|
|
Post by logan xiomara fairfax IX on Jun 13, 2011 13:09:37 GMT -5
Wearing this, jacket unbuttoned, and a grey eye patch
Clack, clack, clack, BZZZT. The sound of an intense battle filled a far corner of the arcade. Thousands (well, maybe twenty) of screaming fans surrounded the arena, eager to witness the duel, enticed by the promise of entertainment, drama, and perhaps even bloodshed. For this was a battle of epic proportions, a once in a lifetime (or week-time depending) occurrence. Logan the Conquer was accepting any and all challenges in the field of air hockey. For a mere wager, be it monetary, alcoholic, or academic, one could challenge this mighty gladiatrix. To the victor, the spoils of battle. To the loser, the shame of defeat.
Logan was on a killer winning streak. So far, she had faced eleven opponents, crushing them without problem. After the first six, she began taking on teams to mix it up and keep the audience interested. Her winnings ranged from a bottle of whiskey to a student agreeing to clean the computer lab for a month. Logan blew a strand of hair out of her face and gave her current opponent a cocky smile. He had wagered a fifty dollar tab at Lucky's and was now sweating over the 6 to 2 against score flashing above the table.
"Feeling alright there boyo?" Logan raised her left eyebrow. When he didn't respond, Logan shrugged and tapped the table with her paddle. "Its your serve, do try to make it a good one." The stab at his pride at least got a reaction out of the boy. He glared and sent the puck flying across the table.
Half a minute later, the game was over. Logan, after bowing gracefully to her cheering fans, extended a hand to the crestfallen, and fifty dollars poorer, student. "Good game, be proud that you managed to score at all." Logan released his hand and grinned, "And do be ready for the merciless taunts once classes start." The student paled and quickly left the arcade. Logan turned to the crowd and raised her voice.
"Do I have any other takers? Singles, teams, midgets, mutated animals, I don't discriminate. Come on folks, there's enough time for one or two more rounds before I take a lunch break at Lucky's." Logan gave a wink indicating that, lunch break or not, she would be spending the rest of the day in the bar once she left the arcade. "Anyone have the balls or ovaries to dare challenge me? Step up and place your bets!"
|
|
|
|
Post by drake raphael elliot on Jun 13, 2011 17:15:06 GMT -5
outfit!
Drake would never say that he was hiding. As a Man, he confronted his fears head on without any manner of subterfuge or sneakery. Even if his sister posted his name and phone number on the bulletin board for the entire school to see, something that could cause him pain, suffering, and heavy embarrassment. Even if, due to such events, a woman had approached him in a bar and assumed the status of his soul mate, despite his vigorous efforts to dissuade her. Even if said woman had, afterwards, called him sixteen times in one hour, knocked on his window for forty-five minutes, and slid no less than twenty-seven pictures of herself in various states of undress under his door.
He certainly was not hiding due to any of the above events. He was a Man. He would never hide. Another thing he would never do, however, was step into an arcade. They were like festering germ pits, with joysticks that every pubescent teenage boy touched with hands that had been god knew where and race car seats that had probably seen their fair share of bodily issues. Drake liked video games as much as the next nearly-thirty accountant did, but he did not like them in such a public, germ-infested place.
Which was why the arcade was the perfect place to hide lurk when he didn't feel like socializing. It was possible that Will was there, being ridiculous, but other than that, he didn't think that anyone he knew or cared about would be there. His sister certainly wouldn't be, since she was likely off feeding puppies or drawing rainbows on mirrors or something, which suited him perfectly as he would kill her if he saw her. Besides, even if people were there, there were so many giant machines that he could easily become obscured behind them, should he choose to stand there in a non-hiding manner.
It was lucky that, when he walked in, there was a giant cluster of people crowded around something. No one even noticed him slip through the double doors and behind a Pac-Man machine. Perhaps he could even make it to the snack bar without issue and grab himself a coffee. He started toward the display of nachos that he would never touch, inching along like a child trying to change places in hide-and-seek. A second later, however, he had darted behind a Street Fighter machine. She was there. His stalker was totally there, in that crowd. What was she doing there? Had she already--
No. It wasn't her. Drake let out a sigh of relief and stepped out from behind the game as the person he had mistaken turned around and turned out to be hideous. Not that he was hiding or anything. He could totally take a stalker.
At this break in the crowd, however, he got a glimpse at what they were all watching. More importantly, he got a glimpse of who they were watching. That was all it took for every competitive bone in Drake's body to flare with something that seemed a lot like >>> !!!!. Moving forward swiftly, he adjusted his collar enough to look debonair and broke through the crowd, taking his place at the opposite end of the table.
"Logan," he said, nodding in greeting. "Drinks for the night to the winner."
|
|
|
|
Post by logan xiomara fairfax IX on Jun 14, 2011 18:20:05 GMT -5
Logan was a tad surprised when her next opponent stepped up to the table. She quickly masked it with a smile. "Drake, didn't expect to run into you here." Logan's smile turned sarcastic. "Do you need a handkerchief or moist towelette so you can hold the paddle?"
Logan reached into her pocket and withdrew some quarters. She couldn't have asked for a better opponent to end with; not only would she get to humiliate one of her colleagues in front of potential students but she would also get to drink for free for the rest of the day. Logan also knew Drake to be a competitive perfectionist, aspects that were clearly not mirrored in herself. At least the game would be a little more challenging than the previous.
