Quest Chapter 42: Star6, a 3x3 eyes fanfic

May 6th, 2011, Cont'd.

"So, how do I look?" I asked, giving a quick twirl in front of my bedroom mirror. "Not too formal, but not too casual?"

Nova wagged her tail and gave a light 'boof' of approval.

I bent down and picked her up off the floor, bringing her up to eye level for a proper searching glare.

"Are you sure? You're not just saying that to get me out of the apartment sooner, are you?"

Nova gave me another 'boof' before wriggling closer to lick me on the nose.

"Okay, okay, I believe you" I chuckled, gently putting her down. "And now I see where all that food is going. You keep growing at this rate, it won't be long before you're the one picking me up."

I straightened up again and took one last glance in the mirror. At Vicky's suggestion, I'd gone with a sleeveless white ribbon-bow blouse and a simple black skirt that ended just above the knee. I'd stopped wearing overtly 'girly' clothes after my first few weeks at Winslow, where Emma, Madison and the others mocked me for looking like a boy in a dress. Feeling comfortable in more feminine clothing was another small victory over my old fears and hang-ups.

Of course, I was still wearing a pair of gym shorts under the skirt, and I hadn't so much as touched any of the makeup Emma picked out for me, but baby steps, you know?

After one last check to make sure everything looked okay, I topped up Nova's water bowl and put a couple lightly cooked pork chops into her dish.

"I'll be back later tonight," I told her, "so don't think about throwing any parties. If everything's still in one piece, I'll give you another treat, okay?"

Nova woofed her agreement, holding up one paw as if swearing a solemn oath. As I stepped out the door, I got the sense that she was wishing me luck.

I spent most of the trip to the meet-up spot trying to think of the perfect opening line. I would need to be affectionate but not over-eager, casual but not dismissive, fun and charming and just a little romantic and yet still capable of breaking through the awkwardness both Jess and I were prone to. I considered and rejected countless approaches, drawing ever closer to my goal, until I came up with something so sublime that poets and sages would weep at its beauty.

At least, that's what it felt like. Of course, the moment I finally jogged up to the bus stop and saw Jess staring down the road with a faint smile on her heavily-freckled face, all I could say was…

"Woah."

I'd always associated Jess with sporty and casual looks: t-shirts, hoodies, and jerseys with her favorite teams' logos. Looking at her now, I realized that just because she didn't tend to spend a lot of effort on her appearance didn't mean that she couldn't. She'd gone for more of a masc look, in contrast to mine, wearing a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up almost to her elbows, matching slacks, plus a tie and suspenders in complementary colors. For all that, its closely tailored fit drew attention to her long legs and lean curves, making it unlikely anyone would mistake her for a boy.

It was, in other words, a kind of style I didn't know I was extremely into until just a few seconds ago.

Jess turned at the sound of my sudden exclamation and grinned. "Hey, Taylor."

"Hey," I said, trying not to stare. "You look, uh, wow…"

"T-thanks," she said, blushing slightly. "You look pretty, uh, pretty…" She shook herself slightly. "You look pretty."

I felt a blush rising to my own cheeks, suddenly unable to think of anything to say. Jess pursed her lips together and dropped her gaze to the pavement, seemingly just as tongue-tied. At this rate, we could spend all night standing at the bus stop, trapped in awkward-cute purgatory.

Jess frowned. "Wait. Why did you say we should meet at the bus stop if you weren't going to take the bus?"

"Oh," I said, instantly losing the battle against the blush. "I did, mostly. I kinda lost track of time on the way here, trying to think of something that's really not important. When I snapped out of it and didn't recognize the area, I assumed I'd managed to daydream through my stop, panicked, and jumped out at the next opportunity. That was about four blocks from here."

Jess was very clearly trying not to laugh at my misfortune, and doing a poor job of it. "So you had to walk the rest of the way here?"

"Yeah," I sighed, "but only after walking another two blocks in the wrong direction. Sorry if I kept you waiting long."

Jess shook her head. "You're right on time, and I definitely didn't get nervous and show up here half an hour early, so nope, no long wait at all."

We both giggled a little at that, if only to let some of the tension out. This time, the silence that followed was only a little bit awkward.

