Archive of Our Own

Morning came softly. Gentle rain pattered against the infirmary’s stained glass windows. It was a solemn, quiet day, but not unhappy. They’d won. Granted, the room’s five occupants all bore injuries from the battle against Adriel… But they’d emerged victorious. Nothing could take that away from them, least of all a cloudy, muted day. 

“Well, now what?” Ava asked from her bed. She was leaning heavily against the headboard, and wore a smile, though her injuries had been so severe that the halo was still struggling to catch up. For now, walking was out of the question. 

“Rest.” Mary muttered from a few beds away. “ Jesus Ava, don’t you know how to relax?” 

“Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain.” Lilith corrected. After the exertion of the battle, she’d slept for eighteen hours, but still looked exhausted. 

“I spent most of my life in a bed.” Ava replied. Even given the dreary topic and the trauma it had imparted on her, Ava smiled. “Now I have the thirst for… Adventure!” 

“I have something for that, actually.” Camila chimed in with a grin. “But it might be a bit nerdy for this crowd…” 

“A bit nerdy for Beatrice?” Mary was surprised by that.

“I can hear you.” Mumbled Beatrice from the bed adjacent to Ava’s.

“I know.” Mary shrugged, but then turned back to Camila. “Seeing as we’re under Superion’s orders to both rest and stay put, you’ve got a captive audience. Let’s get nerdy.” 

“Really?” Camila’s smile grew by double and her excitement was almost contagious. 

“I’m definitely in.” Ava agreed immediately. 

“I resent that everyone thinks I’m nerdy… But I’ll participate.” Beatrice replied. Her face was bruised and scraped from the fight, but the worst of her injuries were hidden beneath her shirt. 

“Do you need help retrieving… Whatever this is?” Lilith asked quietly from her own bed. She looked smaller, frailer, than she had the week prior - but still plenty capable. 

“Yes, actually. Thank you.” She got up precariously on one foot, retrieving the crutches that had been laid against a nearby wall. Adriel personally had broken several bones in her leg, but he could never break her spirit. 

Lilith silently followed Camila out of the room, the very definition of juxtaposition. Sometimes, it was as if Camila’s lightness was her own halo - a happy golden energy that was infused with her very presence. Lilith, meanwhile, was completely dark. Not that she hadn’t redeemed herself a dozen times over, but she still retained an inherent darkness that had nothing to do with her newly demonic persuasion. 

The odd pair returned a few minutes later. Lilith cradled a sizable wooden box in her arms, and Camila had a bag over one of her shoulders. 

“It was even nerdier than we expected.” Lilith announced as they entered the infirmary anew. 

“Hey!” Camila protested immediately. “You said it was cool.” 

“Did you?” Mary raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t blind to the odd and loaded tension between them. Unsurprisingly, Lilith replied only with a glare. 

“We can set it up here.” Camila unslung her bag and set it on the table between her bed and Ava’s. This was intentional and Beatrice quickly realised why. “Bea, come sit next to Ava, will you?” 

“...Alright.” It was everything she could do not to blush or choke. 

“And Mary, Lilith, you can both sit on my bed. I can pull up a chair to sit at the head of the table.” 

Lilith retrieved a chair for Camila before sitting beside Mary. The five of them were a sorry-looking lot, but happy. 

“We look like shit.” Ava observed quietly, needing something to take her focus off of Beatrice’s close proximity. 

“Language.” Beatrice whispered. “Though I don’t disagree.” 

“Nor do I, but I must admit I’m slightly excited to see what’s in Camila’s box of horrors.” Mary chuckled as Camila unclasped the fasteners on the wooden box. 

“Okay, promise you all won’t laugh…” She opened the box to reveal a beautiful game board, which upon closer inspection, revealed itself to be Cat’s Cradle. It was handmade, with intricately painted hexes. 

“Wow.” Ava was in awe, clearly. “It’s beautiful… What is it?” 

“It’s a custom campaign board…I spent weeks on it...” Camila answered, as if that was enough of an explanation. 

“You made Cat’s Cradle as a Dungeons and Dragons campaign?” Mary wondered, though the answer was obvious. 

“That’s about the gist of it.” Camila reached into her bag and pulled out four figurines. 

“Wait!” Ava picked up the tiny, hand painted halo bearer figurine. “This one looks like me.” 

“It is you.” Camila smiled, grateful for Ava’s enthusiasm. “I know all of this is a bit nerdy, but it was a good distraction from thinking about our impending battle with Adriel.” 

“No judgement here.” Mary muttered, having spent the weeks before the fight using significantly unhealthier coping mechanisms. 

“So shall we play?” Camila asked hopefully. “I’ll be the Dungeon Master, of course, since I wrote the campaign.” 

“Yes, but I call playing as Lilith. I want those sweet demon powers.” Mary decided as she picked up the dark little Lilith figurine.

“Fine, but then I’m playing as Mary.” Lilith bit, though the corner of her mouth turned up in a smile. “How refreshing it must be to blast away your problems with a shotgun.”

“You’ve got no idea, honey.” 

“Can I play as Beatrice?” Ava asked, surprisingly shy considering her normal charisma. “She is way more badass than me.” 

“Language.” Beatrice corrected her for the second time. “You have a powerful halo in your back and were instrumental in defeating Adriel, yet you’d rather play as me?” 

“...Yes.” 

“Alright, I suppose I’m playing as the halo bearer, then.” Beatrice kept her tone as neutral as possible. Gently, Ava pressed the figurine of herself into Beatrice’s hand. 

“Good luck, halo bearer.” Ava mumbled as her cheeks went quite red at the tiniest contact with Beatrice. Meanwhile, Camila and Mary both struggled to contain themselves. 

“Okay…” Camila withdrew a folder from her bag. “I’ve made character cards for all of you.” She passed these out. 

“This seems like an awful lot of numbers all of a sudden.” Mary murmured as she looked over Lilith’s character card. “I like how charisma is Lilith’s lowest stat though.”

“It’s your lowest stat too.” Lilith reported

“And Beatrice’s lowest stat as well.” Ava chimed in. “This is embarrassing for all of you, but I can’t say I’m entirely surprised.” 

“Cam -”

“Let me explain.” Camila interrupted Mary’s protest. “You only get a certain amount of points to spec out a character, and you’re all quite talented, so something had to be a dump stat. Also, to be fair, Lilith, you tried to murder Ava.” 

“Yeah!” Ava couldn’t help but laugh. “And Mary pushed me off a cliff. Neither of these are very charismatic choices.” 

“Well, what’s Ava’s charisma then?” Lilith asked, trying to ignore the guilty feeling in her heart, even though Ava had forgiven her. 

