Rolling for Love Read online

  Campaign, Poogses’ Country Estate

  Although the laws of physics and nature still apply in a demon-infested magical reality, they’re more like guidelines. In a world of magic, if one can think it, if one can justify it, and can convince others of its worth, then a new guideline might just get added to the world.

  Steven Byrd

  “Daammiioooon!” Zack bellows dramatically after our little recap from last week. We had left the game on a cliffhanger and now need to do some planning.

  “Let’s take a minute to get everyone to level two,” Joe says.

  I already know what I want so it’s quick for me, just a few choices from the players guide and my sexy powerful succubus is level two. My wife needs a little help figuring out how to level Ruby, but I don’t want to help her in fear of causing an argument. Fortunalty, Zack seems excited to lend a hand, so I let him have it.

  Joe takes the time to describe the room in better detail, it sounds a little more like a windowless prison to me. A dirt-dusted portal lies flat on the floor in the middle. The five rune covered doors are free standing and off to the side. With nothing behind them, they look like they will fall over any minute. We have piled the bodies of the dead dark elves and vampires of the Poogse against the opposite wall.

  Joe stresses that the witch is now unconscious from magical means of unknown origin. Sandy, typical, tries to stab the witch. Doesn’t even ask the group about it. But the magic keeping the witch asleep is also protecting her and nothing comes of it. Dillon and Zack both roll to see if they can decipher some of the runes on the doors.

  “Room one has something to do with growth,” Joe describes, reading from his notes. “Room two…you’re not really sure. The runes on the door are mixed with what looks like modern buildings. Room three has a chalice on it but neither of you recognize the runes around it. Room four seems to be about spirits. The door is even cold to the touch. Room five has the rune for heart, liver, and brain, but you can’t see how they fit together.”

  “Which door first?” Dillon asks. No one says anything and it’s Zack that speaks up asking for another round of perception rolls.

  “Really? Just five people rolling general perception?” Joe asks in disbelief.

  “I’m looking for patterns in the doors,” Sandy corrects.

  “I’ll assist Sandy,” Dillon quickly sticks in.

  “I’m rolling to see anything that anyone else missed,” I add, just to be funny. Joe rolls his eyes and the sound of dice hitting dice trays fills the air. Before Joe can respond to any of our rolls Sandy speaks again.

  “It’s door four first,” Sandy states. She points out repetitive patterns between the doors and the portal. Now that she has pointed them out, they are pretty easy to see.

  “Great eyes,” Dillon compliments Sandy.

  “Sandy has probably seen the pattern before,” I insinuate. It’s not a stretch to imagine Sandy doing some googling to prove how smart she is. She’d done it enough in other games, though I have no proof of her cheating.

  “Even if I had, I rolled a 19 on my perception check,” Sandy shoots back at me.

  “Nope, not doing this.” Joe stands and walks into his kitchen. I’m surprised when comes back with shot glasses and a bottle of tequila. “New rule.”

  I quickly take a shot glass out of Zack’s hands as they get passed around the table.

  “We’re going to learn how to play nice. Steven, every time you say something that will set off Sandy, you take a shot. Sandy, every time you get defensive or say something rude to anyone, you take a shot. Or maybe we should do half shots. Half shots,” Joe emphasizes.

  Sandy and I eye each other. With her tiny physique I’m pretty sure I can drink her under the table. I’ve got this.

  “Questions?” Joe asks.

  “I need to drive home,” Sandy states.

  “One of us will take you if you can’t drive. Or fuck, if we all can’t drive, we can have a big happy fucking sleepover,” Joe says a bit too cheerily.

  “I find it hilarious that you’re already planning on being drunk,” I prod.

  “I’m not.” She takes a breath to say more when a shot glass comes down hard in front of me. Not two seconds later, one is in front of Sandy.

  I didn’t see Joe pour himself, but with a bottoms-up, the three of us drink.

