Maito Gai | Youth

So how is my playing of Gai? Is he off, or is there something I can improve? Please let me know. I've enabled anonymous comments, and replies here are screened. Thanks!

Also - Gai is very prone to threadjacking, as he gets excited and just plain likes interacting. If you do not want him threadjacking, please let me know, here or in IM. Here would be best, so I have an actual list. But if you prefer IM, I can be found on AIM as Tadandader. Thank you!

I'm also on Plurk as Nadat.

Simple directory to Gai's other OOC posts:

Edensphere CR chart - Currently out of date.
Soul Campaign CR chart - Also out of date, will be updated after the tracking posts are complete.

October SC Tracking post
November SC Tracking post
December still to come
January Still to come

Gai's ten turtles are named Green, Tiny, Speedy, Cuddly, Splasher, Stripe, Spot, Littletail, Smudge, and Rocky. The last one often ends up on his back and Gai has to carefully flip him over.

( Permissions under the cut! )

There’s a house in front of him, an ordinary white house with green handprints on the side, and he walks toward it. Behind it is a giant trunk, some massive tree, and no breeze he knows can ever make those limbs move. He stares at the door, remembers it opening time and again, faces he once knew arriving, and then departing, people passing through, coming and going, because that’s what one did. They came and they went.

Some of them were young. A little pink-haired girl who giggled, carrying candy, another who made him think of a puppy, as if she’d been one. Some were closer to teenage, a boy with dark eyes and dark hair much like his, laughing as he came in for a hug, a girl with long red hair and a warming smile. Older yet, a man with tousled hair, always snacking, along with... a brother, with similar dark hair and an entirely goofy grin. Another with longer brown hair, putting his arm around one with white hair, also somehow brothers. A woman with long dark hair who looked like she wanted to embrace him and stab him at the same time. A girl with purple-pink hair, looking up at the stars. A man with a fan who watched and smiled, a fiery-haired man who grinned even as he plotted. And yet another red-headed man, but his grin was mischief mixed in with that plotting. A white-haired woman with a face of steel, another white-haired woman with a laugh that was loud and infectious. A giant bird, leaning in for a hug. A man who was also a cat, holding an apple.

Their faces kept coming, flashing past, and he knew them all and yet didn’t. The dark-skinned man on top of the beaten-up car, leaning in close. The age-weathered man, smoking, looking out at the darkness as if it was a personal affront. The warm and mischievous woman, eyes sparkling even though there were snakes around.

Each step brought a new face and a rush of emotion. The grey man, faded and desperate. The woman with rainbow hair who laughed and mocked and wanted to fade.

Finally he was there, at the door, and it opened easily. There was a flicker of motion and he was embraced by two people, one tall and one small, as little shapes bounced around his feet. This wasn’t home, but it was a home, and he felt at home.

------

[[For reference, in order:

First paragraph: Chibiusa, Nova, Lee, Orihime, Topher, Castle, Lyle, Kakashi, Soi Fon, Stellaris, Huo, Axel, Rabbit, Handmaiden, Seren, Above, Shoanji.

Second paragraph: Handwavily a bunch of others who I may have forgotten. Ghost, Vimes, Romana.

Third: Fugue, Cancer.

Fourth: Kakashi, Lee, dogs.]]

[Early on the 27th.]

I have been here for two years now. It has been an honor to make what friends I have. It is not good to be taken away to a place you do not know, but it is made better by the company. I do not know what tomorrow will bring, especially here, but I am glad to be part of it. And perhaps there will once more be singing bananas next week, or a tasty rain. Or mistletoe which means hugs!

But I do have something to say that is not as pleasant to think about as hugs and songs. It is a bit hard to write but it must be written because what came before was written.

A long time ago I wrote that my son was here. I have been calling Spring, Lotus, my son for a long time based on how I felt and what I saw and remembered, and what I was told by someone from my world. I was wrong. I have mislead you all and I am sorry. He is still important and precious to me, but we are not related by blood. It seems that he is one of my students from home, as Sighted, who was likely also Helix, was. I am sorry again. I did not mean to lie to everyone but I did. I can only hope that I am forgiven.

[Memory taken from chapter 502, pages 3-5, and 503, page 9]

The first thing he saw was the village, the one the Wilderness had made him familiar with. His home. It was a bit of a surprise to suddenly see it, though. There had been no crystal and he hadn’t been in the Theatre. But at the same time Gai pushed that thought back. He wanted to see what he could.

