Game Night with Peakwoods [Midpoint]
Johanna quirked a brow as her phone chimed with a message from her brother.  It was, admittedly, already late in her work-day...but Dane was usually very good at abiding by her rule about not being disturbed while she was at work.  So her first, instinctive thought was that something was very wrong.  Her second thought was that, if the first were true, he would have knocked on her door instead of sending a text, or maybe barged in without even bothering to knock.  He was, literally, sitting less than a dozen yards from her, in his room on the other end of the hall.
Her confusion only grew when she read the message:
<<Dane: Hey, would you clock out early if it meant you could meet Kita Peakwood in person? [3:52]>>
Thinking on it for a second, she replied in the affirmative, but also asked how “early” he was referring to and what had prompted the question.  His answer:
<<Dane: Then clock out, and get dressed if you haven’t already.  :)  We’re going to the lodge.  I’ll explain on the way.  [3:53]>>
After blinking at the message a couple of times, Johanna sent an email to her supervisor explaining that she would not be available for the (short) remainder of the day, with a note to message her if an emergency came up, as per usual.  She’d made a point of getting dressed before work from her first job in high-school (even if her job was perpetually remote), so in the same second her machine shut down she was out the door.
Dane was already in the living-room of the little apartment, pacing excitedly around the coffee table.  “Wuff, I am so glad you said ‘yes’,” he smiled before she could even ask what was going on.  Jingling his keys in his fingers, he moved immediately to the door, motioning for her to follow.  “I’m about to freak out here.  I don’t think I could go alone.”
“I think you’re already well into ‘freak out’ territory, brother,” Johanna noted, following him without hesitation, “Weren’t you practicing with your sponsor team today?”
“Yeah,” her brother admitted with a momentary wince that still couldn’t break his smile, “I told them the storm here knocked out the power, and my battery backup is about to die,” he explained, pointing to the dark and noisy sky as if the half of his excuse that was true justified the half that was false.  The car beeped to signal it had unlocked, and the pair made a quick break through the rain to get into it without soaking themselves.
Once sheltered and dry in the seats, Johanna asked, “So we really are going to meet Kita?  Right now?  Why?”  Kita Peakwood was a big name around Three-Peaks...and the nation of Heartherra as a whole...and the world in general.  The country-singer had rocketed to international fame a little over twelve years ago, single-handedly turning her sleepy, lower-class hometown into a booming tourist hotspot.  Her attention was, needless to say, in high demand...and Johanna was rightly dubious that she and Dane merited any of it.
“Oh, you are not going to believe this,” Dane chuckled as he put the car in gear, “So, you know that stretch where I was a little addicted to Battle-Hunters a few years back?  One of the other players in my guild also lives in Three-Peaks.  I don’t even remember how we got onto it, but we said we should get together sometime and swapped numbers...then never really followed-up.”
His sister listened patiently, but couldn’t help giving him a dubious look at this point.  “You’re going to have a hard time convincing me Kita plays Battle-Hunters.  Not that it can’t be done, but she’s blind, you know.”
Dane laughed.  “No, and I don’t think she would have swapped numbers with anyone, if that was the case.  My guild-mate is named ‘Lua’.  Lua Peakwood.  And no, not Kita’s sister either.  Turns out she’s married to Rikko Peakwood...who is Kita’s adopted brother, if I remember the story right?” he asked as much as stated.  Both of the Peakwoods were local legends, largely due to the mystery of their origins.  Stories varied in the details, but the gist was that both the Caped Fox and the Jackrabbit had simply wandered out of the woods of Witch-Mountain with no knowledge of how they’d gotten there or where they’d come from before that.  As such, they’d been adopted by a local family...and from there the legends only grew, though along two very different paths.
Johanna was already looking up local who’s-who pages.  “Okay...but why did she suddenly decide you needed to meet her sister-in-law?”
“Get this,” he chuckled, “Their internet’s down.  So she and Rikko had the bright idea to introduce Kita to TTRPGs.  Uh...I think she said they’re playing ‘Oddular Adventures’, or something like that?  It’s the sort of game that works best with at least three players, besides the GM.  So...?” he winked at her, trusting her to fill in the rest from there.
Johanna nodded.  “So she invited you to be their third player, since you live close by, and she at least knows you well enough to trust you won’t be a total creep at the table.”