  We have a few pieces of random board games on the table representing our characters and we line up to go through the door. It takes our specialties into account; unlike our first few encounters, we’re learning. Joe describes it opening as more a dissolving into a portal, bright white floods into the room, but we can’t get through. After a bit of hilarious trial and error we realize the witch has to be with us, and go first. So many fail-safes to make sure we can’t leave her behind. I wonder why, but the only way to find out is to go through the door. Positioned in Goliath’s arms, with Nozomi hot on his heels, we step into the portal.

  Sandy Yuhi

  “The air is cold and wet,” Joe describes as we come out on the other side. “Somehow, a slight breeze rustles the world around you without touching the stale white wisps of fog. You look to be in a graveyard with a few sharp leafless trees standing out in the half gloom. You can’t see the source with what little light is here, but it glows ominously. Sandy, you darted ahead to scout, right?” I nod. “I need to speak with you in the hall. Alexa, play Taylor Swift.”

  “What if we don’t like Taylor Swift?” Zack’s asks.

  “Everyone likes Taytay,” Joe says in his gruffest military voice as the music starts up. We don’t need to go far, the music will keep our voices from carrying.

  “You doing ok?” Joe stands close to me. His face is slightly flush, though his words are even. He has only had a few shots, but maybe he’s a light weight. He’d been drinking small beers at dinner. Absently, he reaches out and brushes my hair behind my ear. I’m surprised when his fingers leave tingles on my cheek.

  “I have only had four half shots so far,” I answer his question. “That’s two less than Steven.”

  “I was hoping it would make you two get along,” Joe grumbles. “Not bring out your competitive sides.”

  “It’s more fun this way,” I laugh. “Now we’re just trying to trick each other into saying something wrong. I don’t take it so personally when I know it’s a game.”

  “Better than at each other’s throats,” Joe concedes. “Nozomi is scouting, alone into a haunted graveyard. You don’t get very far in your scouting when you feel a presence behind you. Before you can turn, it grabs you. You feel cold. Someone else’s thoughts seep into your mind.”

  “I’m possessed and under the control of a ghost?” I ask skeptically. “You know the party is only level two and possession is a level 12 spell.”

  “Sandy, we talked about this,” Joe says calmly.

  “No, you said I was wrong and then made a bad example to back yourself up,” I correct him.

  “That’s one full shot,” Joe declares.

  “I didn’t say anything rude, I just stated a fact,” I insist.

  “That’s 1.5 shots,” Joe says and I close my mouth. “It’s not what you said. It’s how you said it.” Joe sounds like a teacher. “I can’t decide if I want to tape your mouth shut or kiss it.”

  I freeze. He might sound like a teacher, but that wasn’t a very teacher-like thing to say.

  “Do you want to play evil-possessed Nozomi, or shall I?” he asks tightly. I’m slower at moving past the kiss comment. I’m not sure if he knows he said it out loud. “It will be three shots. You can’t just stop talking; that doesn’t fix it either.”

  I quickly decide to pretend his kiss comment never happened. “I would like to play her”.

  Joe hands me a new character sheet with the information on possessed Nozomi.

  “Here is what you need to know …”

  Trixy (Steven’s character)

  The white, unmoving fog suddenly shoots towards us. Shapes with terrifying faces of you
ng children emerge out of its depths. I put my hands together and chant, sending a wave of power into the childlike apparitions moving toward me, but my magic just goes right through them. A creepy child’s laugh fills my ears and I fall backwards, landing on my butt. I drag myself back, trying to escape the fear that grips my mind. My back hits something – the witch, on the ground. I see Strider come up beside me. He takes my hand and squeezes it.

  “Be calm, the fear isn’t real,” Strider’s sooths, his magic cleansing the spell controlling my emotions. But it’s not just the ghost’s terrible spell that has trapped me. I still can’t stand, I’m reliving my worst nightmare, feeling powerless. My fear flows out of me and into the witch I can’t seem to move away from. Goliath’s club, burning with holy fire, dances in my vision, dissipating the terrible face in front of me and with it the sounds of the little girl’s laughter. But not my terror.

