"Hi." She reached out a finger and poked my sweatpants. "Boop."
"The pizza guy didn't want to leave, by the way."
Jayne blushed, and bit down on a smile. "Mm. Cool."
"Anyways. Violet thinks we should have a safe word." I said to Ashley.
"Hmm. Persimmon?"
"That was fast."
"It's my go to safeword." She blinked. "Hm. Should I tell you why I need one?"
"I think I can figure that out." I shuffled my feet. "Um. She says she's going to push us. Just so you're aware."
"Okay. Tell her, I said to bring it." Ash giggled. "Oh my god. She's going to try to make us fuck, isn't she?"
Jayne went wide eyed. "No... she wouldn't."
"If she does, we have a safe word. If either of us uses it, we're done. Right?"
"Right. Maybe she won't."
Jayne just looked at the two of us, switching between our faces like she was watching tennis. Her eyes kept getting bigger. I think it dawned on her at the same moment Ash and I realized she knew. It seemed almost unconscious, the way she reached out for both of our hands. I held it, and reached for Ashley's, who was already seeking mine. Jayne took a deep breath.
"Um. Guys? I... God this is hard to say..." She took another gulp of air. "Anything I can do to help... just. Tell me. I'm in."
"Jayne, just keep doing what you have been doing." I made sure she was looking at me when I spoke. She shuddered. "You've been great so far."
Ashley gave her a big smile. "Keep distracting them. I'll make sure you get rewarded."
With a tug on our hands Jayne pulled us close, and dropped a hurried, fleeting kiss on both of our lips. "Anything." She whispered. "Please. I'll do anything you ask. Fuck it, don't ask. I'm taking orders."
I squeezed her hand. "Thanks, Jayne."
Ash mumbled something similar. Jayne's knees started to shake. I let go of her hand and put mine on her hip. That didn't seem to help with the trembling. Maybe because Ashley had the same idea, and we both held the trembling girl for a moment. She visibly struggled to control herself, gulping air and closing her eyes. "Sorry. Sorry. Just... got really turned on there."
I nodded, and looked down. "You're not the only one." My sweatpants were getting ready to push into her navel. Ashley, after a quick glance behind us, reached her hand up from Jaynes waist.
"Boop," Ash said, pushing me down with one finger, making my cock stroke Jayne's belly. The finger stayed, and her stormy eyes twinkled. Jayne started shaking again.
"Not fair," she whined. I lifted my own hand, seeing a rare opportunity... my knuckles brushed Jaynes bare breast as I cupped Ashley's clothed one. Jayne opened her mouth to say something, but only a moan came out. Ash pushed her chest towards Jayne, making my hand the only thing separating them.
Then Ash shifted her hand on me, our bodies shielding what we were doing from the rest of the kitchen. Boldly, she gripped my cock through my pants, and added a couple of slow pumps that got me to groan as well. I started to move my hand down Ashley's body, sliding out from between their tits, and I might have actually touched something important, but we were interrupted.
***
Violet got up, walked over to her little corner of the table, and began to touch my belongings with pizza grease still on her fingers. I mean, I didn't notice it at the time, but I presume, based on the evidence. I may sound a bit snippish about it, but all in all, this was a small price I was willing to pay. She scribbled some notes, frowned a little then looked up, a fierce cast on her face.
She clapped her hands and got everyone's attention. "Ladies, gentlemen, I have a confession." Ashley and I casually took hands off each other, slowly, so as not to draw eyes. We all shuffled close, and stood behind our seats. "I set this up... well. Not for this. I had something completely different in mind. Maybe some bonding moments between us girls, and a way to remember our childhood a touch more clearly before we all go our own separate ways..." She sighed. "This game was a great way to do all that. And a way for us to remember how to play together going forward. Last night, when everyone kinda paired up and went to go clap cheeks, I thought it was a stupid, venial way to shit on my effort."
A touch of unease rippled through us. She continued, though, a second later. "I overreacted. I can't see a better way for us all to bond, old friends and new, than what we're doing here, right now." The unease dissipated, and people smiled and began to nod. "So. I'm going to make some changes to this," Violet waved her hand at the table, "that'll make things more... interesting. But first. I need to know, right now... is everyone okay with everything so far?"
