ArchivedLogs:Lovecraftian Games

Lovecraftian Games
Dramatis Personae Kaeli, Melinda
In Absentia	2015-07-19 '
Location <NYC> Pandemonium Games - Lower East Side
Two floors of geekery, Pandemonium Games in the Lower East Side is, at first blush, a bookstore rather than a gaming store, small and cozy with aisles dedicated to sci-fi and fantasy books. The glass counter opposite the bookshelves, admittedly, does hold a wealth of cards from various collectible card games, though binders of Magic cards predominate. Bins of dice in a wide variety of colours stand at one end of the counter. It is the lower level of the store that is usually the busy one, though. The stairs leading down to the basement head first into shelves and shelves of games; board games, RPG sourcebooks, Warhammer figurines, battle mats. Beyond the shelves of goods, a much larger room is mostly bare save its many wide tables, filled at all hours with people playing tabletop games of all kinds. It's hot outside. While the thermometers haven't exactly exploded, the heat index is urging people to go inside and to stay away from strenuous activities. Melinda is in Pandemonium games attempting to do both at once. Dressed in a light weight dress that shows the ghost of a swim suit underneath, she stands in flipflops at one of the many shelves, reading the back of a box that is nearly three inches in depth and a foot square all around. She's engrossed in the information on the back, but her face says she doesn't seem impressed. Despite the heat and warnings there are some who are just too thickheaded to comply. Kaeli seems to be one of these, judging from the teenager's sweat soaked tank-top and shorts. She ducks into Pandemonium games, breathing heavily and bending forward, hands on her knees to catch her breath. After a few minutes she glances around the store, reaching up to run a hand through her short hair. "Don' suppose this place has got something cold to drink for me to buy?" A short round guy behind the counter raises an eyebrow at the girl who comes stumbling in. He immediately slides the pristine comic he was reading into its sleeve and stands up. "Ahh. We have... Ahhh. Bawls for some of the Magic tournaments. They are not ... well, going on right now, but they are probably still cold - if you want, I can go look for them?" Melinda sets the game box down and turns away from the shelf, looking the teen, both of her eyebrows raised. She takes a deep breath as she steps over. "Hey, if you've got a sink with water - it might be better than energy drinks." She calls after the salesperson who heads into the back for beverages. Nodding her head slightly Kaeli moves so that she's not blocking the doorway. She looks at the man behind the counter a bit oddly at the mention of what they have, but doesn't comment on that. "Water would be fine too. I ain't that picky. It's jus' hot out there right now." Having had a chance to catch her breath the girl takes another look around, getting a better idea of what place she ducked into. "It is hot out there," Melinda attempts to make idle conversation now that the girl seems to be tended to, turning her attention back to the wall of games. Her lips purse as she looks over some of the more ornate games before grabbing one marked Tokaido. This box is more zen and minimalistic. "You going to be okay?" She shoots the girl a sideways glance and raises her eyebrows again. The salesguy returns from the back with a paper cup filled with water and a tall dark blue bottle labeled "Bawls." Kaeli nods her head at the comment, smiling when the salesguy returns with the drinks. She reaches into a pocket, fishing out some folded bills and asking, "How much for it?" She looks over at Melinda when she's questioned and replies, "I'll be fine. I've been sticking to shaded areas as much as I can. Not the first time I've been out and about in the heat." "Okay," Melinda agrees, turning toward the game in her hand again and pulling out her cellphone to consult a list. She frowns as she finds herself scrolling and scrolling and scrolling. Eventually, she types out a message and places her game back on the shelf. "IT's, un, two fifty for the Bawls. We don't really sell water." He scuffs back a bit and takes the bills she offers him, scuttling back to his counter a moment later to put the bills in the register. Kaeli puts the rest of her cash back into a pocket before picking up the water and taking a drink from the cup. Once she's gotten a bit of water in her she picks up the bottle and looks at it curiously before opening it and