23:50 Ari
Yo, just texted K and Iz - need you to bring spare character sheets tomaz, y'know, jus in case
23:53 (y/n)
Oh god, what do you have planned??
23:55 (y/n)
Ari??
23:58 (y/n)
ARI!!!!!!
00:00 Ari
MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAH
Session one
Demons and dice
It was finally Friday. After a long week of seemingly endless work and boredom, the weekend was finally upon you. That said, there was one more event to get through before the week was truly over. This 'event' however was hardly a chore. Ari Shepard's weekly session of Demons and Dice - her own home brew of Dungeons and Dragons - were always a great way to end to week. From battling math dragons to slaying sirens who may or may not have been designed after her exes, you never truly knew how to prepare. Ari's flatmate Kuri Saint-Thomas liked to say playing a session with Ari was like playing a fantasy game with a toddler. Things had a very strange way of making sense with her. Kuri would also always message you the day before with warnings about how many times she'd heard Ari cackling in her room during prep. This week, the count was seven. An all time record.
Explains the warning message you'd got the night before.
Still, it was the highlight of the week. Sitting in that little musty basement with all those electric candles - real ones had nearly lost Ari her deposit last year - you could be someone else. Someone who was the height you longed to be, had the hair you desired, could first without spluttering and turning red. Cordelia, your freakishly dexterous thief was a total bad bitch. You'd been using her for about two years now, since you'd joined Ari's campaign. She was a chaotic neutral - or morally grey as it was in Ari's system - human hybrid.
For some reason, Ari didn't use classic races. You'd asked her about it once. She just said 'it's not realistic'. You pointed out that Vampires and Werewolves weren't realistic. To this, she had smirked and said 'that's what you think'. A few times you asked her what she meant by that. Each time though, Ari had laughed it off and told you to just wait.
Anyway, that had nothing to do with tonight. Tonight was apparently about trying to survive Ari's wicked plan for your team. Izumi - who played the healer - had messaged to say she'd been up all night looking for loop wholes and tricks to escapes any grave mishaps. She was a student who met Ari through corse work as you recalled. In fact, they were all students looking to escape coursework. Well, accept Ari, who had made her games part of her coursework.
You were the first to arrive at her flat and be invited down to the basement game room. The candles hadn't yet all been switched on and instead the room was lit by a single handing bulb. Book shelves of fantasy novels lined the walls, various figures and pictures interspersed between the most beautiful special editions. In the centre of the room was the old table you'd helped her move down after she bought it in a charity shop...fifty miles away. Taking a table on a bus was an adventure of its own.
"So Az, any hints on how you're gonna try and kill us all tonight?" You asked as you took your seat. Actually your seat, all of you had brought your own on the first session. It was one of the conditions of joining Ari's game. The short woman had her own too, right at the head of the table opposite you.
"Nope, no hints allowed - but you're gonna have fun, I picked out a character just, for, you." She replied, a Nimona shark smile tugging up her lips.
"Oh god..." You mumbled with a little chuckle. That look was a tell tale sign you were in for one hell of a night. Hell being the optimal word there.
"Yes dearie?" Ari hummed as she got out her tablet.
"Not you, you're the devil, not a god." You joked and rolled your eyes. Ari grinned again and began to type something out.
"Thanks for the compliment." She replied and you rolled your eyes. Deciding to help set up, you switched on the candles one by one. Why Ari didn't just use a set of string lights you didn't know. Still, by the time you were done, Izumi and Kuri where at the door.
"Heyyy," Kuri greeted small arms bundled with snacks. Kuri was a a small girl with pretty strawberry-blond hair and bright greed eyes. "I tried bribing Ari not to kill Lira with cookies this morning, i don't know if it worked though." She laughed while headed down the steps. Lira was Kuri's character, a cute young vampire with a demon sword, who canonically was the girlfriend Shinoa Hiragi from Seraph of the end. In truth, apart from the vampire bit there wasn't much of a difference between Kuri and Lira. They were both adorable.
