[OPEN Mini-Log] After the Storm

[witheredpeonies]

Who: Annabel Lee (witheredpeonies) & You
What: Clearing her Mind
When: After the Gala
Where: Oak and Iron Tavern
Warning(s): None yet, threads will carry warnings in subject lines

The Gala had been eventful, and now Annabel Lee is tempted to close herself up like a fan. A dangerous thought, given she genuinely does need allies, given the danger represented by everyday life in Pumpkin Hollow. So she figures out a way to be out in public without feeling vulnerable: she brings her personal chess board to the Oak and Iron, sets it up, and begins playing openings for herself, while offering a mild smile to anyone who walks into the room.

Care for a game?

Note: Annabel Lee is a very good chess player; she's defeated every potential suitor for several years in a ruthless manner. While it's not impossible to beat her, many characters will not.

Comments

[somebodychildofanyone]

Here's River. Tired, and sore, forge closed for the day, dressed down but at least freshly washed. She came for coffee, but when she orders it it's to Annabel's table.

Deep breath in.

Out.

She sits, and studies the pieces. Her ears twitch when she sees the bishops.

It's awhile, before she speaks. Long enough for the pot to cool.

"...These here," a finger touches the king side bishop, "they move diagonally? Do the footmen cut each other down in passing too?"

[witheredpeonies]

"Bishops on the diagonals. Pawns move forward, and attack diagonally, one square only." She demonstrates a pawn's movement and its attack. "I told my father I'd only marry a man who could defeat me in chess. And then plowed through every suitor, first in London, then across the sea in New England."

[somebodychildofanyone]

Damn, London doesn't have en passat, fuckin' barbarians.

"I remember," River murmurs. "Though on my world these are ships, cutting diagonal across rivers. Whether or not the big bitch is a Queen or a Chosen depends on how close you are to a big temple though."

"...Care if I take white?"

[witheredpeonies]

"Be my guest." Annabel Lee sits straighter, draws herself up, and prepares to play. Her gaze is cold and heavy, chin resting on her hands.

I'm Not Doing Exact Moves I'm Worse At Chess Than River

[somebodychildofanyone]

River's style is aggressive, leaning hard on her rooks and ships. Every move is carefully considered, but if she gets the chance to take a piece, she seizes it, craves space to roam. As the board gets more tangled she stops to pour coffee, to mix it with her sugar.

She's precious with her queen, hesitant with her knights, unsure of how to see their movements.

And she's not saying anything else, not until Annabel does. She plays slumped in her chair, coffee in one hand, and gives the game her full focus.

[witheredpeonies]

Annabel responds to that aggression by setting traps and making forks. Forcing River to choose which of her pieces to sacrifice. Forcing trades. She plays carefully, taking advantage of that reliance on the queen and using her own knights freely, seeing that River can't calculate where they'll be in three or four turns' time.

Annabel plays like the game means everything to her.

[somebodychildofanyone]

It's a grinding loss, but a comprehensive one. River's momentum dries up, and the tide is so easily turned once that happens.

Her response to checkmate is a long, steady exhalation, followed by turning the board around so they can set up on opposite sides.

[witheredpeonies]

And Annabel does just that. Still not speaking. Her attention is on the pieces, rather than River herself. She's very good at paying attention to the board first.

[somebodychildofanyone]

Black is the more advantaged position, to the experienced player; the ability to react, to counter, is so precious.

River ignores that opportunity entirely in favor of trotting her knights out from behind the pawn line, seemingly intent on seeing how long she can go without breaking her front ranks.

Steady breathing. Steady hands.

I really don't know chess so if we can just... handwave a bit on that.

[lordoftheozarks]

"May I join you?" There's no edge to his voice. No indication he's holding any grudges after what he herd at the gala. He could be asking something as simple as the time for how placid his expression is.

Your move.

[witheredpeonies]

Annabel Lee looks up, and her face is not easy to read, not immediately. But her words are very deliberately and carefully chosen.

"You may, Lord Osborne."

[lordoftheozarks]

"Thank you. Shall I take white?" Seems fair, since he intends to make the first move both in-game and in this conversation.

