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To Kill an Emperor; Claire, Rei
Topic Started: Jul 7 2015, 03:48 AM (206 Views)
Umbraflamma
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It was not long after the night she shared with the guy known as Reizo Takeda. She smiled inwardly knowing that she had given him a truly eye opening experience. True she may have moved a little fast, but Claire was the kind of woman that took what she wanted without remorse or shame. To her, as long as she has not promised herself exclusively to anyone, there was no problem. Life was short she had no time for shame. She was quite good looking, though short of stature her bright blonde hair, green eyes, and pale skin gave her a striking look. Her consistent usage of red accessories along side her uniform made her easily recognizable. She walked taalked and acted like an empress. However at the moment she was deep in thought.

She was considering meeting the young man again, smiling inwardly as she imagined how he would react. Perhaps she would take him on a date or two. Though she would make it clear that she expected nor gave no loyalty just yet. And with the recent massacre at the hospital, she could use the comfort.

It was at the end of the day people were preparing for clubs or going home when she walked into the very person she wanted to see. "Well hello again, Reizo, how have you been?"
Claire Valliere Arcana: Devil SC:0
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Certainly it was odd, how it had only been a few days and yet, one of Rei's recurring thoughts was of the young French girl he had enjoyed a rather bizarre evening with. Certainly it was uncommon for men of his particular culture to indulge in such things without a reason, but to call Rei (or anyone in the Takeda family as of about three generations prior) a model for the average Japanese person would have been a gross understatement.

The truth of the matter was that he had enjoyed it with every fibre of his being. Yet, Rei being Rei, he had been wholeheartedly embarrassed and even dreading the notion of encountering Claire once more. What would he say or do after such a thing? Obviously it was best to keep it quiet, not because he was worried about a virtually nonexistent reputation but rather, if one of those few interesting people had taken to his home dared to say such a thing in front of his mother, he would have never heard the end of it.

In fact, he could almost hear it already.

What's her name, Rei? Can I meet her, Rei? How long have you been seeing each other, what's she like?

Nonsense like that simply made him irate. But regardless, the day had come to an end and thus, the pristine hallways of Ravencroft were filled with the usual chattering crowds. Rei brought his head up from his desk, where it seemed to be perpetually laying in various states of boredom or sleep as the lessons dragged on. Yet even then he was still perfectly content to answer any question posed to him in that apathetic manner of his.

A sharp sigh of irritation ran through his frail figure as he stood, straightening the rather cumbersome uniform. Or perhaps cumbersome wasn't the word for it, "plain" or "hot" would have been much more accurate. But regardless, the bluenette didn't like it all the same. He continued this train of thought as he turned out into the hallway, running into the very girl he simultaneously wanted to see and did not want to see.

Immediately she spoke, and his stoic expression remained exactly that. Firstly it was because he had always worn it, just as much as he always wore his glasses or a dress shirt, yet secondly there wsas the fact that the girl had referred to him with an added -zo on the end of his name. Teachers had done it, so it was probable that was where she got the habit and yet, he was still annoyed beneath the stoicism all the same.

Rei adjusted his glasses and began to speak then, calmly looking over the Frenchwoman in a manner that was neither interested nor uninterested. In short, it was as though he was trying to mask their relationship (or what little relationship they had) without meaning to. It was an instinct and nothing more,

"Rei. And secondly, I've been rather well. Yourself?

Even despite his apathetic expression Rei still couldn't suppress some element of warmth in his voice. At the very least she was interesting, and to him, interesting effectively meant someone was at least worthy of any number of common courtesies regardless as to how much he wanted to give them.
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Rei responded to her with a cold and indifferent response. This of course only strengthened Claire's desire to draw him out more. he corrected her on his name.

"I see, accept my apologies please i am not too used to foreign names." she said with a slight bow. respectful and imperious, it was almost like he was meeting a noble in court. "I am glad you are doing well, I do apologize for leaving so early that morning but i had business to take care of. As for me, i've been the same, still trying to balance my duties and my classes, it is quite enough to keep track of. However i find myself free this evening, how are your plans looking?" she asked him as passing students turned their heads and looked, realizing that she was about to ask rei out. "If you are not busy then perhaps we could get dinner, there are many places i would like to visit and i would look silly being there alone."
Claire Valliere Arcana: Devil SC:0
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A small sigh escaped the bluenette in the instant that followed his reply, if only because it seemed to be a perfectly valid and instinctual thing to do. Rather, it didn't seem to be directed at anything in particular nor did it hold any emotion behind it. It simply hung in the air for a split second and then was gone, only to be replaced by a slight smile at Claire's apology.

