I’m so fucking nervous. I’m glad she didn’t come with me, though. I needed to get one more thing for tonight that she couldn’t be present for. A small puzzle box in the shape of a treasure chest. It’s one of the ones where you have to move the different pieces of wood strategically so that the top opens, revealing the ring I have hidden inside.
We all finish our tacos and gather around the dining room table. I have everyone’s sheets set up in their spots, and my screen is up, hiding the treasure chest behind it.
"At the end of our last campaign, you guys ended up finding a trail that led through the mountain pass and a secret passage that went into an open cavern the size of a small town. You discovered there are creatures hiding out there based on the remains found. No doubt some of the townspeople, unfortunately. You are currently walking around the open cavern, what do you do." Sunny pipes up first
"Can I do a check for any traps?" He asks.
"You may. That would be a wisdom check." He rolls his D20, and it lands on a 7... oof.
"Well, sunny, you separate from the group, trying to find any traps and end up walking right into one. It’s an ankle snare, and it ends up ripping you off the ground, and you are dangling upside-down by your ankle from a support beam. You take three damage."
"Fuck!" Sunny shouts.
"Next? Ash?" I ask the table.
"Can I assist in freeing him?" she asks hesitantly.
"Yep, how are you going to do that though? I ask.
"Well... I’m Tabaxi, so I have claws. I use my claws to help climb the wall and get to the support beam. Then, shimmy the beam to get to the rope. Use my claws to try to slice it, cutting him free." She describes.
"Ok, I will need you to do a DEX check specifically for acrobatics." She rolls a 14, and her modifier puts her at a 15.
"15, good. You succeed. But sunny... I will need you to make an athletics check to see if you can adjust yourself midair to not crack your skull open."
"Please, for the love of the dice Gods, favor my roll." He rolls, and the die keeps spinning, finally landing on an 18. His modifier puts him at a 20.
"Bravo, when Ash cuts you free, you do a mid-air flip, gracefully landing on both feet. You do an impressive dismount, your comrades cheer.” They all laugh. “Ok, Cassie. Your turn. What would you like to do."
"Hmmm. Can I look for any hidden things, like amulets or secret treasures? Maybe evidence of more magical beings here?" Perfect. She’s always been the treasure goblin of our group. I knew she would do this, hence the ring in the box.
"Ok, but I’m going to need you to do a wisdom check to see if you can perceive anything," I tell her. My palms are dripping sweat. My whole body feels damp. I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous in my life. She lets go of her die, and it rolls, bouncing off Sunnys margarita glass and landing on a 16; her +2 modifier puts her at 18. Success!
"18, great job." Ok, here we go. "You rummage through what appears to be a broken-apart old hut. Fragments of old blankets and pieces of wood are thrown about. You spot a small wooden chest underneath as you move a large piece of wood." I lift thesmall chest from behind my dm screen. "Here. You look at the small chest and realize it’s locked. What do you choose to do?"
"I inspect the box. Looking for how to open it."
"Ok. That's a wisdom check." She rolls a 14, and her modifier is +2. "Perfect
“16. Ok, so you inspect the box. Turning it over in your hands. You discover there is not a lock that you can pick, but the whole thing is a puzzle."
"Ok, I try to solve the puzzle."
"I’m going to need you to roll for another wisdom check."
"Ok." She rolls the die. "18, so 20. Yay!!!"
"You quickly find the pattern to open the box. Go ahead and mess with the chest a minute; I have to grab something I forgot in the kitchen." I tell her.
I get up and start to walk slowly to the kitchen. She fumbles with it, moving the wood pieces back and forth until she hears a click. I quietly approach her from behind and kneel as she is opening the chest. Ash and Sunny realize what is happening before she does, but they are dead silent.
I can’t see her facial expression as she opens the box, but I can hear the gasp from her lips.
"Lucian... what is this?" She goes to turn to stand but sees me down on one knee behind her. Tears are threatening to spill over. She rapidly looks back and forth between me and the ring. I take her hand, kissing the back of it before holding it between both my hands.
"Cassie. Not many people can say that they have known the one they love for as long as we have. Sixteen years, you have been by my side. You know everything about me, the good and the bad. We have been through it all, literally and figuratively. I should have seen the signs years ago. The way any time I thought of you, I was overwhelmed by a sense of calm and happiness. It didn’t matter whether we were right down the road or almost3,000 miles away; you were always on my mind. Those nine months that I was away changed something. When I stepped out of the airport and saw you, I felt something I have never felt for another person. I didn’t realize at the time it was love, and I’m sorry for that."
I pause for a moment. Swallowing the lump in my throat so I don’t tear up. She is still holding the box, and happy tears are flowing down her cheeks. I glance at Sunny and Ash; they are also crying. Fuck, keep it together!
