Chapter Text
Caitlyn didn’t know what to expect when she was added to Viktor’s dnd campaign’s group chat. Jayce had invited her since they had room for one more person. It was going to be a long-term campaign taking place on Fridays nights for the unseeable future. It had fit in with her schedule and Cait had not been able to play dnd for so long it had to be illegal, so she happily agreed.
The group chat had five other people in. Just the right amount of people to have a fun and challenging campaign. A pinned message at the beginning of the chat gave an overview of the situation, what the campaign setting was, and other various rules about gameplay. Everything seemed ordinary so Cait didn’t worry too much about it beyond that she would be playing with strangers she had never met, apart from Jayce and Viktor that is.
cait.k has entered the chat
Jayce (2:32 PM): Hi cait!!
Caitlyn smiled at her phone at the sight of Jayce’s message, not feeling as awkward after being addressed.
Caitlyn (2:33 PM): Hello Jayce
Viktor (2:33 PM): Good to see you here, any questions so far?
Caitlyn (2:35 PM): Looks good! Who else is playing?
Viktor (2:38 PM): Some friends from my hometown who also go to university here.
Powder (2:43 PM): *gasp* i thought we meant more to you than that!
Ekko (2:45 PM): rescinding the Christmas party invitation
Powder (2:24 PM): i don’t think it’s enough, total abandonment might be on the table
The conversation diluted into some light teasing and ribbing that Caitlyn didn’t participate in. She didn’t know Viktor too well, well enough to not be uncomfortable when he joined her and Jayce for dinner but not well enough to say that she was going to cut all ties with him because he didn’t call her a sister. Cait kept out of it, putting her phone on mute and going back to her homework.
Thursday, September fourteen
Viktor (9:33 AM): Remember to get your backstories into me by tomorrow! Only a few paragraphs are needed but I will not turn away anything longer.
Powder (11:34 AM): aigt, let me send over my novel
Viktor (12:05 PM): I will read it with the attention of a scholar
On Friday, Cait headed down to the Professional Studies building where the campaign would have its first session. Cait had been there many times before since her pre-law classes took place there and found the room easily enough. She collected her dice bag, notebook for dnd purposes, a collection of nice pens, the players' handbook, and her character sheet in her backpack and headed off. While it might seem a bit like overkill, you could never be too prepared was a motto Cait lived by.
She arrived at the room ten minutes before they were supposed to meet. Viktor and Jayce were already there, Viktor trying to set up his DM screen while Jayce annoyed him. They had pushed two tables together already and lined up the chairs alongside it. Jayce lounged in one closest to Viktor, his own stuff in front of him.
“Hey, Cait!” He waved her over with a dopey grin. Viktor greeted Cait with his own modest one.
“Glad to see you could make it,” Viktor greeted.
“Professor Bowman tried everything in his power to stop me,” Caitlyn joked back. The professor had given his students a mountain of homework that had nearly done Cait in.
Viktor shook his head, understanding Cait’s aliment perfectly. “He does not understand the term moderation, does he?”
“Absolutely not,” Caitlyn agreed. She claimed the chair to Jayce’s right by draping her coat and bag over the back of it. “Thank you for inviting me by the way, I haven’t gotten the chance to play since I moved to college.”
“It is my pleasure,” Viktor insisted with a wave of his hand. “You are doing me a favor. My friends can be a bit…”
As if Viktor blew a dog whistle, said friends could be heard in the hallway. They were talking loudly, cursing each other out, and just having a good time. They entered the classroom a bundle of energy. Cait didn’t recognize any of them, but they seemed friendly enough.
The shortest of the group, a girl with long braided blue hair was shoving the boy beside her. He grinned and retorted by hitting her with his backpack, forcing her to stumble back dramatically into a tall-ish woman’s arms. Caitlyn’s eyes traced the movement and her breath hitched in her throat when she saw the flex of the taller woman’s muscles.
Her eyes moved upwards and met an intimidating face with matching eyebrows and facial scars. Her gray eyes held a kindness that Cait saw as easily as if it was her hair color. The woman’s smile was warm as she chastised the pair for being what she called “a couple of fucking dumbasses.” Caitlyn didn’t realize she had been staring until Jayce nudged her with his shoulder and leaned against her ear.
