<div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/1/18/LBB_Michael.jpg)<div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>Michael</strong></span></div></div><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 5pt;">​</span><br/><div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/9/92/Cards_Against_Humanity.png)</div><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;">I let Chloe check out the game.  We'll play it later if it gets her approval, since we usually decide by consensus.  Of course there's a way to secure her approval by drowning her in less savoury alternatives until she feels guilty for shooting everything down, but that's cheating and only reserved for special situations.  I know better than to try that approach with Circe -- The last time I did she enthusiastically agreed out of sheer contrariness, and Chloe went along with it just to see me squirm and try to weasel out of it.  Still, seeing them high-fiving each other and doing a victory dance when I finally admitted that I've been outplayed was worth it, and the penalty for defeat wasn't too bad either...<br/><br/>I return Circe's hug and try to do the same to her jibes.  Of course, she has no problem stooping to hitting below the belt but it's all in good fun and, well, a bit of a tradition.  "Don't worry, I'll make sure you get a mouthful.  It wouldn't do to leave the master chef hungry, or is it mistress chef?".<br/><br/>Luckily the girls' attention gets shifted to my offerings so the jousting is cut short, or more likely postponed.  "The game is 'Cards against humanity', and it's not that different from what we usually do but a bit more organized," I smile, then pick up the book.  "This I got from Leigh's store.  Supposed to have magic tricks in it, but I couldn't check them out because the clasp got stuck.  It was only ten bucks though and looked cool, worst case I'll cut it off with wire cutters."<br/><br/>As I talk about the book I feel a little silly coming with excuses for having bought it.  It is a bit strange though, I don't even like magic tricks that much, haven't been interested in them since I was ten, and yet for some reason I felt an urge to buy that book, even with the defect.  I don't really know what came over me, it's not like me to be that impulsive.  "Let's see if I can get it open," I change the subject and start fiddling with the clasp.  It doesn't seem to be stuck, in fact it moves with little resistance, just not in the direction it needs to go in order to open.  A puzzle?  Could be...  After some more twiddling it seems that I got it, if I push a little stronger on that prong...<br/><br/>Then my finger slips, impaling itself on a sharp end.  "Ouch!  Sonofa..." I stick the finger in my mouth, dropping the book on the table, but not before a drop of blood splatters on the cover.</span><br/>