Day 43: Game Room (4th Shift)

[emotionl4arobot]

Brainiac 5 had been planning to spend some more time in the sun room in order to check up on his attempt to gather more information about the different technology levels people were familiar with and to think about what his ancestor had said to him (not to mention try and keep an eye on Peter's activities before he did something else monumentally

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[should_be_dead]

Tenzen listened to the announcement with curiosity. These certainly became stranger as the day progressed. However, any consideration on them was rather short-lived as one of the so-called nurses saw fit to approach him, obviously having other plans than simply leaving him be. Apparently, she heavily disapproved of the fact that he was sitting by himself, therefore she opted to usher him to another location so that he could make more 'friends' (the idea was rather amusing, he supposed). And for reasons Tenzen couldn't even begin to comprehend, it was a location called the game room. Of all places, she had ushered him into a place filled with silly games.

"Why don't you take a seat, Mr. Hayami?" the nurse suggested, seemingly oblivious to her charge's disapproval. "Maybe someone will play a game with you!"

Mere pawn or not, Tenzen wondered how so much ignorance could fit in one person. Yet he located a seat and sat down, not considering it worth it to throw a fuss over a change in scenery and end up like several of the more impulsive patients. For now, the woman seemed satisfied with that, so she left.

Some items seemed mildly curious, but Tenzen wasn't interested enough by them to go and pick them up. Instead he crossed his arms as he calmly observed the other patients.

[Reserved for Okita!]

[notachick]

Okita left the courtyard with mixed feelings. He didn't feel particularly better, but he didn't feel any worse and things had been somewhat resolved, so that was that, perhaps. It was still a bit awkward and would likely be so until the swordsman got his feet under him again, but he had some time. He was particularly adept at fast recoveries; for most things, at least. And some time apart from emotional things would certainly clear his head, and perhaps give him some time to consider what the latest announcement meant. Landel's continued absence was worrisome, but at least they were picking up more information.

Shaking off the cold from outside, Okita politely refused the jacket his nurse offered him (too little, too late) and then headed for the one place he didn't think he'd find anyone he knew. The Game Room was relatively quiet, with a few people already gathering together. Okita recognized Honey and was tempted to go over and say hello, but the teen was with another adult and it seemed to be a closed affair.

There was, however, one person who grabbed his attention. Pulling a deck of cards off the shelves, Okita eased over to where the stranger sat (who sat like that? He looked like a general observing his battlefied or something) and tapped him on the shoulder with the card pack. "Not going to play anything? That seems like such a waste."

[should_be_dead]

Several more patients had entered the room, going about their own business. And as he observed them, Tenzen contemplated the meaning behind the announcements. Were the rumors true and was the ringleader truly dead? Or was it a ruse? But even with this Martin Landel's death, it hardly seemed to make any differences no matter the curiosities the voice seemed to be spilling; their was still the presence of an enemy.

Eventually, he noticed a stranger approach him, yet he only responded when the other tapped him on the shoulder with a pack of cards.

"Is that so?" he replied simply. "And why would that be?" He wasn't expected to partake in these silly games, was he?

[notachick]

"Because it's a game room, silly." Without waiting for an invitation, Okita pulled a chair up next to his newest playmate and sat down, pulling the cards out of the pack. He still hadn't been taught many card games since coming here, but he knew at least one simple game. The only problem was whether or not this stranger was willing to play after Okita had interrupted his thoughts.

The man was rather stern looking, with long hair and calculating eyes; the likes of which Okita hadn't seen in a long while. People everywhere here had that sharpness to their eyes, but there was something familiar here. It was the same sort of look that all men of his era had, the sort that always sought for the best opening. Okita liked that look in people. It reminded him of home.

Shuffling the cards idly, Okita divided the deck in half and held it out to the other man, smiling pleasantly. "So will you play? I'm afraid I don't know many games, but I have learned one since coming here."

[should_be_dead]

A game room he hadn't been taken to of his own free will, worth noting. The woman must have brought him here because she believed this area would be better for mingling with the others. The staff did seem to be allergic to lone patients, after all.

Tenzen studied the other patient for a moment. The stranger was a rather slim and feminine man with long, purple hair. He didn't possess the difference in features most 'Western' individuals here seemed to have.

As for the cards the other held out, Tenzen couldn't say he had seen them before. Granted, he hadn't played too many leisurely games during his long life-span. Though fellow ninja took up various activities next to their training and duties (his apprentice did wood-carving, for example), Tenzen had taken little interest in such things. Possibly because, as the second-in-command of Tsubagakure, a lot of his time had been usurped by various duties. Either way, his first thought was to simply decline the offer. But there was little else to do at the moment, so he might as well accept and 'mingle'.

"Very well, I accept your challenge," he eventually said, taking the halved deck of cards. "Now explain this game to me."

[notachick]

"Challenge?" Okita giggled at little at that and straightened his half of the deck out. Not only did this man think of games as challenges, but then he gave orders? So he was clearly someone who was accustomed to having command, which would explain the sharpness in his eyes. Okita was beginning to wonder if he wasn't just collecting them, the warriors and commanders, like little dolls to line up on the shelves of his sisters' rooms. Here went a god general, here a demi-god war prince, and here a little alternate Shinsengumi commander, and now this man.

One that hopefully wasn't some Choushuu rebel like Himura had turned out to be.

"Well, that's one way to put it, but it's really just a game. They don't have hanafuda here or I'd teach you that instead." Motioning to the other man's deck, Okita picked his own up and flipped over the first card - an eight of diamonds. "All we have to do is flip over cards like this. And whoever has the highest number wins both cards. The person who wins all the cards wins the game." Tilting his head to the side so he could look up at the stranger, he grinned, pleased with himself. "Simple, isn't it? Oh, and my name is Fujiwara by the way. Fujiwara Soujirou. It's a pleasure to meet you."

[should_be_dead]

"I see," It was a simple game indeed. He picked up his own deck and flipped over the first card - a card with four hearts. Though he didn't know what the symbols meant as he wasn't familiar with these sort of cards, the amount of them obviously gave away it's value. He offered the card to his opponent.

Fujiwara, hmm? The name was a familiar one, as the one from bulletin board who had heard of the ninja clans had signed with that family name. However, the given name had been Kaneyoshi rather then Soujirou. Family, or a mere coincidence? Or something else entirely?

"I am Yakushiji Tenzen," he answered. "A pleasure indeed, Fujiwara-dono." He had also introduced himself in that message, so if the other was indeed related to the response he would recognize the name.

[ooc; if I messed something up with the names, let me know and I'll fix it. I was a bit unsure here XD;]

[notachick]

A four of hearts. Okita picked up both cards and turned them over to start a pile to the side and smiled at his newest playmate. Such a stern man, but at least he was playing. That was more than Hijikata did sometimes. He would begrudgingly go on walks or buy Okita candy, but if it was time to play? He suddenly had Very Important Business to attend to and escaped. Okita flipped over another card - unfortunately a three of spades.

"Oh please, there's no need to be so formal with m--" Yakushiji Tenzen. The man of Iga. It had been awhile since he'd heard that name. He remembered speaking with him on the board and now Okita regretted giving the false name. It was so much harder to become friends after that sort of thing. But then, a man of Iga? Perhaps he would understand. "Yakushiji-san - I apologize for earlier. I believe we've spoken before, under a different alias of mine. You're from Iga, aren't you?"