Post by Lexi Gold on Mar 12, 2023 9:29:31 GMT -5
We cut to the inside of a massive room washed in black lights and neon painted rocket ships blasting through a multitude of rainbow colored neon stars as disco balls flash glittering silver light across the ceiling and floors. The sounds of bowling pins crashing against the back walls of their lanes as glowing orbs race down the lanes of the cosmic bowling alley, where we see John Cable and Lexi Gold sitting around a small circular table chatting with each other as they take a break from the excitement of the evening, huddled close to be heard over the thumping music reverberating in the lanes. John had invited her to Jacksonville, FL after Lexi had expressed her concern over recent issues during a happenstance luncheon in Vegas. It was a nice getaway for her, and she couldn't be happier, especially doing fun things like this to help clear her mind from any negative thoughts. She smiled and sipped her drink as she looked at him.
Lexi Gold: “It's been ages since I've done anything like this. I have never claimed to be the best bowler, but still I'm glad you invited me out here. I've been having such a blast.”
John Cable: “Can’t claim to be great at it, but realistically, bowling is a great full body workout, and I try to come out every few months or so. I’ve been coming to this place since I was a kid… and it hasn’t really changed much in the last few decades.”
John smiles at her across the table, the knotted scars of his cheek pulling at the corners of his eye and mouth just a bit, but his happiness at spending time with her is obvious even to the casual observer.
She relaxes back and looks down at her ugly shoes she had to wear. They didn't match the bright yellow sunflowers with dark seeded centers on deep green leaves and stalks upon a cream colored silk sundress she had on, and thinking back on it, she probably should have gone for a more appropriate apparel, but it didn't really matter all that much as she watches a random bowler attempt to throw a ball.
Lexi Gold: “I never realized that this has been part of your childhood. That is really neat, John. Is there anything that has changed now compared to back then?”
John Cable: “Of course there have been some upgrades, like the machines have been replaced a couple of times as new tech becomes cheaper, but the guy who ran the place when I was a kid passed it down to his son and daughter, and they have been pretty diligent about keeping the place the same as their dad gave it to them if they could help it. The computer screens are new and the game room has been updated a few times to keep up with the times, but those rockets over there…” John gestures to the brightly colored mural of space with neon rockets over the lanes far off on a massive wall, “are literally from the late eighties!” John exclaims with a wry smile.
She nods her head, intrigued by the information he told her, as Lexi caught a few stares from a couple sitting next to them. She was a lady and didn't like public confrontation, so she reacted by smiling at them and started happily humming along to the music playing.
Lexi Gold: “That is pretty awesome. I've been to a few bowling alleys, but never anything as cool as this, and the fact that they kept that 80s nostalgia is even cooler. My grandmother would like that. Anyway, thank you for inviting me here. Shall we continue bowling for a bit before we leave?”
John Cable: “It would be my pleasure.” he says with a wide smile as he stands, straightens his tie, faint geometrical shapes glowing in the black light, as he holds his hand out for Lexi.
She takes his hand and walks with him, eventually they both grab a brightly colored neon ball. Lexi chose the lightest one as it was easier for her to handle as they claim their lane and get settled into their place. Tentatively, she sticks her fingers in the holes, approaches her DQ Line, and rolls the ball down the lane, watching as she knocks all the pins down. She claps in excitement and runs to hug John.
Lexi Gold: “Did you see that? Oh my god. I can't believe I knocked them all down. I feel like I’m getting better.”
Her excitement was infectious. John smiled a wide, gnarled smile as she swiftly made her way back up the lane to the table nearby and leapt into his arms in a friendly hug.
John Cable: “Well, you can only get better with practice, so I guess we have a few more games to play, huh?” he laughed as he set her on the floor gently and went to retrieve his ball from the return as the scene fades to black.
Several Hours Later…
People pour from the sets of double doors leaving the bowling alley as the establishment closes down for the night. Pulling away from the crowd, we see Lexi and John making their way to his Jeep. Lexi’s dress swishes back and forth as she leans her head on John’s shoulder and clutches at his forearm as they make their way across the swiftly emptying parking lot.
John Cable: “I had a great time tonight… and I hope you did too.”
Lexi Gold: “I did. I hope we can do this again soon. It really helped to clear my mind from negative thoughts, which was definitely needed. My favorite part was accidentally almost tripping over my untied shoelace. I should have known that was coming.”
She laughs and shakes her head over her own clumsiness as the two finally make it over to John’s vintage square body gray Jeep. She grabs the metal door frame and swings up into the seat as John climbs in the driver's side, both buckling up and the vehicle starts. They both look at each other, an awkward tension between them in the moment, little did they know that the mysterious mask that's been haunting Lexi's thoughts was sitting in the back compartment, leaned against the gray metal wall of the tailgate, the pair failing to notice it’s presence as Lexi smiles at John.
Lexi Gold: “So, where are we off to now?” she asks to break the silence between them.
