In an effort to maintain a work-life balance, Vanessa had to make a conscious effort to have… well, a life. It was tricky, because there were stipulations to doing it right. Life could not just be “Gina,” (as tempting as that might sound at times,) so Vanessa needed to make time for friends. The second problem was how many of her friends came from the “work” side of her equation. So really, Vanessa was trying to maintain a work-work friends-love life-life balance. Somewhere along the lines of human development, socializing became too complex for its own good.

Vanessa did have friends outside of work, but they were not plentiful and she had dated a surprising number of them. She wanted a girls’ night out without the risk of attempted flirting, and she was fortunate enough to have one good friend in her Contacts that fit the bill perfectly.

Well, “perfectly” was a stretch. If Winnie fit the bill perfectly, Vanessa would not be standing outside The Bonus Level checking her phone for an update. The plan was Vanessa’s kind of lowkey: the two women would find a couch in the video game bar to claim, order some deliciously unhealthy bar appetizer along with plenty of overpriced alcohol, and get worked up into a collective competitive tizzy over video games. It was not a new plan, but it was a reliable recipe for a fun night and Vanessa was dressed appropriately.

Opening up her Messenger app, Vanessa pulled up the chat window with “KiWinnie,” knowing Winnie would threaten her bodily harm for using that name in her phone.

”Hey Birb! You almost here or did Tangerine Raincloud give up on the way over?

If she learned one lesson with The POW Block Party, it was never too early to start antagonizing her rival. No one was more fun to annoy than Winnie, and despite all her objections and swearing, she would always be there to bear it and toss it back at Vanessa. They were too sarcastic and bitter not to be friends.

Winnie loved to be with another person. She didn't have a voracious need to be in a relationship like some people she knew, but it was always nice to bring home a nice way body to smuggle up to in bed. However even someone like Winnie Wickham needed to have those people in her life who hasn't seen her most blissful of expressions. That was all part of a healthy life, balance and ensuring that you did didn't bed ALL your closest friends. Luckily Winnie had one of those friends in the lovely form of Vanessa Bookman.

Funny name aside, Nessa was actually one of those friends that Winnie actually enjoyed spending time with. They weren't always crawling all over one another for attention, but rather had healthy doses of personal life before seeing eachother again. In this instance, some time had indeed passed since their last get together, but they managed a chatting contact via apps and phone calls. However now was the time for them to meet up and Winnie could not wait.

Anyone who knew the two girls would automatically ship them together. The way they talked to one another, the teasing the verbal barbs, everyone would say it was just foreplay until the inevitable time where they would just explode like a repressed volcano. But for Winnie, she never saw that, and she was certain Nessa was of the same mind. They were good friends who liked to give one another the business; there wasn't anything wrong with that.

The meet location set, Winnie left her apartment dressed rather casually with hip hugging jeans and thin hoodie but deep red. On the front there was a white colored cow with a message for her bestie. They would be gaming against one another tonight and that meant one thing – the gloves were off.

Climbing onto the back of her trusty steed, an orange Vespa named Orange Thunder, Winnie set off into the city to begin her night of fun, friendship and insults. She knew the gaming bar that Nessa chose by heart. It tended to be their go to for these kinds of nights. Weaving throughout the city, careful of other cars, and cursing out those who weren't careful of her, the photographer eventually drew close enough to stop, just in time to feel her phone buzz with a new message in her pocket.

Pulling it out, she read the screen and immediately drew an agitated and amused look. So it begins…

Almost there. Sorry. Had to stop off to pick up a cushion for you to sit on. You'll need it when I’m done wrecking your *** tonight.

She snerked as she looked up, the light turning green, and continued on. It didn't take much longer for Winnie to arrive and, out front, there was Nessa, waiting and dressed to compete. She just grinned as she climbed off her bike, stretched, and pocketed her keys. Her hands in her hoodie, stretching out out just enough to put her message on display, she grinned at the other.

”This goes without saying, love, but talk bad about my baby again and is the last thing you see barreling towards you,” she gave her a cheeky grin. ”How goes? Where's your far more attractive better half?”

Vanessa’s message did not wait long for a response. She made a mental note that Winnie, supposedly on her vespa, was somehow texting her. She hoped the West Coaster pulled over or she was just asking to be a very pretty streak on the road.

The text was what Vanessa expected: retaliatory threats against her a**. It was standard fare and a good sign of things to come. She was already in the process of coming up with a quippy comeback when the familiar sound of a vespa pulling up to park lifted her eyes. She quickly noticed Winnie’s choice in apparel and rolled her eyes, stretching her own arms over her head so her shirt had maximum readability.

