R 1 | M 5: Durham’s vs. Jivers

Carly: “Greetings bowling fans! Carly Coleman, SSPN, and we’re back for the final matchup of round one! Alongside me, we have Mike Michael McMichaels…”

Mike: “Howdy ladies.”

Carly: “And Zoe Anders…”

Zoe: “It’s great to be back!”

Carly: “So, Mike, we’re nearly done with round one, just this one matchup to go, what do you think we could expect out of this one?”

Mike: “Well, there’s two rookies on the Bowl Durham team, and two players that have had some experience in professional leagues, no veterans so they may struggle if things get tight.”

Zoe: “And Rupert Fink, he was the one that replaced you after your injury, right? What do you know about him?”

Mike: “Not a lot, he was in a pro league prior to joining the army, and he was good, but a lot of time has passed since then and Mike Michael McMichaels hasn’t seen him bowl once since that time.”

Zoe: “Don’t you think it strange that he was chosen though? Rumour has it he lives on the street.”

Carly: “You don’t need to answer that question, Mike, how about we just move on to the analysis of the home team?”

Mike: “No, that is fine Carly, Mike Michael McMichaels will answer that question. See Zoe, it being so close to the start of the bowling season, all the other pro bowlers had already signed contracts with other leagues or weren’t willing to risk joining a new, unproven one.”

Mike: “So no, Mike Michael McMichaels doesn’t find it strange that Rupert was chosen. He was probably the best available person for the slot.”

Carly: “Great, now what do you think of the Jive Turkey’s, Mike?”

Zoe: “Do you mind if I take a crack at that question, Mike?”

 

Mike: “It’s all yours.”

 

Zoe: “Well, the Jivers are in a similar situation to Bowl Durham, but instead of having two rookies, they have three. Their one bowler that has at least a few seasons of pro bowling behind him is Galen Curtis, and I believe he has a famous mentor?”

Carly: “Oh, yes, that’s right! He’s your protege, isn’t he, Mike?”

 

Mike: “Something like that.”

Carly: “Okay, we’ve been gas-bagging on long enough, the bowling will be starting in ten minutes, so let’s roll the intros!”

---

Carly: “In this final matchup of round one, we have Bowl Durham taking on the Jive Turkeys at home.”

Zoe: “And on to the matchups for the televised game.”

Mike: “The bowlers look ready to start, so let’s go switch on the lane-side mics and get this one started!”

Carly: “Rupert starts Bowl Durham off with a strike, he looks relieved to have started on a strong note.”

Zoe: “And the remaining Durham’s finish their first frame. Strikes for both Sasha and Anthony, and a spare for Kyle.”

Mike: “Galen doesn’t look overly happy.”

Zoe: “But Thelma sure does!”

Mike: “And we can see why, a poor first bowl by Galen, knocking down only three pins, and a strike for Thelma.”

Carly: “And the remaining two Jivers score strikes while Galen was able to convert the spare, both teams are sitting level after one.”

Zoe: “Anthony starts off the second with another strike, he’s looking good so far.”

 

Carly: “So, so, SOOOO good!”

Mike: “And the other three score strikes also, a perfect frame for the Durham’s.”

Carly: “The Jivers follow suit with a perfect frame of their own.”

Mike: “Anthony scores another strike and has nabbed himself a turkey, great start from the rookie!”

Zoe: “Hannah looks disgusted with herself.”

Mike: “Understandable after a 7-10 split.”

Carly: “Kyle and Rupert finish off the Durham’s third frame with strikes.”

Zoe: “Awww, look at how cute that smile is, he’s so happy to have scored a turkey!”

Mike: “Thelma and Sasha have claimed themselves a Turkey, they’re looking good!”

 

Carly: “Those dance moves of Sasha’s look pretty good too!”

Carly: “And Galen has scored his second strike, but wait!”

Carly: “Melissa is looking a little bit grumpy there.”

Mike: “Another 7-10 split, so the two teams finish up level again after three frames.”

Zoe: “Hannah looks furious again.”

 

Hannah: “Why have you forsaken me, oh almighty Consultant!?!”

Mike: “Does anyone know what she was babbling on about?”

 

Carly: “No idea, but I do know that she wasn’t able to convert that split into a spare.”

Mike: “Kyle is having some split troubles himself, but he looks pretty calm about it.”

Carly: “Anthony  and Rupert are able to keep their run of strikes going to stay perfect.”

Mike: “Strikes from both Thelma and Galen, if the other’s can get strikes too, the Jivers will take a narrow lead in this game.”

Zoe: “Sasha with a trick shot!”

Mike: “And a bad miss by Sasha, she’ll only collect two of those four pins, whereas Melissa will convert her miss into spare.”

Carly: “Rupert scores another strike, he’s really enjoying himself out there today!”

Zoe: “Anthony and Kyle follow that up with strikes of their own, if Hannah can score a strike, she’ll skyrocket her team ahead of the Jivers.”

 

Mike: “Galen comes back up to bowl. Rupert is playing a quick paced game which Galen isn’t quite prepared for but no matter, he scores another strike.”

Carly: “But Hannah has missed! A particularly nasty split, she doesn’t look too concerned about it though, it looks like she’s smiling up at some of the spotlights?”

Hannah: “All-powerful and resourceful Consultant, my body, is ready to receive your blessing!”

 

Mike: “I… I mean, Mike Michael McMichaels has no words.”

Zoe: “Oh no! A 7-10 split for Thelma, she was looking so good up until that moment.”

Carly: “Melissa scores a strike to back up the spare from the previous frame. This game is still pretty tight!”

Mike: “Some mixed results from the next four bowlers, we’ve got strikes from both Anthony and Galen, a 7-10 split from Sasha who will fail to convert it, and a spare from Kyle. The eighth frame is almost completed, just Hannah and Rupert to go.”

Carly: “Rupert slows his approach down, sensing that perfect game just on the horizon. In the meantime, Thelma and Melissa grab strikes to start off their ninth frame.”

Mike: “Strike for Rupert, he’s perfect through nine!”

Zoe: “Ouch! Another 7-10 split for Hannah, she can’t catch a break today!”

Hannah: “Screw you, Consultant, I’ll do this myself!”

Mike: “Sasha finishes off her ninth with a strike, it’s still close between these two bowlers and could come down the final frame.”

Zoe: “Anthony scores a strike in his ninth, he’s still perfect!”

 

Carly: “Oh, yeah, he IS perfect!”

 

Mike: “Carly, behave yourself!”

Mike: “Hannah finishes strong with three strikes on her tenth frame! That could seal it for her unless Sasha can pull off a similar feat.”

Carly: “Galen finishes strong but not strong enough, Rupert still has to bowl his tenth and he’s already taken the victory.”

 

Mike: “Kyle has missed big on his tenth frame! He’ll fail to convert that and leave a massive opening for his opponent, Melissa.”

Zoe: “Oh boy, Melissa looks completely mortified!”

Mike: “She only managed to knock down one pin on her first bowl in the tenth, a massive waste of a strike on the earlier frame.”

 

Carly: “She was able to convert the spare though and get one more bowl but the damage was done, she needed at least two strikes and change to win this matchup. It looks like she’s taking a small break to polish her ball, so we’ll move on to the other bowlers.”

