Series Placement: This shard takes place between Fragment 62 and 63.

It was a bit sad, really. All but one of the monitors were gone. Most of the furniture too. Save for the lone couch and the sole smuggled playstation, all that decorated the rather bare room was some dust from the previously hard to reach places. It was the final hours of the Gaming Room, but its sunset would be followed a few days later by the new Arcade.

Tyler was way too excited for that, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to get one last fix. In a set of comfy grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt, he lounged on the nostalgic couch. It may have been temporarily replaced after it broke once, but this refurbished sofa had lived a great life. It'd enjoy a new chapter in the Arcade, but before then, it'd let the employee close the Gaming Room's saga with the lone video game that began it all.

…Except it wasn't quite the transition he'd been hoping for as he gripped his controller a bit nervously.

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Shard 24: Checkpoint Reached

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Love it or hate it, Assassin's Creed had become a classic. It'd always remain one in Tyler's heart, even if Ubisoft was a little too greedy on the business front. Playing as Altair had been his introduction into the gaming world beyond Nintendo, and he'd been trying everything ever since. It was only right he took it with him as a hopeful memento when the recruiter said some have managed to sneak modern entertainment in.

He just never expected that the actual assassins it was based on would one day be watching him play. Cursed Arm, Hundred Face, and Serenity found it curious, but he was otherwise relieved they weren't offended; If anything, impressed the modern world 'praised' them. That was them… but King Hassan was a completely different story.

Tyler quietly glanced behind him, where the silent assassin stood like a statue. Though the employee found him amazing and badass, he was currently extremely nervous the powerful grand servant had just waltzed in and begun watching. It was supposed to be a relaxing last hour before Iskandar and Kintoki came to help move the last stuff. Now Tyler was silently fearing for his head should the big guy be offended.

'I wish he'd just say something,' he pondered nervously as he made the virtual assassin jump off a roof and cleanly execute his target unseen. As if the request was heard, he nearly dropped the controller when King Hassan exhaled. Tyler quickly mustered a natural voice. "You alright there?"

"Thou art the one who pulls the strings?" King Hassan asked as he pointed his gauntlet to the screen and glanced at Tyler. The assassin's gaze turned to the controller, and Tyler felt his voice catch in his throat. Though his presence was nearly unfelt, everyone in Chaldea would agree: His lack of presence was like a suffocating shadow of impending doom. It was triply so for the employee… but he wouldn't freeze! His buddies might never let him live it down!

"Yea. It's a video game. Modern entertainment. I think I told you about it one time?" Tyler's question went unanswered as King Hassan stared to the screen again. Though part of him wanted to run out of the room to breathe, his instincts took over. He unpaused and kept playing. Video games were always his stress relief and escape, so it would be no different here…

…Just a mighty grand servant judging a depiction of his order in a video game. No biggie…?

A minute passed in silence. Another passed as he killed an unmoving guard within a haystack. After two more minute, King Hassan breathed again. "Wisdom shows in thy strategy. But thou art sloppy."

Was that a compliment? "Um… Thank you?"

"The merits of this concept are apparent, though leaves much to be desired in accuracy," King Hassan noted, then walked towards the room's exit.

"…You didn't find it offensive or anything, right?"

King Hassan stopped in the doorway and glanced back. "So long as it is believed as fiction, mine anger remains tempered."

As he walked out, Tyler felt like he dodged an arrow; At least their lone playstation was spared execution. That… probably wouldn't have been the best way to close this room. He grew relaxed quickly, as he should have beem. Yet, as he kept playing the game, he couldn't shake an unnerving feeling. His eyebrows furrowed. '…How did he know I was playing it…?'

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"So he just walked in and started watching you? Wow. I'm impressed you held your ground!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Brotoki." Though Kintoki laughed, Tyler groaned. With one hand, the battle-clad berserker was already hefting the lone monitor through the doorway. He quickly disappeared to bring it to its new home.

"He's right, you know. His presence unnerves servants," Iskandar chuckled. With crossed arms, he stood beside the couch in a pair of weathered denims and an impossibly tight, black muscle shirt. His grin turned to a smirk at Tyler. "Oho… Any reason you kept your cool? Trying to show some backbone to impress the father?"

"I mean, I guess it helped?" Tyler shrugged, and Iskandar chuckled again. "Ah well. Let's get this couch moved. I'll grab this side."

"You sure you want to help?" the rider asked again as he lifted his side of the couch easily, probably even with just a pinky to show off.

"Hell yea I do! If you guys joke I'm the Arcade manager, I need to pull my weight too," he replied easily as he lifted his side. He needed both hands, but he was far from unfit. He felt a bit of strain on his fingers, but that was it. "Nice! Well… Sayonara, room. It's been fun, but we're a needy bunch."

