Where a kid can be a kid...or something

[ferries]

The Discovery Zone / Chuck E. Cheese's / Arcade Meme

If you were a kid during the 80s or 90s, I don't have to explain. Everyone remembers those meccas of fun that were awesome, yet somehow still smelled vaguely of stale pizza and shame. Whether you're hanging out in the tubes, jumping in the moon bounce, or shooting some hoops, you're sure to have a blast.

Well, even if you don't, it's not like you can leave. As big as this place is, there seems to be no door. So you might as well just sit back and win some tickets.

HOW TO PLAY:
1. Comment with your characters.
2. Others will reply, rolling the RNG for the scenario.
3. Have shenanigans. Feel free to make wacky crossovers, since you're all stuck in here together.

SCENARIOS:
1. The slide
2. Ball pit
3. Climbing wall
4. Moon bounce
5. The tubes
6. The little viewing bubble
7. Skeeball
8. Hoop shooting
9. Arcade games
10. The claw machine
11. Laser tag
12. Harassing the poor guy in the mascot suit
13. It's your birthday party!
14. For some reason, you work here.
15. Wildcard

Comments

Cloud Strife ❄ (Crisis Core) FF7

[anonfantry]

2

[gunarms]

[Hey Cloud you got a plastic ball coming straight for your head]

and then my life was complete

[anonfantry]

[ Oh crap, immediately struck by enemy fire the one time he's not wearing his helmet

Not that the hollow plastic projectile doesn't just bounce of harmlessly or anything, but he's still going to be offended as he puts a hand to his head and looks around for his assailant.

Also Barret no offense but you are way too big for the ball pit here seriously. ]

H-Hey! What was that for?

only real men play in ball pits >:]

[gunarms]

There ain't nothin' else to do in this ball pit.

[Barret is walking around in the pit, the balls not even up to his waist and he stops to pick up another one. Wait. What was here doing in a place like this again?

Oh Right]

Where's Marlene? I haven't seen here around yet.

[Heads up Cloud! Another ball incoming!]

and to add to the AVALANCHE awesome - 13!

[beyourguide]

It's her birthday.

And that's the excuse she's used all day and will continue to use for all the horrible, horrible things she's already dragging him into today.

Stop her, Cloud, she's headed for the ball pit!



((OU or their AU for our two?))

this meme is already my favorite (& let's go OU for these shenanigans!)

[anonfantry]

[ No, Tifa, bad Tifa!!

Can't we just sit quietly in the corner and do nothing for a while!? THAT LOOKS LIKE FUN

Okay no it doesn't, but he refuses to get into that ball pit without putting up at least a token effort to defend whatever he's got left of his already painfully weak sense of pride. Now where are all the convenient distractions!? ]

Um, Tifa? Don't you want to go-- Try that?

[ Just. Pointing at the first thing he sees -- the climbing wall? Yeah, that's actually not bad. ]

XDD - also, not enough evil Tifa icons...

[beyourguide]

{she's a good enough sport to at least look at where he's pointing but - wall climbing? That's so booooring, Cloud. The frowning face she's making at it is her answer already but - wait! There's a light that sparks in her eyes and a suddenly wide smile. A grab at one of his suspenders as she heads in the general direction he pointed. Faked misunderstanding is a go!}

The bounce house?! That's a GREAT idea, Cloud!

12

[cetra]

[Guess who is curious about the guy in the rat outfit. She only had questions, honest. But she needs a partner in crime.

Are you a bad enough dude to help Aerith solve the mystery of 'Who's in the rat', Cloud?

Well maybe not bad, but Cloud is getting an expectant look from Aerith.]

Come on, it'll be fun. Maybe it's someone you know!

[anonfantry]

[ ...There is really not enough UNSURE in the world for this creepy mascot.

But he's doing his best to pretend like maybe he doesn't think that he would much rather give the poor SOB trapped inside that costume as respectfully wide a berth as possible. Because it's much cooler not to care, right?

And he really doesn't. ]

I don't know anybody who works in a place like this.

[cetra]

But how do you know?

[Mystery! Intrigue! Actually, her curiosity has a habit of being a little detrimental to her fun. As soon as she saw the mascot she had to see if it is someone she knows. And to ask questions.

Mainly to see if it isn't stifling in that outfit, because boy it seems like it would be hard to breathe in it.]

Maybe someone you know is moonlighting as...a huge clothes wearing rat! Wouldn't you want to know who?

[Someone's definition of fun isn't exactly the norm here. But she has a mission now, and she won't stop until she finds out!]

11

[yuffiekisaragi]

[A challenger appears.

And she's been kicking all kinds of butt at laser tag.

