The Realms - Semi Advanced discussion
Feywild
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Sildëyuir
Somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Slidëyuir was a small and short table. It was composed purely of ice, gelid and fragile, yet beautiful and unique. The top was checkered with small squares sections that were completely transparent and other that were filled with white ice looked like finely woven spider webs were imprisoned inside. It was set up with intricately made chess pieces made with the same ice as the table. At the table sat an old man, large, but unimposing, he was draped in loose fitting robes and his face wrinkled due to old age. The man was Xu Kai, awaiting someone to challenge him at a game. He was on a patch of grass silently sitting, patiently expecting a challenger to come along. It didn't appear to be the most sensical location, but it was rare that the most sensible people were ever able to beat him so perhaps it would take a more peculiar mind to outdo him.
A darkly cloaked figure came out from the majestic forest to the small clearing, she looked at her long black wool cloak, and noticing some prickles stuck to it, she reached a slender hand to clear them off. This was Arran Chadwick, she had taken a walk in the forest to take her mind off things and find some peace and quiet. Arran came back to her full height again, and noticed that there was an elderly man in the clearing, a small table in front of him with what looked like chess pieces on the board. Arran wondered why anyone would want to play a board game in the middle of a thick forest, when there were other places where people could actually be there to challenge him. But in her cautious ways, she closed her eyes, changing to something or other that looked like a witch, changing her clothing and looks. She came back out looking like a dark skinned woman, with dark wavy hair and a taller height, her eye color was changed oddly to blue, which was not common in dark skinned people. A witchy hat sat atop her head, decorated with small flowers and some skulls, supposedly mouse skulls to be exact, she was clothed in a black cloak, though intricately designed at the ends. Then she quietly made her way to the table, her feet softly stepping on the grass in the way that no one would be able master. She reached the table looking at the chess pieces, and realizing that the smooth table was made from ice, she outlined the edge of it, in came away cold but not in the instant freezing way ice did, it was....different. She looked to the elderly man, who had a long but loosely tied beard, and wearing loose, brown clothing. She then looked at the opposite chair on the opposite side of the table and deciding that a game would be a nice distraction to have, she sat down, tucking in her cloak for a proper sitting position. Still looking at the elderly man.
Xu Kai looked up at the woman, in alarmed by her appearance. His gaze was kind, a small smile making it's way onto his face. He chuckled faintly at how cautious she seemed to be, she had no reason to worry, but he did suppose that his choice of placement for his game was a bit out of the ordinary and worthy of some caution. He waited to catch her eyes, which he noted to be an unusual blue that was an odd match to her dark complexion. Once he did he tilted his head ever so slightly, "Take a seat dear, treat yourself to a game, you must have taken a long journey to get he so perhaps the rest would be lovely reward." He offered politely, gesturing towards the spot opposite to him. To him life was in the enjoyment of the smallest things, he cared not about her past or what her intents were, he wished only to enjoy a few moments of peace in the form of a board game.
((Not alarms, not in alarmed))
((Not alarmed*... Excuse me while I go burn my phone.))
Arran settled herself more comfortably, pushing her icy chair forward until she was settled the way she wanted to, her disguise still there. She looked at the man again. "I am afraid I haven't played chess in a while, excuse me if I am a bit rusty." She said in her melodic voice, it was her own voice, not a changed one, a voice that one could listen to forever lovely and sweet like honey. The man was strange, old but strong power emitted from him, a god maybe? Hmm, no a gods power overflowed in relentless waves but him....it was close though a bit off. Demigod then, she guessed.
Xu Kai paid her remark little mind, "It does not matter, in the end we play for the sake of the game, there is no reward for winning and therefore no need to strive for victory." He told her before waving a hand over the board, his large sleeve flowing through air with the motion. "You may make the first move," he added on, allowing her to start their game. That way if she had any questions she'd be able to ask before they began. "Now, what brings you here to Slidëyuir?" Xu Kai asked now that
he had arranged the game.((Sorry, I accidentally hit post and I'm still trying to figure out how this all works :p))
Arran stared at him for a moment. What brings her to Slideyur? He seemed a man that was harmless on the outside but his power was overwhelming. She guessed that it was a harmless yet simple question, an inquiry of curiosity. "Nothing brings me here, only a walk through the forest." She said truthfully, choosing her words carefully. She looked over the board, focusing on what move to make. Then in a few minutes decided her choice and moved a piece forward.
