[Open Post] ..like the bird that you can't see..

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot is in a very good mood indeed. He feels settled, assured. He feels as he did, he thinks, back when he first found his feet at court -- he is someplace he belongs, he can be assured that people will treat him with respect, if not kindness or welcoming. He lets himself revel in it, a little, as it's been a long while since he felt anywhere near as nice as this.

The weather is good: sunny, crisp, the familiar feeling of autumn as winter is hovering close by. He goes to his own room and fetches his sword. He runs his usual drills, though with a kind of ease and almost carelessness he hasn't had since he was young. (Perhaps he is young enough, still. He can't be sure. He has already lived past the age his father was when he died, but that means almost nothing. His father died in battle and Lancelot is, now, no longer likely to ever see such a fate.)

Afterwards, he showers and decides he might as well find breakfast. So he's now heading toward one of the kitchens, looking cheerful for once.

Comments

[lanselos_du_lac]

He does see it, and it makes him flush, as she might have expected it would. "I find I like it well," he says lightly, "And if this gambit will not work, at least I will have tried."

He makes a move, still on the offense, and lets himself take a moment to look at her.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Fond, Susan lets herself be looked at while she surveys the board. She has a choice to make: a safe move, more defensive than anything, that shores up her ability to circumvent any clever attacks he might make down the line, or a risky move which might leave her vulnerable but has the opportunity to impress him if it goes well.

She takes the risky move, and two of his pieces with it. This could leave him an opening, but only if he risks something in return.

[lanselos_du_lac]

He grins, moving the mug away still further, as if he needs space for engaging in this duel. "Oh, lady-- a fierce move." Lancelot considers again and then takes the risk; it wins him only one of her pieces, and it feels like a risk, but more than anything he enjoys watching her react.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan has spent quite a bit of time over the past half-year unable to smile, so it's easy enough to swallow the urge right now and fake a solemn expression. This is going to be good. Her next move is a defensive one, but also a trap - if Lancelot goes for the obvious piece, she'll be very well set-up.

[lanselos_du_lac]

And, of course, he does exactly that, and with very little further consideration. He does, though, take the liberty of reaching for her hand.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

As Susan curls her fingers around Lancelot's, she takes three of his pieces.

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot laughs, squeezing her hand, "Christ! My reputation as any sort of strategist is lost."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"My esteem is not so easily swayed," Susan says, the corner of her mouth curling up. Unfortunately, in her decisiveness, she has now left a much clearer path for him to seek to be kinged -- no, queened. Worth it, she decides.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Ah, I see," grinning at her, "I had no such reputation with thee to start."

So he moves toward the opportunity to be queened, and though he keeps her hand he does at last take up his mug again.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan decides to let him pursue it: she wants to see what he will do with the additional power, and anyway, he's now left her a route to the same. She slides one piece safely to a border square along the sides.

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot considers again, then moves into the queen space. "Ah-- there."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Oh, well done," says Susan, not bothering to feign surprise. She's pleased; she's so terribly pleased as she deposits a piece on top of his successful bid. Then she moves her safe piece to be queened, too, and raises an eyebrow at him.

[lanselos_du_lac]

He laughs, letting go of her hand to do so, "Aye, your majesty. Well-crowned."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Ah! My rightful position."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"There's no argument from me on that count."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan hides the smugness of her smile with a sip of her own tea. She really is interested to see how well he plays with a king, and so she settles back in her chair again. "Your move, sir."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Sadly for Susan, Lancelot has never been much of a tactician -- he takes orders well, and he is extremely capable, but tactics are not his strong suit.

He nudges her foot with his own, and ponders. After some time, he moves a piece that's not his queened piece. A new gambit, it seems.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

It's possible Susan will lose her queen for this, but he's set it up so nicely for her - she uses her queen to take two more of his pieces. There she hesitates for just a moment. A third, and she'll definitely lose her queen with his next move, but she'll also be well-poised to win within the next few rounds.

She nods to herself, and runs the side of her boot up his shin, slowly, and reaches for his hand, bringing it to her lips so she can press a kiss to the soft, tender skin of his wrist. Then she takes his third piece.

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot flushes again, as she could have expected, but laughs as well. "Oh, lady, thou'rt clever."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I like being good at things," she admits.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Well," lightly, "who doesn't?" He is losing this game, that's for certain. Even so, he moves aggressively with his newly crowned piece.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan's next move is a defensive one, but still preparing for another attack. "I suppose," she says, and offers: "I've a brother who would lose on purpose, regularly, to get a measure of his opponents, but that's never been my style."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"He sounds a clever man," making another move of his own, similarly defensive. "I cannot claim to be clever or wise."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Hm," says Susan as she moves a piece of her own, the sound laced with palpable doubt. She seems to recall lecturing him on the unkind way he spoke of himself during their first meeting. "There are many ways to be clever."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Perhaps, lady, perhaps," gamely.