Persona-SotVD: Arcade Secret

[Kioku]

"...not to mention the scene where she finally did manage to talk to him. I swear, your writing really is beautiful, have you given any more thought to doing it professionally? Oh hey, we're here. See? No creeps this time." Asami's warm smile practically lights up the street and casts a glow on the girl she's walking with, as she pushes open the door to the arcade the two were heading to. "I'm glad we're finally getting around to this, seeing what it's like to go out somewhere instead of staying in." She glances around the inside of this new place she's never been, incredibly happy to be experiencing it with one of her very best friends. Speaking of whom... "What do you want to try first, Yuki-chan?"

I'm lucky to have such wonderful people to be with. I can't believe how these two... wait... isn't that Tsubaki? Asami's head slowly tilts as she sees the other one of the two her thoughts are currently on, across the room.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki was in a corner playing a new danmaku game on a cabinet. She was wearing her normal street clothes, a pair of black-rimmed glasses and her hair was down. Anyone who didn't know her well wouldn't know it was her, but she was spotted by one of her best friends and the other was there too. "This one's harder than the last one they put out. Only half a stage left." The girl muttered to herself. After a few seconds the iconic death sound played as she lost her final life. Tsubaki turned away, leaving the cabinet for a short break and noticed Asami. Busted... Wait, maybe she doesn't know it's me. No, she's looking right at me... Stupid long hair, giving me away...

[A Rainy Knight]

"Heh heh. See, the umbrella s-sort of drives and heightens the climax... it gives the r-reason she finally speaks up, but it's also associated with r-romance in itself... like when a couple shares an umbrella, or something. But, um... 'p-professionally' might be pushing it."

She steps into the arcade and looks around at all the lights and colors, not even noticing Tsubaki at first.

"W-well, I had the home console version of some of these games. Maybe those, or maybe I s-should try something new, or... huh. D-doesn't that girl look a lot like Tsubaki?"

[Kioku]

"I'm pretty sure it's her, but... no, wait... yeah, it's her." Asami seems remarkably clear-headed today given recent events, as she lifts a hand slightly in the direction of their attention's focus. "Want to have her join us, or let her have her personal time? I think it'd be really cool to see you in action on the games you know... but it'd be nice to try out some new things, too. That makes it memorable both ways!"

[Mokou-tan]

Yup, I'm noticed. She's pointing at me. I should get a skirt for a better disguise. Tsubaki steps closer while trying to make it look like she's walking towards one of the dance games. I'll just play it off as exercise. That's believable, right? Surprised to be caught here, Little Hero? I expected to blend in a little better. And didn't expect them. The disguise is pretty weak, honestly. I still don't understand why you wear that here. If anyone gave you trouble over it, just beat some respect into them. It's so I don't have to bother.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki wrings her hands in deliberation.

"Uh... I d-don't know... are we intruding? I dunno. J-just pick something, I don't know."

[Kioku]

"Hmm... if she wants to join us she will, I'm sure she's noticed us by now. Would you show me one of the games you already know how to play?"

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki decides it's better to just meet them directly and walks up to the pair. "Osu~! What brings you two here?" She readjusts the glasses on her face as she speaks. Some of these games are more fun with others anyway and it might give me an idea on what to get Miyuki for a gift.

[A Rainy Knight]

"L-let's see... well, I've dabbled around with that f-fighting game a bit. "GuiltyBlue." I'm n-no pro or anything, but..."

She stops, and then waves to Tsubaki.

"Oh, h-hey! I'm, uh... j-just spending some time with Asami. D-didn't expect to see you here."

[Kioku]

"Sounds like a good starting place then!" That part-time job is becoming a social lifesaver... Asami appraises Tsubaki's outfit and puts a finger on her own lip with a nod. "We decided to go out to experience the joys of the outside. I like your glasses, this is a different but good look."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki blushes slightly and scratches the back of her head. "Eheh, thanks. The uh... The dance games are good exercise and stuff." Tsubaki shifts a bit as she talks.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki nods, as she starts heading toward some of the more familiar arcade consoles.

"Yeah, I can s-see you liking stuff like that, Tsubaki. G-guess you don't really need to be a typical gamer to enjoy an arcade..."

