stiches, fragments

@mxlta: Fight The System (Closed Teslapunk/Royalty-in-hiding AU)

“Thanks- it’s been a while since I’ve actually gotten to play the game though so uh- eheh… I might need a few reminders on the rules. Just gonna say it now.” Giving the other a crooked smile back as he finished setting up the board for play.

“Black.” Quickly spinning the board around, careful not to knock over any of the pieces in the process. “So you get to go first.” This meant Eli would have that first-move advantage yes- but Alfred didn’t really care whether he won or not. For him it was the puzzle of it and all that thinking that was the fun.

@mxlta: Fight The System (Closed Teslapunk/Royalty-in-hiding AU)

“Eh- most of it yeah. It’s some of the snobbier customers I don’t like.” Giving a frustrated look momentarily as if mentally yelling at someone who wasn’t there. “Some of them don’t realize there’s a reason why I do things a certain way.” Getting out the chessboard and pieces, made up of holly and darkened willow woods- with the king and queen pieces respectively having crowns made of brass and tin, secured by way of several thin bent-in ‘flaps’.

“Thanks- it’s been a while since I’ve actually gotten to play the game though so uh- eheh... I might need a few reminders on the rules. Just gonna say it now.” Giving the other a crooked smile back as he finished setting up the board for play.

@mxlta: Fight The System (Closed Teslapunk/Royalty-in-hiding AU)

“Yeah- I guess. Just got a few last details to add. The pieces can be told apart by this point regardless.” He liked making detailed things- because they were more satisfying to add lots of detail to, even if it meant more work. “Wood and metal. That’s my day job, actually. The metal part of it, I mean.”

“Eh- most of it yeah. It’s some of the snobbier customers I don’t like.” Giving a frustrated look momentarily as if mentally yelling at someone who wasn’t there. “Some of them don’t realize there’s a reason why I do things a certain way.” Getting out the chessboard and pieces, made up of holly and darkened willow woods- with the king and queen pieces respectively having crowns made of brass and tin, secured by way of several thin bent-in ‘flaps’.

“Bitte!!” he said with a chuckle. “Okay, so if you vant to learn Romanian, you have to know how to say, ‘Yes, no, excuse me, zhank you, you’re velcome, and please.’” Andrei paced around Alfred as a school teacher would do. 

“Right so- Let’s start with yes and no, then?” He wanted to be able to answer basic questions easily.

“Alright— Yes is ‘da,’ and no is ‘nu,’ pretty basic, huh.” he said with a laugh.

Nodding- repeating the words to himself several times to help with memorization. “I’m a visual thinker, so visual aids will probably be a good idea later...”

@mxlta: Fight The System (Closed Teslapunk/Royalty-in-hiding AU)

It wasn’t long at all before the food was done cooking and Alfred ate it messily- some of the stitching on his left foot coming a bit loose when he sat himself down. He didn’t seem to notice or care, though. “I’m almost done making the chess set I promised myself’d be ready for your visit. I mean- I don’t know what kind of games you like, but I thought it’d help pass the time. And maybe distract you from some things- I just have to finish carving the last few pieces.”

“Yeah- I guess. Just got a few last details to add. The pieces can be told apart by this point regardless.” He liked making detailed things- because they were more satisfying to add lots of detail to, even if it meant more work. “Wood and metal. That’s my day job, actually. The metal part of it, I mean.”

“Bitte!!” he said with a chuckle. “Okay, so if you vant to learn Romanian, you have to know how to say, ‘Yes, no, excuse me, zhank you, you’re velcome, and please.’” Andrei paced around Alfred as a school teacher would do. 

“Right so- Let’s start with yes and no, then?” He wanted to be able to answer basic questions easily.

Alfred Jones. I don’t much mind any kind of nickname. Long as it’s not meant to be rude.

Alfred Jones. I don’t much mind any kind of nickname. Long as it’s not meant to be rude.

@mxlta: Fight The System (Closed Teslapunk/Royalty-in-hiding AU)

It wasn’t long at all before the food was done cooking and Alfred ate it messily- some of the stitching on his left foot coming a bit loose when he sat himself down. He didn’t seem to notice or care, though. “I’m almost done making the chess set I promised myself’d be ready for your visit. I mean- I don’t know what kind of games you like, but I thought it’d help pass the time. And maybe distract you from some things- I just have to finish carving the last few pieces.”

@mxlta: Fight The System (Closed Teslapunk/Royalty-in-hiding AU)

“Ja.” Alfred responded, nervously inching out from where he was hiding. “Are you one hundred percent sure?” He continued talking in slightly accented German- American accent, Low Saxon dialect. A few of the stitches on his skin becoming visible at that point. “Those dogs somehow seemed to know what I really was…”

“What you really are?” She questioned, noting the accent. “I don’t know what you mean by that, but…You aren’t from around here, are you? Why don’t you come out and come up with me to my apartment. We can work things out there and the dogs won’t bother you.” She smiled encouragingly at what she could see of the man, hoping to draw him out.

Finally he stepped on out, stitches and mismatched eyes now fully visible. “No. No I’m not... What I wouldn’t give to rest in peace again, really.” Shaking his head. “But I’m bound to this realm and- even like this it’d be painful to die again.”