An Eternity of a Day
Elise, coupled with Kaguya Yamai—a friend she had known for a long time—both strolled along the sidewalk leading to the Central Mall where they were they had planned to spend their time. Setting aside a whole day for this moment, the two made extra sure to create a long list, and they weren't leaving until they had seen it through; unless, of course, they had gotten kicked out of the mall preemptively. Elise held the list in hand, with Kaguya by her side, humming an uplifting tune with her hands behind her back. It didn't seem crowded on the outside, as everybody was inside already.
"Soooo," Kaguya said, just having wrapped up her previous conversation in regards to someone named Yuzuru, "what's the plan for today? We literally have a full day to just chill out!"
"Hmm…" Elise eyed the list very closely, trying to sort it out by whatever was closer. "We have a few things to get done, but the fun can come between, of course." She looked around at the entirety of the interior. There were stores to the left and right of them, and they were swamped with people. Fashion stores, movie theaters, to-go culinarians, everything they needed was in this mall. Whatever they couldn't find on the first floor, there was a second floor with an escalator in the middle of the mall to take them straight up. Despite the lights that lit up most of the areas in the mall, there was a giant skylight in the center, letting in all of the sun's rays. The attractive aroma of food, as mentioned previously, filled the atmosphere of the mall as well. Freshly baked pretzels, pizza, Japanese food and theater popcorn was indeed a lot to take in at once. There was barely a blank wall in the mall, as they were either stores, or posters for things like movie trailers or attractions.
"Gosh, it's awfully crowded today…" muttered a curious Kaguya. She stared at all of the patrons in the mall, trying to point out a familiar face, but couldn't find anybody. Elise was too busy buried in her list, looking up and down at the nearby locations to reply.
"Yeah, seems awfully busy…" Elise finally piped up. "Don't worry, though. Nobody's going to interfere with us." She smiled, a look of determination on her face as she shoved the list in her pocket. "Okay! Now! The first thing that we are going to do is…"
"Tsubasa" Clothing Store
Elise and Kaguya found the first clothing store that was closest to them, and despite there being a multitude of people in the mall, barely anybody was in that particular store, giving them time to ogle everything they could see. Shoes, shirts, sales, everything jumped out at them with every turn, and yet, they couldn't stop turning. Kaguya's eyes lit up with stars practically in them, and it was the same for Elise as they gasped at (literally) everything they saw. Kaguya already had an armful of shirts, but one in particular stopped her right in her tracks.
"O-ohmygosh!" Kaguya started. "Look at this shirt!" She sized it up with herself and giggled. It was pink with white sleeves, and the font on the shirt read out "BERSERK," on bold letters. It was both the girliest and the most hardcore shirt that Elise had ever seen, and it seemed to match Kaguya very well…for some reason.
"Seems like it will be a match," Elise said, her hand in her chin as she thought to herself. Why would such a word fit her, anyway? "How about you try it on and show me?" Kaguya nodded with a smile, rushing over to the changing room with Elise standing right outside the doorway.
"No peeking!" Kaguya teased with a wink, and Elise blew a strand of hair out of her face. In the meanwhile, Elise continued shopping herself, picking up a shirt that had Japanese font on it. It was an all-black t-shirt with a giant white heart around the chest, and the letters were inside. She wasn't sure what the text itself said, so instinctively, she pulled out her smartphone and translated the font as quickly as she could.
"Yuri…" She said aloud, without realizing it. Immediately blushing, she returned the shirt back to its section and looked away. "Y-yeah right, like anybody would wear a shirt like that," she thought to herself. As she put the shirt back, she walked back to face the changing room, looking back at the shirt and snickering. As she turned right back around, the door opened and Kaguya emerged, wearing a different shirt.
"Okay, so, I tried this one on first, how's this one?" Kaguya asked. Her hands were on her hips, and the shirt looked a bit busty on her, but otherwise, it was a perfect fit. However, it looked a lot different than the "BERSERK" shirt that she initially picked out. Entirely different. With one glance at the chest, Elise read the words carefully.
"Yuri."
Elise narrowed her eyes at Kaguya.
"Noooo! I haven't gotten the rest of my shirts yet!" Kaguya shouted, as Elise dragged her out of the store, empty handed. As she pulled her out by her arm, the employees sidestepped out of the way.
"You will get them LATER!" Elise replied with a full-faced blush, paying no mind to the concerned employees that watched them walk right out of the store.
"Luka's Music"
Up and down the aisles of Luka's Music were rows upon rows of, well, music. Albums and soundtracks of all genres, available for pre-listening to catch the ears of even the greatest of musical connoisseurs. You had the option of purchasing it as either a CD, a cassette, a record, or even simply scanning your music playing device and having the song or songs downloaded straight to it—with a small convenience fee, of course—and the pricing was reasonable enough to make you buy more.
"Man…I'm hoping nobody bought that shirt…" said a worried Kaguya. Elise sucked her teeth.
"I'm sure it'll be there when we come back. Anyway…" Elise took in a deep breath, sucking in the atmosphere of guitar cases, vinyl, and cotton candy. She exhaled with a smile. "So, I've already found what I'm looking for. What are your interests, Kaguya?"
"Interests?" Kaguya hummed, putting a finger on her cheek. "Well, I really like guys with blue hair and amber eyes, who are kindhearted and sympathetic, and—"
"N-no," Elise interrupted. "Music interests."
"Oh!" Kaguya said, covering her short-lived blush. "I, uh…I don't have any."
Laughing maniacally, Elise dragged Kaguya by her feet over to the first aisle of music selections, setting her in front of a music playing kiosk and attaching a pair of headphones to her head. The music wasn't playing, and Kaguya was utterly confused at the moment, but Elise inserted a CD into the slot on the machine in front of them so that it could play the track listed. Before it played, however, Elise's laughter subsided and her smile turned into a more serious face.
