Albert Pudding

“And…that’s another two penalties.” Maya chuckled as she pulled two cards from the deck and handed them to Caleb.

“What?!” Caleb looked down at the seven he had just played over Maya’s, “I said ‘Have a nice day’ though!”

Maya gave him a devilish grin, “Yes, you did! You’re catching on quick. Unfortunately, that wasn’t all you had to do there.”

“I still don’t understand how one of the rules of this game can be that you can’t tell me the rules of the game. How am I supposed to penalize you when you do things wrong?” Caleb muttered in disbelief as he played his next card.

Maya had been smiling ear to ear since they had started playing, and had been merciless in penalizing Caleb for his mistakes, which had resulted in her winning every single game so far. Caleb was picking up some of the rules; fundamentally, the game was very similar to Uno, which only made the odd rules stand out more so. It didn’t help that his concentration was split as Maya kept asking him questions about his life as they played, meaning he would get distracted and slip up.

Maya played a card down and then opened her mouth, “So I understand now why you’re afraid of going outside, but I am curious, if you weren’t going to be a voice actor until you were confined indoors, what was your original plan?”

Caleb paused, taking the time to choose his next card before answering, “I actually wanted to teach. Eliza was a real inspiration to me, and I thought maybe I could be that for other people. I had been looking into the requirements for teaching philosophy at private institutions when things developed the way they did, and it sort of became a non-option. What about you? I know you’re independently wealthy now, but you must have had something you wanted to be when you were little.”

Maya’s expression dulled slightly, “Not when I was real little, but when I was in high school, I often thought about going into something like Marketing. I was good with numbers and statistics, and it felt like a fun way to use those skills. When my mom died in my senior year, though, I had to drop out to start working, and then college kind of became a pipe dream.”

Freezing in place, Caleb locked eyes with Maya, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”

Maya shook her head, “No, it’s no big deal…actually it's a good segue-one card left.” She held her last card in front of her, “You wanted to know why I was treating this game the way I was so we can talk a little about that.”

Watching, Caleb could see Maya gathering her courage and swallowing before she opened her mouth to speak again, “When I was in school, I had a lot of trouble making friends. By trouble, I mean the friends I made weren’t very close, and they didn’t last very long. There were all these…unspoken rules about friends I didn’t understand. And no one would explain those rules to me, they would just get mad at me when I didn’t follow them. I couldn’t make sense of them in my head and it didn’t feel fair because everyone else just seemed to know them.”

Caleb realized he hadn’t played a card as he was listening and quietly lowered his card down onto the stack while the purple-haired woman kept talking, “My mom and I used to play games together all the time, it was one of the things we both enjoyed and could do together after she was done working. I like games because the rules are clear, they make sense, and everyone who knows them can do well and succeed, and it feels good to succeed and to win. Because it means you did your best, you know? I didn’t like the rules of friendship because they were inconsistent, and it didn’t feel like doing my best was enough- Mao." Maya placed down her last card and then began gathering the deck together again to reshuffle.

As she shuffled the cards, she kept her eyes on the Master, measuring his reactions, “When I came home crying one day after being yelled at by my 'friends', my mom taught me this game. She taught me that sometimes the rules aren’t easy, but you can learn them by watching people’s reactions and how they behave, and that by doing that, even games that are hard can be learned and won.” She finished shuffling the cards and began dealing them back out to Caleb.

“Because of this game, I learned how to read people better. I don’t understand them very well still, but I understand the rules a bit better. I still had a hard time making friends, but I got yelled at less and people in general seemed to like me more than they used to. I was learning to play the game better. Then my mom died.” She froze and put her cards down and looked straight at Caleb, “Mira told me that you don’t push yourself and that it feels like you aren’t trying to do what you can to succeed even though you can.”

Caleb retreated into himself physically at this, worried he was going to be berated again, and just nodded, “Yeah, I guess you can say that.”

Smiling a gentle but sad smile, Maya looked his way, “So when was it that you gave up on life having meaning?”

Taken aback by the statement, Caleb actually felt relieved and relaxed his body as he looked down at his cards, “When Lily left me, the agoraphobia didn’t help but I had already given up on myself at that point. I spent most days wondering why I existed, I hurt the people around me and it didn’t feel like…I was capable of doing anything good. Any joy I felt was fleeting and almost made it worse because it felt like other people deserved it more.”

