forever homeless but voice test ohboy what am I doing

[likemynana]

Well gosh. I appreciate y'giving me a voice here young lady. Guess telling yourself not to pick up any more muses isn't going to be enough to get yourself to slow down.

Life is fast paced enough as it is. Heh...Trust me on that. When you're workin' the same job day in and day out, time seems to go faster than a car onna' racetrack. I wouldn't have it any other way, personally, but ahh...'spose it's not for everyone.

Can't be stayin' here too long though you know. I'll have a lot of disappointed youngsters on my hands if I'm not around to open up the arcade.

[OOC: Just a heads up, Mr. Litwak's backstory here is inspired by this fic! It's a good read, I highly recommend it <3]

Comments

[danmakuboundary]

They can read a book, or get some exercise. Keeping the arcade closed for a day or two will be good for them and the machines. Give 'em some more maintenance than just the normal routine, and you'll have fewer calamities like that nasty Road Blasters incident.

[likemynana]

Well yeah... the place is closed up regularly for holidays. I'll take a day off myself here and there, but otherwise it'll stay open. The kids really seem to enjoy it, so I'm not gonna be the one to keep them from havin' a little fun now and then. Besides, half of them bike to the arcade after school anyway.

[He falters.]

...I don't think any amount of maintenance coulda' prepared me for that one. Game just...up and broke, almost outta nowhere that day. It was...

Inevitable, I guess. Can't keep 'em all around forever, even if I wanted to.

[To be honest, RoadBlaster's crashing was one of the oddest phenomenons he's ever experienced.
There are reasons he doesn't like to reminisce about it much.]

[danmakuboundary]

Circuit boards can get corrupted due to power surges or even the slightest bit of static electricity bouncing off a quarter lined up on the screen. A single byte of data getting changed can be enough to bring a digital empire to its knees.

It's inevitable, but it's always harsh to lose a child that way, is it not?

[Yes, Yukari has definitely pegged the machines in Litwak's arcade as his babies.]

[likemynana]

[Well that's....one way to put it.]

..Right...I usually try to keep all the cabinets up to date with maintenance, though. Most of the time they just end up going from simply being around for so many years, but... they're durable. Not your average consoles y'got at home, that's for sure.

[Again, he falters, especially at her referring to the machines as children. It takes a moment before he can continue.]

...Of course. Sometimes there's just...nothing else you can do for 'em.

[danmakuboundary]

[Even still, she can't bear to tell him that by her time, his arcade will be a single island barely keeping afloat - arcades were a dying breed, even ones as great as his. At the same time...]

Get used to the fighting and racing games, they're gonna be the next big thing.

[likemynana]

[Perhaps he won't have to be around to see it come to that. His hopes are that even by the time he retires and lets his son take over the family business, he'll be able to watch the arcade thrive from the sidelines.
An aging man can dream, right?

He chuckles.]

Yeah, the kids seem to really be into those these days. Not quite as into the retro games as they were back when I had a little more hair than I do now.

[mellowcremischievous]

[Gloyd's favorite thing about having a mun is already getting to talk to players. There's pretty much no way he's passing this one up when he spots that familiar striped shirt from across dear_mun. So yup, he'll be sauntering up behind Litwak with a grin on his face that he thinks is sly, but which really just betrays his excitement.]

Aw, c'mon Mr. Litwak, nothin's faster'n a car on a racetrack! 'Specially not the clock.

[likemynana]

[Well his mun had warned him something like this might happen, but boy was he not at all prepared for it. The man can't help but gasp sharply when he turns and sees Gloyd just behind him, who barely comes up to his knees even with his sugary hat on. There's no mistaking exactly who he is though, and that causes the man to be at a loss for words for a moment.]

Well I'll be...

[He kneels, resting one arm over his knee, adjusting his glasses as if he doesn't believe what he sees. Which, he barely does.]

You...you're one of the racers...from Sugar Rush!

[His smile becomes warm as he leans back a little. He could name them all off the top of his head without even trying anymore. Sugar Rush was extremely popular, after all.]

Gloyd Orangeboar. ...right?

[mellowcremischievous]

That's me! In the polygons!

[Gloyd plucks that pumpkin hat off and attempts a sweeping bow with it, but only ends up scattering its contents across the floor. Which he then scrambles to pick back up and stuff back in the hat - are those live gummy worms?]

Heheh, oops.

Have another family member. :)

[yourcolossalhands]

The way my guy tells it, time in our worlds doesn't pass while we're in places like this. And like the place he's sending me — milliways_bar. Vanellope's already there — I'm following her, actually — and maybe your young lady could send you to join us when the next round of apps kicks off at the start of April.

[jiminyjaminy]

Well, jiminy jaminy. I never thought I'd see you around here, Mister Litwak, sir.

[roadblasted]

[... No way.

