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Posted using PostyBirb", "writing": "Dice Game for Two\n\nBy Limewah\n\nCommission for Fauxpawe\n\n18+\n\nEXCITING NEWS!\n\nHey everyone, it's Errol, your Cafe Kitsune here!\n\nOne of the main questions I get asked is `why's this place called the Night and Daze, if you close so early?'\n\nIt's been an aspirational thing; I've always hated having to kick everyone out at closing time, and I'd love to keep serving you well into the night. \n\nHaving later opening hours was always my intention, and I'm SO excited to announce that, at long last, that dream is a reality!\n\nStarting from next week, we've got a new closing time of 10pm Monday to Thursday, and midnight on Weekends! \n\nCan't wait to see some of you night owls stop by for a quiet escape, play some board games, do some late night reading... all while enjoying our full menu of drinks and treats!\n\n(by the way, we're looking for night staff too!)\n\n?? ?? ?\n\nErrol was delighted, not to mention relieved, when the late-opening license came through the mail and was in his paws. Those 15 business days between the acceptance email and this piece of paper had felt like decades.\n\nAfter all the work it had taken, all the forms to fill out and all the meetings with joyless bureaucrats, all the `We-Regret-To-Inform-You's... FINALLY, he could keep his cafe open later.\n\nSure, only time would tell if all of this was worth the long nights and stress - he was worried he'd lost a fair bit of his beautiful white hair in the process. \n\nIt'd probably grow back.\n\nHis stone-grey coat probably had seen better days too... then again, maybe no one but him noticed the change in lustre.\n\nHe was making sure to tell everyone he knew about the late-night openings as well. The time it took to work the espresso machine and produce orders was a great time to point it out. He'd even had fliers and cards printed, which he gave out with every receipt. Anytime he saw someone who looked vaguely like an influencer, he made sure to give them a freebie. He was taking this very seriously.\n\nSecretly, there was another reason why this had been Errol's obsessive goal for the last while.\n\nThat desire had sort of been lurking at the back of his subconscious, but when the broad, bespectacled purple snake man stepped through his door on a Wednesday afternoon, it all came back to the forefront of his mind.\n\nHe always gave his name as Argyle. \n\nIt would have been rude to ask, but Errol always wondered if that was his given name, or if it was a nickname. Errol assumed it had something to do with that distinctive diamond pattern going along his long serpentine tail. Also, the snake almost always wore a cardigan with that same pattern. The colours and thickness would vary depending on the season, but his silhouette never changed. He carried himself with the slow, easy swagger of someone who'd always been too big to be picked on in school, and had a calming, cosy energy to match.\n\nIt helped that he was knee-quiveringly handsome too.\n\nHe always came in around 4:30, only staying for a little while before closing. It was always the same drink, too, some variation of a latte depending on the season, though he tended to take it on the dry side. Then he'd read a book or scroll on a tablet until closing time. This later closing meant he'd stick around longer, hopefully.\n\nErrol took pains to add a little extra foam to the metal takeaway cup Argyle brought every time, hoping he'd eventually notice. \n\nHe also noted that the cup had an embossed picture of a D20 on it. It was always a good way into a conversation, to learn dribs and drabs of Argyle's main hobby.\n\n``How's the game going?'' Errol asked as he gave the metal cup a quick rinse.\n\n``We haven't had the chance to meet in a bit,'' Argyle said, rolling his shoulders back. ``Faelan's house is getting fixed up, and it's taking a lot longer... so we don't really have a venue right now.''\n\n``You should come here-!'' Errol said, rather quickly as he began to prepare the drink. ``I mean, uh... yeah, we stay open till late now, and it'd probably be really easy for you to get a space, I mean, I'd make the space!''\n\nArgyle stared back at him, and blinked. A flicker of confusion spread through his eyes before he nodded and smiled.\n\n``Really? You're open that late?''\n\n``Yes!'' Errol stammered, noticing how tightly he was gripping the metal jug under the milk steamer as it hissed and spat. ``It's a new thing, heh, thought you might like it! You as in, like, all of my customers, heh.''\n\nArgyle nodded, his smile sweet and casual. ``Sounds chill! Thanks Errol, I'll have to see what the rest of the group thinks but I might be able to convince `em!''\n\n``That'd be awesome- I mean, good luck with that! Let me just...''\n\nErrol hid his face behind the coffee machine as he concentrated hard on getting the latte art just right, emblazoning it with the signature lotus-flower of kitsune tails. He tried not to chastise himself too much for his blatantly obvious fox-kit crush.\n\nHe was making it weird. This was so awkward.\n\nOr maybe he wasn't? Maybe Argyle didn't mind, or maybe he was just oblivious.\n\nErrol didn't make eye contact as he handed the cup back, choosing to look just above Argyle's left eyebrow instead.\n\n``Thanks, man,'' Argyle said, paying with exact change, plus an extra little tip. Just as he always did. ``See you later!''\n\n``Yeah, you too!'' Errol blurted, his body cringing as the exclamation exited his throat, like a squirt of water out of a crumpled bottle. \n\nHe immediately went to the sink and splashed his face with a pawful of cold water. \n\nAt least none of his other crushes would end up showing today... he could probably keep it together until the end of his shift.\n\nOh, fuck, there was that cute green-feathered bird... \n\n-\n\nHello,\n\nThis is Argyle. I chatted with my group, and we would like to try running a game. Could we book a table for 7:00 p.m. on Friday, please?\n\nI look forward to hearing from you.\n\nWarm regards,\n\nArgyle.\n\n``Fuck, he's so formal, GODS.''\n\nHello Argyle,\n\nThank you for your email.\n\n``No need to be formal back, lighten the mood, Errol...''\n\nGreat hearing from you!\n\n``Mmmnh, no...''\n\nAbsolutely, you're free to come whenever! I can give you the Snug towards the back, too, so no one's gonna bother you! Let me know if you need anything else, and if you want to call me to formally book, here's my private number.\n\n(Email Sent.)\n\n...Fuck, that was too far. Errol regretted his wording.\n\nBut he'd already sent the email by that point. Sharing his private phone number was fine, though, right? Easier to organise that way.\n\nHe totally wasn't finding an excuse to talk to the snake a bit more. \n\n-\n\nErrol kept polishing the table until it gleamed, before immediately wiping it down to ensure there wasn't any residue from the polish. He didn't want Errol and co to get any weird stains on their character sheets or whatever.\n\nIt was a good thing he'd thought to have a couple of booths installed towards the back of the cafe, sort of like the snugs you'd find in a pub. A perfect place for Argyle and his friends to basically remain undisturbed.\n\nErrol was doing this early, to make sure that Argyle didn't see. He needed to keep some measure of composure. \n\nArgyle arrived earlier than expected, though, while Errol was still wiping the table down - now with a more frantic pace. Oh god, if Argyle noticed and realised there was a crush... that would scare him off. Maybe.\n\nArgyle didn't seem to notice Errol - he was wandering towards the snow-leopard at the counter, striking up a conversation and almost certainly ordering a latte.\n\nPat had been doing a great job picking up slack as the night barista. He was lovely, handsome, friendly.\n\nErrol wasn't jealous. He totally wasn't thinking about whether or not Argyle was going to get stolen away from him.\n\nArgyle had a big satchel slung over his shoulder. It was bulging, and Errol's keen hearing could pick up the soft clatter of... dice? Figurines? Probably both.\n\n``Heya Argyle!'' Errol approached him just as he was finishing his order. ``I've given you the snug in the back.''\n\n``Really? Awesome!'' Argyle looked past Errol towards that big booth. ``Yeah, it's more than enough space, thank you!''\n\nShkka-shkka-shkka. \n\nErrol's ears pricked up as he heard the sound, but he avoided passing comments. Though he did glance down at Argyle's thick, beefy tail as he sauntered past. \n\nThere was a chitinous cluster on the tip of Argyle's tail, still shaking and rattling unconsciously.\n\nHe must not have noticed it before; it was a lot quieter at night.\n\nIt was a very pleasing sound to the ear, too...\n\nAlright, no more thirsting, Errol. \n\n``Are you good for the rest of the evening, Pat?''\n\n``Sure thing,'' Pat said. ``You heading home?''\n\n``In a bit, I'm gonna make myself a decaf.''\n\nOnce his drink was ready, the fox found himself a spot a good distance away from the snug - though still in a spot where he could see the snake over the top of his novel.\n\nArgyle seemed to be too absorbed in setting out figurines and going through his notes to notice. His lips moved silently as he read through his notes. He hummed softly and cleared his throat, and his purple tongue flitted out from his pursed lips as he slipped into even deeper concentration.\n\nErrol wanted to open up that mouth and climb inside it.\n\n...Fuck. What was wrong with him?!\n\nHe buried his head in the book again. What was normally a really fascinating book about city architecture looked more like a jumble of words to him now. He couldn't even begin to read it. He took a big gulp of his coffee and closed his eyes, willing that tent in his legs to go down.\n\nA half hour or so passed. Whenever Errol looked up, he noticed Argyle seemed to be getting a little bit more agitated. Checking his phone and pecking away at it with un-hidden frustration. He sat back in the booth and sighed, before reaching out to his figurines and taking them off the table.\n\nErrol leapt out of his seat so quickly the mug rattled. He walked over quickly, ignoring the eyes of the other night owls who'd arrived. \n\n``Is everything okay, Argyle?'' he said. Argyle looked up at Errol and smiled, trying to hide his obvious disappointment. \n\n``Oh, a bunch of the party cancelled,'' Argyle said with a dissatisfied laugh. ``We don't have enough people, ssso I called it off. Csss'est la vie.''