open || ain't no party like a birthday party

[complementing]

WHO: Minako, Sakura, Ragna, and you!
WHERE: One of the arcade bars in the city.
WHEN: March 10th
WHAT: BIRTHDAY PARTY!
WARNINGS: None foreseen! Feel free to threadjack for Minako's Hot Potato Categories game.



[Welcome to the Emporium, an arcade bar that Minako and Sakura have decided to host their joint birthday party at! Come on in and have some fun playing games, eating junk food, and just hanging out with the birthday girls (and guy, if he decides to come).

There are, of course, the numerous arcade games that the place is known for, ranging from the old school 2v2 fighters to the shooting gallery kinds. But there are a smattering of other games as well, like DDR, darts, mini hoops, skeeball, and the pool table, too. There's also a wall of crane games in the back, with plenty of random and mostly cute prizes to win.

Make a stop by the purikura booth if you have time. Make some duck lips at the camera and then take the snaps home! (Or give them to the birthday girls for the memories.)

Oh, and be sure to exchange your money for tokens before you play all these games. The token machine seems kind of finicky, though. Maybe a strong (and hopefully discrete?) kick will help jumpstart it.

Walk to the dining area, and there'll be a feast waiting you! The arcade is providing a ton of pizza and wings, as well as alcohol, if you can show your ID. For dessert, there's the cake that Shuji made for the girls, as well as Minako's lemon tea cakes. Those are limited supply, though, so snag one before everyone eats it up.

Next to the dining area, there's a big sign that says "DUNK TANK OUTSIDE". Maybe take a look? Just be reaaaally sure you want to climb in before you do it, though. The towels provided by the arcade are pretty small.

And finally, if you need a break from the chaos, there's a couple of couches on the second floor. Take a load off and watch from above.]

Comments

[vitis]

[ if john doesn't know "smiles with absolutely no ulterior motives," then he knows nothing ]

[ he looks dubious in turn, but it shifts into a grin at that challenge. this DDR crap doesn't look like the standard video game, anyway, which he's aware that he'd likely be hopeless at-- how hard could it be! ]

Uh huh. I'll be a good sport.

[ and indulge this. sure. john steps up to the platform. ]

[thesettingsun]

[Shuji picks out a song on Easy mode. How about... this one?]

You just have to step on the directional arrows on the pad when they reach the top of the screen. It's simple.

[vitis]

[ #doubt ]

[ nah john thinks he's fine. even if he would've preferred probably any other music, this game just seems like it's best for.. that kind of music. he readies himself into position, leaning one hand to balance himself on the bar behind them. ]

All right. Let's go!

[ game start!! ]

[thesettingsun]

[If it didn't have a beat, it would be way harder, John.

Shuji, for his part, doesn't Perfect most of the notes, but he can Great or Good them. He's also humming along.]

Don't you want- Don't you want, want-

[vitis]

[ yeAH GUESS WHO'S ON THE STRUGGLE BUS ]

[ john manages to get, uh-- some of them. he probably even sneaks a "great" in there at one point. but for the most part, this isn't the sort of dancing he's accustomed to, probably stamping too hard because he thinks that's necessary on this. ]

[ after three "misses" in a row: ]

Ah..! It really is broken...

[thesettingsun]

Super broken, so don't worry about the score and just have fun. You don't have to stomp that hard.

[Like John's going to have fun doing this...]

[vitis]

[ yeah, loads of fun... ]

[ he looks as his abysmal score pops up on screen. ]

"Fun" would be havin' drinks at the bar here. Wanna do that instead?

[thesettingsun]

[Shuji can't help it - he laughs.]

Sorry that DDR drives you to drink, John. I don't mind getting something.

[vitis]

[...]

[ oh my god ]

Please. I was gonna have some anyway.

[ he'll step off the platform, then, and begin leading them to the arcade's bar, weaving through games and people and whatnot. ]

You think they got discounts, 'cause we're here for a birthday? [ wishful thinking, he knows, unfamiliarity with how this all works aside... ] Oh! If they're prepaid, that'd be nice.

[thesettingsun]

[Shuji follows close after.]

I'll buy you a drink so you don't have to worry about the price.

[...Not what he meant?]

[vitis]

—Only if you've become millionaire recently without me knowin'.

[ because, yeah, not what he meant!! and well "millionaire" standards are overselling it, but john feels that his point stands. ]

Maybe they'll have pitchers of beer out or somethin'.

[thesettingsun]

My novel's doing really well...

[But he'd definitely not a millionaire and probably never will be.]

I doubt that.

[vitis]

... Oh, well. Never doubted that much.

[ gives shuji a nudge with his elbow; you master novelist, you.

but hey, it looks like he was unfortunately correct. there are, indeed, no pitchers of beer set out on tables for them; it's just a glowy-looking bar coupled with a few empty stools. ]

[thesettingsun]

[John's such a good friend, awww.

Shuji takes a seat at one of the stools.]

Are you sure I can't buy you something? It's overpriced, sure, but all arcade food is.

[vitis]

[ ghhh ]

[ yeah the drinks menu is-- much more highly priced than what he's used to seeing. ]

... If you really wanna. I know it's just a nice gesture for a friend and all, but I'd wanna pay you back too sometime, you know?

[thesettingsun]

You can pay me back by hanging out with me again, that's all I need.

[Like he wasn't going to do that already...]

Which drink do you want?

[vitis]

[...]

[ points to some strong-ass drink on the menu ]

[thesettingsun]

[Orders him said strong-ass drink. Gets a lighter one for himself.]

Nothing too heavy for me today, I'm walking home.

[vitis]

Really? If you're not drivin', then...

[ ?? seems like a better reason to.

anyway, john will get to drinking his beverage. ]

[thesettingsun]

Drunk walking is actually more dangerous than drunk driving per mile. It's just that it's mostly dangerous to yourself, and normally you walk less miles than you'd drive.

[This has been your Fact Shuji Learned From A Random Audiobook Once of the day.

[vitis]

[ ... a fact recited so easily like that sort of makes john want to slam his head against the bar ]

[ mostly because it's a difficult one to form an argument against ]

Less a bad idea to others, more one to yourself. So, then... drunk walkin' is probably still the better option, wouldn't you think?

[thesettingsun]

[Please don't hit your head against anything...]

It's definitely a better idea, and much less likely to get you arrested. But an even better idea is not drinking too much if you're going to walk any significant distance.

[vitis]

[ hm. ]

Whatever. [ a shrug. ] I'll figure somethin' out.

[ drains about a third of it, wiping his mouth on his sleeve afterward. oh, but... he lowers his voice then, looking conspiratorial with a sly smile as he turns to face shuji in his seat. ]

So! What'd you get Ms. Tohsaka?

[thesettingsun]

Besides the cake? Well, um...

[Shuji drops his voice down to a whisper.]

An umbrella with a sword inside.

[vitis]

[ !! ]

[ john looks delighted by this ]

Whaaat, really?! That's pretty great, thinkin' up somethin' like that.