So one day the entire cast wakes up in an anime. I think it’s...weird Victorian steampunk? Half of them (Xander & Dawn included) ended up in the arcade game based on the anime, half of them (Buffy as leader) ended up in the investigation portion of the actual anime. Sadly I didn’t get to see much of that, only Buffy telling someone off for doubting her.
Xander knows a little about the game, but it’s Dawn who knows the most—there’s an arc where the characters find a UFO and try to bring it back as proof that their theory about the murders is correct, only they end up being chased back by an actual UFO and have to fight it. Their actual controls are joysticks, and Dawn remembers things like the quick-turn button (pressing down, the actual top is an ivory color with a double-headed arrow circle to denote this), turning (turning the joystick) and diving, rolling, etc (physically turning the controller). Willow’s exclaiming about how this doesn’t make sense.
“You can rant about that all you want, just...do that over here?” Xander requests, leading her over to the side. “She’s got a couple of the high scores. We should just...let her do her thing.”
He is a little humiliated that both of the Summers sisters are better at arcade games than he is, but whatever, if it’s going to save their lives he’s not complaining. (Never mind the fact that since she’s not actually in the game portion Buffy doesn’t actually have to deal with annoying controls or memorizing patterns.)
“Thanks for that. You look delicious, by the way,” Dawn responds absently, pressing down on the button and frowning.
Xander makes a face. “You’re like my little sister. Please don’t say things that might involve brain bleach.”
“I know, I know, I’m not going to act on it, but looking’s free, and I’ve always liked that character,” Dawn waves him off, frowning more. “...Did they give us a controller running out of batteries or what? This isn’t working.”
Xander’s eyes narrow and then it occurs to him. “Hey, wait a minute—aren’t there engineering tasks in multiplayer? Think we took too much damage?”
“Oh, yeah. And your character’s the engineer, so...get to it. Chop chop.” Dawn points at the “station” and waves him on, grinning, and he makes another face.
“Don’t think skill bonuses are even a thing in arcade games,” he complains, but goes over anyway.
Sadly, I didn’t get an idea of most of their characters. Xander’s is a redhead who’s kind of skinny, likes to argue with authority, and is, as mentioned, an engineer.
I didn’t get a sense of it either way, but it’d be interesting to put Giles with either group. I think if put with Buffy’s he’d alternate between stern “we have to figure out how to leave” and barely concealed excitement because it’s kind of fun. If with Dawn’s, he’d probably get motion-sick at the controls and it’d be more of a matter of, uh, “torturing your characters”.
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