“Yeeeaah,” he grimaced again, “And that’s why I wanted you to come, too.  I’d like to think I’m not a creep, when I’m not being invited to it,” he gave her a meaningful look, “But I’m already giddy at the thought of meeting an actual star.  Not just meeting: actually sitting down to game with her.  I need you to check me, if I start to embarrass myself.”
“Can do,” his sister affirmed nonchalantly, opening a handful of tabs on her phone while he carefully navigated the wet roads in the rain, “Oddular Adventures, huh?  This could be fun...”
“Heard of it before?” Dane arched a brow, frankly surprised that she would be into that sort of thing.
But Johanna shook her head.  “No.  Social games aren’t my cup of tea.  But the resolution mechanics are simple enough...dice-based probabilities, modified by the character’s class and equipment...anything math is right up my alley.  I’ll make the rest work,” she promised.
“Heh...thanks, sis,” Dane chuckled, genuinely relieved and grateful, “I can always count on you.”
Her tail wagged against the seat once at the praise, and Johanna continued reading a summary of the main rules and a handful of supplementary articles for the rest of the drive.  The lights of the Masked-Fox Lodge rolled slowly into sight, bright and welcoming.  Despite the dark sky, the main floor was still open, and hosting quite a few cars in the parking lot.  Dane carefully maneuvered their car into one of the spaces, taking a deep breath as he put the vehicle in park.  “Okay...slap me,” he told Johanna, “Just to prove I’m awake before we walk in.”
Johanna quirked a brow, glanced around the parking lot once...and turned his cheek so she could kiss him instead.  Her lips were soft and warm on his own, and his scent was sharp and sweet in her nose.  Dane gave her a smile and a chuckle when she let him go.  “Eh, no, that’s better for convincing me I’m in a dream.”
“Then enjoy the dream, and don’t worry about it,” Johanna shrugged, tucking her phone protectively inside the pocket of her jacket and opening the door.  It was a thankfully short run to the vestibule, then the pair made their way into the warm, rustic interior of the lodge.  “So did she tell you where they’d be?” Johanna asked as they approached the main desk, glancing around at the gift shop and cafe just in sight.
“Sort of,” Dane answered a little hesitantly, “They’re in the penthouse...though Lua neglected to mention how we get there.  Let’s just start here,” he shrugged, stepping over to the guest-services desk.
He didn’t even have a chance to ring the service bell before being greeted by a brightly smiling Springer Spaniel.  “Hey, there!  How can I help you today?”
“Eh, well...I know it’s going to sound a little strange, but I’m supposed to meet Lua Peakwood here.  In the penthouse.  So...which way?” he asked, pointing left and then right, hoping she’d at least give him some general direction.
The Spaniel kept her smile, but looked at him like she couldn’t quite decide if he was trying to pull some sort of prank on her or was just confused in his own right.  “I’m sorry, sir, but the penthouse belongs to Kita Peakwood, and is very much off-limits.  Is your friend a guest here?” she suggested helpfully, already keying up something on her computer, “Or are you maybe at the wrong address?”
“Mm, no,” Dane insisted, shaking his head, “I’ll just...sorry to bother you,” he sighed, taking a step away from the desk with Johanna.  “Well, can’t say I’m surprised,” the Dalmatian chuckled to himself as he pulled out his own phone and fired off a text to the last number to call him.
“They probably get situations like this a lot,” Johanna agreed with a nod, still reading over pages on her own phone.  The phone behind the desk rang after a moment, and the Spaniel answered.  One brief exchange later, she was stepping out from behind it to approach the pair of Dalmatians.  “I apologize, sir,” she said, still smiling as if nothing had changed since their first exchange, “Please come this way.”
“None necessary,” he chuckled, waving off the apology as the helpful employee lead them around to a door marked for employees only.  Scanning her key-card to let them through, the Dog gave them a friendly wave before returning to her station, and Johanna and Dane quietly took the elevator to the top floor.
“Dane!” a large Flemish Giant greeted them warmly the instant the elevator doors slid open again, “Thanks for coming out in this weather.  Hi, Johanna,” she smiled like they were old friends, though they’d never spoken before, and motioned for both of them to follow her.
The female Dalmatian waved at her absently, eyes never breaking contact with her phone as she followed her brother in, finishing soaking up some expanded rulesets.  “Hey, thanks for inviting us!” Dane chuckled, “And don’t worry about it.  We didn’t have anything better to do, anyway.”
“Don’t believe a word of it,” Johanna warned as they followed Lua into the dining room, “He skipped out on practice as soon as you dropped Kita’s name.”