"Pack your bags. You're going on a music trip." That was all Elise said before she pressed play, inundating Kaguya's ears with pop culture music. Kaguya held the ears of the headphones close, her eyes widening as song lyrics, exquisite beats and tear-jerking instruments came at her, full circle. Closing her eyes for merely a moment, she truly felt as though she was somewhere else. Another place, another time. Reality slipped her grasp, and as she exhaled her last sigh, she truly had felt serenity.
"Wow…music…" She stared at the ceiling, her head swaying back and forth to the beat of the song she was listening to. With a bright smile, Elise nodded.
"Good, good girl. Stay put, okay?" Elise mumbled. She left her standing in the aisle to the song as she did a little music shopping on her own. "Let's see…Teto…Nomura…hmm, something tells me that Kaguya might like these kind of soundtracks." She wrapped around to the first aisle that they were in, looking at the CDs. "Hey, Kaguya, I have something you might…"
Kaguya spun towards Elise, her left leg lifted behind her while flashing a V-for-victory pose over her eyes, winking at her. For some strange reason, her blue eyes changed to pink, and there were hearts in her irises, something that seemed to be popular with idol school characters…
"Perfect!" She exclaimed, startling all of the nearby patrons. She then proceeded to make heart shapes with her hands, pointing them at Elise.
"What." Elise set the CDs down on a rack next to her, not taking her eyes off of Kaguya as she continued to dance. "That's not totally weird at all. Is the pop music taking over her thoughts? Let me see if I can find another song…" She rushed out of the aisle, moving to find a gentler album to use. "Ah, here we go, Shimomura…this'll fix it." She rushed back to the aisle, but she ended up being more confused than last time.
"Yeeeeah! Showtime!" Kaguya exclaimed. Her bangs nearly covered her eyes as she flailed her arms in a fashion that resembled air guitar. She bit her lip as she acted as if she was really playing herself.
"R-Rock music?" Elise thought, getting second-hand embarrassment from Kaguya's hardcore strumming in front of onlookers, although some of the children cheered for her. Her hair swayed back and forth and it was as if her bun was going to undo itself. Elise hadn't seen anybody so excited before over… music.
"Who's ready for a party?!" Kaguya exclaimed. The crowd shouted and cheered her on, and Kaguya cheered back with them. Elise sighed.
"Just…stay put for another minute. I'm gonna go grab something for you." Again, Elise left the aisle, forgetting to grab the track she originally meant to bring over to help cease this trance. Thankfully, she left it on the floor, and was quick to grab it before somebody else could. Immediately, she returned to the aisle, and the crowd that surrounded the aisle had already dissipated. And yet...
"Oh, come on…!" Elise exclaimed. Kaguya, accompanied with three men in suits, stood idle at the music player. Somehow, a desk, riddled with paperwork and topped with a desk lamp, ended up in the middle of the now vacant aisle. It was as if the whole aisle itself turned into a sepia tone, and Kaguya, who appeared to have a cigar in her mouth, sat at the desk, her fingers locked with her hands and resting underneath her chin.
"Buongiorno, bambino." Kaguya stared point-blank at Elise. "Ya get the job done like I asked you to?"
"Oh my God, she's listening to an old mafia movie soundtrack," Elise thought. "How did this even reach the top fifty hits...?!" She cleared her throat, breaking the tension between the two parties.
"The job, did you get it done?" Kaguya repeated, in a more stern tone.
"Y-yes, and I even got the goods! They're, uh…" she presented the album to them, surrendering it. "Right here!"
"Wonderful. You have surpassed my expectations, bambino. I applaud you tremendously for this reward." Kaguya took the album from Elise, but as she did, the three statue-like gentlemen from behind her each pulled out pistols, aiming them all at Elise.
"E-eh?!" Elise took a step back, her eyes wide.
"But it looks like this'll be your last assignment for a while." With that sentence being finished, Kaguya's men opened fire on Elise in the store. The only thing that could be heard, however, were the solemn tunes of the song that was playing. The screams…the gunfire…all muted by the piano that overtook Kaguya's thoughts.
"Kaguya... Kaguya!" She heard a voice from far away. She gasped as the music stopped, and as she blinked twice. "Hey, wake up!" It was Elise's voice, who tapped her shoulder.
"Wh-what?!" Kaguya replied, dazed and confused. Everything was back to normal. She was in the aisle as normal, the headphones having been taken away from her by Elise as the music had ended. Elise had a bunch of albums in her other hand, and was ready to check out.
"I've been calling you for forever," Elise said. "You were totally lost from this world, though…Guess the music was okay?" Kaguya looked down at her hands. She was wondering if this was truly reality, as she was sucked away from it for a moment throughout all of the songs she was listening to.
"Okay…?" Kaguya said with a whisper. "Yeah, it was alright. Nothing too extravagant, but, it really does put a sense of imagination into a person." Elise giggled at her remark.
"Imagination sounds about right. Nothing better than playing air guitar or movie soundtracks, right?" Elise joked, bumping her arm as she was next in line. Kaguya held a dead expression on her face as she stared at Elise.
"Ah," Kaguya thought, "great minds think alike."
"Hayabusa's Curio-sity"
Their next stop was a curio shop, a hand-me-down bric-a-brac store that was rumored to have been owned by famous ninja. There were all kinds of antiquities and collections available, from rustic pots to rare figurines of all shapes, sizes and types. The store was packed with collectors, browsers, and just flat out nerds, gawking at all of the items listed despite their process.
"Elise, it feels really dusty in here..." Kaguya complained. She stared into an empty pot, which was painted rather well. Dust jumped out at her face and she coughed slightly.
"Yep, that's the point. Curio shops like these, so full of antiques and funny little trinkets." Elise traced her finger around a carefully woven dreamcatcher, with glistening peacock feathers dangling from it. She then turned her attention to the figurines lined up at the cabinet, some with small scale robots, others with famous characters from television shows and pop idols.
Kaguya, however, kept staring into pots, checking to see if there was anything interesting inside, for some reason. However, she came across a rather large pot that she stared deeply into, and much to her surprise, there was something inside. It was a white mask, with horns poking out in front of it. From the back, draped long, sky blue hair down the back of the helmet. Something about it seemed eerie... austere. She pulled it out and brought it to Elise.
