Happenstance - Part Four free porn video

Happenstance - Part Four By: Light Clark Synopsis: Things are starting to look better for Rhea, but there's one last major hurdle in her way that could throw everything that she'd started to build into turmoil. No matter how she takes it, she might trip and fall, but going back isn't an option. She has to keep pushing forward. Chapter 16 "Do we really have to go out?" I questioned as I got dressed for the outing in question. "I mean ... wouldn't you have more fun staying here playing D&D with just the two of us instead of a buncha randos at some game store?" "Yes, we have to, and whether I would or not doesn't matter," George answered back through the closed door. "What does matter is that you are gonna have to learn to socialize as a woman eventually, and that eventually starts today." "But it doesn't have to!" I whined, sounding like some petulant teenager trying to get out of an unwanted chore. "We could do it next week or next month or next year. Whenever!" "We could also do it next hour, which is what is happening, so quit stalling and finish getting dressed," George retorted sternly. "I don't want to end up being late and not be able to find a group." Huffing out a defeated sigh, I nodded even though the man couldn't see me. "Alright ... I'm going, I'm going." Another couple of moments and I'd tugged on my attire for the day. Recently, that had involved some more feminine and flattering clothes, but not that day. No, if I was going to have to be around a bunch of nerds, I wanted to be as frumpy as possible, so I wore one of my old, baggy, male t-shirts that covered everything from neck to thigh in a shapeless blob. The last thing I wanted to deal with was getting hit on again. Of course, I might have only been a girl for a few months, but I'd been a nerd long enough to know that even concealing clothes wouldn't completely negate that possibility. For some dorky guys, any girl that showed any interest in the things they liked was going to get their attention, whether they wanted it or not. Once I was finished dressing, a second sigh slipped out of me, this one for the inevitable trouble that I knew would come once I left my room. There was always trouble whenever I tried something new or interacted with anyone other than George, really. I knew it would happen again with this pick-up group idea. I just had to gather myself as best I could and face it. "Alright, ready when you are," I finally declared as I stepped over and pulled open the door. "Well then, it's time to go, because unlike certain girlier apartment dwellers, I've been ready for a while," George answered from the living room as he rose from his seat on the couch. Normally, such jibes from my friend just rolled off, but that one actually stung a bit, mostly because I realized that it was true. Ever since I was changed, I had typically been slower to get ready, often overly concerned with my appearance and destination. Realizing that I had taken to such a stereotypically girly habit, though, was not pleasant. "Please, you should be glad I'm this fast," I retorted, playing along in spite of the mild pain at the topic. "I could be one of those primp and preen types. I'd probably be in the middle of makeup, still, and a good hour from ready." "Ugh ... thank God you're not like that," my roommate groaned, affecting a shudder at the idea. "I hate being late." "Really? Then maybe I should try it out, y'know, give it a fair chance," I pretended to mull over the idea. "Who knows, I could like it more than I think." "And maybe I should try out a different roommate, one that actually helps out around the place and doesn't just troll me all the time," George shot back. That threat earned a laugh from me as I waved a hand dismissively. "Like you could find anyone you like as much as me." Rather than keep up the banter, my friend just smiled. "Yeah, probably not. Now come on or we'll get stuck with the reject group or something." Nodding in agreement, I gestured toward the front door. "Lead the way." *********************************************** *********************************************** "Ugh ... it's even worse than I imagined," I complained as I stepped into the game store and saw what waited for me. The place was running a generic game day, and the turnout was quite good. Even though it was a pretty good sized space, most of it was already in use. That created a bustling noise that would've been annoying by itself, but there were other nuisances. For one, being a nerd knows no age limits, so there were people anywhere from as young as eight to several that had probably a decade on my twenty-eight if not more. They tended toward the younger end, though, with lots of teenagers and early twenties running about. They also tended to be male, making up the vast majority of the people, although, I did spot a few other girls in the mix. "Oh stop. The crowd's a bit on the young side, but it's not that bad," George chided as he scanned the room, his gaze settling on a guy behind the register. "I'm gonna go ask the staff for recommendations." While there was no requirement that I follow along on that mission, I did so anyway. My attention was still on the crowd, though, watching it warily. Fortunately, most of the people seemed busy with their own things, and so had no interest in me. Not all of them were so preoccupied, though. Fortunately, most of the rest just gave us new arrivals a cursory glance, all except for a couple of young teens. They seemed particularly interested until my eyes happened to meet theirs, and they quickly looked away. "We're looking for a D&D pick-up. Any suggestions?" I absently heard George ask when we reached the register, getting me to turn that way to see what mess I would be dragged into. "Oh, sure, uhm ...you'll probably want an older group so ... " the older man that was working answered as he looked around. Apparently, he found what he wanted in the crowd, because he raised a hand to wave at someone and yelled, "Robert! You guys got room for two more?!" "Sure do!" a male voice yelled back over the noise, but I didn't spot the speaker. Fortunately, I didn't have to as the clerk nodded and pointed toward where we needed to go. "You should try their group, then. Robert's a real good DM, and his wife is top notch with her acting. They're over by the front window." "Thanks alot," George offered in response, before quickly turning toward the indicated spot. "Come on, Rey, can't get a much better recommendation than that." "Yeah, but that doesn't mean much," I replied guardedly as my friend and I started off. "No way this is going to be better than if we'd just played back home." My roommate rolled his eyes at my response. "God, so negative. Can't you at least try to have fun before you write today off as a disaster?" "So you agreed that it will be a disaster?" I remarked. "It will be if you keep complaining the whole time," George retorted. I would've liked to make a comeback, but there wasn't enough time. My roommate had used up all that remained before we reached the table that the clerk had indicated. It wasn't anything special, just a long rectangular folding table. Currently, there were four people sitting at it, three guys and a girl. One of the guys, presumably Robert as at the end of the table, right up against the wall. To his right was the only girl, probably the wife the clerk had mentioned. They were both among the small percentage of older people, looking somewhere in their late thirties. The other two men sat on opposite sides of the table. The one next to the wife looked a couple years older than me, while the other was a couple years younger than me. All told, the group looked pretty alright over all, but I certainly wouldn't have said so if George had asked me. "Hi there!" the guy at the end of the table, a heavy-set bearded