After the fortieth attempt, you respawn in the Tower alone.
You suspect the party leader booted you, finally.
You're not good at this dungeoneering business.

>_

Like, you set the whole party on fire.
Flipped a switch you shouldn't have and roasted your colleagues instantly.
Even you wouldn't party with you.

...PING!

While you're wallowing, a notificiation springs into existence before you.


NEW FRIEND REQUEST FROM
ʜʏᴘᴇʀʙᴏʟɪᴄsʏʟʟᴀʙɪᴄsᴇsǫᴜᴇᴅᴀʟʏᴍɪsᴛɪᴄ


You jump back. Who on mod's green server is this?

>_

In case you're forgetting someone, you open your friendslist and sort through the handles.
The closest match is a ᴍʀ_ɢʀᴀᴍᴍᴀʀᴛɪᴄᴀʟᴏɢʏʟɪsᴀᴛɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟɪsᴍ. He leads the slime breeding club you joined a few expansions ago.
You haven't spoken since your modded Slime-Gro spawned a frothing, red creature that ultimately exploded.

Good times. Goo~d times.

You're better off just asking ʜʏᴘᴇʀʙᴏʟɪᴄsʏʟʟᴀʙɪᴄsᴇsǫᴜᴇᴅᴀʟʏᴍɪsᴛɪᴄ how they know you.

What's your handle, again?

>_

You consider dropping a ticket to the Water Shrine. You handle the wild Aqua Boogies well enough alone—it's working with others that needs improvement.

You search your INVENTORY for the right pass—

"Ayyy~"

A small girl warps into the lobby on a rearing Ostrasaur. It's Mistic! Her red hair jogs your memory, being bright and wild as the flames that obliterated your party.

You dive out of harm's way as she walks the Ostrasaur across the room.

"Glad you're still here." You've barely spent a second on your feet before she dismounts and marches up to you. "I picked up one of the partner quests from the latest expansion. Wanna come with?"

"Um." You barely know this person. "You sure about this? I just immolated my former colleagues by falling on a trap switch. You were there. You, uh, died."

"I know. That's why I picked you!"

You lift an eyebrow. "Because I burnt us all alive?"

"Because nobody else would wanna work with you, duh. I'm 99.9% sure you're free right now. All my competent friends are busy."

"Flattered," you mutter.

"Come onnnn, Jitters." That's a terrible nickname! She ignores your appalled expression and browses her INVENTORY, plucking items from the grid and dropping them at your feet. "You can have... two TANNING BUTTERs, a SCROLL OF UNSTOPPABILITY, and this old WIZARD QUEST TOKEN."

A bottle of TANNING BUTTER rolls toward you, and you nudge it back in Mistic's direction with your boot.

"These are totally worthless."

Mistic folds her arms and stares up at you. "Well, what are you doing what's so important?"

"Actually, I was gonna hunt for Aqua Boog—"

"Lame! Go questing with me instead."

Well. Mistic's certainly strong of character, which is a kinder way of saying 'bizarre and obnoxious'.

How do you respond?

>_