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]

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."

[lightbearinglord]

Truly, no one was spared. Lan Wangji is unsure whether he would have preferred to awaken in the form of a dragon, but it might at least have been distracting. "Then there was also a dragon in the form of a man that day."

[futaille]

"A dragon with very interesting taste in clothing, yes."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji allows the barest upward quirk of his eyebrows to convey the follow-up question for him.

[futaille]

"When I woke up as myself the next day, I was wearing a silken robe. Very unlike anything that had been in my closet." He pauses. "... I wonder if after Dark is over, the mansion could be prevailed upon to make a similar one that's actually sized for a dragon."

[lightbearinglord]

"Interesting?" Lan Wangji echoes, again fairly dry about it as he glances down at his own clothing. As always, he is dressed in several layers of crisp white robes.

[futaille]

His eyes widen. "Oh, no, no, not in a bad way, just in the sense of never personally having worn anything similar." A pause. "I don't think christening gowns count, as I was certainly too young to remember that, in any case."

[lightbearinglord]

Not that Lan Wangji was actually offended, but the hasty explanation serves to amuse him a little regardless. "Christening gowns?"

[futaille]

"Oh, right, you wouldn't... it's a long white gown for a baby to wear for their baptism. And that's a ceremony which is the first step to induct someone into the Church. Dipped in water three times, and since you're an infant, your parents make the vows in your stead, and it's basically a promise to raise you properly in the faith."

[lightbearinglord]

The ceremony itself doesn't sound inherently objectionable, but Lan Wangji would like to be certain he is directing his skepticism appropriately. As such, he asks, "This is the faith with the cruel god who punished humankind for seeking knowledge?"

[futaille]

He can't help but laugh. "That's one way to put it."

[lightbearinglord]

"Mn." The expression on Lan Wangji's face barely changes, but his disdain is obvious enough in that deliberate stillness.

[futaille]

"There are nuggets of goodness there, of course, but give anything to man for long enough and they'll certainly do their best to ruin those."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji tries not to take such a grim view of human nature, but given his own mood and the mood of the mansion as a whole recently, he also feels he is not in a position to argue the point. He nods, a little rueful.

[futaille]

"One wonders what justifications some men take for their actions after hearing 'love your neighbor as yourself'. But justifications are easy enough to make, so it's hardly surprising."