 

Mike: “And Sasha misses too! Like Melissa before her, that is a waste of a strike in the ninth and she has handed the victory to Hannah on a silver platter.”

Carly: “She’s able to salvage something out of this game with a strike on her last bowl.”

Mike: “Thelma is able to finish well with two strikes and a nine, she can still win this but she’s got long odds, Anthony needs only score a spare and change to win the game, considering he’s perfect through nine.”

Carly: “Anthony all but grabs the victory with that strike, he’s got two more bowls to go and only two gutter balls will see Thelma win this game.”

Carly: “A second strike in the tenth and one strike away from a perfect game.”

Mike: “Oh no! He’s missed out, he looks heartbroken!”

 

Carly: “He can cry on my shoulder if he wants to.”

Mike: “It’s Rupert’s shot at perfection now, let’s see if he can do it.”

 

Zoe: “Successful on the first bowl, two more strikes needed.”

Carly: “Another strike, he’s one away!”

Mike: “And he’s missed also! Thelma fired down another bowl after her game was finished, but this was after Rupert bowled, so that had no impact on his approach, still, it’s never a good practice to bowl after your game is over.”

Zoe: “Melissa is up for her final bowl and what is this… Galen has noticed something odd.”

Carly: “The Moonlight settings have come on for literally the last bowl of the game.”

Zoe: “It doesn’t throw her off and she scores a strike to finish the game. She’ll finish a few pins behind Kyle, but it’ll give her confidence heading into the next game.”

Hannah: “Seriously, Consultant! You chose now to show yourself!?!”

 

Carly: “Well, bowling fans… That is all we have time for today, but before you go, please check out the scores for the games below. Until next time, stay safe and keep on bowling!”

---

Hannah Harlow vs. Sasha Smith

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Kyle McAndrew vs. Melissa Crest

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Rupert Fink vs. Galen Curtis

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Anthony Hawthorn vs. Thelma Twiddlethumbs

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Anthony Hawthorn vs. Sasha Smith

---

Hannah Harlow vs. Melissa Crest

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Kyle McAndrew vs. Galen Curtis

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Rupert Fink vs. Thelma Twiddlethumbs

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Rupert Fink vs. Sasha Smith

---

Anthony Hawthorn vs. Melissa Crest

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Hannah Harlow vs. Galen Curtis

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Kyle McAndrew vs. Thelma Twiddlethumbs

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Kyle McAndrew vs. Sasha Smith

---

Rupert Fink vs. Melissa Crest

---

Anthony Hawthorn vs. Galen Curtis

---

Hannah Harlow vs. Thelma Twiddlethumbs

---

---

Author’s Notes:

Well, folks! That’s another matchup complete and the bowling portion of round one is done!  I’ll get the postgame chapter out, then a Round Recap chapter where I’ll post the end of round standings for both teams and individuals.

 

One thing I’ve noticed but haven’t really commented on until now is that the animation/screenshots don’t match the end score that the game fires out for the winner. An example would be two of the winners in game one – Hannah and Kyle – they missed A LOT in that first game, but their scores were 270 for Hannah and 269 Kyle, which isn’t possible with the number of misses they had, even if they were able to convert them into spares. That being said, I’m not going to worry too much about it, just know that some weird shit is going to happen and we’ll be golden.

 

Will hopefully get the postgame chapter out on Sunday. Till then, have fun! 

 

 

R 1 | M 5: Pregame

Anthony

You’d think that being the son of Neville and Regina Hawthorn would be an incredibly exciting and equally rewarding experience. World-renowned anthropologists that spend every waking moment inside temples, tombs, and caves, deep inside the Selvadoradian jungle.

But if any of you remember season four of their popular TV series, “Hawthorn’s in the Jungle,” you might recall a young boy that was terrified of spiders, snakes, bats, bees and all the other things that crept and crawled.

Well, that fear never went away and so a life inside the jungle was a living nightmare for me.

I left as soon as I could, opting to go to a boarding school instead – my parents thinking it was for the best also – and on a school field trip, I discovered bowling. I fell in love with the game instantly, partly because I was innately good at it, but also because it helped me to forget my nightmares.

I’m still terrified of creepy crawlies, but when I’m bowling, a single spider or a single bat no longer scares me…

Although I’ve heard rumours of swarms at the Fish Bowl, that, I am not looking forward to!

---

Sasha

At last… the moment of truth arrives. Soon, the world will see my moves and know the name, Sasha Smith. They’ll meet up with their friends after the show and say,

“Hey, did you see that Sasha Smith chick on SSPN274?”

“What, the bowler with the killer dance celebrations?”

“Yeah, that’s the one! She was badass!”

“Total badass bowler!”

Yeah, yeah, I know… If I want to do dance celebrations, I should join the WNFL, heard it all before, but let’s just say I’m not a fan of getting chopped in half by a psycho bitch who should totally be in prison and not a gridiron field! That, and I’m not exactly the fastest runner! No, bowling works for me, way more low-key, much less chance of getting chopped in half.

Still, you never know what will happen, some of these bowlers be kray kray!

---

Kyle

Right, Kyle! Time to make your parents proud!!!

Oh god… What if I fuck up? What if I fall on my ass, fingers still in the ball, and slide down the lane, crashing into the pins head first? Oh, oh-oh-oh, that would be the worst, my parents would disown me on the spot!

I still remember the state championship for my high school team. I was given the anchor spot on the team, mainly because of who my parents were, and it had come down to the last frame. I went up for my approach, but somehow, I tripped up over my own legs, the ball went flying, don’t ask me how it went flying and lodged itself into the second-floor ceiling. I think the ball is still there, as some kind of decoration or something…

Well, my parents were not happy at all with that performance, it tarnished their good name or some shit like that. I was grounded for a month and forced to go through bowling boot camp during that time.

See, both my parents were bowling champs back in the 70’s, during bowling’s golden age, they bowled alongside “Handsy” Agnes Baskerville and Saul Krystkowiak and left them both in their wake. Smart, strong, charismatic, and most definitely NOT clumsy… that was my parents.

I’m not sure that I want to do this now!

---

Galen

Let me tell you a story about how I got into this fine sport that is ten pin bowling.

See, I’m a semi-professional DJ, mainly doing festival gigs and the odd Bar Mitzvah here and there to line the pockets. Well, at one of these Bar Mitzvah’s, a lovely old lady approached me. She was quite drunk and slurring her words heavily, almost unintelligently, but I got it in the end.

“Go on a blind date with my granddaughter, Michelle.” She said, and normally I’d say no because blind dates are not really my thing. But, I saw no harm in it, this lady was sweet, and I could tell that she would’ve been quite the looker back in her day, and I was in need of some companionship, even in the form of awkward conversation for a night.

Well, turns out, I didn’t translate the lady’s drunken speech as well as I’d hoped. I turned up to the restaurant and was greeted by a Michael.

Now, Michael was told that he was meeting a girl called Gail, so already we were both feeling insanely awkward, we looked across the street from the restaurant, and saw a bowling alley.

 

“Wanna go bowling and get a beer and bar snacks instead?” I asked, and Michael thankfully agreed.

