Chapter 19

The next morning we each took a shower, then after breakfast at the chow hall we headed out into town. By the time lunchtime came around I had filled two rolls of 36 exposure film. We found a place that had a great tempura and shared a large plate, then hit the road again.

Finally I had finished five rolls, including a lot of shots of Jackie, some of me, as well as a few together that we managed to get some locals to take for us. We headed back, and wrote until it was time for dinner. Jackie told me to keep going and she went and got a pizza, then we finished it and kept working.

Finally I put down my pen and sighed. “Done! Oh, I will do some more changes I’m sure as I type this all into the computer, but this is like 99% of the finished adventure not counting a little editing.”

“Oh Pete, and it’s gonna be great! Now I see what you mean, that was a lot of hard work! I have no idea how you could come up with some of those ideas though! It’s like every time we hit a block, you just closed your eyes a few minutes and came up with a solution.”

“Well, I have been doing this for a long time now. Plus I am a voracious reader, some I borrowed from stories and movies here and there. I just close my eyes, and picture it in my head as if it was a story or movie. ‘How would they get out of this’ I tell myself, and usually the solution comes to me.”

“Do you think they can all do that in a single night?”

“Well, that is part of the reason for a playtest. But to be honest, I think this will clock right now at about five to six hours. We can either finish it that weekend, or ask Fred if we could finish it the next week. I don’t think he will have a problem with it.”

“Here, let’s check. Come on out here.” She then led me to the kitchen area, where there was a phone on the wall. She called Fred, and told him the problem. He said it was perfectly fine to take two nights, and he would love to sit in on the finish. We both thanked him, and Jackie promised to call him to let him know what he missed so he would know what to expect the next week.

She raised her arms above her head and stretched, her back popping as she leaned backwards. And I got a glimpse of her belly and admired how her breasts poked out the front of her shirt. “OK, what do you want to do now Pete?”

“Honestly? I want to go back into your room, take off all of your clothes and kiss each inch of you as I do so. Then after eating you senseless, I want to make love to you until we both fall asleep from exhaustion.”

“Oh, you do, do you? Well, only if you catch me!” And with that she was running to her bedroom and I chased after her. She did not try hard to get away, I picked her up just inside her room and kicked the door closed. Then I carried her wiggling and giggling to the bed where I did exactly that for the next two hours.

And at the end of those two hours she finally pushed me off, saying she was so sore she could not handle anymore. She finished me the final time with her own mouth, then after kissing each other tenderly we cuddled up and went to sleep.

I called my dad late Sunday night, which was early Sunday morning for him. I told him I had finished another adventure and for him to prep Mr. Cummings for me to send it over when I got there on leave. I also gave him my preliminary itinerary, including both options. He said he would be waiting for my call, and looked forward to having me home.

I then called Mandy, and she sounded sleepy. But she woke up it seems as soon as she heard my voice. “Heya there sexy, ready to go back to work?”

“Work, what do you mean Pete?”

“Well, I will be there in a few weeks, and you have a job. I just finished a new adventure, and it is going to be set in a fantasy version of Okinawa. I have over 150 photos, and you are going to need to go through them and do the artwork. Do me a favor, set up a long one or two night session with Mike and the gang, I want to playtest it with them, so you can get a feeling for it and get ideas for your drawings.”

“Oh Pete, that’s fantastic! Oh I love you, this is going to be almost like old times!” I sighed softly, but she did not hear it. Then she said the perfect thing. “I’m gonna call Holly after Mike, and try to get her to come also. I bet she will do it immediately, we talk every week or so, and she was so looking forward to your being home. We both miss you.”

“Well, I should be there around the 20th, and be there for three weeks. Set aside at least one day for me, I need a date with you and my best friend, and I think you could use one also.”

“Oh, you had better! I’m still single, although I have been kinda flirting with a couple of guys. Nothing serious, I will keep them on the back burner so there is nothing to interfere with you being home.”

“Mandy, don’t do that! It’s only for three weeks, then I am coming back here for another year or so at a minimum. Don’t put your life on hold for me.”

“Now you listen to me Peter Culver! When you get here you are going to be my boyfriend, at least so long as you are here. I do not want all of your time, but I want a promise for at least three dates. A movie, skating, then a really special one. You got that!”

I laughed and said it was a deal. I told her I had to hang up, but she could talk to my dad for updates when I am actually leaving. And after we said we loved each other and goodbye, I had an evil thought. “I guess I’m lucky you only wanted three dates. I was going to ask you for five before you said only three.” Then I hung up.

The next morning after work I went back to my room and finished typing everything up, then fired up Harvard Graphics, and started to power my way through doing the maps. It was rough, but by Wednesday I had at least a decent version finished. I then met the Wednesday night group, and after we finished the campaign, it was time to tell them the bad news.

“I hate to do this, but this is probably my last game with you all. I’m going home on leave soon, and I need more time for other things. When I get back I will be gone for about a month for NCO school, and it is probably time I pass the group along to somebody else. But I would still like to get together on occasion, especially to do some playtesting. In fact, right before I go I want to test my new one on a Saturday.”

I then reached over and squeezed Franny’s hand. “Franny will be your new DM, I have helped her work on some new ideas, and she has all of the modules I have not played you all through also. But I could not do it forever, and two nights a week is just getting to be a bit much for me.”

