Chapter Text
The studio lights were warm, the dice glittered like treasure, and Bang Chan still wasn’t sure how he’d been talked into this.
“So… I’m actually playing?” he asked, glancing around the table.
“Yup,” said Marisha Ray, sliding a sheet toward him. “You’re joining tonight’s one-shot. Welcome to Exandria, Chan.”
The cast cheered.
Chan squinted at the paper. “A bard? Of course it’s a bard.” He looked at the DM. “Matt, you did this on purpose.”
Matt Mercer’s grin was pure mischief. “I might have… rolled for destiny.”
Across the table, Taliesin Jaffe smirked over the rim of his glasses. “A bard, huh? Perfect fit. Just make sure he doesn’t upstage my cleric.”
Chan grinned. “No promises, mate.”
Two hours later, Chan had completely forgotten about the cameras.
Lyrion the bard was sweet-talking a goblin king while Sam Riegel’s rogue loudly tried to pickpocket him. Liam O’Brien was crying with laughter.
“I cast Guidance,” said Taliesin smoothly, eyes glinting. “For moral support.”
Chan rolled his die. It spun, bounced, and landed on a natural 20.
The table exploded with cheers. “He’s unstoppable!” Travis yelled.
Chan tried not to blush, laughing helplessly. “I swear, I don’t even know what I’m doing!”
Taliesin chuckled, leaning back. “You’re doing great. You’ve got good instincts.”
Something about the way he said it — calm, sincere, just a little amused — made Chan’s stomach flip.
During the break, Chan leaned against the hallway wall, sipping water and trying to calm the buzz in his chest.
Taliesin joined him, arms crossed casually. “You’re picking this up fast. Most people don’t charm their way through goblin royalty on their first try.”
“I think that was luck,” Chan said. “And your Guidance spell thing.”
“You’re giving me too much credit,” Taliesin teased.
Chan smiled. “Nah. You’re kind of my lucky cleric.”
Taliesin blinked, then laughed softly. “Careful. That’s how party romances start.”
Chan choked. “That’s… that’s a thing?”
“Everything’s a thing in D&D,” Taliesin said, smirking as he headed back toward the table. “Roll for charisma, rock star.”
By the time the game ended, they’d slayed a dragon, adopted a goblin child, and accidentally founded a bard college.
Everyone was buzzing with post-game laughter when Matt cleared his throat. “Before we wrap,” he said, eyes twinkling behind the DM screen, “a small confession.”
The table went quiet.
“Chan,” Matt said, “remember how I told you your bard was chosen for a reason?”
Chan frowned. “Yeah?”
Matt gestured at Taliesin. “You two had matching backstories. Old bandmates turned adventurers. I… may have planned that.”
Taliesin raised an eyebrow. “You shipped us?”
Matt grinned. “I crafted narrative synergy.”
The table erupted in laughter. Chan covered his face. “Mate, you planned this?”
“All part of the story arc,” Matt said solemnly.
Taliesin leaned closer to Chan, voice low and amused. “Guess we’re canon now.”
Chan laughed, shaking his head. “Of course we are. Matt wrote it that way.”
As the cameras powered down and the cast packed up, Matt watched the two of them chat quietly by the dice trays — Chan laughing, Taliesin pretending to teach him how to hold a d20 properly.
Travis nudged Matt. “You planned that, didn’t you?”
Matt smiled. “Let’s just say… the dice wanted it.”
He turned back to his notes, scribbling something under “Future Guests.”
Next one-shot idea: Bard & Cleric Duet Quest.
He grinned. “Perfect.”