Strawberry Short-hair (Seiya Hangout Thread) (RANK UP!)

[seiyayamada]

((Open RP, I welcome multiple threads! <3)) It had been a few days since... the incident. Seiya and her friends were able to save Miho, however, there'd been some emotional side effects. Well, and physical. Seated behind the Yamada Mart counter, it was her first day back in the saddle after the whole ordeal. Mr. Yamada had somehow had a miraculous moment of compassion and let his daughter stay home for about four days. Now that her little mini vacation was up, the girl was expected to be bright eyed and bushy tailed for a while. Still, despite the expectations put on her, Seiya couldn't help but feel down. Self-consciously tugging at her now stubby pony tail, the girl reflected on what she'd told Greg about her hair. How important it was to her, and how it was the one thing in her life that she could control. Oh well. Win some and lose some. Propping her feet up on the counter, she opened a magazine, deciding to lose herself in the lives of celebrities for a while.

Comments

[seiyayamada]

"Home-made Go, huh?" Seiya fished around behind the counter, producing a note pad and pen. Hopping over, the girl jogged to the candy aisle, gathering a fist full of little wrapped peppermints. Likewise, she took another grasp of blue hard candy in her free hand.

Returning to Kota's side, she dumped the candies on the counter with a grin. "Should be interesting!"

warning: my knowledge of go is tiny, so i'm hoping to mostly handwave the moves after this

[unexamined]

As Seiya grabbed their makeshift pieces, Kota carefully drew a grid on the paper, making it the intermediate 13 x 13. Hey, didn't want the game to be too short, or it'd hardly serve its purpose of entertaining Seiya! And he didn't really have the patience for a longer game.

He returned her grin. "Y'know, that was the point." Obviously the peppermints should stand in for the white pieces, leaving the blue candy for the black side. "I'll take that," he said as he took one of the blue candies, placing it in the right hand corner. The traditional opening move, and one of respect to the other player. It could almost make one think that Kota was actually good at the game.

Oh gosh I know absolutely nothing about Go. I mean I read volume 1 of Hikaru No Go and that's it cx

[seiyayamada]

Scooping up the peppermints, she pulled them towards her side of the counter. Seiya knew little of the game, just what she'd seen on TV or when her dad played when she was younger. Hopefully that wouldn't be too detrimental to their little distraction.

Placing her peppermint willy-nilly, Seiya glanced up at Kota, hoping she hadn't messed up royally.

excellent, then i'm not going to go frantically read up on the game

[unexamined]

It was just the first move - hard to screw up! Though Kota's grin might worry her a bit. "New to the game?" he asked casually. "I'd say I'd take it easy on you, but I'm no pro." He placed another piece on the board without hesitation.

And indeed, 'play fast, lose fast' went the proverb, but fast was exactly how Kota liked to play. He tended to work on his own strategy of gaining territory, only really responding to his opponent's moves when necessary. Kota was used to losing, really.

"I mean, I know all the terms and rules and stuff, but I've never really bothered with the various tactics, no matter how many times people tried to teach me." He looked up from the board to smile at Seiya. "Just so you know that I'm not taking advantage or anything."

[seiyayamada]

A little embarrassed, she scratched the back of her neck. It was still bit weird not finding a 3 foot poinytail back there. "Yeah, kinda."

Putting her piece down, she tried to stay in one little area, though the girl wasn't too sure if that was a good idea or not.

"I watched my dad play a lot when I was a kid. But he moved too fast." That's how the man was. Fast paced, here one moment, in the next before you can blink.

[unexamined]

Kota seemed content to continue building up his own side, not yet interfering with Seiya's plans. He smiled quietly as he put another piece down. "And I played against my mom a lot. But she'd end up leaving in the middle of the game. I don't think we ever finished one."

Despite his words, his tone indicates that the memory is a good one. "So don't give up. You'll have a chance for a late surge during the endgame."

[seiyayamada]

"You think so?" Another peppermint hit the board, her moves inching towards his side hesitantly. Seiya turned back to the radio behind the counter, which was probably the radio Jesus used, and flicked it on for some background noise.

"My dad was really good. But he never let me play him." Shrugging, she smiled. "It's nice that your mom played with you."

[unexamined]

His eyes flicked to her setup, and he hesitated slightly before placing his piece, his playing becoming a little more defensive. "Yup. It always falls apart at the end for me." Kota looked up at her. "And have a little more confidence!"

He sat back, taking a more conservative drink of water. "I guess it was. She was using me as a distraction, but I didn't realize that back then. She'd make up stories about what was going on... it was fun." He laughed. "Like I said, I never really paid much attention to the game."

[seiyayamada]

"A distraction, huh?" Seiya knew she wasn't the only one with a strange parent-child relationship, but she hadn't really expected him to talk to her about it. Then again, he did bust her window and play video games with her for several hours. Oh, and the whole saving the world thing. "What kind of stories, if you don't mind me asking?"

[unexamined]

Kota was a talker, almost all of the time. If it wasn't going to upset or anger people, he'd happily talk to you just about anything. And yeah, having your life dominated by something out of a fantasy novel removed a lot of barriers.

"About anything, really. Sometimes it would be two armies valiantly marching on each other." He put a piece of candy down and kept his fingers on it as he slid it forward like it was marching. Then he pulled it back next to a line of already established candies. "Or one of us would be building walls while the other one laid siege. Sometimes we'd be laying out plans for a fort," and he sketched a few lines in the air over the grid. "Or a treehouse. Or anything."

