August 14th, Monday, Hill n' Dale Apartments 5:25 pm "What have you gotten yourself into, Berkeley?" The mirror offered no answers. Elisa was already dressed and ready to go; she was just experiencing cold feet. She hadn't been on a date since high school- and that had been with a boy- and she had never been "evaluated" by her date's family before. What kind of person was Nadia's grandmother? Was she strict, fair, demanding, lenient? Would she scrutinize Elisa like a forensics expert, or just give her a once-over and pass judgment? And what would happen should Elisa come up short (which seemed very likely)? Would all her feelings for Nadia, alien though they were, go to waste? Would she be utterly helpless as Khovansky found a more suitable lover? And why did she even fret so much? This was another woman! Elisa wasn't a lesbian! Was she? "Am I? Goodness gracious, it's too much to bear. You may as well bang your head against the wall, Berkeley, and hope some of this nonsense leaks through the cracks. Oh, drat, it's almost time to leave. I'm too anxious to go through with it now, but I can't back out on my word! And...it would be nice to have someone like her loving me. All right, then: buck up, girl. With risk comes progress, right? Of course. So just risk it and see what happens. You'll get a free dinner out of it regardless." And people dream dreams that transcend time Held in the arms of a still sea As they looked up at the birds and clouds It set their ephemeral souls on fire on a thousand mornings I bet they're taking flight to where the light is headed Now is the time to launch your dreams Off into the frontier that is carrying boundless dreams Farther and farther, dive in the sky "Analysis" "Take your seats, good morning, how are you, let's begin." Carnegie's psychology teacher didn't waste any time, nor did he accept any disruptions. He came in shortly after class began, expecting everybody to be there, ready to face another day's challenges. He waited patiently for everyone to be silent, and then began his lessons. "Take out your syllabus, please. If you don't have one, I'm afraid that's your loss. If you'll look to this week's assignment, you'll notice something called 'peer evaluation'. The gist of this assignment is for you to study, interact with, and ultimately perform a psychological evaluation on one of your peers in this room. Yes, I know- you may not be friends, but you are sharing time and space with each other, and to me, that counts. This arrangement will change twice a month, so by the end of the semester, you ought to know about half the people in the class. I'm telling you this right now because I'd like the seating arrangements to reflect this activity- so if you'd be so kind, take a look at this chart up here to see who you've been, uh, paired up with, and then sit accordingly." What is this, the love cruise? Fleur grumbled. She waited until nearly everyone else had passed before dragging herself to the front. Next to the familiar LACROIX, F., she saw an ESSYLT, A., and turned to look at her new assignment. Fleur only knew two things about Arina: one was that they were on the same soccer team, although with vastly different skills; and the other was that she was somehow friends with Lauren Ofdensen, who was also in the same class. Reluctantly she changed seats, but she figured the arrangement could've been worse. Arina didn't seem to be a completely moronic rube... "Let's just get this over with," Fleur sighed, not wishing to begin their new relationship with idle chatter. Arina hummed gently and nodded. "Go on and tell me something- anything at all. It won't matter." "I think he means for us to do this after class," Arina said. Fleur sighed and slouched in her chair. "Fine, whatever makes this easier. I wonder who your sloppy friend got put with." "Better someone else than us," Arina smirked. Fleur finally smiled a little, feeling that maybe this wouldn't be an entire waste of her time after all. "Aw, sweet!" Lauren exclaimed, as if on cue. "I got Al Hawthorne. Kick-ass!" "What a bore!" Fleur groaned once their psychology class let out. She slung her purse on her shoulder, using an old shopping bag to carry her books and supplies (there was no way she'd lug around a backpack!). "Does that old man really have to be so dull about everything? The material's nice, but it's so hard to keep my eyes open! And it doesn't help that this is my first class." "Do you have any exciting classes?" Arina wondered. Fleur just snorted. "I wouldn't call them 'exciting'. It's the difference between tolerable and suicidal. I didn't pay all that good money just to be lectured to death." "This assignment seems to be more hands-on," she noted. "Yeah, but I'd prefer it if he did that sort of thing in class. God!! Well, at least it's short. So where can we do this thing?" "Lunch? Practice? We could meet after." "Sounds good