Nodding Maya brushed her hair back, “After my mom died…so much happened so quickly, but it became clear that the only person who really wanted me around was gone. I started making money to support myself, but only because when I thought about ending everything…I knew mom wouldn’t want that. So I know that…there’s no shame in being pushed to that place.”

She was looking to the side now as if the wall had become particularly interesting, “When I won the lottery, it didn’t change anything. If anything, the lack of a need to work only made the days feel more aimless. So I took up gambling, safely, mind you, I’m in no danger of being penniless on a bad bet. But it felt like…the one connection to my mom I had left.”

Gently reaching out and taking her hand, Caleb was quiet as he spoke, “So when you got here and you learned the game elements…it felt like life had a meaning again?”

Maya turned and gave him a wry smile, “Something like that, there are rules, everyone can win if they do their best, and…and if I do my best I’ll have some family again. Maybe that sounds dumb, but yeah.”

Caleb gave her a worried look, “You know the other girls don’t see this game as fun, right? You risk upsetting them and making them wary the more you try to play.”

“I only think they think that because they think they have a choice right now. We all have to play whether we like it or not. It’s basically Jumanji rules. Pretending you’re not playing only puts you and others in danger. I know they might resent me right now…and maybe even at the end they’ll resent me, but…I’m also not changing who I am. I refuse to be anything but an active participant in any game I’m playing and am going to do my best.” With that, she raised her fists in a determined manner and picked up her cards.

Taking up his own hand, Caleb couldn’t help but marvel at the woman across from him. He would be lying if he said he understood everything she was saying; some of it was alien to him. That being said, he knew what it was like to feel like life lacked any meaning, and he would also be lying if just being here hadn’t provided him with a grounding structure to his life he needed.

Maybe he couldn’t relate to how she needed to partake in the game, and maybe he couldn’t see it the way she did. Could he get others to see she didn’t mean any harm? He was doubtful, but he couldn’t in good faith chastise her for her behaviour without being a hypocrite. For now, though, the best thing he could do is try not to let her trounce him in this next game of Mao.

It was hard to keep track of time. Caleb found that after getting back into it, he was just as absorbed in the card game as Maya and even managed to penalize her a few times correctly. Not enough to actually win any games, mind you, but he felt accomplished nonetheless. The conversation never got as heavy as it had again, more exchanging of past details, mostly learning of each other's childhoods, hobbies, even finding out that they had attended school in neighboring school districts, which was a surprise.

Caleb had pursued this line of inquiry over dinner, thinking that maybe he had found the possible link between the two, but the more information they went over, the less opportunity there seemed for overlap. Maya had performed in the orchestra, while Caleb had done chorus. Maya had done the chess club while Caleb had run track and field. The mystery just continued, though Caleb noted Maya seemed much less concerned with finding out why she was there. As far as she was concerned, the fact was that she was there; the particulars of why interested her a great deal less.

By the time they wrapped up dinner, Caleb realized how much he was enjoying her company. Regardless of the amount of trepidation he had had going into it, the fact that, despite their different circumstances, Caleb found that their conversation flowed easily and that he found himself excited to learn more about Maya. If anything, this had been the most forthright of dates he had had since coming to the hotel with the possible exception of Maddy.

As they approached his room, he noticed a look of trepidation on her fac,e and then when they got to the door, she interceded blocking his entry.

Raising an eyebrow and putting his hands on his hips, Caleb regarded her carefully, “Is there something wrong?”

Maya shook her head and a crimson blush took over her features, “No, nothing is wrong, it’s just I need you to wait out here for a moment, ok? There’s something I need to do before you enter the room”

Confused, but not feeling like denying her, the Master just nodded, “Alright, I guess I’ll wait out here.”

Maya perked up, “Thank you, Caleb. I just…I’ve enjoyed this date and…” She paused and then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips, “I got something to show my appreciation.” The words came out huskily as she pulled away

Maya -+1 VP (Kissed the Master)

Maya -+1 VP (Hugged the Master)

With that, Maya darted into the room, leaving Caleb alone in the hallway while he waited. His mind wandered, wondering what she was planning, and he couldn’t help but feel his own excitement growing when thinking of possibilities. He didn’t know how long he had been waiting when he heard Maya call out from inside the room.

