Gaming: D&D Pt. 08

I broached the idea to Nate and Parvani. They were both enthousiastic.

- "I think it would be wonderful." said Parvani.

- "And that's why Cherie loves you." I said.

Parvani blushed, and Nate smiled proudly.

That was how, at the beginning of December, we found ourselves in my basement, rolling up characters. Nate and I negotiated his duellist - Symenon's - stats. He needed dexterity and intelligence, obviously, but I didn't want him short of both strength and constitution.

Nate was scrupulously honest, and he would have played a character whose highest stat was a 9. I refused to let him do that. I just forced him to accept decent wisdom and strength scores. Nate held out for low constitution, and I let him have it. In return, I demanded fairly high charisma.

Cherie got her female hobbit. Esmerelda Bubblewrap had maximum dexterity, with good wisdom and constitution. She couldn't punch her way out of a wet paper bag, but Cherie was delighted with her creation.

Coop surprised us all by choosing to play a cleric.

- "As long as I can choose my own religion." he said.

- "Of course." Everyone agreed.

- "Cool." said Coop. "Okay, lust."

- "Pardon?"

- "My deity is the God of Lust."

Thankfully, Nate decided to make a fresh pot of tea. Cherie jumped up to show him where everything was (as if he didn't already know), and Parvani volunteered to help. That allowed me to make one thing clear to Coop.

- "If you touch my sister, I'll kill you. It's that simple."

- "Ian! Shit! What do you take me for?"

- "A horndog with a gift of the gab. And a death wish." I said. "I'm serious, Coop - you mess with my sister, and I will fuck you up. Our friendship will be over."

Parvani chose to play a wizard. She loved casting spells.

That left me with an obvious choice - one I was glad to have, because I had never played a simple fighter.

- "Tancred." I said. "That's his name. A Norman knight, with chain mail armour and a kite-shaped shield."

Character creation and shopping for equipment took up almost all of our time, that first night. But it was fun, and everyone seemed pretty happy. Cherie even kissed me on the cheek, after everyone had left.

- "Thanks, brother." she said.

Now I just had to come up with a story to match these great characters.

***

I was taken out to dinner for my birthday - three times. First my Dad, Jill and Cherie. Then the D&D crew, including my sister again. But the third one was the most memorable.

Diane took me to one of those Japanese restaurants where you sit around the grill, and the chef entertains you by chopping and cooking everything right in front of you, firing veggies around and juggling knives and cleavers. It was fun to watch, and tasted great, too.

- "That was awesome." I told Diane. "Thank you so much."

- "That was just dinner, Ian." she said. "Your present is still back at my place."

- "Mmm ..."

Diane swatted my arm. "Is that all you ever think of?" she said.

- "No - absolutely not." I said. "Sometimes I think of sex, too."

We kicked off our shoes at the door to her apartment. It hadn't snowed yet, so we weren't wearing boots.

- "Just give me a minute." she said, as she went down the little hall to her bathroom.

"Make yourself comfortable!" she called out.

She kept me waiting for quite a while - I had actually pulled one of the books from her shelf, and started reading the introduction. It might have been ten minutes, all told - which feels like a long time when you're waiting.

- "Ian? Could you come here for a minute?" she called.

It wasn't very far from her front room to her bedroom. I just had time to register that she had turned the light off, and lit candles, before I opened the door.

Diane was kneeling on her futon, wearing only a sheer blue teddy.

Her long, light brown hair flowed over one shoulder. The lingerie she had on was cut low in front, and barely supported by two thin straps. It was so sheer, it was virtually transparent. In the candlelight, she looked like ... one of my dreams.

- "Happy Birthday." she whispered.

I closed my open mouth, and sat down on the futon, next to her.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

- "I'm not sure it'll fit me." I said. "But it looks amazing on you."

She smiled, and leaned forward to kiss me, briefly. "I wanted to do something special for you." she said.

- "You did." I whispered.

I pulled her back towards me, and kissed her again. I caressed her scalp, and ran my fingers through her hair. I kissed her eyelids, her nose, her cheeks. Diane found my mouth with hers, and sucked on my lower lip.

It was an old-fashioned necking session - except that my beautiful girlfriend was near naked, wrapped only in what I would describe as an incitement to riot.