“Damn Cait, try to be less obvious,” He teased. Cait fought her upcoming blush before responding with her own jab.
“Says the person who asked me to play dnd with his crush for moral support,” Cait whispered back, leaving Jayce a fumbling mess as she turned in her seat. She flipped open her notebook and set her emotions aside. It was just a normal attraction; Cait practically drooled every time she went to the gym and saw the rugby team working out. After a little bit, the warmth in her cheeks would go away and she would be able to focus again so she didn’t worry about any lasting effects.
“Ah! Good to see you all,” Viktor said to his friends who had settled down a little after walking into the room.
“Good to see you too, nerd,” The boy said. “We hardly see you anymore cause you’re so busy with ‘homework’.”
“If I remember correctly your schedule is just as booked as mine is,” Viktor retorted with a kind smile.
“Yeah,” The boy continued, his stuff clattering on the opposite side of the table than the one Cait was sitting at. “I just blow it off when it’s bullshit.”
“Whatever works for you, Ekko,” Viktor said as the blue-haired girl sat next to Ekko which landed her across from Caitlyn. Cait was both happy and disappointed that she wasn’t sitting across from the pink-haired girl. Happy because she wouldn’t make a fool of herself with the handsome woman staring at her and disappointed because she didn’t have the view to look at.
“These are my friends from back home,” Viktor introduced, gesturing to the left side of the table. “Ekko, Powder, and Vi. Vi and Powder are sisters and Ekko is-”
“Is the little runt we took off the street!” Powder interrupted, wrapping an arm around Ekko’s neck, and pulling him closer against his will.
“Please, I saved your ass, and you know it,” Ekko shoved Powder aside playfully.
“And these are my friends from college,” Viktor said, looking at Cait and Jayce. “I met Jayce last year in Intro to Engineering and Caitlyn is his…” Viktor gave them a quizzingly look. Their relationship was a little hard to explain. Too close to be considered just friends but with Cait being a lesbian (and having standards) they were never romantic in any way so telling people that was a bit more difficult to explain in a way they would understand.
“Best friend,” Jayce clarified, dismissing the girlfriend idea so quickly Cait got a little offended despite him being right. She would forgive him though because he was telling it more to Viktor than the others.
“Begrudging sister figure,” Caitlyn corrected.
“You know, maybe I don’t like being your bro,” Jayce said, leaning his elbow on the table to give her a playful glare. “Practically have to fight the women off of you.”
“That has literally never happened,” Caitlyn said with a roll of her eyes.
“Damn, wish I could relate to that,” Vi grinned, leaning an arm on the table. “I just can’t keep the hotties away.”
“Said the one with no bitches to speak of,” Powder said, shaking her head sadly. “Just tragic.”
“Shall we begin?” Viktor asked the group around him, cutting into the conversation before Vi could defend herself.
The excitement levels went down to a buzz, everyone was ready and pumped up to start the campaign. For the first time, the room was quiet as Viktor held the group’s attention in his well-suited hands. He had them wait a little bit to make sure that any loose strands of conversation could be quickly wrapped up and to ensure he wouldn’t have to speak over anyone. When the players were sitting as still and quiet as statues, he started the session.
“The journey starts as all these tend to do, in a tavern,” Viktor began with a smile on his face before leaping into a description of the bar.
He had given them a little background information on the town they started in before the session. It was a mid-sized city named Timbet’s Hollow that was surrounded by trees. Cait had worked out with Viktor beforehand that her character, a half-elf ranger named Kai, had become an impromptu robin hood/guard of the city. She fended off various monsters in the woods and was paid in any way the city could provide. Jayce’s character, a human cleric named Bumi, had lived in the city for his entire life. He was a blacksmith in the local forge and Kai would commonly stop by to pick up arrowheads. The two had become fast friends.
The town though was under attack from forces that Kai had been tracking for the longest time. Unfortunately for her, she had been dragged from the comfort of her woods and into the bustling city in her hunt for justice. Bumi had decided to come with her since he knew more about the city than Kai did, and the pair were having a drink while talking strategy.
“Halfway through your conversation,” Viktor said. “The door opens and three figures neither of you have ever seen before walk-in.” Viktor turned to the three players on the left-hand side of the table. They were all fidgeting in their seats, anxious to play. “If you could describe your characters now.”
