LogFAQs > #927193267

Twenty-five minutes pass and I return to Bottle Up. There's maybe nine people now...? Should have counted better, but it seemed a little more crowded.

Duwana sees me and immediately calls me up to play. I pay five bucks for two tries and I step up.

Suddenly though, I am approached behind me and just to my right enough for me to see someone is standing uncomfortably close. I turn to see who it is -- it's the other game-runner.

I didn't know he was here so this was a little surprising, and then this was also the first time I've not seen him being excited or personable to be there. He could have just come off of a lunch break, sure, and that's probably what happened to some degree...but like, I tried talking with him a few times to no response.

"Hey, what's going on man?"

Silence.

"Ya'll getting many players tonight?"

Silence.

This is pretty different from when he was telling me his life story Friday, or when he was offering free tries after finessing the game with some friends Saturday. Nope -- this time, the guy is just RBF'ing me over my shoulder.out of nowhere. I've been joking that the fair would kick me out eventually or even take me out back for some carnival-based scare-tactics like holding me up with a watergun, but this was a moment where I thought I was about to be told I've stood my last bottle.

With this pressure on me, I messed up the first two times -- welp, time to pay another five dollars. Duwana's busy, so I just tell the guy mean-mugging me I have a ten and ask if I should pay him or her. He nods. Well fuck, dude, that doesn't answer my question but okay.

I got it on my third time -- really gotta stop missing it these first two tries and save myself some money. Duwana goes WINNER WINNER WINNER and nobody applauds. Our nearby players have the same enthusiasm these game-runners now have for me. I gave Duwana my ten and ask for the pink snake. She gets "the winner's ladder" back out and brings it down. As she comes back down and gives it to me, I decide to share a thing with her.

"Hey, can I tell you something?"

"Yeah."

"I know I probably look like a jerk, but I'm giving these to kids and non-profits."

"I recognized you. You're fine."

And it was that point I wasn't sure if she understood me -- maybe, but I dunno. "I recognized you" makes me think she thought I was trying to disguise myself each night, but "You're fine" makes it sound like she's cool with me returning each night. I'll try not to overthink it, though now it's interesting to see there might be a division in how the two game-runners feel about my daily return. The guy who runs the game then got on his headset and started hosting the game. He sounded excited as he usually did at this point going forward..

I got to the other side of the fair and realized I didn't get change for my ten that I gave Duwana earlier. Eff it -- I got too wrapped up in winning and walked away, I'll take responsibility there. I'm not about to hassle for $5 back now that I walked away and am crushing them on their own game each night, but if they offer me free tries again in the future I may take them up on it and let that even itself out.
---

O P E R A T I O N O U S T : Nominate SHEIK!
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/ssb/images/0/0d/Sheik-Victory3-SSB4.png