(she/her) Fan of many things, always louder about what's currently spinning around in my head. I draw sometimes (self taught). I'm also on IG: https://www.instagram.com/pars3c_
For @holyshonks who so kindly gave me the prompt. Here is Lasky and Roland playing chess 3 days after Axios, 8 days before Halo Infinite, and 1 day before Roland's 2nd birthday for those keeping track at home. Character study written in one sitting at ass o clock.
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December 4, 2559
Three days of meetings, plans, and arguments has Captain Thomas J. Lasky sinking into his chair at his desk with exhaustion. Like a puppet with its strings cut, he goes boneless for a moment, head back and eyes shut before his back starts to complain and he thinks better of it.
Surrounded and outnumbered… His mother's words during their chess game ruminating on how long it will take him to solve this problem and how long he actually has. Time is running out and the plans are coming together, but is it enough?
The Created, the Banished, Covenant splinter groups, too many players on the field, too many openings, and not nearly enough pieces left to sacrifice.
Lasky clenches his hands into fists and flexes them, working out the nervous energy he can't show on the bridge.
"Roland." He calls to the open air, pulling out the old chessboard.
"Yes, Captain?" The little golden pilot avatar appears without a flourish, concern clear on his face from his stiff stance on the holo-emitter.
He should have expected that, Roland hasn't seen him set up the chess board under good circumstances. For all he knows, Roland has him playing chess flagged as a high risk scenario. Pulling out the ammo crate, he gestures to his Ship AI. "Play a game with me, I need to think."
"Sir, are you sure? Most of the crew doesn't like it when I play." Roland wavers, body language hesitant. Uncomfortable.
"Humor me." Lasky frowns. "It'll help me think, and I won't hold it against you when you lose."
A synthesized huff of air crackles the speaker on the desk and Roland makes his avatar pretend to roll up its sleeves.
He lines up the shell casings for both himself and Roland and then spins the board.
"And people say I'm dramatic." Roland mutters and opens with the King's Knight opening and his knight vying for control over the center of the board.
Lasky gives him a close lipped grin but keeps his eyes on the board as he considers the move. The enemy controlling the main space between him and his goal. Too many options, too many pieces.
"Still up for humoring me?" Lasky asks, not looking up.
"Sure, going to change the rules after the game starts? No one's ever done that to me before." Roland huffs.
Lasky removes one of his own knights and bishops from the board and places them next to the holo-emitter.
"Wait, what?"
"You're humoring me. I'm working some things out."
"By tying one hand behind your back while playing against an AI? Do you want me to race you in slipspace computations as well? Or just tell you how many moves it'll take for me to win?"
"It's not about winning." Lasky says, eyes scanning the board before he makes his move. "It is and it isn't, but winning can look different depending on your point of view."
"Ya know, no one likes hearing their captain talk like that, do I need someone who's a little more physically persuasive to come in here and check on you?" Roland doesn't say it like a joke.
Lasky laughs, a short clipped back, but it is an actual laugh. "Sure, get Cmdr. Palmer on the horn and tell her we're playing chess. I'm sure Sarah will come running to see."
"Point taken, but why remove pieces from the board so soon?" Roland crosses his avatar's arms and cocks its head as he calls out his move.
"We're not in this fight alone, but our enemies outnumber us, and we can't afford risky losses. I need to gain the upperhand and control the board while keeping our numbers equal or close while denying you control." He hesitates and then moves another pawn.
"And I can see all the angles and keep you in check while you think it through." Roland makes him sit with it and calls his next move, another bold choice with his bishop encroaching on open board space.
"Bad pun, but yes." Lasky moves his rook and eyes his options.
"Give me something, Captain. I've gotten a smile and laugh today for the first time in weeks. The whole ship's on edge and I think I'm seeing Spartans develop ulcers in real time."
"Can't have anything to do with you?" Lasky teases and claims a pawn.
"I see everything on this ship and I'm trying to keep it and morale afloat. Talk about keeping your pieces, people are scared. Ready to go down swinging, but their scared, Captain."
