IT'S FINALLY OPENING DAY! After waiting patiently for months, Tigers baseball is starting up once more! -squee- I even gots me the Sports Illustrated with synopses of all the teams. Can you believe that they are already predicting White Sox over Cardinals for the World Series? The nerve. All I can say is that it won't be like that in my fiction! I do not own Slayers, Major League Baseball, Portland, my reviewers or chance meetings via the local bar. Off to the television I go!

Juu-go

Level up! Random Encounter Approaches!

A few weeks had passed since the Major League Baseball All Star Game and things were quiet again. The All Star Game had been one of not-too-epic proportions, being that it had to be postponed due to rain and then ended up being simply something to aggravate Lina further. A few of her more ignorant teammates on the American League team made fun of her constantly for being "just a rookie" and that she was there "because everyone else on the Slayers suck". After nearly maiming one of them with her bat, Lina ended up in a horrible mood all game and was played for only a few minutes total. It was not something she easily brushed off and Kurt (as well as poor Xellos) got the brunt of her anger by dealing with her testy temperament. By now though, Lina was feeling a bit better and decided to get something to drink after a game in Chicago where the Slayers beat the White Sox. She walked into the sports bar and sat down at the counter where the barkeep was. Keeping her eyes down, she took a peanut from a bowl that had been set out upon the countertop for the customers. She threw the peanut shell on the floor with what seemed like the shells of many other a customer and sighed.

"Can I help you Miss?" the bartender asked congenially. Lina looked at him, blinked absentmindedly and then realized again why she was there.

"Do you have Moosehead?"

"No."

"Then give me a Bud," she said as the bartender walked off towards where he kept the beer bottles.

What am I going to do? Lina thought to herself. The bartender brought back the Budweiser and left her to the drink. She took a swig of the beer to calm her nerves. I need to figure out a way for me to become immune to that Gabriev man! We play the Gladiators in five days and I don't know what I am going to do. It would be too suspicious if I don't play the entire series, but it would be even more suspicious if I freeze up at the plate like that again. Maybe I can have Murdoc or Jan pinch-hit for me. That would be a good solution. I know they don't want to start those games. Wait a second… maybe they don't want to play period. That wouldn't be very good. They are the two best pinch-hitters on the team aside from Aaron, but he's starting. Damn it all!

Lina began nervously cracking her fingers as she looked around the bar. It was a normal enough establishment and it seemed as if there was a group of men in the corner complaining about the afternoon ball game earlier in which she played the Chicago White Sox. The game had been tight, but the Slayers had come out on top due to Lina hitting a sacrifice fly that allowed Kurt to run in home, winning the game after ten innings. That was three hours ago already and it seemed as if the White Sox fans were still a bit riled at their defeat. It did not matter though, for Lina knew the bumpkins would not recognize her unless they came three inches from her face. As long as she stayed on the other side of the bar, their presence posed no threat.

Lina began cracking open another peanut shell when the door to the bar swung open and the room got quiet. Thinking it was better to just keep to her own business, she kept on eating the peanut and took another in turn. It was apparent that someone undesired walked in, for there was a hint of spite in the bartender's voice as he spoke.

"What shall it be, sir?"

"I'll have a Molson please," a voice said. Lina could tell by the depth and intensity of the voice that it was a man of about her age, maybe a little older, standing right next to her. She looked over carefully to confirm her suspicions. Yes, there was a rather tall and athletic-seeming man now sitting on the barstool next to hers. She did not look up to see his face, but just turned her glance back over to the bowl of peanuts and took a few more.

"Excuse me Miss," the man next to Lina asked. "Do you know of any good restaurants around here? I am afraid I am not familiar with the area. I'm here on business."

"Really? So am I," Lina replied unenthusiastically as she took another sip of her beer. "I just walked in here because it served beer. I'm probably going to get some pizza later."

"Funny. Me too."

"So then, where are you here from? Detroit? New York? Seattle?" Lina asked, trying to be a good conversationalist.

"Knoxville. Why? What about you?"

"Portland."

"Must be nice to see your hometown team play while you are away," the man said happily as his Molson came. Lina could see him pick it up out of the corner of her eye. He must have known something about baseball to know there was a baseball team in from there. Then again, since the first time the Slayers and the Gladiators first met, the teams had been huge rivals and fans followed both teams just to keep tabs an one another.

"Team?" Lina decided to play the fool this time around.

"Yeah. I heard that the Portland Slayers were in town playing the White Sox. Didn't you know?"

"No," Lina lied.

"Not into baseball?"

"Only a little, not really enough to care though."

"It's a shame," the man said. "You seem like a nice person and I was hoping to get into a bit of a conversation with you. Baseball is pretty much about the extent of my knowledge on anything."

At least he's honest while he flirts, Lina thought with a small laugh. She then decided to look over at the man next to her. With a small squeak, she nearly fell off her stool in surprise.

There was Gourry Gabriev, sitting next to her and smiling as if nothing in the world could have phased him.

It took a double take to make sure she was not imagining him. He was definitely there alright; there was no denying it. Long blond hair, sparkling blue eyes, tall, sturdy… yet Lina was not frozen. She sat a bit more comfortable on her stool and cleared her throat.

"Sorry about that," she coughed, face turning beet red. "I just did not expect to see you here…"

"Why? Do you know me somehow?"

"You are Gourry Gabriev of the Knoxville Gladiators, are you not?"

"Yes, but I thought you said that you didn't like baseball."

