Strangely enough, after the first couple of times of playing with Kurloc, he changed back to himself. Apparently my brain made a different category for rl Kurloc and virtual Kurloc and my Kurloc had come back to life again.

He had to do a quest and he needed a goblin warlock. I had one. I logged him, without thinking it through. Kurloc saw my guildtag. It was not my main, but it was my main’s guildtag. It was my real guild. My guild was known. And somewhat (understatement) notorious.

K: Lol <guildname>
P: Yeah. 🙂
K: So how you got in?
P: Long story.
(The story: I accidentally entered a battleground equipped with my fishing gear. Some dude commented on it, in a semi-rp-way, and I out-rp’ed him and his friend completely during the battle. He grinned and sent me a guild invite.)
K: Short story. You are a girl.
P: They didn’t know that.
K: Sure they did.

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Trying to act casual, I descended the stairs. Not feeling like a star, far from that. ‘Pyxis!’ someone exclaimed. I insta-smiled. (My body apparently insta-smiles when someone exclaims my name. Even when it’s my virtual one.)
‘Hi,’ I said to no-one in particular.
‘Hi!’ said someone who grabbed my hand and shook it, ‘Kurloc.’
‘Kurloc!’
‘Let me introduce you!’ he said.

Of course, I forgot most of the names. I see faces before me, merging together. Smiles, brown eyes, blue eyes, glasses, an occasional tattoo. Skinny people, fit people, and people that looked like they didn’t believe in going outside. It was hot. It was boiling down there. A low ceiling. The space was crammed with tables and chairs.
‘Pizza coming at seven,’ Kurloc informed me with a wink.
‘Nice,’ I said, keeping my cool.

It was like my first day going to a new school, after my family moved. I was six, walked through the gates, in the yard, the buildings, children running around me and I was shocked. I hadn’t thought about how the school would be, but somehow I did have expectations. Because it looked different. It all looked entirely different. And so did Kurloc. No conscious expectations, but I must have had some, since he looked different. And he seemed less friendly (and less hotheaded) than I had experienced him in game.

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Quietly leveling an alt. Got a guild invite spammed at me and saying yes simply matched my mood best. A lot of happy welcomes in guildchat and I happily thanked them in return.

This guild was the sort that would advertise with ‘nice bunch of people’, in other words, the worst kind, but it was new to me. So I checked out their website, where they posted friendly things. They also had guides for everything. And there was a guildmeet planned. Very close by. Just over an hour drive.

I could go.

But I shouldn’t.

It wouldn’t hurt to ask them about it. I casually mentioned it to an officer, named Kurloc. Bad temper, but always talkative. Kurloc said I should definitely come and that it would be good fun. I replied that I had reservations, being new to the guild, I could possibly hate everybody irl and vice versa. ‘No,’ he said decisively. ‘You won’t. I have already quite a good impression about you. It’s not about how you look or what you do online, so it’s easier to get to know someone.’

I strongly disagreed with everything he had said. But I didn’t really play with these guys anyway, there was nothing to lose.
‘Do it,’ he said, ‘you’ll like it.’
My curiosity won. ‘OK,’ I replied.

Friday evening, drizzling rain, walking in a shabby back street in an unfamiliar town. Here and there a shop. I was dead nervous and second guessing my decision to go. The meet was held at a games store. Found it. I opened the door, a little bell rang which made my heart beat out of my chest, and I forced myself in. T.L. Lights, games on display, (board games, chess sets, etc), a cash register, and one small table with people playing cards. They didn’t look up.

‘Hi,’ I tried, in a tightened voice.
‘Hey,’ mumbled one of them, and they continued playing.
I approached them. ‘The owner will be back in a minute,’ he said.
‘There is supposed to be a guildmeet here?’
Now all of them gave me a quick glance.
‘Yes, there is. Just go in the back, downstairs.’

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