[center][h1]White makes the first move[/h1][h2]Isabelle[/h2]
[b]Location:[/b] Isabelle's Dorm room
[b]Mentions:[/b] Lorelei Cardoso, Callipe Lee[sub][@Horangi][/sub] & Alessio Basile[sub][@KZOMBI3][/sub][hr][hr][/center]

  “OPEC agrees to raise production quotas.”
[center][color=2e2c2c]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[/color]“PM of India denounces further aggressions of Pakistan.”[/center]
[right]“EU raises the question on availability of lithium."[/right]
[color=2e2c2c]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[/color]"Australia starts solar tower project.”
[center][color=2e2c2c]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[/color]“S&P 500 pre-market down by 0.78%”[/center]

Isabelle’s eyes were going over the absolute deluge of information. The internet didn’t offer such a vast amalgamation of information. She had to make it herself. It screened news sites 24/7. Hunting for keywords. In the 21st-century information’s value went through the roof. Entire wars were fought with 0s and 1s. Despite the cold, calculated, and seemingly uncaring nature of the information gathered by Isabelle’s program, she felt at home with it. Submerged in all the information. To here the random article titles weren’t just a projection of how messy the world was. No she saw a globe covered by neurons. Some big, some small. All were firing constantly. All were connected. Sometimes across oceans. It all made sense to her.

A buzz pulled her from her trance. She checked her phone. Her morning alarm was going. Morning? Already? She turned to look at the screen a bit further. Of course, it was morning. Frankfurt was closing soon. London would close an hour later. Isabelle's room sometimes felt disconnected from time itself. It was always dark, save for the digital glow of the screens. "Another night of no sleep." Isabelle sighed. She glanced over at the literal pile of books and paper. At least she was ahead of the coursework. A small voice inside wished Dr. Yoshinaga would ease up a little. But she suppressed it. It wasn't hard. Hers would never be an easy life. By now she would have to accept that.

She spun her chair again to face the screens. With a few key presses the program – like a grimoire – sealed itself again. Ready to be opened again only with the right password. There really was only one person she was afraid would steal it. It wasn't in Alessio's nature to steal. But then again, he had done so before. This program was one of the few ways she could be better than him, and she wouldn't let him take something valuable from her again. After that, she shoved her rolly-wheeled desk chair back, leaned backward, and rubbed her eyes.

Morning brought dawn, and dawn brought people. And people were messy, frightening creatures. Isabelle didn’t like most of them. They were always talking about something unnecessary like going to a party or who to ask on a date. Pretending like it all wasn’t just the basest of instinct to survive and procreate that drove them. That which they called love was nothing but a bunch of chemicals in their brain making them happy and giddy. And because of that, they say ‘I do’ and choose to live miserably for twenty-five years. Why did life insist that she'd have to share the same space with them for at least eight hours a day?

And then a small alert pining on her screen caught her attention again.

Miss Fortune had made her first move. Tens of pics were already floating on the internet of the bulletin board. Or was it a bounty board? Might as well be. Isabelle recognized some names. Some she didn’t. Her brother was a target, of course. She had made the list as well. Interesting.

She reached over to the chess game laying beside her and moved a pawn up two squares.

Then she cracked her knuckles and pulled herself back to her computer. Miss Fortune assured anonymity. Which was good when you ended up hurting someone. Of course, Alessio was too perfect to be caught doing something truly painful. The most she had of him right now was a bunch of pics of him being a bit tipsy. Useless, because apparently, people think he looks charming when inebriated. She did have the next best thing. Something that she paid quite a bit of money for, just to make sure the photoshop would be of quality.

She looked at the picture one more time. It had been on the internet for a short while before it was removed. But the base was long enough online for Isabelle to save it. Over the course of the summer, she had it changed. The original showed Lorelei and Alessio kissing. Though considering Lorelei's later posts it appeared whatever they were didn't work out.

Now Isabelle was about to call that a lie. The details weren't too subtle. The scoreboard in the background showed the last match's score together with the date and the name of the visiting team: the Standford Cardinals. A few subtle changes in the background would make it very convincing that Lorelei and Alessio really were kissing just a few days ago.

Isa looked over the picture one more time. In truth she had it made as a contingency during the summer. Just something to cause some trouble early on. That was before Calliope had come back. 'The one that got away'. Now was the best time to use it. To make sure she and Alessio would stay away from each other just a little longer. Buying Isa more time.

[color=ed1c24]"I'm sorry, Lore."[/color] She said looking at the picture. [color=ed1c24]"This will hurt him more than it will hurt you."[/color] And with a few keystrokes, she had sent in the picture. First blood.

Quite satisfied she leaned back to see her handiwork. But she didn't take too long reveling in her own satisfaction. It was time to open the hunting season on Alessio, and now Calliope the Traitor as well. Perhaps, with a stroke of luck, she would actually find something to break him this year.