CHAPTER 6 #2
“Not true,” Mindy said. “We could really use your help. We’re heading to the Valley of Hope to retrieve one of the sacred weapons of Bahamut. We need them to take down Duke Ravenblood. He’s just as bad as Hagatha was, if not worse.”
Cameron drew himself up. “In that case, consider me your humble servant. My name is Cedric Proudheart.”
Ricky thrust out his hand. “I’m Zazzle Lightweaver.”
Cameron smiled. “So you keep telling me.”
“Oh! Right.”
Ricky felt his face flush. The rest of the players introduced themselves.
After securing both doors, they decided to make camp.
Whitney wanted to dance in the beams of sunlight.
The others drank from the stream before washing themselves.
Their characters busied themselves with preparing for the next leg of their journey.
When night fell, Cedric offered to stand watch so they wouldn’t be disturbed.
“I’ve been asleep for a century,” he said. “I don’t need any more rest.”
The others settled down. Zazzle didn’t. He went to the plinth where Cedric sat, bathed in moonlight. The paladin’s head was bowed, but he must have heard his approach, because he looked up sharply.
“Sorry!” Zazzle said. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. Um…”
Cedric sighed. “That’s all right. I was just praying for my family. My wife and children must have died long ago. I want their souls to be at peace.”
Cameron was playing a straight character? Ricky felt a thrill. That only made it hotter!
“I’m sure they never forgot you,” Zazzle said, sitting on the plinth after Cedric scooted over to make room for him.
“I hope they didn’t suffer in my absence,” Cedric replied before sighing again. “Hagatha managed to take them from me after all.”
“What do you mean?”
“When she appeared in this cavern, she was quite smitten with me.”
“Well you are really handsome!”
Cameron fought down a grin before getting back into character. “Hagatha asked me to be her consort. I refused. That’s when she placed this curse on me, saying only love could set me free, but I was somewhere few would ever venture, and even if they did… I still don’t understand that, actually.”
“What?”
“We’re total strangers. How could you love me?”
Zazzle shrugged. “As a wizard, I’ve learned there are no limits to the mysteries of magic. Perhaps I loved you in another life… in another world!”
Cameron stared at him.
Ricky swallowed. “You um… probably have grandkids by now.”
“I’d be a stranger to them,” Cedric said dismissively. “I must find a new family.”
“If it makes you feel better,” Zazzle replied, “you’ve already found new friends.”
Cedric eyed him. “Friends who have been through a trying ordeal, it would seem. Who hurt you so? Never mind. I know exactly what you need.” Cameron shifted and placed a palm over Ricky’s heart. “I cast Lay on Hands,” he said.
“Excellent!” Galen declared. “You see the wounds on Zazzle’s face heal as he regains six hit points. If you’d uh… like to update your character sheet, Ricky.”
“Huh? Oh. Right!”
He shook his head, his cheeks feeling hot, as he grabbed a pencil and made a note on his sheet. When he glanced up again, Cameron avoided eye contact.
“I better patrol the room,” he murmured. “Listen at the doors, watch the stream for monsters, that sort of thing.”
“Okay,” Zazzle replied. “I have to memorize some spells anyway. Um… Good night!”
Back in the basement, Ricky shot to his feet and walked over to the snacks, his pulse racing along the way. Roleplaying could feel so real in the moment. He placed a hand over his chest, which was still warm from Cameron’s touch.
“Is everything okay?” Mindy asked when joining him at the chip-laden coffee table.
Ricky quickly shoved some barbecue Fritos in his mouth and nodded rapidly, not trusting himself to speak.
“Because you’ve seemed a little tense all night.”
He shrugged, still chewing.
Mindy peered at him. “Like during the ride here. Or when I tried sitting next to Cameron at the table. Or when Allura wanted to help Cedric.”
He swallowed.