  The gargoyle holds out a hand and I try to reach out for it. Touch will feed me, it will help relieve this terror. But my succubus powers are not responding, they don’t even register Goliath, as if they are being sucked away by another source. I start to shake, unable to take Goliath’s hand.

  “Powerless as a babe on a tit.”

  I know that voice. I look up. Nozomi stands before us. Her eyes burn white-blue and her body dances with the same power. Her Victorian dress billows with an unfelt wind. A tremor runs through me as I try to pull magic from my core, but It’s just not there.

  Nozomi’s head tilts back and she laughs as ghosts form and gather around her.

  Nozomi (Sandy’s character)

  “Powerless as a babe on a tit,” I say … we say … the ghost that fills my mind says. I laugh as my possessed body dances with the blood of my vampire heritage and makes me drunk on power.

  “I knew you were evil all along.” Steven horribly breaks character tell me.

  “You’re interrupting my inner monologue.” I look at Steven as if I really do possess the power of the undead at my fingertips and point at him dramatically. I love liquor!

  “How many shots are you up to?” Dillon asks me.

  “Just the one and a half extra I got assigned in the hall,” I answer. “Oh, and Steven, sweetheart, I believe that it was you trying to get a rise out of me.” I point at his shot glass. “Drink my essence, mortal.”

  “You know it’s your D&D character that’s currently possessed, right?” Joe asks me, pouring Steven his half shot.

  I laugh, focusing once more on the game.

  “Your soul is mine,” we say as I look at each of our former friends in turn.

  “Mortal combat!” a voice screams from Zack’s phone as the theme song stars up.

  Joe rolls his eyes. “Sandy, roll for initiative,” he commands.

  “You’re really fast at that, Zack,” I praise Zack as I roll. “I rolled a 20,” I say innocently and bat my eyes at Joe. Dillon even peeks into my dice tray as if I might be cheating.

  “It’s a twenty,” he confirms. My initiative bonus is +3, I bask in the knowledge that I get to go first.

  I raise my fingers and splay them toward the mortals daring to explore my grave yard. Wailing in misery, I release a lightning spell that engulfs half the room. My small army of ghosts charge into my former allies. Goliath lunges forward, holy fire bites into my shoulder as his club clips me. A vine covered with thorns wraps around my legs, knocking me to the ground as a blanket of greenery covers the floor.

  “Don’t hurt her,” Striders cries out as I fall.

  “Strider?” My own voice. I feel the bard’s energy reach for me but, before we connect, my possessed body stands and wails. I direct my ghosts at Trixy, her trembling body still on the ground.

  Goliath lunges toward me again, but his legs get tangled in the vines and his strike is short. I manage to stand as Ruby’s staff, imbued with a dirty yellow light, flies into my side and connects with my hip. It hardly does any damage. I laugh, my attention focused on gargoyle in front of me.

  “Trixy, we need you,” Goliath roars.

  “She can’t hear you,” I taunt. She’s trapped in her own fear, feeding the witch. I cackle and splay my fingers again, lightning descends on my enemies. The druid runs as one of my ghosts manages to destroy her self-control with terror. I am all powerful, I am …

  “Nozomi.”

  Arms encircle me from behind. My mind stills. Strider’s voice. “Help us.”

  The ghost inside of me rages as Strider brings his hand up to my face and gently turns my head to look into his eyes. “Help us,” he requests again and his lips delicately press into mine.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Reality/Campaign, Joe’s house

  Liquor is the essence the gods. Drinking it dilutes your senses. It brings out one’s inner self. It lowers your barriers. And enables you to connect on a different plane of existence. For better or worse.

  Joe Smartin

  I know on some level I’m trying to kill my party. It’s what DM’s do, but even when they didn’t quite figure out how to correctly exorcise the ghost from Nozomi’s body, I’m too happy with their team work to force the issue. I had not intended to create a moment for Nozomi and Strider, hell no there, but it was also fitting for their characters. My inner role-player loved it.

  “Did you guys just use the power of love to save me?” Sandy asks horrified after we finish the last rounds of combat. Both she and Steven had focused on the final battle, not a single shot had been added to their tally.