It was no surprise that Winnie would threaten Vanessa for her slanderous treatment of “Orange Thunder.” Winnie had an emotional attachment to her preferred method of transportation, so naturally Vanessa rarely resisted the temptation to make harmless jokes to rile her up. ”Oh please, no. No one will take my death seriously if my obit reads ‘death by vespa.’ And Gina’s studying and calling it an early night for a test tomorrow,” she explained, before adding, ”Not that I needed a reason to keep my girlfriend a safe distance from a tricky fox like you.” Winnie was a renowned flirt when she had her temper in check. It was almost impressive how she was always running “hot” one way or another.

Vanessa motioned toward the door, wordlessly suggesting they stop wasting time on the sidewalk when they could finally get their night underway. ”Besides, I needed time with my hella fave bestie.” The words were carefully selected, because nothing annoyed Winnie quite like silly modern slang. ”It’s been a weird week, so I thought I could use the catharsis of watching you put your foot in your bragging mouth.”

Pushing the door open, Vanessa looked over the bar and smiled. The mood was set with low-lighting in a variety of colors and video game art on the walls. There were tables where people were drinking, eating, and playing card and board games. Some sat at the bar, watching the pro-gaming match of the night on the big screens. Everyone else gathered at the many comfy couches with tables, televisions, and game systems prepared.

It was a haven for drinkers and gamers. Beyond her apartment and the studio, it made a real case for being Vanessa’s home away from her home away from home. ”Come on, I want to grab a couch before they’re all taken by nerds. Well, other nerds.” Self-awareness was important.

Winnie liked Nessa. She always did. Of all the people in her life, Winnie knew that she could trust her the most. She was a good friend and one of the few that Winnie knew who could keep up with her sarcasm and wild nights. That wasn't to say that Winnie made it a habit of having nights like this, but in those instances where she did, it was nice to have someone like Nessa at her side. Of course said night would also income copious amounts of sass, threats, and backtalk, but that was all part of the fun.

Approaching the gamer, her hoodie in full display, she could she the immediate effect it had on Nessa. The eyeroll was a good sign that invading her head was in full swing. However, when she stretched her arms above her head, making her t-shirt fully visible, Winnie had to snicker. She knew they she could salty in a number of ways, but none of them were the levels of salt that Ness the pro-gamer could reach when she was on the losing end of a gaming match.

Oh tonight was going to be legendary.

A coy smile, the lithe photographer made it perfectly clear to her friend that slights against her chosen mode of transportation could result in the other’s demise. However, even with that, Nessa found no danger in the kiwi-shifter’s words.

>> ”Oh please, no. No one will take my death seriously if my obit reads ‘death by vespa.’ And Gina’s studying and calling it an early night for a test tomorrow…Not that I needed a reason to keep my girlfriend a safe distance from a tricky fox like you.”

Winnie just grinned. She'd get her back for dissing her baby, but at the right time. Nodding that Gina was being a studious bookworm. That was sweet that Nessa didn't try to lure the gargoyle mutant out…also a bit surprising. She knew Nessa well enough to know that she was probably crawling out of her son to be near hey current girlfriend, but maybe not. Maybe Nessa was just evolving into a fully mature hooman. Stranger things have happened.

”Well that's good to know. But as gorgeously curvaceous as your latest paramour is….” she teased and waggled her eyebrows. ”…I was referring to the book slinging beefcake of a brother of yours. How is my future husband doing?” She loved to tease and threaten Nessa that one day she will make her move on Booker. It was especially effective on game nights as it provided an amazing distraction.

Moving towards the door with a gracious nod, Winnie pulled it open and waved for Nessa to enter.

>>”Besides, I needed time with my hella fave bestie…It’s been a weird week, so I thought I could use the catharsis of watching you put your foot in your bragging mouth.”

Winnie was quick to roll hey eyes, opening and closing her hand as she mimed along in an overly dramatic re-enactment of everything Nessa was saying. ”Blah, blah, blaaah. Aren't you tired of writing checks your scrawny *** can't cash?”

She smirked, sticking her tongue out at Nessa and followed her into the bar. They were immediately hit with the sounds of gaming and the scent of alcohol and artery clogging food. Winnie was excited to get the evening started, but first they needed to find a place to settle and claim for the evening.

>> ”Come on, I want to grab a couch before they’re all taken by nerds. Well, other nerds.”

”Psh, speak for yourself, dweeb-ette,” she smirked and adjusted her hoodie. ”If anything I’m just being the charitable, popular one. “ She then reached down and ushered Nessa towards the bar, but not before giving her a snack on the backside to send her off. ”Go on now. Order the food. I’ll scam us a couch. “ With that she was on the hunt for the perfect place to plant the both of them.

