#chess writes

[chesters-ocs]

DISCARDED FOR GOOD

just some father-daughter bonding :) mhm :)

wc: 651

Sitting on the porch of her parents' house, was Mary. Alone.

The woman had stayed the night, planning to go home in the morning, yet sleep seemed to evade her. Which brings her to sitting on the steps of the roofed porch, staring into the thick fog ahead.

Clad in nothing more than pink sweatpants and a white oversized shirt, which clung loosely to her curves. In her hand, a vape pen, which she had been taking drags of for the past five or so minutes, the smoke and taste sickly sweet, mirroring the synthetic bubblegum flavor the packaging promised.

The door opened, heavy steps following.

She already knew it was her step-father.

This time, she didn't even bother to try and find a hiding spot for the vape. He'd notice it anyways, and the scent lingering in the air would give it away anyways.

"Mary? Are you alright? It's four in the morning. You should be asleep," Vikram stated, approaching her. The worry in his voice was unmistakable.

"... I know," she mumbled, staring ahead.

Everything about her posture screamed that she was down in the dumps. Hunched back, ears pressed against her head. Even the scowl on her face.

Vikram silently sat down next to her on the steps, a hint of disgust at seeing what his daughter is holding. Despite that, he refrained from commenting on it. Reminding himself that she's an adult. That even if he disapproves, it's her choice, not his.

Growing agitated by the silence, she just extends her hand to him, the little pink and black object in her grasp.

"Just take it. I'm trying to quit anyways."

He doesn't miss the edge in her words, but despite that, gently takes hold of the nicotine fueled item. He'll dispose of it later.

"You still didn't answer my other question," he chides lovingly, "Are you alright?"

"... No..." she mumbles, her voice cracking. She crosses her arms, putting them on her knees and shoving her face in. Hiding. Or a pathetic attempt and trying to do so.

Her father's heart breaks at his girl being in such a state, and Vikram can't help himself before he's bringing her in for a hug, which makes her breathing hitch.

The floodgates come crashing open either way, as Mary twists around to cling to him, sobbing, staining his black shirt with her tears.

"I'm... I'm scared," she manages out.

"Shh... scared of what, Beta? Did something happen?" he asks, instinctual need to protect his family rising up and bubbling in his body.

"No! Nothing happened, I-I just..." she stutters, "I'm scared of growing up. And-and losing you... and everyone-!" she heaves, words barely coherent.

But her father understands. He always did.

Gently, he pets her hair, while the other hand is rubbing her back in a soothing motion.

"Where is this coming from?" he asks.

"Just... I don't know!" she mumbled, wiping her tears on her bare hand.

"That's okay, just breathe. I'm not going anywhere... Neither is Sylvester, nor the others." he spoke, trying to sound comforting.

Mary hummed at that, falling silent, as she kept clinging to her dad. Though the cold air eventually got to her, as her breathing grew shaky, as did her body. Immediately noticing, Vikram gently pulled her up to her feet.

"Come on. Let's go back inside. Wash your face and go back to bed," he urged, pressing a soft kiss to the crown of her head. Quietly, the woman followed his lead back inside, B-lining to the bathroom.

Her dad looked on, before taking a look at her vape still in his hand. Walking over to the closest trash can, he unceremoniously dumped it back in there, before camping out in the hallway just a minute longer.

Upon seeing his daughter return to her room, he carried on with his morning routine as usual.

Like nothing ever happened in the first place.

[chessala]

Teacher AU update!

It feels like it has been forever since I updated this fic. It was pretty much a spur of the moment write and I had problem figuring out where to go with it. While writing on this update though, I got some ideas forming so I hope to put these down in due time. I do still want to focus on perils though, so it may be a while until the update.

[jupiter-reimagined]

she cherished him and he adored her

he gave her stars and she painted with them

she gave him the sea and he brought life to it

he sought her out and she awaited him

she was the ocean and he was the stars

he wanted for nothing and she gave him all

she wanted to be together and he agreed

she became him and he became her

the universe was one and the universe was all

the universe was made and the universe was alive

the universe sung and the universe wept

the universe loved and the universe lost

and then the universe ended the waltz with itself

and then the universe was two again

and then she was her and he was him

and then the universe was forgotten anew

[vonspe]

Hi, I wanted to say that your Emmrich/Scipio content is a blessing to the fandom, I genuinely get so happy every time I see new sketches with them 🙏

Also I'm a meme collector and I just wanted to share some with you, because those give me Scipio/Emmrich vibes

I appreciate your art so much, wishing you all the best and more inspiration ✨

This is rly cute 😭

[celestialvoid-fanfiction]

Ten years on, I have so many questions about one line of dialogue in Teen Wolf 3B...

