Picking up the Pieces [Dorks+Open]

Danny was always one to appreciate a compliment, and he definitely liked the fact that everyone liked his team suggestion. Even Josh. He felt a little uncomfortable with his twin, but he was pretty sure he’d get over it with time. Danny never let anything bother him for long. So he grinned right back at Josh, and then at Riley, although he wasn’t looking at him. Oops. His gaze quickly shifted to the ground too. Because that was so much less obvious, Danny. Well done.

“Poor Josh,” he said, once they were all teamed up. “You can team up with me and Cobalt if you want! If…you don’t mind.” This was added a little belatedly to Cobalt. He thought the two got along pretty well, right? Besides, it was no fun to play alone. Even if he did think Josh could probably handle it. He was a lawyer, and although he did make…kind of strange personal choices, he was still a good guy and probably pretty capable!

He blinked owlishly at Cobalt, not quite sure if his friend was kidding, but when Cobalt didn’t smile or anything, his own lips stretched into a grin. Ha. It took more time than it had before, but he could eventually figure this out! “I’ll keep an eye out,” he agreed seriously, although unlike Cobalt he failed at keeping a straight face. “And I’ll set it up!” He moved forward to the box, and found a table he could pull out to set it up on. Then, he paused. “Uh. Anyone else remember how, exactly?” He looked sheepish. “It’s kind of been a really long time.”

Riley grinned down at Leila and squeezed the hand gripping his arm as the box was opened up. He helped with the unfolding of the board and looked to see all the pieces in the box. He must have missed something as he looked up to see Danny look to the floor. His hands busied themselves with the pieces, setting everything up and looking around for the instruction booklet to hand over to Josh.

He sat on the bed beside Leila and smiled at her. "Maybe since Leila suggested the game, and you are the one bed-ridden right now, you should set up the rules as you like it?" He suggested, fiddling with one of the blue pegs. He shrugged with a chuckle. "Anything goes with this game though, isn't it?"

[OOC: ...yeeeah, I suck >_>]

Ben just grinned at Cobalt when he tried to dissuade everyone from playing the game. He wasn't opposed to either idea. Because either way, he was still in a room with people he actually liked. Even if they end up just sitting down and not doing anything, he would be fine.

He pulled Yulia to the other corner of the room and had her sit in one of the chairs. "If we're gonna be playing, we need more chairs here. Do you think the nurses would let us bring in more chairs?" He chuckled, realising there were a lot of people in the reasonably big room.

They were all busy sorting themselves out, so Leila left them to it and went on with setting up the game. She hadn't played in a few years, but she was willing to bet that she was the one to have played most recently, even so.

"No no, we can do this. I promise. And you're not getting out of anything, Blue. Stay put." She said all this without bothering to look up, still sliding pieces together and laying out cards and tiles.

"Right, I think we've got that...then..." Finally she looked up. "Oh, right, chairs! Okay, um, well...some of you can share my bed. Because there's plenty of room here. And then there's a spot on the couch...do you guys mind sharing? Oh, I guess I probably shouldn't have asked." They were men after all. And men, even namby-pamby men like her boys were, tended not to be as cuddly as girls were.

When everything was all set up, Leila set out the rules and they started playing. They went on for a little while, but at a certain point everything got too confusing and Leila was starting to get tired. Eventually she decided that everyone should just tally up what they had so far and call it quits, since she had a feeling she was going to need to sleep again soon.

"Okay, we have...Cobalt, Josh, and Danny in last place. You guys didn't even get one kid! And then Ben and Yulia, who at least managed to put together a decent career and get a house, and then me and Riley! Because Riley was awesome and managed to get us an awesome job. Mwahahaha, success!" She smiled and leaned back on her pillow.

"Thank you all for coming in again," she said, closing her eyes as she rested for a moment. "I guess I just kind of feel...cut off from everyone. Like I've missed all the big news that's been going on. Seriously, though, you guys would tell me if something big happened while I was in here, right? Like if the world ended, or there was a party or something? Oh, I don't even know why I'm asking. You guys are the best, thinking of me even when you have your own lives to deal with. Group hug?" She held out her arms and gave a great big smile.

Ben laughed at Leila's vocal scoreboard and bumped Yulia against her shoulder. "All we needed was kids and we could have been golden." He chuckled and looked at Cobalt with a grin when they were announced to have lost.

He was directed to Leila again when she asked what has been going on. "Well, the world didn't blow up...much. But I'm sure Cobalt has some news he'd like to share, right Cobalt?" He looked up at the shadow manipulator and grinned.

He should have just told Leila about their being in a relationship but it seemed fairer to have the shadow manipulator tell his pseudo daughter type person himself. He joined Riley in hugging the tiny blonde. He even added a litle peck on top of her head.

Josh wasn't at all surprised that his team had lost, but he didn't mind. Much like playing poker with Sean this wasn't about winning or losing; it was about fun, and he counted everyone there as a friend, even Yulia, whom he didn't see much.

That didn't mean he wanted to give them a group hug, however. His smile slipped at the suggestion, and he would have objected had Leila not been ill, which meant it was impolite to refuse, and so he awkwardly joined in with the group hugging. This would have been more Sean's thing, if the telepath had come. Josh was glad he hadn't, though; it would have been awkward seeing a former friend around.

He tilted his head in curiosity as Ben proclaimed that he and Cobalt had an announcement to make. The smaller attorney's stumbling confession made him crinkle his forehead in confusion. Was this something that needed announcing? It had never occurred to him before to announce to anyone that he was dating. In fact, he'd tried not to tell people that he was with Simon (though the other man had done a good job undermining that effort) and while he had been thrilled the first time Sean had kissed him the fact that it had been in public meant that he didn't really have to tell any of them.

Still, he grinned and slapped Cobalt on the back. "Congratulations." Good to know they had worked out whatever issues they'd had. Also it was good to know that his suspicions that they had been sleeping together had been correct. And his friends said he was unobservant. Ha.