He leaned back. "Or sometimes we'd be the characters. Once I got to be the grizzled old Go master and she the student looking for guidance." Kota shook his head. "Might be silly, but that cracked me up back then."

[seiyayamada]

Watching Kota's fingers as he illustrated the memory only served to broaden her smile. "That's so cool!" His mother seemed like a really interesting woman! And from Seiya's point of view, great with kids.

Placing down another peppermint, she took one from her pile and unwrapped it, popping it in her mouth. Casualties of war. "Your mom sounds really sweet."

[unexamined]

He grinned at that. "Well, she's a writer. It's kinda what she does. That's why we'd play, actually - when she was stuck we might start up a game, and she'd go back as soon as she got an idea." Life had been hectic at times, but his mother had done her best and Kota'd had fun. He figured that was the best result, in the end.

He was starting to realize that he'd rambled on a bit, and knew that (even if he liked talking), people didn't always appreciate it. "...So yeah, that's how I sorta learned Go."

[seiyayamada]

"Oh wow a writer?" Seiya smacked down another mint, bouncing happily along with the tune playing behind them. "That's a really neat story."

Some people didn't like talking much. Seiya, on the other hand, thrived on conversation. "Has she written anything I'd have read?" Asking a lot of questions about his mother, Seiya hoped it wasn't too intrusive.

[unexamined]

"Heh, guess I was just born lucky." Kota grinned, because it was a stupid pun on his name and he couldn't resist. Seiya could smack him for it and he'd deserve it.

"I dunno, does Nanami Satou ring any bells? She writes light novels, mostly adventure or fantasy type stuff." He paused to think it over for a moment. "I think Ash is the most popular thing she's done."

[seiyayamada]

"... and you're allowed to leave the house why?" Seiya raised a brow, grinning playfully. She unwrapped another mint, tossing it in her mouth to join the other one.

His mother's name actually did sound a bit familiar. "I think I've heard of her! That's so neat. Maybe you've heard of my dad. He owns this kinda lame truck stop. Yam Mart or something."

[unexamined]

"Because the world would pine without me. Or because my parents don't want to deal with me either. Choose whichever one you think fits." That grin of his didn't falter as he wagged a finger at her. "You taunt me, senpai. I can't eat my pieces without paying for them. It'd be a wonderful way to forfeit the game, though."

"Y'know, I think I've heard of that place. It's supposed to have good service - at least if you're looking for a game and not for a drink!"

[seiyayamada]

"Snrk!" She giggled, shaking her head. "You can have some on the house, don't worry 'bout it." Yamada Mart definitely lacked rules when Seiya was in charge.

Placing another piece, her laughter continued. "Yeah, the girl who works there should totally get fired."

[unexamined]

"Not gonna wait for you to change your mind," he said as he unwrapped a piece and popped it into his mouth. Delicious.

"Ah, but then who would give me free candy?" Nevermind that it was just the once. "Besides, then you'd be broke, and I can't lend you anything because I'm broke too." Kota paused aft placing his piece, looking suddenly concerned. "You do get paid for this, right?"

[seiyayamada]

Popping down another mint, Seiya scrunched her nose. Her strategy was starting to look pretty weak, but it couldn't be helped.

"Mmm shady people near the train?" She grinned. "To work here? Yeah, I get paid."

[unexamined]

Kota was starting to get a little more aggressive, mostly because there was only so much board space. This was where he was more inexperienced, though, and he was taking a few seconds longer with each move as he thought about it.

"Oh no," he said, his tone one of exaggerated denial. "I learned that lesson a long time ago. Never again." He pretended to shudder, but nodded at her answer. "Good. That only seems fair."

[seiyayamada]

"Ahahaha!" Seiya whipped her hat off, fluffing off the hat hair. Placing her mint without much thought, the girl was definitely more into the conversation than the game. And that was okay!

"I've been working since I was 12, so!" Seiya smiled, pretty much used to the daily Yamada Mart routine.

[unexamined]

Well then maybe Kota would actually get to taste victory for once. It might even be as sweet as the candy.

This time the shiver seemed a little more real as Kota glanced around the store. Since she was twelve - that meant she'd been working here for five or six years, probably. "I can't even imagine that," he said. "Doesn't it drive you crazy?"

[seiyayamada]

"Mmhm." Seiya just nodded, putting down her piece. Things weren't looking too good for her peppermint men, but she was enjoying herself either way.

"But sometimes people, like you for example, come by and keep me company. And it's just habit by now."

[unexamined]

Kota may have the advantage in the game, but that looked like cold comfort right now. Then again, if Seiya remembered his Shadow - "I'm so afraid of getting trapped into something I hate" - well... He hadn't yet conquered that side of him, for all he accepted it, and so Seiya's situation was making him feel a little queasy. Even if she seemed fine with it.

"Yeah, well. If you ever need someone to come by and keep you company, you could give me a call. I'll think up some more terrible jokes, just for you." He wasn't sure she'd ever take him up on the offer, and totally certain that he would be far, far down the list of people she'd prefer to hang out with, but he meant it all the same.

[seiyayamada]

Moving forward, she pressed her way onto the offensive side of things. Going at him quickly, her peppermints began to have more purpose. Seiya glanced up at her friend, lips pursed in a taunting manner. "Here I coooome."

The offer to come by at any time was, however, welcomed. "Oh totally! I expect terrible puns as well. Can't have anymore candy if you don't make me laugh, sonny." Bringing back their old little joke, she took a sip of her drink.