Vanessa was gay, but she was not oblivious. She had the misfortune of having a handsome brother, which meant the straight, bi, and pan women in her life were always likely to remark on that fact at some point. In many cases, it was not their fault; if she had friends with hot gay sisters, it would raise a red flag for her as well. In the case of Winnie, it was entirely her fault. She made the very intentional decision to openly fawn over Booker because she was aware of Vanessa’s plight. It was one of Vanessa’s “buttons” that Winnie knew how to push to annoy her, and with competition looming on the horizon, it was a good way to get Vanessa riled up.

The best she could do was shake her head and deflect. ”Book’s doing well. He’s probably making heart-eyes at his awesome girlfriend, though, so you have to deal with me tonight. Hope that doesn’t ruffle your feathers,” she added pointedly. ”And for the record, having abs does not suddenly make you not a twig, too.” Winnie was a rare kind of friend. She was close enough that she knew Vanessa was trans, but she was also close enough not to be gun-shy when making jokes about her body. Most people were too worried that Vanessa might freak out if they called her skinny or tall. Winnie knew her well enough to be truly comfortable around her, which was worth its weight in gold and sarcastic jabs.

They walked into the bar and Winnie claimed the task of grabbing a couch while Vanessa was tasked with grabbing food. The claim that Winnie was “the popular one” did make Vanessa chuckle, though. ”Fine, go get a couch and enjoy your delusions. I’ll get us snacks.”

Vanessa found an open space at the bar and waited for one of the girls behind the bar to notice her. It did not take long to receive service; The POW Block Party and The Bonus Level had a long, friendly relationships. TPBP liked to game and drink, and The Bonus Level offered video games and drinks in exchange for money. It was like a partnership.

A short time passed, but Vanessa found Winnie’s claimed couch with a tray of goodies. Poutine, fried-mushrooms, and jalapeno poppers, as well as two Thumpers. Vanessa knew well that the Thumpers could be a rough pill to swallow, but they quickly put you on track for the best drunken festivities. ”I am back with foods of the fried variety! One of the girls is coming by for more drink orders, but we’re starting things off with a Thumper.” Vanessa grabbed her shot glass and raised it, ”In preparation for the thorough thumping you’re gonna get in… what are we playing, anyway?”

Though Winnie s never one to actively go out and destroy a relationship, she could still speak of the famed Booker in such a way that Winnie knew it would get to Nessa. Even if she had no real intention of thumbing the pages of that particular book , it was still fun to plant the seeds of doubt in get rival’s head. Add to that that Nessa knew of Winnie's flirtatious ways, and that of her relentlessness, it was just enough to get under Nessa’s skin.

>> . ”Book’s doing well. He’s probably making heart-eyes at his awesome girlfriend, though, so you have to deal with me tonight. Hope that doesn’t ruffle your feathers…And for the record, having abs does not suddenly make you not a twig, too.”

She grinned as Nessa tried to deflect the subject of her brother. She immediately admitted that Booker was probably head over heels for his current girl. That was good for him. She had heard about Chris and it was a devastating time for the man. It was good to know that he had managed to bounce back from it. Still, the ground was ripe for the teasing.

”And so the long game continues…” she grinned. At the mention of feathers, she rolled her eyes. She was going to get a lot of those references tonight. However it seemed at the mention if Nessa being overly thin poked a nerve. She laughed at mention of her abs. ”Oh quiet…before I beat you up for your lunch money. “

Nessa was taller and while, if pushed, she could probably throw a punch, height didn't mean anything when compared to the skill Winnie had. But she didn't tease the issue further, instead becoming more dominant as she smacked Nessa on the backside to go gather the refreshments while Winnie claimed a seat.

>>”Fine, go get a couch and enjoy your delusions. I’ll get us snacks.”

A wink and a kiss blown through the air, Winnie set off to find an open couch. These were best for their gaming purposes but they were spots that were quickly coveted among the gamers. She passed by a couple that wets already taken so when jet eyes fell onto one that was, she was quick to pounce. She just managed to round the arm of the couch and plant her butt down when she watched two other grind to a halt just next to the sofa.

A friendly wave, and a gesture to shoo them away, she wrapped her hand behind her head and laid back atop the sofa. Taking up all the space, Winnie didn't have to wait long before Nessa reappeared, carrying with her a tray of delectable vittles. The photographer asset up, rubbing her hands together eagerly.