L E O N T H E L I O N wrote: "he had arranged the game.((Sorry, I accidentally hit post and I'm still trying to figure out how this all works :p))"
(( that's ok, tbh in real life I suck at chess :') though maybe if I tried I could be better ))
Xu Kai watched her move carefully, his mind flickered with possible counters, offences and defences with which to combat it. "A walk through the forest, what a pleasant time that must have been, I personally find it to be quite nice here." He commented, carefully sliding a piece into a spot. It sat neatly in the exact centre of the square, making it easy to tell where it was on the board. Xu Kai knew exactly what he was doing, after all he had seen nearly every possible strategy so his every move would be the optimal choice, leaving him the most chances of victory based on possible moves. Her tone of voice was pleasant, oddly so, in fact, he passively noted several things about her, it was clear there was more to her than she would let on, but he found it to be little more than a tedious detail not worth mentioning. "May I ask where it is you are visiting from?" He asked, allowing the sound of chirping birds to fill the air while he awaited the response. He found their lively tones to be enjoyable, they were very free creatures, something he wished could be said about all things.
((All I really remember is that Cassidy and Alexandria would destroy me in every match...))
(( hah, Alexandria is very smart. Though I would like to master playing chess )) Arran watched his move very carefully, contemplating her own defenses and the moves she could make, planning moves and decisions before making her own choice of moving her piece again. Then she answered his question. "I come from the city a bit farther from here." She said, not only was she playing a game of chess but a game of questions and answers, also planning in a way, people always murmured about her being mysterious, she had heard them as she passed by, without disguises at that. She said City but not where, so a an avoided question but another truth.
((Yep, and Cassidy is like her rival in every sense so the two of them would mow through me and then sit there and have one game between them go for an hour. May I suggest learning about how you can switch pawns for other pieces at some points, that part always gets me...))Xu Kai picked up a piece and moved it a few spaces ahead, but didn't let go of it. He examined the board with the piece in that spot before pulling it back into place and mirroring the move on the other side of the board instead. Her response was clearly an evasive one, but he didn't feel it necessary to dig for answers, after all, it was merely chatter with which to fill the time and make the game more worth their while. "Your moves are quite well thought out, I can already tell that this will be a delightful match!" He spoke, voice filled with joy. It was a rare occasion on which he felt even mildly challenged by even the most skilled opponents anymore so he was glad to have encountered someone with talent for the game. "Now, perhaps you would like to ask me a question." He offered, allowing the young woman who sat before him the chance to question him back.
(( It's been soooo long since I played, literally so I wouldn't be of much help. :p ))Arran contemplated the situation the board, planning for a few seconds before choosing her move, carefully placing the pawn on a tile before thinking about what she should ask. "What is your name?" She asked, he had looked a bit familiar, though she couldn't place her finger where. She still watched the board, not looking up, watching his moves and wanting to guess what strategy he had.
((We can fail at chess together then, hooray!)He smiled at her question as he looked over the board. He played out the game in his head based on each possible move he could make. His mind ran over the outcomes as he spoke, "My name is Xu Kai," He told her his expression aglow with serenity and enjoyment. "I have gone by many names in the past, however much has changed since then as you can most likely see." He added on, referring to his old age. He then moved a piece far across the board from where it sat, just beyond the reach of any of her pieces. "Feel free to ask anything, if I have learnt anything lying has never gotten me anywhere." He informed her, not wanting her to try and be polite at the expense of her own knowledge being inhibited.
Mod
L E O N T H E L I O N wrote: "((All I really remember is that Cassidy and Alexandria would destroy me in every match...))"
((Yes, yes we did.))
Angel { The Winged Demon } wrote: "(( hah, Alexandria is very smart. Though I would like to master playing chess ))
Arran watched his move very carefully, contemplating her own defenses and the moves she could make, planning moves..."
((I'm glad you think so!))
L E O N T H E L I O N wrote: "((Yep, and Cassidy is like her rival in every sense so the two of them would mow through me and then sit there and have one game between them go for an hour. May I suggest learning about how you ca..."
((That was always an easy method with which to beat you...))
Arran nodded, remembering the name. She had heard of him before, a long time ago, a hard-headed stubborn boy who had killed a population of people in a town, but then for a long time he was feared, now she knew that from townsfolk that he had settled down, liked to play board games and took abandoned children to orphanages, caring for them and others, more kinder now than in the past. She moved her piece forward, focusing on the one she had currently, not making any moves to take a new pawn, using her own technique. She had glanced up at him when he had made his move and could feel that behind his eyes was a well planned way of winning, not new either. She then remembered that Xu Kai was a man who had never been beaten at chess or other beard games, his strategic way of playing had won him much money in contests, and he then gave it to the orphanages again.
