orangetoughguy | log post II

[These paws are patting and smoothing over what the old man has on.]

Naw, you're fine. Let's go.

[As for whether or not he'd been waiting for this day, well it's not like he's never been to the place before. He's just been waiting to go with Larry.]

[And away they go. Larry's got the door, and the keys. Freddy can man the jar.]

I'm tryin' to think of the last time I been to an arcade. I mean, outside of walkin' through one to get to the slots on the other side or somethin'.

I bet they don't have pinball machines in em anymore. I always thought those were a kick.

[He's not taking the whole jar come on now. He's just taking a nice pouch carrying a quarter of that jar's worth yep.]

Please any good arcade's gonna have fuckin' pinballs cause pinballs are cool. An arcade without one doesn't know its roots.

[Out the door they go, into the cooler but not snowy weather.]

[That's way more than it would take for laundry or parking meters.]

'Scuse me, Mr. Expert. They don't put em in pizza parlors anymore. How's a guy supposed to know?

[Larry turns up his collar against the chill. It's cold, but it ain't that cold.]

So what kinda pinball machine is there? Rocky and Bullwinkle? Turtles?

I gotta take you to the right parlor. [He shakes his head but smiles at Larry, brim of his cap pinched down a little more.]

Bladerunner, Tron, Terminator, Nightmare on Elm Street. [To name a few more.] I bet they got an Elvis one somewhere.

You foolin'? [About the Elvis? Because that's serious business, okay. The rest sound entertaining.] Well, I gotta see when we get there. [One thing is for sure, it's easier and more pleasant getting from point A to point B without the snow.]

Do you know what you wanna play already?

Nope. I mean they make KISS pinball machines so why not?

[Er, he's not implying KISS is on the same level as Elvis of course...just the merchandising and stuff. Yeah. As for what he wants to play?]

Tron, they gotta have it cause I've seen the machine. [It looks a whole lot more modernized though but the kid owes that to an updated frame.] And that game where you try to fish with magnets. I'd do way better with that than real fishing.

[As Larry would know.]

[On they stroll like two street dogs.]

They could make anythin' then. [Larry won't ask but he'll wonder about a Lone Ranger machine.]

Next time you need to pretend the fish are magnets. [Arm bump.] You gotta let me give that one a try.

[He may not know what else he'll do the whole time, but watching and giving a few things a try...

I got a whole bunch of coins right here so if you got the time I think we're pretty much set.

[Maybe they're like a black bear roaming through the neighborhood with a street dog trotting right next to him.]

You can win tickets to trade for other crap or win a huge dog dressed as a banana. [Don't ask him what it is cause Freddy don't know.]

I got time enough. [Leaving a loophole if one is needed. If.] You? [Though with that hat Larry's near certain that Freddy doesn't need to get down and dirty for work. It's got Iron Man after all.]

That were you got the hat? [He flicks a finger against the bill. The old man isn't going to even process the dog dressed as a banana.]

I got lots of time.

[He's had this whole week off if the bear couldn't tell. Why he's had the week off Freddy may not have explained completely yet but that's because Saya's sworn him to secrecy.]

Naw I picked this up at a thrift store. Pretty cool for a couple of oranges huh? Somethin' like four dollars. [He tilts it back into place after the flicking fff.]

[Mighty hard to fix up cars in the dead of winter, at least ones that aren't on the road. Must be slow. Also, Freddy puts up a good front, in case if he didn't know. The old man, on the other hand had a few days off but back to the grindstone.]

It looks like new.

[It looks good for a comic book cap say those brown eyes, even when Larry is shaking his head.]

You should get a Brewers one.

Whoever gave it up doesn't know what he's missin'.

[That's Freddytalk for snooze you lose, sucker. He tips the brim again then darts a gaze Larry's way.]

For you? Sure.

[Freddy might never get a Brewers cap on his own but Larry definitely, definitely appreciates the thought of it alone. Oh. Are they there already. Huh. There's a hope that they're not the only adults in this joint outside of the sucker who's got to work maintenance... then again with this being the City it could very well be another young kid.

The lights going off and sounds it could be an infant Las Vegas.]

After you, sir.

[However long it takes is however long it takes, but Freddy's walking out with a haul of one giant plush dog dressed as a banana, a light up yo-yo, and some brand new top scores to his name. Not bad all in all, they could've done more but even this kid can tell when an old man's had enough of blinking LEDs, rattling noise, and stupid adolescents trying to tilt the coin machine.]

Come on you know you had a great time in pinball row.

[That's supposed to be a dog? Larry thought it was a polar bear from a distance. Must be the nose. Why a dog would be dressed as a banana, only Freddy could tell. The old man on the other hand is walking out with a big gorilla, nostrils flaring and chest puffed out at some unseen threat. He's a little bit too small to be King Kong. More like Donkey Kong without the tie. That's his only prize besides getting at least four extra balls in the machine.]

I did.

[They had an Archie comic pinball machine. This place is a kick.]

Don't think it was as good of a time as you over all.

[Yeah, he's eying that yoyo.]

What can I say? It's my kind of place. [He shrugs once, nonchalant and ever so casual.]

Here kid.

[It doesn't take Freddy long to pass the banana-dog off to a short scrappy looking...boy? Girl? That kid's got a Latino Jodie Foster look to it. Regardless, that kid seems pretty happy to get a gift from a stranger. now all he's got left is the yo-yo. That's staying with him.]

[Larry holds his tongue from asking if everyone here knows his name. Nobody does. Though there is little doubt that they see him as a regular. The way that the banana-dog is passed, that's real fucking sweet. That mulatto kid will never forget it. The old man knows he wouldn't have, free handouts that good are hard to come by.]

What was that?

[There's a grin on his face, kid. This ain't no interrogation.]

What was what?

[Freddy asks while letting the yoyo loose. Look at that shit light the fuck up, it may as well be a mini-identity disc.]

That.

[Half a turn behind them to see where the kid has gone. Too late now to see. Shrug and turn back.

What's with young people and things that light up? Though it's pretty fucking cool all lit up like a UFO.]

Now you don't got somethin' big anymore.

[Meanwhile, Larry's still toting his gorilla.]

A dog in a banana suit?

[Another look, like Larry ought to have known better just by looking at it. Duh. As for something big though...he just hooks his thumb at the big bear with the big ape.]

I got that.

[Which does he mean though hm.]

Yeah. Sure it wasn't a bear though? [Could have easily been. You couldn't see the ears. He waves the hand. Spare him, kid, won't you?] Made that kid's day.

[In doing so made this old man's day. Fuck, Dimick you're a sap.]

This? Well, you do, don't you.

[Even though he's holding the gorilla he thinks of the other option. All the same, he'll shove it under the wiry arm that isn't handling the yoyo.]

It had a dog's face to me. [The kid smiles, knowing the old man appreciated the gesture too. Oh wait what? Fff he hooks his arm securely around the ape so it doesn't drop to the ground.] So where's your prize?

[He's not fishing for compliments, not really...]

My prize?

[He wets his lips, they're feeling dry though he intentionally keeps the action slow nodding to the gorilla and the funny dog holding it.]

Right there. Can't you see?

[The lip wetting does not go unnoticed one bit.]

Light me a smoke will you?

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