to me," she gestured lamely. "I don't have anything better to do. Before all that, I have one question I've been meaning to ask." "All right." "Do you really think we need a 'team psychologist'? I understand the importance of getting inside your opponents' heads, but I don't see that giving us much of an advantage. I mean, let's face facts: I'm not the best player we have, but I'm far from the worst." "Which is why a psychological advantage might compensate for our overall inexperience." "But don't you think such an advantage would be incremental?" "Perhaps," she admitted carelessly. "In those instances, a team evaluation might be better suited." "So you're taking the job of coach and cheerleader, then," she replied tartly. "I'm afraid those positions are filled." "I could always step in if you're injured," she replied wryly, giving Fleur a poke. "You're thin as a wire. Even Hawthorne has more muscle than you. What if you break apart like a twig? Someone will need to take over." "You should know better than to underestimate me," she purred bitterly. "I should fill out just fine when our first practice match gets here. Anyway, I'm tired of talking about this nonsense. Since we don't have Anatomy together, I guess this is where we part." "Yes. So...lunch or practice?" "If you're buying, why not both?" she shrugged. Arina smiled sharply and started walking away. "I'm generous, but not a pushover. Practice it is, then." Fleur saluted mockingly and stepped into her next class. Few people could lock intellectual horns with her and hold their own, so perhaps there was some merit in pairing her with Arina. Now she was intrigued. - Felicity Velur, American, 120 lbs (54.5 kg), forward- Practice went fairly well considering half the team consisted of novices, but now Arina and Fleur had another pressing matter to attend to: where to conduct their first psychological survey? Should they do it now, or maybe try it while showering? Maybe afterwards, in some private area where they wouldn't be distracted, where they could hear each other and record everything accurately... "It doesn't matter where," Fleur shrugged. "But if it's all the same, I'd rather not reveal anything while the others are present." "Perfectly acceptable. We can come back here and do it." "Oh, let's do it now and get it over with," she said in frustration. "And make it quick: I'm starting to reek." "I must profess some surprise for your athletic skill," Arina said as she and her subject sat down on the bleachers. "Given your size and apparent frailty, your style of play seems to rely on your agility and ability to steal the ball, dodge other players, and duck tackles, while looking to open a play for a striker, or score yourself. Of course, your lack of muscle is a weak point that can potentially injure you very severely. Your style heavily resembles Cristiano Ronaldo's, I've noticed." "I'm impressed!" she exclaimed, offering a rare genuine smile. "You have quite the eye there, Essylt!" "Well, I've performed some research over the past few days, and I've been watching clips to see if I can pinpoint the individual styles of the team. All in a day's work." "Did that Teutonic twat put you up to this?" "No," she replied casually, "I did it on my own. Well, we may as well get started. I've adapted an odor myself. Would you want to go first?" Fleur snorted. "You can go first. I'm not ready to reveal my innermost secrets or whatever." "Very well. But our urgency will ruin some of the...impending delights." She giggled eerily to herself, throwing Fleur off balance a little. "Uh, okaaayyy... We can just pick up later, I guess." "All right," she whispered melodically. "I have a lot of pride in myself, you see. I am beautiful and I know it. But I hate so many things as well, things that many people would see as so small, so small. But when I look into that mirror, I cannot help but find faults. 'Is this the best I can do,' I say, or 'How much further can I go? Is that all there is?' In lay terms, I simply hold a love-hate relationship with myself. Ohhh, those dark virile moments when I am alone in bed reflect this quite well. My pleasure peaks just as the abuse dims and wanes at last. But it's not frequent. I believe that life should be fair, even though I probably would not like it if it were. Why do I have so many problems with myself? You know, I'd really like it if things were calm. I don't go looking for conflict, Fleur. I just ask myself these questions for a test. Oh my, I have rambled, haven't I?" "A bit," she grumbled carelessly. "That's not like me," she murmured, smiling thinly. "Usually I show only the mildest signs and subtlest feelings. You can see the mirror, yes, but you can't see through it. But that's me in a nutshell. I'm not so hard to figure out once you accept the fact that I'm a preening woman that's never satisfied with herself." "You and Lauren don't seem