awashrpg | USER #030066

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USER #030066

Black-as-can-be cats arrive a-pair,
Up on a rooftop, a plaintive eve,
And on the tips of their pointed tails hung
A wispy crescent-moon, looking hazy.
'O-wah, good evening,'
'O-wah, good evening!'
'O-wah, o-wah, o-wah!'
'O-wah, the man of this household is bedridden.'

A poem by Sakutaro Hagiwara, that I heard once from a friend. It seems things have calmed down since #FFFFFF arrived, but I wonder if that's the end of it.

How is everyone's literary analysis? I think we should be prepared for more mysterious messages, and maybe there's a way to prevent it before it gets bad.

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[Ugh]

Okay, okay, I get it.

Maybe they're lonely. Maybe they're barely in control of themselves and this is just how the world works, eating at colors and soul until there's nothing left. Maybe they just want to help this town. I've thought about it endlessly since that message first appeared, but there's no clear answer as to what the point is, what they want, or if they want anything at all. It could even be a cry for help.

But it doesn't matter when I don't know how to help them.

[ the answer is surprising, and yet not at all—it's like guren to think ceaselessly on something and then only ever say that he's annoyed about it. dextera has gotten that impression, at least. ]

I guess not.

There's not an answer that any of us can give to that, at least for now. In the meantime... do you plan to play along?

Yeah. There's nothing to be learned from doing nothing. You too, right?

The only thing I know how to do is listen.

[ a depressing answer?? but a yes, all the same. ]

[That's sad... and he's focused in on it immediately, of course.]

Shut up with that, that's not true at all.

[ dextera actually flinches away from the computer when he reads this, since he can hear guren's quick scolding in his mind. if he were to answer immediately, he might protest, but it's the current distance between them that saves his ass. ]

You have a lot of faith in me. Thank you.

[That's right... It does save his ass. Even with that overly calm answer, Guren is frowning at the screen, worried that he hasn't changed that way of thinking at all. It's usually not so easy to, after all.]

Of course I do. I don't just throw that around to anybody, either, so take it seriously. I mean it.

[He can tsun about a lot, but something like that gets admission of care... as long as it's spoken (or written) all tough like this.]

[ he hasn't changed it!! sorry!!! they managed to bond quite a bit with the furniture yelling at them, but old habits die hard. in this case, his memories start with being told he's good for nothing but service. ]

I know you do. I mean it too, after all - thank you, Guren.

[Two thank yous in a row... He still doesn't know what to say to it. It's just a normal way to think, and he's the last guy who needs to be thanked for anything.]

If you're posting poetry on the internet, that means you're not going anywhere any time soon, right?

[He could just ask straight out if he can play chess with him right now, or he could be like this and try to avoid saying it directly. The choice is clear!!]

[ the change of subject is a surprise, but not unwelcome. he's posting poetry and brooding, mostly... ]

No, I'm not. Do you need something?

Yeah. I'm bored, so I think I'll come over and kick your ass at chess.

[Yeah, he's cool, he's the coolest]

[ oh... a challenge! he can't help that he gets a little competitive when it comes to this kind of thing, but guren is a good opponent. he can tell that already. ]

Will you?

Go to hell. I'm coming over.

[Fuck you and your "will you?????", he's gonna do it!!! Also he is, in fact, coming over right now so there he goes, this is his last message.]

[ dextera takes guren’s anger in stride, at least for now, while he’s safe on the other side of the laptop.

in preparation for guren’s arrival, since he knows guren is following through on that threat, he sets up the chess board. it was missing a few pieces that he had to quickly recreate out of some of the bones he’s found, and the paint is peeling off in places, but it’s functional.

he wishes he had his own, though. ]

[KICKS THE DOOR DOWN no not really, but the threat is real and should be worried about.

Instead, Guren knocks a couple times when he shows up like a normal person.]

Alright, chess master, let me in.

[ he hasn’t cooled off...!! dextera thought the walk over might save him, but it appears he’s misjudged. ]

...

[ he opens the door, a far more unassuming person than he was when he issued that bold challenge. ]

[...He's cute, but that won't save him. Guren answers by immediately shoving his index finger into Dextera's forehead and pushing him back so he can step in more.

But, he does have a grin on his face that says he's having a good time, even before they've started.]

Where'd you set it up, your room?

