GAME ON
A Furside Story by Misterebony
Inspired by a suggestion by Drakiera



You as a race are defined best by the games you play

- Q, Star Trek: TNG


Video games were a curiousity to furs when they first rebuilt Earth and examined its history, but they since became a passion for the race. Humes and furs built a variety of game arcades, from those that held classic games from the pre-Destruction era, to modern 3D simulations, to card based battle screens. 

Jo was, in one section of Furside, a master of the game. Jo's speciality was fighting titles, but he also showed an intrest in a robotic shooter where users piloted walking machines called Gundams. He was not as good at that, but he tried. 

Still he had to be careful. In the arcades, it was legal to wager food pet status as a prize, and if you lost, you were the winner's pet. Jo never did any of those matches, not really wanting to be owned anytime soon. But he knew, sooner or later, that it was going to happen.

And sure enough, on the 23rd day of April (The old Earth calender was still used after all), a lovely form stepped up to him and asked for a match. She was his age, and was a fur. A wolf fur to be exact, and an anime fanatic from the look of it.

"Hi! I'm Maria!" She said, eagerly watching Jo play in a shooter match. "Your pretty good!"

"Thanks. I have a lot of practice. I hope to be a professional soon." He said. Several other onlookers cheered as he blew the high score away just as he was finished off. He sighed in relief and turned to the wolf. "Name's Jo. You looking for a match?"

"I'm looking for a pet!" She said, giggling. "You play me in Gundam Duel, and winner owns the loser."

Jo usually said no. But she was so pretty, and she looked like she couldn't be that good. So he did the impossible. He nodded.

"Terrific! Match of three. Whoever takes the other down two times first wins the loser." She headed for the machine. Many onlookers sat around and prepared to watch the match, eager to see how it turned out.

He climbed into the cockpit of the machine, popping in a token. The controls lit up showing stats, armor, ammo, and so forth. He selected a Gundam that held a laser blade and a beam laser, and watched as his wolf opponent chose a pinkish Gundam with a whip: Gundam Epyon.

"Crap." He said. She knew her stuff. Wing Gundam would have a hard time against this foe. But he had to try, or he was likely dinner.

"3.......2........1......BATTLE!" The duo blazed into one another. around the giant robots a war raged in space, Jo manuvering his to use the beam laser. He landed a few shots, but not nearly enough to stop the charge. 

Just in time, he raised the blade to block the initial attack, but the wolf kept coming. Jo fought off as best as he could, but it was hopeless. He lost the first round easily.

"One for me!" He heard over the speaker. "I am thinking a sandwich for supper, PB and Jo?"

Jo shook his head. He could not lose! The next round began and again she charged. But then it hit him. Around him a battle was blazing. He could use that!

He turned and flew into a battle between the giant robots, watching as his opponents health slipped away. When it was low enough, he made the charge, gun blazing. She landed a hit, but he landed the kill, tying it up.

"Wha?!" She said. The third round began.

This time there was no battle. No holding back either. Jo charged at his foe, gun blazing, aming for the cockpit. The blows dealt extra damage, but not enough to finish the fight. Jo watched as the opponent slashed with the whip, smacking into his weapons, diabling his beam laser.

"Now to finish you!" the wolf said, aiming for him. But Jo made one last effort. He lunged forward with the beam saber.

The miracle occured at that point, the saber hitting the cockpit dead center, causing his opponent to blow up. Jo stared at the view screen in wide eyed disbelief. He checked and rechecked. 

"You did it!" A cheer rose from the crowd. It wasn't often a hume beat a fur in a game, and it was clearly just luck he had won at all. But the point was HE had won. HE WON!

"Nice match!" The wolf said, emerging from her machine. "I have to admit, you are the first I ever lost to."

"What do you mean?" Jo asked out of curiousity as the arcade owner brought over an ownership paper.

"I play here a lot. Aks anyone, usually in the Gndam game. But no one ever beat me before."

"If it makes you feel any better, I just was lucky that time. I normally do not do well."

The wolf nodded, signing her life away to Jo. "Well, perhaps we ca have a rematch sometime." She smiled, coming up close and hugging him. "I could use the practice."

Jo smiled. By winning he was well on his way to being a pro gamer. "Yeah. So could I." He said, looking at his new fans, wondering if he should go for the tornament next week...


(Wanna see a sequel? Well I need games and foes! Give me some ideas!)