1556/Lute and Serori Go To The Arcade

Lute and Serori Go To The Arcade
Date of Scene:	12 February 2015
Location:	Southern Urbania
Synopsis:	Lute and Serori go to an Arcade for a date, and have a minor contest against each other to see who can win the most tickets.
Cast of Characters:	37, 188

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Lute (188) has posed:
     The fact that Lute is in a competition for dates with Vegeta is perhaps the only reason he's making this date a bit more publically known. Yeah, he's not really /scared/ of Vegeta's wrath for dating Serori, but he just found it more... /hilarious/ to be dating Serori, knowing it is something that pisses him off, and keeping it secret.

     Lute is in fairly casual dress today, waiting outside of an arcade in Southern Urbania. Or, more accurately, a 'barcade', an Arcade for alcohol drinking adults. He figures, hey, this is something new that Serori and him haven't done before! Also, he wants to keep the dates varied, personalized for each of his dates this month. This is to keep the women knowing that he views them each as individuals with unique needs. It's also for making sure he doesn't end up going to the same resteraunt multiple days in a month. But still, he imagines Serori will have fun at the arcade.

     And, so, for now? He just has to wait for her to arrive.

Serori (37) has posed:
Serori shows up only a /little/ late. Right about when Lute starts to feel worried she might be blowing him off, she drops out of the sky, landing in a gentle fashion despite the urgency -- yeah, she hates running late, but that doesn't mean she needs to crater the sidewalk. After landing, she passes her hand through her hair, sighs out some gusty exasperation, and lifts her other hand in apology. "Yo. Sorry to keep you waiting; I had a hard time getting away."

'Getting way' from 'what' isn't specified. Serori looks Lute over, looks to the establishment's door, and grins. "What kind of place is this? Where are you taking me today?"

That the date would be casual was well-defined in advance, so Serori's not running around in a sparkly dress and high heels. She /is/ wearing a fitted black tee stamped with some random band's white logo, a pair of denim shorts, and bright pink sneakers with wedge heels. She's also got on a pair of little black earrings -- her attempt at classing things up a bit.

As usual, her tail's dangling down behind her, curling slowly at its tip.

Lute (188) has posed:
     As Serori lands, Lute just smiles. He's not /too/ worried about her being late by a bit. Instead, he just waves, and walks over to her. Moving to give her a quick kiss, and moving to wrap his arm around hers. Yeah, he seems very relaxed with Serori, even more so than with other women.

     "It's a barcade. Arcade games, things you can win tickets on for prizes, and drinks. Figured, you know? Something a bit more casual."

     And, he starts to lead her in.

     "So, how have you been since last time?"

Serori (37) has posed:
Serori keeps her arm looped around Lute's, quite cozy. The question prompts a wider, warmer smile, and she casts him a mischievous kind of look. "Oh, you know. I'm doing quite fine. No Harp today either, hm? Too bad. I guess I'll have to come by the house later to say hello. She's a sweet woman; it was a bit awkward, the way I met her, but..." The saiyan shrugs a bit as she steps through the barcade's door. "...I'm not so embarrassed anymore."

Once inside, she takes a look around, a bit startled by what she sees, though not in any bad way. All the neon lights and flashing colors and varied noise is interesting enough to provoke her curiosity, as is the music playing beneath it all. If the place is a bit more upscale, it might not be overwhelming at first blush, but there's still more than enough to attract a saiyan's keen senses. "Ooh...are those games? Simulations?"

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute smiles. Well, Saiyans /are/ a proud, warrior race. It's no surprise if she hasn't been to an arcade before. But, he'll take a moment to show her around a bit, at least, before they actually get into any of the games.

     "Well, they're all games. Some you can win tickets to get prizes, others are just normal games. They even have some that are more like... tests of strength and skill, I guess they could be called? Heck, I think this place even has a licensed game of the WMAT, though I'm not certain."

     After showing her around a /bit/, he'll take her to the bar, first. Yeah, it's a /bit/ early for alcohol, but hey. They may as well wander around playing arcade games with drinks, rather than doing the same without! Lute gets a somewhat fancy beer.

