yamaboshi | ( open ) END OF THE YEAR SHIPPING HELL CMO POST 2015

[ Today in mysterious happenings in Hinamizawa: if Keiichi is using a computer, he'll find himself on a mysterious website that cannot be closed by any means. Is it a virus? Nobody knows... However, on this site seems to be a girl, who yawns but soon seems to notice Keiichi somehow. ]

Mm... are you here to play a game? If you win, you're supposed to get a special prize, but... Nobody's ever beaten me before. Then again, I guess it's not fair if they're fighting the Super High School Level Gamer...?

[ What the hell, computer, can't a guy just track his Manga collection online in peace? Apparently not. He looks around on the page, trying to find any sign that it's just a prank or that he can close it, but no such luck. Still... cute girl on screen, so, yay? ]

Um... me? What kind of game are you talking about?

That's right.

[ Nanami nods, having heard him loud and clear. ]

But what game... that's a hard choice. I enjoy all sorts of games. Hey, hey, maybe you could pick one for us? It doesn't matter what kind of game.

[ This feels pretty weird to him, especially the part where she's able to hear him just talking to his computer. He's more used to physical games than digital ones, and it's kind of hard to give himself an advantage in anything on the computer... so, maybe he should at least pick something that gives him a fighting chance. ]

Umm... how about a shooting game? One of the ones where you fight off waves of enemies in a spaceship or something...

[ He thinks he's pretty good at those, anyway. He recognizes the enemies' patterns right away. ]

Oh, you must mean Space Invaders. It's one of my favorite games.

[ As she says that, she places fingers towards her hair clip to show exactly that before suddenly, a popup window with the game on it appears. ]

... You can be player one.

[ What is this craziness? How is she doing this to his computer?!? Does he even have a microphone?!? He doesn't know the answers to any of these questions, and instead, he finds himself compelled to start shooting lasers at aliens instead of, say, turning on his anti-virus or something. ]

Alright! But I've never lost a game to anyone!

[ The club might not go to the arcade a whole lot, but that's just because that's the one thing he can reliably win at, so it doesn't feel fair. But he's not holding back anymore now. ]

I won't lose, either.

[ Her voice is full of determination and confidence that would normally be unbefitting of a girl with a near monotonous voice. ]

Whenever you're ready to start, just hit the enter key. You'll keep going until your first life is depleted, and then it'll switch. Unless you prefer the style where we're playing the same map at the same time? I don't mind doing that.

Edited (2much either) 2015-12-31 19:25 (UTC)

I'd rather get to the most competitive style! Besides, you might be waiting for a long time if we take turns, so put us both on the same playing field!

[ He sounds so enthusiastic and confident. It's like he doesn't know he's about to get rekt. ]

[ There's a pause, and then, a smile. ]

Okay! I'll do that immediately. [ She huffs, looking rather proud of herself as she sets it up. There, that should be okay, right? ]

Just start whenever you're ready and I'll follow suit.

[ He'll soon find out just how good she is at this game once he does. Considering her talent as a gamer, it's ridiculously easy to get through levels without getting hit and getting all the shots in one go without missing. ]

Alright! Get ready to face the fury of Kei, alien invaders!

[ He's impressed by how quickly she's able to reconfigure the game. He wonders if maybe she's some sort of game programmer herself... but then, he's in the middle of it, firing at the enemies, and that's what holds his concentration.

His strategy's pretty simple, but effective: lots of leading shots. He actually thinks he's doing well, but only because he doesn't notice that she's taking out more than her share of the enemies with pinpoint precision. ]

[ She's actually rather amused by his remarks, but soon enough— ]

... This level's cleared.

[ That was fast. Way too fast, actually. Of course, she has to wait for Keiichi to complete his part of the level, too. ]

[ He's just now mopping up his half, having needed one to three shots to take out each enemy as opposed to just her one. And he can't help but stare in disbelief as he realizes just how quickly she finished her half. ]

Wh-What?!? Already?!?

[ He grits his teeth in grim determination. He's never been pushed this hard at a video game before... Mion usually just aims straight ahead without regard for the enemies' motion, Satoko can never get the timing quite right, and Rena thinks the aliens are too cute to shoot. Now, he has real competition. ]

It doesn't matter! I'll just have to do even better on the next one! Bring it on!

Edited (derp html) 2015-12-31 21:23 (UTC)

... Already. [ She mirrors the word that he said without much of a shift in her expression or reaction, her hand clearly gripped on what seems to be an arcade stick. ]

When it comes to games, I'm pretty confident in them.

[ Which seems to be clearly apparent as she can clear the levels with ease. ]

Alright, then it's on to the next level! I won't lose this time!

[ He's furiously pounding the fire button on his keyboard this time, even more determined than before. And this time, he really feels like he might have the hang of it... every shot is connecting, and he's actually doing a good job of keeping up until he misses the laser coming for his ship. Oops. ]

Crap! Where'd that come from?!?

... Ah. That's too bad.

[ Nanami, on the other hand, hasn't seemed to have lost a single life and isn't just dodging the regular lasers, but the ones that attempt to capture the ship as well because she is having none of that today, no sir.

Even though she can totally just recapture it to have twice the manpower. ]

[ That brief interruption is making it hard for him to catch back up, and even if he doesn't waste a single shot, she's still hitting the enemies with laser-like precision. At this rate, his keyboard's going to crap out on him. ]

How are you so good at this?!? Compared to you, I'm not even at an infant's level...!

[ A rare admission of defeat from him, but that doesn't mean he isn't still giving it his all. ]

Mm... I guess you can say that I memorized all the patterns for this level.

[ She says this rather matter-of-factly even as she finishes clearing her level. ]

And all the other levels.

[ He has the patterns generally memorized, or so he thinks, but she's on another level entirely. His score would be enough to make one of the other club members throw in the towel right now, but this isn't even close. ]

I guess it's a little too late to ask now, but... what happens if I don't win?

[ Now that her part of the level's cleared, he supposes he may as well take his time dispatching the remaining enemies so that he doesn't carelessly steer right into an enemy laser this time. His last two lives are precious. ]

... Then you don't win.

[ She doesn't get what specifically he's asking for, if only because her logic is rather simple. If he doesn't win, then he just doesn't win, easy as that. ]

I think, afterwards, I would say "good game", and that's it, probably.

No, I mean... [ Ah, how does he explain it to someone who isn't in the club? He kills off the last enemy, then sits back and takes a deep breath. ] ...You said you had to give me a special prize if I won, and unless we're trying to finish the game with a low score, there's no way I'm going to beat you.

[ Now, there's an idea: see who could keep their score the lowest while still surviving the game. That would be a competition he could really be creative at... but it's too late for that kind of rule change now. ]

So, it's only fair that you get a special prize if you win, right?

But playing this game with someone, I think, would be the best prize I could get. Since I haven't played with anybody... in a long time.

[ That... is an answer he wasn't expecting. He's quiet for a moment, wondering why nobody would play with her.

And then, he smiles. ]

If I win... the prize I want is to keep playing this game with you. And other games, too.

... Really? Do you really mean that?

That's right. Even if I lose, I'll still claim that as my reward. So, you need to think of something else, or else it's not much of a victory for you.

...

[ She puffs her cheeks, knitting her brow. ]

There's no rule that says I can't have the same reward. [ That's rude? Don't be rude. ] I won't lose because of that.

[ She has a reputation to uphold, after all! ]

OK #yolo

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