Much as she had suffered from her first conversation with Lucy Steele on the subject, she soon felt an earnest wish of renewing it. But it was not immediately that an opportunity of doing so could be commanded; they could not be supposed to meet for the sake of conversation. Such a thought would never enter Lady Middleton’s head; They met for the sake of eating, drinking, and laughing together, exploring dungeons, or Warhammer, or any other game that had sufficient polyhedrals.
(An expansion of this Mastodon post)
One or two meetings of this kind had taken place, without affording Elinor any chance of engaging Lucy in private, when Sir John called at the cottage one morning, to beg, in the name of charity, that they would all dine with Lady Middleton that day, as he was obliged to GM at a convention in Exeter, and she would otherwise be quite alone, except her mother and the two Miss Steeles.
The young ladies went, and Lady Middleton was happily preserved from the frightful solitude which had threatened her. After the removal of the tea-things the gaming-table was then placed.
Poor little Annamaria’s space marines
“I am glad,” said Lady Middleton to Lucy, “you are not going to finish painting poor little Annamaria’s space marines this evening; for I am sure it must hurt your eyes to work fine detail by candlelight. And we will make the dear little love some amends for her disappointment to-morrow, and then I hope she will not much mind it.”
This hint was enough, Lucy recollected herself instantly and replied, “Indeed you are very much mistaken, Lady Middleton; I am only waiting to know whether you can make your party without my knowledge of the grappling rules, or I should have been at my painting already. I would not disappoint the little angel for all the world: and if you want me in the game now, I am resolved to finish the company after supper.”
“You are very good, I hope it won’t hurt your eyes—will you ring the bell for some working candles? My poor little girl would be sadly disappointed, I know, if the company was not finished tomorrow, for though I told her it certainly would not, I am sure she depends upon having it done.”
Lucy directly drew her work table near her and reseated herself with an alacrity and cheerfulness which seemed to infer that she could taste no greater delight than in painting 43 figures for a spoilt child.
Lady Middleton proposed Tomb of Horrors
Lady Middleton proposed Tomb of Horrors to the others, with herself as master of dungeons. No one made any objection but Marianne, who with her usual inattention to the forms of general civility, exclaimed, “Your Ladyship will have the goodness to excuse me—you know I detest dungeon crawls. I shall go work on Thousand Year Vampire; I have not touched it since your new copy arrived.” And without farther ceremony, she turned away and walked to the writing desk.
Lady Middleton looked as if she thanked heaven that she had never made so rude a speech.
“Marianne can never keep long from solo journalling you know, ma’am,” said Elinor, endeavouring to smooth away the offence; “and I do not much wonder at it in this instance; for you have the very best games here.”
The remaining players were now to roll their characters.
If I should happen to fail my death save early
“Perhaps,” continued Elinor, “if I should happen to fail my death save early, I may be of some use to Miss Lucy Steele, in mixing her paints for her; and there is so much still to be done to the marine company, that it must be impossible I think for her labour singly, to finish it this evening. I should like the work exceedingly, if she would allow me a share in it.”
“Indeed I shall be very much obliged to you for your help,” cried Lucy, “for I find there is more to be done to it than I thought there was; and it would be a shocking thing to disappoint dear Annamaria after all.”
“Oh! that would be terrible, indeed,” said the elder Miss Steele. “Dear little soul, how I do love her!”
“You are very kind,” said Lady Middleton to Elinor; “and as you really like the work, perhaps you will be as well pleased not to roll a character until we reach a deeper level, or will you take your chance now?”
Elinor joyfully profited by the first of these proposals, and thus by a little of that address which Marianne could never condescend to practise, gained her own end, and pleased Lady Middleton at the same time. Lucy made room for her with ready attention, and the two fair rivals were thus seated side by side at the same table, and, with the utmost harmony, engaged in forwarding the same work. Marianne, wrapped up in her own solo RPG and her own thoughts, had by this time forgotten that any body was in the room besides herself and was talking to herself out loud, luckily so near them that Elinor now judged she might safely, under the shelter of that noise, introduce the interesting subject, without any risk of being heard at the gaming-table.
From Chapter 23 of Sense & Sensibility, by Jane Austen