Once Upon a Time in an Arcade...
RacewingFF: This omake interests me.
AmbassadorD: I was hoping it would.
RacewingFF: Heh.
AmbassadorD: I keep on wanting to see what would come of Melanie and Gripps crossing paths. Situation's not so important - it would just be interesting to see.
...and I know just how Melanie reacts to reaching CC.
RacewingFF: Still interested.
AmbassadorD: Good. Any situations coming to mind?
RacewingFF: Hmmm.
AmbassadorD: I just had an impression of two authors simply dropping the characters into a random, generic location a propos of nothing.
RacewingFF: Your three Seed-users end up taking Melanie on board to try to convince her the "true" nature of the device she's just now been introduced to, and how Alice and Sarah are trying to lead her down the wrong path?
RacewingFF: ..or we could do nullspace too :O
RacewingFF: Oooh. Idea forming.
AmbassadorD: I do like that... although M has this hatered of authority that would make neotiations take all of three seconds before a fight broke out.
...and tell me.
RacewingFF: Does Melanie play arcade games?
RacewingFF: (It won't be an integral part of the exchange, just something to start with.)
AmbassadorD: She's an FPS and platformer gamer mainly, but of course shooting sims (like Jouisante's specialty) would hardly be unknown.
RacewingFF: Good enough. I can easily see her rocking Area 51.
RacewingFF: Or Virtua Cop.
RacewingFF: Or Time Crisis.
Either way, using both players' guns.
AmbassadorD: Melanie: "Target practice is the most important meal of the day." *nod*
RacewingFF: (Scene: Wonderland; Clockwork City's biggest amusement park.
While nowhere near the scale of Electric Heaven, Wonderland's Arcade is just barely serviceable in a pinch. Your call as to what Melanie's doing inside it, presumably to get her mind off of the craziness she's been going through for the past few days.)
AmbassadorD: (I can go with this. Tag when ready.)
RacewingFF: [tag! Wonderland's adjacent to the beach-edge of the city, btw. One leads to the other.]
AmbassadorD: (Melanie finishes with her eighth game of House of the Dead 27: Why God Why.)
M: "Well, that was more of the same. I guess the concept of zombies just won't stay dead either." *stretch* "Okay, fresh air time, the cloud of Eau de Gamer is starting to give me a headache. Or maybe it's just the monologuing..."
(She makes for the beach, taking off her black denim jacket with lace patches and flipping it back over one shoulder.)
[tag]
RacewingFF: [All right, here I go. Sorry, I was trying out a music game I've been meaning to try for quite some time now.]
AmbassadorD: [Frequency?]
RacewingFF: [Amplitude, actually.
This game is *so* JunexSarah.]
AmbassadorD: [ Sarah: ~_^ ]
RacewingFF: [Frequency is *next*. Anyway...]
RacewingFF: (A voice from behind Melanie speaks, startling her a bit.)
"You know, where I come from, our "video games" are entirely simulative. We graduated from paltry screens long ago--nothing but true 360-degree virtual immersion will do."
(Standing behind her is Captain Gripps, at ease, in jeans and a denim jacket, not very much looking all that aggressive. Still somewhat captainly, but... mellow, at the moment. He seems to be looking just as much at the ocean as he is at Melanie.
The transparent digital eyepatch is also off.)
Gripps: Maybe one day when all this crazed battling is over--or even before--I can take you to see 'em. You'd probably get a kick out of 'em. I know one of my partners does.
[tag]
RacewingFF: [June: I *reeeeeeally* hope I never have to invade rhythm game code :O]
AmbassadorD: [Sarah: "I hear it's a lot like playing twister, just with a 100 x 100 may of a thousand colors." ]
AmbassadorD: *mat of
AmbassadorD: Melanie: *sniff, sniff* "Hmm... either my nose fro trouble deceives me, or I smell a fellow counter-cultural thought criminal." *approaches* "So where do you come from, tall, dark and swashbuckling...?"
(She perches herself on a nearby bench, looking him up and down. She's either interested or sizing him up - which one's not totally clear.)
