August 15th, Tuesday, Fitzgerald Private Fencing School 5:45 am "This is so cool," Jill Haynes hissed. "I had no idea you two were this devious." "We're not," Mary Belfiske insisted, creeping closer to the building. "This is the right course of action. We're on a mission of goodwill and justice." "Plus it gives us an excuse to slink around wearing ninja clothes," Jerry Belfiske whispered, concealing a smile behind his facemask. The three of them were as shadows, shrouded in the dark on a covert mission to acquire secret knowledge. They knew it was dangerous, and they were pretty sure they were breaking at least two laws, but the risk made everything more exciting and significant. Carefully, the three friends sidled against the outer wall, snuck underneath the window, and oh so carefully, took Dean Rosewood's master key out and unlocked it. Jill was the first to slither in, since she was the skinniest and the quietest; next came Jerry, and Mary at the rear, keeping the window open a crack. According to their calculations and "inside information", the target would be three rooms down, and more importantly, nobody would interrupt them for five minutes. "No talking, now," Jill warned them. She peered out of the room, gave a thumbs-up, and ushered her friends down the hall. They heard someone coming and scattered like mice, each one finding a bathroom to hide in. Once the coast was clear, they returned to their work, and finally found the room they were looking for. Plastered on the door in firm, gold and black letters was the name H. FITZGERALD. Mary carefully opened her compact and used its mirror to peer inside. Jerry and Jill were relieved when she flashed the thumbs-up. One turn of the master key, and they were inside. "Quickly, now," Jerry whispered, glancing at his wristwatch. "Only two minutes left." "Clear," Mary whispered, giving her team updates on the hallway. Jill took longer than they expected to locate the information, despite how tidy and organized everything was, and by the time she found it, Mary was giving them the "move out" signal. "One second! I can't read his handwriting!" "Don't disturb it! He can't know we were in here! Here, let me take a look. You get out of here." "Enemy approaching," Mary hissed in a panic. "Target ETA forty-five seconds! No, wait- he's busy talking to someone! His back is turned! Go, go, go!" "Got it," Jill blurted, taking a quick picture of the info with her cell phone. The three of them made tracks: Jill, Jerry, and Mary at the rear, making sure they were covered until they returned to the entry point. They shut the door just as someone was coming round the hallway, slipped back out the window, locked it, and didn't relax until they put some serious distance behind them. "Good Lord, that took days off my life!" Jerry exclaimed as he removed his face mask. "But I gotta admit, that was fun! Let's see it, Jill." "Good thing they figured out how to make these take good pictures," she muttered as she pulled her phone out. Of the many photos she had taken, one of them revealed the information they had been seeking: Fitzgerald's plans for the three practice matches. "You know," Jill said, "we could have just asked him." 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 "Adversaries Revealed" "You two do realize that what you've done is very duplicitous," Rosewood said, glancing sternly at her son and daughter. "I know I have not always been there for you as a mother, but I do know I have raised you better. To think that you would sneak into the Chairman's school and infiltrate his office, merely to acquire this information! It's enough to make me feel shameful. However," she added, shifting her tone to a gentler inflection, "I understand why you did it, and why you felt it was the right thing to do, so I will not punish you. Just exercise more prudence in the future." "Yes, mother," they murmured. Rosewood took a cleansing breath and sat at her desk, waving her children's findings before her. "Now that that unpleasantness is over with and you've heard my official stand on the matter, I'd like to unofficially thank you for your bravery. I'm still surprised, of course, but a mother can't help but feel proud towards her children at moments like this. Knowing Fitzgerald, he'd never tell me who the teams were going up against, so at least they're more prepared. I'll alert Coaches Bracton and Leena as soon as possible; until then, do try and keep yourselves out of trouble." "Yes, mother," they smiled. Rosewood dismissed them, and a great weight fell off their shoulders as they left her office. "It was worth it," Mary said. Jerry nodded. "Yeah, I'm glad we took the risk. Now we know what we're up against." "I only wish Jill or I were on the ladies' team so we could tell them." "Well, nobody will stop you from visiting." "I don't even know when they meet!" "Coach Bracton has us going the weekends. We were meeting every day for a few hours, but he changed our schedule for some reason. Maybe the women meet on the weekdays now." "Possibly. Mother will take care of it, though. You just concentrate on winning!" "But I'm too busy hanging out with my new brothers!" "Oh, do you do anything special together?" she squealed, eyes shimmering with hope. Jerry laughed at her. "And just what might you think we...uh, are doing?" "Oh, never mind," she giggled. "Just