[ dextera is tentatively having a good time...

he’ll have more fun once they’re actually playing! for now, he nods, protecting himself from guren’s wrath by turning away to head to his room.

with no furniture to speak of, he settles on the floor, his laptop open next to him—but he imagines he’ll be a little too focused on the game to use it. ]

[Guren moves to sit opposite of him, already looking thoughtfully at the board. He's thought about this since they last played. Dextera's patterns, his way of thinking, his techniques— he's got a plan to use this time, and he's feeling confident!

But aside from his own competitive mood and his interest in playing fun games like this (both for his heart, and because he likes it), Guren wonders if it might help Dextera, too. He's pretty sure Dextera isn't necessarily down, and it's more like he's just like this, but still— brightening things was always good.

Even if he's not the type to really do it very well, he can try behind his own interests.]

You take white. [Whether white was "white" in this case or just another grey, he's determined to take the second move because he thinks it's marginally harder...]

[ chess is genuinely fun for him. he doesn’t remember learning it, but the rules themselves are there, years of plans and tactics and games played over and over in his mind to draw on at any time.

guren’s first match was pretty good, considering that it was his first. this time, dextera knows how guren likes to play and can adapt accordingly.

he doesn’t tip his hand in any way, glancing over his pieces as impassively as ever until he makes his first move. immediately, his gaze turns up to guren’s—and there’s a competitive gleam in his eyes, too. ]

[Guren's a natural at not giving away a single thought, himself, so it's automatically a tense match. Add his own silence on top of it, with Dextera being mute, and somehow it gets even more like that. He calculates every move that could follow before deciding on one of his own, but he still manages to look almost bored with his chin resting on his palm.

Or, he would if he hadn't already revealed how into this he was. Whatever.

It's always the same. Make a move, look straight across at Dextera. Try to read his face, but deciding that Dex is better at this than he has any right to be. Giveaways like that won't be happening.]

[ the only thing that dextera gives away is that he’s enjoying himself—it is tense, but there’s a lightness in the way he moves that suggests he’s unburdened by anything, except for the desire to win.

and even if he doesn’t, it’ll have been fun. he just doesn’t like to lose. ]

...

[ guren has gotten better already, though. he can see that, and even if he notices some moves that he himself wouldn’t make, they’re not bad—just different. dextera is used to playing against himself.

they’re quite evenly matched, and guren can surely see something bright and excited in dextera’s gaze compared to when he first came over. ]

[ It’s nice to see Dextera like this. Who knew he liked chess so much... or that he’d be so good at it. Guren is adapting well, making new moves, cutting off strategies— but it seems as though Dextera always has an answer. Now, he’s backed against the corner, and his own solutions don’t actually go with the rules of chest.

If this were a real battle, it could be easy. He has pieces in enough places for a perfect set up, and while his king could take the fall, the rest of his pieces could sweep in. But, of course, the king is all that matters here. He holds on to hope until there’s no other move than one that sets him up to officially lose, and after a lot of frowning, he moves the piece and then sighs heavily, leaning back on his palms. He looks annoyed by his expression, but his eyes are lit up just as much, and he’s looking across to Dex. ]

Shut up. [ IN ADVANCE... WITH HIS EYES!!! ] How the hell did you get so good at chess, anyway?

[ guren played a good game, to his credit. dextera would tell him as much, if he could—or maybe he wouldn't, and he would let guren go on thinking that dextera is just an unstoppable monster at chess. realistically, however, guren will probably be able to beat him, soon. he's a quick learner with a tactical mind, and dextera is just a guy who has played a lot of chess.

he goes ahead and takes guren's king even though it isn't at all necessary, and smiles peacefully up at guren's demand. ]

Heh heh.

[ he pulls his computer into his lap, typing his answer and then turning it around so guren can see. ]

I think I played it a lot as a kid. I haven't forgotten it.

[ luckily for guren, it's a more sincere answer than it could have been if he were in the mood to trash-talk....... ]

[ Well, that explains it, and Guren is glad to hear that he has some memories, even if they’re kind of... muscle memory. He still looks unimpressed though, frowning like he’s bothered and staring down at the board. His fingers hover over the piece he’d moved that had been wrong, he’s sure of it, and then he looks back at Dextera. ]

Let’s play again. [ An extra frown ] And don’t give me that smug look, punk. I’m only on my third game with this one.

[ FIGHT HIM ]

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