Her brother winced as his ulterior motives were revealed, but could only smile sheepishly.  “Yeah, well...big fan, ya know?”
“Understatement,” Johanna accused.
The Caped Fox already sitting at the table merely inclined her head in both greeting and gratitude at his efforts in self-restraint, well aware of the effect she had on fans.  “Well I hope I make the day worth it.  What were you practicing in this weather?” she asked curiously.
“Eh...nothing you probably follow, so I won’t bore you,” the Dalmatian tried to excuse himself...and wondered why his sister absolutely refused to let him off the hook now that they were actually here.
“E-sports aren’t affected by weather, as long as the connection’s good,” Johanna explained, still staring unblinking at her phone.
Lua chuckled.  “Oh, so that’s what you do when you’re not streaming Battle-Hunters?” she winked before turning to formally introduce them to Rikko and Kita, “So, this is Dane, and his sister Johanna.  He’s in one of my MMO guilds.  This is my husband, Rikko, and I should hope you recognize his adopted sister.  Which e-sport do you play?” she asked politely as she found her seat at the head of the table and began setting up a small GM station.
Dane bit his lip, looking surprisingly hesitant.  “...Wrath of Gods,” he admitted at last.
“For team Hot-Wings,” Johanna added.  
That was when Lua’s eyes went wide.  “WHAT?!” she blurted out, “You guys won the pantheon championship last season!”
“Yeah, the guys are top-notch, but I hate the team name,” Dane cringed, bracing for the last surprise, “Aaaand...my call-sign is ‘Bruiser’.”
Lua’s chin nearly fell onto the table.  “You...oooooh...,” she suddenly understood, remembering how much she had gushed to Dane about Bruiser right after the championship, “I totally geeked out on you, didn’t I?”
The Dalmatian chuckled, glad she didn’t seem to be freaking out now that all his cards were on the table.  “Yep.  We’re cool, you know.  I just didn’t want to make things awkward back then...or make a scene in front of a real celebrity,” he gestured toward Kita, who was listening to the entire exchange with an amused smile.
The Fox laughed outright at his modesty.  “Don’t sell yourself short.  You’ve got the start of a fandom right here...and you’ll have to get used to fans like this,” she warned teasingly, not even able to see the mildly offended look on Lua’s face...or the mildly betrayed look on Dane’s, as Johanna thoughtlessly took the chair beside Kita.  Then again, maybe that hadn’t been so thoughtless...
The female Dalmatian finally set her phone face-down on the table, and picked up a handful of dice.  “So I thought we came here to play a game, not ogle the stars,” she reminded them, tossing the dice out to generate her stats.  With a general chuckle all around, Dane settled into the seat across from her, beside Rikko, and Lua resumed reading the source material while Johanna walked her brother quickly through making a character.  Having reviewed the core rules and several supplements on the way over, she already had a pretty strong grasp of the process...
The following three hours were filled with quirky (mis)adventure.  Kita’s gentlemanly zombie butler very politely allowed its head to be knocked off by a trap the group was trying to avoid.  Johanna’s seductive dungeon-hacker attempted to work her wiles on a skeletal door-keeper (in-character, to the surprise and delight of the entire table).  Rikko’s sworn-to-silence paladin engaged a severed hand in an arm-wrestling contest.  And Dane’s exotic liquids merchant managed to set off nearly every trap they encountered (after that first one decapitated the butler).
“Erg, I really hate to say this,” Dane admitted, “But we should probably be going.  It looks like the weather’s cleared,” he noted, pointing out the large full-height windows, “And I, for one, am getting hungry.”
“Aww,” Lua sighed, likewise glancing out the window.  The storm had passed, but the sky was still dark, and soon to become darker as night well and truly settled in.  “I suppose it is about that time.  Guess I’ll have to hope my connection is back.  Thank you for coming over,” she smiled sincerely to the Dalmatians before beginning to gather the dice into their bag, “It was a wonderful game.”
Johanna nodded, making some final edits to the files open on her phone and saving them for future reference.  “I agree, and that’s actually a surprise to me.  I didn’t expect to like this kind of thing.  Thank you for having us.”
Kita rocked her head thoughtfully, hearing the chairs slide back as the pair got up.  “If it won’t interfere with other plans,” she asked gently, “Could you afford to stay one more hour, and join us downstairs in the Country Kettle?  Dinner will be my treat, as thanks for a truly delightful evening.”
