Wander Log | The Kitten

[folkscallmewander]

Who: Everyone
What: Wander spends time with his new kitten
When: M11 D3
Where: Outside the resort building
Notes & Warnings: Two starters: one closed to Niko and one open to all


For Niko

It was a regular day working at the resort. There were several calls to businesses in town as usual, with an occasional filing job, but not too many people were staying in the lobby, which was his go-to place for interesting conversations during his breaks.

He was arranging several vases of flowers near the windows when he spotted Niko walking towards the resort. Wander gave him a wave and made his way closer to the door to greet him once he entered.

Gardens

There's an orange alien squealing with joy in the gardens, but he's easy to finding considering that he's sitting right by the small fountain. Right next to him is a black and white, four-eyed kitten, meekly pawing at a long piece of grass Wander was dangling in front of it.

Comments

[folkscallmewander]

That seems to make him feel better. "Yup!" He gets ups and starts walking out of the gardens. Even if he's already missing his kitten, Linda looks like she could really use a trip to the arcade, and he's not sacrificing a friend's plans for the day.

"Whatcha like to do first?" He asks once they're out on the streets. "That dancin' game? Pinball? Maybe those video games? Air hockey? Course, I need somethin' to stand on for some of those things, but the manager is super nice 'bout that, I'm sure!"

Formatting. Whoops...

[domesheriff]

She follows, glad when he finally brightens. At his offer, she tilts her head, considering. Only one of the options really jumps out at her, though. "How about we start with air hockey?" It was always Rusty's favorite, so it's something she has a lot of experience with. "I'm sure we can get you something to stand on."

[folkscallmewander]

"Sure thing!" He'd say he was pretty good at that game, especially since his short arms provided him just the right amount of range to cover the area right near his slot. And who needed hitting power when you could just aim the puck the right way?

Once they reached the arcade, Wander set off towards the information booth to ask for a stand. There was another group speaking to the worker, so he stood behind them in line and waved at Linda.

"You can head in if ya like!"

[domesheriff]

Admittedly Linda's style is also built on defense because Rusty is definitely a power player, so this could be interesting. And she finds, as they arrive at the arcade, that she's even feeling a little excited for this opportunity to relax for a while with someone whose company she's coming to enjoy. After all, as positive as Wander is, it'd be hard for it not to rub off on her.

At first, Linda follows Wander to the information booth. When he offers that she can go in ahead, though, she's about to say that she doesn't mind waiting when it occurs to her that this could be a good opportunity to look around before she and Wander start playing games together. So she nods instead. "See you in a few." And she heads inside, immediately blasted by the flashing lights and sounds of the place. She surveys the room, stunned by the size and scope of it; you wouldn't find this arcade in Chester's Mill. But she smiles as she looks around because the place is full of laughing, smiling people, and seeing that warms her heart. She hasn't been around enough of it for a while now.

[folkscallmewander]

The folks in front sure take a long time to get what they needed, but it's a mix of politeness and unease at how they're react if he asked them to hurry a bit that stops him. Besides, he and Linda have plenty of time to spare.

It's no hassle getting a stand for himself, as the arcade stocks stands for children and short alien species that visit the resort during better times.

Once he's back, Wander sets the stand by the air hockey table with a loud noise, tried from carrying it all the way here, and starts pushing it over to the side he wants to play on.

[domesheriff]

It's the sound of Wander setting the stand down that catches Linda's attention. Pulled from her reverie, she makes her way over to the table herself, standing on the other side. "You ready to start?" She grins at Wander, her spirits high just from the cheerful energy of this place, and gestures for him to grab the puck. Considering his height, she has a feeling a face-off in the middle of the table isn't the fairest idea, so she'll let him start things off.

[folkscallmewander]

Wander makes a quick grab for the puck, flipping it once, then setting it down on his end of the table.

"I'm ready!" He hits the puck as hard as he can, sending it bouncing off the sides twice and towards Linda's slot.

[domesheriff]

Wander's orange face, suddenly so intent, is actually pretty amusing, but Linda doesn't let herself get distracted so easily--even if she did also underestimate how hard he would hit the puck. She gets her mallet in front of her slot just in time, meaning she sends the puck bouncing back toward him with just a bit less momentum than it originally came toward her. She's far from done, however. She didn't play all those games with Rusty for nothing!

[folkscallmewander]

Okay, okay. It shouldn't be too difficult to his this one. Wander prepares himself as the puck moves closer, then strikes as hard as he can.

Unfortunately, he misses, and he reflexively flails his mallet until the he smacks the puck to his left. Relieved at how close Linda was as getting a goal, Wander now hits it straight back at her.

[domesheriff]

A straight shot is easy to block, and Linda has no trouble sending it bouncing back his way--fast this time. "You've gotta do better than that!" she says, smirking. So far this game is even more relaxing and fun than she thought it would be. Then again, maybe relaxing isn't the right word--Wander definitely looks like he's going to be a formidable opponent.

[folkscallmewander]

Most people try to go easy on Wander, to his surprise. The only notable exceptions were his best friend, sometimes, and a couple of guys that actually weren't that good. Linda is not only a fantastic player, but she's ruthless.

It comes to no surprise that the puck moves too fast for Wander to block it in time, and it drops straight into his slot.

"Yeah!" The energy of that last play gets him excited. "You're really good at this, Linda. Another round?" He leans down to pick up the puck.

[domesheriff]

Linda really isn't the type to play that way, and she's probably lucky that's being received well by Wander. After all, his smaller frame puts him at a disadvantage, but from what she's seen so far, he has technique.

She grins at him, enjoying this as much as he is. "Definitely! Start it off."

[folkscallmewander]

"Here goes!" He smacks the puck again, bouncing it off a wall, but it doesn't seem to to aiming exactly at Linda's goal.

He might not win this, but at least the plays are fun.

[domesheriff]

His odd aim actually causes her to miss the puck, but she manages to get down by her slot in time to block it and send it back his way. "Nice one."

Even if she hadn't hit it, she wouldn't have minded either. Fun is definitely the aim here, and she's very glad she happened to run into Wander in the gardens. Getting used to her new home has been a difficult adjustment for Linda, but good people make anywhere a better place.

[folkscallmewander]

Wander manages to hit the puck this time now that he's focusing on the game more.

All worries of his kitten are long gone now that he's found someone after Braska left that wants to hang out and play games with him. So many of the other imports are so serious, and he kind of misses Sylvia for sharing a bit of that laid-back adventurous spirit he has, but he can tell that Linda is genuinely enjoying herself. And that alone makes him happy.

[domesheriff]

Linda would be glad to hear that, but she's too distracted by the game at the moment to think about it. Either way, it looks like they're now officially in the middle of what will undoubtedly be an enjoyable afternoon.