rockhawk: ca-caw!
Rockhawk: mhm for sure
Rockhawk: For sure for sure
Rockhawk: I also like it when I’m pushed down the stairs
I laugh, and quickly google a meme: Adamantium Man strapped to a nuclear bomb about to go off with the caption “Ideal masochist sexual experience”
Silverine sent nukememommy.jpg
Rockhawk: *giggles*
Rockhawk: the Hawk likes this meme
Rockhawk: you may live… for now.
I crack up even more, and quickly second the bit.
Silverine: thank you oh noble and generous hawk
Silverine: I must inform you however that someone is spreading rumours of gannet parentage in your line
Rockhawk: Traitors!
Rockhawk: put them in the MACHINE
Silverine: The MACHINE
Silverine: at once sovereign
Silverine: what does the MACHINE do again oh wise sovereign
Rockhawk: thats for me to kno and u to find out!
Silverine: Yes sovereign
Silverine: Of course sovereign
Silverine: *secretly sneaks the traitors out under dead of night, converted by a seditious rumour that the Queen wets her nest*
Rockhawk: TREACHERY
Rockhawk: *stamps her foot and throws down her crown*
Rockhawk: okay
Rockhawk: isn’t anybody going to overthrow me ;)
I can’t take it anymore, I break down laughing.
Silverine: pfffffthahaha
Silverine: of course righteous and noble hawk
Silverine: *forehead kiss*
Silverine: I love you
Rockhawk: ily 2!
Rockhawk: best fren :)
Silverine: *pulls you into her arms and hugs you hard*
Rockhawk: <3
Rockhawk: *hugs u back*
Rockhawk: *snuggles*
I smile at the screen from where I lay on the ratty old couch. Gosh I love her.
Silverine: do you want to come cuddle in vr
Silverine: I have a room set up
Silverine: if you want
Rockhawk: I prolly shouldnt
Rockhawk: its late
Rockhawk: ty for the offer tho
Silverine: is ok
Silverine: see you tomorrow then
Silverine: have a nice sleep
Rockhawk: yeah
Rockhawk: gn <3
And the light on her profile winks out, going from green to grey.
I sigh, and lay back against the couch.
God I love my friends. Rockhawk in particular. She rubs me the wrong way sometimes but I’ve been nursing a crush for ages and I just cannot spit it out. It doesn’t help that she’s the kind of dense who’ll reply to “I love you” with “you too precious frend”, but honestly I suspect she knows and just isn’t ready or has life circumstances. I don’t think most trans girls miss hints that blatant.
The day wends on. My other friends aren’t on right now — they’re US, so they have work at the same times as Viv — but talking to Hawk’s killed some time, so I’m able to fix myself a proper lunch and chill for a while. Mie goreng, a dish Viv introduced me to on one of her visits. It always reminds me of her.
I lay down in bed this time, not intending to slip into VR but just to text, and get myself comfortable. With my phone against my knees and the duvet over me, I feel like a snail curled up in its shell: safe, small, not really going anywhere but that’s okay.
I browse the internet, and time slips by; and before I know it, it’s five pm Viv time. Time to hug the wifey.
I log back into Roomwise, summon Viv to my side, and hug her long and hard. Then we lounge around on the cushions of the playroom for a while and just pet each other’s hair. We always do this when she comes home, just to relieve her from all the weight of working with tech clients. She can be like an aloof cat sometimes, but I’ve rarely known her to refuse cuddles.
Eventually, the tension of the day passes, and I kiss Viv’s hair gently.
“Want to pick up Valleys of Skål again?”
She smiles, and kisses my thigh.
“I’d like nothing more.”
I wave a hand.
skal launch -login silverine
And our large, carpet-strewn tent rushes back in to fill the world.
At last, I’m back in the real world.
~*~
Most of the next hour is walking back to the nearest town, but that’s fine; half the point of this game is to have an excuse to walk with Viv through beautiful scenery and occasionally have a fight I have to heal her from. It’s light flirting for both of us, and also just… safety. A place that feels like home. It’s only been a month or so of Skål specifically but I can already tell Viv loves it deeply. She loves being strong, loves protecting me, loves being my guardian and guide — and more than anything else, she loves the basebuilding features in this game, which we’ve been taking shameless advantage of. The big tent is her first little project, an on-the-go base, but she wants to build bigger — but that takes more resources, and that means a guild, and finding a guild willing to take a pair of openly trans women is a bit of a tall order, unfortunately.
Still, we struggle on. The forest is picturesque, and holding Viv’s hand makes my heart soar, and I don’t care if it takes a million years to build a proper guildhouse as long as I get to do it with her. Journey, not destination.
The town is bustling when we finally arrive — we’re in one of the denser questing areas, so it’s no surprise. Somebody sends me an unsolicited guild request and I turn it down instantly, without even looking at it. Any guild that just picks people at literally random isn’t worth our time.