  “Friendship is magic,” Steven says, his voice mimicking a My Little Pony.

  “So, you just chill’n in a creepy graveyard?” I prompt to get them moving.

  “Can we see any more bad guys?” Zack asks.

  “Nope,” I explain. “They all disappeared when you exorcised Nozomi and then destroyed the big ghost that came out of her.”

  “I want to search the area,” Sandy declares.

  “You’re unconscious,” I respond. “A ghost was just forced from your body and mind. The hard way. Goliath also beat the shit out of you with a club.”

  “Right,” Sandy nods absently. “I don’t really understand how I was exorcised when we didn’t have …” She abruptly stops talking as I, not so gently, set a full shot glass in front of her. “I’m not taking that.” Sandy looks at me.

  I grin like an idiot. That would put her at even shots with Steven. “Then tell me who the DM is and whose rules we’re playing by.”

  Sandy straightens her back and looks me up and down. Does heat fill her eyes at my words? “You are, and we’re playing by your rules,” she responds, her voice confused.

  “Say thank you to your party,” I demand.

  “I am unconscious, I can’t talk.” Sandy sticks her tongue out at me. I lick my lips and pull my eyes away from the pink appendage. A few more shots and I won’t have the self-control to not try and kiss it.

  Eventually all their miniatures find themselves back in the dungeon like room Damion magicked them into, and they begin to rest and heal, signaling the end of my game for today.

  “So, the witch is feeding off our fears?” Lynda asks.

  “Looks like it,” Dillon answers her.

  “My greatest fear is to be powerless,” Steven explains. “That’s exactly what was done to me today. An interesting twist, Joe.”

  “Thanks,” I respond. “I still need back stories from Lynda and Sandy,” I advise. I can’t look at Sandy as I say it. The image of her backside rushing away from our dinner earlier in the week is burned into my memory.

  “I’m almost done with mine.” Lynda hesitates. “But I’m struggling with the bonds concept.”

  The room dissolves into conversations around me. I glance over to see if Sandy is listening as Steven and I go over the core bits of character building again. She’s not. Dillon is leaning in close to Sandy so he can whisper in her ear. I can’t see her face, but his smile is soft and he reaches forward and squeezes her arm briefly before sitting back.

  �
�Right, Joe?”

  My name draws my attention back to Lynda and Steven.

  “Right,” I answer automatically.

  Chapter Twenty

  Reality, Bela Casa Construction, Home Development

  It’s amazing how one thing, one word, one instant can change everything. Good or bad, right or wrong. Is life made up of these instances? Or of the buildup in-between?

  Sandy Yuhi

  I catch myself humming as I knock mud off my boots. It rained on the construction site overnight, but by morning, the day is sunny and clear. The cold front finally escaped the clutches of the mountains and I can feel the sun through my layers. My inspection was standard this morning. Now that I have the military blueprints burned into my brain, it‘s easy to clear wires and unknown bits of materials. I even smile and nod at some of workers I see every day. They smile back. The site is starting to gain the warmth of familiarity.

  Amorino and I spent most of the beginning of the week slightly changing a few of the foundation plans. He was unsure of the stability of his groundworks on top of a more than fifty-year-old secret basement. One house will have to be positioned directly over the deeper of the two sites.

  If it were me, I would have tried to dig down and see it. I still want to see it, it would be an adventure! Amorino put his foot down on the idea. I guess losing his job and possibly having the company license suspended is a big deal. Lame.

  I sit down at my desk and pull out my phone. I have an email from Dillon. After the last session, Dillon promised to help me with my back story. He started it by writing a short story about Strider for me to read. I don’t know why it makes me more comfortable when he shares first, but it does. I love to read, and Dillon, who might not be writing bestsellers any time soon, is descriptive and fun. His short stories give me some insight into what Nozomi could be doing. We have dinner plans tonight to do some brainstorming. Nozomi needs goals and ideals, not me. I don’t know why I let Joe get under my skin last week. What I want from life is exactly what I have. My phone plinks and I look down at the text.