John Cable: “So… after a WGWF Roster hangout in Jacksonville, there is only one place TO go really… Steak N Shake. It’s kind of a tradition at this point, so you might as well get in on it too. Besides… if I’m going to load up on sugar this late at night, a mint chocolate milkshake is definitely the way I want to do that.”
Lexi Gold: “A milkshake sounds to die for. Now that I think about it, my sweet tooth is craving one right now too, so what are we waiting for? Let's go get that milkshake!”
She said anxiously, almost jumping out of her seat while she waited for the vehicle to move. With a wide grin and a deep, hearty laugh, John puts the Jeep in reverse and pulls out of the parking lot and onto a brightly lit Jacksonville street as the scene fades to white zooming in on a street light high overhead.
We come back to John and Lexi making their way across yet another parking lot as the stars twinkle faintly overhead, the ones you can see over the bright city lights anyway. Arm in arm, giggling to themselves as the slurp from styrofoam to-go cups emblazoned with the Steak and Shake logo, they make their way to John’s Jeep.
John Cable: “It is sooooo late… and I am soooo full. There is no way I am going to want to get up and go swim in the morning. I’m going to hate myself in a few hours.” John laughs at himself with a gnarled smile.
Lexi Gold: “Yeah, I'm pretty full myself. I can hardly move, much less work out if I wanted to, but the food was amazing, and now I'm ready to hit the hay.”
She yawned, leaned back and placed her elbow on the arm rest, accidentally knocking her lipstick into the back compartment in the process and turned her attention there to find it when she noticed something. Her eyes widen, and she screams, grabbing it as she shows it to him.
Lexi Gold: “What the hell is this doing here?!”
There, in the back, leaned against the side wall behind John’s seat, was the Beast Mask from the ball Lexi had attended weeks ago.
John Cable: “Lexi, I swear I have no idea why that’s there. I think we should go back inside and call Darina. She’ll know exactly what to do. Come on…”
John said nervously as he motioned for Lexi to join him back inside the restaurant.
Lexi looked at him tentatively, weighing whether or not she believed him in the moment as John pulled his phone from his pocket.
Just then, with a loud POP, a bright flash of purple light and a puff of acrid lavender smoke dissipating into the air around it, the Axtgriff FTV suddenly sprang into existence in the parking lot right next to them. In no time, Darina sprang from the driver’s side of the truck with her pistol drawn low, her eyes sweeping the parking lot like a predator searching for prey, focused and intense.
R2-IDEA floated up from the bed of the truck and flew swiftly towards Lexi.
R2-IDEA : “Lexi Gold… you do not appear injured, but an elevated stress level, increased heart rate and elevated adrenaline production are concerning, while not outside of standard human norms. Do you require assistance?”
The egg shaped droid beeped and whirred at her as it flew closer to her side of the Jeep
As Darina clears the lot and ushers Lexi and John into the Axtgriff, the scene fades to black.
Lexi Gold: “It's been ages since I've done anything like this. I have never claimed to be the best bowler, but still I'm glad you invited me out here. I've been having such a blast.”
John Cable: “Can’t claim to be great at it, but realistically, bowling is a great full body workout, and I try to come out every few months or so. I’ve been coming to this place since I was a kid… and it hasn’t really changed much in the last few decades.”
John smiles at her across the table, the knotted scars of his cheek pulling at the corners of his eye and mouth just a bit, but his happiness at spending time with her is obvious even to the casual observer.
She relaxes back and looks down at her ugly shoes she had to wear. They didn't match the bright yellow sunflowers with dark seeded centers on deep green leaves and stalks upon a cream colored silk sundress she had on, and thinking back on it, she probably should have gone for a more appropriate apparel, but it didn't really matter all that much as she watches a random bowler attempt to throw a ball.
Lexi Gold: “I never realized that this has been part of your childhood. That is really neat, John. Is there anything that has changed now compared to back then?”
John Cable: “Of course there have been some upgrades, like the machines have been replaced a couple of times as new tech becomes cheaper, but the guy who ran the place when I was a kid passed it down to his son and daughter, and they have been pretty diligent about keeping the place the same as their dad gave it to them if they could help it. The computer screens are new and the game room has been updated a few times to keep up with the times, but those rockets over there…” John gestures to the brightly colored mural of space with neon rockets over the lanes far off on a massive wall, “are literally from the late eighties!” John exclaims with a wry smile.
She nods her head, intrigued by the information he told her, as Lexi caught a few stares from a couple sitting next to them. She was a lady and didn't like public confrontation, so she reacted by smiling at them and started happily humming along to the music playing.
Lexi Gold: “That is pretty awesome. I've been to a few bowling alleys, but never anything as cool as this, and the fact that they kept that 80s nostalgia is even cooler. My grandmother would like that. Anyway, thank you for inviting me here. Shall we continue bowling for a bit before we leave?”
