Chapter 17
So. Apparently in Burkhard, there was such a thing as game night.
This was news to Nikki, and while it was fun in concept…really? Dragons hundreds to thousands of years old really got together to play Twister?
Dafuq?
Anyway, not only was this a thing, but for some odd reason, their usually very introverted Gunter went right to game night like it was the most natural thing in the world. The man who literally forgot to eat three meals a day. Remembered game night.
Nikki was going to need an intelligence check on this one. Maybe an investigation check. Something. Because this did not make any sense to them whatsoever.
Maybe it was the confusion that prevented Nikki from asking more questions.
Or stalling. Whatever it was, in short order they found themself in the dining room, surrounded by the entire clan and visiting clans, multiple games going on in every corner and on every table top.
Being surrounded by this many mages made hives break out on Nikki’s skin.
Their resolve to be on better terms with the mages notwithstanding, Nikki had planned to do it in stages.
Not like this. This felt like being thrown into the deep end.
Gunter didn’t seem to realize, just waved Nikki on. “Go find a game, you can always jump in. I’m heading for snacks first.”
Nikki almost snatched him back but missed the timing. Gunter was headed toward the buffet before they could say something. Dammit. Maybe they could run for it and Gunter wouldn’t notice for a few hours.
Just as they were eyeing the doors, an arm locked in with theirs. Cassie grinned up at them, honestly delighted to see Nikki there.
“You came! Look at you being a little social butterfly.”
Okay, Cassie wasn’t bad. Nikki actually liked Cassie, a little. She was a bundle of energy and mischief, and they couldn’t find her threatening. “Yeah, hi, I had no idea what was going on. Gunter just dragged me up here like it was the most natural thing in the world. I mean, game night?”
“It is hilarious how seriously they take it, too.” Cassie waved a hand around to indicate the room in general.
“They’re competitive. Like, Olympian kind of competitive.
They will shift in order to win at Twister.
I’ve started taking videos and posting them to the Burkhard Facebook page. And our website.”
Nikki stared at her, waiting for the punchline. “We have a social media page. And website?”
“Sure, how do you think all the wannabe mages find us? Gotta advertise, am I right?”
Sometimes, being around Cassie made their brain cramp. “But isn’t that handing out info to the Jaeggi?”
“Naw, I’m careful what I post. It’s always silly stuff like this. And they know our location, anyway. Not like I’m divulging a secret there.”
“Okay, good point.” Nikki eyed the many, many games in progress and didn’t even know where to start.
Or where they’d be comfortable sitting, honestly.
They sucked in a deep breath to settle their nerves.
They didn’t want to run. They wanted to at least try and stick this out, see if the fear of the thing was worse than it actually was. “Cassie, swear to me—”
“Fuck you,” she said promptly.
Nikki eyed her sideways, exasperated. “I meant like a promise.”
“Oh. My bad.”
“Don’t throw me into this, okay? Like…which game is even safe for me to join?”
“Feeling overwhelmed? I getcha. Okay, first, don’t play Twister.
Seriously, the dragons are not to be trusted.
The DnD game has been going on for ages; it’ll be hard to join in on the fly, although if you want to, you can.
You just need to create a character first and get caught up to speed.
Hmm, for tonight…how about Funkenschlag? ”
“The power company game?”
“Yeah, that one. Never understood why they didn’t call the electricians power rangers in that game, but still fun. Yes, no?”
Tori and Baldewin were already playing the game in question, and that more than anything convinced Nikki to join in. Those two Nikki was more than comfortable with. The board game wasn’t something Nikki was super familiar with, but they could always read the rules and figure it out.
“Yeah, that one’s good.”
“Cool beans.” Cassie towed them straight to the table, which was fortunately in a corner, not in the open room. Nikki smiled at the other two. Okay, this wouldn’t be too bad, if Nikki could just camp out here for the rest of the evening. Or however long this lasted.
“Hi, can I join?”
“Sure,” Baldewin encouraged, waving them into a seat. “We’re actually setting up for a round. Your timing is good. Is Gunter joining us?”
“I think so, yeah. He said he wanted snacks first.”
“He usually does. You familiar with the game?”
“I played it a few times years ago, when it first came out. I’m a little shaky on the rules.”
Baldewin obligingly found the rule book and handed it over. “Read it first, we’ll answer questions.”
“Sure, thanks.” Nikki accepted it and started reading from the beginning. As they read, they were aware of another person coming to sit down next to them. But it was the intense stare that finally brought their head up.
The man looked much older, with salt-and-pepper hair, more toward grey.
A dragon for sure, dressed in a comfortable black track suit, with a can of beer in one hand.
His white brows were furrowed together in confusion.
The dragon listed obviously to the right, and it was clear that was not the first can of beer.
Far from it. It was a sort of an adorable look.