“Alright so,” Powder cut in first, a groan of complaint coming from Ekko. “There's this gnome chick just decked out in all these different tools. She’s got blue hair that is dyed so well you’d think it was her natural hair color. She’s also got these cloud tattoos on her arm, and she walks in like she owns the fucking place.”
“Next to Powder’s character is a taller human in a pretty shady outfit,” Ekko described. “He’s got like a long black cloak that covers him up pretty nicely, but he’s got his hood down so you can see his white hair. There’s a scar that goes from his eye to the bottom of his jaw. He takes in the entire bar while he walks in, sort of fidgeting with something underneath his cloak.”
“Behind these two dumbasses,” Vi began, earning a protest from her friends. “Is this tall ass fire genasi. She kinda has to duck underneath the door frame to get in. She’s got orange-ish hair that’s cut pretty short. Ripped as hell with two sleeves of tattoos.”
“You can’t help but notice this group when they walk in,” Viktor said, turning back to Cait and Jayce. “They both demand the attention of the room and go unnoticed at the same time. They take an open table close to the bar where you two are. Kai, there is that all too familiar prickle on the back of your neck as your sixth sense kicks in. These people might be helpful in your hunt.”
“‘You think they know something?’” Cait leaned over to Jayce, lowering her voice to a stage whisper.
“‘I don’t know Kai,’” Jayce muttered back. “‘It’s not wise to go after strangers and they don’t look the friendliest.’”
“When Bumi says that I say up ‘YO! Who’s a girl gotta suck off to get a drink in here?’” Powder interrupted which brought out snickers amongst her friends.
“‘See? Do you really want to associate with those-’” Jayce asked, gesturing at Powder as he said it.
“Kai completely ignores everything Bumi tells her and heads over to the table,” Caitlyn quickly cut Jayce off with little preamble.
“‘Ah finally,’” Vi said as she leaned back in her chair. “‘We’ll take three of the strongest shit you got.’”
Caitlyn gave Vi a confused look. “‘What…do you think I’m a barmaid?’”
“‘Aren’t you?’” Vi blinked at Cait, confused.
Cait looked down at herself as if she was Kai. She had earlier described what Kai looked like. A shorter half-elf decked out in furs and with a longbow and quiver on her back. Very un-barmaid-like. “‘No. My name’s Kai and the human over there is named Bumi. I have not seen you around town before, are you travelers?’”
“Spark ain’t a fan of this chick,” Vi decided.
“What why?” Caitlyn asked, tilting her head to the side.
“She just showed up, didn’t bring any booze, and is asking questions,” Vi counted off the reasons on her fingers. “Like, warm a girl up first.”
“‘Who’s asking?’” Ekko jutted his chin out as he tried to look intimidating.
Caitlyn blinked. “‘I just told you, my name is Kai. Do you mind if I take a seat?’”
“‘Yes,’” Vi replied.
“‘I’m sorry, do you have a problem with me?’” Caitlyn asked, mocking Kai’s offense in her voice.
“‘I’m gonna need a few more drinks before I can stomach listening to mother nature's bitch over here,’” Vi pretended to look past Caitlyn and waved her hand in the air. “‘Hey! Bartender! Can we get a round over here?’”
Cait sighed and put her meager knowledge of the town to use. “‘If you want drinks, you need to show a little coin first.’ Kai will pull a silver piece out of her pocket and wave it in the air.”
“As you do that, one of the barmaids comes over and plucks it out of your hand,” Viktor said. “A few minutes later she comes back with a round of drinks for the table.”
“‘Damn, mother nature’s bitch can stay,’” Ekko said, grinning. “Blaze is gonna scoop up one of those ales.”
“Jinx plucks the drink out of Blaze’s hand and downs half of it in one gulp,” Powder said, pretending to take a drink out of Ekko’s empty hands and hits it back. “‘Keep buying us drinks and we might let you join us. But!’” Powder holds up her finger, smirking wickedly. “‘Keep that posh act at the door.’”
“‘I’ll try to mind it,’” Caitlyn said, slowly, carefully, not knowing what Powder meant. “Kai takes a seat at the table. Has Bumi followed her over?” She directed the last bit to Jayce.
