It's 3 AM

[namethattune]

Who: Siebren, Senku, and Lan Sizhui
Where: Games car
When: Imagination 6
What: The first meeting of the insomnia club.
Warnings: None so far.

It has been a long day, and unfortunately it has also been a long night - one in which Siebren cannot fall asleep no matter how hard he tries. Experience has taught him that tossing and turning is an exercise in futility on nights like this, so he exits his room as silently as he can manage and instead walks the train. He has no destination in mind, and eventually winds up in the games car, searching for a deck of cards. Perhaps a few rounds of solitaire will set his mind at ease enough for him to sleep, or perhaps he will simply amuse himself until the train's nightly mandatory lights out session rolls around. Either way, it is better than lying awake in the dark.

Comments

[10billionpercent]

It wasn't out of the ordinary that Senku couldn't sleep, but usually he tried. Some nights he was just too wired, and this was one of those so after he'd waved of Gen for a change, he got himself a nice cup of mint tea. In theory, it wasn't the caffeinated kind so it might soothe his brain.

Or, he'd be awake until the train forced him to bed.

He was already in his pajamas - a pair of blue and green plaid pants and a t-shirt with a math pun on it - and had been willing to just pass through the games car and moved on until he saw Siebren. He sipped his tea and approached. "What're you playing?"

[deferences]

Meanwhile, Lan Sizhui is far more used to being able to sleep throughout the night; the combination of being in a new world and, let's be real, possible insomnia has really taken hold tonight.

At first, he does the same thing with staying in his room, this way he knows he's safe from getting into too much trouble for still being awake when he should've been sleeping hours ago, but staring up at nothing only passes so much time (and can get quite boring after a while). Which is why he locates his sweatshirt, tugs the hood up over his head – for the very first time since he'd received it! – in hopes it'll somewhat hide him from the prying eyes of anyone else who might be awake and heads out of his room.

He wanders for some time, eventually comes across the game area and two people inside— one playing something and another inquiring about it. The boy hesitates near the doorway, watching silently, eyes wide with curiosity, gauging the situation before he decides if he should intrude or not.

[namethattune]

Siebren is still in his train-assigned pajamas; he'd bypassed his hoodie for fear of waking his roommates. He'd laid out the cards for solitaire and had barely started before Senku's approach. He looks up when being addressed, and Senku's shirt gets an abbreviated huff of laughter. It's a terrible pun. He rather likes it. "Solitaire," he says in response, "though more for a distraction than anything else."

Turning to address Senku has given him a view of the doorway and the young man standing in it. How long had he been there? "You are welcome to join us, if you would like."

[10billionpercent]

He grinned. He appreciated the huff of laughter. It was important for people who actually enjoyed math puns to stick together after all.

"There isn't much to read." Senku answered, which would've been his go to. "And I don't have anything I need to work on right now."

He sat down across from him. "Want to play something?" He glanced over at Sizhui and waved him over a little bit with the hand not holding his tea.

[deferences]

Not long, to be fair, and while eavesdropping on their conversation is terribly rude, Sizhui stays motionless anyhow, almost considering taking his leave before he's noticed—

But Siebren catches sight of him first, offers for him to join and then Senku – the person he knows here – does the same. He casts the briefest glance over his shoulder, hums softly to himself, relents despite his lingering apprehension about the possibility of being caught outside of his room at this hour.

“Thank you,” comes the polite, if not somewhat late acknowledgement as he shuffles into the room, moves to sit down between them. “What is ‘solitaire?’”

[namethattune]

"I would be glad for the company." In his experience so far, Senku does most of the talking in their conversations, and Siebren could use the distraction from his own thoughts.

"Solitaire is a card game for one, predicated on pattern recognition, simple strategy, and some amount of sheer luck. Not a terrible way to spend time, though I think a board game may be better suited to our purposes." He gathers up the cards as the young man joins them, sliding the deck back into the box and getting up to place it back on the shelf. "Do either of you have any preference?"

[10billionpercent]

"No, I haven't really played many board games, you might have to explain it to me...so I guess pick something you know how to play?" Senku offered with a helpless shrug.

"Most of the games I've played were video games."

[deferences]

How lucky, Siebren will have two people that can do all the talking for him, then. Sizhui won't be outrightly talkative at first, but getting to know Siebren a little better will open him up more.