“Who are you?” he asked finally.
It wasn’t nice of Nikki to mess with a drunk person. But Nikki never claimed to be nice, either. “I’m me! Who are you?”
“I’m also me!” Drunk dragon blinked in astonishment. “How can this be?”
“We’re both me.”
“If we’re both me, we must be kin!” He looked very happy at this conclusion.
“Must be,” Nikki confirmed with a firm nod.
“Want some beer?”
“Of course!”
Gunter put a plate of food down in front of Nikki and sighed. “Lir, for the love of god, stop trying to corrupt the young mages. Your beer fells mountains, it’s so toxic. Nikki, this is Lir. Do not trust their beer. Lir, this is Nikki. Nikki’s pronouns are like yours, they/them.”
“Non-binary or genderfluid?” Lir inquired, intrigued by this.
“Uh…NB. You?” It was the first time Nikki had ever met someone who used they/them pronouns.
“Genderfluid. Hey, I’d heard we had a mage in here who was using they/them pronouns. Good to meet you. But truly, my beer is great.”
“Do not trust the beer,” Tori reinforced, shaking a finger at Lir. “I got sucked into this once, and half a beer got me not only drunk but horny. Not that Baldewin minded the last part.”
Baldewin’s grin was nostalgic and perfectly filthy. “Not one bit.”
“But the beer is not to be trusted.”
Lir pouted openly, then pointedly sipped their beer in a noisy slurp.
“Gunter, you playing?” Baldewin asked.
“Sure.”
“Settle in, then, I think we’re about ready to start. Nikki, you got your head around the rules?”
“I think so, more or less.”
“Ask questions as we go,” Tori encouraged. “Alright, I think I’ll start us off.”
Nikki was honestly paying attention, and during the first few moves of the game felt like they half-understood what to do. Gunter stayed close and pointed out hints, which Nikki appreciated. They hadn’t played a board game in many, many years. It was fun to do it again, especially with this group.
As they played, Cassie and Cameron wandered by, both of them with beers in hand, looking outraged, gesturing to something on Cameron’s phone.
Nikki froze up a little, not comfortable with them being so close, but they weren’t paying anyone else any attention.
“Fuck that guy,” Cameron said with righteous indignation.
Cassie frowned deeply. “What if we fucked him with a cactus?”
“While the cactus is on fire? Sold.”
“I’m worried the fire would damage the integrity of the spines and therefore be less painful because of it.”
“We can light it on fire for round two.” Cameron nodded, comfortable with his own decision.
Tori turned and added, “I feel sorry for this cactus that is about to die a tragic, very young death. I think we should reconsider this plan, as this is plant abuse. Poor, innocent desert pricks deserve nurturing, not burning in some disturbing bum. And what the hell are you two talking about?”
Cameron flipped the phone so they could see the screen. “Look at this. This guy is selling kittens as snake food. What the hell, am I right?”
Nikki looked at the ad posting and felt their own outrage stir. Shit like that was absolutely not cool. Pet stores sold legitimate snake food, didn’t they? This guy was an asshole. “Is that nearby?”
“Yeah, they’re in Sonthofen. Hence why it popped up on my marketplace feed. Shit, seriously, I want to do something about this.”
“What if we made a cactus using floral foam and porcupine quills?” Cassie suggested hopefully.
“If you’re going to do that, I think it only right to give the guy some lube. I’ll buy some road grease.” Lir’s smile was not at all nice.
Nikki looked at them, these grown adults who were ready to wage war over helpless kittens, and felt themself thaw a little more toward Cameron. You couldn’t be a bad person and love animals. That was just fact.
It was as much a surprise to them as anyone that Nikki felt comfortable saying, “I’ve found that explosions fix a lot of problems.”
“Explosions!” Cameron thrust out a hand, offering knuckles to bump. “Right on. Let’s explode this guy.”
Nikki bumped, grinning. Cameron was now officially alright in their books.
Baldewin proved the most sensible of the bunch, as he took Cameron’s phone for a moment. “That really is close by. And the posting is only five minutes old. If we leave now, we have a chance of saving them all. Alright, Knights of the Kittens, assemble! We do ride forthwith!”
Everyone in earshot—which proved to be a good ten people—immediately stood, all heading for the door.
Drunk, sober, buzzed, they all were united in their goal.
Nikki moved with them, feeling good about for once being the rescuer instead of the rescued.
They coordinated about which vehicles to take, Cameron already calling the number to arrange ‘buying’ all of the kittens from the man.
It felt good, to be united in purpose with these people.
It felt right, as if Nikki was supposed to be doing this precise thing, at this very moment.
See? Nikki was totally right in diving in and telling their fears to shut up.
They could totally do this. And they caught the approving look Tori shot them and grinned back at him.
They’d save the kittens. And mess shit up.
Nikki was always down for that.