Toni leaned forward, inspecting one of Bryce’s favorite dice. “Can I be a super-hot chick with big tits?”
“Uh, yeah,” Bryce said, and Toni waggled his eyes at Jude.
“Noice!”
“What about a space wizard?” Rusty asked, and Gem gasped dramatically.
“Oh my gods, Bryce, please let Rusty be a space wizard!”
Bryce grimaced. “I mean aliens and space are more sci-fi, and this is fantasy. But you can definitely be a wizard or a sorcerer or a warlock. They all wield magic.”
Rusty grinned. “Cool.”
“And how do we win?” Liel asked, yellow eyes intense.
“Well, the party needs to finish the campaign without dying,” Bryce explained.
The Gymnot tapped several fingers on the table. “Can we cheat?”
“Not without consequences,” Bryce said.
“Sexy consequences?” Gem purred.
“It’s not a sex thing!” Oliver, Jude, Bryce, and Rusty all said, making Gem raise numerous hands in surrender.
Opening the Player’s Handbook, Bryce settled more comfortably in his chair. “So I’ll be the Dungeon Master.”
“Ooh, okay.” Gem rested his chin on two folded hands and fluttered his lashes at him. “My safeword’skerfuffle.”
“Not that kind of dungeon master,” Jude huffed.
“Okay, so let me get this straight. There’s fantasy roleplay, gender-bending characters, and a dungeon master,” Gem listed off on his fingers, “and you expect me to believe that this isn’t a kinky sex thing?”
“Yes!” everyone said.
With a pout, Gem slumped in his seat. “Ugh, fine. My version sounds more fun, though.”
Bryce pinched the bridge of his nose. “You know what, let me start over.”
They never got around to actually starting the campaign, but they managed to finalize everyone’s characters, at least. Surprisingly, Rusty seemed the most into it. As Bryce packed up his stuff, the Pyclon approached and dropped his voice to a whisper, like he didn’t want to be overheard.
“So, as the dungeon guy, you write the story, right?”
“Yeah, I create the campaign and walk you all through it. Between you and me, I’ve never been a DM before, so I’m learning along with youall.”
Rusty nodded, scratching behind his ear as he worked his jaw. “I write stories,” he blurted in a rush, like he had to get it out in one go or risk not saying it at all. “I mean, one story, technically. A graphic novel.”
“Really? That’s so cool. Anything I would have read?”
He shook his head. “Probably not. It’s all online. Not, like, actually published or anything.”
Glancing down at this bag, Bryce pulled out the Dungeon Master Guide. “You wanna be the DM and write the campaign?”
Pink eyes wide, Rusty shook his head. “No, I wasn’t trying to steal your role. I just—”
“You’d be doing me a favor. I prefer to play,” Bryce said, pushing the book into Rusty’s hands. “I figured I’d have to be the DM since I’m the one who knows the game, but I really ain’t that creative.”
Black claws curled around the book. “I don’t know how to play though.”