“That’d be great, actually,” Johanna answered easily while Dane’s chin was still slack, “It’s been a while since we had anything not cooked in a microwave.”
The Fox smiled warmly at them, unfolding her cane and getting to her feet.  “Then it would be my pleasure.  Lua, are you okay with that?” she asked toward the head of the table, where the large Bunny was just finishing putting the lid on the box.
Lua actually looked a little nervous, biting her lip thoughtfully as she considered...but finally nodded.  “Yes, I’ll be fine,” she promised, taking Rikko’s arm as he patted her hand.
Johanna tilted her head at the reaction.  “Not big on going out, huh?”
“Crowds make me nervous,” Lua admitted with a sheepish smile, “And Kita always draws a crowd.”
The Dalmatian blinked at her a couple of times.  “You’re a lot like me, then,” she noted quietly, “Truth be told, it’s hard for me to go anywhere without brother.  So thank you again for inviting us over.  This was nice.”
Lua looked like she was about to argue that estimation, but Kita nodded sympathetically and began sweeping her cane slowly in front of her to make her way to the elevator.  “Don’t worry, dears.  I have you well covered,” she promised, pulling her phone from her pocket as she went.  “Hello, Richard.  We’re on our way down to the diner.  Would you be a dear and ask them to hold the room?  Thank you.”
The others followed her down to the first floor, then across the lobby to one of the two restaurants that operated out of the lodge.  The manager met them at the door, and Rikko assisted Kita with navigating the aisle between the tables and chairs to a private room at the back, usually reserved for large parties or birthdays and the like.
Excited whispers started to run through the small crowd of diners seated at the other tables as the Caped Fox carefully slid between them.  Kita just smiled at the soft sound, keeping a hold on Rikko’s arm, and began softly singing...
Lain noma kil kain kou ai ankima sour,
Lain lil lainsi kou koul sos moilakol,
Lain lainsi noikiel ays aim,
Kou ot kimoulnur inu kol...
The whispers died away, replaced by a kind of collective sigh.  A sense of satisfaction settled over the room.  Content with the short, informal concert, everyone returned to their meals with heartier appetites and praise for the simple pleasures of good food shared with friends or families.  Kita chuckled with a satisfied smile of her own as she let the words trail off and pushed through the little curtain separating the party room from the rest of the diner.
“Wuff...you might actually be better a capella,” Dane chuckled, “That is amazing.”
“What’s the translation on that, if you don’t mind my asking?” Johanna prompted, typing something into her phone even as she asked the question.
Kita waited until she’d found her seat to answer that.  “Oh, something like this, roughly: There’s no work more satisfying than in field and barn, no dinner more filling than the one on mother’s table, no better way to end any day than the old-fashioned country way,” she giggled, “Not my best lyrics.”
That got a chuckle out of Lua as she sat down beside Rikko, opposite Kita.  “Well it’s not like anyone could tell.  Perk of writing your own language: no one else knows if you’re saying something sweet or insulting.  They only known the sound is beautiful, when you sing it.”
“And that they have more appetite,” the manager chuckled.  They all blinked at him, having not realized he was still waiting by the door, pen at the ready to take their drink orders personally.  The young Mule smiled at the surprised looks.  “She sings that every time she comes by.  And every time, orders go up, both for entres and desserts, and plates come back practically licked clean.  It’s a profit, as well as a pleasure, to have you as our guest, ma’am.”
Kita giggled.  “Thank you, Harold.  Sweet tea, please,” she added, having guessed why he was waiting even if she couldn’t see him.  The fancier restaurant in the other wing usually assigned their most competent waiter to her, but the manager of the Country Kettle preferred to see to her personally.
“Frankly, just making your own language is pretty impressive,” Johanna returned to their previous conversation as soon as the manager had left to fetch their drinks, “Making it flow well with music is another trick entirely.”
The Fox quietly accepted the praise with an appreciative smile.  “I think a song-writer ought to have a fairly strong command of language.  And that lead to a silly idea, back when I was in school, that making up my own would help with that somehow.  I don’t know that I achieved my intended goal, but I’m glad it worked out for my work.  Now,” she swiveled her ears and attention to Johanna, “I don’t believe I’ve heard yet what you do for a living.  Given that little performance during the game today, I’d be tempted to guess ‘actress’ if you hadn’t made it clear you don’t appreciate spotlights.”
