Road to Romance - playtest 1
By Alex White
- 26 minutes read - 5425 wordsOn the first weekend in June I ran an alpha test of a romance rpg, designed to help people tell fun and compelling tales of love and romance.
My working title at the time was "The Road to Romance".
Safety Discussion
We like to start with a safety discussion to make sure that we are all on the same page about elements which we would like to see (or would not like to see) in a game. Something which is new for this kind of game is the 'spicyness' level of a romance. We decided to cap the spicyness level at ‘sensual’. So our stories might be wholesome, sweet, or sensual, but not venture into ‘steamy’.
The adventures take us through six chapters of our story plus an epilogue. My four players sat in a circle and each played the protagonist of their own story, the paramour of the player to their right and the trouble of the player to their left. While playing, we ran the introduction for each story, the meet-cute for each story and so forth. For the purposes of writing up the stories here I have collected each set of chapters together to make cohesive stories.
Players
Rebecca - Contemporary young romance trapped in a location.
Mary - Classic Regency romance with forbidden love.
Laurel - Fantasy Romcom with a belated love epiphany.
Cindy - Paranormal Gothic Romance where rivals become lovers.
The Storm Lashed Cave
This is the contemporary young romance. Phoebe Phillips is 16 and a camp counsellor in training who wants passion in her life, but is held back by pride. She falls in love with Conrad Travis, a 17 year old eagle scout who wants healing, but is held back by control issues. Phoebe is troubled by a love rival, Tiffany Martin. Tiffany is 18, taller, prettier, more self-assured in every way.
Introduction
It is summer 2013. We cut in on pretty lake. There is a little dock with a short, freckly girl, with a baseball cap and a t-shirt. Her hair is pulled back into a pony tail. She is tying up some inner tubes by the dock. The t-shirt has amateurishly printed on it “camp screaming fun”. She is just 16 and there is so much she desperately wants in life. She has come to be a camp counsellor in training. She is going to find another person who wants everything she wants, it will be amazing and passionate (and fast! She has to get back to high school!) There have been problems with classmates coupling up and she finds it hard to accept that no one in the class is good enough for her.
Summer camp. It’s going to be great.
Tiffany approaches, a petite brunette with great shoes and clothes. She patronisingly talks about doing knots better and shows Phoebe how to do things. She is so confident and competent.
Meet-cute
It is upstate New York and rain happens. A lot. Phoebe and Tiffany are chatting as they walk up the hill towards camp when the rain starts pouring down - and lightning! Tiffany knows about a cave and they hurry off the track and duck inside. It’s dry and safe in the darkness.
A young man calls out from further in the cave “you don’t want to be in here” and at that moment there is a bobbing flashlight. There is a young man, 17 but looks older. Tall, sandy hair, really dark blue eyes. Overall and work shirt. “I don’t know what you are doing here - this cave is prone to...” and as he says that, lightning strikes and rocks rain down across the entrance... blocking them in!
Connor introduces himself. He is clearly a little frustrated at not being in control of the situation. He stutters a little as Tiffany shakes his hand, then Phoebe introduces herself. He had been looking for a lost camper in here. He decides to build a fire to keep them warm - he glances at Phoebe and she realises that she must look like a drowned rat. Her cheap t-shirt is now almost transparent and wetly clinging to her body in an embarrassing way. He removes his denim jacket and hands it to her, to keep her, er, warm until the fire is going. The jacket smells great. It’s been worn so much it is buttery soft.
A cosy conversation develops as they sit around the flickering fire.
Complications
The fire is crackling, the light is dancing and the rain is pounding down outside. Phoebe is warming up, and remembers that she used to go camping all the time. “My dad told me stories about serial killers and I’d freak out. But he also made shadow puppets which were fun” and she shows an example rabbit. Connor says “When my dad was alive he used to do that before the accident”. Connor then did a clever giraffe. Then he made a cats cradle and invited Phoebe to play, she leaned forward across the fire and was having fun for a while before Tiffany shouted at her “You’re on fire!”
Leaning forwards, the borrowed jacket smouldered and caught light. Phoebe quickly takes it off and Tiffany puts out the flames, but the denim jacket that originally came from Connor’s dad is now badly damaged!
There is a noise of some kind from deeper in the cave.
