Good morning… or afternoon… or evening ! =)
Man, that's a really really awful year that 2016… artistically speaking ! David Bowie in January, Prince in April… two giants of music gone in just four months ! Who's next ? Madonna ? Phil Collins ? Bob Dylan ? Sting ? Bruce Springsteen ? God, oh God, just thinking of it…!
I'm really sad to have lost those two great stars, and I've decided to listen to all the pre-1982 albums by Prince, which I never really listened to, or only 1-2 tracks from them, and also listen again to the full Prince albums I can find on the net… coz guess what, on the very day of Prince's demise, some users did upload several FULL albums of the Kid of Minneapolis ! But alas, all of them have been deleted since then, courtesy of Web Sheriff. Yet you can find most of the album traxxxx individually, be it in studio version or, for the most famous ones, in live version. Ah guys, his death makes me so damn nostalgic…!
I hope you folxxxx are all fine, and that life is… hum, merciful to ya all ! And wish you the best, really !
Alright, here we go again !
N'joy !
(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( HERE IS THE (WORKSHOP) BISHOP ! )*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)
One of the most notable places in Nevermore was the Maze.
And it certainly was the most complex of all, with its intricate paths, dead ends and "crossroads".
Pretty pertinently, and therefore not just by chance, that elaborate place was set in the domain of one of the most complex emoticlones : Timid.
Since a maze also releases an impression of protection, this suited even more the grey-clad girl who was so shy and definitely needed a place where she would feel secure.
Last point : the quietest of all emotions was very secretive, keeping her feelings within, and that somehow related to the maze, which also had this mysterious and secret aura.
And to those who would feel bored about this long development, time to shake yourselves off your torpor, coz the plot begins for real NOW !
Timid had just returned from her nice rendezvous with Love and was smiling to herself as she entered the Maze, after appearing right in front of it.
Love always managed to make Timid feel at ease, safe, and make her smile. She was one of the few who not only didn't scare her but even on the contrary managed to draw smiles from her; in fact, the only other emoticlone who could do it as well was Knowledge, as she was each time so considerate to her, calm and patient, caring for her shyness and her introversion, never losing patience with her, who was the easily-afraid of the group.
As she progressed in the convoluted shape, slowly heading to the center, where her private accommodation was, she kept smiling at the thought of that very agreeable morning, her mind focused on the happy times spent with her privileged sister, the one she shared the strongest bond with.
She turned another corner and found herself in the center of the labyrinth…
…where a large statue was taking up most of the room in her living quarters !
Timid simultaneously jolted and goggled, then instantly retraced her steps to hide on the other side of the corner she had last turned !
The poor frightened girl at first didn't understand how she had missed that big statue, visually speaking.
But then, as she pondered it…
I-I appeared right in front of-of my maze, and-and given the height of-of the walls, I couldn't s-see that statue… and since I was l-lost in my thoughts as I w-walked, I didn't s-spot it rising above the-the walls…
Timid tended to stutter when she had to speak under fear's influence… but she also stammered mentally in such a context ! Quite atypical, isn't it, dear reader ?
Her heart was hammering madly inside her ribcage like it was desperately trying to emulate Bloc Party's former drummer Matt Tong as he banged on his snare drum ! (A/N : great drummer, one of my fav's…! :D)
The scared teen ventured to peek around the corner, gulping as she slowly moved her head forward.
The large stone shape was still resting right in the center of the Maze, and Timid therefore could take the time to scrutinize it.
The lower half was just a kind of pedestal, so nothing special about it, but its upper half was way more interesting : the center was apparently sculpted, it went up high in a thin "neck" above which rose a slightly triangular part with an horizontal hole in it, like a slit, and it was topped by a tiny, almost spherical part.
A quite strange statue it was indeed…
After prudently staring at the strange thing, Timid eventually decided that it wasn't threatening in any way, and that she could after all come out and analyze the misplaced object more closely.
She therefore slowly stepped towards the large item that had so unexpectedly invaded her privacy and, once she had reached it, she circumspectly walked around, examining it with her impressed look, in which a bit of residual dread still remained.
