“High quality, very enjoyable game vs a superb opponent. Neither side could stop the other from scoring virtually all game long; it took mistakes by one side or the other to do that. He double-1'd a throw, leading to a rat score; I double-1'd a throw, leading to an elf score. After I failed a ball pickup very late and him up 4-3, it looked for all the world like he would waltz backwards in to victory. However, my thrower must've been ticked by his mistakes in the throwing department, b/c he suddenly turned super-blitzer and POW'd his blodging catcher to the ground, jarring the ball loose for his teammate gutter Shinai to pick up and throw forward. All that could stop us now was the agi 5 passblocking NoS WD just 2 squares away...but fortunately, multiple sets of tentacles from multiple linerats stopped his leap cold, allowed the completion, and secured the tying score as time expired.

Three new skills, including Shinai passing 126 spp w/o aging! He has always been the quiet partner to Sai's "Look at me!!!" personality, but with Sai now gone it's been up to Shinai to play the role of leader. He has done this to absolute perfection. It's really easy to overlook his abilities, how he's just an average joe doing his job, staying away from the press, keeping low profile. After all, 6 skill rolls, but only one double and no stat increases? He's boring, right? Maybe, but he shows up every game and gets the job done, and that's more than we can say for most rats.

Meanwhile this was the debut match of Son of Sai, who played only a couple series in the first half, just long enough to score twice, before he lifted his nose in haughty grandeur and sat on the bench the rest of the game, deeming it not worth his attention. He might have an august father, but we're going to have to set this boy straight...if we can figure out how to do so without his father catching wind of it...”