Chapter Text
Before them stands a giant glittering palace, made of ivory and cobblestone, a product of the hard labour of the citizens. The palace itself is hundreds of years old, but due to the diligent upkeep, it remains pristine and new-looking. The gardens outside are long and sweeping, numerous flowers and carefully cut and shaped bushes dotting the sprawling expanse.
Here is where they meet the King.
King Hopper is an intimidating man, tall and broad-shouldered. Even the tallest member of the party, Mike, dwarfs in comparison to him. He is dressed in riches beyond imagination, gold rings adorning every finger, a vest as dark as midnight, with pearls as buttons. Beside him stands his beautiful daughter, Princess Jane.
Princess Jane is as beautiful as the moon, her soft face and wide eyes bring comfort to the party as they walk in. She is dressed conservatively in light greens, and she offers a kind, sweet smile to them as they bow at her appearance. She gives a short wave of her hand to allow them to relax, because not only is she beautiful, but extremely kind as well-
-"Hold on," Lucas interrupts, waving a hand across his throat. Mike stops mid-sentence, placing his sheet down. "I didn't agree to be part of your flirting with El."
"It's not flirting. Princess Jane is a kind and sweet young woman!"
"Dude, who are you even fooling?" Lucas groans. "She broke up with you, like, forever ago."
"Yeah, Mike," El peeps, from where she's sitting to the left of Mike. She's not really playing, but she has a character sheet in front of her and a set of dice that's a matching set with Will's - they had picked them out together earlier that week in preparation of the new campaign. "I dumped you."
"Oh my god, can we please get through the intro? I'm not flirting with El."
"Sounds like you are," Max titters beside her. "Actually, Mike, can I hit you?"
"No! Guys, c'mon we just started."
"Technically, she can hit you," Dustin replies. "I mean, this is Dungeons and Dragons. The world is our oyster."
Mike sighs, placing his head in his hands and groaning loudly. "Okay, fine, fine, Max, roll."
Gleefully, Max pulls a dice from Lucas's collection and allows it to clatter against the table. "Eight."
The King had gathered the four of them for a specific job, something he could only entrust in the best of the best. He had spent time and money to find the party and feels he can entrust the delicate task to them. Before he can begin explaining, however, Max the Zoomer leans over and swats the paladin Mike on his back, causing him to lean over with a wheeze.
"You didn't have to hit me so hard," he protests.
"Luck of the draw," Max replies, before returning to her standing as if nothing had just happened.
The King looks between them all: Max, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin, and clears his throat, commanding their full attention. These four were the pride of the country, a fearsome party who could accomplish any task; the King would pay good money for the four of them, with riches they couldn't even imagine.
"I've brought you all here for a special task," He says, voice booming. "It is of the utmost importance and requires a bit of sensitivity.
"My daughter, Jane. She is very sick, you see. I am entrusting you with the task of retrieving a medicinal flower and having it made into a potion for her. This is no simple task, for the trek is dangerous beyond belief."
"We've been through worse," Lucas brags.
The King nods. "I have heard of your many accomplishments, however, because of the perils I will be lending you the aid of our strongest Cleric: my son, William."
William was not a prince, being the stepson of the King, but he still held himself regally regardless, swathed in elegant robes of whites, purples and blues. He was not as beautiful as Princess El, and yet his soft brown eyes and upturned lips were enchanting, and the smattering of freckles and moles across his face were reminiscent of constellations. He is both magical and common - mesmerizing as he takes his place amongst the party, though he gives the appearance of a peasant.
"It is a pleasure to work alongside you," Will says to them all, sidling between Max and Mike.
With Will beside them, their attention returned to the King, who was ready to address them again. "In exchange for your services, I will be paying you a generous amount of one million gold, as well as my child's hand in marriage."
"The King has spoken!" Mike announces, shoving aside his Dungeon Master papers. He addresses the group around the table "What say thee?"
"Well we're taking on the Quest, right?" Dustin asks. "I mean, Princess Jane needs a miracle."
"Yeah, but that's kind of a shitty award," Max interjects. "I mean, only a million gold for risking our necks? Not the honor of being heroes? We should at least ask for five million."
Mike shares a look with Will, who simply shrugs in response before offering: "I think it'll be a nice laid-back quest, no need to ask for the extra money."
"We could always ask," Lucas includes. "There might be more to it."
"And how are you asking, Sir Lucas?" Mike asks, far too cheerfully.
"Uhh, nicely?"
"Roll a charisma check."
Lucas picks up one of his dice and let's it bounce across the table gently. "Twelve."