I slid one thin strap off her shoulder, freeing her amazing breast. We continued to kiss, tongues twirling, as I fondled and stroked her. She brushed her fingers across my crotch, teasing, ascertaining ...

- "Wait." she said, as she pushed me back. "You haven't seen these ..."

She raised the hem of her nightie, to reveal a matching pair of panties, heavily embroidered, but still unable to provide much protection from my eyes - or my fingers.

- "These have to come off." I said.

- "You're supposed to admire them for a few more minutes." she replied.

- "I admire you." I said.

Diane had a point, though. It was a treat, to slide my fingers under the frilly edge of her panties, and then glide down her smooth skin. She had only recently trimmed her bush, and her lower lips were freshly shaved.

"Oh, my." I said, as I inserted a finger into her slit. "You're very wet."

- "For you." she said. Then she kissed me, and insinuated her tongue into my mouth.

It was all I could do to get her panties off, and a condom on, before lower nature triumphed. Diane wanted to be taken from behind, and I obliged. Both of the thin straps of her teddy had slipped off, leaving her breasts hanging beneath her, like overripe fruit. I cupped and squeezed them as I slammed into her from behind.

Bless that Sapporo beer - it kept me from coming too soon. I rode her hard, fired by lust. I tried to delay her orgasm, as much as my own - but Diane squealed as she came, and that sent me over the edge.

Diane got a moist facecloth, and washed me off. Then she lay down beside me.

- "You're incredible." I told her.

- "Thank you." she said. "But tonight is all about you. What would you like?"

- "Try not to come." I said. "Try to hold back."

I put her on her back, and kissed my way from her mouth, to her neck, to those amazing breasts, and her puffy, swollen nipples. By the time I travelled across her stomach, and dipped my tongue into her navel, she was ready to go off like a hand grenade.

So I pulled away, and lay on my back.

- "Did I mention that Cherie is playing D&D with us, now?" I said.

- "NOO!" howled Diane. "I was so close!"

- "I know, sweetheart." I said. "You would have come the moment my lips or tongue touched your pussy. But I want to try something, here."

- "You're teasing me?"

- "Well, yes - but with a nobler purpose. Remember what you said: Pleasure deferred is pleasure intensified."

I went down on her - carefully. I probed, and kissed, and licked. But I kept a close watch on her reactions, and stopped frequently. That drove her mad. She tried to pull my face into her crotch, but I was too strong for her.

- "Iannnn ..." she moaned.

I teased her, and withdrew. Diane wanted release - she sought release. Finally, I gave in ... and gave it to her. She groaned, and went into minor convulsions, humping her pelvis into my face as I flicked my tongue across her clit.

She lay next to me, panting, for a moment.

- "You bastard." she said.

- "Was that more powerful than your usual orgasm?" I asked. "Tell me how it felt."

- "It was ... unbelievable."

Diane finally took off the teddy, and lay down next to me. We might have dozed a bit. But I wasn't wholly surprised when she slid down and took me in her mouth. She worked her magic, and had me erect in no time. Then she unwrapped another condom, and slid it over my new erection.

She straddled me, and began to ride. Her breasts were within easy reach of my hands. Diane put her own hands against the wall, behind my head, and began to fuck me in earnest, sliding herself up and down on my shaft.

- "Oh! Oh! Ian ... I ... love you ..."

A wave of heat passed across - and through - my chest. I was pretty sure that I had heard that - but it was confirmed a moment later.

"I love you." she repeated. "I LOVE YOU!"

For perhaps the first time in our relationship, I came first. But Diane was right behind me. She nearly passed out, slipping sideways, and then collapsing atop me.

It was some time before either of us could speak.

I went first. I looked her in the eye.

- "Diane - I love you, too." I said.

She smiled - but she blushed, too.

"I can't believe that I didn't want to go out with you, at first." she said. "I was so afraid that you were some kind of ... ladies' man."

- "I love you, Diane."

- "Ian - I just want to make you happy." she said.

She made love to me twice more that night - that wonderful night.

***

My Christmas shopping took me a long time. I had to visit three separate hobby shops to find what I was looking for. I'm not saying that it was a hardship - just that it was time-consuming.

But I found them: miniature fantasy figurines that closely resembled our characters. It wasn't easy to find a female hobbit, I can tell you. From my friends' reactions, though, I could tell that I had done well.

- "She's so cute!" said Cherie. "Thanks, brother."

