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]

"Yes, well, they know what they did."

[lightbearinglord]

Grantaire is so terribly lucky that Lan Wangji did not meet him earlier in life. Up until recently, he wouldn't have been half so capable of meeting this nonsense with a silent glance of indulgence. Grantaire does not appear to require significant input from him, so Lan Wangji returns to quiet contemplation of the weiqi board.

[futaille]

He has in fact never required significant input to continue speaking. "Although it would be interesting to teach an elephant to play the game. It's said that they're rather intelligent creatures. Although you would probably need to scale the board and stones up significantly to compensate for their size... It would be quite the spectacle."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji sets a stone in place, then, again, looks up. He is curious whether Grantaire will realize that it is his turn.

[futaille]

"And they could pick up the stones with their trunks and place them quite easily. Now, if they were playing against a human, it would probably be logistically a bit more difficult for the human to navigate, even if it were ultimately doable. So clearly the answer is to teach two elephants to play."

He does, however, pick up another stone and play it.

[lightbearinglord]

"I can think of only one elephant who might be available to us," Lan Wangji says. Assured that Grantaire has not forgotten what they are doing entirely, he makes his own move.

[futaille]

"Wait wait. We have an elephant here? How did I miss an elephant?"

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji keeps a perfectly calm, immovable expression in place. "Alex. Magnus' companion. She can change her shape."

[futaille]

"Oh. That... It clearly means I'm used to this place, that someone who can turn into an elephant somehow makes more sense than an actual elephant to me."

[lightbearinglord]

"An elephant would find it difficult to fit inside the mansion," Lan Wangji agrees placidly.

[futaille]

"That seems likely. Although Temeraire apparently shrunk upon arrival, so maybe an elephant would too. I have to admit, seeing a half-sized elephant wandering through the hallways would be magnificent."

[lightbearinglord]

"Mn." One can hardly argue with that. Again, further speech on Lan Wangji's part seems wholly unnecessary.

[futaille]

"I would suggest a baby elephant toddling through the halls, but that would imply the existence of a mother elephant missing her young one or worse and that doesn't sit well at all."

[lightbearinglord]

Grantaire remains impressively endearing. Lan Wangji waits, again, to see if he will remember what they are doing or if the tragedy of the hypothetical motherless elephant will prove too distracting.

[futaille]

Hypothetical motherless elephants are important, okay. "I'd say perhaps the mother can come for a visit too, but that returns us to the logistics of an elephant in the mansion. Besides, then the baby would have its mother but they'd both be missing their herd, and if one elephant here would be unwieldy, an entire herd of them would be completely impossible."

[lightbearinglord]

A hypothetical travesty indeed. Lan Wangji puts on a perfectly neutral listening face and continues to wait.

[futaille]

"So perhaps if elephants do learn to-- oh, shit." He places another stone somewhat sheepishly.

"If elephants do learn to play, it probably won't be here."

[lightbearinglord]

That little profanity makes Lan Wangji's mouth twitch the slightest amount. "It is impossible to say whether elephants in other worlds are proficient at weiqi."

[futaille]

Grantaire's eyes widen fractionally and he immediately looks to the ceiling. "Mansion spirits, if you know of a world with weiqi-playing elephants, please let me visit for a day. Or even an hour. Just to see it."

[lightbearinglord]

After a considering silence, one that he allows to shade toward potential disapproval entirely on purpose, Lan Wangji says, quite gravely, "Let me visit as well." He sets a stone down.

[futaille]

He grins. "It would be an excellent trip. Perfect for a monthly event, I would say."

[lightbearinglord]

"Better than the rest." The agreement comes with a touch more sincere emphasis than most of what he says.

[futaille]

"Well, I did temporarily get to be a dragon, but I do understand that I was unusually fortunate that day, so I won't disagree with you."

[lightbearinglord]

"Lung Tien Xiang?" Lan Wangji inquires with interest. Somehow, he had not imagined the dragon would be forced into these routine humiliations along with the rest of them.

[futaille]

He nods. "Temeraire, yes. Woke up in his pavilion that morning and realized I was lying on the floor before I realized that I was also... a dragon."