A Glimpse of Emerald

The below story is my entry into the 2021 Literotica Geek Pride Story Event.

I love role-playing games. I started with "Shadowrun" all the way back in the early '90s and never stopped. Hopefully I never will. After all, to quote the Fourth Doctor, "there's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes."

X X X X X

Peri groaned as the wail of her alarm scraped across her ears. Rolling onto her side, she reached for the smartphone sitting on her nightstand. Her finger hovered above 'snooze' for a brief moment before pressing 'stop.' Resisting the urge to flop back over, Peri managed to push herself off the bed onto her feet. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes before running her hand along the left side of her face, tracing a path atop the thick textured scar running from her earlobe down her flank as well as the length of her left arm. Her skin felt dry to the touch, but not as dry as it had been for most of the winter.

After taking a cold shower Peri lathered a thin coating of Vaseline over the scar before throwing on a black undershirt. Twenty years of experience meant that she used just the right amount of ointment, ensuring that her skin was protected without greasily clinging to her undershirt. The mid-morning sun shining through the bedroom window only added to her good mood. She decided to forgo cooking breakfast. A morning like this called for something decadent and sweet, not crisp and healthy.

Even the mess in her living room failed to dampen her spirits. Her coffee table was still covered with the detritus of her intense evening - crumpled paper towels smeared with paint, a blue Solo cup filled with the watery drippings from her paintbrushes, and most importantly the pair of finished products which she had sealed sometime around two in the morning before stumbling to bed. Ignoring the mess Peri took the finished products, cushioned them with bubble wrap, and placed them in a small plastic container.

Peri couldn't help but smile as she threw on her jacket and slid a black leather glove over her left hand. Even at the most sour of times she was still an optimist, but for some reason she had a good feeling that today was going to be one for the books. She held onto that thought as she left her second-floor apartment, heading down the steps to truly begin her day.

X X X X X

Mark looked up from the inventory sheet as the front door to the Dragon's Trove swung open. "You're five minutes late," he good naturedly tsk'd.

"A store owner is never late," Peri responded as she walked inside, "nor is she early, she arrives precisely when she means to." She dropped an orange-and-blue box on the glass counter. "And she arrives with donuts." Mark made an eager noise of forgiveness, popping open the box from Mile High Pastries while Peri set a small plastic container next to the box before hanging her coat on the nearby rack. "I'm having a good morning and figured I'd share the wealth." She helped herself to a glazed chocolate while Mark enjoyed a jelly-filled powdered donut. "Any customers yet?"

"Nope," he said while licking the powdered sugar from his fingers. "It's supposed to be sunny out today though. Maybe we'll get a couple of walk-ins." Mark picked up a sheet of paper from the counter and waved it in his hand. "Already started inventory. I was waiting for you to get here before heading to the back."

"Before you do that, I have something to show you." Mark's eyes widened with delight as Peri popped open the container and, after unwrapping the bubble wrap, placed a small plastic figure on the counter. "I finished him last night," she said proudly. "What do you think?"

"Whoa!" Mark carefully picked up the figure between two fingers, turning it so he could see it from all angles. "This is AMAZING."

The figure was that of a tall, slender elf dressed in green wizard's robes, with a staff in their right hand and a small glass bead representing a crystal ball in the other. The left half of the figure was painted with incredible detail. The hazel eye sat amidst a miniscule field of white, and even the three vials hanging from the wizard's belt were painted different colors to represent the potions inside. The right side of the figure had also been meticulously painted, but the robe was horribly burned and so was the wooden staff, as if the wizard had been caught in a massive explosion. Where the figure's skin was visible, flecks of black paint were laced with narrow veins of angry red and orange to reflect the raw flesh underneath the cracked skin. Even the right eye socket had been painted to appear hollow, the eyeball having popped during whatever cataclysm the wizard suffered through.

"I wanted to have the skull visible because all the hair had been burned away." Peri pointed to the wizard's half-flowing/half-scorched plastic mane. "But I couldn't scrape the hair on that side without ruining the figure. Sorry."

"Don't apologize," Mark said with awe. "THIS is a figure worthy of being the villain for my entire campaign. When I put this on the table my players are going to freak"

"There's one other thing." Peri pulled a small piece of plastic from the container and gently placed it on the back of the figure. "Now what do you think?"

