"Wait, Seth finally brings a woman to this cottage?! Show me the scoop," Gracia chimed in, jumping off the sofa and marching my way.
The child behind me practically used me as a shield, obviously deeming Gracia as the boogeywoman.
This little one's gripping onto my clothes like it's a safety blanket, and I can't blame her – Gracia's got that wild, unpredictable vibe going on.
Even a child know she was a scary and crazy woman.
Matthias throws in his two cents, "It's not a woman, it's a kid! Can you believe it!?"
Classic Matthias, trying to stir the pot. He's just playing around, but man, does he know how to crank up the drama.
Garcia peered and looked at the child behind me, "Seriously Seth!? All of the people in this party you're the pedo one!? Matthias is more believable to be the one instead of you." she exclaimed chuckling.
"What did you say?! Me, a pedo?" Matthias said dramatically, "I like boobs and beautiful women! Of all the members in this party, I am the most perverted one!"
I shoot him a skeptical look, furrowing my brows. "And you're proud of that?"
He grins, "Yes, I will wear it as a badge of honor!"
Gracia bursts into laughter, and I just shake my head disapprovingly. Even Gideon, our silent observer in the living room, manages a chuckle.
But Matthias never actually shows that he was a pervert as in his act of interacting with a woman, even once. Well, to be perfectly clear, at that time no one in our party was a woman before Garcia.
Altough he always being surrounded by woman in high school. Probably because his daddy was rich, RICH.
Curiosity gets the best of me, and I ask, "Then, why the hell you don't want Garcia to be in our party?"
Matthias' silence was heavy, scratching his head, he said, "Well, that's. Uh... I accidentally saw Garcia and Gideon having... Sex... Before joining here. It's just too awkward having her in the same party!"
Garcia scoffs, "That's it? What a virgin."
His face reddened, "I... I am not a virgin! I have many experiences with women!" he crossed his arms.
"Yeah, you mean all the stack of porn magazines under your bed?" I chimed in.
I didn't know how Matthias got something like that in his hands. Who the hell sell porn magazine in the middle of the apocalypse?!
Matthias grabs my shoulder, embarrassed, "How did you know?"
I roll my eyes, "Your bed rocking hard every time you do "that" and the curiosity gets me when I check under your bed."
And, man, I fucking regret it. Matthias' fetishes were so horrid, he could go to jail if he showed it to the mass. People were right, curiosity killed the cat.
I continue with an annoyed tone. "I don't care about your business, but I swear to any Gods, if you started moaning, I will slit your throats, Matthias."
He frustratedly rocks my body, "Argh! You don't need to say it, Seth!"
Garcia joins in the fun, resting her hand on Matthias' shoulder, "So Matthias, are you horny because of the porn magazine or because of my moaning?" she said seductively close to his ear.
Matthias, now redder than a tomato, hides his face and distances himself from Garcia. "Shut up everyone! Stop talking about my private business, alright!"
"Let's not forget Seth's kid dilemma," he tries to change the subject, clearly desperate to move on from his private affairs.
"Oh yeah, the kid," I muttered forgotten about her because I was enjoying Matthias getting roasted.
Nudging her forward, I said, "Introduce yourself." Honestly, I didn't even know her name yet.
She seemed nervous, fidgeting with her hands and avoiding eye contact. "Umm... I am Arabella, seven years old. You can call me Ara."
Then came the tears, turning the room into a pool of worry. Even Gideon strolled over, concern etched on his face.
Everyone's smile faded as they looked at the child in distress. This wasn't the usual banter we engaged in. It was a reminder of the harsh reality we lived in.
"My father's name is Benjamin, and I am from the South colony," her sobs got louder. "If I'm lost, please bring me back to my Dad."
Suddenly, the room was a mix of sadness and confusion. Ara had a knack for tugging at heartstrings. Even my long-buried guilt decided to make a comeback.
Gideon kneeled in front of her, dabbing her tears with a tissue. "It's alright; we'll search for your father tomorrow."
Ara shook her head and pointed at me, "He said my Daddy was sleeping and never woke up again."
Everyone turned to me, eyes filled with disbelief. What the hell had I done? Aside from killing her father and turning everything into a mess like this.
Now, I regretted it. Should've never agreed to Benjamin's bet.
"Can you give us an explanation, Seth?" Gideon glared at me.
Damn, did they know I was the one who offed her father? No way, right? They didn't even know I hunted players for leveling up and killing points.
"I found Ara in a ruined building and helped her bury Benjamin. From the injury I found, I think her father was killed by another player." I bluffed shamelessly, relieved that my childhood talent for lying still held up.
"Hmmm... It must be the Malevolent Marauders," chimed Matthias suddenly.
He wasn't talking about me, was he? I'd only been on a player-killing spree for three days; there was no fucking way people had already given me a nickname.
"What's that?" I asked innocently.
"It's a group of players that kill others for entertainment and, of course, leveling up," Gideon answered.
Thankfully, they weren't talking about me.
"So, what's your plan, Seth?" Garcia asked. "She's your responsibility now," she emphasized 'responsibility.'
I got it – the kid was too weak to be our party member, and it was a pain to protect her. All the responsibility got dumped on me.
A real pain in the ass, but did I really have a choice?
"I'll track down Benjamin's old party and see if they're up for taking Ara back," I said, getting straight to the point.
Honestly, I had my doubts. No sane party in this crazy world would willingly take on a powerless kid. She wasn't Jayden, who could navigate this apocalypse like a mini pro.
She was just a regular kid.
Gideon furrowed his brows and let out a sigh, "Sure thing, go ahead with your plan. If it doesn't work out, you can always swing by here." He threw me a reassuring smile.
I nodded, grateful for Gideon's understanding. But still, I didn't want this kid sticking around, and even Matthias decided to be mute on this one.
I was hoping some kind-hearted and benevolent party out there would be willing to take her in.
Then, Garcia grabbed Ara and said, "Let's introduce you to all our party members," with a gentle smile.
Garcia took charge, introducing Ara to the gang and leading her to the dinner table for some grub. I sighed, grateful for her taking over.
As I scanned the room, I noticed Jayden was nowhere to be found. Glancing at the stairs, I caught him peeking from one of the stairwells, wearing his usual poker face.
But something felt off about him. Shouldn't a kid be thrilled at the prospect of having another kid around? They could play together, right?
Especially considering Jayden came from the orphanage; he must've had tons of experience with kids his age. But instead, he didn't react to a thing and just headed back to his room.
A sudden wave of unease washed over me. But ended up forgetting about it when Gideon called me to the dining room to eat together with Ara and of course, another detailed interrogation about how I found Ara and blah blah blah.
I didn't remember it all, because all of the questions were so annoying. So I answered it half-assed.