High above the bustling of the students, above the awestruck windows looking out at the sky, the ever-moving boughs of the trees, and the cats napping on the warm roof tiles, there's a weathercock. Multiple actually, a whole flock of them, jutting out from various towers of various buildings on the campus. Only some of them actually show the direction of the wind blowing past them, others show the weather conditions of places far away, or long-past, or occasionally nonexistent. Some point in the direction of an important artifact, or towards the fate or destiny of some unlucky kid of prophecy, some are the playthings of mysterious magical anomalies, some have learned to fly and spend their days bothering cats or stealing pens and sandwiches from distracted students. The purpose of most of these weathercocks is unknown, though occasionally some enterprising students take it upon themselves to study the movement patterns of their chosen specimen, in the hopes of figuring out what makes them turn. One particular weathercock has captured the attention of many such souls with its specific schedule and intent movements, which suggested it must be moved by a human-like (or, perhaps, greater) intelligence, or, at the very least, responding to magic that is.
I've been having a lot of fun reading the Cockwatchers' theories in the uni's newspaper, or listening in on their conversations in the cafeteria during lunch, so it breaks my heart to have to reveal this, but it's not really magic. No dark secrets, no great futures, no horrifying anomalies lie in the direction this particular weathercock is pointing (well, I suppose they may, but only by accident). In truth, I have been using it to play chess and occasionally checkers with some fae in the eastern part of the forest. I have a free period on tuesdays and fridays in the northern wing of the Media and Communications building, and I figured starting telecommunications with something in the forest would be a good way to pass the time. It kinda just snowballed from there. We've come up with quite an efficient system of signals, I'm pretty proud of it actually.
The point is, they're starting to get way too good at it. At the board games, I mean. I sort of had the upper hand when I started teaching them how to play, but I've never been especially good at either of these games, and apparently they practice amongst themselves in-between our sessions, so they're starting to consistently kick my ass. I haven't bet anything I was sad to lose, but it is getting on my nerves a bit, and anyways I've come up with a really good quip for when I win, and I want to get the chance to use it. Which brings me to the real reason I'm confessing to this whole thing: I need a chessmaster to come help me out. Or a checkersmaster, if there is such a thing. So if any of y'all want to come play (and help me win) against some fae, you can find me during 5th period on tuesday or 2nd period on friday on the 1 1/2th floor of the northern tower of the Media and Communications building, by the window with the paint-speckled windowsill that looks out at the tiny weathercock at the top of the eastern tower. Bring a trinket you wouldn't mind losing. And maybe some snacks too, while you're at it.