He cocked his head to the side noticing the fact that she seemed to be analyzing his words. "It seems to be that you recognize my name." Xu Kai commented as his eyes scanned the board. "I suppose you have very few questions left now, my life is no secret so you likely know most of it solely based on word of mouth." He chuckled aware of how word of him had spread far and wide over the years. He then slid a piece a space forward. It was possible to be taken, yet at the same time if it were taken it would open up for what would be a good spot to secure early on, either way he wouldn't be hit hard by either option because of his carefully thought out positioning.
She nodded head slowly, and saw the initiative move he had placed she could take but then it opened up to him something better, she had a different plan ahead to try and win the game. Instead of taking his pawn she passed it to another spot, it would be of use to her later in the game. She looked around, there was no one here so she thought it probably safe of her to drop her guise, she knew he was a kind man and probably was too busy to know who she was, unless he did. So while Xu Kai was choosing his own move to make, his eyes on the board and not paying attention to her. She quietly dropped her guise, switching it to her normal wear, her curly hair spilling over her shoulders, shining in the afternoon light. Arran leaned back in the cold chair, taking a soft breath out, putting her arm over the head of the chair, it provided her some coolness in the hot summer sun.
He glanced up from the board ever so briefly. He may have been old, but his senses were still far more keen than the usual person and something as grand as the complete and utter altercation of a persons appearance was definitely not going to slip by him. He recognized her face from several wanted posters, he knew not what she was wanted for nor did he know the levity of her crimes, but he knew that there was a warrant for her arrest. "It seems one of us hasn't been telling the full truth..." He began, returning his eyes to the board as he continued onward with the pawn now uninhibited due to her choice. "I'm glad you have at least chosen to show yourself now." He told her his smile somewhat smaller, but still quite clearly present. He didn't care enough to check the posters so why would he care to question why she was on them, after all, she was a challenger in a board game, not a battle to the death.
Arran looked over the board. She took out a band to tie her hair into a bun, some wisps and curls escaping from it. Then she took out another pawn, this time from the far left side of the board and moved it forward with a slender hand. "I see by you gaze you know me, not much maybe, but I do not show myself often, consider yourself lucky." She said, watching him make his move, she looked up to the sky, the sun shone on her freckled face, before she looked back to him again, waiting patiently and watching his reaction. He seemed not to care to kill her, or capture her like a prize mare to take to the king or authorities, but she did not relax her posture. Still watching him.
Xu Kai raised an eyebrow questioningly at he remark. "You think far to highly of yourself, if I truly wished to know it would simply..." He began patronisingly, pausing so that he could move a piece. "Be a matter of burning away the facade." He finished, clasping his hands together in his lap. He found the arrogance of her saying seeing her true appearance to be something of luck to be rather vain. It was such things that resulted in one's downfall, he would admit she was lovely, but that does not give one the right to speak in such a way. "It would be more fitting to say such a thing about my mother mind you, half angel half goddess, an unmatched beauty, both from within and without." He told her, picturing the only image of his mother he could muster up, a memory from the brief moment in which she cast him from the heavens as was ordered. "You would be lucky to lay eyes upon even an afterimage of her presence... To this day I have yet to be gifted with such a fortunate sight, it is both rare and beautiful..." he finished his state distant yet still jovial. Even he had only seen her once and he was her son, not even legend had mentioned her name for she was such an elusive being.
Arran laughed, it came out a soft and beautiful sound, like the chirping of a bird's most beautiful song, or even like oozing honey. "I am sorry if I came off as arrogant, but I do not think highly of myself mind you, and your mother sounds lovely, I would have truly loved to meet her, if I could've." Though her expression and feelings stayed emotionless she smiled a bit, it lit up her face making her look even more beautiful. She pushed her pawn farther on the board, still analyzing his moves, trying to predict which ones he would make.
(( sorry I took so long to reply, I went to a blueberry farm a few minutes back and it was great ))
((I wasn't home much anyway so it's fine! Blueberries are super foods. As you can tell I have all of the smarticle particles.))Xu Kai raised his eyebrows a bit his smile being replaced with a more neutral expression, "Wouldn't we all like to meet her..." he said rather oddly. His tone implied more than what he said at face value. He then moved a rook directly in the way of her pawn, she would be able to take it. The move appeared quite foolish, but to him it was really the only possible move to make. "Well, anyway, now that we are being, where are you really from?" He asked her curiously, preparing his next move. He had several pieces in place as contingencies for one another so that in the case of each one's failure another could come through and make up for the mistake. He wasn't going to let her win regardless. In the end he was playing a game and he felt it would be rude to just let her win.
