Arcadin' Darc
Chapter word count: 2173
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They continued on through the arcade, playing whatever they wanted while skipping some and idly watching others play.
Among the various games they tried, there was a co-op shooter game, a seated racing game, a dancing game, a pinball game, and a coin dropper along with other classic arcade staples.
They traversed carelessly through the layered rings of the first floor, ignoring other distractions along the way.
At the lowest layer was a plethora of competitive games and a clearer view of this section of the arcade.
Here, Darc got caught up in another horse racing game, though this time he played against a few competent players.
Not interested in joining in, Airot took the opportunity to reflect on the layout.
This chamber of the Feudal Arch would be its main ‘arcade’ area and is situated in the center of the entire building.
On the highest level of the first floor are four doorways in each cardinal direction.
One of them leads back to the entrance where lighthearted games and the ‘tavern’ eatery resided. That was the doorway they avoided when venturing further into the arcade.
The area they had started off in was a more casual, but dedicated, game room.
On the opposite end of that should be a segment dedicated to younger children, which was connected to the tavern at the front, allowing parents an easy line of sight.
Finally, across from the entrance doorway was a colosseum-esque arena, designed for medieval-themed performances.
‘Ah, I’m really remembering now. This place was quite a unique arcade.’
“Yo,” Darc tapped Airot’s shoulder. “What’re you spacing out for?”
“Nothing much, just remembering.”
“Oh? More childhood memories?” Darc asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Kind of,” Airot turned to Darc, “You done with your racing?”
“Yeah, I won.”
Airot raised a skeptical eyebrow, “You won against real players but lost to an A.I.?”
“Well, I did a little talking to distract them. But I did get first place in the end,” Darc replied confidently. “Anyhow, it’s about time we wrap things up here. It’s been a couple hours, after all.”
“Alright.”
They began making their way back up through the layers.
“Cutting through here would be easier,” Darc went on ahead.
There were three sets of stairs leading up from the lowest layer, with the nearest one heading toward the children’s section.
Following the closest set through every layer would result in one ending up by the children’s section, making it more convenient to pass through there instead of looping around to the entrance.
As they climbed the steps, they soon reached the doorway connecting the two areas, Airot glanced around while moving through.
The games here were overly safe and family-friendly, with many of them featuring brand names.
Off to one side was a decently sized section dedicated to an indoor playground, completed with a ball pit and all those weird twisting tubes that formed a multi-floored maze.
The area was fairly populated, though not by the toddlers and young teens it was intended for; most of the people here appeared to be in their late teens to early twenties at most. They didn’t seem as joyous as people in the other sections.
The ones by the playground were especially lethargic, with a few curled up on their own and others staring off.
“Bit of a sad sight, ain’t it?” Darc noted, catching Airot’s gaze.
“I guess,” he replied. “They look… worn out.”
Darc chuckled, glancing back at the playground. “Probably ‘cause they’re health-conscious about the germs and smells indoor playgrounds have,” he joked. When Airot looked unamused, he quickly added, “Haha… Ah, um, it isn’t that disgusting, actually. They clean it far better than you’d expect.”
Airot’s attention stayed on the people lounging by the playground. “What’s got them so out of it?”
“Maybe they’re just… holding onto what’s left of the old days,” Darc shrugged.
Airot seemed unsure of what he meant.
Seeing his expression, Darc asked, “Say, how old are ya?”
“I’m… 20,” Airot delayed a little trying to remember his age. “But what’s that got to do with it?”
“As I thought, you’re quite young. And for people like you—like them,” he panned over to those with unfocused eyes, “despite your physical age, you behave much younger than you are.” Airot seemed slightly offended, but Darc continued on, “It’s no fault of yours. I mean, It’s not like we got to grow up normally.”
“Ah,” Airot nodded, realizing what he was getting at.
Darc slowed his steps, “For a lot of us, the years that were supposed to matter… well, they just disappeared.”
Airot silently listened as he matched pace.
“We’ve all missed out on a lot due to the heated war. Seven whole years worth. No proper care and barely any social interactions out there… it’s no wonder there’s so many immature adults in this city,” he scoffed. “It’s no doubt worse for the kiddos. They’re probably here to get away from everything, back to a place that feels… familiar.”
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“Y-Yeah…” Airot murmured, glancing back at the group by the playground. “I get it.”
“A form of escapism, I’d assume,” Darc declared.” Back when everything was normal. Back when they hadn’t lost anyone.”
“So they’re… coping,” Airot lingered back to the playground. “What about you?” he turned to Darc.
“Me? Well, I could’ve been just like them since I was only 17 myself when it happened, after all. But things were rough for me even before everything went down, so I don’t have a reason to daydream about those times,” Darc ranted on.
“I-I see…” Airot simply nodded along to Darc’s exposition. “I get it now. Yeah. You don’t need to say anymore.”
“Alright,” they finally neared the doorway exiting into the tavern. “You know, why aren’t you like them?”
“Ah, well…” Airot seemed at a loss for words. “I was just… too occupied with surviving, I guess?” he gave a puzzled expression, unsure of his own answer.
“Mmm, is that so?” Darc passed the doorway.
“Well, right now I guess it’s because I’m still new to the city,” Airot quickly added.
Darc nodded thoughtfully, letting a silence fall between them before gesturing ahead. “Anyway, enough about that. Why don’t we get some snacks before leaving?” he directed toward the seating area styled like a medieval tavern.
Airot shook off the thoughts lingering from this exchange and followed Darc. “Sure, I could eat.”
Still just a few steps away from the doorway, they started moving towards the tavern rather than the exit.
