Log: Gaara and Temari
Characters: Gaara, Temari
Setting: February 21st, Gaara's room in the castle
Rating: G
Warning: None really. I may have interjected a cuss word in there. Don't tell your mommies. >_>
Summary: Temari makes another attempt at bonding with Gaara. Fails miserably.
Even though Gaara had been living in the castle for nearly a month and a half, things were still tense between the three siblings. Temari knew she couldn't expect more than effort out of her brothers. How could she ask for anything other than that? It was unlikely that they were ever going to be a normal family again, after everything that had happened, and everything that would invariably happen. But at least they could make an attempt, and to their credit, they seemed to be putting as much effort into it as she was. Never the less, little improvement had been made and things were still going slowly. For all she was worth, she could get into the mind of her enemy to develop a strategy against them, but she simply could not infiltrate the thoughts of her kin and figure out what could bring them closer together. She attributed it to those pesky things called emotions, and found herself frustrated much more often than she would have liked.
However, she was not the type to give up, which was why the frigid desert night found her in Gaara's chambers, gazing over a new-looking, rather ornate chess board. (in actuality, it was a well-kept family heirloom she had received for Saint Valentine's, one of the more thoughtful gifts that she had been inclined to keep, despite the fact that it did not necessarily win its sender any more consideration as a potential husband, although she could not deny that she did think of him in a little higher esteem after that.) She wasn't particularly into this game, and as such was losing. Part of her wanted to let him win and make it seem convincing, but those sorts of plans rarely worked. Another part of her was somewhere else, applying the strategies of the game to real life situations that her mind concocted.
The sedentary lifestyle she led was certainly not to her liking--her time would decidedly be better spent outside the castle walls. She had been pondering her next move long enough, and idly moved a pawn, a move which, at first glance, didn't yield any obvious flaws, but could probably be an open invitation for anyone more on their guard. She was more interested in the pawn itself--it was entirely possible for it to move across the board, and "become" a king or queen, given the right scenario. The thought had never occurred to her--what if someone could really do that? If only they had to persist far enough and long enough, that the could become king or queen. Although she had never heard of it, she didn't see why not, and wondered if it could work the other way. If only she persisted, could she break herself out of this life and into something much more fitting to her ambitions? But of course, there were the people. Even if she could leave, her sense of honor would not let her place the peoples lives into incapable hands.
"Your move," she said, like it actually needed to be stated. It should have been more than obvious, but the silence made her slightly uncomfortable, even though she should have expected it for such a serious game. She had come with the intention of getting to know her brother a little better but that was so far proving difficult as either one or the other was busy strategizing over their next move. Why had she suggested chess in the first place? I really should have thought this over better...
Gaara studied the board carefully, trying to figure out the best way to steal her remaining pawns. Many years before, he had been taught to play chess, though now he was having a hard time remembering the rules (and had cheated a bit now, though Temari seemed not to notice).
"I know."
He caught her pawn with one of his own and put it off to the side, among the few others he had managed to get so far.
In the course of her musings, Temari had given more meaning to the simple pawn than she'd meant to, but it only set another train of thought than meaning. As she watched Gaara claim the hastily moved piece, she thought of how many that must have happened to, the pawns of the world with their high ambitions, struck down by some unknown presence (a god, maybe? To the pieces, that must be what the player seemed like, controlling their fate until the end) or maybe by their own over ambition, in the rush to get to the other side of the board. But maybe, with the right strategy...
"Would you miss me if I left?"
It was an innocent question, as the thought had simply crossed her mind. She would never consider abandoning her people, but she still thought about the what-ifs. Of course, she always came to the same conclusion: it just wasn't the "right" thing to do. And even if she wanted a general opinion on how her absence would be taken, Gaara wasn't exactly the person to ask. But he did have a certain bluntness sometimes, much unlike the girls of the court, who would say anything so long as they thought it would make her happy.
Gaara's gaze flicked up to her, his concentration completely thrown off by her question. If she left...? A sickening feeling formed in his chest.
Was she going away?
"What kind of question is that?" he asked, doing his best to remain indifferent. They barely knew each other, but in some ways, he knew he would miss her, should she ever go away.
Temari had done quite a bit to help him lately. No matter what, he knew he would probably never be able to fully repay her.
"A hypothetical one, I suppose," she replied with a shrug. Of course there was more behind it, but explaining it would be far too complicated, if only for the sheer depth to the idea. And there was no need to elaborate, when it would never happen anyway. But she could sense that the idea had already worried him, although she supposed such a question would be enough to raise suspicion in anyone's mind.
"I was just wondering the other day, what it might be like to get out of the castle, out of Suna," she added, picking up a knight and moving it. In a way, she already knew from the time she had snuck off to Konoha. But even then, that hadn't quite been the same, as she'd known she would eventually go back. "Nothing more than curiosity, really."
"What would you do if you left?" Gaara asked, not sure if he understood where Temari was coming from.
