scene xxv

[encored]

ACTION;
A) [In the morning, Charles can be found living up to his actual age, being an old man and setting up a chessboard in the park! Someone save him before he starts feeding pigeons and wearing sweater vests. He doesn't seem to have a partner to play with. Not until you walk by, that is, at which point he smiles and gestures to the other side of the table.]

Why don't you take a seat? Let's have a match. [SUSPICIOUS... No, he's just that bored and in a rare social mood.]

B) [Or maybe you catch him a little later on, after he's packed away his chess set and is out walking his, uh... Horace. The giant beast actually seems pretty tame, all things considered, only stopping to sniff moving things (like you, whoops!) and occasionally making gross growling noises and drooling on the ground. So majestic.

For the unfortunate citizens, these two losers can also be found in much less docile situations - Charles trying to shoo his droolbeast away from a drone it's attempting to gnaw on, or perhaps Horace lolloping down the road with a few geese in its mouth.]

PHONE;
[And carrying on with the trend of being utterly unruffled by everything that happened over the weekend, Charles will pick up his phone in the early evening with a question for the masses.]

I'd like to know your opinion on concerts. Proper orchestral performances, I mean. Who here enjoys them? If something with that sort of music happened to be available in the city, would you attend? [His little fancy cultured self is starting to feel more deprived than usual okay... Having at least one other star performer now, all that's left is to gauge the interest of a potential audience.]

Comments

[condescent]

The person I usually play with wanted to teach me how to win at a disadvantage, though you're right in that it's really not much of one. At any rate, if we're talking pure aesthetics, I prefer white myself so I guess that makes us a rather good pair.

[and Charles gets treated to one of his classic giggles as he moves the next piece forward. also he wasn't lying either about it being a while so there will just be rust all over this board]

[encored]

[rusty old people playing rusty chess.... and that laugh nearly gets one in return. what a sprightly individual]

White does seem to suit you better than black. [next piece forward march!]

The handicap of this game might not be particularly noticeable, it's true, but whoever taught you to play certainly knew the right lessons to put emphasis on. One might grow too comfortable if they're always in a position of advantage, isn't that so?

[condescent]

[WOW RUDE Joshua is only in his sixties or so, thank you very much]

All too true. I despise stagnation. Anyone who finds themselves in a constant position of power should look to create games of their own, otherwise they'll find themselves hopelessly outgunned once they've let their skills deteriorate.

[encored]

[oh Charles is forty years his senior... whippersnapper.]

It's a little amusing though, don't you think? Watching people so sure of themselves face obstacles that they can't overcome, even if those hurdles might not have been so difficult to them before. [he taps the little plastic cross at the crown of his king piece]

People who fall prey to stagnation get what they deserve.

[condescent]

[oh these two are going to get along just fine]

I think it's the looks on their face when they realize they're about to be toppled by someone they never saw coming I like best. Arrogance is all well and good, but only if you have the skills to back it up.

I couldn't agree more. It's only a matter of time. [and he moves his piece forward]

[encored]

[already going for a pawn capture HE IS AN AGGRESSIVE CHESS PLAYER. aggressive in general, really... but the move almost takes a back seat to his enthusiasm for the current topic.]

Yes, precisely that! It's so rare to find someone who appreciates that expression, or even understands what it is. There is something particularly appealing about the crying face of someone who has lost their footing to the least likely person despite the assurance that they were standing on the most level ground. [good thing this is turning out to be such a normal conversation.]

[condescent]

[doesn't seem that fazed by the loss of a pawn and simply pushes another piece forward; Joshua is a big picture player who will sacrifice pieces left and right if it is all part of his MASTER PLAN]

You mean that delightful combination of rage, humiliation, and terror? Honestly, I don't know what they get so upset about. They should be grateful that someone was willing to break them out of their complacency. Life's not worth living without the thrill of a good game, don't you think?

[encored]

That's the one. [no charles don't sound so completely satisfied...] I do agree with that entirely, but it would seem we're in the minority there. The amount of people willing to go through life without so much as a single challenge is absolutely appalling. You can see it here, can't you? [putting a knight into play]

The fighting spirit isn't what it used to be. It's gotten to the point where some people would even chastise those who choose to raise a hand against the key figures, for fear of it provoking them.

[condescent]

I've only been here for a little over a month, and I can already tell. I don't know if it's hilarious or downright sad that given a comfortable living situation and the promise of security, nine times out of ten people are willing to let themselves be caged and tamed like a common pet rather than face the unknown.

[sends a bishop out] It really is pathetic, especially when death isn't even permanent here. Provoking the leaders here to the point where they retaliate just means you're doing something right, and anything they can do to you anyway has to be a welcome change from all the dreadful monotony. Frankly, I'd rather die than live eternally under someone else's control.

[encored]

I'd say it's a little bit of both. Things that fall within the definition of 'human nature' usually are. [there's disdain in both his tone and expression, and it seems to linger even as he moves his knight again.]

I suppose the fear of death is something ingrained in mortal creatures, though. Something they have difficulty shaking even in a place like this. [his nose wrinkles] The sentimentality and reverence they treat death with is almost greater than the way they treat droning, which seems foolish to me as the latter is the true death here. But you aren't alone in preferring death over a continued existence like this.

[condescent]

Sometimes I wonder if the interesting ones are worth putting up with all the dullards out there. [his expression is more distant and contemplative as he places his bishop in what will no doubt be an optimal spot twenty moves later, although there's definitely an underlying of disdain there as well.]