[tag]
RacewingFF: [MAN. The concept behind this is fucking awesome. You're making all the layers of the song!
...now if only the notes would actually register when I press the buttons. -_-]
RacewingFF: (Gripps points up to the clouds with his index finger, and smiles.)
Gripps: The wild blue yonder, as they say. I've never known another place I've rather called home. And you?
[tag]
AmbassadorD: (This time, she is looking interested.)
Melanie: "Mmm... not hard on the eyes for sure, but not quite what I'd call heavenly."
AmbassadorD: Melanie: "I like the dark. It's quiet, it's peaceful. In the dark, it doesn't matter what you look like, or what you do... it all just vanishes away, nothing but a dream. And where reality can turn into a dream..."
AmbassadorD: (She stands again, and points at the ocean as though she had a gun in one hand.)
Melanie: "...dreams can become reality too."
[tag]
RacewingFF: (A huge wave crashes as the tide comes in, as if to accentuate the end of Melanie's little speech. Gripps is mildly impressed, but refrains from making any sort of facial expression that could give it away.
Dusk is settling, at the moment, but one can still see.)
Gripps: (looks in ponderance) Are you saying, then, that you hide from the light? Do you consider it your enemy? A fondness for one is well and good, but not at the expense of the other.
(He moves a bit closer to Melanie (if she'll permit, natch), and points at the first few gathering stars in the sky, asking her to look as well.)
Gripps: There will always be light somewhere, and much of it is something people like you or I can do little about. Do the stars in the sky frustrate you, Melanie? Does the moon?
[tag]
RacewingFF: [Okay, NOW this game is greatness.]
AmbassadorD: Melanie: "Well, remember, soem of those stars ceased to exist hundreds of years ago, and all we're seeing is their remains. But the moon...? Nah. If I wanted to to destroy it, I would." ^_^
RacewingFF: [zomg piccolo]
AmbassadorD: [So now things're even more DBZ.]
AmbassadorD: Melanie: "...as for my enemies...? Nah. My only enemies are people who think they can tell me what to do. I'm as free as you can get, and anyone who says otherwise has another thing coming. But I say, you can't walk any path but your own in life, and then, you've got to let your heart lead the way. Take the people walking around this city. Just because I don't care to talk to most of them doesn't mean they're enemies. It just means that's not my thing. I keep to the dark because it's where I feel at home - where I feel like I belong."
[tag]
AmbassadorD: [I oughta wrap this up soon, so I can rest, but keep going.]
RacewingFF: (Gripps "hmms".)
RacewingFF: Gripps: Light is my element. I command it, I manipulate it, it's provided me energy and luxury beyond my wildest dreams. You, on the other hand, seem to thrive on its absence. And yet... we seem to share the same life's outlook. Life is not worth living if you allow to be complicated through matters that are not your concern.
RacewingFF: (Gripps reaches into his pocket, and presses a button on a device inside of it. Out of nowhere, his flight-board floats down from the skies, and he steps on it. He turns back to Melanie... and steps back so that there's enough room on the board for *two* passengers.)
Gripps: It's probably still too soon for the recruitment speech, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why we've chosen opposite sides. Either way, if you want to talk more, my board has the room. I promise, it's completely safe.
[tag]
AmbassadorD: (Melanie sighs with a grin and shrugs.)
M: "I don't know either... but I'll tell you what. When all my enemies are finally just blood on my boots, yours'll be the first number I dial. 'Kay?" ~_^
[tag]
AmbassadorD: Melanie: "...and remember, we can be on different sides but not be enemies."
[realtag]
RacewingFF: (Gripps hovers closer, and directly to the side of Melanie. Head-tracking, naturally, ensues, and he stares straight into her eyes.)
Gripps: I'm actually counting on that.
(And he begins to sail upwards.)
Gripps: Well, then. I hope we meet again, even if it's during some sort of climactic confrontation.
[tag]
AmbassadorD: (She just blows him a kiss, spins on her heel, and heads back indoors. Time to get back to the team and see how far their jaws go throught the floor when she tells them what she's been up to!)
AmbassadorD: [Cut?]
