Fourth Link

[colorbymemory.livejournal.com]

(continued from here)

Characters: Namine and all who care to join in
Content: Board games, cards, and pajamas, oh my!
Location: Theatrical deck
Time of day: Evening
Warnings: None~


The appearance of the board games had sparked Namine's interest. She'd never played them before--hadn't had much time to play at all--and they looked like fun. There were even some cards! Luxord had shown her how to use those.

The only problem was that she needed someone else to play with her. Only she didn't know who to ask, and weren't games supposed to be more fun with a lot of people? So she'd decided to set up on the theatrical deck and use Cambot to ask as many people as possible.

Now to wait until someone came.

Comments

[virtualunknown.livejournal.com]

"I haven't seen all of them yet. Was there one you wanted to try?" he asked, taking a seat.

[colorbymemory.livejournal.com]

Namine looked at the boxes. All of the games could technically be played by only two people, but Monopoly and LIFE looked like they were made for larger groups, and Luxord had always said cards were more fun with more people. "Chess might be best while there's just the two of us. Is that okay?"

She moved a bowl of popcorn over to be in easier reach. You were supposed to have snacks while playing games, right?

[virtualunknown.livejournal.com]

"That's fine by me. It's been a while since I've played." He nodded his thanks and pulled out the chess set.

Feel free to handwave a lot of the gameplay. It'll take to long to go move-by-move.

[colorbymemory.livejournal.com]

Namine helped him set up. She decided she'd had enough of white, and chose the black pieces, using the illustrations as a guide to where to put them on the board. "Are you ready?"

*Pokes in*

[halfdarkened.livejournal.com]

Riku sauntered on in, wearing a set of blue hooded robes and striped pajama pants. His silver hair was pulled into a ponytail. He took a seat on a large pile of pillows several feet away, lounging back.

"Mind if I watch?"

Re: *Pokes in*

[virtualunknown.livejournal.com]

"Have you ever played before?" MakubeX asked, moving his first piece. He looked up when the newcomer entered and gave a small wave.

"That's fine by me. We've only just started, so it may be a while. Unless you want to start a new game?"

Re: *Pokes in*

[colorbymemory.livejournal.com]

"No, but it doesn't look that complicated." You just had to remember how the pieces moved, after all. And to make sure the king was protected.

She smiled at Riku. 'That's okay. Or we could try another game. Or" she paused. "You could play whoever wins?"

[halfdarkened.livejournal.com]

Riku shrugs casually. He looks quite comfortable as he lays back.

"I'm good with anything. It's been a long time since I've played chess, and all these new games look like they could be fun."

[virtualunknown.livejournal.com]

"Well, we already have this set up..." MakubeX mused, "Maybe you could pick one out while we finish this one?"

[colorbymemory.livejournal.com]

It would be too bad if they didn't get to finish up their game. Namine made her move as she thought. "That would be good. Since we started this, Riku gets to choose the next game."

[halfdarkened.livejournal.com]

"Fair enough." Riku looked over from where he relaxed to the board game stack. For a moment he simply looked them over, briefly and atypically too content to move. When he was younger, he was always in a rush to try anything new, no matter how small. For the last couple years he'd always been on the move, unable to stop without risking everything.

And now? It was as if he had all the time in the world. Softly he chuckled to himself, imagining that was what Sora must feel like. Still, as usual, curiosity finally won out and he stretched, stumbling over pillows to sit and sift through the board games.

[virtualunknown.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps find one that has a varying number of players? Just in case anyone else comes in," MakubeX suggested after making his move. He never took his eyes from the board.

[colorbymemory.livejournal.com]

"Most of them look like it would be difficult to add players..." Namine's voice trailed off as she studied the board. Picturing her moves were easy enough, but trying to picture which moves could be made in response was difficult. Finally she made her move, then thought of something.

She smiled at MakubeX. "I don't think we mentioned our names yet. I'm Namine." She nodded to the boy currently looking through the games. "That's Riku."

[halfdarkened.livejournal.com]

"But it would be easier to restart than switch games," Riku added.

He didn't say anything at his introduction, just raising a hand in a sort-of half-wave as he browsed through the games. On occasion he'd set one aside until he'd looked through them all. He had three, though one of them was set further to the side. "...I want to try Battleship with someone later. Right now it looks like Monopoly and LIFE are the best bets for us from these games."

[virtualunknown.livejournal.com]

"My apologies. I'm MakubeX. It's nice to meet you. ...officially."

He nodded at the suggestions. "Either would be good, although I know Monopoly games can last a while," he muttered, a bit distracted. Namine's moves were the main priority at the moment, working out calculations for the next couple of moves in his mind.

[colorbymemory.livejournal.com]

"Nice to meet you, MakubeX."

She glanced at Riku. "Maybe Sora will play Battleship with you? It looks like something he might like." Then she returned her attention to the board. Though Namine had never played chess before, she had a feeling that MakubeX was good at it. She probably wouldn't win. It was just a game, though, and as Luxord had said, the fun of a game was in the playing, and the company of the players.