“Fifteen.” Beatrice answered.

“ Fifteen? ” Mary repeated the number in disbelief. 

“Well, Ava is a sorcerer and they get a charisma bonus.” Explained Camila. 

“Wow, I don’t understand anything that is happening right now.” Yet Ava smiled as she said this. In truth, she knew Camila would explain and there was nothing to be in a bad mood about. Sure, everyone was injured, but they all survived and Adriel was dead. Plus, Beatrice was by her side for some non-violent quality time with her family. Perfect. 

“Okay. I think perhaps we should begin with an explanation.” Camila took the character sheets back. “There are different classes, which I’ve chosen for each of you. I tried to get as close to your actual selves as possible, because I wanted this to be a special campaign for all of us to play together.”

“That’s actually quite sweet.” Lilith whispered, earning an odd look from everyone else at the table. Her cheeks burned and she opted to let Camila continue. 

“Mary is a fighter.” Camila carried on, though she cast a quick, furtive glance at Lilith. “This means her hit die is a d10, though we’ll get to the die specifics in a moment. Generally, fighters are, you guessed it, proficient fighters. Were this a standard game, she’d likely start with a sword, shield, and some sort of armour. In this campaign, she gets a shotgun. No surprises there.” 

“Okay, I’m liking this so far.” Mary nodded along in approval. 

“Her specific stats are as follows: strength: 15, dexterity: 14, constitution: 15, intelligence: 11, wisdom: 14, and charisma: 10. I’ll explain what these mean in a moment. Also, Mary’s alignment is true neutral.” 

“What does that mean?” Ava wondered, with genuine curiosity. She felt a bit out of her depth with all of this, but she couldn’t deny that the concept seemed fun.

“Broadly, a true neutral character makes choices that they feel are a good idea, and aren’t usually governed by a force that is traditionally ‘good’ or ‘evil.’”

“Makes sense.” Breathed Lilith, though still plenty loud for everyone to hear. 

“Oh, can it.” Mary didn’t seem that annoyed. “But I’m inclined to agree with this.” 

“I’m glad.” Camila beamed at the compliment and passed Mary’s player card back to Lilith. 

“What do the different stats do, in terms of gameplay?” Beatrice posed a question of her own. 

“Strength is quite simply, it’s just a measure of physical power. Dexterity refers to a character’s agility, which in practical terms, is how well they fight. Physical endurance is measured by your constitution score. I would give everyone top score in that after what we’ve all been through, but obviously there are only so many points to go around.”

“Understood.” Beatrice nodded. 

“Intelligence is pretty self-explanatory.” Camila continued explaining. “Whereas wisdom is an indicator of perception and insight. Finally, there is charisma, which again, is rather self-explanatory.” 

“What isn’t self-explanatory is why my charisma is so high.” Ava delivered this line as if it were a joke, but Beatrice caught the undercurrent of self-consciousness in her words. 

“I think it makes sense.” Camila grinned at Ava and set her somewhat at ease. “Okay, let’s go over Lilith’s build. She’s classed as a warlock, which makes sense considering…”

“Considering my journey to Hell and subsequent development of demonic powers.” Lilith finished the sentence with slightly terrifying bluntness. “No need to tiptoe around the issue, alright?” 

“Alright…” Camila tepidly agreed. “That means you get a d8 as you hit die. Your stats are: strength: 12, dexterity: 15, constitution: 15, intelligence: 12, wisdom: 10, and charisma: 10. Also, your alignment is lawful neutral.” 

“Hmm… Maybe you and I aren’t so different after all.” Mary mumbled as she looked over Lilith’s character card.

“Don’t even joke,” Was Lilith’s only reply. 

“This is so cool.” Ava said, mostly to herself, as she looked at the board and the little figurines for the hundredth time. “The little Ava even has a halo glowing through the back of her shirt.”

“Just like it is right now.” Beatrice whispered. She could see the vague, glowing outline, even through Ava’s jumper. 

“I can’t help it. I’m just excited about this nerd game.” Of course, Beatrice’s proximity was definitely contributing to the halo’s burning, but Ava would never admit that. 

“Understandable.” The faintest smile played across Beatrice’s face. 

“If you two are done flirting, I’d love for Camila to finish this explanation so we can actually get down to… Complicated dice rolling?” Mary’s words made both Ava and Beatrice blush rather furiously. Neither of them replied, so Camila jumped back in with an awkward sort of cough. 

“Beatrice I decided to make a rogue, though I’m not sure you really fit any of the classes that well. Sorry, Bea. Anyway, your stats are: strength: 12, dexterity: 16, constitution: 11, intelligence: 16, wisdom: 11, and charisma: 9. Your alignment is lawful good, of course.” 

“My charisma is only nine ?” Beatrice wasn’t sure if she should be offended or not. Sure, she was a bit closed off, but even Lilith had a ten. 

“I mean, in real life, no.” Camila backpedaled slightly. “It was the only way I could boost both your intelligence and dexterity to max.” 

“Fair enough.” Logically, Beatrice knew that she valued intelligence and fighting ability more than charisma, anyhow. 

“This seems awfully complicated.” Lilith interjected, though she still had every intention of playing. For Camila’s sake, if not her own enjoyment.

“A bit, yeah.” Camila nervously bit her lip, then added. “I mean, the campaign is quite shaved down and I’ve made a lot of alterations. Once we get into the actual gameplay, it won’t seem so complex, I promise.” 

“Alright. I trust you.” Lilith replied with a nod. Her statement was, unequivocally, a big deal. Trust didn’t come easily for Lilith, especially not after everything. Still, her words referred to more than just a tabletop RPG, and Camila clearly could sense that.

“Thank you.” This was said with respect. Then, Camila turned towards Ava and Beatrice. “Finally, we come to the halo bearer herself. I made Ava a sorcerer, given the halo powers and the… Mmmm… Slight lack of fighting prowess.” 

“More than fair.” Ava acknowledged this readily. 

“Your stats are: strength: 14, dexterity: 11, constitution: 13, intelligence: 12, wisdom: 10, charisma: 15. Obviously your alignment is chaotic good.” 

“Truer words have never been spoken.” Mary whispered.

“Cheers, I’ll drink to that.” Ava fully laughed. She liked when Mary teased her, she liked this familial banter between everyone. It felt how a family should feel, and for that, Ava was extremely grateful. 

“Shall we begin, then?” Camila asked with a delighted smile. 

“I mean, I’m still quite confused, but I don’t see why not.” Beatrice moved the figurine of Ava to the hex in the middle of the board, which Camila had labelled ‘start here.’