How was I to know that this lady’s grandson was THE Mike Michael McMichaels!?! Well, after watching him destroy the pins and score a perfect game, I vowed to get better at this game and get my own perfect game one day. Michael and I still hang out at times, and laugh about our awkward meeting, and a little bit of trivia for bowling fans…

 He doesn’t talk in the third person when the cameras aren’t rolling!

---

Rupert

Well… shit.

Things just got real.

Still, it’s better to risk it all for the hope of a better future, than to sit back and watch the things you love wither away. I will do my best to win this league and provide for my fur-babies, and if it’s not meant to be, well…

All things come to an end.

---

Thelma

I’ve come a long way since I joined the diner’s bowling league. I can actually string a few strikes together now, and that one time I fell on my ass has long been forgotten by all… except for my manager.

He reminds me, every shift. It’s kind of his daily ritual,

 

“Hey, Thelma! Remember that time we went bowling and you fell on your ass!?! Well, table six needs their food, so try not to do that here!”

It doesn’t bother me, banter in the workplace is great for keeping things interesting and my manager’s not a bad guy.

Still, it encouraged me to seek professional help regarding my approach, and you know what? I was doing it wrong! Since I made the necessary changes, my game improved significantly, one day, my manager will stop mocking me…

Actually, nah, that day will never come.

---

Melissa

“Melissa, darling,” my manager beckoned from her office.

“Yes, Veronica?” I replied, stepping in and taking a seat opposite her.

“I must strongly advise that you withdraw from this bowling league, at once. It is beneath one such as yourself.”

“And what would you have me do instead!?!” I snapped, which only caused Veronica to raise her eyebrow at me and sigh in disdain.

“What any normal person would do, go on a holiday!”

She slid across her desk a number of pamphlets to various tourist spots around the globe.

I didn’t want to go on a holiday to any of these popular spots, I’d be recognised almost immediately and then, it wouldn’t be a holiday any more. No, this bowling league would be perfect for me, televised on an obscure channel, unlikely to garner the same crowd, I’d go unnoticed.

“I appreciate your advice Veronica, but I’m doing this,” I replied, sliding the pamphlets back to her, “I don’t expect you to understand but I do expect you to respect my decision.”

She smiled at me, not one of her usual condescending smiles, but a genuine one for once, “Of course, I’ll respect your decision Melissa, you’re my friend first, star ballerina second!”

It felt amazing seeing her rip up those pamphlets in front of me. This was going to happen, even if the team wasn’t quite what I expected, I was going to have fun…

And watch the stress just fall off me.

---

Hannah

Deep within the Lights R US store, I awaited the Consultant’s counsel. She was all-knowing, she was all-powerful, and she was my friend. Coming from the super competitive sport that is Figure Skating, friends weren’t a thing that I ever had.

I walked up to the lamp in front of me, turned it on and waited for the Consultant to speak. The light flickered, and without any trouble, I was able to translate that into words I could understand.

“Oh, great and powerful Consultant! I am honoured to be in your presence!”

The light turned off, so I moved on to the next one, the Consultant was an ethereal being, never staying in one form for too long. I turned on the next lamp, and this time, the light strobed violently before bursting, leaving behind a smell of burning electronics.

“Oh, almighty Consultant! What have I done to anger you!?!”

I walked over to the next light, and it refused to turn on, the Consultant was in a mood it seemed, but if I persevered, I would get the answers I needed.

So, I moved along, light after light, until finally, the Consultant spoke once more, this time, much louder than I’d ever heard before.

All the lights turned on at once, the Consultant’s presence was magnificent!

The lights turned off again, and this time, individual lights turned on, on their own. Each time a light came on, I uttered a prayer to the Consultant.

Each prayer added to the Consultant’s power.

I could almost hear her, just a few more prayers.

At last! She was ready!!! The lights turned off all at once again, leaving only the disco lights over in the party section on, and a lone cracked lamp that was in the clearance section.

“So, the Jive Turkey’s will be a tough opponent, and I can only rely on myself… and you? Is that what you are saying, oh wise and benevolent Consultant? Is the llama to suggest that a perfect game will be scored, or is it just a glimpse at just one possible future?”

 

The light beside me turned on and flickered softly in reply. I smiled in understanding…

The Consultant had spoken.

R 1 | M 4: Postgame

After the gameplay for the fourth matchup of round one finished up, the teams went off to prepare for a night on the town… all except one person.

---

I can’t believe my fucking brother! GAH! He thinks he’s so superior because he was born two minutes and thirty-seven seconds before me!

 

“What can I get you?” a cheerful, female voice called out from across the counter.

“Just surprise me,” I said as I tossed her some money, my tone harsher than I’d intended but I gave her an apologetic smile afterwards.

 

“Barista’s special, coming right up!” she smiled.

She handed me the coffee, and oh my god, it smelt so good. I thanked her and walked away, feeling her eyes boring holes in my back.

The place got busy all of a sudden, and the noise what making me angry, I knew that if I stayed here, that I’d snap at someone that didn’t deserve it, so I took a sip of my coffee, it really was a fantastic coffee, and went to grab a seat outside in the pouring rain… No one would bother to sit out there, and the weather suited my mood.

“Didn’t like the coffee?” a voice asked from behind me, “My shifts just finished, care for some company?”

 

I was scowling when I first heard the person speak, but when I realised who it was, I relaxed a little.

 

“Sure, thing,” I replied, gesturing to the seat opposite me.

“The name’s Felicity, and you are?”

 

“Lucas,” I replied, “and the coffee was amazing, I just needed to get out of that madhouse.”

 

“You know we have takeaway cups, right?” Felicity laughed, it was such a lovely sound.

 

“Yeah, must’ve slipped my mind.”

“So, Lucas… Why are you so worked up?” she asked, flashing me another one of those gorgeous smiles.

 

“Oh, just some family dramas,” I replied, trying to shrug it off as nothing.

 

“Wife? Husband?” she inquired with a coy grin.

 

“Oh, no… Nothing like that, just my stupid brother.”

I shared with Felicity what it was like to live with Devon on a daily basis and then, I told her about the matchup today. She roared upon hearing of his failure during the bowl-off and leaned forward in her seat, her eyes sparkled as she smiled at me.

 

“Your brother sounds like an ass.”

 

Her laughter was infectious, “You have no idea!”

“Well,” she sighed dramatically, “This umbrella is doing nothing to keep the rain out, my apartment is nearby, care to join me in more comfortable surroundings?”

 

“I’d love to!” I replied, excited for the opportunity to get to know Felicity a bit better.

“If you think my coffee was amazing,” she started as she gestured across the road and towards the suburbs, “Wait until you try my Curanto!”

---

“Excuse me, Master Devon?” Reginald spoke into the phone, “I have located your brother, and you need not be concerned for his well being, he appears to be well looked after.”

---

Meanwhile…

Back at the Gutter Ball Harbour, the rest of the players have started their night out.

“Aaaaaaah, the glorious rain!” Reggie cries out as everyone else races inside.

“Six-hundred and Seventy-Four!”

“Have you seen the guy out there doing like, a thousand press-ups?” Joaquin asks Noriko.

 

“Oh, J.B. likes to show off,” Noriko replied, “Before long you’ll hear him telling anything with tits that he’s a billionaire.”