First Kiss
“What’s that sound?” Says Connor. Tiffany says that she will go and take care of it, while Connor decides to tend Phoebe’s burns. He makes a big thing of putting the burn cream on and her skin tingles as he touches her arm. She talks a lot of game, but has never had a boyfriend in her life.
That lingering feeling. She says “nobody has ever been that careful with me before”.
He seems a little out of his depth. They lean in together. He looks at her more closely than he had before. In the flickering light she holds her arm where he had touched it, and apologies again for the damage to the jacket. But he doesn’t mind. As they talk, she snuggles closer. He puts his arm around her and she asks about his father. Connor talks about his father in the war, and all the clever things he had been taught by him. She asks him more questions from the crook of his arm. “I think he would have liked you” Connor muses. “I think my dad would like you too” she replies. They have been leaning in closer, and before they realise it they are kissing.
Catastrophe
They are still by the fire. Phoebe is almost dozing when they realise that Tiffany has been gone a while. Connor is overcompensating for forgetting about her and jumps up to go and find Tiffany. Phoebe is super embarrassed and is stuttering, Connor tells her to stay by the fire while he goes to find Tiffany.
They can hear a voice faintly calling for help, and Connor runs, stumbling ahead. There is a place where the tunnel floor gave way because of the rain, and Tiffany is trapped in a hole. Connor wants to rescue her and thinks that he screwed up and that’s why she’s in this position. he climbs down to help, Tiffany puts her arm around his neck and gloms on. Phoebe walks up help out - but to her eyes it looks like they are kissing! Devastated, she turns around and runs weeping back to the edge of the cave.
Finale
We see Phoebe huddled by the fire, hugging her knees. Connor comes in helping the hobbling Tiffany who is clinging to him. Phoebe is facing away from the fire “I’m sorry about your ankle” and is tearing up. She has been calling for help and is tearing up. She curls in more on herself. She has lost all of her pride.
Connor knows something is going on, but doesn’t know how to handle it, so he goes into control mode. “Let’s look at your ankle” he says to Tiffany. As she sits down and lifts her leg, something clonks out of her jacket. It is a two-way radio! She could have called for help at any time!
Connor calls in help, asking the rescuers to come to the cave. He is done with Tiffany and goes to comfort Phoebe. He gives her the jacket “It looks better on you” he grunts. Then they wait in silence for the rescuers to come and help them. As the rocks are moved away from the entrance a shaft of late afternoon sunlight pierces through and shines on the two of them together.
Epilogue
It’s two weeks later, Phoebe has spent as much time as she can with Connor and the romance is passionate young love. As the camp draws to a close they share phone details and she sees that he has a picture of her on his phone. Phoebe’s father arrives to pick her up, and she brings Connor across to meet him. Maybe this isn’t just a summer romance after all.
The Love that could not be spoken
This is a classic regency romance involving forbidden love. Our protagonist is Winifred Lannis, the daughter of a vicar. She wants redemption (she has had a lifetime of being told that feelings like those she has are evil) but is held back by a commitment phobia. She is in love with the lower class maid, Phoebe Witton. Phoebe is seeking true love, but is held back by a sense of shame because the love she seeks is not approved in this day and age. The trouble that we see in this story is time pressure.
Introduction
Walking towards the folly we can see a tall woman with a plain countenance. She wears it as matter-of-fact, proud of her plainness. Her mind keeps returning to Phoebe, even though it is not something to be countenanced, not in this society. Perhaps if there could be a position as a companion though?
Mrs Hooper the housekeeper is bustling around at the folly, and reminds Winifred that her father is coming back in a few days and he is planning to find her a husband!
Meet-Cute
We see Winifred setting up the decorations for a church festival. She keeps doing activities that take her near Phoebe. It is summer, a robust time, and Phoebe looks wonderful. Phoebe asks for help in hanging the garlands. They greet each other formally “You look well”, “You also look well” and discuss her father still being away. Mrs Hooper wants Winifred to dress up a bit more to be more appealing to men, but Phoebe thinks she looks fine, wants to know what man wouldn’t love her rosy cheeks and bright eyes. “A smart one would” Phoebe says. “You are too kind” says Winifred, “A true friend”. “It’s just the truth” Phoebe responds.
Complications
Winifred explains to Phoebe that her father is planning to marry her off to some man, but she doesn’t want a nice man...
