week 7

[arsholes]

[On Sunday morning, there is a small gift waiting for the early risers in the tower: a gold key, dangling from a length of twine tied to the wooden beam across the ceiling at the cross section of the four dorms. Upon further inspection it has a particular symbol on the back half and a note that reads "Good job. Here's your reward". The note is signed Heisenberg. The key goes to seventh floor, where there is the same symbol etched above the keyhole on the lock.

Another new floor, another pair of deaths and their numbers halved in a matter of weeks. Things can't go on like this much longer.]


Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday

✨WEEKLY DEALS✨
1. Random Record Shuffle* - A funky fresh record you can play in a record player! The only catch is Garfield gets to pick the artist. *Repeat customers now welcome [1 coin]
2. Pondering Orb - A large red-tinted orb. Good for pondering in your deep dark lair. [2 coins]
3. Dis Bear - A human-sized plush bear in fun monochrome colors! Good thing the doorways here are pretty big. [3 coins]



✨LEFTOVER STOCK AT 50% MARK-UP ON SALE✨

1. Moon God Mask - A very large moon mask that covers your entire head. It kind of makes you want to either get a hamburger or form a cult. [1 coin]




(( OOC: Don't forget to submit your orders for any threads that aren't with Heisenberg or Garfield! And don't forget activity check! ))

Comments

[draconite]

I wasn't– [ ... okay, even she can hear that she's at a nine when this calls for MAYBE a four and she dials herself down accordingly. ] ... you startled me, is all. I wasn't expecting anyone else to be awake at this dreadful hour.

[ She wanders over and plops herself down opposite him, in that presumptuous sort of way that's just what you get used to with Bryn. ]

Have you been playing all night?

[encelevenemus]

I do not believe I have been here particularly long. I only awoke a short time ago.

[draconite]

I wish I could say the same. I've been tossing and turning all night.

[ She props her chin up in her hands and looks down at the board. A thin, worn-out smirk twitches into place on her face. ]

Who's winning, then?

[ it's not her best joke but be nice, she's tired. ]

[encelevenemus]

No one, as sleeplessness has clearly driven me mad enough to be playing a game against myself.

[...not quite a joke, but the attempt was there.]

[draconite]

[ She giggles, though not unkindly. ]

Well, if your opponent wouldn't object, would you be averse to playing a game against me? Not to brag, [ she said, bragging, ] but I'm quite the chess player! I've even come out victorious against Hubert quite a few times.

[encelevenemus]

...I would not mind that.

[mild interest is downright excitement where he's concerned, let's be real. Somnus started moving the pieces back into place, black on his side and white on Bryn's.]

[draconite]

Heheh! Just be sure not to underestimate me, or I'll handily defeat you too!

[ She pumps her fists excitedly before turning her attention to the board. ]

Do you have a preference for who moves first?

[encelevenemus]

Traditionally, it would be white that moves first. Go ahead.

[draconite]

If you insist. Don't complain when I best you!

[ And she cheerily clicks one of her pieces into place. Compared to how miserable she looked when she wobbled in here, she's perked up considerably. ]

[encelevenemus]

I would not think myself one to complain over such a thing.

[He moved one of his own in response, glancing up to Bryn briefly.]

...Where did you learn to play?

[draconite]

Hmm...

[ She peers down at the board in thought before clicking a piece into place. ]

I suppose I taught myself? From books and such. Teacher – my guardian – collected all manner of things, but he was most fond of books and so we had a great many of them from a collection once owned by a great chessmaster. I used to copy the logs of his games from the books we had and see how well I could hold my own against him.

[encelevenemus]

I see.

[A thoughtful pause as he made his next move.]

...Was he much older than you?

[why the fuck is he asking-]

[draconite]

Hm? I suppose he must have been, but...

[ She mulls on it as she considers her next move before carefully sliding a knight across the board. ]

I think he would have been... perhaps in his fourties when I was that age? Or at the very least, he was when the books were written. Why?

[encelevenemus]

Oh...merely curiosity.

[Which sounded honest enough, Somnus thinking over his next move before shifting another pawn into place.]

...I do not know if it applies anywhere but Lucis; no one I've played with has brought it up. But it was once customary for the elder of the two players to sacrifice one piece for every year difference.

Within reason, obviously. There would be no game at all with half the other side's pieces missing at the start.

[draconite]

Really? It's not one I've ever heard of myself... I suppose it's polite for the more experienced player to offer a handicap, though.

[ Then she giggles again as she taps a piece across the board. ]

Of course, for you, I imagine a rule like that isn't exactly convenient!

[ Hah, He's Old ]

[encelevenemus]

[rude but true]

The person who taught me was only three years my elder, so it applied a little more easily there. It would be difficult to enforce for many of us, I think.

[draconite]

It was quite gracious of them to offer you an advantage, either way. I don't think...

[ She goes quiet, thoughtful, with the slightly faraway expression of someone searching their memory for a recollection even they aren't quite sure is there. ]

I don't think I ever managed to beat Teacher... well, we didn't play together all that often to begin with, but perhaps I would have had a better chance with a rule like that in play.

[encelevenemus]

He was exceptionally skilled, but I improved as we grew older; we often used it to settle arguments between us.

[He paused in much the same way, shaking his head slightly.]

I never particularly liked that he insisted upon enforcing it, but far be it from me to argue with a stated rule.

[draconite]

[ She pumps a fist. ]

You should have insisted on removing your own pieces in turn! One for every piece he removed!

[ Then she pauses and considers that for two seconds before cracking up again. ]

Then again– if the two of you were as stubborn then as you are now, I can only imagine it ending in the two of you being rid of all your pieces before the game had even started!

[encelevenemus]

...You know, it just might have. One of us was likely to have thrown this board out a window at that rate.

[draconite]

At that point, you may as well just start pelting each other with the pieces and be done with it. How uncivilized!

[ Her little snicker sounds as if she's mostly poking good natured fun at least. ]

Who was this teacher of yours, then?

[encelevenemus]

[He didn't answer right away, picking up one of her knights off the board and replacing it with his own.]

...It no longer matters. He died long ago.

[draconite]

. . . I see.

[ Bryn, too, lapses into a moment of quiet. It's tempting to prod and poke a little further – Somnus talks about this sort of thing so rarely and she's curious – but she resists. Just barely.

Instead, she makes her move and passes something else across the boars as well. An admission. ]

He might not have taught be chess, but... I lost my Teacher too. Some time ago.

[encelevenemus]

[Another brief silence followed, this time more as if Somnus was trying and failing to find the right response.]

Were you particularly close?

[draconite]

[ She opens her mouth as if to respond right away, then falls into a troubled – and troubling – silence. Then she smiles, but her brow is creased in a way that makes her look just a little uncomfortable as she answers. ]

He was my guardian. And he... raised me, for as far back as I can remember.

[ Which isn't, strictly speaking, an answer to the question he asked. ]