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Foxfire
Oct 27, 2010 5:36:43 GMT -5
Post by Alex Meriweather on Oct 27, 2010 5:36:43 GMT -5
The poor dear; he acted as if the thwarting of his ambitions was quite a source of frustration for him. The fox considered this, and decided that as it was very likely to be one of the favors he would be called on to return, he had best get to making sure putting Hitoshi in some kind of power wouldn't end in something terrible. Come to think of it, figuring out what the favors were likely to be and what they were likely to result in would be a good way to pass the time in between games.
"I hope it's unlikely that there will be more prying at the idea of you staying in your room all day, emerging only for meals?" He smiled slightly, guessing what the answer would be. "I would not mind answering your questions, but I fear I am a young fox, relatively speaking, and my life may be far less interesting than you expect- it's nothing like the tales of the celestial gods, and so forth."
The fox followed Hitoshi over to the go board.
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Foxfire
Oct 27, 2010 22:16:58 GMT -5
Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Oct 27, 2010 22:16:58 GMT -5
"And how old would that be, exactly?" Hitoshi raised an eyebrow. The fox looked about his age, but he had no idea how that compared to the kitsune. He could have been anywhere from a few years to a few centuries old, for all Hitoshi knew.
He moved the shogi board into the floor and replaced it with the go board, then placed a bag of stones in front of each of them -- black for Hitoshi, and white for the fox.
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Foxfire
Oct 27, 2010 22:54:26 GMT -5
Post by Alex Meriweather on Oct 27, 2010 22:54:26 GMT -5
The fox smirked. "Perhaps we should save that answer for later. Do you have any other questions?"
He ran his fingers over the smooth stones. Interesting.
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Foxfire
Oct 27, 2010 23:25:37 GMT -5
Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Oct 27, 2010 23:25:37 GMT -5
"That hardly seems fair to me, but very well, though I should probably explain the game first." Hitoshi glanced down at the board.
"The goal of the game, simply put, is to collect territory. You do this by surrounding an area with stones." He placed a few of the black stones around the edges of the board to demonstrate. "All of the cross points within the territory count as a point. You can also capture pieces or groups of pieces by surrounding them completely."
Hitoshi scooped his pieces back off of the board and into the bag. "There is a bit more to it than that, which I can explain to you along the way. Go is a bit harder than shogi, at least in my experience, so we'll take it slow for the first game or two. No competitions this time."
Hitoshi placed one of his pieces about halfway between himself and the center. He smirked. "That makes it your turn."
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Foxfire
Oct 27, 2010 23:31:45 GMT -5
Post by Alex Meriweather on Oct 27, 2010 23:31:45 GMT -5
The fox watched him, and considered his move carefully. Territory was something he understood very well. At this stage in the game, there was almost no knowing where Hitoshi would stick his pieces, but there were still positions... slightly more defensible than others.
He placed a stone and smiled. "I said nothing to the effect of answering every question, nor do I require you to answer all of mine."
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Foxfire
Oct 27, 2010 23:51:29 GMT -5
Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Oct 27, 2010 23:51:29 GMT -5
"True, though that only makes me wonder why you are so determined to keep it a secret. Is there some reason you're reluctant to tell me your age?"
Hitoshi placed a second stone at the bottom right star point. There were plenty of other things he would love to know about the kitsune, but it was extremely curious that he was so hesitant to tell him. Was there some reason, Hitoshi wondered, or was he simply being coy?
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Foxfire
Oct 28, 2010 0:07:42 GMT -5
Post by Alex Meriweather on Oct 28, 2010 0:07:42 GMT -5
"It... the reason is a little embarrassing in itself," the fox responded. I don't really want you to think I'm an old man. "I don't intend to sound determined, precisely..."
The fox sat another stone nearer to one of Hitoshi's stones.
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Foxfire
Oct 28, 2010 0:45:51 GMT -5
Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Oct 28, 2010 0:45:51 GMT -5
Hitoshi placed his stone in one of the far corners, right in front of his opponent.
His gaze never left the fox, though he was unsure just what he was searching for. "If you tell me, I'll tell you how old I am." Hitoshi smiled genially, though he was unsure if that was a fair trade to the fox. He likely had far more luck guessing his age than the other way around.
"Though if it embarrasses you that much, I'm sure I can wait. I'm only curious."
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Foxfire
Oct 28, 2010 0:50:06 GMT -5
Post by Alex Meriweather on Oct 28, 2010 0:50:06 GMT -5
The fox sighed. "All right; but only if you also tell me why you're so curious?"
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Foxfire
Oct 28, 2010 1:36:52 GMT -5
Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Oct 28, 2010 1:36:52 GMT -5
"I'm curious because I don't know anything about kitsune apart from what I've heard in stories, and I have no idea how much of what I've heard is true. I know even less about you specifically."
He smirked. "I also admit I would not be nearly so curious if it didn't seem to matter so much to you. But if you're worried about what I think, I promise you that my opinions of you would not so easily swayed by something as trivial as age."
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Foxfire
Oct 28, 2010 1:43:45 GMT -5
Post by Alex Meriweather on Oct 28, 2010 1:43:45 GMT -5
He smiled again, not meeting Hitoshi's eyes, and placed another piece. "This is not- or I hope it's not- going to end up like the kitsune-human, ah, deals, portrayed in stories..."
"Fine. I am... about eighty summers old," he admitted, a bit irritably. "Kitsune do not learn to change shape until about half a century in, and I don't even have a second tail yet... but I'm much older than you are." His speech got rather less formal as the explanation went on.
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Foxfire
Oct 28, 2010 2:06:28 GMT -5
Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Oct 28, 2010 2:06:28 GMT -5
Hitoshi regarded him for a moment, absently rubbing his thumb over a black stone.
