CLOSED | if being strong's your kind,

[murderbaby]

WHO: Vanadi, Athessa, Mhavos.
WHAT: stupid elf drama.
WHEN: post-the post-murderhaus log.
WHERE: Somewhere in Lowtown
NOTES: Emotional and romantic drama is the point of a fantasy wargame.

There is a reason Mhavos generally avoids any communal drinking activity, and it's rather obvious: he doesn't drink, and doesn't commune. He doesn't loathe them. He just doesn't feel comfortable at them, and however well they go, he's happy to be rid of them.

Anyway, he's been nervous all night, because... well, because he doesn't want to hurt anyone. Walking out onto the street, he makes a few quick strides to catch up with Athessa, hoping Vanadi, nearby, is out of earshot.

"I-... need to speak with you. It's of... well, of some import." Yet he's staring directly at Vanadi's back. What an utter master of subtlety.

Comments

[sulahnan]

"Um...okay, not that any of us will be able to tell otherwise. But why?"

[murderbaby]

Mhavos waits for the answer as well, eyebrows up.

[highborn]

He says, with much poise and dignity, "My parents would have hated it, to see their culture tarnished. They'll never know it, but it's a metaphorical bag of dog shit on their stoop."

[sulahnan]

Athessa chuckles and shakes her head.

"Okay, sure. If you want it to be a long-distance fuck you to mum n' dad, I'm fine with that."

[murderbaby]

Two orphans and a man who hates his parents walk out of a bar...

Mhavos considers this while weighing the options on asking for the entire language-- he prickles at the idea of sounding the fool-- but now is not the time. Later, maybe.

Anyway, ostensibly, matters of Scouting don't apply to him. He soldiers onward. "All very droll," he says, "but Athessa, friend, where are we going?"

[highborn]

That's just what it is, thanks Athessa. He trails after feeling a bit pleased with the idea, but also, yes please, where the heck are they headed?

[sulahnan]

She scoffs. "Where d'you think?"

--

Smash cut to: INT. ATHESSA'S ROOM - CONT.

The fire is roaring in the hearth, a bottle of mead has been opened and three glasses poured, a fat blunt rolled and lit to be shared between Athessa, Mhavos, and Vanadi, and they've got a deck of cards for playing, quite unfairly, Wicked Grace.

Athessa passes the blunt to Vanadi, then discards a low-ranking card (she hopes) and draws another.

"After we lose, can we play something easy? Like Snap or something?"

[murderbaby]

Mhavos, abstaining from smoke and (mostly) drink so he can do quiet card tricks with his hands. He told Vanadi he could.

"What is Snap?"

[highborn]

Vanadi is very happily abstaining from neither, which makes card tricks even more impressive. He's doing his best to follow the rules of Wicked Grace, but being a strategic genius is probably not in the cards (get it) tonight.

"Does it involve stripping?" asked hopefully, because he must, even if he knows it's not that type of friendly gathering. A man can dream.

[sulahnan]

"I've never heard of anyone playing strip Snap, but you'd be the man to figure it out."

Athessa's only recently learned to play Wicked Grace, and though she's being taught by the incomparable Bastien and Lexie, she's never won a single game. Her primary tactic after trying to remember the rules is to discard based on the art she likes the least.

"It's a game of speed, not smarts, and the goal is to hold all the cards."

[murderbaby]

Mhavos considers this carefully.

"If it can be played so quickly, why not have Vanadi lose clothing every time we beat him."

[highborn]

Vanadi considers this and, ever the good sport (particularly with alcohol and elfroot in him), says with a pluck at the lapel of his vest, "I am wearing quite a few layers."

[sulahnan]

Athessa also considers this, with a conspiratorial glance toward Mhavos. What are the chances that they can both win enough to ensure that Vanadi has to strip down? Fairly good, she thinks.

"Alright, then. Strip Snap it is, after we finish this game."

[murderbaby]

Mhavos shrugs. Strip Snap seems infinitely more interesting than mugging over hands. He lays his down while returning Athessa's conspiratorial glance. "I fold."

[highborn]

In his book, any game is worth a forfeit if there are interesting and sexier things on the horizon. He doesn't spend much time considering it; his cards go down.

"Athessa's win, then! Well played."

[sulahnan]

"My skills are unmatched," she deadpans, and sweeps all the cards she can into a stack, a little clumsily.

"If one of you would care to shuffle, I'll explain the rules."

Snap is a game of reflexes, popular with children, though Athessa didn't get a chance to play it until she was an adult, traveling in Rivain. The dealer divides the cards among the players, and each plays a single card at a time, face-up, until two of the same card are in play. As soon as they spot the match, the players yell Snap and the first to say it gets the pot.

And there's another aspect when there's a tie but whatever, let's just get on with it.

[murderbaby]

Mhavos cuts the deck and shuffles it as fancily as possible, because this is what he thinks is impressive about being the only sober person in a group of friends.

He lets Athessa deal. "It's hardly a salon game. I approve."

[highborn]

Vanadi is duly impressed by the fancy shuffling, and taps his own stack neatly together now and then as they grow. It's a simple enough game, the rules are easy to keep in mind, but his attention wanders regardless. He's distracted watching Athessa's hands appreciatively when she places the first winning card, snapped up by Mhavos. Vanadi blinks, having not even seen the suit. Oops.

"Ah. Right. I forgot we were playing for a moment there." But, dutifully, he works off one very tall boot, and re-folds his legs back under himself in its absence. "What do I get if I don't lose a round?"

vanadi said show feet

[sulahnan]

"Celebratory drink?" Athessa suggests, raising her glass in a mock toast to Mhavos. "Since I think me and Mhavos stripping in turn would only be punishment to one of us."

Obviously, that's Mhavos, but she tips her head his direction anyway.

The next round goes to Mhavos, for the same reason Vanadi lost the last one. Athessa got distracted by her own hands in true stoner fashion.

"You're not nearly impaired enough for this to be fair, Mhav."

[murderbaby]

"Fine, fine," Mhavos pours himself a (small) amount of drink to down in one gulp. He coughs unattractively and shakes his head. "Perhaps I'm just talented."

[highborn]

It's a little baby drink for babies, but it's something, and Vanadi grins as he pulls off the other boot.

"Then it's only fair to handicap yourself for us, hmm? Level the playing field."

Athessa wins the next round, which is a nice change of pace, and Vanadi loses a glove for it. Then he snaps his fingers with the enthusiasm of a sudden idea, and says, "If I win, I get to put clothing back on. Or — a kiss? A kiss does sound less tedious than taking a shirt off and on again several times."

[sulahnan]

Athessa laughs as she taps the pile of cards she won into her existing hand.

"It's hardly a punishment for the losers, but I'm amenable."

She'll take any excuse to smooch.