“I do not,” he admits, slightly bowing his head. “Although, depending on the game, I might also need to be taught how to play? I come from, ah... an ancient world with very little choices when it comes to activities.” The boy shifts, crisscrosses his legs and settles both hands in his lap, waiting patiently for whatever they might end up choosing.

[namethattune]

"A classic, then." He peruses the shelves - Ticket to Ride is thematically appropriate but complicated; Clue requires a bit more strategic thinking than he is prepared to invest; Monopoly is never a good decision-

Ah. That will do. He has a winner.

He removes the box from the shelf, returns to his seat, and places the box on the table. "Parcheesi," he says, opening the box and unfolding the board. "Fairly straightforward; easy to learn, easy to play, and with just enough strategy and luck to keep it interesting." He rotates the board to make it easier for Senku and Sizhui to play; he has a long reach and isn't terribly bothered by distance. That said, he gathers up the yellow pieces and puts them in the home space closest to him; if he is going to teach, then he is going to pick his pieces first. "Choose your color, and I will explain."

[10billionpercent]

It wasn't really a game he was familiar with, in fact, he couldn't think of many board games he'd played at all for that matter. Shougi, Go and Chess certainly, at least the online versions for the interesting strategy of it, but anything else?

Senku leaned forward to look at the game pieces as though he were trying to figure out the game from that alone.

"I don't really care what colour."

[deferences]

Sizhui's unfamiliar with the game too, although when Siebren mentions he'll explain everything after they've chosen their colors, his expression brightens marginally. He peers into the box, wastes no time picking up all the blue pieces and setting them down in front of himself. Toward Senku's remark, he grins, reaches for the green markers then hands them over to his friend.

“Green it is, then.” Because if they spend too much time deciding, they might not have enough time to actually play.

‘Parcheesi.’ What an odd name! Even back home, he doesn't think he's ever seen anything quite like this board game, but Sizhui is eager to learn, quick to catch on and honestly can't wait for them to get into it.

[namethattune]

"You will have some difficulty with this game if you cannot make decisions," he says wryly with a bit of a smirk at Senku. A bit of humor at Senku's expense, yes, but it is toothless at best and he is certain Senku can handle it.

Humor aside, he gets to explaining the rules: the objective of the game; how to move a space out of home, and how to send opponents' pieces back to their homes; the advantages to rolling doubles; safe spaces and blockades; and rewards for sending an opponent's piece home or getting one's own piece to the goal. "It is simpler in practice," he says at the end of his explanation, "so I recommend we begin play and see how things progress." A beat. "Traditionally, it is the youngest who takes the first turn, which would obviously not be me."

[10billionpercent]

He wasn't offended, of course, far from it. He responded with a slow smirk. "That so?"

Senku, wasn't at all, completely competitive or anything. He could definitely be baited into having more interest in this game.

He laughed at the suggestion that the youngest gets to go first. "Well I wasn't gonna win that either. Go 'head Sizhui."

[deferences]

Perhaps he shouldn't laugh, but Sizhui can't help himself since Siebren has a point, after all, and they won't get far if Senku can't make his own decisions. At least he has enough tact to quiet it by lifting his hand and cupping it around his face afterward.

While the rules are being explained, he listens intently, taking in all the information, hoping he can remember important things; double rolls, what's safe, how to win. Pieces only being able to leave the nest with a roll of a five on a single die or the sum of the dice may prove more difficult, especially whenever it's confirmed that he is, indeed, the youngest and should go first, which coaxes him to pick up the dice, roll and both of them land on a one and a three.

“Ah... unfortunate, but that's okay. Does that mean it's Senku's turn?” Going from youngest to oldest, that seems right, age-wise. (Physically, anyhow.)

[namethattune]

Senku can be baited, and Sizhui is a willing audience. This will be fun.

"It does, though I must admit I had thought Senku would be going first." He scoops the dice into the dice cup and places it in front of Senku. "You had me fooled." This is deliberate baiting, and he is fully smirking now. While he doubts that Senku would be terribly distractible by mild needling, it is still very much worth a try, both for Senku's reaction and for Sizhui's.

[10billionpercent]

Senku snickered a bit. "Don't see how, I'm over 3700 years old, check the roster."

He smirked and passed the dice to Sizhui. He wasn't the type to get distracted by much, but he definitely would engage in banter. A lot of banter.

