27 May 2024, 14:42
Checkmate, you're stuck with me now!
Tommy entered the study room. He had not been here since joining Hogwarts, as he preferred to study in the comfort of his bed, but he thought the room may be worth checking out. It was quieter than he expected. This would not do for studying. He needed some level of what he would call noise, but was, in reality, a distraction.
Scanning the room, Tommy looked for something of interest, so many students studying, some students goofing off, others seemed to be flirting (yuck romance). Nothing seemed of interest to the boy until he reached the very back of the room.
Tommy saw a Hufflepuff boy peering over the board of a game alone at the pieces. Tommy was unfamiliar with the rules of the game, but it looked to him like the boy was playing alone. Tommy could at the very least recognize how the game was supposed to be set up... Well, to a degree, he knew they started in two lines, but which piece went where and how they moved was a loss to Tommy. He wasn't known for being a wise wizard, but his heart ached for the boy. Tommy knew what it was like to have to play games alone. What Tommy did not know, though, was wizards would often practice the game by playing against themselves.
Tommy approached the boy. "Excuse me, were you looking for company to play the game? I do not know the rules, but I would be willing to play a match or two with you if you'd teach me." Tommy had already placed his hand on the chair opposite of the student, ready to pull it out at the boys signal or word.
"I will warn you though, I am a renown seer since I was a babe but I promise not to cheat and use my visions to beat you as ethics are important to me." Tommy lied. He was no seer so cheating in that way was not an option at all, but he thought maybe the by had heard of him given the sheer number of people Tommy had lied to about being a seer already. Tommy took note that the boy was in Hufflepuff, what he deemed to always be a good sign when meeting someone new. If Tommy was given the choice between meeting a random Slytherin or a random Hufflepuff he would struggle, thinking back most of the people he interacted with were Hufflepuff so expanding his friend group in his own house would be beneficial but every Hufflepuff he had the pleasure of knowing was among his most prized mentors, and his only friend was a Hufflepuff.
Tommy's eyes beamed with excitement. He knew the boy in front of him was another mentor in the making. What would this boy be able to teach Tommy?
Interacting with: @Nico Romano
Scanning the room, Tommy looked for something of interest, so many students studying, some students goofing off, others seemed to be flirting (yuck romance). Nothing seemed of interest to the boy until he reached the very back of the room.
Tommy saw a Hufflepuff boy peering over the board of a game alone at the pieces. Tommy was unfamiliar with the rules of the game, but it looked to him like the boy was playing alone. Tommy could at the very least recognize how the game was supposed to be set up... Well, to a degree, he knew they started in two lines, but which piece went where and how they moved was a loss to Tommy. He wasn't known for being a wise wizard, but his heart ached for the boy. Tommy knew what it was like to have to play games alone. What Tommy did not know, though, was wizards would often practice the game by playing against themselves.
Tommy approached the boy. "Excuse me, were you looking for company to play the game? I do not know the rules, but I would be willing to play a match or two with you if you'd teach me." Tommy had already placed his hand on the chair opposite of the student, ready to pull it out at the boys signal or word.
"I will warn you though, I am a renown seer since I was a babe but I promise not to cheat and use my visions to beat you as ethics are important to me." Tommy lied. He was no seer so cheating in that way was not an option at all, but he thought maybe the by had heard of him given the sheer number of people Tommy had lied to about being a seer already. Tommy took note that the boy was in Hufflepuff, what he deemed to always be a good sign when meeting someone new. If Tommy was given the choice between meeting a random Slytherin or a random Hufflepuff he would struggle, thinking back most of the people he interacted with were Hufflepuff so expanding his friend group in his own house would be beneficial but every Hufflepuff he had the pleasure of knowing was among his most prized mentors, and his only friend was a Hufflepuff.
Tommy's eyes beamed with excitement. He knew the boy in front of him was another mentor in the making. What would this boy be able to teach Tommy?
