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]

[...]

[ 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.

[thesettingsun]

I wanted to get her a practical gift, and you can't say that's not practical.

[Sure you can.]

[vitis]

[ ... john certainly can't ]

That's plenty practical! And then the cake is just an added touch of practicality-- hard to get better than somethin' you can eat, followed by runnin' someone through with a sword.

[ #practicalthoughts ]

[thesettingsun]

[Shuji's grateful for John's approval, even though objectively speaking John has terrible ideas. Shuji will stan for John, okay.]

Speaking of which, did you try the cake yet?

[vitis]

[ doubly !!! ]

[ he blinks, straightening in his seat. ]

Nope! Damn, how'd I miss that...?

[thesettingsun]

Obviously you have to try some now. I'll hold your drink hostage until you tell me what you thought of my cake.

[Cake is Serious Business.]

[vitis]

[ —!!! ]

Nope, you can't—

[ 'cause john's going to get to chugging the rest of it now before it can be taken hostage.

8( shuji won't take it aliiiiiiive. ]

[thesettingsun]

[He paid for that drink, excuse!!

Shuji knows better than to try to yank the glass out of his hand before he can finish all of it. That's the way you end up breaking glasses and getting kicked out of birthday parties.

Instead, he goes with the first idea he comes up with, which is to try to stick his thumbs in John's mouth and stretch his lips out to the side so if he drinks anymore it'll make a mess.

It's not clear why he thought this was a good idea.]

[vitis]

[ john's not really sure either

the second he feels fingers in his mouth, some of his drink spilling over his shirt—blech!!—it does get him to stop. however, in retaliation, he's going to try to deliver a full-on, wet lick to the nearest of shuji's hands.

mm. arcade germs. ]