Deep in the roots of North Blackout City, people all across the world come to get their hands on that ten million dollar cash prize from the Mindscape Tournament. For the more casual players, there was also the recreational option of the playying microgames in the streets, connecting wires to your neural ports and etc etc some other big flashing term to say that you play games in your opponent's head. Literally. The Mindscape Tower, well, towers over everyone's heads as they waited entry in line formations, with a giant screen with an eye ominously surveying the city beneath it.

...cool!

Once you got your Platinum Ticket checked in by one of the many terminals, and successfully had your mind calibrated through the port inserted in your cortex, you were ready for the first round awaiting after the elevator ride from the first floor.

It was time for your first round in a game of Mindwave against your opponent who will surely match their wits with yours--

You lost.

Yeah, that was a pretty one-sided experience. It kind of sucks, too. You were sure that you were better than that at the game, but oh well! Looks like the other person was just a lot better than you were.

On your way back down to the lobby area, you happened to see something--someone--peculiar out the corner of your eye. When you turned to see, you would find that it was a girl, perhaps of highschool age, with puffy white hair, black eyes, and wearing pajamas. Her shirt, pink, had some Plum character from some popular cartoon, and she had blue pants with hearts. The outfit was accentuated by bunny slippers and the presence of a brown teddy bear. It seems to have been self made.

Weird looks aside, you didn't want to seem like some kind of weirdo just staring at her, so you decided to take the loser's march back home and--

"HIIIII!!"

Well, that wasn't a very long retreat. As it turns out, the girl caught you in her eye as well, and she had quickly run up to you, eager to converse. "I saw you looking at me for afar before you started to go, so I thought, 'obviously, this person wants to be my friend!' Right? Right!"

Most people would not be considering that after observing someone slinking around watching them. "Anyways, I'm Abbie, and this is Tommy!"

...silence passed after Abbie introduced Tommy. "...Tommy says hi back. Anyways, you were probably looking at me all weird because of my clothes, huh?" Abbie looked herself up and down, just to reassure herself. "I actually had a costume planned for tonight. It was supposed to be a magical girl outfit! My dad was gonna pick it up for me, but my mom said that she thought I wouldn't win anyways..."

Ouch. Harsh parents for such a sweet girl.

"And, well, I guess she was kinda right, hehe. I just came out of a loss with this girl named Pandora. But, don't worry, she was really nice! Even if she looks kinda grouchy. She had a friend named Smalls, too. He was cool!"

Abbie's eyes widened in realization, and she smacked her forehead and giggled. "Oh, hey! You're a loser! I'm a loser...we can be losers together!" Abbie jumped up and down, with Tommy held close to her chest. "Ohhh, right, I should ask...whats your name? Before you let me ramble on anymore, hehe."