Interacting with: @Nico Romano
28 May 2024, 17:27
Checkmate, you're stuck with me now!
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
Date: May 27th, 2024 | Outfit: School Robes| Speaking: Italian, English
─────────────────────────────────────Nico has always liked wizard chess. The game was practically branded into his childhood with all the matches he would play against his nonno and nonna. Their makeshift tournaments over the weekend taking up more and more time as he learned more about the basics and defensive strategies. Despite how much he enjoyed and played the game he was far from the best player in the world, but he at least wasn’t the worst either. Much more of an average player just playing to have fun compared to his nonna who used to play competitively against other wizards. Neither Nico or his nonno could ever keep up with her in their family tournaments. At least the boy managed to win against his nonno once, but as the years went by he was more and more sure he was simply handed the win.
Now here he was, sitting at a fable by himself in a study room. Ignoring everyone else in the room, he focused on his chessboard. Trying out new opening moves and how a match could proceed from there. “Knight to C3. Pawn to B6.” And the pieces were off, moving to their newly assigned locations by themselves. The other pieces remain still in their starter positions, waiting for their own commands.
Playing chess was much like commanding your own small army, Nico noted down. Each piece has its own purpose like the different types of soldiers you could have. And well pawns were your average day foot soldier meant more so to push back and distract the enemy rather than dwindle and numbers. Anyone would rather trade a pawn than their other pieces, pawns just weren’t much. The odds of getting them to the other side successfully, making them worth something, even lower. People just weren’t up for the risk of losing all their other pieces all for a pawn when those other pieces like rooks and bishops were more valuable from the start. Compared to a pawn that could only move one space forward in a straight line aside from the exception at the start when you first move a pawn, and how pawns can only ever capture your opponent’s pieces diagonally.
Most players Nico’s played the game with all seemed to agree on one thing. Pawns were relatively nothing more than fodder in a game of chess. Nico couldn’t help but wonder how the chess piece felt being regarded with so little worth. He at least knew he wouldn’t like to be seen as so little compared to everyone around him. It’s why he’s been trying to find more and more surefire ways to get a pawn to the other side and upgrade, but there never seemed to be a surefire way. It was irritating, to say the least, usually, Nico enjoyed a mental challenge, but this didn’t seem like a challenge anymore. It just felt impossible.
Not noticing the boy's approach, Nico nearly doubled over out of his seat. "You scared me." He spoke in Italian as he sat up straight once again in his seat and took a moment to catch his breath. Trying to calm down his spiked heart rate.
Looking over his newfound company for a minute in silence Nico only shrugged briefly. "I can teach you, besides I was getting bored of practicing alone anyway." There was an edge of nervousness to his voice as he grabbed the moved chess pieces and reset them to their starting positions. He's gotten better at not completely shutting down anymore when he meets new people, his time spent at Hogwarts not going to waste academically or socially it would seem. But he still had his own problems, especially with overthinking and not knowing what to say. Hopefully, he could make a new friend, but he had to make sure he didn't blow this.
No pressure, right?
Getting up he moved the seat next to his own to the opposite side of the table for Tommy to take. That way as they played they could be facing each other the entire time, returning to his own seat and settling down. Nico couldn't help the curiosity that grappled in him hearing his words. His head tilting slightly towards the left he didn't stop to think if what he said next was insensitive or not, just blurting out the first thing on his mind as he let his own intrigue take the reigns.
"A seer? I never met a seer before, is it true what they say about your visions? Are they always predicting something horrible that's going to happen in the future? Is it true that soon you are going to get grey hair like my nonno even though you're still young? You'd be a walking old man then, I always wondered if that part was true. Why does your hair even start to go grey because you're a seer anyway, I don't get it. " He rambled on. "Oh! Oh! Since you've been a seer for so long are you able to control your visions, like ummm. Ummm.." He struggled to find a word that would be fitting. His hands that he so prominently talks with stalling in the air as he trailed off.
"Like an on-and-off switch!" He exclaimed with a final decision.
