Bigger Games
~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~
Mr. H and Joshua playing on their free time. Possibly in-game or pre-game.
~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~
"You really sure about playing in The Game?"
Mr. Hanekoma asked with a little too much concern. To which Joshua shrugged unaffectedly. "Actually, I'm thinking on what new dish the ramen chef has to offer."
"Really?"
"Positive. Oh and Mr. H, you just lost The Game."
"Ahahaha! Beaten at my own game again." A hand on his forehead and the other on his hip, the older accepted his defeat rather cheerfully. "C'mon, ya hafta let me win at least once."
"But won't that ruin the whole point in playing games?"
"Games are all about fun! It ain't about who wins and who loses. It's all about enjoying life!" He exclaimed and then held his chin like a con artist. "But it doesn't hurt to win every once in a while, aight?"
"A bit contradicting today, aren't you?" Something he was used to already.
"Had more than my daily cups of joe. So we playing?" He grinned his challenge.
"Ready when you are." Joshua backed up a bit and went into defense mode.
"One. Two…" They were in sync. However, only one would be declared the winner. "Three!" And it was over.
"Congratulations on your first win of the day." Joshua had his hand open while Mr. H had two fingers. If it were numbers, the former was obviously the winner. However, it's a universal rule that paper cannot beat scissors.
"Oh c'mon, Josh. Can't ya say it a little bit better? Like making it sound like I actually won." It's one of those rare cases where winning actually makes you feel worse which was a pretty usual thing for him considering it's Joshua smirking like he was doing right now.
"Hee hee, did I mispronounce anything?" He giggled, teasing.
"Guess that was too much to ask." Mr. H just sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. A second later, his pride had already recovered.
These two together always meant business within the context of helping each other out. They were busy people. However, when they're not preoccupied with work they just get bored. So it became a ritual for them to play games. What kind? Anything they can come up with although it was Mr. H who gladly contributed the most on this part. Joshua on the other hand seems content to just play along.
"What do you say to one round of Reaper Sport #2?" Which was Hide and Seek.
"Pass." The difference in their frequencies points out the disability on Joshua's part. "We both know that you're the obvious winner."
"You're making me think you got losing issues."
"No, not at all. You're just biased."
"Ha! I gotta exercise my rights, right?" It may not look like it but by authority, it was Mr. H who was higher between the two of them. And what comes with authority was power. But it wasn't like this was always stressed between the two. "Enough with the warm-ups. We're playing the big boy games now. Let's clash!"
"Challenge accepted." Both of them expected this. Ever since yesterday's fight it was inevitable for today's to happen. They were conquering each other in Tin Pin Slammer except without pins. They were clashing in the DS. It took a while but they finished a round. "That was interesting."
"Maybe the bad boy games aren't for us. They aren't rated E for everyone, they're exasperating." And even though it was Mr. H who introduced the videogame he miraculously still lost to Joshua.
"Or maybe rated E is for everyone and you just suck." They placed the consoles on the desk.
"I'd accept that only if God said it. And I'm praying I won't get a text." His phone beeped. Mr. H had an expression one would think he'd never have. Pure unadulterated fear. It felt like forever before he got the courage to open the message. After which he regained composure and snapped it shut. "Miss me already, boss? I take my eyes off you one sec and you're already spamming me."
"Oh, was that from me? Must be a slip of the hand." It was also a slip of a hand that he managed to capture on phone the look on his face when he thought it was from the Greater Being.
"Anyways, what number are we on?"
"I think we stopped at 23."
"Right, right. 21 was Hopscotch. And 22 was Duck, Duck, Goose…" Reaper Sports were usually just games they did to kill off boredom. Even reapers got bored so being the good guys that they were, they turned them into sports just so they wouldn't sound as lame. They were childish games but with greater complications if enacted in the UG. So it's a win for everyone. "How about Pin-Pogs for Reaper Sport #23?"
"Pin-Pogs?"
"You know, stack the pins like in pogs, hit the stack, get the most faced up, we're talking basically pogs except with the use of pins. Tried combining the two words but all I got was Pigs and Pons."
"Interesting suggestion." It was mock fascination. "How many cups did you say you had?"
"Enough to keep me going." He grinned goofily.
"I see. How about I pick the next game today? Yours is terrible."
"Hahaha! What's there to hate? Maybe I should've called it Pons right off the bat." Or Pigs.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Nope, just enjoying life."
