Scavengers brought back a variety of goods from their runs into the city. Unspoiled food and bottles of water. Clothing that hadn’t been ripped apart by monsters. Oil, batteries, turbines and anything that could be hooked up to the great amalgamation that was West Junction’s power system.

Fun wasn’t a priority. When their was room in their packs for anything fun…well, it had to be shared around the base, right?

“Is that a fucking Nintendo DS?” Adam said, inspecting the object handed over by one of the scavengers in the main hall. The frame was chipped and dented, reminding Adam of a lost tin can. He pressed the power button and was greeted with a blurred image of a dog-raising game. A chirpy tune emitted from the speakers, reminding Adam of birdsong shoved through a computer filter.

“What is that?” Saria said, giggling at the low-pixel dog bouncing around on the screen. “It sucks, but it’s also kinda cute.”

“You can have it, then. I’m not interested in this crap.”

“Nah, hand it over to Vicky. She likes dogs. Never was a fan of video games either.” Saria said, “Always told Maddy to stay away from them. You?”

“We weren’t rich enough to afford them.” Adam said, “Mary scavenged my toys from thrift stores and stuff.”

On the rare occasions when he did acquire video games, he pawned them off for cash. The latest shooter or whatever couldn’t fill his stomach on cold nights.

“Ooh, what’s this?” Saria said, picking up a small, red cardboard box with holes in it.

“Oh, that’s Uno. It’s a card game.”

“You guys have those?” Saria sounded delighted at that. “Let’s play, then!”

“What? No. I haven’t played Uno in ages.” The last time was with Mary. He didn’t want to think about that now.

“Well, I haven’t played this game from your world either! We’re both beginners here!” There was actual glitter in her eyes. What the hell?

Adam ended up agreeing, if only to find a way to relax after work. Saria invited Lucy, as usual. Lucy, upon reading the instructions on the back of the box, thought it be best to involve a few more. That’s how Vicky and Kerry, the two war maidens from the interrogation department sitting around a table in the dorms. The cards were browning and frayed at the edges, but you had to take what you got in the world.

Vicky and Kerry grinned at him from behind their cards, as if those pretty faces and hands hadn’t been making those bandits scream a few hours earlier.

We even have beers. Adam thought. Is this what Mary meant by spending a night with the girls? Wait, am I the only guy here? What the hell is wrong with me?

“Oi Adam, are you going to play or what?” Kerry called, a small smirk on her lips. Behind those brunette bangs lay a predator armed with red bombs. This was a test of sorts, Adam realised. The new war maiden wanted to see what the guy who pacted with Saria was all about. Vicky was acting the same as her friend—truly peas in a pod.

Well, whatever. He dealt with Saria when she got all pissy. He could deal with this. Adam steadied himself, then threw down the first card in the center of the table. The red number one revealed itself, radiant as the dawn.

“Blue one.” Kerry said, placing down her card.

“Blue two.”

“Blue seven.” Lucy and Vicky placed down theirs.

“Blue…hey, I don’t have any blue cards.” Saria said.

“Do you have any sevens?” Adam asked.

Saria looked at her hand. “No.” she admitted.

“Keep drawing cards until you get one that matches.”

Saria eyed the deck as if it were a nest of spiders. She picked up a card. A Green six. She picked up another card. Yellow five. She proceeded to draw at least half the deck before finally reaching the coveted blue card. Lucy was trying to hide her giggles while Kerry and Vicky weren’t even bothering.

“What in Her name?” Saria cried. “This can’t be possible!”

“Oh my, look at the size of that hand.” Lucy observed. “Good luck, Saria!”

It was clearly meant as encouragement. Saria didn’t seem to get the message. “Ugh, whatever.” She groaned. “Adam, your turn.”

“Blue eight.”

“Reverse.” Kerry giggled.

Adam eyed his hand. There was only option and Saria was not going to like it. “Skip.”

“Skip…wait, that means I don’t get to play.”

“Yeah, you don’t.”

“Oh, come on!”

Adam rolled his eyes.

“Lucy, your turn.”

And so, the game continued. Adam and Lucy played their cards. Vicky seemed to take sadistic pleasure with the skip card. Predictably, Saria lost. She huffed and made a face, but didn’t get upset, since it was only a game after all. The next few games, however…Adam didn’t think it was possible for a girl to experience the five stages of grief from a simple card game.

With the last call of ‘Uno’, courtesy of Adam, Saria threw her cards down on the table and growled like a mad bull.

“This game is bullshit! Pardon my language.” Saria cried. “Adam, why are the games from your world so luck-based?”

“What, and yours aren’t?”

“No, they are all deterministic—they lack randomness.” Lucy clarified.

“That’s why they aren’t fun.” Saria grumbled. The cards were scattered on the table, clashing with their neatly groomed hair. The war maidens always did that, despite it getting dirty during training. “How are you supposed to enjoy fate itself messing you over? How are you supposed to strategeize. I don’t get it…knew the rules sounded stupid…”

Adam resisted the urge to correct Saria and kept his attention on the other girls. “So you guys don’t have gambling?”

“Such heresy. How scandalous!” Vicky remarked. She had the audacity to look shocked. Then again, if their Goddess was so great as to remove one of the key vices of humanity…

“That last draw was cursed.” Saria said. She glared at Adam. “Face me in chess, Adam. I’ll blast your rooks to bits with my satellite manoeuvres.”

“The hell you talking about?” Adam said. “Chess doesn’t have satellites.”

“Yes, it does.”

“No, it doesn’t. I stole a chess set from some nerd and pawned it off to a bum. There were no damn satellites.”

“Ignoring that crime you admitted to, Adam…” Lucy trailed off, “Your world’s version of chess doesn’t sound very fun.”

Adam snorted. “First cards and now this. You girls have no taste.”