Main Camp Fire [Early Wednesday evening]

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

Proto was feeling a bit bored. His solution to this problem was simple: sit somewhere public with a deck of cards. He was shuffling them idly between his hands. He wasn't some sort of card trick master or anything, but he seemed to know what he was doing.

Hopefully someone would join him. He couldn't be the only one who enjoyed a friendly game every so often, after all.

Right?

Comments

[vanillajello]

Kate wasn't really all that into card games, unfortunately. But she did have some time to kill, which might explain her wandering here now, a small bag of cookies in hand.

"Going to do magic tricks?" was the greeting Proto got, when she plopped herself down to sit on a log.

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

Proto shook his head. "Don't know any."

He looked Kate up and down thoughtfully. "What about you?" She could borrow his cards if she wanted.

[vanillajello]

"No," Kate replied, stretching her legs out and crossing them at the ankle. "As far as variety acts like that go, I'm more of a dancer."

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Got me beat there." Proto grinned a bit. "I'm not much of a dancer either."

[vanillajello]

"And I'm a fabulous dancer," she felt the need to say. "On summer break from it right now, though. But still."

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Oh? How do you remain a fabulous dancer when you're always taking breaks?" He was probably teasing. At least, that's what it sounded like.

[vanillajello]

Kate quirked a brow, amused. "Always? Kind of jumping to conclusions there, don't you think?"

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Maybe." Okay, definitely. Proto grinned easily. "Are you saying that's not how it is?"

[vanillajello]

"Me and my legs that have suffered through weekly dance classes all spring both say no," Kate said. "I'm not always taking breaks. I'm only taking very well deserved ones."

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"I suppose you and your poor legs do deserve some time off now and then. And I suppose that means I don't get a demonstration?"

[vanillajello]

"Your assumption is correct," she nodded. "I'd rather just sit here and eat cookies."

Which meant she reached into the bag for one. Of course.

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Cookies do seem like a more relaxing way to spend your time." Proto looked over at her thoughtfully. "Care for a friendly game while you eat?"

[vanillajello]

Kate shook her head. "Oh, no, I don't really play," she said. "Not anything besides, like, video games, and Monopoly and games like that."

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"I could teach you a game or two," Proto offered. He knew dozens. He'd spent way too many nights playing cards around the fire in Bahamut.

[vanillajello]

"Well, if you have nothing better to do... Sure," she said with a shrug. "I'm Kate, by the way."

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Proto." Who apparently wasn't much for pleasnatries.

"So... anything you want to learn in particular, or should I just teach you something?"

[vanillajello]

"I don't think I have enough knowledge to have any preferences," she pointed out, while she was balancing her bag of cookies carefully on the log beside her. "So, whatever's good."

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

Proto stopped shuffling the cards and set the deck down between the two of them. "You know anything about poker?"

[vanillajello]

"Not a whole lot," Kate admitted. "Some of the basics, but it's all a bit--" She made a vague gesture with her hand. "--fuzzy."

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Well, let's go over things, just in case." Proto grinned and ran through the ranking order for hand (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_poker_hands). After he finished explaining he paused. "Some of that sounds familiar, I hope?"

[vanillajello]

Kate actually listened intently. Her teachers should probably be a little jealous.

"Mmhmm," she nodded. "Some of it."

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, Proto wouldn't tell anyone. "Okay, then you basically know enough to play." He grinned. "Something simple to start with?"

[bamf-tastic.livejournal.com]

"Kate! Hello!!!" Kurt waved excitedly.

"Sister, meet Roomie. Roomie, meet Sister. You are charmed, I'm sure!"

[vanillajello]

"Completely charmed," Kate snickered. "How've you been, little bro?"

[bamf-tastic.livejournal.com]

"THERE you are!!!"

Kurt scurried over to Proto and sat down nearby. "You know, just because we are not roomies at the current moment is NO excuse for you to be avoiding me!!!"

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

Despite himself, Proto smiled at Kurt's enthusiastic scolding. "I haven't been avoiding you," he answered in amusement. Well, no more than he'd been avoiding anyone else.

[bamf-tastic.livejournal.com]

"I hope you don't think I'VE been avoiding YOU?" Kurt asked. "I'm hurt!" He swooned dramatically, to show how hurt he was.

"So... how are you finding this strange Earth of ours?"

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Still strange," Proto admitted, shuffling the cards absently. "And still too peaceful."

[bamf-tastic.livejournal.com]

"And this is a BAD thing?" Kurt asked. "Isn't the ability to have peace the reason people FIGHT wars?"

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Freedom," Proto corrected. "Or, at least, that's what I fight for." Though peace... sounded nice.

"But the peace here isn't something I've won. And it's..." he waved vaguely. "Well, there's still a war on, you know?" It felt like cheating.

[bamf-tastic.livejournal.com]

Kurt nodded. "I... guess so. But... when you go back, you'll have a better idea of what you're fighting for, ja?"

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

Proto thought about that. "I don't know," he eventually decided. "Maybe."