I'm Not Over Yet [Open]

[Gunnar Frey]

Gunnar was slowly getting used to the fact that he wasn't twenty any more. Sure he wasn't old by any definition of the word, but he was hardly the spring lamb that he had once been. For many people that realisation came pretty easily and they grew to adjust to that, but for him it was a very difficult pill to swallow. Even though he had been free of his old ways for six whole years now, it was still sometimes difficult to disengage from that mindset, to realise that he simply wasn't a young, healthy, desirable rock star any more. He knew that if he kept up with his programme and stayed on the straight and narrow he could well have many years of health and happiness yet, but... damn, it was so hard to come to terms with the fact that it was time for him to finish growing up.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Gunnar honestly believed that it wasn't right for a man his age to play computer games quite as much as he did. When he wasn't at the store or his therapist's office he was at home, and ninety percent of that time he would be either asleep or at the computer. He had played pretty much every AAA and indie horror game on the market, and done speed-runs and community missions and challenges and all sorts for many of them, and he was well aware that it was becoming habit for him to get home and just instinctively switch on his monitor. It was a habit he didn't really want, but... aside from work, what the hell else did he have in his life anymore?

Browsing over the shelves in the video game store, Gunnar already had Evolve in his hand and was just picking up a case to take to the counter to pre-order Far Cry 4 when a sales assistant appeared next to him. 'Hi there! That's a great choice. Are you getting it for your son?'

Gunnar did not respond to that, and just stared blankly at the assistant until the much younger man got uncomfortable and just edged away slowly. The Brit should have been used to things like that by now; it wasn't the first time it had happened. He should just be able to say 'no, it's for me actually, you judgemental prick'.

Yet, he couldn't help but be more than a bit bothered by it.

[Jen Mitchellson]

Ah! Video games. Jen nibbled on her lower lip as she stopped outside the store. Had she not been in public, her face would've been pressed against the glass, looking inside for anything that was new. So what was out now? How about a brand new game to take away whatever negative feelings she would pretend to have to make up for using daddy's credit card on yet another game? Shadows of Mordor was out after all.

Looking around, to be sure no one who knew her was there, Jen entered the store, trying to look bored, feeling as if she wasn't meant to be there. She walked up to the shelves, her eyes quickly tracing cover after cover of games. 'Got it. Got it. Got it. Got it. That one sucked. Got it. Got it...' She barely noticed someone else was there, in the same aisle, that was until she heard the staff member ask something. That made her her turn.

For his son? What? Jen almost snorted, managing to open her mouth in time to let out a small laugh. Well, that was pathetic. She turned her eyes to see the shocked expression of the man until the sales assistant left. And she giggled again. That had been rich. But the man's expression tugged on her and she smiled at him sheepishly. He probably thought she was laughing at him, wasn't he?

"Don't take it personal." She said with a smile, "Most of these idiots don't even know the difference between consoles, let alone who'd play them." She shrugged and her eyes went back to scanning the shelves. "Did you know that the average age for gamers is 30 years old? Give or take fifteen years and that's your new market, right?" Her eyes went to him once more and she grinned. "I know what you feel, by the way. I've been asked more than once if I'm buying something for my boyfriend or my brothers or a friend. It's all part of the lovely experience." Another smile and her eyes went back to the racks. "Maybe we should stick to online shopping."

[Gunnar Frey]

Yes the blank stare at the store assistant had been rather rude, but no ruder he felt than the younger man’s presumption that the game would be for his non-existent son rather than for himself. Besides, it was an 18-rated game. How the fuck old did this kid think he was? Yes Gunnar knew he looked older than he was thanks to many years of stupid decisions, but Jesus, was it really that bad? He’d have had to be twenty himself when he’d had it. Not impossible, granted, but… Yes. He felt the blank judgmental stare had truly been justifiable.

Gunnar had heard the chuckling coming from nearby but didn’t acknowledge it. He didn’t much care if they were laughing at the awkward shuffling away of the sales assistant or him or something different altogether. Once the sales assistant had wandered off to wherever the hell he went, Gunnar rolled his eyes and went back to browsing the games.

