The crowd was crowdy.
The food was foody.
And the music was… music-y.
Being frank, there are little ways I could go about to accurately encapsulate the experience it was being the constant focus of the lilight. There were just so many things being thrown my way, like a li pie of activities to the face over and over again… and each one had a thicker layer of cream, keeping from ever seeing straight.
One mont I could be seated around a round table with a good few dozen starstruck gazes huddled close to , breaths all bated, clinging onto my every word as I recounted my captivating tale from total zero to absolute zero.
Then the next I was stuck in another seemingly endless cycle of photo ops - guys would have doing cool poses right next to them, while the girls would mostly insist on wrapping their hands around my arm, satisfied to go with just a simple smile - the single-file line, I swear, must have extended all the way out of the building itself.
That's not to ntion the other things to like so guy designating a pseudo-judge to his one-two punch style, or coming across an admirer that actually went out of his way to retrieve my jester cap that fell off in the race - peer pressure and overeager encouragent insisted I put on the mantle once more - and so to cut a long story short, I spent the rest of my ti being known as the Hero Jester of Astra, striking fear in the hearts of his enemies… and when you hear his bells tinkling, it was already far too late.
Overwhelming as this sudden overflow of people vying for my attention was, I really didn't consider it much of a bother. They were real friendly, so even ca up to apologize for talking behind my back at one point - overall, it was a great ti all around - but sothing was missing, and inadvertently stumbled a random staff mber walking his usual routine route, I couldn't help but tap a finger on her shoulder, and voice my concerns aloud -
"Where are the princesses, and where are the hosts?"
To that, she was more than happy to redirect and my inquiries to Tyler, guiding to an empty seat beside him among a crowded table brimming with his own set of fans and admirers… and of course, slipped tight into a strap, his left hand was holding firm onto a small cara pointed squarely at him.
Then onto , as he took notice of .
"Ey, Big Man! Welco, welco!" He forcefully pulled to him, practically bashing heads, as he swung his arm over my shoulder, speaking directly to the lenses as he did. "Leadeners, rember him? Sure you do! You cheeky bastards keep tweeting at to head back to his crib - it's the Big Man, man! Big Man say hi! Do the Leadener greeting, c'mon. Thumb to thumb, ring finger to ring finger - there you go! Yeah! Aweso!"
Weird gang sign, to be honest. My pinkie fingers hurt now flexing those joints. But whatever, I've done more painful ordeals to please the masses, this ain't no thing.
"In case you weren't watching the number one live stream right now, let be the first to inform you that you are now in the holy terrifying presence of a literal fuckin' God. Now I ain't spoilin' shit, you wanna know what he did, I say go find out yourself! But just know, ya'll trolls in the comnts making fun of him on the last vid, he can literally fuck your shit up to upsidedown town so pray to your God that this God doesn't find you. Am I right or am I right, folks?!"
The table then erupted with the deafening cheers of affirmation, glasses raised highs and drinks spilling low, before it was all downed in one big swig in unison.
Soone handed a cup too, I passed on that… then taking advantage of the window of silence, finally asked, "Tyler, listen… you've any idea where Ash or Amanda are at? Can't seem to find them anywhere."
Tyler shifted upright, laughing loudly as he did. "Ah man, I'm actually hearing this. What's up, Big man, can't wait a mont longer to get your hands on your prizes? Settle down, down there, dude… there'll be plenty of ti for getting your frisky on later. Hell, I damn well believe you deserve that at least."
"How about just wanting to talk to them? Can I have that ti now?"
"Sure, 'talk', sure…" He wiggled his brows, widened his stare. "How do I know you won't be using your mouths for other things, eh?"
I slump my head, bells tinkling light. "Do you know where they are, Tyler?"
"Of course, duh! I'm a host too! It's my job to know!"
"So where are they?"
"Preparing," He replied, tapping the rims of his glass for another pour. "In the belltower there, with the other hosts. They said sothing about, uh… core… coronay… corona? Coronation! Yeah! That's it. It's tradition, one of the rewards too. You're getting a knighting ceremony, and a little - like - morial thing where they'll place sothing iconic from you on a little display alongside the previous Heroes from previous years, yeah."
