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littleladylord ([info]littleladylord) wrote in [info]dc_nextgen,
@ 2013-11-23 16:09:00


Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:azurite, cindy lord, crimson, sapphire, topaz

Head Tiny-Pewter-Doggie in Charge
A lot of explaining had been necessary. Some of it may have included. "So you see, Beautiful, the key is to use your resources to get as much territory as possible -- particularly strategically consolidated by color region -- and fortify it with these little structures."

But Cindy had finally gotten as many of the New Guardians as possible around this particular table. She was patient; she was gentle. She didn't rush anyone, and even gave little reminders. But within half an hour, she had houses on New York (always a good strategic investment. The orange was bonus), and Monopoly can be a long, long game.


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[info]in_reserve
2013-11-23 08:59 pm UTC (link)
Harry of course took the piece he always took: whatever one nobody else wanted.

He was far from being a Cindy, but he'd played Monopoly quite a bit before. At the community center he used to work at, during the summer camps he helped with he'd played with the kids there. Anyway, he had a pretty good head for numbers and thinking things through, turned out useful for the job of being Pippi's handler, so monopoly was a game he was pretty decent at.

Not that you could necessarily tell that looking at how every single one of his games went. This one was no different so far. He had a pattern: start out near the head of the pack (never first though, but not like you could be against Cindy), keep that 2nd or 3rd place until halfway through the game then slowly slide down in the ranks, not too fast just gradually. By the end of the game he always ended up in the last few (though not usually last still). People never thought much of a slow fall, compared to a sudden one at least, and the people who ended up beating him always felt better because they'd gotten past someone who'd been in the top 3 for half the game. It was positive all around, and it tended to be the way he played most board games if he could.

"Did anyone want more snacks?" It was only a short teleport to the kitchen for him, and he liked being helpful, might as well periodically offer.

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[info]greenwillpower
2013-11-23 09:42 pm UTC (link)
"....I suck at this." Jess is just entertained and glad they are playing. She just got herself Pennsylvania Avenue. She was very proud of that feat. Thankfully she has the rules to check to make sure she is doing it rig.

"At least we aren't playing Settlers. That's a good way to start arguments and end up blackmailing each other." Jess pats her bowl of popcorn.

"I'm good, thanks Harry."

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[info]hope_on_wheels
2013-11-23 10:16 pm UTC (link)
"I'm pretty sure I'm somewhere between jack and shit right now," Lenny observed. "Not sure yet if jack is leaving town or not."

Lenny thinks. "I'm good snackwise, but maybe another Pepsi?"

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[info]godownswinging
2013-11-23 11:35 pm UTC (link)
Saishu started out almost completely lacking interest when money was being handed out and there was talk of real estate deals.

As soon as it became strategic resource control, fortification building and the right combinations of alliances and backstabs, she was hooked.

She's currently working on trying to consolidate one of the early corners, seeing a lot of inexpensive resources there over a wide span, and taking firm control of the transportation lines (railroads) - sure, she can't build on them, but lines of transportation are always important, and she can easily connect how holding more of them builds up her power base.

"Water." she agrees, eyes never leaving what resources others control and constantly reassessing the state of the game.

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[info]loveontherocks
2013-11-24 12:39 am UTC (link)
Monopoly had always been a big game in Heather's house growing up. One of the easier ones to play with two parents and five kids. Though her father had been rather insanely competitive.

She had a few properties scattered throughout the board, but hadn't built up any solid blocks yet.

On the other hand, she did control the water and electric, so there was that.

"Orange soda if we've still got any," she said.

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[info]littleladylord
2013-11-24 01:00 am UTC (link)
"Lemonade'd be cool," Cindy says, but she's looking at Harry just.a little more closely.

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[info]in_reserve
2013-11-24 01:20 am UTC (link)
Harry nods with a smile as he lists off the drinks in his head. Pepsi, water, orange soda, and lemonade. In a flash he's gone, returning a minute later while someone is on their turn. He's got properties well spread out, in good locations too, but hasn't consolidated them or taken the railroads. It's a strong position at the start of the game but as it goes on the lack of those things is going to bite him and bring him down slowly, which he fully knows, but it doesn't change his playing. Strong start, weak finish that looks undone by common mistakes that many make, this is how all his games go.

