[open] A friendly chess game. Really. No ulterior motives here!

[oforder]

Characters: Wilhelm and Anyone.
Setting: Floor 3 - Wilhelm's makeshift "office."
Format: I'll follow you!
Summary: With Yeshua here, he's able to get back to his plans. This involves vetting various people in the Tower. How does he plan on doing this? By playing chess with them while asking them questions.
Warnings: TBD. Should be fairly SFW.

Wilhelm had already posted a message earlier that moment, offering a 'casual chess game' in the library for anyone willing to show up. He had taken pains to make the environment fairly comfortable; a table set up near a window, some soft, classical music playing from his phonograph (not Wagner, surprisingly enough, but Mozart), and a chess board he had found somewhere else in the tower, complete with all of the pieces, though a few were chipped in various places.

He poured himself a glass of wine from a bottle he had gotten from the cafeteria, and set the glass down next to the chessboard. There was another glass, there, in case his opponent wanted one. He was going to remain perfectly polite, and wanted to appear as approachable as possible, even if his monotonous voice and completely expressionless voice might seem a bit eerie to a good portion of the Tower's inhabitants.

The board was placed sideways; he would be either black or white, depending on the opponents' choice. For now, he would sit, and wait.

Comments

Here, have a stubborn book girl.

[tohko_amano]

Tohko's skills at chess were average, at best. She doubted she would win or even last long against Wilhelm, who, if she guessed correctly, was a great chess player. However, she was still curious about the man, and even though she was wary of him, she wandered into the library, determined to play a game and find out more.

Finding the table and the setting wasn't difficult, and while Tohko liked the music and the setup, she didn't lower her guard. However, she wasn't going to be rude. She was a polite book girl.

"Good evening, Wilhelm. If you don't mind, may I play a game of chess against you?"

/grabby hands ♥

[oforder]

Wilhelm nodded as Tohko entered. He figured she'd be one of the first to show up, if only because she's seemed quite curious about him these last few weeks. He'd find it flattering if it were possible for him to do so; instead, all he can find to think about her is that she's getting involved in something WAY over her head. Protecting the Lower Domain of the Universe.

"I knew you would come," Wilhelm said quietly, and motioned for the seat across from him. "Black, or white?" he asked. The white side always goes first. He finds that those who are most confident choose white, but those who are more cautious choose black.

:3

[tohko_amano]

"I see.."

So he was using his device to see who would show up here. Then again..he was probably using that device to see much more than that. With a small sigh, she sat down at the seat he motioned to, and thought about which color she should pick. White went first, but forming an unbeatable strategy against Wilhelm seemed impossible. It would probably be easier to pick at any holes he left in his moves.

"If it's not a problem, I'll be black."

[oforder]

Hmmm. Little confidence, choosing a cautious path. He studied the expression on her face, as he moved the chessboard so that the black side was facing her. He began by moving the pawn one space forward directly in front of his bishop on his right hand side.

"Have you come up with a new solution to humanity's demise, Tohko?" he asked. But the way he asked that almost sounded like a trick question.

[badend_replay]

"Are you expecting guests?"

The entire set-up seemed quite elaborate to Rika. She was reminded, if only momentarily, of the comparisons she had made to herself in the past regarding chess. That Mayfield was similar to a chessboard, with her side's players made entirely of pawns with no tricky pieces to help them fight. In that moment, she wondered if the Tower would prove to be the same.

She shook her head visibly, negating the thoughts.

"I did not know they had wine here. Is it any good?"

[oforder]

"I suppose you could say that, yes," he answered. That was one way to put it. He thought of it more as an experiment. He had seen what a good amount of this Tower was capable of physically - the Administrators had a penchant for bringing those with odd powers here, after all - but now, he wants to see more. So many questions, so few answers.

"It is not. However, I am not one to complain," he answered, motioning to the seat across from him. "Would you like a glass?"

[badend_replay]

"I am a minor, I'm afraid. It wouldn't be right of me to drink."

Said the girl who had something of an alcoholism issue. One she was trying to kick, which was why she was so reluctant to take the offer for wine. That, and she knew normal sixteen year olds shouldn't be drinking. She had an image to maintain.

"Who are you planning to play chess with? They seem to be running quite late."

[oforder]

"A minor. Hmm." In which country, he wondered? Judging by her clothing, she was from a time period still on Lost Jerusalem, where the drinking age - still a relatively new concept to someone who had seen humanity evolve from the stone age - varied from nation to nation. If it was Japan... well, perhaps she was younger than she looked. Which was already fairly young.

"That is responsible of you, then." At her question, he blinked. "I have no set opponent today. It was an open invitation."

[bloodwriter]

Being an avid lover of books, Disciple was already in the library looking around certain sections. When she saw his flyer, she perked up a bit. Sadly, she didn't know much about chess, but it was a game either way. So why not?

Looking nice and non-threatening, she wanders over to the stranger that had a glass in hand and smiles at him.

"Hello? Are you the man who posted the flyer?"

[oforder]

"I am." Well, this was an interesting-looking creature. Vaguely humanoid, gray skin, black hair, yellow eyes, and... horns. Capable of speech, too. Though with an accent. One of those 'trolls' he's heard so much about around the Tower. It will be interesting to actually get inside one's head.

"Were you interested in a game?"

[bloodwriter]

She looked down at what he had and nodded, albeit in a cautious way.

"In a way I am curious. But I must warn you that I may not know how to play this game very well."