>> ”I am back with foods of the fried variety! One of the girls is coming by for more drink orders, but we’re starting things off with a Thumper…In preparation for the thorough thumping you’re gonna get in… what are we playing, anyway?”

While it may not have seemed like it, Winnie was most certainly in need of a drink tonight. While the Thumper may not have been her first choice, it would serve the purpose of taking her where she wanted to go tonight. Speaking of, she let the lame comment drop as she took her drink in hand.

”Oh I figure we can start with some Road Tussler 5. They just got the new edition here.” She grinned. ”Unless you’re too chicken **** to take the challenge?”

Vanessa knocked back the first of her shots for the night, grimacing as the Thumper hit her. There were nights for responsible drinking and there were nights when two silly, drunk women left the bar singing obnoxiously as they called for an Uber. If everything went as planned, Vanessa was hoping for the latter. Life was, in general, going really well for Vanessa, but after a week loaded with recording and editing, along with a challenging conversation with Booker, she wanted a night to let loose to an almost irresponsible level. Winnie was the perfect ride-or-die chick to have at her side.

Shaking off the bite of the drink, Vanessa tried not to cringe when Winnie suggested a fighting game for their first faceoff. She was not bad at fighters, but it was by no means her forte. That was what she got for letting Winnie make the first choice. ”The only chicken *** around here will be if you go take a crap. Load it up, punk.”

Vanessa dropped in to take her seat on the couch, sinking into the fluffy cushions. The Bonus Level understood the needs of gamers, which meant comfy furniture, high-def televisions, and greasy food. She was enough of a regular to leave the fried mushrooms alone for a few minutes; they were so freshly fried, they could scorch her fingertips and that was not a handicap she needed during her gaming deathmatch. Instead, Vanessa elected to grab three fries from the poutine, dripping with gravy and cradling some melty cheese curds. She enjoyed the savory flavors as she wiped her hands on a napkin and grabbed a controller.

As the introduction screens of the game started, a waitress in her late-twenties with brown hair with pink and white locks poking out underneath approached their couch. “Welcome back!” she greeted cheerfully, recognizing both women from past visits to the bar. “What’ll you ladies be drinking tonight?”

Vanessa mentally scanned through the menu she had memorized. ”I’d love a Rainbow Road.”

“Then that’s what you’ll get! And you, honey?” she asked, turning to Winnie with a wide smile.

When the orders were taken and the waitress returned in the direction of the bar, Vanessa returned her focus to Winnie. ”I’m glad you had the time to come out tonight. I would have thought for sure you’d be busy luring some handsome lad or lovely lady to their doom with your siren song.” Winnie was not much of a “relationship person,” preferring the low-risk world of casual flirting and fun, which was one of the main difference between her and Vanessa, the gay serial-monogamist.

A shot was slammed back and Winnie followed in kind. She winced, cringing at the liquid as it coursed down her throat but she got it down nonetheless and it meant that the rest of the evening was free for whatever drinks she wanted. The Thumper was just the key to the rest of the alcoholic heaven that would be following. Plus, it helped grease the wheels of the smack talk that had already begun between the two friends. Winnie knew that Nessa wasn’t a bad fighting game player, just more of a buttonmasher than anything. Ironically, fighting games were one of the few genres that Winnie actually excelled at. Some would say she was a savant -- she would just claim it to be skill.

A witty barb about the other being too chicken to take part in her challenge, and Winnie picked up her controller and started to set up the game. As she did, Nessa did not relent as she shot back at her with just as much friendly rivalry fueled venom...

>> ”The only chicken *** around here will be if you go take a crap. Load it up, punk.”

Another sour, yet unimpressed look. ”Really? You have better material than that.”

Winnie busied herself with getting the game loaded when another party entered the scene. The waitress was well known to the both of them, mostly to Nessa though since she occupied this bar more oftern with her YouTube cronies. Still, Winnie was a patron enough times to recognize the pretty face and the curves of the woman as she approached, a bright smile and a question on her lips. She was taking drink orders.

>> ”I’d love a Rainbow Road.”

>>“Then that’s what you’ll get! And you, honey?”

Winnie gave the pretty waitress her warmest smile and imparted a smolder that danced in her eyes. Cutely she bit her bottom lip, trying as if in deep conversation as her eyes freely roamed the other woman up and down. ”Umm, I dunno, love. What’s your favorite? What do I absolutely have to have while I’m here?”

The waitress blushed a little at the look that Winnie was giving her. Hiding a small smile, the flustered woman just gave her the first thing that popped off the top of her head. “T-The Red Dragon...it’s...pretty awesome.”