Once he returns, he hands out the drinks as he goes around the table, before flashing away once more to get a Pepsi for himself and put another bag of popcorn in the microwave. Nobody asked for it, but it's good to keep the snack flow going, he just wants everyone to enjoy themselves.

"You guys aren't doing badly," he says to Jess and Lenny. "I'm sure it'll pick up." He gives Cindy his usual smile. "This game really is your specialty."

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[info]hope_on_wheels
2013-11-24 03:00 am UTC (link)
"Maybe, but it remains to be seen if my chances will pick up or if the amount of money I lose does," Lenny said dryly. "Thanks for the soda, harry."

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[info]littleladylord
2013-11-24 03:03 am UTC (link)
"It is," Cindy agrees, but she's still thinking.

Harry had agreed, back at the very beginning, with her rant about how to handle various house rules. Of course he had: it was Harry; if she didn't already have Someone To Fall Back On as his ringtone, it would be the Buddy Bears theme song ('If you ever disagree, it means that you are wrong'). But he hadn't agreed to agree with her. She'd seen the recognition in her eyes; he knew why those stipulations made sense. He understood the strategy aspects of the game. Even the subtle stuff.

And he was gradually ignoring more and more of them.

She doesn't say anything further, just grins at Jess and mentions. "You should see me at Settlers when somebody cuts off my road."

She knows he's started the popcorn, so she'll excuse herself just before it should go off....
And meet him in the kitchen when he hurries to get it..
"Harry, we need to talk."

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[info]godownswinging
2013-11-24 03:12 am UTC (link)
Cindy may be her girlfriend, but this is a game of war. Cindy basically said as much. Which means Saishu will entirely take advantage of Cindy's distraction and any other edge she can get to play cutthroat.

She's just hoping to either get her third railroad, or have enough money and properties to trade for it when someone else does. Cut off the transportation options - or make people pay $100 for every ride, while preventing anyone else from fortifying... she sees a road to victory here.

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[info]in_reserve
2013-11-24 03:17 am UTC (link)
"You're welcome," he smiled at Lenny, then opened his own Pepsi and took a sip as he watched the others play and enjoy themselves. He'd been counting down in his head for popcorn, and when the popping slows, he flashes away to be there by the microwave for the last few seconds.

"Oh, hi Cindy," he smiled, a bit surprised she'd come to the kitchen to. "Umm sure...is something up?" There's the slight nervous worry lines to his face that often came up, though with Harry it was almost his default state.

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[info]loveontherocks
2013-11-24 03:43 am UTC (link)
"Just never play Scrabble with my dad," Heather said. "He cheats. Big time."

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[info]littleladylord
2013-11-24 03:56 am UTC (link)
"Harry," Cindy said seriously. "I'm not mad, but I want to be clear that I'm not cool with anyone Poisoning My Potential Victory here."

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[info]in_reserve
2013-11-24 04:04 am UTC (link)
Harry blinked, genuinely confused and more flustered due to the confusion. "Um...h-how can I poison a victory if you're in the lead to win? I-I can't beat you, Saishu can give you a challenge and Heather is doing very well, but..but you're probably going to win. It's monopoly, and and...it's your thing so..."

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[info]littleladylord
2013-11-24 04:10 am UTC (link)
"Oh, Saishu's doing her best to kick my ass," Cindy says.
"But you know what you're doing, Harry. I know you do. And yet you were saving your get-out-of-jail free card. If you know what I already know you know, then you know those need to be used early, since it's better to stay in jail later in the game. And you didn't pick up Marvin Gardens when you had the chance; that would have put you one trade away from a yellow monopoly; which is always a potential killer, but only in the endgame. You're making your game get worse. You know those movies where the mob makes a boxer throw a game? Those are not one of the times when I'm cheering for the mobsters."

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[info]greenwillpower
2013-11-24 04:16 am UTC (link)
Jess grins at Cindy. "Next time I want to break out a board game with a few less players I'd love to try you at Settlers."

Then she shifts her attention to Harry. Damn it. He did that thing again where he tries to cover up loosing to keep the group happy with loosing because he is good enough to lose.

Arg. She will be having words with him at some point. Cindy does it better.

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[info]godownswinging
2013-11-24 04:26 am UTC (link)
Normally, some might take it as bad form amidst the distractions - but, well, this is war, and a chance to fortify a position early seems wise.