We see the chess board with all the names on it and the names correlating with the pieces would suggest that Stiles has an understanding of chess at the bare minimum. But was Stiles a chess kid? And if he is/was or does play chess, how did Peter know? Does Stiles play chess with Peter? Is this just Peter's way of saying Stiles knows how to play games? Is he saying Stiles knows how to strategize and think tactically?

[xxplastic-cubexx]

Chat have we discussed drunk chess with cherik cause i just think. That would be the darnedest silliest thing they could do

[chesters-ocs]

SOULMATES (2)

in that moment, all sylvester could do, was stare. the bag of groceries slipped from his grasp unceremoniously, landing on the asphalt with a thud.

it felt like his mind was lagging behind. forcing him to watch his body move in slow-motion, yet also at light speed. there was a brief moment of silence between the three, mārīte already clinging to sylvester's leg, staring at the stranger too. she's about to pipe up, when he regains his composure, the awkward moment, as well as his shock, fading away.

he shakes his hand, being oddly gentle, despite the obvious difference in stature, just silently hoping the man doesn't notice how cold and clammy his is. and he lets go sooner than either party would have liked to, but its clear his nerves are getting to him

"... fate took her damn time.. im... i'm sylvester.. this here is mary.. my apologies i.. figured you don't exist, to put it bluntly" the man laughs nervously, clearly intimidated... but a quick glance at his own wrist, confirmed what the man said. its pointing right at the stranger.

but despite the unusual situation, the tiny girl's eyes sparkle, as she gets yet another onslaught of questions that demand to be answered.. just what her father didnt want to hear, his expression hardening just by seeing that little glint.

"does this mean i have two dads? why is your name stone? will you live with us-"

luckily, a firm stare is all it took for her to quiet down, as sylvester addressed his.. soulmate..? once more, now a bit more composed, as he reaches down to grasp his grocery bag, the other one patting the head of his (their...) daughter.

"my apologies... children love questions... it's.. its lovely to meet you... sir. unfortunately.. i dont have much time"

however, in their hasty return to their apartment, sylvester at least had the clarity to slip the man one of his business cards.

aesthetically, nothing special. just a few buzzwords on it, his face, but most imporantly, a number.

by the time stone snaps out of it and glances up, the pair are already down the block, stepping into the stairwell of an apartment space

crying in the club cuz i have no idea how to continue onto. That. cuz i have no idea how stone would behave in that soulmate situation aAAA,,,

/lh

Don't worry, my brain is working now, thank God. But I'm afraid I might not do Sylvester's dialogue justice, so I just... I'll do a little and then we'll bounce off each other.

Stone stared down at the silver-haired man who was his soulmate, if the compass was to be true.

Maybe it was malfunctioning, it wouldn't surprise him if he was the first person person to have a malfunctioning compass tattoo. He was so unlucky in life with everything else, why should he believe a soulmate was in the cards for him?

But the man in front of him... Stone could feel it in his bones it was true, though his usual paranoia waged war with his heart and gut. He wanted so badly for it to be true that this man was his soulmate. And that made him braver than usual, bringing back his yearning to have someone beside him.

Stone realized he was taking too long to respond, so he cleared his throat. "It seems... It seems my compass tattoo is directing towards you," he said, cursing himself internally as his voice was cold as usual. He could not shake his usual cold and stoic demeanor, not even in the face of his soulmate.

He looked down at the man's daughter, noticing her bright eyes on him. He would've tried to smile, if he knew how to. His attempt probably would scare her, he told himself. It was a shame, he felt the stirring of fatherhood towards her despite not even knowing her yet.

"I'm... Call me, Stone," he added, sticking his large hand out for the man to shake. Even now, he couldn't tell this stranger, his soulmate, his name. "It seems fate has brought us together, at last."

[fatedroses]

More than just the Demon.

[viserya-firstofhername]

I'm fine. It's fine. Everything is fine.

[lackadaisycats]

Hi, magnificent Tracy! Congrats on "Stratagem"! Speaking of which: Mordecai lists off some chess strategies. I tried to google these strategies, but found information about only a few of them. Can you please share some info/links on the sources where it's possible to read about these chess strategies if they're real ones? Thank you in advance!

