Laura gave him a sweet smile, curling up close to him. She seemed pretty content right now.
"I bet you'll get it!" She hummed, reaching over to spin for herself. With her spin, she got a six. At first she seemed pretty happy, but at the end of her turn, she hit the top of a slid, sending her down a couple rows.
Ash let out a soft breath, chuckling a bit.
"Still ahead of me…" He noted. He spun, managing to get himself to the ladder.
"Yes! This puts me-" he moved his piece to the top of the ladder- "two spaces ahead of you!" He laughed gently, looking down at Laura in his arms.
"It won't be too hard to get ahead of me, though."
Laura nodded a bit, looking up to him with a little smile.
"Unless I get a one, or something." She hummed, spinning for a number. And as a matter of fact, she got a one as predicted. Huffing a little, she moved her piece one space before looking back up at him.
Ash let out a faint laugh, giving Laura another hug when she huffed.
"You're gonna be able to catch up, watch!" He spun, getting a four.
"I know, I'm just annoyed I was right." Laura mumbled, pouting a little. She wasn't really frustrated, though annoyed for sure. Which honestly made her kinda cute, in a way.
"I bet you're gonna win." She hummed a little, getting a two when she spun.
"I doubt it," Ash said in return. He spun, getting a perfect one. He let out a breath, moving his piece.
"See?" He laughed lightly.
"Mm, you're still ahead of me." Laura pointed out, leaning forward. She spun, only to get a four.
"And you're a couple spaces away from another ladder. So you might win." She insisted, pushing the token forwards.
"I'm also close to a slide," Ash said in turn. He spun, getting a one. He didn't land on a slide or ladder, thankfully.
"This game can turn on a dime," he pointed out with a chuckle.
"It can what?" Laura asked confused, shaking her head a little before looking over to him. Clearly she had never heard an expression like that, before.
"What does that mean?" She asked curiously.
Ash thought a moment.
"Well, to turn on a dime is to change suddenly." He reached in his pocket, pulling it a penny.
"Not this isn't a dime," he conceded, "but it's the same idea." He set it on the board, holding the edges between his thumbs and spinning it.
Laura watched him curiously, seeming quite interested. When he spun the penny she grew even more interested.
"Ooh, okay. So it's like flipping a coin multiple times, and having it change?" She asked softly, sitting up a little taller.
Ash nodded.
"Yes, like that!" He smiled, hugging Laura lightly before pulling away and picking the penny back up.
Laura lit up a bit, smiling softly to him. She leaned into his hug, feeling quite proud of herself for getting that right.
"Alright, sir." She hummed a little, starting to take her turn once again. When she got a six, she seemed pretty happy.
Ash smiled as they continued, relaxed with Laura by his side.
"See?" He hummed faintly, spinning to get a one. He moved, ending up on a slide that took him down a couple rows.
Laura looked over to him, nodding a little.
“You keep going down. Now I really don’t know who’s gonna win.” She mumbled, spinning for herself. She got a three, and stopped in front of a ladder. But she only went up one row.
Ash nodded, letting it a playful huff.
"It keeps changing!" He laughed lightly, hugging Laura a moment before back to the game. He spun, getting a two. He landed in a ladder, going up a bit.
Laura watched him go back up, a look of surprise on her face.
"This game is impossible." Laura huffed, puffing her cheeks up some. She reached over to take her turn, looking up at him.
"Can you actually win? Or is there no end to it?" She asked, moving her piece three spaces.
"Yes, there will be a winner eventually," Ash chuckled faintly, lightly placing his hand on her head.
"It just might take some time." he smiled. He spun again, getting a six and moving.
Laura nodded a little, sitting back down in a more comfortable position. She wasn't sitting as tall anymore, reaching out to spin for her turn.
"If you say so." She hummed, smiling a little as a two came up. "Though I think it really is broken. I got another two."
Ash chuckled softly.
"I'll oil the spinner when we're done, then. So it spins better." Ash hummed, spinning to get a one.
Laura nodded a little, giving him a soft smile. She seemed to be enjoying herself, quite a bit more relaxed than she had been the whole time she had been here. It also seemed she wasn't trying as hard to please Mr. Ash, not having called him sir in a little while.
"Alright, sir." She chirped a little, reaching to take her turn.
Ash smiled a bit. Laura seemed to be doing much better, now that they were alone and spending some time together playing. He'd want to help her be able to feel good here.
"This is fun," he said, smiling brightly.
Laura looked over to him, nodding a bit with smile.
"It is, sir." She hummed in response, reaching out to start moving her piece. "Mm, thank you for playing with me… you're sure you wouldn't rather do something else?"
"You're welcome! And yes, I'm very sure. This is more fun than I've had in a while." Ash smiled at Laura sweetly, humming softly.
Laura smiled in return, bobbing her head up and down a little.
"Alright… if you're sure." She mumbled, looking up at him when she finished taking her turn.