Moonshine made me blind to this pyramid scheme (BL)

Despite of all his careful planning, the way things were going, he will really have to go out. Mani shuddered in imaginary cold and rain. He turned around and pulled one more blanket out of his closet wondering if he should go up to storage area to get one more.

Blanket joined pile of things already filling his bed. Spare boots, jacket, thermal underwear, and four volumes of popular handbook "Good things to do while trying to survive by strength of your own two hands in that strange and dangerous outside world" updated edition.

Well alright, he had his basic survival training as everyone else had. And as everyone else, he thought it a drag and a relic of the past and just-another-useless-thing-instructors-make-them-do to have a laugh at them. Fumbling and tumbling among potted plants simulating a jungle. As if it would keep them alive for more than five seconds if they ever step a foot into a real thing.

He knew that miasma and curse dolls were just a myth. Tools to keep masses obedient and in line. Yet, to keep it on the safe side, he should bring along his beads and rattles, just in case. And that sacrificial knife he found while cleaning his room that one time. No idea who left it there, but it could be handy now.

Mani sat down and tried to be positive for a change. It could be fun. Adventure he never had and never dreamt about. Not that he ever dreamed about anything anyway. He always slept like log. If logs could sleep. He never saw a real log, so he could not be sure.

Careless knock on his doors brought him back from thoughts and then he found himself face to face with a stranger. Another secret achievement of his that no one else knew about. Ten years living within the limited space with bunch of other people and he memorized full five of them. Blaise & cleaning crew. Sounds like a punk band.

Stranger smiled and stretched his hand towards Mani. "Hello, my name is Cid. I am gonna be your traveling partner."

What, a handshake? No way, thank you very much. Mani looked up and ignored that gesture completely.

"Hello Cindy. My name is Mani." He replied politely "What is a traveling partner?" He frowned trying to remember is there was anything about that in "Relationships" rule book. Maybe in Short-term or Temporary sections? Anyway, he is not going to touch this guy no matter how long this traveling excursion lasts. He was never interested in physical contact and made sure to jolt it down in his personal preferences file.

Cid took his hand back and straightened up looking at things piled up on a bed behind Mani. Blaze is gonna have to owe him one for taking over his duty with this oddball. And Yax will most likely laugh his head of if he ever gets called that in front of him.

"Oh it just means that we bunk together in a tent and that we share weight of our supplies." He smiled lightly to ease his overbearing presence in attempt to be friendly. "And you are a lucky one, cause I am a physical type, so I will carry most of our stuff. I will start with helping you with packing up." With that he took a step and started sorting stuff on the bed. Silently, he picked up "Good things to do while trying to survive by strength of your own two hands in that strange and dangerous outside world" part one and moved it to the nightstand. Nope, not gonna ask. Then he removed rest of the set as well.

Mani did not consider himself lucky any more. His last luck was getting his basement office job. And now it was gone. But, as he watched Cindy folding his blanket and selecting clothes from his closet without a word, he took it back. This guy was a silent type. Better working with him than with Blaise. No more morning chitchat, yay.

His mood picking up, he joined Cindy in packing, only to be firmly told to leave all thermal and winter stuff behind, as the special gear they will get for the mission will take care of all that. How was he supposed to know?

Then he got dragged upstairs to storage room where they picked up bigger backpack to which Cindy moved most of the things, leaving only rattles and beads Mani refused to give up in his personal small backpack. Then Cindy got them raincoats, tent, and two sleeping bags. Mani appreciated that detail. But when he tried to add cooking gear, he was told that there were two other guys who will be in charge of that.

Mani froze again. So there will be two people per sleeping bag? How many people was he supposed to squeeze with? Originally, Blaise told him that he is supposed to follow a dude named Yak and that it was their solo mission. Well, a couple mission. No, a pair mission! He imagined a big, buffalo sized guy, so when Cindy came he thought that's him. But no, he is one additional person. And now, there are two more?

He stood there, panic in his brain making him recollect if there were Ménage-à-troise or similar chapters in relationships rule book. No! He will absolutely refuse all and any physical contact with any of them!

He straightened up and twirled around with such a force that Cid had a funny feeling something is seriously wrong. Which was confirmed in the very next moment when he heard Mani's clear and surprisingly loud voice.

"I refuse. It is in the rule book that all relationships are purely voluntary and cannot be forced. Blaise said that it's to save the world that I had to go with Yak, so I thought sacrifice is expected and unavoidable."

He took a deep breath to calm down, saying seriously "But then you came, Cindy, and declared partnership without even asking my consent." his chin moved up defiantly "And now I am supposed to accept two more?"

Standing with his feet apart and arms crossed over his chest, he finished his speech "It seems to me that there is enough of you to save the world on your own. Go and have your ménage-à-four without me. I am not going!"

With that, he stomped away leaving Cid to struggle between bewilderment and laughter. Ménage what? With who? Yak, really? Why? How?

Cid always considered himself as a rational, stoic type. Able to handle any and all crisis thrown at him in stride. Yet now, standing with two medium sized electroshock weapons he deemed light and safe enough for Mani to use for self-defense, he started to wonder.