Elias couldn't stomach the rudeness of a boot-out, so he waved the other three in like unwanted guests at a bad party.
Zero itch to bro-down with this quad. Damp-rag snag, furniture-wipe grind, hint-bomb busy-vibe. Not dummies—awk-chat one-way tick, glance-swap cue.
Phinneas Wexler excuse-grab. "Brother Blackwood, Blaze-pad poppin'. Join-vibe?" Expect-refuse cue, dip-signal.
Elias back-turn, stock-reply. "Country bump simple. Noble bash no-accust. Y'all roll sans me."
Words hang-thick. Room-frost snap.
Noble bash?
They knew the play: Morrow-room gift? Prime-ass-kiss. Blaze-flock now? Gov-fave curry. All in. Excuse-self-lube. Doable, no-say. Face-slap? Gut-punch raw.
Elias? No-jab intent. Lone-zone honest out.
Quad? Calc-strike sure. Bitter-re-move grudge-mock.
Julian Croft rage-cap bust. "Clean-grind pro," sneer-drip. "Dust-thick? Room ghost long. Fresh-crash yourself?"
Elias stun. Scroll-jocks? Sharp-than-admit.
Words fuel-fire. "Tail-sniff," Preston Vance scoff. "Rich-meat hunt. Hypo-king."
Hunt what? Elias frown-muse.
Sullivan Thorne "Tch" deride. "Honor-preach, filth-heart. Gent-judge by your gutter-gauge... Dip. Stench-catch no-risk." Sleeve-flick dram, storm-bail.
Trio tail. Phinneas out-brush, hall-bump, floor-hawk. "Sad-act."
Bump-victim? Midge, confu-stare angry-pack Elias-room dip. Water-haul guest-need, well-hustle.
Re-up bucket-hand, halt-gape.
Elias next-pad out, sack-sword haul. Plaque-down, hall-back original-slot nail, in-vanish.
Old-pad re-claim, Elias brain-tangle. Tick-unwind: off-cuff? Deep-offend zap.
Irk-amuse mash. Elsewhere, dog-tag? Beat-bag senseless. Here? Power-pack swarm, risk-no.
Mood gold anyway. Fortune-fresh. Gen-mode afford. Fight-no, dodge-yes. Blaze-pad crowd-crush? Peace-killer.
Midge trail-watch, big-blink. Grain-source click. Congrat-swarm story-leak no-miss.
Willem Blaze riddle-king, Laureates dust.
Midge master-know deep. County-scrape luck-dog. Three-hundo shire-brain solo-smash? Pipe-fantasy. Dream-bust.
Reveal "Blackwood"-bag. Thirty-grain his-pull clear. Duo glue-tight. Obvious-end, detail-no.
Master suck-up swarm, true-vet corner-crawl insult. Kid-squire injust-sting, emo-mash flood. Mouth-no-place. Grind-call.
Eve-drop, Willem-pad hush-finally. New-bud drag booze-night. Re-roll? Party-re-ign.
Midnight-last dip. Tick-later, stair-creak foot-duo, Elias-door halt. "Brother Blackwood?"
Elias crack-let Willem in.
"Midge spill," Willem dark-adjust. "Fool-pack chase? Re-move?"
Elias moon-sill lean. "Nah-them. Next-door noise-nuke. Quiet crave." Willem wry-peep. "Sudden star. Suck-up swarm no-spot?"
"Who ain't?" Willem sigh-window sync. "Can't you-mode, Brother Blackwood. Knight-chase cost-no-flinch. Me? Common-grub. Trials-post? Shire-life build. Those dudes? Hate-sure, enemy-no-afford. Peers mine."
Elias get-zone. Worlds-apart. "Cool. Your play. Me-no-touch."
Willem smile. "Knew wake-vibe. Appetite-save. Midge grain-stove. Tick-ready. Jump?"
Elias easy-yes. Willem-room stair-down wait-pad.
Tick-few, Midge pot-lug struggle-in. Floor-thud set, hall-side snag. Lid-pop final.
Elias peek-jaw-unhinge. Peepers bulge.
Grain-mound perfect-cook, kernel-amethyst shimmer, tease-aroma drunk-sweet.
Full-pot. Mega-vat.
Midge Elias-bowl first-serve. Hand-pull? Elias slim-wrist snag. Kid flinch, no-break.
"Brother Blackwood, glitch?" Willem ask.
Elias ignore, kid-lock. "Midge," tremble-pipe, "grain all-cook?"
Midge noggin-no. "Nah, m'lord. Ten-bag shy."
"Ten pounds?" Elias crack-voice. "Lunatic? Why vat-dump?"
Kid down-peep, whis-bare. "You... 'all-eat' drop, m'lord."
"Tonight all, not week-feast!"
"Master app huge," Midge timid-unpack. "Norm chow? Six-pound meat, five rice. Conserve-try... ten shy..."
"Conserve?" Elias grip-crush, voice-yelp. "Elven Grain, fool-kid! No common slop!"
Midge mess-know deep-expensive.
Lip-bite, tear-bud. Repay-no-way. Do-what freeze.