“Yeah yeah, I get it, you wanna chase some ass.”
Matthew nodded sharply, then held up a finger, “Not just that, but yes, mainly that.”
James shook his head dismissively as the two followed the path towards the building Matthew’s interest had vanished into.
The main path of the park was lit with rows of tall, three-pronged gas lamps with strings of fairy lights hanging between them, cascading the area below with spots of light that rocked slightly in the late afternoon breeze. The walkway sprouted off in several directions, like veins in a leaf. Smaller paths led to nearby buildings while larger paths disappeared beyond walls into other parts of the park.
The section the pair were in was composed of a few large buildings. Though their exteriors were painted a mostly flat white, each was trimmed with beams of neon, creating a façade of purples, pinks, and blues that blended across the surface and gave everything a blended hue.
As the two approached the building the young lady had entered, they read the marque above the door; obsidian black in color with carved letters through which blue neon shone, ‘Pleasure Games’.
James paused as he held the door handle, turning incredulously to Matthew, “Are we walking into some porn arcade?”
Matthew shrugged, grabbing the handle above James’s hand, “Pretty sure it’s just based on the parks name.” Matthew pulled the door open with enough force for it to stay open as he pushed past James and walked into the dark entry leading into the arcade.
After a moment’s hesitation, James followed.
The arcade sounds grew in intensity as the boys walked down a circular, pitch black hallway. Their only guide was a pair of iron storm lanterns at the end of the hall, their flickering lights drawing them in. As they made their way down the hall, flecks of light appeared in the blackness surrounding them. The points of light started rotating as they grew in number, quickly becoming a star field that swirled about them with growing intensity.
Like a wash of ink in water, a nebula sprawled overhead, its purples and blues shifting the color of the tunnel from dark and foreboding to cold but wondrous. The last few steps to the door now visible between the lanterns were a visual treat as an endless sea of stars danced around them and a nebula bathed them in cool colors, all while the springs of pinball cabinets, eight-bit sound effects, and synth tunes rumbled through the door with promises of what wonders lay beyond.
Then it was over.
The two turned back from the door to find the hallway once again the dark inky black it had been when they entered. The door they’d come through seemed far away, across a sea of uninviting darkness. Even the sounds of the arcade seemed more subdued than they had been moments before, an echo of what had been.
Slightly confused, but undeterred, the two moved on. Matthew opened the door and they walked into the arcade.
The arcade proper was an industrial space, with a large central area filled with arcade cabinets and a ring of metal walkways forming a second and third floor, connected by perforated metal steps. The light from the arcade machines created distinct rings around the room, broken up by the bodies that walked between them. Synth beats and spotlights helped strengthen the atmosphere, dark spaces contrasting with CRT and neon illumination.
“This is amazing,” James mumbled, still taking it all in.
“Fuck yeah.”
The two stood stock still and stunned for several seconds, just letting the room wash over them. As their senses caught up, they started walking the rows of machines, taking in the different games and waiting for something to catch their impulsive interests.
The roving lights and flickering screens were entrancing and the pulsing beats were hypnotic. As they explored, small changes to their bodies transpired beneath their notice. Their youthful stubble, for what it was, faded. Skin became softer and unkempt hair grew bouncier and more vibrant. Similar small changes were affecting those around them, but in the shifting light and foggy air made such subtle changes unnoticeable to their constantly distracted eyes.
“Shit,” Matthew stopped, eyes focused on a screen they were walking by, “that can’t be legal, right?”
James followed his gaze, spotting a splash screen featuring a woman with long red hair and a huge machine gun.
A topless woman.
As the two stepped closer, James glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed the salacious screen. To his surprise, several screens had similar images of men and women in various stages of pixelated undress. How had they not noticed that sooner when they were walking the aisles? He stood on his toes and looked over the cabinet into the aisle they’d just walked through. Several of the machines were classic cabinets, but there were, scattered among them, the same visuals that were present in this aisle.
His attention was drawn back to the cabinet as Matthew hit the start button and began playing. Sure enough, the main character was a topless woman in tight black spandex pants. Matthew tapped the firing button a few times and giggled dumbly.
“Heh, jiggle physics.”
James sighed, “Animated sprites don’t have physics.”
Matthew shrugged, jumping up and down, “Then some animator had good attention to detail.” His yes stayed glued to the sprite as she bounced up and down. “Really good attention to detail.”
James shook his head and sighed more forcefully, “Yeah, just don’t jizz in your pants like you did the first time you saw porn.” Despite his dismissive tone, James’s eyes followed the model as she moved around the stage, shooting what looked like weird canine human hybrids, like werewolves but all manner of canines.
Matthew snickered as he played, “Dude, I was twelve when that happened.”
Matthew continued to play through the level, hyper focused on the game as James watched, the pair entranced by the spectacle and surprisingly solid gameplay. He managed to make his way to the boss room before he finally lost.
To the pair’s surprise, the game cut to a recorded FMV of the woman being hauled to some sort of glass tube. Both boy’s blushed deeply at the sight of the topless actress thrashing around in an effort to escape her canine captors. She was shoved in and the tube closed around her. The camera moved in close as she banged on the glass, quickening her pace as bright lights flashed throughout the room.
There were sharp sounds of cracking and popping, followed by the glass shattering as a giant wolf headed monster sprang forth, freezing just before it reached the camera, GAME OVER appearing in a thick white font over the scene.
Both boys staggered back from the jump scare. Matthew fell against one of the cabinets, shaking his head and absently pushing his hair out of his face. James landed squarely on his ass, his hips pushing out subtly as he bounced on the thick carpeted floor.
Both quickly regained their composure, straightening up and dusting themselves off. Neither said a word as they continued down the aisle. It wasn’t until they reached the end of the row that James finally broke the uncomfortable silence. "You wanna get out of here? See what else this place has to offer?"