“Go little Beatrice! Go!” Ava cheered as she set the figurine of Beatrice on the same hex.

“I feel like we’re all too hot for this.” Mumbled Mary as she moved Lilith’s figurine to the growing crowd. 

“Aw, you think I’m hot?” Ava wondered with a crooked grin.

“I think everyone, except Ava, is too hot for this.” Lilith amended as she set Mary’s figurine on the starting hex. 

“Bold words, grandma.” Retorted Ava sharply. Lilith met her eyes at once, but then smiled, diffusing whatever tension had built between them. If it hadn’t already been obvious, it was clear now that Lilith was a much different woman than she once was. 

Camila withdrew two more figurines from her bag. The first was a model of herself, which she placed a few hexes away, in the Cradle’s armoury. Afterwards, she added a model of Mother Superion, which took residence in the office. 

“You made a little Superion?” Mary looked at the tiny figure, accurate down to the scar and cane. 

“She’s an important NPC.” Camila explained. “She gives the party quests.” 

“What does that mean?” Ava wondered. 

“An NPC, or non-player character, is controlled by the DM. They play a critical role in the game’s progression. Some of them are enemies, others act as shops, and others still can provide quests or important information.” 

“What are you?” Beatrice asked.

“A nun.” For a moment, no one laughed, but then both Mary and Ava chuckled in near unison. “But in this campaign, I am a shopkeeper. If you want to upgrade your armour or weapons, you’ll just come to the armoury. Almost like real life.” 

“Funny.” Beatrice replied, though she did smile. It was nice to see.

“I mean, I thought so.” Ava giggled again at the thought. 

“I’m glad someone thinks so.” Camila mumbled, before pulling several dice and a few monster figurines from her bag. “I didn’t have time to make Tarask figurines, so these are dragons.” She set them in the dense forest that surrounded the tabletop RPG version of Cat’s Cradle. 

“ Dragons!? ” Repeated Ava, as if it was the coolest thing she’d ever seen. As if her own selfless heroics hadn’t literally saved the world two days ago. 

“Yes?” Camila raised an eyebrow. “Alright, shall we begin?” 

“How do we begin, exactly?” Lilith inquired with a concerned look at the many-sided dice. 

“First, I’ll set the scene, which basically means I’ll describe your first task as a party. From there, you’ll all decide what to do as a party. Teamwork is key, not unlike our actual jobs. Oh, and remember, try to get into character. You aren’t playing as yourselves.” Camila grinned. “Sound good?” 

Ava clasped her hands together overhead, then slowly lowered them down to chest level. With her eyes closed, she took a deep breath. Her face was a mask of false calm. 

“I am Beatrice.” She whispered, which subsequently made the halo flare slightly in response. Beatrice pretended not to notice this, but Mary stifled a laugh. “Okay.” Ava opened her eyes just as suddenly. “Let’s play.” 

“Our band of heroic OCS members finds themselves on the precipice of danger. In an unprecedented advance of demonkind, Cat’s Cradle, which was once a bastion of holy safety, finds the demonic encroaching closer every day. You’ve been tasked with not only defeating these demons, but discovering the source - what has led to their remarkable rise in both numbers and power? Can said source be defeated, or with the Cradle crumble against this threat?” Camila narrated with sharp dramatics. 

“I hate that I’m actually into this.” Mumbled Mary. “Now what do we do?” 

“As a group, decide what your first course of action will be. And… Use your imagination.” 

“I think we should talk to Mother Superion.” Beatrice, forever the strategist, suggested. 

“That’s what you would do.” Ava told her quietly. “But what would I do?” She asked the second part with a grin that made Beatrice’s cheeks go pink - not for the first time today. 

“Probably just make a mad run for the demons and hope the halo is more powerful in the end.” Beatrice posited. Accurately.

“Yeah, I’m vetoing that idea.” Mary announced. “As Lilith, of course.” 

“And I think Mary would do the same.” Lilith added, sotto voce. 

“Hmm… Well, as the absolutely brilliant Beatrice, I suggest that we talk to Mother Superion as our first course of action.” Ava responded with a massive smile.

“Move your figurines to the office.” Camila instructed. Everyone did so without protest. “Mother Superion appears to be in a bad mood.” 

“What else is new…” Whispered Ava. 

“Since Ava has the highest charisma, she should probably speak to her.” Camila advised, since none of her players were familiar with this type of game. 

“Why is everyone looking at me?” Ava asked. “I’m playing as Beatrice, remember? So she has to talk to Superion.” 

“In first person?” Beatrice seemed slightly offended at the prospect. 

“Traditionally speaking, yes.” Camila could barely hide her smile. This was delightfully entertaining. “And in Ava’s voice, should you feel so inclined.” 

Beatrice sighed, but played along. “Hi, Superion. What’s the haps?” Mary choked at this, as did Ava. Even Lilith wore a wide smile. 

“Watch your tone, halo bearer!” Camila replied as if she were Mother Superion. “You might be the halo bearer, but that is no way to address your superiors.” A pause, and then Camila spoke as herself. “I’d like you to roll for persuasion to see if you can get some helpful information.” 

“How do I do that?” Beatrice wasn’t sure if she found this enjoyable or terrible. Sitting beside Ava, and with her family, was nice - but this game was embarrassing. Well, the logical and probability parts were fun, but the roleplaying was awkward. Beyond awkward. 

“On your character sheet, you’ll see a number for charisma.” Camila explained, while placing a d20 in front of Beatrice. 

“It’s fifteen.” Beatrice reported. 

“Which gets…” Camila scanned her notebook. “A two point bonus. So you need to roll a seventeen or less to succeed.” 

“Got it.” Beatrice picked up the die. She rolled a ten.

“You’ve passed your persuasion check and Superion tells you that the weakest demon of the pack is the one in the southwest corner of the forest.” Camila pointed to the demon in question. “Since you’re all level one characters, I’d strongly recommend hunting that one first.” 

“Good job, halo bearer!” Ava patted Beatrice on the shoulder. 

“Shall we go after it now?” Lilith addressed the group. “Mary isn’t one for sitting around and training. Shotguns solve all problems.” She was more than a little bit sarcastic.

“Ava agrees,” said Beatrice as she tried to ignore the feeling of Ava’s hand on her shoulder. She couldn’t afford to panic like this every time they made the slightest physical contact. Right? 

“Lilith wants to go too, since even though she pretends to be a big emo jerk, she really just wants to be part of the group.” Mary added with a furtive glance in Lilith’s direction, which was met with a scowl. 

