Greetings, all. I assure you, this is the first (and only) authour's note that you should anticipate seeing. I dislike the disjointed nature of such things. This will be slow at first, just like all other things. It is about beginnings and possibly endings, but this is all I shall say ever in terms of authour's notes.
However, do always anticipate a friendly warning that is nice, lovely, and standard, and follows below:
This story will be full of geeky references, imperfect individuals, and love. Love between men. Not just the steamy bits, but the ugly, horrid, tepid bits as well. If any of the previously mentioned concepts disturb or upset you, feel free to exit the ride now. Also, if you are under the age of eighteen (twenty-one in some areas) or would rather not be caught reading such a tale, exit stage right. Otherwise, keep your hands inside the vehicle and enjoy the ride.
Any appearance or resemblance to people, dead, living, or yet to be born, is completely unintentional and should be taken as flattery and not libel/defamation. In short, please do not sue me!
All copyrights are the copyrights of everyone, but this story is mine as of submission date, but let us make it beginning in 2009. I think that works.
If you would like to contact me, do so at amperatic AT gmail DOT com. Just include the title of the story and "nifty" somewhere so it forwards to the right inbox. I take questions and praise; complaints will be printed, shredded, and made into coleslaw for the hungry.
Ampersand.
Love is a rd20: Part the First
Call me Ishmael'. Sorry, I always wanted to start with that; crazy shit, that phrase. I am not really Ishmael, but Jeremie. You can call me Jer. I would say pleasure to meet you', but chances are I will never know you, but it is a pleasure to meet you. How are you ? You know, I hate when people ask that and they walk away; asking how someone is should not be a courteous concept, but rather a vested interest in the wellbeing of your fellow individual. I always tell them I am feeling like shit, but they just nod and smile and keep walking on. But, look at me digress.
I digress a lot, but I guess I am allowed to do that. Whatever. I guess I will write more tomorrow.
Love Always, Always Love:
Jer.'
Jeremie shut his laptop and placed it off to the side of his bed, leaned back, and sighed. His friend had finally talked him into making a blog over his life. He said that it would help him to communicate and, in some cases, stay sane. All Jer knew is that he thought the concept to be bizarre; he was not interesting, he was just Jer.
He looked around his room as he reclined on his bed, his tshirt rising up slightly to reveal a bit of his midsection. Jer was not, by standard concepts, a hunk' or a stud-muffin' as his friend said. He was a bit on the shorter side, with white skin, brown hair, and average looks. Even his body build was `average', if one could imply average as being able to count each rib. He only thought he had two redeeming qualities; his eyes and his voice, however he kept quiet about the latter. His eyes were a rich brown, with gold flecks that made them look like they were sparkling. As for his voice, he was a shy individual and never opened his mouth except on very rare occasions, at which his vibrant baritone voice could be heard.
His eyes focused on a poster hanging next to his bed for some movie he vaguely remembered seeing. He collected posters and anything else that could mask the blank wall that accompanied the dorm he lived in. The poster had some guy kissing a girl with some quote from the movie surrounding them. Jer smiled at this: while he never cared for the gentle caress of a woman, he could still understand what it was like to be in love. Or, at least he could consider what it would be like.
Jer, being twenty and a student at his college in Florida, was still a stranger to dating, having yet to find someone who he felt he meshed with. However, it was not something that he actively sought, but more that which was an idle pastime, and almost a game. He would go out, typically alone, and wonder what it would be like to have someone close. However, what was the use in that; he considered himself undesirable in the realm of dating.
He was not thinking of any of this, at the moment, as he sat up and pulled a book off his bedside table. Dungeons and Dragons, edition 3.5, player's handbook. He knew this book by heart almost, its pages slightly torn in places with his continued use over the last few years. He had gotten into the game through a friend of his at high school, and found it to be a genuine escape from reality. Tonight, his gaming friends were coming over to his house for the next session in the game. He looked over at the clock and realized that with just an hour until everyone was supposed to arrive, he should get everything set up.