”Ooo, sounds refreshing...yet hot...” A small lick of her lips. Before she nodded and disengaged as easily as she engaged the woman. ”One of those, please, my love.” The waitress slipped away as Winnie followed her with her gaze, a small smirk on her lips as she followed those curves before she turned her eyes back to Nessa who was eyeballing her. She shrugged and gave her an innocent smile. ”What? I was only asking for a suggestion. It…all looks so yummy.”

With their heads in the upcoming game at hand, Winnie grabbed a pair of fries and started to munch on them as the loading screen ignited the television screen before them. The bright colors, the ripped fighters, the curvaceous women, all was set to allure the eyes of prepubescent boys, therefore Winnie turned to Nessa for friendly conversation.

>>”I’m glad you had the time to come out tonight. I would have thought for sure you’d be busy luring some handsome lad or lovely lady to their doom with your siren song.”

She grinned and shrugged her shoulders. ”Night’s far from over, sweetie.” With that she sighed as she sat back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other as she grabbed a napkin and a jalapeno popper. ”Besides, you know me, all up for the girl’s night. How are things, by the way? Any particular reason besides just needing human interaction outside of your sweetheart and your sweet sibling?”

Winnie had a point: Vanessa’s shot could have been better. She had a wealth of avian-related jokes to choose from, so it was inevitable not all of them were going to be gems. The key, she understood, was quantity over quality. A slew of bird jokes would annoy Winnie, especially if not all of them were good.

The waitress who came to take their order was attractive and a total sweetheart. As a frequent customer, Vanessa understood that it was best to treat any employee of The Bonus Level as “off limits” to prevent potential awkwardness. Nothing was about to keep Vanessa from coming back, after all, so glares from the wait staff would be an uncomfortable thing to adjust to. Now that she was with Gina, it was even more of a non-issue.

Of course, nothing said Winnie could not have her fun and the girl was all about fun. Vanessa just sat back, watching her best friend as she nearly charmed the pants off their waitress. The way she so smoothly made an impression was something to behold. Vanessa assumed watching Winnie flirt was like watching Picasso paint. The girl knew her medium.

Vanessa smirked as Winnie’s eyes lingered on the body of the retreating waitress. ”I bet it does,” she replied sarcastically. ”Have you ever heard of the term ‘predatory gay?’ Because you’re eying her like she’s your next meal.” She meant nothing serious; Winnie was not the woman to push someone into a situation they were not comfortable with. If Winnie was a predator, she was the kind who had an innate ability to lure her prey willingly into her trap. Poor prey.

Vanessa cycled through characters before settling on Gabriella, but Winnie was asking for a status update from her friend. ”It’s good to have a night where I can cut loose with my best friend, and despite all my best efforts, that’s still you,” she teased.

Of course, girl time was not the only reason for their night out, so Vanessa sighed and came clean as she grabbed one of the jalapeno poppers for herself. ”I mean, it’s been one of those long weeks. I needed a drink on Tuesday. Work has been going at double time and Booker and I…” Vanessa caught herself and reined things back in before continuing, ”We just had a really stressful conversation and I could use a night out. So who are you going to be?” It barely sounded like a new thought because she fit it so quickly at the end of her last statement in an effort to quickly change the subject.

Winnie couldn’t help watching the waitress wander away, her eyes never once escaping from the curves of the woman as she left to retrieve drink orders. The photographer let her mind wander, appreciating the beauty that she saw and imagining both possible and impossible scenarios that could come from pursuing her. She was a gorgeous woman, the kind that Winnie would have loved to spend the night flirting with, if only to see the sweet smile on her lips. Now that she was gone though, out of sight, the photographer turned her eyes back to Nessa and gave her a grin.

It was a state of being that Nessa was used to by now. Winnie tended to flirt with most anyone who caught her fancy but she never outright ditched her friend. There were just certain things that they knew and accepted about one another that made the bestie process so much easier. Still, Nessa gave her a look, just a teasing one, but it was one that Winnie responded to innocently.

She didn’t pull it past her friend to call her out on her innocence, even if it was just jokingly hinted at.

>>”I bet it does...Have you ever heard of the term ‘predatory gay?’ Because you’re eying her like she’s your next meal.”

Winnie smirked a bit mischievously as she gave her friend a coy smile. ”And who’s to say she isn’t?”

It was true, Winnie did have a bit of a wandering eye, but it wasn’t as if she harassed anyone. The second someone showed disinterest or revealed the lover they were currently with, Winnie was quick to respectfully bow out. But give her one smile, one glimpse of interest and that was enough to spur her, beginning the hunt after her intended until it’s inevitable end.

But those were thoughts for later. Right now she was trying to choose a character. A glance over to the screen showed a busty brazilian with large thighs (surprise, surprise that Nessa would choose Gabriella). To counteract that, Winnie tapped her joystick over until it highlighted the portrait of a thick thighed femme fatale by the name of Luri. She would fight fire with fire. But as she waited for the screen to load, she inquired after Nessa, chewing on her jalapeno popper concerning why she called this impromptu girl’s night. There must be a reason.

>>”It’s good to have a night where I can cut loose with my best friend, and despite all my best efforts, that’s still you,”

A well-deserved two-finger salute was delivered to Nessa as Winnie grinned and looked up to the screen again. They were just in the practice stage so that they could shake the rust off so Winnie practiced a few of the moves that she did remember by heart.

”Best efforts,” she mocked. ”I’m a goddamn delight, you b*tch,” she smirked. ”You may be saddled now but remember, I was your most successful wingwoman for a while there. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you, sweetie.”

It was just a tease, of course, but there was some validity to it. Winnie and Nessa went out many times in the past and in those times they certainly tore up the club and bar scene, and there were a couple memorable one-night stands that Nessa partook in all because of Winnie. Of course there was that one night with the Russian bodybuilder that Nessa hadn’t forgiven her yet for, but that was only a minor slip up. Nothing that needed to be brought up again. Ahem...

>> ”I mean, it’s been one of those long weeks. I needed a drink on Tuesday. Work has been going at double time and Booker and I…We just had a really stressful conversation and I could use a night out. So who are you going to be?”

She stopped practicing, tilting her head as she eyed Nessa. If she backpedaled any faster, she was going to go back in time. It was interesting to hear her talk about stressful discussions with Booker. As far as she knew, it was always peaches and cream between the two of them. They had their squabbles, but a few jokes or teases and they usually were right back on track. What could have possibly thrown a wedge between those two kids? With a scrutinizing gaze, Winnie pushed passed the change of topic that Nessa attempted to toss up.

”I’mprobablystickingwithLuri…” she said in a breath before continuing. ”Tense conversation? What did he catch you try dog earring one of his books again? You know that drives him crazy.”

Vanessa was not an adept fighting game player, but she did not dislike the genre. She acknowledged the high skill-ceiling of the technique-heavy games and the diverse playstyles provided by a more diverse cast of playable characters. She also could not ignore that, while some characters were clearly designed to appeal to a heterosexual male demographic, the Road Tussler series had a very specific love of ripped women with thick thighs. That love fell surprisingly in line with some of Vanessa’s own tastes. She was allowed to have weaknesses, right?

Winnie claimed her own goddess of thickness and a**-kicking and they started loading up a stage for the practice match they unspokenly agreed to before any fighting game. She took the opportunity to remind Vanessa of how indisputably lucky she was to have Winnie in her life, reminding her of all the work she put in to be the best wingwoman single Vanessa could want. ”Fair. We were definitely the queens of several gay…”

A delayed thought hit Vanessa and she laughed her throaty token laugh. ”Hahaha. ‘Wingwoman.’” Winnie was unintentionally contributing to Vanessa’s cause with puns like that.

Winnie committed to Luri, but it was really an afterthought so she could continue from Vanessa’s dropped point. She knew the Bookman siblings well enough to know strife in the apartment was unusual. There was good-spirited bickering, but they rarely found themselves at odds. She chuckled at Winnie’s suggestion, but she recognized it as a way to probe for a real answer.

Vanessa opened her mouth, but changed her mind with the shake of her head. ”No, sorry. I’m not drunk enough to get into it.” If she explained the fight with Booker, it would also mean coming clean about her mutation to Winnie. She was one of the few people Vanessa considered telling about her powers, but it was a hard subject to breach. The truth almost wrecked her relationship with her brother, which was not a promising start, and Vanessa was still adjusting to the idea of telling anyone.

With sufficient time passing to cool down the fried batter, Vanessa grabbed a mushroom and popped it in her mouth before wiping off her hand to return to the controller. ”Anyway, stop stalling. It’s about time I button-mash your face in,” she joked half-heartedly, wanting to skirt around a challenging topic.

>>”Fair. We were definitely the queens of several gay…Hahaha. ‘Wingwoman.’”

Ugh. She really walked into that one didn’t she? She didn’t bother to give Nessa a response, instead just glaring at her from her squinting eyes of disapproval. Really she was more mad that she just fed into the ammunition that Nessa surely already had stocked with her for the evening. But she wouldn’t let the other know that, instead she would just continue to give her a scathing looking until either the match started or Nessa burst into flames. Either option was good at this point -- really!