"Hm, very well," Mike says, before turning back to his papers, a devilish smirk on his face.
"If you don't mind me asking," Lucas begins, addressing the King. "We were wondering if this is truly all you require of us."
"The potion is made of three parts: the Bubble Lily, the hair of a unicorn, and fairy dust. Certainly not an impossible task."
"Certainly," Lucas agrees. "We were just discussing that this was all you required? A fetch quest?"
"A fetch quest in the most perilous areas of our grand kingdom. Why? Do you wish to not take this task on? "
Lucas glances at his teammates, itching for someone to step in and help him out. To his dismay, they all remain quiet. "We would love to take it on, actually," he murmurs.
"Fantastic," The King replies cheerily. "Your first task will be retrieving the Bubble Lily from The Whispering Woods. Once there, pick the petals from the flower and keep them safe in a rucksack before heading to your next destination. I have provided a map for your aid as well."
"Really, Mike? The Whispering Woods? You've used that place before," Will complains.
"Yeah, like in our first ever campaign, it's even scarier and spookier than before," Mike replies, wiggling his fingers towards Will like an evil witch. "Why, scared definitely-not-evil Mrs. Porter is going to get you again?"
Will shudders at the memory. In their first campaign when they were still dumb and wide-eyed, Will had shown too much kindness to an NPC in the Whispering Woods and was nearly killed and eaten. "No."
"Even if you do fall for it, your paladin will protect you," Mike replies, with a soft smile, as if he weren't just taunting Will a moment ago.
"My paladin did a shit job at protecting me last time."
"Your paladin was ten years old and level one. He apologies for the egregious mistake of being a child."
At that, Dustin clears his throat. “Hate to interrupt… this, but I’ve gotta get going.”
“What? We haven’t even left for The Whispering Woods!” Mike protests. “Dustin, man, don’t pussy out, it's only… oh.” He flinched when he glanced at his watch and saw the time reflecting back at him.
“Yeah, it’s ten.” Dustin begins to clean up his stuff, dumping his dice into the container and pushing together his papers. “Maybe we could’ve started earlier if you didn’t spend the first hour making us wait because you were getting dressed.”
“Hey, this is a fit. This is a fit,” Mike says, gesturing to his outfit. “Sorry you losers are wearing sweatpants.”
“Mike, it literally looks like a Target outfit,” Max giggles. “I’ll stick with my leggings.”
“Max, you literally bought those leggings from Target,” Mike objects.
Max clicks her tongue. “Whatever. El, I can drop you off at your place, if you want.”
“Hey, at least clean up!” Mike calls back at her, but she’s already disappearing out the door with El on her heels, the table left in disarray. Dustin pushes his papers into his folder labeled D&D: Keep Out!!. He has the longest drive out of them, and only hangs around for a moment longer to give a short wave to the rest of them. Shortly after him, Lucas leaves as well, pocketing his dice into his basketball short pockets. They've at least had the decency to clean up after themselves.
Will begins to clean up El and Max’s mess without being asked, putting papers away and setting El’s dice set up and out of the way beside his.
“You don’t have to clean it up,” Mike says. “It’s not your mess.”
“Yeah, but I’m not going to leave it for you,” Will replies, smiling. “Besides, I still have to clean up my stuff, too.”
“I would have cleaned it up.”
“I know.” Will places his character sheet, along with El’s into the same folder. They all leave everything with Mike, who clamps everything into his Dungeon Master binder for their next session. “Felt like kind of a waste tonight, huh? We barely got through the introduction.”
“It’s alright,” Mike says. “I’m not in a rush to finish it.” He pushes the prongs of the binder closed, then shelves it on his bookcase, alongside his Dungeons and Dragons books and figures. “Wanna watch a movie?”
“Isn’t it kind of late?” WIll asks. He tucks his hair behind his ear.
“It’s only ten-fifteen.”
"Sounds like you're trying to recreate our teenage years. When was the last time you asked me to watch a movie with you?"
"I ask all the time! You're the one that turns me down." Mike protests. He shuffles his feet awkwardly, fiddling with his thumb. "Horror movie marathon?"
"I have work in the morning," Will replies. "Rain check?"
"You don't want to at least start one? You can always sleep on the couch."
"And you can be all cozy in bed? Pass. I don't think my spine would forgive me."
"We can always share the bed," Mike replies, in what he hopes is flirtatious. "Pop The Exorcist into the DVD player, snuggle under the comforter…."
Will rolls his eyes, a smile quirked on the edge of his lips. "Good night, Mike."
"So that's a no?" Mike whines, when Will walks past him with a brush of his fingers against his wrist. "Will."