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Post by BRYCE CONRAD AKINS. on Sept 12, 2012 13:19:43 GMT -5
 misery loves company , thought i'd get bry out there some more~ c: [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 390px; padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;]one would assume that if someone personally sought out a job at an arcade because they enjoyed video games, that they'd enjoy their job, too. but, like much of everything else in bryce's american life thus far, his job wasn't exactly what he'd expected it to be. instead of getting to sit on his ass and play video games whenever no one was around, instead, most of the time, he was roped into repairing or trying to upgrade them. it was one of the most frustrating things for a gamer like himself to be sitting behind a fifty-plus year old machine, trying to figure out the wires enough in order to get it to show back on the main screen. it almost - almost - made him lose all interest in video games whenever his boss sent him on a repair mission. but, as bryce feared, every 'mission' he was sent on, a little more of his video game love dissipated, maybe never to return again.
the most unfortunate thing about this sunday afternoon wasn't that his boss had sent him on a task to repair anything, or check something out. he'd been doing what he usually wished he could do: play the games. only, about ten minutes into playing the stores only pacman game, the screen went blank, and everything went along with it. and because bryce was literally in the middle of a game, he knew that if it got back to his boss, he'd be right up bryce's ass about fixing the models, not breaking them to cost the company more money. of course, bryce had suggested several times that maybe he should look into hiring any actual repair guy, someone who was used to working with ancient technology, but it was exactly like talking to a wall.
after pulling the machine from the wall, he plopped himself down and took off the back cover. after viewing everything without letting his hands get in the way, bryce let out a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes at himself. even so, he started to fiddle with the wires he'd familiarized himself with in the three years he'd been employed and tried not to electric himself. just when he'd almost given up hope, the machine roared back to life, and the familiar sound of pacman's theme song started to play. bryce's face lit up instantly, and he was just about to jump back up to his feet to see if the screen was on as well, when the entire machine flat-lined again. "wanker!" he exclaimed in frustration, tilting his head a little roughly back against the machine behind him.
with a gruff sigh, he opened his eyes and went back to work, a look of determination set upon his features as he concentrated on his fiddling. he was so lost in his own work that he hadn't heard the footsteps leading over towards the more older games the arcade had available, so he was left unaware to the fact that someone was anywhere close. and, as the pacman game sounded back to life for a second time, bryce was too busy scrambling to his feet to see if everything was back to care. as soon as he saw the screen blinking at its default, he thrust both of his fists into the air with a shout of victory. "woo! take that, you cruddy piece'o metal." heaven forbid his concurring mood would be rained on by his realization that someone had just seen and heard his entire display. |
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Post by ALICE MADELINE VALKE. on Sept 12, 2012 17:29:23 GMT -5
Today was more or less - boring. She had the day off work, didn't have any prior commitments, and was reduced down to pacing through her apartment wracking her brain for something to do and someone to do it with. What did she like to do anyways? Go to the library? You spend copious amounts of time in a library. It was true. Go to the mall? Spending unnecessary amounts of money seemed rather unappealing, she didn't know how to skate board and as tempting as a new tattoo would be she highly doubted that was in the budget friendly - pain free category. Alice was so profoundly stumped that she reverted back to what she had done as a child, ride her bike? You don't even own a bike. Right, that. So in the flurry of her half-assed propositions and split second of miniscule excitement over yet another half-rejected idea, the arcade came up as the most probable choice for some lonely afternoon dilly dallying. Alice had always liked video games, she wasn't very good at them but in the end she just played whatever she could rustle about for some kicks and giggles. It was usually some kind of mario game or early 2000's version of fun but it didn't matter to her. Spyro was just as fun the hundreth time around and Sonic was still interesting despite the advancement of modern technology. Wasn't that was what arcades were good for now? For young children and man children to spend their disregarded, forgotten change? In the back of her mind she mused over the idea that arcades were essentially the resting place of the original video games, if you disregard the free trial of pac-man you got on most smart phones now a days. Alice remembered as a child growing up she would tag along with a group of boys to the arcade from time to time, so much she could have memorized the pattern that the bubbling yellow mouth took around the labyrinth. Those