\n\n``Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that,'' Errol said. ``Can I get you anything?''\n\n``You aren't wearing your apron,'' Argyle pointed out. Errol glanced down; that's right, he was just in his white shirt and slacks at the moment. ``Are you working?''\n\n``Well, technically, no...''\n\n``Want to join me for a bit, then?'' Argyle smiled; the warmth was returning to the cold-blooded man's expression. ``I'm not going anywhere for a while if you'd like to hang out.''\n\n``Oh, sure!'' Errol managed to not blurt that one out, to his credit. He slipped into the booth, feeling the cushion creak under him as he sat. It was a little firm; maybe he'd have to get it re-upholstered. ``I kinda wanted to ask about the games you play anyway, like... so, is it like that one in the TV show with the kids and the monsters?''\n\n``Sssorta?'' Argyle laughed. ``I mean, that'sss the old style, and that's just one game. We're playing a different system. This one's called Viciousss Landsss. It'sss great because you can use it for basically any sssetting...''\n\nAnd he was off. The snake's voice and gestures were laconic, but he was still so animated. His tail was subtly rattling too. Errol felt his guts turning into honey, and his face puff with warmth. He managed to nod along and ask a few perfunctory questions to carry the conversation on, but mostly he was just on twitterpated autopilot, staring at the snake's lips, and his eyes.\n\n``Uh, `scuse me?'' \n\nThe kitsune and the snake looked up at Pat. The snow leopard smiled down at them, slightly apologetically, back in his street clothes.\n\n``Hey Pat, what's up?''\n\n``Should I close up, or...?''\n\nErrol checked his watch. It was 20 past 12. Well past closing time.\n\n``Oh, shit-'' the kitsune's tails wrapped around himself as he blushed with embarrassment. ``Sorry for keeping you, Argyle. You don't have a bus to catch or something, do you?''\n\n``Oh, no, it'sss okay,'' the snake said graciously. \n\n``And, Pat, yeah, I'll close up, don't worry!''\n\n``You're the boss,'' Pat said with a playful salute before he headed towards the door, and it tinkled to announce his exit.\n\n``You don't have far to go, right?'' Errol asked as he returned his attention to Argyle. \n\n``Ehhh...'' the snake grimaced. ``I'm gonna have to probably sssit on a busss full of drunk college kids. Normally I'd get a lift from one of the players, but...''\n\n``Lemme give you a lift back,'' Errol offered. ``It's the least I can do! Just gimme a bit to close up, if that's okay?''\n\n``Are you sssure?'' Argyle said. It was obvious to both of them he was asking out of politeness, and that he really wanted to spend more time with him.\n\nOh, oh gosh, oh fuck, there was a spark. He could feel that magnetism.\n\n``Of course,'' Errol said, giving as cool a smile as he could muster.\n\n-\n\nArgyle's tongue was thin and nimble, and as he stooped down to deepen the kiss, Errol could feel all that weight pushing down into him, as if it could hammer him like a spike into the groun. The kitsune moaned with delight, bringing his hands around to grasp at the snake's ass. Not that there was much to squeeze. But his tail was plenty juicy, which more than made up for it. Said tail slithered around behind Errol's ankles, and the kitsune's tail brushed against it, coyly like a secret hand-hold.\n\nThe thumping music from the house party across the street had faded away to a very dull pulse, barely noticeable to the fox's ears. Time seemed to dilate as they shared each other's breath, feeling each other's heartbeats against their bodies. All the pent up tension in that short car ride was exploding out of their bodies, shared between their interlocked lips and potentially leading them indoors, if they allowed the momentum to carry them...\n\nA wolf whistle and a whoop broke the spell. Argyle and Errol whipped around and looked across the street. They saw a young lion with a tight polo shirt and a snapback leaning out of a second story window with both of his fingers still in each corner of his mouth.\n\n``WOO! GAY RIGHTS!'' he shouted, before nearly pitching over and falling out entirely.\n\nErrol looked back at Argyle and laughed nervously.\n\n``Ah, heh...'' Argyle laughed. ``The joysss of living near a frat house... at least rent's cheap for faculty.''\n\n``Seems like hell,'' Errol said. ``Anyway, uh... thanks for letting me give you a lift!''\n\n``Thank you for having me,'' Argyle said. ``I'd invite you in, but...''\n\n``Yeah, you gotta be early for the library....''\n\n``Hey, what if I ssstopped by the cafe to play a game with you? Let me know when you're off work?''\n\n``Sounds g-great!'' Errol said. ``Maybe after closing earlier in the week?''\n\n``I'd love that.''\n\nArgyle's head dipped down to give Errol one last kiss - this one gentler, more chaste - before heading up the steps to the porch. Errol chose to turn and walk away, rather than watch him go all the way up.\n\nIt wasn't the last they'd see of each other, after all.\n\n-\n\nFor a time, though, there wasn't much in the way of chat. Errol did, indeed, start to come by for those regular evening sessions, and this time his friends actually turned up. Errol tried not to feel jealous of the pudgy blue fox who always got the highest-calorie drink on the menu, or the lanky giraffe who had to stoop low to get her neck in through the door, or the scrawny black-scaled iguana who had glasses bigger than his head. They all gathered around Argyle and played right up till closing, deeply invested in the scenarios their Game Master had laid out for them. Errol tried not to listen in to their conversation. The players all seemed to have their own unique voices too... Argyle seemed to stick to his own voice, but his tone was gentle and sonorous.\n\nErrol only caught snippets of the conversation, but couldn't stop wishing he could join in.\n\nThey'd shared a few texts here and there, but mostly Errol and Argyle's interactions had been in person while Errol made his drinks.\n\nThere was something there. Definitely.\n\nBut Errol was afraid to make another move.\n\n-\n\n-Hello Errol. My Friday group will not be meeting this week. Are you working that evening? If not, I was wondering if you would like to try out a two-player game I've wanted to run?\n\n``God, he's so formal...''\n\n-oh cool!! Yeah I can be free! Do I need dice or anything for that?\n\n-No, just bring your bad self. I think you'll like the system a lot. :}==<\n\n``Is that supposed to be a stick-man... ohhh. It's his tongue, yeah...''\n\n-Hehehe okay~\n\n-Great. I'm looking forward to seeing you there!\n\n``...he used an exclamation point. Fuck. This might be serious...''\n\n-Hey Pat! Would you be able to take the evening shift on Friday night? I can swap with your Saturday night. Sorry for the short notice!\n\n- ??\n\n-Great thanks!!!\n\n - -------\n\nErrol brought a change of clothes with him to work. He resisted the urge to dress up or put on cologne. He didn't want to overdo it. He'd even managed to convince himself that the kiss was just something he imagined. They'd exchanged a few flirtatious messages in the lead-up, but even so... there wasn't that much chance of anything happening. Right?\n\nWould it be weird if he took the booth already and waited for Argyle?\n\nNo, it wasn't! He owned the place!\n\nErrol had a book to rifle through anyway, to make himself look occupied, and also signal to Argyle that he, too, liked books.\n\nThe cafe was busy enough, too; the hum of conversation was matching the volume of the gentle, relaxing music piping through the speakers.\n\nArgyle was usually quite punctual, and he usually came to set up around six on the dot, so...\n\nAs soon as the minute hand hit 12, Errol caught a flash of purple, and looked up to see Argyle giving him a little wave as he waited at the counter to be served. \n\nGod, he looked good. The cardigan was extra chunky, since it was starting to get a bit chillier, and he was wearing a black t-shirt with a golden draconic pattern on it. It was such an unorthodox combination, but he wore it with such easy confidence... \n\nIt was so hard not to be fascinated by him.\n\nPat seemed to be striking up a conversation with him too as he prepared the snake's drink. It was going on for a little bit, too. What were they talking about?\n\nArgyle glanced briefly at Errol once or twice, looking like he was trying to find a way out of the politeness trap. Eventually, though, a strange look crossed his eyes, and he turned away from Errol entirely, staring at Pat across the counter.\n\nErrol couldn't see what Argyle was doing, but... something was happening.\n\nPat's face stiffened with surprise, and a strange, distant look spread along his face. His pupils shrank and his eyebrows raised. \n\nThen a smile spread along his muzzle, and he nodded slowly as if in a daze. \n\n...Was Argyle's head nodding too? His long neck seemed to undulate slightly, like an ocean wave. \n\nWhen Argyle turned away, drink in hand, Pat was left standing there, staring into space for a moment before he shook his head and looked extremely confused.\n\n``Sssorry about that,'' Argyle said, shuffling in to the booth and taking his shoulder bag off as he placed his metal mug down. ``He's quite chatty...''\n\n``Yeah, he really works for his tips... e-even though I pay him a proper wage!'' Errol was quick to add. \n\n``He's very sssweet. Ssso. How're you?''\n\n``Oh, good, not much new really, just, you know... trying to keep things running!''\n\n``There's a nice buzz here, for sure,'' Argyle said, starting to take out sheafs of paper and washi-tape-bound zines. ``Sso-''\n\n``-And how're you?'' \n\n``Oh! Oh yesss, good.'' Argyle continued to rifle through the pages as he spoke, not looking at Errol. ``Halloween break is coming up, ssso it'll be a good chance for me to rest... catch up on prep for these sssorts of thingsss. I'm very behind.''\n\n``Really? You seem so on top of everything!''\n\n``Good, I've got you fooled.'' Argyle grinned widely and chuckled, his mountainous body shaking slightly with each warm, almost jolly `ha'.\n\nErrol wanted to climb all over him.\n\n``Here we are. Ssso.''\n\nArgyle suddenly had a rather intensely focused look on his face as he stared at the booklet in front of him, as if staring at the cover would let him read it all at once.\n\n``Thisss is called Duets. It'sss a game about...how do I put it... one-on-one encounters.''\n\n``Like... duels?''\n\n``Yesss, but not jussst those, that's the great part. A sssesssion can be a duel to the death, a businesss negotiation... or maybe a sssecret tryssst.''