Chapter Text
"Today, Sarah and Duck are headed to the arcade at the beach, to play some fun games." I spoke.
"Duck and I are gonna earn lots of tickets!" Sarah hurried down the steps down to the sand, going under the boardwalk.
"Quack!" Duck especially looked excited.
"What sort of prizes are you looking to win?" Curiosity got the better of me.
"A new super-train set! Also some new sticker packs. You can only get these ones at the arcade." Sarah explained, with Duck flapping his wings with anticipation as the two reached the door.
The unexpected swing of the door nearly knocked the girl and duck over, however. Out come a Japanese boy and his flamingo friend, letting an annoyed huff out.
"Oh, hullo John!" Sarah waved. "Are you upset?"
"It's hard to listen to the music when someone keeps shouting loudly over it!" John's words were tinged with frustration. He and Flamingo liked playing a dancing game most of all in the arcade.
"That does sound irritating." I remark.
"We're not going to be playing the dancing game, John. We'll play some other ones." Sarah said.
"Good luck. That guy is loud. You'll hear him no matter where you are. Come on, Flamingo." With a caw, Flamingo left with John.
It was almost immediate, the sound of loud laughter from inside the building.
"HAHAHAHA, THPIN, THPIN!!" It came from about the center of the arcade by the sound of it.
"Quack!" Duck winced at the volume of the laughing individual.
"John was right! Loud!" Sarah shouted, due to covering her ears from the ongoing laughter.
"Best to go find out who it is, and maybe get them to stop!" I suggested. The arcade was a louder place than usual, but not to this degree...
Thankfully, it was quite easy for Sarah and Duck to locate the man, on account of him continuing to say things like "big money" and "bet it on black." He was playing a large upright wheel game, a large pile of tickets at his feet.
"HAHA YETH! Thethe may not be cogbuckth but Buck ith winning big!" The man had a green, dollar sign-patterned suit, and a fancy looking helmet resembling a slot machine. He must really like arcades...
"Um, hullo?" Sarah got the attention of the man, his head instantly turning to her. All of us jumped at the clearer sight of him. It seemed that this man was actually a robot! His head was a real deal slot machine! He also had a robotic duck bill in place of a mouth. This was strange...
"What'th up, kiddo? Can't thtop the thtreak for too long. Gotta roll while the fire'th burnin' HAHAHA!"
Sarah took a second to recover from her surprise.
"You're a bit loud, mister. Could you quiet down?" She asked in a polite voice.
"Loud? Ha, I'm jutht enjoying the THRILL of the gameth! And that'th Mithter Ruffler to you. Buck Ruffler the Duck Thuffler!"
The robot, Buck, produced a business card and handed it to Sarah.
"'Ruffler, Buck... Duck Shuffler of the Cashbot Dep-art-mint of C.O.G.S. Ink-orp-era-ted...' Huh??" Sarah read in confusion.
"I never heard of such a company." I mused.
"I'll get to that in a thecond, pleathe." Buck crouched down. "Who'th thith little guy here?" He spoke to Duck.
"Ack-Quack?" Duck tilted his head.
"That's my friend, Duck." Sarah informed the businessman.
"Lemme thee him, he might be the good luck charm I'm thearching for!" The Duck Shuffler picked Duck up, him giving quacks of protest.
"Hey! He didn't give you permission!" Sarah stomped.
"C'mon lucky duckieth... Bettin' it ALL in thith one!" Buck gave a big pull on the arcade machine's lever, Duck under his under arm. Sarah tried reaching for Duck, but Buck was too tall for her to get to him.
The wheel spun, spun, thpun- er- spun. The wheel slowed, and landed on the tiny and elusive jackpot space. Buck's slot reel eyes rolled to sevens as he began guffawing with excitement.
"HAHAHAHA!! I KNEW IT! Your little buddy wath the key to winning!" Buck placed Duck back into Sarah's arms as he rapidly pocketed the tickets away in his suit.
"So, what's a businessman like yourself doing in an arcade? Shouldn't you be in an office building somewhere?" I asked.
"Wait, thith ithn't the Thentral Oil Dithtrict?" He looked confused. "And hold up, you aren't a thtinkin' Toon! If you were, well, I'd have given you a real thuffling!."
"We're at Paisley Beach right now. And I'm a girl. What does any of that mean?" Sarah informed.
"Well thuckth, we've gotta problem on our handth, and I'm not jutht talking about not having pocket room for thethe ticketth."
"How did you get here then?" Sarah asked.
"Hmmmm, let'th thee... I wath about to defeat thith Toon, but then they uthed their weird teleporting hole thingieth. No way wath I gonna leave a hand unplayed, a jackpot unclaimed, tho I jumped thraight in after 'em! I felt my combuthion engine about to give out with all that tumbling... Necth thing I know, I'm outthide in thome beach plathe." Buck explained.
"Quack!" Duck... er, quacked.
"Quack, he'th right. We gotta find another one of thothe holeth!"
Sarah give Duck a funny look, as if to say "He understands you?"
The Duck Shuffler pulled the lever on his head, spinning the slots and landing on a bust.
"Ithue with that: We ain't Toonth, and only they have that portal technology."
"Mr. Ruffler, what are Toons?" Sarah inquired.
"Only the mortal enemieth of uth Thuitth! We juth try to do our jobth, and they come in and ruin it with their joketh!"
"That's mighty rude of them." I remarked.
"So are you a "Thuith" then?"
"I believe he's saying "Suits" through his lisp. Perhaps, that word is a bit difficult." I answered Sarah's questions.
"Right on the money, guy I can't thee! Makin' thure we're acquainted, that there'th Duck," He pointed to the bird. "And you're...?"
"Sarah." She smiled. I could tell that she thought Mr. Ruffler was funny.
"Tharah, fine name. Alright, Lil Athe, I'm gonna get back to bein' a big winner. If you thee me around, lemme know if you found a way back to my workplathe, or encounter a Toon."
Buck leaned close down to Sarah.
"Beware the colorful fathade, they are dangerouth trickthterth!" Buck warned in a cautious tone.
"We'll make sure nothing bad happens, Mr. Ruffler." I assured.
"Perfect! We'll be great buthineth partnerth!" Buck pulled the crank of the arcade machine and muttered to himself.
Sarah and Duck took their leave, a bit confused, but otherwise satisfied with the conversation.
"I thought you two were going to play some games?" I wondered. That's the whole reason they went to the arcade, after all.
"We have to find a way to bring the Duck Shuffler home." Sarah had an expression of determination across her face. Seems like Sarah and Duck are deciding to do something else today...