Charisma Check: Chapter 3

Tales from WCC:

“Charisma Check”

CHAPTER 3

A few days would pass with people blowing up the group chat over the game ending, complaining about Roger, praising Mandy further for the awesome last session and so on. Then Mandy sent out the message everyone was hoping for…

• Hey so if you guys are interested, I could always run a game if you wanted 😁

The group was ecstatic! Kaya in particular was so relieved that she wouldn’t have to stop engaging in her favorite pastime as well as…finding a less awkward reason to see Mandy who she had more or less fallen head over heels for. Mandy suggested however that they play said game in her dorm room which was a bit more private and they’d have more freedom regarding having to schedule around other student activities in the rec room. She explained her roommate was a third year medical student currently doing her residency at the local hospital so she was never home, usually only coming in late at night to pass out in bed. She also told everyone they could just continue using their existing characters if they wanted; she could just have this be a new adventure the same team was now about to embark on. This particularly made Kaya incredibly happy with how much Mandy praised her for the way she played Velsandi!

A week passed and everyone was beyond excited as they showed up at Mandy’s room, none of which anyone had ever been to before. Her dorm room was the standard layout, a large shared space that combined a small kitchenette with a living room, one bedroom to the left and a bedroom and bathroom to the right. Mandy didn’t come across as a hardcore gaming nerd to most at first glance but when she answered the door and everyone entered, they were blown away! 

It was a shrine to all things fantasy and nerdy with tapestries along the walls, numerous medieval knickknacks along the shelves, an extensive dvd collection beside the tv but her bookcases were what really blew them away. Along with countless fantasy novels, she had every single book from the Legends and Labyrinths roleplaying system going all the way back to 1st edition! Even Gunnar realized this was a seasoned veteran and they were all in for an awesome time. She set up a folding table in the living room and revealed her gear; assorted vinyl mats wherein different types of terrain were printed in full color on them including desert, forest and stone floor, an extensive collection of miniatures and models for buildings, castles and dungeon walls and a deluxe GM screen with a digital screen set in the front from which she could display images via her laptop that she also used to access a library of background music and ambient sound files. 

Mandy’s entire approach to the game was totally different than Rogers with way more emphasis on roleplay and character development. She had taken her knowledge of everyone’s characters and expertly crafted a story that involved their background stories in some way. This forced everyone to become more invested; Tig getting more serious with her roleplay, Anton getting way more confident in his own abilities and even the stoic Gunnar being fully invested in the epic tale. Mandy even found a clever way to keep Lana in the team, adding a plot point wherein her desert elf minstrel had been chosen by a particular deity to guide the rest of the team but not directly interfere with their fates. This allowed the players to lead the charge with Lana still present but relegated to a helpful bystander.

Kaya had never been more inspired; it was like Mandy was brought into her life by some divine force; a symbol of strength and confidence that nurtured her nerdy passions in the most wonderful of ways. But of course this new arrangement also came with added awkwardness as she’d soon learn. 

Mandy was constantly barefoot as always and Kaya was seated in such a way that her view  of them was even more prevalent than ever. Kaya, in moments of truly shameful desperation had even begun sneaking her phone under the table and taking snapshots of Mandy’s feet. This made her feel so guilty and perverted like she was violating the sanctity of the gaming table but her lustful urges demanded it of her and led to upwards of five consecutive orgasms each night as she stared at her phone stroking herself to madness!

As mentioned before, tickling was a common interest among goblins and Tig was no different. She had tried once or twice to start up some fun with Kaya but growing up in human society came with it a unique personal stigma regarding how she felt about it. It was an intimate act for her and as much as it brought her arousal, also quite a bit of anxiety. Being with others when a tickling scene came up in a movie or even hearing the word “tickle” would make Kaya cringe and squirm with embarrassment. 

