ADVENTURE! FORTUNE! FAME! EXPERIENCE POINTS!

[roll-for-init.livejournal.com]

Standing before you is the entrance to a large dungeon, filled with traps, treasure, and horrible creatures. Within this dungeon lurk four iconic Dungeons and Dragons monsters. Are you brave enough to face them?

Beholder, Lawful Evil, Challenge Rating 13


Displacer Beast, Lawful Evil, Challenge Rating 5


Mind Flayer, Lawful Evil, Challenge Rating 8


Rust Monster, Neutral, Challenge Rating 3

Comments

[identitycircuit.livejournal.com]

Mantis, you're rather quiet at the moment. [His hand moved to help with pulling off his uniform]

[psychic-waltz.livejournal.com]

[Naked, he steps into the shower, absently trying to bring Liquid with him.]

[identitycircuit.livejournal.com]

[... odd. Liquid followed, not really caring that his clothes were getting wet. Had this creature affected Mantis more than he thought?]

[psychic-waltz.livejournal.com]

[Liquid might notice that there's a small cut on the back of Mantis's head; the creature had been about to bite a hole through his skull when Liquid had arrived on scene. The too-thin man pulls his mask away, hissing quietly as the leather slips over the wound. The blond might also notice that Mantis has removed his piercing, for one reason or another.]

[He seems to calm as the water washes over his scarred face.]

I don't know what that was.

[identitycircuit.livejournal.com]

[He noticed the wound first, moving to clean it] Neither do I, Mantis. It's certainly not anything I've encountered- [Liquid lifted his head as he noticed something else missing] -encountered before.

You've made a decision.

[psychic-waltz.livejournal.com]

[He flinches and almost moves away at the brief stings that accompany such treatment, but reminds himself that this was Liquid, and so stayed.]

[He meets Liquid's eyes as the man discovers the second change. Mantis is nervous, but stands his ground, such as it is.]

Guess so.

[Which means Liquid needs to make a decision, too. Mantis didn't want to be alone in this exchange of pleasure they had.]

[identitycircuit.livejournal.com]

[It suddenly hit Liquid that Mantis was naked for the first time in front of him. Before, he had always had on at least the piercing, at least one last defence between the two of them.]

[The implications were overwhelming. The trust, the acceptance...]

[Liquid cupped Mantis's face, pulling him close to feel his breath against his face] Does this choice mean you've accepted a relationship between us, or that the Nexus is stubborn about sexual activity and you are tired of the pain?

[psychic-waltz.livejournal.com]

[Good. Liquid understood that much, at least. At such a range and maskless, Mantis can't not pick up on the other man's thoughts and emotions. Slowly, Mantis covers Liquid's hand with his own.]

Both.

[identitycircuit.livejournal.com]

[It made him inhale sharply. That one word ignited the need always simmering under his skin. The need to be touched, connected to, loved, needed...]

[Liquid captured Mantis's lips with his own, his usual technique gone in favour of quelling the heat across his skin]

[psychic-waltz.livejournal.com]

[His breath catches and he almost panics; despite his words and intent, such physical contact was still distressingly new. Mantis responds slowly, returning the kiss with clumsiness that slowly grows more talented as he picks up Liquid's memories.]

[identitycircuit.livejournal.com]

[Liquid pulled back, just enough to talk] What do you want, Mantis? Right now.

[psychic-waltz.livejournal.com]

[Inside Liquid's head, Mantis can see all the ways this could end. The scenes play out is seconds as they flash through the man's subconscious, following the synapses of the brain. Wordlessly, he rests his forehead on Liquid's shoulder.]

...I want some coffee.

[Normalcy. That sounds nice. It wasn't like he'd be sleeping any time soon after something tried to attack him the way that creature had done. Just because Mantis was finally willing to accept the strange relationship they now shared doesn't mean things had to change too much.]

[identitycircuit.livejournal.com]

[Coffee. Not exactly what he had expected, given their past and what had been removed-]

[But, at the same time, it was comforting and made him smile. Coffee. It sounded nice.]

Do you want me to leave to brew it?

[psychic-waltz.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[He's been recovering himself slowly and knows he doesn't need Liquid's immediate presence as an emotional crutch.]

[identitycircuit.livejournal.com]

[Liquid squeezed his arm slightly before making a slightly squishy exit.]

[Maaaaybe he should have cared about taking off his clothes before letting Mantis drag him in. But it didn't matter, as he took the time to dry and put on a new pair of trousers. And to try to remember how Mantis liked his coffee. If it was tea, he could make the best mug of tea ever, but coffee he tended to make a bit... strong.]

[Eh. He would live. Liquid started making the coffee, smiling a bit as he ground the beans and started the drip. It was worth that wait and know his roommate wanted to be as close to him as he did.]