vidya game time

[retraced]

Who: Yosuke and Gilbert
When: Backdated to the 17th of March
Where: Arcade in the underground mall
Summary: Bros playing video games. Only one of them is probably any good at it.
Warning: Warnings for embarrassing DDR failure.

This place is too loud. Too bright. There are too many flashing lights that still confuse him and fill him with anxiety. But two years living in this 'modern' world and Gilbert still hasn't assimilated properly when it comes to all of this technology.

He's been in this arcade a few times before. The first time he'd left with a migraine that he thought would never go away, and the second time he'd embarrassed himself by tripping over a stray power cord and nearly shoving an entire rack of stuffed animals on a small child. He'd caught it before it could do damage, but he'd still fled and promised never to show his face in this place again.

But he can't say no to a friend either. Especially a friend who 1 - he owes, and 2 - wants to continue helping his antiquated way of thinking expand a bit more.

Luckily, no one recognizes him as he stands just inside the entrance waiting for Yosuke to show up, staring down at his feet and trying not to bump into anything or anyone.

Comments

[inthejunk]

[Nod nod. He's never seen you fire a gun while he was sober enough to remember it later before, so this will be cool.]

[retraced]

[Okay, this game has actual plot. There's an animation at the beginning that explains where these dinosaurs and other various creepy monsters have come from, and a very long winded description of how to navigate the compound that you, the player, is trapped in. Gil follows most of it, but it's still strange to watch digital people explain games to you. It's not exactly chess or tag or swinging cardboard swords around.

But finally the game begins, a digital voice tells him to do his best, and the little digital Gilbert rushes out into the field. Once the creatures start to appear on the screen, he takes cover, and Gilbert himself raises the gun.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Three digital shots, all three dinosaurs killed with a shot directly to the head. And even though it's a plastic gun, Gilbert is holding it expertly with his eyes narrowed and shoulders squared perfectly. He'd look badass if the gun weren't bright blue.]

[inthejunk]

Woah.

[Badass enough, dude. Yosuke is sufficiently impressed.]

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[From the game's speakers, there's the sound of a crash, a wall exploding, and from the rubble comes another few smaller, but quicker, monsters. Each one is taken out with a shot or two before they have a chance to scratch him, from one end of the screen to the other.

Gil's concentration never even wavers as he takes each one of them out.]

[inthejunk]

[They had to eventually find a game he didn't suck at.]

[retraced]

[Sometimes he's good at stuff! Even though monsters are coming out at every direction, somehow he manages to kill each one of them off with one shot.

Until, of course, the first boss comes along. Cue intermission where digital Gil and his plucky sidekick stand around on one side of a door and discuss 'strategy'. Then suddenly - health points are shown and the door flings open. Time to shoot some crazy huge dinosaurs and evil acid monster-things.]

[inthejunk]

Look out! On your left!

>small>[You may not need the help, but have some anyway.]

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[It's helpful! The monster reaches out and actually gets a good swipe in before Gil shoots it dead. His health points are down a little, but he's still in good shape. On the screen, digital Gil is running for cover behind a broken car. Because cars protect against dinosaurs, apparently...]

...HTML is hard okay

[inthejunk]

You know, there's a shooting range somewhere around here.

['Cause wouldn't it be even cooler to shoot a real gun and let him watch? Huh, wouldn't it?]

stupid pointless scripting language

[retraced]

Mm. I have a membership there.

[Boom! Bang! Smash! Another level cleared!]

srsly

[inthejunk]

It doesn't surprise me.

[Ooh, cool...]

So, when do you wanna go?

[retraced]

You're done already?

[But he finally found something that he's good at!]

[inthejunk]

To the shooting range.

[Duh, dude. Try to keep up.]

[retraced]

[He moves his eyes away from the game, surprised by the clarification.]

You want to go there?

[inthejunk]

I've never seen one. Where I lived, guns were illegal.

[retraced]

[A few more creepy dudes appear on the screen, and they're all shot down as quickly as Gil can move the plastic weapon.]

We can go any time you want. [There's an ounce of happiness in his tone, there. Shooting a real target is more fun than this fake stuff, and probably more impressive.]

[inthejunk]

And you'll teach me?

[retraced]

...If it came down to it, do you think you could kill another person if it was necessary?

[He'd accepted a long time ago that he would have to stain his hands with other's blood, but it had been a hard realization to come to.]

[inthejunk]

Hey, I never said I wanted to kill someone! You've got it all wrong. It's just the opposite! This place is full of crazy people. Shouldn't I at least know how to protect my friends if I need to? You can show me how to disarm others, and how yo aim well so I don't make any stupid mistakes if I have to use a gun one day, right?

[retraced]

[He sighs and drops the gun as the game comes to the end of a level and pauses to count up his (very high) score.]

The point isn't to disarm someone. You learn to use a weapon in order to protect others who can't protect themselves.

[He looks upwards at his friend then, a subdued but serious expression on his face that Yosuke probably hasn't seen much of in the past.]

Sometimes, it's necessary to kill in order to protect.

[inthejunk]

[But he doesn't want to kill anyone...]

Then show me how. I have someone to protect, now.

[retraced]

[He raises an eyebrow.]

All right.

[And hey, here come the dinosaurs again. brb, breaking the high score!]

[inthejunk]

Alright.

[Quiet, now. Watching and trying to learn something.]

[retraced]

[Yep, he's pretty good at teaching awesome video game skills.

As long as that game involves shooting.

But eventually the game will have to be over because time limits, so another round and he does indeed get one of the high scores! But it also flashes the message of GAME OVER.

But at least he looks relaxed and like he may have just actually had fun for the last few minutes.]

[inthejunk]

[See? The arcade wasn't as bad as you thought it would be.]