mogmelodies | Gamer's Christmas

[Mognet - Dec 4th]

Hey, everyone.

Since the moogles need help in the Santa Village, I'm gonna be opening a video game store there. With the Programmer and Engineer Jobs and some help from Mysidia to get the right parts, I should be able to make custom games to sell for the holidays. I'll be selling more of the Tamagotchis I made before, but also handheld video game systems and games to play in them. If I have enough time and money, I'm planning to build some larger arcade cabinets too so that people can play those in the back. I might bring one of them back to Aqures Ixen with me after the holidays. If anyone wants to help out at the store or donate some money so I can get better parts, let me know. I'll be in the village almost all month.

-Chiaki Nanami

[Action; Village of Santa Claus; throughout the month]

[It doesn't take Chiaki long to get her shop set up, considering she's got a fair bit of starting capital of her own to put in it. The store is called 'Super Tomato' for some reason even though it doesn't sell fruit of any sort. But at least there are pixel paintings of various legally distinct video game characters hanging in the windows to dispel any doubts about what kind of place this is. The pixel paintings are also for sale, for what it's worth. Some people might recognize her art from before.

Inside, there are various game stations set up for people to try various games Chiaki has been working on. She's programmed some to work with the Ancient computers O'aka has been selling, as well as reproductions of handheld systems from her world that work on the crystal technology common to Crystallis. The games section is fairly small to begin with, but gets steadily larger as the month goes by. Finally, she also seems to be selling crystal to electricity adapters.

There's also a room in the back with a few arcade cabinet machines. They're mostly older classics like Asteroid, Centipede, Galaga, Pac-Man, and that sort of fare, but she's also managed to get a fully functional dance game machine up and running. That one is at the center of the room, since it's clearly the most impressive thing there. All of the machines are coin operated, and cost one gil to play. The dance game costs five gil per three song set.

Chiaki herself can mostly be found behind the counter, playing a handheld of her own until a customer comes in.]

...Welcome to Super Tomato. How can I help you?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

This one takes two, actually.

[Chiaki takes Rukia's coin and digs out one of her own, putting them both in. Within moments, the game flares to life.]

I'll show you on the basic level.

[Picking the first song in the rotation, Chiaki steps up onto the pad. And from there, it's a fairly standard demonstration of a DDR style game.]

[Rukia's gaze flicks from screen to pad as she tries to figure out how the two are supposed to work together. It doesn't look much like any dancing she's familiar with. Is this really how it's done in this culture?]

[Still...the rhythm aspects are fascinating, and she's always enjoyed playing games with Chiaki on those occasional sleepless nights she sometimes got.]

[Nonetheless, she hopes there's an easier level than 'basic' at least until she gets the hang of it for herself.]

It seems like fun. You made this yourself? That's very impressive work indeed.

[After the song ends, Chiaki hops off the pad.]

Yup. I already had the basic program made, and I got some extra parts from the video game manufacturers in Mysidia to install it in this cabinet. Now I'll be able to play it with people even after I switch out of the Programmer and Engineer Jobs.

It's fascinating!

[Rukia is definitely intrigued. And now that she has a generic idea of what to do, she steps up onto the pad and inserts two coins as well. The arrow lights on the console itself are flashing, so she presses the one to the left, and sees the songs revolve. Interesting, interesting... She settles for one that doesn't seem too fast, presses the center button, then stands in the middle square, tense with anticipation.]

[START.]

[She's clumsy at first, making a heavy stomp to either side or to the front while one foot remains rooted firmly in the middle. But as she practices, she becomes more accustomed to stepping on the other arrows, realizing the tactical advantage of doing so.]

[Rukia might not be much of a dancer, but she's a warrior, and footwork is something she's had to learn. The better she gets, the wider her smile, and the emptier her coin purse.]

I believe I'm starting to get the hang of it!

[Chiaki stays quiet while Rukia is playing, knowing that even the most well-intentioned explanations or help won't really do much for her when she's right in the middle of the song. So she stands back and watches for the most part, smiling back as Rukia takes a break between songs.]

Yeah. You're learning fast.

It's necessary.

[She brushes her wrist over her brow.]

There's dancing at the New Year's celebration. It's something I haven't dedicated any time to learning, so perhaps this will help.

[No. It won't.]

[She puts in two more coins anyway to queue up the next song.]

Oh. Maybe I should have built a Para Para Paradise machine instead.

[Oh well, what's done is done.]

A what?

[Her head turns slightly in Chiaki's direction, but she doesn't dare tear her eyes away from the screen as one arrow slowly drifts upward. One at a time. She could probably stand to upgrade from 'Beginner' to 'Light' but she's only just mastered the two-arrow jump.]

It teaches proper dancing techniques?

That one deals more with moving your hands and arms. There are five sensors arrayed around the player in a semicircle with invisible beams of light coming from them. So instead of moving to step on arrows, you wave your arms to break the beams in order to trigger the notes.

[That does draw Rukia's attention. An arrow gets missed, as her head turns to look at Chiaki with a flat and tortured look.]

I'm not so sure I could play that game in public without looking like a fool.

[She jerks her head around to the screen and curses under her breath at the little 'Boo!' that pops up, and immediately tries to reestablish her rhythm.]

It takes practice.

[And now, seeing that she caused Rukia to miss a note, Chiaki shuts up for the rest of the current song.]

True.

[Hop hop stomp.]

And there is precious little time for that.

[She says it so gravely, as if the New Year's Eve dance is an event of crucial importance to the stability of the universe. But, then again, Rukia's probably always like this whenever she and Chiaki play video games.]

[When she finally finishes, she probably spent way more gil than she should have, and is panting for breath. She might just go home and drink two gallons of cold water now. Rukia steps down, her legs feeling like jelly. At least she worked up to Light mode, and even got in a few Medium songs.]

That was most entertaining. Do you plan on making another in Aqures Ixen?

[Were this anyone else but Chiaki, she'd tell Rukia not to overdo it. But when it comes to gaming, she doesn't know the meaning of the word. She's just happy Rukia enjoyed herself.]

I was actually hoping I could take this one back with me and put it in the basement. We're not using it for much else.

WE SHOULD.

[Well that's a vehement endorsement from Rukia, at least. She really likes this game. It's challenging, and it has practical benefits in practicing complicated and fast footwork. No doubt this game would be easier if she were to equip her Ninja job, but that's part of the challenge, isn't it?]

O-oh. That reminds me.

[She blinks, and her face reddens slightly.]

Apparently I'm to retain my living quarters in addition to the bunk I was assigned in Esdham. My presence isn't required there for more than a monthly visit, unless war erupts along the borders. So... I shall be moving back in after all.

I apologize for the miscommunication.

[It's such a vehement endorsement, in fact, that Chiaki just stares blankly back at Rukia for a moment, blinking.]

Oh. That's good. This way I don't have to clean out my closet.

Your... What?

[Chiaki surely doesn't know Rukia's been living in Raven's closet. ...Or does she? Did Rukia mention it, and forget? Or was she really just in the mood to do some cleaning? Either way, she's a little touched at the implied offer.]

[Maybe it came up at some point. Chiaki doesn't know Raven, so it's hard to say. Possibly it's a video game trope, or possibly her mun forgot if it was mentioned IC. There are many possibilities. But she definitely thinks enough of Rukia that she wouldn't mind.]

...Never mind. It'll be good to have you back.

Yes. It'll be good to be back.

[She bumps her fist against her roommate's. She was definitely the one that Rukia got along with the best, and she'd missed the fun girly moments they got to spend together.]

[She's also grateful she doesn't have to talk about her mini-closet adventures at Raven's house.]

Gamer's Christmas

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