Someone needs to bring her down.

If they can.]

[anonfantry]

[ Welp.

He'd really be better off just finding something to use as a white flag of surrender before things get ugly--

But Cloud has managed to survive this long, and he's definitely not going to forfeit before he's been defeated!! Cautiously, he peeks out from behind the huge foam cube that is his current cover, waiting impatiently for his enemy to make the mistake of showing herself.

If he just thinks of it as a training exercise, he's almost not half bad. (Really.) ]

[yuffiekisaragi]

[Yuffie's not much for guns, so she's a little trigger happy with her weapon. Also she tends to whip it around and try to actually hit someone before she remembers it's a shooting-type thing.

She's crouched behind a half wall that makes up a bridge-type structure in the middle of the room. Now wasn't the time to go flying at her opponent wide open. No - she must sneak.

So she does a half crouch awkward frog walk along the wall, peeking up every now and then. She's pretty sure he's behind that foam cube, or maybe that plastic tube in the corner. She decides to go after the tube first, just to clear the area.

It's war, man.]

7

[soldieringlife]

[Aww yeah, let's play skeeball, he is totally great at this. The most badass skeeball player ever, obviously (maybe). Clearly Cloud needs to try it too, so he's going to drag him along. No matter what.]

C'mon, show me what you got. Think you can take me on?

[anonfantry]

[ He seriously doubts it (because beating a SOLDIER at anything?? laughably out of his league, here), but nods his head, anyway.

As long as it's just silly arcade games, he'll go along willingly enough with whatever ridiculous thing it is Zack decides they need to do -- it's really kind of difficult to resist agreeing with him whenever he gets so enthusiastically adamant, anyway. ]

Uh, how do you play?

[ A quick glance along the row of occupied lanes is enough to grasp the basic mechanics of the game, but Cloud would rather admit his ignorance than go ahead and do something stupid (if only by like a razor thin margin of his pride). ]

[soldieringlife]

[What kind of attitude is that to have, Cloud? This is skeeball, not warfare. He's not some super skeeball soldier. Or, technically he is, but he still wants to play arcade games in an ordinary way with other ordinary people. Zack gives Cloud's throwing arm a pat, because be believes in him, and also because he is an enthusiastic ham.] That's the spirit.

It's real easy. [Zack secures a lane and slips a coin in the slot so the balls roll down. He picks up one of them to demonstrate.] You get a ball, and you roll it like so, so it hops over the end ramp and goes into the hole. Hopefully that smallest hole up there, because that's the best one.

[He demonstrates, and the ball flies up into the second-best hole, because he doesn't want to show off too much on a demonstration throw.] Oops, didn't make it. [He smiles.]

When you're throwing, you try to move as smooth as possible. [He says this as if it's quite serious advice, then leans in to add:] You never know when girls are looking.

4 I DON'T KNOW

[nohometown]

[Sephiroth eyes the inflatable castle thoughtfully, almost--wistfully. But no, surely the general couldn't be interested in something so silly and childish. He's far too serious.

But, no one's watching for the moment; for once he's unobserved...

Wait--except he catches sight of Cloud standing there. He'd better look completely indifferent to Moon Bounces and any kind of inflatable structure which might be bounced in for entertainment purposes. He gives him a polite nod.]

I suppose these are for children, really.

THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING...

[anonfantry]

[ Watching all those kids bouncing up and down is just beginning to make him feel the slightest bit sympathetically nauseous...

But before he can inadvertently call upon his powers of extremely lacking equilibrium, his thoughts are abruptly interrupted by that sudden cold chill on his left the completely unexpected reminder that he hasn't quite managed to become invisible (in spite of all his best efforts).

(Sephiroth!?)

Cloud steals a shocked glance at him before returning to his feigned interest in the ridiculous bouncy castle, nodding his head before that vague statement even manages to work its way around his surprise. ]

I think that's what they're meant for, sir.

[ Not that he hasn't witnessed a few fully grown adults jumping right in there, too. ]

He's probably going to break it...

[nohometown]

[He nods at this confirmation of his very mild and obvious statement which was in no way meant to disguise any true and quite different intentions.

Through all these festivities, Sephiroth's been doing the usual polite greeting and intimidating looming that's expected of him, but where the amusements are concerned, he's remained aloof and uninvolved, because the general can hardly jump into a ball pit or slide down slides or things of that kind.]

Of course.

[The usual thing does get boring, however. Though Sephiroth can wait through the most long, boring meeting with the best of them, here there are numerous distractions not normally found in a boardroom. He never did go to places like this when he was a child thanks, Dad, and he thinks it's ridiculous, the way they're jumping around aimlessly like that, probably upsetting their stomachs. What's the point of it? He can jump far higher on his own, as a SOLDIER, very easily, whenever he likes. Not that doing that is quite--as bouncy as this seems.]