Naturally, it seemed as though both the lack of any real offence and the nature of the apology itself had Rei smiling, a smile that wasn't immediately suppressed as per the usual but instead clung to him momentarily, before at last he seemed to realize that he was wearing it. It was only at that point that the stoic mask returned in full, just as the girl raised her head and began to answer.

It was with an adjustment of his glasses that the bluenette took it all in with an air of curiosity. Certainly he had duties to perform as well, be it for that pathetic low-paying job he'd been forced to take to learn some semblance of "work-ethic" or for what his mother had deemed preparations. Though those preparations had basically amounted to hanging around the pharmacy, occasionally speaking to the few employees that were decent or interesting enough to hold a conversation before returning to some tomeof alchemical knowledge that would no doubt prove to be useless..

Ah, mother's favourite word.

The student mused upon letting that thought cross his mind. Though soon he was brought back down to earth at Claire's question. Though others would have no doubt dared to jump at the chance, he seemed to mull it over in his head for a moment as though it was almost customary to do so. Of course Rei knew his answer was going to be yes, but it was both impolite to jump at the chance and unbecoming of his general demeanour to do so.

Regardless, he gave his reply, only then did he begin walking, motioning for the woman to follow despite the fact that she would have no doubt done it herself.

"I'd be happy to join you. Though I must ask, where will we go?"

Of course it stood to reason that one such as himself, who had been in the city for a few months would have no doubt known at least a few places one could dine. Yet sadly, it seemed as though the Takeda family's diet consisted almost entirely of take-out meals, lest Rei or his mother approach a stove and create something sentient. This was something he was unwilling to admit, and thus he posed his question in the aforementioned manner as opposed to giving the girl the details.

A second exhale escaped his frail frame then, as one soon found themselves wondering if firstly, the date would end just as the previous one had and secondly, if it was really worth it to go or not. Certainly the former was almost entirely irrelevant no matter how much Rei wanted it to go one way or the other, but the latter... well, the answer to that particular question was, as always, a resounding yes.

After all, it was something of a rare experience to dine out, let alone with a companion of any kind...
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With a coy smile she drew him in, the look in her eyes making unspeakable promises, as her emerald green eyes honed in on his. "I see, then we will need to get dressed up of course, our uniforms aren't dressy enough, and new clothes are ever so fun." she said with a smile as she planned things out, the tone in her voice brooking absolutely no disagreement. "I'm thinking we get some new clothes and visit a place that I've been eyeing for a while. It'll be lovely." she said as she grabbed his hand ready to lead him away. "shall we get going or do you have something to take care of."
Claire Valliere Arcana: Devil SC:0
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Certainly the notion of escaping the unfashionable and otherwise constricting uniform was something Rei was all for in every single regard, though the notion of new clothes was something that perturbed him on a level that was only visible well beyond the stoic mask he wore. Of course, to say that the student had even the slightest grasp of fashion beyond colours would have been a most grandiose lie.

After all, when one's attire normally consisted of "dress shirt, dress pants, jacket," a combination that was equally functional and comfortable, one would have been completely against trying anything different. Perhaps it was this resistance to change that drove Rei to grin and bear it (without actually grinning or bearing anything in that moment,) or perhaps it was the notion that if he disagreed it would have no doubt been a catastrophe.

Even still he didn't seem so much opposed to the idea of new clothing or a new style as he was to the idea of Claire shopping with him. Not only was it something that couples routinely did (and they were most certainly NOT a couple in any regard,) but it also just so happened that one couldn't find themselves liking the sort of grandiose clothing that she wore on anyone but her specifically. It seemed cumbersome, even a suit in that particular style seemed as though it would have been made of far too many fabrics and weighed down upon his frame until at last the brittle bones gave in.

