In a bout of secret santa Kage earned Daniel's prized watch befallen to his midst with a meaning that he trusted it to have. Daniel knew no other he wished the item to go to. The rest celebrated the rewards of adjustable weights sent by Kage, an overdone makeup accessory Jacob heartily took, a gift he later realized was not worth the initial comedy for, Gan's old guitar met by curious eyes due to the value even something so old would have due to the wealth in his family, and then Isaiah and Jacob mistakenly put in the same set of mineral mining kits. A present passed on to each other the Christmas prior.
With the last fall of snow, December came to its end having January sweep passively by to the tempo of Kage's arrival and inspection of Daniel's abode. The midterms which had been put off for so long came back with vengeance even harming Kage's once stellar performance.
A 100% replaced by a disastrous 99.
On top of the preparations for their heart wrenching speech to Sophie and Sam, Kage issued more training for Daniel to attempt. Training he knew would tire the kid out and leave him half dead by the afternoon of each day.
+++
In celebration, or memoriam, of the midterms completed status, the group joined together at a locally owned store. One which was not made readily apparent to Kage's interest until he stumbled across it through the address sent to all members of their now "tight-knit" comradery.
Now standing before the building he relented in a simple, "Eh?"
The complex was stuffed in a suffocating corner thrusted between two entertainment complexes. On the left, the building cast a shadow with various neon lights persuading those lost in its red lights to seek out the undressed folks beyond its transparent glass windows as a variety of women and men danced for the benefit of customers. The second establishment lay in an ever contrasting position as a daycare for children between the ages of five to ten. If he could, Kage would have burned whoever came up with this daring escapade of architecture for in the center was the dimly lit experience of an arcade with its sole owner managing the cash register.
"The fuck is this?" Kage whispered to himself, a silent affair not directed to anyone for a genuine answer, yet was discovered by another as soon as it was uttered.
Jacob clasped a hand on his shoulder directing Kage to the door before he could even voice his concerns. A method interrupted by Jacob's booming laugh, "Haha! Why it's fun! Come on, you're the last to arrive."
The manager grunted as the both of them approached him at his desk, counting the measly earnings of the day. His bristled mustache coughed up a storm as it surrounded his lips, veiling them into a tide of white strands. Jacob cast a smile to lure away the pinching hate in the man's stare. Bad blood subsequently ran through him unto the boy. A concept not lost on Kage as Jacob pushed him deeper into the building.
Along the way he passed several stations leaking with corroded batteries and unrepair as their screens flashed a variety of colors, none of which showcased a clear image. Within the walls of this establishment the world seemed to have halted production, remaining stuck in a distant past now unknown to all except those burdened by immense age. Posters half ripped, or stained by moisture, advertised celebrities long since dead as well as celebrating the grand opening to some forgotten eatery.
These signs were the last remnants of a time Kage could not perceive. All he knew was the time of Heroes and Villains blotting the globe with their influence while national governments forged to reign them together.
'What was the world before?'
Kage pondered these conjectures as he stood, mesmerized by a particular poster. To anyone else the image was that of an astronaut wielding a fictionalized weapon of the future, a solitary green beam flying out to burn an alien to ash, but Kage recognized the near extinct language ripped from the bottom. One that he had not seen nor heard for years but here it was, mocking him. The seared lettering took shape as toothy grins that found joy in his stupor as he could not remember the situation he had known the language.
"Hey, Kage!" He flashed his attention back toward Jacob who waved from the corner of an unlocked door, an array of boisterous flashing machines between them. Kage moved from his rooted position but not before stealing the sight of the words one last time.
"Будь одним из нас!" The poster read.
'A dead language for a dead time.'
He swiveled on his heel then retraced Jacob's steps to the side door. On the other side was a wide hallway that was none too dissimilar from the prior array. However, having taken a few steps then surveying the area Kage reevaluated his prior conclusion. There was a stark contrast between the locations and that was the operating order of the arcade machines. Each one functioned with a whirling buzz as well as a triumphant tune that spilled from their speakers enticing those few on inhibitions to join.
