Jessica and Blue - Tom's House
"Check."
Blue smiles as he slides his rook into place on the chess board. Tom sits back across from him folds his arms behind his head, as if in deep thought.
"The day I let a doll beat me," he drawls as he casually moves his King out of the way, "is the day that I've finally fallen prey to old aged stupidity."
Blue moves another piece and laughs.
"Old aged stupidity? You've fallen prey to that years ago when you decided to make dolls walk and talk," he muses.
"I suppose you're right," Tom laughs. "Checkmate."
"No way!"
"Yes way."
Blue frowns and stands up on the table, his eyes narrowed and a disbelieving scowl on his face.
"I thought I had you that time."
"That would be the day, Blue," Tom sighs, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You are, however, getting much better at this game. Have you been practicing?"
Blue opens his mouth to answer, to reveal he'd actually been practicing on the computer, but the sound of something climbing up his chair distracts him and he looks down to find Jessica climbing up onto the table.
"Hello, Jessica," Blue says fondly, holding out a hand to help her up, which she promptly ignores.
"Hello Blue. Hello Mr. Willows." She gives a nod to the man reclining in the chair before straitening up and clutching the plush rabbit in her arms. "The others are waking up now, what do you want me to do?"
"If you could, please, tell them all to meet in the front room, that would be great."
"The games are today," she mutters.
"Yes, they are. We need everyone shipped out by eight o'clock if we want to be on time."
"It is a long ride there," Blue says. Jessica nods in agreement and starts back down, Blue follows behind her.
"Make it quick," Tom calls after them. "You only have thirty minutes. And make sure everyone has their weapons, we don't want another incident like last year."
"Right," Blue calls after a small sigh at remembering last year's situation with a doll missing his weapon, he didn't even last three hours. "I'll remember."
---
"Rise and shine everybody," Blue calls happily into the bedroom that houses all the dolls. A chorus of moans and groans rises from the little beds, causing Blue to grin. "It's Toy Box, day, you all should be more excited."
"Excited about dying," one of the beds adds grumpily.
"No, excited about winning! Now get up, slow pokes, and get dressed. Grab your weapons and all else you might need during the game and meet in the front room. Make it quick, we only have thirty minutes to get ready."

