Week 4

[thecastle]

Week 4

Sunday - Thursday

You've lost four in the past week—Machias, Vanitas, Natalia and Edna. Just in time for the fourth week to roll around, for those of you who are superstitious. But it really isn't like you could forget that death is a common occurrence in this castle, whether you believe in legends or not. Some of you might find solace in the chance to recuperate and move on, if you're still up for companionship with your fellow warriors.

Either way, dawn is soon upon the castle and like it or not, you will all have to face whatever comes this week.

Like before the pattern repeats itself, with new areas revealed for you to explore. It may be that something worth discovering lies in wait to be found, or you can simple enjoy the new additions for what they are. Distractions are most likely welcome, regardless of your feelings of the past week.

SURVIVING WARRIORS: 21

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SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

(OOC: Welcome to Week 4 of Ukimiya! Feel free to comment to the weekly top levels and thread as you like, and redeem coins at the wishing pool.

You can contact the sage with your pendants here, and the teishu here.)

Comments

[buddyoldpal]

Well, ya got yer king and silver general and a gold general... think these have less pieces, huh?

[ Aw, boo. He does stop, though. He likes Rosalind enough to let her touch him without him wanting to claw her arm off like some kind of feral cat. Instead he holds himself still, a rare state for Nishitani. ]

Ya wanna teach me, Lutece-han?

[ He grins, wide and salacious. Maybe touching him was a bad idea. ]

[originallutece]

[Aaaand there goes her hand off his arm, although to be fair, it wasn't as if she was going to hold on for much longer anyway. But rather than give him a look of disgust, Rosalind offers him an arch look.]

That depends. Can you do as you're told?

[buddyoldpal]

[ He's just a lech, I wish I could say he's better than that, but he isn't. Her tone just makes him grin wider. ]

Yes, ma'am.

[originallutece]

Oh, good.

[So serene.]

Then go put twenty-five feet between us and head to the other side of the board.

[buddyoldpal]

[ Nishitani visibly deflates, but he does as he's told, standing on the other side of the board. ]

This good?

[originallutece]

[It's not gonna happen, but his neverending hope in her someday giving in is heartwarming, it really is.]

Pawns, the ones along the second line, move one movement at a time, except when they capture a piece, in which case they move diagonally. From the edge of the board, moving in, the pieces are: a castle, a knight, and a bishop. The king is on the left, the queen is on the right.

[From there, she gives a brisk but informative rundown on each piece, then offers him another smile. It's challenging, but not in an unfriendly way. If he wants to flirt, well. Rosalind won't ever go to his bed, but it's fun to at least engage him.

(And it's easier to engage with him than linger in her misery).]

Understand?

[buddyoldpal]

[ Hope springs eternal, as they say. ]

Huh. Alright.

[ Sounds fairly simple, considering shogi has a few more pieces than that. If he can distract her, then he's here for it. He's not exactly what you'd call a chess master, even considering he's a yakuza boss. ]

Ya gonna kick my ass, ain't ya, Lutece-han?

[originallutece]

Oh, yes. But not as badly as I could. It's no fun if I crush you at a game you've only just learned.

Besides: I think you could be good at it. Or don't Yakuza bosses have to think two steps ahead?

[buddyoldpal]

Ain't that the truth.

[ He chuckles. He'll believe her, maybe. ]

Aw, shucks, Lutece-han. Don't say that too loud, people might start takin' me seriously.

[originallutece]

If the repeated knife fights haven't done it, Nishitani, I don't think my logical assessments will. Pawn to B4.

[God, but she loves chess. It honestly doesn't matter if he does well or not (though she suspects anyone who stays at the head of a criminal organization will be good at chess, if not now then with practice); she's just missed having something to do.]

[buddyoldpal]

People ain't too logical 'round here, eh?

[ And yet there are people who are convinced he won't ever kill. Funny, ain't it? ]

'kay, let'see...

[ Letters, hmmm... ]

Little guy ta D5?

[originallutece]

[Which is a perfectly valid move, and Rosalind nods.]

Pawn to D4. Perhaps it's simply because they haven't yet seen you commit a murder. Not that I'm recommending it, but that may be why.

[buddyoldpal]

Pawn ta C6.

[ He might need to move around to actually get a look at the board at this rate. ]

Might be! I ain't exactly been shy about how I been killin' since I was a brat.

[originallutece]

Pawn to H3.

[I even have a layout of the board open in another tab, you'd think I'd get this down.]

People are often stupid, even in the face of obviousness. How old were you, your--

[--first time, no, she's not going to hand him that.]

--first murder?

[buddyoldpal]

Horse ta F6.

[ I had to pull up photoshop because I suck at googling a board... ]

My first murder? Ya already heard that story.

[ Though his first time would've been a hilarious story too, make no mistake. He would have laughed his ass of at that one. ]

That's the one where I killed the asshole who killed Uncle B's daughter. It was another fuckin' kid, probably just a few years older than I was.

[originallutece]

[Ah. So that was the bad thing he'd alluded at. She's grateful he hadn't actually said so, but it's also good to have it confirmed.]

Pawn to E3. How old are we talking, though? Fifteen? Eighteen?

[buddyoldpal]

Pawn ta H5.

[ He can have tact sometimes, when it suits him. Though he'll always be especially proud of that particular murder. ]

Lessee, I was just startin' high school so I was somethin' like fifteen... think this dude mighta been seventeen, he was hangin' out right on the edge of bein' too young ta stick in prison so he got off with juvie fer what he fuckin' did.