(no subject)

[covert_bandage]

There is only so much one can do when the latest experiment is at the 'allow to cool down to room temperature' stage. Arcade, coincidentally, has only so much patience. Normally it's enough to get him through a day of fruitless lab work, but today...

"You know, this is the first time I found this place in my closet," he says to no one in particular. "If I could get a shot of Old Master, please, and possibly-"

He scowls at the object that appears next.

"I didn't like that thing last time and I approve of it even less now," Arcade says, but that doesn't stop him from taking the three dimensional chess set to a nearby table along with his drink. At least the game has rules; theoretically, he should be able to figure them out well enough to play, either with someone else or on his own...

Go ahead and bother him, he's not going anywhere for a while.

Comments

[morethanprops]

Moist notices Arcade's game on his way to the counter and frowns, he's still wearing his glasses so looks rather serious,

"Is that like Thud?"

[covert_bandage]

"If it is, I wouldn't be able to tell you," says Arcade, "since the only 'Thud' I'm aware of is a rather crude form of childhood entertainment practiced mostly by the Great Khans. It's a form of chess, though. Just a painfully overcomplicated one."

[morethanprops]

"Thud is sort of like chess but not quite. Who are the Great Khans?"

[covert_bandage]

"To hear them talk about it, a tribe of proud, headstrong, self-sufficient warriors," says Arcade. "To hear nearly anybody else in the Mojave talk about it, they're an oversized gang of thugs and chem dealers. Take your pick. It's not like any of them are likely to show up here."

[morethanprops]

"Ah yes, I know how that goes. Be careful what you say so you don't get hurt."

[covert_bandage]

"Pretty much," Arcade agrees. "I don't deal with them very often, myself, but get too far from the city limits and they're out there, all right."

[morethanprops]

"That seems smart. Is this game from your world?"

[covert_bandage]

"Not to my knowledge," Arcade says. "It might've existed before the war, for all I know, but I don't recall any references to three dimensional chess in our surviving texts. The Bar tends to give it to me when she doesn't have anything better to do."

[morethanprops]

"It does look challenging. Is that different from normal chess?"

[covert_bandage]

Arcade nods. "The rules for piece motion include vertical as well as horizontal moves now," he says, "which automatically adds to the complexity. It's still two players with one set of pieces each, though."

He gestures to the other chair at his table, since the fellow doesn't seem to have been put off by the pointlessly complex game board yet.

[morethanprops]

Moist has a twisted mind, it makes him a good criminal and sits down as he offers Arcade his hand,

"I'm Alfred Spangler from the Disc."

[covert_bandage]

Arcade reaches up to shake the offered hand. "Arcade Gannon," he says, "from the Old Mormon Fort, in Freeside. Don't worry if you haven't heard of it, nobody really has."

[morethanprops]

"The same's true of the Disc or if they're heard of it they can't believe its real."

[covert_bandage]

"Actually, I was wondering if that was a casino name. It sounds like somewhere you'd go to gamble."

[morethanprops]

"No, but there is gambling on the Disc, the kind depends on where you are. Its a world carried on the backs of four elephants who stand on a great turtle who swims through space."

[covert_bandage]

Arcade considers this for a while. Eventually he shrugs. "Sure," he says. "Why not. I suppose if there's a universe where national governments were sane enough not to incinerate the planet by mutual nuclear fire, a little thing like a giant space turtle's comparatively easy to accept."

Arcade's a little cynical sometimes.

[hey35andholding]

Clementine hasn't seen Arcade Gannon since her first time tending bar. And - to her - it seems a perfect time to bug him. "Well, there's a familiar face!"

[covert_bandage]

Arcade glances up from the horrible chessboard, blinking. "Oh, hey," he says. "Hi there. Haven't seen you in a while; how've you been?"

[hey35andholding]

She gives him an acknowledging nod and sits down without asking. "All right. My guy's stuck on his side of the door, and work's a shitshow, so I'm killing time here before I have to deal with Halloween on my side of the door."

[covert_bandage]

"Halloween. Wow," Arcade says. "I don't think I've actually met anybody who observed the holiday since I left California. Busy time of year for you in- Reno, was it?"

[hey35andholding]

"You're missing out in future-wastelandotopolis," she declares. "I like any holiday that lets you wear a thong in public and drink heavily at half price." She nods. "Reno, and yep, it is. We get the usual assortment of drunks setting dog crap on fire and people trying to steal cruisers."

[covert_bandage]

Arcade thinks about this for a bit. "The thong part, at least, has a certain familiarity to it," he says. "The rest of the celebrations sounds more like what we see around New Year's or so. The Garretts break out all the cheap alcohol, Mick and Ralph's cuts their prices on any weapon that makes more noise than it does damage, and half the Kings wind up singing on any corner where they're not getting shot at, or shooting back, for that matter."

[hey35andholding]

She chuckles. "Well, good. At least you can still cut loose in the apocalypse." She added. "I should take you to Reno sometime. Playing the slots would be a picnic for you."

[covert_bandage]

"It would be an interesting trip, I can tell you that," Arcade says. "I don't think I've ever actually seen a casino that was in new condition or decent repair."

He's not generally a big fan of the idea of throwing one's money away, especially not to the kinds of people who run things in New Vegas, but visiting the Old World is a different story. The caps- or coin, or whatever- dropped on the slot machines would be the price of admission, and probably a relatively low one at that.

[hey35andholding]

"THAT I can give you. And I do still owe you a spa day."

Clem will throw away enough money for the both of them, and she could get them into a couple of casinos she used to dance at for free.