fandomhigh | Battle Tactics and Strategy; Thursday, Fourth Period [01/25].

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Battle Tactics and Strategy; Thursday, Fourth Period [01/25].

Walking into the classroom that week, the students should be able to quickly discern what the lesson would be about just by looking at how it was set up, and, if not, then perhaps you may be needing this class far more than Ignis believed he could help you with.

Because the desks were arranged in a way that they were paired up with a chess board on each one. He did wait a moment, right after the bell went off, for everyone to decide if they were just going to claim a spot at one of the table straight away, or just wait a moment before relegating them to the fate of probably having to combat whoever ended up across from them, and then he began.

"Anyone even slightly familiar with the game of chess," he stated, "should know that it is, indeed, an incredibly logical follow-up to a discussion about order of battle. It is, after all, an abstract game almost entirely build to strategy and planning and moving units with particular roles and specifications across a field with one ultimate goal: to capture the king. And while chess seems to have a remarkably impressive influence across the multiverse, we will take a moment to go over how to play the game and discuss the various pieces and perhaps a few common tactics to employ, which will hopefully serve as a refresher for those of you already familiar with the game, and a point of inspiration and instruction for those who may be learning of it for the first time or have only a passing exposure to the game. Then, of course, you will find yourself a worthy opponent or two, time permitting, and face off.

"I'd like," he added, "for you all to pay particular attention to the ways in which your opponent is playing, as well as being mindful of what strategies you employ yourself. There is a good chance it will be a topic of heavy discussion next week, but today? It's all just about the game."

His smile suggested, of course, that nothing was ever all about just the game, and it lingered, for just a moment, before he began to divulge the lesson.

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Which chess piece would you be?

Conveniently, somehow, the version of chess that Ignis knows best happens to be the same one that is known on this world as well as his own! Weird how that works! But he is definitely going over how to play for those who might not be so lucky as to have an equal match, and is always willing to answer questions.

Find a partner and battle it out on the chessboard! But will it be an innocent game between friends, or something much more deep and calculating?

Yes, there was definitely a reason there was heavy emphasis put on verbalizing moves when they're made, as well.

Nell Ingram - former pawn, current status uncertain

Nell found herself a desk and smiled at whomever joined her. She only knew the very basics of chess, so don't expect much!

Liliana Vess - Obviously the queen, baby

Steve Rogers - bishop

Liliana was just going to spend the lecture playfully glaring at Ignis. This was terribly rude to Lilianas and he knew exactly why.

"Hello," Liliana said, settling down across the board from Nell. "Do you play, little woods witch?"

After her game with Nell ended, Liliana was going to saunter over to where Ignis was. "Does the professor have a partner?" she asked.

Graham Cracker - ~~King~~ Knight, obviously!

And, oh, what a myriad of responses that managed to inspire, as Ignis turned his attention away from just listening to the various games going on at the moment toward Liliana was a faint smirk.

(And the flare of immediately categorizing that question as a rather loaded one was fairly insubstantial, compared to what it may have been not even a few mere weeks ago).

"Indeed, he does," Ignis said, quite literally unable to help himself, because that was not the answer he had intended to give, but rather the one that just happened to come out instead on its own volition, albeit, thank all the Astrals, at least not in song.

"Although," he added, in what he felt was a nearly seamless recovery, "if you're referring to the game, Ms. Vess, I am, currently, unmatched."

Illyana Rasputin -- ~~ex-pawn~~ Knight

Liliana didn't know what imp of perversity had her asking that question in exactly that fashion, but it was the same one that had her replying, "Oh? And here I thought you'd found yourself very well matched indeed." Her smile was a teasing thing, flirting with wicked, but not yet fully committing. "Either way, I was wondering if you'd fancy a game or two."

They did so adore their games, even if the ones played in this hour needed to be more restrained than their wont.

"I know the very basics, but I don't really play," Nell admitted. "I assume you do?"

At the first sight of the chessboard, the rest of the room vanished for Illyana. It was just her heart pounding in her ears, the board, a ghost of a voice at the back of her brain.

Sit down, my sweet Apprentice. Let's play a game. Magic requires a disciplined mind...

She could almost see him sitting there, red skin and a demon's smile.

No. He was not allowed to haunt her here. Illyana flexed her hands, took a deep breath and sat down at one of the desks, but she wasn't exactly listening to the lesson.

She would play, and she would leave, and she could go scream into a pillow at home.

