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

[imaginex]

[... Between the two of them, Cleo is clearly the professional here. There's a wave of apprehension until Sakura stares at her gun. Then a resolute nod as she tries to match the other girl's stance.]

Right!

[She plays to win. No shame in that. It might be fun letting her competitive streak fly for a bit.

Old arcade games tend to split the screen down the middle so each shooter has their area to focus on, but not this game. It's one wide screen that flickers before a hoard of zombies begin shambling around, meaning that if they want to win, they have to shoot well and steal as many kills as possible.]

[cattack]

[The problem here is that a toy gun isn't like the hefty revolver Cleo borrowed from Togusa. There's no recoil, no kick, no weight. And it takes her a moment to adjust, trying to retrain her muscle memory, to adjust to the toy.

It doesn't take her long, but it's enough for Sakura to have gained an early lead. Cleo will be trying her best to catch up, but it depends on Sakura's skill.]

[imaginex]

[Sakura's skill is that she has a natural eye for aim, and won't been hindered by the lack of realism the arcade game has to offer. Where she might trip up is translating her skill with a bow to a toy gun -- they're two different weapons, and pulling a flimsy trigger lacks the satisfaction of readying the bow string.

So for the first round, Sakura wins, but it's only barely. A handful of points marks the difference in their scores.]

[cattack]

[Once the round ends, Cleo lets out a long breath.]

Congratulations. You're quite good at this.

[imaginex]

[Well, can't say no to praise. Sakura smiles in light embarrassment while somehow managing to preen at the same time.]

Thank you! Though I can't take complete credit... I'm only good at aiming because my past life was...