Kim and Mozz performed alright, all things considered. We would all be drinking tonight. Mozz would have it the worst; he wasn’t Awakened. I’d shove a health potion in his pocket or something. I always carried them now. They weren’t exactly a life saving treasure, but you never knew when you need to patch something up, and I couldn’t exactly afford to keep a top team of medical staff on retainer yet.

I missed having a medical retainer. So much less risk of surprise poisonings.

Brian gave me that smug look, a little head bob as I stood and switched with Mozz, walking to the lane. This would be a great opportunity to see how traditional mana interacted with Qi. Could a talented mage manipulate it normally? Even as I stood up, Qi was already circling in my arm, and I walked to the ball rack. I let my fingers brush Brian’s ball, just for a moment, releasing the Qi and leaving it spinning in the ball, before grabbing my own.

It was nothing so complex as a technique, per-say, just Qi spun around itself so that it would persist for a few minutes outside of my body. If I was a realm farther, this much would be even easier. I was only just reaching the floor of the external manifestation of Qi.

It would be enough.

I swung with finesse, my ball rolling directly down the middle and cleanly striking, 10/0.

“Nice shot!” Brian said, slapping a hand on my shoulder. “You could improve your form, though! Watch this.”

He strode up to the rack, grabbing and throwing his ball. He turned around with a smug look and a thumbs up, not watching his ball spin down the track.

The ball altered its course halfway down the lane, slamming into the gutter.

Brian’s face screwed up, and he turned around, watching the ball roll down the lane.

“Ten shots!” Kim gave two thumbs up, raising her voice to reach the lanes.

“I still have one more try!” Brian returned with half a laugh, but a displeased expression was stuck on his face.

His second swing shot down the lane, my Qi competing with his Force Mana. The ball didn’t spin all the way to the gutter this time; it spun slightly to the side of the lane.

Brian returned to the table and took 3 shots, having hit 0/7. His brow furrowed. It was interesting that my Qi caused such a strong disturbance to his Mana; it should have caused just a little extra spin. But once the force touched it, it veered off to the side.

“What is this? Flavored Vodka? God, this belongs down the sink.” Brian laughed at his own monologue, knocking back 3 cups anyway.

“Man, you’re missing out if you don’t drink the flavored stuff.” Mozz replied, leaning forward. He was playing with one glass himself.

“Marshmallow is my favorite.” Kim replied, giving Brian a level stare.

“I mean, except the marshmallow, of course. That one is fine.” Brian said.

Kim stood, taking her turn. She knocked down 9 of the pins in two passes. She came back, taking a shot. Moz went, then finally, I did. This time, passing Brian’s bowling ball, I put two separate constructs into it.

Then I striked 10/0 again.

“Really getting lucky today, huh?” Brian asked, smiling from the table.

I smiled back, not replying.

Brian shot, his first shot arcing off to the right. If I had to guess, the Mana was reinforcing the Qi structure, moving from its original pattern to a new one. This time, Brian definitely realized something was up. He stopped and stared for long enough that his bowling ball was already back, shaking his head before throwing it again. This time, he didn’t appear to apply any force. He hit for 0/7 again.

Fair. The second construct would probably be inside for his next shot.

Kim frowned, squinting at Brian.

I lifted my bowling ball, filling it with Qi. I painted a construct into it, more artistic than practical, made of curving lines of Qi. When I threw it, it spun out to the side, stopping, before sliding forward and knocking over all 10 pins.

Next round, Brian applied force to his shot again, but this time, it corrected. It veered for the gutter before bouncing back, shooting directly into the middle, hitting 10/0. He hit me with a smug head nod and a smile, his hand passing over the bowling rack. Kim’s eyes widened as she realized we were having a small, contained fight. She didn’t comment, though. Instead, I felt her eyes burn into my back when my next turn came. I passed a hand over Brian’s bowling ball, leaving a surprise for his next shot.

I moved slow this time, for Kim’s sake. There was never a bad time for learning. I moved through a form that she would recognize, bending a knee forward, locking my arms, and raising the ball upwards in Slaying the Dragon Swallowing the Moon. The construct inside was simple enough — she could probably get the idea from this.

Brian had probably applied force to the ball I used — I had picked a bright red one, flecked with patterns of lighter red color.

So I applied a straight line structure of Qi through it, hoping it would funnel the mana, and released.

The ball shot down the lane, scattering the pins. Some pins flew into the adjacent lanes, but they were unoccupied.

Oops. I turned around.

Several people were staring at me; besides just the people from our table, the barman, also, stared, as well as some people from other lanes. I shrugged. I wasn’t sure whether I had gone overboard in making the Qi structure or Brian had gone overboard in loading it with mana.

“You don’t have to show off, you know.” Mozz said. He was slurring his words, smiling. Everyone at the table, besides me, was a few shots in at this point. “Its not fair! You’re the only sober one!”

An employee of the Barcade was taking the time to pick up the scattered pins, shaking his head the whole time. He occasionally sent paranoid glances our way, being wary of being downrange.

“Brian looks fine.” I replied, looking over at him.

“Oh, I just have lots of experience bowling drunk. It’s like driving drunk—“

“Brian!” Kim said.

“What! Swear. I’m good at it. Don’t do it anymore, though. More like back when I just turned 21. Everything thought the world was ending anyway!” Brian shrugged, defending himself. Kim had an angry expression, biting something back. Then she rolled her eyes.

“He is right, though! About the alcohol. Not the drunk driving! Here, I’ll get a new tray.” Kim replied, pushing the last three drinks on it to me.

I drank all 3.