ArchivedLogs:Fun and Games

Fun and Games
Dramatis Personae Hive, Keira, Flicker
In Absentia	2014-03-07 '
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 slated to get warmer later on in the day but late morning finds the day still quite cold, the temperature only sluggishly starting to climb. Even inside, Hive is still fairly bundled up, a fleecy warm hat -- blue, dotted with red stars -- pulled down over his head, a shabby old canvas jacket worn over his Cornell sweatshirt, a warm black scarf wound around his neck. Sturdy-heavy jeans, sturdy-heavy workboots. The /rest/ of him does not look sturdy-heavy at all, a rail-thin skeleton of a man slouched down in a chair in the basement level of the store, tucked in among all the board games and card games and RPG books. His hands are shaky where they hold a copy of the Numenera sourcebook, slowly flipping through its pages with trembling fingers. Somewhere deeper into the recesses of the room, another man, far healthier-looking with vivid green eyes and a shock of dark hair, a pleasant boyish face (except for the fact that one side of his face bears a /wealth/ of mottled scarring making his skin run like melted wax), dressed neatly in green button-down shirt, khakis, warm black jacket, is bouncing slightly on his toes as he browses the board games. "-- You know it's been this /gaping/ hole in our collection that we don't have 7 Wonders." His fingers run over the side of one box thoughtfully. In his chair, Hive just grunts, turning another page. "I got /some/ cash, I guess," he allows, pensively. The young woman enters the shop so carefully as she would be expecting, that someone will tackle her here. Her light blue gaze slips across the shelf thoughtfully. Keira keeps her lips color of deark red wine firmly pressed. << So... the game. What the fucking game kids like these days?... >> Keira shakes her head and steps deeper into the room in quite an elegant pace. She is wearing a very tight black jeans and her daek red high heels makes her thin legs look even more longer. The long dark coat is covering her shoulders and she is carring a purse in her hands. Long tress flaxen curls sways with each of her step playfully. In general, she looks like haughty elegant young belle, who shouldn't be in the game store. Farther back in the store, Flicker glances up from the shelf, looking to Keira but then looking quickly back at the boardgames with a faint blush. Hive doesn't look up; in fact, if he even registers the young woman's presence at all, he doesn't seem to make any immediate note. Just fixes his sleepily half-lidded eyes on his book, shaking hands turning another page slowly. But eventually he speaks -- still without looking up. "Depends what kids, I guess. What kind of kids are we talking? And do you mean /actual/ little-kid-kids or like. Fucking. Teenagers or college or something. And are they awesome kids or boring kids." Keira's eyes widen and she wtares for a moment at the man. << How he... He knows? He knows, what I am thinking? Omg! He knows. He is one of these... He hears... Stop stop stop thinking... Stop... >> She blinks blinks, while her minds are deiving girl crazy. However, she manages to shake her head, letting yhese wonderful curls sway in the air, "I mean... Kid. My brothers kid. He is like first grade kid? Actual kid, who almost lives inside his box with little pictures..." She blushes slighyly and turns to one of the shelves, looking at the games. << And I do not have much time looking for boring games... Oh! He can hear that too... Don't start to offend people. He is like like that..Oh.. stop! >> "I hear a lot," Hive agrees with a small twitch of a smile curling at his lip. "Can't help it, sorry." "He's not /very/ sorry," Flicker comments from the back of the room, quiet amusement in his voice. "/Little/ sorry." Hive turns around to set his book on the table behind him. He pushes himself to his feet -- it looks like it's a struggle, he stands only slowly and wobbles unsteadily on his feet once he's up. It takes a moment before he trusts himself to walking, moving slowly down the shelves over towards children's games. He plucks a couple off the shelf -- Chateau Roquefort, The Magic Labyrinth, Catan: Junior. "Here. Try one of these, they're pretty good for -- first grade, that's like /six/ or so right?" Keira chuckles shyly at the comment from another man, but then she walks after Hive. << Is he alrighy?..Omg.. I said that i my mind again. Oh, stop. How to stop my mind? >> Girl's cheeks become as rad as strawberries. "Sooo.. Yes. Six year, I guess.. I mean... I barely spend my time at home," Keira shrugs and takes one of these offered games, "Will you pack it for me?" She asks Hive. "You can't. I mean, you can't stop thinking so you may as well stop worrying about it. Trust me, I've heard /so/ many people with way more terrible minds than you. You wouldn't believe the crazy-ass shit people get up to dreaming about when they're bored on the subway." Hive stickst he other two games back where they came from, leaning heavily against the shelf afterwards for support. He draws in a breath, and then lets it out again in a sharp /snort/ at Keira's question. "/Hell/ no, woman, I don't work here." He drags himself slowly back to his chair, collapsing down into it in a tired slump. "Up the stairs, at the /cash/ register, that dude is /paid/ to help your rich ass out. -- You don't come here much, do you?" "You do not have to be so rude..." Keira frowns, "I am first time here and I am not a rich ass! Where are your manners?" The girl pouts, crossing her hands on abdomen. She eyes the man a few more moments, "Is everything alright? You look pretty bad, after all..." "He's always like that," Flicker says apologetically to Keira, wandering back over with a copy of 7 Wonders tucked beneath his arm. "Forgive him, he's --" "/Not/ the goddamn hired help around here," Hive cuts in over his more polite best friend. And then with a crooked smile: "-- I'm just here enough I know their store as well as the employees do." "He never -- really learned manners in school." There's a deep blush in Flicker's cheeks. He sets the board game down beside Hive's book, resting a hand on Hive's shoulder with a small squeeze. "But they will totally help you out upstairs whenever you're -- ready." Hive rocks his chair back, tipping it onto its back two legs and letting it thunk in against the table. "I look bad?" His smile widens into an outright grin. "/Now/ who's rude?" Keira gasps and lowers her gaze, "I didn't mean to offend you. I was worried. You walk really hardly. I mean... I was worried..." She takes a nervous scratch of the back of her head. then slips with her fingers across one flaxe curl, starting to whirl it between her fingers, "We both should learn good manners from him," The girl winks for Flicker. "So... You two are kind of friends? I always imagined, that all those gamers are running stores with their friends and almost lives here, you know..." She sighs, hugging her purse, "I am sorry. I am starting again. I mean... I have never played any games. I am studying acting and I am starting my career as model. I kind of play on stage. No time for other games.." Flicker lifts his free hand, passing it across his eyes with a small wince, a tiny twitch of a smile. "It's okay," he assures Keira. "He's not offended. He's just messing with you." "Yeahsorry." Hive thunks his chair back down onto all four legs. "I look like shit, I know it. -- We're close," he agrees with a gesture between himself and Flicker. "But we only /half/ live here. Got an apartment over in the East Village." "A model? You definitely /look/ like --" Flicker blushes again, green eyes dropping shyly back to the table. "I mean. You're just really --" His blush deepens. "That's neat. Are you in anything coming up?" "Really /hot/," Hive finishes for Flicker. No blushing. "What, you want to go see her -- play onstage?" He looks up, eyes skipping over Keira curiously. "/Are/ you acting in anything right now? We could take in a show, that'd be fun." "Thank you, boy," Keira winks for Flicker. She starts loving the blosh of him, "You are very handsome too!" The girl tucks some hair behind her ear with the gloved hands. Yes. She is wearing long dark gloves. The fabric looks like would be glinting. It is a pure cashmere after all. "Well.. it would be really nice, if you two would come. However..." She glances at Hive, "I am just studying acting. So, our performance will be like our finishing work for the semester. So, at the end of this month in our university's tiny theatre you will be able to see me as the little red ridding hood. Though... We are trying to create more modern version for the adults," her cheeks blushes and she sighs. << If I won't be tossed away from the university... >> The handsome comment only deepens Flicker's blush, his eyes fixing on the table. He lifts a hand to run against the scarred side of his face, dropping his hand afterwards to rest on the top of his board game. "Where are you at? NYU?" "The Tisch acting program is great," Hive agrees, at the mention of NYU. He nods to Flicker afterwards though. "But /your/ school's drama department is not too shabby." "And I mean, we have Juilliard /right/ here, uh -- I guess there's no shortage of options for acting school around here." Flicker glances up at Keira again curiously. "End of this month?" He pulls a phone out of his pocket, opening up his calender. "That could be really fun." "Yes... fun..." The girl nervously rubs her hand. "I mean... I hope you will see me there... I would like to see you there,"She winks for Flicker again and quite protectively hugs herself. By the way, when she speaks a very clear russian acceng can be heard. She looks around the room thoughtfully. << Kind of nice guy...Yes... better change subject. We might nkt see each other after all >> "So..." Her soft voice drawls, "If I would like to try a game. From what I should start?" "Where's /there/, dude, we kinda need to know where we're going if we're going to see you anywhere," Hive reminds with some amusement. "What college is it, I can look up the performance schedule myself." Flicker sets his phone into Hive's shaking hands, turning towards the shelves. "I don't know, are you going to be playing in a big group or with a small group of friends?" He plucks two games off the shelves -- Dixit and Settlers of Catan. "Try one of these, maybe." He taps the Dixit box. "The art in this is /gorgeous/." "Why wouldn't we see each other?" Hive's brows raise. "Do you not want us to come to the show after all?" He has an accent of his own, but his is much harder to place -- definitely not New York, but after that it's just a bastardized /mutt/ accent, transplanted from one place to another until it washes out into an indistinct mess. Keira comes closer near Flicker and looks straight into his eyes for a few moments and smile grows in her face. "Well.. Um.. I..." she rubs her arm with gloved hand, "What is Dixit?" She chuckles and raises her hand to touch the box at the moment, whe Flicker is tapping it. So, if by any chance they will touch each other, Flicker would feel an incredibly soft fabric of cashmere gloves, but the gloves would be quite cool as the girl just came in from the really cold air. After all, it is cold. When Hive speaks about the studies again, she sighs and hugs herswlf, "I might be tossed away from the university. So, I am not sure, what will happen. if I will be tossed from unibersity, my brother might send me somewhere..." Flicker's brilliant green eyes meet Keira's, a warm smile curling at his lips. "Oh -- it's. You get cards with pictures on them, and you make up stories about them. And then other people try to guess based on the story you make up which card was yours." His hand presses briefly back to Keira's, before slowly drawing back. "Tossed? Why're you getting tossed?" Hive's brows raise, eyes flicking curiously over Keira. "What school? Send you where?" Keira bites her lip and looks ober Flicker, examening him for awhile. << Does he.... is he... >> "I am in Juilliard...But... You know... I ha e too strict my own opinion about things... You know..." She rolls her eyes, << I am not an animal! >> "So, I might be send somewhere else to europe, maybe. I don't knkw. I can't go back to Russia". Her eyes darkens and for a momwnt it might look like that she will start crying. However, she takes the box of offered game, "I will try it. Thank you." She says to Flicker, "I am Keira." "Oh, wow." Hive's half-lidded eyes open a little wider. "Juilliard, that's an amazing school. You must be good." He slouches back further in his chair. "Be a shame to get booted. -- who the hell says you're an animal?" Not privy to the mental stream of consciousness, Flicker just looks startled at this last question? "/Animal/?" He stands up a little straighter, glancing between Keira and Hive in surprise. "What? She's not -- /Hive/." His tone is quietly chiding. "Manners." "She said it, not me." Hive shakes his head, and waves a hand at Flicker. "Keira? That's Flicker. I'm Hive. And he's right, it's a good game. Especially for people who aren't usually really into gaming." Keira rolls her eyes, "And I am saying, that I am not an animal. Russia... Is kind of... strange country. Things were always very different there from all the world. They think, that..." She lowers her voice and comes closer to Flicker. He looks a better guy that Hive. However, she sticks her gaze at Hive, << You would be animal there too...If you listening for me now >> "So...I came here, but... I couldn't run from such opinions. So, I am kind of... " She shakes her head, "So, creating stories? I can create stories. Sounds really interesting. Are there games, where I could win by my acting abilities, Flicker?Very nice name, by the way. Well..." she tturns to Hive, "Hive is cool too, but Flicker here... You knkw, what they say... Not name makes person beautiful, but...I do not mean, that Hive is bad perason.." She rubs her arm again, "I am starting again. Why? I was just talking about... manners. I have no manners after all!" She starts speaking really quickly, "My broyher always says how I must keep good manners to keep his prestige at highest lvl..." "Oh, sure, there's games where you have to act. Or bluff. Or lie. I suppose actors would be best at all that kind of thing," Flicker answers thoughtfully, the red in his cheeks deepening as Keira comes closer. "I'm totally a bad person." Hive says this with a cheerful smile, digging a scrap of paper -- a receipt for Thai food -- out of his jacket pocket. He scrawls something down on it. A phone number, and an email address. He stands slowly. "I gotta get to work." There's a distinct wobble in his posture again. "Good luck with all this shit. Not sure America's doing too much better than Russia these days. There's bigots every-damn-where." Flicker moves to Hive's side, taking the Numenera book to put it back on the shelf but then picking up 7 Wonders, apparently to purchase it. He puts one hand on Hive's elbow, supportively. "Oh -- oh." His nose wrinkles with understanding. "That's rough. I already registered," he admits. "I don't imagine it's going to be fun." Hive slides the paper with the phone number and email address over towards Keira. "Here," he says. "It's Flicker's contact info. You should keep in touch." Flicker's eyes widen slightly with this -- but so does his smile. "We have a Game Night at our apartment every Tuesday," he tells Keira. "Maybe some time you could come." The girl takes the note, blushing brightly, but smilling back to both men. "Thank you. I would definitely come...If you would invite me...or you invited...Well..I won't bother you anymore. Thank you.." She curtsies, takes offered games and almost runs near counter to buy them. Of course, still sometimes peeking at the men. "Oh, you're definitely invited," Flicker answers cheerfully. Hive just chuckles as Keira dashes off. He claps Flicker on the shoulder; whatever he murmurs to the other man is too quiet to hear. They take their /time/ about leaving.