It seems to me that once you've died once, you've died a thousand times. What little fear anyone should have towards something that's inevitable in the first place ought to disappear once they've already gone through it, which I've heard is a rather common occurance in this town.

[encored]

[he looks up after sliding his second knight onto the board, arching a brow.] They may be few and far between, but I'd say at least some make up for it. [but that's followed by a lazy shrug, as though he doesn't actually put much stock into what he's said.]

It's terribly common. People who haven't died at least once are a rarity, but I still see them acting as though death is the worst case scenario even after they've faced it once before. But it makes sense, does it not? The human mind isn't developed enough to handle the notion that it will one day cease to exist.

[condescent]

Perhaps. I suppose I should give humanity the benefit of the doubt - hope is supposed to spring eternal, after all, though the reservoir must get quite low at times.

[finally captures a pawn!] It would make sense, if 'cease to exist' didn't mean 'come back in a day or so perfectly fine' in this town. When you take away the permanence of death, it's really nothing more than a long, maybe somewhat messy nap.

[encored]

It's good if you have more than the pool of humanity to draw from, of course. That might run dry eventually. I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

[NO HIS PAWN.... putting a bishop into play he will avenge his fallen comrade]

Ah, I was referring primarily to the outside world, but that much is true without a doubt. They still seem to have some difficulty getting over it even without the permanence, and I doubt that will ever change. [a momentary pause, and when he speaks next, there's a measure of hesitancy in his words that he hadn't displayed up to this point.]

But there is a chance that death here can go wrong. I've seen it myself on two separate occasions.

[condescent]

Sadly, my world is rather limited when it comes to those options. There are a few special humans here and there, but humans nonetheless.

[He idly sends one of his knights out at last, but his interest is clearly on Charles now.] Oh? Do tell. It's been a rather boring couple of months, so I'm afraid I haven't gotten the chance to witness any deaths here personally yet.

[encored]

Ah... That does seem very limited. I've not run into many worlds where there were humans and only humans, you know? But I suppose the special ones might make up for it in your case.

[scootin another pawn on board, looking unusually serious] I've witnessed two instances where people who were killed returned to life, but not with their minds intact. Almost as if the death itself had induced a permanent state of droning. I'd say it was bad timing, but it's happened more than once, so it seems a little unusual, you know?

[condescent]

I will say that about this town - the collection of individuals they've amassed is quite fascinating, even if the place itself isn't.

[pushes his knight forward, but his attention's not that focused on the game anymore] ...I see. It could just be coincidence, but that does ante up the stakes a little. Not that I had been planning on dying just for fun anyway, but it's good to know there's may actually be some factor of risk involved.

[encored]

It's a shame the stage and key players don't match up well. [a sigh!] But that much I can agree with. I've run into more enjoyable and interesting people in two and a half years here than I did in the near-century in my own world.

[that gets a solemn nod from him, and his lack of attention shows when he moves a bishop instead of capturing another piece.] It's always better to err on the side of caution in a place like this. I should have been more diligent in collecting data concerning the correlation between deaths and dronings, but I can only speak for direct experience as of right now, unfortunately.

[condescent]

[raises an eyebrow at that - well, it's not like it hasn't been pretty obvious that Charles wasn't actually a teenager.] Oh? If you don't mind satisfying my curiosity, what exactly are you? I take it you're no ordinary human.

[oh good, because that bishop Joshua moved a while back is now in the prime position to take one of the knights.] Ah well, I can't say I'm too disappointed. Games are more fun when there's some risk involved, after all. And I'll keep an eye out and see if I can learn anything on this as well - I suspect this is one of those rare occasions where two heads are better than one, hee hee.

[encored]

[his blending in with the normal populace skills are generally zero it's true... but he waves a hand as if to wave off any concern.] I don't mind at all. I'm a Chiropteran, but it would appear that most people are more familiar with the term vampire. I don't like it much, as diet is our only commonality, but it's an easily recognisable word.

[HIS POOR KNIGHT... that he only barely noticed losing, charles stop that. scooting his bishop forward again crossing all the enemy lines] That would be the case, I'd think. More information could never hurt in a situation like this, at the very least. I'd like to think I've compiled a fair amount during my stay, but I'm only one person and I can only cover so much ground.

[condescent]

[a soft huff of amused laughter] I see. Your world does sound quite fascinating - like I said, we don't get much of the other species in mine. How do you deal with the diet issue here, by the way? Are the drones sufficient? [Joshua does not sound even remotely concerned over potentially fatal blood-suckings whoops]

That's what I thought. I'm afraid I'm starting off rather behind, but information gathering has always been a skill of mine. [also ignoring that bishop and pushing a pawn forward because Joshua likes keeping his enemies close for funsies]

[encored]

Well, there are only two major, sentient species in my own, so it isn't quite as fascinating as some. [and because Joshua sounds much less concerned than the average citizen, he'll be getting much more unguarded information than the average citizen!] The drones are decent enough, but the quality of their blood leaves a lot to be desired. It's like eating the same bland, flavorless oatmeal every day for every meal, you know? I try to stick with willing donors if it's a matter of taste over quantity.

But that's a skill that will give you a fair advantage here. [don't mind him capturing another pawn then...] You'd do well to get into contact with the people here who keep things written down.