fellow, greeted boisterously. "I'm Robert Mathis, the DM for this little shindig." "George Bakal and Rhea Fullerton," my friend introduced the two of us as we took our seats on the side of the table with fewer people. "Great to have ya!" Robert responded with a big ol' smile on his face. "Let me introduce you to the rest of your party mates. This is my wife, Brandy," he explained pointing to the women, who like him was heavy, but had a more serious air to her. She gave a polite smile and wave at her introduction. "To my left is a fellow pick up ... you did say your name was Mike, right?" "Right," the guy that sat on the opposite side of George from me answered. He had a pretty athletic build and strong, silent-type demeanor. "And last, and most definitely least, we have my little brother Eddie," Robert continued, pointing to the last member. "Feel free to just ignore him. That what I always do." "You mean if he gets annoying, right?" George asked jokingly. Grinning, the group leader shook his head. "Nope. Best to just do it from the get go. He never says anything important anyway." "Very true," Eddie actually agreed. "In fact, if I ever said anything remotely useful or reasonable, I would consider it a great personal failing." "See what I mean?" Robert remarked. "Complete idiot." "The best kind of idiot," the man's brother replied proudly. Shaking his head, the game master turned his attention back to George and I. "Anyway, the others have already gotten started making their characters. We're doing it pretty simple today, most recent edition, level one, whatever class or race you want as long as it's in the base book, just make sure your character has some reason for being on the road and in the taproom of a inn." "Got it," George confirmed as he set down the notebook that he'd brought with him. Always prepared, he just had to open it to pull out a couple of character sheets and pencils, handing one of each to me. "Thanks," I offered as I took the items, and leaned forward to start writing. Before lead hit paper, though, I stopped myself and looked up. Remembering what had happened the last time, I asked, "What roles are taken?" "None, we think it's more fun if everyone just plays what they want, then we make the party work as best we can," Brandy told me. "If you're really curious, though, I'm going with a bard," Eddie offered helpfully. That comment earned a groan from his older brother. "It's a roleplaying game, Eddie. You're supposed to play someone else, not yourself." "Oh, are you a musician?" George inquired of the younger Mathis. The elder was the one that answered, shaking his head. "No, he's a clown, and not the fun kind with a red nose." "Yeah, I'm more the Loki type, a wandering trickster that plays life off the cuff," Eddie elaborated, his voice low and serious like he was describing some edgy noir character. "So we're basically playing a man short then," I joked, trying to match the brothers' repartee. Both of the men, as well as Brandy, burst out laughing. It was Robert, though, that answered with, "Exactly." "On average at least," Eddie agreed. "Depends how the winds of fate blow." "Damn, so my role's taken after all," I cursed with affected disappointment, leaning forward to get started on my character. "Guess I'll have to go with my back up plan." "And what's this back up plan?" George asked, glancing over my shoulder to see what I was writing. "I was thinking about going with a paladin," I answered. "Y'know, get about as far away from my other character as possible. "Oh, you guys are in another game together?" Brandy questioned. Looking up from my sheet, I nodded. "Yeah, George has been running a solo game for me where I'm playing a red dragon that's out for revenge on the hunter's that stole her hoard and killed her family, and nearly her too." "Very cool," the other woman replied before turning toward her husband. "We should do another solo game sometime, Rob." "Sure thing, sweetheart," Robert agreed. "Just tell me what you want to play, and I'll write something up." "Oh, I've already got a few ideas," his wife replied. "Well, save 'em for later, because we need get this show on the road," her husband told her. "We only got so much time here." *********************************************** *********************************************** "I will not stand for this reckless disregard for the lives of your people!" I growled with all the paladin-like righteousness that I could muster. "You will not just sacrifice the outer farms so that you and your men can hide behind your walls!" "I will do as I please!" Robert yelled back, playing the part of the greedy local lord. "And you, you will rot in the dungeons until you beg my forgiveness for this insult!" Narrowing my eyes as if I really was in that argument, I shifted my right hand toward my waist. "I'll put my hand on my sword and whisper, 'You just try-'" "Please, both of you!" Brandy interjected, using a perfectly executed, gentile, british accent as she spoke that paired well with her matronly cleric. "There is no need for such harsh words. We are all on the same side here." "She's right," George, as his strategically-minded wizard, added helpfully. "We don't have time to bicker amongst ourselves. The orcish raiders will be here by nightfall." "Plenty of time to slip away with our tails between our legs, though," Eddie remarked in the unhelpful manner that his character so often used. "If we leave Lady Holier-than-thou over there to whatever fate she earns herself." "The running away plan sounds good to me," the last of our group, the typically quiet Mike, playing an equally quiet thief. "We're not running away!" I declared unilaterally. "If his lordship would just listen-" "Enough!" Robert boomed, his voice loud enough to startle a few of the people playing other games nearby. "Guards! Since this rabble is so insistent that we do not need walls for our defense, remove them from my sight and toss them beyond the parapets. After that, the guards move forward to do exactly that, unless one of you tries to resist?" While that question was a general one, it was clearly directed at me. "No, I'll leave. I can always get my revenge on this guy later." "Then you are all escorted out of the keep and left in the street," the game master informed us. "The gates clang closed behind you with a resounding finality." Beside me, George let out a heavy sigh. "Well, so much for getting help. Thanks, Rhea." "Sorry," I apologized insincerely. "Had to stay in character." "No, it was great," Brandy chirped excitedly, abandoning her accent. "Can't just always take the easiest way. Plus, it made for an amazing scene." "Definitely," Robert agreed with his wife. "Unfortunately, I think it's the last scene we'll have time for today. Brandy and I have dinner plans fairly soon, so we should probably get going." George nodded in understanding. "Of course. Thank you for running the game and letting us in on it." "Yeah, thanks a lot," I added gratefully. Even as he smiled at the gratitude, Robert held up his hands to ward it off. "It was my pleasure, and I'd love to do it again some time. Now, I don't want to put any pressure on any of you, of course, so don't answer right now, but ..." he paused to reached into his bag and pull out a few business cards which he passed to Mike. "If you had fun, and would like to play again, give me a call this week and we can try to set up another game." "Alright, thanks," George said as he took his card and handed the last one to me. Holding up the little rectangle of paper to read it, I couldn't help but smirk. It was as professionally done as a normal business card, but instead of a normal position it read game master extraordinair. The misspelling was even intentionally as there was a picture of a dragon printed right next to the words that was eating a lowercase e. While I marveled at the