Senran Tabletop Gaming Session.

Each fortnight Murakumo would sit down and host a game night usually a tabletop RPG of some sorts. She'd play more often but being a shinobi and aspiring mangaka ate up all of her time and it was difficult to get other people to come over and play. Tonight she would be DM'ing a game of 'Dungeon Quest' for an unusually large group. It wasn't often that so many wanted to show up and play. She'd rely on a published adventure in a setting each player was familiar with for their first session together to let them get settled in.

 

First was Ashiya a student of Hebijo. Due to the lack of players for tabletop games there was a truce called so good and evil shinobi can play together. Her strange behaviour was off-putting but she was incredibly enthusiastic to play. She introduced her character: "I'll be your priest; a dashing woman in red who looks for a lord to serve." Ashiya had a wild grin on her face "Then I will be able to convert everyone to my faith! My name is Melisandr-"

 

"I'm not allowing it" Murakumo interjected "No lifting pre-existing characters."

 

Ashiya's face went from furious to devious "Very well I shall be called Sandremeli!"

 

"Sandra the Smelly. Got it." Murakumo interrupted "Everyone make sure to address her with that title."

 

A scowl took over Ashiya's face and she stabbed her finger at Murakumo "A thousand hexes upon you and your household! They shall only break when you offer the life of your first born-"

 

Murakumo brushed Ashiya aside and put her on the pay no mind list "Who's next?"

 

"Me!" Mirai barged in "I'll be your Bard: Forsoothe!" Mirai took a dramatic pose "My smooth words will win over everyone! No one will be able to ignore my presence!"

 

"Wow that's a pretty cool name!" Shiki jumped in. Murakumo had taught Shiki all about tabletop games, sci-fi and fantasy and she was eager to help Murakumo by playing with in the games Kumo hosted. Shiki really liked this one game called 'Bloodlines: Vampire Masquerade' and she even dressed up as her character which caused the other players to get distracted. Shiki's costumes were just about the only way to get people to play that game any more.

 

"Shiki, introduce your character." Murakumo requested.

 

"Oh right! Well my character is Sylvia! She's this super cool Witch who enraptures people with her spells and sometimes her beauty! But don't go judging her she's actually friendly and helpful!" Shiki lifted up her character sheet and proudly showed it for everyone to see "Murky even drew her for me, see?"

 

"She looks skanky" Mirai smugly grinned to herself.

 

Shiki gasped "Are you saying you doubt her good girl status?"

 

Mirai simply got in character and broke out into song "Gather ye 'round and hear a tale of a young maid dressed in black, her blonde hair makes her look so fair, until she's doing yer around the back, so give her any coin you may spare-"

 

"Cut that out!" Shiki's face was puffed and red "It doesn't even rhyme properly! Oh and your name totally stinks why not just call yourself 'Verily?'"

 

"Problem?" Mirai smirked with a cat-like fang protruding.

 

"Sylvia is a good girl! A GOOD GIRL!" Shiki growled.

 

"That's enough of that" Murakumo sighed "Next?"

 

Hijikata stood up. She was a student from Hanzo Academy who had a love of anything to do with knights and western medieval history. Chivalry, honour and duty made her hot under the collar and when she got a chance to live out her fantasy she took it. "I'll be playing Jeane the Crusader! I seek to bring order and justice to the land in it's time of crisis!" Hijikata was already gushing "So beware outlaws, brigands, cultists and heathens!" Those words sent a shiver down Ashiya's spine.

 

At the end of the table Kaede impatiently leaped in and put her character sheet on display "I drew my character too! He's Horatio! He's a Ranger and he's all buff and hunky!" Kaede started snorting like a wild bull "and he has an androgynous male apprentice- no man-servant! No a boy-servant! A boy toy!-" Kaede was positively frothing from both mouths at this point and Murakumo had to put an end to her madness.

 

"You can only play one character" Murakumo laid down the rules and Kaede shifted her glasses back in place and settled down.

 

Kaede cleared her throat. "Very well then I'll be playing Horatio."

 

Tucked away and slouched down to hide behind her stuffed bear was Murasaki. Kumo had to pry an introduction from the shy girls mouth "I want to play a Druid. Her name's Fabulosa and she has a bear companion. She likes to live alone in the mountains where people don't bug her." Everyone at the table seemed pleased with her character and Murakumo used Bebe to cover her relieved smile.

 

There was a loud thud at the door and a menacing figure barged her way in. "Am I too late?" Daidouji roared "I wish to enter my character Melody into the game! She's a petite magical girl with a heart of gold and fists of steel!" Her imposing presence and overwhelming aura forced everyone to cower. Murakumo agreed to let Daidouji enter as long as she kept her voice down. Oddly Daidouji's character sheet had 'Barbarian' and 'Barbarian Rage' crossed out and 'Magical Girl' and 'Magical Transformation' in their place.

 

"Let's begin shall we?" Murakumo offered to start the players off at an Inn, a staple for any fantasy adventure, and let them decide where to go next.

 

Hijikata took initiative "I ask if Sandra the Smelly is evil."

 

"Hey no out of game knowledge!" Ashiya groaned.

 

Hijikata ignored her "I cast Detect Evil"

 

"DM do something!" Ashiya pleaded.

 

Murakumo tried to keep the peace "Don't go abusing out of game knowledge."  

 

"We should go out and look for jobs and then buy gear" Mirai suggested "We can even sell Sylvia's clothes for extra gold."

 

"No!" Shiki squealed.

 

Mirai shrugged her shoulders "Your character's used to being naked anyway."

 

Shiki was now ready to strangle Mirai and Hijikata and Ashiya glared at each other. With four players picking fights between the group, one player being too inside their own shell to speak up, another member too busy sketching BL stories to play and the final member looking like she's ready to explode even when she's happy; Murakumo had her work cut out for her. This could be the hardest session she's ever had to DM. Murakumo turned her mask until her face was covered and prepared for what was about to come.