Game Over: The Retake (OPEN)

[Jared Park]

A series of grunts and groans escaped the young Asian teen as he tossed and turned over his bed, his grip on his sheets tensed and stressed. It continued on for a while, until he finally woke up, his forehead shiningglistening with sweat in the night sky. Nightmares are never fun, but for some reason, they always seem to plague the little boy at least once a month.

Pacing himself for a bit, letting his heart beat go back to normal, the boy then stood up, grabbed one of his pillows and walked out of his room. Over his stay in Hammel, it’s been somewhat routine already that whenever he has his episodes he’d go and grab a glass of water then snuggle up to Robbie’s bed. It was as per the blond’s suggestion; he saw Jared was rather shaken during his first few nights and insisted he stay with him for the rest of the night. This night however, Robbie’s room was locked. He tried it a few times but it wouldn’t budge. He thought of knocking on the door, but then again, the weather manipulator never locks his room for no reason. He also considered going up to Phoebe, but despite their closeness, he never had a go signal from the older boy as he did with Robbie. (Eric was also on his rather short list of friends-to-be-disturbed-in-times-of-dire-need, but he wasn’t sure how the woody boy’s roommates would take sudden knocking in the middle of the night).

Unable to sleep alone in his room, Jared decided it’ll be better for him to simply stay up the whole night. It was Friday after all. Grabbing a blue jacket and his favorite Stitch hat, he promptly got out of his room, walked out the dormitory complex and into the student lounge (sneaking out has never been much of a problem for him, considering he’s invisible to the cameras and all that; and it’s not like he’s going somewhere off campus). As expected, it was void of anyone. Not his problem really – he didn’t really come here to look for someone to talk to. Without much thought, he went to one of the arcade machines in the room and tapped the night away, unaware that he probably isn’t the only one with night problems.

[Rhett Goddard]

Friday night. What was a friendless and, pretty much, asocial boy to do on a friday night? Well nothing. Not like Rhett was going to study, who does that on a friday night? not like he was going out to town, I don't even think I can. I haven't checked the rules on curfew for underages here... He didn't need to know anyway, he didn't know anyone that would invite him out, nor he wanted to be invited.

And so, without any desire to go to sleep, and the fact that none of his rommates were present, Rhett decided to go out for a walk. Maybe he could go practice on the courtyard, or just go lay somewhere and watch the stars if the clouds let him. Out his room, he decided to exit through the other site of the building so he could head to the pond, it was a nice place, and as he passed through the student lounge.

Something big and blue called his attention right away.

"What the... how old are you, dude?" The words came out of his mouth as he approached the boy playing in the arcade machines. Did I just say 'dude'? God what has happened to me... "What's with the... hat?"

[Jared Park]

For a change, Jared isn’t playing Tekken tonight. He’s already beaten the game anyway (got his five favorite characters to Tekken Lord, with Lili getting the rank on his first night out). All the same however, his focus on the new game he’s playing is just as intense as it was before. Eric has been raving about how he got the high score on the recent arcade game addition in the lounge so Jared’s hell bent on beating the tree-manipulator. (Don’t get him wrong; he loves Eric but he just wants to prove to him, and himself, that he can beat the boy at times too).

Unfortunately for him, for the past half hour or so, his dinosaur has done nothing but die in the meteor apocalypse. No matter how many power ups he get, or how hard he mashes the buttons, he was no match for the impending dino-doom.

He had just rubbed his eyes and was just about to stretch when he heard another boy speak. Apparently a bit too focused on his game, he didn’t notice his approach; the darkness of the room didn’t help either, as it took a moment for him to register that the voice came from the figure in front of him, not from a ghost or something. “Wha-bb-What?” he asked in surprise, almost falling out of his seat. “I’m fifteen. Why?” Hopefully this guy isn’t like Antosha; he promptly scratched his forehead, as if it’ll ward the creepy memories away.

“It’s nice and snuggly,” chuckled Jared slightly when asked about his funny hat, “It keeps my ears warm. And besides, don’t you think Stitch is cute?” Because cute things are very manly. He even tilted his head from side to side to make his Stitch ears move.