You've been in one before, I assume? As a child. [Because no responsible adult would want to do such a thing, right?

He shouldn't be thinking maybe he could try it this once.]

and then there was a giant cast reunion, also 10.

[themanwhosoldtheworld]

[There's a Moogle plush in the claw machine, but not just any Moogle plush. It is the Moogle plush that all fail to acquire and end up spending their very last tokens in a futile attempt to get it. Stuck strategically between one over sized Cactuar and a oddly colored Chocobo the Moogle waits; waiting and taunting with its beady eyes and red pom pom sticking out over the other overpriced plush toys that could be bought in bulk for the amount people waste their tokens.

But not today, oh not today for Rufus Shinra doesn't loss. He doesn't retreat. He doesn't forfeit.

He wins.

Let it be known that by the end of today he will have that Moogle and flash it smugly at all who walk the arcade because it isn't the Moogle he is after, it's the taste of victory and seeing the frowning faces of children at the sight of the unobtainable Moogle being held high like some head of a slain beast.

Unfortunately he didn't predict the task to be so hard or thieving on the tokens in his jacket pocket. It's round five, but he's certain that this is it. All he has to do is grab hold of that pom pom and pull up making the prize his with all its glorious benefits.

Victory shall be his.]

fih;j when I inevitably hurt myself from laughing I'm blaming everyone here.

[anonfantry]

[ Well, there are worse things to do on duty than stare blankly over Rufus Shinra's shoulder as he attempts a feat no man (or small child) before him has yet managed to attain.

For whatever it's worth, Cloud's totally rooting for him -- mostly because he'd really like to see this mad vendetta with the claw machine come to a peaceful end before his legs completely give out on him, which is a thing that will probably ruin the rest of his day. But as long as no one else knows the exact details of the thought, it still technically counts, right? Right.

As attempt number five begins, he's in pretty good form. But that stupid Moogle toy must be sentient somehow and purposefully thwarting him in his endeavors (can Moogles sense evil?). It's just no good!!

Still, Cloud mumbles something that sounds like another "Nice try, sir," as he does his level best not to impatiently shuffle his feet.

Yeah, so they're not going anywhere for a while, are they? ]

6 and I hope you are okay with a second Aerith and Cloud having a phone

[rods]

[ because it's ringing. Might be hard to hear in this commotion, but it's ringing.

And from up above in her little bubble--both hiding spot and vantage point--Aerith is giggling as she peeps an eye out to spy on unsuspecting trooper boys.

So what is Cloud doing? ]

ALWAYS. ♥ 3♥ and he'll never discover her diabolical hideout

[anonfantry]

[ Phonecall? Right now? Well, he isn't exactly up to anything terribly interesting -- mostly just trying to keep out of the way of all the other people, here, and all of their screaming children (which basically translates to milling around aimlessly and looking like he is the most out of place).

It's just lucky the volume's all the way up on his phone, or else he probably wouldn't have heard it start up -- but the only kind of calls he's ever potentially expecting are business-related, and he'd kind of die of shame if he missed an important notice just because he couldn't hear the ringtone.

Also fortunate is the convenient caller ID, which he actually remembers to read before answering, once in a while... ]

Hello?

[ So his greeting is still a little awkward, but at least he doesn't end up shouting his last name and nonexistent rank in her ear, thinking she's his captain about to chew him out. ]

3; sob, I know you already have so many tags, I'm sorry(ish)

[disorderlyconduct]

[Reno's already at the top. It only took a second, because he has got moves. Now he seems to have set up camp up there, however, looking down at everybody else.

He's currently throwing popcorn at Cloud and trying to get it to stick in his hair. He probably (definitely) has some other throwable things up there, too.]

Hey. Kid.

You're not sorry at all, admit it. :(

[anonfantry]

[ The climbing wall? Yeah, that's the one thing here Cloud actually isn't too embarrassed to be seen around, for reasons that are probably pretty obvious.

And, you know, he's not too bad at scaling a wall bit, himself -- just the rock faces he's used to pulling himself up and over were a lot less accommodating and with far fewer brightly-colored rubber foot and handholds.

But at the moment he's just idling where there isn't much of a crowd, minding his own business. Until. It starts raining popcorn...? He shakes the first few pieces off with only a cursory look around, but then he's sure he hears someone trying to get his attention. Nobody behind him, or beside him, so--

Oh. He turns his head up, up, up -- and frowns.

(Me?) ]

What?