Subject: a simple game [esper] 259 views

[rook]

"I suppose even in the game I won't really be able to avoid it, will I Pawn?"

The PawnChessmon had been watching her agonizing over the board for some time, but it was not yet ready to respond to her. Being modeled after one of these pieces it imagined it should have had an excellent view into the game, but something told it it knew nothing compared to what she used to be capable of. There was just the question of... what was stopping her? The Digimon looked over the board and evaluated her moves thus far with a critical edge. She would not appreciate if it was not brutally honest with her, that was just the kind of person she was.

"Weak start. Doesn't seem like you accounted for as many possibilities as you should have."

Rook allowed the words to sink in as her eyes judged her game. Dammit, Pawn was right. With a deep sigh she closed her eyes and rubbed her eyelids in frustration. "Yes, yes I suppose that's a very good observation. Thank you, Pawn," Rook's voice was even and did not betray her irritants.

It accepted the thanks without any kind of recognition and turned back towards the city. They had come to the outskirts often when Rook needed some kind of break from work, but she had grown very restless lately and those 'breaks' did not bring her any solace of any kind. "You need a new partner to play with. Someone you've never even met before. Perhaps you'll still be... handicapped... but it's a start, and an excellent way to begin looking within yourself for solutions. That's just my opinion though."

There was a beat pause in which Rook couldn't contain her slight smile. Pawn had a point, she thought. If there was a fresh mind willing to play with her belonging to someone she did not already assume she could read it would offer a chance to pay very close attention to her own actions in the game. Rook was unsure who would play such a game within a game though. Thus far she had been the only one using the little chess tables that she came to so often.

"Your opinion is quite valuable to me, friend, you know that."

[esper]

The city was worthless to him and even passing through it felt like a pathetic waste of his time.

Esper walked calmly, feeling a terrible itch of the sort he could not scratch. If more time was forfeited in places like this his employer might grow antsy and then life would get quite complex. More than that though, he wanted to fiddle with some code. He wanted to break the next wall and solve that which others could not. Like a drug, he needed his next fix.

"That person, Esp... They look..."

He stopped in his tracks and looked down to the Digimon, horribly inexpressive as he did so. Tracking it's gaze, Esper located just who the creature was talking about. A young woman, older than he it seemed, who looked somewhat androgynous. With her was a PawnChessmon, and how appropriate that was since she was seated at a chess table. From his distance he could tell the game was not going the way she planned, but as to why he could not say. "We might wish to play with her a moment, don't you think, Caitiff?"

Surprised, Phascomon looked up to it's Tamer. "You actually want to play with her...?"

Esper's gaze sharpened a little and he nodded his reply. Without another word to his partner he began to stride over to the chess player, and even without any formal introductions he settled in the chair opposite her. "You need a partner for this game. Set the pieces and I shall be the white to your black."

White did not suit him though.

[rook]

How unexpected.

Rook looked over the young man as he took up the chair on her opposite. It did seem refreshing to have a game with someone that she'd never met before. For a short time it could be like it was in the days she first joined the Chess circuit, when everyone was foreign and completely unobserved by her. That may not actually be entirely accurate considering her circumstances... but there was no use in over-thinking things. Or should she say, looking a gift horse in the mouth?

"I couldn't say no to that," the young woman replied with a serene yet guarded smile. As she set the board, Rook decided not to speak. As far as she could tell her new partner didn't seem the conversing type, or at least if he was he certainly wasn't showing it. Not even an introduction, Rook noted silently. A few times she sent a gaze over to Pawn as if to understand what it was thinking on the matter. PawnChessmon was a Digimon with an excellent pokerface though.

As Rook finished setting up the board she looked back to the guest's eyes and rather evenly said, "White has first move, I insist."

"I assume you'd like me to remain silent during this game? I could offer observations if you want, you know," the PawnChessmon whispered.

"No, this is my game to play. It's as you said, Pawn, I must look myself for solutions."

"Very well. Good luck."