days were long over, but a sense of nostalgia settled into her chest as she parked her jeep in front of the all but empty looking arcade building. Upon entering the building the tinkling of a little bell signified her entrance. Her green eyes scanned the room, it smelled of damp carpet and moth balls and she wriggled her nose in distaste. This place had seemed so much more magical when she was a child. Taking off her sunglasses helped with the darkness, what was it about this place that demanded physically no lights to be on? Deciding it was better to stop asking herself questions she didn't care to have answer and find some games to entertain herself with - if only for the time being. But settling on one was half the battle, there was just so many. It was nearly overwhelming, the humming boxes of cables and wires neatly lined up against one another. Maybe she would have played table hockey or those games with the brightly colored blue and red guns if she had a partner. Her fingers twitched, reacting to her unconscious desire to have someone to participate in the fun. Surely she could call Xakery or someone, they would play a few games in folly and then move onto something more interesting - but those idle thoughts were redirected at the sound of a rather profuse and angry word. Curiosity peaking Alice crept through the maze of machines toward where the rather exasperated sound came from. Little did she know someone was hunched over on the floor, placing and replacing wires in the pac man game. Perfect. This loud stranger had even shown her to the area where she would be spending most of her time anyways. As to not break his concentration though, she remained quiet (though clearly amused) as he worked diligently on the quiet beast. Leaning up against a game she couldn't even begin to pronounce, she wrapped her arms around her chest while she noticed his facial features change, glee spreading his lips in a smile as he rose from his work make the universal sign of victory. Alice laughed, the happy humming of the pac man game in the background as she spoke. "Wow, impressive. I don't run into many arcade mechanics, although if I was looking for one I suppose looking in an arcade would be the first place I would begin." Pursuing her lips she unwrapped her arms, realizing how odd it must have been for her to been standing there watching him. words: seven hundred and sixty five. outfit: click!comments: hope you don't mind me joining here. <3
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Post by BRYCE CONRAD AKINS. on Sept 17, 2012 22:00:34 GMT -5
misery loves company , of course not~ and sorry for the delay c: [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 390px; padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;]on any other day, when bryce would've been lounging around or ranking up the high scores without crude interruptions like the machine failing on him, a gorgeous girl about his age would've never walked into arcade infinity when no one else was there but him. but, of course, the brit's luck didn't work in his favor usually, and he was handed situations like this; being completely oblivious to the more than attractive girl while he did his victory shout, and told the machine off. not to mention that she'd heard him swear - at least, in british terms it was less of a swear word. if his boss had been there, and he'd heard him let a word like wanker slip out of his mouth while a customer, and a lady, were present, he'd have been rung out worse than a dish cloth. it was a really good thing he was out on his second lunch break, just on the off chance that he'd said it loud enough to be heard.
when the laughter cut into bryce's victorious moment, he froze instantly for a few seconds, his breathing literally stopping as well. it wasn't until he started to feel the blood rush to his cheeks that he spun around to see who'd just witnessed one of the most embarrassing things he could've possibly done in front of a complete stranger. but when his eyes came to rest on the girl across from him, he nearly stumbled and had to lift his left hand to prop against the pacman machine in order to catch his balance. of all the people who could've walked through that door, it had to be someone that would've normally made him become an awkward mess in a regular situation. being in the situation he now found himself in was ten times worse than a regular situation. and, if it wasn't for his well-practised emotion control, his blush probably would've spread from being a light flush against his slightly tanning cheeks. "w-well, m'not actually a mechanic.. m'boss is just a cheapskate." he replied, attempting to throw on a casual smile, despite the fact that he was a little bit at a loss as to what to do.
it dawned on him that the machine was still pulled out from the wall, and after lifting his weight off of it, he started to settle it back into place in the row. shifting to lean against it to face her again, he mirrored her and crossed his arms over his chest. but once he realized that he had done the exact same thing as her, he slowly released the cross and dropped his hands awkwardly into his shorts' pockets. "uh, sorry if you heard that. me sayin' wank- ugh.. heh. it's 'impolite' an' all that.. bullocks." he tried to shake it off, considering she hadn't mentioned being offended since she'd started speaking, but bryce had figured he might as well cover his ass before it was exposed.