[Rhett Goddard]

"It's blue, it has fangs and it's an alien. No, I don't think it's cute." Rhett replied quickly enough.

While staring at the big blue hat, Rhett walked up to the boy and stopped just a few centimeters away from him, an uncomfortably short distance for most people. There, he slowly and carefully rose his arm and poked the Stitch on its nose. It was soft. After a moment he did it again, this time with the right eye. It was soft as well.

"So you're here because you weren't able to find someone to sleep with?" Rhett took a step back. "Am I right with that? I would, most definitely, like to hear a clarification... You know so I don't get the wrong... Hey..." Rhett noticed what the boy was playing in the arcade and attempted to gain control of the machine. "I remember this game. I didn't know it was here." He then noticed the game's name written on the arcade machine. "Which is... odd considering the name's written there. But if it excuses me, I didn't know what was the game called."

[Jared Park]

“Stitch is cute.” End of story.

While Jared is non-confrontational when it comes to most things, he does get extra defensive when it came to things of little value – namely comic books and other fictional characters. He’d fight you to death just to insist that what Wonder Woman did to Maxwell Lord was justified, and that Dick Grayson should end up with Koriand’r and not with Barbara Gordon (he could give you twenty good reasons, and that’s just the ones top of his head). “Puppies are cute, and they have fangs. The Martians in Toy Story are cute, and they’re aliens. And err,” he protested, trying to think of something blue and cute, “bluebirds are cute. And they’re blue.”

When the boy went forward and poked his Stitch on the nose (and later on the eye), he frowned, puffing his cheeks and pouting like crazy. Normally he’d laugh and giggle, but since the boy had the nerve to insult Stitch, he leaned back a bit and gave the boy a light head butt with his headpiece (it was soft; he was sure it was just like getting smacked in the face with a pillow).

“You’re creepy, you know that.” Though Jared isn’t like most teens his age (testosterone-driven and all), he does get subtle meanings here and there. And since something’s telling him that this would turn into an Antosha-meeting all over again, he’s being extra guarded. It didn’t help that the boy did what Antosha did before and squished himself beside him, grabbing the controls of the game.

“HEY!” but his protest was futile, as the boy quickly gained control of the joystick. Boy were his hands fast. “It’s Dinorun. Or at least the arcade version of it.” He crossed his arms as he gave the boy his best interpretation of a leer (which isn’t really as creepy as he would’ve wanted it to be). “You talk funny.”

ooc:
Sorry it went a bit too long Herl. Jared just won't stop talking. D;.
- Jam

[Rhett Goddard]

((aww i didn't know it was you jammery-jam-jam ♥ no worries))

"Well thanks for pointing the obvious name of the game." Rhett pointed at the top of the arcade where Rhett had just read it. "And I'm French, so that's probably what you mean. Or so I would hope, anyway."

Rhett pounced the 'continue' button and started making the raptor run. When was the last time I played this? Oh right, it was... that day... The raptor ran, jumped and avoided other dinosaurs. I can't believe how many times I played this game. It seems like it was yesterday when we were in Spain. Most likely the only place we stood in for more than a week. Barcelona. The little yellow thing was now picking eggs, falling into caves and quickly getting out of them. Doomsurfing is unavoidable in this part, but in... what was it? twenty-two seconds? I can take that cave shortcut and...

Rhett was so immersed in the game it seemed the world had stopped around him. It definitely brought him back memories he had stashed away. No, he liked them stashed away. He was to enjoy the game and only the game.

"Merde." Rhett punched the arcade as he saw the raptor die and the word 'extinct' appear in the black background. "I knew I shouldn't have taken the cave path..." Rhett turned around to see what his late-night companion was doing but he saw the screen asking for his name in the corner of his eyes and turned again to do so. "E. C. H. O. E. D." The score list appeared and even though it covered the top twenty, there were only a handful of repeated names. "Hey... look at that, seems like I have the top score. Looks like... GotWood will not be happy about it..."

