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In an instant, the entire environment changed. As if with a snap of the fingers, the group of survivors moved from the cold, night streets to a cozy hut. Or to be more precise, to the dining room.
Most of them had already gotten used to it and simply sighed with relief from the fact that they managed to survive. They managed to end up in the group of the luckiest.
Only one of the guys who survived still looked like they were in a round. Noob. Their wide-open eyes spoke of a broken moral state.
"Noob? Is everything fine?"
"M? Ah! Yes, yes, everything is okay Guest! Don't worry about it..."
Guest approached the blond, who continued to sit on a chair staring into space for several minutes already. Or to be more precise, a Classic Guest.
It was easy to tell from their look that they did not believe their friend at all. The only problem was that they had no effective way to make them talk.
The atmosphere was not very conducive to it.
"Well..."
"Classic! Stop not doing anything and go train!"
A rough voice from the living room made the person in the cap frown even more, and then close their eyes and rub their temples.
"If you want to talk, you can always come to me, even if I'm training, okay?"
"Yeah..." - Noob looked away distantly, as if their friend had already managed to leave. - "Thank you.."
Giving the broken blond another look, full of doubt as to whether it was worth leaving them alone at all, Guest left the dining room and headed towards the exit of the hut.
So they were left alone, in this gloomy room, where the guys gathered to sit only when they ate or decided to play cards, which Chance so kindly provided. Of course, the gambler himself never missed a chance to play these very cards.
The previously gloomy room was filled with voices. And they weren't coming from the living room, but were in the room itself. A group of survivors walked in with Chance holding a deck of cards.
Speak of the devil, as they say.
Among them were a few people Noob didn't know very well, but also some they were relatively familiar with. These included Chance himself, the guy with wings, and Elliot.
It was surprising not to see Shedletsky in this group of guys who decided to play. It was probably his turn to cook for everyone.
When Noob first came here, they were amazed at how well the survivors held up. Not only were they able to keep their sanity in this terrible place, but they also helped each other. They even took care of things like cooking for everyone, cleaning, and entertainment.
If Noob had been one of the first to get here, they definitely would have broken down and was a psychopath by this point. Only the fact that there were always a lot of people around and their friend, as well as the short stay here, kept their sanity relatively in order.
"Oh, Noob, do you want to join us?" - The first to notice the new guy in the room was the pizza delivery guy.
Elliot. He always made sure that the guys didn't get hurt during the rounds, trying to feed and thus patch up those who were injured.
"By the way, it would be very handy if you joined us. We were just missing one more player."
Chance threw a deck of cards in his hands, which was undoubtedly large. It was the largest set, consisting of fifty-two cards.
Noob quickly glanced at everyone here. There was not a drop of ill will in their eyes.
Uncertainly, Noob nodded.
Seeing the nod from the newcomer, the group of survivors seemed to blossom. It seemed very important to them to have good relations with everyone. In principle, this was understandable.
"What are we going to play?" - Noob shrank on the far chair, tightly clutching their shoulder. Thus, one of hands covered stomach.
"Blackjack. Have you heard of such a game?"
Chance shuffled the cards in his dexterous hands. It seemed that he was already used to this.
"No..."
A couple of times, maybe in movies, the blond definitely heard about this game. But they never had the chance to learn the rules.
"Then who would like to explain the rules?" - Elliot leaned back in his chair, looking around the table.
It did not seem that those gathered were ready to explain them. Some were busy talking to each other, Chance was shuffling the cards, some did not care at all. Awkwardness hung in the dining room for a few seconds.
And all until someone carefully raised their hand, as is usually done in school classrooms.
"I can explain the rules."
This was said by the same man with wings, whom Noob never had the chance to meet. They often saw them, even in rounds that not everyone dared to go to.
"Nice!" - Elliot was clearly pleased with the reaction from the others.
"In blackjack, the goal of each player is to get a sum of twenty-one. Each card has a number. A two is a two, a three is a three. A jack is eleven, a queen is twelve, a king is thirteen, and an ace is one. At the beginning of the round, everyone is given two cards, and then the player decides whether to take another card from the deck or not. The one whose sum is closest to twenty-one wins, but if it's more than twenty-one this person will most likely lose, but he has a chance to win if his opponent's sum also exceeds twenty-one."
The noob listened attentively to the man with wings. Honestly, they did not understand everything at once, but this was more likely due to the fact that the explanations were given only in words.
"Did you understand everything?" - Elliot, as always, tried to help the newbie.
"Well... In general, yes, but..."
"I can explain it again."
"No, we don't need that," - Chance suddenly slammed the deck on the table, after starting to pass the cards to the players. - "Newbie Noob will understand everything during the game!"
Eeryone could hear impatience in gamblers voice. And this impatience was so strong that he cut his comrade off in mid-sentence. However, it did not seem that he was angry about this. He was just looking at his cards.
And so the game began.
***
“No, this is just not right!” - Chance dropped his head sharply, hitting his forehead on the wooden table. - “This kind of newbie luck is unfair!”