\n\nArgyle smiled. There was no misconstruing the meaning. \n\nErrol almost cackled, managing to stifle it into a giggle. He squirmed in his seat like a girl at a sleepover.\n\n``Th-that so?''\n\n``If that was sssomething you wanted to try, of course. Maybe you'd prefer something a bit more sssimple? Or we could role for a ssscenario.''\n\n''Sure, sounds good...'' Errol said. ``Should I have prepared a character or something?''\n\n''No, why don't we use the table?'' Argyle leafed in a couple of pages. Errol couldn't really read the phalanx of graphs from that side. The snake took two of those dice - one bigger and with more sides than the other - and rolled them. \n\n``Okay... we've got... a pah pah.... Yessss. An emotionally charged ambush.''\n\n``Oh, what's that mean?''\n\n``Whatever we want. We could roll for a sssetting...''\n\n''Well, I guess I?m picturing a bandit attacking a traveller, but...'' Errol sat back and frowned with concentration. ``What makes it emotionally charged?''\n\n''Perhapsss they know each other,'' Argyle said with a smile. ``it's a sssudden reunion.''\n\nErrol nodded. ``Okay... that sounds good. I'll be... uh... Errol! The greatest highwayfox the world's ever known!'' He bellowed; at least, as loud as he could without disturbing the customers.\n\nHe looked at Argyle for approval. Argyle nodded approvingly, though there was a little reservation in his eyes.\n\n''You're holding back a little,'' he said. ``Do you have performancssse anxiety?''\n\n''I-``\n\n''Well, you shouldn't.'' Errol didn't feel so bad about being interrupted. It wasn't a firm command, but the way Argyle held the fox's gaze made Errol feel inclined to go along with it. \n\nHe had very nice eyes. They almost shone in the dim cafe lighting.\n\nErrol wanted to fall into them, swim around in those rippling colourful depths.\n\n''I shouldn?t, you're right,'' Errol mumbled, catching himself - drooling? He quickly wiped his muzzle and looked up. ``and s-so, how do we start?''\n\n``Let's not get too ahead of ourssselves,'' the snake said gently. ``Here, write down your name.''\n\nArgyle slid a crisp note card across the table. \n\nIt was hard for Errol to tear his gaze away from Argyle's eyes. He swore they'd changed colour. Or that his thin slitted pupils had changed shape. Just for a moment.\n\nHe didn't want to pass comment. He was sure Argyle had been asked many times before. ``Oh, you're a snake? So can you hypnotise people?''\n\nIt probably wasn't the case, it wasn't that common of a trait. Maybe what Errol thought was a taste of hypnosis was just a lust-induced hallucination.\n\nErrol examined the card. Underneath a space for his `character name', there were two columns with five circles drawn in them, one column labelled `body' and the other labelled `mind'. There were five spaces for other statistics - Sly, Strong, Serene, Sultry, and Studious.\n\nErrol was given a handful of dice. Three of them were shaped like weird diamonds, and had 8 sides. One more had 6, and the last had 10. \n\nErrol knew he wanted to be sly, so he stuck the biggest die there. He put the rest willy-nilly next to each of those stats, not really thinking about a proper composition.\n\n''Ssso.'' Argyle began. There was that focused, almost teacher-like tone. ``In thisss game you're going to try to do five pointsss of... damage? To either my character's body or mind. Ssso, since we've decided on an ambush, either you beat my character up or make them sssurrender in sssome other way. That'sss the basicsss, the ressst we can learn as we go. Sssince you decided the ssscene, I get to ssset it. Sssound good?''\n\n''Okay,'' Errol said, grinning with delight.\n\n``Alright...''\n\nArgyle's voice barely changed. But the temperature of the booth seemed to. Argyle fixed Errol with a very firm look, that same look he'd given to the zine. It stared into him. Past his eyes, right into what felt like the centre of his mind.\n\nAnd his eyes...\n\nThey were...\n\nErrol felt himself falling forwards against the table. The fall was slow and inevitable, like a distant avalanche. He wasn't worried about the landing. The snake's eyes strobed with rings of purple and pink. They shifted and warbled like twin lava lamps. They made the rest of the world melt. Errol continued to fall. His whole body was slowly surging towards the snake. Every part of him angled towards the snake - his head, his shoulders, his feet... his cock.\n\n``Let's ssstart with the scene itssself,'' Argyle continued. His speech was still so casual, but every syllable sped Errol's fall into those eyes. ``I think I'll be making my way down a forest path. I'm a simple sssnake merchant. I think I jussst sssell dried mushrooms and herbs. I look like an easy mark. Does that sssound nice?''\n\n``Uhnhn?'' Errol was using what little energy he had to stop himself from drooling - he could feel a blob threatening to spill out over his lower lip. But... yes, it sounded fine to him. Everything Argyll could have said would have sounded fine to him... each hiss made his head fuzzy and his insides melty, and he waited dizzily for the next hiss...\n\nErrol dipped forward, his nose pressing into the card, and he felt himself fall right through it, through the table, and into the pink and purple abyss.\n\n-\n\nThe snake looked like an easy mark. All alone, trundling with a big thick backpack slung over his broad shoulders, looking like he was lost in thought...\n\nErrol would get a little silver off of him, for sure. He skulked through the trees, clutching his bow tightly and nocking an arrow. Just a warning shot to get the snake's attention.\n\nHe fired low, sticking the arrow diagonally into the loamy path, a scant few feet ahead of the snake'. \n\n``What should I roll, then... Ssserene? That'sss a d8 for me...''\n\nArgyle looked down at the table, taking his die. ``Which one will you do? Pick the one that best representsss what you're trying to do.''\n\n``Sly...?'' Errol said, concentrating on reversing that slow, endless fall.. ``I think, c'z I'm trying to aim carefully n'scare you...''\n\n``Cool, go ahead and roll that d10.''\n\nThe dice rattled against the table, and Errol felt his mind rattle with them.\n\n``Ten,'' Errol slurred as he peered at the die. It was purple, with pink numbering, just like... \n\nOooohoo, that'sss a one, ssso... that'sss one `mind' damage for me, right?''\n\n``Uhh... huh?'' Errol mumbled. ``Cool.'' he wanted Argyle to look at him again. \n\n``Sssso... how'll I ressspond...''\n\nArgyle looked into Errol's eyes again. The pulse and swirl pulled him in, and he whimpered with pleasure - so loud, Argyle noticed and chuckled. It was a low, dark, sensual chuckle. He knew what he was doing to Errol... and he was not going to let up.\n\n``I'm at your mercsssy,'' Argyle said with a wry smile. ``Ssso, I think...''\n\nThe snake's arms shot up into the air and he sort of squatted awkwardly. The backpack pushed down on him. \n\n``Wait, wait, wait...'' he stammered. ``I don't want any trouble!''\n\n``Well, I'm afraid you've found some, friend!'' Errol smirked, keeping a second arrow at the ready. ``Empty that pack of yours.''\n\n``There'sss nothing of value to you!'' The snake said, clutching the straps of his pack tighter against his underarms. ``I only carry what I need, I don't have any coinsss...''\n\n``Mmmaybe you're lying,'' Errol slurred, noticing a blob dripping from his mouth onto his card. ``Oops... hehe, m'g'na roll smarts.''\n\n``And I'll roll ssssly.'' Argyle said. ``Looksss like we're rolling the ssssame D8.''\n\nthe clattering dice made Errol flinch, and it pulled him up just enough to make the dive back into the hypnotic rippling eyes that much deeper. ``Oh, look, you got me again!''\n\n''Come now, friend, that look in your eye makes it obvious you've got something for me.'' The kitsune thief tugged on the string of his bow just a little, watching how the serpent stiffened. ``The bag, if you please.''\n\nThe snake slowly lowered himself and grunted as he eased the bag down onto the path. It looked heavy... but Errol wasn't going to take everything the poor guy had to offer. \n\n``Now, back away...'' Errol continued, keeping his arrow nocked. \n\nThe snake still had his broad arms around one of the straps... and Errol only just noticed the muscles start to tense before the snake flung the bag towards him like a boulder from a trebuchet. \n\n``Uh-oh...'' Errol gurgled. ``What should I roll...''\n\n``I'm making you roll Ssstrong to try n' block it,'' Argyle said, ``since you're a bit lower on that one.''\n\nHe plucked the little purple and pink D6 from the table and pushed it into Errol's hand, taking time to stroke those thick scaly fingers along the fox's wrist. \n\nErrol's cock throbbed under the table. \n\n``But don't worry, you'll get to force me to do the sssame next turn. Let'sss sssee...''\n\nArgyle's D10 and Errol's D6 knocked into each other, and the fox's toes quivered. \n\n``Yeah, no contessst there, sssorry.'' Argyle smirked. ``ssso, the pack collides with you, and it'sss very, very heavy...''\n\nErrol felt something heavy and smooth plop directly into his lap, and almost moaned out loud before a finger at his lip shushed him.\n\n``Sssso heavy,'' Argyle continued. ``What're you going to do to get it off...?''\n\n``I... ngh..'' Errol whispered. He couldn't think of anything... he couldn't even think at all. That heavy tail weighed down on his crotch, flicking and massaging his bulging tent back and forth. \n\n``There'sss no time limit,'' Argyle said coolly, leaning back and making Errol tug his head forward to follow. ``Take your time.''\n\nErrol struggled to find his next move before he completely drowned in the purple and pink. \n\nErrol struggled and kicked at the canvas. Whatever was inside it was soft and spongy, which only made it more difficult to push it off of him. He could hear hurried footsteps... coming towards him, not away from him.\n\nShit. The snake was coming for him, he had to escape...\n\nHe managed to shift the bag enough to scramble and shimmy free from beneath. His head bumped against two hard ankles, and when he looked up he saw the snake staring down at him. There was a smug smile on his face, and a hypnotic gleam in his eye.\n\n''You shouldn't have tried that, little foxsss...''\n\n``You can tell me what ssskill to use,'' Argyle offered helpfully. ``Sssince I did it to you lasst round.''\n\n``uh...huh...?'' Errol blinked lopsidedly, his left eyelids slightly ahead of his right. ``I dunno...''