A pair of wings now hung from the figure. The left side consisted of a beautiful angel's wing rendered in gold and white while the right wing was nothing but thin, hollow bones with clinging bits of stray flesh. "That's the capper," Mark chortled evilly. "How did you do that?"

"I put a mirror next to the table and used that half of my body as a reference."

Mark rolled his eyes. "I meant the wings, you ass."

"I glued them around a pin and drilled a hole in the figure's back for them to sit. You have to lift it up to take them off. Be careful when you do, I had to Frankenstein the wings from two different kits."

Mark carefully took the wings from the figure before putting both pieces in the container. "Here's where I'm going to once again make the offer for you to come play with us. You've painted damn near every figure I use. You're like a chef who makes all these great meals but eats frozen food for dinner."

"And who's going to mind the store on Sundays," Peri answered as she always did. "I appreciate the offer Mark, but you know my heart lies in painting. Now that I finished your figure, I'll probably get started on that dragon my brother got me for Christmas. Oh, before I forget, I got an email from Extra Life. They dropped the promo package in the mail on Monday so we should have it by this weekend. You going to run another game this year?"

"Absolutely. Playing D&D for charity AND playing for twenty-five straight hours? At our age it's the only way to be responsible and irresponsible at the same time. I'm going to head on back. Yell if you need a hand."

Peri smiled as her friend and co-worker headed towards the back of the store. Mark liked the miniature she had painted for him, the weather in Emerald Pines was beautiful for early March, and the donuts were devilishly delicious. It all combined to put a cheerful whistle on Peri's lips as she logged into the cash register, ready to begin what hopefully would be a profitable day for her gaming store.

X X X X X

Peri sighed as she looked upon the disorganized display of model kits. Some customer had left several Warmachine boxes scattered among the vast collection of Games Workshop stuff that dominated a corner of the store. She had just gathered the wayward boxes in her arms when the front door chime rang. Leaning around the wooden rack, Peri caught sight of a young man in a brown suede jacket taking off his sunglasses and hanging them on the collar of his black t-shirt. "Hi," Peri called out. "Can I help you?"

He raised a hand in greeting. "Hey. Where's your D&D stuff?"

Peri did her best to gesture with her elbow. "Over on that wall, underneath the banner."

The man nodded with thanks. While he walked towards the Dragon Trove's collection of Dungeons & Dragons products Peri made her way towards the Warmachine section. She had just returned the final box to its proper location when she noticed the young man coming towards her. He wore a black t-shirt and blue jeans along with a brand new pair of sturdy brown boots, with short black hair parted on the right side and tan skin. If Peri had to guess, she'd have placed him in his late 20's. His eyes narrowed when he saw the large burn scar covering half her face. "Hate to bother you," he asked politely, "but is there any chance you've got a copy of Curse of Strahd somewhere?"

"Let me ask my guy in the back. Mark," she called out. After a few seconds her friend's face appeared in the doorway. "See if we got an extra copy of Curse of Strahd back there."

Mark stepped back in the storeroom, leaving Peri and the young man standing next to each other. Peri offered a friendly grin while they waited, which the man answered with a nod of his head and a closed-mouth smile. She could see the effort he was making to look her directly in the eyes instead of at her face and neck. "Um...nope," Mark eventually yelled. "We're out. I think we sold the last book a couple of weeks ago!"

"Sorry," she apologized to the young man. "I guess I haven't gotten around to reordering it yet."

His response was a resigned sigh. "I keep meaning to pick it up but every time I try to grab it, it's sold out."

"I can order you a copy if you want," offered Peri. "I was going to put an order in with my distributor this afternoon. I can just throw it on the list. It would get here next Wednesday, two Wednesdays from now at the latest."

"That would be great! Can I pay for it now?"

"Sure. Come on, I'll ring you up." Peri slipped behind the counter while the young man glanced through the glass at the various dice and cards spread out in the case below. "Alright," she said as she pulled the item up in the cash register, "your total's going to be $53.90." The man produced his wallet and handed over three crisp $20 bills. While Peri made change, she asked, "can I get a name for the order?"

"Cameron."

"Phone number, so I can text you when it gets here?"