ingenous little illustration, the others at the table set about packing up everything from the game. I didn't have to worry about that, though. George grabbed my character sheet, pencil, and dice for me, putting them together with his things. The first person to rise from their seat was Brandy, a warm smile on her lips. "Well, I must say it was a pleasure meeting and playing with all of you. In case we don't see each other again, I wish you all many exciting adventures to come." "But not too exciting," Robert added so smoothly that I suspected it was a routine that they had repeated many times. "Farewell friends." "Toodles," Eddie remarked, rising as well. With that, the three Mathis's turned to go while the rest of us offered waves and farewells. They had barely gotten a few steps before Mike rose as well. "I should get going as well," he told us with a quick nod. "Have a good night." "Good night," George and I answered almost in unison. Then, it was just my friend and I sitting there at the now mostly empty table. That was true of a lot of the game store now. Over the last hour or so, the crowd had thinned notably, although, I hadn't noticed that fact until just now. Most of the people that remained were off on the other side of the store for some card game tournament that was running. "Well, that was a lot of fun," George commented with obvious satisfaction. Turning to him, I shrugged. "It was okay, I guess." "Oh, come on. You can't fool me," my roommate chided. "I know you had fun." "Alright, so it was fun," I conceded reluctantly. "Still not as good as the solo game, though." That last little qualifier elicited a chuckle from the big guy. "Nice of you to say, even if it is a lie." "It is not!" I insisted defensively. "Well, regardless ... " George brushed past the compliment. "What do you say? Are you going to let me give them a call, so we can play with them again?" Sighing in defeat, I nodded. "Yeah, I guess. I doubt we'd find better if we tried another pick-up, and I know you intend to make me try another if I don't agree to these guys." "I do intend that, yes, but that doesn't mean you should just accept them to avoid it," my friend stipulated. "Be honest, do you really want to play with them again or not?" My eyes narrowed at that deliberately precise question. For a moment after that, the two of us just stared at each other before I finally caved. "Alright ... I want to play with them again. You happy now?" Grinning a triumphant grin, George nodded. "Very." "Good, then let's get out of here," I answered, immediately pushing myself up from my seat. "I'm hungry." "Get something on the way home or wait for me to cook?" my roommate asked as he rose as well. I shrugged. "Whatever you want." *********************************************** *********************************************** Chapter 17 "Ugh ... I hate applying for jobs," I grumbled as I leaned back in my chair and rubbed at my eyes. I'd hated it even the very first time, right at the end of college. It had been easier back then, though. There had been all sorts of recruitment efforts from businesses as well as university help. I'd just had to put on a suit and mumble my way through a few interviews to get a job. Unfortunately, the world had done a fair bit of changing in the intervening years. Tracking down reasonable positions to apply to was a pain. Getting all the paperwork together was a nuisance. Dealing with whatever tests and questions they had to weed out weak applications was a hassle. Worst of all, I had only been able to start on that after worrying about other things. One of the big reasons behind quitting my current job had been to avoid having to perpetuate a lie about what had happened to me. In order to make that not a potential issue at new places, however, I had to make sure every little detail of my past lined up. My college and highschool records needed to reflect my current name and gender. My work history and references had to be carefully prepared so that my change would not be revealed. The colleagues of George's that I had paid had helped with this on a basic level, but they had not gone through and found every possible thing and had it changed. They'd handled the government records and left me with what I needed to change the rest. That remainder had proven to be quite a chore. "I have to go buy more clothes, too," I sighed wearily. Most companies didn't expect much professionalism from their programmers, but it didn't hurt to show up well dressed and looking serious. The problem was, I had no such attire to fit me anymore. Worse, women's professional attire was ... vague. Guy's wore suits, or at least a nice dress shirt and slacks. Those were the only options, whether or not to wear a coat and tie, basically. Girls, though ... they had everything from suits, to pantsuits, to dresses, to skirts and blouses, and undoubtedly more. Trying to research the right thing to wear to an interview had been a headache so bad that it had made me long for the tedious annoyance of correcting my past paperwork. "Maybe George could help," I mused with a smirk, imagining dragging the poor man along with me to shop for clothes. I could make him just stand there and tell me what looked good, forcing him to share in my misery. He'd probably do it, too. That was just the kind of guy he was - always there to help. Sighing, I forced myself to sit up and get back to work. After all, my roommate wasn't there right now, and if he was, there were other things I'd rather make him do than stand outside a changing room. No, it would be better for me to just take care of all of this myself. That way, I'd have free time when George did get home from work. Then, if his day hadn't been too much of a mess, I could make him run the D&D game for me. "Much better use of both our times," I commented with a determined nod before setting my renewed focus fully to work. I still had several tasks to complete before the evening finally came. *********************************************** *********************************************** "So, I finished working things out with Robert today over lunch," George commented as he and I sat on the couch eating dinner. "Looks like we're going to all be available next wednesday evening, assuming you can manage to fit that into your oh-so-busy schedule." The joke earned a chuckle from me. "I think I can manage to free up the time. It'll be tough, though. I mean, I have my early evening lounge and mid evening nap to consider." "Yeah, it'll be real tough for you, I can tell," my friend replied with a smirk. "Thank you in advance for all the effort you put in to allow us to be graced by your grand presence." "Well, as long as you understand that I do this out of my extreme generosity, then I will find a way," I continued, affecting the magnanimous air of an empress. Unable to keep up the charade, the big guy finally cracked into a laugh. "Y'know, I'm starting to wonder if maybe that dragon you're playing is your true self: arrogant, cruel, and prone to napping." Infected by my friends mirth, I laughed as well. "Maybe! If only I could figure out the fire breathing death machine part, I'd really be set." "Yeah, that is where most people stumble," George remarked. The comedic routine played out, there was a brief moment's pause before I spoke up again, "Speaking of, think we'll have time to play some of that tonight? I'm itching for a little massacre, even if that sort of thing does take more work while I'm stuck disguising myself as an elf." "Well, I'm not sure there will be much massacring in the next section, but one never knows with you," my friend mused thoughtfully, before shrugging. "Either way, I should have plenty of time tonight; been having a light week." "Oh? No nefarious rich men needing help to swindle the less fortunate out of their just due?" I inquired mockingly. "I'd