"Hey, Elise. Do you know what this mask is?" Kaguya asked, showing it to her. Elise broke her concentration on a figurine she was staring at to see what it was, but the mask didn't look too familiar to her.
"Huh... it kinda looks like... a white void." She tilted her head as she examined it. Kaguya looked face to face with it.
"A white void... a cold steel... a just sword..." Kaguya stared intensely at it, and it looked like she had begun to sweat. Elise looked at her, confused. She could feel the ground somewhat shake, and one of the vases in the back could have broken if it hadn't been for one of the customers saving it in time.
"H-hey, Kaguya, are you alright?" Elise said. Kaguya lifted the mask up a little bit, squinting her eyes fiercely.
"With blade in hand... I shall reap the sins of this world..." The ground shook again. Elise uncomfortably stared at Kaguya. "...and cleanse it in the fires of destruction!" Her voice got louder and louder, and all of the patrons dramatically turned around to face the two, a collective gasp coming from all of them as an ominous wind blew through the dream catchers and wind chimes.
"It can't be!" One patron asked.
"Is it really?!" Another shouted, over the other.
"It is!" Someone from the back piped up, his eyes super wide.
"K-Kaguya?!" Elise shouted, surprised. Kaguya scoffed and shrugged. Without hesitation, Kaguya put on the helmet, posing dramatically as if she had a weapon in her hand.
"I am Kaguya! Your end has come!" Her voice echoed through the helmet, and most of the patrons in the store fled immediately in utter terror, screaming loudly. Elise broke out in a cold sweat, watching them all leave. Kaguya kept the same pose for a moment, then her arms dropped down to her sides and she stood normally, giggling.
"Good, I didn't think they'd ever leave. I'm way too awesome for them." She took the helmet off, shaking her head to fix her hair. "Couldn't find what I was really looking for with all of these people in here, but I think I might have found something I like; this helmet is nice!"
"K-Kaguya, wouldn't you prefer a figurine or something special…?" Elise said, grabbing a figurine of a character with aqua blue twintails, and they went from her head to her waist. She was posed with holding her hands on her chest, presumably holding her heart. She appeared to be one of the more popular figurines as it was priced awfully high, and the detail looked to be painstakingly done and was rather meticulous. "I mean, I know it's a big high in price, but…"
"Pfft, who cares about that?" Kaguya said with a smug smile. She walked the helmet over to the cashier and set it down on the counter. "Hey, how much is this?" She asked, her arm leaned over the counter as she yawned. The cashier, who had his back turned to her, spun his head around rather slowly. He fixed his gaze at the helmet for a few moments, his eyes widening, then at Kaguya, narrowing his eyes again through his blonde hair.
"…Sorry, but this item is not for sale." He said, in a low tone before turning back to face the other direction. He appeared to be checking inventory.
"What? Not for sale?" Kaguya said, as Elise kept poking around at various figurines. "B-but I found it in one of those pots over there…shouldn't you have like, a scanner or something?" The cashier turned around again, setting down his checklist.
"You're still here?" He said, under his breath. "Look, I told you already that this item is not for sale, hence the reasoning why there's no price tag on it. Please select a different item." Kaguya folded her arms and squinted at the cashier.
"Look here, Mister…" She droned off for a moment, reading the cashier's name tag. "…Jin K., if there's no price tag on it, then how about we barter for it?" The cashier scoffed.
"…Weren't you listening? There's nothing to barter or haggle with, this helmet shouldn't even have ended up in your hands in the first place." He leaned over the counter, a chilly air surrounding him. "You'll need to alter your selection of items."
"Oh, is that right?" Kaguya said, giving the cashier a sterner look as she leaned in, frustrated. "Fine, then. If I can't have this helmet, then…" She looked around the store, before turning to Elise. She held the idol figurine in her hand, sighing as she looked at both it and the price. "…I want that figurine for half off!"
"What?!" Both Elise and Jin said.
"Y-you've got to be kidding!" Jin remarked. "That figurine is at the price it's at now because it's a rarity, there's no way it'll drop in price so soon!"
"Then," Kaguya said, her smug smile returning, "I want the helmet at the same price as the figurine. Do we have a deal?" Jin grunted. He looked at both the helmet and the figurine. Elise turned to Kaguya.
"What are you doing?!" Elise whispered. "I can afford this figurine, there's no reason to—"
"Alright," Jin said reluctantly, interrupting Elise. He appeared to be a bit cross, yet defeated. "Unfortunately, I can't sell you the helmet, but I'll give you the figurine at half off. Just…hurry up already." Elise's eyes lit up as she gasped, nodding.
"R-Right away!" Elise said, bringing the figurine and the box with it.
After they had been rung up, Elise paid for the figurine and it was gently placed in its bag. The whole time, Kaguya had her arms crossed, looking between the two.
"…Have a nice day," mumbled a somewhat angry Jin.
"Thanks, and uh…" Kaguya turned around, flashing a fake smile at him. "You should try and do this more." Jin grunted and narrowed his eyes at her remark as they left the store. Amidst the store's silence, Jin looked at the helmet as it lay on the counter.
"…Who would have thought that a girl like her could have found his mask, amongst all things, in this store…?" He grumbled, before customers started coming back in. "I'll be sure to give it back to him personally, and who knows…? Maybe I'll run into Brother, too." A crooked smile sprawled across his face.
Food Court
In an attempt to gain a moment of reprieve, Elise decided to stop for just a moment and rest at the food court. With her music in one bag and the figurine in another, it was a great start so far. Kaguya, however, was empty handed, but she didn't let that get to her. Sitting down in one of the chairs in the food court, she let out a hefty sigh, smiling. Elise approached the table that Kaguya was sitting at, with sweets occupying her hands. In one hand was a bowl of ice cream, with three varying flavors of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, and in the other hand, was a beautiful, well-cut slice of cake.
