03 - Birthday Tribute to a Demon King!

[belfire]

Who: Kazuya, Atsuro (otakuro) & Naoya (meaningdies)
Where: Cancer Ward
Summary: BACKDATED TO 24th NOVEMBER yeah I'm late. It's Kazuya's birthday! He wants tribute.
Warnings: Spoilt Demon King ahoy.

It was Kazuya's birthday, and he actually felt somewhat happy over this. There was none of the excitement that was normally felt on this day, but it was enough to put him into a peppy mood despite the cold weather.

Of course he sent his friend and cousin where they could find him to give him presents, and, if they wanted to, to hang out. Kazuya had squirrelled away enough money to splurge on this day of fun, and he was spending some of that money on one of the crane machines outside of the Growlanser Arcade.

Although Kazuya wasn't alone. His demon, Okuninushi, was standing beside him, holding what seemed to be a plastic bag full of boxed food (cakes and sweets, most likely) with an expression of grand patience. A great misuse of a Kishin, but it was Kazuya's birthday, and everyone loved arcades!

"Lord, I think that should be more to the left."

"I've got it, I've got- oh fucking hell."

Well, that love was being tested at the moment. Kazuya glared at the empty crane, before his gaze dropped back down to the Jack Frost toy that it had failed to grab. He swore this damned game cheated...

Comments

[otakuro]

"Birthday rules? Hey, just my being here should be present enough for you today - I had to pause my game when I was only a few hours of grinding away from maxing my stats."

Atsuro will slide in a few yen to feed the machine as it bleep-bloops to life in suitable traditional fashion.

"...Wait, do you even have a job yet?"

[belfire]

"Yeah, I have a job in being absolutely flawless."

Translation: no, he doesn't. He's still viewing this as a vacation to kick back and relax - although truthfully it was beginning to get more than a little boring.

"Job or not though... it's still rude to make the birthday boy pay for stuff," Kazuya pointed out with a grin, tapping the button to opt in as Player 1.

[otakuro]

"According to the latest reports, I hear you can expect to make negative two hundred thousand yen a year pursuing that career."

Atsuro amiably picks up the other controller and waits for the screen to finish loading.

"Maybe try picking up a few flaws here and there."

[belfire]

"How about the flaw of being too perfect?"

And the game loads. Ready... FIGHT!

Kazuya ascribed to the school of button mashing, so watch as his character flails across the 2D field in lunging, wild flurry of random attacks.

[otakuro]

"How about the flaw of being second best at retro games?"

Atsuro sticks out his tongue and prepares himself!! He is totally ready for Kazuya's random flailing and defends with expert precision.

Well sort of.

"Hey stop mashing the trip button."

[belfire]

"Hahah, never! It's my trump move!"

It really was. Kazuya's sure fire way to win games was to crouch and low kick repeatedly, forcing his opponent into a corner and slowly beating them to death in that way. Hey, he didn't have to win with any sort of grace.

[otakuro]

"More like the only move you've memorized the button presses for."

Atsuro grumbles slightly before his character jumps in the air and attempts to kick Kazuya's in the face.

[belfire]

"Gah! No fair!"

Kazuya's inexperienced fighter ways wasn't sure what to do when his opponent didn't allow themselves to be kicked to death, and instead struck back. His poor character was knocked back, and Kazuya button mashed again to try and regain the upperhand.

[otakuro]

Don't worry too much, Kazuya. Atsuro would never allow you to lose on your birth --

Atsuro's character proceeds to suplex Kazuya's into a tree.

[belfire]

Hello Fatality!

"Arrgh! Damn it..." Kazuya whined, slouching over the controls as Atsuro's character goes through the victory animation. "Death by tree, how embarrassing..."

[otakuro]

"Hey, don't say that. I bet there are a bunch of tree demons out there that we never ran into. Angry Treants or something."

Atsuro offers his friend a consoling pat on the shoulder and avoids breaking out the victory dance himself through sheer force of will.

"Best two out of three?"

[belfire]

Kazuya wrinkled his nose at the thought of fighting a tree - sounded a bit unfair. Sort of like a Whomping Willow verses a Ford Anglica level of unfair, but let the comment slide with a shrug.

"Sure. I was just warming up the first round," Kazuya sniffed, his ego quickly reinflating.

[otakuro]

((Think I'm going to wrap this up now!))

"Don't worry. We can always go up to best fifty-one out of a hundred whenever you get the hang of it."

Atsuro teasingly inserts some more money as the arcade game whirs to life again as the imaginary camera zooms out from the scene. The remainder of Kazuya's birthday passes in much the same way... A day of peace, a throwback to a life that used to be.