Mo Help Is Appreciated

Ya know, if I'm gonna start working with those three, I should get to know them. Individually, not as a group. Thinking of them all as one entity is rude.

So while I'm waiting to queue into this dungeon, lemme just shoot a message to the group chat and see who wants in first.

"Would like to try talking one on one with each of you. Who wants first dibs?"

"Len and Zoops are eating. Hope you are ok with me."

Ah, Mo. Perfect. They have the most refined typing style, and by that I mean they're the only one that doesn't emote and actually finishes their sentences normally.

The chat system we're using has a face to face mode, but the God Pad's calling application should work with it. I hope so. I put Mo's name in and waited.

"Oh, that was fast! I didn't even get to accept the call…"

Huh, does the application not give them a choice to decline? Guess I should be more careful with it, then. But hey, I can see Mo and Mo can see me.

Black and poofy hair, green eyes behind glasses with runes etched into the lenses, and a pretty young face.

"Ah, well I'm still playing Magys Regal and getting through the story, and pausing to type would slow things down. Hope you're ok with this."

"No, no, I understand. You have a lot to get through to reach current content."

Kinda your fault, since your test wanted me not to buy a skip. Then again, I wasn't planning on buying a skip anyway, so whatever.

Oh, the dungeon queue popped. Gonna run that now while chatting.

"Right. Well… what are you doing?"

"Since the Optimaximum is gonna involve revamped versions of older content, I'm analyzing footage of them to see what might be used and retooled. A lot of people on spaces are speculating how they'll turn some of those old, frustrating mechanics into even worse versions…"

Spaces…? I assume that's another name for forums considering the context clues, so I'll just roll with that until told otherwise.

"Well, considering that I'm going through some of them fresh, maybe that'll be more helpful?"

"Possibly. It's also why I wanted you to not buy a skip. You'd have no reason to go through them outside of what I'm already doing."

I nod to that, since it's basically true. This Optimaximum is going to be a retelling of the story from the first expansion, which is what I'm going through right now.

And this should be the part where I say something next… but I've blanked.

So… I'm not the best in social situations where I need to speak. If I'm just listening along, then I'm perfectly fine. But when I have to come up with stuff to say… well, that's when it gets difficult.

"..."

I'm just awkwardly staring. Mo is doing the same back.

But like, what am I supposed to say next? Should I keep it to the game, since that's what I should be focusing on? Do I ask about his family? Is that something he's even comfortable sharing with me? We've only interacted like three times. I doubt we'd be considered friends, we're just barely acquaintances!

"So… what do you do outside of this?"

Oh thank fuck, he's the one asking questions. I can answer questions fine, that's not an issue.

"Ah, um, not much. I've mostly lived my life in the wilderness. Never even seen one of these MPCs until yesterday, actually!"

I still have my Mortal Form's backstory easily accessible, so answering stuff about myself or making shit up that fits into it is easy enough.

"Well, you picked up fast to them. A lot of people are raised on this stuff nowadays, but the first time is always unforgettable."

I still remember my first video game. An RPG spinoff of one of Earth's most popular gaming franchises. Good times, good times…

"Thank you. What about your life?"

If he can ask me about mine, I should be able to ask him about his. Only fair, yeah?

"Outside the fire gatherings? I make funny animations and use them for short video guides about adventuring. Write some witty banter and helpful advice, make the animations entertaining, and people will watch and donate Yehlgold for more."

Ah, a content creator. I tried my hand at being one at some point in my life, but no one ever watched me. My cousin got success as one, though, and I'll never know how.

"And do you make a lot?"

"For the time invested? I'd be better off working for minimum pay. But it's what I like, and it makes people happy, so I'll keep doing it. Plus, the fire gatherings help make up the difference."

Yeah, I get that feeling. Back home, I wrote… basically porn stories for money. It was my only income, since I kept losing every job I could find and most places wouldn't even hire me or call me back after submitting an application. I'd literally be better off working menial labor that my body couldn't handle since it paid like ten times more than what I made monthly.

But I liked to write, and I wanted to have a job that I enjoyed doing. So I stuck with it until the very end. Plus, it made people happy. So no longer how long it took me, how much I got burnt out, and how many people were disappointed, it was all worth it for the people that did like my stuff.

"Now that I think about it, I need a job too. I have a bunch of Yehlgold on me already from my parents' stuff after their passing, but I need actual income…"

I made that part up about where I got my money. Hell if I know where it actually came from, I have it and that's what matters.

"Could take up adventuring commissions. Not the easiest to find since the people who take it seriously like snatching up every last one, but you can usually find one or two still open every week or so."

Well, good to know.

"You try that?"

"It's how my siblings and I started out. Tried it for about ten or so years after we hit our thirties, but didn't get much mileage. So we started the fire gatherings and each of our own forms of making content for the ManaNet, and now we're doing fine."

Gaolri age half as fast as Hewmitahls, so they'd be… somewhere between fifteen and twenty years old, then?

"And now you're…?"

"Fifty."

So the three are all about twenty five, then. 

"Well, I'm sixty nine, if you'd like to know."

"Nice."

Damn it, I didn't even think about that! Alright, so the euphemism exists in this world, too…

"Oh, Len and Zoops are coming back with extras. Let's talk again soon!"

"Mkay, bye."

I end the call myself, since that's something I have to remember to do for the ones made from my God Panel's application. Still, even if there was a bit of awkwardness there, I enjoyed talking to Mo. And his dedication to the craft despite how much it actually benefits him is admirable and relatable.

I sure hope Len and Zoops are as friendly. … Wait, am I jinxing myself by thinking that? Can I unthink that real quick?