 

Joaquin laughed at Noriko’s joke, “Huh, maybe I should get a boob job?”

By now, Reginald has returned in his partywear.

“Hmm… Fingerprints and scratch marks on the glass. No time to clean tonight, I should report this to the International Butler Association.”

Uhhh… Pandora, I don’t think that you’re wearing a Skater Skirt there?

Jonas is on the prowl and he has his sites set on someone already.

 

“Oh, I love the curls in your hair! You must tell me your secrets, I can never get my hair to curl like that!”

 

“Hmm… Yes, I think I’d like that.” the woman murmured as she gazed into Jonas’s eyes.

“The name’s Jonas.”

“I’m Abbie.” the woman replied in a seductive tone, “Care to join me on our table?”

“I’ll be right there!”

Noriko sees Devon at the bar and decides not to say anything to him. What happens on the lanes is war, but there’s no reason to bring that war here.

Instead, she decides to bust out a killer karaoke track!

While Jonas continues to seduce the attractive townie.

“So, you’re sure Lucas was fine?” Devon asked Reginald who returned a knowing grin.

 

“Oh, yes, he’s more than fine.”

“So, Noriko… Have you ever been with a billionaire?”

 

“Does myself count?” Noriko replied with a raised eyebrow and a mischevious grin.

 

“Ahhh…”

“Oh… Oh dear!” Reginald cries out, “Get this child out of here before Lady Blackthorn returns!”

“He has a point kid,” Reggie adds, “Pandora’s got a mean streak when it comes to children.”

 

“I can take her!” the kid boasted defiantly.

“Shit, here she comes!” Reggie whispered, “And she doesn’t look happy!”

“I’ll get a Bloody Mary for me, extra blood and a shotgun for the kid.”

As the night lengthens, we move to the Discotheque Pan Europa for some dancing.

“Hey, you’re Ramesh, from the Gigglers, right? Sukh Deep’s brother?” Noriko asked.

 

“Umm… Yeah, that’s me! You a fan of Sukh’s work?” Ramesh replied, somewhat excited about the prospect of an attractive woman that watches adult entertainment.

 

“He’s an investor in my corporation.”

 

Oh, Ramesh thought, of course, she wouldn’t watc-

 

“But yes, I’m a fan… Isn’t everyone?”

 

Scwhing!

Lord Flash makes a dramatic appearance, causing everyone on the dance floor to jump away as a dark cloud burst out of nowhere.

And a spy watches on from the best seat in the house.

A new place calls for a new target and Jonas sees one that he likes. It’ll be difficult to get this one to drop her guard, considering she’s at work, so Jonas pulls out all the stops.

Good start so far Jonas, it looks like she’s well and truly keen!

Pandora greets Lord Flash with a cute peck on the cheek, uncaring as to who might be watching.

While Jonas continues his onslaught of affection.

Lord Flash is subjected to an onslaught of his own, but as with above, he’s more than happy to be on the receiving end of this one.

Progress is made as the bartender leaves her post and approaches Jonas.

She whispers something in Jonas’s ear, I wonder if it was something he wanted to hear?

Yup, looks like it was.

Anna turns up and shows Reginald her best Butler Face.

While Pandora propositions Lord Flash.

 

“Downstairs, huh?” Lord Flash asks, grinning like a teenage boy.

 

“Yes, let’s say in… thirty minutes?”

The bar has been left abandoned, so some of the lads helped themselves to some drinks.

Which probably wasn’t a wise move.

The bartender has escorted Jonas downstairs to the closets. Much fun is had along the way.

Until sensing the end-game, Jonas swoops in for the kill.

Good times… Good times.

Oh crap, that’s a dangerous look! Jonas thinks to himself…

Best I scarper!

“Brooooo, did you?” J.B. asked.

 

“Oooooooh, yeah!” Jonas boasted.

 

“THE MAN!”

“You know,” Noriko smiled, “That they use those same closets on Granny Night, right? You probably got a bit of Agnes on you, and I don’t think it would be her right hand!”

“OMG, that’s disgusting!” Jonas shuddered, pretending to hurl.

The spy DJ finishes up and disappears into the night, with perhaps a little bit more material for her comedy routine or at the very least, some dirt on these two teams.

“Hey, Pandora’s alone!” Jonas said, rubbing his hands together.

 

“If you value your life… don’t” Noriko warned, “Come outside, play tag in the rain with me.”

 

“Tag, huh?” Jonas grinned.

 

“Don’t get any ideas,” Noriko replied, “I’m just trying to stop you from getting yourself killed.”

“What do you want, beautiful?” J.B. asked, “Looks like I’m the bartender now.”

Except, J.B. is pretty bad at measuring shots, so he ended up right beside the other guys.

Meanwhile, after the allotted thirty minutes were up, Pandora snuck downstairs…

Where a mystery pair of boots could be seen behind the curtains. Oh, Lord Flash!!!

Such tremendous gifts you give me!

Now… Time to find the man himself!

Noriko and Jonas run around in the rain, giggling away as Noriko tries to catch up to Jonas to tag him.

While back inside, the lads wake up.

 

“Perhaps I should call us all an Uber?” Reginald wondered out loud as he opened the app on his phone.

And while the lads hopped into a car and got a lift home, the two rain buddies continued to enjoy the summer rain.

 

“This was a great idea Noriko, I never knew playing in the rain was so much fun.”

“It’s the simple things in life that matter,” Noriko said as she felt the rain pelt against her skin, “Now… walk me home, will you? But don’t get any ideas!”

 

“Of course not, milady, I am a perfect gentleman!”

“Pssssh! Whatever!”

---

---

Author’s Notes:

Well, folks, that’s another matchup complete! I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did?

It’ll probably be three days before the next one is published, as I’m probably going to be out all weekend. But if we’re lucky, I may be able to find some time to get it done earlier. Until then, have fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

R 1 | M 4: Rollers vs. Balls Out

Carly: “Greeting bowling fans! Carly Coleman, SSPN, and we’re back for another Round One matchup between the Bankrollers and Balls Out. Back from their previous engagements, we have Mike Michael McMichaels…”

 

Mike: “A pleasure to be back.”

Carly: “And Zoe Anders.”

Zoe: “Likewise.”

Carly: “Great! Well, we’ve had three matchups so far and have one more to go before the end of the first round, your thoughts so far Mike?”

Mike: “Mike Michael McMichaels has seen some fantastic bowling so far and some less than ordinary bowling. At this early stage Destiny and Cherry look to be the ones to look out for, but a lot can change in a week and there are still sixteen bowlers to see, ask Mike Michael McMichaels this question again at the end of the round.”

Carly: “Sounds like a plan! Shall we get started, Zoe, would you like to do the intros this time?”

Zoe: “OMG, can I!?!”

 

Mike: “No, Carly just said that to mess with you! Of course, you can!”

---

Zoe: “Well, bowling fans! In today’s matchup, we have the Bankrollers taking on Balls Out at home.”

Mike: “This is going to be an interesting matchup!”

 

Zoe: “Who would you recommend the fans at home keep an eye out for, Mike?”