If she left, there was no telling what would happen to Suna, though Gaara really did not care much about it anyway. It was none of his concern.
What she did was her own choice, after all.
What would she do? That was something that she had never thought too much on, focusing only on her motives and the repercussions. In the back of her mind, she knew it would be difficult to stay incognito for the rest of her life, if she were to leave, so she'd have to go far away, where she was less likely to be recognized. But that in itself was just another consequence of leaving in her mind, not a plan.
"I...I just don't know," she admitted. And really, there was no use in figuring out where she'd go and what she'd do. She could find better things to do with her time than waste it on thinking of such things. "But, I would never. My place is here, with my family and my people.."
"You've never really wanted to get away?" Gaara asked. Somehow, he found that a bit hard to believe, though Temari had grown up under very different circumstances than he had.
She had no reason to want to leave, he supposed. Because of her position, she could go whereever she pleased anyway...
"I have wanted to, sometimes," she said slowly. His curiosity only intensified the ache to tell someone all her thoughts on the matter, but she would hold back. And she didn't expect anyone she could tell to understand. Why would she want to leave when she had about as perfect of a life as anyone could hope for?
"But what I want and what the kingdom needs are often two very different things."
"You should be able to do what you want," Gaara said simply. Temari seemed to always be doing what other people wanted. In his opinion, she deserved some sort of a break from all that.
It was not right to make someone put other people in front of themselves, he thought, though he had been told that his opinions were often wrong.
Should, could, and would-- they were all completely different scenarios. She should do what she wanted to deep down, and she could do what she wanted to-- she had the resources-- but would, well that was a different story. No matter how she weighed it, her wants simply never managed to outweigh others needs. And she lived with that fact the way she always had, but still...
"Shall we call it a night?" she asked, glancing at the board, then back up at Gaara. It was getting late, and to get into any sort of lengthy discussion now might only serve to annoy her, something she wished to avoid.
"That's fine," he replied.
The more time Gaara spent with Temari, the more he wanted to know about her. She was his sister...yet at the same time, she was almost a total stranger. In time, though, he knew they would get to know each other.
Collecting the ivory pieces (they made a satisfying click in her hands), she placed them gently in the box before shutting it, admiring the carving on the cover. The coat of arms was only vaguely familiar, but she knew where it came from. She could go there, maybe...
"Thank you for playing with me," she said politely, stifling a yawn. Not that she needed to be formal, but old habits died hard, something that would certainly give her away outside of the palace. "I...I hope we can spend some time together again soon."
With nothing left to say, she swiftly made her exit, board clutched tightly in her arms.
Setting: February 21st, Gaara's room in the castle
Rating: G
Warning: None really. I may have interjected a cuss word in there. Don't tell your mommies. >_>
Summary: Temari makes another attempt at bonding with Gaara. Fails miserably.
Even though Gaara had been living in the castle for nearly a month and a half, things were still tense between the three siblings. Temari knew she couldn't expect more than effort out of her brothers. How could she ask for anything other than that? It was unlikely that they were ever going to be a normal family again, after everything that had happened, and everything that would invariably happen. But at least they could make an attempt, and to their credit, they seemed to be putting as much effort into it as she was. Never the less, little improvement had been made and things were still going slowly. For all she was worth, she could get into the mind of her enemy to develop a strategy against them, but she simply could not infiltrate the thoughts of her kin and figure out what could bring them closer together. She attributed it to those pesky things called emotions, and found herself frustrated much more often than she would have liked.
However, she was not the type to give up, which was why the frigid desert night found her in Gaara's chambers, gazing over a new-looking, rather ornate chess board. (in actuality, it was a well-kept family heirloom she had received for Saint Valentine's, one of the more thoughtful gifts that she had been inclined to keep, despite the fact that it did not necessarily win its sender any more consideration as a potential husband, although she could not deny that she did think of him in a little higher esteem after that.) She wasn't particularly into this game, and as such was losing. Part of her wanted to let him win and make it seem convincing, but those sorts of plans rarely worked. Another part of her was somewhere else, applying the strategies of the game to real life situations that her mind concocted.
The sedentary lifestyle she led was certainly not to her liking--her time would decidedly be better spent outside the castle walls. She had been pondering her next move long enough, and idly moved a pawn, a move which, at first glance, didn't yield any obvious flaws, but could probably be an open invitation for anyone more on their guard. She was more interested in the pawn itself--it was entirely possible for it to move across the board, and "become" a king or queen, given the right scenario. The thought had never occurred to her--what if someone could really do that? If only they had to persist far enough and long enough, that the could become king or queen. Although she had never heard of it, she didn't see why not, and wondered if it could work the other way. If only she persisted, could she break herself out of this life and into something much more fitting to her ambitions? But of course, there were the people. Even if she could leave, her sense of honor would not let her place the peoples lives into incapable hands.
"Your move," she said, like it actually needed to be stated. It should have been more than obvious, but the silence made her slightly uncomfortable, even though she should have expected it for such a serious game. She had come with the intention of getting to know her brother a little better but that was so far proving difficult as either one or the other was busy strategizing over their next move. Why had she suggested chess in the first place? I really should have thought this over better...