taking a sip. Something that gets another curious look before she starts to look around the store again. "I know some people at my school who've been trying to get me into this stuff. Almost think it offends them to have someone in AP classes an' all that prefers freerunnin' and messin' with cars to playin' spell slingers in Fantasyland." "I wouldn't say that kind of thing in a store primarily devoted to board games and Fantasyland," Melinda replies from the game shelf, continuing to scan the titles. She drags her fingers across the face of one marked 'Tsuro' and keeps moving. "This is kind of their one safe space to be as devoted as they like. It's be like going to a freerunner gathering and talking trash before setting up a board game in the middle of it." The guy at the counter's mood shifts. He haruffs and goes back to his comic books, grumbling as he slides a different one out of a clear plastic sleeve for examination. "It's also entirely possible that there are days when one cannot go out and freerun, so maybe there are other activities, like games, that you could turn to while you're stuck inside. Maybe like today?" Melinda finishes and selects a dark blue box called 'Dominion.' "What? I wasn't sayin' anythin' disparigin' about the store or the hobby. Jus' offerin' a possible reason for them tryin' so hard to get me interested." She takes another drink from her bottle before continuing to speak. "An' I ain't sayin' I'm not interested at all. It could be fun. I've never tried it. I jus' ain't interested in playin' with the group at my school who pushes playin' these games as hard others push fu-ah... Freakin' drugs." She waves a hand, the one holding her bottle, as though dismissing that topic of conversation. "An' normally when I can't go out an' run I'll stay in and fiddle with engines or somethin'. Jus' no engine to fiddle with today." She glances at one of the boardgames nearby before wincing slightly and adding, "Besides, this stuff seems... Costly. An' I ain't exactly Tony Stark. In case the lack of a goatee an' bein' underage didn't give that away." "Ah. Okay. Well, who would you want to play with?" Melinda smiles as she brings the game over to the counter, looking to pay for it. "Yeah, games can be expensive. Sometimes, stores like these, they have game nights where you can come in and learn a new game - it's an obvious ploy to get people to buy the game when they find out how fun it is, but I'm sure you could come play for the sake of playing and no one would have any problem with it." When the salesperson starts to open his mouth, Melinda silences him with a glare. Her fingers drum against the surface of the game she's looking to buy. Disgruntled, the clerk takes his time wrapping up what he's doing. "Sorry to say it, but you look nothing like Tony Stark." "People I actually enjoy spendin' time around, maybe." Kaeli replies as she continues to look at the various games on display. "An' this place is a bit far out of the way for me to come here for games all the time. Especially if game nights actually happen at night. My dad don't much like me bein' out an' about at night. Says it's too dangerous. An' I guess he would know what with bein' a cop." She pauses and blinks, staring at one of the boxed games. "Oh, hey! This is Lovecraft!" Then she lapses into silence for a few minutes as she examines the back of the box. Though the final statement causes her to let out an overdramatic sigh. "Alas, there goes my plan for fame an' fortune as a Tony Stark impersonator! It's the hair, ain't it? Jus' not short enough, huh?" "Hair cuts can be fixed. Heck, you could probably even grow facial hair. I don't think there will be much call for Stark Impersonators until he dies after a glorious rock and roll career. That's the part that's probably not going to happen." Melinda considers, leaning her arm on the box. "If you like Lovecraft, there's a number of them. Um, 'The Stars Are Right' and 'Arkham Horror' and 'Elder Sign.' Mansions of Madness is pretty good too." Kaeli shrugs her shoulders and replies, "Sure there is. I could go to events he don' want to. Jus' tell 'em there was a lab accident. That ended up with Stark shrinkin'. An' becomin' female. An' his hair changin' color." She wrinkles her nose slightly then and moves her head in an absent nod. "I can see that. Though I'm a bit wary of Lovecraft as a game. I mean, the point of a game is to win, yeah? An' that's kinda counter-intuitive to the whole premise of Lovecraft's writin's. He's all about the apathetic cosmos, an' horrors that jus' lookin' at