\n\n``Well, I'm trying to hypnotise you. You want to keep me from ssuccssseeding, right? Because if I do, it'll be much harder for you to win...'' Argyle's tail slid along the inside of Errol's thigh some more, and the kitsune's legs reflexively clenched together around it.\n\n``Mmmnh... you could try and trip me up, forcssse me to roll Sssly to evade? Or maybe Ssserene, maybe you can try and ssspook me, keep me from trancsssing you. C'mon...''\n\nArgyle loomed closer, almost snout to snout with Errol. He wiped the growing puddle of drool on the table beneath Errol's snout with a napkin. His eyes flashed brighter. Errol whimpered and squirmed. The snake took the kitsune's wrist and guided it over to his side of the table, towards the character-card on the other side.\n\n``Pick one,'' Argyle cooed. ``Don't overthink it, little fox.''\n\nErrol couldn't look at the dice, he could only feel their curvatures and edges as the pinks and purples continued their endless, entrancing dance.\n\nThe endless, entrancing dance of those colours made it impossible for Errol to look at anything else. The fox shook his head and tried to look away, but every attempt just tugged him back towards the colours, and the smug snake. The traveller stooped down, smirking wickedly.\n\n``I think you'll make a fine companion... or perhaps a morssssel...''\n\nErrol dug into the ground with his paws, ending up grabbing a fistful of dirt... that was it!\n\nHe flung the clump at the snake's face. He shouted, coughed and sputtered as he stumbled back, and Errol used that opportunity to wriggle free.\n\n``Yaaaay...'' Errol giggled drunkenly. ``I gotcha...''\n\n``You did!'' Argyle said. ``Good Job...''\n\nThe praise made Errol whimper and squirm in his seat. His cock was dribbling pre all over Argyle's tail; he hadn't even noticed his pants had shuffled down to his knees thanks to that meaty, yet dextrous appendage. \n\n``Now, let's go back to sssstraight rollssss, neither of usss can force the other for a few more rounds. Are you gonna run?''\n\nAs he scrambled and shimmied, Errol frantically glanced around for his bow... with a sinking heart, he realised it was under that massive pack. Hopefully it was still in one piece...\n\nThe snake had wiped the dirt from his face, and began to trudge towards him.\n\n``You've jussst made a ssseriousss missstake my friend. A very ssstupid one...''\n\n``Yes, I c-can see that!'' Errol sputtered. Maybe adopting a more pathetic posture would help the brigand get out of this one unscathed. ``So, let me just be on my way, and you'll have yourself a shiny new bow for your trouble?''\n\n``Hmm... sssly for you, sssmartsss for me? Does that sssound right?''\n\n``Uh-huh...?''\n\n``Let'sss sssee... five for you, sssixxsss for me. Ssso, that'sss another mind-point for you...''\n\n``No...'' the snake was looming over him now. Errol had backed himself into a tree. A thick purple hand rested on the bark just above the thief's head. ``I want you.''\n\nErrol clenched his eyes shut and tried to look away at the first glimmer of hypnotic colour, though his head was feeling so sluggish already.\n\nErrol sluggishly let the D10 tumble out of his hand, while Argyle rolled a D8.\n\n``Ohhh, and that'sss a one for you.'' Argyle tutted. ``And sssince I rolled an 8... that'sss double damage.''\n\n``Nnooo~'' Errol giggled, shortly before getting another squeeze of his junk. ``Nnhgn-!''\n\n``It'sss okay, it'sss not over yet.''\n\nBut it was too tempting... his left eye betrayed him, then his right, and his tense face went slack as he gazed up into the colours.\n\n``P...puh... please...'' Errol mumbled, trying desperately to hold onto his mind, though submission's seductive allure was pulling him closer to the snake, to look at the eyes over his glasses.. ``I'll d-do anything...''\n\n``Yesss,'' the snake purred in response. ``I think you will.''\n\nNow that he was no longer resisting, the little fox was allowing the pleasure to flow through him more freely. His shrunken stance visibly relaxed, and his head tilted downwards. His snout pointed down towards the snake's large stomach, but his eyes attempted to remain focused on the gemstone eyes. It was so difficult. And it only made him feel more exhausted. Sleep would be nice. But the eyes were still there...\n\n``Are you clossse...?'' Argyle crooned, his head moving in close once again. It was the first acknowledgement of what he was up to. The blithe mask had fallen away, just for a moment. ``We gotta finish the game, firsssst, don't we...?''\n\n``Nnghnh...'' Errol mumbled. ``Wwwhat if I th-throw the game...?''\n\n``If it feelsss appropriate, you can jussst let me roll the nexssst one.''\n\n``Yeah...''\n\nArgyle picked up the D10 and smirked.\n\nThe eyes spun faster. The hypnotic lustre of the snake's power poured over the little fox's mind, and he forgot what he was doing. How he'd found himself here. Who he was.\n\nThe serpent's tongue flicked against his face. His tail slid up around the back of the fox's head, the chitinous tip rattling and drowning out the ambience of the forest. All that was left was the rattle and the glimmer. It was a lullaby. An irresistible one. \n\nThe tail slid under his chin and lifted him up so he could stare more easily, sag more easily, and melt away.\n\nHe was...\n\nWho was he?\n\nHe was...\n\n``Food.'' the snake purred. ``I've been living on hard tack for daysss... and could use sssomething a bit more sssubssstantial.''\n\n``I don't... have anything,'' the fox yawned with a sleepy sadness.\n\n``No, you do.'' the tongue flitted again. ``You definitely do.''\n\nHe opened his mouth wide. A dark purple maw, glistening wet and snug, bared itself before the morsel. The fox whimpered sadly, not able to see the eyes anymore, but he closed his eyes nonetheless and accepted his fate.\n\nHe was food.\n\nHe was food.\n\nThe head clamped down firmly around the morsel's head, and he was bathed in darkness. \n\n-\n\nErrol came hard. The dark walls squeezed more tightly around his head, bathed in wet, warm bursts of Argyle's breath. His fangs were digging into the shoulder blades. Not enough to pierce, but definitely enough to leave a barely hidden bruise beneath the fur. \n\nArgyle's cock throbbed inside Errol's ass, and he could feel the spurts of warm fill him, the weight pushing into his prostate and prolonging the spurts from his own, un-attended cock. The cum came to rest in long, curved smears on his chest. He could even feel a bit of it hit Argyle's chin. \n\nArgyle was still, tense, and shuddered for a long moment. The breaths grew slower, deeper, switching to long huffs from his nostrils.\n\nArgyle let go of Errol's head, and Errol collapsed back onto Argyle's bed.\n\n``Hhh, you okay?'' Argyle asked. Errol detected a hint of post-nut awkward shame in his no-longer-spiralling eyes. ``Thanksss for letting me g-get a bit weird...''\n\n``No, I loved it,'' Errol said, reaching up to wipe the cum from Argyle's chin. ``That was... hufh, fffuck... I don't even have words right now.''\n\n``That'ssss fine,'' Argyle said. He grabbed Errol's hand and sucked on his fingers, luxuriating in the taste. ``Promissse I won't eat you for real.''\n\n``Not even if I'd like that?'' Errol stuck out his tongue.\n\n``No, not even... unlessss~''\n\nErrol pointed his index fingers together, only half-pantomiming that overly submissive pose. Argyle's rattle tail shook and shivered beneath the fox's head. \n\n``Nah, I can't even imagine how that'd work,'' Argyle laughed. ``Besidesss... if I ate you, then I'd never sssee you again.''\n\n``You're a dork,'' Errol said, trying to brush off the intense palpitation in his heart.\n\n``And proud,'' Argyle said, leaning down to give him a kiss. His scaly weight pushed Errol down, and he wished he could sink like this forever. The kiss continued. Their individual tails continued to wag and shift, that pleasant rattling from Argyle's tail filling the bedroom.\n\n``So...'' Errol pulled away. ``Do you think we'll get to do this again soon?''\n\n``Anytime!'' Argyle seemed a little more eager. Had he been just as smitten with Errol from the get go? Maybe he was just better at hiding it. ``You can come over any evening!''\n\n``I meant the dice game, dork,'' Errol said with a warm smirk, before giving him another kiss.\n\nArgyle gurgled out a giggle, before collapsing next to Errol, his weight making the little fox bounce slightly. ``Sssorry!''\n\nArgyle was like a shy little puppydog after cumming. It was cute.\n\n``So...'' Errol traced his finger along Argyle's bare chest as it rose and fell. ``Will you let me know the next time your Friday group cancel?''\n\n``Nah, let'sss not wait,'' Argyle said. ``How're your Wednesdaysss?'' \n\n-\n\n``He's here...'' \n\n``Hm?'' Errol looked up to the snow leopard, then to the door. There he was, shoulder-bag slung over his cadigan-clad torso. He gave a nonchalant wave then headed to the snug. Their booth. On time as always. \n\n``Do you think he's single?'' Pat asked, with a sort of faraway dreamy look in his eyes. Errol tried not to snicker. \n\n``He's sorta open,'' Errol said. ``He told me himself.''\n\n``How do you know that?'' Pat looked at Errol, his eyes wide and his pupils dilated. ``When did he tell you?``\n\n``Well...'' Errol laughed. ``Aheh... tell you what. I'll chat with him, see what he thinks. Maybe he'll run a game for you!''\n\nHe left it at that, left the befuddled, flustered cat at the counter to head to Argyle. He couldn't blame the poor guy. \n\nThe same way he couldn't believe his luck.\n\nHe could see Argyle's tail was draped along the booth seat, already curled into a perfect space for Errol to sit.\n\n``Ssso...'' Argyle said, steepling his fingers and fixing Argyle with a knowing, flirtatiously sinister look. ``Will we play Duet again?''\n\n``Sounds perfect to me,'' Errol said, getting even more comfy. ``I was thinking about that... you mentioned we could do any sort of one-on-one interaction, right? What about a first date~?''\n\nArgyle visibly swallowed, his pupils dilating. Once again, that slight bashful look was on his face.\n\n``Yeah, sssounds-'' he said, his voice a little dry and crackly. ``- Ssssounds great.''\n\nArgyle was chafing a little under the flirtation, clearly he was more used to people fawning over him. Errol was still one of those, obviously... but he was sure the snake was going to turn on those hypnotic charms any moment now, to regain control.\n\nErrol couldn't wait.\n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Dice Game for Two