The first incident was during a break in the session when Mandy was going over her notes and the others chatted casually. Tig had snuck under the table and sat there, looking up at Kaya and then at Mandy’s dangling bare foot, right leg crossed over the left knee. Kaya’s eyes went wide as a deep blush came to her cheeks. She wouldn’t! She couldn’t! Not her! Not now! But at the same time…yes! Do it! She had to know! Sure enough in one quick movement, Tig grabbed Mandy’s ankle and skittered her nails along the sole of her foot.

“WHAHAHAHAT THE FUHUHUUUUCK!!” Mandy shrieked, nearly knocking over the table as she swung her head back. The sound of her beautiful deep laughter kissed Kaya’s long ears and made her feel faint! But what happened next was especially shocking. Mandy didn’t pull away, instead gripped the edges of the table as if determined to endure! Could it be that…no…no way! She’s just being stubborn…right?

Finally after about a minute, Mandy moved in a flash, yanked the smaller goblin girl out from under the table and pinned her to the floor. She climbed on top of Tig and glared at her with an evil smile as she dug her fingers up into the goblins underarms, wriggling away like mad as Tig squealed.

“There will be absolutely no tickling of the GM are we clear?!” Mandy cried out in a joking manner as Tig writhed in utter hysterics! Kaya just sat there, knees clenched together, hands in her lap and beat red from complete and total embarrassment.

“I’ll be right back.” She said sweetly as she stood awkwardly and left the room, went down the hall, down two flights of stairs, entered her own dorm room, went into her bedroom and frantically masturbated with the scene she had just witnessed vivid in her mind. She gazed down at her hand wet with cum and began to tear up. Why did she have to be like this? Why did it have to be so difficult? She hadn’t moved to Wakupogue until she was 16 and you’d think a town where tickling and foot fetishism was so prominent would be heaven for her and she could be free of all this awkwardness but it was like taking a virgin who was terrified of sex and dropping them in a town full of nymphomaniacs! 

Even though no one knew why she left, when she returned a wash of shame had overtaken her and she was noticeably less enthusiastic about the game, claiming she wasn’t feeling well all of a sudden. Mandy especially showed a lot of concern telling her it was fine, real life concerns always take priority and not to worry about it. 

“Why did she have to be so compassionate?”

Meanwhile Kayas masturbatory fantasies had slowly begun to evolve into complex tales of romance and intrigue to the point where she’d be in the middle of pleasuring herself and suddenly just stop as a fully formed story played out in her mind. As the details became harder to recount, she decided to begin writing them down, opening up a word document on her phone and typing away. Before long these sexual fantasies had become fully developed erotic stories about the relationship between Velsandi and Lana for no one’s eyes but her own.

They existed in the fantasy world not unlike the way anime movies are made based on an ongoing series; bearing details that set them in a distinct place in the timeline but with contradictory story elements that made it impossible for them to actually exist within the canon. Essentially it was erotic fanfiction based on the world Roger had created and Mandy had so expertly refined. Anton, Tig and Gunnar’s characters Olaf the dwarven priest, Gilly the halfling thief and Trog the troll berserker did exist but were relegated to background characters; the focus was almost entirely on Velsandi and Lana.

The most curious aspect of all this is that up until now, all of Kayas fantasies had placed herself in the dominant role. A lifetime of feeling weak and helpless had given her a desire to take control and also take what she wanted regarding sexual ideals. However as she got to know Mandy and found herself becoming enraptured by her strength and dominant energy, so did her fantasies change as well. This inevitably transitioned into her ongoing fanfic which began to paint Lana as the dominant seductress wooing the brave yet more emotionally vulnerable Velsandi.

The following weeks were for the most part wonderful and fulfilling for Kaya. They indulged in Mandy’s masterful storytelling and memorable characters as they traversed the robust world she had created for them. Even more so than that, Kaya has started having more one on one time with Mandy, hanging out as casual friends and the two became really supportive of each other when they needed it. 