"So," I eventually said, "you're the only one who knows where this mystery date is actually happening. You want to lead the way?"

"I guess I have to," Jess grinned. "You remembered to wear your dancing shoes?"

I shrugged. "I have shoes? They could be dancing shoes, but I don't know the first thing about dancing, so they're mostly just standing-around-looking-awkward shoes."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Jess said, starting off down the sidewalk. "I feel like you're a pretty fast learner."

I started to get the feeling I'd misjudged the situation when Jess led me into a hole-in-the-wall arcade wedged in between a pawn shop and a payday loan joint. The inside wasn't nearly as sketchy as I'd expected, being clean and well-lit, but the place looked like it hadn't been redecorated since the 80s. I recognized at least some of the games on display, though, so at least those were probably a bit more modern.

The man behind the cash register at the back waved when he saw us came in, and Jess waved back with a beaming grin.

"Come here often?" I asked.

Jess's smile turned a bit sheepish. "Uh, maybe. Promise not to laugh?"

"I'll do my best," I said, as we both exchanged some bills for a fistfull of tokens. "This isn't what I expected, sure, but people keep telling me I need to try new things."

Jess led me around to one side of the room. "Well, I'm pretty sure you've never tried anything like this before. Behold!"

I blinked. "Behold?"

Jess made a sweeping gesture towards a line of machines against one wall. They looked like normal arcade cabinets, except each one was connected to a wide metal platform covered in huge colorful buttons, in addition to a big plastic light-gun on a semi-elastic tether. The cabinets themselves were covered in pictures of anime-style magical girls holding giant sci-fi laser guns. Above all that, a bright marquee announced the name of the game:

MoveXGroove Insurrection: Legacy of Cosmic Princess!

I blinked a few more times, just to be sure. Jess watched my reaction carefully, her expression flickering between nervousness and nigh-religious awe.

"I have no idea what this is," I said, finally. "It looks, uh, complicated."

"I basically grew up on this game," Jess said, "so you can imagine how psyched I was to find a place in Brockton Bay that had it. Most fans say that LoCP is one of the best games in the entire Move-to-Groove franchise, too. Well, okay, some people try to argue that Perfect Oath is better, but honestly the whole 3D thing is just a gimmick."

I glanced over at the flashing displays in attract mode, alternating between sequences of brilliantly colored violence and splash images of improbably proportioned girls in what I could only describe as bikini-ballgown battle armor. Every now and then, words would flash across the screen almost too quickly to read. "So, you're saying it's, um, a good game?"

Jess nodded solemnly. "My absolute favorite. I've got backup plans if this isn't really your style, but I think you should give it a try. It seems like the kinda thing you could really get into."

Jess stepped up onto one of the control pads, so I went to the one next to her. "I'm not much of a gamer, but Street Fighter was lots of fun. How do I play?"

Jess pulled her lightgun from its holster and started tossing it back and forth between her hands, as if testing its weight. "Well, it's a co-op game, so the only competition is to see who gets the best score. We play as Groove Armigers of the Rhythm Aeon, defending innocents from evil Distortion Demons. Hitting the dance pad in time with the arrows on screen lets us charge up our Groove Energy, which empowers our Magical Melody Arms to be able to shoot the demons. Make sense so far?"

I nodded dumbly. It probably would have made more sense if I'd paid more attention to the game and less attention to the way Jess was limbering up. Damn, but that outfit looked good on her.

"...but if you do that while your energy bar is full and your health is low, you get what's called a True Melody Buster that not only clears the screen, but can revive your partner if they're down. Following so far?"

"No, not really," I admitted. "Sorry, I'll try to listen closer this time."

"No, no, I get it," Jess said, pulling a memory card out of her pocket and inserting into a slot on the game cabinet. "Honestly, it's probably too much to take in all at once. You'll have more fun learning as you go."

The screen flashed to life with the phrase "WELCOME BACK: STARLIGHT_BREAKDOWN," before switching to a character roster that made the one from Street Fighter look practically anemic.

"I have no idea what I'm doing," I said, picking one at random. "Probably going to make you lose a bunch. Sorry."