Suddenly the door slams open, and a man strides in that neither have seen before. He has a weak chin and watery eyes; with expensive clothes badly worn. Either his valet hates him or he doesn’t know how to dress. The neck is a little off, his shoulders are not quite square and there is a scuff mark on his shoe.
“Phoebe, what are you doing working here? When you are my wife you will not waste time decorating, you will spend all your time keeping our home as a wife should!”
“Who are you?” they wonder.
“My name is Simon Burns, and this lady shall be my fiancée once I’ve applied to her father”
Winifred says that she has never heard her friend mention his name. It turns out that Simon’s father is in shipping in London, which makes him an attractive match (he has five thousand pounds a year!)
Simon wants Phoebe to come with him right now but Winifred remonstrates that she is needed a little longer. He glances at an expensive jewelled watch, then snaps it shut and says “very well, I shall wait for you outside darling” and stalks back out the room, shutting the door rudely behind him.
Phoebe says that Mr Burns is a suitor, she wants to put him off, but her father wants it to happen.
Winifred wonders whether Phoebe's father has debt, but it is merely a good business partner for her father. What fathers want, fathers get.
Mr Burns hammers on the door and shouts “Darling” and Phoebe has to hurry out.
First Kiss
Winifred can’t find Phoebe in the village the next day. The next day she hears that Mr Burns is still staying at the house and is planning to marry her within the week!
When she finally meets up with Phoebe she suggests they take a turn in the garden, and they walk around arms linked. Phoebe is in tears about how horrible Mr Burns is. Mother tells her how important it is to press on for the good of the family, and it is a duty, the same as the duty that she herself performed with Phoebe’s father.
Winifred thinks that marriage should not be so unhappy that it is merely duty. Surely there is something that could be done? Winifred thinks that her father might be prepared to intervene so that a young woman like Phoebe shouldn’t be so indisposed.
Winifred takes Phoebe’s head in both her hands, tenderly wiping away tears with her thumbs. They lean in to each other and briefly touch foreheads.
Catastrophe
Winifred goes to talk to her father who has just arrived back today. She wants to talk about Miss Phoebe and her unwanted and unsuitable suitor. Can he do anything? She is terribly distraught.
“Oh yes” her father replies. “Don’t worry Winifred, I’ve got this sorted out. Phoebe isn’t going to marry Mr Burns. YOU ARE!”
“Oh father, I’ve met him, he is horrible and has no chin”
“But he has five thousand pounds, my dear. I’ve set the wedding for tomorrow. You can wear your mother’s wedding dress. We’ve saved it for this day"
“My mother was a tiny delicate woman, but I am... who I am”
“Oh you are plain Winifred. You won’t find your pick of the men, this is wonderful that I’ve found someone so wealthy for you. The wedding will be tomorrow at noon”
“I don’t want this father”
“It’s not your say. You are a well brought up girl and should do your duty”
“I shall, father”
Finale
At 1am in the morning Winifred is woken by a rap at the window. Phoebe is there, she tells Winifred that they can go, together, now. If they go to the convent over the way together, nobody can touch them there.
“But I don’t want to take holy orders” Winifred says.
“I’d take orders for you” says Phoebe. “We could be novices together”
“I could do that for you”
Winifred climbs down the trellis, and they run across the green hand in hand together, to a future where nobody cares if they share a room together.
Epilogue
(Didn’t quite catch this, wasn’t sure how it fitted in with the rest of the story)
Knights of the Summer Queen
This is a light romantic comedy in a fantasy world, where Talag Garz the half-orc paladin is a knight in shining armour, and she has a belated love epiphany. She wants true love, but is held back by guilt over her past. She falls in love with Sinnaboldo, a wizard who wants to leave a legacy, but who has trust issues (he has known too many broken promises in the past). The trouble in this story is Talag’s friend Esquivel the bard, who is a busybody.
Introduction
Picture the scene. It is a dark countryside, and we can just see a pool of light around a small village. There are the sounds of happy songs and dancing. The whole village is celebrating because the knights of the summer queen have saved them. Everyone is dancing. Tarag is a tall half-orc knight in armour. She is smiling and looking at everyone feeling happy, but she looks a little sad and has some loneliness in her heart.
Plastered out of his mind, absolutely blitzed, a familiar face is pushing his way through the crowd. The bard swings his lute over his shoulder and clocks a child on the head. He puts his arm around Tarag’s shoulder. “How are you doing buddy, how’s it going?” Tarag picks up the child, and says “Just fine Esquivel. I think you’ve had too much ale”.