By Limewah

Commission for Fauxpawe

18+

EXCITING NEWS!

Hey everyone, it's Errol, your Cafe Kitsune here!

One of the main questions I get asked is `why's this place called the Night and Daze, if you close so early?'

It's been an aspirational thing; I've always hated having to kick everyone out at closing time, and I'd love to keep serving you well into the night.

Having later opening hours was always my intention, and I'm SO excited to announce that, at long last, that dream is a reality!

Starting from next week, we've got a new closing time of 10pm Monday to Thursday, and midnight on Weekends!

Can't wait to see some of you night owls stop by for a quiet escape, play some board games, do some late night reading...  all while enjoying our full menu of drinks and treats!

(by the way, we're looking for night staff too!)

?? ?? ?

Errol was delighted, not to mention relieved, when the late-opening license came through the mail and was in his paws. Those 15 business days between the acceptance email and this piece of paper had felt like decades.

After all the work it had taken, all the forms to fill out and all the meetings with joyless bureaucrats, all the `We-Regret-To-Inform-You's... FINALLY, he could keep his cafe open later.

Sure, only time would tell if all of this was worth the long nights and stress - he was worried he'd lost a fair bit of his beautiful white hair in the process.

It'd probably grow back.

His stone-grey coat probably had seen better days too... then again, maybe no one but him noticed the change in lustre.

He was making sure to tell everyone he knew about the late-night openings as well. The time it took to work the espresso machine and produce orders was a great time to point it out. He'd even had fliers and cards printed, which he gave out with every receipt. Anytime he saw someone who looked vaguely like an influencer, he made sure to give them a freebie. He was taking this very seriously.

Secretly, there was another reason why this had been Errol's obsessive goal for the last while.

That desire had sort of been lurking at the back of his subconscious, but when the broad, bespectacled purple snake man stepped through his door on a Wednesday afternoon, it all came back to the forefront of his mind.

He always gave his name as Argyle.

It would have been rude to ask, but Errol always wondered if that was his given name, or if it was a nickname. Errol assumed it had something to do with that distinctive diamond pattern going along his long serpentine tail. Also, the snake almost always wore a cardigan with that same pattern. The colours and thickness would vary depending on the season, but his silhouette never changed. He carried himself with the slow, easy swagger of someone who'd always been too big to be picked on in school, and had a calming, cosy energy to match.

It helped that he was knee-quiveringly handsome too.

He always came in around 4:30, only staying for a little while before closing. It was always the same drink, too, some variation of a latte depending on the season, though he tended to take it on the dry side. Then he'd read a book or scroll on a tablet until closing time. This later closing meant he'd stick around longer, hopefully.

Errol took pains to add a little extra foam to the metal takeaway cup Argyle brought every time, hoping he'd eventually notice.

He also noted that the cup had an embossed picture of a D20 on it. It was always a good way into a conversation, to learn dribs and drabs of Argyle's main hobby.

``How's the game going?'' Errol asked as he gave the metal cup a quick rinse.

``We haven't had the chance to meet in a bit,'' Argyle said, rolling his shoulders back. ``Faelan's house is getting fixed up, and it's taking a lot longer... so we don't really have a venue right now.''

``You should come here-!'' Errol said, rather quickly as he began to prepare the drink. ``I mean, uh... yeah, we stay open till late now, and it'd probably be really easy for you to get a space, I mean, I'd make the space!''

Argyle stared back at him, and blinked. A flicker of confusion spread through his eyes before he nodded and smiled.

``Really? You're open that late?''

``Yes!'' Errol stammered, noticing how tightly he was gripping the metal jug under the milk steamer as it hissed and spat. ``It's a new thing, heh, thought you might like it! You as in, like, all of my customers, heh.''

Argyle nodded, his smile sweet and casual. ``Sounds chill! Thanks Errol, I'll have to see what the rest of the group thinks but I might be able to convince `em!''

``That'd be awesome- I mean, good luck with that! Let me just...''

Errol hid his face behind the coffee machine as he concentrated hard on getting the latte art just right, emblazoning it with the signature lotus-flower of kitsune tails. He tried not to chastise himself too much for his blatantly obvious fox-kit crush.

He was making it weird. This was so awkward.

Or maybe he wasn't? Maybe Argyle didn't mind, or maybe he was just oblivious.

Errol didn't make eye contact as he handed the cup back, choosing to look just above Argyle's left eyebrow instead.

``Thanks, man,'' Argyle said, paying with exact change, plus an extra little tip. Just as he always did. ``See you later!''

``Yeah, you too!'' Errol blurted, his body cringing as the exclamation exited his throat, like a squirt of water out of a crumpled bottle.

He immediately went to the sink and splashed his face with a pawful of cold water.

At least none of his other crushes would end up showing today... he could probably keep it together until the end of his shift.

Oh, fuck, there was that cute green-feathered bird...

-

Hello,

This is Argyle. I chatted with my group, and we would like to try running a game. Could we book a table for 7:00 p.m. on Friday, please?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Warm regards,

Argyle.

``Fuck, he's so formal, GODS.''

Hello Argyle,

Thank you for your email.

``No need to be formal back, lighten the mood, Errol...''

Great hearing from you!

``Mmmnh, no...''

Absolutely, you're free to come whenever! I can give you the Snug towards the back, too, so no one's gonna bother you! Let me know if you need anything else, and if you want to call me to formally book, here's my private number.

(Email Sent.)

...Fuck, that was too far. Errol regretted his wording.

But he'd already sent the email by that point. Sharing his private phone number was fine, though, right? Easier to organise that way.

He totally wasn't finding an excuse to talk to the snake a bit more.

-

Errol kept polishing the table until it gleamed, before immediately wiping it down to ensure there wasn't any residue from the polish. He didn't want Errol and co to get any weird stains on their character sheets or whatever.

It was a good thing he'd thought to have a couple of booths installed towards the back of the cafe, sort of like the snugs you'd find in a pub. A perfect place for Argyle and his friends to basically remain undisturbed.

Errol was doing this early, to make sure that Argyle didn't see. He needed to keep some measure of composure.

Argyle arrived earlier than expected, though, while Errol was still wiping the table down - now with a more frantic pace. Oh god, if Argyle noticed and realised there was a crush... that would scare him off. Maybe.

Argyle didn't seem to notice Errol - he was wandering towards the snow-leopard at the counter, striking up a conversation and almost certainly ordering a latte.

Pat had been doing a great job picking up slack as the night barista. He was lovely, handsome, friendly.

Errol wasn't jealous. He totally wasn't thinking about whether or not Argyle was going to get stolen away from him.

Argyle had a big satchel slung over his shoulder. It was bulging, and Errol's keen hearing could pick up the soft clatter of... dice? Figurines? Probably both.

``Heya Argyle!'' Errol approached him just as he was finishing his order. ``I've given you the snug in the back.''

``Really? Awesome!'' Argyle looked past Errol towards that big booth. ``Yeah, it's more than enough space, thank you!''

Shkka-shkka-shkka.

Errol's ears pricked up as he heard the sound, but he avoided passing comments. Though he did glance down at Argyle's thick, beefy tail as he sauntered past.

There was a chitinous cluster on the tip of Argyle's tail, still shaking and rattling unconsciously.

He must not have noticed it before; it was a lot quieter at night.

It was a very pleasing sound to the ear, too...

Alright, no more thirsting, Errol.

``Are you good for the rest of the evening, Pat?''

``Sure thing,''  Pat said. ``You heading home?''

``In a bit, I'm gonna make myself a decaf.''

Once his drink was ready, the fox found himself a spot a good distance away from the snug - though still in a spot where he could see the snake over the top of his novel.

Argyle seemed to be too absorbed in setting out figurines and going through his notes to notice. His lips moved silently as he read through his notes. He hummed softly and cleared his throat, and his purple tongue flitted out from his pursed lips as he slipped into even deeper concentration.

Errol wanted to open up that mouth and climb inside it.

...Fuck. What was wrong with him?!

He buried his head in the book again. What was normally a really fascinating book about city architecture looked more like a jumble of words to him now. He couldn't even begin to read it. He took a big gulp of his coffee and closed his eyes, willing that tent in his legs to go down.