“Tell me how you really feel.” Responded Lilith darkly.

“Awright, mates.” Ava spoke in a crudely mangled Yorkshire-esque accent. “In’nit aboot time we go hunt that demon?” 

“Jesus Christ.” Mary buried her face in her hands and her shoulders shook with silent laughter. Nobody even corrected her for taking the Lord’s name in vain - they were too busy laughing. Well, everyone except Beatrice. 

“I do not sound like that.” 

“No human, ever, in the history of the world, has sounded like that.” Lilith replied between uncharacteristic giggles. “Alright, Camila, I take back everything I said. This nerd game is hilarious and fun.” 

“You…” Camila had to pause to laugh as she moved their figurines into the forest. “You make your way into the deep forest. The air feels colder here, despite the summer heat. Everyone is on edge. As you get closer, there is a low rumbling noise. Without warning, a huge fireball materialises, smashing through the trees. Everyone make a saving throw for dexterity to see if you can avoid the attack.” She passed the d20 to Lilith. 

“Alright…” Lilith looked down at Mary’s character sheet. “Mary’s dexterity is fourteen, which means a two point bonus, right?” 

“Right.” 

“So I need a sixteen or less.” Lilith rolled. “A sixteen. Only barely.” 

“Mary hits the deck and narrowly avoids the singeing heat of the fireball.” Camila narrated.

Mary rolled next. “A three. Easy.” 

“Lilith handily dodges the impending heat of the fireball.” Camila added. 

“Okay…” Ava scanned Beatrice’s character sheet. “I think I can pass with everything except a twenty.” She shook the die in her hands. 

“That’s correct.” Confirmed Camila. 

Ava threw a fifteen. “Don’t worry, Beatrice. You made it.” 

“Beatrice dives beneath the attack and avoids injury.” 

“Hopefully you do too.” Beatrice mumbled. “Your dexterity is only eleven.” 

“Which doesn’t get a bonus.” Camila added as Beatrice rolled. A fifteen.

“Oh, no.” Beatrice breathed. 

“Ava gets hit by the fireball head on and falls to the ground.” Camila delivered the narration with appropriate gravitas. “Everyone else, including the demon, needs to roll for initiative to see who goes first in the combat order.” Camila rolled for the demon and got a twelve, with a plus three bonus for dexterity, so fifteen total. Lilith rolled a three, including Mary’s bonus. Not good. 

“It’s like you’re trying to get me killed.” Mary joked as she tossed Lilith’s initiative check. She got a ten, total. Finally, Ava rolled for Beatrice. 

“A two!?” Ava frowned. 

“Well, it’s a five with Beatrice’s bonus.” Camila replied. “The demon will attack first, then Lilith, then Beatrice, then Mary.” 

“Bad luck.” Grumbled Ava. 

“The demon charges forward!” Camila pushed the dragon figure a few hexes closer to the party. “He knocks down a few trees and there is smoke rising from some of the branches. “He isn’t close enough to swipe with his claws, so he fires a more direct attack at Mary.” 

“Hey!” Lilith protested. 

“Mary has an armour class of twelve, so the demon needs to roll at least an eight, since it gets a four point bonus.” Camila rolled as she explained. “A sixteen first, so it’s through even without the bonus.” She then rolled a d6. “A six, which is a critical, so I roll again. A four. This has a combined damage of fourteen, which is more hit points than Mary has… Terrible luck there… Mary falls to the ground, unconscious. It’s up the rest of the team, now.”

“Alright, here goes nothing.” Mary rolled. “Seventeen. That’s got to be good, right?” 

“Nice!” Camila grinned. “The demon has an armour class of ten, so this means you’ve successfully made contact. Now roll this d6 to see how much damage was done.” She handed Mary a different die. 

“Man, I wish it was this easy in real life.” Mary mumbled as she rolled a two, though it went up to a four with the modifier bonus.

“Lilith slams the demon with her staff, bringing his hit points down from twenty to sixteen.” Camila described the scene. “Now it’s Beatrice’s turn to strike.” 

“Go Beatrice, go!” Ava cheered as she rolled an eleven. “Yes, that beats the demon’s armour class, right?” 

“It does.” Camila nodded. Ava was clearly catching on. “Beatrice has a knife, so roll this d4 for your damage. Keep in mind, you get a three point bonus as well.” 

“Oh, Beatrice.” Ava sighed as she tossed a second die. “I’m thankful you’re so talented.” She only rolled a one. 

“Beatrice throws a knife at the demon, narrowly missing it’s eye, but still damaging the head! Its hit points are now down to twelve.” 

“Go team.” Lilith deadpanned. 

“Now, Beatrice, you can roll a constitution check to see if you can use the halo’s power to get back in the fight.” Camila instructed.

“Ava’s constitution is thirteen, so it’s a plus one bonus, right?” Beatrice asked. “So I need to get a fourteen to get back in?” 

“Exactly.” Camila nodded and Beatrice rolled a seventeen. “Tough luck.” 

“If this were real life, I’d be back up by now.” Ava groaned dramatically. “Just so we’re all clear on that.” 

“We are.” Camila replied, before taking the demon’s second attack. “Now that Mary’s on the ground, the demon rushes for Lilith and swipes with his claws.” She tossed a three. “It’s a sloppy strike, and Lilith easily avoids it. Now, she can strike again.” 

“Okay, let’s go, pal.” Muttered Mary as she rolled to attack again. “Okay, eighteen.” She smiled. “That means I get through his armour and need to roll the other die to see how much damage Lilith has done… Another two… Great.” 

“Lilith expertly strikes the demon with her staff and his hit points go down a further four points. With only eight points left, Beatrice could finish this!” Camila was enthusiastic. 

“Yes!” Ava smiled and looked at Beatrice, who struggled to meet her gaze. “You got this buddy.” Ava rolled. It was a nine. “Okay, maybe not.” 

“Beatrice’s knife misses the target by a hair.” Camila whispers, to match the disappointment of the failed strike. “Okay, let’s see if the halo can activate this round.” 

“Let’s.” Beatrice agreed, before rolling. It was a two. “Okay, now what?” 

“The halo flares to life and Ava rises from the ashes like a phoenix.” 

“Dramatic.” Lilith interrupted quietly.

“Next turn, you’ll be able to attack.” Camila explained to Beatrice. “But now, it’s the demon’s turn.” She rolled a fifteen, then a one. “It swipes at Lilith again, slicing her arm open. She loses five hit points.” 

“Rude.” Mary replied as she picked up the d20 to roll Lilith’s next attack. It was only a two.” 