But, as the two of them began to practice with their chosen characters, Winnie found herself oddly intrigued by something that her bestie had said. She knew that Nessa and her brother had a close relationship. She knew some of what the two of them had to deal with and see how they both bloomed from it was rather heartwarming. It was because of that she that she knew that they could survive most anything. However, to hear that they had a “tense conversation” was something that gave her pause.

She tried to bypass Nessa’s clumsy attempt at forgetting the subject and instead quickly answered her question before pressing on with her investigation. The woman was trying her hardest to get away from the subject matter but Winnie was nothing if not curious...

>>”No, sorry. I’m not drunk enough to get into it.” I

Foiled again. Now Winnie really wanted to know what was going on between the two of them. However, Nessa was clearly not in the right frame of mind to discuss -- thankfully she revealed exactly what would loosen her stubborn tongue. A plan forming in her mind, Winnie nodded her in head in seeming respect of Nessa not wanting to bring up the subject and turned her eyes to the game at hand.

>> ”Anyway, stop stalling. It’s about time I button-mash your face in,”

”Psh! Go back to your lame Dance games!” she cracked back.

Starting the first round, once they both shook off the rust, Winnie went into the game. Luri moved with speed and precision, lashing out with elegant kicks across the screen as both player and character mocked their respective opponents. Oh Winnie could deliver the trash talk and she was in rare form. When the first round was finished, and Danielle fell before the curvaceous Luri, Winnie pumped both arms into the air.

”Hah! Eat that, pro gamer!” she teased! Once that was done, she turned her eyes back to Nessa. ”Listen, I need to get hammered tonight. So why don’t we add some rules? For each round we win, we take a long sip of our drink. Drink is done, order another one. Sound good?” she smiled sweetly. ”I mean, it’ll be good for me because if you keep playing like this, I’ll be blissfully drunk before long and you’ll have the spend the whole night sober.”

That was a cruel one, especially since it was Nessa who enacted this girl’s night, so she was hoping that by egging her on, and throwing her matches, that she could get her friend nice and sloshed so that she could weasel out of her what she wanted to know. It was a long shot, but it just might work...

Vanessa worried the conversation about Booker was going to be picked at until she resigned herself to saying something. She loved Winnie, but she was very good at getting what she wanted because she rarely stopped short. Fortunately, as they started up the first round of the game, Winnie seemed willing to move on to teasing Vanessa and trash talking. It was a relief and a stab to her pride at the same time. ”Hey! There’s nothing wrong with dancing games,” she said with a pout. ”They’re fun for parties.” And with that, they jumped into the high paced action of Road Tussler Five!

…And soon enough, Vanessa emerged on the other side of round one with a loss under her belt. In typical fashion, waved her hand at the screen shouting, ”Okay, what was that bulls*** combo! The ****!” Vanessa had the same problems most button mashers had in fighting games: terrible block prediction. The game’s mechanics required well-timed counter-entries corresponding to the type of attack she was dealing with. For the life of her, it seemed like she always blocked low for high punches and guessed high for low hits. Guess wrong enough times in a row and it felt like you were trapped in a never-ending vortex of suck.

Still pouting, Vanessa reached for the poutine and grabbed a fistful of savory, melty, starchy goodness. She would wipe her hand diligently in a minute. It was more important to give herself the junk food morale boost so she did not get her ass kicked quite so badly in round two.

While they prepared the second round, Winnie proposed the intriguing notion of their night of gaming turning into a long-running, competitive drinking game. It was definitely an idea Vanessa was willing to get behind, but the terms sounded backwards. Was it not the loser who drank? Sure, they both wanted to get messy for the night, but it seemed like an odd way to subvert the trope.

”I am almost entirely up for that plan if we remove one word: sober. Two sips when you win and one sip when you lose,” she amended, hoping Winnie would gladly accept an excuse for more drinking. ”It’ll be no fun if you don’t get at least a little tipsy,” she joked. Winnie was going to have an edge in RT5, but she was not so much better than Vanessa that she could not swing a few games along the way. Once the fighting games ended, Vanessa could also propose a shooter or a party game and really take the lead.

Oh Winnie LOOOOOVED it when Nessa lost in a gaming match with her. There was probably something to do with her ego being bruised and all, which made sense since Nessa made her living with video games. If someone who wasn’t as enmeshed in the world as Winnie could best her, then maybe that was cause for rethinking her life? Winnie had used such statements before with her trash talking, but right now she was just going to let her victory speak for itself.

