drabblememe for pandap, Johnny Maxwell, gen.

[jamjar]

Johnny sighed and moved his bishop. "Check," he said.

His opponent moved a pawn. "MATE."

Johnny nodded and started to clear up his pieces. "Guess you win again. I've got--"

"BEST OUT OF NINETEEN? I THINK YOU ALMOST HAD ME THAT LAST TIME."

It helped if he just thought about him as a--

Actually, it helped if he didn't think about him, except maybe as another Alderman or a Mrs Tachyon, just cleaner and more solid and thinner. He wasn't like that at all, because those people were definitely people, definitely human, and this one wasn't, but...

His Grandad had taught him to play a few months back when he was off sick with the 'flu and it's not that Johnny didn't like chess, because it was pretty good for a game without any special effects, but he didn't know other people liked it as well, until he showed up with a board and a worryingly hopeful expression.

"NO-ONE EVER WANTS TO PLAY WITH ME," he'd said. "AND I ALWAYS ASK." And he'd looked so hopeful…


Almost like he did right now, in fact. "Okay," Johnny said, sitting down. "But this is the last time, really. I've got school tomorrow."

"FINE. YOU CAN BE WHITE THIS TIME."

end.

Comments

[pandap.livejournal.com]

wah! Johnny's such a good boy. Thank you so much.

[jamjar.livejournal.com]

He is, isn't he? And you're welcome.

[zing_och.livejournal.com]

Johnny! How I love him. This is a very nice read. Of course Johnny would play if asked, he's such a good boy. Heh.

[jamjar.livejournal.com]

He really is such a nice boy.

[tieleen.livejournal.com]

Two years late, but I feel this should be said: AW.

I feel I can almost be okay with there being no more bandom stories in your lj for this.

For such a short piece, you really managed to capture the... whimsical charm of the books. Johnny Maxwell is, after all -- boy and world -- all about looking at the hysterically surreal bizarreness surrounding you and then kind of shrugging and saying, 'Okay. What do I need to do about this?' And sometimes what one needs to do is play chess with Death past one's bedtime. When one is a nice kid. It happens.

[jamjar.livejournal.com]

And sometimes what one needs to do is play chess with Death past one's bedtime. When one is a nice kid. It happens.

Very well put!

As for the lack of bandom stories, I am working on that.