A woman’s voice to his left caught his attention, and the Brit gave a small tilt of his head to face the girl that was speaking. Clearly she hadn't seemed to pick up on the message that he’d prefer to be left alone, but her words were friendly enough and he managed a small smile. “I did know that. I think sometimes people forget it’s the grown-ups who actually have the income to buy the new games. And the age to buy them without a fake ID.” Gunnar had only been living in the States for a few years and his formal British accent was still strong, though his voice was rough from years of use and abuse.

“Yeah, you’d think by now more of them would’ve cottoned on to the fact that it’s not only sixteen year old boys living in their mum’s basements that play games.” His eyes flicked back to the shelves as she mentioned they should probably stick to online shopping and he couldn’t help the little weary sigh that escaped him. She had a definite point. Gunnar was getting so tired of being inside all the time, of seeing so very little of the world between his apartment and the store that he owned. However, if he was going to get pissy every time someone made a dumb comment perhaps it was for the best for him to continue with a hermit-like existence. Both for himself and for those around him. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Still, nice to browse the shelves sometimes, if the judgmental idiots will leave you alone.”

[Jen Mitchellson]

Jen chuckled again. "Oh, who knows? Maybe those are the majority and we're the odd ones here." She shrugged, turning to the racks and looking for something new. "I think we'll never outgrow the idea of kids playing with games. That's what kids do, right?" She winked at him playfully, although he didn't seem to be minding her much. Well, that was a big turn off. Here she was! Being all nice and sweet and for what? For some guy to just avoid her? That wasn't fun.

She stepped next to him, deciding to get at least some of his attention. "So, how long you've been a gamer?" She wondered, "I have big brothers so I pretty much grew up with them. I liked them well enough when I was little, but as I grew I started to become more and more... enchanted." That was one word to replace 'obsessed' with.

At the mention of 'judgmental idiots' Jen let out a loud laugh. "But we need those judgemental idiots!" She replied with a grin, "They are part of the experience, as I said. It's like a little adventure, a quest! Don't you think? Having to put up with some... rather annoying NPCs," She waved at the store boy, now way apart from them, "Some random encounters," She waved at herself and smiled, "And there-" She waved at the cashier, "There's the boss."

[Gunnar Frey]

There were many things Gunnar could have predicted would happen when he went to the game store; having a young girl latching on to him and talking at him was not one of them. She seemed harmless enough though and clearly didn’t recognise him at all, so he didn’t just dismiss her and wander off like he perhaps normally would have done. “Yeah, you’re probably right there. Even though more and more of them each year are steered at adults, I think computer games still often get thought of in the same bracket as toys.”

Jesus, but this girl could talk though, and he had to battle the urge to roll his eyes slightly as she started talking about how long she’d been gaming. Her battle to have a conversation was starting to pull at his awareness though, and he stopped looking over the shelves and looked in her general direction instead. “Since I was about fifteen. The first game I ever properly got into was Lords of Chaos on the Amiga.” He gave a quiet breath of a laugh. “That’s showing my age, ey?”

Gunnar listened as she continued on, speaking about the random’s in the store, actually paying a bit of attention to her now. When she finished he gave a little nod of his head, pondering over what she was saying. “True enough, but in most games you can get away with killing an annoying NPC. Here I think it would be a bit frowned on.”

[Jen Mitchellson]

"It is, yeah." She said with a grin. "But I'll probably get the same reactions when I mention Nintendo in the future, so who am I to judge?" Wow, did he look uncomfortable. Jen sighed, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. Old men were so boring when they weren't trying to hit on her. He was wasting a real nice opportunity here, unless he was gay. He had to be, right? Either that or had too high standards. Yuck, standards.

She laughed next and nodded, "Oh, come on. You can always try it and get away with it. Even if you don't, it'll be fun while you do it." Jen shrugged, turning her attention to the racks. Poor guy. If he didn't like being there then, why was he there? She grabbed a game and turned it to see the back, though she was hardly reading it. Now she felt like going out there and get some guy flirt with her or something, maybe get in trouble, just to get up from the blow of being shunned. At least he was talking back, but anyone not excited to see Jen was someone she wasn't to be around of.