“Caleb! You can come in now!” Through the door, her voice felt confident, and as Caleb opened the door, his jaw dropped as he saw the source of that confidence.

The room was dimly lit, and striding in front of him, arms back behind her head as she thrust out her chest was Maya, dressed in a scarlet lingerie set complete with garters and gloves that accented her curves and looked extremely erotic in the dim light as she smiled at him.

Maya - +3 VP (Showed Off Lingerie to the Master) FIRST x2 BONUS

Her smile turned to an impish smirk at his reaction, “I take it you like it? I bought it at the market in town, it only cost 1 BP but I think that’s to encourage us to look good for you.” She walked up to him, pushed her breasts against his chest, and wrapped her arms around him, the soft silk of the gloves rubbing against his neck, “Did it work, Caleb? Do I look good?”

Caleb struggled to find words as his brain’s connection to his mouth was reduced to a dial up modem given the redirection of blood flow that was occurring, “Maya…you…you look better than good, you look amazing”

“You know, Caleb, I never have had a boyfriend before…that kiss I gave you was my first…by the time this competition is over, how many firsts will you have taken, hmm?” She leaned in and gently molded her lips to his, slowly parting to allow his tongue in against hers as his hands found purchase on her hips and held her close against him.

Maya moaned and mewed into the kiss as Caleb ran his hands along her soft thighs, fingers digging in as she was pushed back against the bed, landing on it softly as Caleb leaned in to retake her lips. His leg found itself between her thighs, and he gently ran his thigh up against her crotch, causing the woman to gasp and break the kiss and grip his shoulders tightly.

He ran his hands up her body, locking eyes with her as she gently nodded and grabbed her breasts through the soft fabric of her corset, molding them in his clutches as he worked his leg against her.

Maya- +2 VP (Master Touched Her Boobs!)

Maya had zero experience with sex, but found herself instinctively thrusting her hips up to meet the pushing of his leg against her, and as her eyes traveled down to watch as he groped her chest, saw the raging bulge in his pants and felt entranced. She gently pushed him away and then moved down to her knees in front of the bed, ”Let me…”

She reached out and undid his pants, hooking her fingers around, she slowly dragged his pants and underwear down at once, bringing his hard erection into view. Maya reached out with her gloved hand and slowly ran her fingers over its length, “I don’t think I’m quite ready for sex…But I can do this for you.” And as she finished her sentence leaned forward and wrapped her lips around the tip of his cock and slowly brought him into her mouth.

Caleb felt himself tense as the wetness of her mouth overtook his shaft. He could feel the hesitation and inexperience in her movements as she took more of him in but then as she began to bob her head up and down on his length and felt her tongue flick and wrap around his shaft, none of that mattered as her desperation to make him feel good translated into physical sensation.

He took his hands and wove them in her hair gently guiding her up and down as the quiet sounds of her occasionally gagging on his length filled the air, he looked down, “Maya touch yourself, I want you to cum with me.” The purple haired woman nodded with him still in her mouth and she reached down into her panties and began to furiously work on her clit as she felt him throb in his mouth.

It didn’t take long for her efforts to be rewarded as Caleb felt his body seize up, “Ohgod, Maya I’m close I’m going to cum!”

Maya only increased the speed at which her mouth and fingers worked and then all at once began to shudder as her own orgasm triggered while Caleb bucked his hips against her mouth and began to coat the inside of her mouth with his warm seed.

Caleb felt himself grow woozy as he slowly pulled back and watched as Maya closed her mouth and after a moment of hesitation swallowed his load.

Maya- +3 VP (Blowjob!) FIRST x2 BONUS

Maya- +1 VP (Swallowed!) FIRST x2 BONUS

She then made a slightly scrunched up face before saying, “Bitter, not sure I want to do that again any time soon.” She then looked up at him, “Did I do a good job?”

Panting slightly Caleb nodded, “Yeah, definitely did a good job, you were amazing.”

“Thanks, I’ve been watching some videos to try and figure out how to do it, but it’s definitely different like…actually doing it. I’m glad it was good. Should we sleep now?”

“I um…” Caleb was still coming down from the experience and just slowly nodded. “Yeah, sleep sounds good.”