checkmate

Interrupted Thoughts | Alex & OPEN

alex--cheshire:

Alex blinked. Then he blinked again. Until this very moment it had never occurred to him that the lifestyle he had built for himself would be considered stressful or undesirable to others. He enjoyed being constantly busy. He had devised a very specific schedule for himself so that he was given strategic rest periods, in order to maintain healthy, and the rest of his day was planned out right down to which subjects’ homework was completed at which time. His life had been so terrible before Hogwarts, the life he lived now was still like a dream to him. “Does she? I hadn’t noticed. I actually enjoy my busy schedule. It’s organized and allows me to get everything completed in a timely fashion.”

The blank look he was greeted with gave Noah the most convincing piece of evidence that the right Head Boy had been chosen, atleast. “It’s been an adjustment period,” he allowed after a moment, feeling a bit like he’d tossed Grace under the bus in the process of trying to figure Alex out. “Things have definitely mellowed out a lot more. Only lost one third year to a trick step this week. So,” Noah paused to shrug since he needed time to articulate what he was thinking, in exactness. “I just didn’t think you could plan for the eventuality of four times as many people needing something from you, is all.”

Interrupted Thoughts | Alex & OPEN

alex--cheshire:

Alex could feel the insincerity coming off of Noah, but he much preferred standard answers to a detailed account of someone’s holiday. He realized belatedly how formal a handshake could seem, and suddenly felt foolish for having offered it. Releasing Noah’s hand, he took a step back and did his best to give the boy a friendly smile. “Holiday went as usual. Why would it be badly once I got back here?” The comment confused Alex, and he was certain that there was a puzzle piece he was missing in order to properly attend this conversation.

Noah’s head tilted, a flash of confusion crossing over his face, though the expression there remained pleasant. “Just, all of this,” he began, gesturing around them with his now-free hand. The grounds were teeming with students, taking in what was, to them, new and unfamiliar terrain. “Haven’t you been super busy? I saw Grace just after the welcome feast and she looked stressed. Still looks stressed, from what I can tell. And for the first week, I felt like I had first years velcroed to me and all I had was a prefects’ badge.”

Interrupted Thoughts | Alex & OPEN

alex--cheshire:

Alex could feel the awkwardness emanating from the young man below him. Deciding he’d better continue the conversation, for politeness sake, he turned his broom towards the ground. Landing gracefully, he propped his broom against his shoulder and closed some of the distance between himself and Noah. In the six years that they’d known one another, Alex couldn’t remember a time that he had actually spoken to the Gryffindor outside of classes. They were very like-minded, which meant that they tended to focus on their studies and excelling in school rather than forging outside relationships. On the other hand, Noah was about the closest thing to a friend that Alex had ever had.

Hoping that Alex’s promotion to Head Boy over Noah wouldn’t sully the tenuous relationship that they’d forged over the years, Alex stuck proffered his hand for the other to shake. He had always been rubbish at social interaction, and wasn’t quite sure what to do with the situation that had been presented to him. “Noah. Pleasant summer?”

“Pleasant enough,” Noah answered, which was more or less the default response he had been giving since the start of term. Divulging anything more than necessary wasn’t his style, and he knew for a fact Cheshire followed the same line of thought. Still, courtesy dictated he ask as much of Alex as their hands met. The quick shake that was far more formal than it was strictly friendly but still more welcoming than responses from some others in his life. “I don’t suppose yours went too badly, atleast not until you got back here?”

Interrupted Thoughts | Alex & OPEN

alex--cheshire:

After a particularly difficult DADA lesson, Alex was more than looking forward to the next Quidditch practice that evening. Nothing could quite compare with the wind in his hair and his broom between his legs. Flying always made his life seem a bit more effortless, and it was one of the few things that he didn’t have to work as hard in order to excel. Lost in his thoughts, he was surprised when a voice nearby called out his name. Turning, he gave the speaker his attention, albeit with a bit of snark at having his thoughts interrupted. “Yes, what can I do for you?”

