Parlor Games

"And the art on the game board was super cute, too! Rutile drew it himself. It didn't look anything like his usual style, so I was surprised! Oh, and—" and then Chloe realized just how much he'd been chattering. Whoops. "...And… and you probably don't need to hear me go on about this any longer, Sage!" He chuckled, embarrassed, and quickly hid his face by taking a sip of his drink.

"It's alright. I like hearing about it," the Sage assured. They were always so kind. "I'd like to try the game out, too. I probably need just as much practice with reading this world's language as Riquet, so I'm sure I'd like it."

Shylock came by to take the Sage's glass at that moment, replacing it with, presumably, another non-alcoholic cocktail. He added, "After all, Chloe—it's a delight to hear you enjoying yourself."

Rustica, seated further down the bar on the Sage's other side, smiled. Knowing him, he was also about to heap praise on Chloe.

"I-I don't know about that!" Chloe quickly moved the topic away from himself before he could get any more embarrassed (although it made him pretty happy, too). "We'll definitely invite you to join us next time we play a board game, Sage."

"I'd love that. It'd be fun to compare the kinds of games you play here with what we have in my world."

"Absolutely!" Chloe nodded. "I'm not the most familiar with different games—Murr would probably know more—but I know a few… Rustica and I would get chances to play parlor games when we traveled, sometimes…" What games could he remember? Maybe there was something simple they could play here in the bar. "Oh, there was that! It was more like a sport, but we played it on a table…" He leaned around the Sage, turning to Rustica. "Rustica, do you remember? When you were invited to perform for those nobles in the southeastern quarter of the City of Riches, and afterwards we played some games? They pulled out a net and a ball and some little paddles…"

Rustica just kept smiling, with no hint of recognition appearing on his face. Ah, well.

The Sage, though, did seem to recognize it—that was surprising. "An indoor ball game with paddles… Isn't that ping-pong…?"
"Ping-pong?" Chloe questioned. "I don't think that was its name, but do you play a similar game in your world, Sage?"

They nodded. "You set the net up in the middle of the table, and volley the ball back and forth over the net by hitting it with the paddles. Is your game like that?"

"Pretty much!" It wasn't too complicated a game, so maybe he shouldn't have been surprised they had it in the Sage's world, too, but still! What were the chances?

"Oh," Shylock suddenly said. "That game." He sighed and glanced to the side, but still smiled as he continued, "I'd half-thought it was something Murr invented for the sole purpose of annoying me."

Chloe had long since stopped trying to understand the complex feelings Shylock had towards Murr, so he just accepted it. "Murr played it? Did you play with him?"

"No," Shylock said, "I denied him, so he entertained himself with the game alone. He showed up with the equipment one day, insisting on setting it up here in the manor bar. I doubt he was following any of the proper rules, given how often the ball found its way towards the bar. I had to confiscate the equipment for the sake of my glassware's continued integrity." He reached into a cupboard hidden underneath the bar and pulled out a wooden box, placing it in front of Chloe and the Sage. "This was it, I believe."

Chloe opened up the box, and sure enough, inside were all the things necessary to play the game. "Wow! This look familiar, Sage?"

They nodded. "A ping-pong set… I sure didn't expect to see this here." They reached in and picked up the ball. "Wait, what is this made of?"

"It's cork, right?" Chloe answered. "Does your world use something else?" Chloe wasn't sure what other material would be light, soft, and bouncy enough for an indoor game.

Their eyes widened in recognition. "Oh! Cork. Right. Of course. Because you don't have plastic." They trailed off and put the ball back into the set. "We do use something else, but I can't really explain it… Sorry."

The Sage said such odd things sometimes.

A creak of the bar door and the sound of footsteps signaled someone coming in. Chloe spared the doorway a glance—it was Bradley. Taking a seat at the other side of the bar, Bradley nodded at Shylock. Shylock nodded back, and started on Bradley's usual drink. Before delivering it, he said to Chloe and the Sage, "If you two would like to play, feel free. But perhaps set it up on the opposite side of the room."

Chloe had no intention of breaking any glasses! "Let's try it, Sage! Let's play some ping-pong!"

They set up the net on a rectangular table closer to the couches. The net was wrapped around a spool, so that it could extend to the length of the table. The net's posts clamped tightly to the table's sides, pulling it taut.

"So, Sage," Chloe said, "I only played this game once, so I don't really remember the rules… Since they might be a little different in the first place, how about we just play with your world's rules?"

"Okay. I think I can remember the basics. Although I'm not that good at the game…" They chuckled softly. "So… You serve the ball by hitting with the paddle. Then it has to hit both sides of the table. I think." They waved their paddle through the air as they thought things over, tentatively continuing, "The other person hits it back to your side of the table, and you hit it after it bounces. If you hit it too early, or don't hit it before it falls off the table, the other person gets a point. It goes to… ten points? No, um, eleven. Does that make sense?"

"I think I get it," Chloe said. "We can figure it out as we play. How about you serve first?"