[Jared Park]

French. Well that explains everything. The weird English, the even weirder accent (no offense to the French; Jared’s just a little irritated at the moment), though he was sure the pushy attitude had nothing to do with his heritage. He’s encountered his fair share of French (he did live in Canada after all, though Vancouver had more of an Asian population than a Caucasian one) and none of them are as arrogant as this guy. Or at least none of them irritated him like him.

When the boy started playing his game, Jared’s stare became more intense as ever. Great. First he calls Stitch un-cute, and now he snatches the game off his hands? And without even asking at that. And he thought that LaRousse guy was the resident jerkwad in campus.

He couldn’t deny that the boy was good though. Great even. He couldn’t maintain his piercing glare and stern face as he got drawn into the game, the boy’s quick hands and even quicker thinking. He finished waay faster and got all the power-ups that Jared couldn’t even think of getting (or at least he didn’t have time to get).

Immersed into watching the game, he didn’t even notice that the French boy lost, until he punched the arcade, causing the younger boy to almost jump off his seat in surprise. “Whu-what?” he asked instinctively, then he saw what happened. This boy beat Eric. And at a huge margin at that. Fuuuuuuudge. (Because heaven knows what would happen if Jasper heard him curse).

“Dude, you’re mean,” he said blankly. He squinted for a bit, trying to look all intimidating and scary (which he was sure didn’t work). “I could barely beat Eri-Gotwood”- proven by the numerous Technosaur scattered around the scoreboard- “but now I have to beat that? You have got to be kidding me.”

He pushed the boy off the chair with his butt as he tried to regain control and play the game again, sending offended looks to the boy from time to time. “Is this all that they teach you in Kocher? I knew I should’ve enrolled there.” He didn’t need to ask him to know he’s a transferee. His strong accent despite being in his age already was enough for Jared to know.

[Rhett Goddard]

"Well you don't actually have to beat m-" Rhett was interrupted Jared's butt-push. Oh, ok...

Jared regained control of the game and started making the triangle-shaped thing run through the wild green. Jared wasn't half bad, or so Rhett thought, he just needed a bit more... finesse... but it's not like you can expect such thing from a regular fifteen year old. I seem to be a special case after all...

"Are those supposed to be derogatory looks or just plain awkwardly placed cute looks?" Rhett stopped talking to laugh a little bit. "Because they surely look like the second thing..." Rhett caressed his hair while listening the boy's question about Kocher. Unexpected. He started walking towards the other arcades, as if looking for a particular one, but actually just taking a moment to consider his answer. "Actually no. The last time I played this game was the same day I was, forcibly, enrolled in Kocher." He stopped at Mrs Pacman, which he quickly turned on. "I did spent a lot of time playing it. I was living next to an arcade place at the time." Or under, rather. "And coin was not a problem" Not when you learned how to start the machines without them. "I used to make about five times that score, yet over there I was never in the score list." The arcade machine was up and running, and so Rhett pressed 'start' and Mrs. Pacman started eating her first dots. "It's the only one I happen to be good at, though. I always liked the little thing's speed and resilience..." Just like parkour...

[Jared Park]

“Shut it.” Jared wasn’t usually the one to snarl at people, but the boy just loves getting on his nerves. Telling him that he doesn’t really need to beat his score? Meh. It was a clear cut challenge in the young boy’s eyes.

He gave his full attention on the game when it finally started. Fiery determination in his eyes, he didn’t even notice that his companion had left their once-shared seat and began walking around. He was busy trying to collect eggs, jump over obstacles and ultimately run away properly from the impending doom. And for the most part, he was succeeding. ‘Till a stegosaurus appeared out of nowhere and ruined his rhythm.

“SHOOOOOOOOOOT” he growled, jumping from his seat as he saw his score. While he finally beat Eric now (with a whooping difference at that), he’s still far, way far from the boy’s score. “Darn it.”