"One second, I have a new number." The man, Cameron, pulled a phone from his pocket and read off her number to him.

"OK, and an e-mail address for our mailing list?"

"Pass," he said firmly. "I don't like handing out my e-mail."

Peri nodded in understanding as she finished printing out the receipt. "Bring this with you, in case I'm not here. There's also a 5% coupon for your next purchase."

"Thanks." Cameron took the receipt and tucked it into his wallet. "Hey, are you a local by any chance?"

"Born and raised," she answered proudly. "I've lived in Emerald Pines my entire life."

"This is my third day in town and I'm just now getting out and about. Where's the best place to eat?"

Peri reached underneath the counter and grabbed a batch of crumpled take-out menus. "Take your pick," she said, sliding them across the glass to Cameron. "If I had to recommend a place it would be Half in the Bag, down the block to the left and around the corner. Best sandwiches in the Roaring Fork Valley, hands down."

Cameron put the menus in his jacket pocket. "Thanks. Catch you in a week or two then." He gave her a polite wave before heading out from the shop. As he left, Peri found herself once again grinning cheerfully. Nothing put a smile on a store owner's face quite like a sale to a brand new customer.

X X X X X

Peri was threading the string through one of the banner's metal loops when she heard the front door chime. Looking over her shoulder, it took a moment to recognize the customer as the young man who had come in the previous week. "Good afternoon," she said while tying off the string. "Cameron, right?"

"Yep. And...I'm sorry. I didn't think to get your name last week."

"I'm Peri," she answered as she carefully climbed down the small step ladder and headed behind the counter. "And this," she said while reaching underneath the counter for his purchase, "is one copy of Curse of Strahd."

"Freaking finally." Cameron eagerly took the hardback from Peri's outstretched hand. "I've kept meaning to get this book for the past two years. Now maybe I can find out how it's supposed to end."

While Cameron began flipping through the book, Peri found herself taking another look at him.

If she had to hazard a guess he was five foot seven without the brown boots, with a slender body that could use a few extra pounds. Not that she had any room to talk, being in her mid 30's with blonde hair and the beginnings of middle-age spread. His hands were rough and calloused, which combined with his tan led Peri to believe that he worked outdoors more often than not.

While she studied him, a sparkle of color caught her eye. Resting against the collar of Cameron's gray t-shirt was a green pendant hanging from a short silver chain. The semi-translucent gemstone's surface was a mix of rough patches and smooth facets and was held in place by a quartet of silver tines. The pendant caught the indirect sunlight streaming through the front windows of the Dragon's Trove, projecting a narrow line of green against the gray fabric.

"Wait, THAT'S who the Mad Mage was," he proclaimed in shock. "Come on, how the hell is anyone supposed to..." Cameron looked up from the book to see Peri staring at him. He shied away while asking, "are you OK?"

"What? Oh, sorry!" Peri shook her head. "I was looking at your pendant."

"Oh. Did it slip out again?" Cameron reached up and gently lifted the jewel with his thumb. Now that she had a better glimpse of it, Peri was taken aback. She had never seen that particular shade of green before in all her years of painting. "My Mom got it for me for my sixteenth birthday," he explained, "because it kind of looked like a gaming die. I haven't worn it in years, but...well, when in a town called Emerald Pines, right?" The pendant gleamed as he gently turned it between his fingers.

"It looks amazing," she said with quiet awe. "I have a side business painting miniatures and I've NEVER seen that shade of green before."

"...damn it, what's the shade?" Cameron closed his eyes and tapped his fingers against the bridge of his nose. "Mom told me, it was...Tapestry Green...Trapiche. Yeah, it's called Trapiche Green."

"Trapiche Green," she repeated. "I'm currently painting a dragon and that shade would look great on its scales. Thank you."

His warm smile caught Peri off guard with how it made her stomach briefly flutter. "It's the least I could do after you told me about Half in the Bag. The only other place I've seen a Grant's Stack sandwich was my grandmother's kitchen when I was a kid and this one could have given hers a run for the money. And speaking of sandwiches, I gotta go grab mine. Thanks again for the book." Cameron tucked Curse of Strahd under his arm and headed for the door. Before he opened it, however, he glanced up at the red-and-black banner that Peri had hung up. "Oh," he proclaimed softly, "you guys do Extra Life?"