"You really want me to leave you alone, don't you?" She said between smiles, not looking at him, "Gotta watch the body language, handsome. You haven't looked at me properly even once since I started talking to you." She crossed her arms and leaned forward, still holding the random game, "Any reason why?" Leaning forward made her frown and raise an eyebrow. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

[Gunnar Frey]

Gunnar gave a quiet breath of a laugh and shook his head slightly. “Nah, Nintendo was huge even when I was a kid; I think everyone in school had a Gameboy. They’re big enough and had enough of an impact that it’ll still be around when you’re old and wrinkly too.” Not that Gunnar thought he was particularly old, though his face probably did place him as older than he actually was. A couple of decades of completely fucking up can do that to a person, he thought idly. “I still think the Zelda series is the only great thing to come from Nintendo, though.”

The girl’s comment regarding killing real-world NPC’s was met with a chuckle, Gunnar becoming slightly more engaged as the conversation continued. “I think everyone’s pondered doing that, at one time or another. Of just… going full-out Chris Walker and tearing heads off as you go.” If she got that game reference, he would be impressed.

When the girl asked if he wanted her to leave him alone, before commenting on his body language, Gunnar let out a whisper-quiet sigh. As she asked if she knew him from somewhere he gave a perhaps too-quick shake of his head. God, I hope not. “I doubt it, unless you’ve been in my store.” He pondered for a moment. “And… no, I actually don’t mind the talking. Sorry if I’m seeming a bit of a dick – I’m not great at the whole socialising thing.” That was true at least, his social skills tended to be crude at best.

[Jen Mitchellson]

"Gameboys!" She exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, that's really something. And here I thought being born during the Nintendo 64 time was me being old." And she just called him old, didn't she? Jen was still smirking though, not very bothered by it. If he wanted to leave then he could leave. "You're not that old, nor that wrinkly." She replied at the last part. What was with old men pretending to be older than they already were? The last part made her gasp and turn. "Shut your mouth!" She said in shock, "Nintendo has lots of great things! Anything Mario for example! I mean, have you spent any afternoon mixing shots and Super Smash Bros? The more you lose, the funner it gets. Everybody wins." Then she seemed to think about it better, "Well... except the one who ends up sleeping in the bathroom, but it's always fun to guess who it'd be."

After her little joke she was pleased she managed to get a chuckle out of him. She liked making people laugh, curiously, and he seemed the kind of serious who really needed a good laugh. But at the mention of Outlast she pursed her lips. "Oh, gross! You have some sick fantasies, don't you?" She shook her head, "I'm starting to think having random conversations with random strangers isn't safe anymore." She sent him a smirk, just to let him know she was still joking.

"A store. I'm intrigued. What do you do? No no! Let me guess." She smirked, taking a step closer, "You... work in a psychiatric hospital, surrounded by sick and twisted killers? Or are you one of them?" Her eyes narrowed in mocked suspicion and then she smiled again. And he called himself a dick. Wasn't that charming? "Maybe you need to spend more time with real people and not just their mutilated heads."

[Gunnar Frey]

As the conversation began to get a bit more animated Gunnar started to relax a little, some of the cold hard-shoulder aura he usually gave off dissipating. He chuckled at her perhaps not-so-accidental referring to him as old and then backtracking on herself by saying he wasn’t that old or wrinkly. “Thanks, I guess.” Her shocked reaction to his opinion on Nintendo was met with an amused eyebrow raise. “Eh, the first few Mario games were pretty decent, but then it was just the same thing recycled over and over.” Her talking of drinking while gaming was met with the closest thing to a real laugh that had escaped him so far during this conversation. “Ahhh, no, can’t say I have. Drinking with my mates and gaming never really crossed over for me.” Drinking alone and gaming, however, he’d pretty much mastered.

When the girl made it clear that she obviously was familiar with Outlast, a slightly impressed look crossed Gunnar's features. He even genuinely laughed as she said she was thinking it wasn't safe to speak to stranger any more. “It's not. Didn't your parents ever tell you that? Strangers can be evil; they can bore you to death and everything.”

A slightly sly smile crossed Gunnar's lips as she joked about him either working in or being a patient in a psychiatric hospital. “Now that would be telling, wouldn't it? How'd I know you wont just run off to a cop and report that I'm here?” It was amusing to him just how close she was. Psychiatric hospital, rehab centre, basically the same thing in some regards. “Yeah, but half the time you get a better conversation from a mutilated head than you do from the random NPC's of life.”