"Onward to glory!" Iskandar chimed in, making the two chuckle as they maneuvered the couch to the first door. Their couch's back was inclined for comfort, but it made squeezing through doors more of a hassle. After some silent gauging and adjusting, they found a proper angle on the first try. It was a tight fit, but they were slowly easing it through. All that remained in the room now was the playstation, but the rider's retainer would be swinging by shortly to fix that.

Iskandar hummed. "I wonder if there are other servants out there interested in playing."

"Play seriously? Besides who we scrapped together? Didn't you say Gilgamesh taught a Togo woman what video games were?" he quickly asked as they crossed through the empty second half. "Togo Mozah or something? How did that even work? I don't think Babylon had circuitry."

"Tomoe Gozen?" Iskandar corrected with a chuckle. "I didn't ask him about it. Hmm… Maybe blondie himself will come some day. You best be on your best behavior?"

"Pssh. When am I not?" Tyler quipped as they got to the hallway's door. Tyler eyed it, then motioned with his head. "Same angle, big guy."

It never ceased to amuse the employee he got to call so many powerful heroes of the past unique nicknames. To be so friendly with them was even better. It made him wonder if he actually did have a fair chance of asking out Serenity sometime since his buddy Anton got so close with another. He was pretty sure she just wanted to be friend thou-

Tyler was jolted from his thoughts by a snag. He stared at the couch. He got his end's legs through just fine, but Iskandar stared at his side that had yet to pass through. After a bit of fidgeting and looking around, Iskandar stared back. "A bit of the leg got stuck. Let's turn it more to the left."

Tyler did as told, but Iskandar quickly laughed as the employee tried to pull but found nothing. "Your other left, Tyler."

"I didn't know!" he countered and quickly turned it the other way. Iskandar chuckled, moved to push the couch through and… it was still stuck. Confused, Iskandar glanced at the other side of the doorway now. The couch's other leg was now stopped it from going through the door. Tyler lifted his side of the couch to dare to peak under. He blinked at what he saw.

This door was just a bit smaller than the other one, but the couch's legs were a bit asymmetrical. Whatever the hell they managed to do, the legs on Iskandar's side bowed out more than his. Maybe it was from all the jumping onto the couch in excitement…? Tyler pondered. "Maybe tilt it back again?"

They did as suggested. Now the other leg was snagging the door frame again. As they lifted it more to try and fidget a new angle, the couch's back slapped against the top of the opening. Iskandar and Tyler glanced at each other and chuckled. The rider brought one hand to his chin in thought. "If the pass is too tight, one formation at a time. Let's get one leg through first."

"On your lead, big guy." They tilted the couch to try and get the first leg… aaaand the couch's bottom frame was now wedged against the door. Still not enough room to squeeze the leg through. Tyler stared in disbelief as Iskandar hummed. "How did the robots get it through here?"

Tyler shrugged. "Maybe we should just remove a leg and put it back."

"We will not be defeated by a couch!" Iskandar declared, and they both laughed. "Turn it the other way! We will defeat this adversary!"

They tilted it again. Nothing. They raised to try and- Nope. The couch's back hit the door frame at a new angle. In another new angle, Iskandar was trying to squeeze the leg past the door frame. It was too tight, and its squeaks of refusal almost sounded like jeers to Tyler's ears. Tyler shrugged. "If we back it up a bit, maybe we can flip it upside down for a better view?"

Iskandar gave him a curious look, but Tyler shrugged. "I'm out of ideas otherwise."

"By the bloody… What are you doing, Tyler?" The employee blinked and glanced back. He blinked again. No question, he was expecting Lord El-Melloi II's incredulous scowl. The caster, with arms akimbo on his business suit, levelled an exasperated glare at him. So, just the usual from his gaming rival.

What the employee wasn't expecting was the gaggle of robots, other employees, and even a few servants waiting on both sides of the hallway. He blinked a third time, and El-Melloi slapped a hand over his face. "You're causing a traffic jam! Just get the couch through already!"

"The hell do you think we're trying to do? Salsa in the moonlight? It's not cooperating!" Tyler shot back as he nodded with his head to the couch. Paracelsus and George's laugh echoed from one of the groups, rousing a few chuckles from the opposite side.

"Then how did you get this side through!?" the caster countered, but quickly walked over to look at the trouble. He nodded to his king, who only laughed at his retainer. After scowling at the offending pair of bowed sofa legs, El-Melloi shook his head. "It looks like it bent more and won't pass through."

"You don't say." The caster glared at Tyler, but Iskandar only laughed harder. "You mind lending a hand then?"

His scowl lightened as he bent down to grab an offending couch leg. "I would quickly bend it back to-"

"No, don't break it!" Tyler interrupted. "This couch has history! It can be a catalyst!"

"I said bend, not break!" El-Melloi fussed back. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder if Flat was a better listener!"

Though their bickering continued, and the traffic jam lingered a little longer, nothing felt wrong. This ridiculousness was probably one of the better ways to say farewell to the old Gaming Room. It wasn't quite what Tyler, or maybe anyone else, expected that day… but then again, wasn't that just par for the course?