The lights buzzed on by Kage's eyes fogging them with an unclear majesty. On nights were the only times he could have seen a similar tone of vision, this sparkling worship with such a vast range of color never could be produced even then as the sole shine of yellow beckoned lonely wanderers. Greens fought against reds that shook in the distance by the lambasting blues of the world all to serve those that may happen upon their features.
"Jacob-" Kage wasn't able to complete the question as he discovered that his friend had gone elsewhere to enjoy the same majestic offering, yet, if the howl from a far corner served as a hint, then he had disappeared, challenging Gan to a match of some sort. The very match that he had suffered a defeat during.
Unconsciously, Kage wandered the aisles more entranced by the element of the show than the necessity to manipulate them. In his walk he sought out the others who were echoing a similar sentiment as Gan and Jacob had. Claire sat on her own fiddling with a button, all the while her eyes trained on a spinning fixture that twirled around a circular canvas. Every now and again she smashed her palm on the button then in return was gifted a red glare that elongated the gloom in her expression. Apparently she was not doing too well.
For a moment Kage outstretched a hand seeking to accompany her failure. Yet, as suddenly as his hand was wrought out, he forced it to his waist. A line was drawn, one in which he could not cross. His hands itched, tempting him to give in but shame willed him away.
With a turn he stared into the reticles of Isaiah. Someone who could peer straight into him, somehow. Kage was not afforded a response as another object caught the inquisitive boy's mind. Isaiah quickly shambled toward the source, at its location he was accompanied by Sam who shot a puck into a sort of goal on the other end of a table. Clear recognition shone in the boy's eyes as he took ownership across from the girl.
Kage rushed from the spot in the form of brisk strides, fleeing deeper into the recesses of the arcade's maw. There he stumbled across a pitiful contraption that brought him closer unlike the others that decorated the room. Its simple construction of a claw, stick, and various prizes residing in a pit was enough for Kage. Although he grasped the reasoning behind all the various stations in the arcade, his mind was an analog calculatory system. Each fact he recounted was placed as a file in a steel cabinet, locked until further need arose. Then to code that information required a physical contact or mathematical relation. Therefore, he preferred the hardcover of a book over that of a screen, soft 'thumps' of a piano than what could be heard through a recording, and the direct feedback of a moveable stick bringing forth only skill to determine the end result.
Despite this understanding he shared, a disconnect was bound to occur at times. After ten minutes of fumbling with the device, unable to conquer the game, a rising anger permeated the snip of his lips which cinched ever tighter with each passing mistake.
On the thirteenth attempt, stalled by constant analysis from Kage on his failure, the claw fell on top the face of a studded sea star. The echinoderm made itself of cotton as well as a plush material that would feel fuzzy against the skin. There was no specific reason for Kage's want of the toy other than it had eluded him in each attempt made at its capture. Yet, this time one of its ends was crushed in the clamp of the claw. A knowing smirk played about Kage as he calmly lifted the plush toy high up then flung the claw to the box in order to deposit the item. However, his haste teased the toy away from its hold leaving another attempt as nothing but a failed venture.
Kage reared his arm back, readying to smash the glass to pieces for the toy to finally become his, but found resistance when he wished to ball up his fist.
"Woah! Y-you don't need to do th-that!" Daniel clung to his arm, stamping his feet into the floor so that he wouldn't be lifted forward. The result stopped Kage from his reckless action.
He huffed out a sigh only to turn his back on the machine stomping not far off before he heard the sound of his dreams. In a swivel, he jumped back toward the claw game seeing a green light of victory alight around the frame of the structure.
Then, there in the grasp of Daniel's flat palm was the very toy that painstakingly avoided his treacherous ownership. A flicker of a smile went up on the bridge of Daniel's upper lip; red splotches dotted all along his cheeks.
He held the toy out for Kage's taking. "Fuck off." He wormed his way back to the controls of the game. "I don't need a hand-out, I'll get one myself."
Behind him, Kage swore he heard a subtle chuckle choked between hard gasps to mute its presence. "Show off." He muttered.