Aesthetics of Badassery | Monday - 1st Period

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

Bobby was not a badass. Anyone who had ever met him knew that, and he knew it more than most. But he was somehow the TA for this class, and goshdarnit, he was going to give it a shot.

Instead of Mr. Bond, Bobby was standing at the front of the room with 6 chessboards carefully set up with all their pieces.

"Hi guys," he said with a dorky little wave. "So Mr. Bond isn't here today. Obviously. And so I'm going to teach the class. I don't know of a lot of things that are badass - other than volunteering and getting involved in your political process because changing the world and making it a better place is the most badass thing I can think of. Decisions are made by those who show up."

He paused. "But that's not what I'm going to talk about today no matter how much I want to. Today I want to talk about chess. Chess doesn't seem like that badass a game - it's just a board game, right? But chess is one of the closest ways you can get to fighting a war without any casualties. And chess is the best way to get to know someone else. If you're paying attention to your partner's strategy and moves, you can figure out how their brain works - and then use then when dealing with them in other situations." Or so he'd heard. He hadn't exactly figured out how yet.

Bobby gave a remarkably succinct explanation of the history of chess and how to get started on a game, which pieces move where, etc. He summed up with "uh, so if there are any questions? I can answer them. Otherwise it'd be cool if everyone wanted to pair up and try a game. I put a sheet with all the ways the pieces can move by every board in case you want to refer to it again."

Comments

Re: Talk to Bobby

[puppywithatutu.livejournal.com]

"You are an excellent kiss ass," Caroline replied. "I bet you hear that a lot, though. Not that you're wrong. Men are totally weak. For example, flash a little skin and it's all over."

Ooh, something else she was excellent at demonstrating!

Re: Talk to Bobby

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"I'm not trying to!" he protested, frowning a little. "And I didn't mean like that. Though, you're probably right too." As last week confirmed. Sigh.

Re: Talk to Bobby

[puppywithatutu.livejournal.com]

"I'm always right," she smirked, checking to see if he'd just go along with her or not like the mean girl she could be.

Re: Talk to Bobby

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

Bobby frowned, torn between agreeing and making a face. "Maybe not always. Especially not about chess."

Or Student Council.

Re: Talk to Bobby

[puppywithatutu.livejournal.com]

"Chess. Seriously, do people our age play this? It seems like such an old man in the park in old movies sort of game." That included the old dudes who were hot for each other in the mutant movies.

Re: Talk to Bobby

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

They were hot for each other when they were young dude too.

"I play it!" Bobby pointed out. "Dr. Benedict taught me how cause Mom and Jack wouldn't play with me anymore."

Re: Talk to Bobby

[puppywithatutu.livejournal.com]

"Because you always win?" Caroline figured. "So it's old men and...you. You're what, thirteen?" Look, it was a decent guess given what she knew of him.

Re: Talk to Bobby

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"I'm fifteen!" he protested, frowning at her. "Well, I will be in three weeks. And I bet a lot of kids here play. And there are world champions who are teenagers!"

He was still scowling. "...you thought I was thirteen?"

Re: Talk to Bobby

[puppywithatutu.livejournal.com]

Oops? So maybe she wasn't as good at guessing ages as she'd thought.

"To my credit I was only a year off!"

Re: Talk to Bobby

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"Two years!" he argued. "ANd there's a big difference from 13 to...older."

Re: Talk to Bobby

[puppywithatutu.livejournal.com]

"Uh huh, except for how young and old seem to go together if you believe Hallmark commercials," Caroline told him. "That must be why we're friends." Because that was clearly a massive age difference.

Re: Talk to Bobby

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

Bobby made a face at her. "I don't think we should believe things made to sell greeting cards."

Re: Talk to Bobby

[puppywithatutu.livejournal.com]

"Does that mean you're all anti-greeting cards now?" Obviously she'd have to make a special effort to send him some really inappropriate ones for his birthday.

Re: Talk to Bobby

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"I'm not anti-them," he pondered. Being a teenage boy and all, he hadn't ever really thought about them. "But why can't you just say what's on the card instead of buying a card? It seems silly."

Re: Talk to Bobby

[puppywithatutu.livejournal.com]

"Because sometimes the card can say it better," she suggested. "I mean, I know I talk a lot, but sometimes I don't have any clue what it is I'm supposed to be saying, especially in an emotionally heightened situation." Like when idiot boys ask her how she feels about them, ugh.

Re: Talk to Bobby

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

Bobby was...not even a little amused at Caroline's comment. Really. Totally disregard the starting of a smile there. It was a false smile.

"Yeah, but are you going to say 'hang on, I have to go buy a card?"

Re: Talk to Bobby

[puppywithatutu.livejournal.com]

What? "No. Oh my God, you argue everything," she realized suddenly. "Seriously Bobby, you're lucky you're cute or I'd be questioning Jack on how he let you survive so long."

Re: Talk to Bobby

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

"No I don't!" he argued then looked sheepish. "I mean, I don't mean to. Um." Seriously, this was hard when she was right. "I don't think Jack thinks I'm cute. That'd be weird."