[chess] checkmate, stalemate or wtf?

[Errol Thom Murdock]

Errol, for all his intentions and actions, from kissing Chess to stalking her, to dancing with her, didn't seem to succeed in getting her. Nothing seemed to work. Nothing at all, and the typically egotistical boy was losing hope on getting the girl. After all, the girl liked girls more than boy, and he happened to be a boy, not a girl, nor transgendered. He had a hope in hell, but how much, exactly, was that hope going to become a reality?

It was time to find out. The composer was going to take the bull by the horns and ask her, straight out, what they were. it could ruin their friendship. He knew that. But even if it did, Errol was sure he'd live. At least this mystery would be solved and worse come to worse he'd find some new tail to chase. In order to find out, Errol had devised a perfect plan - walk her home from the prom. It would get them away from people, and if he asked early enough, would eliminate awkward doorstep moments, and a long walk home of rejection. No, he knew where her house was, and as they walked through the night, Errol was planning it all out to ask at the halfway point, nearby a gas station and some cat-woman's house. It wasn't the most romantic of places, but it was deserted. But...Errol didn't ask then. He looked to Chess, opened his mouth as thought he was going to speak, and then looked away, words suddenly stolen from his mouth. He...for once, he wasn't sure of himself. It showed, too. He didn't talk much. He didn't comment about his wild dancing and who he'd liked to have danced with, and just how funny it was Mirabelle got so annoyed with his dancing and how Wes and Lex, two people he didn't or barely knew, turned out to be the best dances of the night. As far as skill was concerned. Nope, his best dance was the simple one with Chess. Not that he'd ever say that. Or would he? It was what he was trying to say, in a way. But every time he tried his thoughts got more rambly and slimy and a silvery green color. Which, for the record, wasn't nice.

Errol knew the longer he took thinking it over the harder it would get, and the silliness of the situation. Here was compulsive, generally reckless Errol, scared of talking to a girl, and one he knew well at that! Maybe that was half the problem, he knew her too well. Everyone knew he could be very straightforward with strangers.

Three quarters of the way there now, and Errol was getting a bit panicked. He had to act, had to act now. He didn't know who's house he was in front of, but it was going to become his backdrop for this, and he stopped walking, taking Chess' hand briefly to stop her, then letting it go. He looked over her shoulder across the street, where a daycare was long since closed for the night, then back at her. He kicked at the curb and then looked back at her. Now or never, no one lived forever (though some people seemed to get damn close to it, little did he know) and so he had to act. "I have a question, Chess." This was the game of Life, though this time he was trying to play it was Chess, and who knew what that would result in....


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words| 618
tagged| Chess / Cal
notes| iFail.

[Chess Reid Ibis]

There's always another wound to discover
There's always something more you wish he'd say

Chess honestly had no idea what the hell to do about her relationship thing with Errol. It was a relationship of sorts being that obviously they were friends, but she wasn't sure if anything more was going to happen. Which, it was entirely possible. Sure she preferred girls, but she still did like boys. Having a preference didn't always mean you were going to go with it. Besides, sometimes she did get rather annoyed with girls. Sure they were pretty to look at, but some of the attitudes were just terrible. Seemed she hadn't found any girls that weren't straight and she could stand at this school so far. As the year had gone on though it seemed like she probably wouldn't. Sure she had that crush on Isa, but obviously Joan of Arc was not going to go for her. Just wouldn't work, and besides with how religious the girl was, Chess might get annoyed with it after a while. Thus she had dropped it and hadn't found another interest yet. It was kind of difficult to find people that perfectly fit what you wanted. Actually, it was more like impossible, so she should probably adjust to something more realistic. To more like something she would like, and while a few quirks might get on her nerves, they would be tolerable. Maybe that was what her issue was? That her standards were too high and when someone's quirks started coming out she got irritated with them. Well whatever it was, she was pretty sure she was mellowing out a little. She hadn't gotten thrown out obviously, and hadn't even gotten in any real fist fights. Obviously something had changed. Maybe it was just the fact that she didn't want to have to move again. Or maybe it was because she was maturing and didn't see the need for some of the violence she once caused.

