“Hey Rexxar, congratulations on making it to Tier 1!”
The Hunter was holding a tray near the cafeteria’s buffet when he was approached by Thrall, who had Garrosh trailing him.
“Thanks!” Rexxar reached for the back of his neck with his right hand, and shyly tilted his head down.
“Yeah. Good job, Rexxar! I look forward to our many battles!” Garrosh smiled.
“Heh. Likewise.” Rexxar smiled back, blushing.
—-
Rexxar was washing his hands in the lavatory when both Uther and Anduin entered the room.
“Well, well… if it isn’t my fellow Tier 1 Champion!” Uther grinned, approaching the Hunter with a warm pat on the shoulder.
“I don’t know about me being a Champion, Uther, the meta hasn’t settled down yet…”
“Nonsense, Rexxar! Take it all in!” the Paladin interrupted “You’re dominating the meta, with a control deck, no less!”
“Well, it’s not really a control deck…”
“It has 8 mana cards, does it not? That’s good enough for us, isn’t it?” Uther winked at Anduin, who nodded in admiration.
—-
“My Greetings, Rexxar!”
The Hunter was stopped in the hallway to see Malfurion and Tyrande waving their hands at him.
“Check this out” the Druid closed the gap between himself and Rexxar. He looked around to see if someone else was near them, before whispering:
“We’ve got some fresh Psychmelons ready to be picked in the greenhouse. How about we celebrate your Tier 1 status by throwing a little party and getting wasted? You can bring Alleria!”
Rexxar looked caught off guard for a moment and hesitated before responding.
“Uh…. I’m a bit tired today, Malf. I think I’m going to play a couple of Hearthstone games and crash early”
—-
Rexxar entered his room, turning on the lights. He walked over to his desk and sat down, sighing. The day was exhausting. While he appreciated the kind words from so many people, he wasn’t comfortable with all of the attention he’s received. He liked being alone, most of all.
But perhaps, it was more than just the attention. For a while now, he could sense that his current Hearthstone success did not truly satisfy him. He tried to be happy, yet the victories felt hollow. The celebrations slowly became an act. Something was missing; there was a void in his heart that could not be filled.
A somber mood set into his mind. The Hunter opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out an album. After skimming through the pages, he stopped at one, and solemnly glanced at a picture he was looking for.
His hand softly brushed the borders of the photo, as if he was tending to one of his loved animal companions. That love, he remembered, was long gone. In those moments of caressing a photograph of a forgotten friend, Rexxar realized that things would never be the same for the mok’nathal again.
“I wish you were still here, Leper Gnome”.
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This is one of the best ones to date.
Lovely!