“And to be honest,” she continued, “this isn’t the first time I felt like I was stepping on your toes. It hasn’t happened recently, but when Diego was still playing with us—”
“You were always flirting with him!” Ricky blurted out. He grimaced. “I mean, you weren’t but Allura was, and I didn’t want that to happen again with Cameron because…” Damn it! He reached for more Fritos.
“I’m so sorry!” Mindy spluttered. “About what happened with Ironwood, I mean. We’re all playing characters.
None of this is real, although to be honest, I do like Diego.
Or did, so yeah… It all sort of happened subconsciously because my feelings for him were lingering just beneath the surface.
I couldn’t act on them, or wouldn’t because he’s with you.
I wasn’t trying to change that, but flirting with him as Allura was the only way I could… ” Her eyes went wide suddenly.
She had spelled out her reason, and his, for behaving in such fashion. Mindy’s attention moved to the coffee table.
“Are those Funyuns?” she asked, taking a handful.
“Yes,” Ricky said, doing the same. “Funyuns are good.”
“So tasty.”
They each crammed their mouths full and wore the same haunted expressions while chewing.
“Cameron is like a brother to me,” Mindy said after swallowing. “You know that… right? I wouldn’t make a move on him even if he was available. And straight.”
Ricky nodded, his face burning.
“And when it comes to Diego…”
“We’re cool,” he said hastily. “Sorry I was acting so weird.”
“No, I’m the one who is sorry!”
They both tittered nervously.
“Back to the game?” Mindy suggested.
“Yeah. We better make sure David doesn’t try opening any more treasure chests. The Caverns of Tears must be a breeding ground for Mimics or something.”
They returned to the table, their focus artificially intense until they got caught up in the story again. Ricky made sure not to flirt with Cameron, even as their alter egos. The second half of the evening was fraught with the appropriate sort of tension and nothing else.
By the end of the session, the awkwardness had mostly dissipated, although Mindy did turn down the offer of a ride home.
“I want to stick around a little longer,” she said, “and spend some time with Galen.”
That was a considerate olive branch, even though Ricky didn’t need private time with Cameron. That he wanted it anyway was beginning to worry him. After buckling his seat belt, he pinned a hand beneath each leg, no longer trusting them.
“How’d I do?” Cameron asked on the drive home.
“You were wonderful,” Ricky admitted.
“Good! I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get into the role, but it just felt so natural. Zazzle and Cedric seem to have real chemistry together, don’t you think?”
“Mm-hm!” Ricky kept his face turned toward the passenger-side window, just in case it began to glow in the dim interior.
“I can’t wait to play again. I’ll have to ask Diego why he gave this up. It’s so much fun! Maybe between the two of us, we can lure him back.”
“I’m not sure Galen would like that. Besides, I already gave it my best try back when I was still hoping that D&D could be our thing.”
“What do you mean?”
Ricky glanced at him. “Like a special couple’s activity.”
Cameron shook his head.
“A hobby or interest that you share with the person you love. Omar and Silvia are both into fishing. And you go antiquing with Anthony, right?”
“He goes with me,” Cameron replied. “Which is nice of him, because it isn’t something he’d ever do on his own.”
“Oh. What is your special thing then?”
Cameron smiled. “When you’re with the right person, you don’t need to have much in common with them. What you feel for each other is enough.”
Ricky’s stomach sank. If that was true, then why did it feel so important to find common ground with Diego? “Are you sure?”
Cameron tilted his head. “Anthony is always making me listen to different bands that I’m not into, but I like it anyway because of how much the music means to him. I’m assuming that’s how it is when he patiently listens to me ramble on about furniture and carpentry.”
“But wouldn’t it be nice if he actually liked antiques?”
“Well, sure…” Cameron said with a concerned frown.
Ricky didn’t intend to sow doubt. “I’m sure you’re right,” he said dismissively.
They drove in silence for a few minutes.
“Do you really think it matters?” Cameron asked suddenly.
“I don’t know,” Ricky admitted. Then he steeled himself, because he loved Diego, and if there was any way for their relationship to get even better than it already was… “I’ll let you know what I find out.”