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.

Comments

[futaille]

"Magnus was under the impression that he was not very good at the game. He was shocked at having to input his name for the high score."

[lightbearinglord]

"Magnus does not always see himself clearly." It is fond, as far as critiques go. He taps the side of the machine, very lightly, to save the ball from slipping into the gutter.

[futaille]

"Well, that is not an uncommon affliction for people to have," he says easily, utterly free of that affliction himself, of course.

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji, in the meantime, has the correlative affliction, of consistently finding himself caring deeply for the people who have the very worst, most incurable cases of that first affliction. "Mn." The single syllable constitutes a wry agreement.

[futaille]

"Yes, you are clearly an astute observer, I knew you would hardly need to be convinced of the fact."

[lightbearinglord]

Thirty-eight years of silent watchfulness have aided Lan Wangji in becoming a reasonable student of human nature, as Grantaire supposes. He suspects this game is nearly at an end, but as an exceptionally stubborn man, he draws a slow and even breath and applies himself to meditative focus for the remainder. Saving the ball narrowly from slipping out of his control is quite satisfying every time.

[futaille]

"Observer of both humanity and small metal balls, it seems."

[lightbearinglord]

"Among other things." It is not long after this that, at last, Lan Wangji loses his second game, a near-miss that rolls frustratingly just off the tip of the leftmost flipper. He looks soberly down at the cabinet for an extended moment, then back up to watch as the display scrolls through the high scores.

[futaille]

"It's Magnus at the top, and then I have the rest of them for the time being. Undoubtedly to be supplanted soon enough."

[lightbearinglord]

"I will endeavor to give you something to worry about," Lan Wangji says lightly. He steps away from the machine at last, rotating his wrists.

[futaille]

"Oh, the terror is already overtaking me, I assure you."

[lightbearinglord]

He keeps his expression entirely unreadable as he looks at Grantaire. "I have not even begun teaching you weiqi yet."

[futaille]

"Absolutely true. You have not."

[lightbearinglord]

"I will now, if you have the time."

[futaille]

"Of course! One nice thing about this place is a relatively clear schedule."

[lightbearinglord]

Surely, in a room designed for playing games, there is some table suitable for people to sit across from one another for that purpose. Lan Wangji nods toward said table, then. "Wait there." On the presumption that Grantaire will do as he's asked, he turns to head for his quarters to retrieve the game pieces.

[futaille]

Of course there is. He's played dominoes at that table. He does, of course, promptly sit at it to wait, although he does find himself wishing he had a book or something to keep himself occupied with in the meantime.

[lightbearinglord]

On the bright side, Lan Wangji generally moves efficiently, although he doesn't rush. On the slightly less bright side, he does take the time to kiss Wei Ying thoroughly upon finding him seated at his worktable in their bedchamber; thoroughly, by his standards, is the work of at least half an incense time. Once he is satisfied with himself, and satisfied that Wei Ying will remember to feed the rabbits, he gathers up the weiqi board and stones and returns downstairs with them in hand.

[futaille]

By the time Lan Wangji makes it back to the game room, Grantaire has taken up balancing his chair on the back legs while he studies the ceiling. Over fifteen minutes is an interminably long time when you just have to wait there, so he's actually started to consider a mural on the ceiling, possibly a game-focused parody of the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji takes in this sight with silent amusement. It is exactly something Wei Ying would have done when they were younger, if they had had this style of chair at the Cloud Recesses. Come to think of it, it is exactly something Wei Ying would do now.

Without a word, he sets the weiqi board in the middle of the table, giving Grantaire the black stones and himself the white, and then takes his own seat.

[futaille]

And with that he plonks his chair heavily back down on all four legs. "Welcome back. I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten entirely."

[lightbearinglord]

"I would not have," Lan Wangji says, unruffled. Wei Ying did whine a little about it, but frankly, Lan Wangji does not expect this to last terribly long. He will return before too long. "You know nothing of this game?"

[futaille]

"Only what you already told me. So not much."

[lightbearinglord]

"You will begin, with the black stones," he explains, his voice embodying the calm and even cadence of a teacher in this moment. "The aim is to capture more of the board than I can capture with my white stones. Place a stone where you will, upon an intersection of the board's lines, and I will show you how it might be captured."

[futaille]

"Sure." He picks up a stone and looks at the board, deciding he doesn't know nearly enough about strategy to think it over too much, so he puts it down nearish but not quite at the center.