Stinky Distractions

Oh man, this new kitten stinks. Gizi is asleep beside me, between me and Bratworse and something about her smells like aging cabbage. She is so cute, and she seems smart so far. She also seems to be fearless which may not be a good thing. She's very comfortable in her own skin and she knows what she wants and what she doesn't want.

The older cat is already intimidated. Ayla just viewed her from a distance of a foot and a half, not backing away the entire time Gizi approached but as soon as Gizi lost interest in Ayla, she fled to a safer distance. I think I hear Ayla pushing the door open to come inside the room right now.

I finally got out close to 1700 words tonight but it took some doing, due to this kitty playing for almost 4 hours straight.

It's great how this story is spilling out of me right now. 1700 words for Chapter 2 and I'm only halfway done with that chapter. I suppose I could break it up, but I was all ready to continue with Corey's viewpoint.

Okay, I'll cheat here and put a summary of what's going on.

Chapter 1: You are introduced to Drew, an ex-Zingball player; Stace, a long-time fan; and Corey, the Liaison to Fans. Drew deplores the progress of the team he used to play for. He sees them as money-grubbing show-offs now and wishes for a return to the old days where there was more honor and less in-your-face. Stace is more of an observer - she's been watching the Raydars team for so many years and watches so many ownerships warp the ideal to their own image that she's not shocked. Corey is Drew's son and feels totally inadequate due to his sister Raqi who is an EMT but could be a pro Zingball player if they let in women, and to his father, the greatest Center Defender who ever lived. You also meet Raqi and her partner Franklin, but you know little about them. And of course, you get introduced to the concept of Zingball. The Raydars, the team Drew used to play for, is the Major Zingball League's most prominent team. Not only do they buy the best talent, they have the best staff money can buy, the best equipment, the best stadium, and of course, the most lucrative merchandising deals, the best marketing, and more ways to hook a customer than a squid hook.

Chapter 2: The story so far: Corey has to report to his bosses: Tsunglei Tong, Dirk Haverhill and Eugene Braun. Corey has been given the job of introducing a new beer by the Raydars, the Zingball Team, and ensuring sales.