Playing Mod (Nanio Online #3)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Shiloh

I jump into the match, wiping my hands on my sweats before putting them back on my mouse and keyboard. My phone vibrates against my desk and I quickly pick it up. My heart quickens slightly as I see Suga’s name across the screen.

Suga: Rooting for you.

That’s it. That’s all he’s said.

What a dickhead.

I flip my phone face down on my desk, focusing on the screen. I’m sure Suga is just trying to taunt me so that I fuck up. How the hell have I found myself here? How the fuck am I even in this situation?

I’m about to jump head first into a battle royale type video game.

This lobby is filled with moderators who work with BlueStreamer, RodKneeonComs, and the guy I personally mod for, PourSomeSuga.

I know all their real life names but I hate feeling parasocial so I’ll continue to call them by their gamer tags.

We’re in the middle of a massive charity stream and while the guys have a moment to relax and maybe catch a quick nap, the stream is doing a mod takeover.

Part of that takeover includes this particular match. Whoever wins this, will win a stupid-ass online date with Suga.

I don’t particularly want to win.

I also really, really don’t want anyone else to win.

My character drops into the map and I take off running.

I know Azaad, the head mod that takes care of all three streamers, and his partner, Wizard, are doing live commentary on Blue’s stream.

I have it muted, not wanting to cheat by seeing other people’s point of view, or be distracted by their banter.

I’m not the biggest video game player, preferring to watch it rather than play them myself. My PC is really fucking slow which works in my favor in this case.

My character bounces around the map, lagging so badly that no one can get a shot on me. If they can’t hit me, then they can’t kill me. I find a couple grenades while I run around, using those so I don’t have to worry about being the most accurate.

Sure, some might think this technique is kinda cringe and to that I’ll simply say, they’re not wrong but also, they can suck my left nutsack. A win’s a win!

I run around the map, collecting supplies, and dodging incoming fire. The number at the top of the screen slowly goes down as people die. I run around the corner, suddenly face to face with another player. I yelp, shooting my gun practically point blank.

“What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fuck?” I hear come through the game’s voice chat. “Where are you even shooting from? I can’t even see you!”

I giggle as I kill Joker, one of Blue’s mods.

“Get fucked!” I cackle before running away.

It doesn’t take long before it’s just me and Vee.

VeeEyePee is another one of Blue’s mods.

Vee is actually good at this game but fortunately for me, lag somehow beats skill.

My movements zig zag across the screen as I toss grenade after grenade at their character.

Eventually, the screen goes still. ‘Winner’ flashes across the screen. Then my game crashes.

I close out the game, going over and pulling up Discord, jumping into the mod call.

“Hey,” I say in greeting before so many voices are chiming in, telling me how fucked up it is to win like that. “It’s not my fault I don’t have money for a new PC!”

“Is your computer from the stone ages? What the hell was that?”

“Doesn’t seem fair that you won when none of us could even see your character!”

“Gods, if you wanted a date with Suga that badly all you had to do was ask.”

I tsk into the mic, setting them all off into giggles. I cross my arms over my chest, staring at the screen while everyone talks.

Azaad and Wizard jump into the call, muting everyone but me. I sit up a little straighter. I don’t know what it is about Azaad but he always commands a room. He’s the sweetest guy you’ll ever meet, but we all defer to him. He’s really good at his job as head mod.

“Well done, Sookie,” Azaad says with a chuckle.

“I’m not sure if you should be complimenting him or his PC,” Wizard adds.

“You guys never established that an internet connection was a requirement for playing.”

“It was implied,” Azaad says and I swear I can hear him rolling his eyes. “Either way, you’re our winner. Are you excited for your date?”

I wrinkle my nose. “Incredibly,” I deadpan. “I know Suga has a hard time with people so I thought I’d take one for the team and be his date.”

“How chivalrous of you,” Wizard says quickly. “I’m sure he’ll be thrilled his favorite mod won.”

“I’m not his favorite, that’s obviously Azaad. The only reason he doesn’t fire me as one of his mods is because I have blackmail on him.”

“Care to share?” Azaad asks.

“Nope.”

“You’re no fun.”

“Never said I was.”

Wizard groans and I can’t help but snort in response. Azaad unmutes the other mods and they’re off on a tangent. While I listen, I pull up the stream so I can keep an eye on chat.