like the type to strike up a friendship," Fleur said suddenly. "Oh yes, her," she giggled darkly. "Lauren my friend. We met so long ago. She respects me enough to fancy me a rival, but really, I don't care if she's better than me at academics. I don't care. She has embraced me for exactly what I am, and that's why I keep her so near. It really doesn't matter what else makes up a person, so long as they can love you completely." "So sleep with her," Fleur gestured lazily. "It's not that kind of love," Arina answered sagely. She checked her watch and sighed. "I got a lot off my chest today, thanks to the miraculous phenomenon of confessing to perfect strangers. I'd say that was Mr. Proctor's goal from the start. So, doctor Lacroix, can I be cured?" Fleur sat up and gave Arina an even stare. "You seem comfortable with who you are, so just go with that. I suppose I could grow to like you in time, but only because you're realistic with yourself. I'm a little offended that you believe life should be fair, but on the whole, a decently complicated person. Ugh, now I have to regurgitate all of my little problems." "There's no rush," Arina answered, hopping off the bleachers. "Let's continue this some other time. Neither one of us can afford to let our hygiene suffer anymore." "You got that right," Fleur grimaced. Most of the other women had already left by the time they stepped into the showers, but Shannon was still there, as was her custom, so the three of them struck up a fair conversation and ended the day on a good note- or as good as people like Fleur and Arina can make it. "Let's meet again on Wednesday," Fleur suggested as they walked to their cars, "unless you're going to that ridiculous video game thing at Parody." "No, Wednesday is good for me. Why not Tuesday?" "I'm taking some of my friends to that nightclub. I think I'm having a strong influence on their sexuality." She grinned cruelly, but Arina wasn't fazed. "Fine. It'll give me a good chance to catch up on a few important matters. So, Wednesday it is, then. Do try and attend." "I'm a lady of my word," she swore quietly, raising her hand to wave her off. - Nadia Khovansky, Russian, 115 lbs (52.2 kg), defensive midfielder- Obviously Mayu Takeya had not traveled all that way just to squeak a few words to her best friend and bask in her presence: she wanted to talk to Terra in private, and suggested that they go somewhere to spend a few minutes alone. The guys all gave them peculiar looks, some of them muttering suggestively under their breaths, but Terra and Mayu ignored them. Nobody would be at the soccer field, so once they paid their bill and waved goodbye to Nadia and Felicity, the two girls took a walk. It was a nice, slow day, so they weren't in any hurry. "You haven't changed at all," Mayu said, nudging her friend. "You're still bipolar." "Ah, but I have changed. I'm not restricted anymore by my idiot family...and what do you mean, bipolar?" "You're shy around strangers and bouncy around us," she grinned. "That's not bipolar, just human nature. Of course I'm not going to be the life of the party around people I don't know. That would scare them away." "You never scared me away." Mayu took a deep breath and hoped Terra wouldn't misinterpret that. She didn't dare tell her that she adored both sides of her personality; there was enough of a rift between them. "Maybe I wasn't trying hard enough!" Terra exclaimed. She raised her arms and growled, chasing after Mayu as they crossed the street. They were both in good enough shape to walk to the field, and with the weather cooling down, they didn't have to worry about getting all sweaty. They sat down on the bleachers when they arrived, slipping in and out of small-talk, updating each other about the little things they had gone through since graduation. "...and I did try to get it published, but that only led to a dead-end. I'm working at a call center now, but it's not so bad since I can walk there and the pay's decent. Just a word of warning, though: don't try selling your plasma unless you're desperate. It hurts like hell." "I'll keep that in mind," Terra winced. "Jeez, maybe you should just take my job instead, and I can transfer to Mirage, but that sounds like one hell of a commute." "I won't stay there forever. I'm actually going to transfer soon; I just have to wait out my two weeks." "Oh, that sounds cool. Where will you be going after that?" "It's a data entry job- sort of like what I have now, but a little more challenging and a lot fewer irate customers." "I'll bet. Still, you should check out Parody on Wednesday night. Robin's got a load of games." "Sounds tempting," she grinned. "Now what's this thing on Tuesdays for girls only?" "Uh, yeah, Robin sort of took me to this nightclub last week, and...well, it's sort of exclusive. They, uh, had this special thing for Tuesday." "Oh? What sort of special? Your vague responses make me interested." "As well they should, my dear!" she exclaimed wildly. "To stop beating around the bush, it's a lesbian nightclub, and...Tuesdays you get to take your shirt off." "Oh my god!" Mayu laughed. "Oh, Thuy, that little kiss brought about so many repercussions! So did you do that?" "No!!" she shouted defensively. "And I'm not gay, Mayu. I mean...okay, I'll admit it, but only because you're my friend: I am sort of curious, and yes, it does have something to do with our little 'exchange'. There, ego satisfied?" "Quite," she squeaked. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." "Go ahead and tell the guys," she grumbled. Mayu scooted closer and put her hand over Terra's. "Thuy, I'm serious, I really won't tell. People just found out about that last incident." "Mayu, it's cool. Really, I'm over it." That seemed to be the end of it, then. Mayu edged even closer and looked into Terra's face, trying to discern what she was thinking. "Would you kiss me again?" she wondered. "Umm, hypothetically speaking, of course." "I told you I'm not gay," she muttered. "But you did say you were curious." "And you said you'd keep that in confidence." "Right. I'm just asking." Terra thought about it some more; it had been on her mind a lot ever since she parted with her closest friend. Now that mother and father weren't breathing down her neck, what harm would it do? She smiled sadly at Mayu- not because she felt sorry, but because she knew their second kiss would only lead to heartbreak. They would have to go their separate ways eventually. "Yeah," she admitted, as she leaned in close. "But only because you keep twisting my arm." Hopefully now, there would be no more regrets. - Lauren Ofdensen, American, 140 lbs (63.6 kg), goalie/reserve- Elisa had been inside the Lily Club before, but only to watch those movies on Saturday night; she never came during the day. It was much more spacious and laid-back than she envisioned, and the staff seemed friendlier now that they weren't being pulled in fifteen directions. Robin waved at her (apparently she was taking another extended lunch break), and Gardenia greeted her as well. Elisa smiled at them as she searched for Nadia; the spirited blonde was entertaining Terra at a table. "Okay, so doctor is walking through hospital and nurse sees...what is word?" "Thermometer," Robin said. "Yes! Thermometer! Nurse sees thermometer in his ear. She iz saying, 'Doctor, you have rectal thermometer in ear.' He take it out and say, 'Then some asshole must have pencil!'" Several eavesdroppers snickered and laughed out loud; Terra just grinned. Robin smiled proudly to herself: after all, she had taught Nadia that joke. "Um, hello," Elisa said, meekly curtsying. Nadia beamed at her and ran out to hug her. Elisa was flushed, but happy: very few people greeted her so warmly. Nadia even gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Oh my, you're being very friendly this evening!" "Yes, I have happies all over the place. Come, sit, make comfort. Nana is here buzy being flirty." "She's one heck of a cradle-robber," Terra commented, indicating the dance floor. A fairly striking Russian in her early sixties was dancing and grinding on the floor with Odessa. Several people were whistling and clapping at them, and a few were even waiting for their turn with Nadia's energetic grandmother. Elisa's eyes bulged. "Uh...are you sure that's your grandmother, Nadia?" "Definitely," she deadpanned. "Of course, I am taking after her sometimes. What will you be having for supper? Nana iz the paying of bill." "Oh, nothing extravagant. Whatever today's special is." "Excellent choice!" Gardenia smiled. "How about some strawberry shortcake to go along with that?" "That sounds lovely!" she exclaimed. "Wait- strawberry shortcake?" Kemper nodded. "With extra strawberries and whipped cream. Babushka's favorite." Elisa glanced over at the older woman, glanced at Nadia, and felt her face turning deep crimson. "Nana haz good taste," Nadia coughed. Eventually, the old fireball quit dancing and came back to her table, where Nadia had been waiting patiently. What could she do, Nana was a player and a lady-killer; she's probably never settle down. She and Nadia hugged each other powerfully before introductions were made. "Eleeza Berkeley, this iz my babushka, Svetlana. Nana, this iz Eleeza, very pretty woman who I would like for girlfriend." "Pleased to meet you," she stated courteously. Svetlana peered at her questionably. "[Well, she is very beautiful, but I thought you said she's fluent in Russian, Nadia!]" "[Uh, I am, Mrs. Khovansky! If you'd prefer, we can just talk like this.]" "[Ah, there we go!]" she exclaimed. "[Wonderful, wonderful! Well, let's get down to business, shall we? What sort of income do you possess, and how long have you been holding your job?]" "(Nana always beginz with the money questions,)" Nadia