- "This is spectacular." said Parvani. "Where did you find them?"

- "Excellent idea, man." said Coop. "Now we can put them on a map, or a diagram, instead of drawing little Xs and Os."

Nate just stared at his figurine, turning it over in his fingers.

They were among the cheapest gifts I had ever bought - and yet among the most appreciated. I particularly liked my gift to myself - a figurine of a Norman warrior.

Shopping for Diane was a little more difficult. I went to Jill, Dad's girlfriend, for advice. She made me answer a dozen questions.

- "How long have you known her?"

"What types of gifts have you given her so far?"

"Have you been ... physically intimate?"

"Is she your soulmate?"

I wasn't able to answer that last question. I wasn't even sure what it meant.

Jill suggested a necklace with a ruby pendant - Diane's birthstone. I was worried that it wasn't enough, that it wouldn't accurately reflect how I felt about her.

"You can tell her that in writing, Ian. Put it in a card. She'll love the necklace. Besides, if you splurge and get her the most amazing gift ... what will you do for Valentine's Day? Or her birthday?"

Or next Christmas - I got it. That was a concept that I could understand.

- "Thanks, Jill. I appreciate the help." I said. I made a mental note to get Jill a nice gift, too. I think, though, that she was flattered that I had come to her for advice.

It certainly wasn't something that I could have asked Parvani. Not that she would have minded - it's just ... they were different types of girls.

Diane loved her gift - and the card.

On New Year's Eve, we went to a party with her girlfriends, Gabby and Kelly. Neither of us knew many of the other people there. That was fine, though. We left the party at 11:00, and took a cab back to my house.

Dad was with Jill, and Cherie was staying over at a friend's place after their party.

I had a bottle of champagne chilling, and wood in the fireplace - all it needed was a match. I turned out all the lights, and we lay down on a blanket in front of the fire, glasses in hand.

Diane had done her hair up. It was piled, loosely, on top of her head. The apparent disarray was all part of 'the look'. I wasn't sure if I really liked it. On the plus side, it made her look older, and a bit exotic.

But I really preferred her hair long, and loose. Spread out beneath her head on the pillow, like a giant fan, of swirling around her shoulders as she rode me.

It wasn't a major distraction, once the fire heated up, and we got naked. I went down on her, and tried my best to delay her orgasm, to let it build up in intensity.

I had to try harder to hold back my own climax. She looked so awesome, lying on her back, as I slowly penetrated her. Diane's hand came up to my shoulders.

- "I love you." she said.

***

I got great news in early spring: I was accepted into the Masters Program. In addition, I had won another scholarship, and a research fellowship - basically a grant. To top it all off, the University threw in a job as a T.A.. I would be grading papers, running a tutorial, and keeping office hours to help undergraduates.

It added up to $12,000. My tuition was only going to cost $1600 (yes, things have changed a bit since then). I was rich! I could move out - get a place of my own.

Coop found out a week later that he had also been accepted. We had a few celebratory beers, and agreed then and there that we should look for an apartment together.

I had a momentary thought: what if I moved in with Diane? No. Her place was too small for two. And close as we were, it was probably too soon to raise that subject with her. Besides, I had never lived with anyone other than my family. A year of learning to put up with Coop would probably be good for me. There would be time to bring up the subject with Diane later.

I got taken to dinner multiple times, again. Dad and Jill were very pleased for me. (And for themselves, too - she soon began making plans to sell her house, and move in with Dad)

Parvani, Nate and Cherie took Coop and me out. Nate and Par were especially gracious, considering that they would both be facing the uncertainty of the job market.

Diane celebrated with me, too.

- "My boyfriend is so smart." she said.

She was impressed by the money, too. She was also excited that I would be getting an apartment - and that my roommate would be Coop, her favourite among my friends.

Diane did have one minor concern.

- How long is this program, Ian?" she asked. "How much longer are you going to be in school?"

- "It depends." I said. "Some people can finish a Masters in a year. But I think Dr. Welsh will work me pretty hard. Probably closer to two years, for me."

- "Two years?" she repeated. "And ... after that, what kind of job will you apply for?"

I hadn't even thought that far.

- "One step at a time." I said.

***

A card from Simran came in the mail. It said: "Congratulations - well deserved".

I sent her a thank you, and congratulated her in return. Parvani had told me that Simran had just been promoted at work (she was an editor for a small publishing house).