"I just said that I didn't like it enough to care that the Slayers were in town. I never said that I was disinterested enough to not know anything about baseball. You are the leader in strikeouts for rookie pitchers in the National League!" Lina said. She began to panic, thinking she might have overdone it a little bit. Now she knew why he was not greeted well when he had entered the bar: the Gladiators must have beaten the Chicago Cubs earlier that day while she was beating the White Sox!

"I am?" Gourry asked, a slight bit embarrassed at Lina's outburst. "Oh, yeah… I guess I am. I remember Coach saying something about that. Thanks for reminding me!"

"How come you forgot something as big as that?" Lina asked skeptically. Gourry scratched the back of his head nervously and gave a small laugh.

"I never have had the best memory and I'm not the smartest man around. I'm just lucky that I can pitch, otherwise I wouldn't be of any use to anyone."

Ooookay. He's being just a bit too honest now. How come he made me freeze up at the plate in Knoxville and at the All Star Fan Fest? Now if only I can figure that part out, I'd be all set for next week's series, Lina sighed mentally. She looked up at him and saw the lax smile on his face and was tempted to smile herself. A feeling of being at peace came upon her. The worry and tension that had been welled inside her about facing his pitching prowess again had melted away. It was a miracle.

"I wouldn't go around admitting that to random people on the street you know," Lina laughed as she took another drink of beer and finished off her bottle. "The sportswriters would be talking."

"Eh, I don't care," Gourry said casually. "If they have nothing else better to talk about, then it is their problem."

That sounded intelligent enough to me. I think he is a horrible liar or really an idiot.

"So then, you don't really care about the writers and critics then?" Lina asked. "Rumors are nothing?"

"Of course! Can you believe that there are some people who think that I am involved romantically with one of the men from the Portland team because he froze up at the plate during our last game? I cringed when I first heard that suspicion. What was his name again? Invert…? Inertia…?"

"Liam Inverse," Lina replied, blushing even more ferociously than before. "I heard that rumor too." In all reality, she hadn't heard that rumor and was taken by surprise.

"Yeah. I can't remember the man and there are people who say I like him. That's just gross, you know? At least introduce me to the man…" He took a giant gulp of his beer and half the bottle disappeared. "So, you know me. What's your name?"

"L-L-Lina."

"Lina? That's a nice name."

"Thanks... I think."

"Do you have a last name, or are you like that Confusing guy and only have one?"

"You mean 'Confucius', right?"

"Him, yup."

"Yeah I got myself a last name; it's Inverse."

"Lina Inverse… why does that sound so familiar…?"

"I don't know," Lina smirked.

Good Lord, he seriously does not remember what we were talking about five seconds ago! This guy really is an idiot.

There was a distinct pause in their conversation. Lina ate a few more peanuts and Gourry finished off his beer. The quiet that was between them was nerve-wracking for Lina. She did not know if Gourry was even really as stupid as he seemed, or if he was just acting. The silence became nearly unbearable when words seemed to come out of Lina's mouth on their own will.

"Do you want to have dinner with me…?"

"What…?"

"Ah shit!" Lina gasped. Gourry looked over at her and discovered that Lina was covering her mouth with her hands with a shocked look on her face.

"Did you not mean to say that?"

Lina shook her head. "Not really."

"Why not go out? At least we won't be alone for the night, right?"

"I guess..."

"Fine! Then let's go!" Gourry said happily as he lay the money for his beer on the counter by the empty bottle. Lina did the same and they both headed towards the door.

It was strange, Lina thought, how Gourry could not even barely come to grips with the fact that they had already "met" before. Shrugging it off, she decided to let him take her out to dinner. Once a suitable pizzeria was located, both Lina and Gourry ate two deep-dish pizzas each, which was a lot considering they were in Chicago. They would have had thirds, but it was getting late and since Gourry had a game and Lina a "business meeting" the next day, they decided that they should go back to their respective hotels. To Lina's surprise though, Gourry wanted to drag out their date for as long as he could and decided to walk her to her hotel.

"Hey Lina," he said as they walked along the sidewalk.

"Yeah Gourry?"

"What do you do that takes you all the way over her from Portland?"

"I am a…" Lina began. She paused mid-sentence and her mind began racing to find an excuse to give. "I am a business representative…?"

"Wow! That's cool!" Gourry replied, completely buying the lie. He opened up the door to the hotel building and let Lina in.

"Well, goodbye Gourry," Lina said, trying her best not to blush.

"Alright, see you!" Gourry replied. Without another word, the pitcher walked off and left Lina alone in the lobby. Then, out of nowhere, the redhead cursed.

"Damn it!" she muttered to herself. "I still didn't find out what made me freeze at the plate! Curse you Gourry Gabriev! I shall get you one of these days! Believe it!"

Things To Know

What Happened to the All Star Game?: It died. I did not wish to force myself to write it, predict who would be in said game other than Lina and Gourry, revert to asking my little brother for help and completely feel like a fool once the All Star Game does come around.

Moosehead: Yes, that is a type of beer along with the plainly obvious Molson and Budweiser. For some reason, I feel like I shouldn't know about alcohol period, but I do. Lina and Gourry are of age after all.

The Ending: Yeah, I know it was a bit abrupt, but I had to end it, lest have the chapter fall victim to my horrid writer's block. I already am freaking out over if I will run out of chapters or not. I only have up to chapter seventeen fully written. That's not good.