Covering Comms (Nanio Online #2)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Rodney

I lean back in my chair, adjusting my headphones over my ears. Rin and I are supposed to be playing some battle royale together today. We’ve both just started our streams which means we have a few minutes to just talk with our chats before we jump into the game.

Both of my roommates are streaming tonight.

We usually try to steer clear of streaming at the same time, mostly because we share a lot of the same viewers but Rin and I decided we wanted to play together and Kei is currently hyperfixated on a game called SkyDive.

He’s obsessed with trying to find every little detail the developers put into the game.

I’m not sure his current schedule is very healthy but I also don’t want him to yell at me so I’ll just make sure to bring him some food and fresh water once I’m finished for the night.

“Hi, everyone,” I say, looking into my camera, focusing on chat. “Welcome to the stream! As you know, Blue and I will be playing some battle royale tonight.”

Azaad(mod): Chat is wild tonight…

PeriwinklePally(mod): I’m dual watching the streams tonight!

BedheadRooster(vip): Hi Rodney!!

GrinBread: What’s battle royale?

WhoCares(vip): Don’t you have studying to do @BedheadRooster

BedheadRooster(vip): *dodgy eyes* No idea what you could mean…

“Thanks again for working triple time tonight, Azaad,” I say with a grin.

Azaad is my head mod, but he’s not just mine.

He takes care of quite literally everything between Rin, Kei, and I.

He doesn’t just mod our chats, he also helps take care of our Discord server, he schedules stuff for us, he lines up sponsorships, and he even edits clips that he posts on QuickVid for us, which is where people post short form content.

Rin, Kei, and I pay him for his time and efforts, knowing that with everything we ask of him, he wouldn’t have time to have a ‘normal’ job. I don’t say this lightly but I think we’d all be royally fucked without him.

Tonight, he’s keeping an eye on all three of our streams. He’s a wizard. Or well, his partner is called Wizard, but Azaad is the true magic that holds things together.

“Hi, Rooster! Hi, WhoCares! Glad to see you guys in chat! Battle royale is just a type of game,” I explain, reading through chat.

“Blue and I will be dropped onto a map with literally nothing and we’ll have to explore the area to find weapons and supplies all the while trying not to die from the other players. ”

I pick up a small ball from my desk, squeezing it and tossing it into the air.

Then I chuckle. “Oh, snap. WhoCares is calling you out, Rooster! If you’re here instead of studying, all I can say is,” I let my voice drift off before continuing, “good. Being here is way more important than studying. You can study while the stream is going on in the background. You think you’re allowed to leave and have a life outside during my streams? Think again, buddy!”

BedheadRooster(vip): He’s being clingy again…

PeriwinklePally(mod): We would never dream of leaving you Rodney

FightingFridge67: ClingyKing

WhoCares(vip): *scoffs*

“Hey! WhoCares, I’ll have you know that you love me. Yes, I’m declaring it now for everyone to hear. We all know the truth. You’d be lost without me and that’s okay. I accept you just as you are.”

WhoCares(vip): I’m leaving…

I put a hand over my heart, gasping loudly. “You wouldn’t dare. If you leave, I’m banning you.”

Just then, chat picks up speed. I look over, making sure my viewer count isn’t doing anything weird but no, my usual five thousand sits right where it should be. Why the heck is everyone freaking out?

Azaad(mod): IT’S HAPPENING! IT’S HAPPENING! EVERYONE STAY CALM!

BedheadRooster(vip): What’s happening?!

WhoCares(vip): *flips over to Blue’s chat* oh…

BakerBakes: Ohhhhhh snap!

DaddyDaddyDaddy: Shit is going down!

RodneysLeftNipple: Would you press one?? I have to know!!

PeriwinklePally(mod): …what the hell kinda name is that

JumpingNinja(vip): I just got here I am so confused what is HAPPENING

“Chat, chat! What the heck! Y’all are like a bag of hyperactive bunnies I’m trying to lug around on my back! What is actually happening right now?”

I look over at Discord, seeing that Rin is starting up a call. I answer right away, my eyes still wide as chat explodes with excitement.

“Blue!” I say, greeting my roommate and best friend, Rin. His streamer name is Blue, so that’s what I’ll be calling him while we’re both streaming. Both Rin and Kei go by different names online, liking to keep themselves separate in that little way. “Chat is freaking out! What the heck did you do?”

“I simply typed one. No big deal.”

“Oh,” I finally say, stretching out the word. I knew that he was planning on talking to chat about his relationship but I didn’t think it would happen so quickly! “You finally told the world about your love.”

“Yes. Yes, I did,” he says and I can hear the pride in his voice. Gosh, that’s so freaking cute!

Rin and Maki met in the strangest way. Apparently, Rin thought that Maki was a fan and stopped him for a picture in a rather rude way.

In reality, Maki just thought he was hot and wanted to approach him.

Things came to a head one night while live on stream.

There was a very public confrontation that led to Azaad cutting the stream altogether.

It was hilarious to sit back and watch.

They make a really cute couple. Maki is a professional volleyball player. He’s athletic and offline and honestly the exact opposite of Rin, yet somehow, they fit perfectly.

I let out a sigh, hoping chat doesn’t notice my wallowing. I’m happy for my best friend. Really. Really, really.

At the same time, I can’t help but be a little jealous. I want what they have. Well, maybe not exactly what they have but I want to have someone. I want my someone.

“Ready to jump in or do you need a little more time bragging about your baddie?”

Rin snorts through the mic. “Don’t call him that. What’s wrong with you?”

I giggle as I pull up the game and invite Rin to the same lobby as me.

Before I know it, we’re dropping down into the match.

We stay close, diving into a building together, scavenging everything we can find.

The two of us each find a gun, crouching behind a wall together as we sort through our supplies.

Suddenly, someone jumps over the wall, crouching along with us in our little hiding spot. We all point our guns at each other but none of us shoots.

“Okay, fellas. Let’s all put our guns down and talk this out,” the third person says, their voice smooth and silky through the in game voice chat. “Three people are better than two, right?”

“Oh my gods,” I say, just barely above a whisper, my stomach tightening with something I’m not about to name while I’m live.

Words start flowing out of my mouth against my permission and it’s only half wanting to keep chat entertained.

The other half is just me spitting facts.

“Your voice makes me wanna drop to my knees and bark like a dog. The things I would do to hear that voice in my ears, chat. I would beg and plead. I would write songs. I would become a poet. I would ride a dolphin into the sunset. Don’t even pretend you wouldn’t do the same, chat.

The only thing going on inside my head is how much of a gay disaster I am intermixed with bark bark bark bark bark. ”

There’s a long moment where everyone is quiet.

“Umm,” the third person says slowly. “Thank you? I think I’m flattered?”

Oh.

Oh no.

This cannot be happening. This cannot be real.

Looking over at chat, I see everyone freaking out, laughing their butts off at me and my big mouth. I wasn’t muted. That other person just heard everything I said about them in the game chat.

Oh my gods.

“What?” I scream, covering my face with my hands. I can feel my cheeks turning bright red. “My mic was unmuted and you heard that? Oh my gods, Blue, shoot me. Put me out of my misery. Let me get out of this game. Oh my gods.”

“Wait, you can’t leave yet,” the other person says right away, making my body freeze up. “I wanna hear more!”

Okay, I guess that could have gone worse…