Serori (37) has posed:
So many choices...

Yep, it's true -- saiyans are serious warrior types who probably don't find much value in gaming. It could be that Serori's at a little bit of a disadvantage, here! Maybe that's why games of skill are getting more attention over games of chance. Skee ball, for example, and those strength tests, and pinball, and that game where you've got to balance things a certain way, and the shooters. Serori gives 'em all at least one curious look.

A few are given a disdainful dismissal, though. "Look at that, the computer has it totally random. It wouldn't be a game at all! It's put in your money, and hope for the best."

At the bar, she's less contemptuous. The list of cocktails is scrutinized, and the beers, and careful thought given to how she'd like to start her day. In the end, she chooses a brunch-friendly drink -- the classic mimosa. Between the orange juice, the garnish of a sliced strawberry, and the brightly-colored curly straw, the drink can almost pass off as something fun and healthy, rather than anything intoxicating! Serori sips at it, and looks content.

"Should we make a wager? Whoever gets the most tickets...should get something."

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute chuckles at the idea of the wager. Hrrrrm. He ponders. What /could/ they bet? There are a lot of options, though... Hrm.

     "Any particular wagers you can think of? I mean, I could /probably/ think of some things I want. In fact, I'm almost certain I could. But. I'd like to hear your ideas, first."

     A smile. He takes a sip of his drink. Yeah, he is having some absolutely terrible ideas coming to his mind. But, hey, she might be having some ideas along those lines, too! Maybe.

     Either way, though, he leads her to a machine; the skeeball seemed the /most/ interesting for her. Granted, he's not very good at these things /himself/, but hey, it's still fun either way!

Serori (37) has posed:
Serori takes a looong sip. As she samples her mimosa, her lips smirk around the straw, and mischief brightens her gaze until she finally answers, in a sly tone, "Whoever loses has to wear the blindfold."

Probably best to just leave it at that.

Chuckling at her own cleverness, she looks over the skee ball ramp, and gestures at the machine. "So? Let's begin this little contest." After Lute pays, she picks up the first ball, tests its weight in her hand, gives it a couple of test bounces --

Then whips it full speed at the top-scoring slot. You know, like a fastball.

There's a bit of a racket as the heavy ball crashes through the glass barrier meant to prevent this kind of cheating, but Serori just gives herself a little cheer as the ball goes rattling down its intended target. Hey, if they didn't want that glass to break, they shouldn't have put it in the way!

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute smiles, glancing at Serori as she suggests that. Well, okay. Yes. That is a decent bet. He nods a little bit, pretending to ponder it. Even though he already knows his answer.

     "...Yeah. I'm sure that could work, just fine."

     At the skeeball machine, Lute just watches. And, he kind of expected this. Taking a Saiyan to an arcade is a dangerous prospect. Doing tests of strength and skill while there? Well. That definitely is going to lead to broken machines. Lute just remains calm, though.

     Because he purchased 'Saiyan Insurance.' Or, well. It isn't actually called that, but. He made a deal with the arcade to pay for the level of insurance premiums one would need to have a Saiyan on the premise. And so, he can easily just give her encouragement.

     "Great job. You're a natural at this already! Though /wow/, that was a hard throw."

     Lute himself? He goes to the skeeball machine next to Serori's, and he'll be competing alongside her. While he doesn't throw it through the glass, instead, he does something /else/ to pump himself up.

     "POKEBALL, GO!"

     And, he throws it, rolling it along. And... Unfortunately, he misses the higher scoring part. He shrugs his shoulders a bit. Oh well. LEast he still gets /some/ points.

Serori (37) has posed:
Serori laughs, already having a good time. It's nice not to get hassled by staff after damaging something. On seeing Lute's approach, though, she frowns a little, and has the grace to appear a smidge on the guilty side. "Oh, was I cheating? You're supposed to roll the ball? Eeeh..." Serori's cheeks tinge pink, and she scratches the tip of her nose. "I'm sorry. I'd never played before." Then, she brightens, and prepares an underhanded roll, modeling her approach after Lute's. She even teases him. "You know if these were Pokeballs, you'd have me licked in no time."