Only when he leaned back and stopped playing for a bit, relaxing his spine and arms in the process, did the boy’s ramblings reach his ears. “You know you could stop being mean for a minute, do you?” He was definitely not enjoying the negativity swelling inside of him now. If only it would stop.

It’s a good thing the boy started narrating his story though, else Jared would’ve just stormed out already. And with the night getting a bit creepywindy at the moment, he’s definitely not in the mood to return to his room anytime soon. Turning the arcade in front of him off (he can always beat the boy when he’s not distracted, he says), he promptly sat beside the other boy and watched him play. (Because he totally wasn’t scared of the dark. Not at all)

“You live beside an arcade? That’s…awesome!” Heaven knows what would happen if Jared would be in the boy’s shoes. And coins aren’t a problem? This guy must be loaded. Makes sense though. Snobby rich boy with a bucket load of attitude. “Are you the one they call Zac?” he asked, his eyes glued on the screen as the boy easily maneuvered himself across the board. But I though he’s Asian?.

ooc:
A little crappy. I am sorry. D;
- Jam

[Rhett Goddard]

((hahahaha but i loved it!!!))

"Zac? Who's that? Rhett innocently replied the boy's question but tossed it away quickly. "It wasn't that awesome, Stitch-boy." Rhett was so concentrated on avoiding the pink ghost, that he started talking without considering the information he was giving out. "I was homeless at the time. We were. Well, not like I'm not homeless now, but anyway, we were crashing at the place's basement while we sorted some issues." Darn this pink ghost! Stop stalking me! Why did I ate all the pills... "And one day, while playing that Dinorun game... I fainted. They left, and if I were still in Kocher I would have ended the little story with 'and now I'm here', but that was a little more than a year ago."

GAME OVER

"Where did the blue ghost came from?!" Rhett jumped out of his seat. "And that is why I hate Mrs. Pacman... fucking ghosts..." He took a few steps back and, with a little jump, sat in the pool table, which was covered with a black blanket. "But now that we've cleared that my name's not Zac, just who are you anyway? I've been talking way too much to not know your name." Or just too much in general, actually...

[Jared Park]

So he’s not Zac? Jared thought, his eyebrows meeting just above his nose bridge in confusion. Snotty, I mean snobby, rich and blonde? Isn’t that what Robbie told me he looks like now?.

He was just about to prod the boy further when he suddenly spoke, unaware of what he’s talking about from the looks of it too. And though he tried to stay focused on the boy’s game, the tale his telling is apparently turning into a more interesting story than the repetitive (yet extremely challenging) Pac-Man layout. “You’re homeless? Seriously?” That can’t be true. After all, Jared’s picture of homelessness is mud and dirt, rugged clothes and an extremely repulsive odor – three things the boy beside him definitely did not possess. In fact, judging by how he carried himself, he looked like he’s packing more dough than Jared.

“Stop toying with me,” he pouted, nudging the boy gently by his side, “I may look dense but I’m not dumb. Zac.” Yes, apparently his mind’s made up that the boy was Zac, despite Robbie’s recollections about the boy involves ‘Asian’ in his description. He did giggle about the part about the boy fainting because of Dinorun. That was just hilarious. “Serves you right for doing nothing but play video games. The fainting, I mean.” Hooray for insensitivity.

His giggle became even more scandalous when the words ‘GAME OVER’ suddenly flashed on the screen. “PFFFFT. Seems you aren’t as good as I thought you were, Zac,” he said as he smugly pointed at his name at the high score table. “Inky’s just sneaky like that.”

“Me? I’m Stitch. Why do you think I’d have such a cute headdress like this if I’m not him anyway.” If ‘Zac’ wouldn’t admit his real name, why would he give his own either?

[Rhett Goddard]

What's with the Zac thing? I already said I wasn't him... Rhett lied down in the pool table and closed his eyes. He said he was fifteen? He's definitely way more childish than that. I mean, I've met thirteen year olds much more mature and capable of, you know, not saying they're called Stitch. I am being very mature by not judging only for the hat thing! Why did I enter the lounge anyway? I should'd continued walking down the hall.

