[ Going into this, Juzo was, admittedly, nervous. He never expected to be going on another date - let alone willingly, let alone having initiated it himself - but Sholmes' enthusiasm burns so brightly that it's hard not to find it catching.
He goes where guided with only a token complaint, and the second they walk into the arcade, Sholmes is like a kid in a candy store, but for Juzo... there's something comfortingly familiar about all the flashing lights and neon. It feels like one of the dozens of dives where he's been called to kick out rowdy customers, though his purpose is far from business now. ]
[Where he guides them is a cabinet housing a knock-off version of Pac-Man; not that Sholmes would have any idea that it is a knock-off. To him, it is just as dazzling and puzzling and curious.
Overhead, a neon sign blinks and buzzes, drenching them both in a veil of magenta light.]
I have never seen anything like it. [Points at the arcade cabinet's screen, so close that a finger presses against the glass.] What do you suppose the point of this game is?
[ The lights of the arcade dance and shine off Juzo's head as they walk. He feels perfectly at home here, a quiet, steady presence in the face of Sholmes' bright enthusiasm. ]
You've really never seen an arcade before?
[ A chuckle. ]
You gotta navigate the maze to collect all the little dots before one of these little squid guys catches you.
[He drops his hand, watching the little "squid guys" wiggle across the screen.]
I see, so it is like the harried process of picking up clues, running out of time, while being flanked by a somewhat bumbling Scotland Yard!
[It is... nothing like that. But he chuckles and looks at Juzo, who oddly seems quite at home in a place like this, though he cannot quite put his finger on why.]
It looks as though there is a "two-player" mode on this one. What do you say?
[It is a deep and riveting allegory, Juzo, please appreciate it.]
Imagination, my dear fellow. And do save your confidence for after you’ve proven you can beat a great detective’s score!
[HE DOESN’T EVEN KNOW… what he’s doing, but his hand clearly goes around this joystick here, and his other is for these buttons on the other side, right?
[ Juzo takes up a similar position at the other set of controls. He has to hunch over a bit to be able to see the screen properly, so it's a little comical. ]
Big talk for a guy who's probably never seen an arcade before.
The first few minutes or so are an acclimation. This whole set-up is baffling to him, but in a scientifically intriguing way, and though Sholmes leads his little munching dude through the maze in wild directions at first, he eventually gets the hang of it.
Sort of.
...Thankfully, this seems to be a cooperative experience, even if their individual scores are being kept near the top of the screen. This means that Juzo may have to carry him through a stage or two. Help this Victorian man.]
[ The hand-eye coordination is going to be the hardest part here, probably. Getting used to the motions of the joystick actually moving the character around.
Once or twice Juzo reaches over to gently guide Sholmes' hands with his own, explaining the purpose of the power ups and other such things. But yes, he's definitely carrying this. And he's good at it too. ]
[He is-- definitely better at this than Sholmes, which somehow manages to stoke the fire of the man's competitive nature, while simultaneously being very impressed at how quickly Juzo's picked it up. After awhile, it's an obvious conclusion that his friend is going to outpace him by the time the game's over.]
Ah, blast!
[He says with a contradictory smile, clearly having fun. The stage they're on now is quite fast-paced; the little squid-ghosts sprint around at a blazing speed.
Sholmes playfully leans over and knocks his shoulder against his friend.]
[ This is... fun. A carefree sort of enjoyment that Juzo hasn't allowed himself in, well, possibly ever. It shows in his voice, a lighthearted tone to his words that is utterly new and surprises even himself. He laughs, really laughs, for the first time in years. ]
Not cheating. It's just skill.
[ Though the fact that he was built with superhuman reflexes probably gives him an advantage. It's fine. ]
[Grinning wide, Sholmes’ eyes are still focused on the screen, the maze interspersed with little pixel dots, trying to puzzle out the best way to maneuver his avatar in their direction. But then Juzo laughs — and it is so unfettered, so jovial, that he pauses, tears his eyes away from the game, and glances up at him.
He does not think he’s ever heard him laugh that way. Really enjoy himself in this manner. And there is an indescribable, interminable feeling of warmth that coils around Sholmes, hearing it. Seeing him lit up by the fluorescent glow of the arcade in this way.
Gratitude, even, that he alone gets to witness it.
…eventually, his tiny pac-man avatar gets eaten by a ghost. The cabinet emits a sad, warbling sound effect to denote it.]
…Ah. [Finally flicking his gaze back to the screen.] Damn.
[ He can feel the other man's eyes on him all of a sudden, and he feels a split second of self-consciousness, like perhaps he's let himself go a little too much. But the instant he angles his barrel to look at Sholmes, well, that thought gutters and goes right out.
He finds himself caught, looking at this man who is looking at him in a way that Juzo cannot begin to decipher save for how it causes something warm and sweet to bubble up in him.
The game warbles sadly at both of them, then, because for a split second, Juzo had forgotten there was even anything else needing his attention. ]
[And his score is so laughably low compared to Juzo's, indicated by the flashing numbers on the Game Over screen. It blinks again, asking if the two would like to continue the game, to press any button to begin a new one. But Sholmes only looks back up at his friend, smiling at him warmly.]