The Sage tried to serve, but the ball just fell to the table with a thunk. "S-sorry! Cork is a lot heavier than plastic! I didn't hit hard enough…"

Chloe assured them that it was fine, and on the second try, they hit the ball hard enough. But then it was Chloe's turn to fumble, and he hit it way too hard. It flew right over the Sage's head and bounced onto the floor behind them.

Somewhere behind him, he heard a sardonic laugh that was definitely Bradley.

"...Are we counting points right now?" Chloe asked.

"Let's not," the Sage said. "I'm probably going to end up doing the same thing."

So they kept practicing like that. They both gradually felt out the best way to serve, the strength they needed to hit the ball, how they needed to move their hands… Eventually, they both felt comfortable enough that they decided to start keeping score. They were evenly matched, so it was really fun! The Sage stayed a couple points ahead of him, but Chloe tried not to make it too easy for them. The two of them ended up going back and forth for so long that they completely lost track of time. When Chloe fumbled the ball and the Sage finally got the last point, a round of applause from nearby snapped his focus away from the game.

Rustica had come over to watch, but so had—Rutile and Cain? Chloe hadn't even noticed them come in.

"Great match!" Cain said. "You two were really going for it! What game are you playing?"

"Ping-pong!" Chloe answered. "It's from the Sage's world! Well, the equipment's from the West, but we're using the Sage's rules."

Rutile shot out of his chair—he would've spilled his beer if there was enough left in his glass to spill. "That looks so much fun! I want to play next!"

"Sure!" Chloe said, panting a bit to catch his breath. The Sage looked tired, too. "Haha, that match got pretty intense, though. I think we've gotta rest for a second."

"Of course! You guys were so focused, you looked super cool." Rutile conjured a piece of sugar for each of them. Rutile's sugar was always refreshing, so Chloe was happy to take it. He handed his paddle off in exchange. The Sage handed theirs to Cain, who joined Rutile at the table.

Shylock came over with glasses of juice for both Chloe and the Sage. Now he just felt spoiled. Just as Chloe was taking his, though—

Something zoomed past their heads. Directly towards the bar. They all froze.

It bounced off shimmering air—a ward?—and fell to the floor. No harm done.

"Whoops!" Rutile shouted as he ran to retrieve the ball. "I didn't realize it was so bouncy! I might've hit it a little hard."
Chloe and the Sage sagged in relief. Shylock chuckled. "I trust the two of you well enough—and Cain as well, since he's quite coordinated—but Rutile is… not known for his moderation. Not once he's a beer in, at least."

"S-sorry," the Sage said. "Maybe this game wasn't a good idea…"

"It's quite alright," Shylock assured them. "I had plenty of time to set up a barrier around the bar after he arrived. And Rutile, unlike a certain party who used this equipment previously, isn't sending the ball flying on purpose." He went back to the bar.

Just what had Murr been doing with the ping-pong set…?

Chloe and the Sage sat down next to Rustica, watching Rutile and Cain get into the swing of things. Cain didn't take long, and pretty quickly he was making Chloe and the Sage's match look downright childish by comparison. How was he hitting the ball so hard while still being so precise…!? It was amazing to watch. Rutile didn't have the same level of skill, but he made up for it with enthusiasm. He tried his hardest every round. He laughed no matter whether he won or lost a point. It was infectious, and Cain was clearly having fun playing against him. Chloe, Rustica, and the Sage ended up cheering along.

Chloe felt a weight on the back of his chair. He turned, and Bradley was behind him, leaning against him and the Sage. Did he come to cheer, too? Er, no, he looked kind of… disappointed? "Sorry, Bradley, we're being kind of loud, aren't we? We can quiet down a bit so you can have your drink," Chloe said.

"I don't care about that," Bradley said, shaking his head. "I just can't believe how you guys're playing. Like you've all got both hands tied behind your backs."

"Huh…?"

"Magic," Bradley clarified. "It'd be a helluva lot more fun if you played with magic."

"U-um," the Sage said, "I think they were doing that for my sake, so…"

It took Chloe a moment to register that. "Oh! I hadn't even thought of using magic! I was just so excited to learn about a game from the Sage's world. I guess we could…? Ah," he turned to the Sage, "unless the Sage wants to play some more. It wouldn't be very fair to use magic against them."

"Ah, no!" The Sage waved their hands placatingly. "Don't worry about me. I think it’d be a lot of fun to see you guys play with magic, actually."

They were all pulled away from that conversation by the clatter of a paddle hitting the table—and Rutile laughing. "Aaah, you got me! You win, Cain! That was a great game!" He was leaning against the table, sweat streaming down his face.
Cain wasn't nearly so tired, but he was sweating, at least. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "Hah! I didn't expect you to put up such a good fight, Rutile. Really feels like I earned that win!" Cain held his hand out for a handshake, and once Rutile could stand without leaning on the table, he took it.

Bradley sauntered over, picking up the paddle Rutile had dropped. "Alright, who's up against me? Let's have a no-holds-barred magical match!"

"Maybe in a bit," Rutile said, falling into a chair and downing the last sip of his beer. "I'm too wiped to use magic right now…!"
"Same here," Cain said. "But, uh, no-holds-barred? Even with magic, you've gotta have some rules, right?"