like to say that's not what I do, but ..." George muttered, trailing off into a heavy sigh. "Anyway, no, there's no problem with clients. We're just in between major undertakings at the moment so the workload is on the lighter side. According to the higher ups, there'll be another big deal coming along in a week or two." "I see," I mumbled in acknowledgement. "How goes the quest to become one of those higher ups, anyway? Any progress?" Adopting a bewildered expression, my roommate shrugged. "I have no idea. My last review was good, but there's no open positions to move up to yet." "So, just have to keep on truckin', then?" I surmised. "Basically," George confirmed with a nod. "Not that I mind. I like the work, even if it does feel a bit evil at times. There's a certain thrill in knowing you've locked up all the other guy's options, forcing him to dance to your whims." "Oh, I know," I agreed. "After all, I suffer the other end of that everytime you run a session for me." Smirking, my friend let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "Sorry, I'll try a little harder to keep my supervillain tendencies in check." "Nah, it's alright," I assured him. "After all, a hero as super as me needs a pretty wicked villain to fight. Otherwise, it would be too easy." "Then, I suppose rather than restrain myself, I should try even harder," George proposed. "A truly great villain doesn't just match the hero, but makes her rise to the occasion." "Yeah, but once she does, she pummels his face into the dirt as payback," I retorted, raising a fist threateningly. "That what you're looking for? 'Cause, I'd love a chance to dish out a good pummeling." With a grin curling his lips, my roommate raised his hands in defeat. "Alright, got it, not too much evil, and not too little evil either." "Good," I huffed smugly, letting my hand fall. "Now, let's hurry up and finish eating, so we can play." *********************************************** *********************************************** "Hmm ..." I hummed thoughtfully, leaning over the coffee table as I looked at my character sheet. Written on it were notes about every possible skill, power, and attack available to me. Many had been exhausted, but many more remained available. Unfortunately, none seemed to be the solution to my current predicament. "So, what are you going to do?" George asked, after I'd had only a moment of consideration. Without looking up, I shrugged. "I don't know, yet. I'm still thinking." "It's a battle, not a chess game. You don't get forever to come up with some perfect strategy," my roommate pressured. "Pick an action you think has a chance of working and go with it." That instruction earned a sigh of frustration from me. "I'd love to, but the only one of those I think I can take is to transform, and I can't do that." "Why not?" my friend inquired. "There's plenty of space and not nearly enough enemies left to handle a dragon." Lifting my gaze to the man, I countered pointedly, "Yes, but then Atoli will find out my secret." George shrugged. "So?" "So?!" I exclaimed. "You think he's going to just be okay with finding out that I'm actually a red dragon?" Again the man shrugged. "Don't know. He's looking pretty battered, though. Probably won't make it through too many more rounds. Gonna just let him die 'cause you're too scared to let him find out the truth?" "Of course not!" I denied vehemently. As annoying as the noble's interference had been initially, he had become a crucial part of my plans to gather power and eventually strike back at the hunters that had tried to kill my character. If I was being honest, he wasn't even really a bother anymore. He was even helpful ... sometimes. In any case, I couldn't afford to let him die. I couldn't afford to let him turn on me either, though. In fact, that would be even worse than just losing him. It seemed an insurmountable issue. I needed my full power to resolve the situation, but could ... not ... "Alright, I am going to transform." "You sure?" George asked, raising an eyebrow at my decision. Feeling confident that I had a good plan, I nodded. "Yes, dragon me." "Alright," my roommate agreed with a shrug. Leaning forward, he rolled a few dice before offering a description. "The weak and puny mask of an elf falls away as you burst forth in all your terrible glory. Ally and enemy alike fall still and silent, gawking in both abject surprise and utter fear. None prove capable of shaking free of your dread aura immediately, causing a great many missed turns. Even though you wasted one transforming, you're up again." "Excellent," I declared, a wicked grin curling my lips. "Then let's try a little dragon fire, shall we? Am I tall enough to blast it over Atoli's head to clear the foes in front of him?" My friend nodded. "You should be massive enough for that." "Then let's do this," I replied, scooping up my dice for a roll. It was a pretty substantial number of dice, leading to a pretty substantial sum, that I had a feeling was going to result in some pretty substantial losses for my unfortunate enemies. Once he had my role, George quickly referenced his notes, then did a few quick slashes along the page. Such a movement indicated enemies that had been outright killed. After that was done, his gaze sprang back up to me to describe the devastation. "You're fire roils out, bathing your foes in its deadly blaze. Those that are not instantly killed fill the air with their hideous shrieks of pain as they dance within the burning light." Macabre as that description was, I just kept right on grinning as I rubbed my hands together evilly. "Yes ... burn you fools ... burn ..." Shaking his head at my reaction, my friend moved on. "Anyway, the rest of your foes seem to have no interest in fighting a dragon. They don't even need to sound a retreat, because everyone just agrees upon it all at once, turning and running away as fast as they can." "Hahaha!" I belted out evilly. "Excellent, as soon as I can tell that they are leaving, I'll immediately shift back to an elf. Once the change is complete, I feign fatigue and collapse." "Ah ... so that's your scheme is it?" George remarked with intrigue. "Yep!" I chirped brightly. "Gonna just lie my way through it." My roommate nodded in appreciation. "Alright, but we should probably just go ahead and take care of the rolls. Roll for your bluff." "Good thing I picked up a few ranks of it," I commented as I scooped up my dice and rolled. The result was excellent, prompting a whoop of, "Yeah! Suck it truth!" After a quick chuckle, George shook his head to get into the scene. "Confusion fills your allies as you return to your elven form and collapse. Only one reacts, Atoli, who cries out, 'Lady Vesri!' as he rushes to your side in spite of his own serious wounds." "I'll make a weak attempt to get up, only to fail and collapse with a groan," I offered my deceitful response. "Seeing you so weakened, he kneels down to lift you with his arms," my friend continued on. " 'My lady!' he cries, 'Stay with me! Healing is on it's way.' " Nodding at the expected response, I shifted my posture, adapting the sort of fatigued look that I expected my character to have. " 'No, it's alright, my lord,' I reply as I try to wave him off. 