That could be taken one of two ways, huh? Serori cries out, "Kaaa...me...haaa...meee...!" Then, she rolls the ball, laughing out a final, "Haaa!"

The ball misses its intended mark, but bounces down into one of the lower-scoring slots. She's still laughing anyway. "Oho, maybe that technique's not all it's cracked up to be! Perhaps I need to study a bit harder."

The next few balls land with equally erratic results, 'til she's finally out, and has come up with an even dozen tickets. She waves these around under his nose. "This is what victory smells like."

It smells like paper.

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute just smiles at Serori a litle. "Well, it does count as cheating, but. Hey, you didn't know, right? So, no harm done." Yeah, as easygoing as ever. And, he just smiles at the 'lick' comment from Serori. He usually sees double entendre even when there is none. And while he is aware he looks into things a bit too much, well... Yeah. He is just going to take that as smoething meant to have two meanings.

     He rolls the rest of the balls himself. And, unfortunately for the bet, he gets a few less than Serori. Yeah, he throws Pokeballs a lot. He doesn't roll them often. But, with Serori waving the twelve tickets in front of his face, he just shrugs a bit, holding up his six tickets.

     "Well, I'll make up for it in the /next/ round. Your victory will be short lived. Let's see, what's the next closest machine that gives tickets..."

     He walks over with Serori a bit.

     And sighs.

     "...Yeah, you're totally going to win this round too."

     It's a punching bag machine. Made to be punched once, as hard as possible, and giving out tickets based on the amount of pressure put into it.

Serori (37) has posed:
It might not be as easy as Lute thinks.

Serori approaches the punching machine with obvious trepidation. As she eases into a fighting stance, she tries to judge how much force the machine can withstand, and how little force she can put out in a single blow. The way she looks at it -- with that hard frown of concentration -- makes this kind of thing out to be more serious than it actually is, but after the mistake at the skee ball game, she wants to be sure to exercise a little caution. No sense embarrassing herself twice, right? Assessment complete, she sets aside her drink. "Okay. I'm ready."

After Lute puts in the money and the machine comes to life, she nods once, and gives a little growl. "So. This thing wants to test my strength? I'll show it my /control/."

Letting out a little ki-ai, she gives the meter a careful...

/Flick/.

The results tick right up to the red. Serori lets out a sigh of relief; nothing seems to be broken.

Leaning back on her heels, she gives Lute a taunting look. "Let's see how you do, huh?"

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute is, unfortunately, still likely to go be the loser in this competition. He frowns a bit. While he is /strong/, to actually fight at a Multiversal level now, he has to use his Unown to boost his strength. Before, he used various tricks with the ki of Pokemon-1 to fake it. But, he still smiles. "Alright... I'll do my best. But let's see... ALRIGHT!"

     Lute gets into a fighting stance, and places his right fist in the air near the machine. He's getting ready to line up his punch. And, as he pulls back, he swings forward as hard as he can.

     It gets up to just a /bit/ below Serori's. And Lute shrugs.

     "Yeah, even controlled, you're a lot stronger than I am with punches. ...Though with my Unown, I could pretty definitely match you!"

%t He takes a sip of his beer, and then he sets his beer down on a little table they have around for just that purpose. Why? Well. He feels like a bit of a public display of affection! He moves to give Serori a bit of a deep kiss.

     "This is a blast, though. But. I /will/ win. I'll get ahead in the next round!"

Serori (37) has posed:
"Hwaaah, you're so strong!" No, not as strong as a saiyan, but Serori's not going to give him shit over it. He's got limits; what's important is that he understands that, and knows how to work around his limits, either through using his Pokemon, or his cleverness. With a small, warm sound, Serori accepts the kiss, and even takes the time to lean into it and savor it. She tastes all citrusy right now. "If you're going to win, you'd better choose the next game with care. I'm on a roll...you've got a ways to go to make up."

On that teasing, overconfident remark, she sashays her way back to the bar, and seeks a second drink. Another mimosa -- oh, and a soft pretzel, too, with a beer cheese dip. She lingers at the bar to snack for a bit while Lute contemplates their next competition. Yes, she'll share her food if he wants any.

