Overlap

Chapter 115-A: Chronosynchronization

<03/05/2017 - 14:01 | Stars N Strikes, Marietta, GA, USA>

Arcade studios; these are interesting places I've visited in my youth more than once. When I was a little kid, I was strung through the charade of Chuck E. Cheese for birthdays and pizza. As I grew older, we left that place in favor of a different studio with an updated style; Stars N Strikes. I can't simply call it an arcade center because, despite its appearance, this place has a separate bowling alley and a few other treats as well. It isn't exclusively an arcade center, bowling alley, or a laser tag center, but rather all three combined in one place. The ultimate goal here is to win as many tickets as possible for future redemption of bigger prizes, and I've had my eye on this beautiful lava lamp for a while now.

Some might be wondering what I'm doing here in the first place, charged with the thought, Stars N Strikes is still a place for kids. To this I say, No it's not...

Okay, maybe a little... Don't judge me! I have every right to come here and take it easy. Ubers are still expensive, so I'm here today with my family, who thankfully are more focused on my brother Ivan than anyone else. It's a good thing, because I want to be left alone, just me and my amazing telepathic wife.

"It's so bright and flashy in here, a bit noisy too though."

This is the reason I know I can enjoy this place today. It's true that I might be a bit grown up for a family fun center, but this is Lumina's first time inside an arcade area like this, seeing, hearing, and feeling the world through my body second hand. While the noise level is a bit of a disturbance for us both, blocking it out won't be hard once I show her a good time. "Oh, we can put up with some of the noise Lumina. Look, they have so many arcade games and other things here we can try. Which do you want to try first?"

One benefit of our telepathy is that Lumina can physically share sensations through my body in what I feel as well. It means if I sit in one of those racer game seats, the kind that turns on a gyro-wheel, the shifts in inertia will register with her as well. If I'm holding a joystick for one of those classic fighting games, Lumina's hand will register the clicks and pops. She can't directly control my body, else she would be able to physically play video games through my vessel, but even a secondary simulation to what arcade games are like should excite her.

"Let's try the race car one first?" With an expression in her voice I've never heard before, Lumina already beaconed the bliss of simply being here with me, blushing in a manner I didn't have to see with my eyes to detect.

"Not a bad idea. All that inertia should make it seem right, I hope." Saying no more, I waited our turn to insert the single player token into the system, carefully masking the hint of Lumina's presence among the others. I could control my voice through secret telepathic speech, but external expressions were harder to hide, so this was slightly embarrassing.

"Show those programmed cars how to kick butt!"

I hadn't a care in the world given how much Lumina was enjoying the ride already. This also reminded me that Lumina has a unique liking to the sport of high-speed racing when it comes to cars, that and the fact that she's super interested in cars in every sense. Strange, but I'll support whatever interest she has of her own.

The game didn't last long though. I ended up in tenth place over some dumb obstacle and a few unrealistic physics. Plus, the force-feedback we were expecting wasn't anything worth repeating. It's no fun if neither of us can feel the effects of the car during a mad drift. Arcade games can be kind of fake like that.

"Or maybe you don't want to admit that you just suck."

"Hey, come on! You saw how that all went down."