Thanks very much! All credit to the crew and the VAs who conjured it into existence! We went down quite the rabbit hole researching chess strategy and historic chess games for this, trying to keep it relatively aligned with the time period. At one point we even reached out to a St. Louis-based chess master looking for advice. (I guess the subject header of our attempted email correspondence - "Sir, we need your help for our angry cat cartoon" - was a non-starter for him, though.) In the end, we compromised on something in-between historicity and proclivity for silly names. Some of the strategies Mordecai rattled off are real things - Hammerschlag, for instance. Some are odes to real things. Dave C. stumbled on the Fried Fox, which is a real sort of attack in chess, and came up with Poached Penguin. Some are allusions to grandmasters of the past, like Savielly Tartakower, who wrote books on playing chess, and was generally a big deal in the chess world in the 1920s. Fable wanted to make sure we fit the very excellent word zugzwang in there somewhere. How could I resist? And there are a couple we just fully made up.

[chesters-ocs]

BATH TIME

started this at 2am, fell asleep in the middle of writing it, finished at like 6.30am cuz the grind never stops 💪💪💪 no plot just fluff. and nudity but thats barely important

wc: 483

It'd been a bloody gruelling day. It seemed Lady Luck has turned her back on Sylvester for the time being, as he returns home dripping wet, grumbling, and borderline hissing at Butcher, who greets him from the kitchen.

"Yeesh, kitty, you look more akin to a wet dog now than a-"

"Shut it." The agitated man grunts, dropping his briefcase unceremoniously, causing the other to raise a brow.

"Sorry. Rough day...?"

"Very."

"I see. Mind telling me about it? Or do you want a bath first? ... Or both. I can do both, doll." He grins charmingly, despite the fact that Sylvester's back is turned to him, as he peels the sopping wet windbreaker from his body

"... I could use the help."

"Gotcha, sweet-cheeks. Coffee's on the counter" He calls, before strolling to the bathroom to prepare the tub.

As expected, by the time he's back, Sylvester is drapes across the counter, sipping on Butcher's drink. "New blend..?"

"Yeah. Boss gave me a taste test. Like it?"

"... 's drinkable."

"Ah, so you love it!" Butcher grinned toothily, before continuing "bath's ready, dolly."

"Join me?"

Without a beat, he nods "Always."

Butcher's hands are surprisingly gentle as he helps peel the wet layers of clothing off his boyfriend, discarding them in the hamper.

"There we go. Now, in you get, doll." He encourages, watching with a fond expression as Sylvester sinks under, resurfacing with a low, satisfied groan.

Carefully, he guides him to sit upright, while massaging shampoo I'm his hair, honey scented, of course.

"So... mind elaboratin' now?" the man asks as he, slowly, gently, shampoos the others' hair.

"... It was just... one thing after another, I guess... Forgot my umbrella at home, got a damn speeding ticket, which I'm pretty sure was rigged, by the way. Then I couldn't even go on my stupid lunch break because the damn ticket drained most of my bank account, so, just my fucking luck! ... Sorry." Sylvester rants, getting riled up in the process, muscles tensing, as Butcher coos.

"Ey. It's alright. Get it outta yer system. Relax." He speaks softly, tone sincere, as he washes his hair, feeling his partner slowly relax under his touch.

"... So... I'm guessin' you're hungry?"

"Fucking starving"

"Heh, got it. Whatcha cravin', doll?"

Sylvester thinks for a second, before answering "Anything by you is fine." That line causes a small smile to appear on Butcher's face, as he rinses the hair out.

"Gotcha. Well, your pretty little mane is clean. Ya want me to stay here, or can I go cook?"

"... Uh. Stay a little longer?" The hybrid asks, turning around to face him, the water following his movements.

"You don't have to beg. You know damn well I can't resist you" Butcher chuckles, and leans in for a quick kiss, before continuing "But just a few minutes. I don't want my kitty starving, got it?"

"Yeah yeah... got it, baby."

[debilsposts]

Another dumb long-ass hc time because this time, I'm just bored, and I have like 30 followers, which means I can say whatever I want with no real consequences. Okay, so you know the principle of least interest, where whoever cares less in a relationship holds the most power? Yeah. jaytim can be a textbook example of this, except the power balance keeps shifting like a badly played game of chess. And, proven by GK video game, they actually do suck at chess at first.