One game in, and you're already having more fun than I've ever witnessed from you, dear fellow. Is this arcade really so much to your liking?
[ No matter what happens here, he's got his team, and Sholmes is irrevocably a part of that. Has been since the moment Juzo arrived. ]
My pick, huh?
[ He casts around, looking for something that aligns with what little bit of video-gaming Sholmes has done so far. He doesn't want to throw too much at the guy at once, after all. At last, his barrel angles at an Asteroids knock off. ]
Never met a real-life spaceship, so I couldn't tell you. Lotor probably knows.
[ That guy is all about Living In Space.
He steps up to take the controls. They're relatively simple, as with the last game. He cocks his head at Sholmes, light playing across that steel smile of his. ]
Loser buys dinner.
Edited (forgot to pick an icon whoops) 2022-08-08 17:42 (UTC)
[Lotor? A man who wheels and deals in spaceships? Sholmes commits the name to memory, but it is fleeting at best when Juzo is the one taking up the lion’s share of his attentions today.]
Then you had best prepare yourself to buy me dinner, Juzo. I am quite acclimated to this machine now.
[GAME START
And Sholmes is absolutely not more acclimated; the controls are similar, but the game is so different that his little spaceship is wheeling around in circles laughably fast.]
[ Juzo is READY to give his all, but then he looks over at what Sholmes is doing and... oh my god. ]
Stop that, you're gonna crash.
[ He just sort of abandons his own ship, leaving it to scatter into little pixelated pieces when a meteor inevitably collides with it, and steps up to the other man.
His hands close around Sholmes' on the controls, guiding him and the little ship safely through the sea of space rocks. This is just how they're playing this now, apparently. ]
A little goes a long way with these things. Be gentle with it.
[But Juzo, this is how Sholmes approaches everything — wildly, until some semblance of sense or control is wrought from his impulsivity.
He doesn’t note how his own ship is spinning out of control—or rather, he doesn’t mind it—but his eyebrows raise as soon as Juzo’s ship collides with an asteroid in a pixel explosion.]
Mr Inui, your ship—
[But this is exactly the moment in which his friend’s hand guides itself over his own, aiding Sholmes’ control over his ship, and the detective seems to still beneath his touch.
It should not be unexpected; Juzo has always been a helpful fellow, but something about this moment feels more intimate than normal. The way his whole form engulfs him, suddenly aware of how close he stands from over his shoulder.
[ Juzo may be oblivious about a lot of things, whether by choice or true ignorance, but he would have to be especially dense to to realize what he's doing. He'd liked holding hands with Sholmes before. Likes the brief moments of contacts that they share for some reason or another, whether it's a friendly hand on a shoulder or a pair of linked arms.
Sholmes stills under his touch and he feels like he's stepped up to the precipice of something, his all-too human heart hammering away beneath layers of synthetic skin and steel and impossible machinery.
Maybe it's easier this way, standing behind the other man with the bright lights dancing in their faces so he doesn't have to try and read Sholmes' expression. ]
Finally figured it out. When we negotiated with Yatagarasu... why it had to be you.
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He goes where guided with only a token complaint, and the second they walk into the arcade, Sholmes is like a kid in a candy store, but for Juzo... there's something comfortingly familiar about all the flashing lights and neon. It feels like one of the dozens of dives where he's been called to kick out rowdy customers, though his purpose is far from business now. ]
Crazy, huh?
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Overhead, a neon sign blinks and buzzes, drenching them both in a veil of magenta light.]
I have never seen anything like it. [Points at the arcade cabinet's screen, so close that a finger presses against the glass.] What do you suppose the point of this game is?
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You've really never seen an arcade before?
[ A chuckle. ]
You gotta navigate the maze to collect all the little dots before one of these little squid guys catches you.
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I see, so it is like the harried process of picking up clues, running out of time, while being flanked by a somewhat bumbling Scotland Yard!
[It is... nothing like that. But he chuckles and looks at Juzo, who oddly seems quite at home in a place like this, though he cannot quite put his finger on why.]
It looks as though there is a "two-player" mode on this one. What do you say?
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[ It's a bunch of squids and a triangle with a mouth??? ]
Yeah, why not? Don't complain when I wipe the floor with you, though.
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Imagination, my dear fellow. And do save your confidence for after you’ve proven you can beat a great detective’s score!
[HE DOESN’T EVEN KNOW… what he’s doing, but his hand clearly goes around this joystick here, and his other is for these buttons on the other side, right?
Well. Best way to learn is to try.]
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Big talk for a guy who's probably never seen an arcade before.
[ EPIC NOT-PACMAN SHOWDOWN GOOOOO. ]
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The first few minutes or so are an acclimation. This whole set-up is baffling to him, but in a scientifically intriguing way, and though Sholmes leads his little munching dude through the maze in wild directions at first, he eventually gets the hang of it.
Sort of.
