- 90 [Action]

[fortunefail]

[Yuan had headed to the general item store early in the morning, with the intent to search for new gadgets and appliances. Over the past year, he's taken quite a liking to tinkering with otherworldly technology, especially the electrical kind. He doesn't do anything too grand with it- he just finds it oddly therapeutical to take things apart and then put them back together, drawing blueprints of them as he goes. His trip was rewarded when his eyes fell on this little beauty, complete with batteries and a special adapter that could plug it into electrical outlets. Yuan's not entirely sure why you'd need two different power sources, but that's just another thing to examine when he takes it apart. There's just one problem.

Curiosity got the better of him and he decided to try it out in the store, to see what exactly this thing does. He found a cartridge with the word "Tetris" on it, which fitted perfectly into the slot on the back. One thing led to another, and five minutes later he found himself completely absorbed in the game.

How much time has passed since he started playing? He doesn't even know. He does know he decided to take a seat on the ground at some point, to make himself more comfortable. He also knows he needs to beat this level.]

Left... Left... Now turn! Good, now I just need- No! There is no place for a square! Damn, damn, damn!

[Yes, there is a grown man playing Tetris in a corner of the item store, now completely blind to his surroundings.]

Comments

[fortunefail]

[Even Yuan has to admit he may have overreacted just a tad.] ... Tch. Just... be more careful when people are busy.

[childofthefullmoon]

... All right.

[Estelle stands there, looking at the box, then up at Yuan, then back at the box.]

What is that?

[He didn't answer her question.]

[fortunefail]

[It's actually a very good question. Yuan has no idea how to describe this. It's like a very advanced version mindteasers like rubiks cubes.]

It's a... device meant for entertainment purposes.

[childofthefullmoon]

[Putting a finger to her chin, Estelle leans in to get a better look.]

Oh? How does it work?

[fortunefail]

[How does it work? Honestly, how does she think it works?]

The game's visuals appear on this screen and then you use the buttons on the device to play it.

[childofthefullmoon]

[How should she know? That's why she's asking! You could practically see the questions marks over her head as she stared at the little box and its tiny screen. Modern, or at least somewhat modern, technology is still very foreign to Estelle.]

Can I see?

[Now Yuan has gone and piqued her curiosity even more.]

[fortunefail]

... Fine. [He'll hold the Game Boy out for Estelle with reluctance and with the full intent of getting it back from her. He still needs to beat that damn level he was working on.]

[childofthefullmoon]

[Taking the Game Boy from Yuan, Estelle studies it with interest. After some fiddling, the music starts up again as she begins a whole new game. The blocks very slowly fall and she continues to fiddle with it. The first level ends in disaster as she doesn't yet get the hang of it. The blocks piling up up to the very top and... Game Over.]

[fortunefail]

And that's all there is to it. The game increase in difficulty as you proceed.

[childofthefullmoon]

I see.

[Is all Estelle said, and without any sign of giving the game back to Yuan. No, she had started a new game and was rotating blocks as they came down. This time she managed to complete the first level.]

[fortunefail]

[Oh. ... Fine, he'll let her play a bit longer, then. As she proceeds into the second level, curiosity gets the better of him and he edges closer so he can watch her play.]

[childofthefullmoon]

[Estelle's eyes are wide in wonder as she continues to play the game, hardly noticing as Yuan leans in to watch. Now it seems like even she is transfixed with the little handheld.

This is amazing.

Another level goes by, and another. She's really getting the hang of this! She's even figured out how to make the blocks go down faster if she needs to. The sound of clicking seems to dominate the silence as her thumbs work the buttons. Eventually she's so engrossed that her tongue is sticking out of the side of her mouth in concentration.]

[fortunefail]

[As much as Yuan hates to admit it to himself, this girl is pretty good. She must be some sort of natural talent at this. Or perhaps she's had practice with a similar game. ... Yes, surely that's it. He'd offer input, but she seems to be doing fine on her own, so all he can do is keep watching and wait for her to mess up.]

[childofthefullmoon]

[She just keeps going, and soon enough level 5 goes by, then level 6, 7, 8, and eventually surpasses level 10. However, she's having a bit of trouble at this point as the game just keeps going faster and faster. She barely manages to clear level 11, and then by level 12, she messes up and the game ends.]

[fortunefail]

[By the time she gets to level 7, Yuan is staring in disbelief. By the time she gets to level 10, he's sure she must be some sort of superhuman with unnaturally fast reflexes. He finally hears the Game Over tune at level 12 and breathes an inauble sigh.]

That... wasn't bad.

[childofthefullmoon]

[With the game over, Estelle realizes that she should probably hand it back. So she offers the Game Box back to Yuan.]

Thank you, that was really fun.

[fortunefail]

[He'll take the Game Boy back without a moment's pause. Just now, it became his personal goal to at least get to level 10, and then hopefully beyond it.]

Yes, well, now that you've played you can go about your business again. [... That sounded less childish in his head.]

[childofthefullmoon]

[Estelle blinks. Had she offended this man in some way?]

Oh, all right. Thank you, again.

[She bows politely and then goes on her way.]

[fortunefail]

[Oh, there she goes. The young Tetris wonder. Yuan watches her go, before continuing to fiddle with the Game Boy. If a teenage girl can do this, so can he.]