Let's Play A Game! [Open]

[Kazu]

It was a pleasantly cold morning, the sun just barely starting to peak out over the top of the horizon. The crisp dry air was like a thousand razor blades, hacking away at one's ears, nose, cheeks, and lungs. It made you wonder why anyone would be up this early at all, instead of being in their nice warm beds. However, all around the Nimbus Delectatio, there were still some people out and about. There were joggers trying to get a good morning workout, there was one man who seemed to be working on a painting of some sort, and even a few elderly people covered from head to toe in clothes and jackets feeding pigeons on the park benches. And then there was Ko. Ko was an interesting site to see around here—he was a child, wrapped up rather well in a jacket and warm underclothing, with messy white hair and inquisitive gray eyes. This kid, Ko, was sitting down at a bench, staring over a table. This wasn't any old table, though: it was a chess board. But...there was no opponent. You can't play chess unless you have an opponent, right? The game seemed to already be in play, though, and a good amount into it to be fair.

Ko was on the side of white, looking over the board for a few moments. It was then that the child, eyes staring down at the game with a fierce intensity, picked up his bishop at B3 and moved it down to D5. He was playing the game, but against whom? The boy then grabbed the board itself, and carefully turned the whole thing around. He now played for black, and began again to study the board. He had been like this for the last hour or so since he'd brought the board and pieces, having laid his claim over the table by placing his supplies down on top of it. He'd been swapping off positions all morning long, playing against himself. The kid was totally engrossed, and didn't seem to notice any of the people around him. They were merely there, just backdrops in his life. What an interesting young fellow!

Ko didn't budge. He wouldn't. He just sat there, playing chess all morning. Perhaps for lunch he'd go get something tasty?

 

[Horigome Sukejuro]

It was difficult to stay focus, vigilant, but then again what was his mission? Nothing, not anything yet, many days had passed since he suffered a severe infection complicated further by disease and yet there were so many strangers, so many terribly frightening faces for which memories were found wanting. Who were some of these people, commoners for certain, but still strange faces which only managed to reach the light of his mind by virtue of being fresh and unfamiliar, empty eyes from their disembodied heads bobbing up slowly as dim light illuminates their haunting features like many apples floating at the bottom of a well with sunlight barely reaching the depths of such a sight.

With such vivid thoughts, shivers ran down his spine, shivers of excitement as he sought to illuminate such mysteries by stalking new faces, observing their living patterns, prying into their private lives, and writing detailed dossiers which he figured would be useful, this had been going on for three days now and already compiled a mess of documentation and paperwork he considered submitting to his new boss, a red haired woman he currently avoided out of a particular apprehension of women.

But such activities came to a halt, he found another one as he etched onto a blank sheet of paper, staring from the bushes as he messily jotted down his observations when they came but…surprisingly were uneventful.

Boring.

Sukejuro was admittedly not enamored with his work but kept at it due to tenacity, obsession, and a lack of common sense. He deserved to feel the grey of the doldrums to grate at his mind like sandpaper, he deserved all the bad in his life, but all this went away as he spied the boy spinning the chessboard around to…challenge himself.

Fascinating.

Sukejuro propped himself up a bit, standing a bit as his skullish white helmet of strange dull white metal lurched over the green of the foliage like death itself spying from afar as he planted a palm onto the ground before him and ‘hopped’ up to handstand out of his leafy camouflage as he set himself down without so much as a footfall, leaving a mess of paperwork and spilled ink on the soil as he cut the distance in a rush and moved over to motionlessly stand over the boy and watch him, observing the strange game the boy played with renewed fascination but he did not speak.

No, he just watched, he liked to watch, it was all he could do without truly alarming his compatriots and comrades.

 

[Kazu]

The game continued. Knight takes pawn. Bishop takes knight. Queen moves in for the check. Rook blocks the queen. Pawn takes bishop. The boy was picking up speed, the moments between moves were getting shorter and shorter. Pretty soon the kid was moving faster than he could turn the board. Forget it, he didn't need to turn the thing anymore—it was more important to just make the move. The game was starting to come down to the wire. Each move took another piece off the board until, at the end, all that remained were a few pieces.

The kid went to make his next move, but upon looking at it realized there was nothing more for him to do. The game was at a stalemate, and thus had to end. He leaned back in his seat, accepting the fact that the game was over. He blinked a few times, awakening out of his dream-like focus, and started to become aware again of everything around him. He noticed, then, that another person was there with him. Looking up and over his shoulder, he realized there was another person there. He wore some sort of mask that was as white as bone and shaped like a skull. How morbid. The rest of him seemed to be cloaked in a heavy jacket, covering the majority of his body. Ko looked to the man with a calm, yet curious, face. He blinked once or twice, then turned back to the board game. He quickly reset everything, placing the pieces in their rightful place for the start of a match. On one side was white, and on the other side was black. Ko sat on the side of black.

