24 Was Nathan a ........

I sat at my desk, surrounded by papers and notebooks. These were books I used to work on my original story. It was just world-building; there was no story yet.

But, due to recent events, I had a chance to use these notes to do something with them.

I had become good friends with Matt and his friends John, Joanna, and Lucia. Joanna had even gotten past her shyness towards me a little, and I was enjoying my time with them.

I remembered back to the first Dungeons and Dragons game Matt had invited me to. It was originally started by Jack, John and Joanna's older brother; he was the GM. But this year, he had gone to college, so Matt decided he was going to be the new GM.

I arrived at John and Joanna's house where the game was always held. I had heard about the legendary sessions led by Jack.

Matt, eager to fill those big shoes, had set up the room perfectly for an immersive experience.

Maps sprawled across the table, dice of various colors and sizes lay scattered, and character sheets were meticulously filled out. Matt had talked a big game about his abilities as a GM, promising an adventure that would rival anything that they had done before.

However, as the game commenced, it quickly became apparent that Matt's enthusiasm far outstripped his preparation. The first sign of trouble was when he struggled to describe the starting location of the campaign.

"Uh, you all meet in a... tavern, I guess? Yeah, a tavern," Matt stammered, flipping through his notes, trying to find his place. "It's in a village... or a city. You know what? Let's make it a city."

I exchanged glances with the others, trying to gauge their reactions. Lucia rolled her eyes, Joanna was doing her best to hide her amusement behind a serious facade, and John looked like he was mentally preparing for a long night. We all knew it was going to be a disaster.

As the game progressed, the lack of planning became more evident. Quests were hastily thrown together, with objectives that changed midway through. "Actually, the princess you were supposed to rescue turns out to be the villain," Matt announced, an hour into the game, causing a collective groan around the table.

Combat encounters were chaotic, not due to thrilling strategy or unexpected twists, but because of Matt's inconsistent application of the rules.

"So, the goblin attacks you, and... um, let's see, he hits... or does he? Wait, what's your AC again?" he'd ask, squinting at the player's character sheet as if it were written in a foreign language.

The final straw came when Matt attempted to introduce a dramatic plot twist. "As you confront the dark wizard, he reveals that he's actually your long-lost brother!" he declared, looking around the table for shocked reactions.

"But my character is an orphan raised by wolves," I pointed out, unable to keep the confusion from my voice.

"Oh, right. Well, maybe he's a wolf then? A magic wolf?" Matt tried to salvage the situation, his voice trailing off.

The game ended not with a climactic battle or a clever resolution to the campaign's mysteries, but with the group collectively deciding it was time to call it a night. As we packed up, I couldn't help but feel a mix of disappointment and amusement. It was a disaster, sure, but it was also one of the most genuinely fun evenings I'd had in a long time.

As we were all about to leave, I made a suggestion.

"Hey, why don't I GM the next game?"

Matt's eyes widened, a mix of surprise and relief washing over his face. "Really? You'd do that?"

"Yeah," I confirmed with a nod.

"I have been working on something—not a story, just some worldbuilding. I think I can make something up."

A visible weight seemed to lift from Matt's shoulders, his posture straightening as if freed from the burden of his own failed attempt.

"That would be amazing, Danny. I think I bit off more than I could chew tonight," he admitted with a sheepish grin.

"I mean, you are already an award-winning writer. Maybe you can do better than Jack," Joanna said with her small voice.

"She's right. Alright, Percy Jackson. Let's see what you can do," Lucia said, pointing her finger at my chest.

"Then it's settled. I'll start putting together a campaign for us. Something epic."

The four of them gave a cheer, and we went our separate ways. That was about a month ago, and we were supposed to play next week. They were very excited about it at school.

I looked at the notes again.

Over the last three years, I had been making a fantasy world. The World I envisioned was vast, with diverse landscapes ranging from snow-capped mountains and dense forests to sprawling deserts and bustling cities. I had done some lore for a continent in this world. But still could't come up with a good story.

At the heart of this continent was the Empire, a powerful entity reminiscent of the Holy Roman Empire, with a complex political system where lords and electors held sway.

The Emperor, elected by these electors, was the supreme ruler, but his power was checked by the various noble families, each vying for influence and control. In my world, magic was a rare and revered skill, primarily possessed by the nobility.

The ability to wield magic was seen as a divine right to rule, setting the nobles apart from the common folk.

This dynamic created a society where the lines between the magical elite and the ordinary people were starkly drawn, with tensions simmering beneath the surface.

As I fleshed out the details of the Empire, I decided to include a variety of races, including humans, elves, half-elves, dwarves, and gnomes. Each race had its unique culture and history, influencing their relationships with each other and their stance towards the Empire.

Elves, for example, were refugees from a continent beyond the ocean who had arrived after their continent was sunk by a disaster. It mirrored Atlantis in a way. They had married into the noble families and were one of the driving forces in the creation of the empire.