"Kaguya, you really didn't have to talk him down like that..." Elise said, sliding her the bowl of ice cream. The spoon rested inside the vanilla portion, buried like a sword in a stone. "It would have been fine, honest, and you didn't even get anything for yourself." Kaguya smiled, digging into her ice cream immediately.
"It's fiiiine," she replied. Her first giant scoop of ice cream went into her mouth immediately, and with a smile, it melted into her mouth. In the meanwhile, Elise ate small portions of her elegant cake, poking at the white frosting. Mere seconds later, Kaguya's eyes jolted open and she pulled the spoon out of her mouth. It didn't take too long for the brain freeze to kick in.
"Yeah, but... I feel like I'm doing most of the shopping for myself, and you haven't gotten anything, not to mention that shirt I need to go back for, and... Kaguya?" Elise raised an eyebrow at Kaguya. "Are you alright?"
"O-ow... my head..." Kaguya complained under her breath. She shook her head with a nasty look on her face. "C-cold..." Elise giggled at her.
"You're looking a bit chilly over there," Elise joked. She forked down another slice of cake. Kaguya, who held her head, managed to catch a proper glimpse of Elise's half-eaten cake through her fingers. She shook it off almost instantly, looking at it as if it were a dream. It was a Ruby Rose Red Velvet cake, a confectionary made by the finest of chefs... yet was easily crafted here, in this mall. The way the white frosting cascaded with the fluffy red center was enough to make Kaguya drool buckets, but thankfully, she didn't do that.
"H-hey, Elise?" Kaguya nervously asked. Elise turned her attention off of her cake, looking at Kaguya as she twirled her plastic fork between her fingers deftly. "That... that looks really good."
"Wait, you've never had this cake before?" Elise chuckled. "Then again, I'm surprised they still had enough of the cake left to sell... almost all of the cakes are usually gone seconds after the store opens." She looked back down at her cake, taking another forkful. She was fully prepared to sink her teeth into the satiny goodness before she glanced at Kaguya again, who was staring at it as if there was an acrobat preparing for a flip.
"Do... do you mind if I...?" Kaguya whispered her sentence, but Elise could read her lips flawlessly.
"Of course not," she replied, taking the fork away from her face. "Open wide, okay? You're gonna get the full flavor out of this." Kaguya flashed a bright smile, closing her eyes and opening her mouth with a near-silent "aah." Slowly, Elise allowed the fork to enter her mouth, making sure the cake was all the way in as Kaguya closed her mouth. Elise slid the fork gently out of her mouth, and Kaguya looked up for a moment, savoring the flavor of the cakes.
"It tastes..." Kaguya began to speak, her mouth full of cake. As she finally let the flavor set in, it was impossible for her to finish the sentence she started. She let out a well-satisfied sigh and kept her eyes closed, humming peacefully. The sweetness that cascaded her taste buds was indescribable. She nearly felt like crying as it was something she definitely wanted to experience for the rest of her life.
"Good, right?" Elise chuckled, finishing the last bite of cake that remained on her plate. "Alright, we should probably get a move on, now..." She stood up in her chair, but Kaguya slumped in her chair, looking up at the ceiling with a longing smile. Her mouth was wide open and she hadn't completely swallowed her cake. "...Gross." She grabbed her things and dragged Kaguya out of her chair, her feet dragging on the ground. "...Gosh, you're heavier than you look."
"C-c-cake..." Kaguya dreamily said.
Between "ArcadePlus" and "Tsubasa"
"Hmm... this list actually kinda seems small, now that we've eaten up all this time..." Elise continued to stare at the list, checking things off. The clothing store still remained on the list, as they had abandoned it early after Kaguya's "poor clothing choice." But, the supply of the shirts were surprisingly low the last time they were in there, so it was important to get them now. Kaguya, however, was gazing at the store across from it, ArcadePlus. It was an area full of arcade machines, lights, and prizes.
"Wow... an arcade shop!" Kaguya said excitedly. "Hey, Elise, we should go in here fir—" Kaguya turned around to try and get Elise's attention, but she was already in Tsubasa, checking out the shirts. Kaguya was going to chase after her, but instead, she decided to have a little bit of fun on her own. "I'm sure she'll notice eventually," she shrugged, as she took off into the arcade.
"Great, the shelves are cleared... wonderful," Elise said, a distraught sigh escaping her parted lips. She approached the cashier at the register, who actually seemed to be very engrossed in her book. It took her a mere moment or so before she set the book down on its pages, as to not lose her place.
"Yes? How may I help you?" The cashier asked. She didn't seem to be displeased with her job as much as she just seemed somber.
"Hello, just a question I have..." Elise said. "Do you guys happen to have any of like, the pink and white shirts that say, er, BERSERK on it?" The cashier's smile turned into a small frown as she shook her head.
"No, sorry..." She replied. "Our shelves have been cleared from that shirt, in all sizes." Elise dropped her shoulders and sighed, shaking her head. Had she have claimed it first before leaving, she wouldn't have needed to worry about it running out of stock.
"Man... I wish I hadn't missed it." Elise cursed at herself under her breath.
"However..." The cashier said, as she pointed at a store directly across from them. It was ArcadePlus, the gaming store, which seemed to be full of people. "One of the prizes in that store is one of the shirts that you're looking for. They took one exclusively because it's a popular design choice..." Elise stared at the store, as she knew she would have no choice.
"Very well. I'll just have to expend some money to play some games." Elise clenched her bags in her hands. "I hope this isn't going to totally murder my wallet..."
"It might seem like a struggle, but, I know some of those games inside and out," the cashier said. She picked her book back up, but provided a receipt with information written on it to Elise. Taking the receipt, it was a list of games that rewarded the highest amount of tickets. "Just play those games, and you should have that shirt well before closing time." Elise smiled and stashed the list in her pocket.
"This is great information," Elise said. "Thanks, so much for this, uh..." Elise glanced at the name tag. "...Blanc." With her eyes scanning the book again, Blanc nodded at Elise in affirmation.