The bard says he’s had a conversation with the ladies at the bar, and she had told him an interesting thing - that 90% of eligible batchelors don’t know what they want from life. No direction. Tarag isn’t sure where Esquivel is going with this, but she is his friend so she patiently listens. Esquivel says that the knights are the people who should be able to fix everything. Tarag takes him to the tavern for another ale. She wishes she could fix herself.
Meet-Cute
The music in this scene is grim battle music. The knights have bashed down the door to Bruno’s keep, and they are thundering through, battling his evil minions. They are going to arrest him in the name of the Summer Queen. Tarag bursts open the door to the main chamber and Bruno cowers behind his throne. Caught in the room with him is Sinnaboldo his scholar. Tarag pauses. Is that a henchman or prisoner of the overlord?
The two of them look at each other. Sinnaboldo carefully raises his hands.
“Are you going to be any trouble?” Tarag asks.
“I intend to give you no trouble at all” he replies.
As she reaches out an open hand the rest of the knights swarm in, grab Sinnaboldo, slap him in irons and then hand the chain to Tarag, who instantly feels a little guilty. She feels awful, like she has betrayed him. Sinnaboldo makes big eyes at her and helps her overcome her feeling of guilt. Tells her that he appreciates that she is doing her duty. Tarag is a bit surprised at how she is feeling right now.
Complications
A few hours later at home base, and Tarag is interrogating Sinnabaldo, to find out whether he was a prisoner or a willing henchman. She is feeling weird because of the attraction she feels towards him. She runs into Esquivel who always turns up at the wrong time. She explains what she is doing, and that she thinks there is good in Sinnaboldo.
Esquivel challenges her. “Are you really sure? No doubts? No doubts at all? Not even the smallest doubt?” He thinks there is a thing in her right eye that sometimes happens when she is feeling something. There was a prisoner 13 months ago that talked to you.
“He charmed me”.
“Yeah, but he was talking to you and got you all funny, and wanted to let him out”
“he charmed me”
“But I don’t want you to have even the tiniest seed of doubt Tarag. I think he might have been pulling the strings from behind the scenes. A plant using a bell-end of an overlord.”
Sinnaboldo wasn’t sure whether Tarag would come back. He didn’t think she was going to. Tarag is bound by rules that limit what she can do. Sinnaboldo admits that he wasn’t exactly a prisoner, but he wasn’t helping Bruno either. "That sounds incriminating. Not exactly a prisoner" Esquivel says “see, I told you. A wrong-un”.
Confused, Tarag says “I’ve got to go pray about this” and runs off sobbing.
First Kiss
Sinnaboldo is a natural sorcerer and he is getting impatient with how this is all going, so he pops the manacles, pops the door of his cell and casts a silence spell upon his feet. He starts creeping out through the twisting passages, but he hears a sobbing from a well lit hallway. Curiosity draws him down there, and he sees a small chapel with Tarag kneeling in full plate before the altar of the Invincible Sun. She is loudly praying for guidance. She doesn’t understand the feeling of love she is feeling, but Esquivel is convincing. Can she have a sign? How can she judge someone that she is sure isn’t evil?
Sinnaboldo speaks her name softly from behind.
Tarag gets a bit defensive “I was praying. It was private”. Her cheeks are flaming red with embarrassment. Sinnaboldo thinks they may have been sent to one another. Tarag looks at the altar accusingly!
Sinnaboldo has been watching Tarag too. The kind way that she acted, the kind things that she said. Sinnaboldo says he would never lie to her.
“Well”, Tarag says, “Will you swear to the Invincible Sun that you didn’t help Bruno kill anyone?”
Sinnaboldo swears the oath.
Tarag says “that you would swear this oath is all that I need” and she sweeps him up in her arms into a mighty kiss.
Catastrophe
Tarag wants to get her love safely out of here. She isn’t going to put her back in prison. She will talk to the queen and make it all right. They are sneaking out and Tarag removes a gauntlet and takes Sinnaboldo’s hand. She is sure the queen will understand that he has a pure heart.
As they are sneaking past the throne room area, Esquivel saunters out of the doors, looking satisfied, as if he has done a good job. Tarag explains that Sinnaboldo has a good heart, is going to get him somewhere safe, and then is going to talk to the queen.