Bradley shrugged. "If someone does something unfair, you just gotta do something even more unfair right back at 'em."
"Nobody's going to want to play against you if that's your plan," Cain tried to point out.

"I think it sounds intriguing," Rustica said. He'd been watching every game, but hadn't yet expressed any interest in playing. Rustica was elegant in his movements, but he wasn't really athletic. If they were playing with magic, though… He stood up, pulling off his jacket and folding it over the back of his chair. "I'll be your opponent, Bradley."

Bradley's confident smirk faltered—but only for a moment. "Hah, seems like I'll really have to work for it if I want to win."
Cain handed his paddle off to Rustica, who walked to stand opposite Bradley at the table.

"Uh… Be careful, Rustica!" Chloe called. It would probably be fine, right? Bradley was scary, but he was still pretty nice deep down. He and Rustica would just have a nice, fun match, with a little bit of magic for show.

Distantly, Chloe heard Shylock chant his spell. The smell of sweet pipe smoke and the feeling of air being displaced by warding magic followed.

Bradley made the first serve by shooting the ball with a pistol.

Honestly, Chloe thought that was so cool that he couldn't even complain about the blatant disregard for the rules, the spirit of the game, or basic safety. The ball still bounced on the table, probably, so it was fine, right? Even if it was less of a bounce and more of a… ricochet.

Rustica had no problem returning the explosive serve. The paddle might've been made of wood when Cain handed it to him, but it certainly wasn't wood anymore—it stretched like rubber when the ball hit it, slingshotting the ball back to Bradley. Bradley switched back to his paddle to hit it back, dismissing his gun. He must've realized that sheer power wouldn't be enough on its own, if Rustica could just turn that back on him—when Bradley hit the ball, dozens of copies of it spread out over the table. Rustica snapped his fingers, turning each and every one of them into birds. The copies faded as they flew. The real ball, now a white songbird, perched on his paddle before turning around and flying back, grazing the table with its wing—did that count as the ball bouncing on the table?—and flying towards Bradley while doing its best to dodge him.

As they all watched, Cain wondered aloud, "I feel like it's gotta be illegal if you're just stopping the ball outright. That's like catching it in your hand. Even if it's a bird."

"I dunno," Rutile said. "The bird stopped of its own volition, right? And it still went to the paddle."

Bradley was unable to hit the bird before it passed him and landed on the floor, where it turned back into a ball.
"That's a point for me," Rustica said. He held his hand out. It was his serve next.

Bradley dropped the ball in Rustica's hand. "And it'll be the last," he said.

From there, the match only grew more exciting.

Bradley kept trying to overpower Rustica. Each move he made sent the ball flying harder, faster, farther than the last. Any technique was fair game, no matter how much collateral damage it might do. Rustica tried to turn the ball into a bird again, only for Bradley to spit "No way that'll work again" and summon his rifle to shoot it out of the air.

Rustica's moves were totally unpredictable and utterly stunning to watch. He'd match every move Bradley made with a flourish, redirecting all the power and speed of the ball into a showy display that drew gasps and cheers out of the onlookers every time. Flowers, feathers, and fireworks burst through the room. Even the sound of the ball hitting the table and paddle started to sound like a song.

Though they played completely differently, they were evenly matched. Neither got more than one point ahead of the other, and they tied scores all the way to twenty points before they showed any sign of getting tired.

It was all amazing.

Bradley and Rustica's magic combined in a show of fire, smoke, and sparks: it was giving Chloe so many ideas! The way Rustica's wind of flower petals blew away the smoke from Bradley's guns would look wonderful captured in a flowing skirt. The feathers fluttering through the air, pushed every which way by the ping-pong ball, would surely be just the thing to accentuate a jacket. Bradley and Rustica's own movements made Chloe think of all the ways different outfits would flatter them both, the different fabrics he could use that would move with their bodies, not in the way but still interesting to see—there was so much! Something for Rustica that flowed with all of his elegant motions, something for Bradley that let you see the power in every swing of his arms…

It made Chloe want to play more, too, to see how his own magic might combine with that of his friends'. Chloe was defensive with his magic, but Rutile and Cain weren't, but neither of them was anything like each other! If they went against each other the way Rustica and Bradley were right now, would he get just as many new ideas for outfits? Maybe not, but… Chloe still wanted to try!

Eventually, Chloe could hardly take it anymore. He couldn't just watch! It was all so—so fun! Not that he wanted to interrupt the incredible match going on in front of them, either, but…

When it was Rustica's next serve, he glanced over at Chloe. Chloe must've looked like he was about to jump out of his seat, the way he was bouncing his legs and staring at the match. Rustica smiled at him. "Bradley," he said, turning back to his opponent, "do you think we've monopolized the game long enough? Perhaps it's time to declare a tie."

Bradley scoffed. But when he looked over at Chloe, he smirked. "I'll be wanting a rematch, y'know," he said to Rustica. He then held his paddle out towards the onlookers. "Who's playing next?"

Then Chloe really did jump out of his seat.

What time was it? It might've been getting a little late, but Chloe didn't care—he was having too much fun with everyone!