RacewingFF: [Sure.]
AmbassadorD: I was hoping it would.
RacewingFF: Heh.
AmbassadorD: I keep on wanting to see what would come of Melanie and Gripps crossing paths. Situation's not so important - it would just be interesting to see.
...and I know just how Melanie reacts to reaching CC.
RacewingFF: Still interested.
AmbassadorD: Good. Any situations coming to mind?
RacewingFF: Hmmm.
AmbassadorD: I just had an impression of two authors simply dropping the characters into a random, generic location a propos of nothing.
RacewingFF: Your three Seed-users end up taking Melanie on board to try to convince her the "true" nature of the device she's just now been introduced to, and how Alice and Sarah are trying to lead her down the wrong path?
RacewingFF: ..or we could do nullspace too :O
RacewingFF: Oooh. Idea forming.
AmbassadorD: I do like that... although M has this hatered of authority that would make neotiations take all of three seconds before a fight broke out.
...and tell me.
RacewingFF: Does Melanie play arcade games?
RacewingFF: (It won't be an integral part of the exchange, just something to start with.)
AmbassadorD: She's an FPS and platformer gamer mainly, but of course shooting sims (like Jouisante's specialty) would hardly be unknown.
RacewingFF: Good enough. I can easily see her rocking Area 51.
RacewingFF: Or Virtua Cop.
RacewingFF: Or Time Crisis.
Either way, using both players' guns.
AmbassadorD: Melanie: "Target practice is the most important meal of the day." *nod*
RacewingFF: (Scene: Wonderland; Clockwork City's biggest amusement park.
While nowhere near the scale of Electric Heaven, Wonderland's Arcade is just barely serviceable in a pinch. Your call as to what Melanie's doing inside it, presumably to get her mind off of the craziness she's been going through for the past few days.)
AmbassadorD: (I can go with this. Tag when ready.)
RacewingFF: [tag! Wonderland's adjacent to the beach-edge of the city, btw. One leads to the other.]
AmbassadorD: (Melanie finishes with her eighth game of House of the Dead 27: Why God Why.)
M: "Well, that was more of the same. I guess the concept of zombies just won't stay dead either." *stretch* "Okay, fresh air time, the cloud of Eau de Gamer is starting to give me a headache. Or maybe it's just the monologuing..."
(She makes for the beach, taking off her black denim jacket with lace patches and flipping it back over one shoulder.)
[tag]
RacewingFF: [All right, here I go. Sorry, I was trying out a music game I've been meaning to try for quite some time now.]
AmbassadorD: [Frequency?]
RacewingFF: [Amplitude, actually.
This game is *so* JunexSarah.]
AmbassadorD: [ Sarah: ~_^ ]
RacewingFF: [Frequency is *next*. Anyway...]
RacewingFF: (A voice from behind Melanie speaks, startling her a bit.)
"You know, where I come from, our "video games" are entirely simulative. We graduated from paltry screens long ago--nothing but true 360-degree virtual immersion will do."
(Standing behind her is Captain Gripps, at ease, in jeans and a denim jacket, not very much looking all that aggressive. Still somewhat captainly, but... mellow, at the moment. He seems to be looking just as much at the ocean as he is at Melanie.
The transparent digital eyepatch is also off.)
Gripps: Maybe one day when all this crazed battling is over--or even before--I can take you to see 'em. You'd probably get a kick out of 'em. I know one of my partners does.
[tag]
RacewingFF: [June: I *reeeeeeally* hope I never have to invade rhythm game code :O]
AmbassadorD: [Sarah: "I hear it's a lot like playing twister, just with a 100 x 100 may of a thousand colors." ]
AmbassadorD: *mat of
AmbassadorD: Melanie: *sniff, sniff* "Hmm... either my nose fro trouble deceives me, or I smell a fellow counter-cultural thought criminal." *approaches* "So where do you come from, tall, dark and swashbuckling...?"
(She perches herself on a nearby bench, looking him up and down. She's either interested or sizing him up - which one's not totally clear.)
[tag]
RacewingFF: [MAN. The concept behind this is fucking awesome. You're making all the layers of the song!