drives one insane, an' tryin' to fight is an exercise in futility." "Yeah, but it'd have to be when he decides to go out of the public, as he'd never be able to come back as his strapping masculine self after that." Melinda chuckles softly under her breath and purses her lips. "If it helps, winning doesn't usually mean good things for the world and half of the games make whatever character you are using insane. So it could still be interesting. Besides, the Stars Are Right is all about summoning gods to destroy the world. That's perfectly Lovecraftian." Kaeli moves her head in a small nod as she continues to examine the games. "I suppose. I mean, the lab accident excuse works both ways though. Or he could say he fixed the problem!" She nods her head slightly then and adds, while pointing at one of the games, "I saw that that one tracked sanity. But I still dunno about the concept of it. Or 'bout the concept of playin' someone tryin' to summon sanity rendin' an' reality bendin' cosmic horrors. If it's jus' a board game, fine. But if it's one where you gotta act sh... Stuff out then no. I know what happens to the s.o.b what does that." "Eh, Aside from a gleeful cackle of laughter from the winning party, no one I know has actually spoken the forbidden words and attempted to tear a hole into the realm of the elder gods. But I could be wrong. I'll have to ask around if there's an acting component I have missed." She pulls her phone out of her pocket once more and sends off a text. This one receives a rather quick reply. She laughs sharply, replies and heads back to the shelves to grab a box marked King of Tokyo. Kaeli takes another drink from her bottle as she moves on to study another box. "Well I could have guessed there ain't nobody who has done that. I mean, reality is still here, ain't it? Unless we're naught but a dream. But that sounds like a bad twist endin' for a movie." "Eh, the other twist ending for a movie is that there is always a team of supernatural experts running around appeasing the old gods and sending them back to their slumber each time someone has the gall to go ahead and act it all out with feeling." Melinda fishes out her cellphone once more and snorts, then replies, setting it down on top of her two boxes. "And you could be a part of that squad, wandering around from store to store instilling keen embarrassment on anyone who thinks about trying it." Kaeli lets out a soft snort and says, "'No, no, it's pronounced eee-ah, not Eye-ah. Where'd you learn your ancient languages not meant for human tongues? The back of a cereal box?'" Shaking her head she drains the last of the bottle before starting in on finishing the water she was given. "Nah. I dunno. I mean, I like Lovecraft an' all. I jus' ain't sure I'd like it as a game." "Ah, well, it's just something to talk about." Melinda fishes out her wallet from her bag and eyes the salesperson again, clearing her throat. "I can understand if I have gotten too close to the truth and we can no longer talk about it. That's fine." She selects a plastic card from her wallet and hands it to the salesperson, letting him ring her up. Kaeli lets out another snort and counters, "Jus' be glad I ain't pullin' out the flashy thing on you. Whirrr-chush. Forget you ever had this conversation. But alas. I forgot my sunglasses today." "Woefully unprepared. Well, I'll pretend to have forgotten so you don't get into trouble with your superiors." Mel slides her wallet and her cell phone back in her bag and watches as the salesman puts her games in a bag. "You know, and not perform any rituals with correct pronunciations and dance moves." She picks up her stuff. "Well, not that I can promise anything for sure.." Kaeli rolls her eyes as she finishes off her water. "They aren't dance moves! They're ritualistic motions! Gawd! Get it right!" The offended act doesn't last very long as she ends up breaking out in giggles. Which fade almost as quick as she looks outside. "An' back into the heat, it seems. Ah well. Only gotta make it to the subway or a bus line." Melinda hovers near the door as well, eyeing the hot light on the blistering asphalt. "Yeah. Just a little ways. Well. Good luck not passing out from heat exhaustion. I'll do the same." Still, she hangs back from leaving the air conditioning. Kaeli lets out an amused huff. "It's jus' a little heat. Ain't like it's gonna kill you. You know. Barrin' that heat stroke stuff." That said the girl opens the door, wincing at the blast of hot air that accompanies it, before stepping out into the blazing sunlight.