Jess gave me a wide grin. "That's okay. Losing is fun! Just follow my lead and remember the three rules. One, combos are your lifeline. Two, you can only shoot while your feet are on the buttons."

"And three?" I asked, watching as a sea of pulsing arrows began to float up from the bottom of the screen.

Jess danced a dozen steps across the gamepad in what seemed like the blink of an eye, held her lightgun in both hands, and blasted the head. Still firing, she turned to give me a devil-may-care grin.

"Show no fear."

My heart started beating faster for reasons that had nothing to do with the game. I squared my shoulders, steadied my grip on my weapon, and started to dance.

"87 seconds!? That felt a lot longer than 87 seconds…"

"That's actually really good for a first try, Taylor. Just remember, blue arrows for power, green arrows to evade."

"What about the red arrows?"

"Ignore them. Sorry, but you're just not ready for red arrows yet."

"Okay, but how come you keep getting so much more energy than me?"

"Combo multiplier. Remember rule #1!"

"How am I supposed to do that when standing still to shoot breaks my combo?"

"Excellent question! I think it's time you learned about cancel-slides."

"Are all of the characters this, uh, bouncy?"

"Not ALL of them, but, well, yeah. If you can look past the immature bits, though-"

"Oh, I wasn't complaining."

"...so the story is actually beautiful, so long as you go through it in the right order. Oh, and don't listen to anyone who tells you that the anime is a suitable substitute for the visual novels. You just can't condense sixty hours of gameplay into twelve episodes…"

"My fire attacks are useless against this guy! It's all up to you, Taylor!"

"Super. Wait, didn't you know this boss would be coming up? Why'd you pick Midnight Flame Maiden if you knew she'd be useless?"

"Because she's - rocket rocket shoot the rocket - because she's super cute?"

"Ah. Objection withdrawn."

"...but if you look at the original lyrics on the first two songs of the 2007 soundstage album, the yuri subtext between Midnight Flame Maiden and Dark Heaven Kismet pretty much just becomes text."

"That sounds like pretty thin evidence, Jess."

"Sure, but-"

"But that doesn't mean we won't protect their love at all costs. We're going to need more tokens."

"Alright! One more level down. Bring on the next giant demon boss!"

"..."

"Jess, why are you giving me that look?"

"...no reason."

"Wait a second. That's no demon. That's Princess Shining Bright!"

"So it appears."

"...shit just got real, didn't it?"

"Shit, I'm down! It's all up to you, Taylor!"

"No! I can't do this without you!"

"You can! I believe in you! Remember rule three!"

"I'm not afraid, Jess, but I still need you. We've come all this way together."

"...wait. Is that...?"

"You deserve this final shot as much as I do, and as long as I live, I'll make sure you get it!"

"What!? The red arrows? How!?"

"The power to protect everyone: True! Melody! BUSTER!!!"

"I can't believe I shouted that to the entire arcade."

After finishing up at the arcade, Jess suggested we walk over to Freeze Ray's for some ice cream. We'd found a little corner booth where we could sit side-by-side while we talked, ordered our favorite mountains of frozen sugar, and basked in the heavenly chill of the shop's giant air conditioner units. After all the excitement, the last thing my nerves needed was a sugar rush, but I'd take any excuse to keep the night going a little longer.

"Trust me, Taylor," Jess said, around half a mouthful of ice-cream and toffee, "you're not the only person to ever get that lost in the game. Such is the power of the Groove."

I leaned over to bump my shoulder gently into hers. "That sounds like a story. Seriously, though, how is that game not more popular?"

Jess shrugged. "No clue. Might have something to do with how many reviews keep calling it 'unplayably difficult' or 'a pointless exercise in exhaustion and overstimulation'."

"Weakness," I growled, shaking my fist at some imaginary philistine.

Jess grinned and rolled her eyes at me. "Of course you'd say that. I'm just glad you had a good time."

"I got to dress up fancy to go play silly arcade games with a cute girl," I said, almost without blushing. "How could I not have a blast?"

Jess groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Aw hell, you can't just say something like that out of nowhere. My heart can't take it!"

I chuckled at her plight, put an arm around her shoulder so I could snuggle in closer. "Well, if you want to get revenge, maybe you should call me cute?"