Any time Kaya was overwhelmed or lacking in confidence, Mandy was there to be her cheerleader, encouraging her to stay strong and overcome any obstacle set before her. Likewise Kaya had become someone Mandy could confide in and reveal a much more vulnerable side of herself too. When she learned her parents were getting divorced, everyone offered their sympathies to Mandy to which she shrugged it off as no big deal. But the moment they were alone all it took was a warm hug from Kaya for the dam to burst and Mandy openly weeping hysterically. No words were needed; she just needed permission to let it out.

Kaya was also an artist and had taken it upon herself to draw everyone’s characters out of habit. Despite not adding color, her sketch work was really good! It blended aspects of western comic art and anime although she never thought she was anywhere near as talented as others would claim. However it was Mandy who was totally blown away by what she came up with to the point where she ended up collaborating with Kaya on doing additional art for her game. In most cases Kaya would be hesitant but Mandy was such an inspiring force that she felt more motivated than ever before. Mandy offered to pay her for such services but Kaya refused; it was all for the good of the game and of course to make Mandy happy.

Towards the end of one game session however, Mandy had set up a fun cliffhanger to get people hyped and curious about the next game. They had just infiltrated the Covenant of the Joyous Cacophony, a religious order who controlled the masses through religious indoctrination and oppression and those who opposed them would inevitably disappear without a trace…

“And as you make your way down the winding staircase towards the dungeon, you hear a curious sound…many voices crying out in panicked shrill laughter and begging for mercy!” Mandy said in her dramatic flair with an evil smirk. Tig was immediately enthralled knowing exactly what was going on. But so did Kaya…

…who was on the verge of a full blown panic attack…

It felt almost sacrilegious to take two things she loved for very different reasons and combine them together in this context. Fanfics were one thing but in front of everyone else? She would never be able to endure an entire roleplaying session if THAT was the focus! Her breathing was shallow and her heart raced as the other players began to pack up with Mandy then glancing over at her.

“Hey you okay?” She inquired, snapping Kaya out of her anxiety induced trance, turning to her with a nervous smile.

“Hm? Yeah I’m good. Just tired is all.” She reassured her friend as she began packing up her own belongings. But sadly, for the first time since she got to school…she missed the next RP session. 

She just couldn’t do it. 

She texted everyone the night before claiming she was feeling really sick but to absolutely go ahead and play without her. Meanwhile that evening she simply laid in bed, curled up in the fetal position and crying hysterically as she marinated in her own self loathing. These issues had finally interfered with her favorite pastime and it felt almost like a personal betrayal by way of her own flawed mind. Around the time the game usually took a break, she got a message from Mandy.

• Hey girl, just checking in. You feeling okay?

Kaya smiled softly and texted back.

• Yeah I’m good, just feel like crap right now. Hope you guys can survive without me LOL

Kaya could see the little symbol on her phone showing that Mandy was typing. It would go for a while then stop, then start up again a few times until finally she responded.

• Listen if anything is bothering you, you can talk to me okay? I’m here for ya girl. 

What followed was a selfie of Mandy with a big goofy smile, wide eyes and a thumbs up, causing Kaya to laugh out loud but the tears started up anew.

“Why do you have to be so perfect?”

She laid there in bed thinking to herself before pulling out her phone…

*Having been separated from the rest of the team, Lana and Velsandi slowly descended the stairs with only the chilling yet somehow enticing sound of screaming laughter to guide them…*

The end of the semester and finals had come around. The game went on hiatus until the new semester and most people were planning to head home after they were done with their exams for a long needed break. However as it turned out, Mandy and Kaya weren‘t leaving that Friday like everyone else but rather were staying the weekend and leaving Monday. Realizing this, Mandy sent Kaya a very enthusiastic message.

• I have an awesome idea! Why don’t you stay over this weekend? We can make it a proper girls weekend and game, watch movies, chill, etc. It’ll be awesome!

Kaya, without thinking and feeling so happy Mandy was extending such an invitation replied

• Hell yeah that sounds great! I’m totally down! 😃

Then she sat there…

…staring at her screen…

…and her heart stopped…

“W…what have I done?”