But regardless, after having already agreed to it Rei felt completely against the notion of denying her that much. Perfectly stone-faced, Rei adjusted his glasses and let out yet another sigh, though this one held behind it some rather poorly masked tones of defeat despite never having been in an argument to begin with. Who knew, perhaps he would luck out and be able to choose his own clothing... it wasn't as though Claire was going to be controlling to that extent, was she?

At least, that was the thought that passed through his mind when she grabbed his hand and began to lead him. The bluenette's lips parted, his own hand hanging on to Claire's own rather loosely, as though he simultaneously did not want to be held and yet, did not want to break away unless it occurred naturally (which, given their close proximity, was not going to happen.)

"I have nothing too urgent, no."

He said very little, as if to mask the sudden doubts. Yet soon Rei began to feel revitalized to some extent, at least enough to ask calmly and quietly,

"Though, perhaps you'd like to do something else first? It's only three-thirty, and I'd rather not shop or eat this early."

One could not help but dread the potential replies, yet if it was going to ward off buying clothing then whatever she had in mind was probably going to be treated with some degree of joy. Though it was Rei's version of it, so there were no doubts as to how subtle it would be beyond that momentarily flash of a smile he'd dared to give in the first place.
Edited by Cipher, Jul 10 2015, 05:09 AM.
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She gave him a look of slight confusion. "I'm not entirely sure what else to do, we could always try shooting skeet by my home?" she asked with a head tilt her blonde bangs falling over her face. Brushing them away she stared into his eyes, and smiled.

"If not i am always up for suggestions, what would you like to do?" she asked, her voice suggestive as she squeezed his hand. And then she patiently waited for what he had to say, giving him the lead for the first time since they met.
Claire Valliere Arcana: Devil SC:0
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Certainly the former question was one that Rei had to think over for a moment. Skeet shooting was certainly nothing he had ever tried in the past given Japan's laws on firearms of any kind, though one couldn't help but think of it as archery with a much faster moving target, a much heavier weapon, and therefore, it was similarly challenging and yet.. it was fun.

Though when the ball was put into his court, so to speak, the bluenette found himself wanting to do something of his own design. It was only then, in that one particular instant that he found himself realizing exactly how little his life amounted to. Certainly he played chess, he read vast amounts of anything and everything yet those were only two real hobbies... and it was doubtful the girl wanted to sit and read or play a game such as that. So what was he left with that didn't involve the Sky High Mall?

As he thought, Rei returned Claire's squeeze of the hand with one of his own, though it was only instantaneous. The feeling of warmth spread throughout that icy exterior, bringing forth something of a blush for a moment before a swift exhale seemed to make it fade away. One second ticked by, then another and another until at last, something seemed to dawn on him as if it had been looming on the horizon all along, just out of reach.

"Perhaps we could..."

Unfortunately it seemed as though the only possibility was the only thing he enjoyed doing that involved two people, even if it had been previously vetoed.

"Play chess, or some other sort of strategy game for a bit. I find it best to exercise my mind before and after eating, though I must admit I've never actually had a partner before.

Unless of course, you have something else? Though I must warn you, I've never lost a game of strategy. At least, not since I was about seven or eight years old."


A grin formed on his face, as though he knew exactly what he was saying and was, for some bizarre reason, perfectly proud of it. Though to say Rei had mastered chess would've been an overestimation of his abilities, the former statement was not bragging in the slightest. Rather, he had the time and the energy (or rather, the lack of energy to do much else) to learn the ins and outs of the game, to adapt to the very few play-styles he'd encountered.

In short, he thirsted for an opponent, and though one couldn't help but doubt they would ever find one, Rei was at least content with the notion of something new even if it wasn't particularly something worthy. An adjustment of his glasses followed then, as the grin slowly turned to something coy at last despite the words that came from that very mouth being decidedly un-suggestive and certainly, devoid of anything even remotely resembling enthusiasm.

"Though, that means we'll have to adjourn to my home. I much prefer a quiet environment. That is, if you accept."
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Claire's eyes lit up immediately upon him mention chess. for some reason Rei was sure if she had her ears would be standing on end and sharp canines on prominent display. suddenly there was a predatory gleam to her verdant eyes and her stance grew bolder. The change wasn't noticeable to passers by but to rei but it was like the aura of a predator was rising. "Oh i adore chess, I would love to have you as my... opponent." she said as she squeezed his hand a bit tighter something much darker taking hold of her. "No, a game would be fine." she said with a sadistic smile. There was soemthing terrifying in her voice and the way she changed.