'I merely need to rest. Calling forth such power is very taxing,' " "What power was that, my lady?" George questioned, falling fully into the character. "Some ancient elvish magic?" I shook my head. "No, long ago, dragon blood entered my family line, and ever since each of us has been able to call upon its strength in different ways. My ability is to take the form of such a beast myself, albeit only for a short time." "I understand," the game master continued. "I would hear more, but it can wait. For now, I must get you to where you can rest. After that, he picks you up and carries you from the battlefield." For a moment, I considered if I should do something about that, but I shrugged. "I suppose I can suffer being carried by some useless human just this once. At least, he bought the excuse." "Or at least seemed to," George commented ominously. Knowing better, I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, no, he bought it." My friend let out a heavy sigh. "This is what I get for letting you roll your own skill checks in times like that. It lets you know how well you did." "Oh please, I don't even need that," I retorted. "It's obvious from the way he reacted that he bought it hook, line, and sinker, just like he always does." "Maybe he's just entranced by your pretty face?" George postulated. Having not really thought about such things, I crinkled my brow. "Is my character pretty?" "Is she not supposed to be?" my friend inquired. "I just assumed with you transforming into an elf that you'd take an attractive form." "Yeah, I probably would," I agreed. "After all, it wouldn't be right for a dragon to let some mere human or demi-human draw more attention than she does." George smirked at that reasoning. "All that arrogance is going to cause you trouble." Smirking right back, I shrugged. "Maybe, but the game's more fun this way. Like Brandy said, you can't always just do things the easy way." "So true," my friend concurred. "The struggle makes the outcome all the sweeter." "Yeah ..." I mumbled. As I drifted off, silence rushed into fill the gap while the two of us just looked at each other. That gaze only lasted for a moment, though, before George quickly jerked his attention down to his notes. "Anyway ... I think that's probably a good stopping point for tonight. Next time we'll deal with the aftermath of the battle." "You mean, the rival lord's surrender?" I guessed after the thorough thrashing I'd just given my foes. Grinning, my roommate shook his head. "Nope, after all. You may have convinced Atoli that you are truly an elf, but your enemies didn't stick around for your theatrics. All they saw was a dragon coming to Atoli's aid." "Oh shit ..." I spat at that news, cursing myself as much as anyone. Assuming that the enemy spirit would be crippled by such a move, I hadn't bothered to consider how else they might react to my actions. Yes, I had kept Atoli as an ally, but as far as I knew, the hunters that had tried to kill me were still in the same kingdom that my character was, and they might answer the call for help if the rival lord gave it. "Oh shit, indeed," George replied, his grin growing all the more evil. "Have any last minute plans you want to get in before next week?" "I wish I did, but ..." I muttered, shaking my head. "No. I'm gonna have to think about this one." "Alright, well if you think of anything in the interim, just let me know, and I'll adjust the next part accordingly," my roommate offered. I nodded in confirmation. "Sure thing. I might be pretty fucked here, though." "Maybe," the big guy replied with a shrug. "But you do have some pretty serious backing this time. After all, you've done a lot to build up Atoli's reputation at court." "True, but that doesn't mean he can just suddenly muster an army to beat those hunters," I pointed out. "And it's gonna take an army, too, cause those fuckers are crazy strong." "Yes, but they're specialized in hunting dragons," George countered with a knowing look. "Don't just give up and assume you're a goner is all I'm saying. There might be options you haven't considered yet." That argument got me to roll my eyes. "You always think there's options. You'd probably sit there and make death wait on you when you finally die, saying that you have to make sure you've exhausted all your options." "Damn right, I would!" the big guy agreed. "I'm not just gonna let that fucker take me. I'm gonna lawyer his ass." I chuckled at the idea of death being some kind of court case that could be argued. "You think death even has rules to lawyer?" George shrugged. "No idea. It would be interesting to find out, though, not that I'm in any hurry." "Yeah," I concurred. "Anyway, we stopped a little earlier than usual. Got time for like a movie or something?" "Sure, but do you?" my roommate asked. "I would've thought you'd have work left to do." "Nah, not really," I answered. "I got as much as I could out of the way this afternoon. Still a bit left, but I'll be able to get it done before bed." "Alright," George agreed, rising so he could pick up his chair. "Just let me get this put back in my room, and we can watch." I nodded in agreement. "Sure thing. I'll get everything set up here." *********************************************** *********************************************** Chapter 18 "Welcome to our humble abode, weary travellers!" Robert belted grandly as he swept the front door of his apartment open and gestured for George and I to enter. "Please treat it as your own." Chuckling at the grandiose greeted, I stepped through the door. "Thanks, Robert. I will." Following behind me, my friend cautioned. "You really shouldn't offer things like that to her. If it was up to her, our place would be nothing but a big mess." "Hey! Just 'cause I don't clean up doesn't mean that I make a bunch of mess!" I retorted in my defense. "Yeah, but mess is cumulative over time, so if you never clean, eventually everything is just a mess," George argued. Unconcerned, I gave a simple shrug. "Whatever, point is I'm not gonna wreck their home." "I'm not sure there's much you could do to wreck it, anyway, Neither Brandy nor I are exactly merry homemakers," Robert remarked as he closed the door and slipped around in front of the two of us to lead on. "Anyway, follow me into the depths of this terrible labyrinth, if you dare." "I thought it was a humble abode," my roommate pointed out. "It was," our jolly host confirmed. "But it's ever-changing, constantly swirling about, creating new paths and exciting twists and- oh, look at that, we're here already." Here was the dining area of a cozy but very lived-in apartment. It sported a long kitchen table, already loaded down with stuff for the D&D session ahead. There were books, screens, dice, and the like, but also snacks, plates, and cups to refresh the guests. However, there wasn't much of a crowd yet, just Brandy setting down a plate of chips. "Hello, you two. Help yourselves," Brandy greeted as she turned from setting the table to smile at us. "There's no assigned seating or anything." "Oh, so I could take this seat right here?" I inquired mischievously as I moved toward the chair at the head of the table. It was clearly set up for the game master with a screen to block his actions from the players and all sorts of notebooks and resource manuals in reach. "Stop causing trouble, Rey," George chided me before either of our hosts could complain. Once he had, he turned to dip his head contritely to the married couple. "I'm sorry about her. She knows better, but just can't help being a nuisance." Chuckling softly, Brandy waved off the apology. "That's quite alright. I'm used to having to constantly rein this one in, too," she commiserated as she stepped over to slide an arm around her husband. "He could be so embarrassing sometimes that I just wanted to strangle him." "In a way you did," Robert remarked. "With the stranglehold of marriage!" The joke earned the big guy a swat of annoyance from his wife, but the amused smirk on her face made it pretty clear that she wasn't actually mad. "Anyway ... between him and his brother, we're more than used to a little troublemaking." "Good, because she can be difficult to control," my roommate replied. "Difficult?! Try impossible!" I denied fervently before affecting a hippy accent. "You can't control me, man! I'm a free spirit!" Rolling his eyes, George shook his head at me. "Just pick a seat already, Rey." "Yes, sir. Right away, sir," I answered, shifting to a soldier impression, complete