Dwarves were master craftsmen and miners. They had been forced from their ancient homes in the mountains long ago by orcs and goblins and now lived on the surface.

Gnomes, on the other hand, were ingenious inventors and tinkerers. Their curiosity and ingenuity made them valuable allies or unpredictable foes. Their homeland was under siege by kobolds and humans.

I decided to start the campaign at a border town, where the players, as a band of adventurers, would find themselves drawn into the intrigue and conflict of the Empire.

They would navigate the complex web of politics, uncover secrets that could shake the very foundations of the Empire, and perhaps alter the course of history itself.

I typed away, creating histories, designing characters, and plotting adventures, after a while, I decided to take a break.

'I think I deserve this break' I thought as I pointed the mouse to the folder that contained some new artworks I had commissioned from Matt.

Just as I was about to look through it, I heard a knock. I quickly closed my laptop, cursing whoever it was at the door.

"Who is it?"

"Daniel? Can I come in?" I heard Nathan's voice.

"Sure, come on in," I called out.

Nathan entered the room, closing the door gently behind him. He took a moment to glance at the chaotic sprawl of papers and books covering my desk before speaking.

"I, uh... I need your help with something," Nathan started, clearly hesitant.

My curiosity was piqued. Nathan was always so confident and self-assured; seeing him this uneasy was unusual.

"What's up? You know you can ask me anything," I encouraged him.

"Well, you know your mom's birthday coming up, and I want to do something special for her," Nathan said.

"I've got the perfect gift in mind for Mary. But, uh, it's not exactly easy to get it," Nathan said.

I was intrigued by Nathan's hesitance.

"What do you mean? Where is it?" I said, leaning in.

Nathan took a deep breath, seemingly bracing himself for the story he was about to share. "So, there's this lockbox, okay? It belongs to me, but it's currently with someone else... my ex-girlfriend."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Your ex-girlfriend? And you need this lockbox for mom's gift?"

"Yeah," Nathan continued, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"It's a long story, but the short of it is that when we broke up, she ended up with a few of my things, including this lockbox. Inside, there's something very special."

I was now fully invested in the story.

"And you've arranged to get it back?"

"Exactly. My ex and I, we're not exactly on speaking terms, but she's agreed to let me have the lockbox back. The catch is, I have to go pick it up from her place," Nathan explained, his tone indicating there was more to the story than he was letting on.

"And you want me to come with you?" I asked, piecing together Nathan's request for support.

Nathan met my gaze, his expression a mix of gratitude and apprehension. "Yeah, I would really appreciate it if you came with me. It's going to be... awkward, to say the least. And having you there would make it easier to deal with."

"Sure, I'll come with you. When do we go?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. And, Danny, thank you. This means a lot to me," Nathan said, his relief evident.

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It was the afternoon the next day. Nathan and I were driving to his ex's house. Nathan was strangely silent. I looked in the back seat; there was a box there.

"What's in the box?" I asked.

"Just some stuff for Annalise," Nathan replied.

"Ah, the crazy ex. So you guys are trading stuff? This box for your lockbox?" I asked.

"Yes," Nathan replied as he drove the car into a gas station. I used this opportunity to change seats to the back to see what was in the box.

"What are you doing back there?" Nathan asked.

"Just seeing what's in this," I said as I opened it.

"No, Danny, that's private," Nathan said, trying to stop me from looking inside.

"Ok, now I really wanna know what's inside this. You should move the car; there are people waiting behind us."

Nathan started driving again as I looked through the box. I saw a picture there was a lot of girls, and in the middle was Nathan, dressed like something I never imagined him ever dressing in.

"What the fuck, is that, you?" I said, holding up the photo and laughing.

"Why are you dressed like a pimp?"

"What!, I am not dressed like a pimp. That was the latest fashion at the time."

"Yeah, for a pimp. And who are all these girls? Your..."

"No, Danny, they were my friends. It's not a time in my life I like to associate with anymore."

"Okay, you know I won't stop asking you about this, so spill. What did Nathan Levin, the well-mannered professor, get up to in college that you don't want to associate with anymore?"

"Nothing, Danny, leave it."

"You know I won't stop asking."

"Fine, I'll tell you." Nathan gave in.

"I was a sophomore in college, and the university I went to decided to raise tuition," Nathan began.

I leaned in.

"A classmate of mine, Kelly, in an effort to raise money and stay in school, came up with a nifty plan where she thought she would date guys and charge them money."

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Flashback

Kelly: "I go on dates all the time with a bunch of boys and stuff. I kinda need somebody to help me out, you know, like a partner in crime."

Nathan: "Yeah, I can make a schedule."

Kelly: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's what I was thinking."

Nathan: "Provide transportation services."

Kelly: "Yeah, that's a great idea."

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.

"She said she needed my help in making sure the dates went okay and the guys paid her. She said she'd give me a percentage."

"Oh my god, you really were a pimp," I said, dumbfounded by what I was hearing.

"No, I was just trying to help a friend," Nathan said, denying my accusation.

