Ivar is fully expecting Alfred to continue the conversation. He tends to end up as a dog with a bone when it comes to subjects he's thinking about. So he's surprised when he lets it all be closed.
He smiles then, a genuine one that precious few people ever get to see. He props himself up on the edge of the couch. "A drink and a game of hnefatafl, perhaps? I've yet to teach you how to play."
Alfred would have liked to press the conversation but it also seemed to become more confusing the more the talked and so perhaps there needed to be time to think. He’s been thinking for a while already, but... he’ll tackle that problem later. It left him feeling unsettled that he didn’t feel like they were any closer to a resolution, the let what happens happens attitude of Ivar was unnerving to Alfred.
Alfred can’t help but smile back at Ivar, though, his face brightening and he nods. “A new game to beat you at,” he teased. “I’ll get the drinks?”
Ivar, in contrast, was fully willing to just let the chips fall where they lay. As much as he cared for Alfred, he wasn't as nearly able to look inside himself, and examine his own feelings with any sort of clarity. He didn't mind being passive in this one instance.
His eyes brighten and his whole body seems to relax a little. "Good. It's very much like chess, only instead of all the pieces, there's only kings and pawns." Rather like the way battles were run in real life or so Ivar thought.
"Is it simpler then?" Alfred questions, and he would have firmly disagreed that real battles were only fought with kings and pawns. More often than not, kings became pawns themselves in reality.
With that, he's moving to get some wine and glasses to drink from, though he's never particularly out of hearing range.
"Not so much. But you need a different strategy to win, for the defensive side is outmatched by the attackers." He lines up the pawns, realizes they will need more, and pulls out a second board to get more. You can never have too many chess sets lying about.
"'Tafl involves twenty-four attackers on the outside of the board moving inwards to attack the king and his twelve defenders. The game ends when either the king escapes to the edge of the board or the attackers kill the king." It was easy to see why this game was popular among the Vikings.
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winterfish
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Date: 2019-02-04 05:57 am (UTC)He smiles then, a genuine one that precious few people ever get to see. He props himself up on the edge of the couch. "A drink and a game of hnefatafl, perhaps? I've yet to teach you how to play."
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Date: 2019-02-07 12:21 am (UTC)Alfred can’t help but smile back at Ivar, though, his face brightening and he nods. “A new game to beat you at,” he teased. “I’ll get the drinks?”
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Date: 2019-02-10 11:22 am (UTC)His eyes brighten and his whole body seems to relax a little. "Good. It's very much like chess, only instead of all the pieces, there's only kings and pawns." Rather like the way battles were run in real life or so Ivar thought.
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Date: 2019-02-11 01:24 am (UTC)With that, he's moving to get some wine and glasses to drink from, though he's never particularly out of hearing range.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-11 06:09 am (UTC)"'Tafl involves twenty-four attackers on the outside of the board moving inwards to attack the king and his twelve defenders. The game ends when either the king escapes to the edge of the board or the attackers kill the king." It was easy to see why this game was popular among the Vikings.