A knighting ceremony plus a keepsake in my na? On top of the already hectic festivities currently ongoing too? Wow, when they go all out, they go all out, alright. I can see why the participant list was so chock-full of nas.
"Then why aren't you with them?" I asked.
Tyler gave another hearty chuckle, one he swallowed down with a sip of his recently replenished glass. "Because I'm doing my job! Parties are my forte! They know it. I know it. Who better to oversee this whole thing here than , right?"
Well, can't argue with that logic.
"So when does the coronation begin?"
"Soon, Big Man, soon," He reassured, patting lightly on the shoulder. "Listen, you gotta chill. I know they're your girls, but have so fun alone first, yeah? Anyway, I wanted to talk to you, anyway. I just wanna say you did proud back there… like, real, real proud."
"You and everyone else, it seems," I said, glancing briefly at all the many pairs of eyes idolizing every inch of .
"But more than anyone else," He lowered the cara, placing the both of us well out of the fra completely. "You talk the talk and walk the walk. I am so happy to see that what you said to back in my car wasn't just total horseshit. Amanda, Ash… you really do love those girls to the moon and back. They're a lucky pair to have you."
Tyler's smile at was earnest, sincere… so much so, I couldn't help but return one back.
"I consider myself luckier to have them, and it's not just them either… so others too."
Noticing only just then, a little bit of envy making that smile just a tab bit more lonely.
"Ah, right, there's that other pretty girl you got too," He nodded. "What's-her-na, Adalia? Where's that girl actually? I reckon she would have made a babelicious princess too. That goth air, man… shit's unmatched."
Not that he's ntioned it, I've no clue either. Along with Sera, I haven't seen them since the start of this whole thing, and now that it was ending, I thought I'd get to see them by now… apparently not.
Well, I'm sure I'll find them. I always do.
"Y'know, sotis, I wish I got what you got," Tyler continued to mutter away. "When I go back to my hotown in a few days, it'll sure be nice if it ain't only my voice I hear echoing in my house walls."
It was my turn to assure him, my turn to pat. "Soon, Tyler, soon."
"Sure hope so, Big Man, I sure do," He heaved, then went back again to his usual cheery air. "So where's her? I'd love to see her again."
"Not a big fan of attention, like I ntioned," I said, sifting my eyes through the crowd. "She's here… sowhere. Dark alley, maybe. I'll have a look around."
"Look around later, she'll be fine!" Tyler said, pushing back down when I tried to stand. "Have a drink! This mont's all about you! Enjoy it! You certainly fuckin deserve it after - huh? Yeah, yeah, what's up?"
A tap on the shoulder, an unintelligible mutter near his ear, the staff mber that approached him seed to have brought so news that wasn't at all pleasing to the ears.
Tyler gave a begrudging sigh, imdiately up on his feet, holstering his cara, sparing only a fleeting glance at and an explanation just as brief, "Listen, duty calls. So guy's starting shit sowhere, and security's busy with other things… so I gotta go sort that shit out."
"Oh," I began to rise again. "Then I guess I'll also - "
"No, no, no, no!" He pushed back down, staring down at sharply. "When I say you enjoy yourself, you enjoy yourself! Have a drink first with these fine folks here."
And so despite my constant insistence otherwise, when Tyler went away, I ended up staying put in place with both hands laid atop the table, an empty glass to my side, and questions in the dozens popping up left and right.
Did my best to answer them all. Trivial questions, weird questions, questions about which princess I honestly thought was prettier - the usual mindless fun.
Welp, if Tyler was right about one thing, it was that I needed a drink, alright. All this talking was making thirsty.
Then as if being summoned solely by my very thoughts, soone ca strolling nearby with a full pitcher in hand. It took only the slightest raise of the hand to attract the guy's attention, and it wasn't long before he was heading my way.
Closer and closer.
Halfway close, that's when I noticed it - how this server's hands were unusually large, how his lengthy strides were also very much so. More than halfway, his footsteps began to clatter my glass… and that's when I finally realized it.
He drew up to my side, bowed slightly, and offered to that sa pitcher held out with those sa enormous hands.
Then in a low, hoarse, unmistakable voice, Nick asked politely with the most rigid smile possible.
""Would you like a drink?" and with just a little extra touch of spite. "Sir?"
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