damned_institute | Day 65: Game Room (Third Shift)

Fresh off the somewhat-success of the night before and the conversation with Mysterious Boy X, Scott was actually feeling better than he had in days, possibly weeks. His energy was coming back; he had an appetite again; he didn't feel the urge to sink into his mattress and never come out again — all in all, it was a good day.

There was only thing that had him worried: no Ramona.

He had asked his nurse about her. The woman had scolded him for trying to "crowd" Sandra and monopolize her time, and refused to give him any updates. At least that told him there was a chance she was still around. He would have to check her room tonight, if he had time. What was her room number again? ...Maybe he would have to ask someone.

A few minutes later, he was done with the bulletin. Now: game time.

"Oh NES, my secret lover, how unbearable the time we have spent apart has been," Scott practically purred as he glided into the Game Room, taking up his usual spot by the TV. "Have you been missing me?"

No answer.

"..." Scott grinned ear to ear. "Yeeeeee Mario times!" The twenty-four-year-old manchild jammed the cartridge into the console slot with girlish glee and switched everything on.

[Ilia]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Having made plans with Seishin for the night, Ilia went ahead and tacked a message to the bulletin board for Rose about meeting up later. But, being the busybody that Ilia was, she couldn't leave it at just that. So, grabbing herself a packed lunch, Ilia set out to find her young friend and personally invite her along for the night. Not that Ilia was worried. Or that Rose needed looking after. Or that Ilia would think of going adventuring without her friend...

Still, the young scientist found herself drawn to the game room; the only place a kid like Rose would choose to go other than the library. And somehow, Ilia felt the limited selection available there wasn't going to be Rose's cup of tea. Games, though, were as much a part of Rose as space was of Ilia.

To Ilia's surprise, the room was utterly empty save for one young man already set into his game. She almost walked away after that cursory glance was done, but something about the boy beckoned her over. "Hey, you should probably eat before you play, don't you think?"

Scott looked up, shaken out of his Mario-induced reverie. He hadn't noticed that no one else had opted for the Game Room this shift, not until the only other occupant in the room addressed him suddenly. "Huh?" His gaze trailed down to the forlorn-looking brown back sitting next to his butt.

"Oh yeah. Bodies need food. Right." Scott looked to the screen, then to his lunch. Then to the screen, then to the strange blonde woman, then to his lunch again.

He eventually sighed softly, pressing the pause button. "Thanks. I probably would've starved there," he said, opening the bag and pulling out the chicken sandwich within. "I'm Scott. Scott Pilgrim."

Ilia chuckled lightly, humored by the young man's antics. He was definitely a hyperactive one, but at least he hadn't completely ignored her as she had half-expected. She almost laughed again when he seemed almost heart-broken to be turning away from his game.

"No problem." Ilia smiled brightly. Once again she almost left, but seeing as the boy had introduced herself she felt it was safe to say he wouldn't object to company.

"It's nice to meet you, Scott. I'm Ilia Silvestri." She moved to sit down nearby; not too close as to take up his space, but still close enough to have a conversation with him. "Hope you don't mind me eating with you."

Scott tilted his head at the name. Did he know it? It rang the faintest hint of a bell in his mind. Like it was close to something he might have expected to hear, but was off in some way — and either way, he wasn't sure why. By this point, though, he had stopped trying to think too hard about familiar names or faces when he didn't immediately recognize them. Everyone was from something here; chances were he knew something about Ilia, but it was something he'd looked at too long ago, or for too short a time, or only played on emulator, or something like that.

"Not at all. Ha, I think my girlfriend might think otherwise but..." He paused for a moment. "Or actually maybe she wouldn't." Scott got unexpectedly quiet at that. Right. The whole "being broken up in the future" thing. They still hadn't really resolved that, had they.

...He shook his head, again trying not to think too hard. Thinking too hard was what had landed him in his room for days on end in the first place. Time to stop thinking, a faint voice inside him reminded.

"Never mind. Long story. So do you play games much?" he asked Ilia, taking another bite of his sandwich.

Ilia chuckled, not sure how she should take that statement. Probably as a compliment, somehow. Either way, he hadn't kicked her out so she got comfortable and started into her lunch.

Scott seemed a little distracted, but with this place being Landel's it wasn't surprising. Maybe he just had his video games on his mind. Somehow, Ilia doubted that was all.

"Won't ask then, and no, not too often," Ilia said, then took a sip of her juice. "I used to do a little gaming when I was in my teens, but my job keeps me a little too busy for that." It also kept her feeling like she was in a video game at times. Jumping through time, fighting demons... she was a busy lady!

"I'm guessing you're a game connoisseur of sorts?" She looked around the room, then her eyes settled on the classic video game consoles nearby. "Any you would recommend for a newbie?"

"Oh, well you can see, we have an unparalleled selection."

Scott did a grandiose sweep of his arm in the direction of the TV and its two whole consoles.

"We have such classics as the Super Mario Bros...."

He indicated the NES, then the image on the TV.

"...and Donkey Kong Country, for the gamer of more advanced taste in graphics..."

He indicated the SNES and the game cart lying next to it.

"...and of course, who can forget Super Mario Bros? Or the legend that is Donkey Kong Country?"

Rinse and repeat.

Scott grinned, holding up the NES controller. "No seriously, though, if you can't play Mario, you can't play games. It's, like, every kid's first game. Or it should be, anyway. It should be by law," he said, offering it to her. "Wanna try?"

Ilia smiled at the sarcasm. She should have known there wouldn't be much, but just two of the same games for each console? Sad.

"I've actually played those before, a little, when I was a kid. Or at least a version of them." She laughed out loud this time, realizing yet another console had been involved during her time with those classics. "I guess quality gaming transcends time."

She did reach for the controller, though. She would be extremely rusty, not to mention new to this system's control, but... "Wanna try a two player, then?"

Before they got too far into gaming, however, Ilia stuffed her brownie in her mouth and took a swig of juice. "By the way," she said around a mouth of confection, "have you seen a girl named Rose around? Blonde? 'bout thirteen years old?"

"I can't remember a time in my life when the answer to that question has ever been no." Scott gladly grabbed the second controller and went about setting up two-player mode while Ilia ate.

Just as he was finishing, she asked a question, and Scott shook his head. "Doesn't ring a bell, sorry. Have you asked on the bulletin at all or anything?"

"Great!" Ilia preferred playing games with others. It made it more interesting. Though typically she was playing against someone else, working together to accomplish an end game could always be fun.

"I did ask her to meet me later, but she hasn't responded. Not like her." She didn't want to dwell on it. Perhaps the girl was just napping. Ilia had slept in on occasion, and if Rose had fallen ill then she may have needed more bed rest. Or else she was just not in a chatty mood, but that didn't seem likely.

"She might have missed it. I can always check on her later, though." She knew Rose's room number. Worse came to worse, she checked on the girl at the beginning of the night and they traveled together from there.

Day 65: Game Room (Third Shift)

no subject

no subject

no subject

Backthread? :3

Yes please! ;u;

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject