Hanging out with Kaze

[Corn]

When Kaze mentions meeting Maria, Corn stops dead in his tracks. His hand, holding a few tokens to pass to Kaze remains hovering as Corn remains motionless for a couple of seconds.
"My sleeper life... I talk a lot about it to mages. I miss my Mage side often. But... I would like to protect the Sleeper life from the mage side. " he says reluctantly. "It is dangerous being around us. With Maria, we make fun of astrology columns or people believing in mediums or, most ironic of all, people that believe in ghosts. I can see ghosts, I can speak with ghosts. And yet, I pretend that ghosts don't exist.
I would like to keep my mage side separate. Maria thinks that drug lords, religious extremists and mass shooters are the worst the world has to offer. I like that, it calms me down. Keeps me anchored in the man I am for 90% of my time: an ordinary person with ordinary goals.

When people -often colorful people- your loved ones don't know show up, and you spend time with them you have to make up lies and excuses. The usual excuse is 'someone I met in college' but that can't work for everyone or for ever.
And then, it's the danger part. I have seen... bad things happen when the Sleeper side meets the Mage side. These people can be used against me. Not by you, of course not by you. But by enemies of you and I.
I hope you understand why I am hesitant. "

[Kaze]

"Oh hey, you know what? I wasn't thinking. You're totally right. To be honest, I haven't had a serious relationship with a Sleeper. Not since I Awakened anyway." Kaze explains. "You're smart to keep that side of your life, and your fiancé' protected."

"So...show me how to do this." Kaze says, directing their attention back to the board game.

[Corn]

Corn quickly went over the rules with Kaze and gave him a couple of examples. After an introductory game, the actual game started. Corn was not paying too much attention and would offer Kaze suggestions on which move is good and which is bad down the road.

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-03-21 16:09:23	Corn rolls 4 to Intel+acad (10 Again)	6, 4, 5, 7	failure

I went with int+academics. Perhaps give Kaze a -1 penalty to represent that he's a newbie.

[Kaze]

"Okay..." Kaze quickly realizes that this boardgamey stuff is something Corn takes pretty seriously; there's not likely to be much more conversation during a board game then there would be during some athletic game, maybe even less as Corn seem silently focused, not even bothering to trash talk! How is it even a 'game' if there's no trash talk!?

He does his best to follow what Corn is saying about the rules of Hive, and follow to his lead.

"So, this is kind of fun...I mean, I think I could get into it with some practice."

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-03-21 21:32:29	Kaze rolls 2 to to play Hive (Academics 1 + Intelligence 2 - Newbie player 1) (10 Again)	6, 6	failure

Kaze says after puzzling out the basics but still not really having an idea of a winning strategy, "Only, it feels like the room instantly became a library when we started playing. You know, like, 'SHHHH!'." He grins to Corn!

[Corn]

Corn looks up from the game. "Hmmm? Well, I don't have anything to say. Such things often go better if people also chat. Sure you may make a mistake in the strategy, but distracting the opponent is a winning strategy. I will brew some more tea and then we could go again. "
When he returned, Corn set up the pieces as the tea was brewing. "So, what's your personal life been like after you awakened? Or did the madness of the previous years left little time for you to make your own love nest? Thank you for your efforts, by the way. I appreciate all that has been done in the past so I can have a peaceful life as a mage and as a Sleeper."

[Kaze]

Kaze realizes why he doesn't like board games very much as Corn is talking about how you can use talk to distract an opponent for an advantage. They have rules. In the past, he learned to think of pretty much all leisure activity as 'training', and the main thing to avoid was any bad habits. Having rules was a thing that you can get used to in your strategic thinking. The problem was, the enemy didn't follow rules, ever. At least, it was a bad habit to ever let yourself expect the enemy to follow rules.

So that was another thing he needed to figure out; was he going to try to be maintaining that kind of strict criteria or not? Probably, he wasn't going to get comfortable playing board games with their artificial balance and 'level playing ground', but he had no problem using them as a point of connection.

Kaze smiles. Corn was talking about talking as a way to win the board game, while he was deciding to play board games as a way to open up more a rapport for better talking. Means to an end, either way.

"Sure, okay. Thanks!" Kaze says, smiling when Corn offers a break. He studies the pieces and thinks about the strategies from the last game.