The next thing he noticed was who was right beside him. Bell. There was something comforting about having that added confirmation, knowing they knew each other. But Bell was young, much younger, and in the armor Gai had worn in a previous memory. No mask, though. Gai didn’t know what that meant.

“Hmm? Can’t we just decide by Janken today?” Bell’s voice was lazy and unimpressed.

“Not that again! Can’t we have a more heated battle for once? You call yourself my Rival?” It was always strange to feel and hear himself talking. He could also feel his blood rushing as he likely built up to a Speech. He caught sight of himself in a shop window and wasn’t at all surprised to see how much he looked like Lotus, no, Spring.

“Hey, Gai. Do you feel something weird? The air feels cold...”

Kakashi’s words couldn’t stop Gai, not quite yet. “What is with your attitude? We will never be young like this again!”

But he could feel it. There was cold. Something was wrong. There was an energy in the air that spoke of a lot of chakra. A dome appeared near the mountain with the heads, and a great deal of yelling began. There was something… a giant… fox? Gai didn’t have time to get a better look, his feet were already moving. In a small thicket Gai clustered with Bell and a few others, faces that he hadn’t seen in Edensphere but were familiar despite that.

“What’s going on?” It was from someone in the crowd. He didn’t see who had spoken.

The reply came from a well-armed man in front of them. “Listen to me. You younger ninja are to stay away from the Kyuubi.” So that was the fox. “This isn’t a war with another village. This is our own village’s mess.” …What had they done? What mess had their village made? “There is no reason to risk your lives over it.”

A young woman to Gai’s left didn’t agree. “You can’t tell us what to do!”

Her name was given by the young man behind her. “Calm down, Kurenai!”

Then the scene faded, and Gai stared at the trees of Captain Planet, not really seeing them. Their village had made a mess, involving a giant creature, a Kyuubi. He’d survived, at least, clearly. So more worrying was the fact that he’d suddenly had a memory, seemingly with all of his senses (there had been a scent of ramen in the air, among other things, he realized), with no seeming consequences yet and no apple in sight. It was like the white wilderness all over again, the sick ants. Something was wrong with the Sphere and Gai didn’t know if it was a bad thing or a good thing. He would speak with Bell on this later. He needed to.

I need to find something that I like the taste of that is caffienated. I am having trouble staying awake at [pause] some times when I should stay awake. I do not know why this is happening; I have never had trouble like this before!

And it is not a sign that I am getting old. Before anyone says that. Or thinks that. Or writes that.

[There are a great many scratched-out starts to this, illegible.]

Please do not be alarmed if you run into me. I will try to avoid most people.

I may need some days off work, Stoneface. I will come explain. [A pause.] I will come, and then I think I will not need to explain.

[[ooc: And now he's in Hidan's body. Whee!]

Did anyone else who got items get one that had their name on it? Mine is written, in my hand, though I cannot read my family name. It was also wrapped. I liked the wrapping! It was a very nice touch.

Happy new year, if we are correct about a date, to everyone that wishes to have one. And to those who do not want to think it is a new year, tomorrow is a new day any way, and thus should be seized and enjoyed!


[[ooc: For his canon birthday, Gai got Ninkame's scroll. It'll be a while before he figures out how to use it, and it still won't summon Ninkame, but he now has it.]]

My name is Gai.

You may use it or Youth as you would like. I have not been very youthful of late; Gai might fit better. But I will not be upset whichever one someone uses.

If anyone who is without their weapons needs assistance with the basics of hand-to-hand, I am available to instruct.

The balls are back! Night! Shall we have our challenge again?

To all of my students - I think that our lessons will be in the playground while it is here. It offers a great diversity of activities that we do not often get a chance to work with!

There are some people that have gone. Magi, my student, has left. I think some of the others are known but I do not know if everyone knows. May from the store that has the best peppers. Broom, who was here before. Fracta, who did the tacos. One of the men from the shop that had nails, Courage. Prince, Cassandra, Legacy, Bishop, River, and Breeze are all gone. Oh. Rogue is gone too.

Bell, I do not know if you were on duty or not, but there is a return.



[[ooc: May, Courage, Cassandra, and Bishop are all NPC names. Don't worry, you didn't miss people. ;)]]