with mock salute. The imitation ended right as I plopped myself into a seat directly to the left of the game master's. Still shaking his head, my friend walked over to sit next to me. Pulling out the various items that we needed to play, he set them out on the table, mine in front of me and his in front of himself. As he worked, he asked, "So I take it we're the first ones here?" "Yep," Robert confirmed as he took his own spot at the head of the table. "Mike hasn't made it yet, and my useless little brother is running late. That may be a good thing for you, though. If he's slow enough, you might be able to get something done before he arrives to screw it up." That joke earned a chuckle from George. "I think we can manage to wait for him." "That works, too," the game master agreed with a smile. "It does leave us with some time to kill, though," Brandy remarked as she came over to sit down across from me. "I don't suppose you play any other games beside D&D?" Robert inquired. "Yeah, mostly video games," I answered for the two of us. "Typically RPGs, but I have spent much of the last year trying to beat George here at this fighting game we picked up." "It's never gonna happen, though," my roommate added arrogantly. Turning to the big guy, I tossed him a threatening glare. "Oh, it's gonna happen, and when it does, I'm gonna gloat and gloat and gloat. Just you wait." "Eternity is an awfully long wait, but I suppose I can manage it," George taunted, earning a shake of a fist from me. He just ignored that, though, and turned back to Robert and his wife. "We also play racquetball some weekends, do a little rock climbing, that sort of thing." "Ah, that explains why you're both in such good shape," Brandy remarked, giving us a quick once over that seemed a bit jealous to me. "Hey, Rob-" "Nope, don't even try it," her husband interjected before she could even really start her suggestion. "Last time you got on an exercise kick, I nearly had a heart attack." Folding her arms, Brandy huffed in frustration. "Fine, but lounging around getting fat isn't exactly going to avoid that heart attack you're so worried about." "Yeah, but at least I'll have enjoyed my time leading up to it," Robert responded lightly, getting a few laughs from the group, even his currently grouchy wife. Once they had died down, he switched back to the original topic. "Anyway ... so, no card games or board games or anything?" George shook his head. "No, not really. I mean, we played that stuff back in college, but once you have a job and everything it gets hard to find the time to meet up with people." "I know what you mean," Brandy agreed. "It's been tough trying to keep groups together. Most of our married friends have kids now, and it's hard to find other couples like you guys." "Unfortunately, nerdy pastimes tend to attract an awful lot of single, loner guys and prima donna girls," Robert added. My thoughts never really got to Robert's comment, though. They stopped at the end of Brandy's words on that final, incorrect, assumption. Why did everyone think that? Couldn't George and I just be friends? "Well, I hope this doesn't make you hate us, but we're not a couple," George spoke up to correct the misconception. "And she's sort of a prima donna, too, actually." That attempt at follow up joke went completely unnoticed as both of the married couple widened their eyes in surprise. Brandy was the one to recover first, though, to ask, "Wait, you two aren't together?" Smiling politely, my friend shook his head. "No, just friends and roommates, ever since college actually." "Oh ... well, no it's not like it's that important," the woman tried to recover. "The point was more about you guys seeming pretty stable together, regardless of the exact nature of the relationship." "Which you must be to have lived together that long," her husband added to help salvage things. "Does that ever get weird, sharing space with the opposite gender or are you two just not interested in the opposite gender?" "Robert!" Brandy chastised. "You can't just come out and ask something like that! Where are your manners?!" "Sorry," the heavy man replied, raising his hands. "I didn't mean any offense. It's fine if you are. I was just curious." "No, it's alright, we ..." my roommate began only to glance my way and trail off. Unfortunately, I looked over at George, too, every bit as in search of an answer as he was. It was a difficult question. For most of the time we had lived together, we hadn't been of different genders. Back then, things had never been awkward, but there had been some awkward moments since. Things had mostly settled down, but that didn't mean that there wouldn't be more such incidents. Would we have been able to live together so long if I'd always been a girl? Would we be able to keep it up now that I was? "... don't really know why it works for us," my friend finished after his momentary pause. Turning to the married couple, he smiled. "It just does." "Huh, well good for you," Robert remarked. "Before Brandy and I moved in together, I don't think I had a single roommate that I could stand. She and I have worked out great, though, so maybe there's something to opposite-gender roommates." George shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe." *********************************************** *********************************************** "Alright, with that roll ... your sword whistles at it cuts through the air, slamming the creature's chitinous armor with a resounding crash. For a moment, you think it will hold, but then, it cracks and the blade cleaves deep into its brain," Robert delivered the result of my roll with gusto. "Robbed of functioning intelligence, the last of the insects crumples to the ground." "Whew!" I breathed in relief, wiping a hand across my brow as if I was the one that had actually been in a battle. "Tough fight." "No, kidding," George remarked, frowning down at his sheet. "I'm just a couple hp from dead." Remembering a few solid hits my friend's mage had taken, I chuckled. "Yeah, sorry, I tried to block 'em for you, but there were too many." "Seriously, it was like some kind of nightmare, getting swarmed by all those creepy crawlers," Eddie added with a shudder. "Not a way you'd want to go." "Well, I doubt we'll like the next way that comes along much better, but it's not looking like we're going to have a lot of choice in the matter," Brandy noted, looking over her notes. "I don't have enough to even heal all the damage we just took, much less save anything for whatever fights come next." "I can handle healing the wizardly wimp," I offered, pointing a thumb at my roommate. "Does that help?" Furrowing her brow, the other woman nodded cautiously. "A bit, but that still doesn't leave us with anything to finish the stronghold with. Anybody else got something?" "Don't look at me!" Eddie declared immediately. "I make sure that none of my character's ever have healing." "Why, because it would be too helpful?" I asked facetiously. "No, it's because he's not allowed," Robert answered for his brother, tossing a glare at the other Mathis. "He's too annoying with it; pisses people off." Chuckling, I gave George a gentle jab with my elbow to remark, "Sounds like that last cleric you played." "Hey! He wasn't annoying!" my friend protested defensively. "Just creepy ... very, very creepy." "What? Did you make like a pedo priest and go around luring children?" Eddie inquired tastelessly. "God no!" George denied. "We were just playing some simple villagers, but mine was an evil cultist, so all of my spells felt all twisted and cruel even when they were helpful." The other man laughed heartily. "Really? Sounds like fun, maybe I should-" "No healers! Never again!" Robert interjected before his little brother could get too far into his scheme. "Aw ... what if I promise to actually heal people?" Eddie tried