Once she was back to the front of the statue, the grey-skinned girl bit her lip as she observed that mysterious slit at the top. She was almost wishing she could fly up there and look closer, but… you know… Timid being Timid… she as always dreaded something bad to happen.
And just like she was hesitating…
"Hellooooooo !"
The emoticlone jumped backwards and alas couldn't avoid her fall.
She looked up with a panicking look and her eyes met… two eyes that had just appeared right above the horizontal hole (i.e. the slit) and were staring at her with amusement !
"Woopsy ! Hope it didn't hurt !" said the statue, its hole being used as a mouth.
But there was no reply, as Timid had already swiftly cleared out, again taking refuge behind the corner.
"Eh eh, come back, little one ! I'm not gonna eat you ! I just wanna natter a bit, that's all !"
The most fearful emoticlone gingerly peeped out at the stone figure, licking her lips under pressure's influence.
"Cooee, Miss Livy-Livered ! Eh eh, sorry for the ironic nickname, but, see, I just looooove joking around ! Hey, come on, come out ! "come on, come out"… ah ah ah, nice pun, eh ?"
Timid was still uncertain about coming out of her hiding place, and merely settled for a distant observation of that incredible talking (and quite talkative…) statue.
"I can see yoooouuuu ! Listen, I promise I won't devour you ! And I'm not crossing my fingers behind my back coz… duuuuuh, I don't have any hands, therefore no fingers ! Ah ah ah, am I not the funniest ?!"
The stone creature was joking and laughing, clearly trying to put the scared girl at ease, make her feel safe again and eventually come out.
And guess what ?
It worked !
For after three minutes of cautious staring and comforting words and laughs from that weird animated statue, Timid ended up plucking up enough courage to finally leave her hideout and slowly walk towards that normally inanimate thing… which actually moved and spoke, and was doing its best to be friendly to her !
"There ! Come chat with me ! As I promised, I'm not gonna attack you, so you've got really noooothing to be afraid of ! Don't you think ? Mmmmh ?"
Biting her lower lip as she trundled along, Timid stopped just then and, looking up, she decided to give the statue a reply, this time.
"I-I know that you're t-trying to be nice but I-I've always been easily s-scared, and even more by s-strangers. I-I'm sorry about that, but that's in m-my nature, I c-can't help it. S-Sorry, really…" she said in a voice just loud enough for the other to hear.
"Ah ah, no worry, girl, really no worry ! Do I look like I'm accusing you of something ? Do I, eh ? And if I ever do, well… it's all just an impression ! A wrong impression ! (A/N : …like Natalia Imbruglia sang !) I'm not one to get easily mad, you know, as I'm cool… cool as an ice cube, ah ah !" her interlocutor said in a comforting manner.
And he even winked at her, to show that he was joking and trying to be as nice as possible to her, thus helping her to feel safe and comfy.
"Th-Thank you for... uh… for not being angry at me !" Timid quietly said, vaguely attempting to sketch a smile (but Timid smiling… ah guys, that's another story… which I'm not gonna write ! XD)
"Anytime ! Ah, uh, by the way… I haven't introduced myself, and I'm suuuuure you're impatient to know what my name is… aren't you ?" jokingly asked the statue.
The emoticlone's eyes slightly grew bigger.
"W-Well, hum… to be honest… I-I wasn't exactly impatient…" Then she realized she might hurt the other's feelings, so she hurriedly added : " N-Not that I don't mind your name… but… hum… it's just that… uh…"
"Ah ah, it's okay, little girl, forget it ! I'm not mad at you anyway ! How could I be mad at such a cute girl as you ? Mmmmh… is that a blush I see on your cheeks ? Eh eh, anyway anyway… I am the Bishop and I live on the Chessboard… well, duuuuh, normally, since I'm here right now ! So you can call me Bishop, or simply B if you wanna be cool ! And what's your name, Miss ?"
"T-Timid."
The Bishop at first didn't know what to say.
He had asked her her name… and she had answered him she was timid ?!
"Uuuuuh no, Darling, timid is what you are, while I asked you who you are !"
"I'm Timid."
"Ah ah, yeah, I could already figure out you were timid. But I like timid girls too… but I prefer when I can call them by their real names, you know…"
"B-But that's my name : Timid ! Th-That's what I'm called ! Because of m-my shyness, because I-I actually represent timidity a-as an emotion !"
