what the hell is a mario? [open]

Anthony had already been in the Game Lounge once before a couple of month ago, but it struck him nonetheless the second time.

As soon as he pushed through the front door, the guitarist felt an instant, jarring disconnect between himself and the rest of the vicinity around him. It was sort of like walking into the wrong classroom at school. The place was awash with bright colours and flashing lights, screaming 'new age' like no other building he'd visited since arriving in 2036 the previous summer. A dozen televisions were scattered around, each hosting their own respective game and crowd associated with it. Funky posters and lettering lined the walls. There was some sort of virtual dance machine in the corner. Scoreboards. Tabletop games. Graphic tees. Christ.

He didn't know where to start.. What was easiest to pick up on, or what was the most topical, or most fun.. Playing video games had been such a niche, bizarre hobby in the late 'seventies. Their booming popularity was jarring and confusing to Anthony, but he was admittedly curious, so he picked out something at random - An arcade game called Pac-Man. Unfamiliar, but it looked less intimidating than the hyper-realistic war games a little off to the left. He wasn't ready for that yet.

How hard could it be?

And then, not six minutes in, he was faced 'GAME OVER'. The bold finality of the font stung more than it probably should have, so he tried again. And again. And again. After the fourth time, the Winter scoffed and stepped back a pace from the machine, running a hand through his hair in mounting irritation, and a little - just a little - shame. Was this supposed to be fun, or..?

Harley had decided to stop by the game lounge, mostly because everyone she knew was busy at the moment, and made her way over to the more 'retro' games when she spotted someone struggling to play Pac-Man. Okay, despite her occasional lack of manners she knew very well that judging wasn't polite, so she covered her mouth to muffle the laugh she couldn't help escaping her mouth. Of course, someone struggling with games wasn't an especially uncommon sight, but what struck her was how frustrated the person looked when they stepped back. She resisted the temptation to mess with him somehow, not even sure how she would (she wasn't even that good at Pac-Man herself, though she had been practicing), and stepped forward, feeling that helping him out if she could would be proper penance for her impossibly hard to control desire to laugh.

"Hey," the Autumn grinned, her friendly and peppy personality taking priority over her mischievous nature. "Having a little trouble there, are ya?"

Anthony turned towards an approaching voice, one eyebrow arched.

"Hey, I could hear you laughing." He pulled a frown as he leaned an elbow back onto the machine, but his tone was light. Video games never had been his strong suit.. For the grand total of three that he'd ever played throughout his lifetime, as it was. "I might be terrible at this, but I've got feelings too." The Autumn side-stepped and gestured to the joystick, frown melting into a grin. Perhaps a little insight from the modern age would ease his struggles. "All yours. Show me how it's done."

"Sorry," the Autumn girl apologized. "I was laughing, yeah. You looked so... Pfft!" She was giggling again already. Apparently she really had no self-control. "...I guess I owe you this, at least." She took the joystick, mostly wanting to prove to herself that she could do it, but proved even worse than the boy she had laughed at moments earlier, barely clearing the first level and dying almost instantly as the second one began. "...Okay, lesson learned," she snorted as she stepped back. "I'm Harley, by the way. And you are? Besides 'better than me', I mean."