 

Mike: “Good question, Zoe. Pay close attention to Noriko, she’s quiet and nothing much fazes her. She sounds quite boring, I know, but just trust me on this, she’s worth watching!”

 

Zoe: “Excellent! Thank you, Mike… Now, onto the matchups for the televised game.”

Carly: “Thanks, Zoe, you did great!”

 

Mike: “Seven out of ten, room for improvement.”

 

Zoe: “I’ll take a seven! Anyway, the bowlers look like they’re about ready to start. Let’s turn on those lane-side mics and hopefully catch some interesting banter.”

Carly: “Oh, a terrible start for the Rollers! Hopefully, the others can salvage the frame.”

Zoe: “And Reginald has scored a strike, he’s celebrating quite vigorously.”

Mike: “Oh, he’s resumed his butler-face, can’t have people thinking he actually enjoys bowling now, can he?”

Carly: “And strikes for both Noriko and Pandora, a great save for the Rollers on that frame.”

Zoe: “The Pierce brothers are up. I’m told that there is a bit of a rivalry between these two.”

 

Mike: “Nothing like the Hamilton sisters, but it’s there.”

Carly: “And Lucas looks distraught.”

Mike: “A 7-10 split will do that to most people.”

Zoe: “The rest of the Ballers score strikes to keep level with the Bankrollers.”

Carly: “Reggie’s up again, and…”

Carly: “Ooooh, another poor miss! But at least he was able to convert this into a spare.”

Mike: “Reginald looks a bit more composed after that strike.”

Zoe: “And a mixed result from the final two Rollers, Noriko with a strike and Pandora with a 7-10 split.

Carly: “Lucas follows up with a difficult split. Devon looks furious!”

Mike: “Good thing he got that strike, or Devon would’ve looked like a bit of a dickhead!”

 

Zoe: “You mean, look like more of a dickhead?”

 

Mike: “Exactly!”

Zoe: “Jonas misses! He’s converted the spare but Noriko will look to score a strike and put some distance between the two of them.”

Carly: “Hang on, Jonas has a mischevious grin on his face, I wonder what’s going through that gorgeous head of his?”

 

Mike: ” His what?”

 

Carly: “Oh, um… nothing!”

 

Mike: “Okay, Filthy Frank!”

 

Jonas: “Hey, beautiful. I know of this amazing Japanese Steakhouse not far from here, care to ditch the after party and get some, one on one time with me?”

 

Noriko: “…”

Jonas: “Hmm… I’ll take that as a maybe.”

Carly: “A strike for J.B. to finish off the second frame.”

Zoe: “Sheesh! Where’s the concern for the bowler beside you, J.B. huh?”

Mike: “Finally, Reggie has managed to score a strike. I guess it was only a matter of time, huh? The numbers don’t lie, right, Reggie?”

Zoe: “I see what you mean about Noriko looking boring, that’s a turkey for her and she barely even blinked.”

 

Mike: “Just you watch, Mike Michael McMichaels guarantees you, you won’t be disappointed.”

Carly: “And Pandora finishes the top of the third frame with a strike of her own. Back to the Ballers.”

Mike: “That’s strikes for the Pierce brothers. For once, Devon doesn’t have anything to say to his younger twin.”

Zoe: “The two pretty boys on the end took their sweet time for their turns, so in the meantime, Reginald got up and scored a strike to make things interesting.”

 

Carly: “Yes, but the pretty boys as you called them, followed it up with strikes of their own.”

Zoe: “And a previous camera angle shows us why it took Jonas so long for his turn.”

 

Jonas: “Okay, maybe Steakhouse isn’t your thing, there’s a secret Japanese garden about a mile from here where we can go and have some nice quiet time.”

Noriko: “…”

 

Carly: “How does she do it!?!”

Mike: “Appalling! A casual player next to Pandora has thrown down a trick shot while Lady Blackthorn was in her approach! Honestly, the nerve of these people!”

Carly: “Well, it doesn’t seem to have affected her bowl, but let’s hope that the players don’t get any silly ideas!”

Zoe: “Another strike from Reggie, luckily his opponent started roughly the same way as him, so he’s pretty close to Lucas’s score.”

Carly: “And another strike from the stoic butler.”

Jonas: “I could hire a gondola and take you on a private cruise of the canals? I’ll bring the wine, you bring your gorgeous self.”

 

Noriko: “…”

J.B.: “Yeah, I’m totally a billionaire!”

 

Pandora: “Uhuh, that’s lovely, dear.”

Mike: “The Pierce brothers score strikes again, that’s a turkey for Devon.”

Carly: “And the other Ballers round off the frame with strikes.”

Zoe: “Reggie is finally hitting his stride, that’s a turkey for him.”

Carly: “And Reginald continues to bowl sensationally, he’s perfect through six.”

Mike: “Noriko’s dropped her perfect game! She’s missed a single pin, which was wobbling like crazy and threatening to fall over. She was able to convert it into a spare though.”

Carly: “And Pandora scores a turkey of her own.”

Pandora: “Honey, I couldn’t care less about your money. I’ve had a savings account for six-hundred years and the interest alone will make your tiny stockpile seem like pocket change.”

 

Mike: “Ouch! Now that just hurts!”

Carly: “Miserable bowl, Reggie. Just when we said you were starting to come right, you do this.”

Zoe: “Reginald’s run continues, he’s perfect through seven now.”

Carly: “Jonas looks happy, did Noriko perhaps agree to that date?”

 

Mike: “Nope, he just got a strike…”

Mike: “And a turkey to boot.”

Zoe: “Lucas gets another strike to propel him ahead of Reggie, and Reginald scores another strike to bring him within two frames of a perfect game.”

Mike: “Devon follows up with a strike of his own.”

 

Carly: “While Jonas’s flirt-attack continues.”

Jonas: “I mean, if you’re shy and all, we can always go back to yours for some Netflix and Chill?”

Mike: “There it is! That look! Pay close attention folks, Noriko is almost ready to unleash!”

Carly: “But before that, she scores a strike to keep her impressive run continuing.”

Mike: “Oh, boy! It’s as I feared, the Trick Shots are coming out.”

Mike: “Well, at least this time it hasn’t affected their game, but I can’t help but think that now that the others have seen them, they’ll try the same.”

Zoe: “That’s strikes for Reggie, Devon and Jonas.”

Carly: “Reginald looks a little uncomfortable in the background there, let’s find out why.”

 

Reginald: “My Butler Senses are tingling…”

Reginald: *gasp* “Seriously!?! They put a creased shirt on display? And there’s tarnish on their trophies… TARNISH!!!”

Reginald: “There, much better!”

 

Zoe: “Wow, he’s quick!”

 

Mike: “Butlers gotta butle… Is that even right?”

 

Zoe: “No one even knows.”

Mike: “Reginald with another strike to remain perfect through nine.”

Carly: “And Devon is right up there with him. It’s going to come down to the final frame for these two and two potential perfect games.”

Zoe: “Pandora is looking to finish strong she’s sitting perfect herself.”

Mike: “So is J.B. with that strike, we’re in for a treat as four bowlers are sitting on perfect games with just the final frame to go.”

 

Carly: “And that was Noriko’s last bowl, she’s finished up on a stunning 295. Jonas is coming up for his last bowl, he can still claim this game…”

Jonas: “Don’t worry, love. If I beat you, I’ll still take you out.”

