You Can't Win!



by Lady of the Wolves

Dedicated to Starzie and Ragsy


This is in response to Lady Reena's current (I think) challenge. The requirements were:
1) a bouncy ball
2) Internet
3) an orange cat
4) a box of Lucky Charms
5) someone who is greatly amused by nothing whatsover
6) a random useless fact
7) someone famous in our day (Britney Spears, ets.) and makes fun of them
8) the word PLOOP
9) the colors red and black



*Lights flash, camera shows audience screaming and applauding, then cuts to shot of host. Theme song plays*

A woman with short brown hair curled at the bottom smiles at the camera. She's wearing a red and black checkered suit.

Woman: Hi, I'm Anita Job, your host. Welcome to today's episode of "You Can't Win!"

*Crowd screams and applauds. Clapping dies down slowly*

Anita: On today's show, we have three very special contestants, all the way from Tortall! Let's hear it for them!

*Everyone claps and whistles*

Anita: Let's introduce today's players: Please welcome Contestant Number One!

*Crowd goes crazy*

A tall, dark man with black hair in a horsetail walks onto the stage nervously.

Anita: Contestant Number One is Numair Salmalin! He is a black robe mage and enjoys reading, spell-casting, and spending time with his girlfriend!

Numair: Hi Daine! (He takes his place at his podium and waves at the audience)

Anita: Thank you, Numair! Now, let's hear it for .... Contestant Number Two!

*Crowd goes wild*

A short, stocky woman with red hair leaps onto the stage, smiling at the audience.

Anita: Contestant Number Two is Alanna Cooper! She enjoys spending time with her family and doing what she does best-being a knight!

*Everyone claps*

Alanna: Let's hear it for me!

Anita: Ahem. All right, let's hear it for-you guessed it! Contestant Number Three!

Audience stands up, clapping*

A big man with curly red hair smiles broadly, running up the stairs. He trips and falls down.

*Crowd whispers*

The man appears again, blushing. He walks quickly over to his stand.

Anita: Ha ha, I mean okay! Let's give a big round of applause for Cleon of Kennan!

*Crowd laughs, some people clap*

Anita: Cleon likes to fly kites, blow bubbles, and make out with his girlfriend, Kel!

*In audience, a tall woman with short, light-brown hair stands up and waves frantically*

Cleon: There she is! Hi Kel!

*Numair glares at him.*

Numair: I said hi to MY girlfriend first!

*Cleon glares at him*

Anita: Okay everyone, let's introduce today's categories.

*Waves hand at screen behind her. Five blue boxes appear*

Anita: And they are: The Internet, PLOOP, Famous Cats, Toys, and Britney Spears!

*Crowd goes wild*

Numair to Alanna: Who is Britney Spears?

Anita (glaring at them): Ahem! Now, remember, you have three lifelines: phone a friend, 50/50, and YOU LOSE!

Cleon: Uh, what does that last one do?

Anita: Audience members, please enlighten Cleon,

*Everyone in the audience reaches under their seats and throws a bouncy ball at Cleon. Numair and Alanna put up shields with their Gift, Cleon gets nailed.

Cleon: Help! Stop! Please, no more!

*Audience stops*

Anita: Thank you, Contestant Number Three! Now, let's have Contestant Number One pick a category.

Numair (gulping): Okay...I pick....gee, this is hard! Can I phone a friend?

Anita: Sure! Who do you want to call?

Numair: Daine!

Anita: OK, let's call Daine!

*Waits a moment. A cell phone in the audience rings. An extremely beautiful woman with curly brown hair, a great figure, and gorgeous eyes answers*

Daine: Hello?

Anita: Hi Daine!

Daine: Who is this?!

Anita: This is Anita Job, host of You Can't Win!

Daine (jumping up and down): I LOVE that show!

Anita: Thanks! Now, your friend Numair-or should I say BOYfriend Numair needs your help!

Daine: Okay!

Anita: Numair, go ahead and ask Daine your question. You have thirty seconds.

Numair: Daine, which category should I pick?

Daine: Um...the one about cats!

Numair: Okay!

Daine: Good luck!

Numair: Thanks! I love you!