Jayce shrugged. “I think he’s still at the bar.”
“Well, if that’s the case, Kai waves him over,” Caitlyn said, mimicking the motion with her hand, nearly hitting Jayce in the head. “‘Come on now Bumi.’”
Jayce smirked and shook his head as Caitlyn dragged him into the situation much like how she had done in real life a million times. “Bumi lets out a groan, only bitching a little about Kai’s persistence, before joining the group.”
There are introductions to be had, each of them giving a sort of background on their character. Powder’s character was named Jinx and Ekko was Blaze. Vi opened her mouth to introduce herself but Powder cut her off before she got the shot.
“‘And this is Sparky!’” Powder grinned like the devil and Vi rolled her eyes, pushing her sister’s head aside playfully.
“‘Your parents named you Sparky?’” Cait asked, an eyebrow raised, her arms crossed in disbelief. Vi shot her an in-character glare, mimicking Spark’s irritation with Kai in her posture.
“As a matter of fact, hotshot, I don’t remember my parents or anything for that matter,” Vi said back. Caitlyn’s eyes went wide in interest for a moment before writing the new information into her notebook. Vi dropped the Spark impression to stare down at Cait writing notes. “Are you going to write down everything we say?”
“You never know what’s important,” Cait hummed in response if a little embarrassed. Except for Ekko, it didn’t look like anyone else was being as diligent with their notetaking as she was.
“Some players listen to their dms,” Viktor joked to break the awkwardness around them. Vi shook her head at him as she reached into a chip bag for another handful.
“Harsh, Vik,” Vi answered and the game continued.
Powder chimed in with the rest of Vi’s backstory. Jinx had found Spark in an alleyway, face down and unconscious. She brought her home and nursed her back to health and the two had formed a bond ever since. Somewhere Blaze joined their little trio. Together they had been journeying across the continent, running out of money about this time.
Despite the backstory being solid, Cait couldn’t shake the feeling that they were not telling the whole truth. Kai as a character would also trust this gut instinct to try and pry out any more information before she made a deal with strangers. Cait turned to Viktor with that idea in mind.
“Could I do an insight check?” Caitlyn asked which prompted a wide-eyed look from Ekko and Powder.
“On what exactly?” Viktor asked for clarification. Cait shrugged and set the group with a look.
“I have a feeling that it’s not the entire truth,” Caitlyn replied.
“Well go ahead then,” Viktor said. Caitlyn reached for her blue d20 and double-checked her modifier for insight, Kai’s character sheet neatly placed by her notebook and ready to go.
“This is already off to a great start,” Joked Ekko as Caitlyn tossed the die into the dice tray. It clattered for a second before coming back as fourteen which with Kai’s insight modifier of plus five made the final roll a nineteen.
“Damn girl! What is your insight?” Powder asked, eyes wide.
Caitlyn smugly leaned back in her chair. “A five. Honesty is particularly important to Kai.”
“I believe it is your guys' turn to roll for deception then,” Viktor prompted. “Which one of you will be lying?”
Jayce perked up beside Cait at the mention of deception. He turned to her, a wide grin on his face at her intuition, and slapped the table.
“Damnnnnnnnnnn!” Jayce said. “They up to no good!”
“Calm your jets!” Powder said back before turning to Viktor. She jerked her head in Ekko’s direction. “I’m gonna help him with deception so he gets an advantage.”
“Very well,” Viktor said as Ekko shook his green and black-colored d20 like his life depended on it. It clicked on the table and Caitlyn hoped for the worst. He let out a whoop as the die came back in his favor.
“Twenty-two bitches!” Ekko declared, sending a shit-eating grin Cait's way. Powder leaped to his side, pointing at his die.
“Roll again to see if you get a natural 20!”
“Is that really necessary?” Viktor asked but Ekko was already throwing his die down again. Powder let out her excited whoop as the number came out higher than before.
“Twenty-four!” Ekko half-yelled the new number, cockily smiling at Cait.
“What is your deception?” Caitlyn asked, impressed but a bit angry at being shown up. She had thought her bonus five was particularly good, but Ekko was better.
“Plus six,” Ekko replied, proud of his stats. “I got expertise in it.”