leave me with my fantasies. So do you have any plans now that you're free?" "The guys are all going to the park for some extra practice- shirts versus skins. We'll probably hit an arcade or two along the way." "Mmm, yummy! It's too bad I can't be a spectator: Jill and I are going to that nightclub. That will be kind of like shirts versus skins." "Sounds wholesome and not at all sexual in any way. Later." "Bye!" - Terra Tu, Vietnamese, unknown weight (average), left back- The soccer team traditionally began their meetings by warming up and running three laps around the field, sparing most of their chatter until later. Changing their schedule to make the meetings more frequent was beginning to show its effectiveness. While some of the women still looked a little stretched from the recent change, they were also improving significantly from so much exercise. Still, it was only the first week of the new arrangement, and they had less than two weeks to get everything right for their first practice game. Once everyone completed their laps, Leena called them together for an announcement. "Okay, doing great, keep it up. Uh, I have some good news, ladies: we finally know who we'll be up against for our three practice games. This knowledge may not bring us an advantage, but at least it'll help us prepare better. Are any of you all familiar with Laudendale University?" Several hands raised and a number of girls shook their heads. "Okay, some of you. That's good. We'll be playing them first, and thanks to Miss Hohenheim's, uh, connections, we know that their skills are about level with ours." "So is their sports program new, too?" Valencia said. "Yes, they just started this semester, but they're a larger school, and they've been functioning longer than we have, so it's likely they have a broader selection of players. I doubt their offense is as great as ours, but that's our only strength for the moment, so expect them to work around that. I also learned that the time has been moved up: we'll now be meeting on the twenty-fifth of August instead of the thirty-first, which means we now have about ten days to get our act together. "I think that would justify some complaining," Felicity said, and nearly everyone else agreed. "Oh, pipe down," Fausta grumbled. "This just means we'll have to work harder. Do you know who our other two opponents will be?" "Yes, and their schedules have been bumped up as well. The second team is Anolis University. I trust most of you know of them." "Good lord, are you serious?" Jen squealed. "There's no way we'll beat them." "Are th-they any g-good?" Amy wondered. "They play on the national level," she reported grimly. "Anolis has a long history of making it to the finals and getting out of tight situations. They even had a perfect season one year!" "So Mr. Fitzgerald chose a team we have little chance of beating," Fleur gestured. "Of course, if I wanted to disband this team, I'd do the exact same thing." "Sometimes I wonder about you," Fausta muttered bitterly. Fleur grinned sharply at her. "Oh, don't worry about me. My pride's on the line, so I'm not about to let this team lose." "A good position to have," Leena said. "If you think you'll fail, then you will. We don't know how we're going to do until we do it, so I suggest you keep your attitudes up. It's not like we have no hope, and even if we lose, there's still one more match to play: Lovelace Academy." The team murmured anxiously, and a few girls turned pale. "Sounds girly," Lauren snorted. "Ignorance is bliss in this instance," Arina said to her. "It's a public school for women, so you have one assumption right. But they're hardly ladies on the soccer field, judging from the videos I've seen. I hear several professional teams go to Lovelace first when they scout." "Oh shit, really? Are they that good?" "They're probably at the same level as Anolis," Kasumi sighed. "I went to a few of their away games, and I was impressed. A lot of their players were out of my league." "That means we're screwed, then," Valencia grumbled, reclining lazily on the Astroturf. "Kasumi's really good, and if they're better than her..." "We can't just fucking quit!" Fausta roared, pulling clumps of grass out and squeezing them. "I don't give a shit about our chances! If you say we can't win, I'm going to prove you wrong! I'm going to train harder and longer, because I don't want to embarrass myself!" "I'm with ya on that one," Shannon said, slapping her back firmly. "I've nevah backed down from a challenge befoah! Besides, isn't the whole point o' this game to see what happens to us when we're pushed? Frankly, I'd like to see what comes out!" "And they're not perfect," Felicity added, slowly feeling a fire awaken in her that she had long thought extinguished. "I've seen those games as well, and they do have weaknesses. We can't give up." "Right, and lots of other lame buzzwords to encourage us!" Fleur shouted. "This is completely repulsive. 