The Bishop had a hard time following this all.
"Okay, uh, wait a minute… or maybe even several minutes, after all… you're saying that your name is Timid ?!" he tried to clarify.
"Uh… y-yeah…" hesitantly replied the fearful girl, feeling almost ashamed of having such an atypical name as that.
"And… uh… what was it you said afterwards… about timidity as an emotion ? That was also… hum, pardon me, but… pretty weird, uh !"
Timid licked her lips as she realized he had a hard time believing her. That lip-licking was a mannerism of hers when she felt nervous, hesitant, unsure of herself… possibly also afraid, sometimes.
"Y-Yes… I-I may look like Master, b-but in fact I represent one of h-her emotions… and namely her t-timidity… her sh-shyness… that is why m-my name is Timid…"
The Bishop tried hard to focus, in order to avoid losing track of that discussion thread… definitely the strangest one ever !
"You represent the emotions of… who ? You said 'Master' ? Who is that ?"
The grey-cloaked female made some kind of wince that was one of her best attempts at smiling.
"M-Master is the one all of the e-emotions in this land b-belong to. Her real name is R-Raven, but we call her M-Master out of r-respect…"
The chess piece appeared thoughtful.
"Raven ?" He raised his eyes to the clear blue sky as he reflected on it. "Mmmmmh… Raven… let me see… Raven… well, uh… Raven… mmmmmmh… nope, never heard of that person ! Who is it ?"
The emoticlone was slightly surprised by the conclusion, as she had thought that he may ending up remembering who Raven was. His denying it did surprise her, yes.
"I-It's a female h-half-demon with p-purple hair and a b-blue cloak, blue b-boots and black l-leotard, and grey s-skin too."
The large being opposite her smirked in a knowing way.
"So, kind of identical to you, save for the different cloak and boot colour, yeah ?" he asked, following with a wink.
Timid swallowed, slightly uneasy because of that unexpected wink. She definitely wasn't used to strangers being that nice to her.
"Y-Yes… I resemble her in-indeed…" she finally confirmed.
"Eh wait, isn't that… Raven or Master or whatever… isn't she the girl who plays chess in that dark room ? The owner of the Chessboard, and therefore the one who uses me and my buddies ?"
Timid nodded slowly.
"Uh ? What's that ? Cat got your tongue or what ?" playfully asked the Bishop.
His interlocutor bit her lower lip out of embarrassment.
"Hum, n-no, I just… hum… felt like n-nodding… that's i-it…"
That's when her merry visitor burst out laughing.
"Eh eh eh eh eh, I-was-just-puuulliiiing your leeeeeg ! Forgive me ?" he said on the most cheerful tone.
She nodded again, then recalling his previous joke, decided to voice her reply : "Y-Yes… no problem…"
But the chess piece decided to tease that shy girl a tad more, and therefore…
"You sure ? Coz if you don't like my humor… or if I embarrass you too much… don't hesitate to let me know, K ?" he continued.
The introverted girl had mixed feelings about her visitor's behaviour : on one hand, she did appreciate his nicety, his being kind to her, but on the other hand, she did feel slightly uneasy when he joked with her, teased her. The fact is that she wasn't used to someone having fun with her directly, as it was almost always with Raven that this happened (**cough** Beast Boy **cough**). The only one joking with her and teasing her in person was Happy… and it wasn't that often, because the other emoticlones regularly scolded the happy-go-lucky of their group for bothering her timid sister !
"N-No… really… it's o-okay… you don't embarrass m-me too m-much…" she replied.
"But I still do… a bit ?" he insisted.
She licked her lips, feeling somewhat cornered : yes, he did make her slightly uncomfortable, but only slightly, and she honestly didn't feel like telling him that and displeasing him, or have him feel guilty for incommoding her.
"W-Well… hum… I-I don't know…" she ended up uttering, trying to avoid admitting it.
The Bishop made a large grin.
"Come ooooon, Timid, no need to be… timid with me, uh uh ! You can tell me anything, you know ! So stop being so afraid and… spit it out !"
Timid hesitated a bit longer… then gave in.
