You're always talking, but you're not playing

He listened intently to the rules of the game, the end of his tail ticking restlessly from side to side as the gears in his mind slowly began to work out a strategy. The dependence on the sticks left much up in the air, but there were more strategies in the world than those that could be played on a board. He lifted his head with a small smile on his features, exuding confidence.

“Alright then, let’s play.”

Through every move Tyranis held a cheerful and self-assured disposition, even when he fell behind early into the game. He simply shrugged his minor defeats and continued to play, straight forward and apparently with little malice toward his opponent. It was little surprise to him when he won but rather than lord it over the pale wolf he simply commented: “Good game.”

He rose and shook out his fur they hadn’t played for any stakes, there was nothing to be won but the sake of winning, but only after the game finished did the barest flicker of competitive fire burn in his eyes.

“I don’t believe I caught your name.” He said simply, wondering if the man knew who he was, had the man’s freak relative shared that information with him? Or would his name simply linger in his heart as the man who had beaten him at his own game?

Word count: 229

Speech, Thought, You