The day had gone a little better than Noah expected, all things considered. Defense had proven easier than expected, and he even managed to understand about half of what Professor Penderghast had been going over in Arithmancy. Grateful for the lack of prefect rounds in the evening, the gryffindor figured it couldn’t hurt to actually enjoy campus for the first time since the start of term. Noah realized he was spending too much time on the quidditch pitch when he headed there automatically, trailing down the path in the late afternoon sun. There was one person airborne, and it took Noah all the way to the stands to figure out just who it was. It was much harder to tell now there were so many more students milling around. Without thinking about it, he lifted his hand in a wave and called out his old friend’s name. The way Cheshire turned had Noah re-evaluating, since this would be their first interaction one-on-one since the start of term and he had absolutely no clue why he had even initiated it. “Oh, uh nothing,” he answered slowly, hands going into his jacket pockets instead of crossing over his chest. Open, Noah figured, not defensive. “Just saying hi.”

#about #literally @ gryffindor #@ anyone #daniel castellano and noah romero are one

basketcasemp3

blitz | noah & lia

lia-villace:

And Noah was leaving– Always taking the first steps to leave. At the same moment that something in her gut fell, her chest felt heavier and Lia nodded. “Yeah, whatever.” It felt stupid to hope for anything. She didn’t want that anymore. Noah was never going to not let her down and she should have been done expecting ages ago. If she was mad and angry, at least there would be no hope. And no hope she could live with. “See you,” Lia offered quickly before grabbing her bag. Without any glances at him, she did the closet thing to fleeing– The bloom of hurt and hatred was there again.

#--end #lia002

blitz | noah & lia

lia-villace:

Lia’s head rolled so that it face the table and she let herself smile. She really fucking missed this. Savoring the moment for a few more seconds, Lia sat back up with a more-or-less for show frown. “Magnus taught me that whenever your battery runs out, give up and die.”

Someone tapped on the table beside them and Lia looked up to see Tibbets. She glared again. “Um, Chess Club is over now. They’re gonna prep for dinner…” He glanced between the two before dipping out.

Turning back to Noah, Lia really didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t ready for this to be over, so she waited for him to do something.

Noah didn’t have anything to say to that. It was, technically, even a chess move. Instead he found himself startled by Tibbets’ arrival. He knew why the other student was speaking up and not just letting dinner happen around them. Tuesdays were his busiest at the moment, thanks to prefect patrols and chess club and-- he was going to have to leave Lia behind right as she started acting normal again. The realization was quick but the feeling that he was missing out, making the wrong move, undoing vital forward progress, that took its time to blossom in his chest. Noah stared back at her for a beat, since Tibbets had more or less turned tail after making eye contact with Lia. “I... have to go,” he offered lamely, reaching for his wand just to bundle the chess set back into his bag with an apologetic grimace. He was on his feet, duty tugging him in the direction of his patrol tonight as something in him fought strongly to stay right where he was. “But, I’ll see you? For tryouts?” Even though Lia had made it clear, it still exited his mouth as a hopeful question, head tilting as his he took a few trailing steps backwards, bag slipping over his shoulder.

blitz | noah & lia

lia-villace:

Noah moved again and checked her. Lia immediately flattened on the table. It was quite clear that she wasn’t going to beat him as planned, but somewhere along the way, the plan had changed and the game between them became less important. “Ughhh,” Lia groaned, “Chess is the worst in the world.” Staring at the board, dully, Lia spoke again without raising her head. “Move it for me.”

Noah’s amusement was genuine, and his head tilted to look down at her. “No,” he answered on a laugh. “Get up here and lose like a man. Show me what Magnus taught you.” There were ways for her to get out of the check, and he was more than willing to show her that went beyond a first-year skill level.

blitz | noah & lia

#me: i sure fuckin wish i knew how to chess #lia002

lia-villace:

Noah’s answer wasn’t promising, but she knew, at the very least, he would considering– He was generally a man of his word, after all, and Lia always took what he said for face value. “Well,” Lia lifted her shoulders, helplessly, “If you’re not busy, I’d like to see you there.” She bit her lip again, eyes downcast before lighting up. Just as quick as the flash in her eyes came, Lia’s hand made a swipe at the board and she overtook his rook. “I’m sorry, Romero,” Lia shook her head before placing the piece next to the pawn she’d taken earlier. “Have you ever played chess before?”