"M-Maybe just a bit… just a l-little little bit… but it's okay, r-really… please don't get m-mad at me !"
The Bishop burst out laughing.
"But nooooooo, I'm not mad at you, not even the slightest, my shy friend ! Don't you believe such a thing, dear, coz it's wrong, and wrong, and wrong again. I'm not angry at you, and if you're the introverted type, while I'm the extraverted one, it's only logical that I'm gonna make you uneasy. So, you see, I toooootally understand your reaction, mind you ! And so (again), you have nothing to fear, no reason to believe you upset me. Okidoki, Timid ?"
She stared at him wide-eyed.
"Mmmmmh… not okidoki ?" he immediately asked her.
"Hum… E-Excuse me but… wh-what does 'okidoki' mean ? I have n-never heard that w-word before… that's why I d-didn't answer you…"
The Bishop smiled.
"Ah, okay… Yeah, I guess you're right, T. !" Then he stopped and observed her. "Uh, say, d'you mind if I call you 'T.' ? Or d'you prefer me to use your complete name ? Mmmmh ?"
She sketched a shy smile.
"T. is o-okay… You can c-call me that if you w-want…" she replied softly, for once appearing less fearful.
Her vis-à-vis visibly appeared pleased of her decision.
"Well, thank you, T. !" (she nodded and slightly bowed) "So yeah… hum, what was I saying again ?!"
He sure looked awkward in this very minute.
"W-We were speaking about 'okidoki' and you were telling me that I was right… well, if I r-remember correctly…"
"AAAAAAAh yeeeees, of course ! That's what I was saying ! Anyway, 'okidoki' is my own fanciful manner to say 'okay'. So, to sum it up, you don't have to dread that you upset me, coz, Girl, you definitely didN'T ! How about that, T. ? Does it make you feel any better ? I hope so !"
She nodded with a tentative smile.
He smirked at her before commenting : "Y'know, we really have to find that cat and take back that tongue he stole from your mouth !"
Timid felt herself blush as she realized why he was saying this. But she also knew that she couldn't help it, that she had to be silent every now and then, following her ever so discreet nature.
Yet she felt like she should still apologize… also given her modest nature.
"I-I'm really sorry… it's just that I… I c-can't resist being s-silent from time t-to time… I don't al-always talk… but please ex-excuse me if it d-displeased you…"
The Bishop burst out laughing.
"Ah ah ah ah ah ! You know, T., I really like you ! Like you a lot, actually…"
He winked at her and the Grey Cloak felt her blush return, but more intensely.
"Th-Thank yy-ou v-very m-much…" she stuttered, even more than she did before.
"Eh eh eh, more seriously, yes, I really like you but not like you might have thought… given your deep-red face !"
She swallowed her saliva, wishing she could either disappear or bury herself in the ground. In fact, she would gladly have morphed into a mouse and started burrowing as rapidly as possible, to vanish beneath the soil and escape all that unease the Bishop was giving her.
But, weirdly enough, said unease, although making her uncomfortable, also made her happy. It was a nice embarrassment, a pleasant one, not a disagreeable one. And while she wished he didn't make her face flush like that, she still couldn't help considering his teasing her and joking around… well, actually pretty sweet and kind to her. She could feel, deep inside of her little timid heart, that the comical being opposite her was laughing with her, and not from her. She really did feel that he was sincerely doing it, and respected her, and certainly didn't want to mock her… because she sensed that he definitely would avoid hurting her !
"I enjoy your company because I like to pull legs and see how people react… and your reactions amuse me ! But don't go concluding from this that I make fun of you ! Please don't, don't, don't, dear Timid, or you would break my heart ! And I know that you don't want to break my heart… or do you ?"
"N-No !" she hurriedly replied.
"Uh uh, just teasing you again. Sorry, I can't seem to help it, hi hi hi ! Anyway, should you break my heart… you'd have to clean away all its pieces, so better not do it, eh ?"
Another wink, and a shy smile opposite.
"No, I wouldn't dare to make fun of you, my dear ! I would do that to someone really unbearable, someone despicable, the kind one can hardly stand… but not a person as nice and sweet as you, my dear !"
This time, Timid blushed so furiously that even Rage's cloak or eyes would have looked "pale" in comparison.