"Good luck, and take care," she said to Elise. Elise clenched her bags and proceeded out the store, with a look of determination drawn on her face. However, it didn't hit her until she was alone that Kaguya had been missing...and yet, at the same time, she could see that she was already in the arcade, looking like a lost child.
ArcadePlus
Stepping inside the arcade, the atmosphere turned dark and the only lights surrounding them were the lights from the games themselves, as well as the poorly lit ceiling lights. People hung around each arcade machine, and there was quite a bit there; fighting games, racing games, and even classic shoot-em-ups. There was a mixture of people discussing strategies as well as screaming over winning and losing. From the counter, she could visibly see the shirt hung up on the wall. Amongst the various prizes, the shirt itself was roughly eight hundred tickets.
Kaguya was overlooking a game, with a tale of swords and souls, eternally retold. Two people were going at it, trading blows and equalizing their health. It seemed to overwhelm Kaguya at first, as she watched the screen and their rapid control methods.
"Kaguya!" Elise shouted over the screaming, grabbing her arm gently to snap her out of her trance. "Hey, I found a way to get the shirt for you, they didn't have it at Tsubasa so...I'm going to earn it here."
"W-well..." Kaguya nervously frowned. "These guys, they're...they're trying to get it too," she said, pointing at the two contenders. The one on the left was a rather large man who was a bit sweaty and tired, as he was struggling to maintain his health in the game. The player opposite from him, however, was a blonde, short-haired female who kept her cool. Even though she had bested her opponent in the first round, her facial expression never changed as her red eyes kept on the screen for merely a moment.
"Wait, what?!" Elise shouted in her head. She looked over the list that Blanc gave her and, sure enough, this was the highest rewarding game on the list for tickets. Looking over at the rewards table, it wasn't a very high rewarding item, so it was estimated that it would take a few games for them to get the shirt they needed.
"Also..." Kaguya said again, engrossed by the game. "They're playing for keeps, so, the loser has to pass up their tickets." Elise glanced at each player. The girl had already amassed a decent amount of tickets, which was about waist-high for her. The man who was severely uncomfortable only had around a few left, just enough to satisfy the girl's amount needed to get the shirt.
"She's so close," Elise thought. "Well, with this list Blanc gave me, all I have to do is play these other games and gain enough tickets before she does... these matches show to take a while anyway." She snickered to herself. "Her sweet victories will go up in smoke." With that, she left Kaguya again, who was so attentive to the game that she didn't even notice that Elise let go of her arm. With the remaining money she had, Elise dashed to the quarter machine, withdrawing enough quarters to make her pockets bulge. With a crack of her knuckles, she was prepared.
"Let's do this."
Cracking her neck, she stuck her quarters into the first game she could find…
A crane machine full of stuffed animals.
With a serious look on her face, she moved the painfully slow crane with the joystick, right over the various prizes, such as a teddy bear, a snake, and a dog. She squinted her eyes at the machine as the claw descended, expanding to grab a teddy bear.
"Wait a minute," she thought. "...I can't get anything out of this machine." She hit her head against the glass. "This was a waste of a few quarters... why am I not following this damned list?!" Regardless, she had won the teddy bear and pulled it out of the eject hole in frustration, rushing to the next machine.
According to the list, the game underneath that awarded quite a few points was a skee-ball game that was across the way from the crane machine she—stupidly enough—started out at. With a small smile, she set the bear down beside her and pulled out a few quarters. She was bound and determined to get a high score out of it.
"Alright, I'll clear the board," she thought to herself. It sounded cool to her, as she slid the quarters in, and the rack beside her leg was loaded with 7 hard yet smooth balls, perfect for rolling. Taking the first one in hand, she clenched it tight, gritting her teeth with a smug smile sprawled across her lips. "All I have to do is land straight one-hundreds, just like Blanc mentioned."
Winding her arm, she pulled back, and with the wind rushing through her hand, she rolled the ball with great force up the ramp. The ball warped and phased, skidding along the seemingly endless ramp before it jumped up, swirling around the circular targets. It didn't seem to end until it sunk right into the closest hole...
...and it earned her ten points.
"Wh-what?" She mumbled. "I was so sure that was gonna go into the one-hundred point hole!" She stomped her foot and tossed up the next ball, narrowing her eyes down the ramp. "Alright, here goes again." Holding the ball, she repeated the same action, and as such, the ending was the same. The next five balls she sunk in were all ten pointers. She hung her head in frustration as only twenty tickets came out, out of the eight hundred she needed for the shirt.
"G-great," she thought, shamefully grabbing her tickets. "This isn't nearly enough..." She turned back around to Kaguya and the group of people, the same fight still going on. Amongst the cheering and shouting, Kaguya remained calm, staring at the game with a tilted head. She then looked at the girl who was playing the game, her never-ending expression stuck on her face as her eyes scanned the game, making accurate and precise movements. "I won't lose the shirt, not to her...!"
Immediately, she moved on to another game. It was a step dance game, with a few popular idol characters on each side of the machine. Inserting her coins, she immediately started up the most popular song on the list, entitled One Thousand Cherry Trees. Gulping, she stood on the side panels and closed her eyes as the song played. The rhythm and the beat inundated her mind as she breathed in deeply, recalling the movements of the idol who flawlessly sang the song.
"Go, go, Elise!" Said Kaguya, in her imagination. "You must win the shirt!" With a dramatic flip of her hair, Elise danced through the song, with onlookers praising her and her movements.
"Wow, look at her go!" Somebody dreamily shouted.
"I want to dance like that!" A jealous girl proclaimed.
"I want to make her my wife!" A desperate guy confessed.
"What the hell'd you say?!" The same desperate guy's girlfriend shouted, yanking him by his ear. She continued to curse at him, but Elise was too lost in the music to notice. With a finishing pose, the song was over, and Elise slowly opened her eyes. Turning her head towards the screen, her results displayed themselves both visually and vocally.
"Your score is...E. Better luck next time!" The game exclaimed, with a picture of a rusted "E" on it. Her score was pitiable, and the actual amount of steps she actually landed was "6 out of 255." The only amount of tickets she received for this song was about fifteen. She stared at the screen with a dull expression on her face as the tickets slithered on out.