Tim has mastered the art of restraint. He wants, but never too much. He cares, but never visibly. He moves through most things like it’s a game of chess – never reaching too far at first, never tipping his hand. His favorite piece is, unsurprisingly, the rook, one of the most underestimated pieces, but the most powerful toward the endgame, when the board is open, and he sees a clear path to getting what he wants.

Jason is the opposite. He feels with a reckless, all-consuming intensity. When he cares, it’s devouring. Which is why he keeps himself locked down, why he pushes and snarls and pretends he doesn’t want anything at all. Jason is a knight, wild, unpredictable, moving in patterns that don’t make sense to anyone but him. A piece that jumps over obstacles instead of maneuvering around them.

So, Tim plays his pieces carefully, deliberately. He waits for Jason to move first, waits for him to overextend, because Jason will overextend. That’s just how he is. He goes all in, always.

But Tim doesn’t capture him. Not yet. He tries to keep his own feelings safe, his defenses solid, his emotions locked behind a perfectly constructed wall of pawns. He makes it impossible for Jason to chase them. Makes him doubt. Jason is the one leaping in first, the one wanting more, the one Tim keeps at a distance just because he can.

Tim’s the one who says things like, “This doesn’t have to mean anything, right?” And Jason? Jason is the one who acts like it doesn’t matter, like it doesn’t gut him when Tim resets the board before he can even play.

And he keeps doing so, very often.

But here’s the thing – Jason is a competitive bastard. If he realizes he’s there's no way of winning this, he does the one thing Tim never accounted for.

He flips the board.

No more games. Jason just walks away.

“I'm tired of waiting for more.”

And Tim?

Tim panics.

Because Jason wasn’t supposed to do that. He was supposed to stay. He was supposed to keep jumping back. He wasn't supposed to be able to walk away and take half of Tim with him. Tim thought he had control, but now Jason is gone, and suddenly the game isn’t the same anymore.

So he finds himself searching, chasing, breaking his own rules.

He finds himself playing blind, making desperate moves, leaving his heart exposed just to bring Jason back to the board.

Tim sacrifices calculation for instinct. He abandons caution, trades logic for emotion, and steps into the open unarmed, hoping, praying, that Jason will see it for what it is.

"'s not a trap. Not a trick. Just– come back."

And maybe Jason does. Maybe he hovers at the edge of the board, watching Tim dismantle his own defenses, watching him make foolish, reckless moves that don’t suit a master tactician.

Maybe Jason lets him suffer a little. Makes him sweat. Because if Tim wants him, he should have to prove it. 

But then, chess isn’t a game of brute force, it’s a game of patience. Of control and punishment. And love? Love is neither of those things.

Jason has to learn that not every move is an attack. That loving someone doesn’t mean winning or losing. That being vulnerable doesn’t mean being captured.

Tim has to learn that keeping his distance doesn’t actually make him untouchable. That locking down every piece doesn’t stop the board from shifting beneath him.

And the only way they work, the only way they don’t collapse under the weight of their own defenses, is when they stop trying to win. When they stop holding love hostage like a piece they’re afraid to sacrifice.

Because in the end, the principle of least interest doesn’t matter. Because in the end, there’s no checkmate, no final move, no last play that leaves one of them victorious.

Because in the end, Jason never really left the board.

And Tim was always playing for keeps.

[jupiter-reimagined]

are you a star?

yeah. i think you are.

youre the brightest, prettiest star in the night sky.

may the night be good to you, my shining star,

may it be good...

[rookflower]

ok, new apprentice pov officially confirmed!

[writingdevil]

Cheated x Opportunist?

(AAH!! Yes! I've started to really get into their dynamic! It would be really funny to see because they'd just try to piss each other off, while not being able to resist the urge to kiss their dumb faces. Anyway, enjoy!)

"Checkmate."

"Fuck!"

Opportunist's victorious laughter was driving Cheated crazy, and he knew the other was just waiting for him to do the predictable thing and flip the chess board over.

But he refused to give Opportunist the satisfaction, so he just gripped the armrests of his chair, and glared at the little chess pieces in front of him.

Opportunist was resting his chin in the palm of his hand, his voice entirely too sweet and polite as he asked, "Do you want to stop playing? It's alright if it's too difficult for you-"

"I know how to play chess!" Cheated snapped at him, "I just keep losing, because you keep cheating!"