“Lilith was obviously thrown off from the pain, and her staff misses the demon completely.” Camila narrated as Ava rolled for Beatrice’s next move.

“An eight?” Ava was disappointed. “Real life Beatrice wouldn’t miss this much.” 

“Thanks.” Mumbled Beatrice. Even in this weird game world, Ava still found ways to be complimentary. It was distracting. 

“Beatrice throws another knife, and misses again! ” Camila injected some stress into her tone. “Will Ava be this battle’s saving grace?” 

“Hopefully.” Beatrice rolled a fifteen and then Camila handed her a d6, with which she rolled a five.” 

“In an absolute blaze of glory, the halo bearer and her holy weapon strike a killing blow!” Camila nearly shouted. 

“Maybe this is like real life!” Mary laughed. “Ava is basically useless, but then comes in clutch at the last minute.” 

“I would argue, but I actually think that’s a fair assessment.” Ava agreed with a grin, before turning to Camila. “Now what?” 

“Now, I’d strongly suggest checking the demon for clues, plus everyone levels up.” Camila explained. 

“Were this real life, I think Beatrice would be the one to suggest that.” Ava added. “She’s always suggesting smart stuff.” 

“Thanks?” Beatrice tried to keep some levity in her tone, but her cheeks grew pink at Ava’s compliment. 

“Okay.” Camila worked hard to contain her smile. “Ava, roll for an intelligence check, but this time, I’m adding a difficulty class.” 

“Umm…” Ava nervously shook the d20 in her hand. “What does that mean?” 

“It means that I’m adding a floor to your roll, as in, you need to get at least a certain number. The higher that number is, the more difficult the challenge is.” Camila flipped through her notebook. “Beatrice is pretty smart, and this is her job, so we will keep the difficulty low. Say, five.” 

“Okay. I understand I think.” Ava rolled a twelve. Success.

“Carefully, everyone creeps towards the newly dead demon.” Camila narrated dramatically. “On it’s corpse you find eighteen gold pieces and a crucifix.” 

“Oh, he’s a religious tarask.” Ava nodded. “Yeah, that tracks.” 

“How on earth does that track?” Lilith asked her sharply. 

“First of all, you’re being demon racist by assuming they can’t also be religious.” Ava folded her arms as if this was a serious discussion. “You of all people should know that.” 

“This conversation is completely idiotic.” Mary muttered. “Camila, what happens now?” 

“First, everyone levels up!” Camila delivered the news as if everyone should not only understand, but be happy about it.

“Which means?” Prompted Mary, clearly not satisfied with that answer. 

“Okay…” Camila scanned her notes. 

“I wish it was this easy to get better in real life.” Ava whispered as Camila read over the campaign notes. “I feel like I’ve trained a lot and I’m no better than when I started.” 

“True.” Lilith replied. 

Simultaneously, “I think you’ve gotten better,” added Beatrice. If Ava was going to constantly compliment her, then she would return the favour. Just to be nice, of course, no other reason. 

“We’ll go through Mary’s level first.” Camila interjected suddenly, dissolving the tension between Ava and Beatrice. “Lilith, since Mary’s a fighter, you’re going to roll a d10, and then add her constitution modifier.” 

“Alright…” Lilith rolled the requisite die. “A three, plus the modifier of two. So five total.” 

“Yup.” Camila smiled, happy to see Lilith playing along, even if she was only doing so to indulge Camila. “So Mary’s hit points go from twelve to seventeen.” 

“Oh! Can I go next?” Ava asked, surprisingly excited. Nerdy or otherwise, she was enjoying this. Or maybe, she was just enjoying spending time with her family. 

“Sure.” Camila handed her the d8. 

“Okay Beatrice, I’ll try to give you a good amount of hit points so you don’t die.” 

“I appreciate that.” 

“A five. Boom.” Ava grinned at the fancy die on the table. “So Beatrice’s HP goes from eight to thirteen. Hm...  You’re a bit of a glass cannon.” 

“Beatrice doesn’t need to be as tough as you.” Lilith defended Beatrice with almost surprising fervor. “If she doesn’t get hit in the first place.” 

“We would be a lot further along in game if you guys didn’t stop to bicker every three minutes.” Camila jokingly lamented the situation. In truth, she felt similar to Ava - happy to spend time with her family. 

“You’re right.” Beatrice nodded and rolled Ava’s d6. “Only a four, but a five with the modifier. Ava’s HP is now twelve.” 

“But I have a magic halo, too.” Ava replied cheekily. Seeing Beatrice play through this game as the halo bearer made Ava feel inexplicably odd. 

“Okay, let’s see what everyone’s favourite religious demon advances to.” Mary rolled a seven, which was a nine with the modifier. “Damn, Lilith has twenty hit points now.” 

“I mean, I survived Hell, so…” Lilith trailed off, but the corner of her mouth turned slightly upwards.

“Are you making a joke?” Ava’s eyes grew wide at the prospect. “At your own expense, no less?” 

“Children, focus.” Camila laughed. “We still have to discuss new abilities. Which, in fairness, I’ve modified quite a bit from the fifth edition rule book.” 

“Lay it on us.” Mary replied, surprisingly serious. 

“Both Beatrice and Mary gain the ability to attack twice during their turn, or attack and then make another action, like moving away from danger or the like. But, you can only do so if the first attack was successful.” Camila began her explanation. “Ava gains the ability to phase through attacks and similarly, Lilith gains the ability to teleport during battle.” 

“What skill are these abilities checked against?” Beatrice asked, grasping the game better than most would after only a limited exposure. 

“For everyone except Ava, it’s dexterity. Since the halo’s power is based on emotional tenacity, its powers are based on constitution.” Camila explained with a nod. 

“I wish you’d given me a higher constitution, then.” Mumbled Ava with a grin. “If I were a more caring person, I might be offended.” 

“I think you’re caring.” Beatrice couldn’t keep the words from her mouth.

“Oh my God. ” Mary was (jokingly) dramatically exasperated. “Can you two just kiss already? This is getting embarrassing.” 

Surprisingly, it was Ava who found herself more flustered. “What… I… I mean… What?” Her cheeks burned and the halo began to glow even brighter, until the whole room was painted in gold. 

“Careful, Mary…” Lilith’s smirk was not well hidden. “You might set off an explosion if you keep teasing her.” 

“Anyways…” Camila stretched out the word, trying to draw attention away from her clearly embarrassed friends. Of course, she also watched as Beatrice slid a hand beneath the table to hold Ava’s. “Can we please continue our game?” 

“Yes.” Mary nodded with a smile. “What’s next, Cam?” 