Cindy's time away has let Saishu assess the board a bit more, to notice some of the same things Cindy has.

She gets up long enough to call in from the kitchen door, "Harry, will trade you Oriental, Virgninia, St. James, and 300 monies for Ventnor and Atlantic." Because, well, in the midst of discussion, it was three, and some money, for two - but the properties of those colors were all over.

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[info]in_reserve
2013-11-24 04:42 am UTC (link)
Harry stays quiet but seems to get progressively more flustered. He could claim he didn't know those strategies, but that would be a lie, and they'd both know it. He wasn't that sort of liar, white lies at most, tiny things and refraining from saying some stuff to make people feel better. But he didn't do denial when cornered. He had been setting up his game for an eventual decline, and she'd seen it, there was no denying that.

Harry got the popcorn out of the microwave and fiddled with the hot bag a bit awkwardly, he'd never been confronted about this before, most people were too happy with victory and never noticed. "I'm...I'm a mobster? A-and I'm not throwing the game..." That was true to him, throwing a game would need a different strategy and he'd end up last early on, this was different to him. Throwing a game made nobody happy.

Saishu's request surprises him and has Harry jump a bit before responding with a very unsure voice all while looking at Cindy. "Ah...s-sure?"

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[info]littleladylord
2013-11-24 05:38 am UTC (link)
"I feel that my point is eluding you --" and then that exchange happens, and Cindy purses her lips. "I don't know whether I'm more upset by your cheating to lose, or prouder of her suckerpunching you. But henceforth, Harry, here's how you're quite capable of poisoning my victory: You can cast doubt in my mind every time I win henceforth. If I can't trust you to reasonably try, I no longer can know how good I am, what I've earned. I need to know what I'm good for. Just remember that, okay?" And she'll return to the game.

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[info]godownswinging
2013-11-24 05:44 am UTC (link)
Saishu doesn't hesitate. As soon as he agrees - with witnesses no less, she returns to the board and makes the exchange, happily trading over her three scattered properties and $300 to complete her run of yellows. Now if she can just reach Go to refresh her funds, she'll have to ask for a reminder on how creating forts work, and what weaponry she can equip her fortifications with.

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[info]greenwillpower
2013-11-24 05:46 am UTC (link)
Jess gives Saishu a little thumbs up. She approves of pulling this on Harry. He needs to learn his friends won't lose it over a game. They will still be friends no matter who wins.

Plus winning honestly is way more fun.

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[info]in_reserve
2013-11-24 05:59 am UTC (link)
Harry knows it's a bad trade, he fully knows it, and even when being confronted by Cindy he can't refuse it because the offer takes advantage of 3 things. 1) His inability to refuse people well if at all 2) His automatic default to go for the thing that'll make people happy, namely both giving Saishu this victory and effectively causing him to lose even more, which will in the long run make the others happier when they place above him and 3) His flustered nervousness at Cindy cornering him on a subject he'd never been confronted on, thus making the likelihood of him refusing an offer, even lower.

Harry can't help but feel Cindy is right, as long as she knows he's not fully trying, he's ruining her enjoyment. But he didn't know how to play otherwise, and didn't have the ambitious streak needed for this sort of game. But he can't go on playing like this to make the others happy because it'd make Cindy unhappy. But he can't unpoison a game, it's too late to start playing for real, he'd already set up his downfall and even if he tried now it wouldn't tell Cindy that she'd fully earned her win over him.

He takes longer than it should to put the new popcorn in the bowl as he thinks of a way out of this. And when he returns to the table he's nervous and distracted, but quietly watching the game all the while. How was he supposed to play board games now?

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[info]hope_on_wheels
2013-11-24 08:11 pm UTC (link)
Lenny idn't verbally take part in any of the exchanges going on. He'd never even heard of this Settler game to be honest. The thing with Harry was a long-running issue that he really didn't think would be resolved by this exchange. He knew enough to know what Saishu was doing, and even a relative novice like him knew better than to take her deal.

Hmm, did he actually have an opportunity here? He actually did have enough money, no one had scooped it up yet, plus it had been landed on several times. Lenny goes ahead and buys it up. It might be too lae to win, but he was willing to bet it would make things a bit more inconvenient for those in the lead.

