Page 19 of Wedding the Werepanther

I pour another cup of coffee, carry it into the office, and fire up the computer.

An impatient email from Topher lurks in my mailbox, wanting to know when I’ll send the detailed outline of my new game’s plot. When I quit Morlano Games to move to Ferndale Falls, I became their first freelance contractor. Topher went from being my boss to being my liaison, and he’s never been happy about it. Instead of dealing with it like a damned adult, he takes it out on me by being a complete asshat every chance he gets.

I know this, but it still gets me every time, tangled rage filling my chest and twanging against my social anxiety until I long to send an angry reply. But I know that’s a horrible idea.

Instead, I log into my favorite gaming Discord, the Buffy Guild. It offers a place for women, NB, and trans people to have a safe space to talk about working in the cis-male-dominated gaming industry. As great as it’s been to make friends with the Witch Bitches in real life, sometimes a gamer girl needs her own peeps. I open a private chat with my two gaming besties. Xena4Eva lives in Vancouver, and Ipwnedurass started working at Morlano Games in Seattle a month after I left, so we’ve never met in real life, but we chat daily.

AmethystAssassin:Got another email from Topher. This guy. THIS GUY.

Xena4Eva:What did that asshat do this time?

AmethystAssassin:I’ve got another month on my deadline, but he’s talking like I’m already late.

AmethystAssassin:I’ve never been late! Not once! But if he’s putting this shit in emails, what is he saying around the office? This is my career. The way I keep a roof over my head. I don’t need him ruining my reputation.

Xena4Eva:It’s somebullshit.

Ipwnedurass:everyone at work knows he’s an asshat

AmethystAssassin:An asshat who got promoted into a management role.

Xena4Eva:Oh, to fail upward like a mediocre white man!

Ipwnedurass:want me to hunt down his avatar inBloodborneand bring the pain?

That startles a laugh from me. The guys at Morlano created a group that plays the game together, so she’ll be able to find him no prob, but…

Xena4Eva:Do it!

AmethystAssassin:I don’t want you to get in trouble with him.

Ipwnedurass:not going to be an issue. I’ve got a second playable character no one here knows about

AmethystAssassin:Then yes, please! That would be AMAZING!

Xena4Eva:Back to real-world Topher. I know you want to rage, but you know what you have to do.

Ipwnedurass:tequila shots? killing his character in-game again and again?

Xena4Eva:You calm down, you write anextremelyprofessional reply, and you document all of this shit in case you ever need it.

AmethystAssassin:You’re right. I flipping hate it, but you’re right. Why do women always have to be the nice ones?

Ipwnedurass:don’t worry. I got you. I just shot his character with both barrels of my repeating pistol. he took major damage

AmethystAssassin:You’re the best!

Xena4Eva:You go, girl!

Ipwnedurass:[sends a gif of Deadpool taking a bow]

AmethystAssassin:Okay. If I write my reply in the next five minutes, can you check it to make sure it’s professional enough?

Xena4Eva:Of course! I got you, boo.

Ipwnedurass:what she said

I read Topher’s email again before typing my reply. Anger still burns in me, but it’s focused now. I make my words as cool and clinical as possible to let him know he can’t rile me into making any mistakes. When my besties give it a thumbs up, I hit send before relaxing back into my ergonomic gaming chair with a sigh.