[Open] Taking over the High Scores

[shiromadoushi]

Characters: Bakura Ryou & anyone else near, in, or around the arcade
Location: The arcade
Rating: ...N for nerdy?
Time: Feb 17th, afternoon & evening
Description: Uncomfortably familiar weird stuff is starting happen around Bakura in addition to the drama across the hall, so he's avoiding dealing with it by sinking far too many quarters into machines at the arcade.



It had started when he noted that something he had left in the fridge to have for the next day had been missing. He didn't pay it much mind and had just assumed that he had absentmindedly eaten it the night before. But it seemed like it kept happening... And things he was sure he had put away properly were winding up in other places entirely.

Like they had back in Tokyo.

But he wasn't losing any time this time. Sure, he still would lose track of time when he was playing his games, but realizing that it was suddenly 2am and he had finished the game was different than realizing that it was 5pm and he couldn't remember where he'd spent the last 2 hours. Or why he was in a different part of town than he'd started.

Rather than think on it, after finding the drawers in his dresser looking almost as if someone had been searching through them, he'd headed out to the arcade. What better way to avoid a problem than to play games, right?

Of course, the fact that he was still there, packing away high score after high score on his favorite games after the sun was starting to set when there a possibly serial killer lurking out there, was it's own problem, but when had he ever given things like that any consideration?

Comments

[shiromadoushi]

"Sure!" Bakura smiled. With a few more quick taps, he finished the round, causing the demon on the other side of the screen to growl in annoyance, before he stepped to the side to let Loki take over in the pause between rounds.

[attentionwenches]

Loki slid in front of the console, taking hold of the joystick and hovering one hand over the buttons, a serious look on his face. He was determined to master this game.

It was a little slow as he began to play, but Loki had always been a quick learner. It wasn't long before he had the knack of it, and broke into a grin.

"I'm doing it!"

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura had to hold back a small laugh. "It's pretty easy to get the hang of, ne? The trick is keeping up the speed when the levels get harder!"

[attentionwenches]

Challenge accepted. Loki's grin became less proud and more focused.

It would be up to Bakura to stop Loki and pull him away from the game. Otherwise, he'd play until he lost.

[shiromadoushi]

Hey, Bakura had plenty more quarters where that one came from, far be it for him to stop someone from playing a game!

"There's even a two player mode for this one," he commented, watching his new friend work the controls.

[attentionwenches]

Loki was all for it.

"That sounds fun. Let's do it!" He glanced over at the other set of controls. "We'll be playing against one another, yes?" It didn't look cooperative, but there was no harm in asking, was there?

[shiromadoushi]

"Yup!" Bakura nodded, moving over to the 2nd set. "Just like playing against the computer, but against a person."

[attentionwenches]

"Understood." Loki shifted his posture so his shoulders were set more comfortably, took a stronger stance, and glanced sideways at Bakura.

He wasn't good enough at this game to be cocky yet, and understood he was likely to lose this round, but that didn't mean he wouldn't do his damnedest anyway.

[shiromadoushi]

And Bakura, being the kind soul that he was, would hold back to give him at least a bit of a chance. ... or really, so that the game wouldn't be over as fast as it would be if he did play his best.

"Ready?" he grinned before putting in his coin.

[attentionwenches]

"Of course."

He'd give it his best shot. Loki learned new things very quickly, being clever and adaptable, but even though he had dexterous hands, games like this required muscle memory that Loki simply hadn't developed yet.

Loki would put up a surprisingly good fight for someone who had never played a video game before in his life, but lose.

[shiromadoushi]

It was sadly a near impossibility for someone with no experience to win against Bakura in a game.

"Pretty quick learning with this sort of thing, ne?" Bakura smiled happily, moving aside to invite Loki to take over his quarter to continue single player mode.

[attentionwenches]

Loki was stunned for a moment by his unceremonious defeat. He'd had a feeling Bakura had been holding back, even. He didn't continue playing yet, wanting to talk first.

"...you're good."

[shiromadoushi]

"Aaa-- I have a lot of practice..." Bakura rubbed the back of his neck with embarrassing. "This sort of game... I've been playing them for years, since I was tall enough to reach the controls, really!"

[attentionwenches]

"Are you that practiced at all these games?" Loki indicated the rest of the arcade with a sweeping gesture.

[shiromadoushi]

"Almost all of them, un," Bakura nodded. A look at the high scores of any of the machines there would show at least one BKR, if not more!

[attentionwenches]

Oh. Wow, he didn't really have a hope of competing here, did he?

"...I see I have a lot to learn if I want to pose any kind of challenge at all."

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura rubbed the back of his neck a bit sheepishly. "As long as you have fun, that sort of thing doesn't really matter. Just play your best, ne?"

we can handwave some of this if you like, so you don't have to describe game after game

[attentionwenches]

Loki wasn't particularly driven to win, not like THOR certain people he could mention who never could handle losing, but he also wasn't keen on giving demonstrations of how much of a novice he was. Loki wasn't bothered, not really, but he would come back. And he would practice.

"Will you show me how to play the others?"

His smile was carefully unguarded.

[shiromadoushi]

"Sure!" Bakura grinned happily. "Which one did you want to learn next?"

[attentionwenches]

"Why don't we start with that one?"

It wasn't long before Loki had relaxed for real and settled into learning to play everything in the arcade. He didn't challenge Bakura to another match, but just learning sure was fun.

If they weren't careful, time would get away from them. Loki hadn't arrived until late afternoon, after all, and it was getting dark fast outside...

[shiromadoushi]

And when was Bakura ever careful about a thing like that? Losing track of time was so normal for him that he rarely had even noticed when he had been possessed. Now that he wasn't working in the evenings, he had no need to keep track of time he spent in the arcade.

He certainly wouldn't be the one to ruin the fun by pointing out that it was nearing time to go home....

[attentionwenches]

...but Loki would. "Oh, dear, it's dark already!" he cried, staring out the window. "Where did the time go?"

It was careless to stay here so late. Loki could have kicked himself.

[shiromadoushi]

"Eh?" Bakura turned, blinking towards the door. "Aaaa... again?" he rubbed the back of his neck, utterly sheepish.

[attentionwenches]

"Oh, no. We never should have stayed this long, not with that murderer loose!" His mouth was pulled into an upset grimace.

[shiromadoushi]

"Aaaaa..." Bakura faltered. "It should be all right... after all, the murderer only goes after other bad guys, right?"