"Ah right. I should introduce myself. Well, I'm Nico, Nico Romano. It's a pleasure to meet you." He gestured to seat in front of him. "Sorry if I'm keeping you up. You can sit if you'd like. Oh and sorry for all the questions, I don't mean any offense really." Nico waved his hands in front of him in a self-defensive manner. He really didn't mean to offend it was just a bad habit of his whenever he got curious. If he was interested in something he wanted to understand it, if he wanted to understand something he asked questions regardless of whether they were polite or not. It was a simply a terrible habit of speaking he had that always landed him in trouble with his nonno.
"Thanks for offering to play chess with me by the way, I was getting pretty lonely. Practice can only take you so far before you start to lose your mind after all." He joked with a small laugh, trying to lighten the mood in case he did make things awkward.
Already blowing it huh Nico? That has to be a new record.────────────────────────────────
| 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: @Tommy Patterson | 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: N/A |
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
5 Jun 2024, 23:10
Checkmate, you're stuck with me now!
Tommy pulled out the chair to sit down. Nico had unleashed a blitz of questions. It was a lot to take in. Perhaps this is how Tommy appeared when first meeting other students at the beginning. "One question at time please."
Tommy sat down, looking at the board of wizard chess pieces. 'What a boring grid', he thought to himself. He never really saw the appeal of the game. Slow paced strategy was boring, unlike the fast-paced, ever changing nature of quidditch, a real sport.
"I have no idea how any of these pieces move. You'll have to explain this to me step by step." Tommy said plainly, fixing his cloak as he sat down. Even if he didn't like wizarding chess, it could be beneficial to try something new. Maybe Nico could teach him something useful.
"My name is Tommy Patterson, no our visions are not always something terrible, yes I will go grey.". Tommy remembered that he knew of a seer already going grey in his house. Maybe he should start dyeing his hair grey next year? "As for grey hair, it wouldn't make me any older, our hair goes grey due to the stress and impact of visions" Tommy did not know if this was true to any degree, truth be told he knew very little about seers but he was good at lying and this seemed to be a logical explanation, believable, the most important part of any lie. "I cannot control my visions. I don't think any seer can, but I am renown and known for making countless predictions." This was technically true. Tommy DID make a lot of predictions. They just weren't due to visions...
"Regardless, would you please be kind enough to explain the rules of the game to me? I can answer any more questions you have while we play the match." Tommy asked, trying to look as if he were ready to pay attention despite already having wandering thoughts of the outside world. How could anyone focus in this room with so little going on?
Interacting with: @Nico Romano
Tommy sat down, looking at the board of wizard chess pieces. 'What a boring grid', he thought to himself. He never really saw the appeal of the game. Slow paced strategy was boring, unlike the fast-paced, ever changing nature of quidditch, a real sport.
"I have no idea how any of these pieces move. You'll have to explain this to me step by step." Tommy said plainly, fixing his cloak as he sat down. Even if he didn't like wizarding chess, it could be beneficial to try something new. Maybe Nico could teach him something useful.
"My name is Tommy Patterson, no our visions are not always something terrible, yes I will go grey.". Tommy remembered that he knew of a seer already going grey in his house. Maybe he should start dyeing his hair grey next year? "As for grey hair, it wouldn't make me any older, our hair goes grey due to the stress and impact of visions" Tommy did not know if this was true to any degree, truth be told he knew very little about seers but he was good at lying and this seemed to be a logical explanation, believable, the most important part of any lie. "I cannot control my visions. I don't think any seer can, but I am renown and known for making countless predictions." This was technically true. Tommy DID make a lot of predictions. They just weren't due to visions...
"Regardless, would you please be kind enough to explain the rules of the game to me? I can answer any more questions you have while we play the match." Tommy asked, trying to look as if he were ready to pay attention despite already having wandering thoughts of the outside world. How could anyone focus in this room with so little going on?
Interacting with: @Nico Romano