Certainly Errol got hit a lot by sketchbooks or whatever, but that didn't really count. She was doing what everyone else wanted to do so she doubted she would get in trouble for it. Being that he caused quite a bit of trouble with the RSOR even she was pretty sure several people on the leader's panel wanted to kick him into next week. Though they seemed pretty laid back at prom, but then again it was prom. So maybe they were being nice to show there was nothing weird about RSOR or something. Or maybe they were in a generally good mood or something and just felt like being polite. Either way, at least they had avoided incident at prom and it had been a rather nice evening. She got to dance with Errol, then watch him drag off poor Oliver at her suggestion. Hey, it was hilarious to see the Wright brother tormented in such a way. Seemed Lex had saved him though. She didn't particularly know the senior, but knew that he was on the leader's panel along with the guy he left with. Neither of them had been around much when she first joined, and maybe they were now? She should probably go to a meeting sometime and catch up with new people or meet everyone else. After all she hadn't been there in a while, but that was mostly because her parents sometimes got suspicious about what it was she was doing. Thus she skipped several meetings, and then it was gone for a time, so thus they forgot about it mostly. Besides, if she started going again she could always lie and say she was hanging out with a friend from school at their dorm. Seeing as she did have quite a few friends now. Sure it was probably not a good habit to lie to her parents about such things, but many of her friends were in RSOR so it wouldn't really be a lie. Just not the whole truth really.

Anyway, it was after prom, and Errol had offered to walk her home. Well, she could have said no, but she figured it wouldn't be too bad. Besides, if it was just one mugger or something they would be less likely to approach two people being that it was harder to subdue them. Sure she could really handle herself when it came to self defense, but she figured walking home would give them a chance to talk a bit more. Though it seemed mostly they were quiet. Which was slightly awkward she had to say. Though for a moment it had appeared that he was about to say something, and then didn't. Sure she was confused as to why, being that Errol was usually the type to speak what he was thinking, but she wasn't going to ask about it. If he wanted to tell her then he would, it was Errol after all so why wouldn't he? Sure she had a hunch he liked her, but that hadn't really changed how he acted around her much. So why should it be different? Lost in her thoughts she wasn't paying attention when Errol stopped walking and jumped a little bit when he grabbed her hand. Well, what was up with that? Though it seemed he let go a moment later. That was, a little bit odd she had to say, and then he said that he had a question. She tilted her head a little bit confused as to why he couldn't walk and talk, but wasn't going to ask. "Yeah? What's up Errol?" she asked wondering what it was he wanted to ask her. After all, she was curious, being that it seemed he had something to say earlier but hadn't. So she wondered what he had been debating on saying. Though why it had been silent this entire time was another thing she was curious about.

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words: 1004
tag: Dante/ Errol
note: this took forever. I blame Chess.

[Errol Thom Murdock]

Walking and talking would be a bit too much for Errol to handle right now. Normally there was little filter between brain and mouth, and if someone wanted something said, chances were, Errol would say it for them unabashedly, though likely for a fee. This time, though? There was none of that. Everything, from the walk to his brain to his plans were moving slowly and were bogged down by what he felt was his own incompetence, the likes of which had never happened before (or at least, had never happened that he would care to admit. There was a funny tale involving a blender, pool noodle and a poodle, but that was best left unsaid) to him. The effect was so profound Errol found himself wondering why he'd even liked Chess at all. This chase was far too much work, even for a boy who typically stopped at nothing to get some tail. Only, Chess wasn't just tail, and maybe that was the whole of it. She wasn't just a night of making out and maybe some groping and maybe more, she was genuinely liked. But the pink hair helped a lot, he was not gonna lie.

She turned to face him, and asked him what's up, like it was no big deal, and a stupid, teeth-baring, awkward as hell grin appeared on his face, before going away the moment the youngest of the Murdock sons realized it was there. "Well, uhm..." His mind started to go fast, he could feel the wheels turning, but there was no input nor output. He didn't know what to say. What are we? Yes, that would have been the logical conclusion, but Errol, being Errol, said the first thing that came to mind, as a car sped by. "That was very jagged an orange." He said, matter of factly, then blinked again as another car went by.

You know, he could write a song about this, titled "Awkward Boy Tries to Ask out Bisexual Best Friend While Talking About Cars" only a symphony such as that would be filled with random intervals and odd things, such a a tuba or triangle solo, or a duet between the two. Such was as nonsensical as Errol was behaving, which wasn't going to help his chances unless he was a very, very lucky boy tonight.

"Anyways," Errol seemed to pull himself back on track. "I have a question, Chess." He repeated what he initially said. "And I'd really like if you answered that question, because I've asked it before..." He kinda had, in body language and such, which was what he meant, but at his pause he realized that probably wasn't a fair statement. Fuck. Who'd turned him into that stuttery, confused Harold? Yeesh. "Actually, I haven't asked this question before. I lied." He nodded, looking out into the street past her, and taking a few steps in that direction, to get blinded by high-beam headlights and the screech of a wrongly played violin. "Fuck!" He snarled, rubbing his eyes viciously as the violin continues to play for a moment.

He coughed, regained his composure, and took a visible deep breath, looking at Chess again. And then he said the first question that came to mind. "Did you know I've been stalking you?" He looked majorly horrified when this question came out, too, and immediately turned on heel, walked right up to the nearest building, and literally face walled upon it. So much for getting the girl.


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words| 654
tagged| Cal / Chess
notes| He has skills.