squinting his eyes for a moment, bryce slowly arched a brow at her, studying her face. "we 'aven't met before, right? you look familiar." for a moment, he pursed his lips in thought, hoping that he could find something they had in common before he started babbling like an idiot. "you go to the university 'ere?" |
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Post by ALICE MADELINE VALKE. on Sept 17, 2012 23:54:02 GMT -5
She watched the face formerly doused with victory morph into an expression of horror. She couldn't conceal the giggle at the predicament she had seemingly put him in. The man standing in front of her was rather attractive, his accent echoing in her ear drums. Hell she was a lady, what lady didn't like a nice foreign accent? He had a mild build with nice arms and rough hands that formally fiddled with the burnt out, rough edged wires. Alice was always drawn first to the eyes, then to the hands of any man she had ever encountered. You could tell more about someone looking at their hands than anywhere else on the body. Did he have callouses? Did he bite his nails or did he prefer to trim them? Were there black lines of dirt or were they scrubbed immaculate? Hands always told a story. Which left the eyes, her green iris's caught his and attempted to hold his gaze for what it was worth. Bold was one word to describe the fiery red head, eye contact was always a must. Even as a child she would stand, staring in awe of whoever stood in front of her with unwavering, undiluted eye contact. It spoke of confidence, a type of prowess that girls her age seemed to lack. Don't grow a wish bone darling where your back bone outta be. She smirked as the poetic line rang through her mind, but she turned her full attention back to the not so mechanic she had presumed. "Really? Well that's impressive, if I do say myself, quite a way with your hands, huh?" Giving him a coy smile the gal dropped her cell phone into the opening of her knapsack, diverting her ogling onto her purse for a moment as she sealed her stuff away into safety. By the time she had looked back up he was shuffling the seemingly heavy machine back into its now eternal resting space. She rubbed her forearm, itching some spot on the mid-section of her arm as she listened to his rather apologetic response to his former swearing. "Hey it's alright, I knew you thought you were alone and it's half of my fault for rudely creeping up on you." Giving him a lop sided smile she tucked a stray piece of auburn hair behind her ear. Her eyes went a light with interest as he mentioned her going to college, she was normally running around considering she both worked and went to school there. "I do, I'm a sophomore there now. But you might have also seen me because, lucky me, I work as the assistant librarian in what little free time I have. In the mean time, I usually go out - like, well, here." Taking a few steps muffled by the musky carpet she extended a slender hand, bracelets jingling down her arm to her wrist. "I'm Alice, it's a pleasure to meet you...?" Her eyebrow went up, leaving him open space for him to elaborate just on who he was. words: five hundred and seventy four. outfit: click!comments: oh don't worry about it. :D
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Post by BRYCE CONRAD AKINS. on Sept 20, 2012 19:04:37 GMT -5
misery loves company , ohgawd, she's got him in like.. school boy mode~ [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 390px; padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;]"i'd hope so," bryce chuckled in response, nodding his head a bit. "i'm gonna have'ta be, if he keeps this up." he wasn't really sure about what to say to the last of her comment, about being good with his hands, so he simply let his boyish smirk to the rest of his talking on that subject. of course his mind had gone south as soon as those words had left her lips, but could you really blame him? a fiery redhead walks into the place you work, and stops to see what you're doing long enough to actually consider talking to you? that would've been attractive all in itself, but paired up with the fact that she actually was gorgeous just made bryce's focus a little bit more detoured than it usually would be while working. although, he had to admit- he was rather amazed that he hadn't started to trip over himself. yet. today might just set a new record.
when she admitted to "rudely creeping up on him", as she'd called it, bryce couldn't contain the grin that broke out over his lips. he was a lot more relieved, and a tad relaxed, now that he knew she wasn't going to be all offended about it for the rest of her life. believe it or not, he'd met a few girls like that, one of them being from campus. heaven forbid falling off your skateboard causes you to use the word fuck a few hundred times- apparently, swearing helped with the pain, the internet said so.
immediately catching onto the girl's interest the moment he'd mentioned the university, bryce smirked mainly to himself. he had a bit of a familiarization with her face, but he had no idea where he could've seen her. but, of course, when you saw a woman with hair that colour, it usually stuck in your brain, regardless if you got a good look at the rest of them or not. however, his smirk faded instantly when she mentioned her job. instantly, he was reminded of the incident that had happened only a week ago. he'd been waiting in line, like a normal lad, when the girl in front of him had jumped back to avoid the oldest librarian who worked there with the trolly cart, stashed full of books. well, unfortunately for him, he was shoved back into a bookshelf, and a cliche domino effect had taken place, knocking down three more with it. him and the girl, rory hunter, had to clean up the mess, and it had taken up nearly his entire saturday.
straightening at the sight of her started to approach, his lips parted, but nothing came to mind to say anything. instead, he shut his mouth again and listened to her introduce herself. it took him a moment to realize she'd asked for his name, and his face overcame with realization. "oh! bryce. my name's bryce," he tried to laugh afterwards, but it was more so at his own stupidity, as he took a step forward and withdrew his right hand in order to shake her own. he shook it firmly, but but enough to make her wince, or feel like he'd hurt her. just something that hopefully made her think he might be a little stronger than he was, in hopes of making up for the fact that he probably just made a tool out of himself. "you've, uh, probably heard about me before, if you're in the library more than not." he finished off, figuring if she had heard about his incident, then he'd just come out and say that yes, he was that guy. but, if she had no idea who he was, then he'd just shrug it off and leave it be in the dark where he'd rather it stayed.
glancing over his shoulder towards the pacman game, he released her hand and lifted his own to point over his shoulder towards the machine after looking back at her. "you were here for the games, right?" he asked, trying to move the topic along to something he was much more accustomed to, and thus more comfortable with. "a lot of 'em aren't powered on right now, because it's usually really slow, but if you.. uh, let me give you a tour, maybe, i could turn on the ones you like?" smiling boyishly again, he tried to play it off like he hadn't just racked his brain for a way to spend a bit more time around her, instead of doing actual work. hopefully, if she noticed, she'd at least save him his dignity and go along with it and forget to mention that he wasn't very good at being subtle. |
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