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Fast Eddie's Bowling Alley and Arcade - Thursday

Jack had called earlier in the week to make sure the place would be open since its hours seemed a little intermittent and dependent on the whim of the owner. He'd been assured it would be open Thursday, and Duke still seemed interested in playing video games.

The place seemed pretty empty when he got there but for all that, the lights and noises of the games were going full tilt and the crash of the ball-return lines could be heard from the other end. The place smelled of pizza, fried foods, sugar and the lingering aroma of weed, though whether that came from patrons or the employees couldn't be told at this time. Pretty standard, from what Jack could judge of an arcade. He'd stopped and picked up a couple rolls of quarters.

Propping his shoulders back against the entry wall, he idly crossed one ankle over the other and his arms across his chest and waited. Today's outfit was a simple white tank top and black cargo pants and boots. It displayed his full sleeves quite nicely in case any passers by wondered who he was.

[Thread for the one but open post is open with minor OCD.]

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That's the plan, anyway.

Duke had given in and done laundry last night, just in case things hadn't rectified themselves by morning. Which meant that starry tank top he'd picked up at Demon Marcus was clean. He had a flannel on over it, knotted across his midriff, and a basic pair of jeans. He'd been tempted to try out a skirt, but balked at the last minute.

He looked the place over as he walked in, a small smile on his face. "Man, I haven't been in a place like this in years." He inhaled and shook his head. "Even smells the same as the one back in Haven. Damn."

Jack noticed the cute tank and had noticed that Duke's average aesthetic hadn't skewed toward 'cute'. "You look nice," he commented casually, uncrossing his arms and stepping away from the wall. "I think it's a rule that arcades are required to have that eau de teenage desperation to them or something. I'd never even been in one of these until a few years ago and even on a space station in another reality, the smell's the same."

"Thanks." Duke ducked his head a little with a smile. 'Cute' was not at all what he went for as a man. But he was starting to have fun playing with the idea of maybe not always being one. "And -- fuck, man. Not sure why arcades had to be the universal constant, but I guess it's nice to know there is one."

"There's a few of 'em. The universal constants," Jack said with a lopsided smile, "This one's a little nicer than some of the others. Though I guess there ain't much terrible about potatoes."

Beat. "Those are the same in multiple galaxies. Though one of these days I'm gonna fuck with Kanan and show him some of those purple potatoes they got in the store."

"Potatoes, huh?" Duke shook his head. He was pretty sure those hadn't even been universal on Earth until Europe had decided to go a-conquering. From what he'd heard of some of those other galaxies, he figured someone had probably spread the things via conquest out there, too. "Guess starchy tubers are a staple wherever you go."

"Can't go far wrong with starchy tubers," Jack agreed, "Add enough butter and salt and you've got yourself something that tastes very definitely of butter and salt. Kind of like snails but much less chewy."

Reaching into one of the pockets of his pants, Jack pulled out a roll of quarters and waggled it back and forth. "Shall we?"

"Feel like I'm fifteen all over again," Duke said. "Sure. Let's see what they've got."

Jack laughed and headed deeper into the arcade. "Shit, man, when I was fifteen, I'd be breaking into the damn things. If I'd ever been to somewhere like this back then."

"You don't break into the games if you want to play 'em," Duke said. "Break into the change machine. Or the cash registers. Change machine's usually easier, though." He shrugged. "Managed to get some play out of the old 'quarter glued on a string' trick for awhile, too, until they changed the way they built the damn things."

"Wouldn't have occurred to me to play 'em," Jack said idly. "Kinda why I play 'em now. That, and I get bored real fuckin' easily. Buddy of mine on the ship suggested arcades a couple years back. Of course, that asshole's only in it for the claw machines."

"Aren't those things usually rigged?"

"From what I've seen? They're always rigged." Jack nodded at one in the corner, "Like that one. You can see the hinges on the claw are fucking loose from here."

"And all the prizes are too heavy to catch," Duke agreed. "I prefer games you can actually win, myself. So . . . what's your poison?" He looked around. "I recognize, like, one of these."

Jack regarded the claw game for a minute and then smiled. "I'm tempted to try it. See anything in it you want?"

He was not, for the record, planning to play fair. The game was rigged. He fully intended to cheat.

Duke smirked. “You offering to win me a prize, Jack?”

They were the right shapes for that kind of cliche, today. . . .

Jack smiled down at Duke - pointedly down to emphasize the petite pint-sized thing. "Do you want me to win you a prize, Duke? Make my day. Say yes."

Yup, someone was having fun with this whole being a big tall looming guy standing next to the tiny pretty person thing.

Duke had not been loomed over in a long time. He was used to being one of the taller people around. It was a little disconcerting.

But for a slight rounding of the eyes and a single swallow, he didn’t let on about it. Instead he gave Jack a broad grin and fluttered his lashes.

“Aw shucks, would ya Jack? I haven’t had a big burly man win me a prize in ages.”

Edited 2019-10-10 19:57 (UTC)

"I can't say I've ever won a prize for a pretty little woman," Jack grinned right back, tilting his head at the machine, "You get to be my first, Duke. Let's go pick out something you want."

Duke definitely didn't blush a little at being called a 'pretty little woman'. Nope. Not a bit.

That was a very weird feeling.

"That's pretty forward, Jack, asking me to pop your prize cherry. I might not be that kind of girl."

And yet, Duke was sauntering over to take a look at what was on offer.

Pew pew pew pew!

Mod your food. Pretty sure it's a law that all arcades in the US must have terrible cardboard pizza, fried food and sugar.

Misc in case there's need for a misc.

I mean. Come on.

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Duke and Jack play vidya games

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Re: Duke and Jack play vidya games

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Re: Duke and Jack play vidya games

Re: Duke and Jack play vidya games

Re: Duke and Jack play vidya games

Re: Duke and Jack play vidya games

Re: Duke and Jack play vidya games

Re: Duke and Jack play vidya games

Re: Duke and Jack play vidya games

Re: Duke and Jack play vidya games

Re: Duke and Jack play vidya games

Re: Duke and Jack play vidya games

Re: Duke and Jack play vidya games

Re: Duke and Jack play vidya games

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Bowling

Arcade

The food area

Somethin' else?

OOC