'Oh yeah, let's never give up and do our best! It doesn't matter if we win, it's how we play!' Good lord. We're not in grade school anymore, and this isn't the Girl Scouts. All the cheerleading in the world won't help us if we don't shut our holes and work for it. Actions yield the only results." "So give an example and do two extra laps," Leena suggested. Fleur smiled devilishly and leaped to her feet. Before she began, she imparted once last piece of advice for her team. "If you all are smart, you'll follow my example. So cut out all this foolishness and get busy. I'm not about to humiliate myself either." "Damn, but she's a bitch!" Lauren shivered. "Although one with a good point," Jen said, grunting as she stood up. "We need to start getting serious. Coach, tell us how we can survive." - Kasumi Beckett, American, unknown weight (very fit), striker- The ladies of Carnegie's fledgling soccer team worked hard, so it only made sense for them to play hard, too- and it being Tuesday, nearly all of them voted to visit Out and About. A handful of them were still skittish about visiting a lesbian nightclub that allowed its guests to romp around topless, particularly Terra, Felicity, and Shannon. Threal ducked out once again, while Terra at least promised she'd try "some other week", maybe after the first practice game, and Felicity buried herself in her work, staying at the field until the sun went down and the stars came out. Everyone else was in attendance, even Amy, who was slowly recovering from her heartbreak. "I'm glad you came with us!" Valencia beamed as she unbuttoned her shirt. "We should do more things as a team. Say, I wonder if the Coach will treat us to anything if we actually manage to win." "D-do you m-m-mean the practice g-games?" "Of course!" she exclaimed, loosening the last button. She wasn't wearing a bra, so Amy tried not to leer. "I have...no expectations about our long-term victory. We should take like a vote on where we can go once this is over. What about you? Anyplace in particular?" "Um...I c-can't think of anyth-thing right n-now." Amy kept her eyes locked on the ceiling, fighting to keep her propriety. She had never been flirty or wild, and couldn't imagine herself ever hooking up with someone like that. "Well, give it some time!" Valencia exclaimed, tapping the taller woman on the arm. "I'm going to find Kasumi and dance with her. I'm thinking maybe she could be a good girlfriend. You should have some fun, too!" She smiled and waltzed away, leaving Amy a little flushed. It wasn't just Valencia, though: Out and About was crammed with beautiful, wild, half-naked women that evening, and it was too much for Amy to bear. She knew she didn't belong there, so she left, excusing herself meekly, trying not to engage anyone's attention, suffocating from the pressure until she was outside again underneath the clear, cleansing sky. "I don't think I'll ever be doing that again," she gasped, fanning herself frantically. "You couldn't stand it either, huh?" Amy jerked with surprise and whirled around, trying to calm her frantic pulse. Standing behind her was a beautiful brunette, impeccably dressed with a regal bearing. She wore a pink skirt and a white blouse, and had her hair tied back with a red band. There was a clear, calming look in her eyes that settled Amy's nerves, even as she caught her breath and wiped her face. "Can't say that I blame you," she gestured, walking closer. "I'm not usually cut out for loud parties myself. Were you just curious to see if the rumors were true, or were you dragged here by friends as well?" "Um...the s-second," she murmured. The brunette smiled warmly. "Same here. All of my friends are wild, and it's amazing they've still kept me around. I'd much rather curl up with a good manga. Do you read manga?" "I'm n-not sure w-w-what that is." The other girl smiled and reached out her hand. "Japanese graphic novels. I can let you borrow a few if you'd like. If I'm not mistaken...you're on the new soccer team. Ah! I knew I recognized you! Wait- are you Amy?" "Y-yes," she said cautiously. How did this woman, who Amy hardly knew herself, know her? "Terra's told me about you. Uh, sorry, I'm bad at meeting strangers. I'm Robin." "Oh." They shook hands, but Amy still wasn't clear who this angelic creature was. Owner of Parody, hostess of Wednesday night video game tournaments, Gardenia's best friend...there had to be something else. "Since you aren't the type to enjoy this sort of thing," Robin said, gesturing to the nightclub, "I can only assume some of the others conned you into it. I saw a few of them in there. Say, maybe you'd like coming to game night tomorrow. It's still loud and crazy, but not this much. Or we could hang out over the weekend if you've got the time." "You w-w-want t-to hang out with m-m-me?" she questioned, unsure of this new turn of events. "Sure! We could make a date of it." "A date?!" she blurted. This was too much. They had only met two minutes ago and now she was being asked out on a date! Robin gave her an assuring smile and sidled away, not wanting to stifle her. "Am I being a bit presumptuous? Sorry. We can just hang out as friends if you'd like. I just figured it'd be nice if I met someone a little calmer than- " "A d-date sounds n-nice," Amy stuttered, feeling excited. "Um...I m-mean...I'll d-do it if you w-w-want." "Great!" she grinned. "So let's meet tomorrow before the tournament and I'll cook you dinner. What would you like?" "Y-you don't have to g-g-go through the t-trouble," she smiled warmly. "Eh, I was gonna make something anyway. How does Mediterranean nachos sound? Can't go wrong with Mexican-Italian." "Anyth-thing is f-fine." Amy then grew a little bolder and added, "W-would you like to d-d-do