...Thankfully, this seems to be a cooperative experience, even if their individual scores are being kept near the top of the screen. This means that Juzo may have to carry him through a stage or two. Help this Victorian man.]
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Once or twice Juzo reaches over to gently guide Sholmes' hands with his own, explaining the purpose of the power ups and other such things. But yes, he's definitely carrying this. And he's good at it too. ]
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Ah, blast!
[He says with a contradictory smile, clearly having fun. The stage they're on now is quite fast-paced; the little squid-ghosts sprint around at a blazing speed.
Sholmes playfully leans over and knocks his shoulder against his friend.]
Are we certain you're not cheating somehow?
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Not cheating. It's just skill.
[ Though the fact that he was built with superhuman reflexes probably gives him an advantage. It's fine. ]
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He does not think he’s ever heard him laugh that way. Really enjoy himself in this manner. And there is an indescribable, interminable feeling of warmth that coils around Sholmes, hearing it. Seeing him lit up by the fluorescent glow of the arcade in this way.
Gratitude, even, that he alone gets to witness it.
…eventually, his tiny pac-man avatar gets eaten by a ghost. The cabinet emits a sad, warbling sound effect to denote it.]
…Ah. [Finally flicking his gaze back to the screen.] Damn.
[He’s not too upset by it.]
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He finds himself caught, looking at this man who is looking at him in a way that Juzo cannot begin to decipher save for how it causes something warm and sweet to bubble up in him.
The game warbles sadly at both of them, then, because for a split second, Juzo had forgotten there was even anything else needing his attention. ]
... Oh. Looks like we're both out.
[ Yeah, he's not upset either. ]
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[And his score is so laughably low compared to Juzo's, indicated by the flashing numbers on the Game Over screen. It blinks again, asking if the two would like to continue the game, to press any button to begin a new one. But Sholmes only looks back up at his friend, smiling at him warmly.]
One game in, and you're already having more fun than I've ever witnessed from you, dear fellow. Is this arcade really so much to your liking?
[What a perfect date spot, then.]
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Guess so. It's... nice, I guess, not havin' anything looming over us right now. I know that's not gonna last but...
[ He shrugs, as if to say, You know. ]
The company doesn't hurt either.
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The company will last, I should hope. No matter what this place throws at us.
[He holds out his hand, stepping back, a beckoning, teasing kind of gesture.]
Come, Juzo. Another game? You choose this time.
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[ No matter what happens here, he's got his team, and Sholmes is irrevocably a part of that. Has been since the moment Juzo arrived. ]
My pick, huh?
[ He casts around, looking for something that aligns with what little bit of video-gaming Sholmes has done so far. He doesn't want to throw too much at the guy at once, after all. At last, his barrel angles at an Asteroids knock off. ]
How about that one?
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And what is it?
[Not that he waits for a response, moving closer to the cabinet with a beckoning gesture for Juzo to follow.]
A little triangle… firing at rocks!
[Not wholly wrong.]
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Kinda. It's a spaceship. You gotta navigate around and shoot the rocks before they hit you.
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[Oh, he’s heard of one of those by now.]
I should hope that real-life spaceships are not assaulted in such a way by flying debris!
[He laughs, looking down at the controls. This version also has a two-player mode.]
Shall we, then? I will do better than you this time, I just know it.
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[ That guy is all about Living In Space.
He steps up to take the controls. They're relatively simple, as with the last game. He cocks his head at Sholmes, light playing across that steel smile of his. ]
Loser buys dinner.
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Then you had best prepare yourself to buy me dinner, Juzo. I am quite acclimated to this machine now.
[GAME START
And Sholmes is absolutely not more acclimated; the controls are similar, but the game is so different that his little spaceship is wheeling around in circles laughably fast.]
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Stop that, you're gonna crash.
[ He just sort of abandons his own ship, leaving it to scatter into little pixelated pieces when a meteor inevitably collides with it, and steps up to the other man.
His hands close around Sholmes' on the controls, guiding him and the little ship safely through the sea of space rocks. This is just how they're playing this now, apparently. ]
A little goes a long way with these things. Be gentle with it.
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He doesn’t note how his own ship is spinning out of control—or rather, he doesn’t mind it—but his eyebrows raise as soon as Juzo’s ship collides with an asteroid in a pixel explosion.]
Mr Inui, your ship—
[But this is exactly the moment in which his friend’s hand guides itself over his own, aiding Sholmes’ control over his ship, and the detective seems to still beneath his touch.
It should not be unexpected; Juzo has always been a helpful fellow, but something about this moment feels more intimate than normal. The way his whole form engulfs him, suddenly aware of how close he stands from over his shoulder.
Ah. His face feels warm.]
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Sholmes stills under his touch and he feels like he's stepped up to the precipice of something, his all-too human heart hammering away beneath layers of synthetic skin and steel and impossible machinery.
Maybe it's easier this way, standing behind the other man with the bright lights dancing in their faces so he doesn't have to try and read Sholmes' expression. ]
Finally figured it out. When we negotiated with Yatagarasu... why it had to be you.
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