Opportunist rolled his eyes, an action that only had Cheated seeing even more red, as the other picked up his queen and idly twisted it around in his grip.

"We've been playing for over half an hour, and you still think I'm somehow cheating? You know, Cheated, there's no shame in just admitting that you're bad at chess."

Cheated glared at him, sitting back in his chair. "I don't think I've ever met anybody as shameless as you."

"Aw, but you love me though." Cheated ignored the way his brain latched on to the way Opportunist mockingly cooed at him, knowing it was just another one of that snake's tricks to mess with him.

It seemed like everything Opportunist did ruffled his feathers, both literally and figuratively. He would always find a new way to annoy Cheated, either by poking fun at his misfortune, or by teasing him on how silly his philosophy of fairness was.

For some reason, Cheated could never just ignore Opportunist. He always felt a need to argue with him and fight him until he slipped up and told Cheated how he truly felt about everything.

He knew everything was a game to Opportunist. He knew that Opportunist would do anything to come out on top, and he had no issues with lying or deceiving to get there-and Cheated wanted to bring his ladder crashing down.

If Opportunist wanted to win so badly, then Cheated wanted him to be fair and true about it, so he kept falling for the bait that Opportunist always held out for him, because Cheated believed that one day, he'd slip up, and then Cheated would be the winner for once.

He sighed, staring at the little chess piece in Opportunist's hand, before his gaze shifted over to the smug grin on the other's face.

Opportunist winked at him, and Cheated's heart fluttered.

"We're playing again," he declared, sitting forward to arrange their pieces back to their correct position. Opportunist chuckled, but didn't stop him, and Cheated could feel his gaze on him the entire time, no doubt thinking of how to annoy him this time around.

The chessboard was almost complete, but there was just one piece missing. Cheated lifted his head, staring up at the queen in Opportunist's hands.

Opportunist smirked, leaning down towards the board, never taking his eyes off Cheated. Opportunist waved the piece teasingly in front of him and mockingly said, "Remember that the goal is to get the queen."

Cheated gave him a sharp and mirthless smile in return, and then the game began once again.

Cheated's attention was split throughout the entire game, shifting his intense gaze from the board to Opportunist, who hadn't dropped his cocky smile once.

Cheated blinked, and then Opportunist had taken one of his pawns. His anger spiked, but he didn't resort to shouting just yet.

Cheated took one piece. Opportunist took two more.

Opportunist giggled at how intensely Cheated was glaring at the board, but Cheated shoved the sound out of his brain, how it jingled and rang out with a light tone inside his head.

Cheated hated him.

Opportunist leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table, resting his chin in his palm. "You know," he said, and Cheated closed his eyes to prepare for whatever bullshit was about to come out, "you'd probably have more fun if you weren't such a sore loser all the time."

Cheated's eyes snapped open, and Opportunist was grinning at him like Cheated was just some kind of entertainment to indulge in.

Cheated leaned forward as well, clenching his fists at his sides, ignoring how close they were as he hissed, "I'm not a fucking sore loser-I just want to be able to enjoy a game and know that I either deserve to win or lose, because of purely how I play and not because someone refuses to play that way."

Opportunist rolled his eyes, and Cheated continued, "Seriously, what would you even get by cheating? Where's the fun in that?"

"I don't cheat," Opportunist replied, never once slipping up despite them both knowing the truth, "but if I did, I'd probably do it to get a rise out of someone." To prove his point, Opportunist moved a piece and took one of Cheated's bigger guys.

"Hey! It was my turn!"

"You were taking too long."

Cheated sighed sharply and snapped, "See? What's fun about ruining the game for others? Nobody's gonna wanna play with someone like that."

Opportunist narrowed his eyes at him and easily retorted with, "They also won't be inclined to play with someone who screams that their opponent is cheating-constantly."

It was Cheated's turn to roll his eyes, even as Opportunist reached forward to grab his hand and say, "But here I am," in a condescendingly sweet voice, like talking down to a child, "ignoring all of that so I can play with my dear friend, who I love spending time with."

Cheated ripped his hand out of the other's grip, his hand tingling with the warmth it left.

He hadn't expected it to feel soft.

"Yeah right," he muttered, missing the flash of hurt on Opportunist's face.

They fell into silence as Cheated eventually made his move, and as he was waiting for Opportunist to go next, he realised that almost a full minute had gone by without Opportunist making a move.