Gaara studied the board carefully, trying to figure out the best way to steal her remaining pawns. Many years before, he had been taught to play chess, though now he was having a hard time remembering the rules (and had cheated a bit now, though Temari seemed not to notice).
"I know."
He caught her pawn with one of his own and put it off to the side, among the few others he had managed to get so far.
In the course of her musings, Temari had given more meaning to the simple pawn than she'd meant to, but it only set another train of thought than meaning. As she watched Gaara claim the hastily moved piece, she thought of how many that must have happened to, the pawns of the world with their high ambitions, struck down by some unknown presence (a god, maybe? To the pieces, that must be what the player seemed like, controlling their fate until the end) or maybe by their own over ambition, in the rush to get to the other side of the board. But maybe, with the right strategy...
"Would you miss me if I left?"
It was an innocent question, as the thought had simply crossed her mind. She would never consider abandoning her people, but she still thought about the what-ifs. Of course, she always came to the same conclusion: it just wasn't the "right" thing to do. And even if she wanted a general opinion on how her absence would be taken, Gaara wasn't exactly the person to ask. But he did have a certain bluntness sometimes, much unlike the girls of the court, who would say anything so long as they thought it would make her happy.
Gaara's gaze flicked up to her, his concentration completely thrown off by her question. If she left...? A sickening feeling formed in his chest.
Was she going away?
"What kind of question is that?" he asked, doing his best to remain indifferent. They barely knew each other, but in some ways, he knew he would miss her, should she ever go away.
Temari had done quite a bit to help him lately. No matter what, he knew he would probably never be able to fully repay her.
"A hypothetical one, I suppose," she replied with a shrug. Of course there was more behind it, but explaining it would be far too complicated, if only for the sheer depth to the idea. And there was no need to elaborate, when it would never happen anyway. But she could sense that the idea had already worried him, although she supposed such a question would be enough to raise suspicion in anyone's mind.
"I was just wondering the other day, what it might be like to get out of the castle, out of Suna," she added, picking up a knight and moving it. In a way, she already knew from the time she had snuck off to Konoha. But even then, that hadn't quite been the same, as she'd known she would eventually go back. "Nothing more than curiosity, really."
"What would you do if you left?" Gaara asked, not sure if he understood where Temari was coming from.
If she left, there was no telling what would happen to Suna, though Gaara really did not care much about it anyway. It was none of his concern.
What she did was her own choice, after all.
What would she do? That was something that she had never thought too much on, focusing only on her motives and the repercussions. In the back of her mind, she knew it would be difficult to stay incognito for the rest of her life, if she were to leave, so she'd have to go far away, where she was less likely to be recognized. But that in itself was just another consequence of leaving in her mind, not a plan.
"I...I just don't know," she admitted. And really, there was no use in figuring out where she'd go and what she'd do. She could find better things to do with her time than waste it on thinking of such things. "But, I would never. My place is here, with my family and my people.."
"You've never really wanted to get away?" Gaara asked. Somehow, he found that a bit hard to believe, though Temari had grown up under very different circumstances than he had.
She had no reason to want to leave, he supposed. Because of her position, she could go whereever she pleased anyway...
"I have wanted to, sometimes," she said slowly. His curiosity only intensified the ache to tell someone all her thoughts on the matter, but she would hold back. And she didn't expect anyone she could tell to understand. Why would she want to leave when she had about as perfect of a life as anyone could hope for?
"But what I want and what the kingdom needs are often two very different things."
"You should be able to do what you want," Gaara said simply. Temari seemed to always be doing what other people wanted. In his opinion, she deserved some sort of a break from all that.
It was not right to make someone put other people in front of themselves, he thought, though he had been told that his opinions were often wrong.
Should, could, and would-- they were all completely different scenarios. She should do what she wanted to deep down, and she could do what she wanted to-- she had the resources-- but would, well that was a different story. No matter how she weighed it, her wants simply never managed to outweigh others needs. And she lived with that fact the way she always had, but still...
"Shall we call it a night?" she asked, glancing at the board, then back up at Gaara. It was getting late, and to get into any sort of lengthy discussion now might only serve to annoy her, something she wished to avoid.
"That's fine," he replied.
The more time Gaara spent with Temari, the more he wanted to know about her. She was his sister...yet at the same time, she was almost a total stranger. In time, though, he knew they would get to know each other.
Collecting the ivory pieces (they made a satisfying click in her hands), she placed them gently in the box before shutting it, admiring the carving on the cover. The coat of arms was only vaguely familiar, but she knew where it came from. She could go there, maybe...
"Thank you for playing with me," she said politely, stifling a yawn. Not that she needed to be formal, but old habits died hard, something that would certainly give her away outside of the palace. "I...I hope we can spend some time together again soon."
With nothing left to say, she swiftly made her exit, board clutched tightly in her arms.