"I know." Lasky sighs as Roland claims a rook.
"Scared means emotional. Emotional means sloppy, risk-taking."
"Sometimes risks are necessary."
"Are you explaining cost-benefit analysis to an AI?"
"No, I'm practicing what I'm going to have to say to the crew who trusts me to see them through this." Lasky sighs. "When we're facing enemies that have us surrounded and outnumbered, and we only have so many options, we have to be honest with the likely outcomes, especially with what is at stake."
Roland's quiet as he shuffles his remaining pieces around, half-heartedly chasing Lasky.
A single black king dodges its fate for a few moves before being taken. The game ends. The pieces do not go back into the box.
Captain Lasky resets the board.
"Another game?" Roland asks, low enough the speaker barely fuzzes as he asks. His avatar brightens at the look on his captain's face.
Lasky sits up straight and stretches his hands before asking "Would you humor me?"
I love getting into games years after their release because, I shit you not, every friend that has watched me play these ""old"" games has always seen Some Bullshit they've never seen before from me, be it glitches or graphics breaking (rip my old laptop) or just straight up gameplay choices that only make sense to me but I can't actually explain. With Halo Infinite it was that emotionally distraught, non-animated Fernando. With Doom 2016 it was me somehow glitching a lift in, like. The second level of the game. With Metal Gear Solid it was whatever this is
In short: if anyone needs a beta tester, hit me up
Just remembered the first time I played Halo Infinite with my old laptop where the cutscenes kept breaking (graphics card couldn't handle the game) and just,,, gave me the most dead inside Fernando one could ever imagine
yeah i like to give my blessing to the most pathetic looking weak little knight at the tournament. she can’t even look me in the eye when i give her my flower and she stutters out that she’ll do her best or something of the like. i think its funny when she has to cry and beg my forgiveness and i get to say “such a shame, i suppose my hand in marriage will have to go to someone else…” and then i get to hear her whimper like a dog. ive done this like 6 times alrea-
Playing Doom (2016) for the first time and getting introduced to Samuel Hayden being like What is wrong with this guy and then reading the lore entry being "he's a physics graduate" and it's like Ah yeah that explains it
If you don't know what that is, check this post out!
Last year I organized some Spartan Ops charity streams for Feeding America and we raised a lot of money! Previous years have been a free-for-all of sharing and attacks.
This year I'm wondering what people would think about continuing the charity thing/adding more ways to participate?
I'm going to add a poll to this post soon, so keep your eyes out, but ideas include a participation Bingo Board, scheduling more streams/exploring tiltify team options, and I'm open to ideas that could make this more fun for everyone!
No plans to do some kind of team or competition, but personal attacks are still welcome and in the spirit of the event!
Feel free to throw ideas in the replies if you want to share!
B. Potluck Scavenger Hunt/Bingo Board (a way to show off participation)
C. Spotlight Submissions (Promo your friends and neighbors)
D. Ask culture/Comment drive (talking to people again!)
E. All/Combo of these
Remaining time: 11 hours 7 minutes
Gathering thoughts and feedback while being realistic of what I can plan! I do love a spreadsheet and pickerwheels and learned how to use Tiltify last year.
A. Tiltify allows teams of streamers to grab timeslots, stream whatever, and support charities that are vetted.
B. This would be a checklist solely for fun and to go hey I participated. Everything is made up and the points don't matter.
C. I make a potluck sideblog and take submissions and queue up a bunch of small promos to promote people/artists/writers/gif makers/underwater basket weavers. Again, spreadsheets will be involved.
D. This has probably been the most invisible part of Potluck as it's not in the tag, but making some way to promote commenting/ sending nice asks/anons/ making recs and sharing nice feedback with the creators of fanworks
important reminder that most people you follow online are significantly lamer than you think they are including me. and if you feel insecure comparing yourself to someone online: DON'T. theyre probably also lame and weird. most people on the internet are