whispered. "(Once I had unemployed girlfriend, and she made us break up right on spot!)" "Oh, mercy," Elisa whispered. She cleared her throat and prepared for a long interrogation: "[Well, I've been working at the school library for three years, and I have a summer job at Borders when the school is closed. My family's also reasonably well-off, so I've never had to worry about money.]" "[Ah, but are you generous or stingy with your wealth?]" "[Oh, generous, absolutely. You can't take it with you, so you may as well use it to help other people.]" "Good answer," she smiled in English. She had a melodic, strong voice that invoked images of fierce ballerinas and willful Stalin-era revolutionaries. With her energy and beauty, Svetlana could pass for a woman fifteen years her junior. One after another, Svetlana peppered Elisa with questions, and patiently recorded every answer in her mind. She was testing her, poking and prodding to see if Elisa was good enough for her granddaughter. It was an exhausting inquisition, and very few people passed Svetlana's scrutiny. "[What are you majoring in school? What sort of diet do you follow? What are your living conditions like? Can you drive? What are your hobbies? Name five of your greatest influences. What sort of books do you read? Who is your favorite musician? What sort of family do you have- and are you close to them? Have you ever had sex before? Have you ever dated another girl? How long have you and Nadia known each other? What's your blood type? Are those real?]" "[Honestly, babushka, do you have to ask that question every time?]" "[I don't want my only grandchild dating a woman with false pretenses.]" Elisa tried to clear the red from her face as she prepared for another round of questioning. Of course they were real... Once the Q and A section was over, they ate dinner together and finally started to chatter like normal people. But when everyone was finished eating, Svetlana went back to business, and asked Elisa to stand up. She nervously obeyed, and waited patiently as the older woman circled her, studying her body intensely. Nadia looked perfectly at ease and smiled at Elisa whenever their eyes met- this seemed like a normal part of the process. Svetlana asked Elisa to take her shoes and socks off, show her teeth and nails, and read aloud a section of a Russian newspaper. Then she squeezed Elisa's tummy to determine her body fat (which was very low), checked for lice and dandruff (humiliating but necessary), and even cupped her breasts. "[Nana, really, show some restraint!!]" "[Just making sure,]" she answered. Her hands were gentle and professional, but Elisa still felt embarrassed (at least all this was done in private). After checking everything from her driver's license to her armpits, Svetlana was finally satisfied with her studies and gave her diagnosis. "[I'm very impressed- and a little jealous!]" she laughed. "[You've caught one of the finest ladies I've ever seen, Nadia! Where did you pull her from, anyway? It's too bad she doesn't have a relative that's single!]" "(A one-track mind, that one,)" Nadia whispered. Elisa was startled with the results. "[Thank you, ma'am. I'm glad I was able to meet your expectations.]" "[Well, you're not perfect, and none of Nadia's girlfriends have ever gotten anything over a 92. You're very unsure of yourself and very belittling, but I suppose humility is better than pride. I also wouldn't call you a great athlete, but you're in better shape than most women I've met, and maybe it's time Nadia gets a cultured girl for once. You certainly have that covered. With that said, my final judgment...drum roll please!]" Nadia lamely rattled her hands on her belly as her silly grandmother waited for the suspense to build. "[I give you...a ninety-three out of a hundred! And that's the highest anyone's ever gotten! You've really outdone yourself, Nadia!]" Nadia let out a yawp and tackled Elisa with a big hug, nearly bowling her over. Svetlana gave them her blessing and, with all that stuffy business out of the way, went back to dancing with Odessa. Elisa felt a great relief wash over her as Nadia cuddled close, and smiled at her victoriously. "Well, that was an experience. Your Nana certainly is a colorful character, but I'm glad we have her blessings. We...are a couple, aren't we?" "Yes, and I am very, very happy for it." "So tomorrow we'll reap the benefits." "And then we go to the In Out place for bouncy bouncies!" The two women grinned at each other, and in that moment, Elisa felt an overwhelming desire to kiss her new girlfriend- one even more powerful than the first. She placed her lips on Nadia's cheek, held them there, drew back- and was caught off guard as a very happy Russian kissed her deeply on the mouth. When the day ended, their first practice game drew that much closer.
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