Relaxing and enjoying her time with him probably would have made things worse. Well, they would have made them worse for him. She more than likely would have benefited from it, since he would have been more off guard than ever. They could have just made plans for the future like this was all nothing. Looking back up toward her, Vitali shook his head and simply exhaled. At this point he truly believed that finding a house with her and such while reconnecting with an old friend was really the only motivation that she had. Perhaps he should have wished that it were.<br/><br/>Learning to play chess was one of those things that most people didn't forget even if they didn't use it. However, learning to play chess well was a different story.<br/><br/>Moreover, many games played at a decent level tended to end up in draws. This all combined to make a slightly unusual situation should Mariya have played better than she had suggested otherwise.<br/><br/>"Would it be harmful if I were to say that this were the biggest adventure that I faced?"<br/><br/>Of course, he had wanted that comment to strike a chord with her. It had to be a major adventure indeed, considering that he had been so far outside of the planet. Sighing for a moment, he looked down at his pieces, unsure of which move to make. Picking up a rook's pawn, he decided to make a decidedly unorthodox starting move.<br/><br/>"We could have chosen for white, you know, but I guess I'll go first. I'll go easy on you in that case!" Vitali was still laughing about what she had been saying. "Even if I have been so far above the Earth I would still have to say that this is an even bigger adventure than before. I never thought that I would have actually been planning a life with you."<br/><br/>He paused for a few moments to collect his thoughts before continuing. "I assume you don't mind if we still chat while we play, now do you; well, I know that some people might have complained about it, but I figure that you wouldn't have."