[deferences]

Frankly, he's a little surprised at the fact Siebren thought he was older than Senku, but he's certainly not offended by it at all. Gives him something to consider while they bait each other, he rolls the dice and moves a piece. Hey, that's something now, isn't it? And to be honest, by this point, he isn't even worrying about winning or losing when the ribbing between the two of them is going to prove just as entertaining.

He passes the dice back, grinning behind his other hand the whole time, then he reaches up to slide his hood off, feeling confident enough to uncover himself a little since he's almost certain there aren't many other people awake at this hour.

[namethattune]

"Years spent in suspended animation do not count," he informs Senku with that same smirk. Is that an arbitrary decision? Of course. Will he milk it for all it is worth? Absolutely.

The game passes quickly, as it is wont to do. It only takes a handful of turns for Siebren to have three pieces out: one on its merry way around the board, and two forming a blockade in the safe space just outside of his home. It is an obstructionist method of play, meant to stymie other players, and it is terribly effective with a few lucky dice rolls. "Are you enjoying yourselves?" he inquires mildly. By design, the question leaves room for sincere answers and for ire, depending on who answers.

[10billionpercent]

"Ha, I wish it was suspended animation." Senku quipped, but if it didn't count for this purpose he was meant to go second. He didn't look like he was going to expand upon it.

His turns were coming a little slower. Less because he didn't understand, he did, but he looked like he was thinking his moves over, even though it was mostly down to dice luck, and boy, luck was definitely never in his favour.

"It's fine..." He murmured a bit absently, clearly he was thinking way too hard about this.

[deferences]

These two are going to be the end of him and one he's only just met tonight! In spite of himself, Sizhui can't stop smiling, has to every so often lift his hand and smother a snicker behind his palm, disregarding the fact he's pretty sure he's losing at this point. He doesn't have nearly as many pieces and the few that do remain are rather scattered, but he isn't minding it, is enjoying Siebren and Senku's wisecracking just as much.

He answers truthfully, “Yes, I am,” and gives the faintest nod of his head for extra approval. Even if he does lose, he could sit back and watch them, learn from his mistakes, take notes for the next time they might play.

[namethattune]

"I am glad to hear it." The smile he gives Sizhui is genuine. The young man is smiling and laughing; it seems that inviting him in to join their game was the correct decision.

That smile becomes a smirk as he turns his attention to Senku. "Senku, you are taking this far too seriously," he says as a lucky roll lands his piece on top of Senku's, sending Senku's piece back home. "It is only Parcheesi." He is being a bit smug, but it is his right; he is also, after all, currently winning.

[10billionpercent]

"Don't know what you mean." Senku smirked. "I'm learning the nuances of the game, don't mind me." He waved his hand slightly.

Hm, he got kicked back home, that was a pain but clearly Siebren knew more what he was doing. What he was actually doing was studying his strategic moves.

"Just planning on a way to kick your ass next time."

[deferences]

“Thank you for inviting me.” Since, just because he's losing, doesn't mean he's sore and has forgotten his manners.

There's a ‘ladies, ladies, you're both pretty’ joke to be made here, but it's truly a shame Sizhui has no idea about that sort of thing. Instead, he manages muffling another giggle, regardless of the likely high probability of losing his last two pieces in the next few turns. He has to cup the hand tighter around his face to keep from commenting about next time himself, seeing as he has no idea what might happen, though it's funny to imagine Senku returning with a vengeance and beating them both.

[namethattune]

"Of course. You are welcome to join us anytime you would like." Sizhui has been charming so far and a terribly good sport - he would be welcome at any game night.

Senku would also be welcome for sheer entertainment value alone. "You do realize that the nuances of the game are essentially 'roll well and improvise,' correct?"

[10billionpercent]

"I know." Senku smirked. "But that doesn't mean there's no strategy!"

He was watching though, trying to come up with one anyway. "Don't worry, I'll crack it. Even with dice, statistically there has to be a better way to do this to tip the scales in my favour!"

It might be amusing to see if he could come up with something like that.

[deferences]

He hums an affirming noise at Siebren's invitation, gives the faintest nod then momentarily directs his attention toward Senku with a glance of appraisal. Strategic or not, Sizhui's almost certain there's no coming back for him, but he does wonder what Senku might try and throw together.

Do statistics have anything to do with Parcheesi, either? Ah well, it'll be fun to watch and measure the outcome regardless, especially if Senku does somehow manage getting a leg-up.