A puzzle of ages

[cloningblues]

[Ilinka causing mayhem in Birmingham. Leos' departure. Eva's injuries, and Freddy Angel escaping once again. The year didn't start in the best way, and Asagi needs a way to distract himself from it and clear his mind. And he does something unexpected - assemble a jigsaw puzzle. One with whopping 5000 pieces. It's barely started, but taking a look at the box in the corner (spoilers!) would reveal the picture is some kind of historical naval battle.]

Where does this one go...? I think... here.

[Asagi puts the piece he was holding on the edge of the puzzle. It's not even connected to any others yet! Is that really a good move?]

Comments

[herodrawing]

Asagi!

What are you up to?

[Izuru is in to ruin the precious one-piece construction you have.]

[cloningblues]

Trying to put my mind off everything that happened lately.

Don't touch. You'll move the pieces.
[Asagi puts down another one.]

[herodrawing]

But so far it's a huge mess of random tiles! There's nothing to move.

Yeah... I know what you mean. About things, happening.

[cloningblues]

It's not random. Those are the only places where those pieces can be. Nothing else fits.

[herodrawing]

But what about the rest? It's just a big pile! Try putting them together and see if any fit.

[Izuru proceeds to do just that.]

[cloningblues]

What do you think you're doing? Stop that!

[Asagi blocks Izuru's access to the puzzle.]

You have to start with the ones that have to be in one place and nowhere else, like on the borders. This is 5000 pieces, you can't just put them together at random and hope it fits!

[herodrawing]

But Asagi... that way it's like forming larger pieces from smaller ones. It means you have an easier time putting them all together.

It's like the tactics lesson, "divine and conquer"?

[cloningblues]

Divide. And besides, I'm using strategy. It's not my fault you can't see it.

[Well, he has most of the border pieces on the board already, at least.]

If you think you're so good at this, then where do you think this piece will go?

[Asagi gives Izuru a seemingly random one. Hard to say what's on it - a splotch of blue and a splotch of darker blue.]

[herodrawing]

I don't know yet. But look Asagi, this is how I'd do it!

[Izuru picks up two random pieces.]

Nope.

[Puts the two back down and picks another pair. The process repeats itself a few times.]

Nope, nope... ah, look! These two make a pair.

It's like that card matching game that kids play.

[He proudly puts two matched pieces in the center. It's impossible to discern what are they representing.]

[cloningblues]

Now do the same with the other 4900 pieces that are left. If you don't get lucky, you'll have to try every one with every other one. How much time will that take?

[herodrawing]

Okay, assuming the number of pieces shrinks in time so I can find matches faster and faster, that will take us...

[Quick calculation.]

A lot of time?

[cloningblues]

Years. I don't want to be an old man when I finish this.

[herodrawing]

That's one way to make sure the game lasts long for you...

[armowrpiercing]

What are you doing, sir?

[cloningblues]

Putting a puzzle together, obviously. Though maybe not so obviously for a cat; you don't have jigsaw puzzles, do you? The pieces would be hard to move with paws.