Arran replaced her smile, to again an emotionless expression, and deciding her move she put her pawn over the rook, taking it to put to the side of the board. She leaned back waiting for Xu Kai to make his own move. "As I said, I'm from a city a bit farther from here, while my disguise was a lie my answers were truth." She looked up at the sky again, briefly. Her next 'appointment' was at sunset. Right now it was about in the middle of afternoon, 4:00 or 3:30 currently maybe.
Xu Kai gestured loosely at the piece, causing it to shatter, sending the pieces flying off of the table. Xu Kai looked over the board running over what could possibly happen in their game. He then looked up at her, a slight smile on his face, "three moves, seven moves, thirteen moves, twenty two moves." He told her, coating his finger in flames and marking down a point a point in the surface of the icy table. He chose not to question her statement and proceeded as though the question had never been asked. With that all the pieces shattered and were reformed in their proper spots on the board. "I have played this game well over a thousand times, I can tell you when and how I could win based on your first move." He explained. "Checkmate!" He chirped a broad smile on his face. He then tapped the board a couple of times. "Perhaps you'd like to play another game?" He offered kindly, allowing her to decide the game.
(( wait, what the heck just happened, she hadn't even gotten deeply into the game ))
((She focused on moving a single piece, he moved around several. He already knew how the game worked perfectly, he had played a game that has gone any possible way so he knows how each move could make the game go. He listed the possible number of moves it would take to put her in a checkmate. His life is heavily dedicated to board games so, for example she'd be an unfathomably greater assassin he'd be the same, but with board games. Games don't always last long either, it's possible to win in two moves alone. He's like Garry Kasparov, the worlds greatest chess grandmaster who was so skilled at chess he beat a super computer and then had to call for a check on whether or not the programmers were cheating because it was only two games away from matching him.))
((An example of how quick it can be there were two chess grandmasters who had a match in the championships that lasted a mere 17 moves))
Mod
(( damnit, I didn't even make any moves Xu Kai is my chess enemy ))Arran shook her head. "What's the point of trying if I know you're going to win anyways? I could play again but my own strategies would probably fail if you calculated what is going to happen since my first move." She shook her head again, though she didn't like losing it was but a simple game. She'd only made but a few moves, she already knew he was a master at his game, but she at a different subject. But how would he know how to to get to her Queen if she hadn't moved but two pieces on her side? Probably his own strategizing techniques.
He smiled at her unfazed by her words. "I have played many games, I know how to win most of them, but perhaps you'd prefer a game of chance?" He asked offering to play something that would solely come down to luck for lack of a better term. The table cleared of any set up and several miniaturized versions of different games that relied on random selection were set upon the surface. Once again, everything was made of ice, even a deck of card was composed out of paper thin sheets of ice that appeared fragile yet upon contact would be revealed to be harder than diamond. "Or perhaps there is another form of activity you'd enjoy to partake in." He considered opening up the options almost infinitely for her to choose.
(( I don't even know that many card games >< or anything else but okay. ))"Alright, I'll play a different game with you." Arran looked over the several options, but instead of choosing looked back up at Xu Kai. "Would you choose instead? Other than chess of course." She had plenty of time before going, so she could play one more game with him she supposed. She didn't know many other games for her time was almost always occupied doing other things. While his skills were board games and being good with children hers were assassination, spying, art, and singing. He probably had many more hobbies that she didn't know about but those two were all she knew about him, other than his past and personality.
Xu Kai looked at the possible choices before melting away the table and pieces. "Something tells me you'd be better at something else..." he began pondering the best suited option for her. "I know enough to confidently say you have masked your presence from authorities..." he reasoned, placing his hands atop a cane that was previously hidden from her sight, leaning against the now melted table. "It may seem childish, but something tells me you'd be quite good at hide and seek." He told her selecting a whole new type of game. It may not have been one his beloved board games, but none the less it was a game it only seemed fair to play a game at which she'd be more suited. He spent lots of time with children so it didn't feel like an odd suggestion in his mind, simply a childish one.
She raised a perfect red eyebrow. Hide and seek? It was better suited for her, but she was not a child. But, she had promised him one more game, and she kept her promises. "Alright, I'll play hide and seek." She said, keeping her tone natural. One more game, then she would have to go. She wasn't ever late to appointments.
