Closed Post: The only way to learn is by playing

[futaille]

There has been a seismic shift in the pinball status quo and Grantaire unwittingly brought it just by mentioning the game at the wrong time. Or the right one, really. Watching Magnus play was honestly kind of amazing, but it also was a very fast shift in fortune, especially with tales of Alex even beyond that. And if Grantaire wanted any hope of keeping any Rs at all on the high score list long-term, he needed to refine his game. (Sometimes it's easier to be spurred on by someone clearly ahead of you than someone coming up behind.)

So he is, of course, in the game room one dark (and Dark) evening, working on improving. Of course, as always, his plans are fully subject to change when previous offers come back to the forefront.

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[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji has not forgotten about his agreement with Grantaire. He rarely forgets anything¹. More pressing matters, however, have prevented him from seeking its fulfillment. Magnus is well enough now, but Lan Wangji has yet to discover any explanation for the attack that nearly took his life. Dark grinds onward, and the mood of the mansion is not a lighthearted one. He finds himself plagued by deeper and deeper unease, as if there is some threat he is missing, as if he could simply turn the right corner at the right moment and come up against some unseen enemy.

That uncharacteristic restlessness has him in the game room this evening. He meant only to glance inside -- its most frequent occupant is Shen Yuan, and they have nothing to say to one another. He stops, though, when he sees Grantaire. They have not spoken since this season began. Lan Wangji would like to be certain he is well.

He steps closer, watching Grantaire's activity with interest and curiosity. It is loud, fast, and distracting enough that he neglects to say anything, and only stands a pace behind him, observing.

¹Cue a laugh-track groan at this blatant abuse of the lever.

[futaille]

For the moment, he's too focused on the game to notice he's not actually alone in the room anymore. He's making a decent run of it and improving on his paddle timing even though he knows he's not where he's going to need to be yet. It's a start, at least.

When he finally loses his last ball, he huffs out a breath and starts to take a step back before he gets the sense of someone else being there, so he halts and turns in place instead.

"Oh! Lan Wangji!" For multiple reasons, the urge to laugh comes upon him for a moment, but he manages to channel it into a bright grin for the time being. "Hello! How long have you been here?"

[lightbearinglord]

At least Grantaire appears to be in good spirits. Now that he has been noticed, Lan Wangji drops into a polite bow, and as he straightens, says, "Young master. I believe I witnessed the majority of the game you just lost."

[futaille]

It is indeed fortunate that he's found things to keep his spirits up in light of a downturn in the amount of, well, spirits. At least there are enough of those to get by. "Ah. Well, at least I didn't have a terrible run at it with a witness, then." He shrugs. "The practice must be useful. But yes, this is pinball."

[lightbearinglord]

With a little additional surprise, Lan Wangji glances at the machine, his eyebrows lifting infinitesimally. "This is the game you wanted to teach me." Clearly, it is not what he expected.

[futaille]

Grantaire grins. "I do believe I mentioned the bells and flashes, at least."

[lightbearinglord]

"You did," Lan Wangji acknowledges. It constitutes a failure of imagination on his part. Having watched Grantaire play fills in several of the blank places in his understanding of what the game entails, but still: "Can you teach me now?"

[futaille]

He nods and steps to the side of the machine. "Of course. It's not very complicated, so I'm not sure how much teaching you'll actually need, but I'm certainly willing to impart all of my limited knowledge."

[lightbearinglord]

"Mn." With that second acknowledgment, Lan Wangji takes another moment to eye the pinball machine. As Grantaire says, the game does not appear overly complicated, and the goal of preventing the ball from falling seems clear enough. From his draping sleeve, he pulls two lengths of blue silk; these, he uses to bind up both sleeves, brisk about it. With that, he steps closer and presses the button labeled start.

