- 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

Yes!

[fortunefail]

[Yuan makes a note of the scent that's lingering in the air and realizes he stayed in the store until far past dinnertime. Hm. He should probably get some food into his stomach before continuing his Tetris struggle.]

I got held up in the store. [He strides right past Kratos and into the kitchen to get some of that stew, leaving the Game Boy on the dining room table as he passes it.]

[shiningbinds]

[Kratos glances over to where Yuan left the Game Boy, spotting it.]

Is this what you got held up by? [What is it?]

[fortunefail]

[He grabs a clean plate and glances over his shoulder to see Kratos staring at the Game Boy.]

Not entirely. A lot of people showed interest in that thing. [Excuses, excuses. He really would've been home earlier if he hadn't been playing Tetris so fervently.]

[shiningbinds]

[He's not sure he believes that excuse.]

Is that so? And what does this device do, to attract so much attention?

[fortunefail]

It can be used to play some sort of a game. [He's very reluctant to describe it as a game, but he has no idea what else to call it.]

[shiningbinds]

A game? [Yuan, Kratos is trying very hard to hide his amusement.]

[fortunefail]

[Yuan is still scooping that stew onto his plate, but he doesn't even need to be looking at Kratos to notice that badly-hidden amusement.]

It's not designed for children, all right? It's more like a... A rubiks cube. A puzzle that requires your absolute attention.

[shiningbinds]

Many children are capable of working on and solving puzzles, you realize.

[Yep, still amused.]

[fortunefail]

That's not the point! [Kratos, you are the worst friend. Excuse Yuan while he drops the ladle back into the stew with a loud clatter.]

[shiningbinds]

Are my words really something to get frustrated over? [Really, Yuan. You're being awfully defensive, there.]

[fortunefail]

[Really, Kratos. How long have you known Yuan?]

Did you honestly expect to get away with those little jabs? You're basically ridiculing me. [He's heading back into the dining room now, plate in hand.]

[shiningbinds]

You're being defensive over nothing. [And isn't it better than the awkwardness that's been looming over them for the past few months?]

[fortunefail]

[Well. Kratos is being an asshole and fully expects to get away with it. Some things never change.]

If you think it's nothing, then we can just drop the issue.

[shiningbinds]

[Sighs.]

You take even the most mundane things too seriously. [Says the pot to the kettle.]

[fortunefail]

I said drop it.

[Just let him eat his dinner in peace, that's all he wants.]

[shiningbinds]

...how was the rest of your day?

[fortunefail]

Uneventful. [A couple of people proved to be better than him at a video game, and that's about it.]

And yours?

[shiningbinds]

Uneventful as well. [...] I suppose we should be grateful.

[fortunefail]

[Hm... The chaos of an experiment or the dreary routine of everyday life in Luceti... That's a tough decision.]

The previous experiment got to you that much? [It was troublesome for Yuan, to end up in peculiar places from time to time, but it wasn't harmful.]

[shiningbinds]

...I encountered Mithos. [Initially in their bathroom, of all places.]

[fortunefail]

[Oh. He can see how that would complicate things.]

How much trouble did he give you?

[shiningbinds]

He gave me the amount of trouble that's to be expected, but not exceedingly much.

[fortunefail]

[... That was a very ambiguous answer. Now Yuan's getting a little suspicious.]

Meaning?

[shiningbinds]

Meaning that considering how wrong everything could have gone with the experiment in effect, he was not any more difficult than usual.

[Except that Mithos was really getting upset with the trees.]

[fortunefail]

... Right. [That still didn't tell him much.]

You still have all your limbs, so I can only assume things didn't escalate into a fight.