"Okay, I've downloaded the program to your computer," Eric Anderson told his girlfriend/fiance Julie Stovall.
The were-mer couple were within her bedroom, sitting next to each other in front of her desk. She in her desk chair, he in a chair borrowed from downstairs.
"The tutorial is easy enough to navigate," said Eric, as he started explaining the ins and outs of the chess program to her. "With the right settings, two players can even compete against each other in the same game over the Internet, but I've never had an opportunity to try that function out before."
"You will now," she said, smiling at him. "Why are the columns lettered A-H and the rows numbered 1-8?" asked Julie, staring at the image of a chess board with all its pieces in place, ready to play.
"The grid notations are how most people keep track of their moves when recording a game," answered Eric. "A-1 is the lower left hand corner of the board, where the White Queen's Rook sits. H-8 diagonally opposite is where the Black King's Rook starts. There used to be a more complicated method, using more formal notations, that divided the board up between black and white, Queen and King quadrants; but thankfully that's not as popular as it used to be. Are you ready to play?" he asked, taking her webbed hand in his for, being were-mers, it was their private "thing" to stay in their Stage 1 forms that just displayed the webbing between their fingers and toes when alone.
"I've watched my parents play a few times, and I love the potential fantasy elements," admitted Julie. "You know, Kings and Queens with their Knights and castles and so on. But I never really got into the game itself before you. If you're willing to show me the ropes..."
"Always, my Jewel," Eric said, using his pet name for his beloved before kissing Julie on the cheek. "Now then, besides the experience level setting, which I've already set for you, you have three options to start a game if you're not playing a real person online. White, which for some reason always goes first. Black, which moves second."
"Duh. It's only a two person game," Julie noted.
"Right. Either you versus the computer or you versus your Internet opponent. Whichever color you are, the other is always the opposite. You could also click the Random option to let fate determine who starts."
"That's like putting a pawn of each color behind your back and the other player picks a hand, right?"
"Yes," confirmed Eric, "but for now we'll start with you starting the game," he added, selecting White. "But remember. No matter which level or start option you choose, one advantage of this program is that, just like playing against a real person, the game 'learns' its opponent and becomes more of a challenge as you progress so you learn too."
"Okay. I'm obviously at the very beginner setting," observed Julie. "What level do you play?"
Julie was surprised when Eric actually blushed and didn't answer.
"Well?" she asked, her sea blue eyes staring at him intently.
"Master," he finally answered.
"Wait a second," she said, checking back over the levels. "Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Expert, Master, and Grand Master. WOW! I'm impressed!" Julie said in awe, turning to stare at him again.
"You can go back and forth between levels whenever you want but you have to remember, between being alone a lot and starting back when I was still in elementary school, I've had plenty of time on my hands," explained Eric. "Since moving here to Moon Lake though, I've only had time for a couple of games against the computer, and once against Frances Twist."
"How did you do against her?"
"I won two out of three, but the third got interrupted when that rogue werevixen attacked our house trying to claim my dad," Eric finally answered, trying not to recall the nightmare Yvette Smith made the Andersons' lives for awhile.* "Then you and I started getting serious and..."
"And now we'll live happily forever after," Julie said, hugging Eric close to her. "Were-mers are monogamous, so we're each other's swim partner. Forever," she added, staring at him.
"You know I wouldn't have it any other way," replied Eric, smiling at her as the tips of their noses touched.
"I do love you Eric Robert(s) Anderson," said Julie, doing her best to pronounce his unique middle name.(*2)
"And I you Julie Alexandra Stovall, my future Mrs. Anderson," he said, before kissing her.
Despite being only in their Stage 1 forms, were-mers could easily breath for a long time without actually using their mouths, an ability Eric and Julie took full advantage of whenever possible.
How long they would have actually stayed together kissing is unknown, for the computer suddenly let out a PING.
Reluctantly separating their lips, the love-mers turned to look at the screen.
"Guess we took too long. The program wants to know whether or not you want to start the game," realized Eric.
"Oh, there are PLENTY of things I want to start," said Julie with a smile, while winking at him, "but for now it's chess."
MEANWHILE...
What the hell is wrong with me? Spencer Lawson asked herself yet again.
She was sitting in front of her bedroom mirror, brushing out her tail. Being an unique hybrid of werewolf, werecat, and werepanthress between her pure lupine father and her mixed feline mother, Spencer thought at times she had the best of three worlds.
Yet since moving to Moon Lake after her father retired from the military, she was beginning to realize there were also times when she had the worst of three worlds.
Morgan Barr is ALL werewolf. Especially where it counts most, she mused, thinking about her new beau. The two weren't serious (at the moment?) by even were standards, but they certainly had plenty of fun together.
Yet I can't help thinking about Julie Stovall, let alone Eric Anderson. What IS it about him? she wondered for the umpteenth time, but still did not have an answer.
Being part werecat, I have no problem going either way, or in both directions at once if the opportunity presents itself, mused Spencer, as a smile crossed her muzzle. But there is just something about Eric that catches a lady's attention and doesn't let go. Yet the most infuriating part of the whole situation is that he is totally and honestly oblivious to it except for Julie! No B.S. The guy is just completely unaware of how great a catch he is,(*3) she thought, not noticing the unintentional "fish" pun.
Then Spencer took a good look at her furry form in the mirror.
Her sleek curves and everything looking "just right" to any male or female.
Got to finish getting ready for my date tonight with Morgan. Besides, I won't see either Julie or Eric until Monday, but somehow...
________________________________
*WAAAY back in the early days and episodes of this series.
*2.) It's a compromise between his parents, since Eric's mom wanted to name him after actor Eric Roberts and his dad wanted to name him after his favorite modern times author Robert B. Parker.
*3.) Not having much experience with other weres until her parents recently moved back to Moon Lake, Spencer knows that Eric and Julie are a were-mer couple, but has yet to comprehend the full extent of their status.—tmw.