"...You've got to be kidding." She muttered to herself as she snatched them out and away from the machine. The onlookers, however, were still outstanded by her performance, clapping for her even after she dragged her feet off of the game. With a low growl, she pulled out the list and just proceeded to the next game, trying to find one she was good at.
She tried a spaceship simulation, where she had to shoot down invaders from space. However, she only succeeded in shooting down the first wave, before she was demolished by the second wave. This only awarded her fifteen tickets. Then, she attempted a pinball game, which she managed to lose the ball three times due to tilt and poor sportsmanship. This left her with an extra seventeen tickets and a warning from the manager of the store. Finally, she tried a classic zombie slaying game. As she was a horrible shot, she met her end very quickly and was devoured. Her attempt awarded her twenty tickets.
"One hundred and seven tickets..." She said in a defeated tone. She gripped the line of tickets in her hand, turning toward the arcade game that everybody was still crowding over. Shouting filled the entire room as there was a victor... and as expected, it was the blonde haired girl. With taking her opponent's tickets, she had exactly enough to win her the ticket. Elise grit her teeth to the point of exaggeration, and she pulled out the remaining money from her pocket.
She had four quarters left, just enough for one match of that game.
"Hey!" Elise shouted from the crowd, silencing them as she approached the console, standing beside Kaguya. With her arms folded and tickets in hand, she tapped her foot. "What say you take me on next?" The crowd collectively gasped as the girl turned to face her.
"Oh... you wish to fight for tickets, as well?" The girl asked innocently, despite her face showing very little emotion. She wasn't arrogant, despite her winning streak.
"That's right!" Elise said, pointing at the unflinching girl. "I have one hundred and seven tickets, and I'm willing to blow them on fighting you for all of yours!" Again, the crowd gasped dramatically. The girl tilted her head.
"...I've already collected the necessary tickets that I need to obtain my prize," the girl said, in a somewhat more direct tone. "Fighting you would be a waste of time. Taking those parameters in effect, I decline your challenge." Kaguya grunted and stared at the ticket counter, looking at the various prizes.
"You may be right," Elise said, her frown turning into a smirk, "but what about a little extra incentive? With these extra tickets, you'll not only get the shirt, but also..." She directed her pointing finger toward the counter. "The free sweet pudding discount!" Yet again, the crowd gasped, but Kaguya shushed them immediately as it was getting annoying.
"Pudding...? Hmm, I hadn't known of that discount," The girl said. The amount needed for the pudding discount was one hundred tickets even, and she had exactly the eight hundred she needed for the shirt only. "Very well. It will only be a simple matter in dealing with her, anyway," the girl mumbled to herself.
"Well? How about it?" Elise asked.
"...Yes. I'll accept your challenge, as nothing will stop me from obtaining my goal. I'll stop you here." She seemed to be more serious now, her expression changing just a little bit.
"Good! But, I won't go easy on you!" Elise said, clenching her fists tight as she prepared her money.
"Elise, have you ever even played this game before...?" Kaguya whispered to Elise. Elise smiled, but shook her head.
"No, not really. But I'm doing it for you, so there's no way I can lose!" Kaguya stuttered for a moment at Elise's words. This other girl was certainly going to demolish her.
"By the way," the girl asked, slotting her quarters in the machine, "what's your name? It's always good to be acquainted with new players, especially those I have not played with before." Elise did the same, steeling her nerves.
"I'm Elise, and what do they call you?" Elise asked back, her hand on the joystick.
"My name is Es. Es Mitsurugi."
As she said her name, both Elise and Es simultaneously hit their player buttons, allowing themselves to both join the game as a Versus match. The crowd went wild, all except Kaguya, who concerningly watched both players select their characters. Elise, having little to no idea as to who any of the characters are, picked a character with a lance. Es picked the same character as always, a paladin with a greatsword.
"Es... she doesn't seem to be a joke," Elise thought, looking at her. Es was selecting the stage, one that would put them at equal footing so that neither person would be at a disadvantage. "To amass eight hundred tickets just from defeating other players with them... she's kinda scary, now that I'm close to her. But I have to shake off this nervousness."
"Best of three," Es said, breaking Elise's thought process. "Please, do your best." Elise nodded at her remark, as to mean the same.
Once the stage was selected, the game loaded, with murmurs in the crowd. They were gawking over both Elise and Es, as their eyesight was firmly glued to the screen. The stage loaded, the characters performed their introductions, and they stood on either side. The arena was on a circular shaped disk, overlooking a deep ocean. Land could be seen far away.
"Round one!" The crowd shouted, alongside the game's announcer. Elise tensed up, her hand on the knob of the joystick and her fingers on the attack buttons. "FIGHT!"
In an attempt to catch her off guard, the lancer attempted to strike first, lunging in to impale the paladin with the pike she wielded. However, the paladin was quick; he sidestepped out of the way in time, leaving the lancer wide open. The paladin grabbed her by the shoulders and launched her high into the air, and as she came down, the paladin swung his blade at a high velocity. This attack smacked the lancer far away, into the ocean. This was considered a loss instantly for Elise.
"Ring out!" Both the game and the crowd shouted, cheering as Es made quick work of Elise in the first few seconds of the round. Elise stared at the screen in surprise, just the same as Kaguya had. Looking over at Es, she didn't show any emotion, nor did she look away. It all just felt the same to her.
"Nice shot," Elise thought. She shrugged her shoulders, trying not to loosen her nerves as she narrowed her eyes on the screen, getting ready for the next round. "You won't be lucky a second time..."
"Fight!" The crowd shouted. With that indicator, Elise circled around the paladin, trying to find an opportunity to strike. Yet, he wasn't seeming to turn his body to face her. Reaching the back of the paladin, the lancer dashed in and performed a leaping strike, trying to smack the lance down on the paladin. However, the paladin was quick in blocking the attack, and as their weapons clashed, sparks flew. Utilizing his strength, the paladin knocked the lancer back, and she regained her footing while holding her lance up defensively.