The gambler’s voice betrayed his emotions. This funny grief and injustice.
The Noob smiled awkwardly when they had two cards in front of them, one of which was a ten and the other a jack.
The other players just laughed at this exaggerated reaction, congratulating the newbie on his latest victory.
“Winning six times in a row is simply unthinkable!” - the rage that sounded more funny than scary changed to ridiculous sadness. - “Why didn’t I get a single good card…”
There was a feeling that tears would flow from his eyes, covered by sunglasses, just like the heroes of comedy comics.
Noob wanted to console him, but Shedletsky and Builderman came into the room, as well as some other group of guys, carrying plates with food.
"So, card players, let's quickly wrap up and clear the table!"
The chicken lover's cry sounded as if he couldn't stand gamblers.
"Hey, Shed, you yourself would have joined if it weren't your turn to cook dinner."
"Now, shut up and quickly go to the table."
The group of guys giggled and began to collect the cards, then handing them all to Chance, back into the deck box.
Everyone was looking forward to this dinner, which would help them restore the strength they had lost during the round.
The only one who didn't seem excited about the upcoming meal was Noob. During the game, they had begun to behave more relaxed and freely, but now they were more tense than before.
At the moment when Shed entered the room, the smell of fried chicken also entered the room. The blond felt sick from it.
It seemed that the aroma of food alone filled their stomach so much that it was ready to burst, and then gather itself back into a full-fledged organ from the scattered pieces.
Only to shrink as much as possible, and then devour itself. And this whole process would be accompanied by inhuman nausea.
"Noob? Can you give the cards?"
A trembling hand placed the cards, clenched in the hands, on the table. They were a little wrinkled, although before that they were in perfect condition.
Voices were heard from the side, but they no longer wanted to listen to them. They just wanted to leave the room as soon as possible in order not to smell such a disgusting smell of food.
But their legs trembled helplessly, indicating the impossibility of getting up. There was not enough strength. The body ached from the lack of much-needed energy, which could only be obtained from food.
Hateful food.
Nausea settled like an unpleasant lump between their stomach and throat. It pressed on Noob like a leaden cloud hanging only above his head.
The survivor's gaze caught a chicken with some kind of side dish on a plate placed on the table.
The salivary glands tensed as if the nose smelled a lemon or some other sour fruit. Vomit quickly rose to the throat, threatening to burst out of half-open lips.
Covering their mouth, Noob jumped up and ran outside, trying with all their might to hold back the urge to vomit.
Finding themselves in the bushes, they removed hand from the mouth and bent over, starting to empty the vomit out of themselve.
It wasn't even food. Gastric juice left Noob's body in small quantities, leaving an unpleasant, bitter taste on the tongue.
Cold sweat ran down their skin.
"Noob! Noob!.."
The familiar voice of the builder was heard down the street. Builderman came out of the main hut in search of a new guy.
The man he was looking for was quickly found on the side of the house. They didn't want anyone to see them like this, so they flinched when they saw the man.
"What happened?" - Builderman only became more worried when he saw the picture.
The sick newbie looked down at the ground, trying to even out breathing after vomiting.
"So that's what it means..." - Builderman frowned, looking down in confusion.
Noob was sitting next to him on the porch of one of the huts, holding a hot glass of water in their hand. They had a blanket on shoulders.
"And how long ago did this start?"
"A couple of rounds after Guest started training..." - Noob hesitated before answering this question.
"That long?! Why haven't you told anyone yet?"
There was genuine concern and shock in Builderman's voice. But the way he raised his voice sounded like anger.
"I didn't want to be a burden.."
Builderman looked at Noob, who was cowering under the pressure, for a while. His eyes were wide open and his brows were slightly furrowed. It could be called a face of disbelief. But soon his expression softened.
"Let's go for a walk when you finish drinking, I'll just grab a few things."
When Noob finished drinking water, Builderman took the glass and carried it into the hut, then came out with a hoodie and put it on himself.
The pair of survivors headed to the shore of the lake, which was right next to their "village".
For a while, they were accompanied by silence, broken only by the sounds of quiet footsteps.
"Classic also doesn't know about this, right?"
Noob nodded slightly, feeling a pang of guilt. After all, the Guest, from the moment they got here, did everything in order to be able to protect their friend.
What can I say, even before they showed up in this place, the Guest, who was not used to a lot of social interactions, was ready to walk up to a fast food worker, holding Noob's hand, and say something like: "They asked for a burger without pickles!"
Noob wanted to howl from their own ingratitude and remorse. It was unpleasant to leave a precious friend in the dark when they suspected that there was a problem, but at the same time Noob didn't want to burden Guest with their own problems.
In the end, it felt like Noob themselve was to blame. If it weren't for them and their aversion to food that arose out of nowhere, nothing would bother the Guest.
Noob just wanted to disappear to give Classic peace of mind, without unnecessary worries and the blonde.