Noriko: “Victory is mine. You cannot move the dragon. You will just get burnt.”

 

Zoe: “Wait, what the?”

 

Carly: “Was that a… Haiku?”

Mike: “And Devon nails the first bowl of the tenth frame, two more bowls to go. Jonas appears rattled by the Haiku-Attack, let’s see how he does.”

Mike: “Looking okay so far..”

Mike: “But no! The ball curls past the head pin and only collects one pin, the game is Noriko’s!”

Zoe: “Oh, my… He looks absolutely stunned!”

 

Carly: “And gorgeous! I mean… Yes, stunned!”

Mike: “Another Trick Shot by Lucas…”

Mike: “And he’s paid for it by missing poorly. But hey, at least he’s having fun, right?”

Zoe: “Devon sees his brother dancing to a 4-6-7-10 split and audibly growls. He doesn’t sound happy!”

Carly: “Both Devon and J.B. grab a strike on their second bowl of the tenth frame, they’re just one bowl away from a perfect game each.”

Zoe: “As has Reginald, his matchup against Devon is another one for the ages!”

Mike: “Pandora has missed! Which means that J.B. has pretty much won the game, the only way that he can miss out on a win is if Pandora converts this spare and he fails to knock down a single pin.”

Mike: “Oh, no! He’s missed out on a perfect game! He gets the win with a score of 298, but that is a small consolation, he bowled so well only to fall at the end!”

 

Zoe: “And somehow, Pandora did convert that spare. The 7-pin took a strange ricochet and collected the 10-pin with just enough force to cause it to narrowly fall over.”

 

Mike: “Strange shit happens around Lady Blackthorn.”

Carly: “Devon misses too! Oh, the heartbreak!!! He can only hope that Reginald fails to score more pins than him now.”

Mike: “Reginald Elsworth Buttersby the Third, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!

 

Carly: “Well, this is unique, he’s thrown down a Trick Shot on a potential perfect game. And it’s…”

Carly: “A miss!”

 

Mike: “Fucking idiot! Why would you do that on a fucking perfect game! I can’t believe the fucking stupidity of some people!”

 

Carly: “Well, folks! Mike is clearly wound up, he’s forgetting to talk in the third person, which is never a good sign! We’ll stop here before Mike has an aneurysm, don’t forgot to catch the scores before you check out for the evening.”

 

Mike: “Un-fucking-believable!”

---

Reggie Hayes vs. Lucas Pierce

---

Reginald Elsworth Buttersby III vs. Devon Pierce

---

Noriko Matsuki vs. Jonas Hammond

---

Lady Pandora Blackthorn vs. J.B. Monte

---

Lady Pandora Blackthorn vs. Lucas Pierce

---

Reggie Hayes vs. Devon Pierce

---

Reginald Elsworth Buttersby III vs. Jonas Hammond

---

Noriko Matsuki vs. J.B. Monte

---

Noriko Matsuki vs. Lucas Pierce

---

Lady Pandora Blackthorn vs. Devon Pierce

---

Reggie Hayes vs. Jonas Hammond

---

Reginald Elsworth Buttersby III vs. J.B. Monte

---

Reginald Elsworth Buttersby III vs. Lucas Pierce

---

Noriko Matsuki vs. Devon Pierce

---

Lady Pandora Blackthorn vs. Jonas Hammond

---

Reggie Hayes vs. J.B. Monte

---

Carly: “Bowling fans, don’t go anywhere! This matchup has ended in a tie! Mike, please tell the audience what happens in this scenario?”

Mike: “Well, what happens is that each team chooses a single bowler for a sudden death bowl-off. They’ll keep going, one frame at a time until one of them scores more pins than the other. The one to do so wins the team win for their side.”

 

Carly: “Excellent explanation, Mike, let’s head back down and see if any progress has been made in the selections.”

---

Lucas: “Hey, Devon, I think it should be me in the bowl-off, I was the best bowler of our team this week.”

Devon: “Don’t be ridiculous, Lucas, you’ll probably fall on your ass on the first bowl. I’ll do it, and that is final!”

 

Lucas: “Whatever, go right ahead, I just don’t give a shit.”

Carly: “Naturally, the Rollers chose Noriko to be their bowler, but surprisingly, Devon is the one that will step up for the Ballers.”

 

Mike: “An interesting choice, I would’ve gone with Lucas myself, he’s had the much better evening, even with those Trick Shots.”

 

Zoe: “Noriko won the coin toss and has elected to go second, Devon will bowl first.”

Carly: “Strike!”

Mike: “And Noriko follows that up with a strike of her own. Back to Devon.”

Zoe: “Devon with another strike, can Noriko back that up?”

Mike: “Of course, she can.”

Carly: “Three in a row for Devon, that’s a turkey in this sudden death bowl-off!”

Zoe: “Cold as ice! Noriko with barely any emotion on her face after that strike.”

Mike: “And here comes the haiku folks!”

Mike: “Nooo! She passes Devon with a coy smile, the mind games are strong with this one!”

 

Carly: “Clearly, Devon was expecting it at that point too, he has a confused look on his face.”

 

Devon: “I was positive she was gonna Haiku-Attack me just then…”

Mike: “Devon with the follow through…”

Mike: “Poor miss, absolutely terrible!”

 

Zoe: “Even the expectation of a Haiku-Attack seems to have done the trick, I wonder if Noriko planned for that?”

 

Mike: “Of course, she did, she’s a consummate professional.”

Carly: “Noriko with the follow through, she just needs two pins to win this bowl-off, and…”

Mike: “Emphatic response! The Rollers take the victory!”

Noriko: “Such an idiot. Should have let your brother play. Now suffer defeat!”

 

Lucas: “Well said.”

Lucas: “Happy now, BROTHER?”

 

Devon: “Well, if you had bowled a bit more seriously, and not done those trick shots, we might not have been in this situation!”

 

Lucas: “No, Devon, this one is on you! We lost this matchup, because of YOU! All because you won’t trust me! Well, I’m sick of it!!!”

Zoe: “Eeeeeek! Trouble in the Pierce household!”

 

Carly: “Well, that’s it bowling fans, until next time, stay safe and keep on bowling!”

---

Author’s Notes:

Whoa! This was a long one!!! But you get that when it ends in a tie and two brother’s have a spat at the end! 😀 

 

So, the standings will show this as an 8-8 tie, but the Rollers will get an extra 3 points for the sudden death victory. There will be a note to state that they won a sudden death bowl-off against the Ballers to avoid any confusion.

 

Oh, and if you wanted to know what Don was doing after his beating from Cherry…

Don’t quit your day job, Don.

R 1 | M 4: Pregame

It’s round one and for our fourth matchup, we have the Bankrollers taking on Balls Out at home.

---

Reggie

You know, to be successful in this business, you can’t get caught up in the short term. High-risk, high-reward, that is my motto.

An investment might lose money, a lot of money in the short term, but given enough time, and assuming you’ve done the research and established that this investment is the right choice, the potential for a windfall is massive.

