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

[splitthebaby]

History is extremely enjoyable, I'll have you know.

[moving a bishop out of the way]

[encored]

[setting a pawn up to capture another pawn]

You're one of the only people I've heard referring to it in such a way. I've heard useful hundreds of times, but rarely a soul has called it enjoyable. What do you find so fascinating about it? Do you just enjoy expanding your collection of knowledge?

[splitthebaby]

It's enjoyable because humans are enjoyable. Have you ever compared humans to lifeforms that exist outside of Earth's grasp?

[He's ~castling~ over here, get on his level]

[encored]

Well, the alien lifeforms that I know of make pies out of dish detergent, eat things off of the sidewalk in the park and spend their free time licking telephone poles when they aren't busy leaping into wormholes. I'm honestly not certain if I'd categorise that as more or less enjoyable than human beings. A little more slobbery, one way or another.

[HE'S TAKING BABY STEPS! or not, but he's clearly more interested in capturing pieces than going for a check yet.]

[splitthebaby]

The ones I know are a bit more....lazy and less prone to the kind of aggression that plagues humanity. I dislike humans but I could probably write a one hundred page paper on how humans are the superior species in the galaxy.

[Merem is just being flashy, taking hints from Marisa to see if it causes annoyance. Which also means he's moving a rook up a bit.]

[encored]

In your galaxy, at the very least. Though I'd quite think a galaxy full of drooling, angry and easily excitable aliens wouldn't be superior, per se, I'm certain there are a few of them who would argue against that point anyway. The one who licks telephone poles comes to mind.

[no annoyance here! it doesn't seem he's paying the chess board much mind at all, though he's distinctly setting up a move to capture a knight.] He might actually have a point, though. In his world, I believe the human race was modeled after his own species.

[splitthebaby]

I would rather not be around anything that drools, personally.

[abloo bloo bloo, moving his rook again so the dumb pawn isn't in the way]

In my own world, humans were a product of their environment. That is extremely unheard of, which makes all the other beings out there really dislike humans.

[encored]

You're fortunate to have the choice. [for some strange reason he is a magnet for things that drool/try to lick faces/etc.....

also scooting his own rook forward while giving Merem A Look. he seems very confused by this!!] What do you mean, unheard of? Aren't all living things a product of their environment?

[splitthebaby]

[Being a shotapire is suffering. scooting ahead another pawn too]

Every other being is a creation as opposed to a product. I suppose that applies only to my world but it does stand to be truthful.

[encored]

[pawn for pawn! looks like he's eyeing that other knight]

A creation of the environment? [no that hasn't helped his confusion at all...] How does that differ significantly from being a product of it?

[splitthebaby]

[using a bishop to take that pawn]

The moon itself created Brunestud of the Crimson Moon who, in turn, created my kind. Humans came from nothing, spawned from nothing, and were simply a product of their own environment.

[encored]

...Is the moon sentient in your own universe? [...] And you mean to say your kind is from the moon, then? [he comes from a world where there is no magic/supernatural/spiritual stuff and this is all extremely bizarre

scooting a rook in the direction of that knight...]

[splitthebaby]

All planets have a consciousness. I was originally human, however. But my master was from the moon, yes.

[Meh, sliding up another pawn.]

[encored]

That's a spectacular notion. [capturing that pawn with a surprise knight attack!1]

Supernatural beings from the moon is almost like something out of a futuristic bedtime story. I don't think I'll ever tire of hearing the way the universes of others function.

[splitthebaby]

It surely is an interesting topic. Probably doubly so if you have to deal with those who drool frequently.

[moving ahead another pawn gosh!]

[encored]

[HE IS THE PAWN RUINATING MACHINE what happened to his plan to capture that knight...]

Yes, the life forms I've dealt with seem to be significantly less attractive than even humans, at times. It's a rather unfortunate lot to be dealt. [weary old man sigh] Your world sounds much more elegant.

[splitthebaby]

[He just wants to somehow get a second queen.]

My world also has Ciel.

[This is clearly a massive downfall.]

[encored]

[no don't hog the queens geez he needs a piece to covet and kings are worthless!! sending his last rook out]

Is she that much of a negative? Though I do get the distinct feeling she doesn't get along with you perfectly well. [more like every time they talk about each other his idea of their true opinions gets foggier.....]

[splitthebaby]

Ciel is Ciel. [PAWN FORGING AHEAD]

Yes, she does dislike me quite a bit. It's an odd situation because I represent everything she hates but we are also quite similar in ways. Regardless, we are something of co-workers so, in the name of loyalty, she'll never attempt to kill me. At worst, she'll attempt to harm me and, at the least, she'll be fairly passive-aggressive.

[encored]

[setting up a defense with his bishop!!]

That's a little enigmatic. She does seem the type to resort to passive-aggression in a situation like that, though. [and then, just because he has the strangest feeling about this...!] Have you given her much of a reason to dislike you outside of what you are?

[splitthebaby]

[why you gotta block the pawn

thankfully he has others to move forward]

What I am is every reason she has. Regardless of what actions I would have taken, that opinion would have been predestined.

[encored]

[blocking that other pawn too like it is his new mission in life] Her distaste is that intense? [seems legit surprised by this revelation... a church dog hating the thing it hunts?? preposterous!]

Is it toward your kind in particular?

[splitthebaby]

Oh yes, definitely toward my kind. I'd explain why but unfortunately, it's none of my business to say why. It would be beyond rude of me but feel free to ask her yourself.

[encored]

I'd not demand or expect an explanation from you on such a topic, so that's fine. It isn't any of my business why she holds the prejudices she does. [meaning he is filing this away to ask her about later...]

[splitthebaby]

That doesn't mean you won't ask anyway.

[He's onto Charles. Mostly because he'd do the exact same thing. Sliding up another pawn......]