“Jesus, rogues break the game,” Jayce groaned from where he sat.
“Hey, calm down there pretty boy, ain’t our fault you wanted to be a cleric,” Vi grinned back at him, her character's secrets safe for now.
“As from now on I will only be healing Caitlyn,” Jayce decided which brought out grins and good-natured laughter from the group around them. Viktor quieted them down with a wave of his hand, chuckling to himself as he did so.
“So, Kai, the sixth sense you have developed from your previous life experiences makes you question the trio’s motives,” Viktor explained. “You try to delude any trickery from them, but they haven’t given you any clue as to what they might be up to.”
“Alright,” Caitlyn said, slowly nodding her head. “After that’s finished Kai looks to the group and says ‘well, you caught a lucky break ending up here. This is a town of good people, with not a lot of trouble going on. People like it that way.’”
“Why do I feel like you're threatening us?” Vi asked, giving Cait a side-eye.
“‘That depends, is there a reason I shouldn’t trust you?’” Cait asked back.
“‘There’s no reason, right guys?’” Ekko shot his friends a death glare, running with his high deception roll for as long as Viktor would let him.
“Jinx shifts back in her chair,” Powder said as she did the same. She had a pointed look on her face as she glared at Cait. Vi did the same, looking away from Cait and Jayce and focusing on Ekko instead.
They eventually got around to what Caitlyn originally wanted to talk about. She described her hunches and her mission and asked if the trio had any information. They had a little and with a price settled on for that intel, they agreed to help. Kai forked over the cash to Bumi’s distaste, but the half-elf didn’t listen to a single one of the human’s warnings, her eyes on the prize.
“‘So, these people you’re tracking? They have warehouses everywhere,’” Ekko explained, talking with his hands as he went. “They gotta have one nearby if they are trying to make this a shipping center. The problem is sniffing them out. Even I have trouble with it. You guys got a way to travel without them noticing anything? Like, someone else who’s quick and unnoticeable?’”
Cait grinned happily and gave Jayce a knowing look. Jayce smiled at the trio.
“‘We know a girl,’” Jayce said.
The party paid their bill and left the tavern. When they were out on the open street, Viktor looked over at Caitlyn.
“Alright, so do you call Willow?” Viktor asked Caitlyn.
“Of course. She’s nearby, right?” Caitlyn clarified, not sure how her beast master trait worked as it was her first time playing it. She just knew that Willow wasn’t exactly a welcomed patron in taverns and begrudgingly left her furry friend behind.
“Yes, she’s been waiting outside,” Viktor said, seeming just as excited about the extra party member’s introduction as Cait was. He turned to the group, the trio on the left side watching Cait and Viktor with interest. “You all watch as Kai walks into a dark, seemingly unsafe, alley with relative ease.”
“‘Where’d you hide off to now?’” Caitlyn asked in a more playful tone. “‘Come on now, we don’t have time for this.’”
“As Kai turns around and is almost covered by the darkness, you all see twin yellow eyes appear and a large shadow launches itself at Kai,” Viktor described.
“What the fuck-”
“Beast master, beast master, beast master,” Powder chanted, drumming her fingers on the table in anticipation.
“Spark freaks the fuck out and casts produce flame in her hand to see what the hell is going on,” Vi said after Viktor’s description.
“A small ball of fire ignites in the middle of Spark’s palm and the alley is illuminated by it. The scene in front of you is a strange one. A large, gray wolf has Kai pinned underneath it; maw dangerously close to Kai’s throat.”
“‘The fuck?’” Vi cursed.
“At the sight of the flame and unfamiliar people, the wolf turns its head towards you,” Viktor said, making eye contact with Vi. “It pushes off Kai and launches itself at you. Make a strength-saving throw.”
Vi rolled her die and let out a muttered curse. “Damn it, ten.”
“Alright so the wolf is able to knock you down, its fangs are now right above your nose. It lets out a deep, primal growl,” Viktor described. “It’s a bit intelligent for a wolf. You have faced wolf packs before on your travels but this one has a certain intellect to it. It has one paw against your hand with the flame in it as if it knows to cut off your magic.”
“‘Willow, that’s enough,’” Caitlyn scolded lightly. “Kai pushes herself off the ground and walks over to where the group is, a little smug. ‘Think she’ll work?’”