As he was about to ask what the problem was, he heard the other bird speak in a soft, low voice that he's never heard Opportunist use before.

"I am, y'know-cheating."

Silence. Then-

"What?!" Cheated yelled, and Opportunist began rambling, holding his hands up in defense, "I just-I just-you're fun to mess with! I can't not annoy you! You make everything so much more interesting and-hey! You're the one that keeps coming back for more!"

Cheated was seeing fucking pure crimson red as he launched from his seat, grabbing Opportunist by the wrists and dragging him up as well, bringing his face inches away from his.

"I knew you were cheating!" he yelled, "I knew you were a filthy liar!"

"It-It was just a bit of fun!" Opportunist argued, a nervous flicker in his eyes now. "You never say no to me! You always give me a chance!"

"Yeah, like a fucking idiot!" Cheated tightened his grip, noticing how Opportunist's breath hitched at the action. "You piss me off so fucking much, I hate it!"

Opportunist chuckled nervously, and managed a teasing smile as he said, "Aw, I'm honoured to be on your mind that much."

Even now-even now, Opportunist was able to grind his gears, to poke him in that infuriating way that only he could do to Cheated, and Cheated could do nothing but fall for it everytime.

He just wanted to catch Opportunist by surprise for once. He wanted to make him play fair, to be the one teasing him but Cheated had no idea how to do that-

Then, in his blind rage, he caught the way Opportunist kept glancing down at his lips, and he didn't think as he smashed their lips together.

The kiss was messy and rough, with Cheated putting as much force and fight into it, so much so that Opportunist had no choice but to submit, with no time to come up with some clever lie or performance.

Even with all his anger, Cheated felt his body relax into the kiss, and he almost got lost into the kiss, until the moment he heard Opportunist moan.

He pulled away with a gasp, eyes wide and head spinning, as he just took in Opportunist's appearance.

He was panting, with his feathers a mess in a way that Cheated has never seen before. His eyes weren't entirely focused on Cheated, as if he was still experiencing the feeling of the kiss, and he was angling his body towards Cheated with such a needy look on his face.

This-This was his.

This was the one thing between them that Cheated could rightfully claim as his own, that he had won from the other.

This face. This need. This feeling. Cheated was the one that made Opportunist falter this time around, and Cheated didn't care if he lost every single chess match from now on, because this moment was his.

"I-" but then Opportunist hushed, heavy voice was finally speaking again, and Cheated couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away from him. "I have a deck of cards in my room," Opportunist whispered softly.

Cheated let a shaky breath out.

They couldn't of ran faster.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

not sure if this is really coherent, but the metaphor of eddie's ballroom dancing is so loud!

ballroom dancing is usually taught by learning particular steps and step sequences with the help of a grid pattern on the floor, competitions come with a dress code, the expectation is that dance partners are of the opposite sex, there's rules of where and how to touch and guide your dance partner. (i think it might be a metaphor for performing masculinity and adhering to societal norms and parental expectations. i think it's also interesting to look at it from a perspective of performing in a way that makes certain moves look romantic/sexual/sensual without that actually being the case. illusion vs reality, the apparent comphet of it all.) and then we have eddie, who was happy doing all that, who was good at it, who likely would've continued going down that route without the pressure, but then the expectations from his parents to be perfect, to not just be good at it and have fun but to get awards for following the rules and the expectations, to following the tune perfectly became too much so he stopped dancing entirely. he didn't just break those expectations and rules, he just stepped away, locked it up and put that particular box away. his parents tried to box him in, cage him, lock him down, put him on a path that would become harder and harder the longer he went down that path, and he stepped off before he was forced to make a harder choice.

(and then in comparison the dance sequence in confessions, where he follows a step sequence/a choreography, but this time it isn't the rather rigid, expectation-filled ballroom dance steps. he's picking and choosing the aspects of dancing he loved the most, the movements, the choreography, the music, following instructions, dancing by himself rather than with a partner (of the opposite sex) but this time it's his own choice, and there's nobody to give him awards or expect anything or pressures him in any way, no audience to watch or judge him. i think it also puts a new perspective on buck not saying anything, just handing him a beer, accepting the fact that eddie opened the door in his tighty-whities and a pink shirt, sweaty. no expectations, no need for an explanation, no pressure, just silent understanding)