"….Th-Thank y-you s-so m-much…" she uttered in a barely audible voice.
The Bishop had actually managed to hear it, but decided to play with her a bit further.
"Mmmmh ? What was that ? Did you by chance say something ? I'm sorry, I didn't hear it…" he said, sounding serious, yet with a mischievous sparkle inhabiting the apples of his eyes.
Timid "ate her lips" (i.e. curled both lips to the inside, making them disappear), feeling her blush keep her so hot… ahem, I mean, so warm ! (coz Timid… hot… hum, not that much…)
"I-I just said : th-thank you so m-much… for y-your nice c-compliments to m-me…"
The Bishop took a careful look at her, and what seemed to be radiating from him was…
Hum, yeah, what was it exactly, uh ?
Was it just nicety ?
Actually… on closer inspection of the chess piece's facial expression… it looked like…
Sweetness ?!
Well, in fact… looking even closer at his face…
Ah yes, that's it :
TENDERNESS !
The Bishop was observing her in an affectionate fashion !
Guess how even more shy this made poor Timid…
"Oh, but don't mention it, really ! I mean, I'm grateful to you for your being grateful to me… hum, dunno if you catch my drift, there… but anyway, I thank you for thanking me, T. … hum, eh eh, I'm not making things simpler, expressing myself so confusedly, right ?... Well, okay, let's put it that way : you don't need to thank me, coz you definitely deserve such compliments ! You are very nice, sweet, good-looking… so it's normal that I would be that kind to you ! Okidoki ?"
She let her eyes sink to the ground, hoping it would help hide her terrible blush, which had evolved to the point even planet Mars wasn't that red !
"O-Okidoki…" she said in a little voice.
"Uh ? Excuse me ? What did you say ?" he said, this time meaning it and not trying to tease her by making her say it again (he really hadn't heard it).
"I-I was simply r-repeating what you had s-said…you know, o-okidoki… you told m-me it meant 'okay'…"
"Ah, okid… uh, I mean : OKAY !"
The seconds that followed seemed almost strange, because… there was silence !
Long, long seconds of silence… with the Bishop staring at Timid, and Timid shyly throwing an occasional glance at the Bishop… and immediately blushing and looking away after noticing she was intensely observed !
It was the first time since the beginning of their conversation that there was this lull, with none apparently knowing what to say next. As if they both dreaded to utter something stupid or shocking. Or found nothing more of interest to share with each other.
You would expect the chess piece to be the one resuming their talk, wouldn't you, dear reader ? You know, because of the emoticlone's excessive shyness…
And you would be… wrong.
Incredible yet true, it was the introvert girl who decided – for yes, Timid CAN exceptionally decide something…! – to reopen the "communication channel".
"Uh. B-Bishop ? C-Can I ask you a question ?"
"Well… you just asked me one, didn't you ?" he playfully replied, winking.
A shy yet smile lit up her face.
"Y-Yes, I-I know… but I wanted t-to ask you a d-different question… i-if that's okay w-with you…"
"Ah ah ! I was just teaaaaaasing you again ! Sorry, I really can't help it !"
"I-It's fine… so what I w-wanted to ask you i-is… why are you h-here ?"
Her vis-à-vis seemed to give it a thought, and therefore be serious, for the first time in a while.
It seemed almost… weird to see him behave that seriously !
But it allowed Timid to NOT feel uneasy or embarrassed, for the first time in a while, and therefore cease blushing and overheating…
And that was a relief to her.
"In fact… to be honest… I really don't know what I'm doing here." he eventually answered.
She blinked at him, and for once appeared surprised rather than shy or ashamed.
"Th-That's another joke of y-yours, i-isn't it ?" she cautiously asked, with always that secret dread of displeasing him or hurting his feelings.
The face of the stone being reflected his surprise, but he quickly pulled himself together and burst out laughing.
"Oh oh oh, always a good laughter with you, Timid ! And I say this not to make fun of you, but in all sincerity ! But no, I promise you I'm not joking on this one. I'm serious : I swear I really don't know what I'm doing here. Why I'm here. I was on the Chessboard and… suddenly… I reopened my eyes and found myself in here. Wherever 'here' is. So I actually ignore how I came to this place… and why I did ! I'm at a loss about all this. I don't have more info than that. Sorry if I can't explain more."