...now if only the notes would actually register when I press the buttons. -_-]
RacewingFF: (Gripps points up to the clouds with his index finger, and smiles.)
Gripps: The wild blue yonder, as they say. I've never known another place I've rather called home. And you?
[tag]
AmbassadorD: (This time, she is looking interested.)
Melanie: "Mmm... not hard on the eyes for sure, but not quite what I'd call heavenly."
AmbassadorD: Melanie: "I like the dark. It's quiet, it's peaceful. In the dark, it doesn't matter what you look like, or what you do... it all just vanishes away, nothing but a dream. And where reality can turn into a dream..."
AmbassadorD: (She stands again, and points at the ocean as though she had a gun in one hand.)
Melanie: "...dreams can become reality too."
[tag]
RacewingFF: (A huge wave crashes as the tide comes in, as if to accentuate the end of Melanie's little speech. Gripps is mildly impressed, but refrains from making any sort of facial expression that could give it away.
Dusk is settling, at the moment, but one can still see.)
Gripps: (looks in ponderance) Are you saying, then, that you hide from the light? Do you consider it your enemy? A fondness for one is well and good, but not at the expense of the other.
(He moves a bit closer to Melanie (if she'll permit, natch), and points at the first few gathering stars in the sky, asking her to look as well.)
Gripps: There will always be light somewhere, and much of it is something people like you or I can do little about. Do the stars in the sky frustrate you, Melanie? Does the moon?
[tag]
RacewingFF: [Okay, NOW this game is greatness.]
AmbassadorD: Melanie: "Well, remember, soem of those stars ceased to exist hundreds of years ago, and all we're seeing is their remains. But the moon...? Nah. If I wanted to to destroy it, I would." ^_^
RacewingFF: [zomg piccolo]
AmbassadorD: [So now things're even more DBZ.]
AmbassadorD: Melanie: "...as for my enemies...? Nah. My only enemies are people who think they can tell me what to do. I'm as free as you can get, and anyone who says otherwise has another thing coming. But I say, you can't walk any path but your own in life, and then, you've got to let your heart lead the way. Take the people walking around this city. Just because I don't care to talk to most of them doesn't mean they're enemies. It just means that's not my thing. I keep to the dark because it's where I feel at home - where I feel like I belong."
[tag]
AmbassadorD: [I oughta wrap this up soon, so I can rest, but keep going.]
RacewingFF: (Gripps "hmms".)
RacewingFF: Gripps: Light is my element. I command it, I manipulate it, it's provided me energy and luxury beyond my wildest dreams. You, on the other hand, seem to thrive on its absence. And yet... we seem to share the same life's outlook. Life is not worth living if you allow to be complicated through matters that are not your concern.
RacewingFF: (Gripps reaches into his pocket, and presses a button on a device inside of it. Out of nowhere, his flight-board floats down from the skies, and he steps on it. He turns back to Melanie... and steps back so that there's enough room on the board for *two* passengers.)
Gripps: It's probably still too soon for the recruitment speech, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why we've chosen opposite sides. Either way, if you want to talk more, my board has the room. I promise, it's completely safe.
[tag]
AmbassadorD: (Melanie sighs with a grin and shrugs.)
M: "I don't know either... but I'll tell you what. When all my enemies are finally just blood on my boots, yours'll be the first number I dial. 'Kay?" ~_^
[tag]
AmbassadorD: Melanie: "...and remember, we can be on different sides but not be enemies."
[realtag]
RacewingFF: (Gripps hovers closer, and directly to the side of Melanie. Head-tracking, naturally, ensues, and he stares straight into her eyes.)
Gripps: I'm actually counting on that.
(And he begins to sail upwards.)
Gripps: Well, then. I hope we meet again, even if it's during some sort of climactic confrontation.
[tag]
AmbassadorD: (She just blows him a kiss, spins on her heel, and heads back indoors. Time to get back to the team and see how far their jaws go throught the floor when she tells them what she's been up to!)
AmbassadorD: [Cut?]
RacewingFF: [Sure.]