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The final game of the GREATEST SERIES between the Baltimore Lady Beetles and the Dallas Instruments concluded more than 2 hours ago.
It is now late in the evening inside of the Bell Systems Combination Ballpark & Data Center, home of the Dallas Instruments , and the park is now mostly vacant.
Mostly.
Two people can be seen among the seats - one with a flashlight, seemingly searching for something. And the other, approaching the first with a friendly wave.
‹ Nicole › : "Hey, stranger! Saw you do some awesome stuff out on the field tonight."
【 Nicole Humphrey, Catcher for the Baltimore Lady Beetles. 】
‹ Tiger › : "Yeah, not like it fuckin’ mattered."
【 Tiger Croft, the Dallas Instruments’ Designated Hitter. 】
‹ Nicole › : "What are you talking about? That grand slam right in the bottom of the ninth?! That made everyone go crazy!!"
‹ Tiger › : "Oh shut the fuck up, you all won big tonight. I couldn't even tie the game up. You shouldn’t pay so much attention to the losers."
‹ Nicole › : "Well it's hard not to get just a little bit curious when I see a fellow player snooping around her own park. What are you still doing here?"
‹ Tiger › : "Had friends come to the game from far out of town tonight. Saw them off a while ago so that they could get back on the road. But then later I got a text saying that they lost a ring so they had to come back and check their seats. I told them not to turn around since I live nearby, so I could just come and look for it. And it's not like I have anything better to be doing tonight."
‹ Nicole › : "Awwww, that's so sweet of you! I can come help you out!"
‹ Tiger › : "Uh, no, no. You don't have to do that. Why are you here, anyways? Shouldn't you be out partying it up or some shit?"
‹ Nicole › : "Nah, I'd rather die than be hungover for the flight back tomorrow. So I'm hanging back and getting some practice in."
【 Nicole takes a baseball out of her jacket pocket and gives Tiger a playful wink. 】
‹ Tiger › : "What? You hate practice."
【 Nicole's iridescent wings flutter as she grins. She retrieves a couple more baseballs from other pockets, and then begins to juggle between her two right hands. 】
‹ Tiger › : "Oh shit, you’re still juggling? I thought you just picked that up in high school to look cool and impress girls."
‹ Nicole › : "Hah, yeah, well! Turned out to be more fun than I thought."
‹ Tiger › : "Yeah well. It definitely makes you look a lot cooler than I thought. Almost as cool as you were back then."
‹ Nicole › : "Hold up. You thought I was cool? Really?"
‹ Tiger › : "Yeah, I did. I was almost kind of into you and then your family moved back to Baltimore and whatever whatever who cares. It's ancient history."
‹ Nicole › : "Ohhh, but aren't we supposed to learn from our history? C'mon, tell me more, Ty~!"
‹ Tiger › : "Uggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh. Do NOT bring back that fucking nickname."
【 Tiger grimaces and crouches back down to look under another seat. The end of her striped tail periodically curls up before quickly flicking outwards, a clear indication of unrestrained annoyance. 】
‹ Nicole › : "But we used to have so much fun together! I would get my papa's old magazines and you would have your scrapbooking stuff and we made those zines... Don't you remember, Ty?"
‹ Tiger › : "Stoppppppppp. I mean it. I don't do stuff like that anymore."
‹ Nicole › : "Stuff like being creative? Having fun? What happened to you, Ty-Ty?"
【 With a frustrated growl and a swift motion, Tiger suddenly lifts her leg and sweeps it into Nicole to shove her back into a seat. The baseballs being juggled plop to the floor and roll away. 】
‹ Tiger › : "Say it again and I will pounce on you. And I'm not sure you would like that very much, Nico~."
【 But Tiger's frustration soon melts away, as she finds herself now standing straddled over a flustered Nicole, who is staring up at her and blushing furiously. 】
‹ Tiger › : "Oh fuck, sorry, I didn't --."
【 Tiger begins to backpedal, but is interrupted by Nicole holding on to the bottom of her sweatshirt. 】
‹ Nicole › : "S-so. Umm. Hey. Are you just going to miss out on another win? After getting so close?"
【 Nicole pushes up off the seat and closer to Tiger. She stares into her eyes. 】
‹ Tiger › : "No. You're right. I won't lose it this time."
【 Tiger lowers herself down onto Nicole's lap. She places a hand on her warm cheek, and blushes in return. Nicole brings her arm around Tiger and pulls her in for a kiss, long and tender. It doesn't take long for the two women to forget about whatever else they were supposedly doing here. A ring lies on the ground just two seats away, underneath a fallen baseball. 】