“The bloodied team heads back to the Cradle, victorious from their last encounter. Mother Superion eagerly awaits the news.” Narrated Camila stoically. “Two more demons remain in the forest, but the outlook is more optimistic than it has been in many moons.” 

“Oh, I like referring to time as ‘many moons.’” Ava added kindly. “It’s way better than fortnights. No one knows what those are.” 

“It’s two weeks.” Beatrice replied.

“Just say two weeks then?” Ava made an odd expression. 

“Oh my God. ” Mary put her face in her hands. 

“Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain,” chastised Lilith, albeit half-heartedly.

“I agree with the sentiment, though.” Camila added with a pointed glance in Ava’s direction.

“Sorry, sorry.” Ava grinned and held up her hands in apology. “What are our options now that we’ve returned?” 

“See if Mother Superion has any information or visit me in the armoury.” Camila offered two options, guiding her inexperienced adventurers through the game. “Actually, you only have a collective eighteen gold pieces, so you wouldn’t be able to buy any armour.” 

“Some holy order this is, making us buy all our armour.” Ava scoffed jokingly. “Alright, to Superion it is. Maybe Beatrice will grace us with her excellent impersonation of me.” 

“Hopefully.” Mary smirked knowingly. 

Beatrice sighed as Camila moved their figurines back into the office. “Yo, yo, yo, guess what?” Beatrice’s words were barely audible over everyone’s laughter. 

“When have I ever said ‘yo?’” Ava asked, once she could get a full sentence out. 

“I don’t know, but it seemed appropriate given your lack of formality and respect.” Beatrice was slightly too sharp in her reply, but softened immediately after. Ava, unbothered, flashed her a small smile. “We killed one of the demons,” added Beatrice in a more accurate approximation of Ava’s voice and accent. 

“Glad to hear you’ve finally accomplished something.” Camila spoke for Mother Superion and Mary stifled a chuckle. “What’s stopping you from going after the rest of them?” 

“Fair point,” conceded Ava with a grin, once again in her terrible English accent. “We’ll get roight back oot there mate.” 

“Oh my God. ” Mary put her face in her hands.

“Can I try and persuade Superion to give us more information?” Beatrice wondered, asking the smart question as usual.

“Go for it.” Camila was enthusiastic, it seemed like everyone was more or less understanding the basics now. In all honesty, this was much better than she had even hoped for. Without comment, Beatrice rolled the d20, taking full advantage of the halo bearer’s high charisma. She rolled an eighteen, though, one point above the needed threshold.

“Well, it looks like even our… Charismatic leader can’t get us out of this one.” Lilith muttered, with a smirk flashing across her face. “Seems like we’re on our own. Mary would, and I agree, advocate that we go out there and get killing.” 

“Aw, you do know me.” Mary pretended to be touched. “But Lilith is right. Oh! I am Lilith. Let’s go hunt down some demons.” 

“Our brave band of heroes treks back into the wilderness.” Camila narrated the scene with dramatic flair. “They’re stronger now than they were before, but will they be able to match the strength of the demon?” 

“Obviously, yes.” Ava chimed in.

“A small, scrawny woman appears from within the bushes.” Camila explained, revelling in everyone’s suddenly confused expression. “She is asking for directions. Do you help her?” 

“Obviously Ava would.” Beatrice spoke first. “So that’s a vote for yes.” 

“And Beatrice would obviously be convinced by that,” Ava added this with a wink.

“Yeah, Mary would help too.” Lilith seemed unexcited, if not a little suspicious. 

“And I guess -” 

“WRONG CHOICE!” Camila interrupted, slamming a dragon figurine down a few hexes in front of the group. “The old lady was a shape shifting demon the whole time!” 

“And she would’ve gotten away with it if it weren’t for us meddling kids.” Ava mumbled. 

“Is this even allowed?” Mary inquired, though she didn’t hate the surprise of it. This definitely beat the traditional board game experience. Every game of monopoly at the Cradle just ended in arguments and frustration. 

“As the DM, anything I say, goes.” Camila grinned, clearly enjoying the power. 

“Uh oh.” Lilith found Camila’s excitement endearing. 

“Uh oh is right!” Camila laughed. “Our demon swings it’s spiked tail at the group! Everyone needs to take a surprise dexterity check!” 

“Oh no, game-Ava always fails these.” Ava muttered as she rolled the die for Beatrice. A twelve; easy pass.

“Beatrice nimbly jumps over the tail, preparing to strike as she does so!” Camila added, after seeing the result of the roll. Mary rolled next, for Lilith. 

“Nice. A two.” Mary smiled slightly. 

“With expert precision, Lilith also avoids the strike.” Camila paused for a moment. “If you had failed this check though, you could have used Lilith’s teleport ability as well. It would have given you a potential second chance.” 

“Good to know,” Mary replied, while Lilith rolled. She got a one, another easy pass.

“Like the rest of her team, Mary easily avoided the demon’s attack.” Camila reported happily. 

“Oh man, you guys are all getting lucky rolls, that means that there will be no luck left for little Ava.” To emphasise her point, Ava patted the head of her tiny figurine. 

“That’s… Not how it works.” Beatrice whispered as she rolled for Ava. 

“Hey! An eight!” Ava cheered. “I passed!” She patted Beatrice on the back. “Thank you, Beatrice!” 

“It’s just chance…” Beatrice mumbled, but she would never object to the physical contact between them, even if it did make her incredibly nervous. 

“Ava manages to avoid the demon, though she’s less precise in her dodge than the rest of her team.” Camila narrated with a smug wink in Ava’s direction. “Now we all roll for initiative, remember.” 

After a series of rolls and modifiers, the combat order was as follows: Lilith, Mary, Beatrice, Ava, then the demon. “Really good luck right now,” commented Ava with an unusually serious expression. No one sneeze.” 

“It’s been said before, but you’re strange.” Mary muttered, as she rolled for Lilith’s attack proper against the old lady turned demon. She got a measly three.

“This demon has an armour class of twelve, plus thirty hit points.” Camila explained quickly. “So that’s a miss for Lilith.” 

“Okay, I’m next.” Lilith rolled. “Another three? Ava, it seems you’ve jinxed our luck by commenting on it.” 

“No! Don’t say that!” Ava joked, before taking her own shot at the demon. “Come on, come on…” She shook the die in her hand. “ Another three? How is that even possible?” 

“Sometimes, real probability doesn’t seem random at all,” added Beatrice as she rolled for Ava. She got a ten, which was still not enough.

“After a disappointing full round of misses, our demon is ready to attack… Ava” Camila tossed a die across the table. She threw a twelve. 