We go turn in our quests at the bounty office, and hand over a coffer of recovered stolen items that we got from the bandit camp. In return, we’re compensated in good hard cold gold. If only things were so simple on Earth. Well, then I’d have to deal with my girlfriend maybe getting murdered by a bandit. On second thought, Earth jobs are okay.
We get a small snack — there are blueberry muffins at the local bakery, a rare treat — and settle in to talk about what to do next.
“So,” Viv says. “A DPS. Any luck with Hawk?”
I shake my head. “Nah, she’s still too shy to show her face in VR. I sympathize, but…” I shrug. “It does mean we’re not going to get her to DPS for us.”
“Yeah.” Viv frowns. “And it’s not like we can just advertise in trade chat. We’ve got specific requirements, not just any schmoe will work.”
“We could try and invite Lambda?” I raise an eyebrow. “They like this kind of survival crafting stuff, right?”
“Not when it’s an MMO they don’t,” Viv says, shooting me down. “There’s also Rosanne, but she’s barely even realized she’s a girl — pulling her into a female VR body might be too much of a shock to her system for her to handle.”
“Yeah, I don’t want to force her to deal with that kind of thing before she’s ready,” I agree. “Going back to a dysphoric body after having a taste of the proper thing is… real rough.”
Viv nods mutely, and I sigh and take another bite of my muffin. “Mmmm…”
“There’s always Kate’s system,” Vivian suggests. “They’re usually kind of busy on weekdays but I think they’re on right now. And they’re definitely cool.”
I consider. Kate, Lia and Rhythm all share one body. As a system, they’re one of the most based people I know — heavily experienced in a real-life kink scene, ferocious in a fight, and smart as a whip. But they’re also unfortunately gainfully employed for eight hours most days, and I am a NEET, so we see each other less than I’d like.
“Yeah,” I say. “If she’s on, I’ll definitely take her. I’m just worried she won’t have much time to play.”
Vivian smiles. “Well, no harm in asking,” she says. And she pulls up a system window at the table and starts to text.
My parents would probably scold her for such behaviour — texting at the table, how rude, shouldn’t you be talking to your actual conversational partner — but to be frank this is so ingrained for me that it’s barely even a blip. A world where you can’t just text people whenever is just not acceptable.
I pull out my own system interface, and follow along.
#survive-the-cuteness
Berrybliss: anyone for Skål with me and Silver?
Berrybliss: looking at you Kate &co.
Berrybliss: If Rose wants to play I’ll take her too
Berrybliss: I think you’re probably not interested, Lambda, but tell me if I’m wrong
Lambda: yeah sorry not interested
Scissor System: Sure, we can hop on
Scissor System: sounds super fun
No sign of Rose, but then she’s pretty shy.
Silverine: Great, see you ingame
Silverine: we’re in a starter town right now so you should be able to hop right on
Silverine: Great Brooks is what you’re looking for
Silverine: just below Ostveld.
Scissor System: gotcha
Scissor System: be right there!
And a few minutes later, a heavily-built red-haired woman with demon horns and a two-handed sword strapped to her back comes by our table, no doubt directed by Viv’s texts. Her body’s covered in fine scales, natural armor protecting her arms and legs.
“Hey,” I say, looking them over. Yeah, Berserker starting gear, no surprises there. The bear-pelt clothes look good on her, even if they make for crap protection. Gives her kind of a wild-woman look.
“Kate, Rhythm or Lia?” I ask.
“It’s Kate today,” Kate replies. “Rhythm’s more into music games and Lia’s too much of a wuss for swordplay in VR. But I love this kind of thing.” She bares her fangs in a ferocious grin. “A cultivation game’d be even better, but I can do vikings.”
“Then come, sit down, we’ll get you some half decent starter gear and get you ready to fight.” I slap the surface of the table, indicating an open chair. “Even at half-intensity pain, getting stabbed hurts like a bitch, so you’ll want at least a mail coat to go on.”
Kate comes and sits. “Hope I’m not third wheeling,” she says, looking between me and Viv.
I brush off the comment. “Nah. We actually had a great scene just this morning so we’re kind of just chilling right now. And besides, you know you’re welcome in our bed anytime.”
Kate laughs, a sharp sound, and claps her hands together. “Good! Just making sure.”
Viv shoots her a sidelong glance and runs her fingers through her hair. “With all that muscle I bet you could even pick me up in a princess carry without too much trouble.”
Kate grins. “Wanna test it?”
Viv shakes her head and hides a smile. “Nah. Save it for when Mads is injured and you’ve got to haul her ass out of the fire.”
I laugh, and make a mental note to pinch Viv hard for that comment at a later date.
“So,” I say, scarfing down the last of my muffin. “No need to sit around yakking all day. Let’s get questing!”
Viv laughs, and stands. “Always gung-ho,” she says. “Alright, I’ll go get Kate some decent gear, you get her through the starting errands.”
I flash a thumbs-up to her. “Gotcha.”
And we break up from the table, Kate by my side, Viv headed for the market board with a muffin still in her hand.