Bowling is no different. If you think of only the current week, you set yourself up to fail. It’s a numbers game, and numbers don’t lie. All I need to do is to maintain an average of two-point-six-five wins per week and I’m guaranteed victory at the end of the season.

Yes, I’m well aware that this means I need to win three or more games in a high number of those weeks, but I have the skill to do so, so that isn’t an issue. And that number is what will guarantee the win based on the last seven years of competition, there is a chance that I might not even need that, there is a chance that I might need more.

Just like that investment might fail, or it might make you richer than your wildest dreams!

---

J.B.

Hello, my name is J.B. Monte and I am a billionaire.

Well, some would argue that my father is the billionaire and I just get to play with his money, but that is not true, I made my father sign a contract that said that my allowance was my own money and that I could do whatever I wanted with it.

My fathers’ condition, that I get a job or an education that could lead to a job at least. So, after agreeing to these terms, I took an online course, I saved up half of my allowance for a year – it’s not like I’d even be able to spend it all anyway – and invested in the new cryptocurrency, SimsCoin.

Within a week, I’d doubled my investment. Within a year, I had a hundred times the amount I’d invested. I was a billionaire in by my own rights… Now, I know that I could technically be on the Bankrollers team, but they’re weird with their money, they want to save it whereas I enjoy spending it.

And true to my word, I got a job. As a professional bowler… A contract is a contract after all.

---

Reginald Elsworth Buttersby III

This idea of a butler engaging in the barbaric sport of bowling is an outrage. What will my peers think when they see me? Butlers are notorious gossips, and understandably, I will become a pariah amongst my kind.

Still, am I not fulfilling the butler oath? Am I not performing any task that my employer gives me with propriety and honour? And while I may personally despise this act of humiliation, I never let my feelings be known to my employer, because their needs, their desires are more important than my own.

And Polo Shirts! How outrageous! How am I expected to look the part of a butler in a green polo shirt? Well, at the very least I will apply the butler oath as best as I can in the current situation:

Our uniforms will be the cleanest, most neatly pressed uniforms in the entire league. No stain nor scuff will escape my expert butler hands and I will polish all the balls so that we will be the cleanest, best-dressed team in the league.

Let that be something the gossips talk about after they see me!

---

Devon

I have a fairly good feeling about this season.

Yes, it’ll be my rookie pro season, but I’ve been bowling for years – ever since dad accidentally dropped us off at the bowling alley instead of the karate dojo – and I feel prepared.

The team looks strong, I can see us doing well in the standings. J.B. oozes charm and has an infinite supply of money which will no doubt cause a few distractions. Jonas is like a living Adonis and will probably need a medical team on call for spontaneous fainting incidents. Myself, well… I don’t like to brag.

Then there is Lucas…

*sigh* On second thoughts, we’re fucked!

---

Noriko

War will begin soon. The beginning unknown. The canvas is blank.

No, I don’t always talk like this, but I do like to think it could be a useful tool while bowling, give me an air of mystery.

Imagine, remaining silent throughout much of the game, bowing at the pins when you get a strike as opposed to celebrating loudly, your opponent thinks that you’re either shy, can’t speak the language, or mute, and then, when they least expect, bust out a haiku.

They’ll wrack their brains trying to understand it, and it’ll affect their game. Now some may be strong enough of mind to brush it off, but I believe that these people will be few and far between, perhaps one or two in the league. No, this is the perfect weapon for the job.

The perfect weapon. Forged in the fire of prep school. It will destroy all.

---

Jonas

There are many beautiful things in this world. Art…

Music…

Woman…

And bowling a perfect game to just name a few. But there’s only one thing more beautiful than scoring a perfect game…

And that is me.

Need I say more? No… I didn’t think so.

---

Lucas

I can’t believe that I’m in an actual pro bowling league!

Why did Devon think this would be a good idea? Does he not remember all the times I fell on my ass? Or that one time I picked up the wrong ball – a kids one from the other lane – and had it stuck to my fingers for a week?

It doesn’t matter what I do though, if we perform badly tomorrow, somehow Devon will find a reason for it to be my fault.

I could bowl four perfect games, and he’ll claim that my bowling put the rest of us off. Oh well, guess I’ve got just two choices. Just have fun and ignore Devon, or quit…

Actually, who the hell am I kidding!?! Devon won’t let me quit, guess I better just learn to have fun.

---

Pandora

“Excuse me, Lady Blackthorn?” Reggie’s butler started, “Shall I clean your coffin after your late morning escapades?”

The memory of last morning was still fresh in my mind, as were the fang marks on my delicate skin.

Oh, Lord Flash!

Oh, Lord Flash! You beastly devil, you! I must remember every little detail for when I play against Agnes, it may be the one way to keep her occupied and away from the two men from our team.

“Yes, Reginald, that would be wonderful, thank you,” I replied, fanning myself from the memory whilst trying to maintain the decorum required of a Lady.

I grabbed a blood pack from the fridge, just your standard A-Positive flavour with no added sugar or preservatives, 100% organic and free range. None of this children’s blood flavour that is all the rage amongst the vampire community, that stuff makes me break out in hives – probably the reason that I hate children – now, I can smell their blood, too sweet, and it just makes me gag.

Thankfully, I won’t have to worry about running into that kid until round eight… If I’m lucky, he’ll get hit by a rogue swordfish before then.

R 1 | M 3: Postgame

After the gameplay wrapped up, the teams went back to their homes to get spruced up for a night on the town.

---

The majority of the players were greeted to Cherry, kicking butt at darts, and a random weirdo dancing with a vending machine.

Snowflake is taking a quick nap, it’s going to be a long night after all. And Maeve has summoned her husband for some important business.

You see, Maeve and Ben had a score to settle, a debate that has been going for years… Who was the better Foosball player?

 

The stakes? A foot massage! The winner? Maeve of course!

While Florence went straight to the Karaoke machine and busted out an impressive rendition of “Hotter than Sin.”

Aaron decides to give this karaoke thing a go but he sucked badly!

 

“But, I heard that becoming a vampire meant that you instantly became better at singing?” he grumbled when he noticed that the once full dance floor was empty.

“Weeeeeeeee!’ Ezra giggled.

“I’m garbage surfing!”

Nice one Ezra! Somebodies going to have to clean that up now!

Back downstairs, Takoda gets to finally try that Ghost Pepper dish properly. They’d given him a sample while he was bowling, as the larger portions required more time, but that one tiny morsel was enough to propel his game to a whole new level.

The moment of truth…

Takoda is a fan!

Ezra finally makes it downstairs, hopefully, he cleaned up after himself.

 

“Mate!” Aaron called out to Ezra, “Have you ever thought about being a vampire?”

 

“Aw, nah man!” Ezra replied, his attention drawn to a couple of flies rooting on the wall, “Sounds like too much work for me, hunting for blood and all that shit.”

“That’s what cattle are for?” Aaron argued.

 

“I mean, I like my steak rare, so I guess cow blood would be alr-“

 

“Human cattle, I meant human cattle!”

 

Ezra just looked at Aaron with an incredibly confused look on his face, “Human cows?”

 

“Bah! Forget it!” Aaron snapped and stormed off in a huff.

Soon after that, Kitty and Cherry decided to have a go at karaoke. Kitty’s a professional singer and Cherry’s no slouch with the mic herself, so their powerful ballad had everyone keen to dance once more.

