Strike!

Jyabura curses, throws back another beer.

Lucci stalks back to the table, expressionless satisfaction written all over his face.

Jyabura scratches at his grizzled scar and weighs another bowling bowl in the palm of his hand. He shoots Lucci a look of contempt, puffs out his chest.

A clatter, the gutter vibrates from the impact.

Kaku pokes his nose into his drink to sniffle his laugh, but gets it all over Kudamori.

"Since when did you become a Bowling Master?" They could hear the Capital letters punctuating his tone. "Tch. I don't waste my time on stupid things like this."

An eyebrow arches; Lucci doesn't grace him with a reply.

"Enough." Kalifa puts her drink down, the clink of glass against the table top deafening after two lanes, five tables, and the North wall of the bowling alley have been destroyed. Behind them, the owner wipes down the counter with a fervent desperation, avoiding all eye contact.

A muscle in Jyabura's jaw twitches.

"That's sexual harassment."

"Wha-!" Jyabura scowls, rounding up on the seated figure. "I didn-"

"That's sexual harassment."

"Hey!"

Light glints off the lens of her glasses.

Kaku peers over the ensuing rowdy mess, traces the lines of bandages and traces of weariness in the shadows of Lucci's face with his eyes.

The latter meets his gaze, smirks; if Kaku didn't know better, he would have thought he heard a purr.

He grinned back.

Their life may have changed, but this was all it ever was.