`Time flies by,' he thought to himself as he began organizing his table, putting drinks in the fridge, and ensuring that the bowls for the snacks that were being brought over were clean and safe for consumption. He lived by himself in a small apartment just off of campus, his academic scholarship paying for the whole of it. He had considered living on campus, but decided he needed that one bit of isolation from the rest of the campus.
Half an hour from him beginning to clean up the area, he heard a knock on his door followed by it opening.
"Oy, Jer, coming in!" he heard a male voice say. He merely made a grunt in acknowledgement as Derrick, the group's Dungeon Master, walked in and dropped his belongings off at the table before collapsing on Jer's second-hand couch.
"Fucking A," Derrick groaned as he massaged his temples, "that last class almost killed me! Bitch was all `turn this paper in next week' when she assigned it today and it is fucking ten pages long. What the fuck does she expect us to do, pull it out of our ass?" He sighed as he looked at Jer. "Oh well, how was your day, sir?"
Jer surveyed his friend. He was around six feet tall and was quite thin. Long, shaggy hair covered his bespectacled eyes most of the time. Today he was wearing a shirt that declared his devotion to the Horde. Jer smiled as he leaned back in thought.
"Same as always," he said quietly as he wiped the table down once more. "How is Susie doing?" Derrick grinned at the question.
"Just great. She wants to move in together, but I dunno. I think it was a big enough step her joining the table here; she could just be fucking the DM for experience." He laughed at his joke. "I have to think about it, but maybe. She will be here and she said she is bringing a friend. Hope you don't mind." He added quickly. Jer shrugged noncommittally, not minding.
"When is your two year anniversary?" He asked.
"Next week. I have major plans, but I am not going to spoil them for anyone." A knock and the sound of the door opening stopped him from continuing.
"I'm coming in!"
"Heya Ryan, what's up?" Derrick asked as the tall, slightly overweight twenty-something walked in, taking his shoes off at the door.
"Not much, just got done raiding in time to come over. Got everything in order then?"
"Yeah. Got a good story set up today." Jer had, by this point, sat down at the table. Ryan walked into the kitchen, putting chips into the cleaned bowls before putting them on the table and making small talk with the two until Susie arrived.
"Hey boys," the shorter, svelte redhead said as she walked in, mystery person in tow. "This is my friend Nick. He and I have Statics together, and he seemed interested. Play nice with him, all right?"
"Do you have a character rolled yet?" Derrick asked, allowing Jer time to examine the stranger in his house. He was about his height, but extremely thin. He wore designer glasses that were framed by his longer hair which, for some reason, was dyed purple. He had some acne on his face, but it did not detract from his smile, which seemed infectious. Nick glanced over and smiled at him, causing Jer to avert his eyes and focus on the conversation.
"So Jer can help you with that," Derrick said as he pushed a chair up to the table. "I am going to get the pizza set up, hope cheese is fine with everyone." Nick sat down and pulled out his dice.
"How are you doing?" He asked quietly, his voice having a melodic cadence to it. Jer smiled and nodded.
"I am well, thanks, yourself?" he asked in his quiet voice.
"Just fine. Derrick said you can help roll my character. Which level are we starting at?" For the next twenty minutes, the two of them worked on setting the new character up at the right level, determining that he would make an excellent addition as the class he wanted to be: cleric. After all, as Nick joked, you can never have too many bandaids on hand.
Everyone settled down at the table, dice and miniatures out on top of character sheets, Derrick sitting behind his screen.
"All right, we left off in a cave, seeking an Orb of Dragonkind. . ."
Four hours later, the clock struck ten and the session was drawing to a close. It had been a close encounter, with an ambush from a mind flayer and an artifact that caused rooms to distort. Had Nick not joined in, they surely would have wiped and had to re-roll.
"Roll to see if you hit," Derrick said to Susie, another cleric in the party, who was attacking the final encounter of the session. She selected her d20 and rolled.
"Nineteen. Crit-threat," she said, causing Ryan to clap his hands.
"This could be it guys," he said excitedly, having been dazed by a magic attack made from the encounter, a cat-like humanoid called a Raksasha.
"Roll for crit," Derrick said.
"Oof, got a fifteen."
"Then roll damage."
"Sixteen slash, ten fire." Susie said after rolling and mental calculations.
