Game Night with Mr. Snuggles

It was another Game Night at Natalie Veronica's apartment.

This month's attendance was lacking: only Sarah, Mandy, Megan, and Clarissa had shown up. Still, Natalie was not about to let the small number dissuade her from having a good time. They ate pizza, had some small talk, and, of course, played some games. Natalie had, for some time, been hankering for a round of Monopoly and, with only a handful of her friends available, decided to make it the main event of this month. It probably wouldn't be the best Game Night, but it still promised to be entertaining.

That promise seemed brighter when Clarissa showed up with her fuzzy teddy bear and faithful companion, Mr. Snuggles, who was dressed for the evening, donning a black top hat and a matching black bow tie.

“Aww!” Natalie cooed, her heart melting instantly. She dropped her face down to the bear. “Are you Mr. Moneybags?” Mr. Snuggles nodded eagerly and Natalie booped him on the nose. “Of course you are!” As per their typical custom, Mr. Snuggles reached out and booped the redhead on the nose.

Mandy, who had come in Ariel's place (she was bartending at the Lantern), walked up.

“What's up, little dude?” She asked, petting the bear on the head. Mr. Snuggles responded by opening his arms. Mandy beamed and picked him up and hugged him, the bear trying to wrap his little arms around as best he could.

“Can we hurry up and get started?” Megan called from the table where the board was already set up. Sarah sat opposite of her. “This game takes hours as it is...”

“Sure!” Natalie replied, guiding the new arrivals over. Mandy handed Mr. Snuggles back to Clarissa, who held him close.

“Can Mr. Snuggles and I be on a team?” Clarissa asked.

“Of course!” Natalie said, smiling. “What piece do you guys want?”

“What piece do you want?” She asked her little friend. Immediately, a little paw was thrust out, pointing. “The top hat?” He nodded.

“Top hat it is!” Natalie beamed, holding out the piece.

Clarissa sat down next to Sarah, placing Mr. Snuggles in her lap.

“Hi Mr. Snuggles!” Sarah said, waving at him. The little bear held out his arms to her, bounding up and down. Sarah reached forward and picked him up and hugged him and was eagerly hugged back.

“Okay, let's find out who goes first,” Natalie said, picking up the dice. “Who wants to roll for biggest number first?”

“How about Mr. Snuggles go first?” Sarah said, nuzzling her nose with Mr. Snuggles's.

“Why?” Megan asked.

“Cause he's so cute! And he's wearing a top hat!”

“But...”

“Mr. Snuggles goes first!” Sarah exclaimed, thrusting a hand up. “All in favor?” All hands except Megan's were raised. “Then it's decided!”

“...whatever,” Megan grumbled. It didn't matter. The sooner the game started the better.

“Ooo!” Natalie cried. “Let me get the Yahtzee cup! He can use it to roll!”

And so the game began. Natalie, whom Lady Luck did not smile on, took on the role as the player who managed to go navigate the board and only buy two properties. Sarah and Mandy seemed to play fairly average, both gaining some capital. Megan and Clarissa, whoever, had some luck. On her first two laps of the board, Megan managed to get Boardwalk and Park Place, while Clarissa managed to get two yellows and a green on her first lap. Mr. Snuggles then managed to swipe the final yellow and another green on the next go around. Almost two hours later, Mandy, in her infinite wisdom, decided to trade Mr. Snuggles the last green for a railroad.

“That's a HORRIBLE trade!” Megan cried.

“And I wouldn't do it for anyone else!” Mandy replied, reaching across the table to pet Mr. Snuggles.

As the game progressed, Megan got the light blue properties by jail, further increasing her control. Sarah managed to get all the reds, while Mandy got the purples. Poor Natalie was left with nothing but some oranges, a utility, and Baltic Avenue. The rest of the properties she needed were scattered among her friends. Though she tried to remain upbeat, the competitive gamer in her was downtrodden.

“I don't have anything...” She sighed. “I'm horrible at this game.”

“Then why did you want to play it?” Megan asked.

“I don't know.” Natalie shrugged as Sarah dropped the dice in Mr. Snuggle's Yahtzee cup. “I thought it'd be fun. I was at least hoping I could the last orange so I'd have at least a monopoly...”

“I've had games like that.” Mandy said, yawning. “You go round and round and you get jack squat. It sucks.”

“Yeah.” Natalie sighed again. “I'm usually so bad with luck. Like, any game where...huh?” She stopped as she felt something poking her. It was Mr. Snuggles. He held out the last orange property. “What? You want to trade Mr. Snuggles?” The bear shook his head and just held out the property.

“Mr. Snuggles,” Clarissa said. “You're not really supposed to just give away stuff.”

“Yeah, he can't do that.” Megan agreed.

“Why not?” Sarah said. “Is there a rule against it?”

“I...” Megan paused. “I don't know. If there isn't there should be! It's supposed to be a trade! Natalie needs to give him something or the whole thing is pointless!”

“Will you take a dollar, Mr. Snuggles?” Natalie asked, grinning. The bear happily nodded.

“No!” Megan cried. “That's stupid! He can't just sell you a monopoly for a dollar!”

“I think he just did!” Mandy replied, laughing.

“My hero!” Natalie smiled, leaning over and kissing the bear on his cheek. Mr. Snuggles covered his eyes, bashfully.

The game continued. Clarissa and Mr. Snuggles were doing very well as was Megan. Thanks to Mr. Snuggles's charity, Natalie found a foothold in the game. Mandy drifted through the board, somehow avoiding everything. Megan's luck diminished, having some lousy roles, but she had enough money to endure it. Sarah made a gamble and poured all her funds into expanding her properties in the hopes that people would land on them as they lapped around. Unfortunately, no one did, and Sarah found herself in trouble when she landed on a Boardwalk with a hotel: $2000. Even mortgaging her homes she had bought would not save her.

“I think I'm out,” Sarah said, doing the math in her head.

“I really thought I was going to be out first!” Natalie said, smiling.

“Yeah.” Sarah said. “So...do I give her all my stuff?”

“Yes.” Megan said. “When you go bankrupt the person you owe gets...” Megan stopped when she felt something tapping on her arm. Mr. Snuggles held out four five hundred Monopoly dollar bills. She stared at him, dumbfounded.

“He wants to pay Sarah's bill.” Clarissa said, beaming.

“Really?” Sarah smiled. “Thanks Mr. Snuggles!”

“You can't do that.” Megan said, gently pushing the bills from her.

“Is there a rule against it?” Sarah asked.

“I...” Megan gasped in frustration. “Look, I don't know. But this game is going to go on FOREVER if he starts bailing people out!”

“He just wants Sarah to keep playing.” Clarissa replied.

“I know what he wants, but...” Megan began to retort. She then looked back down at Mr. Snuggles who held up the bills, a puppy dog look on his face. Megan sighed. “Oh...oh fine!” She took the bills and put them in her pile. As she passed the dice, she felt something touch her side. She looked and saw Mr. Snuggles hugging her arm. There was no stopping the smile.

The game continued in a similar cycle; nobody went bankrupt under the watchful eye of Mr. Snuggles and, whenever someone down on their funds landed on his property, he gladly accepted hugs as payment.

Eventually, the game simply ended, with everyone declared the winner.