"Marco, chill out. It's just a game."
Marco, ever the insistent, disagreed. "It is not a game, Tom; it's way of life. Star, you have to draw a card." Star yawned, chewing on the end of her hair. "I'm with Tom on this one Marco: I don't see why we have to play this game."
"You only know Mewni card games, as your squire it's my job to expand your horizon. You gotta be cultured Star, learn to play more Earth games—dang it, why do I only draw Nines? Kelly, it's your turn."
Kelly mimicked Star in action and boredom; she yawned and tugged at her hair. "I feel calling this game Uno is redundant. It would be like calling my sword "Slicer"; it could be so much more creative." She placed a pair of eights down. "Speaking of Uno, you've all just been "oned"". Everyone sighed; it had been the third time she had won.
It was a warm Mewni day, the air cool and the sky blue. Down in the forests of Mewni the tadpoles were cooling their bodies in the moist springs; in the east, the pigeons were doing the same. There was no evil in the land that day, no monsters to hunt, no crisis to solve, no cave to explore: the entire kingdom was silent. Like a cloud now quenched of its thirst, there was little to do with the day but drift and idly await the next destination.
The group, composed of Tom, Marco, Kelly, and Star, was settled on the floor of Star's bed chambers, the bed off-limits due to previous shenanigans. They were close to the window, the red sun-rays toasting their skin until they were forced to turn and cool their warmed bodies on the cold floor. The four were seated around a circular table Star had created after destroying her old closet door, an error Star had realized in hindsight but had assured the others would never happen gain; her mother had not been pleased.
"Want to play another game?" Offered Marco. Star, the fair-haired, rolled her eyes and rested her head on Tom's leg. "I'll pass. We're just going to keep doing this until you win. It'll be like charades all over again." The division of the table had Star seated next to Tom, Tom seated next to Marco, Marco seated next to Kelly, and Kelly not paying attention. "I am not that petty, Star."
Tom ran a hand through Star's hair; it reminded Marco of dog fur. "If I recall, you spent 6 months practicing Ping Pong after I defeated you just so you could win."
"I would have done so too if you hadn't cheated and taken your hands off."
"You play by your Earth rules, I'll play by mine." Tom kissed the tip of Star's headband. Outside of this room, this action would be frowned upon: in this room, he feared no judgement.
It was not known between Tom or Star how long they had been dating. There had been no start day, no comet to signal this second coming; by their internal clocks, they had been dating for a few months. Or a few weeks. Marco and Tom continued their scruple, a feat which went unnoticed by Kelly; she was quite bored with the entire arrangement and tired of winning.
She was unsure as to why she had come in the first place. Maybe it was due to boredom, maybe due to loneliness. It had been a few weeks or maybe months since Tad, her hairy little ex, had moved out of her hair and cut himself from her life. His departure, while initially light, created an absence in Kelly which was filled with whatever available compromise she could easily ingest.
But such things never exist; Practicalities were short, and before long Kelly was by herself. In his absence, Kelly had found time to reflect on what had gotten her to this point and what she wanted. After much contemplation, she realized the answer was nothing. Kelly was a Grecian Urn of a woman, beautiful and intricate to behold but empty. Her arms, which had swung many a sword, were strong but not disciplined. Her legs, which had galloped the highest of mountains, were rugged but not chiseled. Her heart, which had loved before, was empty. And it would always be empty.
Reflecting had been good for Kelly: it brought to light how little she contributed at any given time. Much as a mockingbird will imitate the melody of another songbird, Kelly was an echo of what talent would permiss. She would never be the greatest fighter, runner, or lover; she would only be what nature permitted.
"Kelly, do you want to play another game?" Kelly brought herself back to the conversation at hand. "Pass. Is there a game were I'm not the only one that wins?" The question irked Marco, as she knew it would; she enjoyed having a little fun with him from time to time.
Kelly, to her own surprise, found herself more and more attracted to Marco. This change was not sudden like a rainstorm, but gradual like an engine. This cerebral change brought about a childish nature inside of Kelly that she had never known. When she had been with Tad, their relationship had been straight forward, emotionless: it seemed they were both meant for each other and that was the sole attraction. In the case of Marco, it was different; she was bashful, awkward. For the first time, she found something in someone that made her feel alive, made her worthless.
And she loved it.
"That's it," Marco suddenly stood and cried, "I am getting my Parcheesi board from Sir Lavabo. I'll be back in a few!" Star yawned from Tom's lap. "You left your dimensional scissors on the bed, Marco."
"A walk won't kill me, Star," Marco said, opening the door.
"I'm coming with," beamed Kelly. She reveled in the thought of being alone with him. It also occurred to her that the dynamic of the room did not work without him: she had always been more Ponyhead's friend, not Star or Tom's. Her stomach quelled at the thought of being alone with the couple.
"Kelly, you didn't have to come," he said as he closed the door.
"It's no problem to me, I was tired of winning anyways."
Marco chuckled; he could appreciate the girl's confidence. Marco double-checked Star's door to make sure it closed properly: there was no telling what Star's mom would say if she knew Tom and Star were alone together. He motioned to Kelly that it was time to go.
Losing one game had been enough for him; he was not about to lose another.