“Oh, that’s unfortunate” Esquivel says. “I may have already taken care of that for you... he had confessed that he wasn’t a prisoner and made you cry”
This infuriates Tarag, and they start yelling at each other, and people around see them and start approaching. Suddenly they are surrounded by other knights.
“Oh look, there’s Gary” Esquivel says. “Hi Gary!”
The guards look stern. “You are both coming with us” and they drag them both off separately. Tarag wants to look over at Sinnaboldo but the guards holding her won’t let her.
“Don’t forget, she was charmed by a spell once before” they shout.
Tarag rolls her eyes.
Sinnaboldo calls out piteously “Tarag!” As they are dragged away.
Finale
We see a montage switching from cell to cell. Tarag in one, Sinnaboldo in the other. Clearly they are both miserable. They can’t talk properly, Sinnaboldo has had his magic blocked.
Then they are both dragged out into the courtyard. They intend to execute Sinnaboldo to free Tarag from the supposed charm spell! Tarag is struggling fiercely and it is taking several knights to hold her back! Then a commanding voice calls out:
“Hold!”
The Summer Queen herself is coming down the steps into the courtyard. All the knights kneel. She never shows herself in public!
“You have forgotten the first law of the Invincible Sun”. She places her hand on Sinnaboldo’s head. The clouds part, and sunlight streams down and bathes him in light. Everyone looks on in awe.
“There is no evil in this man. There is only room in his heart for love”. Everyone shuffles back and leaves a channel between Tarag and Sinnaboldo.
“Go” says the Summer Queen. “Go and be in love” and they turn and walk off as the clouds disperse and they are covered by sunlight. Esquivel follows them, strumming a love song on his lute.
Epilogue
We see the same village that we saw at the beginning, but in daytime. There are butterflies, children playing around, and a neat hut at the edge of the village. As we see inside there is a very shiny sword hanging over the fireplace. Sinnaboldo is in the kitchen with a baby bouncing on his hip.
“Darling, can you get the baby?” He says, and we see Tarag, no armour and looking somewhat older “Of course, darling”.
There is a knock at the door and they shoot each other a glance and Sinnaboldo hands her a cooking knife. She carefully opens the door, and beyond is Esquivel. “Smells great in here. What’s for dinner?”
The Mystery of Beckett’s Ghost
This is a paranormal gothic romance. Quin Cursweil is our heroine, a paranormal investigator in a story where enemies become lovers. She wants healing, and is held back by control issues. Can she give up control enough to allow someone in? She will see some character growth in the story, moving from serious to playful. Her rival is Raphael Ebonvale, another investigator. He needs redemption for past mistakes, and is held back by anxiety. The trouble that underlies this story is one or more misunderstandings.
Introduction
it is a dark and stormy night outside Canterbury cathedral. Quinn is there because something strange is happening around Thomas a Beckett’s grave site. She is tall and thin, with long black hair that has a white streak through it. She wears lacy red dresses and is well put together. She is feeling very frustrated because people keep coming and going and your can’t investigate if you can’t control the variables. Someone walking by, an older man, says “I don’t know what you think you can do here. This is a man’s job”. She has a flashback to an older romance with a man who tried to control her, and kept on saying that she didn’t matter. She is trying to decide whether killing him with the knife she has in her bag would make her feel better...
Little did she know, her words had wounded someone who might have quite liked her, sowing the seeds of a misunderstanding.
Meet-Cute
One of the clerics comes out from the cathedral, and says that there is another investigator already here. Quinn wasn’t expecting another investigator, and enters the side room to see her rival Raphael with his top hat and tails; quite the dapper gentleman.
“We felt that we needed a man on the job” said the priest. “He’s cheap because he has bodged up so many other investigations. There was the woman who Raphael sent to the gallows because he claimed she was a witch”
“She did seem witchy” Raphael said, twisting his hands together a little.
“She had a warty nose” said the priest. “We want Raphael for the authority and because he is cheap, and you Quinn to reign him in”
Quinn thinks that Raphael is using poor sources for his investigations. She says that he hasn’t read the ghostly references, but she is prepared to work with him to avoid looking bad herself.
Raphael wants to proceed with his own ideas, but he is warned by the priest that if he makes another mistake, he will be going down too. And his partner. I think Quinn is rolling her eyes at this point.
