A Game of Chess

West Berlin, East Germany

October 3, 1950

6:23 PM

The two walked silently down the road, the sun starting to set over the horizon behind them. There were more citizens on the sidewalks then there was this morning, seeing as this was a Saturday. They were currently heading to the pubs in the city to continue their tour and honestly, both of them were in seemingly good moods.

Alfred was moving with a bit more pep in his walk than usual, Nantucket bouncing happily with every step he took. Ludwig was more or less, the same then he left the house, but you could clearly tell that his demeanor had changed. His face was relaxed, he actually looked like he was letting his mind wander for once.

Seeing him in such tranquility, Alfred really couldn't help but smile brighter. It felt like he just took a major step in their friendship. A happy, bubbly sensation was brewing in his heart. Though this wasn't really all that big, it still was rewarding, to feel this accomplished.

He took a glance around the street, spotting antique stores and boutiques of all kinds. They were all slightly bland when it came to advertisement, but he couldn't help the temptation of admiring the small gimmicks that were shown in the display glass. Catching his eye, he looked in the glass to his left, spotting a large vintage sparkling globe basking in the what remaining sunlight there was left.

He bent down a bit, taking a closer look at it. It had glittering golden rims, holding the axis of it upright. Although its colors were definitely starting to fade, that really only added to its charm. Now that he thought about it, it'd be nice to look at his desk back in the states. Maybe some polishing, and a bit of cleaning, then it'd fit right in. And they still had a little bit of time before it got dark, they could buy it real quick and get to the pub just in time. He looked around for its price tag, hoping he could haul it with him during his trip, when he couldn't help but notice something reflecting off the glass. Someone, actually.

He squinted at the barely visible silhouette. Although he couldn't fully recognize them, they wore a thin coat and a hat. Their head was slightly turnt to the left, making their face completely covered by the hat's dark shadow. He could've swore he saw a man that looked like that behind them around thirty minutes ago. At first he thought nothing of it, but it was strange for a man to be trailing them for half an hour, straight.

Ludwig paused and saw Alfred bending downwards, also spotting the globe he was facing. "Alfred, do you see something you like?" He asked in his monotone voice, not noticing what the American was actually looking at.

He didn't answer for a while, which was odd for him. "Hey, come in with me for a moment." Alfred said bluntly. Not even sparing him a look, he got up and entered the shop, leaving Ludwig there confused. He snapped out of his daze immediately after hearing that.

Though he was a little bit confused, he knew better than to ask him so openly. He followed him in without hesitation, simply giving the American a suspicious stare.

Alfred made a direct beeline towards the register, starting up a conversation with the cashier, a sweet smile plastered on his face. Ludwig shifted his footing, awkwardly browsing through some old bookshelves with sale stickers on them. Usually, he was the type to ask questions and take the lead. But then again, approaching the suspect in questioning with a friendly attitude was more.. appealing than an obvious war soldier with visible battle scars and an eyepatch.

Though, it actually would've been nicer if he was at least given something to do. The longer he stood there, staring off into space, the more annoyed he grew as time passed by. He grunted softly, twitching his eyes. Fitting in was a bit more difficult then he had anticipated. People inside the shop were giving him strange looks, ones more terrified than others. Was his appearance really that disturbing?