[Kioku]

"Are they? I'll have to try those too while we're here." Asami gets a slightly evil smile. "And maybe you can show us the game you were playing when we came in, too. You seemed to be enjoying it."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki freezes up slightly and chuckles nervously. "Eheh, busted... It was fun though. And I'm actually good at the dance games. I failed to 1-credit the one you caught me playing."

[A Rainy Knight]

"N-no need to be ashamed if it was fun," Miyuki says, with a shrug. "I'm not one to j-judge. B-but anyways, those dance games... I dunno if I have the coordination to pull them off."

[Kioku]

Asami just shrugs at the other two, waiting for someone to pick a game. "I've no idea what I'll be good at. I've never been to an arcade, so I'll just take your lead."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki smiles to Miyuki. "Well, there's really only one way to get the coordination: practice. I actually dance quite a bit aside from playing the games. It compliments martial arts well, and dancing is actually a lot of fun itself. You should pick a game to play." That way I know what to look at when buying you a present.

[A Rainy Knight]

"W-well, when you put it that way..." Miyuki glances all around the arcade, from the fighting games to the shooting games to the racing games... and finally, the dancing games. "Um, I guess I was planning on playing the f-fighting games. But maybe I should t-try one of those d-dance games...?"

[Kioku]

Asami giggles and grasps Miyuki's hand. "Let's try all of them! Fighting games first, it is. Tsubaki did just ask you to pick, after all, and we can do dance next!" She starts walking toward a game that at least looks like the correct type, from the art on the side.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki walks alongside her friends. "Fighting games it is!" Seeing the one they were heading to, a smile goes across her face. "Oh! I know how to play a character in this one! It's the catgirl."

[A Rainy Knight]

"Y-you do, huh...? She's a good pick," Miyuki muses, as she walks to the 1P position for the game. "I like the v-vampire girl, myself. Her sense of s-style is so great... guhehehe..."

[Kioku]

Vampire girl? Cat girl? I wonder... "There's not a kitsune, is there?" Asami stands back to watch the people who have actually played the game before, to get a feel for it.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki moves over into the 2P booth and quickly selects her preferred character with a mostly white alternate palette. "Well, this is the newest one, so I don't know the new characters." She gets a glint in her eye as she hears the character's name spoken by the announcer. She only ever actually played in the arcades, so she didn't have the handicap of being used to a controller.

I am now listening to Catus Carnival. I have nobody to blame but myself. Tao is Taokaka. That is all.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki takes a second to get herself oriented with the controls on the game, having been used to having a controller in her hands before.

"I don't t-think this one is even out on consoles yet... I don't know the new characters either."

She picks her favored character, and the narrator announces her name as well, as the game starts loading.

"Not g-gonna hold back on you, Tsubaki... even if it's, um, been a while since I played..."

[Kioku]

Asami keeps glancing between Miyuki's hands, Tsubaki's hands, and the screen, keen to figure out just how this thing works before trying it herself. "Well, whether there is or not, I'll figure out something..."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki pulls a sucker out of her pocket, unwraps it and tosses it into her mouth. "I'd be disappointed if you did!" Tsubaki plays with all her might and between her greater familiarity with the controls and her own skill she manages to just barely lose. "Man was that close, you're better than the AI, that's for sure. You're up Asami." She steps back from the machine and quickly explains each button's function.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki keeps an intense gaze on the machine during their fight, and finally relaxes into a smile once she wins.

"Whew! N-not bad at all. Guess I've still got the t-touch, though... Guhehehe... S-so, do you have a favorite kind of character, Asami? Rushdown? Zoning? Grappler?"

[Kioku]

"Already? I don't really know, I've never done anything like this... I guess I'll try someone that's a challenge to play right though?" She smiles weakly and moves to Tsubaki's old position. "After all, no point playing if it'll be a boring one, right? And it's better to start with something that's hard enough to prevent unrealistic expectations about the other characters later on."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki pulls several snackfoods out of her hoodie pocket and juggles them, deciding which one she wants after she finishes her sucker. "From your starting position, you're going to want to go three left and one down then. It's also a good counterpick to Miyuki's character." As she watches the match between friend goes on, intently watching the actions of both players.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki gets back into the zone during the first round, and launches a merciless assault on Asami's character. Her lips start to move as she mumbles along with her attacks and retreats.