something right n-now?" "You mean go back in there and dance?" She blushed and started to breathe heavily. "If y-you'd like." "Maybe for a few minutes. We can take a nice walk later, and you can tell me all about the team. Fausta and Terra are pretty tight-lipped about it." "I s-still don't kn-know the others v-v-very well," Amy gestured. She took a deep breath and said, "But...I will t-try and answer your qu-questions." Robin beamed at her and they went back inside, feeling a little more comfortable with a kindred spirit along. - Amy Nguyen, Vietnamese, 155 lbs (70.4 kg), right back- When Tuesday ended and Wednesday began, the team had only nine days left to prepare for their very first practice match- which meant they really had to crack down on their training or else risk humiliation and an early demise. This also meant that they had to start making sacrifices: social obligations, evenings out, eating habits, romantic pursuits...things that one can take for granted. "I know I said I'd go to the faih with ya, Scott, but I really gotta focus on this game. I've been gettin' sloppy with my footwork and I won't be able to rest until I get it right." "No problemo, I'm used to it by now. Just don't get pissed off if I take some sexy young lady with me instead." "So what am I, a replacement?" "Yeah, most of the time," he laughed. "Tell ya what: I'll come watch you kick some Laudendale ass, and you can make it up to me by giving me a backstage pass to the locker rooms." "Would if I could," she chuckled. "Sorry, Chahlie, but I think most of em' really are gay." "At least introduce me. Don't work too hard, Cannon." "Yes, sir. You have fun, now." "Yes, ma'am." Shannon hung up and tried to shrug her guilt off. What kind of a friend was she, giving up a few hours with Scott just to beat herself up on the field? But this was her life now, and she knew that if she turned her back on it, she would regret it forever. Unfortunately, Shannon was not the only person forced to endure this trial. "What a disaster!" Robin groaned as she closed the store down. "This has been our lowest turnout ever!" "It's probably going to get worse when the season starts," Odessa reasoned. Wednesday night games had suffered from the lack of participation: Parody was almost completely empty that evening due to the increased training crunch- and when Saturday evening rolled around, most of the girls were too exhausted to watch the double feature. "And I picked such great movies, too!" Gardenia moaned. She was showing Ghostbusters and Bound; next week would be the original Ninja Turtles movie and Wild Things, but she expected turnout to be even lower due to the game. Of course, with everyone busy with training, Out and About just wasn't the same, either. Leena was trying very hard to restrict unnecessary activity- not because she objected to having a good time, but because she knew that any distraction, however well-deserved it might be, would be damaging and even fatal to the games. It was much more difficult to hammer this into the novices' heads; the veterans understood the full scope of their sacrifice and accepted their heavy burdens. "I'm flattered, but I'll have to pass for now," Kasumi said to Valencia. "So...you're not ready?" "I feel like I am," she answered as she delivered another practice kick to the goalie, "but now's not a good time. I can't go out on dates during training. That's what it means to be on this team: you give up stuff so you can accomplish bigger goals." "Sorry," she grunted, diving and catching another ball. "I'm still new to this. I've never had to give up anything like that." "It's tough," Kasumi muttered grimly. "I gave up a lot coming here, but I also think I gained a lot in return." "I know I gained some sore muscles!" she cried, diving and missing a ball. Kasumi took a deep breath and helped Valencia up. She smiled at her sadly and, feeling a little bold, bent down to kiss her cheek. "Ask me again once we win. I'd be happy to go out with you then." "You sure do know how to motivate a girl," Val murmured dreamily. "Okay, ladies, that's enough of a break!" Freya shouted. "Get your heads out of the clouds and get your butts back to work! We're not going to lose on your account!" "You're not the coach, Freya," Valencia reminded her. Leena glanced up from her book and raised her sunglasses. She had been tanning. "Do what she says, you two. Nguyen, Lacroix, excellent hustle! Keep up the footwork! You're lagging behind, Hawthorne- I know you've got more than that in you! Don't hog the ball, Nazario! Miss Hohenheim" she gestured, "they're all yours again." "Danke shoein, Frau Leena! Okay, Nadia, don't be a chicken! Just score a goal!" "Her head iz getting too big for neck," she muttered. Felicity snorted. "I'll say." Out of all the players, Velur had been affected the least by this crunch, but only because she had been fanatically applying herself since day one. All of her dedication was now coming to fruition as she dominated the field and showed what a force to be reckoned with she was. But even Leena knew that too much work was bad for one's body, and tried to encourage Felicity to take a breather and relax once in awhile. That she continued to refuse these golden offers was reason for concern, and Leena seriously believed that something else was behind this relentless drive- something