xp_logs | A Chessmatch.

Bishop and Manuel chat over a chessboard.

Bishop looked down over the chess board; no moves had been made yet and though he wasn't amazing at chess he wasn't bad. It was like any other game, you had to know the rules and what can be done, from there it just takes some creative thinking. He opened with a Knight which wasn't usual for most people. He looked across the board to Manuel. "How's the return going? I hear some rumors here and there about stuff; it must be hard."

"It's uneventful," he stated in a bland, unimpressed tone. "Surely whatever everyone else is doing is quite interesting, I, however, am bored." He eyed the move carefully and after going through three lessons with Bishop, he was sure the man could play now. He moved the pawn in front of the rook two squares and rested his arm alongside the board. "What rumors have you heard?" he asked, drumming his fingers once.

"Not so much rumors as just people talking about things that happened. Probably none of their business but people talk." Bishop made his next move, advancing his knights first. He knew he wasn't being very clear but they weren't exactly coherent to him. He figured if they were about things that had happened then Manuel would know better then he does.

"Yes people do talk," he agreed and watched the board in silence. After another long paused, Manuel moved his pawn up one again. "People talk but it is up to others to listen. Whatever people talk about, it's in my past and I live for my future. I'm sure you could agree on that?"

"I try to stay in the present." Bishop wasn't disagreeing to start a confrontation, just being honest. He moved a pawn out once his knights were in place so that he could open his bishops up for movement, as well as his queen. "It doesn't matter to me what they say either way. I've made plenty of people mad in my time; it's as much about the person that's holding the grudge as it is anything else."

With Manuel's Rooks positioned, he left them where they were, out in the open and turned his attention to the rest of his pawns, setting up but for the most part, calculating where Bishop may or may not go in his next move. "Yes, that is very true. I'm curious what you've done to make others mad. You seem to have a very even keel personality. Or is there something hidden beneath. Your disposition suggests as much."

Bishop laughed a bit at that "Some people just don't like how I am. I figure people decide if they're going to like a person or not before they really know them as often as not." Bishop made his next move and leaned back, he seemed to like to give his king some room but otherwise he played with power pieces and let the pawns back them up. "I've met someone at the mansion and she apparently didn't like something I said to try and break the ice. There's just no telling from person to person." He watched Manuel's pieces and next move while he though over people he'd met. "Also gave another woman a good enough reason to not care for me but she took it just fine." He shrugged and his mind went back to the game.

Manuel tapped the side of the board, studying the open spaces. "I'm inclined to guess which woman that is that you speak of however, my list would be long and my guess would be redundant after the third try. Humor me and give me a hint." A number of women were like that, getting their guard up whether or not they had passed judgment.

"She's apparently a flying Princess of some sort. I think there's only one of those around." Bishop didn't look up at the moment, also watching over the board and planning his future strategy. "I said I had heard the mansion was the only place beautiful women fell from the sky; I'd imagine as royalty that taking a compliment would be second nature."

Possibly, Bishop was the easiest person to be around to date because he held no animosity what-so-ever and thus far, he had a very even emotion. It was like floating in very calm water and Manuel found he could focus more on himself. That only helped him plot out his next move. Aggressively, he moved his pawn forward into a position that would lure Bishop if he did not see the Rook nearby. He stared at his opponent from across the board, waiting.

Then he realized Bishop was serious.
"Rethink your approach, Bishop,because that is possibly the worse line I have heard to date."

Bishop just laughed in response, moving a pawn seemingly right into the trap; in truth Bishop was more then willing to go piece for piece in a chess game, most others were not. "That's exactly the point. It's funny, non-intimidating... it's half-way to ridiculous, which is perfect. Not sure I want to hang around any woman that can't laugh." He leaned back in his chair to watch Manuel's move and reaction.

The Rook took the pawn. " You may have a problem if you cannot be around women that don't laugh. Women seem to rarely laugh here. In fact,they have more to be miserable about than the average individual. It's best to do whatever you needed to be done and be rid of them. Otherwise, they demand more. A lot more."

Bishop's move was a straight piece swap, he gave the pawn for a Rook and left a Knight out to be taken if Manuel was willing to part with another power piece. "That's a pretty sad view on the state of things around here. I hope to be the exception to the rule... maybe. I don't figure marrying would be good for me at any point."

Manuel took the piece, and waited for Bishop to deliver the final blow. "It is a view that is a constant here. And I doubt you'd find any here who are willing to marry. This is technically a school for the physically disabled and mentally traumatized."

The follow up came just as Bishop had bated, taking Manuel's piece and leaving a pawn in it's place. "I'm sure it's hard for all the children here but I think they'll be stronger for it in the end." He nodded, not really having much more to say about it, actually. He didn't know many of the mansion residents so he liked to take the opportunity to think the best.

"Who was talking about the children?" Manuel asked, quirking a brow. He moved his Bishop and sat back, content. "Checkmate."