"Ok I guess if you want to call me Zac might as well go ahead and do so." He said while looking at the ceiling. "And you are right, Stitch is indeed a very good name for you. Where's your Hawaiian girl protecting you from bad people like me?"

Rhett passed a hand through his face and then caressed his hair, eyes still closed. He was relaxed, which was strange, he didn't like being around children, even less childish boys, but this Stitch boy wasn't bothering him at all. It wasn't like Rhett liked him it was just that he didn't feel that curiosity thing that he felt for people and it was a relaxing... feeling, if one was allowed to say that about Rhett. Maybe, to Rhett, this boy seemed plain enough to not rise curiosity without falling in the boring category. Strange.

"You're one peculiar kid, Stitch." He said out loud.

[Jared Park]

Stubbornness and immaturity are just two of Jared’s defining traits. Separately they’re bearable but together, err, it might spell disaster. My apologies to Rhett for experiencing it firsthand.

A mischievous smirk suddenly found itself planted on the boy’s face. (And given the ample lighting they currently have on the lounge, it’s made even more sinister, in his opinion anyway, as he appears like the Cheshire cat, with only his eyes and teeth visible from the night light). “You think you can fool me with your weird and confusing speech? BAH. I know you are Zac so stop pretending that you’re not.”

He was just about to say something when he heard a small flurry of steps. Whether it was real or just his imagination, he had no intentions of finding out. So instead he hurriedly walked over to the blond boy’s side, careful not to look scared or anything. Because he’s definitely not scared of ghosts. “Lilo? Oh she’s out doing the laundry. Pleakley and Jumba, if you’re wondering, are still asleep. Apparently they had a rough day,” he laughed, jumping on top of the pool table to sit beside Rhett, idly swinging his legs up and down.

His mouth turned into a duck’s bill at the mention of him being peculiar, his eyes trying to send piercing glares towards the boy. As it doesn’t seem to be working as much as he’d like, he decided to promptly jump on the boy’s back, giggling as he bounced up and down like riding a horse. “You’re mean Zac. What brings you here anyway? Bad dream and all that?”

[Rhett Goddard]

Peak-what and Jumba? I guess it's better if I don't ask, I like not knowing too much about, well, kid movies. I didn't even see it, it is only due to publicity that I know... What the...! Rhett immediately attempted to push the boy off of him when he diminished the space between them to zero.

"Just what are you doing, sorry?" He jumped off the table and went back to the arcade seats, sitting in one which's name Rhett didn't recognize. "I don't think it's custom to jump on top of unknown people's backs in South Korea or wherever you're from." He rose his right index and pointed at the boy. "I would highly appreciate if you don't do that again. Thanks" He definitely behaves like a five year old. Well, that or he was just, very subtly, hitting on me. God I dare not to know if it was that last one... "Wait, you're not hitting on me, are you? What am I saying I bet you don't even know the meaning of that..."

[Jared Park]

Ok. So he might’ve been a bit too creepy on that last move. While following the boy and sitting beside him was a bit understandable still, jumping on his back and playfully bouncing up and down was indeed unnatural. He should definitely remember that not everyone in Hammel is like Robbie or Phoebe, else he be branded the next generation Hammel creeper (if there ever was a present one anyway).

“I’m sorry,” he laughed, shyly sticking his tongue out, “Force of habit. Because mean people deserve to be flattened to bits.” He almost fell down from the table when he was pushed down really; thank goodness he was thin and there was enough space for his body to land on the pool table else he’d be aching all over. “I’m not from South Korea, thank you very much. If I was, I would’ve been in Eisai.” He might be Korean ethnically, but he was born and raised in Canada. He’s rather whitewashed really. “And besides, you’re not that much of a stranger anymore, Zac.”

Hitting on him? Is he serious. “I know what it means, thank you very much” he protested, puffing his cheeks once more. But just because he knows what it means doesn’t mean he knows how to do it though. “I don’t swing that way, I’m sorry. And if I would, I wouldn’t go after you.”