"You hit him- PEW PEW, PEW PEW- and he falls back, still breathing. He seems to be close to being vanquished. Jer, your turn."
"I cast magic missile."
"Into the darkness, sir Bard?"
"Yes. Into the darkness." The group laughed at their joke as Jer rolled.
"Twenty-seven."
"That'll do it. As you hear the thuds hit the prone form you hear a death rattle before its head tilts to the side, eyes closed in death." The table erupted in cheers, Jer being the only one abstaining. Nick rested his hand on Jer's shoulder.
"Good job, man," he said, smile in place.
"Thanks for the heal."
"Just doing my job," he said as he gave Jer's shoulder a gently squeeze before releasing it. Jer smiled as everyone stood up and stretched, Derrick taking them through the end of the encounter before ending the session.
"Well, that was great," he said as he began taking dishes to the kitchen. "Same time next week guys?"
"Sure Derrick," said Ryan who took a swig from his bottle of soda. "Anyone have plans for tomorrow? It is an off work day for me," he said in a slightly whiny voice.
"Derrick and I are going to my mom's," Susie said apologetically.
"I am probably going to sleep; I am watching a movie tonight," Jer said. "Sorry." Nick just shook his head, not really knowing him well enough to offer.
"Well, if you change your mind," Ryan said before waving goodbye and heading out to his car.
"What are you watching?" Derrick asked.
"Little Miss Sunshine," Jer said simply. Nick smiled.
"I like that movie a lot." Jer nodded.
"We are going to head out now, Jer." Susie said as she gave Derrick a quick peck on the cheek.
"Not staying for the movie?" Jer asked.
"Nah, we have other plans," Derrick said with a broad smile and over-exaggerated wink. Jer and Nick laughed whilst Susie blushed slightly.
"Shame."
"Well, if you want company, I can stay," Nick offered. "I mean, I do not drive because I live on campus, but I could probably call and get a ride from my roommate or something," he said in a rush. Jer smiled again.
"I can drive." Derrick and Susie looked at each other before shrugging.
"Whatever. You two play safe. I am off to giddy stratospheres." Susie said as she walked out the door, Derrick in tow. Jer finished cleaning up after the group before sitting on the couch, Nick on the other side.
"What is your major?" he asked Jer whilst he was navigating the main menu.
"Law, languages, politics. Triple major. Yourself?"
"Music Education." Nick said as he curled up on the sofa.
"Do you want anything? Blanket, drink?"
"Nah, if I do I will let you know." Jer nodded and turned his attention to the television screen, the movie starting.
About halfway through, he heard Nick's breathing begin to get a little heavy, so he glanced over and saw his new friend sleeping on the couch. He smiled softly as he stopped the movie and leaned over to stroke Nick's cheek.
"Hey, you want to stay here?" he asked after Nick's eyes opened.
"Hi," he said softly in response to the question.
"I guess that is a yes," Jer said with a smile. "You can stay on the couch, I do not mind." Nick giggled at that.
"Sorry, I just feel wiped all the sudden."
"No worries. Let me grab a pillow and whatnot for you."
"Where is the bathroom?"
"Just in the hall there. Feel free." Nick stood up wearily and walked to the bathroom, leaving Jer to grab a clean blanket and a spare pillow to place on the couch. He walked back to his room to change into a pair of shorts and a shirt for him to sleep in; he typically slept in his briefs but company was over, he reminded himself. As he was stepping into his shorts he heard movement behind him, wheeled around, and saw Nick standing there, somewhat looking at his nether-regions."
"Sorry to interrupt, but I am going to get some water," Nick said as he gave Jer's groin a last fleeting glance, Jer blushing furiously. `It is just curiousity, all guys are like that' he said to himself as he slipped his shorts on and walked back out.
"Got everything?"
"Yep. Thanks again bud," Nick said as he lay down on the couch. "Appreciated."
"If you need anything, let me know. Sleep well," Jer said as he walked back into his room, leaving the door open as he was wont to do, lying down, and falling asleep after much thought about his new friend outside, wondering what it would be like if he lay down with him.
`Time will tell, Jer. Time will tell.' Was his last thought of the evening before sleep overtook him.