They all said they understood, and said I was welcome back any time. And although nervous when I told her I was leaving the group to her, she was now excited. We held hands all the way back to the barracks, and she gave me a huge hug before we got went inside.

The next day as soon as I got off I changed quickly and drove straight to Kadena. Jackie was waiting in the room for me, with sodas and two Cheesesteak sandwiches. We kissed then ate, and she was slightly nervous and excited.

“OK, we do not tell them you helped me write it. And just play it straight, stay in the background and pretend like you know nothing of what is going to happen. Feel free to curse at me or anything else, just as you would if Fred was in charge. Just have fun baby, and feel free to give any suggestions afterwards.”

Well, once they realized what the adventure was, they loved it. From being forced to land on an unknown island because their water had been poisoned, to learning that this was done by Inugami, an intelligent demon dog spirit. And we paused right at the end of the first big battle with the forces led by the Viceroy’s possessed army.

They all loved it, and begged me to finish on Saturday. I grinned and winked at Jackie, and said Saturday was out, I was taking my girlfriend out rollerskating. “Fred already gave me permission to finish it next week, so you are all just going to have to wait until then. Now so you know, this is probably going to be published by the end of the year, and this is the first playtest. Please take some paper and write out your impressions, things you liked, and things you think should be changed. And yes, in the credits for the game the ‘Kadena Fantasy Role-playing Club’ is going to be recognized as playtesters.” They all thought that was awesome, and I had about 100 comments when it was all done, some of them were things I would change when I did my final edits.

Once everybody left the room Jackie sat in my lap and I caressed her back as we spent the next 15 minutes making out. Finally she pulled back, and said that it had been awesome. “I can hardly believe I had something to do with something that awesome Pete!”

“I told you, a lot of it was your idea also. And I’m sure you could tell where, especially in the High Priestess and her daughters. That idea where the one that was being groomed to take her place but did not want it but the other did was brilliant. And they loved it also, spending a little time just talking and trying to convince the mom that it was better for their deity to have a follower who wanted the role, instead of just because she was the oldest sister.”

“Yea, and they actually thought of it.”

“They sure did. They could just have easily gone the other way and tried to talk the sisters into doing their duty. But they made the right choice, so they will get a bonus as they go into the tomb because of it.”

“Well, that is all your idea.”

“Yea, inspired by you. I had to give them something for making the right choice, and I think being helped at the most dire moment will be important.” We kissed at my car for a few minutes, then we parted, saying we would see each other tomorrow.

And the skating was awesome. I had even brought along a picture of Mandy in the outfit I sent her, which I had enlarged to an 8”x10”. Along with an article about her performance with more photos. One of the staff spoke decent English, and helped me talk to the manager who was surprised but all smiles, and took the picture and article.

“He say he frame it and put it up, I am write translation so people know of Okinawa in California skaters. He is happy, and says you pick the uniform of the school his daughter goes to. Please, to come back tomorrow. We prepare a gift for you take to her.”

We did go back the next day, and the manager really surprised me. He handed me a large frame, which had a women’s jersey mounted inside. “This Okinawa Habu, small roller derby club we have few years ago. They gone, but manager see it and think it belong in US. Also, letter in English and Japanese for rink in article, promising we be sister rink for them here forever. And finally for friend, headband, with Japanese flag and signed by all of us, in frame with letter thanking her for the honor she showed us. Please to take these gifts, manager is very happy.”

I thanked both of them profusely, and after exchanging handshakes and bows Jackie and I left. “Wow Pete, that really impressed them!”

“Well, I was on BC street and saw the outfit, and just thought it would make a great costume for Mandy. And when she sent me the photos and article, I thought they might like it here. Often rinks show things like that, to show the appeal in other areas. My dad had actually sent me the same article, so I had two copies of it. I know the rink Mandy skates at, I bet they will be thrilled and send back yet another gift. And I know Mandy will love the headband.”

“This Mandy must be a really special girl. Anything going on there?”

“Naw, although I love her like my sister. She is actually Linda’s little sister, and I still talk to her all the time. She made me promise her three dates while I am there.”

We were at the A&W now waiting for our food, and she took my hand in hers. “Pete, and you do just that. You know we are only together until I leave, and I will not be jealous at all. You obviously love her, and you told me before about your relationship with her. Take her on her dates, make her deliriously happy, and come back with the happy memory of being with her. And I promise anything that happens will not bother me in the slightest. After all, we both know we are ending soon.”

I sighed, and squeezed her hand. “OK Jackie, I will do that. And I know it is almost over between us, and I will be sorry when it is. But know I will always love you.”

“And I will always love you also. We both have helped each other these last few months, and I would trade it for nothing in the world.” We held hands on the drive back to her barracks, and after a long kiss I headed on back to base.

I got the photographs back, and got five copies of them. On Thursday I drove once again early to Kadena, and this time Jackie was waiting with a plate of fried rice and orange chicken for us. After a kiss I handed her a set of photos and started eating.

She thought they were great, and smiled whenever she saw one with one of us, the other or both. She really liked the one where she was sitting on my lap in a bench under a torii gate. “Can I keep this one Pete?”