Page 65 of Dating and Dragons
“Good,” Sloane says with a nod, and goes back to crocheting.
“That girl clearly doesn’t know a thing if she thought you couldn’t make new friends here,” Kashvi adds, and picks up her crimping tool again. “Now let’s get back to work. We need to make at least twenty bracelets and ten necklaces to restock the stores this week.”
I focus on my bracelet, hoping Sloane and Kashvi will stillbe on my side after they hear what Logan and I have to say today.
“Quinn!” Sanjiv cries as I walk into the basement later with Sloane and Kashvi. “Who is your favorite Spider-Man? We’re debating.”
“Tom Holland’s, of course,” I say immediately, and lay my bag at my seat at the table. “But at least half of that is because of Zendaya.”
Mark huffs. “Have you seen the Toby Maguire dance, though?”
“No way, the correct answer is Miles Morales, and I won’t be taking questions,” Sloane argues.
I take a breath and let myself look to Logan. He lifts his gaze to mine and my body flares with heat. All the things that almost happened between us come back to me, and I see them reflected in his eyes. I don’t know how I’m going to sit at the table across from him and pretend everything is normal.
“Everyone ready?” Sloane asks, and the other conversations and chip eating stop immediately. I’m grateful for something else to think about. Unfortunately, Sloane doesn’t look nearly as happy as they usually do at the start of the session. Usually they’re vibrating with excited energy, but instead their eyes narrow on the laptop screen like it’s being personally offensive.
“Welcome back to our loyal viewers,” Sloane says, and Iturn my attention to the end of the table. “We areDon’t Split the Party.If this is your first time streaming our channel, I’m your DM, Sloane, and we also have—”
They gesture to the right and go through quick introductions for each of us. “And finally our latest addition to the group, Quinn, playing Nasria, her intrepid and somewhat grumpy hill dwarf sorcerer. We’re so happy to have her gaming with us each week. I can speak for all of us when I say how much fun we’re having now that she’s joined.”
I blink and glance around the table. Huh? The others bob their heads enthusiastically, but something…doesn’t feel right. Why would Sloane mention that out of the blue?
“Uh, thanks, everyone. I’m loving it and so glad to be here.”
Sloane’s lips flatten into a line before they launch into their usual overview of what happened last time for any viewers who might have missed that game or someone who is new to watching. I try to focus on their words. It’s easier to sink back down into this world and character if I can push everything in the real world from my mind, but I’m struggling. Between the ever-present knowledge of this upcoming dating discussion with the group and Sloane’s weird behavior, I’m jittery with nerves. I want to interrupt and ask what’s happening, but I know the rules. We only talk about the game—everything else will have to wait until the livestream ends.
“As a reminder to the audience,” Sloane continues, “in our last session the party secured an agreement with King Thalun to hunt down and kill the dragon that is plaguing his lands. Thus far they have explored the nearby town to learnwhat they could about the dragon but were unable to persuade any townspeople to help on their mission. You’ve now decided to search the wilderness at the edges of the kingdom for any hints of where the dragon may be living.”
“Without more information, I don’t know how we’ll ever find this dragon’s lair. We could be searching for weeks,” Logan complains in Adris’s pouty accent.
I shake my thoughts away and focus on the game. “I bet you wish I’d chose the ranger class now.”
He laughs before pressing his lips into a more serious expression to mimic his elf character. “I’m more than happy to have a sorcerer in the party even if tracking isn’t one of your skills.”
“I’ll do my best to help.”
“Anyone who’s searching should roll a perception check for me,” Sloane tells us.
Kashvi rolls highest, at a 15.
“Okay, Lasla, as you come into a clearing, you discover a bloody and mangled mass in front of you. You also find long, thick gashes in the side of a tree. In the distance, the forest floor is trampled, and other smaller trees have been knocked down. Something shimmers silver in the distance.”
“We should all beveryquiet,” Logan warns us.
“Could the shimmering be water?” Kashvi asks.
“I doubt you’re seeing an oasis,” Sanjiv replies.
“Lasla, can you take us all there so we can see more closely?” I ask Kashvi.
Sloane pauses, clearly milking the suspense. “As you all get closer, you find an object lying on the ground. It’s a flat disk, as large as your head and oval-shaped. It’s rock hard.”
“A dragon scale,” a few of us say together, as if we rehearsed it, and share nervous glances.
“We should go,” I tell the group. “This is plenty of evidence that the dragon must be nearby, but we’re in no state to encounter it right now.”
Sloane grabs the table and shakes it. We all jump. “Suddenly, the ground begins to quake. The trees tremble and birds take flight. Then an enormous silver dragon comes into view.”