"All right, boys - I need some volunteers. Any takers?" Captain Hank Stanley looked expectantly at the other faces around the table.
Nobody moved.
"Cricket, cricket," Gage joked.
"Thank you, John, you'll be red. Anyone else?"
"Wait a second, Cap, I don't wanna be a GIRL!"
"Someone's gotta do it, pal – might as well be you."
"Well, who decided you got to doll out the pieces, anyway?
"Because I'm your Captain, that's why."
"Yeah, and besides, if she were real, you'd practically be throwing on the Gage charm at her, wouldn't you Johnny?"
"I knew I could count on you, Marco. You're white." Cap said.
Marco took his piece with grace.
"But that doesn't count, Marco – hello; this isn't real."
"Than what're you complaining about? Look, don't think of it as a character – think of it as a color. You do like red, don't you?"
"Well, yeah Cap, I do, but-"
"Then it's settled."
"Yes it is," came a trio of voices from around the table. Hank looked down at the board and saw that a few certain someone's had swiped the other pieces while he was talking. Mike had green, Roy had purple, and Chet had yellow. That left only one.
"Hey, don't think of it as a girl, Cap; think of it as a color," John threw back at him. "You do like blue, don't you?"
"Someone's gotta do it - might as well be you," Chet threw in.
Cap sighed and picked up the last piece. The blue one - the only one available to him. "Fine. Can we just get started?"
"Captain Peacock – has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
Cap shot his smug second a look before shaking his head and rolling the dice to start the game. "I wish there was a butler piece," he muttered. "Three."
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FIN