It was Timid's turn to get thoughtful.
"N-No, it's okay, r-really. I believe you." she finally uttered. "B-But I'm still puzzled about a-all this. I-It looks like someone t-teleported you here, since it wasn't y-you who got here w-willingly. B-But who teleported you and for what reason ? I-It's really bizarre…"
They were silent for a minute, pondering that odd issue, but weren't able to come up with any plausible answer.
And finally…
"Hum… tell me, Timid… and for once, I'll be serious… like what, I CAN be serious, eh eh… hum, sorry for laughing… serious, we said… well, I said… so, hum… uh, what did I want to say, again ? … ah yes : do you happen to by chance possibly have any potential idea about how I perhaps could leave this place, maybe ?"
The Grey Hood merely stared at him blankly.
"I-I did not understand e-everything you s-said…" she ended up admitting.
The mineral creature, slightly uneasy, would have scratched his head, should he have had arms.
"Eh eh, 'kay, I'm gonna eat humble pie here and concede that I didn't put it in the simplest way. So, to make a long and complicated question shorter : do you know how to get out of here ?"
"O-Oh yes ! Naturally I do ! Y-You must find the forbidden d-door and step th-through it !"
"Yeah right… but as you can see, I can't move. I've got no feet to walk, and as you maybe recall what I said, I certainly got teleported here. But I cannot leave by my own means… as I can't move on my own ! I can only if I'm being moved, exactly how it happens on the Chessboard, with Raven grabbing me and putting me on a different square. But in there, nobody can grab me and put me elsewhere. Not even you : you're not strong enough !"
Then he quickly added : "No offense intended, eh !"
"N-No offense taken", the shy girl comforted him. "I-I understand the nature of the p-problem. But I think I am s-still the one who c-can help you. Because I can u-use magic to teleport you back to the Chessboard."
Upon hearing this, the eyes of the chess piece bulged so much that they looked that they would pop out of their sockets any second.
"Wait ? You're… you're saying you CAN teleport me ?! But… but then, is it you who teleported me here ?!" he asked in a rushed voice.
Timid took a step back, swallowing her saliva.
"N-No, it wasn't m-me. P-Please don't be m-mad at m-me. Please."
And to anyone knowing Timid well enough, it wasn't difficult at all guessing that the poor girl was about to turn around and run for cover… because it was all too obvious that she dreaded an antipathetic reaction from her interlocutor ! And she therefore feared that he would "explode" in a boiling mass of wrath and resentment… which however didn't make any sense, considering how sweet he had been to her up to then !
And she was dead wrong, as you will see… well, not even in a minute, but right now, actually.
"Ah ah ah ah ah ! But nooooo, I'm absolutely NOT angry at you, Timid ! So be at rest, my friend ! I'm cool with that, and I'm not going to jump at your throat… even more because I have NO feet to do such a thing !"
She observed him cautiously.
"A-Are you s-sure y-you are n-not a-angry a-at m-e ?"
Poor of her, fear and stress made her stutter even more often.
"Yes, I'm sure. You have my word. And if I break my promise, I'll end up in Hell's furnace !" He still sounded funny as he uttered that last part. "And so, it's not you who teleported me here ?" he asked again.
"N-No. I-I swear i-it wasn't m-me !" she promised him.
He chuckled.
"And I believe you, mind you. So we'll never know who did, I guess. But… you said you could teleport me back to the Chessboard, right ?"
"Y-Yes."
"So, if you don't mind, I really would like you to do that for me. It's not that I'm getting bored here, but… I kinda miss my chess friends, you see !"
She nodded, and a smile returned on her lips.
"Y-Yes, I see. A-And I will be happy t-to help you r-return among your f-friends."
The Bishop smiled back.
"Timid, I would like you to know that… it was nice meeting you and chatting with you. Really nice. I mean it. You're a sweet girl, you know, and… well… I will miss you ! And I know I'll be thinking of you once I'm back where I belong !"
This time, the unhardened teen got a face so red that nothing seemed redder !
"….."
She was so moved by the kindness of her vis-à-vis that the emotion now even paralyzed her vocal folds.