“Aw, man,” whispered Ava. Meanwhile, Camila rolled a d8 to determine the damage done. 

“I rolled a three, but Ava can phase now, remember?” Camila handed Beatrice the d20. “So that’s a constitution check for you.” 

Beatrice rolled a seven, so Camila made the appropriate announcement. “Ava, an absolute halo expert these days, phases easily though the demon’s strike.” 

“Nice.” Ava grinned and Beatrice felt her cheeks burn.

“And now we go through the order again.” Mary picked up the requisite die. “I don’t hate this as much as I thought I would.” She rolled an eight. “Oh, actually I do, since we can’t seem to hit the damn thing.” 

“Ava broke our luck, remember?” Lilith teased as she took her turn, tossing an eleven. “So close.” 

“Okay, okay.” Ava took the die and prepared to roll for Beatrice. “Should I say a little prayer first?” 

“Absolutely not.” Lilith was the first to answer. “Just roll.” 

“Bada bing, bada boom.” Ava had thrown a sixteen. “Got ‘em. Nice job, Beatrice.” 

“I didn’t do anything, but thanks?” Beatrice raised an eyebrow. Ava was way too nice, sometimes.

“Now roll the d4 for Beatrice’s attack,” instructed Camila. Ava did as she was told, rolling a two, which was a five with Beatrice’s bonuses.

“With a well-aimed attack, Beatrice’s knife finds the demon, knocking it from thirty hit points, to twenty five.” Camila spoke with dramatic timbre. “Since Beatrice has the ability to attack twice, do you want to try again?” 

“Why wouldn’t I?” Ava rolled again and got a twelve. “Sweet.” Her subsequent attack scored the same amount of damage. 

“Beatrice is now absolutely carrying this fight, having reduced the demon’s HP from thirty to twenty! Will Ava continue the trend?” 

“Let’s see.” Beatrice rolled for the halo bearer. A seven. “No, it seems she won’t.” 

“‘Tis a shame. Our demon, frustrated with Ava’s evasiveness, makes a move for Lilith.” Camila threw a nine, though with the demon’s bonus, it was more than enough to penetrate Lilith’s armour class. “Mary, will you throw a dexterity check to see if Lilith can evade it?” 

“Sure.” Mary tossed a fifteen. “Oof, only barely.”

“With less of a handle on her abilities, Lilith only narrowly avoids the demon’s advance!” Camila slapped the table for effect. “Our heroes enter a third round of combat, will they finally strike this beast down?” 

“Let us hope.” Mary rolled again. A two. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” 

“Language.” Lilith half-heartedly corrected her as she took her turn. “A five? Are you kidding me?” 

“See!” Mary felt vindicated. “Frustrating, right?” 

“A bit, yeah.” 

“Here, allow me.” Ava took the die. “Beatrice is an absolute champion.” She rolled an eleven. “Okay, maybe not.” 

“Sorry to disappoint,” commented Beatrice wryly. Simultaneously, she rolled an eight. “Wow, Mother Superion would have us all kicked out if we performed this badly during a real mission.” 

“I dunno, next time we face a real demon, I think we should all just show up with dice.” Ava suggested this with a massive smile. 

“I’m sure the demons will really appreciate our…” Mary paused dramatically. “Initiative.” 

“Say what you will, but I think this has been a terrific bonding experience.” Camila’s love for her sisters was eminently clear in that moment. “And, by our standards, very safe.” She rolled then, getting a massive fourteen - and that’s without the demon’s bonuses. “But not for figurine Lilith, who the demon isn’t done with yet.” 

“Great.” Mary tossed for her teleportation check. A seventeen, so she passed, but only just. “That was too close. Go pick on someone else.” 

“Or, you could roll well, and we could finish the demon off this round,” suggested Ava. 

“Great, thanks.” Mary shook the die in her hand. “I’ll be sure to use all my skill for this random dice roll.” It was a two. 

“Looks like you weren’t skilled enough.” Ava whispered. Mary reached across the board to give her a joking slap on the shoulder, while Lilith took her turn. 

“A fourteen!” Lilith sounded shockingly excited. “I can finally attack!” She rolled a d6 for Mary’s attack, earning a four, which became a six with the bonus. 

“The demon’s health drops to fourteen!” Camila grinned. “Do you want to attack again, since Mary has the ability to?”

“Obviously. Why would I say no to that?” Lilith rolled again, taking another seven hit points from the beast. 

“With the demon now at a measly seven hit points, can Beatrice finish the job?” Camila asked this ominously, while passing Ava the d20. 

“Go, Beatrice!” Ava threw a fourteen. “Sick!” With surprising vigour, Ava rolled three, which was six when bonuses were included. “Oh man, it still has one hit point left. Okay, I’m going to try and attack again.” She rolled a two this time. “That sucks.” 

“Maybe I can finally get an attack in.” Beatrice said, taking the die from Ava. “A seven. So maybe not.” 

“Figurine Ava is even more trash than me.” Ava commented dryly. 

“The wounded demon is angry now, and makes a last dash at Beatrice, since she’s carried this fight.” Camila noted, before rolling another seven. “Thankfully, Beatrice is evasive as well, and dodges the attack. 

“Alright, alright.” Mary whispered to the die. “Please, let this be over.” She rolled a four. “Damn it.” 

“Language.” Lilith corrected for the second time, before rolling a twelve. “Ok, I basically can roll anything now and have this be over.” She rolled again.

“Mary shotguns the beast to death!” Announced Camila, not dissimilar to how one might announce a wrestling match. 

“Can I make a smart Beatrice suggestion?” Ava didn’t wait for anyone to reply, before adding, “I think we should check the demon corpse for clues.” 

“Agreed.” Mary and Lilith spoke in unison. 

“Also agreed.” Beatrice added kindly. 

“Our unscathed heroes creep closer to the demon. Like the one that came before, it has eighteen gold pieces and a crucifix. There is also a small note.”

“What does the note say?” Beatrice asked, surprisingly curious. 

“It contains summoning instructions,” replied Camila. “Signed off by one M.S.” 

Ava gasped. “Mother Superion was the bad guy the whole time? I knew it!” Everyone looked at her. 

“I’m the what? ” A tired-looking Mother Superion has appeared in the doorway of the infirmary, seemingly from nowhere. 

“Umm…” Ava wilted. 

“We’re just playing a game.” Camila was all smiles, and more confident than Ava. 

“I see…” Mother Superion strode forward. “Well, I just came to check up on the five of you, but it seems you’re all more or less alright.” 

“Camila’s board game seems to be a good distraction from the pain.” Beatrice joked, earning a look of appreciation from Ava, and a sigh from Camila.

