“And since Phil took the obvious one, I’ll say my star is the excellent religion checks Jack rolled tonight.”
More assent from the group, me included.
“Ah yes,” he said, “the impressive skill of dropping resin dice onto the table.” Jack was simultaneously the most physically imposing and least socially imposing person at the table. Even sat down, he was a full head taller than me, a far cry from his dwarf character. He was two for three on the tall, dark and handsome, in fact, with one of those faces that would be universally acknowledged as good-looking. But there was no dark and brooding aura; every part of him was golden. Golden tanned skin, golden blonde hair, and a bright, wide smile lighting up a chiselled yet friendly face. He looked like he’d just stepped off the front cover of some 90s surf magazine.
“Star for me is how quickly we solved that puzzle to get in the door,” Chloe said, and everyone laughed.
Fatima grinned. “Given that I usually just Google ‘logic puzzles for ten-year-olds’, it’s about time you found one of them doable. So yes, well done on being smarter than my students.” She turned her attention to Jack, who was next in line.
“I think my star was getting to use that new healing spell for the first time, especially when Morgan went into death saves.”
I couldn’t help but feel a flush of pink creep up my neck at hearing my name come out of Jack’s mouth, even though some part of my brain acknowledged it wasn’t a compliment. If anything, it was highlighting my ineptitude.
“My wish is that we get some time to explore Thelanoris,” he added.
“Depends on how quickly you piss off the locals,” Fatima said, not looking up from her notes. “Which, if the last city is anything to go by, will be about ten minutes. And Morgan?”
“I know it’s technically been said, but given that it was my kill, I’m saying that held action was my star.”
“Fair enough. And your wish?”
I wracked my brain for what I might want from the next session. But I was still so new to the game that I struggled to imagine what could come next. I liked it that way, actually; every week was a new adventure. But that was definitely way too cringe to say out loud, so instead I opted for a joke I knew would get a reaction.
“I mean, for what the game is called, there have been far fewer dungeons than expected…” I said. “…And nary a dragon.”
The table erupted in cries of outrage, wondering why I would wish a dragon on our level five party, but I assumed Fatima understood how unserious I was being, given the lack of note-taking happening at her end of the table. Jack just tipped his head back in laughter.
My tablet lit up in front of me, at the same time that I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. It was a text from Cara. A series of texts, actually, and I read them one by one as they came through on my tablet.
so sorry moggy, but I’ve got bad news
my mentor told me at lunch I should avoid taking big blocks of holiday during my rotation in sales if I can help it
apparently it’s really easy to fall behind
so annoyingly it’s a no-go on America this autumn :(
didn’t you say there are other ren faires though? lemme know what other dates we should look at
not now though, i’m at the pub xxx
It was my best friend Cara’s first day at her new job at some mega agency in London, where she’d moved yesterday. We’d been making plans to go to a Renaissance Faire in America sometime in the autumn, but apparently that wasn’t happening anymore.
“Well, good job tonight everyone,” Fatima said, bringing me back into the room again. She scooped the scattered papers in front of her into her hands. “Sorry for going on so long. I know it’s already a bit later than usual, but I wanted to get through that combat.”
I was actually grateful for the extended session; it was my second night alone in the house, and if the sad, empty feeling of the first was anything to go by, I didn’t exactly have the time of my life waiting for me at home.
But I was sure the others were less thrilled. I knew they always went to the pub after our Monday games. I was always invited, and Chloe tried her best to get me to go each week, but I’d always had Cara waiting at home for me, something delicious simmering on the hob and whatever reality show we were bingeing queued up on the TV. And plus, the rest of them had been friends for years, and I would have felt like a clinger to force myself into their social traditions. Chloe had invited me to play when Fatima’s boyfriend had had to drop out, and I knew what I was: a stand-in for him.
I packed my tablet, character sheet, pencils and dice into my backpack and stood up from the table to go.
“Oh here,” Grey said, pulling a book out of their bag. I’d loaned them a romantasy novel I’d read last month.
“That was speedy!” I said, putting the book into my own bag.
“Yeah, well, you were right – I couldn’t put it down once I’d started. I’ll have to bring you one I’ve got that’s similar.”
“Ooh, yes please,” I said, smiling, then waved as I moved to leave.