Mumbled words of assent, various nods. She held up her fingers. "I mean, specifically... One: the partner swapping?" Yes, we all said, not in unison. "Two: the relative lack of privacy and decorum?" Jayne answered first, with a yes so loud we all laughed. "Three: things escalating?" Nods and yesses again, much more cohesive. "Good. Finally... I need you all to swear to me that whatever happens under this roof today... and maybe some of tomorrow... stays here. We never ever discuss any of this. Ever. Do I have your word?" Unanimously, we all gave a hearty 'YES!'
She sat down, and gestured to the rest of us to do the same. "Okay. Then, let's play."
She briefly sketched out new rules. Dice would become far less necessary. The odds of an action succeeding would be largely determined by Violet. She'd weigh the outcome based on our roleplay, our commitment, storytelling goals, and... outside the game favors. She winked at that one. "What I'm saying here is... I hope you all meant what you said. That you're happy to serve me. Service me. Whatever. I won't get as much of an opportunity to play as the rest of you will, so, every now and then... I'm going to take what I can. Deal?"
We all nodded, eyes glinting. Then the game actually restarted, and she exiled Theo and Kaitlyn back to the basement, their last position.
***
Devin tugged at his horns. The cursed thing didn't make any sense. How was this the same carving as the one they'd run into in the last trap room? He consulted his scrawled map, and scowled.
The robot, warforged, whatever, was making waving motions. It pointed to a mark on the stone threshold to the room. "Yes. I see." Devon said. "Good idea. Better than a ball of string, I suppose." The monk huffed, a metallic wheeze.
Stabitha came up behind the diminutive warlock, startling him. "I think he means something else. What is it, little metal man?" The Amazon warrior got close to the monk, tilting his head up by his... 'chin.' She looked deeply and curiously into his oddly human eyes. The metal faceplate trembled, but revealed no new information. Devin lamented that the mechanical thing's creator had not felt the need to grant it a mouth before turning it loose into the world. Still. He could sometimes puzzle out Steelwind's written language...
He dug in his pack, pulled out parchment and charcoal, and thrust it at the monk. Stabitha continued to look on curiously. Devin turned to check that the other two were still in the room... the degenerate priestess was 'praying.' Or showing the wizard how she prayed, Vulverna was watching with great attention. He sighed. No matter how much he might personally find the woman's goddess to be... distracting, he could not help but be aware of how much her intervention was assisting them.
He didn't fear for their missing companions. The shadows had disgorged the other victims, perhaps they would again. In their own time, of course.
Steelwind tapped his shoulder. He was presented with a lengthy paragraph of blocks and wedges. Devin sat near the torchlight and attempted to 'read' it. Stabitha peered at it as well, from over his shoulder. He didn't expect the barbarian to be of any help, but he resisted shooing her off. He was relatively sure she couldn't read or write common, so there was no harm in her looking, anyway. And he did perform better under light competition.
***
Violet looked up at the table, and down at the note I'd passed her, the translation to the cuneiform scrawlings I'd handed the team. A simple cipher I'd learned a long time ago, easy to read if you knew the key. No one else did, though. She smiled at me, then went back to the group. "All right. Usually, I'd just ask for a simple intelligence check, with bonuses in place for history or lore... but. Let's see how you guys role play this out."
Ben scratched his head, straightened his glasses, and tugged on a chunk of his hair. "I've been able to read this stuff before... but not always. Let's see if I can... hm. Can I point to a word and have him... pantomime it out? Like charades?"
Violet laughed. "Sure, sounds great, actually. Vic. Be honest. I've got to go mind our wayward lambs for a bit." She got up, still dressed in only a shirt, and we all watched her bare butt walk towards the basement steps.
Marla shivered. "Okay. Is that the best ass in the room? Cuz, I'm drooling."
I patted her shoulder as I got up. "Nah. Third best. You're number two, by the way."
She blushed. "Nuh-uh. Pull the other one."
Ben grinned. "You're number one in my book. But, hey, beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
Ash wasn't letting me go that easily. "So... who's your number one?"
I deferred the question. "Maybe I will do an itemized list later. So, first word, one syllable."
Ben laughed at my big circling arm movement. "No, hang on. I'm curious. Best butt in the house. Can't be Kaitlyn, she's cute... but she's got nothing going on back there."
Marla nodded. "Bony butt for sure. Hmm." She glanced at Jayne. "You're not much better."