So is this a non-smoking joint or what?

Absynthe's smile was somewhere between that which one would give a child and that of one who had just captured their prey. Muddy philosophy always made for the best games.

" Indeed, a case for the true nature appearing when power is given. What will happen to this secretive indiviual of yours once you give him power. Will he become a better person or worse. Is it power that influences him, or the agenda that he already had?"

She looked into her cup, absently twirling the contents. Looking up she smiled again genuinely amused.

" With power, agendas can be changed, for good or for bad. Your man has a choice now. The more options he has, the greater the chance he will choose for his own design. Power does not make the choice for him, it only makes the choice available."

It really was a circular argument, and Absynthe knew it. However, you could learn quite a bit about someone by how they argued it.

She was not going to get riled, really she wasn't. It was the mood talking not her and now was not the time to let her mood get the best of her. Pak forced herself to focus, she was being played with and didn't want to lose.

"Of course power is always going to bring greater opportunity, but it is always up to the individual what opportunities to take and why. It isn't the power that make him go bad or improve."Â?

Not wanting to light another she absently picked up a napkin and started folding it, not certain what it would be. It was just an alternate tool to help control her thinking.

"Power cannot corrupt unless the individual lets it."Â?

A slow smile appeared as Absynthe considered the last statement. " I do believe you have essentially proven my point. It is in the individual and not the power that the problem lies"

Absynthe shrugged and dismissed the topic as no longer interesting. Instead, she chose to divert to a different aspect of power, one that to her was infinately more fascinating. " Overt uses of power are mundane and decidedly predictable in many cases. It is the puppet masters that intrigue me. Like a fine game of chess, each piece is moved delicately and with precision. A true master's plan is never revealed until the last moment."

ooc: *snicker* sorry, had to.

This was apparently the type of night when one should have stayed in. Not just in but buried, you the computer screen four walls and if things got boring a jigsaw puzzle. Rather than argue the point any further she mentally went in search of a drink. What sounded good? A mai tai might not be bad right about now or maybe a nice red wine.

"I'll take that to mean you leave your queen in until the end of the game and then only use her as a diversion."Â?

Pak was coming to the conclusion she did not like this woman. Not much at all. She might, and it was still a might, respect her but there would not be any love lost here at all. Smiling slowly, she continued.

"And since I'm a lousy pawn I'll ask if there is someone specific you had in mind. I'm guessing we are back to Russian history."Â?

Absynthe considered the woman for a moment, mildly amused. it certainly didn't seem to take much to get her riled. Absynthe usually didn't both with such, as they tended to become such bores after a while when logic and reason had left them. This one was still interesting, so Absynthe decided to play another round.

She considered the questions presented to her. She could side step them of course, but evasion was clearly expected. What would happen if she answered them directly she wondered.

"Such a play, where useful at times is not always the wisest use of one's resources. I am not so simple as to ignore my opponent or to rely on a single tactic. the queen in this game is a tool like any other, and the fatal blow can be delt by a pawn just as easily."

Absynthe smiled, a true sign that she was enjoying the debate. " No, no one in particular at this time, just an observation after a considerable amount of study." After a brief pause, " And I am wary of pawns for you do not always know who weilds them."

All she had wanted was to take her mind off her mood. A little on line lurking, a little light conversation, some caffeine and nicotine that was all Pak had really wanted. This one here though was playing her, sending her all over the map. The only positive she could think of was that it had averted what she was certain had been an on coming depression.

They were up to chess. Undoubtedly this whole conversation was being used as the equivalent of a Rorschach inkblot test. Well blot away oh nameless one.

"One could argue that a pawn is the most dangerous piece on the board. Easy to over look and if it can make it across the board it can become anything, queen, knight, rook. No, I'll give you leave to being wary of pawns. The only piece you really don't have to watch out for is the king and he is the object of the game."Â?

Absynthe gave a small inaudible sigh. Another debate that would lead in circles. Absynthe excelled at this type of logic, but after a time it bored her. "Hmm. I don't think it wise to ignore the king completely. he is, after all, the bait."

Absynthe looked into her cup, it like the conversation had become empty. There weren't anymore games of intrigue like when she was younger. At least not in the human world. The undead pieces were harder to move, and far more dangerous. She longed for something new and exciting, but not something that would lead her foolishly to her demise.

Placing the empty cup on the table, she looked at the other woman. "It appears that you have no interest in history or chess. What does interest you, aside from tightly rolled aromatic plants?"

Why did she get the feeling she was disappointing the woman; this woman who baited her lead the conversation in circles and refused to give her name.

Next thought, did she care? The answer was a resounding no, she really didn't as near as she could tell Pak didn't even like this woman so why should she care. Ha! That was a rather freeing thought.

She debated explaining that she really did enjoy chess, a great deal but wasn't a brilliant player or one who really discussed it. Now how to answer such a question. Hell answer it honestly, what could it hurt?

"Computers are our friends and the occasional bought with origami."Â?

She held up her napkin, which was no a respectable crane, with a smile.She also decided that it was probably best to get while the getting was good. Pak had the feeling that if her companion got cross, there could be trouble.

Standing she left the crane for the other.

"Another nine hundred and ninety nine and you get a wish. Or so they say."Â?

No need to make a formal good bye as there'd never been a formal hello.

"Thanks for the light."Â?

((OOC... Out))