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute smiles. Well. If he wants to win, he is going to have to really up his game. And so, he looks around, considering. What would be the /best/ way to absolutely push the odds into his favor?

     ...And, he finds it. A simple arcade game. There is a balloon in a machine. You press a button to stop a spinner, and if the balloon pops, you get the jackpot. The Jackpot is currently at 200 tickets... And the balloon is /almost/ at the point of popping, but not /likely/ to. And so, he walks back to Serori, smiling.

     "I found the next one, I think. It's pretty simple. While it is /somewhat/ a game of chance? It's also a game of timing. Have to press a button at /exactly/ the white time, type of thing."

     He makes no request to share any of the food, though. He isn't /that/ hungry right now. Instead, he just cuddles up against Serori until they head back to the machine he picked out.

     "And, as usual, ladies first. So you can use the machine first."

     Yes, this is a calculated move. Because if he is to go /first/, it's less likely he'll pop the balloon.

Serori (37) has posed:
"Hmm..." Serori takes her second strawberry between her lips, and bites off the sweet fruity part, leaving the green leafy cap on her bar napkin. "More like luck? I guess it's what you'll need to beat me, huh?" Still teasing him, yup. Serori chuckles and prowls after him as he leads the way to the next game. She watches it in 'demo' mode for a few rounds, following the movement of the spinner until she gets a feel for the timing. "So, I want to blow up this balloon in order to win. I've got it."

She /could/ just literally blow it up, but that doesn't seem very fair, does it? Still, judging by her little laughter, sher's probably thinking about what it might be worth to cheat to such a degree. Ah, might as well give him a /chance/, right? Serori positions herself in front of the button, looks over at Lute, smirks again, and nods at him to get things going.

As the spinner winds up to full speed, she waits for the right moment to strike. Serori's eyes widen with an almost predatory excitement. The snap in her tail becomes more intense.

/Now/.

The button's tapped. The spinner starts to slow. The balloon swells until the latex is stretched to the snapping point. Serori holds her breath and straightens up, watching, waiting --

Bwooo. A sad sound emanates from the machine. Serori lets out a disappointed noise of her own, and complains at once: "But it's so close!"

Then, she looks at Lute, and looks back to the balloon. "Aah...this might be your moment..." Does she sound nervous? Maybe a little. She /is/ a competitor at heart.

Serori snuggles up against his backside as he goes for the machine. Her hands slip into the front pockets of his pants, and there she stands while she waits to see what luck /he/ has.

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute smiles a bit as he watches the spinner stop. Yeah, she /did/ have a chance to win, but Lute made a small gamble and it paid off. Even if the odds /were/ in his favor. Now, aside from where a few spots on the spinner are, most any spin /should/ pop it, he thinks.

     But... With Serori cuddling against him, and having her hands in his pockets, Lute is a /bit/ distracted. Yeah, being held that close while he is supposed to be doing something else. It's not that he /minds/, but it's going to make it a /lot/ harder for him to focus and time it.

     "...You're trying to distract me with your sex appeal, aren't you?"

     Still, though. He presses the button after a bit of a moment of distraction. The balloon starts to inflte a bit, and then...

     It pops.

     Lute smiles, looking back at Serori a bit. He moves his own hands back to grab her behind him a bit, aiming for a bit below the back of her waist.

     "...Well, looks like /you'll/ be the one wearing the blindfold, huh?"

     Smirk.

Serori (37) has posed:
"Eeh! How many tickets did you just win?!"

It seems like the game's never going to /stop/ spitting tickets out. Serori's face changes the longer it goes on. First, she's shocked; then, she's kind of pouty, though not in any genuine way; then, she's looking a bit hopeless; then, she's just...resigned. Serori, still pouting a little, squishes up against Lute's back as he slings his arms behind himself to catch her in kind of a reverse hold. Her fingers, still buried in his pockets, slide down a bit deeper. The machine finally stops spitting out tickets at about the two hundred mark. She eyes her much smaller pile, and huffs.

