Roll of the Dice
By DrummondType2
Natsuki knelt by a running stream. She cupped her hands, and took a sniff. It was unlikely that running water would be poisoned, but there were always the possibility of contaminants. Smelling no odors of taint or muck, she raised brought the clear liquid to her mouth, savoring its coolness. She swept her hand back over her cobalt tresses, tucking it behind her pointed ear.
"Ara, but does Natsuki believe that we are near our goal?" the Cleric asked, crimson eyes peering from beneath her hooded robe.
"Why don't you ask our brave Paladin, over there?" Natsuki smirked, nodding in the direction of honey-blonde woman in full armor, "She's the one with the map."
"Haruka is doing her best," their bard, Yukino, spoke up, "The map is in an ancient text that's difficult to decipher."
"Ara, but we should probably wait anyway," Shizuru smiled, "Our Sorceress and Barbarian haven't quite caught up, yet."
"Mai! I'm hungry!" Mikoto pleaded as they reached the rest of the group.
888888
Natsuki rose from the table, prompting Midori to call after her, "Kuga, where are you going?"
"I'm calling for a couple of pizzas to be delivered, before Mikoto starts eating the game pieces. Anyone want anything to drink, while I'm up?"
"I'll take something strong," Nao called from the couch, where she was flipping through channels on Natsuki's large screen television.
"I have tea bags, Ramune, and bottled water," Natsuki informed her, "And you could have joined us in the game, Nao!"
"It took you guys over an hour just to roll dice to set up your characters. I'll pass."
"I'm still not sure that I'm comfortable playing this game," Haruka said, "I mean, isn't it supposed to be linked to Satanic worship or something like that?"
"You're playing a holy warrior on a quest to save the world," Natsuki reminded her, "Besides, that was just a rumor started by a bunch of self-righteous busybodies who were determined to stifle fun and excitement for others. You should relate.
"And anyway, you may not know this, but one of the game's creators, Gary Gygax, was actually a Christian, from what I've read. Something Sister pointed out to me, awhile back."
"That seems like an odd thing for her to know," Mai mused, taking a sip from her Ramune, "Okay, okay, Mikoto, Natsuki's calling for food, already."
"Anyone got any toppings they don't want?" Natsuki asked, holding her hand over the receiver.
"Ara, but can Natsuki simply order me a salad. Pizza is a bit heavy for me, tonight."
"Anyone else?"
"Tell them to pile on the anitomy!"
"That's anchovies, Haruka!"
"Just pepperoni and bell peppers for me," Mai said. Mikoto made a face, and the redhead chided her, "They're good for you, so no complaining. Otherwise, you either have to eat Haruka's fishy pizza, or share with Natsuki."
"There is nothing wrong with pineapple on pizza!" Natsuki protested, rather vehemently.
Everyone gave her a concerned, 'we're humoring you' smile, save Shizuru, who actually managed to smirk.
Natsuki finished her order, and came back to the table.
"Now, continuing our game," Midori grinned, scooping up the dice.
"Ara, but I have heard it said, never trust a smiling dungeon master," Shizuru replied.
888888
"There it is! The Temple is dead ahead!" Suzushiro shouted, pointing with her blade.
"Will you watch where you point that thing?" Natsuki protested, "You damn near took one of my ears off."
"Ara, that would be a shame. They're such adorable ears," Shizuru ran her fingers along them, causing Natsuki to flush and turn bright red, "And so sensitive, too."
"Shizuru!" Natsuki protested.
"Will you two do that stuff on your own time?" Haruka rolled her eyes, "Some of us don't want to see it. Now, our prize is just inside. Once we have the chalice, we can defeat the Lich King and save the world. Charge!"
"Suzushiro, be careful of…!"
There was a twang, a snap, and a shriek.
"…traps," Natsuki sighed, running her hand down the length of her face in disbelief.
"Well, well," Shizuru examined the trap that had caught Haruka, a snare that had snapped around her ankle, dragging her upside down into the trees, where she now hung, her hands doing their best to hold the flaps of her armor up over areas best left concealed, "It seems, Haruka, that your armor took the brunt of the damage. That is fortunate. However, the snare is tied very high in the tree. It's going to be a challenge to undo the rope.