It was so well deserved. Her laughter filled the air as the match went on in a clearly one-sided direction. The combos that she could pull off with Luri were legendary status and, if we’re being honest, probably the only ones that she knew by heart. Each punch, each kick, every combo she managed to link together was just an utter ballet of pain for Nessa that when the final hit came, there was little else Nessa could do but opt for a cathartic release…

>>”Okay, what was that bulls*** combo! The ****!”

”That’s called ‘getting good’, baby,” Winnie said with a teasing wink. ”Maybe you should look into that?”

The venom (all in good nature, of course) would be flowing tonight. However, in the back of her mind, Winnie wanted to know more about what was bother her friend and brother. Booker and Nessa rarely fought for more than a couple of hours, let alone it be something that would turn the later to needing a drink. However, Nessa had inadvertently thrown down a challenge to the kiwi-shifter, one that she was wholly willing to undertake -- getting her friend drunk.

Now, Nessa had been known to drink a little too much from time-to-time, but it wasn’t always a guarantee. Right now, Winnie needed to get a guarantee that Nessa would be drunk enough to answer her questions. It was a good thing for her that pride wasn’t something she held too strongly onto, especially when it came to gaming matchers. Throwing a few to ensure that Nessa won, would be exactly what she needed. But would Nessa go for her plan?

>>”I am almost entirely up for that plan if we remove one word: sober. Two sips when you win and one sip when you lose...It’ll be no fun if you don’t get at least a little tipsy,”

Winnie cackled and nodded her head. ”Alright. I’m game for that.” Then, like a sign from heaven, Winnie looked up when her side view was filled with the busty, curvaceous form of the waitress who had taken their drink order before. She gave a toothy smile to the lovely lady. ”Well hello, honey. Welcome back…”

The waitress blushed fiercely at the temptress who help nothing back in the look that she gave her. Balance the pair of drinks on her trays, she smiled as she handed Nessa’s drink to her, before she turned, bent slightly and offered Winnie her own drink, plus a rather teasing glance. The kiwi-shifter bit her lip at the peek, smiling wide as she took the drink in her hand and sighed.

”Thank you, love,” taking a sip from the drink, she sighed. ”Mmm, nice and sweet on my tongue.”

The waitress’ breath caught in her throat as she straightened up and turned. However, before she got two steps, she bumped into the couch, but caught herself before she could tumble. Her cheeks red with embarrassment, she didn’t bother to look back at either Nessa or Winnie and instead slunk away.

Winnie just grinned as she turned her eyes back to Nessa. ”She’s so adorable.” she smirked. Then, remembering the rules of their wager, Winnie lifted her glass and took two, full sips of her drink. ”Woo! That is yummy. Now you,” she said, gesturing towards the other. This was going to be fun. She win a few matches but she would ensure that she lost a few as well, just to make sure that Nessa got nice and drunk.

This was going to be like shooting fish in a wine barrel...

The girls agreed on new terms for their drinking game just in time for the waitress to return with their large cocktails. Vanessa almost snorted her drink when Winnie abandoned all hints of subtlety. The tone and imagery of a sweet taste on her tongue caught the waitress off guard as well, who bumped into their couch on the way out. The woman was crimson, but Vanessa was sure it would not keep her from returning to serve them soon. She was willing to bet Winnie had successfully made their couch the waitress’s priority for the rest of her shift.

Winnie took her two victory sips and turned the attention to her friend. ”You’re going to make that poor thing burst into flames,” she joked, taking a sip of her own beverage, feeling the collection of flavors blend together in her mouth. The sip was followed by an, ”Ah!” of satisfaction.

Vanessa grabbed one last jalapeno popper before she returned to her controller with renewed determination. ”Okay, time for the Bookman Revenge Tour, Twenty-Seventeen!”

---

After at least a dozen rounds of Road Tussler V, Vanessa was feeling damn fine. She must have found her rhythm, because she was able to take a majority of the games they played. With her victories, Vanessa was starting to get a good buzz going. She thought it was weird that Winnie was not playing at her A-Game, but everyone was entitled to an off-night.

The waitress dropped off new cocktails, along with two Jolly Rancher shots at Vanessa’s request. There was noticeably more eyelash-batting and pet name use from the woman, particularly targeted at the charmingly crass Brit. As she walked away, Vanessa raised her shot for a toast. ”To a beautiful choke job on your part.”

Vanessa was pulling out a case from the shelf for the most recent entry in the Average Giuseppe Mobiles series when she felt the alcohol-tinged need to intrude on her friend’s business. ”So what do you think? Gonna slide her your number on the check? Or will you be asking when she gets off? Followed by when her shift ends.” Yep, Vanessa was definitely on her way to being comfortably drunk by the end of the night and Winnie was going to have to deal with that, for better or worse.