before adding maliciously, "Whether they want to be healed or not." Sighing, the older brother just shook his head. "I'm definitely not going to let you force your 'healing' on anyone." "Hey, it will be real healing, not whatever dirty thing your thinking!" the younger brother retorted. Shaking his head again, Robert turned his attention back to the group. "Anyway, I believe you guys were discussing healing options, correct?" "Right, we're short on healing sources," Brandy got back on track. "George, Mike, got anything?" With a click of his tongue, my roommate shook his head. "Nope, sorry. I've got some offensive consumables we could use to maybe minimize some damage taken, but no healing options." "Nothing that you know about, at least not in character," Mike answered mysteriously, referring to a couple of potions that he'd pilfered while back in town. "Oh, but I actually have another thing!" I declared, fiddling with my sheet. "Yeah, I had that little chest of potions we found earlier." "But we don't know what they do," George reminded me. "It's a dozen identical potions. What else could they be besides healing potions?" I reasoned. "An assassin's poison stash," my roommate offered. "Or an intentional trap to get us to drink poison," Brandy played off that idea. "Or a bomb made from flasks of exploding oil," Eddie tried. While all reasonable guesses, I still rolled my eyes. "Fine, if you guys are scared, I'll test 'em. Happy? I'm pretty confident I can resist some measly poison." "Or we could just turn back, resupply, and then return," George suggested reasonably. "Nope!" I declared with a shake of my head, turning to the game master. "I drink one of the potions from the chest." That decision prompted my roommate to smack his palm against his forehead. "Damn it ... can I stop her?" "Sorry, by the time you realize her intentions, it's too late," Robert told him before focusing an intense look on me. "You feel the liquid in the vial slide down your throat, fruity with a nice bouquet and just a hint of tartness." "Mmm, sounds tasty," I remarked. "But then," came the expected turn. "You start to feel a faint tingle, it begins in your fingertips, then your toes, and slowly it spreads, rushing through you until it has engulfed all that you are, and ..." The dramatic pause just hung there in the air, unfinished. The anticipation of it even got me to lean forward and ask, "And?" "Heals you for ten," was the anticlimactic reply. Sighs of relief and amused chuckles bust out of the group. I was the only one that did neither, turning to stick my tongue out at George. "See? Told ya!" Huffing in annoyance, my roommate folded his arms. "Hmph! You got lucky!" "Well, lucky or not, now we have a way to keep going," Brandy remarked. "Assuming we're willing to expend the resource." "Of course, we are!" I declared eagerly. "If our spells are stretched this thin, we have to be close to the end." "Unless, he intended the stronghold to take multiple excursions," George remarked. "That sounds more like something you'd do," I accused. "Trying to trick your players to their doom." Not denying it, my roommate shrugged. "That's just part of what it means to be a DM. Isn't that right, Robert?" "That it is," the heavy-set man agreed as the two shared an evil grin. That response prompted a heavy sigh from Brandy as she looked at me. "The things we have to put up with, right Rhea?" Joining the other woman in a sigh, I replied, "You're tellin' me." *********************************************** *********************************************** "I still can't believe you actually just drank a random, unmarked potion," Robert remarked, shaking his head. "I had the boss all planned out to be this really tough attrition fight, and then, all of a sudden, you had a dozen extra healing effects." Smiling, Brandy reached over to rub her husband's arm reassuringly. "There, there, sweetie. It was still fun." "I guess ..." the game master sighed. "I was hoping for some cool sacrifice moment, though ... " "I'm not sure that would've happened anyway," George commented. "I know I would've voted to turn back at the very least." "Me, too," Brandy agreed. Shrugging, I added my voice as well, "I might have as well, which just makes me all the more glad that I remembered those potions." "Does make you wonder, though, what would've happened if we had," my roommate mused. "Would we have been able to just come back and stomp that boss without having to use half our potions?" Robert shook his head. "No, if you had played it safe, I was going to have the boss have fled his stronghold with all his treasure to join up with his army on the field. Would've probably meant having to give up on repelling the orcs, instead of leaving them confused and leaderless." "Then that means Rhea actually made the right call. Damn ..." George muttered. "Don't sound so disappointed," I teased with a big grin on my face. "Just think about all the treasure we got!" Chuckling, my friend smirked at me. "Sounding more like your dragon than a paladin right now, Rey." "Who cares! Everyone loves loot!" I declared, rubbing my hands together. "Especially magic weapons, mmm ..." "I'm certainly glad for mine, even if it is basically just a torch," Brandy commented, referring to her mildly enchanted mace that could use a light spell on command to glow. "No, that was probably the most useful item we got," George noted. "After all, now we don't have to trust Eddie with carrying the torch." That comment had me rolling my eyes. "I still can't believe he just dropped it in that one fight. Would've had to do the whole thing in the dark, if you hadn't lit a few of those giant rats on fire." "That's why I used that particular spell there," my roommate replied. "Although, I really wish I hadn't had to. Woulda been great for that bug swarm later." I shrugged. "That's the problem with playing casters, you always wish you had the spells you've used up. Warriors, though, can just keep right on hacking." "Yeah, all because they're all brawn and no brain," George remarked. "Hey! I was the only one smart enough to test those potions!" I retorted. "No, you were the only one dumb enough to," came the immediate response. For a moment, I narrowed my eyes like I was actually angry, then just grinned and shrugged. "Whichever. It still worked." Chuckling, my roommate nodded in concession. "Yeah, it sure did. Somehow ... it would've been a lot more fun if it had turned you into a rabbit or something, though." "I did consider changing it to something more interesting, but it didn't seem fair to just retcon things like that," Robert noted. "I like to let players rejoice in their unexpected triumphs, even when they ruins my plans." "Definitely made for a memorable moment," Brandy complimented, leaning over to kiss her husband on the cheeks. "Thanks for running the game, sweetie." "Yeah, thanks a lot," George added. "I appreciate it, too," I finished. Smiling, Robert dipped his head graciously. "It was my pleasure. I'm looking forward to doing it again." "Me too," my roommate replied. "But for now, I think we've imposed on you long enough. The other two left quite a bit ago." "That's alright," Brandy interjected. "It's nice to sit around and talk after a session." "It is, but I'm afraid we can't stay," George answered, glancing over at me. "Rhea works in the evenings, so we should probably get going or she'll use it as an excuse to slack off." Turning to me as well, Brandy inquired. "Oh, what do you do?" "I'm a programmer, but since I work from home and hate getting up in the morning, I have my day shifted to work in the afternoon and late at night," I explained as I rose. "And, unfortunately, George is right. Normally, I'd make it up some other time, but we're coming up to the end of a project, so I shouldn't get behind." Nodding, Brandy got up with her husband following suit. "We