Mortal

"OK, so I go to the store and buy chocolate. Ya know, guys, I really wish that I could do this for real sometimes. It would be so cool!"

"The cashier thanks you, and wishes you a nice day." The oriental woman in the red dress at the head of the table looks up and glances around. "You know, Mike, that if all that Corey ever eats is chocolate, he'll gain weight, lose a dot of appearance, and die of malnutrition. There has to be a way that we can get some into you. It smells just the way it tastes, anyway. Hey, Julie! What is Erin doing this turn?"

"Oh, she's trying to get a suntan. And is drinking something blue and slushy. ANYTHING but blood!"

"Tamara, put that pencil down, and tell me what Zashi's action is. Remember, she's got no disciplines and you can't tell me that you would have known before, either. And I don't care that you think you were psychic."

Tamara looks moderately disappointed. "That's the only thing that I don't like about Albino Mutt's games. You can't fudge things like that." She sighs. "OK, Zashi is going to ask the rather attractive young man sitting next to her for the homework assignment. And then ask if he wants to come over and work on it after school. And then, maybe work on something else?" The red head grins impishly.

The woman in the red dress, Tatsu, rolls some dice. "Uh-Oh Julie, the phone is ringing. Do you want to answer it?"

Julie looks concerned for a moment, "What time is it, game time?"

"Umm, about two thirty. Yes, you can BS that you got out of class early."

"Do you really think that Erin's mom will buy that? I mean, you DID take the Over Protective Parent flaw."

"Good point, Tamara, I hadn't thought of that."

"Thanks, Tam." Julie sneers good-naturedly. "Yeah, I answer the phone. Who is it?"

"You lucked out. It's the guy from down the block. He wants to know if you want to go to a movie later."

"Oh. Well, yeah, I'd like to, but I don't know what my mom would do. I mean, she won't let me out past a certain time, ya'know?"

Mike looks up, "Hey! Is anyone hungry? I can 'order out' for something to drink."

The women all smile, but only the one in red says anything, "Mike, you have the most exquisite taste in young men. I will most definitely join you. The others ate before coming home tonight."

Mike goes to the phone. The women all keep rather quiet, until Mike comes back into the room. "I told him to eat some chocolate before coming over. I doubt that it'll make a difference, though."

"Mike, it's mid-afternoon, game time. What would you like to do? Corey hasn't a class until five, and that's a few hours away."

Mike leans back in his chair, so that only two legs are on the floor, "Well, he would like to see if he can buy a beer, this early in the day. He wants to go to class smashed. Just to see what would happen."

"Yeah, Mike, like you never did that or anything! That's why Damon picked you; you were such an irreverent hell-raiser. I thought that the whole point of this game was to do things that we can't do for real. You did that, so Corey doesn't want to, right, Tatsu?"

"Well, yes and no. I mean, Mike did it, but maybe Corey hasn't? And I'm trying to figure out where he can get a beer, other than the grocery store, where he WILL get proofed. And he hasn't got a fake ID."

There is a knock at the door. Tamara gets up, leaving her sketches on the table, to answer it. There is a shy, timid young man, who looks like he has just been awakened. "Mike? Is Mike here?"

"Yes, sweety. Come in, come in!" Tamara ushers him through the door, locking it behind the boy. "Mike, Tatsu, Dinner's here!"

"All right! Hey Julie, what time is it? I'm starting to get tired!"

Julie checks her watch, "We've got about half an hour 'til dawn. Tatsu, why don't we wrap this up, you can grab a bite, and we'll all sack out? We can finish this tomorrow night."

Mike mumbles, through a mouthful of wrist, "I yike tha. Scood idyea."

With the meal finshed, and sent on his way, the four exchange good-day's, wonder why the nights never seem to last long enough, and climb into their coffins to sleep.