"We started making a lot of money," Nathan continued as I listened to him with my mouth open.

"Then some of Kelly's girlfriends decided they wanted in on it too. Pretty soon, there were fourteen ladies I was protecting while they gave me money."

"You were a pimp. You just described pimping," I said out loud.

"No...no," Nathan denied again. "Are you even listening to the story?"

"One day I wake up and I look in the mirror, and I don't like what I see. I had gotten out of control and I didn't even realize it."

"I decided to get out and never look back. I wanted a normal life. That was when I met Annalise. I thought I could have a normal life with her, but I was proven wrong," Nathan said sadly.

"What, did she cheat on you or something?" I asked, wanting to know what would make Nathan, of all people, break up with someone.

"No, she didn't....but she wanted me to," Nathan replied.

"Did I hear what I thought I just heard? You broke up with this supposed crazy ex because she wanted to…"

"Me to sleep with other women while she watched...yes."

I fell back into the backseat, dumbfounded at what I was hearing.

"Look, Danny, I don't expect you to understand. I wanted a normal relationship, and Annalise and I had a disagreement. I didn't date for years until I met your mother, with whom I have the relationship I always wanted."

I remained silent. Knowing Nathan for all these years, he was such a vanilla guy; I never thought he had such a wild past.

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We got out of the car in a very upscale neighborhood.

"That's a nice house," I commented.

"Yes, Annalise and I bought it together," Nathan replied.

"So, when you offered to buy half of the house with us, you weren't kidding. You actually had the money," I realized.

Nathan nodded. "I received a substantial inheritance from my grandparents."

It's like I don't know anything about the man.

"Alright, let's do this," Nathan said, taking a deep breath.

We approached the door, and it opened without us even knocking. A really beautiful woman answered the door.

"Hello, Annalise," Nathan said.

"Hello, Nathan," Annalise replied as she motioned for us to come in.

"She's hot," I whispered.

Nathan gave me a look, and we followed her in.

We sat on the couch in uncomfortable silence. It was broken by a man bringing in drinks, who I was told was her husband.

The man was completely out of Annalise's league; he wasn't even in the ballpark. How in the hell did this guy marry a bombshell like her?

"Hal, just place them down," Annalise said to her husband... Nah, I still can't believe he is her husband.

"Alrighty," Hal, 'the husband', said, placing the drinks down.

"I did things with you in bed that I've never done with anyone!" Annalise said, leaning in the direction of Nathan.

Whoa, that took a drastic turn, I thought, quickly taking one of the drinks.

"Annalise, your husband...?" Nathan protested.

"He knows all about us," she whispered.

"You sir, are a lucky man," the husband said, winking at Nathan.

"So, Anna, nice house," I said, trying to break the tension.

"It's Annalise. Are you deaf?" she shouted. I was a bit startled; Nathan was right, she was crazy.

"Look, I brought the stuff you wanted. Now, can we please have my lockbox?" Nathan said seriously.

"Do you remember how every morning I'd call and say, 'I'd die for you'?" she said, looking at Nathan.

Holy shit, she was crazy.

"Yeah, it was... umm... sweet," Nathan replied awkwardly.

"It's still true," she replied with a bit of desperation in her voice.

"Can we just get my lockbox?" Nathan said, undeterred by her words.

"Yes, come to the kitchen with me. Everyone else, stay here," she said as Nathan followed her to the kitchen.

"Ok, sweetie," her husband replied in a very creepy way.

The husband and I sat awkwardly in the living room for a while, but suddenly I heard a crash in the kitchen. I saw Nathan running with a lockbox towards me.

"Danny, let's go!"

"Hal, stop him!" I heard Annalise say from the kitchen. She was standing there with her breasts out.

"Hey,nobody leaves this house without making love to my wife!" the husband said as he tried to tackle Nathan.

"What the fuck is going on?" I asked.

"No time to explain, we have to go," Nathan said as he grabbed me, and we ran to the car.

Annalise ran to the porch and screamed, "Nathan... Nathan, at least teach Hal how to be you..."

We got in the car, and Nathan quickly drove off.

After a few miles, I told Nathan to stop the car.

"What the fuck happened back there?" I asked.

"I told you she was crazy," Nathan replied.

"Wow....well, let's see it then."

"What?"

"The lockbox. Let's see what's in it," I said.

Nathan took out the box, opened it with a key, and handed it to me.

I looked inside.

"This is a..."

"An engagement ring. It belonged to my grandmother," Nathan revealed.

"Oh, so you... my mom?"

"Yes, and I wanted to ask your..."

"Go ahead, man. If you think my mom is the one, then do it. I know she is happy with you... and after today.....I am starting to see why," I said, the last part in my head.

"Thank you, Danny. This means a lot to me," Nathan expressed.

"So, on her birthday then?"

"Yes, I have it all planned out. You, of course, are involved as well," Nathan began explaining as we drove back home.

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Nathan's past was inspired by some scenes from the movie The Other Guys.

Watch it. It's a funny movie.