“‘Why didn’t you open with having a wolf?’” Powder asked, grinning like a fool. “I’m going to try to pet the big dangerous pupper.”
“Willow sizes you up and sort of glances back at Kai for clarification,” Viktor said.
“‘They’re friends, Willow,’” Caitlyn clarified before setting them with a cold glare. “‘For now, at least.’”
“Willow looks back at Jinx and sniffs your outstretched hand,” Viktor said.
“‘This is fucking awesome,’” Powder said. “I'm going to give her the best ear scratch of her life.”
“‘Excuse me? Can you get your fucking dog off me?’” Vi asked, gesturing to herself.
Caitlyn looked Vi over. “‘I quite like you like that.’”
“‘What? Getting my ass kicked by a wolf?’” Vi asked with a little snark to it.
Caitlyn smirked to herself as she got an idea. “Kai’s going to kneel next to Spark and say, ‘Underneath me.’ Then she is gonna grab Willow by the scuff of her neck and gently pull her off Spark. More of, directing her instead of forcing her.”
The table went semi-crazy at the light flirt, Powder nudging Vi in the side with a suggestive smirk on her face. Vi’s face had the tinting of a blush on her cheeks and Caitlyn giggled at it without much thought before moving onwards. It was a little fun to flirt with the woman diagonal of her through their characters with the lack of consequences. If anyone asked her about it later, she could shrug and simply say that Kai would do it.
Willow was able to follow the shady people easily and the group wasn’t far behind her. There’s some talk of strategy between the party and a mild fight between some guards when they approached the warehouse. By this time, the out-of-game players had grown used to each other, forming little bonds and inside jokes.
Whenever Jayce rolled a successful save or high attack, he did a little fist pump which Powder and Ekko took to mocking every time they shook well. A running gag of Spark always doing the opposite of what Kai wanted to also pop up often. Caitlyn loved it, there was never anything better than having a group of players who were really into the game like they were.
It didn’t last long though as Viktor threw a wrench in their budding, friendly interactions. In a twist that Cait was expecting from her previous hunch, it was revealed that Jinx and Blaze had both been working for the group the party was tracking. Lines were immediately drawn in the sand as the group was faced with a situation that could tear the party apart.
“‘You work with them,’” Caitlyn stated the obvious, mocking the surprise and betrayal Kai would have felt in this circumstance. Her eyes darted around the trio on the other side of the table. She tried to imagine they were their characters instead of fellow college students.
“‘Well, cat’s out the bag now!’” Powder said in the more high-pitched voice of Jinx. “‘Whatcha gonna do about it, sick your wolf on us?’ And Jinx is going to invade Kai’s personal space with zero care.”
“Kai there is now a very aggressive gnome trying to intimate you, borderline stepping on your toes,” Viktor said to Caitlyn. There is some light laughter at the mental image of three-foot Jinx trying to threaten a half-elf nearly twice her size, but the situation has gotten tense. The trio on the other side is looking at the two across from them wearily. Caitlyn can picture the scene in her head, weapons on the verge of being pulled, their alliance ready to fall to pieces.
“Kai stiffens at it but stands firm,” Cait replied, trying to have the same stone composure Kai would have.
“Bumi leans over to Kai and whispers in her ear,” Jayce began to say. “‘We could take them, turn them in to the ones following us.’”
“Do I hear that?” Powder asked, so hyped-up energy she was practically bouncing in her chair now. “I feel like I hear that.”
“Uh, for the purpose of narrative I say you are too short to hear it,” Viktor decided. “But you do hear the whispering.”
“‘Whatcha saying up there?” Powder asked. “I poke Kai a shitton in the stomach as I say it.”
“When you do that, Willow comes up from around Kai’s side and snarls at you,” Viktor warned. “The message is clear, attack Kai and you will, how you say, become her dinner.”
“Kai whispers back to Bumi, ‘we don’t want to make a scene, we know these people are powerful.’” Caitlyn said, leaning over to Jayce to mimic how she imagined Kai doing it.
“While all this is happening,” Vi cut in, leaning forward on her elbows. “I push Jinx out of the way and take her place.”
“How tall is Spark again?”