Daine (sniffing): I love you too!

*Crowd "aaahhhhhhhs"*

Anita (mumbling): Make me sick....I mean, you're out of time, Numair! Which category shall it be?

Numair: Famous Cats!

Anita: OK!

*Screen behind her changes to a picture of an orange cat*

Anita: What is the name of the owner's cousin's friend's aunt's brother's nephew's baker's monkey's uncle's niece's sister's teacher's 6th cousin's foster mother's favorite baseball player's dog's favorite toy?

Numair: Uh....I'm lost.

Cleon (snickering): Loser.

Anita: I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

Numair: Wait! That wasn't my answer!

Anita (laughing): I'm sorry, Contestant Number One, but, since you didn't get the question right, you have to....

Audience: GO ON A DATE WITH LORD WYLDON!!!

Numair: NO!!! THE HORROR!!!!

*Everyone in crowd laughs evilly*

Daine, in audience, standing up: I object! He's mine!

Wyldon, appearing from behind a curtain on the stage: Hey there, you sexy man!

Numair: HELP!!! DAINE, SAVE ME!!!

Daine: How could you, Numair? I thought you loved me!

*Daine runs out of the audience crying*

Anita: Ah, young love.

*Six armed thugs grab Numair and take him over to Lord Wyldon. Numair is kicking and screaming*

Lord Wyldon: Take him inside, boys.

*Thugs throw Numair behind the curtain. Wyldon goes inside and closes the curtain.*

Numair, voice muffled: NO! NO!!!!

*Numair bursts out of curtain, eyes wild in terror, and runs offstage. Wyldon chases him.

Anita: Now it's your turn, Contestant Number Two!

Alanna: I pick Britney Spears!

Numair (running across the stage): Wait! What was the answer?

Anita: The answer was 6,237,583. Please accept our consolation prize of a cruise with Lord Wyldon!

Numair: NO! NO! NOOOOOOO!

*Numair runs out a door*

Anita: OK, let's hear our question!

Cleon: Hahahahahahaha! Ha ha ha hahahahaha!

*Cleon drops to the ground, laughing his head off. Armed thugs pick him up and throw him back to his stand*

Kel (in audience): You leave my man ALONE!!!

Anita: Um...let's move on!

*Wyldon comes over and taps her on the shoulder*

Wyldon: Did you know that rats can't vomit?

Alanna (fascinated): Is that a fact?

Anita: OK! THE QUESTION FOR CONTESTANT NUMBER TWO IS: What is Britney Spears doing RIGHT NOW?!

Alanna: Who is Britney Spears?

Anita: I'm sorry, that was incorrect.

*A puff of green smoke blinds everyone for a second, then Britney Spears appears onstage, eating a box of Lucky Charms. She looks around*

Britney: Um...Okay.

Anita: Welcome, Ms. Spears! Please tell us, what are you doing right now?

Britney, very confused: Um, dreaming? I hope.

*Audience laughs and claps*

Alanna: That's not fair!

Anita: Of course it isn't! Alanna, for getting the question wrong, I'm afraid that you must...

Audience: BE BEATEN UP BY A BAND OF WARRIOR ELVES!!!

Alanna: Bring it on!

*Ten fierce, spear-carrying warrior wood elves surround her and start to attack*

Alanna: Wait! How was I supposed to know who Britney Spears is? Besides what she was doing!

Anita: That's the point! And why?

Audience: YOU CAN'T WIN!!!

Alanna: So I'm gonna be beaten up 'cause of some blonde LOSER?!?!
Britney, whirling around: Excuse me?! Loser?

Alanna, dodging a blow by one of the elves: Yeah! You! The LOSER!!!

Britney growls: You wanna take this outside, girlfriend?

Alanna: Bring it on-umph.

*Alanna gets jabbed in the stomach by an elf. She turns around and starts to whoop them*

Anita: Okay, Cleon, it's your turn! Pick a category!

Cleon: Um...PLOOP!

Anita, smiling: An excellent choice, my personal favorite!

*Armed thugs "escort" Alanna, Britney, and the elves outside*

Alanna: Don't I get a consolation prize?