[futaille]

"If you were watching, you know how it works, basically. You get three tries to build up points, and if you build up enough, you can add yourself to the high score list." He gestures to the display where there are still thankfully some Rs left on the list. "I have a suspicion the high score list is going to be entirely Magnus before long, though."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji's face betrays a flicker of pleasure and pride at the mention of Magnus, and the new information that Magnus is apparently skilled at this game. He nods crisply at Grantaire, however, before pulling back on the plunger and releasing the first ball.

[futaille]

Grantaire turns his attention to the playing surface to watch Lan Wangji play, on the narrow possibility he might actually have any hints or advice to offer after he finishes with his first ball.

[lightbearinglord]

Actually, the activity is instantly an appealing one. There is one goal: to prevent the ball from falling. There are only two buttons by which to achieve that goal. Lan Wangji narrows his focus, puts his hands at either side of the machine, and plays.

The first ball is lost quickly enough, because he is still acclimating to the way that the flippers move and to the layout of the bumpers, ramps, and other features of the machine. The second, though, he meets with more readiness, calm and assured as he continually sends the ball flying away from those flippers.

[futaille]

Grantaire had had an inkling that Lan Wangji would be good at pinball, but he wasn't expecting that to evidence itself quite as quickly as it is. There really is something impressive about watching someone do something well. "You're a natural."

[lightbearinglord]

"No," Lan Wangji answers without looking away from the cabinet. He catches the ball on a flipper and leaves that button depressed so it sits there as he looks at Grantaire. "I have trained extensively in several other pursuits that lend themselves to this one."

[futaille]

"Well, yes, in the interest of strict accuracy, that's a valid enough explanation, and it's why I thought you might take to the game well enough, but it's still not a guarantee, so I'm going to stand by my entirely frivolous statement regardless."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji's mouth twitches almost undetectably, the most distant threat of a smile. It is easy to see why Claudius loves Grantaire, although he wonders -- with a spike of pure fondness -- how the two of them ever get around to anything but talking at interminable length. "Mn," he says, solemn witness to the frivolity of said statement, as he turns back to the game and launches the ball again.

[futaille]

"And another advantage of introducing you to this game occurs to me now. Since your concentration is unassailable, there is no real issue with me talking to excess as you're playing and you won't accuse me of attempting to distract you to gain a competitive advantage, as I already know that is a lost cause."

[lightbearinglord]

In fact, Lan Wangji would only consider it a detriment to his own abilities if he allowed one talkative companion to destroy whatever advantage he may have. He darts one more amused glance at Grantaire as the ball ricochets off a bumper. It is essentially an invitation to continue talking, if he so desires.

[futaille]

"I am very much looking forward to witnessing your first multiball, which is certainly an inevitability, but the sight will certainly be nearly akin to a ballet, which you are probably utterly unfamiliar with, now that I think on it, but I assure you it is a valid comparison."

[lightbearinglord]

"I have read of ballet." This he says without looking away from the machine, as the ball is beginning to slip slightly out of his control. He loses it, and frowns down at the cabinet as he considers how best to utilize the last ball of the game.

[futaille]

"That's fortunate enough, then... that you've read of ballet, I mean to say, not that you lost the ball, which is of course quite unfortunate."

[lightbearinglord]

"I will recover," Lan Wangji says dryly. Again, he pulls back the plunger and, now with a more calculated level of force as he has come to understand the mechanics of the game better, releases a ball. His gaze remains affixed to the machine as he speaks next. "After the dance Claudius hosted, I researched the history of dance in the western world."

[futaille]

He laughs a little. "In that case, you certainly know more than I do in some respects, as I've not looked into much of what became of dance after my time. Although now I'm beginning to wonder if I should, just for curiosity's sake. Perhaps at some point. After all, it's hardly as if there's a particularly limited amount of time available."

[lightbearinglord]

"Mn. I read of the classical mythology you mentioned to me as well." Considering that this is, literally, Lan Wangji's first ever game of pinball, a high score is not within his reach, but he mounts all his focus again for the third ball of the game. It became clear quickly enough that precise use of the buttons was of greater importance than any particular force, so each time he taps one, it is quick and decisive but without excessive pressure.