"Now isn't this just the luckiest thing."

Midnight startled and turned at the voice, covering her bare breasts with her arms. She was up to her navel in the pond, and naked, her flowing pink hair sticking to her back. "Uh, could you, um..." the dancer asked, trying to protect her modesty somewhat while keeping an eye on the young man sitting on her clothes.

"Oh, no, I could not, thank you." The man chuckled. "I'm happy to help you out of the pond if you're getting chilly."

"What are you doing here?" Midnight asked, curious. "And could you at least let me get dressed?"

"Tell you what, we'll play for it."

"Play for...?"

"Your clothes."

"Play what?"

The blonde man tossed a small object to Midnight, who automatically grabbed for it, exposing herself. She felt herself getting warm and before she moved to cover up again, he said, "I've seen it already, you realize."

She shrugged and sighed, looking at the six-sided item she'd caught. "Dice?"

The stranger grinned. "Dice. I have one, you have one. Highest roll wins."

"And if I win, you'll let me get dressed?"

"I'll let you have one piece of clothing every time you win if," he continued, lifting a hand to keep from being interrupted, "you let me have a piece of you every time I win."

Midnight raised an eyebrow. "A piece of me?"

"You'll see."

"Well... I mean, I don't want to just stand here forever..." Midnight tossed the die on the shore. "Five, there."

He spun his in reply. "Oh look, you win. Shall I return to you your shirt?"

Midnight nodded. "Yeah, please, that'd be... um... I guess that's best."

The man tossed Midnight's t-shirt to her right, just out of her reach, causing it to land in the water. She frowned, grabbing it and putting it on. It clung to her like a second skin, and her dark skin was mostly visible through the wet fabric. "You did that on purpose."

"Perhaps I did. Another throw?"

She grabbed the die, keeping her lower half in the water. Her next throw was a three.

"Oh look. I've a four."

She looked. He did. She started to remove the shirt, but he stopped her.

"No, no. You can keep your shirt." He smirked. "I'm going to take a bit of your inhibition."

She climbed out of the pond. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing," he replied. "Throw again?"

"Please, I want my stuff back."

She threw a two, he a five.

"Tell me your name," he asked.

"Midnight Rose. Uh, that's not my birth name, but it's my name."

"Beautiful name. Thank you."

"Thank you, um is that all you wanted?"

"For now. Another?"

The rolls were on her side, and she won back her bra (which she had to peel her shirt off to put on) and her socks, which he conceded were in fact one piece of clothing.

Her next roll was four, and his was a six. "Oh, such a shame. I think I'll grab your sense of time."

Midnight blinked. How long had they been playing? "Why would you want that?"

But he didn't answer, just picked up his die.

She lost the next again. He said he'd take her idea of home, but she couldn't conceive of a home as it was.

She won back her panties.

"One more," he said, "and you'll get your pants back, and you can be on your way."

She grinned when she rolled again and got a six. "Guess I'm going home a winner."

He nodded. "Guess you are," he said, rolling his die. "Or not."

She stared. She counted the pips on the die face again. She stared.

Seven.

"I'll just take your free will."

"But how did you roll a seven? How is that even—"

"You no longer care about that."

She blinked. He was right.

"You probably don't even want your pants back," he suggested.

She nodded. "Yeah, there's no real need."

"Like as not," he continued, "you'd be just as happy in the nude."

Happy. That was right. She started to peel off her wet shirt again. She was quite happy.

It promised to be a lovely evening.