Learning to play D&D

"Okay, roll to seduce the warlock," everyone looked to the board intently, waiting to see what the dice would land on. A natural 20, no need for adding the deception bonus.

Scott sighed, a sound of the will to live leaving his body. "Okay, the warlock is infatuated with you, letting the rest of the party pass him by."

The party cheered, their silly plan going perfectly.

And then there was me, confusingly smiling along side them. Scott and Honey invited me to watch them and their friends play dungeons and dragons. I didn't understand the game, or where the fun was. But there was food, and Devon needed to be kept busy. Honey complained of their last game being ruined once the board was hit off the table. The poor cat just wanted some love, and I was happy to provide it.

Along side just watching them roll play, Scott would ask me questions. Sometimes it was about what I thought, or if I wanted help. Tonight was a learning experience, and then next time they had a game night, I could play too. Making a character for myself wasn't much different then making someone in a novel. My only problem came with filling in details. Being new to the game was making it harder, but everyone was very supportive. It was a joyful group of friends doing what they liked, and they wanted to include me.

I had know the siblings for about a months, and I was glad I met them. It gave me a reason to leave my house, to hang out, or so I could go to their shop. Sometimes I would buy a comic or two, branch away from my normal scope of reading. I had never liked picture books, but Scott encouraged me to give these ones a try. I was still a bit unsure of them, even so, I was giving them a chance.

The handbook I was given at the start of the game had some pictures, but it was mostly long blocks of text. It was a bit of a writers nightmare, and I struggled to get through it. There was nothing to hook in readers, which made a bit of sense. It seemed like a wiki page printed out and put in a cover. If I wanted to read it front to back, it might take me years, simply because it had nothing to keep me reading.

Never the less, I was a diligent student, and I was determined to know the rules of the game by next week. For now, I just had to worry about a few chapters, and knowing the basics. The others in the party would help whenever they could. Maybe I had been thrown out into open water, but they gave me some little arm floats to use until I got my bearings.

---

I went back up to my studio after the few hours it took for everything to finish up. They let me take some pizza home, but I couldn't bring myself to eat anymore. Snacking throughout the game was probably not the best idea, but hindsight was 20/20. Plus, I could toss it in the mystery microwave for breakfast.

Foxer hadn't been snacking. After a trip back to the shelter, they told me he was at risk of becoming overweight. Luckily, the solution was easy, just feed during meal times only, and limit treats. Other than that slight issue, the in house vet gave him the all clear. He was a healthy pup, and I wouldn't need to bring him back for awhile.

When I first got him, I knew I was signing up for more than just a friend. Training and making sure I was a good owner was a must. The other conditions to the adoption would come up every so often, but they were never a worry to me. For all I cared, he was my sprightly son.

Since he had been cooped up while I spent time away, he was more active then normal. I didn't want to spend the rest of my night getting him to lay down, to give me a paw-shake, or whatever trick we committed to for the session.

The afternoon sun was slowly falling behind the city skyline, and I saw this as the perfect time to go for a run. As spring turned to summer, the heat in the mid-afternoon was becoming more intense. Foxer and I avoided this by going out in the morning, but tonight, dusk seemed like the ideal time.

The humidity, that I had yet to get used to, was worse than ever. I wasn't even doing most of the work as we sped down the near empty streets, but I could feel the sweat on my forehead. Foxer ran ahead of me, pulling me behind him. Intermittently I would help push us along, giving the mutt a break.

Once my feet started to hurt, I knew it was time to head on home. The streetlights had come on, and less and less people went by me. This was the farthest we had gone so far, and Foxer was burned out. To spare him, I got off my board and walked along side him, softly talking to him when we were alone. He seemed to understand me, with his occasional glances up to me, and the wagging of his tail.

I hoped he appreciated me giving him my water, it was just the way I returned the favor of having someone to chat with.

---

'Last weeks poll has closed down, so the new name of the post-post book will be The End has Fallen. Shortened to Fallen, it will join Birds of a Feather and Angles of Wolf's peak on the roll call of full novels! Going back on what I said last time, I will be making a scheduled. I was a fool back then, and I am sure I will be a fool again. But, mark my words, I will try my best to keep everything going with the same momentum we have now.

All the characters have been planned out, with some inspiration from an odd source. I've started playing dungeons and dragons, so expect to see some elements from that game. I won't be very fantasy, since its more of a dark genre. There will be no zombies, or anything apocalyptic. This story takes place after the world is over, and after humanity has started anew.

The intro and starting chapter should be up by Monday, but I think I will move the releases after that to the second Tuesday of each month. Birds will stay first Tuesday. Like always, my upload schedule and times are always listed at the end of the notes. There was some uproar about timing, so it has come to my attention that I forgot to change the timezone everything was set to. Along with moving house, I moved timezone. I took some time to update the roster, so everyone better go check it out.

Outrage has also sparked over my forgetfulness of the Foxer Update. This week you get a double dose as a reconciliation prize. He had his first vet trip, and cried all day over getting a shot. I am just an awful owner for keeping him safe. Along side the rampant abuse he faced, we were given bad news, he has to eat less. The pup is just devastated, and I will have to glue my hands together so I don't give him treats. While he is all fine an healthy, he is at the top of the safe weight bracket, and instead of making him lose some pounds, we will wait. Since Foxer is still young, and has plenty of room to grow, he'll be fine.

The next part of the update is all good news! He can fully sit down on command, and is coming closer to understanding lay down. Training is going a bit slow, but I think he could have some sled dog in him. Foxer has been doing an amazing job at learning to pull me on the skateboard. Save for a few times he tried to chase everything.

Your favorite author, who may get hit by a car, Eden Blair Thomas. '

I learned my lesson from last time. I wrote at my desk this time, on my computer. Laying in bed gave me a massive backache, and Foxer stole the whole bed from me. So, once I got up and headed for bed, he joined me. Normally when I'm working, he wonders around, or lays in his doggy bed, instead of mine.

With the TV quietly playing in the background, I settled in for the night. All my work was done, there were no stressors for me in the near future. It gave me the time to think of a better time ahead.

It gave me the time to think that Some Point might come sooner than I had thought.