Open Post: Welters

[sorrowandsorrow]

It's probably been noted before, but Janet's not actually dumb. The people of this mansion are varied and mercurial. They're not like Fillorians, some of whom are little bitches but who were largely cow-eyed and willing to accept her authority just because she was a pretty girl from another world.

So. She has to win people over. Maybe everyone needs a little fun to take their minds off things. Conveniently, welters is absolutely Janet's idea of fun. There's a bunch of insane rules, violence is encouraged, and you win if you're good at magic and being bossy.

The mansion grounds are also a little tempestuous as to their character, but apparently the master magician toying with all their lives is feeling charitable today. She's found a big, flat stretch of undisturbed grass, and she's sketching out welters squares with a piece of chalk.

Comments

[sorrowandsorrow]

Janet gives him a familiar little pat right between the legs. "Does your ego need stroking, too?"

[sorrowandsorrow]

Janet thinks about this. "It's hard as shit," she says, "but it's teachable. I went to school for it, but there are hedge witches and hedge wizards who taught themselves."

[sagramore]

That makes him laugh so hard that even Fenyes, indomitable as she is, lifts her head in annoyance. "I genuinely wasn't-- Christ, why haven't we spent time together before now? You're such a splendidly awful woman, I adore you."

[timebethine]

"How might I begin?" Laertes asks. The difficulty doesn't seem to deter him. "If it's a skill that's teachable, I greatly desire to learn it."

[sorrowandsorrow]

Janet is absolutely, perfectly, fifty-fifty torn between excitement and irritation. She's a multitalented woman, though; she can do both. "Well, shit," she says, grinning at him, "you're on my team. Whichever one that is. How the hell did you do that?"

A second later, she adds, "Apology accepted, if you agree to play welters with me."

[sorrowandsorrow]

"This is the board." Janet takes a step back and holds her hands out in two Ls, like she's framing the board for a photograph. "The squares turn into whatever I want. I'm pretty sure I can do all the transmutation myself, although the metal might be a bit tricky. There are two teams, and they each try to capture all the squares. It's all with spells -- no physical violence." Emphasis on the fact that the violence simply has to not be physical.

[sorrowandsorrow]

Trying not to get too sucked into his orbit, but clearly failing a little, Janet doesn't laugh in turn, but she is smiling whether she likes it or not. It's also clear that she's preening under the specific flavor of the compliment. "Well, whose fault is that?" she says, cheerful enough. "You don't call, you don't text..."

[sorrowandsorrow]

Janet tries not to make a little grimacing expression and, luckily, does a pretty good job, all told. "There are textbooks in the library," she says. "Some of them are the ones I got when I started at Brakebills. That's -- that's, uh, the college of magical pedagogy I went to."

[sagramore]

"You don't seem the sort to want a hanger-on, though perhaps I misinterpreted."

[sorrowandsorrow]

"No, no, you're reading me right." This time she pats him on the chest, and leaves her hand there afterward. "I'm just giving you shit."

[sagramore]

"As long as I've understood." He smiles at her. "I don't want to offend you."

[sorrowandsorrow]

"Sir Sagramore," she drawls, "if you offend me, you won't have to guess whether you have or not." That's followed up with a fresh smile.

[sagramore]

"Now that I've said it, it does sound foolish," he agrees.

[timebethine]

Laertes dips his head in acknowledgment, filing that information away for future library runs. "If I should come across others who practice such arts as you do, I'll tell them of your game, my lady," he says. "For although it may be threescore years before I'm fit to join you, I'm afire to witness such sport as magicians play."

Privately, he is excited to imagine what Lan Wangji could do on a flying sword.

[ravkanwitch]

"Oh, that sounds fun," Nina says, contemplating Janet's set-up. "Do you think it would be possible with all of the different abilities and spells that everyone has?"

[sorrowandsorrow]

"No fucking idea." Janet says it cheerfully enough. "I know all the rules to the actual game. I mean, all of them. But who's going to know if I change a few? Or a lot?"

[sorrowandsorrow]

"That's okay." Her hand lingers where it is, solely because it's pleasant to touch the solidity of his chest. "I like stupid men."

[sorrowandsorrow]

"It is amazing," Janet assures him. "You can absolutely spectate if I can't figure out a way for non-magicians to play. And..." Yikes, is she going soft? Maybe a bit. The desert stripped away some parts of her, and maybe it didn't strip away nothing but weakness. "Be careful. Magic can be dangerous. When you start, just... let me look at your form sometime, okay?"

[sagramore]

That's all right. It's nice to have her hand there. "Well, hast come to the right place." His tone is, unfortunately, fond.

[timebethine]

His smile turns wry. "What, does the queen deign to teach?"

[ravkanwitch]

Nina laughs. “I certainly won’t be the one to tell. I think… this place definitely needs something fun. A lot has happened recently.”

[sorrowandsorrow]

"Yeah," Janet says, and despite herself, her tone is a little fond, too. She plants a glancing kiss on his cheek. "You didn't actually answer my question."

[sagramore]

"Oh, which one?"

[sorrowandsorrow]

"Hardly," she says easily enough. "I'm not a good teacher. But I don't want you to blow yourself up, either."

[sorrowandsorrow]

"Oh, has it?" Janet asks, sidling a bit closer to Nina with interest. "I'd say you should unburden yourself, and maybe you should, but also, I'm nosy."