Jess turned towards me, making me suddenly aware of just how close our faces were. "Taylor," she half-whispered, "you're gorgeous. You're amazing."

Now I was the one who wanted to hide, but I hadn't left myself any way to escape. My ears grew hot, my face flushed, and my brain came to a complete stop. "I...aaah…"

Jess's grin grew a little wicked. "Heh, I win."

Before I could really register that, she darted in to give me a kiss. It was quick, barely a peck on the lips, but still long enough for me to catch the faint taste of raspberry underneath the sticky sweetness of ice cream and toffee.

"Oh, wow," I breathed, floating in a pleasant haze just a little outside my body. "Wait. You win? You win what?"

"Another date, I hope," she said, feigning innocence. "I mean, if you'd like that. If I'm going to fast or you're not comfortable or-"

"No, I'd like that," I said. "I'd like it very much."

Before either of us could say anything else, both of our phones went off simultaneously.

Jess's outfit had regular pockets, so she was the first one to get her phone out. "It's Thea," she said, frowning. "She just sent a link and, like, fifteen exclamation points."

On my own phone, I followed the link to the site for a local news station. The live video stream showed one of their reporters speaking to a woman with a blurred out face. Something about her seemed strangely familiar. The bold text in the lower third read out "HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT FENDS OFF MUGGERS."

"...I'm part of this little self-defense club at my school," the blurred-out girl said, and I realized why she was so familiar. "I've only been going for a few weeks, but we've got a really great teacher. She's kinda hardcore, if you know what I mean, but I guess I can't argue with the results."

"I'd say so," the reporter replied. "So, when those two men confronted you, you decided to try and put your training into practice?"

Tracy gave a tired-sounding laugh. "I didn't really decide anything. I saw the knife, and the swastika tattoos, and my body just sort of moved. On some level, I could hear myself considering options, calculating that my friend and I probably wouldn't make it if we ran, By the time my brain actually caught up, though, I was holding the knife, and they were on the ground holding their-"

The station bleeped out her next word, while the reporter gave an awkward smile. I'd seen enough. I turned off my phone and moved to leave the booth.

Jess reached out and gently grabbed my hand. "Taylor?"

"Be right back," I muttered, trying not to let my emotions show through. "Just going to go murder Kaiser. Shouldn't take long."

Jess frowned. "Taylor, no. Sit down, please."

I sighed, but let her pull me back down to my seat. "Fucking Nazis."

"It's alright, Taylor," Jess soothed. "Killer's fine. You taught her to defend herself, and she did."

I frowned, but my anger was fading almost as quickly as it had risen. If I was being honest with myself, it wasn't just worried about Tracy, I was furious that the E88 had attacked someone I cared about. It wasn't the most heroic motivation, but it felt like they'd tried to take something from me, and I wanted more than anything to punish them for it.

Instead of saying any of that, I just sighed and squeezed Jess's hand. "You're right. Still sucks. How are you holding up?"

Jess took a deep breath and managed to banish all but the faintest signs of worry from her smile. "Tired, mostly. I think I'm ready to call it a night. Oh, if only I had a big, strong hero to keep me safe as I walk through these dangerous streets."

I let out a short laugh. "Wow, subtle. If you'd like me to walk you home, you know you only need to ask?"

Jess giggled and leaned back against me. "Oh, shush. Let me have my little fantasy."

By the time we actually made it out the door, I'd decided that murdering Kaiser would have to wait for another day.

A/N: Not much to say about this chapter except that it was incredibly fun to write. While Taylor is an introvert, Jess is more of a socially awkward extrovert, with a fun tendency to bounce back and forth between shy and flirty. She and Taylor are absolutely going to need to talk more about poly stuff, relationships and expectations and that sort of thing, but date night really isn't the best time to have that conversation. As for how much of that will show up on screen, all I can say is less than all, more than none.

Next time, on Daystar!: Taylor and Sophia go for a late-night walk and run into an old friend. Then someone gets shot.

Until next week, remember to stay safe, be cool, and 'ware the plague. And, as always, thanks for reading!

Last edited: Nov 27, 2020

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WinterWombat

Nov 26, 2020

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