Electrified Shorts

Family Game Night

Ah, family game night. An event where families play board games, grow their bonds of one another, and have fun. In our family, that was the tradition. Mom and I played games until midnight or I fell asleep on the couch. Dad wasn't around, so our time together felt pleasant. Now that she wasn't living and Dad left Fairy Tail after getting exiled, family game night became a meaningless event.

Why?

Because of my aunts. Since Gramps' departure and Tanya becoming the acting guild master, my aunts turned family game night into a tournament. A metaphorical blood bath. Every Saturday night, the aunts picked someone to host. A selection of three board games. Once those games were done, they drank and go crazy. And I meant crazy with a capital C.

The last time was Allisa drinking five beer bottles and running amok. Tanya had to buy new furniture because of the incident Allisa enacted. Donica calmed Allisa down through her emotional magic, but Theresa made a rule to limit alcohol usage. A close call, but tonight would throw that rule out the damn window.

When I returned from the guildhall after eight, Aunt Donica smiled at me. The corner of my eye saw three board games on the coffee table. Ugh, not this shit again.

"Laxus, since Allisa is banned from participating in our family game night, me and Theresa concluded on including you. How about it?"

"No, thanks." I walked past Donica with a tired expression.

"What? I thought you loved family game night." She followed me, those puppy eyes surfacing. They were anyone's weakness, including yours truly.

"Please, Laxus. Tanya already left for a Magic Council meeting. It'll be longer than usual, because of the black market crisis growing."

Theresa sat on the lover's sofa, arms crossed and her angular face lowered. I knew she didn't want to play family game night, but it grew on her. I had a vivid memory of Theresa not being her usual self. Probably because of the beer she chugged. Tea was her beverage, but when beer chimed in, she transformed into a different person. Donica stared at me, the puppy eyes widening and glimmering. Ugh, I really needed sleep. Tomorrow was a special quest for my team.

A few seconds of staring into Donica's puppy eyes, then hearing a whimper, I caved in. "Fine, fine. I'm joining, Aunt Donica."

I hung my fur coat on a hanger before walking to the couch. Donica cheered. Of course her method worked on me, the strongest S-Class Mage in Fairy Tail. We sat on the couch, waiting for this stupid event to start.

"Ahem, I selected the first game."

"Is it Parcheesi?"

Theresa dropped her jaw and laid her triangular eyes at me. An obvious frown shot back at her flabbergasted look. Parcheesi was a simple board game. Get all your four players home before the rest. I don't get why she picked it.

"If Allisa was here, she would've broken the board in half."

I would, too. That game was a snore-fest. Despite my comment, Theresa began the game. An hour later, Theresa won. Donica congratulated her for winning, while I sighed heavily. God, every time! The second game was simple. Before leaving the cabin, Tanya picked Twister as the second game. Last time she partook in family game night, she held her liquor. Gramps wasn't lucky and fumbled around the living room.

The game wasn't too bad, although Donica refused to play. Her skin-sensitivity was the excuse. Theresa and I stripped off our shirts and began the game. It was Allisa's rule for us to strip half-naked. Why she thought it was a brilliant idea, I'll never know. The last game was something else.

"Headbands?"

"No, It's the deluxe version. We use our powers, if a person gets a guess wrong. Allisa loved it for how much fun she messed with Theresa." Donica blushed, then looked over her shoulder. A giggle escaped her thin lips.