Talk Nerdy to Me

Chapter 24: Setting Up Ambitions

Summary:

Ra begins running the English language games for her two different groups, and finding that one of the Kids had played before. A flashback, and a new development with the cult, and a call from Ross Jones.

Notes:

CW: There are mentions of gun violence and assault that are not graphic in this chapter.

(See the end of the chapter for .)

Chapter Text

It was Lee Know who found the bard in Ra's books, drawn in at first likely because of the artwork. Ra was not a great believer in not marking up her books. It was actually something she had argued with her mother on more than one occasion over. Ra had therefore added other characters in the white space surrounding the text of most of the player classes in her Player's Handbook - including a tiny little halfling who was inexplicably wearing a cowboy hat and jeans, and nothing else.

The agreement on getting onto the plane was that the first four hours would be devoted to the second game for Chris, Felix, Changbin, and Han. After that, they would break for lunch, relax a bit, and Ra would then run the other game for Seungmin, Hyunjin, Lee Know, and IN. They were seated on yet another flight with a table and couches set up, which suited her just fine . She was able to bring the real dice out.

Since the agreement was to run the games in English, she was very precisely speaking in as unaccented an English as she could. Chris was only slightly disappointed she wasn't using her Southern drawl.

"We should get our own sets," Felix said, though he was admiring Ra's crystal blue ones with silver numbers. "That way we don't have to borrow yours, Ra."

"I don't mind," Ra said, smiling to herself. "However, I'm afraid I must warn you of the curse."

The boys all looked at her in surprise, and a few in concern. Seungmin was shaking with silent laughter.

"There's a curse?" Han asked, leaning forward in curiosity. Chris and Felix were both exchanging somewhat frightened glances.

Ra laughed, deep and rich. One would never accuse her of being effeminate. "Not that kind of curse! My friends at college called it the Curse of the Shiny Math Rocks."

Seungmin bent double, no longer silently laughing.

"Shiny math rocks?" Hyunjin questioned. He had picked up a four-sided die in black and gold.

"Most dice are shiny," Ra said, gesturing to her (not small) collection. "And once you have started collecting... Well, let's just say I've lost more dice that I have here."

"More than this?" IN said, looking over the five sets laid on the table, plus the small drawstring bag they were carried in. "That is a lot."

Ra nodded, and started the game up again by reminding her original four players of what they had accomplished in the previous game and where they were currently. The four who had not played with Ra before - and had not witnessed the change she underwent while running one - could only watch on in silence as she painted pictures in their minds as easily as she did on canvas.

She had given the Player's Handbook to IN to look over while the game ran, and over the four hours the other four had read much of the introductory material. When lunchtime rolled around, she ended the game with the first four at a good spot, and made a few notes in her laptop on the progress of the game.

Ra had still not quite gotten used to the mile high room service, or any room service if she were honest. She still did her little dance of food joy when she took her first bite of spinach and strawberry salad. Strawberries would always make her inexplicably happy.