"No wonder. If they knew, they probably wouldn't be training now, but trying to help," - a grin appeared on Builderman's face from his own words. - "They're a very good friend. So much so that you don't want to bother them, right?
The Noob shuddered, then froze for a few moments. Builderman was right. And all this despite the fact that a couple of newcomers didn't even have time to properly get to know him.
"Yeah... I don't want to bother Guest."
Determination was heard in the voice, previously full of weakness and uncertainty. Determination not to let their best friend down again.
The blond clenched their fist, as if he had gathered all their strength there, starting to look at it.
"In that case, you should solve your problem quickly, so that they doesn't notice."
The fist, which was confidently clenched, began to tremble, and the fingers began to lose strength, threatening to turn the fist of a determined person into a relaxed palm of an exhausted person.
The thought of eating scared them.
"And if it is beyond your strength, there will be those who will help you," - Builderman's hand fell on the top of Noob's head, starting to carefully stroke the stranger's head. - "And it's not only Guest. Don't be shy to ask us for help."
When someone else's hand fell on Noob's head, they were freed from the numbing fear, turning head to Builderman in surprise. What they saw made them freeze, and heart beat faster from excitement.
There was a warm smile on the man's face, combining care, concern and willingness to help. These emotions and gestures of his were as if Noob was his close person, and not a stranger whom he had met only recently.
The guys with whom they had played cards earlier popped into their head. They were all exactly the same. Although someone did not show it openly, in small gestures on their part one could read care.
And this concerned not only them, but also Guest. They were surrounded by those who wanted to help, and not just stand aside.
And although this place was very different from Robloxia in its cold and outward unfriendly nature, the people who were here were the complete opposite of those who were in Robloxia.
Noob pursed their lips and their face seemed to start to float. Warm tears poured from their eyes, and Noob hugged Builderman, burying their wet face in his hoodie.
The man did not hesitate and responded to the stranger's hugs, simultaneously stroking the blonde's hair, trying to calm them down.
The pair of survivors returned to the village only when Noob calmed down. Their eyes were swollen from tears, and nose was red from the cold. A trace of the blonde's snot remained on Builderman's hoodie.
"Sorry for dirtying the hoodie... "- Noob's voice was weak after their walk.
"It's okay."
Their destination was the summer kitchen, where the survivors always cooked. There was also a large table and benches for eating there, but because of the cold, they preferred to eat inside.
There was already someone in the kitchen, namely Elliot in his red jacket.
“Oh, you came...” - the pizza delivery guy said with a smile, putting the ladle aside. - “Wha-! Did something happen?? Why does Noob look like that?”
“Don’t worry about it, Elliot…”
A smile blossomed on the blond’s face as they answered. Their heart warmed from the realization of how much they were being cared for.
“Well, if you ask nicely… But if Builderman makes fun of you, be sure to tell me!”
“Hey?! I’m standing here, y'know! And anyway, why did you think that I could make fun of Noob???
Watching the squabble unfold, the smile on Noob's face grew wider, eventually leading them to laugh at the absurdity of what was happening.
***
"And here's the soup," - there was a soup bowl with chicken broth inside. The kind they usually make for the sick. - "I hope you like it."
Elliot smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head as he landed on the bench opposite Noob.
"Thank you.."
It was pleasant and awkward to realize that he had prepared a whole soup for him. And the fact that Builderman had asked Elliot to prepare it in advance before the walk was surprising.
Noob's gaze fell on the dishes and the lump of uncertainty inside only grew. When they took a spoon and scooped up some broth, the disgust grew, as if announcing its presence. Threatening to push out of their body all the food they wereabout to eat.
But in contrast to the nausea and disgust, thoughts came about those who cared for them. Builderman, Elliot, the other survivors and... Guest. And how much effort they had put into bringing Noob to this stage. Soup was prepared especially for them..!
Feeling the support of the others, the blond closed eyes and held breath, sharply putting the spoon in the mouth. Quickly, they swallowed the hot broth and tightly closed lips.
For some time, they just sat, waiting for body to react. But it... Was not there.
The body did not show any negative reaction from the spoon of soup. On the contrary, it felt a little better from the warmth that entered inside.
Noob, not believing what was happening, began to drink more soup. With each spoon, they increased the speed, enjoying the warmth and pleasantness of the food they were consuming.
The happiness that came from the realization that they could finally eat made them want to cry.
And these emotions of their, even if not as strong, were shared by those present.
"Well, how was it? Did you like it?"
Noob began to nod quickly, smiling widely.
"I'm glad!"
Builderman didn't say anything, just sat there and smiled, resting his cheek on his hand.
"Noob!" - Classic Guest ran up to the summer kitchen. - "I've been looking for you everywhere."
"Guest!" - the blond blossomed, getting up from the seat and preparing to run to their best friend.
But before doing so, they glanced at Elliot and Builderman, who were still sitting.
"Thank you," - they said not loud enough for Guest to hear, then leaving the summer kitchen and heading to their friend to chat with them about all the topics of this world.