"Well I brought a spare character sheet since I'm pretty sure tonight will be the death of Dean lols." Izumi chuckled as she came in holding a bottle of sparkling wine. Yes, Dean was pretty much the same as the Supernatural character of the same name.
"is it another Supernatural character?" You joked with a brow raised. Izumi pouted out her bottom lip.
"No...Doctor Who this time." She replied as the both of you headed back down the stares.
"Ah, Clara Oswald? Nice touch, you know Ari's low key in love with her." You chuckled after catching sight of the new sheet. All of you entered the basement and took your seat. Kuri on your left and Izumi on you right, all of you got your things out. Dice came first, several sets from each player. You know, incase one set decided it hated you for the night. Next was notes frost he last sessions - though those were mostly just scribbles. Finally, characters. None of you could afford to get those fancy custom ones, so Ari let you all use actions figures or other stuff. Kuri had a Yupik Kongo possible figure. It worked mostly because of the sword. Izumi, she had a pop figure of Dean Lancaster (if I spelt that wrong I apologise, it never watched the series lol). Then there was you, with your repainted mando figure.
"Okie dokie! Let's get started, you brought new character sheets just in case?" Ari asked the table after clapping her hands like a super villain. Each of you raised a space sheet of paper with various new names.
"Yeah, i brought you this too." Izumi said and passed over the bottle.
"Oh yeah, I got you snacks too boss girl." Kuri hummed and waved the bag of crisps by her flatmate.
"Bribes will not be accepted at this time." Ari chuckled, then took both the wine and crisps anyway. "That said, these are mine now." She popped the top off the bottle and took a swing. Her face crinkled from the fix for a moment before she put the bottle back down. "Hoo-yaa!! Let's go, alright...
After a long battle against the fiendish fallen angel, your party continues it's journey to recover the lost crown of the fallen queen. Health recovered after a nights rest, you replenish your wears and heard out for the next leg of your journey. Leaving the quaint town of All-the-rons, you head on through the End-awe forest until you reach the caves of Ill-erm. Your party ventures in, the path lit solely by strange coloured crystals: the cave floor opens out in places to reveal pools of water dark as midnight that reach down seemingly into hell itself, that's when you hear a noise. It's not the roar of a beast nor the words of another traveller, no the sounds you hear...is the hum of a very rare weapon...
- Everyone roll for initiative." The games master spoke as she looked across the table towards her players. Candle light flickered across all their faces as they're watched the gridded board upon which their playing pieces stood in a little huddle. The atmosphere of the room was tense, so tense it felt as though it were buzzing. Looking to the games players the Ari gave a deceptive grin watching you and your two comrades hastily roll.
"10." Izumi replied as their glimmered onyx black D20 rolled onto the number. Dead middle, not a bad position to get.
"5." Kuri winced once she'd rolled upon her dice,
Frowning at the low number. You bit your lip at the low through and picked up your own di. Rattling the object into your hand you held you breath as your rolled it across the table...
"19." You replied breathing a sigh of relief though somehow still feeling slightly tense. Ari rolled her own dice behind a screen and then turned to you
"I see i see..." She mused with the look of a classical villain about to reveal their plan to the hero. You bit your lip watching as she reached for something behind her blacked out screen. Whatever it could be you had a sneaking suspicion it would strain all your characters points.
Being the resident anti-hero of your party your DM was always playing on you tendency to fall for the darkness. It would seem you just preferred villains to heroes. Something about how they'd tear the galaxy apart for you was more attractive than becoming a heroes sacrifice. The resr of you party were neutral light alignment but you? You preferred to be the chaotic darkness amongst them.
Things were just more fun playing the bad guy.