Noah nodded once, accepting the invitation for what it was worth. There was no way he would be busy, so it appeared he would be trying out after all. Instead of dwelling on that, Noahwatched the board with mild interest as she took his rook. He edged his queen forward into the space his rook had vacated. “Y’know, I have, actually,” he admitted before continuing in his blandest tone. “Check.”

blitz | noah & lia

lia-villace:

Lia’s head tilted slightly at his answer. She nodded a little for him to go on. To be fair, he did have a right to feel unwelcomed to it– Lia had been nothing, but mean to him before now. There was good reason, of course. Still, she needed to formulate some way to convince him she would be fine with him trying out; fine if he was on the team. A large part already thought she’d messed that up, but she had to at least try. Game forgotten entirely, Lia slowly nodded. “I do.” Lia was quiet for a moment as she bit her lip, nervously. “I’m gonna be a fair Captain, you know.”

Noah blinked at her. The fact that Lia wanted him to try out was surprising but he had to assume that talking to him at all was surprising. That made everything that happened from here on out unfamiliar territory. “I don’t doubt that,” he answered automatically. And really he didn’t. Lia would be a fair captain, and a good one at that, but the place where they had trouble was with Lia as an ex-girlfriend, which could exist entirely outside of the quidditch pitch. He weighed his options. Since actually trying out and making the team would be familiar, he couldn’t even say he was going with the flow. “And I’ll see what I can do. With prefect things and all.”

blitz | noah & lia

lia-villace:

Lia knew she should have been more upset when Noah took yet another piece, but she couldn’t quite manage it. The anger wasn’t there anymore, not while it had gradually (though the realization was sudden), seemed as though none of the bad stuff had happened. Lia didn’t know why but whenever she was with Noah, they just…clicked. No matter what. Her attention from the game had wandered and she moved some piece wherever as her eyes were on Noah. “You’re going to try out for Quidditch, right?” Lia asked, her tone probably the most calm it had been the entire time.

Noah watched her move, brow furrowing as Lia moved her piece. He opened his mouth to remind her that bishops had to stay on their assigned color, and ended up closing it again at her question. “I wasn’t sure about that, actually,” he answered truthfully. The thought of trying out for a team headed by Lia had seemed, at best, to be an open invitation to ridicule. But the last five minutes-- and really, Noah was perfectly willing to take it down to minutes where Lia’s emotional state was concerned-- were the most friendly he’d had in almost four months. The fact that this mood couldn’t hold out for all that long gave him pause that nearly matched the way he enjoyed her company. He moved a pawn before continuing. “Did you want me to?”

blitz | noah & lia

lia-villace:

Lia’s frown deepened considerably at his joke. Certainly it was, and maybe that was obvious, but he could have had the decency to not mention it. When he glanced at her, she pointedly turned her nose to him, but looked back down when he moved his pawn.

Without any hesitation, Lia took it for her own, grinning widely. It wasn’t difficult to tell that Noah had done it on purpose, but the fact that he did, well…It was familiar…and it was nice. Of course, she would absolutely let him be under the impression that she was just stupid and thought she’d earned the piece on her own. “Of course I did– You’ve been too cocky for too long,” Lia lightly wagged his pawn in her hand, pridefully. “You don’t deserve it.”

Another contemplative hum from Noah. This was a pattern he had come to know well, where Lia talked herself up and the tone was competitive-- but friendly, too. It felt familiar and that in itself was unusual. He wasn’t sure how to process this, since her grin was hard to ignore and even harder not to return. Instead, he took the knight Lia had left unprotected without looking at her, trying to decide if he really was so cocky that he needed to be taken down a peg. “Could be warranted, I guess,” he responded after a moment. “But I don’t think you’re there yet.”