“Definitely not,” Johanna agreed, tearing her eyes away from her phone for a moment to glance over the menu, “I do coding and system security.  Officially, I work for FoxFirewall in their emergency response division, but I do website design, software design, and lots of little personal projects in between my assignments there.”
“Oh!” Kita’s ears perked up, “I have a contract with that company, if I remember right.  They have quite the reputation.”
“That’s right,” the Dalmatian confirmed, returning her eyes to her phone as her decision was made, “We secure the network for the lodge here, and your side-business over in South Verdantgrove.  It’s only come up once, but I’ve been told in no uncertain terms that your company is my top priority if an event occurs.”
It was Kita’s turn to tilt her head curiously.  “Oh my...did I actually pay for that?”
“No,” Johanna assured her just as the manager returned with their drinks, “My supervisor’s just another fan, I’m pretty sure.  That, and he thinks what you’re doing for South Verdantgrove is respectable, so he wants to be sure there are no hiccups we can prevent.”
“Well, thank you for your hard work,” Kita nodded.
Dane couldn’t quite suppress a proud smile on his sister’s behalf.  “So what do you have going on in Verdantgrove?” the Dalmatian asked politely, “If it’s no secret or anything...”
The Caped Fox grinned, tilting her head toward the Mule serving them.  “Harold, do you know where your vegetables come from?”
“Of course,” the Mule chuckled, readying his pen for their order next, “Just over the mountain in Verdantgrove, as you requested.  The costs are higher than the local grocery, but the quality is a match for that I’d say.”
“From Verdantgrove?” Lua quirked a brow, “Aren’t they a mining town?”
“Yes,” Kita nodded, “But the coal mines are running dry, and the community there is struggling.  I have a little operation set up there to experiment with new farming techniques in low-nutrient soil, using all-natural fertilizers we’re developing.  So far the product is good, but the process is not cost-effective,” she admitted, “It’s improving steadily, though.  We hope to be competitive with local markets in the next five years.  I’m mitigating the expense until then, so people will be willing to try the produce and build it’s reputation for when it goes independent.  Then the town will have at least one other product it can export, and not become a ghost-town.”
“Huh...I think I’d like to try some of that, then,” Johanna decided, scrolling over news from South Verdantgrove on her phone, “Pork chops with mixed vegetables, please.”
“Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy,” her brother added with an audible grow in his belly.  It had been a long, exciting time since breakfast.
Kita licked her lips.  “Oh, that does sound delicious.  I’ll have vegetables with mine, though, thank you.”
Lua rocked her head thoughtfully.  “I’ll have the patty melt with chips,” she decided, turning to her husband, “The usual, dear?”  Rikko gave a thumbs up with a smile, and the manager wrote something down without even having to ask the details.  With a polite bow, the Mule gave them their privacy once again.
“Not that the business talk isn’t interesting,” Dane chuckled, “But I’m impressed by something else, now that I think about it: do you know everyone who works in the lodge by name?”
“Not quite,” Kita admitted, actually sounding a little embarrassed by that, “But I do try.  Everyone deserves to be called by their own name, at the least, though I don’t know even half of them on any personal level.  They’re my employees, but also my neighbors.  This is their workplace, but also my home.  They shouldn’t feel like cogs in a machine here, and I think using proper names helps with that.”
Johanna looked up from her phone.  Then she placed it face-down on the table, briefly, to look squarely at the Fox, though of course Kita couldn’t see her sudden interest.  “No offense, but I’ve never liked country music.  Yours is better than most, but still not enough to make me buy an album,” she confessed, earning a surprised look from both her brother and Lua.  Rikko and Kita looked more curious about what had prompted that admission.  Johanna obligingly continued, “I think that might change today.  It’s still not my kind of music, but you’re the kind of manager I’d like to keep in business.”
Kita’s smile took on a little blush at the praise.  “Don’t buy my music, then,” she suggested, “Buy a shirt from the giftshop, or vegetables from Verdantgrove, or dinner from the Apple Crate.”
“Wait, you own the Apple Crate, too?” Dane’s ears perked up.
“No,” Kita laughed, “But I started my career there, and the owners have been kind to me since well before I was famous.  I will be heartbroken if they ever shut down, and that is sure to affect my music.”
The food arrived to chuckles all around the table.  Kita left the meal that night with a new fan in Johanna (who did, in fact, purchase a cap from the giftshop), and Dane left it a little less star-struck and more genuinely admirable of the town’s local legend.