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[info]loveontherocks
2013-11-24 11:03 pm UTC (link)
Well, this was starting to get... awkward.

"What's Settlers?" she asked instead.

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[info]littleladylord
2013-11-24 11:07 pm UTC (link)
"Good choice, Beautiful," Cindy says regarding Saishu's aquisition. She explains how much houses cost. She then follows it up with a grin at Lenny. "I'm just going to have to wear everyone down before you get the drop on me."
A calm smile at Heather. "Settlers of Cataan. It's another development game, but on a broader-and-more-archaic scale."

Because as far as Cindy is concerned, everything can go back to normal now. Harry knows how she feels. For now, she's going to trust him to try to sort it out.

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[info]greenwillpower
2013-11-25 09:10 pm UTC (link)
"I love it. You get to black mail each other," Jess chirps innocently as if it's perfectly normal to do that.

"Also I love how each game is vastly different so sometimes resources everyone needs are harder to get. One time no one I played with could get sheep. Our kingdom for a sheep."

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[info]godownswinging
2013-11-25 09:15 pm UTC (link)
"Sheep very important. Goats too." Saishu can follow that aspect, at least. As she gains a bit from someone landing on a railroad, she buys one house for one of her yellows when her turn rolls around.

"Have fort. How do I buy weapons for fort?"

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[info]littleladylord
2013-11-25 09:25 pm UTC (link)
"Oh, Sorry, Beautiful. The strength of the fort is just represented by numbers, or by upgrading to the big red ones once you have enough. It's a war of financial attrition more than shooting."

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[info]loveontherocks
2013-11-25 11:17 pm UTC (link)
"Maybe we should play pictionary sometime," Heather said. "...Or does no one want to play that with an artist?"

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[info]hope_on_wheels
2013-11-26 12:08 am UTC (link)
"I don't think I can say no to you, Heather," Lenny admitted with a smirk.

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[info]greenwillpower
2013-11-27 12:54 am UTC (link)
"We could try Cranium," Jess offers brightly.

"There are drawing and clay sections. Also word play stuff. I'm pretty terrible at the history questions."

Jess loves trying though. She never gives up.

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[info]godownswinging
2013-11-27 02:10 am UTC (link)
"Drawing and words... do not think is my game. Will watch."

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[info]loveontherocks
2013-11-27 11:21 pm UTC (link)
"You could still do pretty good, Saishu, I think," Heather said. "Some of the categories are pretty easy."

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[info]in_reserve
2013-11-29 06:35 am UTC (link)
"I've never played Settlers of Catan," Harry admitted quietly while he looked over his money and properties, thinking things through. He stacked his money and property cards neatly into two piles as he spoke. "But I've done pictionary and cranium. Mostly mediated it actually..."

He placed one pile of money and properties in front of Jess, and the other in front of Lenny and gave them slight smiles. "Now it's more even and you can give Cindy a harder time?" He thought Cindy might want that, and those two hadn't been doing too great. "I almost forgot I promised Pippi I'd have a schedule finished early for her. But I'll watch," Harry smiled and then disappeared in a flash, returning with his open laptop before anyone could protest. This would salvage the game better for Cindy he thought, he'd already designed his game to get worse, there was no salvaging it significantly enough to make her feel like she earned the win, this way although he'd be out, she'd have more serious competitors to deal with. Plus some of those properties combined with theirs rounded out to some nice bases to work from.

"I think Heather would be hard to beat at the clay sections," he added as he tapped the keyboard.

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[info]littleladylord
2013-11-29 06:41 am UTC (link)

Cindy looks at him, this being irregular in many ways, and she could definitely argue the points, but nods. "Understandable. Can't slack off on the job." She gets his intention and decides not to dispute it. Next Time, Mr. Reesen. Next Time. Right now, she has to trounce people out of suddenly-gotten gains.

"We'll make a list for the next game. And yes, some things will play into particular people's wheelhouses." She grins as she she adjusts her deed and money stacks. "But it was ever thus."

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[info]godownswinging
2013-11-29 02:25 pm UTC (link)
Saishu eyes the handoffs suspiciously, but at least no one else seems to have the collection of three yet needed to start building forts - and forts are very important! Cindy doesn't seem bothered, so fair enough.

"Easy, maybe." she agrees on the point of some of these other games. "Still, word games. English getting easier, still is fifth language, not so good."

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