Anita: And the question is: what is the capital city of Uzbekistan?

Cleon, brightening: I know that one! It's -no wait, I forgot. I wanna use my 50/50!

Anita: Okay then! Two choices are eliminated!

Cleon, scratching his head: Wait, I had choices?

*Audience laughs. Behind Anita, the screen shows a word: TASHKENT*

Cleon: I know! I know! It's Tashkent!

*Audience roars*

Anita, smiling broadly: Great! Now, to win, you must answer one question correctly!

Cleon: Bring it on!

Kel, in the audience: You go Cleon!

Anita: Here it is! Drumroll, please....

*Drumroll*

Anita: The question is: PLOOP-true or false?

Cleon (gulps): I'm gonna die. OK, let me use my YOU LOSE! lifeline.

*All audience members throw bouncy balls at Cleon*

Cleon: No more! No more! Whhhhaaaaaaaaa!!!

Anita: I'm sorry, Cleon, but as a consolation prize, you win this diamond engagement ring!

*Audience claps politely*

Cleon: Wahoo!!!

Anita: But....you DID get the question wrong, so....

Audience: YOU'LL GET THROWN IN A POOL FILLED WITH HUNGRY, MAN-EATING ALLIGATORS!!!!

Cleon: NO!!!!!!!!

*Thugs grab Cleon, kicking and screaming, over to a pool, in which they throw him into. The alligators grin evilly*

Cleon (from inside the alligator pit): So who wins?

Anita: I'm glad you asked that, Contestant Number Three! The winner is....

*Audience leans forward in seats*

Anita: Bob Helpme!

*A short, balding, stocky man wearing a tacky shirt and khaki shorts leaps out of his seat and jumps up and down*

Bob: I won! I won!

*Cleon (who made it out of the pit alive), Alanna (who has returned with the elves), Britney (with a black eye and swollen lip), Numair (who has kisses all over him and a restraining order clutched in one hand, frantically trying to get Daine's attention), Wyldon (wearing a shirt that says "I went on a cruise and all I got was this shirt"), Daine (who is refusing to speak or look at Numair), and Kel (who is the only one unharmed, as of yet)
all exchange glances*

*Bob runs onstage and shakes Anita's hand*

Anita: Congratulations, Bob!

Kel: How could he win? He wasn't even playing!

Anita (ignoring Kel): You win this fabulous prize! A red convertible, a trip to Hawaii, $10,000,000, and a date with Daine! Eat your heart out, Regis!

Daine and Numair together: WHAT?!?!

Anita, shrugging: Fine, forget about the date.

Bob (grinning mysteriously): Hey Daine, I'm a millionaire!

*His eyes travel down the beautiful Daine, and Numair growls. Alanna has to constrain him*

Anita: We'll see you next time on-

Audience: YOU CAN'T WIN!!!

*Bob slings his arm around Daine's waist. Numair tackles him and begins to punch him, screaming his war cry. Theme music mingles with Bob's screams. Anita smiles*

Daine: I love you, Numair!

Numair (still beating up Bob): Let's get married!

Britney: Ah, he really cares for her. All we need now is a four-star Hollywood ending!

*Cleon clears his throat, stepping forward. He kneels in front of Kel*

Cleon: Kel, will you marry me?

Kel (squealing): Sure!

*Cleon gives Kel his ring*

Bob (lying on the floor, bleeding, several bones sticking out): Ow...Could someone call an ambulance?

*At this, Numair, who is making out happily in a corner with Daine, whirls around and jumps on Bob*

*In the background, Kitten, sitting in the director's chair, slaps her forehead and mutters in Dragon that they'll never work in this town again*


THE END....of THIS episode!




*Laughs evilly* Okay, that was insane. I want to thank Star Shadow for all the help, along with Becca for the "You Can't Win!" idea.

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone except Bob. I don't even own Anita Job! Everyone/everything else belongs to Tamora Pierce and the other people I borrowed it from.
Ah, poor victims of my insanity (darn, I don't even own that line!)!

REVIEW!!! If you want more, tell me!
Sorry, I'll shut up now.
Have a nice day!
~Lady of the Wolves