Then, the young boy turned back to the older man. With an inquisitive and calm demeanor, the child spoke with a voice more befitting of a kid a few years older than himself. "Would you like to play, mister?" It was a simple question, one which deserved a simple answer. Ko didn't even seemed surprised as to who this man was, or why he was watching the child play this game. Ko wanted to see if this man would be any fun to play against, or whether he might as well continue to face himself. He'd have to see, though, whether this man would even accept a game against an Academy Student.

 

[Horigome Sukejuro]

Though ultimately an unfamiliar situation with an unfamiliar game, Sukejuro thoughtlessly continued to observe and analyze the movements as he picked up on minor nuances associated with each piece as he itched anxiously at his left arm, for what purpose did the boy continue the charade? Not quite so much longer as the very composure of the boy had degenerated into axiomatically hectic motions as a mood seemed to overtake the boy which only drove Sukejuro to become all the more intrigued with the young man as he battled himself, an act that Sukejuro couldn’t help but empathize with, only a different medium and goal of course.

Of course there was one other difference that separated the two, the fact that despite the white haired youth’s attempt to win, the ability to draw might have been a sound indication that he was just a bit more mentally balanced than he, Sukejuro, himself was. Behind the opaque lenses Sukejuro would blink as he noticed his presence had been known, he was not surprised since he hadn’t bothered to hide himself away and had let his fancy reign over his actions. Just a bit impressed with the boy, still he was rather disappointed with such a disappointing end to a sporadic game.

”Who? Me?” Sukejuro asked, whipping his head around and searching vigorously around, even going so far as to peer under the table and ensure that the seat at the opposite table where the game board sat was empty. Raking razor sharp steel claws against his head, though failing to get the itch, he would turn after the series of sounds of grating metal erupted into the air ”How strange, there is no ‘mister’ around here, I thought you were speaking to someone else.” he would admit, revealing he was terribly awkward with on the spot social situations or common honorifics.

Though really it was common sense that struck him as not so common. Sukejuro shrugged as he inhaled through various filtered sources of oxygen as he looked back at the boy ”As for myself, I don’t know how to play such a game – at your age I never played many games that didn’t involve holding a red-soiled knife in hand, but I think you will be fine the way you are.” he would offer, not so much as flinching despite casually mentioning quite a vague and dark moment from his life. Hell, it didn’t even sound like it bothered him, as if he was mentioning spotting a fox in the woods, but he would try to atone for his eccentricities.

”But I’m not supposed to talk like that so much, I am Horigome Sukejuro, Chuunin, at your disposal. And you?”

 

[Moyamaru]

[legend="A game and a friend..."]
"Well since you're not going to take the challenge I am sure you wouldn't mind if I did..."

True to his fashion, Arashi's appearance was not something that was completely surprising as the location being played in was quite the local spot with citizens filing past in the normal hustle and bustle of everyday life. For Arashi it was his day off, if you could truly call it that in the life of a shinobi albeit he still wore his forehead protector and had a blade strapped to his backside. Unlike when he was on duty howeve he did not wear the usual white flak jacket most cloud shinobi sported but was wearing a completely black matching set. His shirt had a high collar and was slightly baggy with a longer mesh shirt beneath while his pants were equally baggy but stopped just below his knees where bandages could be seen. He didn't mean to sound or be rude, this being noted at how energetic he seemed at this time going so far as to make momentary eye contact with Sukejuro and wave before sliding into the seat before the boy.

"I couldn't help but overhear the offer while passing-by. Sukejuro I think you said your name was, greeting as well...names Arashi of the Raitoningu Clan...and..."

His pupils trailed over to the youngest of the three present and he blinked a few times before shutting up considering he was sure the boy was going to introduce himself as well. Before the game could commence he would remove a small item from within his belt pouch, a tightly wrapped sucker which once unwrapped revealed a purple candy attached to a stick. Placing the sweet into his mouth, Arashi relaxed suddenly and he became focused and calm unlike before.

"Looks like i'll be using the white pieces...a kid playing this game eh...brings back memories."

Arashi wasted no time however and reached for a small pawn, his fingers moving the piece upwards two squares before setting it down and relaxing within his seat.

"It's a shame you never played this game as a child, it perfectly mimics our profession as shinobi...each piece albeit with their own strengths and weaknesses all serving a single goal of survival. Just like the shinobi rank system, the pieces have their roles in the game specific ranks have their roles in the village...."

He spoke calm and without taking his eye off the board...
[/legend]

 

[Kazu]

The skull man was funny. His reaction to the young boy's offer to play was downright comical, and the young boy couldn't help but chuckle as he looked behind him, under the table, and everywhere else for someone whom might be called 'mister'. As he continued, a puzzled tone in his voice, Ko just couldn't take it anymore. "Heh, you're funny. It's a bit of a shame that you don't play, though. It's quite a fun game." This man's words were a tad odd, though. Ko pondered on them for a few moments, until of course he made mention that he was a shinobi. At that, Ko's eyes seemed to sparkle and become lively. The white haired lad saw this man in a totally different light now. "You're a shinobi, mister? That's so cool! I'm trying to be a shinobi myself! My name is-" It was at that moment that he was cut off. He was interrupted by another figure—an older boy had approached them, and had seemingly interjected into the scene that was unfolding. He seemed maybe a couple years older than Ko, and his giddiness wasn't anything to scoff at either. The boy seemed positively cheery, which was definitely a good thing. He seemed to be a shinobi as well, judging by his forehead protector. Ko was feeling all sorts of excited, being able to interact with two real shinobi today. He'd always had to admire them from afar, and never had much of a chance to interact with them up close before. This would be fun!