And even though he had set himself up for a comment like that first, Ignis had to admit to himself that he didn't think much about it beyond just rather throwing it out there to see if Liliana caught it, and then finding himself mostly just too pleased that she had t o really come up with a truly superior retort.

Thus only proving the point, really. Which stirred just a little harder in his chest now, softened some of the crookedness out of his grin as he simply answered, "Always."

There was, however, a moment, not of hesitation, but more like a small catch of intrigue as his head tilted slightly. "I'd have thought, though, that'd you'd appreciate the opportunity for a change of pace."

He realized, after he said it, that it might be construed a bit, like fishing for a compliment, although, really, he was fishing for something else entirely.

Sorry, whomever decided they were Illyana's partner today. While she wasn't generally a cheery ray of sunshine, she was decidedly less-verbose than usual, with 100% of her attention on the board.

"I adore the game," Liliana admitted, dimples showing. "I gave Ignis a chess set for Christmas. Our games sometimes get quite heated."

And the awards for both least surprising statement and also statement with most multilayered meanings go to...

Just in time, too, as the treaties did not make provisions for the ironic, self-effacing, or wry varietals, as those stores were abundant and full long before the accord was reached and documents signed and thus, would never have passed inspection and would not have counted towards quota.

"Why?" Liliana said, her attention setting up the (vastly inferior) board, of course, as this was simply a conversation with no deeper meanings or subtext at all. "Mr. Scientia, surely you have discovered that while novelty is all well and good and certainly has its place, when it comes to things that truly matter - like a good game of chess - the fun comes not from breezing through new opponents, but in finding one that offers you not only a thrilling game, but one you can delve into and explore, learning one facet of how they play just in time for them to reveal another, keeping you fascinated and delighted as the game itself has changed though the participants have not." She looked up, arching a brow at him. "Or has that not been your experience...?"

"Oh boy," Nell said. "I'm afraid I won't give you a very good game then."

Heated? Ignis and Liliana? Nell wasn't even touching that on, though she might have gotten a tiny twinkle in her eye.

Liliana had no idea what Nell could possibly be referring to. She referred merely to the the intensity of their play--ahahaha yeah, okay, Liliana had absolutely meant it both ways and had no compunctions about either.

"That's fine, dear," Liliana said, waving a hand. "Would you like to play it as a tutorial game? Or--" She paused. Nell didn't seem to be the sort to appreciate her more...interesting...approach to chess and its underlying philosophy. "Or just play several times and see what happens?"

"Oh," said Ignis, who, hearing even the soft touch of the pieces being set up on the (unquestionably inferior) board, had moved to the desk and already pulled out one of the chairs, "an opponent well-studied will inevitably prove to be one far more rewarding than one that may come and go with but fleeting regard. Though, it's interesting..."

With that, he sat, taking a moment to send his hand out to find the edge of the board, and, after that, to determine what pieces she had set up already and which ones might be left for him to assist with.

"...that you mention how the game itself has changed, but that's not necessarily true, now, is it? The strategies, the tactics, the plotting and planning, surely, but it is still, fundamentally, the same rules, the same pieces, the same moves, just ordered differently...."

"Well," Liliana said, handing over several pieces for him to set up on his own side of the board, "far be it for me to tell the chef his business, but couldn't one say something very similar about cooking? Take a soufflé, for instance. The same rules, mostly the same ingredients, generally prepared the same way, but with those few changes to ingredients, you have an entirely different dish. Sweet or savory, a meal or a dessert...even a plain soufflé served differently - say, sugared with a side of ice cream, versus with a rich gravy over a thick cut of meat and sautéed vegetables - can change your appreciation of the dish entirely. Is it the same thing? Well, yes. So sayeth pedantry, at least. But pedantry struggles against actual experience, I've often found." She gave him a cheeky smile and, as she'd taken the white pieces for herself, moved her first pawn. "B3."

"Whichever you'd prefer," Nell said with a smile. "Tutorial might be easier for me, but more boring for you. And since I have no confidence in my skill herel I'm fine with anything."

"Dear one, that's where you are mistaken," Liliana said, setting up the board so that Nell could play the white pieces and therefore go first. "I love teaching. I always have."

"Then by all means, help me out here," Nell said.

"Of course, dear one," Liliana said. "Now then, lets see how you start..."

~~Liliana plays chess far better than I do, so perhaps we fade here?~~

[~~Can't be worse than me, so fading is great!~~]

Alara Kitan - Rook

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Battle Tactics and Strategy; Thursday, Fourth Period [01/25].

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