"Congratulations to you, too." I wrote. "I'm sure it's equally well deserved".

***

When things are going well, you rarely feel stressed. I was juggling school, my relationship with Diane, and I was trying to write a compelling, original D&D story. I challenged my players, with ethical and moral dilemmas, as well as difficult tactical situations.

We played virtually every Thursday night. Early in April, though, we had to cancel at short notice. Coop wasn't able to make it, and Parvani came down with a nasty case of food poisoning.

- "Is she alright?" I asked Nate. I know, stupid question.

- "She'll get over it." he said. "It will take a couple of days to work through her system. I'm taking the day off tomorrow to look after her."

- "Bed rest." I suggested. "And lots of liquids." I had had food poisoning once myself.

- "I know." said Nate. "It's all under control."

That left me at loose ends on a Thursday night - a rare occurrence. I could have gotten ahead on my reading, or my studying, but exams weren't for two more weeks.

I called Diane. No answer. On an impulse, I called Gabby. She wasn't home, either. When I had spoken to Diane earlier that day, she hadn't mentioned any plans to go out tonight.

There were two spots near her apartment, though, where she liked to hang out: one was a coffee and bagel place, and the other was the live music club, where the punk and new wave bands played.

It was still early, so I hopped on a bus and went downtown. There was nobody I knew at the bagel shop, so I went over to the club.

The band was loud, and energetic. It wasn't a very big venue, so it only took a minute or two to ascertain that Diane wasn't there. But I did see some rather hot action in the corner seat where we often sat.

It was Gabby, playing tonsil hockey with some guy. They came up for air as I was watching them. Gabby caught sight of me. Since they were taking a break from molesting each other, I went over.

- "Hey! Ian -" she said. Gabby seemed a little embarrassed - I wanted to tell her that it wouldn't bother Coop if she hooked up with a new guy. As far as I knew, their history was just that - in the past.

- "Hey, Gabby! Do you know where Diane is, tonight?" I asked.

- "Diane? Umm - no." She introduced me to her new beau, a guy named Mark.

- "Okay. Maybe I'll check in on her on my way home."

It was only a couple of blocks to Diane's apartment. I had copies of her keys, so it was no trouble to go in the front door and climb the steps. As I came up the final set of stairs, I saw something I hadn't expected.

Just outside her door, on the little plastic mat, was a pair of Diane's shoes. Next to them was a large pair of Adidas running shoes. Men's running shoes.

They could have belonged to her brother, Mike. Somehow, though, I didn't think that they did. There was no music playing inside Diane's apartment. I could see that the light was on, under the door, but I couldn't hear any voices.

I could have knocked.

I didn't.

***

Diane and I had a date the next night - Friday. I arrived at her apartment right on time.

- "Hey Sweetie." she said. "Let me get a sweater. I'm just about ready."

- "No problem." I said. She went down the little hall to her bedroom.

- "How was your game last night?" she called out. "Your D&D?"

- "We didn't play. Parvani got food poisoning. We called it off."

- "Oh - poor thing. Is she okay?"

- "Yeah - she's better today. Nate's looking after her."

- "That's good." said Diane. "So what did you do last night?"

My heart broke. I was fairly certain that she and Gabby talked to each other every day.

- "I came downtown." I said. "I even went by the club, to see if you were there. I saw Gabby - she has a new boyfriend. Guy named Mark."

- "Oh, yeah. Gabby told me about him. He sounds nice."

- "Yeah. He seems decent." I said. "So what did you do last night?"

- "Me? Oh, I didn't feel so good last night. I went to bed early. Out like a light." said Diane.

She came out of her room, wearing a nice green pullover sweater. It's funny, the details you remember.

- "Can I use your washroom?" I asked.

- "Of course you can."

I went down her little hallway. But I didn't go to the washroom. Instead, I went straight into Diane's bedroom. Next to her futon, she had a little nightstand. I opened the top drawer, and removed the box of condoms I had placed there a week ago.

I had brought it over last Saturday, to be precise. We had fucked twice, and used two of the 12 condoms. I pulled them out. There were 8 left. I didn't put them back in the drawer. I walked back out to the main room.

Diane was standing next to her drafting table. I tossed the box of condoms onto it, right in front of her.

I didn't say anything. Diane looked at the box as if she expected it to speak.

- "Ian." she said.