[oforder]

"That is alright. It is merely a friendly competition." Also a way for him to try to get a feel for the way people in this Tower react under stress and how capable they are of thinking critically, but that goes unsaid.

[crouching_sin]

The promise of chess was always a draw for Naoya. He frequented the library anyway, so it wasn't that much trouble to head over towards the windows, following the sound of the music. He frowned, not sure if he was sensing something or not. The people from various worlds here were all throwing that off, and he could never be sure if he was sensitive enough to pick up anything that mattered. But with a smile, he approached the other man.

"You're the one who was offering matches earlier today, correct?"

[oforder]

"That is correct. I felt it would be an interesting way to become acquainted with this tower's inhabitants."

Someone like Naoya could likely tell Wilhelm wasn't entirely human. Not a demon, nothing particularly celestial. Something else entirely. And while what Wilhelm said might, on the surface sound like he just wants to be social, anyone who knows him knows there's an entirely different ulterior motive to this. Just one small piece of an infinitely larger jigsaw puzzle. "Am I to understand you wish to accept my offer?"

[crouching_sin]

"It does have a tendency to reveal many things about the players."

He was well aware of how studying someone's tactics could show at least hints of their true personality. At the question, he nodded.

"As long as you don't have any sort of scheduled appointment for a game soon, yes."

He had the feeling this might take a while.

[oforder]

"There is no set schedule. It was a rather spur-of-the-moment decision of mine." Total lie, but it was true that he had no set schedule, at least; first come, first served. And now, Naoya was here. "Would you like to be black, or white?"

The first question he always asked. Since white always went first, it served as indication of whether or not someone played aggressively, or more cautiously. It didn't matter either way, to him.

[rewindingly]

Homura was patrolling the tower. It had become something of a self-assigned duty for her. Walking daily rounds to be sure that no trouble was sprouting in the corners. She carried an automatic pistol with her that day, concealing it against her every time that she turned so as to not provoke any stranger she passed.

In the case of this stranger, Homura stops to observe. Less him and more the set-up. Her cold gaze sweeps across it before she settles her attention on Wilhelm.

"Chess?"

It's not a fully worded question. She wonders why he has a chess game set up, why it is sideways, why he thinks now is a time to play, who the opponent is... so many things at once.

[oforder]

Usually, seeing a girl her age carrying around military grade weapons would make someone raise an eyebrow or two. Wilhelm's seen weirder. Way weirder, in the age of Realians. Realian bridge bunnies who look like twelve year old girls and whose minds work better and faster than some computers and definitely most humans? Check. People who eat Realians' silicon-based skin for no other reason than to get high? Check. URTV's with self-regenerating powers who mutilate themselves for shock value knowing it won't kill them? Also check.

This was nothing new. Taking a sip of the wine as Homura approached him, he nodded at her one-word question. "Yes," he answered after he swallowed it. One word question, one word answer. "Did you wish to play a game with me?"

[rewindingly]

"There is no time for playing games." A partial lie. Ideally, Homura will walk rounds about the tower forever and ever. She'll work hard and things will stay normal. But she knows after doing a few rounds that there is not much for her to do. She is wasting time. Her only real reason for taking up this task is to keep herself busy and prevent herself from relaxing. "You, too, shouldn't be playing games in this sort of situation."

[taintedwhite]

Shiro sauntered into the room and went to sit down directly onto the table in front of Wilhelm, next to the chessboard and the glasses of wine.

"Hi, Wilhelm!"

[oforder]

"Shiro." Just a one word greeting, as she hopped up on the table and actually managed not to knock anything over. He'd have been somewhat disappointed at that.

He looks her over for a moment. Nope... still not that other personality of hers. Usually that would relieve somebody, right? All it does here is make Wilhelm curious.

"How pleasant to see you again."

[taintedwhite]

"Shiro saw Wilhelm's message. So Shiro came to play chess with Wilhelm." Although she has no idea what that was. Only that it's a game since Wilhelm said so. And games are always fun, right?

[bow_of_the_galadhrim]

Legolas entered the library silently, book tucked under his arm that he had borrowed a couple days prior to pass the time when he wasn't hunting to training. He was old by most standards but he still enjoyed an occasional fantasy story. As he walked through the stacks though to replace it, the sound of music drew him away from his mission and he soon found Wilhelm and the chess board.

He said nothing for a moment, letting his eyes look over the chess pieces and the board before moving to Wilhelm. He'd never seen a Man, Elf, Dwarf or anything that shared an appearance like his. Legolas' watching though barely lasted a moment, keen eyes taking in all the details he needed before inclining his head slightly out of respect.

"I hope I did not disturb you."

[oforder]

Nice ears. One of those 'elves' he's been hearing about, he supposed. Well... doesn't albinism exist in Middle-Earth? Maybe it did and they just didn't have a name for it. After all, they weren't exactly known for medical science, even if, technically speaking, Wilhelm isn't an albino. His eyes worked just fine, after all, and he likely didn't get any kind of sunburn no matter how much UV-ray exposure he had.

He shook his head at Legolas. "Not at all," he replied. "Did you wish to play chess?"

[bow_of_the_galadhrim]

Alas, he'd never seen any such type of people so the concept of albinism was lost on him. As was science and it's medical branch. His people, and all Races really, still worked with herbs and such. They were still quite 'primitive' in comparison to most people here but they were happy still.

"I would be glad to if I only knew what chess was." He chuckled softly. "I fear that we've no such thing in Middle Earth, else it's called by another name." Except, he recognized neither the board nor the pieces.