Carmen smiled. "I've been playing since ACME adopted me," she started to explain, pushing a wayward strand of hair back into place. "They considered it necessary for detective training, you see. I like to play, but normal boards bore me --even the ones I've been gifted in marble and gems. Perhaps you can relate; once you've become good and even playing someone at your own level, the game can become... stale." And as much as she hated to say that about her favoured game, it was the truth.
"Five years ago I played my ex-fiance using monuments. Real ones, you have to understand. It was... interesting. Unique. He's a bit of a spoilsport, part of the reason we ended things. First of all, he wanted to give the pieces back when we'd finished. And then, once I won he wanted a rematch. I was fine with that, but I didn't want to use monuments again. I wanted to use ACME agents." She reached for her water glass again, taking a sip.
"People," Carmen repeated. "There are extraordinary people here. Absolutely amazing, some of the things I've seen. Imagine what they would be like on a chess board."