and then with Chris and the chess, I think there's something to be said about Chris more or less blindly following his grandparents' expectations and rules because he doesn't want to upset them, being the pawn in their game, but also being the one who moves the pawn along on the chess board, moving against the opposing king (moving closer, then backing away, keeping a safe distance. the short facetime calls, the sparse communication mainly lead by the calculated moves of helena). the one who takes the first step towards Eddie by showing up at the shack with the PS5. (maybe being lead to believe that the three of them are playing a game against eddie, that eddie is the one attacking, being lead to believe that eddie is playing white, made the first move when he let kim into their home, but slowly realising that actually no, chris was the one to attack first, the one who made the move to involve his grandparents in the first place. and now he's realising that it's actually his grandparents' game and he doesn't want to play, and he'd rather have his dad by his side that play against him). helena being the poweful queen on the board, the one with more moves, the calculating one. ramon as the king with limited movements, only being able to take a step in one direction at a time, always behind the queen. hiding behind her for protection.

Hey Nonnie!

You are making complete sense and have perfectly articulated what I was trying (and mostly failing) to say on both the ballroom and the chess fronts - I did make a post while you were probably typing this ask that explored the ballroom of it all in a bit more detail, but you’ve expanded on what I said in that post too - and it’s giving me more thoughts - so this reply is going to get long as I get them out of my head!!

you're completely right about the structure and performative masculinity and the adherence to societal norms, the structure of learning to dance and the dances themselves and the costumes - all these elements really do fit perfectly with Eddie - and the fact that we've seen Eddies clothing and voice change now he's back in El Paso that idea of wearing a costume that fits with what is expected in the environment speaks very loudly to me. But there is also the fact that ballroom dancing (all dancing to a certain extent) is about acting - its a performance - telling a story - with ballroom usually a romance - just without the actual romance. It’s going through the motions of romance, but it’s all fake (fitting in with the themes of the season of lying and fakeness) and this really chimes with all of Eddie’s past romantic relationships. They have all been performative to greater and lesser degrees, Eddie has been going through the motions of a relationship and romance - as he was taught in his dance lessons, without actually feeling any of it - Eddie literally spoke of the performative nature of dating back in season 6 when Pepa was trying to set him up and get him back into the dating pool.

The other aspect of ballroom dancing is that its a representation of societal structure - the man being there in service of the female in the dance - to lead her and show her off, a play on the stereotypical roles of male and female in society - where a man has one job - to go to work in order to provide the money to live a comfortable lifestyle and support a family. The woman however is expected to complete a multitude of tasks - keeping the home having and raising children, cook, entertain support etc and ballroom dancing reflects this traditional set up with the man providing the structure the woman dances around - being lifted and twirled and undertaking more steps than her partner. Eddie being expected to grow up too young and perform the role of the male dancer - to be there in service to Helena because Ramons way of providing and supporting is to be absent - something Eddie also does when given an opportunity - joining the army to provide for Shannon and Chris because like you say the pressure to perform and win trophy's became too much - when it stopped being fun (when his relationship stopped being fun because it became tied up in the pressure to perform - even if Eddie is not prepared to recognise that fact as of this moment).

Eddie was able to get Chris away from that environment before he got caught up in the same rigid structure and weight of expectations that he did.

The risky business dance just got a whole lot more interestingand impactful to me because of this episode and that ballroom dancing reveal, its not just about Eddie finding joy anymore. It very much still is that, but now there is context to the joy - Eddie used to find joy in dancing - when he was a child, so Eddie choosing to dance as a way to find joy when prompted to do so by Father Brian was also Eddie connecting back into his child self and its interesting that instead of trying to find joy in something new, he chooses to go back to something that used to bring him joy but had stopped doing so, to see if he could recapture what he lost back then. The risky business dance itself was about testing the waters in that way, but also seeing if the rigidity and structure of ballroom was needed to bring him joy - trying a dance that has freedom of expression at its core - he's not going completely freeform, he still has the safety within the structure of the film choreography, but his test was successful and he felt that joy he had as a child once again. rediscovering that meant he's now able to begin to strip away all the weight and pressure and start to rebuild himself from that place of joy.

