Sixth Curse

[bondsofsuffering]

[Video/Action for Cancer Ward Arcade]

[Hey guess who's calling during work at a game center? If you guess Hizumi, you are 100% correct. He's got an extremely excited!!! expression as he talks, having clearly made the most wonderful of discoveries and being eager to share them with the world.]

Great news Hinoto-Ri! According to studies, playing video games can reduce stress-- going off of that, if you happen to be suffering from stress due to unexpected demonic kidnappings, playing some video games to let off some steam is a fantastic solution. And it just so happens, the arcade is pretty much empty right now, so what better time to drop by and try to heal some of that trauma?

...Also, if anyone brings me snacks, I'll seriously owe you one.

[Please. He's hungry and bored and desperately needs someone to pester.]

Comments

[otakuro]

[Whether or not Hizumi wanted to rest his head on the counter wasn't exactly Atsuro's business. He makes his way inside with a wave.]

I brought snacks.

[Have some wasabi potato chips. ...And OK, he brought a normal bag, too.]

So you're really that bored, huh...?

[bondsofsuffering]

[So of course he goes for the normal ones first.]

Thanks! And... Well, yeah. Arcade's dead today for some reason, so I don't even have anyone to play around with.

[Munch crunch crunch.]

[otakuro]

Maybe you scared them all away with your Taiko master skills. I know I feel depressingly inadequate when I'm around you now.

[Atsuro rudely reaches into the bag while Hizumi is still grabbing from them.]

[bondsofsuffering]

Then they should've taken the time while I was gone to sneak in a high score! It's the perfect opportunity to do that, right?

[He doesn't seem to mind, so long as he still gets his chips.]

[otakuro]

...Maybe they rigged the Taiko machine to shoot processed cheese at you the next time you came to play.

[Atsuro would totally pay to see that.]

[bondsofsuffering]

Uwah-- that'd be scary!

...But why cheese?

[otakuro]

When you beat people's high scores, they get cheesed off. Duh.

[bondsofsuffering]

...

That was just terrible.

[otakuro]

[Atsuro snags a chip.]

I think the word you're looking for is 'cheesy'.

[Whoops wrong bag too late he's already taken a bite. Atsuro tries hard not to choke on the wasabi.]

[bondsofsuffering]

You deserved that one.

[And Hizumi takes another chip from the correct bag because he actually pays attention to this stuff!]

[otakuro]

You know, you could help me finish this stuff.

[He says through his tears.]

I hear it's good for clearing your sinuses.

[bondsofsuffering]

[Innocently:]

But I'm finishing off this one.

Also, wasabi isn't really my flavor.

[otakuro]

It's green it matches your hair.

[Atsuro's sinuses are very clear now so clear that he takes an almighty sniff to prevent them from emptying entirely.]

I hear it has all sorts of imaginary health benefits, too.

[bondsofsuffering]

Going by that logic, you should've brought me some mint ice cream instead!

[otakuro]

When I say imaginary health benefits, what I actually mean is that it'll keep your eardrums from rupturing when I stop whining about this.

[bondsofsuffering]

I can hold out for a little longer, I think.

[Munch crunch.]

If you hate it so much, why not just throw it out?

[otakuro]

Because then I'll end up like you. Eating other people's chips.

[Atsuro grins a bit cheekily and snatches the normal bag of chips again to grab a handful.]

[bondsofsuffering]

Hey-!

[That's not very nice!! Even if they're Atsuro's chips and all. In defiance, he grabs an extra large handful of the normal chips.

They're gonna be down to just the wasabi ones pretty quickly at this rate...]

[otakuro]

...OK, I think snacktime's gone on long enough. You can keep these.

[Atsuro generously slides the wasabi ones towards Hizumi first before pushing over the other bag as well.]

Want to play?

[bondsofsuffering]

[Alas, the poor wasabi ones will probably find themselves into the trash before long. But once he finishes off this particular mouthful, he'll nod excitedly.]

Yeah! Any preference on the game?

[otakuro]

Anything that's not Taiko Master, for one thing. ...Otherwise, not really.

[Atsuro gives a small shrug. Arcade games weren't his life's passion or anything; that honor went to video games computer games programming code never mind it was too hard to choose]

[bondsofsuffering]

Hmm... Then, what about Dance Blitz Revolution?

[Dancing can be fun, after all!]

[otakuro]

[Atsuro scowls at Hizumi with a suspicious eye.]

...I already know you've got rhythm. Does everyone from your planet take dance classes from birth, too?

[bondsofsuffering]

Not at all! And besides, dancing is much different from drumming!

[...Not that he's any less good at it.]

[otakuro]

[Suspicious eye does not let up.]

...Well. Alright, we can give it a try. I'm definitely not wearing the right shoes for this, though.