Magnets in a Play [Lany]

[Danielle Cooper]

Okay, everything was perfect! Dani was sure of it. Still, the electrokinetic’s eyes scanned the room, making sure everything was in place for a date game day with Lany. Was Dani possibly a bit too excited about this? Yes. Yes she was. The flickering of her desk light had given that much away.

After she checked everything again, Dani gave her room a nod of approval before flopping down on the bed. It wouldn’t be long before Lany was supposed to be there, so all that was left was to kill some time.

And what better way to do that than with the Yoshi’s New Island? Even if it was a children’s game, Dani found it to be rather enjoyable. She opened up her 3DS, and started up the game.

[Lany Bishop]

Lany had warned her friend that she’d be by a little late. There was class to attend, and her job at the stables to do. Then she had to go shower, of course – she didn’t want to show up smelling like hay and horse. After that came the cookies. Lany always made a big batch whenever she baked; otherwise, her siblings would want some, and they’d take every last bite. They complained at her if she told them they were reserved for some other occasion. She supposed it was hard ignoring the smell of baking cookies.

Finally, Lany knocked at Danielle’s door, a Tupperware container in hand. The hallway was quiet – quieter than she’d expected it to be on a Friday.

When Dani answered, her face brightened. She smiled; it spread over her cheeks, which, as her mother told her, were still round with youth. With both hands, she held the container up to her chest. “I’m here,” she said. “And I’ve brought these – you’ll need to help me; I can’t eat them all by myself.”

Lany glanced over Dani’s shoulder, scoping the premises for roommates or the like.

[Danielle Cooper]

Dani possibly got up out of her bed a bit too quickly when she heard the knock on her door. She put her 3DS aside, and pushed herself off the bed in record time. As she opened the door, her eyes lit up at the sight of Lany, and she grinned at the girl. “Hey!” Really, she wasn't too late, and if anything the aerokinetic was worth waiting for.

Her eyes darted down to the tupperware, and Dani's grin grew. “You are the best.”

Dani opened the door more widely, stepping aside so that her counterpart could step inside. The electrokinetic adjusted her television so they could play games on her bed. There were spare blankets and pillows tossed on it for optimum comfort, along with a variety of games spread out neatly on top of the covers.

“Are you ready for the best night of your life?”

[Lany Bishop]

She placed the Tupperware on a surface beside her. Her smile was much more demure. She never got used to such a warm welcome, no matter how often it happened. Lany removed her sandals and let her bare feet meet the plush carpet of Dani’s dorm room. It was a warm, homey place, like always. And it always seemed so much more private than her own house, which was shared by so many people.

“Anyone can make cookies,” she protested gently.

Her cheeks lifted at the sight of the pillow-and-blanket build-up on her bed. With her hands clasped together, Lany sat delicately on the edge, folding her long shirt first so it wouldn’t rumple. “Is it that good?” There was no suspicion in her voice, only an earnest curiosity. “…I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” she added, with a small giggle at the end of it.

As Dani neared the bed, she looked up at her, her hands on her lap. She had a nice smile; one that narrowed her eyes in joy and showed an even row of white teeth. “My brothers always used to say that boys played video games, not girls.”

Lany sighed and rolled her eyes.

[Danielle Cooper]

As Lany set the Tupperware down, Dani drummed her fingers over the cover, already tempted to try one of the goodies held inside. “But you made cookies.” The electrokinetic replied with a warm smile. As Lany stepped inside, Dani closed the door behind her and watched the way in which her friend sat down so carefully.

“It really is!” She chirped cheerfully, letting out a light laugh. It only took her seconds before she made her way towards Lany. Her dark eyes quickly glanced down the aerokinetic’s hands on her lap before continuing. Settling on the bed, she did so less gracefully than her counterpart had, pulling her feet up and sitting crossed legged.

“A lot of boys say stuff like that.” Dani crinkled her nose at the thought before a wide grin took over her features. “But I’ve also beaten a lot of boys at games.” She brought a hand up, running it through her hair lightly before gesturing to the games spread out. “Do you know what type you might like? I got a bunch of different ones so we can figure out what best suits you.”

[Lany Bishop]

Of course, Lany had always suspected that that sort of boy talk was nothing but drivel, but she smiled fondly at the assertion anyways.

“Oh. Well…” Lany looked down at the array of games on the bed. She didn’t know most of them. A few of them she knew the names of, simply because they’d circulated about the mainstream for long enough. Lany clasped her hands together, glancing from one cover to the next. Some of them seemed a little gritty and had gun toting characters on them and these, she thought, must be what the older generation was always complaining about. She didn’t have much of a problem with them, but she wanted to stick to something a little more familiar. Lany placed her finger on a Mario game and a Zelda one, respectively. “I only know these,” she explained. “My brothers used to play them.”

Then she looked up and gave her a smile, cheeks dimpled. “But you should really play your favorite. I’ve already seen these,” she said.

[Danielle Cooper]

Dani looked over at Lany as she browsed the games. The way her friend carefully looked through the titles had the electrokinetic smiling uncontrollably. Her fingers twitched on the blanket, feeling the undeniable urge to physically reach out and touch the aerokinetic, possibly even hug her.

As Lany pointed to two games, Dani’s gaze followed her hand. Mario and Zelda. Both Nintendo. Both classic. “At least your brothers played awesome games.” She chirped, looking up at her. Dani couldn’t help but to smile back.

“My favorite?” she asked, raising her eyebrows and pointing a thumb to herself. She looked down at the games, teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she tried to choose just which game was her favorite. Slowly, she reached out, curling her fingers around a title – Kingdom Hearts – before holding it up to Lany. “I really like Zelda, but since you’ve seen it, this is another favorite! And I think you might like it.”

[Lany Bishop]

It was better this way, she thought, as she watched Dani scan over the covers. Lany was terrible at making decisions (especially since she knew nothing about video games). What if she picked one she didn’t like?...Though, she figured, that would be a bit hard. Why would Dani have a video game she didn’t like?

The one she eventually held up made Lany think it looked familiar. There were characters on it in the same cartoon-ish style she’d seen her brothers play. And…

She extended a hand to take the cover, peering at it. At first, she was dumbfounded – or she thought she must be mistaken. “Is that Mickey Mouse?” she asked, looking up at Dani’s face, like she was honestly confused.

[Danielle Cooper]

Dani couldn’t contain her grin as Lany looked at the cover, and it only grew as she reached out in take it. She pressed her palms into her bed, lifting herself up slightly and tucking her feet under herself as she waited for a reaction.

“Yup!” She let out a laugh, leaning forward slightly to try and peer over the cover as Lany held it. “I know that seems a little silly for a video game, but it’s seriously a great game! The plot is really interesting.” She paused, gaze shifting from the case to the aerokinetic.

“Like…you're looking for your best friend, and you travel to all these different worlds. And each world is kinda like a different Disney movie.” As she explained it, she was beginning to realize how lame it sounded, despite how cool of a game it was. Her nose crinkled. “I think you’ll like it.” She confirmed with a nod.

[Lany Bishop]

Lany didn’t know much about video games, but she knew Disney. She’d grown up with it. It was one of the few things her parents had used to distract them, after all, and it’d worked; she’d been absolutely mystified by the Technicolor animation, the musical scores…she remembered Beauty and the Beast most fondly, she remembered.

“The…the plot?” she said. Weren’t those for novels and TV shows? There was more to this video game stuff than she knew – it sure didn’t seem like there was anything more to the games her brothers liked to play.

Lany smiled, hiding it with her fingers. “Okay. I can watch you play it. I like to watch you play,” she said. “Besides, I’m not very good at it.”