that horrified her prize forward and kept her secluded from everyone and everything. "So how are you and Khovansky handling this?" Lauren asked Elisa during a break. The two of them were slowly becoming friends, despite their vast differences in personality. "We're just handling it, is all," she answered humbly. "After discussing things a little, we decided there's no need to rush. It's not like we never see each other, either, and isn't time spent together, regardless of where or when, the whole point of relationships?" "Saaaage," Lauren crooned. "You are so fuckin' wise. You're like freakin' Yoda." "No, not at all," she laughed sadly. "You're not having any problems, are you?" "Nope, not a one. I'm used to all this training shit. You know, with baseball." "Ah. Everyone here is so athletic but me!" "And Al and Arina," she listed. "But even they could run circles around Fuhrer Lesbo. Don't get so discouraged, okay? We got'cher back." Elisa smiled feebly and returned to work, patiently waiting for the day when her time could be just for her and Nadia, and nothing else. Terra and Fausta waited a little longer to return to their drills; they had both been working very hard and had earned the rest. "So...how do you feel about our chances?" "Well, if this keeps up, we'll definitely have a better shot at winning. I'm surprised that so many of them are getting into it. I am loathe to admit it, but even Lauren's showing some aptitude." "I think it's because of what Fleur said earlier. Nobody wants to embarrass herself." "I certainly didn't come this far just to lose," Fausta muttered. She smiled faintly at Terra and added, "You've certainly improved. Where do you get all your energy?" "Sugar and anime, mostly," she chuckled. Fausta cringed, so Terra quickly edited her response. "Uh, but seriously, I've been taking martial arts for years. It was one of the few things my parents approved of." "Teach me some of it later," she asked, taking one more drink before jumping back into the game. Terra sighed in a lament to her lost free time. So much for hanging out with Mayu and the boys. Tuesdays and Wednesdays would be shot for awhile now. - Freya von Hohenheim, German, 90 lbs (41 kg), manager- Nine days came and went too quickly for the ladies of Carnegie's soccer team. Even though many of them still felt like they weren't ready, time wouldn't wait for them: the day of their first trial had finally arrived. Their brothers were scheduled to play their first practice game tomorrow, which meant they would have to set a good precedent. It would be a home game, so the girls had a slight advantage in terms of familiarity, but that didn't put their nerves at ease. Some prayed, others pumped themselves up, and a few even held hands. Once they were all dressed in their uniforms, Leena called them together for one final piece of advice. "Relax!" she exclaimed as she looked over them. "You won't perform very well looking so stiff! Just loosen up and have fun. This is only the first practice game of three, so don't feel too bad if you mess up. I certainly won't think the worst of you for it if you do. Still, there's no harm in putting yourself in the right mindset. If you'll permit me, I've devised a little mantra for us to chant before we start our games. I want our passion for this sport to be as strong and absolute as this poetry." Oh, god, Fleur grumbled, rolling her eyes. But Leena knew what she was doing; she made her selection carefully. The mantra was written on a plaque Kathlyn and Shiki had made over the past few days, and they hung it proudly beneath the nameplates. Batter my heart, that I may rise, and stand; O'erthrow me, and bend Your force, To break, blow, burn and make me new... Take me to You, imprison me, for I Except You enthrall me, never shall be free, Nor ever chaste, except You ravish me. "By John Donne. Repeat it if you would." As the girls read the selection aloud, some more reverently than others, someone snuck into the locker room and waited for her chance to slip through. As soon as Alice broke away from the group, the intruder made her move and tackled the taller woman. "Hey there!" Alice jumped in surprise, but her anxiety loosened as she saw Rain's beautiful face smiling at her. She embraced her warmly and even kissed her. "What are you doing here?" "Duh! I'm here to wish you all good luck! I'll be in the front row cheering you on! Did you hear that, Fleur?" "I heard you," she replied flatly. "I was wondering what sort of foolishness you'd attempt. Please don't tell me you've done anything to the other team." "Uh, no," she murmured, "but now that you mention it, maybe I should...um, never mind. Just kick some butt out there, both of you. I mean, uh, it's not like I care about the team or anything, but...you know...you all are my friends." Alice smiled warmly and kissed her again; Fleur rolled her eyes. "If you're through with the sentiment, we have a game to play, Howlet." "Oh! Yes ma'am, so sorry to bother you! Hit em' hard, Hawthorne! Show them who's boss, Lacroix!" "Thanks," Alice gushed, kissing Rain one more time before reuniting with her team. Leena advised them to take a deep breath, relax, and just do the best they could. "Here goes," Freya whispered as she pushed the door open, leading her team onto the field.
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