“About six feet,” Vi replied.
“Ah so you would be taller than Kai than, very good,” Viktor wrote down the new information for his own purposes. Vi’s expression went from serious and threatening to shock and happiness as she looked at Caitlyn. Cait rolled her eyes, too engrossed in the game to think of a comeback to that. Viktor stopped writing and turned to face Caitlyn. “So, Spark pushes Jinx out of the way and replaces her. Instead of a gnome, you have a six-foot fire genasi in front of you. You have to look up to make eye contact with her.”
“So, are you going to snitch on us, hotshot?” Vi asked as Spark directed it towards Kai. Caitlyn stiffened, feeling a lot more like her character than she usually did in the first session.
“These people are good people,” Caitlyn responded, trying to draw out the slightly more varied accent she had thought Kai would have. “They don’t deserve your self-centered chaos.”
Vi leaned back in her seat, raising an eyebrow. “So that’s a yes?”
Caitlyn sighed, finding herself, well Kai, in strange circumstances. She had not expected to be conspiring with criminals so early. Dnd games could take you where you least suspect it sometimes.
“‘It’s an I’m coming with you,’” Caitlyn decided, thinking that Kai would be the type to watch and make sure that nothing fishy went on. She lifted her chin just so. “To keep the chaos to a minimum.”
“‘What about your buddy there?’” Vi side-eyed Jayce who was just as into the game as the group around him. “‘Is he on board?’”
Jayce perked up as he was called upon. He wasn't into the roleplaying aspect of the game as much as the rest of the group but was picking it up quickly. “Bumi is a little hesitant about the whole thing and once again leans over to Kai. ‘You sure this is the best idea? They’re criminals, Kai, for all we know they could backstab us.”
“‘The people following them don’t seem squeaky clean either,’” Caitlyn decided, confident in the direction she was taking her character. She turned away from Jayce to face Vi, Powder, and Ekko directly now, making her face as stoic as possible. “Someone should have morals here.”
“Girl does not like us,” Ekko chuckled from where he sat, shaking his head.
“I cannot wait to drag her down to our level,” Powder grinned. A good-natured laugh came from Cait, knowing in her gut that Kai would be dealing with the worst of them in only a few sessions. Good-aligned characters never stayed good for long.
When it was clear that Kai and Bumi were not going to either try to kill, turn in or leave the other three members, the tension in the room settled down a little. The same didn’t go for in-game though as Spark and Kai were not finished with each other just yet.
“Spark gives a nod at Kai and steps out of her personal space,” Vi described and deepened her voice for Spark’s. “‘If I even get an idea that you’re gonna turn us in, I’ll kill you.”
“‘And if I get a sense that you’re going to hurt good people, I’ll kill you,’” Caitlyn responded. Viktor waited a little bit longer in case Vi or Cait had anything to add on. After a few seconds of silence, Viktor began to speak.
“The party finds itself not quite together but not quite apart either,” Viktor explained. “With an outside threat greater than either side can take on by their own, an alliance is formed, as tentative as it is. You all cannot help but be a little wary of the other group, for better or for worse but you all fundamentally understand that at least for the moment, you need each other.” Viktor paused for effect, letting the words settle in his players before closing his notebook with a solid thump. He smiled at them as each one of them dreaded his next words. “And that’s where we’ll leave off today.”
“Viktor!”
“NOOO IT WAS JUST GETTING GOOD!”
“Come ON man you cannot do us dirty like that!”
The chorus of complaints and desire to go on was muffled as the players gathered their things and began to pack up. Powder and Ekko started going over a play-by-play in their own words, adding in their feelings about the game and slight surprise at the ending. Jayce chimed in a little, more so talking and thanking Viktor for setting up the session than anything.
Caitlyn smiled but didn’t say anything as she packed her things in her bag. She neatly put her dice back in their pouch and stood up from the table, slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder. Typically, she would stay a little bit longer. There was nothing quite like a good after-session talk as everyone shared their thoughts and feelings about the game they just played. Unfortunately for the law student, she was a law student and still had a few papers to work on if she wanted to get them done in time for their deadlines.
“As much as I’d love to chat, I’m afraid I have to leave,” Caitlyn said. “Thank you for a wonderful session, Viktor, I’ll see you all next week.”