"Of course give the directions to my driver let us be off post haste!" she said as she pulled rei towards the front of the school. dragging him if necessary.
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The instant, the very INSTANT that the initial question had so much as left Rei's mouth he knew he had done something wrong. Not necessarily wrong in the eyes of the girl before him but simply... wrong as a whole, based on that particular pressure that the otherwise innocent girl began to exude almost immediately. Stoicism dropped into nothingness for a moment before returning as nothing more than a frown as at last, the realization began to dawn on him:

I've made a terrible mistake.

Certainly it wasn't in the bluenette's nature to admit or feel such a thing, but the simple fact of the matter was that Claire's very essence seemed to burning through, piercing his very soul and attacking him right where he was weakest. In short, one had never felt they needed to win any more in any other situation. Rather, it seemed as though the girl's boldness and sudden shift in attitude posed a challenge to him. Chess was at the core of Rei's very being, it was a hobby in as much as it was an obsession.

And then there was failure. He'd seen it a million times in the past and would no doubt see it a million times in the future: to fail was, as he would have put it, to be perfectly incompetent. Or worse yet, to be without a single use (in the words of his mother, words that had been drilled into him without necessarily being directed at him.) But still, Rei underwent his own shift in demeanour, from previously stone-faced and perfectly ready for the notion of a friendly game to simultaneously despairing at what he had no doubt gotten himself into, and fired up at the prospect of actually having to try to win.

But regardless, he was led along just as Claire wanted him to be. Only then did he dare to open his mouth, trying to shift the topic from the notion of their competition to something that would have eased his entire demeanour, given him an opportunity to raise what battered and broken bits remained of his shield.

"So, how long have you been playing, anyway?"

Despite wanting to change the topic to something else, nothing seemed more appropriate than that one question.
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Claire quickly dragged him into the limo that had been waiting for her. she sat across from him as she relaxed a bit.

"let's see, I was 4 when they started teaching me the rules, So i was... 6 when they put me under tutelage of the french masters. They always taught me to seek protection... and i didn't win my first match till i was... eleven i believe." she said a small smile on his face, but her aura still showed her excitement and hunger, her absolute hunger for victory. "How about you?" she asked eager to size up her competition.
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The scent of old leather and perfume within the confined space immediately overwhelmed the bluenette, who let out a few coughs here and there as Claire spoke to him. Though, the general atmosphere and his own internal stresses were certainly not enough to illicit the usual prolonged, dry fits that inevitably ended in trips to the hospital or things of that particular nature. Rather, it seemed to be only a momentary "thing," as it was there one minute, muffled, and gone the next.

Soon he was plagued instead by his competition. To have trained with masters of any kind would have been an honour, and yet beyond that it seemed as though they had begun playing at the same time, even if Rei had one his first game well before she had. Of course, being a creature of ego meant that it never once crossed his mind that she had definitely had much more difficult competition than he, who had played almost exclusively online through poorly constructed matchmaking servers, or the occasional game with his mother. Games that, by and large, never really amounted to much other than a nice, casual conversation with the occasional "check" or "checkmate" in the background.

But regardless, he responded to the girl's statements with an air of sheer disdain. It was practically written in the way Rei slouched, the way he continued to gaze down upon the girl as though their game was nothing. It seemed as though the pressure from moments prior had dissipated, though in all actuality it simply bubbled beneath the surface of his being, never shown and never acknowledged but still, he knew fully well it was there.

"I began at the same age as you, I played almost exclusively through the internet with as many different AI and human settings as possible, and as I said, I haven't lost in about eleven years."

For once a glint of excitement showed in those red-brown eyes of his, and indeed the speech, though largely stoic, was faster and airier.

"Though, to play against masters. Tell me, what was that like?"

And then almost immediately, Rei seemed to adopt his previous air of disdain. Shrugging off his excitement with an adjustment of the glasses and a few slight fidgets here and there.
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She smiled sitting up and crossing her legs as the limo sped away. She definitely rode in style. With a chuckle she responded to his question noting his excitement.

