/u/Tam1G10 sat at his computer, pondering the words of /u/IAMA_dragon-AMA ...
and he remembered.
The first thing that he remembered of his first night of monopoly was, suprisingly, the heat. It was a dry heat, not unlike that which you would find in the desert, but juxtaposed with all the first world pleasures of his household. While it was cold outside, the fire merrily burned. Tam was content to sit in his chair, sipping quietly of his tea as time slipped by, marked only by the occasional crackle of a log resettling in the fire. His inner solitude was to be interrupted however, by unexpected guests.
The second thing that he remembered was the smell. The second it was upon him, his nose twitched involunarily in recognition. Old paper perhaps? Perhaps plastic? Barely a second after picking it up, the memories rushed into his head. He hadn't smelt it since he had visited his grandparents many years ag as a child, when his older siblings and cousins played board games while he watched cartoons. It was like the embrace of an old friend, and he writhed in his chair as the sense settled down in his head.
The game had begun slow at first: he took his time to carefully explore everything that the playing field had to offer. Even though it was his first time, he was an educated man. He knew the basics: players would travel around before attempting to develop an interest in a paticular area. He wandered with the random abandon that only the dice could offer, acknowledging and maneovering with his fellow players, responding to their quips with his own and watching their every move, trying to scry their purpose. Rapt, Tam paused for a moment over the strand, and wandered over Trafalgar square: taking a liking to the sudden redness reflected in his face by the properties color. He knew that if he was going to make a play, he would have go for for everything or nothing.
Gently, he picked up the tumble, knowing that he would have to position that thimble correctly to play safe. After all, what banker would take a purchase if he hadn't even landed? It was against the rules, and although the dice were telling him he could make the move, he knew he couldn't until the thimble was firmly in place. He lifted it up, and placed it down, and barked to the banker, eager to claim his prize. Even if he had to pass 'go' multiple times before this investment paid off, that was exactly his intention: he'd stay in the game long enough to make sure people never underestimated him for his second.
Once he had gone around the first time, he felt more relaxed.... the shoe was the first forced from the match, followed closely by the other gentlemanly items. The game was well and trully on. He claimed more and more of the board, investing his time and energy in it. All players were enjoying themselves, that much was obvious by their cries when he collected from them their dues, but he knew that if he was to close this out successfully he would have to up the ante. With a wolfish smile, he eyed the boardwalk; and put himself to work on the railroad. It was not long before someone landed on it, and he had them for all they were worth. It was the second time now that he had made it rain: first it was the shoe, and now he had made the car go down. He followed it hungrily, repossessing its properties. As the game continued, the tension was incredible; he was breathing hard, allowing the dice to determine his next move, playing in heat of the moment.
He had passed go and collected $200 so many times now that he had lost count. Like the only remaining other player in play, the Dog, he panted in preparedness for the home stretch. The table was a mess: their paper money was all over the shop, and the plastic toys of the other players lay forgotten beside their cross-legged forms, as they looked on at the spectacle. But she held her colours down, and their fervent and lively exchanges kept the game going long into the night.
It was almost 11PM when Tam, throwing back his head and letting out a primal cry, was victorious. With a smile, he collapsed across the board, grinning at those he had defeated. They looked at him bemused, for a moment:
"Well, Tam, you really got quite into that. We should play again sometime".
Tam nodded, running his hands lazily over the board, feeling his victory coursing through his veins as he let his hands flop beside the coffee table.
"Well, you're free to come around and play monopoly with me any time".
Tam showed his guests out, and reclined again into his chair. It had been a relaxing evening, and he couldn't wait to try a different strategy.