"You alright, Timid ? Your face is… so red ! I would gladly bring you a glass of water, but, you know, with a body like mine… neither feet to go fetch water nor hands to carry it in a glass… kinda difficult, eh…"
He winked at her, and this did nothing to ease her up.
Eventually, though, words found a way out of her throat and through her lips.
"I-I d-don't k-know w-what t-to s-say… y-you a-are s-so k-kind t-to m-me… I-I'm n-not u-used t-to s-such k-kindness… th-the o-only th-thing I-I c-can th-think o-of i-is th-thank y-you… b-but th-that's h-hardly e-enough t-to th-thank y-you p-properly f-for y-your k-kindness !"
Poor Timid, stuttering so much out of emotion and pleasure… kinda difficult to decipher, don't you think, dear reader ?
"Oh, don't mention it ! You really deserve all my nicety, you know ! Coz you're very nice indeed ! I haven't exaggerated anything about you ! And it was an honour meeting you… and making you blush that much !"
He winked then guffawed… and the shy female blushed even more !
"Th-Th-Th-Th-Thank y-y-y-y-y-you s-s-s-s-s-so m-m-m-m-m-m-much !" was her ultimate effort after several failed attempts to utter anything.
"No problem. I wish you all the best, Timid, and it was a pleasure meeting you. Goodbye, my dear, and take good care of you…"
Still too moved to answer, she merely nodded and had a hard time holding his sweet gaze, forcing herself NOT to look down at her feet, out of embarrassment.
He gently chuckled and kept on gazing at her fondly.
"G-Goodbye, Bishop. It was also a p-pleasure knowing you. Take care as well a-and I will never forget you a-and your kindness and your good m-mood. Again, thank you so much for being s-so nice to me."
Her almost normal speech showed well enough that she has regained control over her emotion (A/N : the emoticlone regaining control over her emotion… eh eh, yeah, I know…)
Timid raised her arms, hands directed at the chess piece, then recited a formula, and the Bishop got surrounded by a white light which grew always bigger and brighter, until it made the chess piece disappear from sight, "swallowed" by the intense glare.
And once the light vanished… the stone creature was gone !
The quiet emotion stared for a long while at the precise spot where the Bishop had been, and eventually turned around to go and find something to do, starting to walk…
… with a lonely tear running down her cheek.
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Okay, this indeed did take an eternity to write, I admit it !
And the fact is that I'm not even that pleased about the result… I don't know, I find it… eeerrrr, dull ? Monotonous ? Dunno, but I deem it inferior to what it could have been. But now it's out, and nothing can be changed…
I wanted to oppose Timid's shyness to the Bishop's bubbly and joking nature, and naturally planned to have that comical chess figure make the Grey Cloak uneasy and embarrassed quite a few times. And that resulted in a few nice blushes… and let me tell you that Timid is really cute when she blushes, and…
Timid : P-please, D-Dixxy, s-stop ! Y-You're g-going t-to m-make m-me b-blush e-even m-more th-than B-Bishop
Me : Okay, okay… but you're cute anyway !
Timid : **remains silent and blushes hard**
Well, anyway, there it was. Good or not that good, there it was.
Y'know, by the end of this week (between May 26th and 28th), I'm gonna have in my possession all the Prince LP's of his great era (which, to me, ranges from DIRTY MIND to LOVE SYMBOL, and whose center and therefore finest period covers years from 1999 to SIGN O' THE TIMES) ! Ain't that awesome ? Well, awesome... for me, eh, since ya guys probably don't give a $#!T… ;D Just kidding, eh ! Anyway, I'm so pleased to have his albums back (I used to have almost all of those released between 1982 & 1992) ! Now I wanna still purchase EMANCIPATION, his three-cd's album, which I found pretty cool, and that'll be it ! Cherry on top of the cake ! :DDDD
Okay, I guess I'm gonna stop here, coz this chappy here is way longer than intended, so… time to braaaaaaaaake for goooooood !
Thanxxxx 4 reading, take care, B happy, don't work 2 much… & till… ahem… hopefully soon ? B all fine, Folxxxx !
Peace, Love, Ecstasy !
:Dxx