"lets see, well they are all very serious. My parents told them to be hard on me, so they did not come across as a pleasant bunch. though some were nice and gave me treats." she remembered fondly. "But the Grand-master of France, he was a hard man if ever there was one. He was not kind either especially after i lost my first match, i never did get to beat him, but i drew him a few times. after that they said i passed strangely, I was 14." with a shrug she opened the window slightly breathing in the autumn air. "I never stopped playing but i would need to join the chess society for another chance to face him." the implication was that she could match a master or even the Grandmaster at 14. it was somewhat unbelievable. "You seem interested, you ever try to pursue the Chess society of America?" she asked him with a grin.
Edited by Umbraflamma, Jul 10 2015, 06:46 AM.
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Of course it was only natural that anyone who had been hired to tutor a child would have been naturally disgruntled at the idea of it, considering how rarely children seemed to pick up on their own mistakes and how difficult it was for one to point them out. Though that, coupled with the notion that Claire's parents had specifically told them to be difficult on her certainly made the experience seem less pleasant, and yet nothing could truly diminish the rose coloured lenses through which Rei had viewed that particular situation: it was natural for them to be hard on her, but... she had played with grandmasters.

If one didn't have to seed through so much trash, he would've been content to try such a thing fr himself. Why bother hiring someone to play a single game of chess when you could make your name known solely for playing the game, to win by one's own merits rather than the notion that the opponent would have been paid less if they lost, a fear that was unfounded but still relatively likely. The two were at odds, creating a perfect Catch-22 of not wanting to play through so many amateurs, but also certainly not wanting to have felt that he didn't earn it.

Even still Rei's mind seemed to turn to the rest of the girl's story. Certainly to have drawn or beaten an AI that was set to "Grandmaster" wouldn't have trumped drawing or beating an actual grandmaster in any sense, but it was almost like a defence mechanism, how quick the man's mind worked to mentally deny the girl of what was otherwise an exceptional accomplish at such a young age solely because it hurt his pride.

And by God, did it hurt.

It was almost as though he had already lost, without necessarily succumbing to any sort of defeat. Immediately the aforementioned thoughts seemed to create a barrier, as if trying to block Rei from actually coming to the realization that yes, his pride was indeed damaged by nothing more than a single statement that the girl had just... thrown out there. As though it was nothing!

A small sigh escaped him then, and that seemed to return him to the previous serenity.

"Well, I've only been in America for a few months. I'm afraid Japan doesn't really have an equivalent to the Chess Societies found here, in Europe, or even in some parts of Africa, yet... even then I doubt I'd enjoy it.

I love chess, but I don't find anything even remotely entertaining about beating people who can barely play the game. To get to the players I want, I would have to slaughter countless numbers of them, and I have neither the time nor the motivation to do so. It would simply suck all of the enjoyment I take from the game out of me, to play such mindless people."


He paused and began to toy with a strand of his hair, gently ravelling the long blue lock around his finger before calmly releasing it, smoothing it back into place, and continuing on with his statement. As he spoke, Rei allowed his eyes to wander: first around the back seat of the limo itself (though there was really nothing to focus on besides Claire,) then to what laid outside his window.

A colourless sky with drifting leaves, it was poetic and beautiful. At least enough for him to point it out as a footnote to what he wanted to say,

"So I play selectively. AI opponents, humans through the internet or through invitation. In fact, come to think of it... you're one of the first -if not the first- I've invited since coming to America. Sadly the penthouse we occupy is nothing in comparison to the otherwise ancient manor we have in Osaka, though it still offers a good deal of space and a nice view of the skyline at night..."

Then the statement regarding the seasons came a second or two later, just long enough for Claire to digest what Rei had said,

"This season is really quite lovely, isn't it? At least, I've always found Autumn to be my favourite of the four."
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"I wouldn't mind it, I love any chance to show someone the error of their ways." Claire said with a sadistic smile. there was definitely a frightening part of her as she sat back, and recrossed her legs. "Sounds like a romantic place." she remarked with a voice that was likely to take anyone's breath away. "I can't wait to see it, or is your mother there, i doubt she would approve of me very much, most mothers are too protective." she said as she pulled out a drink. it was some kind of foreign soft drink, and she offered one to rei. "All of the seasons have their charm... except winter, unless i have someone to keep me warm winters can be dreadful." she said with a slight shiver just thinking about it. a small framed girl like her wouldn't do to well in the cold.
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