Ko listened as the newcomer introduced himself, pausing in his greeting as he looked at the white hair Academy Student. Ko still hadn't properly introduced himself. "Ah, my name is Sasaki Kotsuko. It's a pleasure to meet you—both of you!" Ko had a big smile on his face, and it was really obvious that the kid was enjoying himself right now. How could he not? While it would be hard for the kid to start having a bad time now that things had gotten interesting, it was fairly easy for him to have an even better time. He heard the clicking of the chess piece hitting to board, and instantly his focus went down to the board again. His opponent had made a move. Ko had officially been challenged, so he would have to respond to this threat. Smiling, the young kid made his move.

"Let's have a good game, okay?" Ko was a good sport. He listened to his opponent's musings, mentioning that shinobi were a lot like chess pieces. They each had a rank, and a power, and a value. They all worked towards one goal, that of survival. Ko furrowed his brow slightly, trying to see the connection between the game and the shinobi system this man spoke of. He didn't see it at first. "If each piece is like a person, then why did you send one man out to fight alone? He's just going to get ambushed by another shinobi. Shouldn't he go in a squad?" Maybe Ko was looking at it wrong. Maybe he didn't literally mean each piece was like a person. However, Kotsuko was still young. An Academy Student still had much to learn in this world.

 

[Horigome Sukejuro]

The strange shinobi could not help but cock his head to the right ever so slightly before he slowly started to rotated it back up into upright position, as if internal machinations such as a spring or rewinding cogs operated within the being which was most certainly of flesh and blood. Suddenly though a stranger appeared, Sukejuro merely turned with an almost unnatural calm as his monthly intake of social graces threatened to push into twice the usual dosage, Sukejuro jittered with an amused thought of overdosing and perishing from such an unheard of amount of attention “Raitoningu…Clan? Raitoningu Arashi? I don’t recognize your clan name, but it matters not. Do you think there is honestly a Horigome clan? No, it was a ‘gift’.” He would cryptically reply as the genin took his seat and made a move in quite the hasty manner.

In a most excited manner, Sukejuro appraised the new comer quite intently, though most of his actions were quite literally masked, he watched Arashi’s actions, his demeanor, the pride and confidence were obvious but he couldn’t help but wonder if his impulsivity might hinder whatever intellect that was wrapped in bone, pulsing blood and sinuous muscle tissue ”So hasty, we have all day you know? You know what you’re doing, but do you consider the rammifications? I wonder.” he would reply in a curious manner, tone switching from amused and curious before shifting to a slightly more sinister voice as he considered the potentiality of terrible outcomes with such a reckless demeanor.

But really, such dark thoughts were most amusing since he himself often made reckless choices himself and deep down it felt nice to know there were some with imperfections like himself.

“Perhaps it does represent us, but for something so innocuous it could represent so many dark, terrible, and bloody aspects that are held within our society in every corner, heheh, so Kotsuko’s turn aye?” he would ask while he eyed the pieces, noticing the most numerous pieces were lined up and most numerous while the special pieces cowered in the back, eying each cosmetic difference between them with little problem as he turned to Kotsuko.

“Little Kotsuko, we are not Samurai – sometimes we cannot always rely on teammates, sometimes we must venture forth into the inky unknown, counting the dead, spying round trees for the gleam of assassins blades, through outselves we succeed or spill dark red ink from our throats. Exciting, yes? Though perhaps each pawn represents a squad, no?” he would manage to rattle out a borderline philosophical speech out of the mental chaos which remained a constant state of flux.

”It is grim, but we all must live for our own suffering and no one elses.” he would add on, perhaps ruining the notion of mental stability as he continued to observe intently. Though for a second he would consider his thoughts as he tilted his head up to stare up at the sky, picturing viscera raining from black and green clouds of pestilent blight as he considered the eager shinobi’s words ”Kotsuko, maybe you will make a good Shinobi?” he would then let his head fall to his right, the direction towards the student ”Maybe with a little help you will exceed most?”

However it soon became abundantly evident that Eiji was taking a long time, a very long time, and for what seemed like such a basic opening move. Eyebrows furrowed as he watched, silence grew uncomfortable like laying on bedding woven with rose vines. "Ehm?" he would croak out, however nothing apparently changed before Sukejuro entirely lost interest "Indecision, a terrible quality, should make a choice even as opposed to being claimed a bloody casualty of despondency." he would manage to rattle out before turning "You boys have fun, I have work to do." he would dismiss the two as he merely walked away.

[Topic Left due to Inactivity]

 

[Kazu]

[OOC: Topic Left due to Inactivity. Will rejoin if Arashi posts.]