"C'mon... c'mon. Block. Block. Special..."

[Kioku]

Blinking and swaying a little on her feet from being defeated - nay, slaughtered - so quickly in the first round, Asami takes a deep breath and focuses all of her attention on the game. She still doesn't win the second round, but it's a lot closer. Well, as close as getting your opponent to half can count, anyway.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki giggles and opens a box of pocky. "Take another round. You need to use your specials. With that character they're..." She makes the motions required for the specials to demonstrate with a wide grin, betraying her actual skill at the game a bit.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki grins with her second victory, and releases her death grip on the joystick.

"Heh heh... Looks like it's coming back to me. S-still, you really stepped things up in the second round. I'm up for a r-rematch if you are."

[Kioku]

"I should practice against the AI some time... but I don't think this is really my style of game. I'll give it another try though, we'll see how it goes!"

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki gets on another machine and plays against a stranger while letting her friends go another round against one another. She wins both rounds, the second one without actually losing health due to her intense pressure game in it compared to her fairly nonsensical first round.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki starts off the round just like the last one - so much like the last one, that her fighting style might almost be called predictable.

"C'mon c'mon c'mon...!"

[Kioku]

Asami frowns at the already familiar patterns. Yuki-chan... why are you... She plays through the first round as though it were choreographed, just to test and see what happens. The second she varies things and tries out whatever new tricks she can come up with, likewise with the third - if there is one.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki takes a seat on her cabinet and leans over towards Asami. "You're improving a bit. There are plenty of other games you can try though, if this isn't your style."

[Kioku]

When the end of the last round comes, Asami bites her lip and nods, looking a little ashamed. "Didn't you say something about dance games earlier? Those sound less competitive..."

[A Rainy Knight]

After a brief grin of victory, Miyuki shrugs and steps back from the game.

"L-let's try one, then! It's, uh, not really my strong suit, but I'm sure it could be fun... I p-probably won't hurt myself!"

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki hops of the machine and motions for the others to follow. "You should be fine on the easier difficulties, Miyuki. Even I started at the bottom and worked my way up."

[Kioku]

"Easier difficulties? You mean like the waltz or something?" Asami clearly has no clue how the games in question are scored, or even *that* they're scored, or what type of 'dancing' is supposed to be done with them. She seems to be looking around for a human-sized mannequin or something similar that would suggest the kind of single player dance game that she's thinking of.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki seeks out the nearest dance game, and tries to draw Asami's attention to it.

"I t-think you've got the wrong idea. Hee hee! Here's one right here. You p-play these games by stepping on the arrows and stuff in time with the music... they just give you less arrows you gotta step on when the difficulty's lower, or something."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki takes off her shoes and steps on the pad. "I play better without them. Let's see, it's that one. 4 point pad, each side has their own settings." She quickly puts money in the machine and motions for one of her companions to get on the other pad as she sets it to two player and begins to input the settings for her end, starting with the hardest difficulty and adding several modifiers to make the game harder and increase the amount of points she gets. "You just step on the correct arrows as they come up. Harder difficulties have more arrows. If it looks like the note has a trail like it was smeared up, hold your foot on the note. If it looks like they're layered, press it rapidly. I think that's about it."

[Kioku]

"I see!" Asami says as she steps up to the other pad. "So it's not actually like a dance at all, but just rhythmically stepping with a set of clearly visible commands, then? It's all binary!" A game consisting entirely of fact? You either step correctly or you don't, simple as that. No variables besides the physical limitations of one's own body and reflexes - I bet this sort of game could even be solved with a mathematical formula! She looks excited and very confident as she considers the settings to enter. Although... it's also my first time doing this, and it might look bad for Tsubaki or hurt Miyuki's confidence if I set everything high as it goes... or if I didn't make mistakes. And it would take all the fun and challenge away after the first time for each song, if I keep them in memory or start from the highest as well. So in that case... She enters the 'normal' level settings across the board, but looks a little hesitant doing so.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki finds herself a good spot leaning against a nearby wall, and gets ready to watch her friends show down with each other.

"A-all right, you two... may the best d-dancer win!"