“It’s a tabletop RPG.” Camila corrected a moment later. “But yes, it’s a good distraction.” 

“Well…” Mother Superion looked as if she was trying to suppress a smile. “I’ll let you get back to it then.” She swept out of the room before anyone else could reply. 

“Do we have to go kill her now?” Lilith asked quietly, as to not be overheard. Just in case. “In the game, I mean.” 

“Thanks for the clarification there, Lilith.” Mary chuckled. “Well Cam, what’s a girl to do?” 

“Normally campaigns aren’t supposed to be so… On the rails…” Camila took a deep breath. What was more important than the nuance of Dungeons and Dragons was spending quality time with her family. “But I’d visit me in the armoury, because you now have enough gold to buy a set of padded armour for everyone. It’ll only be a one point bonus in armour class, but that’s better than nothing. It might save your metaphorical lives.” 

“Then what?” Ava asked, clearly excited. Her excitement, however, was only half part of the game. Beneath the table, Beatrice was holding Ava’s hand!

“Then you fight Mother Superion.” Camila gave the words appropriate gravitas. “And this fight is to the death. So if you run out of hit points, you’re out.” 

“Wait, that’s not fair! Little Ava is weak! ” Ava’s protest was, undeniably, pretty funny.

“Regular Ava, who isn’t much bigger, is also weak.” Lilith couldn’t resist the obvious jab.

“Ouch.” Ava grinned. 

“Alright, enough lollygagging around.” Camila moved the figurines to the armoury. “Hi, welcome to the armoury. What can I get for you today?” For the first time during the game, Camila spoke as herself. 

“Do you have McFlurries?” Ava giggled to herself as if this was the funniest joke she’d ever told. 

“Oh my God, ” muttered Mary, and this time, no one bothered to chastise her for it. “We’ll just take the armour, Cam, thanks.” 

“No problem.” Camila made a few notes in her notebook.

“Who’s ready to go fight Cruella de Jesus?” Beatrice asked, failing to hold back a smile. 

“I’m happy she didn’t walk in on us just then.” Lilith added with a matching grin, before advancing their figurines into the office. 

“Sisters…” Camila spoke as Mother Superion, but then began narrating. “It seems that Mother Superion has realised you’re onto her ploy. She advances to attack immediately.” 

“What are her stats?” Beatrice asked, clearly the most analytical of the group.

“She has an armour class of only five, but she has an evade ability.” Camila delved into an explanation which slightly hampered the flow of the game. “So every successful attack, she has a dodge chance, if she can through a dexterity check between ten and sixteen. She also has only twenty hit points, but she is rolling a d10 for her attack.” 

“She’s old, though?” Ava was confused. 

“She’s a better fighter than anyone at the Cradle.” Lilith reported. “It’s not even a close competition.” 

“Really?” Ava seemed shocked. 

“Yes.” Beatrice nodded. “It’s amazing.” 

“Wow. Okay.” Ava nodded. “Let’s roll for initiative, then.”

And they did. Mary would attack first this time, followed by Lilith, then Beatrice, then Ava. Mother Superion was unlucky, she was going last. 

“Okay.” Lilith shook the die in her hands. “Let’s finish this in one round, before she has the chance to attack any of us.” Lilith rolled a one.

“Good pep talk,” joked Mary as she rolled for little Lilith. It was a three.

“You are both going to get us killed.” Ava muttered, not serious, as she took her turn. She rolled a four. “Oh, no.” Thankfully, Beatrice saved the day, netting a passing score for Ava. 

“Now Mother Superion has her dodge check, right?” Beatrice was already holding this hit die. She was, clearly, more into this game than she was letting on.

“Exactly.” Camila tossed for Superion, getting a thirteen. “With her preternatural fighting abilities, Mother Superion dodges what was sure to be an amazing attack.” 

“Great.” Ava sighed dramatically. “We really fluffed it.” 

“Now for her attack… Mother Superion is picking on Ava, who she thinks fights with… Slightly undisciplined technique.” Camila rolled only a three. 

“Understatement of the year,” mumbled Mary. 

“Mother Superion misses! Ava, you got lucky this time!” 

With a full round gone and no damage done by any parties, the room grew surprisingly more tense. Lilith rolled for Mary again. 

“Okay, let’s see if I can land a hit this time.” Lilith was cautiously optimistic.

“Let’s see…” Camila rolled the d20, which landed on nineteen. “You can! Go ahead and strike.” 

“Yes!” Lilith spoke with shocking enthusiasm, earning a look of surprise from her sisters. Of course, Lilith ignored this and rolled a six.

“That’s a critical!” Camila beamed, handing the die back to Lilith. “Roll again.” Another six was rolled, somehow. “A shocking fourteen damage dealt in a single turn! Maybe Mary was right, two shotguns really are better than combat skills!” 

“Can I strike again? Since Mary is allowed to do that?” Lilith asked quietly, more reserved now. She was slightly embarrassed. 

“You can try.” Camila grinned. “Mother Superion is hard to hit.” 

Lilith rolled a sixteen. “Okay, try to dodge, please.” Surprisingly forward, Lilith pressed the die into Camila’s hand. To Ava, it seemed like the contact lasted a few moments too long. And if anyone would recognise what that looked like, it was Ava. 

“I…” Camila was oddly flustered, but took her turn, rolling a twenty. “Okay… Strike again. You could very well end it here.” 

“Let’s see.” Lilith’s cheeks were pink as she tossed a one. Even with Mary’s bonus, that was only three damage. “So she’s got three hit points left. Well, we’re close, anyhow.” 

“Maybe our favourite religious demon can finish the job.” Mary rolled, easily overcoming Mother Superion’s armour class, and Camila’s subsequent skill check.

“Maybe…” Camila watched intently as Lilith’s hit die rolled across the board, seemingly slowing down before landing on one. Which with a bonus, was a three.”

“Yay!” Had Ava been able to walk then, she would have jumped from the bed. “We killed Mother Superion! Go team!” 

“Perhaps… Lower your voice.” Beatrice advised, though she was quickly overcome with laughter. 

“Alright Camila, I’m sorry for making fun of you.” Mary’s apology was surprisingly heartfelt. “This was actually really fun.” 

“So…” Camila’s look of hope was slightly heartbreaking. “Maybe we could play again sometime?” 

“Definitely.” Lilith answered with a smile. 

“But maybe I can pose a very important question to the group?” Ava squeezed Beatrice’s hand under the table as she spoke. 

“What is it?” Beatrice was, understandably, concerned. 

“Can we eat now?”