A half hour or so passed. Whenever Errol looked up, he noticed Argyle seemed to be getting a little bit more agitated. Checking his phone and pecking away at it with un-hidden frustration. He sat back in the booth and sighed, before reaching out to his figurines and taking them off the table.

Errol leapt out of his seat so quickly the mug rattled. He walked over quickly, ignoring the eyes of the other night owls who'd arrived.

``Is everything okay, Argyle?'' he said. Argyle looked up at Errol and smiled, trying to hide his obvious disappointment.

``Oh, a bunch of the party cancelled,'' Argyle said with a dissatisfied laugh. ``We don't have enough people, ssso I called it off. Csss'est la vie.''

``Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that,'' Errol said. ``Can I get you anything?''

``You aren't wearing your apron,'' Argyle pointed out. Errol glanced down; that's right, he was just in his white shirt and slacks at the moment. ``Are you working?''

``Well, technically, no...''

``Want to join me for a bit, then?'' Argyle smiled; the warmth was returning to the cold-blooded man's expression. ``I'm not going anywhere for a while if you'd like to hang out.''

``Oh, sure!'' Errol managed to not blurt that one out, to his credit. He slipped into the booth, feeling the cushion creak under him as he sat. It was a little firm; maybe he'd have to get it re-upholstered. ``I kinda wanted to ask about the games you play anyway, like... so, is it like that one in the TV show with the kids and the monsters?''

``Sssorta?'' Argyle laughed. ``I mean, that'sss the old style, and that's just one game. We're playing a different system. This one's called Viciousss Landsss. It'sss great because you can use it for basically any sssetting...''

And he was off. The snake's voice and gestures were laconic, but he was still so animated. His tail was subtly rattling too. Errol felt his guts turning into honey, and his face puff with warmth. He managed to nod along and ask a few perfunctory questions to carry the conversation on, but mostly he was just on twitterpated autopilot, staring at the snake's lips, and his eyes.

``Uh, `scuse me?''

The kitsune and the snake looked up at Pat. The snow leopard smiled down at them, slightly apologetically, back in his street clothes.

``Hey Pat, what's up?''

``Should I close up, or...?''

Errol checked his watch. It was 20 past 12. Well past closing time.

``Oh, shit-'' the kitsune's tails wrapped around himself as he blushed with embarrassment. ``Sorry for keeping you, Argyle. You don't have a bus to catch or something, do you?''

``Oh, no, it'sss okay,'' the snake said graciously.

``And, Pat, yeah, I'll close up, don't worry!''

``You're the boss,'' Pat said with a playful salute before he headed towards the door, and it tinkled to announce his exit.

``You don't have far to go, right?'' Errol asked as he returned his attention to Argyle.

``Ehhh...'' the snake grimaced. ``I'm gonna have to probably sssit on a busss full of drunk college kids. Normally I'd get a lift from one of the players, but...''

``Lemme give you a lift back,'' Errol offered. ``It's the least I can do! Just gimme a bit to close up, if that's okay?''

``Are you sssure?'' Argyle said. It was obvious to both of them he was asking out of politeness, and that he really wanted to spend more time with him.

Oh, oh gosh, oh fuck, there was a spark. He could feel that magnetism.

``Of course,'' Errol said, giving as cool a smile as he could muster.

-

Argyle's tongue was thin and nimble, and as he stooped down to deepen the kiss, Errol could feel all that weight pushing down into him, as if it could hammer him like a spike into the groun. The kitsune moaned with delight, bringing his hands around to grasp at the snake's ass. Not that there was much to squeeze. But his tail was plenty juicy, which more than made up for it. Said tail slithered around behind Errol's ankles, and the kitsune's tail brushed against it, coyly like a secret hand-hold.

The thumping music from the house party across the street had faded away to a very dull pulse, barely noticeable to the fox's ears. Time seemed to dilate as they shared each other's breath, feeling each other's heartbeats against their bodies. All the pent up tension in that short car ride was exploding out of their bodies, shared between their interlocked lips and potentially leading them indoors, if they allowed the momentum to carry them...

A wolf whistle and a whoop broke the spell. Argyle and Errol whipped around and looked across the street. They saw a young lion with a tight polo shirt and a snapback leaning out of a second story window with both of his fingers still in each corner of his mouth.

``WOO! GAY RIGHTS!'' he shouted, before nearly pitching over and falling out entirely.

Errol looked back at Argyle and laughed nervously.

``Ah, heh...'' Argyle laughed. ``The joysss of living near a frat house... at least rent's cheap for faculty.''

``Seems like hell,'' Errol said. ``Anyway, uh... thanks for letting me give you a lift!''

``Thank you for having me,'' Argyle said. ``I'd invite you in, but...''

``Yeah, you gotta be early for the library....''

``Hey, what if I ssstopped by the cafe to play a game with you? Let me know when you're off work?''

``Sounds g-great!'' Errol said. ``Maybe after closing earlier in the week?''

``I'd love that.''

Argyle's head dipped down to give Errol one last kiss - this one gentler, more chaste - before heading up the steps to the porch. Errol chose to turn and walk away, rather than watch him go all the way up.

It wasn't the last they'd see of each other, after all.

-

For a time, though, there wasn't much in the way of chat. Errol did, indeed, start to come by for those regular evening sessions, and this time his friends actually turned up. Errol tried not to feel jealous of the pudgy blue fox who always got the highest-calorie drink on the menu, or the lanky giraffe who had to stoop low to get her neck in through the door, or the scrawny black-scaled iguana who had glasses bigger than his head. They all gathered around Argyle and played right up till closing, deeply invested in the scenarios their Game Master had laid out for them. Errol tried not to listen in to their conversation. The players all seemed to have their own unique voices too... Argyle seemed to stick to his own voice, but his tone was gentle and sonorous.

Errol only caught snippets of the conversation, but couldn't stop wishing he could join in.

They'd shared a few texts here and there, but mostly Errol and Argyle's interactions had been in person while Errol made his drinks.

There was something there. Definitely.

But Errol was afraid to make another move.

-

-Hello Errol. My Friday group will not be meeting this week. Are you working that evening? If not, I was wondering if you would like to try out a two-player game I've wanted to run?

``God, he's so formal...''

-oh cool!! Yeah I can be free! Do I need dice or anything for that?

-No, just bring your bad self. I think you'll like the system a lot. :}==<

``Is that supposed to be a stick-man... ohhh. It's his tongue, yeah...''

-Hehehe okay~

-Great. I'm looking forward to seeing you there!

``...he used an exclamation point. Fuck. This might be serious...''

-Hey Pat! Would you be able to take the evening shift on Friday night? I can swap with your Saturday night. Sorry for the short notice!

- ??

-Great thanks!!!

 - -------

Errol brought a change of clothes with him to work. He resisted the urge to dress up or put on cologne. He didn't want to overdo it. He'd even managed to convince himself that the kiss was just something he imagined. They'd exchanged a few flirtatious messages in the lead-up, but even so... there wasn't that much chance of anything happening. Right?

Would it be weird if he took the booth already and waited for Argyle?

No, it wasn't! He owned the place!

Errol had a book to rifle through anyway, to make himself look occupied, and also signal to Argyle that he, too, liked books.

The cafe was busy enough, too; the hum of conversation was matching the volume of the gentle, relaxing music piping through the speakers.

Argyle was usually quite punctual, and he usually came to set up around six on the dot, so...

As soon as the minute hand hit 12, Errol caught a flash of purple, and looked up to see Argyle giving him a little wave as he waited at the counter to be served.

God, he looked good. The cardigan was extra chunky, since it was starting to get a bit chillier, and he was wearing a black t-shirt with a golden draconic pattern on it. It was such an unorthodox combination, but he wore it with such easy confidence...

It was so hard not to be fascinated by him.

Pat seemed to be striking up a conversation with him too as he prepared the snake's drink. It was going on for a little bit, too. What were they talking about?

Argyle glanced briefly at Errol once or twice, looking like he was trying to find a way out of the politeness trap. Eventually, though, a strange look crossed his eyes, and he turned away from Errol entirely, staring at Pat across the counter.

Errol couldn't see what Argyle was doing, but... something was happening.

Pat's face stiffened with surprise, and a strange, distant look spread along his face. His pupils shrank and his eyebrows raised.

Then a smile spread along his muzzle, and he nodded slowly as if in a daze.

...Was Argyle's head nodding too? His long neck seemed to undulate slightly, like an ocean wave.

When Argyle turned away, drink in hand, Pat was left standing there, staring into space for a moment before he shook his head and looked extremely confused.

``Sssorry about that,'' Argyle said, shuffling in to the booth and taking his shoulder bag off as he placed his metal mug down. ``He's quite chatty...''

``Yeah, he really works for his tips... e-even though I pay him a proper wage!'' Errol was quick to add.

``He's very sssweet. Ssso. How're you?''

``Oh, good, not much new really, just, you know... trying to keep things running!''

``There's a nice buzz here, for sure,'' Argyle said, starting to take out sheafs of paper and washi-tape-bound zines. ``Sso-''

``-And how're you?''

``Oh! Oh yesss, good.'' Argyle continued to rifle through the pages as he spoke, not looking at Errol. ``Halloween break is coming up, ssso it'll be a good chance for me to rest... catch up on prep for these sssorts of thingsss. I'm very behind.''

``Really? You seem so on top of everything!''

``Good, I've got you fooled.'' Argyle grinned widely and chuckled, his mountainous body shaking slightly with each warm, almost jolly `ha'.

Errol wanted to climb all over him.

``Here we are. Ssso.''

Argyle suddenly had a rather intensely focused look on his face as he stared at the booklet in front of him, as if staring at the cover would let him read it all at once.

``Thisss is called Duets. It'sss a game about...how do I put it... one-on-one encounters.''