"Elise..." Kaguya whispered. "You have to...!" Before she could continue, the lancer spun her lance around, hurling it at the paladin as hard as she could. With another swipe of his sword, however, he repelled the lance away, and it stuck in the ground beside him. The lancer's stoic face turned into a rather surprised face, as the towering paladin approached her menacingly, sword tightly in hand.
"Oh, man!" Elise thought. She quickly sprinted to her lance, but the paladin cut her off by bringing his sword down in front of her, and it struck the ground hard. The lancer slid to a stop, looking up at the paladin, who quickly uprooted his sword and swung it at the defenseless lancer. The strike killed her instantly, ending the second round.
"Knock out!" The game exclaimed, as the crowd cringed at the attack. Elise didn't realize how vulnerable she was without her lance, and as she hunched over her controls, she shook her head.
"How can I...? I picked the wrong person..." Elise mumbled to herself. Es looked over to Elise for a fleeting moment, an expressionless sigh escaping her parted lips before she turned back to the screen. Kaguya then tapped Elise's shoulder, surprising her from behind.
"...Move over, Elise," Kaguya said. "I'll help you." Elise shook her head.
"No way, I have to do this! This is my fault, anyway... I should have bought the shirt when I had the opportunity to do so!" Her arms were shaking. She wasn't sure if it was embarrassment or anger, or perhaps a foul mixture of both, but she wasn't going to give up so easily. However, Kaguya wasn't going to let her continue this way. She took her hand off of the joystick and replaced it with her own.
"Trust me on this," Kaguya said with a smile. "I've been paying close attention." Replacing Kaguya's spot, she took the controls and fixated her eyes on the screen as the third round was about to begin.
"You are with her, correct?" Es asked Kaguya. "Are you sure you're willing to fight under such conditions?" Kaguya nodded immediately, but was unresponsive otherwise. The character took their positions and the round started.
No sooner than the crowd said "fight" did Kaguya take the initiative, utilizing the lancer's quick speed to drift around the paladin. The way she lancer moved actually managed to confuse the lancer, as tried to stab her directly with the sword but ended up missing entirely. Leaping up from above, the lancer catapulted her weapon down toward the paladin, who was too stunned mid-strike to register that it was coming, and it impaled him through and through. He was dead, earning Kaguya a victory.
The crowd collectively gasped in excitement. This was the first time that Es had actually been caught off guard, let alone defeated. The gasping subsided as the cheering drowned it out. Elise's face was bright after seeing Kaguya, but just like Es, she remained with a serious tone as the next round started.
This time, the lancer and the paladin squared off head-to-head. They traded blows, and the lancer backstepped and dodged away from some of them. The bulky paladin threw his weight around well, swinging his sword and trying to keep the lancer close to the edge as possible. However, Kaguya knew what to do in this case, as she had recognized Es's technique before. With a quick dodge, she used the paladin's momentum to trip him up, and the lancer slid underneath him, knocking him off of his feet and into the ocean.
"Ring out!" The game exclaimed. Excited murmurs could be heard in the crowd as the game was tied up, and Es bit her lip with a small grunt. She was being pushed to her limit, and had to think of a strategy, fast. Kaguya caught onto her movements from merely watching.
"All tied up," Kaguya sighed. She could feel nervousness creep up on her, but the nerves were shot with a long blink of her eyes.
"Yes, indeed," Es replied. "You are no stranger to this game, are you?" Kaguya smirked.
"Yes, I am. However, I'm no stranger to lance play!" She took a firm hold of her joystick and prepared for the next set. For the first time since Kaguya watched her play, she could see a slight hint of weariness creeping up in Es's eyes.
"Final Round!" The third round started off in utter silence, from both the game and the crowd. They each circled one another, each doing a pose with their weapons as they stood idle at random moments. The lancer spun her lance over her head, while the paladin swung his sword in the air in front of him. Time marched on, but neither party wanted to take the initiative as time marched on. Over time, she inched closer to him, trying to tease the paladin into striking first. As Es was familiar with this kind of tactic, she very easily dismissed her tricks.
"Hmm...it's too close..." Elise said. She nervously held her hands together. The two didn't break a sweat, nor exude any anxious movements. However, Kaguya just got close enough for her to jab the paladin with her lance. That was the movement Es was anticipating. He moved out of the way of the lance, grabbing it by the pole and pulling the lancer with it. However, with quick timing, the lancer let go of the lance and somersaulted over the paladin, just before he could cut her down with his sword. The lance, however, slid near the edge of the stage.
"O-oh no!" Kaguya thought. The lancer scrambled to her lance and turned around fast, to see the paladin was already running towards her, bringing his sword down on her. She suffered the blow greatly, and the crowd shouted in surprise. Elise closed her eyes, as she did take a rather large amount of damage from the strike.
"Don't tell me...!" Elise said, opening her eyes slowly to look at the screen. Looking at the battle, the victor was clear.
"Winner! Lancer!" The game proclaimed, as the health gauge of the paladin dropped to zero simultaneously. When looking at the two combatants, the lancer was bleeding, but her lance had pierced through the armor—and as a result, the heart—of the paladin. The lancer was only stuck with a miniscule fraction of health.
The crowd cheered, as well as Elise, who was laughing happily as she jumped up and down in surprise. Kaguya was panting heavily, her knees wobbling a bit as her nervousness crashed on top of her full circle. Es took her hands off of the game panel, frowning at first before a small smirk replaced it. She turned to Kaguya, bowing slightly to her.
"Congratulations," she said. "Those reflexes...you must have known about that attack. I am impressed." Kaguya chuckled, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.
"You're not bad yourself," Kaguya replied. "Just from watching you take on that other guy...I could have lost very easily if I wasn't careful." Es nodded.
"Well, in the end, a bet is a bet. Here is your reward." She provided Kaguya with her string of tickets.