Xu Kai smiled kindly at her response, "Well, you shall hide and I will set out to find you upon the count of twenty." He told her as he hobbled off to a tree and closed his eyes. "Feel free to keep me from finding you by any means necessary, I can more than handle myself." He added indicating she could go to any lengths she pleased. "One..." he began, starting the count down for her to go find herself a place to hide from him.
Before Xu Kai even closed his eyes, she was gone. No scent coated where she sat or where she was, none of her belongings left there either. She reappeared farther in the forest, and standing where she was, she coated herself in a protective bubble, getting rid of any trace of her scent or of her being there. She made a hole in the ground, in a way that no vibrations or anything got through. She jumped in, the ground closing up behind her, it was deep enough not to know that the ground was hollow, even with Xu Kai's weight it or sense he wouldn't know. The ground above was in perfect shape, no sign that she had entered it. The grass perfect and no specks of dirt to be found. By her calculations, he would have a hard time finding her. And she was never wrong about her hiding.
Upon reaching the count of twenty Xu Kai turned around and encased a massive area of the forest in an impenetrable sphere of ice to ensure she did not try to venture any further away from where they began. The entire section of the forest became chilled, the air more like a gaseous nitrogen then anything else. He then slowly made his way back to where the table once was. "Where to begin..." He muttered, shrugging of the white coat that was draped over his shoulders. He then rose to his full height instead of his usual slouched self and set off through out the forest, the sound of his movement producing a roaring sound due to the immense speed. He began his search along the ground, seeing if she had chosen to hide somewhere more obvious in hopes of throwing him off guard.
She could feel the ground above being chilled, smart, but she could still get away if she needed to. She could hear thunderous booming, vibrations being sent along the ground where she stood. He would probably be searching along the ground then, from the chilled part of the forest of course. She made the ground dig itself far, far deeper, where oxygen itself was limited, but she could still breathe oxygen or not. The ground itself leveled out to the way it used to, now it would be even more harder to find her, she supposed. He played his game of chess as he did, but this was a much different matter, her specialty.
Within no time he had searched every inch of Land in the area. He hasn't seen anything but animals one the ground. He chuckled, at least she hadn't chosen one of the obvious spots, but now came the harder part searching for the more well hidden spots. He flickered amongst the branches of trees in search of where she could be hidden. The air seemed only to get progressively colder as frost formed on the grounds surface and upon the leaves of the plants in the forest. The chances of him finding her were quite low, but he had one contingency plan in place in case he couldn't.
(( *ahem* this "plan" is making me nervous... ))By now Arran had dug deep in the ground where there was absolutely no air, and by her computer mind she knew that she was in the part of the forest that no one entered, it was fairly deserted there, and easy for someone to miss. Now she stood on the ground, standing statue-like still, as if she was a mannequin. She was good in her hiding ways, she had mastered it with careful patience and learning, it was a few thousands of years ago that she'd fully mastered the art of silence and hiding, so while Xu Kai knew the art of planning, she had other arts.
((He literally is just going to sit there until she has to leave and therefore he wins by default. That is unless you'd prefer he start scorching everything with fire.))After a while he finished searching most of the conceivable spots. He then made his way back to the clearing. He was old, in his youth perhaps he could have proceeded to search however now things weren't quite the same. A seat was produced of ice and he sat down, shifting so that he'd be able to feel more comfortable. "A rest and then perhaps I will have second look..." he muttered closing his eyes for a while as he rested.
(( nope, nope, don't start scorching everything with fire, the forest is a nice place there are animals living there, just sit for a while, I have a plan myself. ))Arran still stood there, still as a hawk, she had infinite patience on other days, but today she had an appointment to go to. And if she went out right now and found him, he would be winning, and she would not do that on any account. So, she planned, the ground was quiet enough to plan normally without interruption. She took out her pocket watch, she had night vision, powers of demons had that. It was quarter past six, so sunset, since it was summer, would come at at least eight or nine, she had time.
Xu Kai sat in silence, listening to what was happening around him, he would know if anything or anyone approached him, however, he wasn't overly worried about it, after all, the entire area was surrounded by his ice and without a second thought he could burn everything around him to ash so it wasn't an issue. He was going to wait until she came in need of a way out of the ice prison he had formed.
An hour passed and Arran's plan formed, taking shape and structure, like a house being built. And by the hour and a half it was done, but since she had time, she would wait for a while, her plan was formed a bit too long because she was taking her time too, but a backup plan was needed, so she would have to start on that. And so the hour's chime began again.
((Sorry, I've had a lot to do over the last little while, but in any case I'm not really sure what to say because he's just waiting, it'd just be repetitive writing.))
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