``Like... duels?''

``Yesss, but not jussst those, that's the great part. A sssesssion can be a duel to the death, a businesss negotiation... or maybe a sssecret tryssst.''

Argyle smiled. There was no misconstruing the meaning.

Errol almost cackled, managing to stifle it into a giggle. He squirmed in his seat like a girl at a sleepover.

``Th-that so?''

``If that was sssomething you wanted to try, of course. Maybe you'd prefer something a bit more sssimple? Or we could role for a ssscenario.''

''Sure, sounds good...'' Errol said. ``Should I have prepared a character or something?''

''No, why don't we use the table?''  Argyle leafed in a couple of pages. Errol couldn't really read the phalanx of graphs from that side. The snake took two of those dice - one bigger and with more sides than the other - and rolled them.

``Okay... we've got... a pah pah.... Yessss. An emotionally charged ambush.''

``Oh, what's that mean?''

``Whatever we want. We could roll for a sssetting...''

''Well, I guess I?m picturing a bandit attacking a traveller, but...'' Errol sat back and frowned with concentration. ``What makes it emotionally charged?''

''Perhapsss they know each other,'' Argyle said with a smile. ``it's a sssudden reunion.''

Errol nodded. ``Okay... that sounds good. I'll be... uh... Errol! The greatest highwayfox the world's ever known!'' He bellowed; at least, as loud as he could without disturbing the customers.

He looked at Argyle for approval. Argyle nodded approvingly, though there was a little reservation in his eyes.

''You're holding back a little,'' he said. ``Do you have performancssse anxiety?''

''I-``

''Well, you shouldn't.'' Errol didn't feel so bad about being interrupted. It wasn't a firm command, but the way Argyle held the fox's gaze made Errol feel inclined to go along with it.

He had very nice eyes. They almost shone in the dim cafe lighting.

Errol wanted to fall into them, swim around in those rippling colourful depths.

''I shouldn?t, you're right,'' Errol mumbled, catching himself - drooling? He quickly wiped his muzzle and looked up. ``and s-so, how do we start?''

``Let's not get too ahead of ourssselves,'' the snake said gently. ``Here, write down your name.''

Argyle slid a crisp note card across the table.

It was hard for Errol to tear his gaze away from Argyle's eyes. He swore they'd changed colour. Or that his thin slitted pupils had changed shape. Just for a moment.

He didn't want to pass comment. He was sure Argyle had been asked many times before. ``Oh, you're a snake? So can you hypnotise people?''

It probably wasn't the case, it wasn't that common of a trait. Maybe what Errol thought was a taste of hypnosis was just a lust-induced hallucination.

Errol examined the card. Underneath a space for his `character name', there were two columns with five circles drawn in them, one column labelled `body' and the other labelled `mind'. There were five spaces for other statistics - Sly, Strong, Serene, Sultry, and Studious.

Errol was given a handful of dice. Three of them were shaped like weird diamonds, and had 8 sides. One more had 6, and the last had 10.

Errol knew he wanted to be sly, so he stuck the biggest die there. He put the rest willy-nilly next to each of those stats, not really thinking about a proper composition.

''Ssso.'' Argyle began. There was that focused, almost teacher-like tone. ``In thisss game you're going to try to do five pointsss of... damage? To either my character's body or mind. Ssso, since we've decided on an ambush, either you beat my character up or make them sssurrender in sssome other way. That'sss the basicsss, the ressst we can learn as we go. Sssince you decided the ssscene, I get to ssset it. Sssound good?''

''Okay,'' Errol said, grinning with delight.

``Alright...''

Argyle's voice barely changed. But the temperature of the booth seemed to. Argyle fixed Errol with a very firm look, that same look he'd given to the zine. It stared into him. Past his eyes, right into what felt like the centre of his mind.

And his eyes...

They were...

Errol felt himself falling forwards against the table. The fall was slow and inevitable, like a distant avalanche. He wasn't worried about the landing. The snake's eyes strobed with rings of purple and pink. They shifted and warbled like twin lava lamps. They made the rest of the world melt. Errol continued to fall. His whole body was slowly surging towards the snake. Every part of him angled towards the snake - his head, his shoulders, his feet... his cock.

``Let's ssstart with the scene itssself,'' Argyle continued. His speech was still so casual, but every syllable sped Errol's fall into those eyes. ``I think I'll be making my way down a forest path. I'm a simple sssnake merchant. I think I jussst sssell dried mushrooms and herbs. I look like an easy mark. Does that sssound nice?''

``Uhnhn?'' Errol was using what little energy he had to stop himself from drooling - he could feel a blob threatening to spill out over his lower lip. But... yes, it sounded fine to him. Everything Argyll could have said would have sounded fine to him... each hiss made his head fuzzy and his insides melty, and he waited dizzily for the next hiss...

Errol dipped forward, his nose pressing into the card, and he felt himself fall right through it, through the table, and into the pink and purple abyss.

-

The snake looked like an easy mark. All alone, trundling with a big thick backpack slung over his broad shoulders, looking like he was lost in thought...

Errol would get a little silver off of him, for sure. He skulked through the trees, clutching his bow tightly and nocking an arrow. Just a warning shot to get the snake's attention.

He fired low, sticking the arrow diagonally into the loamy path, a scant few feet ahead of the snake'.

``What should I roll, then... Ssserene? That'sss a d8 for me...''

Argyle looked down at the table, taking his die. ``Which one will you do? Pick the one that best representsss what you're trying to do.''

``Sly...?'' Errol said, concentrating on reversing that slow, endless fall.. ``I think, c'z I'm trying to aim carefully n'scare you...''

``Cool, go ahead and roll that d10.''

The dice rattled against the table, and Errol felt his mind rattle with them.

``Ten,'' Errol slurred as he peered at the die. It was purple, with pink numbering, just like...

Oooohoo, that'sss a one, ssso... that'sss one `mind' damage for me, right?''

``Uhh... huh?'' Errol mumbled. ``Cool.'' he wanted Argyle to look at him again.

``Sssso... how'll I ressspond...''

Argyle looked into Errol's eyes again. The pulse and swirl pulled him in, and he whimpered with pleasure - so loud, Argyle noticed and chuckled. It was a low, dark, sensual chuckle. He knew what he was doing to Errol... and he was not going to let up.

``I'm at your mercsssy,'' Argyle said with a wry smile. ``Ssso, I think...''

The snake's arms shot up into the air and he sort of squatted awkwardly. The backpack pushed down on him.

``Wait, wait, wait...'' he stammered. ``I don't want any trouble!''

``Well, I'm afraid you've found some, friend!'' Errol smirked, keeping a second arrow at the ready. ``Empty that pack of yours.''

``There'sss nothing of value to you!'' The snake said, clutching the straps of his pack tighter against his underarms. ``I only carry what I need, I don't have any coinsss...''

``Mmmaybe you're lying,'' Errol slurred, noticing a blob dripping from his mouth onto his card. ``Oops... hehe, m'g'na roll smarts.''

``And I'll roll ssssly.'' Argyle said. ``Looksss like we're rolling the ssssame D8.''

the clattering dice made Errol flinch, and it pulled him up just enough to make the dive back into the hypnotic rippling eyes that much deeper.  ``Oh, look, you got me again!''

''Come now, friend, that look in your eye makes it obvious you've got something for me.'' The kitsune thief tugged on the string of his bow just a little, watching how the serpent stiffened. ``The bag, if you please.''

The snake slowly lowered himself and grunted as he eased the bag down onto the path. It looked heavy... but Errol wasn't going to take everything the poor guy had to offer.

``Now, back away...'' Errol continued, keeping his arrow nocked.

The snake still had his broad arms around one of the straps... and Errol only just noticed the muscles start to tense before the snake flung the bag towards him like a boulder from a trebuchet.

``Uh-oh...'' Errol gurgled. ``What should I roll...''

``I'm making you roll Ssstrong to try n' block it,'' Argyle said, ``since you're a bit lower on that one.''

He plucked the little purple and pink D6 from the table and pushed it into Errol's hand, taking time to stroke those thick scaly fingers along the fox's wrist.

Errol's cock throbbed under the table.

``But don't worry, you'll get to force me to do the sssame next turn. Let'sss sssee...''

Argyle's D10 and Errol's D6 knocked into each other, and the fox's toes quivered.

``Yeah, no contessst there, sssorry.'' Argyle smirked. ``ssso, the pack collides with you, and it'sss very, very heavy...''

Errol felt something heavy and smooth plop directly into his lap, and almost moaned out loud before a finger at his lip shushed him.

``Sssso heavy,'' Argyle continued. ``What're you going to do to get it off...?''

``I... ngh..'' Errol whispered. He couldn't think of anything... he couldn't even think at all. That heavy tail weighed down on his crotch, flicking and massaging his bulging tent back and forth.

``There'sss no time limit,'' Argyle said coolly, leaning back and making Errol tug his head forward to follow. ``Take your time.''

Errol struggled to find his next move before he completely drowned in the purple and pink.

Errol struggled and kicked at the canvas. Whatever was inside it was soft and spongy, which only made it more difficult to push it off of him. He could hear hurried footsteps... coming towards him, not away from him.

Shit. The snake was coming for him, he had to escape...

He managed to shift the bag enough to scramble and shimmy free from beneath. His head bumped against two hard ankles, and when he looked up he saw the snake staring down at him. There was a smug smile on his face, and a hypnotic gleam in his eye.

''You shouldn't have tried that, little foxsss...''

``You can tell me what ssskill to use,'' Argyle offered helpfully. ``Sssince I did it to you lasst round.''

``uh...huh...?'' Errol blinked lopsidedly, his left eyelids slightly ahead of his right. ``I dunno...''