Normally, I’m only a mod for Suga’s chat but because Suga, Rodney, and Rodney’s boyfriend, Snow, are hosting Blue’s stream, every viewer is being funneled into Blue’s chat.

Because of the huge influx of people, it’s all hands on deck.

All mods have been given mod powers in Blue’s chat.

Once the stream is over, Azaad will put us back down to VIPs.

TwinkleKawa(vip): Sookie, let me buy you a new PC. That was painful to watch man…

BedheadRooster: LETS GO SOOKIE!

IwaZilla(vip): Kawa! Stop trying to buy shit for people!

TwinkleKawa(vip): You’re just jealous I’m not buying stuff for you! All you have to do is ask ;)

SqueakyWheel(mod): Oh lord they’re flirting again

LiberosOnTop(vip): …I think they’re cute

SqueakyWheel(mod): Of course you would

ExcitedOwl(vip): HI LIBERO HI SQUEAK! I WISH GLASSES WAS HERE TOO

GlassesforDayz(vip): …hi

ExcitedOwl(vip): OMG HI THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER

WhoCares: …gross

SookieBlahBlahBlah(mod): Stop being flirty in chat some of us are single

Azaad(mod): Not for long if this date goes well ;p

SookieBlahBlahBlah(mod): I’m in your walls Azaad

I readjust until I’m sat pretzel style in my computer chair. I make sure my blanket is comfortably tucked around my lap. The stream shifts screens, moving away from the Discord call to the camera set up in person.

Blue, Suga, and Rodney are sat on the couch in their living room, looking cozy all together.

Maki, Blue’s boyfriend, is sat on the floor next to him while Snow is leaning against the back of the couch.

Azaad and Wizard are also there, both with a laptop in their lap, sitting on the floor with their backs against the couch.

“Hi everyone! Did you miss us?” Blue says with a grin, waving at the camera.

“We’re gonna start the next section of our stream now!

This is the advice show. What better time to pick our brains than when we’re sleep deprived and hyped up on caffeine?

Feel free to send in donations with questions you’d like for us to answer.

We’re gonna do our best to get through as many as we can in the time we have.

Azaad and Wizard here are going to be picking the best questions and sending them our way.

If you don’t see your question, I’ll say sorry now.

I’m sure we’ll get so many that there’s no way for us to get through them all. ”

“Keep in mind, all of these donations are going to a great cause. This money is going to a local children’s hospital. Even if we don’t get to your question, it will still be worth sending it in,” Suga says, his brows wrinkling seriously.

How is it that they’re all so hot? Like seriously. It feels impossible for so much hotness to be in one living room without the entire place setting fire.

Blue has this gorgeous blue hair and thousand watt smile.

His boyfriend, Maki, is a literal professional volleyball player so he’s jacked.

Rodney has this really pretty silver hair.

Snow has the softest features and prettiest face.

Azaad is the perfect pastel gay while his boyfriend is a handsome goth femboy.

Then there’s Suga.

I’m embarrassed to admit how attractive I find Suga.

He just somehow hits every single one of my buttons.

He’s got these really expressive eyebrows, dark hair, and great eyes.

He’s strong but lanky. Sometimes he does these drawing streams where he shows his hands and fucking hell.

The amount of times I’ve grown hard while watching is downright pathetic.

Plus, he’s an asshole. Just like me.

I find myself smiling at my computer screen, remembering what happened earlier in the stream.

The Nanio Ninjas, the team of professional volleyball players that Maki is part of, played a silly match against the streamers, their partners, and Pally, one of Blue’s mods.

It was hilarious to see just how awful they were.

Suga ended up leaping up and attempting a spike.

He was so off balanced that he ended up chest first in the net.

When he landed on his feet, somehow one of his arms was snagged through a hole in the net.

He started flailing around, wrapping himself up even worse until Daniel, the captain of the volleyball team, had to help get him out.

What the fuck does it say about me that I found the entire thing endearing?

Gods, what is wrong with me?

“First question,” Wizard says, reading from his laptop.

He clears his throat. “Okay so, here’s the thing.

I’m in love with my best friend. We grew up next to each other and have known each other since we were three.

I’ve been in love with him since middle school.

Now, we’re both adults, work in the same place, and the worst part, or maybe the best part depending on how you look at it, is that we’re roommates.

Our lives are so intertwined I don’t know where I start and he begins.

What should I do? Any and all advice is very welcome! Signed, hopelessly in love.”