DROP FIFTY-EIGHT

 

 

"This is the qualifier round, ladies and gentlemen and variations thereof," the commentator blurted out and the stadium erupted with shouting and cheering. "On one side, we have the Pies, a newly formed team that just came out of nowhere but is making quite a splash in the Cyberpink circuit. We'll see how they perform tonight, and if they manage to even qualify!"

There was some subdued cheering, but mostly boos from the crowd.

"And on the opposite side, the fan-favourites, the youth team of the Beasties, theee SNAAARLIEEES!"

The stadium went apeshit for them. The Snarlies took poses, scratched the air like cats, waggled their tails, and the fans ate it all up.

They really loved them.

Each character manufactured with data-mining algorithms and market research, they covered every kink of the spectrum, young-looking, catgirls, puma spots, bio-augmentations only, cosmetic augmentations only, everything. There wasn't a person with a furry fetish that couldn't find one of the Snarlies to gawk at. And, throw money at, which was the whole point.

They posed as a camera-drone spun around them, taking the perfect holoshot and projected it to people's screens. Every time they snarled or waggled their tail or did any of their signature moves, a graphic showed up in mixed reality, turning them into a sort of comic-book character with an onomatopoeic punch-line.

It was over-produced, frivolous and flashy. The fans ate it all the fuck up.

"What are we even trying to accomplish here?" Dainty Feet said, obviously demoralised. "We can't win that!"

"Stop that," Cherry said, putting her hand on Dainty Feet's shoulder. "They're a new team, just like we are. All the flashy graphics in the world don't change that."

"Exactly!" Pickle interjected, building off of Cherry. "It's all just for show, in the field, none of that matters."

"Okay..." Dainty Feet scratched her nose. She didn't look convinced, but she did look calm, and that was a major win in Pickle's book.

"Form a line, girls!" Pickle ordered, and took her own spot in the starting line. The Pies hesitated for a second, then joined up.

Cherry nodded at Pickle, then at Bobo, who finally broke her silence with a loud snort. It coincided with a quiet moment and her voice carried over to the fans in the front rows. "Will ya look at those kittens?" she laughed, pointing her q-tip their way. "Look how funny they are, with their furs. Here, kitty, kitty…"

The Snarlies all turned to her like a single unit, and, well… snarled.

Bobo rapped her q-tip on the floor, defiant.