"As the three of you line up the cave fills with a red glow - you turn around and see a tall hooded figure of muscular, some might say attractive build. 'So you are the heroes sent to sky me..?' The stranger calls across to the few of you, his voice deep and low. In his hand is a proton sword that emits that deathly red colour, he moves it with casual ease to point towards you, a cruel smile appearing beneath the shadow of his hood - 'so, which one of you shall fall to me first?' He calls across
- (y/n), what do you do?" Ari says, setting the scene for you all as she places what appears to be an old action figure down upon the playing bored. You rolled you eyes slightly at her expectant and eager gaze - clearly she had a few surprises still tucked up her sleeves to scare you all with later. Moving your piece forward a space upon the board with one hand you picked up you D20 with the other
"What to do what to do..." You mumbled holding back a smirk as you rolled the dice around in your hand. Staring down at the bored you looked at the little mando figure that marked to be your villain. Your DM watched you with eager anticipation, fidgeting about all over the place and drumming her fingers.
"I think I'll....wait a second." You paused, brow furrowing. Setting the dice down you look right at Ari with a brow raised. "All-the-rons? End-awe? Ill-erm - seriously? Oh my gosh Ari..." You sighed and face palm.
"What? I don't get it." Kuri speaks up as Ari laughed. Shaking your head you crack a smile and Ari smirks right on back.
"Alderaan, Endor, Illum...Ari's sending us one a Star Wars quest." You say was a little laugh of your own. This wasn't the first time Ari had pulled a stunt like this. She was famous for her stunt when you all started in a Fae realm...with courts...and hot guys. Acotar was her her fandom cross but certainly not the last.
"Holy fudge, are we fighting Vader??" Kuri blurts out, sitting herself bolt upright in her chair. Ari's grin grown.
"It would seem so." You sigh and shoot Ari a look. She knew you had a crush on Anakin Skywalker, this was very much purposeful. Oh well, might as well play along with her game.
"So, what are you gonna do?" She asked again. Stretching your hands out you pick up your dice again. The weight of it rolls this way and that between your figure. Now you look at the bored you reconnected the action figure. It's an old order sixty sixty styled Anakin - probably vintage collection by the size and detail.
"Fuck it.." you wished then look Ari dead in the eyes. "Imma roll to seduce." A bold move but by her smile, one Ari predicted. She laces her fingers together atop the table behind the screen. The fact she isn't even reaching for a dice tells you somethings up.
"Give me a roll then." She stays, and you hesitate but do. Fifteen. You suck a breath in threw your teeth.
"...Fifteen?" You reply, the hesitance coming because Ari probably thought of this when she wrote his stats. A smirk appears of her lips again.
"What do you say with a fifteen roll?" She asked and you roll your eyes.
"Her hot stuff, nice saber." A lot of insinuation if forced onto the words 'saber'. You all chuckle a bit, accept Kuri. It takes the youngest member a minutes to understand before she blushes and gives a little giggle.
"Alright, so that's what you going with, cool." Ari drops her voice again.
"Glad you think so, since it'll be your doom.' He replies and steps forward, the blade held out to his side. 'I have been wondering when the little dogs off that foolish queen would reach me, you took longer than I thought, now I'll send you back to her in pieces.' He lifts his free hands and starts choking Cordelia
- (y/n), deal yourself ten points of damage." Ari instruct and you do so. "Okay, Iz you're up." She turns to your friend on the right.
"Um, I'm gonna try and through him off." She says and picks up her black dice.
"Okay, roll me a strength." Ari says and finally picks up a dice of her own.
"Oh not physically, I wanna confuse him." Izumi clarifies and your eyes finally snap from the evil little Ani figure to her. She winks while Ari puts her blood red battle dice back down.
"interesting, go on then, say what it is you wish to through him off with and give me a...persuasion roll? Yeah that sounds right." Ari replied and laces her hands back together on the table.
"Alrighty-
Dean steps forward, digging his hands into his pockets and smirks. 'Careful there, she likes that sort of thing' He says nodding towards Cordelia.
- And I rolled a fourteen." Izumi cringed a little and curses out her dice.
"I'm gonna assist, rolled a seventeen-
Cordelia grins showing her fangs and winks. 'He's right y'know, this is nice' she chokes out on a rasped breath.
- Any good?" You asked while Ari tries to stop laughing.
"Oh yeah, that'll do it." Ari says and moves the Anakin figure back a few spaces.