After a few more steps, Airot’s foot made a sticky sound. He had stepped on something that adhered to the floor.
With a slight sense of disgust at the sticky floor, he continued, paying more attention to where he was walking.
Despite that, his appetite wasn’t deterred as the smell of food filled the air. There were multiple people eating, though it wasn’t crowded.
When they reached the counter there was a small line ahead of them.
Once in line, a notable clanking of armor could be heard, revealing that the counter was manned by a knight in full plate armor. He imagined there were rough working conditions here.
Observing it as it served the people ahead of them, he noticed that despite its humanoid figure, it felt too robotic for a person to be inside.
Darc turned his head to Airot as it was their turn, “What do you want?”
“Something simple, not messy,” Airot replied, recalling the quality of the floor.
“Want a full meal?”
“Uhh, nah, not really.”
“Still not that hungry? Well, alright, we’ll just get something to go.”
Darc placed their order while Airot just lingered back.
The knight listened silently, making no sound other than the clinking of metal. It was fully clad, making it hard to see who—or what—was inside. However, through the eye slits, the interior was pitch black.
Airot was certain it was some autonomous creation.
Panning over to the menu, Airot had a look at what they were serving.
Like he could smell earlier, it was heavily based on carnival food. Some of the items listed played on medieval names, while others reflected a whimsical ‘ye olde’ theme.
Not too long after, the knight returned with a tray of food and whipped out a checkered tuallet emblazoned with a coat of arms. The symbol was too small to define, but it was clear that the tuallet was customized specifically for this arcade.
Darc paid the knight while Airot examined the feast before them. They received two jumbo-sized hotdogs, a tray of loaded fries, and a container holding pretzel bites with some sort of dip.
“How very… modern American,” Airot blurted out.
Finished paying, Darc turned to help carry the food, “Yes, indeed. The U.S.A., my favorite medieval destination,” he responded with clear sarcasm.
Airot took a fry around the edges and ate it. Savoring the golden, slightly crispy fry, he noticed an extra satisfying crunch with a salty, smoky flavor and a hint of charred richness.
“Of course, bacon.”
“Not just bacon, it has cheese and scallions.”
Airot grabbed another fry, this time in the middle of the tray. Lifting the fry gave a small but enticing cheese pull. The crunchy fry was softened just enough by the warm layer of melted cheese. “Hmm…” he grabbed two more. A tangy flavor that was rich and gooey added a creamy contrast to the crispness of the fries and bacon bits. “Sharp orange cheddar, I believe.”
“Wow,” Darc was left speechless. “...Cheese nerd,” he muttered under his breath.
“Do you not like cheese?” Airot swiftly responded.
“Well, yeah, I like cheese. But identifying what type is a bit… you know,” Darc tried waving him off. “Just, whatever. Let’s get going,” he picked up a jumbo-dog and the pretzel bites.
Airot took the remaining hotdog and the loaded fries, already enjoying a few more bites.
They navigated past the tables of people dining in and towards the opposite end rather than the exit.
As they walked, Airot lifted the tray that was holding the hotdog to his face and took a bite.
The hotdog had a juicy, salty snap as he bit through the slightly crispy skin, revealing a soft interior that was a tad bit smoky, all of which exuded a comforting warmth that felt familiar. Lightly topped with mustard, ketchup and a slight crunch from relish, it was a simple yet indulgent combination.
He gazed at the toppings as he chewed; though the flavors were delightful, the sauces on top could lead to some unwanted stains.
‘Didn’t I ask for something not messy? Well, it’s fine I guess.’
He continued to eat as they walked, hugging the wall to follow a clear path without having to weave through people and games.
Soon, Airot noticed a separate room with glass walls. Peering in revealed that it was a bowling alley, though that wasn’t their destination.
Bypassing the curtain walls, they reached a detached counter nearby. Staffed by a fully clad knight and surrounded by a display of toys, games, knick-knacks and other prizes, it seemed like this was where one would cash in their earned tickets.
At the counter, Darc freed his hands by placing down the food he had been munching on along the way before pulling out his tickets.
Airot glanced at the various plushies, toys, cosmetics and handheld devices on display. There weren’t any electronics, though.
“Just save these under Darc Immag; I won’t be spending them today,” Darc handed his tickets over.
“You’re just gonna save them?”
“It’s not like we can carry anything else,” he motioned to their food. “Plus, it’s more efficient that way. Though you’d have to register with the arcade first, so you should store your tickets under my name,” he mischievously grinned.
“No way. I’ll just register myself, then.”
Darc clicked his tongue before responding, “Fine, but let’s at least link our names in the system.”
“Why should I?”
“C’mon, it’ll make things easier down the road,” he insisted.
“Alright, alright, we’ll do that,” Airot relented.
Having picked up on their conversation, the knight slid a clipboard and pen to Airot. It had emblems and symbols decorating the parchment, but the required writing section itself was small, requesting only a full name, age and whether one was a yapper or not.
Filling it out, Airot commented, “Is this all? You made it seem like it was complicated.”
“I never said it was,” Darc shrugged, “I just wanted your tickets.”
Airot shot him a glare before turning in his registration form.
After submitting his tickets under his own name, the knight handed him a card adorned with a knightly design, highlighting Airot’s full name.
“Airot Plasho,” Darc read aloud as he looked over at Airot’s card.
“Yes, Darc Immag?” Airot tilted his head with mild irritation.
Darc gave him a brief look before picking up his food items. “Nothing. Let’s go.”
Before Airot could grab his own food, Darc swiftly snatched a bundle of fries before heading toward the exit.