The colour meaning of the risky business costume takes on deeper meaning beyond being a replica of the movie costume as well with this additional information - the pink for naïveté, joy, and innocence also now becomes about compassion acceptance and nurture. It basically symbolises the rebirth of Eddie - him giving his younger self the compassion and acceptance he didn’t receive at the time.

further to this, Bucks green tee gains a double meaning - it being break up green (the sickness aspect of green is the relevant meaning for this) remains but now we can also add in the renewal and growth aspects of Green. Bucks silent lack of judgement, his acceptance of Eddie opening the door in his shirt and tighty whities serves to grow their relationship further - essentially deepening the intimacy between them and sets things up for Eddie being able to explore who he is more deeply - knowing he won’t be judged for it and that Buck is a safe space - it’s why he has the capacity to make the decision to move back to El Paso and act on it, and why he seems to struggle so much when Buck displays his difficulties and struggles with the idea of Eddie leaving - Eddie had thought he had Bucks unwavering support but then he finds it’s maybe not so unwavering - of course Buck just needed a minute to adjust and reframe things and to express his emotions before accepting and being okay with it. He then becomes loud and confident in his support of Eddie via FaceTime.

Then we have the chess of it all!

Chris has always been a pawn in Helena’s game - he's a pawn in her eyes and has been since his birth. Eddie had protected him from the reality of their manipulations by moving them to LA - so Chris didn’t know or understand what he was getting into when he chose to leave LA to stay with them - the implication is that he had probably only intended to be gone for a few weeks - a couple of months over the summer holidays - to get some space and time but Helena used his anger and distress and manipulated him into staying. Chris didn’t know the rules of the game she was playing but he has been learning and knows them better now, but not well enough to extract himself. So he’s left having to play along with her and Ramon - pretending to like chess so that he doesn't disappoint them.

Eddie however, does know the rules of the game - very well, but lacked the confidence to engage before now. Buck having his back - providing him security and safety and support and telling him to 'dad up' gave him that confidence he needed to start playing. He is on the opposite side of the board from Helena and Ramon - he's on the same side of the board as Chris he just isn't sure of that fact until the end of this episode

Like you said, Helena is very much the queen and Ramon the king. Meanwhile I believe Eddie is a rook (and Buck is also a rook). While Chris is also a king - he is the one Eddie (and Buck) are trying to protect.

Rooks are the second most powerful pieces on the board after the queen - and two of them hold more value than a queen. They are also unable to make the first move of the game due to their location in the first rank corners of the board and the fact they cannot jump other pieces meaning they are blocked. So Helena trying to suggest to Chris that Eddie made the first move is clearly a lie (another one to add to the lying and fakeness theme for the season).

It’s the usual play at the start of a game of chess to connect your rooks up by completing a move called castling which involves clearing all the other pieces, except the king, from the first rank on the board in order to better protect the king from being put into check. If this is done then the rooks can support each other and move around the board more easily exerting more control. This is what Eddie has basically done with Buck - they have castled Chris in order to protect him and support each other as they face attack from Helena and Ramon.

Helena and Ramon had thought they were going into the game in the same way they always have when playing against Eddie - where he is only one rook and therefore lacking the capacity to excerpt control over the game and protect his king. Shannon was probably a bishop - only able to operate on half the board (because they move diagonally and therefore can only use one colour of tile - either black or white) and unable to force a checkmate when paired with a rook - giving Helena and Ramon a big advantage over them. Shannon was always doomed to fail because she could never fully combine with Eddie in a way that would enable them to both defend their king (chris) nor was she a queen and therefore either alone or in combination they were never able to take down the opposing queen - Helena - who was able to remove Shannon from the board after repeated attacks.

However this is a new game now and they have failed to factor in Buck - even though he was present when they came to pick up Chris - or if they have factored him into things they have not understood that he is a rook - perhaps mistaking him for a pawn or a knight or another bishop. !

Because Buck, like Eddie is a rook this means now they have the advantage - in combination they are more powerful than the queen and can protect Chris more easily because they can control most of the board together and force the all important checkmate. Buck telling Eddie to up is the move before checkmate and his providing Eddie with advice and support throughout this entire arc (basically s7 onwards) is what has made the difference and won Eddie the game this time - they controlled the board and protected their king - Chris. This is one of the reasons Buddie is going to go canon - because they have set Eddie and Buck up as equals who are more powerful than all other pieces when they combine forces.

Thank you nonnie for the ask that allowed me to unjumble all the thoughts in my brain and get them out into a post! I hope you found it interesting - I really do love the way this show uses layered metaphors - with some meanings only becoming available and obvious as we progress further into the story - giving us more information to work with! 💜💜💜