[halfdarkened.livejournal.com]

At MakubeX's introduction Riku gave a small smile and a nod in place of simply repeating what Namine had already said.

"Hm. Probably. You guys up for Life or Monopoly, then?" He opened up both boxes, pawing through the pieces. He slowly lifted up a little pewter figurine of a guy riding a rearing horse, looking a little intrigued by it. He put it back with purpose, possibly as if deciding on that piece for himself should they decide on that game. He then began to pull out the instructions for both, sinking back into the pillows and crossing his legs.

[virtualunknown.livejournal.com]

Chess was MakubeX's sort of game. He was going somewhat easier or Namine, though. It wasn't too difficult to calculate her moves, although he was taken by surprise every now and then. While he didn't play often (back home he and his friends were more into video games), he knew it was a great way to learn things about someone that usually went unsaid.

He glanced over at Riku. "Depends how long you want to play."

[colorbymemory.livejournal.com]

Namine's had the feeling MakubeX was giving her chances he might not with another opponent. It didn't bother her though; Luxord had done something similar when teaching her cards. It was a chance to learn the game a little better.

She looked up at the comment. "Does Monopoly take that long?"

[halfdarkened.livejournal.com]

Riku shrugged. "Not like we don't have a lot of time, nowadays." He stretched again, sprawling amongst the pillows a moment. Laying back, he held the directions over his head. "Basically it boils down to this: You want to play growing up and laugh at it or do you want to try to competitively wring munny out of each other?"

[virtualunknown.livejournal.com]

MakubeX moved a bishop and chuckled. "Well, Monopoly does have better game tokens."

[colorbymemory.livejournal.com]

"I think I'd rather play at growing up."

Namine frowned thoughtfully. MakubeX's pieces had begun to creep up on her side of the board. Soon, she'd start having to move her king.

[halfdarkened.livejournal.com]

"Either one sounds good. I'll point out two things, though." He lowered the instructions to address MakubeX directly. "One, LIFE looks like it has a cooler board." A smirk crossed his face. "Two, if we play Monopoly, I'm claiming the horse and jockey." He didn't look like he was married to the idea, but he was interested in that piece.

"How about this? Winner picks the next game?" He pointed to the chess board as he said so.

[virtualunknown.livejournal.com]

MakubeX glanced over, perfectly stoic. "Well, we could mix things up a bit and use Monopoly pieces on the LIFE board."

He turned back to the board, considering his next move. He had a rough calculation of how many turns were left, barring any more surprises. "That sounds fair, I suppose."

[colorbymemory.livejournal.com]

"Or we could use LIFE pieces on the Monopoly board." Namine smiled. It would make the game more colorful.

She turned thoughtful at MakubeX's other suggestion. "Yes, it does sound fair."

Time to move her king. She chose a spot just out of reach of MakubeX's pieces.

[halfdarkened.livejournal.com]

"You ever put CDs in the wrong case and then you got to sort them out? I bet when we're done playing the next game, we'll be doing that," Riku replied. With that, he resumed reading the instructions.

[virtualunknown.livejournal.com]

MakubeX chuckled. "All right, all right. Would have been fun though."

He looked over the chess board, chin in his hand. He moved a rook to a place where it could easily be captured. He knew that if she chose to take it, he would have an opening to put her king in danger again. He kept his eyes on the board, curious.

[colorbymemory.livejournal.com]

Namine tilted her head to one side. No, she'd never mixed CDs up...Actually she barely knew what a CD was, so she'd just have to take Riku's word for it. "If you say so."

She turned her attention back to the board. Capturing the rook looked to be the easiest move at this point, so she took the option MakubeX had offered.

Sorry, that's all he has!

[halfdarkened.livejournal.com]

Riku simply shrugged as he continued to read, waiting patiently for the two to finish.

[virtualunknown.livejournal.com]

MakubeX moved his queen, taking the piece that had taken his rook. "Check." If all went according to his calculations, two more moves could get him checkmate.

He looked back over at Riku. "Want to start setting one up?"

Sorry to be so slow, and that this is taking so long. Start new game in another thread?

[colorbymemory.livejournal.com]

Namine frowned when she realized she'd fallen for the trick. She moved her king again.

He had made a good suggestion, though. "It would save some time."

Maybe another subthread instead?

[halfdarkened.livejournal.com]

After a few minutes, Riku got up and left (leaving his rather plain blue slippers), only to return about two minutes later with a soda.

No worries! New thread would be good.

[virtualunknown.livejournal.com]

Perfect. MakubeX moved his next piece into place, his trap set. He wondered if she'd notice.

"Are there more of those?"

Subthread sounds like a good idea. This is all she's got for the moment.^^;;

[colorbymemory.livejournal.com]

Namine moved her piece, not noticing that once again she was falling into a trap.