"I won't keep you in suspense. I'm here because I overheard what was said at the gala."

[witheredpeonies]

"I see." Dread washes over her like a bucket of ice water dumped on her head, but her face hides it reasonably well. If Erik weren't so experienced with liars, she might pass for unperturbed.

But she turns the board so white is on his end, looking at the pieces instead of at him as her ears burn bright red, in the way of so many pale people when embarrassed.

[lordoftheozarks]

"Peace, Miss Whitlock. I haven't come to berate you. But I would like a chance to clear the air. You are, naturally, entitled to your opinion of me and my profession. You aren't the first to express something of the kind. But, that does leave me wondering where you and I may stand with each other now." As he speaks, he makes his first move. It's confident and speaks of someone well-versed in this game.

[witheredpeonies]

Annabel moves a pawn before speaking, the gameplay automatic for her.

"The culture in which I was raised has very specific roles for men and women. For those of money and power and means. I...you...it's not a thing in my world, for someone to be both nobility, a lord, and to sell one's body."

And yet, when he approached, even before she knew he knew what she said, she accorded him his title. She isn't taking that away from him. Nor is she refusing his company or a game.

[lordoftheozarks]

"I am familiar with those attitudes. They exist in my world, too, even among my kind. If the other Elders could see me now, I'm sure they would ridicule me mercilessly."

He moves his own pawn mirror to hers.

"Perhaps it would help if I explained where my title came from? I was not born into nobility. Not at all. Nor did I marry into it, before you ask. I have never been wed. To be a vampire lord you must earn the privilege. I gather that, for you, it was a matter of lineage?"

[witheredpeonies]

"Yes, it was. My family weren't noble, we were merchants. Successful merchants, but the only way I could have gotten a title would have been marriage."

She looks up from the board at Erik. Considering him quietly for a moment.

"How does one earn the title of vampire lord?"

[hyliasblessing]

Zelda smiles back, setting a hand on the chair across from Annabel Lee.

"This looks fun," she says. "Will you show me how to play?"

[witheredpeonies]

"I can do that." Annabel takes all the pieces off the board, to start. "So, this is a king, with a cross on his crown. This is a queen, the tallest piece beside the king. They go toward the back of the board, in the center. The queen always goes on her own color."

[hyliasblessing]

Zelda listens carefully, nodding. She takes in all of the setup, the rules, the names of the pieces. You can see in her eyes she's already strategizing as Annabel Lee speaks, letting the incumbent player choose which color she'd like.

"It's very involved," Zelda remarks. Not a complaint. She seems enthusiastic, actually.

[witheredpeonies]

"Now, remember that while taking pieces is important, the King is the one whose life matters. You can get caught up in trading all day and end up not having enough to pin the King in."

Annabel takes the black pieces, offering Zelda the first move.

[hyliasblessing]

Just like real life, in many cases. How unfortunate.

Still, Zelda takes her first move.

She is an amateur. She can't beat Annabel Lee. But for someone who just learned, she is formidable, giving her opponent a run for her money at least. But then again, she'd be a disgrace to the Triforce of Wisdom if she wasn't a cunning strategist.

Zelda tuts at her defeat. "Ah. You've got me." She smiles up at Annabel Lee helplessly. "Well played! I shall have to practice if I want to stand a chance. Thank you for teaching me, I had a lot of fun."

[witheredpeonies]

"You'll be formidable, once you're more familiar with the game." Annabel leans in as if she's about to share a secret. "River also plays, if you're looking for another opponent to hone yourself against."

[hyliasblessing]

Zelda laughs awkwardly at that. "Ah, well--- She and I don't seem to get on too well. She wasn't particularly receptive to my help at the Gala. And I understand that, to an extent, but she's also apparently been telling people I 'chewed her out'. Which, for the record, I most certainly did not. The sternest thing I said to her was that I found her responses to be disappointing." She huffs, then softens again. "...I do hope you're feeling better, though."

[witheredpeonies]

"A shame, you'd find her a challenge more suited to your level in chess." Is that an insult to River? Only a little. It's also just. She still feels a little bad for Causing Drama. At least this drama.