``Well, I'm trying to hypnotise you. You want to keep me from ssuccssseeding, right? Because if I do, it'll be much harder for you to win...'' Argyle's tail slid along the inside of Errol's thigh some more, and the kitsune's legs reflexively clenched together around it.

``Mmmnh... you could try and trip me up, forcssse me to roll Sssly to evade? Or maybe Ssserene, maybe you can try and ssspook me, keep me from trancsssing you. C'mon...''

Argyle loomed closer, almost snout to snout with Errol. He wiped the growing puddle of drool on the table beneath Errol's snout with a napkin. His eyes flashed brighter. Errol whimpered and squirmed. The snake took the kitsune's wrist and guided it over to his side of the table, towards the character-card on the other side.

``Pick one,'' Argyle cooed. ``Don't overthink it, little fox.''

Errol couldn't look at the dice, he could only feel their curvatures and edges as the pinks and purples continued their endless, entrancing dance.

The endless, entrancing dance of those colours made it impossible for Errol to look at anything else. The fox shook his head and tried to look away, but every attempt just tugged him back towards the colours, and the smug snake. The traveller stooped down, smirking wickedly.

``I think you'll make a fine companion... or perhaps a morssssel...''

Errol dug into the ground with his paws, ending up grabbing a fistful of dirt... that was it!

He flung the clump at the snake's face. He shouted, coughed and sputtered as he stumbled back, and Errol used that opportunity to wriggle free.

``Yaaaay...'' Errol giggled drunkenly. ``I gotcha...''

``You did!'' Argyle said. ``Good Job...''

The praise made Errol whimper and squirm in his seat. His cock was dribbling pre all over Argyle's tail; he hadn't even noticed his pants had shuffled down to his knees thanks to that meaty, yet dextrous appendage.

``Now, let's go back to sssstraight rollssss, neither of usss can force the other for a few more rounds. Are you gonna run?''

As he scrambled and shimmied, Errol frantically glanced around for his bow... with a sinking heart, he realised it was under that massive pack. Hopefully it was still in one piece...

The snake had wiped the dirt from his face, and began to trudge towards him.

``You've jussst made a ssseriousss missstake my friend. A very ssstupid one...''

``Yes, I c-can see that!'' Errol sputtered. Maybe adopting a more pathetic posture would help the brigand get out of this one unscathed. ``So, let me just be on my way, and you'll have yourself a shiny new bow for your trouble?''

``Hmm... sssly for you, sssmartsss for me? Does that sssound right?''

``Uh-huh...?''

``Let'sss sssee... five for you, sssixxsss for me. Ssso, that'sss another mind-point for you...''

``No...'' the snake was looming over him now. Errol had backed himself into a tree. A thick purple hand rested on the bark just above the thief's head. ``I want you.''

Errol clenched his eyes shut and tried to look away at the first glimmer of hypnotic colour, though his head was feeling so sluggish already.

Errol sluggishly let the D10 tumble out of his hand, while Argyle rolled a D8.

``Ohhh, and that'sss a one for you.'' Argyle tutted. ``And sssince I rolled an 8... that'sss double damage.''

``Nnooo~'' Errol giggled, shortly before getting another squeeze of his junk. ``Nnhgn-!''

``It'sss okay, it'sss not over yet.''

But it was too tempting... his left eye betrayed him, then his right, and his tense face went slack as he gazed up into the colours.

``P...puh... please...'' Errol mumbled, trying desperately to hold onto his mind, though submission's seductive allure was pulling him closer to the snake, to look at the eyes over his glasses.. ``I'll d-do anything...''

``Yesss,'' the snake purred in response. ``I think you will.''

Now that he was no longer resisting, the little fox was allowing the pleasure to flow through him more freely. His shrunken stance visibly relaxed, and his head tilted downwards. His snout pointed down towards the snake's large stomach, but his eyes attempted to remain focused on the gemstone eyes. It was so difficult. And it only made him feel more exhausted. Sleep would be nice. But the eyes were still there...

``Are you clossse...?'' Argyle crooned, his head moving in close once again. It was the first acknowledgement of what he was up to. The blithe mask had fallen away, just for a moment. ``We gotta finish the game, firsssst, don't we...?''

``Nnghnh...'' Errol mumbled. ``Wwwhat if I th-throw the game...?''

``If it feelsss appropriate, you can jussst let me roll the nexssst one.''

``Yeah...''

Argyle picked up the D10 and smirked.

The eyes spun faster. The hypnotic lustre of the snake's power poured over the little fox's mind, and he forgot what he was doing. How he'd found himself here. Who he was.

The serpent's tongue flicked against his face. His tail slid up around the back of the fox's head, the chitinous tip rattling and drowning out the ambience of the forest. All that was left was the rattle and the glimmer. It was a lullaby. An irresistible one.

The tail slid under his chin and lifted him up so he could stare more easily, sag more easily, and melt away.

He was...

Who was he?

He was...

``Food.'' the snake purred. ``I've been living on hard tack for daysss... and could use sssomething a bit more sssubssstantial.''

``I don't... have anything,'' the fox yawned with a sleepy sadness.

``No, you do.'' the tongue flitted again. ``You definitely do.''

He opened his mouth wide. A dark purple maw, glistening wet and snug, bared itself before the morsel. The fox whimpered sadly, not able to see the eyes anymore, but he closed his eyes nonetheless and accepted his fate.

He was food.

He was food.

The head clamped down firmly around the morsel's head, and he was bathed in darkness.

-

Errol came hard. The dark walls squeezed more tightly around his head, bathed in wet, warm bursts of Argyle's breath. His fangs were digging into the shoulder blades. Not enough to pierce, but definitely enough to leave a barely hidden bruise beneath the fur.

Argyle's cock throbbed inside Errol's ass, and he could feel the spurts of warm fill him, the weight pushing into his prostate and prolonging the spurts from his own, un-attended cock. The cum came to rest in long, curved smears on his chest. He could even feel a bit of it hit Argyle's chin.

Argyle was still, tense, and shuddered for a long moment. The breaths grew slower, deeper, switching to long huffs from his nostrils.

Argyle let go of Errol's head, and Errol collapsed back onto Argyle's bed.

``Hhh, you okay?'' Argyle asked. Errol detected a hint of post-nut awkward shame in his no-longer-spiralling eyes. ``Thanksss for letting me g-get a bit weird...''

``No, I loved it,'' Errol said, reaching up to wipe the cum from Argyle's chin. ``That was... hufh, fffuck... I don't even have words right now.''

``That'ssss fine,'' Argyle said. He grabbed Errol's hand and sucked on his fingers, luxuriating in the taste. ``Promissse I won't eat you for real.''

``Not even if I'd like that?'' Errol stuck out his tongue.

``No, not even... unlessss~''

Errol pointed his index fingers together, only half-pantomiming that overly submissive pose. Argyle's rattle tail shook and shivered beneath the fox's head.

``Nah, I can't even imagine how that'd work,'' Argyle laughed. ``Besidesss... if I ate you, then I'd never sssee you again.''

``You're a dork,'' Errol said, trying to brush off the intense palpitation in his heart.

``And proud,'' Argyle said, leaning down to give him a kiss. His scaly weight pushed Errol down, and he wished he could sink like this forever. The kiss continued. Their individual tails continued to wag and shift, that pleasant rattling from Argyle's tail filling the bedroom.

``So...'' Errol pulled away. ``Do you think we'll get to do this again soon?''

``Anytime!'' Argyle seemed a little more eager. Had he been just as smitten with Errol from the get go? Maybe he was just better at hiding it. ``You can come over any evening!''

``I meant the dice game, dork,'' Errol said with a warm smirk, before giving him another kiss.

Argyle gurgled out a giggle, before collapsing next to Errol, his weight making the little fox bounce slightly. ``Sssorry!''

Argyle was like a shy little puppydog after cumming. It was cute.

``So...'' Errol traced his finger along Argyle's bare chest as it rose and fell. ``Will you let me know the next time your Friday group cancel?''

``Nah, let'sss not wait,'' Argyle said. ``How're your Wednesdaysss?''

-

``He's here...''

``Hm?'' Errol looked up to the snow leopard, then to the door. There he was, shoulder-bag slung over his cadigan-clad torso. He gave a nonchalant wave then headed to the snug. Their booth. On time as always.

``Do you think he's single?'' Pat asked, with a sort of faraway dreamy look in his eyes. Errol tried not to snicker.  

``He's sorta open,'' Errol said. ``He told me himself.''

``How do you know that?'' Pat looked at Errol, his eyes wide and his pupils dilated. ``When did he tell you?``

``Well...'' Errol laughed. ``Aheh... tell you what. I'll chat with him, see what he thinks. Maybe he'll run a game for you!''

He left it at that, left the befuddled, flustered cat at the counter to head to Argyle. He couldn't blame the poor guy.

The same way he couldn't believe his luck.

He could see Argyle's tail was draped along the booth seat, already curled into a perfect space for Errol to sit.

``Ssso...'' Argyle said, steepling his fingers and fixing Argyle with a knowing, flirtatiously sinister look. ``Will we play Duet again?''

``Sounds perfect to me,'' Errol said, getting even more comfy. ``I was thinking about that... you mentioned we could do any sort of one-on-one interaction, right? What about a first date~?''

Argyle visibly swallowed, his pupils dilating. Once again, that slight bashful look was on his face.

``Yeah, sssounds-'' he said, his voice a little dry and crackly. ``- Ssssounds great.''

Argyle was chafing a little under the flirtation, clearly he was more used to people fawning over him. Errol was still one of those, obviously... but he was sure the snake was going to turn on those hypnotic charms any moment now, to regain control.

Errol couldn't wait.

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