messianic | [VIDEO] 005 ☽

[This is a tired Minato on your SFCs today, Vatheon. It's been a few days, but what could he do? Pull people out of their safety to ask them to help him? Distract from the effort to save the city because he has a somewhat selfish request to make?

Of course not. But now that the fish monsters are gone, he has no issues with asking. Because after Aigis' breakdown, this has to happen.

At the very least, he's no longer very sick.

But first--]

I hope everyone is alright. It seems like most of the creatures are gone, but there might still be a few we missed, so be careful. If anyone is in need of any healing, please let me know. I'd like to thank everyone who helped with the Defense Force as well.

[Even if they didn't stop every death, it was a start. He has to believe they can get better from here. ...Ahem.]

If...there's anyone who is good at fixing things, I'd appreciate it if you could let me know. I need some help with something really important.

[For a moment, he looks sad, but then he shakes it off. He's about to shut off the feed from there, when he seems to remember--]

Ah...one more thing. Adachi-san seems to have gone home. At least he wasn't hurt by the monsters.

[...a contemplative shake of his head and he shuts off the feed.

Click!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...huh. Okay. So you win when you capture it.

[ Such a limited range of motion for such a important piece, while the Second in Command can move wherever it likes...

N has to shove away thinking about that quite abruptly. ]

Exactly.

[He pauses, and shrugs.]

Technically, you win when you get a checkmate--that is, when the king can't move anywhere else or you'll capture it. It's the same idea, though.

Okay! I think I understand it now.

Would you like to give it a try?

Sure! Who starts?

White generally starts.

[He nods to N's side, which happens to be white.]

That means you go first.

Oh! Okay...

[ White versus black...heh.

He picks a pawn at random and moves it forward. ]

[White versus black indeed, and for once Minato's thoughts are along the same lines, but he simply picks up a pawn and moves it as well, silent, not appearing to take things too seriously--though of course, appearances can't always be trusted.]

[ N becomes entirely focused on the board, though his moves are clumsy and questionable. ]

[...hmm. It makes Minato's moves easier, but he's not going to go easy on N just because he's getting used to it. That won't help him learn.

So he makes a few more moves towards cornering his king. He's not particularly practiced in chess, but basic strategy he has had in bucketfuls.]

[ Hmm.

One can almost hear the sounds of N starting to get it.

His moves begin to be more defensive, working against Minato. ]

[Aha...that's better. It's getting more challenging now, though the head start Minato received is proving very helpful in trying to pin N down.]

[ That it is. N's hand twitches to make a move and then it falls as he realizes he has nowhere to move; his king is trapped. ]

[...oh. He pauses, tilting his head, as if he just noticed.]

Ah. Checkmate.

[ Hmm.

N frowns at the board, studying it quietly. The thoughts are flipping through his head at a rapid speed, but when he speaks it is just a simple question. ]

Can we play again?

[It's a peaceful look when Minato looks at N and nods. He rather expected he would say that, and so he picks up the pieces and sets up the board again.]

Of course. Your move.

[ This time, N is obviously much more at ease with the game, though he plays as fast as he did the game before. ]

[And this time Minato has to pay far more attention to which moves he is making where, though he doesn't seem to be too bothered by the game.

He moves his chess pieces with a laid-back ease, in direct contrast to N's quick pace.]

[ Now that he is relaxed in his own way, N begins to babble as he leans over the board. ]

Do you play this game at home a lot? How did you learn? Who made it up?

[Minato pauses to sort through the babble, answers as calm and slow as the rest of his movements.]

No, I don't play often, but I learned when I was younger. I'm not sure who made it up; it's a very old game.

I like it.

[ He is being truthful. His mind easily grasps onto strategy, and part of it is happily flipping through all the possibilities open to both of them. Minato is a challenging opponent, making this a difficult puzzle to sort out. ]

Why does white always go first? And why can the Queen move anywhere and not the King?

[...huh. He blinks, considering.]

I'm not actually sure, for either of those. I know it's just how the game is played. I'm sure there's a reason...

[He moves his pieces thoughtfully as he considers N's questions. Mmm...]

Maybe I can find out at the library.

[ For N is nothing if not horribly curious, about anything and everything. ]

I'm sure you could, N.

[...

...

oh he was so absorbed with answering the questions he didn't notice--]

Mm. Check.

[ Oh! Damn. How does he get out of this?

N frowns, nibbling on his lip, and tries to escape, but he has wandered too far into danger while he was distracted by his own thoughts. ]