NESF: This is [desomniac]
Desomniac: Excuse me?
*grumbles*
Desomniac: Did you just say you were PMRob?
NESF: No, this is [desomniac]
Desomniac: Oh well then...this is [NESF]?
*strange noises mixed with silence*
Desomniac: Can we start again?
NESF: I'm sorry I'm having trouble communicating today.
*forgotten words*
NESF: So what are you thinking?
Desomniac: Oh I dunno, Morocco?
NESF: Joanne Fabrics?
*laughter*
Desomniac: I guess Joanne's would be closer.
NESF: Than Morocco? Yeah.
Then there was a back and forth about insecurities and the unsavory nature of the crowd at Joanne that I can't remember exactly. After some time we got back on track.
NESF: Well are you thinking you want to do something there? Or here? Somplace else?
Desomniac: Well I spend a lot of time here. You probably spend a fair amount of time there. Maybe we should go somewhere we don't see all the time.
NESF: Some where to get a beer?
Desomniac: Oh a beer sounds nice.
*I went to get a beer out of the fridge*
NESF: With some buck hunter. But not the high def.
Desomniac: Where would we find such a place?
NESF: Well there's the Loft...or that strange place next to the chinese restaurant I was telling you about.
Desomniac: Strange? Chinese restaurant? I'm in.
*chuckles*
NESF: Alright well get down here.
Desomniac: I have to finish this beer.
NESF: You opened a beer?
Desomniac: Well yeah, you put the idea in my head. Let me pound this back and I'll be down.
NESF: Late.
So I finished my beer rather quickly and snagged a bus down the hill. After meeting up we went in search of a cash machine. In order to avoid surcharges NESF opted to just buy something at Bartell's. Beatles calendar? Yes but no. Coffee's not cheap enough. Cards! Playing cards were the answer. Then we got sidetracked in the toy section reminiscing about miniature pool tables and realistically designed dinosaurs. For a moment we considered stealing all the prize tickets from the beanie babies, but that too was dismissed. Did you know that they still publish Archie comics? The checker was a nice guy. Didn't say too much. Do you need a bag? NESF placed the deck of cards in his super hidden interior pocket. I say interior purely as a guess because this compartment is so secret I couldn't see where they went. A green tinsel wreath as spotted as we left, it would have been just as good as cards. 
We reached our destination and took note of the scene. The location was strange to say the least. We entered through a door that led into a very well lit room void of people that housed a ping pong table, two pool tables, Fish Tales pinball game, Cruisin' USA, chairs scattered about, a few tall tables and the ever important Buck Hunter machine. About 2/3rd's of the way back there was a hole cut into the wall. It seemed to be a recent addition as the threshold wasn't finished in any way.
On the other side of the portal everything was different. There were many people crammed into the small area. The lighting was poor at best and an argument seemed to be looming. As I tried to make my way to the bar and order a beer a man slammed into me. The waitress started yelling at everyone to move aside. NESF and an old man had some communication about how the guy was an asshole. I was order when my attacker tried to apologize. He was friendly enough in the end. Wanted to know who won the Gonzaga/WSU game. As I was sorting through all of that I felt a nudge on my other side. It was the old man who looked especially surly and said, "get the fuck outta m'way." Which I promptly did.
We got out beer and retreated back to the game room, desperately trying to make sense of everything that was going on. We started up the Buck Hunter, which was impeded by the placement of the ping pong table. In an attempt to move the table slightly we seemed to have broke it, one of the net posts dislodged from the table causing the net to collapse.
A younger group of people started to show up. It led to a strange mix. The first two of this new crowd seemed to be interested in either the ping pong or the Buck Hunter as they got their drink and took a seat in a spot where they had a very good view of us.
People congregated outside the windows off and on, mostly based on who was smoking at the time. At point I glanced outside to find a man, probably in his mid 40s, standing by the doorway smoking a cigarette. He was dressed in what could accurately be described as rags which gave the impression that he hadn't bathed since Labor Day. The striking thing about this man was his eyes which were fixed on us. It was as if he was studying his prey. Needless to say it was extremely unsettling. Things would have been different if we had The Fastest Knife in the World, but we were without.
More people showed up. This group definitely seemed interested in the ping pong table and was displeased with our presence. I overheard one of them say, "they even broke the ping pong table", which we did but how could he have known? For a moment I thought we were going to have to fight this guy along with the rest of the bar, but he held his tongue, at least while we were there.
Everything about this place seemed to be against us. I felt extremely out of place. NESF more so than I as he pointed out, he was wearing a sweater. The regulars at this place would have lynched us in a moment if it weren't for the established law outside of its walls. Luckily for us they couldn't keep us in there for ever.
We decided that one beer was going to be more than enough time spent there and finished the game quickly. NESF paid cash on the tap and I got my card back. We both breathed a sigh of relief upon exiting on the sidewalk.
We headed down to the Ballard Loft. Nice spot. I hear it's a mad house on the weekend, but it was very pleasant while we were there. They also had a brand new Buck Hunter Open Season machine. I'd yet to play it so it was exciting. Nothing of real consequence happened while we were there, which was a very welcome change given our last experience.
We wrapped it up around 11 and walked back toward NESF's. Just as he was about to turn on his street a bus rolled up that I hopped on for a few blocks up to the 7-11. I went in for some taquitos. "I'm not going to get the taquitos till your card clears. Not to say you're a dead beat but I can't put em back once I pull em out." Strange thing to say I thought. Then wouldn't ya know, my card declined for some reason. I panicked for a slight moment. "See." "Eh, hold on, lemme try this again." I ran the card through and very carefully typed in my pin number. APPROVED. Phew. "Oh I guess you are good."
"I better be. If that thing is declining I've got bigger problems than taquitos. Like my rent."
"See I pay cash for my rent. I guess I forgot to do it the other day. My girlfriend called me all worked up, 'my mom hasn't got your rent yet' I just told her to chill and grab it out of my room. Then get this, they go christmas shopping. All freaked out about the rent and then they go blow it on gifts. Women and shopping, I'll never get it."
He handed me my reheated processed goo wrapped in a tortilla.
"Me either. Talk to ya later man."
"Yeah those girls are always..."
He was still talking as I left.
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