Complications
Quinn suggests meeting with Widow Wellsworth. She can’t believe that Raphael had previously accused someone of being a witch, but is going to take him to see a genuine one. Raphael admitted that he had had his arm twisted by a client that drove him further than he should have gone. Quinn is going to make sure he doesn’t make that kind of mistake again.
They arrive at the widow’s house with a gift of honey which they know she loves. Mrs Wellsworth opens the door and regards them with glowing blue eyes. After a bit of byplay, they ask her about Beckett’s grave, and she says “Not again” and asks them what has been done so far. Apparently praying incense and holy water but not blood. She says that makes it special. Unless they understand the need for blood, they won’t be able to solve things. Raphael realises he is completely out of his depth here. Quinn thinks he really is a useless jerk.
First Kiss
Quinn is worried by the widow’s glowing blue eyes, but wants to get a feel for what has agitated the ghost of Beckett. They plan to return together to the tomb and see if they can sense something. It is fenced off, but they cross that barrier. She holds hands with Raphael and asks him to open his mind and see what he can sense. Does he feel anger, frustration?
Raphael screws his eyes shut. A wierd noise makes them both jump for a moment. Then there’s some creaking and ghostly noises, then a sudden noise makes him jump forward into Quinns arms. He confesses that he had been fully convinced that witches and spiritual things were not real but now this is all new to him and he is in well over his head!
They sit closer. He thinks there is something missing, something not quite right. Quinn suggests that he tries to see with his ears, and hear with his elbows, to get him to think differently. She is also moving from being serious to being a bit playful with him.
“Maybe he is upset because he was unlucky in love?”
Raphael is feeling odd, and sits closer. Senses that someone wanted something and didn’t get it. That a circle needs to be closed or something. He is really confused!
“There is something else that might help” Quinn playfully leans in and they kiss, deeply.
Catastrophe
Their lingering kiss ends, and they wonder if Beckett is craving love. A cold wind springs up and Raphael goes rigid as he is possessed by Beckett.
He speaks with a ghostly voice. “I’m sorry, but how idiotic could you possibly be? You think that after all of this time, after everything I have been through, what I want is love?”
“You’re not Raphael are you?”
“After centuries of waiting for something that would rid me of the curse which attaches me to this very spot, where my life was ended, that you would think that love of all things would solve it? I am offended” his eyes begin to glow red. “I am horrified” his hair all starts to stand on end. “That you would make my life a mockery” and he contorts into a hulking beast looming over her.
“Free him in the same way that it freed me. Stab him through the heart and it will cure us both”
Quinn’s face contorts as she draws her knife and stabs Raphael in the heart. The red light fades from his eyes, his body returns to normal, and all we see is Raphael sitting there with a knife in the chest... “Why? What have I done? I loved you” and he collapses dead.
Finale
Quinn stands over Raphael’s dead body and decides that she won’t lose him to this. She takes the knife and slices her palm, then puts her hand over his heart so that their blood mingles. She is whispering almost like it’s a mantra over and over again “I’m not going to lose you, I’m not going to let you win” and a red glow suffuses the chamber.
She puts the mingled blood on the tombstone, then takes a deep breath and gives Raphael a deep kiss. His eyes flutter open and he takes a gasping breath against her! “Raphael, is that you?”
“Yes...?”
“We got Beckett. We solved the case”
“But I died?”
“Mostly dead isn’t completely dead” Quinn says and she grins.
Maybe he is a bit sensitive to the spirits after all, Quinn thinks. Maybe she does know how to take action, Raphael thinks.
“You know,” Quinn says, “I think we could make a pretty good team”. “Now, let’s go get our money” she says with a playful smile. They walk out hand in hand.
Epilogue
We see a living room, and there is a knock on the door. “Whose turn is it to get that ?” Comes a voice from the nearby four-poster bed. “I think it’s mine” says Raphael. The curtains on the bed part, and Raphael walks up to the door. “If it’s the awful priest tell him to **** himself” Quinn shouts.
At the door Raphael sees the neighbour of Widow Wellsworth. “I think there is something wrong with the widow, can you help?”
“OK, we’ll be there in a few minutes”
Quinn’s voice: “Not a few minutes... later today”
Raphael closes the door and heads back to the bedroom. A hand reaches through the curtain, grabs him and pulls him onto the bed...