“I’ve gotta go too,” Vi said suddenly, pushing all of her things in her backpack and hastily zipping it up. Powder and Ekko gave her twin looks of confusion as their friend stood up and kicked her chair back into place. She jutted her chin out at Cait. “I’ll walk with you if that’s okay.”
Caitlyn blinked a little in surprise. She didn’t think that Vi liked her very much. They had barely spoken besides their characters' dialogue and that wasn’t exactly friendly.
“Of course,” Cait replied, too polite to say no and wanting to get to know her fellow player better anyway. At least, that’s what she told the butterflies in her stomach in hope that they would settle down.
“What do you have to do, Vi?” Powder asked, her tone more innocent than it should be.
“Yeah Vi, what’s so important you can’t get Jerricho’s tonight?” Ekko replied.
“I don’t have to tell you assholes anything!” Vi half-yelled at them before walking out of the room with Cait in tow. She turned around to wave goodbye to Jayce.
“See you all next week, thanks again Viktor!” Cait said before following Vi out the door. The second the classroom door closed behind them; silence engulfed the two. Caitlyn had not expected the funny, clever, and handsome girl from the group to follow her out. She shook her head, trying to erase those thoughts before they got out of control.
The hallway was empty as they walked down it since it was almost nine o’clock. Vi seemed just as uncomfortable as Cait, unable to disguise it as well. She fidgeted a little, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.
“That was, uh, pretty fun huh?” Vi said, breaking the silence with the delicateness of a hammer. Cait didn’t mind, grateful for the distraction.
“It was, wasn’t it?” Caitlyn agreed, smiling despite herself. “I haven’t been able to play any dnd since I started studying here, much less a game that engaging.”
Vi turned to face Cait, still walking. “You had fun then?”
“Yes, why wouldn’t I?” Cait asked, confused.
“I was a little worried you didn’t appreciate me getting all up in your face like that,” Vi replied with a shrug of her shoulders. She smiled slightly, her features softening in a way that made Cait’s heartbeat faster in her ear. “Haven’t been a favorite in my other campaigns because of it.”
“Well, I enjoyed it,” Caitlyn said as confidently as possible. “It’s been forever since I have played with people who prioritize role-playing as much as you and your friends have.”
“Pretty boy not much of an actor?” Vi asked with a grin. Caitlyn smiled and laughed at the truth in the statement.
“You could say that” Caitlyn agreed. “Getting him to write a backstory is like pulling
teeth, I don’t know how Viktor managed to do it.”
“I’m shit at the creative stuff, Powder had to help me with mine,” Vi admitted as the pair walked down the stairwell.
“I thought you did brilliantly tonight,” Caitlyn said back as they reached the side door to the building. Caitlyn pushed the bar inwards and the sweet, cool fall air chilled her face. She held the door open for Vi. “I’m excited to see where Kai and Sparky’s relationship will go.”
“Really?” Vi asked, mocking surprise. Her devilish grin portrayed her real intentions though. “I’m looking forward to Spark and Willow’s relationship, now there's a real winner.”
“Oh, is it now?” Caitlyn asked, rolling her eyes as the pair walked down the sidewalk.
“I can see it now,” Vi declared. “Drama, intrigue, friendship, dying in each other’s arms.”
“Please do not kill my wolf,” Caitlyn pleaded. “I wouldn’t be much of a beast master without a beast now would I?”
“You’d rather I die instead of your puppy?” Vi put her hand over her heart, faking a look of hurt on her face. “Ice cold.”
Caitlyn laughed again; it was so easy with Vi. She could see why there had been such good chemistry between them as players, the conversation right now was easy. They paused on the street corner.
“I live in Hansen,” Caitlyn said, looking over in the distance of her dorm.
“Shit Smith for me,” Vi replied. “Guess this is where we part ways then, huh?”
“I’ll see you next week though, right?” Caitlyn confirmed.
“Of course, try to stop me,” Vi grinned in response. She pointed at Cait with another smile that made Cait’s face warm. “Better watch yourself next time, Spark won’t hesitate to set Kai on fire.”
“Bold of you to think she’d get a chance before Kai shot her,” Caitlyn teased back before they bid each other goodbye and headed their separate ways.