Lately, Turbo had started getting used to running into people who weren't actually from a game at all. They were gamers, or they'd never played a video game, or didn't even know what one was. It was strange, yes, but it didn't exactly surprise the racer anymore.
Yet even with the circumstances apparently making it possible to meet face to face with literally anyone...
He can't say he honestly ever expected this.]

... Litwak?

[notshadowfever]

Ho ho! The arcade. Those were the days!

[Just reminiscing and not understanding who he's talking to at all.]

[likemynana]

[The man can't help but chuckle, not commenting for now on that. Frankly, he's too surprised to be seeing you in the first place, Gloyd.]

This....this is really something else! You know I usually don't get to see much of you just past the screen of a console but....but now...look at you!

EEE 8D

[likemynana]

[It takes him a moment to answer. Sorry Ralph, this is all still pretty shocking to him. And seeing you is pretty darn exciting for the man.]

Right...right! That makes sense I suppose...

[Gee, he knew Ralph was supposed to be a big guy but....when they said big, they meant it. He has to look waaay up to look at Ralph, his grin broadening.]

Maybe I can coax her on into it. But....golly, it's...haha well, nice to meet you, Ralph! ...In person, I mean!

[likemynana]

[Likewise!]

Felix! ...Fix-It Felix! ..By golly I never thought I'd see you here either!

[Well, past the screen of a console, anyway. The fact that everyone seems to know his name too is making him swell with pride.]

[likemynana]

[Litwak chuckles, tilting his head a little.]

Doctor Eggman.

[Wow, he can't believe he actually knows all these characters, but as long as he's been in the arcade business, it would be strange if he didn't.]

Definitely the days indeed! But Sonic's game is still pretty popular in the arcade, you know.

[likemynana]

[This time the man doesn't hesitate to turn to see who's speaking to him, excited and expecting to meet yet another character in the flesh from the arcade.
But who he sees stops him in his tracks, and causes his heart to painfully skip a beat.

It's hard to say, due to his stunned expression, what he's feeling upon seeing Turbo again. ....He couldn't describe it if he wanted to. Long story short, he and Turbo Time went way back.
Way, way back.

The pause before he finally speaks is the longest yet, and even then speaking at all is hard to do. His voice comes quiet, barely audible with surprise.]

......

...Turbo?...But I.....you...

..I...thought...

[notshadowfever]

Gah! Sonic's game! I still can't believe anyone would want to play a game about him! I don't see the appeal!

[Yep, Eggman's mun has had to explain that one to him before.]

[likemynana]

Well hey- a good game is only as good as it's villain, right?

If you weren't around to cause everyone to be on their toes, what fun would the game be then?

[notshadowfever]

Well, when you put it that way... You're right! Ho ho ho! Yes! Imagine the number of children who have had crushing defeats at my hands!

[Hey, it's how you get your quarters.]

[roadblasted]

[There was no mistaking it. It really was Litwak.
For a moment, he almost doesn't believe it...
Until his surprised expression falters, becoming much more sour.
Likewise, Turbo had a history with the arcade owner. Turbo Time was one of Litwak's very first consoles. He'd had it since his arcade first opened. The game clearly held a lot of sentimental value to the man...
Which, unfortunately, only made the current situation worse.]

I was dead?
Yeah, no thanks ta'ya unpluggin' Turbo Time.

[He finishes the human's sentence, probably not realizing how bitter he sounds when that happens to slip out.]

[likemynana]

[And he couldn't be happier for that, Eggman.]

Course! There have been plenty of them, that's for sure. But the challenge is what keeps them comin' back every day after school.

[jiminyjaminy]

It's an honor, sir.

[Taking off his cap and nodding politely.]

[likemynana]

[Litwak can't quite help it that his breath catches with surprise in his throat when Turbo finishes his sentence for him. The bitter tone is to be expected, sure, but...

It really does catch the man off guard.
Why?

Back in Turbo Time's hay-day, Turbo was the hero of his game. On top of that, he always had the biggest grin on his face. Always. Even when he lost a race, Litwak never could catch Turbo with a frown. Perhaps he was just lucky enough not to, or that Turbo was just that good at keeping a straight face for his adoring fans.

So, yes, Turbo Time did hold a lot of sentimental value for Mr. Litwak. But it was much more, so much more than that.

He takes a few deep breaths, shaking his head slowly.]

...I didn't....

[Then he closes his eyes, lifting a shaking hand to adjust his glasses.]

...If there was something I...could have done. .....to save....that console...

I would have done it. I would have. ...I..I don't know how you got into RoadBlasters Turbo but...I had no choice. I didn't know what was going on, and I just....

[Then he trails off, shaking his head further before lifting a hand to hold it to the side of his head. All of this was just too much.
Too many sad memories he'd tried to forget. Mistakes he wish he hadn't made.]