"Forget it. We're playing Eleusis." It's a card game where one person has a deck of cards and will lay some with a pattern. The goal for the other person is to guess the pattern. Simple yet sophisticated.
"But we always play that old timer's game."
"Are you implying that we're too old?"
"Nah, don't take it that way, boss. It's just as they say, age is in the heart!" He chuckled good-naturedly. "Just saying we should try to keep up with the times."
"Like that videogame with the magnanimous definition for E?"
"Not what I'd call the perfect example." He almost winced. That was a really bad game.
"Three tries and only one guess, Mr. H." First card, eight of spades. Next card, six of diamonds. Followed by a ten of spades. Fourth card was a four of diamonds.
"You really aren't gonna listen." He sighed. Just go with the flow. "Go easy on me, boss." By then, he assumed the pattern was even numbers, alternating spades and diamonds. He tested it by using his first try on the queen of spades as the next card. "That legit?"
"It can be." After his card, Joshua played a six of hearts. He was completely messing with him.
So Mr. H played along and spent his second try and checked if eight of clovers was okay. "Just guessing."
"Plausible." But then everything after was just puzzling. It was an ace of diamonds then a king of clovers. By then, the even numbers rule and the two-suit rule were discounted.
Counting down to his last try, he went for a different strategy. He picked a wild card. "Ace of spades." His lucky card. In a sense, he was just winging it.
"Acceptable. Now, what hypothesis did you come up with?"
"Ain't you a pain in the ass. Hmm…" It was a joke he used to buy time to think. Joshua hated complex structures. He always argued that the simplest designs were always noteworthy. So to put himself in his shoes, Mr. H gave out the most basic pattern he could think off. "Eternal bounce!"
"Excuse me?"
"Hahaha! Just kidding. It's lower then higher then repeat. Kind of like how a ball bounces."
"Hmph. Lucky guess." For once, he was actually pestered by his victory.
"I'm a big gambler." Thing is, they don't just play the games, they keep tally. The more wins you get the more you owe the other person. Although they still haven't figured out what exactly do they owe.
"I'm bored." Joshua said with a little less enthusiasm. "Care to humor me with another game?"
"Sure, your call."
"I was thinking of playing in the UG." And just as sudden as he brought the topic the tension suddenly became dense.
"Ya know ya can't do that. Rules and all." Mr. Hanekoma's eyes narrowed a bit behind those shades of his. Divine punishment doesn't get away with its name with just a few weeks in jail. Just what was he thinking? "Sides what are ya gonna even do there?"
"Oh, just do what the players do." He giggled although at what he couldn't tell. It was a hollow laugh, one that almost felt like it was filled with remorse.
"Josh…" He closed his eyes, even while they were playing the issue never left him. His friend was in a tight spot and it was rougher for him.
"Shibuya is at a point beyond repair." He spoke with an indifferent tone.
"Don't call it that. Shibuya's a nice city with a good future." Although there was a smile on his face it didn't even reach his ears like it usually would.
"That doesn't quite fit with the facts." The city was in dire condition.
"Look, it may seem a little shady today but we all got our ups and downs, even cities." He loved his beans but even more, he loved Shibuya. It wasn't just a city, it was his world.
"Its recession is something no one can help with." Not even him.
"Not alone they can't." Shibuya is a place filled with people. And with people comes imagination that could affect and bring forth change. But with people also comes differences. If only people accepted instead of denying them then there's a much brighter future.
"You really don't give up, do you?" Even though Joshua has already given up.
"Now what kind of role model I'd be if I did?" He chuckled.
"One that's easier to deal with." It seems that the tension's gone but the problem remains. But they're not working at the moment, they should be playing so they left it at that. Maybe they'll pick it up later.
"Exactly!"
"Stubborn, aren't you?"
"Can't help it. It's an occupational hazard." He shrugged and at this point they were both smirking.
Just another day. Another bout of boredom professionally handled by a certain Mr. H and Joshua. Even though they keep tally of the scores it doesn't necessarily mean they keep track. Who knows who's winning? They aren't checking yet because they know they'll play again on another day. That's just how these two go together. Even outside of work, things just work out. Today it's all just fun and games but maybe the next time wouldn't be as carefree. Maybe the next time they'll play it'll be in the Game. Even so, they'll always be partners in the Shibuya business, no, they go way back, they're friends. And together, they make good music.
"Still up for another game, boss?"
"I guess it can't be helped. Some folks just don't take no for an answer."
~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~
Shinra-ex-SOLDIER