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

/keyword btw

[beyourguide]

{Tifa's not entirely unaware of the power of that specific look of hers. After all, she's a teenage girl with a father that sometimes needs prodding in the right direction to make what she feels are the best decisions regarding her. So she only uses it sparingly but Cloud really had needed a bit of influence in the right direction she'd thought. He still wasn't relaxed or smiling - or as close to smiling as he usually got though and so she was determined to fix that too. Was he upset she'd dragged him into the bounce house? She'd have thought that except he'd gone and even more than that he'd been having fun for half a minute in there. She knew he had! So she wasn't sure why he'd gotten moody again but it was her birthday and she was going to find a way to help him enjoy it again.

That's right! The arcade! She'd seen a dance revolution machine in there.

It would be just what he'd need to cheer up.

First though they could take some time to just relax and catch their breath - or in his case, his stomach. She stopped clinging to his arm once they were inside the empty room but kept her hold on his hand with one of hers. She liked the way her hand felt when his was wrapped around it and it was her birthday (her mantra excuse for being bad today) and so she wasn't going to let go until he did. Besides, she didn't need both hands to hop up to sit on the edge of one of the pool tables.}

This is nice. I didn't realize how noisy it was out there until now. I guess I got too carried away. Have you ever been here before?

DOOMED. no one will ever pay his ransom /sob

[anonfantry]

[ Oh, great, dancing -- the one way he could possibly look more awkward in his own skin. Tifa, wouldn't it be kinder just to plot to kill him in a normal fashion!?

Taking a vested interest in the rather ratty felt surface of the pool table she's taken up a seat on, Cloud shakes his head, for now tolerating the persistent hand-holding. No matter that it's kind of weird, like this. ]

No.

[ He certainly wouldn't have come to a place like this of his own volition, and definitely not alone -- so that's an easy answer. Maybe when he was a little younger, he might have really wanted to, at least, but these days he's got bigger and better things to focus on. Or. He wishes he did, anyway.

Leaning back against the edge of the table, he turns to study the toes of his boots. No help there. ]

...You don't have to (apologize) say that, either.

maybe that's been her plan all along...

[beyourguide]

{don't be such a stick-in-the-mud, Cloud! Dancing's fun! Besides, you can pretend it's for training. One of these days when you have to perform parade exercises for Rufus Shinra on an infiltration mission you'll thank her.

She's not surprised he hasn't been here before. It's hard to imagine Cloud voluntarily ending up in the ball pit. But she'd thought it was possible that his friends had dragged him here before. She can't imagine being the only teen in the world that would goof around in a place like this if she had friends along with h-}

Hm? {he's staring at his boots though when she turns her head to look at him and she glances down at them automatically herself.

He has some really nice long legs. When did that happened?}

Say wh- oh. {it takes her a second to catch up. Obviously he isn't talking about her question and she can't imagine him just shutting her down about observing that she's been enjoying herself so... Her boots swing a little self-conscious, heels tapping softly against the solid side of the pool table. Voice a little more subdued without the pep she's been unintentionally infusing it with, she peers at him from under the fringe of her dark bangs as she says:} Well, it's my fault you got sick, isn't it? So - you know. {her fingers twist a little bit against his.} ...don't want you to feel mad at me. Because I won't do it again. No more moon bounces. I promise.

what you do in your own time in the pursuit of huge materia and a crazy chain smoker is your own business

I should really start to expect this kind of thing, given her long record of evil deeds

[anonfantry]

[ Weeeeell, if it's for training... And thanks but when are you going to help me learn to march in formation so we don't get sent a grenade in the mail again

See, it's that part about friends that kind of trips up her logic, here. Cloud has acquaintances, and friend, but all of them are coworkers and does she really expect he's branched out any more than he used to, back in Nibelheim, since leaving town?

A little belatedly, this time, he shakes his head once more, doing his best to hide under the fall of his hair as he holds his hand perfectly still in hers. ]

It's not. [ Or it wasn't. He's the one who let it happen, so it isn't her fault. He starts to shake his head again, stops and shuffles his feet. ] I'm not. Just forget it.

he'll infiltrate brothels for you, Tifa, but he'll only go to space for old men and magic rocks REEVALUATE YOUR LIFE

she'd devious, Cloud's oblivious, its a beautiful team

[beyourguide]

{one thing at a time, Cloud. She's saving that for the next incredibly awkward incident.

Her brows come down, the sure sign of stubbornness in her young face that will be just as strong as an adult but better hidden.}

No. I won't forget it. Friends watch out for each other and that means knowing how.

{her fingers shift restless in his hand again and she works at her lower lip. Her voice comes out quieter but just as determined.} Besides - Besides, you promised you'd protect me and it's only fair I do the same.

[anonfantry]

[ they are really just one long incredibly awkward incident

Oh. Oh, no, she didn't just try to shut him down with rubbing his promise in his face. He pulls his hand out of hers as quick as if she's tried to cast Fire between them and burned him in the process, fingers curling into fists at his sides as he takes a few short steps away from the edge of the table. And her.

To treat what he'd said, then, as something even nearly so trivial as his stupid, irritating motion sickness -- it's offensive, in the sudden, irrational way only the very young find things so. Because he still isn't strong enough to protect her at all, and it hardly matters that she didn't mean to remind him of it. ]

I said drop it. [ The damage is done; he's withdrawn. It's over. ] Let's just go.

[beyourguide]

{she doesn't -

but -

what just happened?

She's not sure but he's suddenly gone standoffish and cold and meanly ordering around and - did she say something wrong?

Does he want to take back his promise?

That hurts and has her chin tucking, arms folding protectively over her chest. She's not thirteen anymore. She knows she bullied him into making that promise in the first place. Has suspected for a while now that he resents her making him do that in the first place. It's just -

it's just that she wants him to be her hero. Every girl gets to have a hero and she -

she wanted him to be hers.

Because he isn't afraid to go after the difficult to catch dreams. Because he's so much braver than her that way.

Maybe she should tell him it's okay. That she's not going to hold him to a promise she forced out of him anyway.

-except she can't. It's selfish but - it's her birthday. She's allowed to be selfish for a little while longer.

...

right?}

Go where?