"...well, so long as you make it interesting, I guess I won't be disappointed for long." Lute's confident smirk teases her own sly smile back into existence. She leans up onto her toes, steals another brief kiss, and comes away looking mollified. "So long as you don't tell people what you get to /do/, you can still brag about winning, if you want. I want the blindfold part kept to just us. And Harp." Can't forget the wife.

Serori slips around him to reach for her drink. She finishes it off, then cocks an eyebrow at him. "Now? Or later?"

Lute (188) has posed:
     Yeaaah, Lute pretty blatantly cheated there, but at least, he can tell Serori isn't /too/ down about it. He just smiles back, enjoying the way she is acting. And, to be honest, even if she /does/ feel a bit dissapointed in the loss? Hey, he doesn't mind /too/ much. She looks cute pouty.

     "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about the blindfold thing. But, as for when, well..."

     Lute smiles, pondering. Just a bit.

     "Later, but /soon/. Let's head back to my place. I've got some things we can use as a blindfold now. Like. They aren't just something I carry around with me."

     He pauses a moment. And wonders if Serori /might/ be the kind who carries a blindfold around with her at all times. Huh. That's an interesting thought, but unlikely.

Serori (37) has posed:
Lute's scrutinized more closely. "Mm...I think going back to your house sounds like a good idea to me. I don't have anything with me to use as a blindfold, either -- and that kind of thing is much more fun for me in private." The tip of her tongue wets her lips right before she gives her bottom lip a thoughtful chew. What could possibly be on her mind? Fortunately, Serori's willing to clear up the mystery right away. "What's more fun about it is that I actually trust you. I'll be able to relax and enjoy myself."

That makes her smile again. Serori turns, and starts to saunter away from him. She pauses to look over her shoulder in his direction. "Anything else we need to do, or are we leaving now?"

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute just keeps cuddling against Serori a bit, smiling. Looking over a bit. "Well. I'm /glad/ you can trust me. Though, I mean, are you /sure/? It is me, after all."

     Yeah, Lute is still just surprised at more women trusting him recently, and liking him. Though he has /always/ been good with Serori, he's still somewhat troubled. Will his luck run out?

     "But... Yeah. Back to my place, now, I think. I mean, you're giving me a lot of reasons to head back /now/." A bit of a wink. "Though, well. How should we get back? I took a cab after I got off the warp gate, and you flew here... ...Though maybe you could fly us both there?"

Serori (37) has posed:
Another fit of laughter answers him. "Let's take a cab so we can make out on the way over. Though if you want us to get there faster, I guess I could fly us...but I think I wouldn't mind the making out part." She winks, and turns again, heading toward the door. "Aah, you shouldn't be surprised that I trust you. You're a better friend than I think you realize. People give you a lot of shit, but I don't care what they think of you. What matters most to me is that you've never done anything to mistreat me. Maybe on some levels, I guess, or by /some/ standards..."

She stops by the door, giving it some more thought, and ends up shrugging. "Mn. No, I don't remember ever being seriously angered by you. I've never felt /afraid/ of you, either. The blindfold will make things more exciting, that's all." She takes him by the hand, and pulls him outside after her, her easy grin aimed up at his face. "If you /are/ an idiot, you're at least the kind of idiot I respect. C'mon."

Serori squeezes his hand -- carefully, so as not to /break/ it, per Vegeta's demands -- and her grin softens. "I'm glad we can have fun together."

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute nods, "Cab it is, then. I'm completely fine with making out the whole way back home." He follows her to the door, of course staying close the whole time. As the talk form Serori comes, about why she gets along wiht him and respects him.... Well. He just smiles. And, he squeezes her hand back a bit.

     He was, /almost/, about to say 'I love you' to her. But then, she says 'I'm glad we can have fun together.' Honestly, though? That works just as well for him. And there is a chance this could be 'love' too, even if it's, like, a more casual relationship. ...Though, really, even if the relationship still got more 'serious', it'd still be open anyways.

     He moves in, wrapping his arms around her a bit, smiling.

     "I'm glad we can have fun, too."

     And, he moves to dip kiss her.