"And yet when I'm eighty, you'll scarcely look older than I am now," Hitoshi countered. "It's all a matter of perspective, isn't it?" He placed the next piece directly beside one of the fox's. Hitoshi was finished setting up the board; it was time to attack.
"My sister and I will be eighteen at the turn of the month, by the way." He glanced back up at the fox, his face carefully neutral. "If you like, I can find some arrangement for you to attend the party. I would hate for you to miss the banquet."
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Foxfire
Oct 28, 2010 2:17:50 GMT -5
Post by Alex Meriweather on Oct 28, 2010 2:17:50 GMT -5
"Oh," the fox replied wonderingly. "I would be happy to wish you and your sister well."
He looked down at the board, pausing a moment to read it, then placed another stone. The idea of Hitoshi being so old someday bothered him a little, but he put it down to vanity; after all, he had originally approached him because he was beautiful...
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Foxfire
Oct 28, 2010 2:35:42 GMT -5
Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Oct 28, 2010 2:35:42 GMT -5
Hitoshi frowned. "You look a bit troubled. It doesn't bother you that much, does it?"
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Foxfire
Oct 28, 2010 2:39:58 GMT -5
Post by Alex Meriweather on Oct 28, 2010 2:39:58 GMT -5
The fox sat quietly for a moment before deciding that it shouldn't harm him much to tell the truth.
"I am often lonely... Foxes rarely make friends with each other."
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Foxfire
Oct 28, 2010 2:49:12 GMT -5
Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Oct 28, 2010 2:49:12 GMT -5
Without thinking, Hitoshi made to cover the fox's hand with his own. His fingers just barely brushed the fox's; then, thinking better of it, Hitoshi pulled his hand back and hastily dropped a piece near the center of the board. He was fairly certain the move was a terrible one.
Hitoshi ran a strand of hair idly through his fingers, staring down at the mislaid stone. "Loneliness is...not a pleasant feeling," he murmured.
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Foxfire
Oct 28, 2010 2:53:47 GMT -5
Post by Alex Meriweather on Oct 28, 2010 2:53:47 GMT -5
He blushed and covered his mouth with the hand Hitoshi had touched; he closed his eyes and forced himself back towards calm, more from Hitoshi's reaction than the sensation of being touched.
"I would hope you do not have similar experience..." He looked away, finding it completely impossible not to smile. "You may place the stone elsewhere, if you like; I would hate to distract you into making a bad move, after all, even if unintentionally."
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Foxfire
Oct 28, 2010 23:17:33 GMT -5
Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Oct 28, 2010 23:17:33 GMT -5
Hitoshi blushed and shifted the stone a few places to the right, balancing the board much better than the haphazardly placed move.
"In a manner of speaking, yes," he replied quietly. "There is very little opportunity to meet others of my age here, apart from my sister. Though..." He glanced up at the fox. "I had never particularly felt alone until my mother died."
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Foxfire
Oct 28, 2010 23:39:29 GMT -5
Post by Alex Meriweather on Oct 28, 2010 23:39:29 GMT -5
That finally killed the smile. He had thought... No.
"Ah." The fox gingerly placed a stone. "Then... we shall be companions through the winter, and see what comes of it."
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Foxfire
Oct 28, 2010 23:54:44 GMT -5
Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Oct 28, 2010 23:54:44 GMT -5
Hitoshi hesitated for a moment, rolling a stone between his fingers.
"She used to tell me stories about youkai." He stared down at the board, his expression distant. "Sometimes kitsune, sometimes tanuki... There were several about wolves. A few of them were old legends, but I remember most of them as being her own stories. She would tell them before bed, and my sister and I would hang on every word. It wasn't until she died that I stopped believing."
He stared back at the fox, smiling slightly. "But then, here you are."
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Foxfire
Oct 29, 2010 0:11:53 GMT -5
Post by Alex Meriweather on Oct 29, 2010 0:11:53 GMT -5
The fox looked surprised; it had never occurred to him that there might be humans who didn't believe that spirits existed. He wondered, then, if there must be spirits who didn't believe that humans existed.
"Here I am, yes," he said kindly, not knowing what else to say.
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Foxfire
Oct 29, 2010 0:22:21 GMT -5
Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Oct 29, 2010 0:22:21 GMT -5
Hitoshi placed another stone. "It's your move, then," he announced.
He leaned back slightly, considering the board. Go gave him far more trouble than shogi, but he was still quite confident in his abilities. Of his family, only his father could consistently beat him.
"What is your family like? Do you still see them at all?"
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Foxfire
Oct 29, 2010 0:35:29 GMT -5
Post by Alex Meriweather on Oct 29, 2010 0:35:29 GMT -5
The fox considered his move. Things were starting to get interesting.
"I've seen my brothers once or twice. One of them, or so I hear, already has a nice position in Heaven." He tried to keep the jealousy out of his voice; he didn't begrudge his brother so, particularly given what the position was, but he had ambitions of his own. "My mother lives quite a ways from here, and spends her days keeping an inn and working as a soothsayer."
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Foxfire
Oct 29, 2010 0:45:18 GMT -5
Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Oct 29, 2010 0:45:18 GMT -5
"What have you been doing since you left them?" he asked, placing another stone.
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Foxfire
Oct 29, 2010 0:48:57 GMT -5
Post by Alex Meriweather on Oct 29, 2010 0:48:57 GMT -5
"Mostly? Studying, much like yourself." He smiled. "I like to sit someplace unseen and watch humans interact; sometimes I find a storyteller to listen to, or a scroll to read, though I rarely get to finish them. I also study the seasons, the stars, and when I can, I watch battles."
"Haven't gotten much from them, though." He chuckled. "From afar off, mostly they seem like great messy ruckuses."
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