A Devil's Luck

[bondsofsuffering]

Who: Hizumi Mizushiro, Miyako Hotsuin, and YOU
Where: Various places around Hinoto-Ri, most notably Cancer and Pisces districts. Takes place on April 1st for the general open portion and April 6th for the yakiniku dinner because saving log space saves the world.
Summary: Hizumi has obtained a job at a game arcade and is hunting down alternate versions of people both while on and off the job! And later in the week, he treats a certain lady to yakiniku because this is an important dish to experience in your life.
Warnings: Fierce yakiniku parties.

[APRIL 1ST: CANCER DISTRICT]

It's a smaller arcade than most, but that doesn't make its selection any less good. Indeed, some of the more hardcore gamers prefer it, as it has less of those fake gamers with their mainstream games and more of the classics standing side by side with the latest and greatest.

Hizumi's on clerk duty today, but that doesn't stop him from weaving among the customers and generally being friendly and conversational. He doesn't interrupt people during their play of course, but he's quick to crack a joke with anyone around, or even point out flaws in peoples' strategies in the case of a person failing a stage. If you're standing around, he might just end up chatting with you!

"Hey, how's it going?"

[APRIL 1ST: GENERAL]

Once he gets out of work, he'll be wandering around the city, keeping a sharp eye on all of those around him. With all the time he's spent in Hinoto-Ri, he's gotten quite good at telling Visitors from normal civilians, and thus it is these whom he is on the lookout for. If he spots anyone, you can be sure that he'll be casually walking up and greeting them. "Hey! You're a Visitor, right? Think you could help me out a sec?"

[APRIL 6TH: CLOSED TO MIYAKO]

The food is prepared, with slices of various meats and, after much debate, a selection of vegetables on the side. He hasn't begun cooking them on the small table-sized grill, of course - that would have to begin only when his guest had arrived, so that they could enjoy the food when it was at its peak deliciousness.

Which meant that for now, all he could really do was wait for his poor, deprived honored guest to show up.

Comments

Arcade

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

The girl in the frilly dress - the uniform of that café a couple blocks over with several Visitor girls working there, actually - nods to his greeting, but continues focusing on her game. It's an old but fairly casual timed shooter, one she could probably talk over without missing much judging by her perfect score so far. She's probably just shy.

[bondsofsuffering]

"Aah, that's a real classic, isn't it?" He watches intently; he hadn't quite gotten around to tackling this game yet, so this is a good opportunity for him to take some notes for when he inevitably attempts to put his name on every high score list he possibly can.

Hey, it just adds to the competition, right?

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

She nods, not taking her eyes off the screen.

"It's not one we have in my world. Full VR is more popular, but being able to focus on one task is nice," she comments, sniping the hat off the stage boss for some bonus points.

[bondsofsuffering]

"You have full VR? Aaah, no fair. We don't have anything like that in my world yet." He pouts for about a full second. "What kinds of games do you have for it?"

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

Latooni pauses for a moment until she finishes the stage boss, letting the ensuing cutscene run so she could turn and talk to the boy.

"The game I usually play is called Burning PT. It's mostly just a simplified combat simulator, but a friend of mine really likes it..."

[bondsofsuffering]

"Combat simulator? Ooh, what kind? There were some fighter simulators where I'm from, but those were nothing like some of the things I've seen here."

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

"It's about piloting large combat robots, which we call PTs in my world," she said. "If you've seen one walking around during the Dark Hour and sometimes turning into a plane, that would be an example..."

[bondsofsuffering]

"So it's a mecha sim?" That... actually sounds very interesting indeed.

"Now I really want to give it a try-! Hey, you don't lose points if you accidentally cause collateral damage, right?"

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

"Um...most arcade versions doesn't really model that, no," she admits. It's not like anyone would want to bother with that in entertainment.

It also explained the hell out of Ryusei and especially Tenzan, now that she thought back to it.

[bondsofsuffering]

"Aww, man!" He actually sounds pretty disappointed now. "I was hoping simulation games would be better in other worlds, but if there aren't even mecha sims..."

All his hopes and dreams, crushed in an instant...!

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

"Um, I meant it doesn't represent collateral damage. Of course it's a mecha sim..."

No need to freak out, guy.

[bondsofsuffering]

"But that's still an integral part of it, isn't it? What's the point of piloting a mecha if things aren't crashing apart around you?"

Important things here.

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

"Er...combatting large threats to public safety?"

Oh look, the cutscene's over. She'll just be looking back at her game now...

[bondsofsuffering]

"But it's not the same! Running around, crushing things underfoot... It's all part of the catharsis the player is supposed to experience, right? And it's just a simulation, so the player is free to do what they want without having to worry about the consequences at all. They can vent all they like in a virtual world instead."

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

"I also pilot mecha as part of the military so my perspective might be a little different," she says quickly, going back to shooting at the enemies in the game rather than looking at Hizumi.

[bondsofsuffering]

"Aaah, I guess that would change things for you. As for me, I'm just your regular civilian who's used to needlessly violent games!"

That is certainly a way putting it, Hizumi.