"Wanna bet?" Natsuki grinned, nocking an arrow. She took careful aim, and pulled back on her bowstring, releasing when she had her shot. The arrow flew in a graceful arc, severing the rope at the knot. Haruka went tumbling to the ground, landing head first. Fortunately, she escaped with little more than a large bump.
"You're lucky that was a snare and not a spiked pit," Natsuki chided her, "You're supposed to let our Cleric and Sorceress look for traps before you rush off half-cocked."
"I thought that's what you Rangers did, too."
"We do. But I'm a bit more concerned about the small army of trolls surrounding us."
"Trolls?" Yukino and Haruka cringed against each other.
"Ara, but how does Natsuki know? Which skill did you use to discern this?"
888888
"Well, I was gonna roll on my detection skills, but seeing the smug smirk on Midori's face told me everything I needed to know without actually doing the roll," Natsuki shot a knowing look at the elder HiME.
"Hey, I call foul!" Midori pointed at her.
"You're the one who doesn't have a poker face," Natsuki pointed out.
"Sagisawa once told me that Midori used to play strip poker to lose," Nao yawned from the couch, "Hey, Kuga, you got any decent movies I could put on?"
"Mostly martial arts stuff," Natsuki replied, "They're in the box under the t.v."
"This is not a martial arts film," Nao holds up a disc. The title is on the case is in English, "Black Swan?"
"That's mine!" Shizuru leapt from her seat at the table and snapped the case out of Nao's hand, "And we cannot put that on while Mikoto is in the room."
"Nice to see you have some morals," Haruka grumbled, "Though, if you had more, you wouldn't own things like that."
"Wasn't that the one with…the one scene…" Yukino blushes.
"Precisely why you cannot put it on with Mikoto in the room," Shizuru insisted.
"You're no fun," Nao pouts, "Fine, I'll go with this one. Under Siege. You have a lot of foreign films in here, Pup."
"Action movies are a thing I happen to enjoy," Natsuki said defensively, "And Hollywood just gives you more bang for the buck."
"You know, if you keep talking, I'm just going to unleash the trolls," Midori warned.
"Why did we agree to making her dungeon master, again?" Natsuki asked no one in particular.
"Ara, because if we hadn't, she would have probably put this," Shizuru patted her Black Swan dvd, "on the screen without asking."
"That's what you get for mixing your movies with lesbian scenes in with my action flicks," Natsuki said, but she smiled, "I'll set up a box for your films, too."
"Ara, but that would be nice. Though I do believe we have some trolls to defeat."
888888
"Ten trolls," Mai wheezed, plopping down on the ground, "Ten!"
"Coulda been worse," Natsuki huffed, propping herself up against a tree, "Coulda been dragons."
"Haruka, are you alright?" Yukino looks at her. "Haruka? Guys, something is wrong with Haruka!"
"She fell asleep leaning on her sword," Natsuki sighed, "Just shake her a little. Or don't. I'm enjoying the quiet."
"I don't know what's wrong with you guys?" Mikoto said cheerfully, jumping down from a tree, "I thought it was fun."
"You would," Natsuki sighs, "Okay, so, we've cleared the trolls. And we're fairly sure there aren't any more traps. So, let's go in the temple."
888888
Just then, an alarm sounded. Haruka woke up, tumbling awkwardly out of her seat, "Owwww."
"Huh. Looks like her rump is more vulnerable than her head," Natsuki muttered, "What's that alarm about?"
"Oh, sorry, that's me!" Mai bowed, "Takumi is supposed to be getting back from America tonight. I set a timer so I could leave in time to meet him at the airport."
"Aw, but we didn't finish our game!" Haruka protested.
"We can pick it up again same time next week," Natsuki said, "Tell your brother hello for the rest of us, Mai."
Everyone else filed out of the apartment.
"That was fun," Shizuru said, "We shall have to do it again."
"Right now," Natsuki yawned, "all I want to do is slip under the covers. Preferably with company."
Shizuru waggled her eyebrows, "Ara, but is that an invitation for me personally, or just an open invite for anyone available."
"Idiot," Natsuki laughed, "Just for that, I'm wearing my full length nightgown, tonight."
"Ikezu!"
To Be Continued.
A/N: When I started this, it was just going to be a one shot, but then, the idea of weekly DnD sessions with the girls just seemed like too much fun.