Open: Takes a lot of medicine to make it through the wintertime

[vineleaves]

The first day of Dark was difficult enough to get through. When the situation didn't improve after a few days, however, Dionysus really began to worry. That the house would stop cooperating when it comes to creating food at the same time his own powers of generation have become so severely diminished... it doesn't sit easy with him.

He is grateful that he still has some powers, but he's been finding it difficult to produce grapes or wine (or any related products) of any quality, whereas before it came to him like breathing. But he considers it his duty to do what he can to offset the dwindling supplies, so every day he spends a few hours creating what he can: grapes, raisins, cartons of grape juice, and of course, bottles of wine, before diligently distributing it to the various kitchens and eating-places in the house. Wherever he thinks people may go to look for something to eat. Should anyone need him, he shouldn't be too difficult to locate.

Comments

[ravkanwitch]

"I wonder if Luo Binghe could do anything to help the food situation," Nina muses. "He made me a broth out of nothing when I was a cat. Have you met him yet? Also, this might be a good time for a tour, if you're still willing..."

[vineleaves]

"I don't believe I have had the pleasure," he responds. Broth from nothing sounds promising though. Maybe things won't be so bad after all. "Oh, I would love nothing more than a tour right now, my dear! Might be good to get our minds off things, you know."

[ravkanwitch]

“Great!” Nina thinks through all of the rooms that she frequents. “I know you’ve seen the welcome table and the front area. Have you seen all of the main rooms? The main lounge, the game room, the kitchens, library, and the cafe? It all shifts around sometimes… maybe less with this business that’s been happening.”

[vineleaves]

"The library is wonderful! I've gotten so many plays from there!" He probably should return them so someone else can read them. Right now he's just been keeping things in his own room though, whoops. "I don't think I've been to the game room yet though. I think someone mentioned there's pinball."

[ravkanwitch]

"Let's go there first, then. I'm not much of a-- gamer? I think that's what Shen Yuan calls it --but I do like the board games." She begins leading the way and then figures she might as well drink the juice box that she picked up, opening it as they walk. "How are you settling in?"

[vineleaves]

"The good company helps, that's for sure." He grins. "And I finally have sorted my room out to an acceptable level of comfort."

[ravkanwitch]

"Oh? Where's your room at?" They've arrived at the game room now and Nina swings the door open. "Here we go."

[vineleaves]

"My room's near the cafe. Grantaire helped me find it when I first arrived." He sure did.

He steps into the game room, taking a look around. "I can see why people spend a lot of time here!"

[ravkanwitch]

"There's the pinball machine," she points out. "We don't have anything like it back in Ravka."

[vineleaves]

"Want to play a little? I promise I'm terrible at it, so you'll definitely win, if that's any incentive."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina laughs. "I'll play. I've only tried to play once and I could barely figure it out."

[vineleaves]

"We might be an even match then," he says with a laugh as he heads over to the machine.

[ravkanwitch]

“I take competition very seriously, though. Should we have a bet?”

[vineleaves]

"Ooh, what did you have in mind?"

[ravkanwitch]

Hmm. What could Nina offer a god? "A favor?" She suggests. "Within reason, of course!"

[vineleaves]

Dionysus is worried there might be something she already has in mind she needs help with. He would hope any of his friends here would know they can come to him whenever they need help, but regardless, he smiles. “Well then call me Nathan Detroit because you’ve got yourself a deal.”

He pauses, then adds, “I don’t guess you’re familiar with Guys and Dolls, are you?” He has been trying to be better about making reference to things people won’t understand here, but it is truly difficult.

[ravkanwitch]

Nina shakes her head. "I had to have someone explain what gods, Paris, and Oreos were," she says brightly. "Also, idiot sandwiches." Thank you, Shen Yuan, for Nina's brief foray into memes.

[vineleaves]

"Oreos are good, Paris is good. Verdict's still out on gods though, I hear." He laughs. "It's a musical about gambling. Nathan Detroit is one of the main characters. Do you want to go first, or second?"

[ravkanwitch]

"You can go first. That way I can see what I'm working with."

[vineleaves]

“Very well!” Dionysus starts playing. At first his plan is to purposefully be a little bad, to give Nina an advantage, but when he fails to save the first ball he quickly realizes he probably can just play normal and she’ll still probably win. All in all his turn doesn’t last very long; he only manages to hit the ball with the flippers one time, and even then it kind of lamely rolls off the end, hits one thing in the game, then drops back down to the bottom.

He’s laughing though, and kind of shrugs. “So I’m definitely not the god of Pinball.”

[ravkanwitch]

At first, Nina is trying to not laugh -- but since he's laughing at himself anyway, she can't help but laugh at his dismal showing. "I'm happy to join you on this journey of self-discovery," she tells him, kindly.

It's her turn now and while she comes from a world where there aren't many machines, her hand-eye coordination, reaction time, and precision are better than most. It needed to be in order for her to fight in the Second Army. She does decently, hitting the ball a few times before it ricochets at a strange angle and she misses it.

[vineleaves]

"You're good at this!" he tells her once she's done. "And here I thought we would be an even match, I didn't know you're almost a professional at it."

[ravkanwitch]

"Oh no, what I got was the smallest fraction of the high score on the welcome table... but you owe me a favor now!" She smiles at him. "I promise I'll go easy on you."

[vineleaves]

"A gracious and most kind mistress," he says with fake solemnity. "What were you thinking?"

[ravkanwitch]

"Hmm." Nina pretends to think very seriously, as if mulling over an appropriate punishment for him. "I've been reading about these things called slumber parties... They're typically for teenage girls -- and there are a lot of us here. I figured Dark would be the perfect time to hold one... for morale. But it might be tough to find snacks for it. Would you, Dionysus, provide juice boxes and help with snacks for my slumber party?"