"Awesome!" Elise said, leaning on Kaguya's shoulder. They both made their way to the counter, setting their tickets down on in a messy clump in front of the cashier. Fiddling with the toothpick in his mouth, the cashier scanned the tickets into a machine that ultimately shredded them.
"Alright, nine hundred and seven tickets," the cashier sighed in a bored tone. "Pick a thing or whatever." Hastily, they both pointed at the shirt, startling him. Without a second thought, he pulled the shirt down and handed it over, and Kaguya held it in her hands. She finally obtained it. "Alright, that just leaves you with a hundred and seven." Elise looked at the listing of items, all well within the ticket range. Kaguya looked over by the fighting game arcade machine, where Es had become part of the crowd now, watching two combatants battle.
"Hey! We should try and get these cool little plastic ninjas," Elise said, acting like a child. "Or, we could make our way out with a handful of candy! Oh, oh, I know! Those little pinwheels-"
"I'll have the pudding coupon, please." Kaguya pointed directly at it, interrupting Elise. "The one for one hundred tickets." Elise tilted her head.
"Alright, kiddo." He pulled the coupon off of a rack on the wall and presented it to Kaguya, who happily took it. It appeared to be the last one available there. "Welp, since you don't have enough tickets for anything else, we'll just recycle it into your pool for next time. Do you have an account or whatever with us?"
"I-I do," Elise said, embarrassed. "Just put it in mine, here..." Elise spoke with the cashier to carry over the remaining tickets, and Kaguya left the counter, heading to the fighting game. Approaching her from behind, Kaguya tapped Es on her shoulders. Es turned her head slightly, looking over her shoulder at Kaguya.
"Here." Kaguya held out the card, presenting it to Es directly. At that point, it caused Es to turn around completely.
"The discount...but you have won it fair and square," Es said, slightly shaking her head. "I couldn't possible relieve you of this..."
"Aww, don't sweat it," Kaguya smiled. "You're really good, and besides...I feel as though you deserve it. It wouldn't have felt right to leave it alone like that!"
"You truly mean this?" Es said. Her smile came back again, and she gently took the card from Kaguya. Elise turned back to see the two, and couldn't help but smile herself. Kaguya's selflessness really ignited something within her, for some reason.
Food Court, Again
"Ahh! Finally! Glad that's over!" Elise said, stretching with her bags in hand. Kaguya had the shirt over her shoulders, with the tags still on them. They made their way to the food court again, and despite the minimal bags they had by the end of the list, so much had been done that it was safe enough for them to call it a day. They were going to get more dessert as a result, and Elise threw herself in the iron chair, letting out a victorious sigh. Kaguya did the same, just to relax for a mere moment.
"Whew...so done," Kaguya said. She threw the shirt over her face and laid back in the chair.
"So, what's the goal for desserts?" Elise asked.
"...I thought you were the one with the plan?" Kaguya replied, speaking through the fabric of the shirt. Elise scoffed.
"Well, I was the one with the plan the last time. I figured I'd pass the buck to you for a moment."
"H-hey, you can't surreptitiously drop stuff off on me like that!" Kaguya said. She pulled the shirt off of her face and draped it on her shoulder. "So unfair..."
"Well, now you get to be the one standing in line," Elise chuckled. "Hop to it, then!" Kaguya puffed her cheeks, pouting.
"There's no way that I'm—" She was going to retort yet again, but was silenced as a tray was gently set down at the table. The tray was completely covered in little plates and containers of various pudding, and the deliverer...
"Hello."
It was Es, who looked down at them. "Do you mind if I sit here...?" Just as soon as she asked the question, she sat down anyway. However, neither Elise nor Kaguya seemed to mind. If anything, they sat upright and looked at Es. With plastic spoon in hand, she selected the first container of pudding available; vanilla and strawberry mix, with an actual strawberry on top of it, as well as an assortment of sweet fruits inside. She indulged in the first spoonful, her eyes closed as she savored the flavor. Elise and Kaguya couldn't help but stare like a deer in truck headlights.
"Wow..." Elise accidentally let out a dreamy sigh, trying her hardest to keep her saliva in her mouth. It was the same for Kaguya, as her eyes seemed to literally shine bright like stars. Es, who was about to take the next bite, looked up to see the two slowly leaning in.
"...P-pardon me..." Es blushed. "If you two want a bite to eat, you may just ask, I don't mind sharing..."
"O-oh!" Elise said, blinking twice to snap out of her trance. "Sorry about that, it just...looked awfully good, is all." Es nodded in agreement, before taking two containers. One was chocolate with blueberries on top of and crushed inside the pudding. The other was a light pinkish pudding, with raspberries adorned at the top of it.
"Yes, indeed," Es replied. She bestowed the two pudding cups to them and nodded. "It is very rare that I've been defeated in that game. With the coupon that you have given to me, I felt as though a greater reward was in place."
The two introduced themselves properly to Es, and they managed to get a firm understanding of each other. Elise even told Es about how the shirt was an utmost priority, which is why she was challenged in the first place, amongst their other crazy shopping trips.
"Ah, I see." Es nodded, taking her last spoonful of pudding. "I can see why you were so determined to win. Your resolve was much greater than mine...I was bound to lose."
"Well, don't say that," Kaguya said, with a giggle. "It was a good match nonetheless...I just wish there was a second shirt that we could have gotten."
"You do not have to worry. After you two left, I went to see what else that 'Tsubasa' store could have offered me. As a result, I did actually manage to find a shirt that looked well enough for me." Es leaned down in her chair to a lone bag that sat beside her. Inside of the bag, she pulled a shirt out and opened it up, for everyone to see.
"Yuri."
Elise almost choked on her pudding and Kaguya stifled a giggle.
"I'm not sure what it means," Es said, "but, it is a well designed shirt. I do like it." Kaguya burst out laughing.
"Hey, hey, Elise, does this mean that I can get one too? Huh?" Kaguya asked, pressuring her.
"Don't you touch me!" Elise angrily retorted.
"...I am confused," Es said. "What...what does it mean...?"
It was an exciting day that turned into a late night, all at once.