There's a guy I know from out of state and not even originally from pinball circles. We aren't even close friends. I think he thinks I'm just being modest when I say I'm not that good. But every time he watches me play or gets grouped with me I inexplicably become a pinball god. Not in the sense of GC'ing every game in sight, but just handily defeating everyone in the group by fairly large margins. Double, triple, quadruple replay territory, game after game after game. Got deep into Transformers playing alone in an empty arcade, well past 100 million, best game I ever had on it. Finish putting my initials in. Quiet round of applause behind me. It's him. My pinball guardian angel. Looking on in wide eyed admiration.
I don't ever want to let him down.