understand. We'll see you two next week then." "Of course," my roommate confirmed. "Right, Rey?" Smiling, I nodded. "You can count on it." *********************************************** *********************************************** Chapter 19 "Hmm ... maybe try the other top?" I mused as I fidgeted with my outfit, trying to get it to settle. Nothing I could do was ever going to make my current attire feel quite right, though. That was because the issue wasn't with the way it lay, but with the style. Professionalism had certain demands, and many of them were not things I was familiar with. Perhaps the smallest difference, but still most noticeable, was that I wore heels. They weren't real heels, of course, with several inch spikes and lots of straps. No, they were very simple shoes with a broad, short heel of barely an inch. Even that was enough to make them feel off, though, tilting my feet in an odd way that made even just standing there awkward. The other really noticeable issue lay a little higher up. It wasn't my first time wearing a skirt, but the ones I had tried were typically looser around my legs and if they covered my knees, it was barely. This one was quite tight, a style for some reason referred to as pencil, and went a couple inches past my knees in a manner that looked very professional while feeling quite uncomfortable. The leggings I had to wear with it because of the cool weather didn't help that situation any, either. Again, the knee was the barrier that was troublesome. In my entire life up to that point, I had never worn socks that crossed it, but at that moment, I was. Of all the oddities of my choice of garments, the one I was considering changing was the least awkward. It was a simple, cream blouse, snug but hopefully not too much so. It went well with the grey skirt and black shoes and leggings, too. I had bought an alternative, though, a tan number in a slightly different style. Reaching up, I started unbuttoning my top, getting just to the point of finishing off the fasteners and starting to pull the cloth off me. That moment right there was when there came a quick knock on the door. Habit nearly made me call out for the person to come in, because I was so used to that just being the default answer. Besides, I was only missing a shirt, except, as a girl, that was a big deal now. While I managed to not just call out something stupid, I did not manage to provide a better reaction either. As such, habit moved the situation along from the other side. George usually just opened the door right after his knock. After all, for most of our time living together, we had both been guys. There had been very little that I could possibly be doing that would be an issue for him to see. Weirdly, the moment seemed to move too quickly for me to react, and yet slowly enough for me to feel every little step along the path to trouble. I could hear the clicks and clacks of the door knob's mechanism. I watched as the wood panel swung inward just enough to allow George's cherubic face to poke into the room and greet me with a smile. A moment later, that smile vanished into utter surprise as he saw me standing there with really nothing covering my top except for a bra. "George!" I finally managed to exclaim, jerking my hands together. That yanked the cloth of my blouse around me once more, covering skin and lingerie. "Whoa! Sorry!" my roommate blurted right back, lurching his head out of the way so he could slam the door close with a resounding crack. "Sorry! I didn't realize ... I mean ... sorry!" The profuse apologies did not improve the situation any. If anything, they made my resulting blush burn all the hotter, making it feel like my whole face could just burst into flames at any moment. A part of me almost wished it would just to save me from the humiliation. Clearly, I was not alone in my misery. Out in the hall, I heard the sound of footsteps, indicating George's retreat to his own room. With him there, at least we were thoroughly hidden from each other, so that such a gaff could not repeat itself. "Ugh ... what a nightmare," I sighed. The words helped me relax a little, at least enough to stop clutching my blouse to my chest like a drowning man clinging to a life-preserver. Shaking my head, I tried to get back on task, if for no other reason than out of a desire to distract myself from the embarrassing moment. Playing with clothes certainly didn't help with that, though. When I removed my blouse, I felt nervous. When I buttoned up the new one, I was hurried by irrational fear. Even once I had it on, I kept thinking about George looking at me, assessing how the top lay on my frame while he pictured what lay underneath. "Stop it!" I growled, shaking my head again, but much, much more fiercely. It scattered images of my roommate, and allowed me to impose my will on my own thoughts. All I had to focus on was color and style. Was this more professional? Did it look nicer with the other things? Did it matter that the snug fit highlighted the fact that I was reasonably well endowed and in fairly good shape? No, of course that didn't matter. All girl clothes did that. At least, they did if they were actually my size. Sometimes that meant guys snuck a glance, but it wasn't all that common. After all, it wasn't like I had massive boobs or some super amazing body. Besides, I was mostly used to that sort of thing. It wasn't a big deal. Nothing to worry about, not at all. Abandoning my assessment of the top, I buried my face in my hands and just groaned out my frustration. In spite my efforts, the image of me standing there with my blouse off as George stared with wide eyes had returned. With it, a feeling that had not plagued me for some time returned, the feeling of how just having a female body was so incredibly awkward. I was acutely aware of every little curve and difference that I possessed from when I was male along with all the oddities of the clothes I wore, and it was just too weird. For several long moments, I just stood there like an ostrich with its head buried in the sand. Maybe if I couldn't see it, it would just go away. Of course, it wouldn't, but the sensation of wrongness did slowly dissipate. Soon, I was back to feeling mostly normal, maybe not happy with my body, but accustomed to it enough to feel comfortable. "I think I'll go with this one," I muttered as I finally pulled my head free and glanced at my top. It wasn't that it looked better, both had seemed fine. This just wasn't the one that I'd been wearing during all the embarrassment. That was enough for it to win. *********************************************** *********************************************** "What a day," I mumbled as I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was the same position that I'd been in since I'd flopped there upon returning from my first job interview as a woman. One might think that I was depressed or worried or something like that. It was nothing so terrible, though. I was more just ... bemused, utterly unsure of how to feel about the experience that I had gone through. Thinking about it hadn't done much to settle my opinions on the matter. No, the hour or so since then had passed in a pretty uneventful haze. It was like I had been wandering around in a maze the whole time, only to find myself right back where I'd started. Womanhood had a way of doing that to me, though. So much of it was just so ... so ... unfathomable. "Oh, there's George," was my first meaningful muttering as the sound of the front door alerted me to my roommate's return from work. Such an event was barely important enough to register in my thoughts, however. It had no power to pull me from my daze, so I just kept laying there, adrift in my mind, but not really thinking. In the background, I could hear my friend moving around. He stopped at his room, discarding his various work rel