"Yep," she answered proudly. "Every year since we've opened! We take donations all year round, and every May 25th Mark, one of my employees, runs a 25-hour game for charity."

Cameron nodded approvingly. "Cool. Hey, are Wednesdays when you get your newest stuff?"

"Wednesdays or Thursdays," Peri confirmed. "Depends on the weather. My distributor's up in Glenwood Springs and we're the final stop on their run."

"Cool. I'll probably drop in, but I'll warn you I'm more of a window shopper than an actual shopper."

Peri chuckled. "I own a gaming store. I'm used to people coming in, looking around, and walking out. As long as you order from me and not Amazon, loiter all you want." Cameron responded by patting the book under his arm before opening the door and stepping outside. Without quite realizing it Peri's eyes followed the young man as he walked past her front window until he was out of sight.

X X X X X

Peri looked down at her shopping list. "Got the bread," she told herself, "got the butter, got Vaseline, got Advil, got socks...soup," she murmured quietly. "Need soup." She leaned against the shopping cart and headed back towards the grocery section of Kenner's Market. The business took up an entire block along the edge of what passed for downtown Emerald Pines, serving as a combination general store and supermarket. It was as if someone had taken a Gander Outdoors and a Wegmans and slammed them together, except the cozy rustic feel of the family owned market felt authentic instead of sanitized.

When Peri turned down the aisle she noticed another customer wearing a light gray sweater who shared her current interest in soup. As she approached Peri realized it was Cameron. The young man was straining for a can of soup just out of reach on the top shelf, gritting his teeth and stretching his arm as best he could. "Cameron," she called out, causing him to glance in her direction. "Do you need a hand?"

"Oh. Hey Peri." Cameron gestured to the top shelf. "I'm trying to get that can of soup up there. I was actually about to ask some for help."

"Allow me." Peri pulled a long baguette from the cart and stepped in front of the wall of soup. Gripping the long piece of bread by one end, she used it to drag the can forward and pull it down from the shelf with a sweeping motion. She easily plucked the can as it fell and, with a semi-gracious twirl, presented it to Cameron. "One can of Campbell's Low Sodium Chicken Soup, hand-delivered. Need me to grab a couple more?"

Cameron took a step back, craning his neck for a better view. "There's two more up there. I only needed one but if you think you can get both..."

"No problem." Peri repeated the same trick two more times. She never left her feet as she brought the cans down one at a time, once again snagging them as they fell and giving them to Cameron with a hint of grandiose flair.

"Thank you," Cameron said gratefully as he put the cans in her cart. "I've never seen someone wield a piece of bread like that before."

"Give me a baguette long enough and I could break up a bar fight with it. How are you today?"

"I'm doing OK. Just, you know, getting out of the house, doing some grocery shopping for me and my roommate. Hopefully I won't need help getting anything else off the shelf."

Peri casually set the baguette against her shoulder. "What's left to get?"

Cameron glanced at a piece of paper in his cart. "Calcium supplements, salt substitute...and .22 rifle ammunition."

"Yeah, you'll need an associate for that," she laughed. "The hunting section's back that way, past the snow blowers."

Cameron offered a chuckle of his own. "When I asked my roommate where the nearest Wal-Mart was, they told me just to come here. Turned out this place has everything Wal-Mart does except for the overwhelming despair."

"Well if you ever need that sense of desperation, the nearest Wal-Mart's an hour away in Glenwood Springs. But it's a lot easier just to shop here. The drive up north isn't worth it, especially during winter."

"Bad weather?"

"Driving through Aspen. Tourists clog the roads during ski season and they'd all rather hit a superstore they know than a general store they don't."

Cameron nodded. "I have to remember I now live in a small mountain village instead of At...instead of a large city," he quickly corrected, but not quickly enough for Peri not to have noticed.

"Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "Make it until November when ski season starts and you'll officially be a local."

Cameron gave her a warm smile but his brown eyes spoke of a gentle weariness. The last time he had been in the store, Peri had been distracted by his emerald pendant. Now, however, she realized that Cameron's slender frame held a noticeable amount of lean muscle. His black hair was flecked with the barest hints of gray that only served to highlight how thick it was.