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-03-21 22:47:46	Kaze rolls 2 to play Hive (Academics 1 + Intelligence 2 - Newbie player 1) (10 Again)	4, 5	failure

He doesn't really do any better the second time, but hey, it's the long game that matters, right?

Kaze smiles and says, "So, how many people can play this game at a time?"

"Do you have 'game nights' in groups since you got here?"

When Corn asks what Kaze's 'personal life' has been like since Awakening, and then says thanks for his efforts, expresses appreciation for the relative safety he apparently feels like he enjoys here in Sacramento. Kaze considers Epitaph's headless body, recovered at a Hunter safehouse like just a year or so ago?

"Oh wow. No...no 'love next', that's for sure. My former job didn't leave much room for that, or even planning for it. Since I quit...I've been kind of taking everything slow, just figuring out what works for me, you know?"

"That's a pretty classy way of saying, 'Thank you for your service', right?" Kaze says, smiling. "You take precautions, though. That's good." He leaves it at that.

[Corn]

When asked about the Hive game, Corn answers "Well, two people only can play this one. I wouldn't say it's one of my favorites although its simplicity has a charm. We don't have specific 'game nights' with my friends. We may decide to hung out one weekend night for board games, wine and snacks. Similar to the movie night we had with Skye and Phoenyx, but with board games. Or we may watch movies. Or we may bring our laptops to Fred's house that has good and stable Wifi and play co-op - this means cooperative- computer games or play against each other in arena. At times, not every time, we may drop some music with Maria and then open a board game for some relaxation while we wait for say ... the veal to be cooked or when we have an hour till friends come etc. Or we may play cards.
Do you play any card games? They are also something I believe everyone should know some basics about. Even if you don't like them or you never become good in cards, you could understand references people use and participate in small talk easier. That kind of thing. Perhaps I could play you a few hands in Poker next - no money involved. What do you think? "

Mentioning that he takes things slow, Corn nods. "I think that's the smart thing to do. We never know when things would get heated again here. So, taking things slow now that you have the opportunity to figure out in leisure what works for you is an opportunity that shouldn't be squandered. " Looking at the game he offers back with an apologetic smile. "It seems that at least this kind of game is not your favorite pass-time. However, now if asked about your hobbies by a sleeper on the bus or something, you can say 'I did play Hive a couple of times, but it's not my favorite pass-time'. That's something, isn't it? Makes you seem much more ... approachable and humane, in my opinion. I think it is important to retain your 'connection' with the mundane world that the Sleepers see. Helps to understand them and appreciate them. So you won't go bonkers or become disassociated with them."

[Kaze]

Kaze nods and smiles. "Yeah, I think I'd enjoy a game with a more...spur of the moment, improv vibe, you know?" He says. "Like, does 'Charades' count?" Or beer pong?

He listens as Corn describes game night. "So...wow, how long have you been in town again? Sounds like you have a bunch of friends already!" Kaze exclaims. All Sleepers, apparently.

"Well, you know even Sleepers don't all do the same things for fun. If it comes up, I just say I'm into outdoors, you know, jogging, hiking, Parkour...." the athletic young mage explains.

[Corn]

"You do Parkour?! I thought that was more of Skye's thing. Either I or Maria already knew some people here and thus my circle expanded easily. The bookstore belongs to an uncle of mine for example. My hometown is less than two hours by bus or car so friends come and visit - and we have those movie nights - or we drive back to our hometown with Maria to see them. Many of the board-game nights happen in my home town for example.
Also, Several schoolmates from my home town have relocated to Sacramento. "That don't know what happened to our math teacher...
Corn's mood darkens for juuust a moment but he quickly re-represses the memories. He did what he had to do.

[Kaze]

Kaze laughs, "No, I don't, and yeah, it was. It's on my list of things I want to learn though; I was going to learn from Skye, but even with her being gone, I still am going to learn it." He explains when Corn exclaims about him mentioning doing Parkour. "Why, you want to learn with me?" He asks.


"Wow. So...you have like, roots and everything here." Kaze says, sounding impressed. Apparently, Corn's Awakening hadn't yet taken away all his pre-Awakened connections! "So...I bet you do like family barbecues and everything?" Kaze sounds positively admiring!