Once the song was over, it was time to feed Snowflake. Luckily, there was a feeding station outside the bar, so Kitty was able to take a quick break from the action to feed her little furball.

Shortly after Kitty went upstairs to feed Snowflake, Maeve bust out in song to serenade her husband.

It may have been an attempt to drown out Aaron’s voice but Ben appreciated it anyway.

Snowflake found something more exciting than food…

Her tail!

Back downstairs, the married couple is flirting like there is no tomorrow!

 

“I would move because this is awkward as fuck, but I can’t!” muttered Ezra to himself while he waited for a beer.

With Snowflake entertaining herself, Kitty decided to go to the toilet and entered into a conversation with Noel and Maeve.

 

“Hey, Kitty? I’m sorry about the pizza rolls,” Noel started, “I should’ve known that Ezra would swap the normal ones for the special ones.”

“Something tells me that you couldn’t have stopped him if he set his mind to it.” Maeve offered, hoping to cool the air.

 

Although she didn’t need to bother, Kitty just shrugged her shoulders and said, “No problems, Noel. It’s not like you forced me to eat the pizza roll.”

Meanwhile, Snowflake continues to entertain herself and we learn that Ezra did not, in fact, clean up his mess.

“Whoooooooa! The dents in this light kind of look like Ronald Stump’s face!”

Florence decided to channel some of her anger at her own performance in a creative way and grabbed some spray cans and got to work on a mural.

At the same time, the DJ appeared and got the party started.

Although someone forgot to tell Ezra, who decided to jump up and sing some karaoke… poorly.

Aaron found his first beautiful victim and hypnotised her with a touch of vampiric magic.

He drank deep from her and relished in the taste of this beautiful creatures sweet, fragrant blood. If they all tasted like this one, Aaron will be beautiful in no time!

“Oh, look… It’s starting to rain.” Aaron stated cheerfully as he pulled out an umbrella.

 

He thought about moving the woman to the nearby bench but decided to leave her there, on the cold hard, wet floor. Her penance for being beautiful.

Everyone seems to be enjoying the DJ, even Snowflake chucks up an enthusiastic fist pump.

Cherry got a text message – don’t ask me where she stores that phone! – that had her smiling like a school girl that found out her crush likes her too.

Things should be wrapping up shortly, but it looks like someone’s night might just be beginning! * wink, wink, nudge, nudge! *

The DJ took a quick break and Snowflake took it upon herself to supervise Florence’s mural.

She is a hard taskmaster, as she has pointed out numerous errors in Florence’s work.

Ezra you little shit! Ben has to clean up after your punk ass!

Is that an optical illusion, or one of the DJ’s holograms? Or is that a…

Well, Snowflake thinks it’s real!

Ezra spots the illusion slash hologram slash potential ghost thing, and obviously, he thinks it’s real. Doesn’t matter that no one else seems to be paying it any attention other than Snowflake.

He tries to get closer to it, but each time it just glides away with a mischevious grin on its face.

His perseverance paid off, and eventually, she stops and allows him to approach.

“Whooooa, you’ve got to be real, there is no way that I ate that many pizza rolls!”

 

The music stopped, and the DJ shut up shop, and almost straight away the could be a ghost thing disappeared, never to be seen again… At least tonight!

 

“Whoooa! She’s like, a party spirit!” Ezra laughed, which caused everyone else around him to shake their head and laugh awkwardly with him.

Snowflake antics continued long after the DJ finished his set and left for the night.

Florence is almost finished her mural and Snowflake wanted to inspect some of the higher parts of the painting, so Cherry obliged and scooped the cat up so she could determine the quality of this work.

Snowflake gives it an A-.

Things are starting to wrap up as the call for last drinks comes.

Cherry grabs one and has a quick chat to Noel. They both reminisce about their game earlier today and wonder whether it’ll show up on the SSPN highlights reel on Monday morning.

And Anna makes a quick cameo just before the bar shuts too. Hi Anna!

“Sorry, Takoda, I’d love to hear more about your Tempura Ghost Pepper dish, but you know, places to be, people to do.”

---

---

Author’s Notes:

And that concludes the third matchup! Hopefully, you enjoyed it, and it seems that Snowflake stole the show again with her epic cuteness!

As with the last few times, I’ll be taking a day or two to get the next intro written but I do plan to keep this pace up if I can, to try and speed through these rounds. Until next time, I hope you enjoy these crazy peeps!

 

R 1 | M 3: Movements vs. Pin Ups

Carly: “Greetings bowling fans! Carly Coleman, SSPN, and today we’re doing things a bit differently.”

Carly: “Mike and Zoe couldn’t join us today, due to prior engagements, so I have ventured out to Death Alley Lanes to provide you with lane-side commentary.”

Carly: “Let’s get things started!”

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Carly: “So, in this third matchup of the first round, we have the Bowl Movements, taking on the Pin Ups at home.

Carly: “And for our televised games, here are the bowler matchups.”

Carly: “And the Movements are up first…”

Carly: “We’ve got strikes from Noel, Ezra and Aaron, but it looks like…”

Carly: “Yes, Takoda missed a strike on the first frame. He completely missed the head pin, a poor mistake but thankfully one he was able to partially correct by converting the spare.”

Carly: “Now it’s the Pin Ups turn to bowl, can they do better than the Movements or will they find themselves in a similar situation?”

Carly: “Strikes for both Cherry and Maeve…”

Carly: “And a strike for Kitty too!”

Carly: But it seems that the Pin Ups captain, Florence Hamilton, failed to score a strike too! She also missed the head pin like Takoda did and she also was able to convert the spare.”

Carly: “A strike for Ezra! He’s looking strong early in this game but Maeve is right with him at this stage.”

Carly: “And Takoda’s troubles continue, he’s shaking his head, wondering just what it is he needs to do to get those pins to fall.”

Carly: “And as Takoda takes a seat and ruminates on his bowling technique, Aaron scores another strike!”

Carly: “Strikes all round for the Pin Ups! They are looking fearsome!!!”

Carly: “And sitting with me just now is Maeve Stark’s husband, Ben. Yes, that’s right folks, these gorgeous individuals are off the market! Ben, we never really get to chat with partners of the bowlers, tell us, what is it like being married to a bowler?”

 

Ben: “I think it’s great! Maeve is a completely different person when she bowls, here she is competitive and somewhat confrontational, but she never lets it affect her true nature.”

 

Carly: “Which is?”

 

Ben: “She’s kind, she hates violence and tries everything she can to avoid it.”

Carly: “Sounds like a wonderful woman, thank you, Ben!”

Carly: “Back to the action we go, and the Pin Ups are having some troubles!”

Carly: “But Cherry scores another strike, that’s a turkey for Cherry!”

Carly: “Some mixed results from the Movements next frame. We’ve got a strike from Noel, a split from Ezra – who is celebrating as if he got a strike – a split from Aaron, and a strike from Takoda.”

Carly: “And here’s another guest, little Snowflake, Kitty Purry’s cat and unofficial mascot of the Pin Ups. Tell me, Snowflake, how do you enjoy bowling?”

Carly: “No comment, huh?”