She put the quarters into the machine and the table hummed to life; air blowing out of the little holes and making the puck and paddles float. Logan picked the puck up and returned it to the launching chute. Giving Drake another smile, she returned to her side of the table and began lightly passing her paddle between her hands. "Rules are simple, first to 7 points wins, paddles can't cross the center line, and play will not stop should you lose your paddle. Sound good to you?" |
|
|
|
Post by drake raphael elliot on Jun 15, 2011 14:19:28 GMT -5
Drake would have pursed his lips, but since he had his Game Face on, it wasn't really an option. Instead, he clenched his jaw, regarding Logan with more hostility than annoyance because that was the best expression he could manage under the circumstances. He wasn't exactly as good at taunting as she was, unless the target was easy, but he was certainly good at holding his ground and that was what he intended to do for the remainder of the match until he kicked her ass.
He took his own paddle with much more force than was necessary, to prove just how much he did not need a moist towlette--although he couldn't say that he would be opposed to some sort of sanitizing instrument. He would have to scrub his hands after this, judging by the crowd of people that was likely composed largely of Logan's former opponents. Drake was sure that he recognized a few of them from his summer classes and he didn't really relish the idea of touching their assignments after they were done, much less something they had clutched, sweating, for at least five minutes.
Or less, depending on how good Logan was. But he wasn't going to think about that, due to his own level of awesomeness. He was going to win.
"I know the rules," he said, his voice quiet, as usual. "Stop stalling. Let's play." |
|
|
|
Post by logan xiomara fairfax IX on Jun 17, 2011 2:16:23 GMT -5
"That anxious to lose are we?" Logan had the urge to wink at Drake, but knew the gesture would be lost since it would just look like she was blinking. Sometimes she resented her eye patch. Ah well, there were plenty of other ways to taunt her opponent.
"As you wish," Logan pushed the START button on the table. Lights around the goals and scoreboard began to blink and alternate colors. An obnoxious air horn sounded and the surrounding crowd fell quiet. The puck shot out of a slit in the side of the table and bounced, crossing the middle line towards Logan's goal.
Logan smiled at Drake, keeping her eye fixed on him. She moved her hand a little to the left, waiting for just the right moment. "Would you like me to play with my eye closed?" Logan jeered. Without looking, she lashed out and sent the puck ricocheting down the table towards Drake's goal. "That might make this a little more even."
Logan pictured the table in her mind, imagining the puck flying down the table. She had used just enough force at a certain angle to ensure a miss if Drake was unable to hit the puck. Air Hockey, after all, was mostly physics with a tad bit of reaction and luck mixed in. Logan wanted to toy with him before humiliating the professor. |
|
|
|
Post by drake raphael elliot on Jun 17, 2011 23:26:40 GMT -5
"I never lose," he grumbled, flicking his sleeves in preparation of having to move so much. This statement, while usually true, was about to be very, very wrong. Drake, however, had no way of knowing that as Logan shot the puck forward. He just barely managed to catch it and send it flying back. He didn't have as much scientific strategy for the game as she did, but he did have quick reflexes and a strong arm. Neither of those things had ever failed him in air hockey before.
Of course, that was before this game of air hockey. He thought he kept his game up pretty well for awhile. He was good at intercepting things like that, what with his tennis prowess and all. Unfortunately, Logan was ultimately better and after a long, rigorous game in which he only managed to score four points, Drake laid down his paddle and scowled. Unfair.
"Good game," he said, through clenched teeth. Obviously, he was going to be sportsmanlike. He didn't want her to be able to gloat without feeling guilty. Not that Logan was human enough to feel something like guilt. But still. It didn't hurt to cover all his bases. |
|
|
|
Post by logan xiomara fairfax IX on Jun 19, 2011 19:39:59 GMT -5
And it was over. The game had ended exactly as Logan thought it would. Well, maybe not exactly. Drake had managed to score more points than she had planned on, but c'est la vie. Logan raised a hand to quiet the crowd and placed her paddle down. She crossed to Drake's side and extended a hand, ever the sportsman.
"Very nice game. If it makes you feel any better, you scored more points than any of my other single opponents and only one double opponent got higher." Logan grinned. "It was nice actually having to work for my win for a change."
Logan turned to face the crowd. "Well, I'm afraid that's all for today. I'd like to thank the Playdium for letting me host this little informal tournament. Have a good weekend and if anyone would like to join me for an after party, we'll be at Lucky's in an hour or so."
With that, the crowd began to disperse. Logan was glad to see many of the students wander to a game machine rather than leave the arcade. She had plans for the future of the Playdium, and those plans required it manage to stay in business. She turned her attention back to Drake. "So about that wager..." |
|
|
|
Post by drake raphael elliot on Jun 19, 2011 20:30:55 GMT -5
Drake likely took failure even less well than Logan would have. Unfortunately for him, however, he would never have the chance to figure this out as Logan had not actually failed anything. While he tried not to look as annoyed on the outside as he was on the inside, he vowed to somehow, SOMEDAY beat her at something.
He reached forward and grasped her hand firmly, pumping it once before letting go. Always the businessman, his handshake was something he prided himself on. That, at least, he knew was better than Logan's. It didn't matter how good hers was. His was better. "You're welcome," he said, still too distraught over his loss to really speak. He didn't want to say something stupid (i.e. 'your mom' or 'your face') and look like even more of an idiot.
Drake turned to face the crowd as she did. He would not have admitted to it, but added to the annoyance he already felt, he was a little put off by the fact that everyone was staring in admiration at Logan instead of him. While he knew that math was not the most popular subject, he also knew that he had enchanted many of his female students. He was used to the attention. Stupid Logan.
"It's only noon," he said, shaking his sleeve to look at his watch. |
|
!!!!. Moving forward swiftly, he adjusted his collar enough to look debonair and broke through the crowd, taking his place at the opposite end of the table. 