"I think I need to roll for myself to not throw up." Kuri jokes with her face in her hands.
"Sorry kiddo, needs must." Izumi laughs and pops a sweet onto her tongue. Opposite, Ari swigs from the bottle again as thought it's and old times bottle of ale. When she puts it back down, all eyes seem to go to her as her newly dyed pink hair.
"Alright, so-
His nose wrinkles, face taking on a terrible grimace. Cordelia feels his grip loosen around her throat and her heels touch the floor again. The stranger wipes his free hand to his robe as if he just touched something disgusting. 'Foul mouthed brats, I'd expect better of the queens dogs', he says. More of the cave is touched by that red glow as he moves his saber out and points to each of you in turn. 'One, two, and three, the next to fall for that manipulative bitch' He snarls and eyes Cordelia with a tremendous fury. 'I don't know why you'll smiling sweetheart, you'll have the worst death of all you pawns.' -
- Kuri, you're up." Ari says but, you're not paying so much attention, As they start talking, you stare at the action figure on the table. It's evident to you now that this is not an official mould. You can see where bits have been added and hand sculpted by Ari. Not an order sixty six replica you can now see. He's not wearing his Jedi robe at all. Not clone was either, wrong face. Instead, he has a Vader-ish chest plate and cape. Actually, he looks very Vader in the amour department, but manages to maintain all those well known features of Anakin at the same time.
Accept the eyes, those are from order sixty six.
Glowing, yellow eyes...
A week passes by. An annoying average week of work and more work. Storms have rolled in from further south. It feels like it's been raining for days. Since your last session in fact. Horrible, grey, miserable rain. The type that just makes you frown. Rain like that of a movie funeral. Dismal. Just like Ari's closing scene of your last session.
During the fight, you'd all had your moment in death saves. You, fortunately, had succeeded in yours. Kuri and Izumi weren't so lucky. Knowing Ari planned to try and actually wipe you out, the design to run came up faster than usual. You - or rather Cordelia - took the lead to scout out an exit since she had strengths in navigation. Dean was the first to go, crushed under a rock slide pulled down by half-darth Anakin. Of course, Ari gave Izumi a chance for a lengthy dying monologue. Just as Cordelia and Lira could see light ahead however, the big boss bad guy caught up. A 'do you trust me?' And 'thank you for everything later' Lira sacrificed herself so that Cordelia could reach the outside world and not be followed. Your character had ended the session in an unknown rainy forest all alone 'cept for a Raven.
Naturally, the three of you were interested to see how Ari would continue from there. You were mostly curious whether she'd continue with this Star Wars themed leg of the journey. The word play was quite funny when you looked back at your notes. In fact, you searched them for several nights looking for any more clues. No dice however. So you messaged Ari on the Monday.
No reply.
You assumed she was at work and tried again Tuesday morning.
No reply.
She was probably in class, so you tried Wednesday afternoon.
No reply.
Probably the gym?
So you called her Thursday. When she didn't reply then, you actually decided to go round. Kuri was staying with a friend, so it should have just been Ari home. Using the spare key she'd given you to check on her fish a while back, you headed up tot he flat. There was food in the fridge, notes on her desk. But no sign of Ari. Puzzling this by the door, you noticed the basement key was missing from its hook.
She must have been down there.
So you descended the stairs
But when you opened the door, it was not Ari you found waiting...
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Hi all! I'm going to start posting a chapter for one of the following stories a week.
Legacy of the Force Bound
Irregular Love
When in Rome
Code Kyber
There isn't any planned order for these posts but I'm open to try and follow requests. Hopefully the next will by LOTFB because i know ya'll want to know the series ending. This one however just felt right today.
If I ever forget a weekend post you can find me @mariellajcoleman on instagram. I'm finally linking my fanfiction accounts to my public writing one - because I've accepted my future agent will see this (if you're reading it now Hiiiiiii, love you - don't read Empress lol). Anyway, with all that said, I have some great ideas for this series and the others, but please do message with anything you'd like to see - Also who else is super excited for the Ahsoke show????
May the force be with you!
- Ari