Arcade day out! (for CyanDimitrik)

[Vc0m]

Spoiler

With a rare day with nothing planned out for either LAW or herself, Clara decided to give herself a rare day out, going out to Akihabara for some nerdy souvenirs, something for herself, something for her girlfriend. Her trip eventually lead her to a retro games store. Checking out old Game Boy Advance and DS games filled her with nostalgia, but the top of the store interested her the most.

The top floor had a bunch of 80s and 90s arcade games! She even found an arcade machine for Virtua Fighter 4! This was one of the first fighting games she ever played! She put a coin in, deciding to try out the game out of nostalgia...

[CyanDimitrik]

Spoiler

Meanwhile...

"Guuhhh," issues a feminine moan. "It's just not the saaaame."

"W-we know, Oshiro-san." An uncomfortable-looking middle-aged man with mustache glances from the girl to his feet. "You keep telling us that."

"Make it more the saaaame," drones the raven-haired female plaintively.

"We can't, Oshiro-san. Especially me."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm a janitor." The man lifts the long-necked dust roller at his side to drive the point home.

For the first time, Katsumi takes a moment to inspect the man and his drab gray jumpsuit. "Well, where's the owner!?"

"Tending to a customer-"

"-I'm a customer! I have a complaint!"

"Y-yes, they know. We know. Everyone knows. It's, it's been six times." The man politely bows his head. "They can't be taken away from their duties. So they asked me to hear your complaints from now on. But I don't mind. It is the only social interaction I get throughout the day."

Taken aback, Katsumi folds her arms against her modest bust and quirks a dark eyebrow at him. "Sheesh. Show some dignity! Have a little more pride in your work! A plumber can save a whole-ass kingdom, y'know! What's your excuse?" She punctuates the assertion with a backhanded whap on the man's chest.

"I-.. well, I guess it's nice that they put my name on my uniform." The man taps a patch prominently displayed on his chest that reads: TANAKA. "And the crowd there makes me feel important."

A small gathering of interested and terribly entertained LAW fans are huddled behind Katsumi, occasionally taking pictures. Suddenly reminded of their presence, she slowly peeks over her shoulder. CAMERA FLASH! When the whiteout fades, Katsumi offers a sheepish, if slightly dazed smile. Then it's back to the man, index finger raised. "You're off the hook this time, Tanaka-san!"

The man gives a stiff bow as Katsumi turns, feigning an aloof attitude as she waves her hands to the smattering of fans. This week's headline? 'OSHIRO BULLIES HELPLESS JANITORS'. But that's a problem for Future Katsumi. Present Katsumi has a big empty hole in her heart that only the blocky 'SEGA' logo can fill. Unfortunately, Club Sega is a thing of the past; she's had to take up gaming in places like this when she wants to be seen. And it just doesn't have the same magic.

Spotting a girl she totally doesn't recognize off-hand due to a number of reasons (normie clothes, normie activity, no mask), she drifts in her direction. Virtua Fighter 4. Katsumi isn't even good at that. But she can have a little fun with the audience, and potentially make a new fan in the process, right?

Before getting too close, the punkette whirls around on heel. "Who wants to see me smoke a random chick anyway?," she asks the four-or-five people trailing behind her. "See that girl over there?" She brazenly points behind her at Clara. "She's already put her money in the machine, totally unawares that her gameplay experience is about to get gotted by the Punk Princess! Is she gonna cry!? Is she gonna beg!? Let's find out!"

There is very little chance Clara didn't hear all of that. She's saying it like five feet away from her, loudly.

Whirling around again, she rather gracefully slides in beside Clara and clinks a coin into the slot. A new fighter has joined!

"Uh-ohhhh~," coos the punkette impishly.

[Vc0m]

Clara could hear someone talking behind her, talking a big game. Clara almost felt like it was someone from LAW talking about a potential match...but her worries were unfounded, as another lady slipped to the right of her, inserting a coin into the VF4 machine to start up multiplayer:

"You would look really silly if you don't back these words up...", Clara would say with a snide smile, as she swiftly chose Vanessa for the battle against her unnamed opponent, as her entourage took a look at Clara...and took a double take:

"Aren't you...?"

Clara gave a polite wave...with the response being several camera flashes in her face in response!

"W-wait until I beat this lady first...mwahaha..." Clara would say, peeking at her soon-to-be game opponent, and having a feeling that she knew who she was...

[CyanDimitrik]

Any recognition from the small gaggle of fans is completely missed by Katsumi, for her eyes are now dedicated to the screen before her.

"Nononodon'tyoudare-ooohh, you sniped the hot one," Katsumi foux-seethes. It is clearly not a big deal. This is puffery for its own sake; to be entertaining, not only for herself, but for the onlookers. And heck, maybe even the lil' squirt she's sidled beside! After all, not everyone can say played an arcade game with a... mid-tier?.. celebrity?

She's not sure what her celebrity status is. For some people, it's pure gold. For others, they think she's from Mars. But the main point here is to goof off and salvage the day.

"Don't you worry about me backing it up," asserts Katsumi, complete with theatric uptilt of her button nose. "I'm about to back it up so hard you're gonna hear beeps."

There's a pause as she immediately realizes what she would say in response to that, and she quickly jumps back in with, "And-not-'cuz-I'm-fat."

A few snickers rise from the gathering behind her, and that puts her a bit more at ease. And finally, she bobbles the joystick over to land on, who else, but Sarah Bryant. "I guess I'll use this chick to school ya." The fact that she doesn't even know their names should probably be telling. But she suddenly tilts her hips to bump-check Clara beside her. "And no evil cackling when the fight ain't even started yet! Have a little class, would'ja!?"

At last, she flits her bright emerald gaze sidelong to the girl beside her, accompanied with a subtle, but playful smile. And recognition still hasn't quite landed yet. She's just too used to getting glimpses of that cute face only when there's been a mask involved.