John Cable: “It would be my pleasure.” he says with a wide smile as he stands, straightens his tie, faint geometrical shapes glowing in the black light, as he holds his hand out for Lexi.
She takes his hand and walks with him, eventually they both grab a brightly colored neon ball. Lexi chose the lightest one as it was easier for her to handle as they claim their lane and get settled into their place. Tentatively, she sticks her fingers in the holes, approaches her DQ Line, and rolls the ball down the lane, watching as she knocks all the pins down. She claps in excitement and runs to hug John.
Lexi Gold: “Did you see that? Oh my god. I can't believe I knocked them all down. I feel like I’m getting better.”
Her excitement was infectious. John smiled a wide, gnarled smile as she swiftly made her way back up the lane to the table nearby and leapt into his arms in a friendly hug.
John Cable: “Well, you can only get better with practice, so I guess we have a few more games to play, huh?” he laughed as he set her on the floor gently and went to retrieve his ball from the return as the scene fades to black.
Several Hours Later…
People pour from the sets of double doors leaving the bowling alley as the establishment closes down for the night. Pulling away from the crowd, we see Lexi and John making their way to his Jeep. Lexi’s dress swishes back and forth as she leans her head on John’s shoulder and clutches at his forearm as they make their way across the swiftly emptying parking lot.
John Cable: “I had a great time tonight… and I hope you did too.”
Lexi Gold: “I did. I hope we can do this again soon. It really helped to clear my mind from negative thoughts, which was definitely needed. My favorite part was accidentally almost tripping over my untied shoelace. I should have known that was coming.”
She laughs and shakes her head over her own clumsiness as the two finally make it over to John’s vintage square body gray Jeep. She grabs the metal door frame and swings up into the seat as John climbs in the driver's side, both buckling up and the vehicle starts. They both look at each other, an awkward tension between them in the moment, little did they know that the mysterious mask that's been haunting Lexi's thoughts was sitting in the back compartment, leaned against the gray metal wall of the tailgate, the pair failing to notice it’s presence as Lexi smiles at John.
Lexi Gold: “So, where are we off to now?” she asks to break the silence between them.
John Cable: “So… after a WGWF Roster hangout in Jacksonville, there is only one place TO go really… Steak N Shake. It’s kind of a tradition at this point, so you might as well get in on it too. Besides… if I’m going to load up on sugar this late at night, a mint chocolate milkshake is definitely the way I want to do that.”
Lexi Gold: “A milkshake sounds to die for. Now that I think about it, my sweet tooth is craving one right now too, so what are we waiting for? Let's go get that milkshake!”
She said anxiously, almost jumping out of her seat while she waited for the vehicle to move. With a wide grin and a deep, hearty laugh, John puts the Jeep in reverse and pulls out of the parking lot and onto a brightly lit Jacksonville street as the scene fades to white zooming in on a street light high overhead.
We come back to John and Lexi making their way across yet another parking lot as the stars twinkle faintly overhead, the ones you can see over the bright city lights anyway. Arm in arm, giggling to themselves as the slurp from styrofoam to-go cups emblazoned with the Steak and Shake logo, they make their way to John’s Jeep.
John Cable: “It is sooooo late… and I am soooo full. There is no way I am going to want to get up and go swim in the morning. I’m going to hate myself in a few hours.” John laughs at himself with a gnarled smile.
Lexi Gold: “Yeah, I'm pretty full myself. I can hardly move, much less work out if I wanted to, but the food was amazing, and now I'm ready to hit the hay.”
She yawned, leaned back and placed her elbow on the arm rest, accidentally knocking her lipstick into the back compartment in the process and turned her attention there to find it when she noticed something. Her eyes widen, and she screams, grabbing it as she shows it to him.
Lexi Gold: “What the hell is this doing here?!”
There, in the back, leaned against the side wall behind John’s seat, was the Beast Mask from the ball Lexi had attended weeks ago.
John Cable: “Lexi, I swear I have no idea why that’s there. I think we should go back inside and call Darina. She’ll know exactly what to do. Come on…”
John said nervously as he motioned for Lexi to join him back inside the restaurant.
Lexi looked at him tentatively, weighing whether or not she believed him in the moment as John pulled his phone from his pocket.
Just then, with a loud POP, a bright flash of purple light and a puff of acrid lavender smoke dissipating into the air around it, the Axtgriff FTV suddenly sprang into existence in the parking lot right next to them. In no time, Darina sprang from the driver’s side of the truck with her pistol drawn low, her eyes sweeping the parking lot like a predator searching for prey, focused and intense.
R2-IDEA floated up from the bed of the truck and flew swiftly towards Lexi.
R2-IDEA : “Lexi Gold… you do not appear injured, but an elevated stress level, increased heart rate and elevated adrenaline production are concerning, while not outside of standard human norms. Do you require assistance?”
The egg shaped droid beeped and whirred at her as it flew closer to her side of the Jeep
As Darina clears the lot and ushers Lexi and John into the Axtgriff, the scene fades to black.