But those claw machines are still a waist of money right. But whats that behind it.
You see an old gumball machine crammed in the far end of a few token machines reading "potion crystals" in crude black paint. The florescent light above is burnt out giving it a dismal quality. Its so quiet over there in the far corner of the arcade.
There had to be something else to do, right? Maybe you just wanted to leave as you turned around, but someone catches your eye on your left.
Theres a guy, about your age. Hes a bit taller, with dark gray hoody and tiet boot cut jeans. He has lether boots peaking under them and they're covered in sand. You completely get this, for you have the same boots.
He walks over the the gumball machine, and maybe it was him, but the machine is sudenly so cool. And so you make your way over trying to think of what to say.
"But why all the way over here?" You say casually.
"Because no one notices it exists and thats what makes it more exiting." He says with a dit of passion.
So hes a man of mystery and secrets, but hes young and weird, and hes probably ghost hunting or trying to find buried treasure or something, and to your girlish hormones this is "like totaly the coolest day ever now". And now hes rummaging though his bag.
You can see some old books and maps and folders. He pulls out a checklist and crosses something off. And then he goes into his wallet.
You realize that you're staring even though he hassent noticed, and so you look around for somewhere else to go, but you want to stay right there, and curiosity can make a girl like you act weird, and you should run off somewhere, but you just want to stay right there.
"Um.... ", you hear next to you, and your first thought is that means 'fuck off' but then, "do you have any change?" The man says in a hesitant tone. You get a better look at him this time. His hair is black and straight but seems to go in any direction it wants, and his eyes are dark grey but they're beep so deep and drooping, and calm.
"Yeah." And your whole world lights up again.
"I swear I'll do you a huge favor."
"Alright." You say, "but I get first dibs".
He laughs, and so you put a dime in the machines, looking at all the contents inside the glass window. In little plastic clear eggs there are crystals of all shapes and colors sitting inside gleeming with little folded papers. One catches your eye. Its purple and light and polished into an oval. 'Wow, I hope I get that one' you think, and so you turn the nob,and out comes....
An empty egg with nothing inside.
The guy tries not to laugh at you and you hand him upsettingly hand him a dime.
"Hey, I bet you a claw machine plushy its all a scam" He says as he nods over to the claw machine. You can tell hes saying sorry.
"Hah, alright".
He puts a dime in and turns the nob. You're hoping he gets nothing and you can all laugh about it and you doth go on a date of claw machines and walk and getting lost in cool places or something.
"Hey, this ones neat." He says.
Aw, darn it.
You look down at the crystal he received. Oh.