September 1st, Saturday, Carnegie soccer field 11:28 am "Excuse me. Pardon me, please. I didn't expect it to be so full. Oops- pardon me. I'm sorry, excuse me. Ah, here we are." Dean Rosewood sighed with relief as she sat down, fanned herself, and welcomed her children by her side. Jerry's game against Anolis would be tomorrow, so many people saw this as a preview of things to come. Mother, son, and daughter knew better, though- and apparently, so did Fitzgerald, who gracefully waded through the crowd so he could sit close to the Dean. "Pardon me, please. Excuse me. Ah- good morning, Rosewood." "Good morning, Fitzgerald. I'm sorry, but I already reserved these seats for my son and daughter." "That's all right. I'll take this one." He sat next to a man wearing a rumpled brown parka and cap. The weather was still fairly warm and the chill of autumn seemed as far away as Christmas itself, so it must've been a matter of style. And the only man Fitzgerald knew that wore old clothes like that and dared to call it style... "Morning, Fitzgerald! Great day for a game, huh? Look at all those fine women! Thanks to you, buddy, they can all be here and partake in this glorious weather we're having!" It was Arthur Warren, the last person Helmuth wished to be anywhere near. He put up with it only for appearance's sake. "Yes, hello Mr. Warren." "Anolis is looking as sharp as you'd expect! Carnegie'll really have to step up if they wanna win!" "Presumably. Do you think you could do me a favor and not speak to me?" "I wasn't talking to you, old man," Warren laughed. "I'm just yelling out loud, is all. I can't help it if you overhear my bellowing. SHAKE A LEG, KASUMI! Looking great out there! KICK SOME TAIL, TERRA! Now that Shannon Threal, she's one to watch today." "Excuse me," Fitzgerald grumbled, rising to his feet. "Perhaps I can relocate myself. Pardon the inconvenience." He shuffled away from both Warren and Rosewood, as dignified as possible. Arthur grinned up at the older woman and gave a thumbs-up. "I'm lookin' out for ya, Stacie!" "My hero," she laughed. 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 "Anolis Versus Carnegie" "Ladies and gentlemen, sports fans of all ages, welcome to what promises to be a fabulous Saturday morning match. I'm Ron Dean, announcer and commentator. Our two teams today are four-time national champions Anolis University, led by Coaches Zafe Artharan and Salin Scholinder; and newcomer Carnegie University, led by Coach Leena Parkin-Katajisto, who led Stanton High School to a national championship. One is reminded of the Rocky Marciano/Muhammed Ali match, an underdog versus a renowned veteran, the experienced versus the hungry. The ones to watch on Anolis's side are Cheveaux, nicknamed 'Rayth' for her speed, two-time MVP Ford, Dragan 'the Elf', known for her so-called miracle plays, and of course, their captain Sincabez, nicknamed 'the Horsewoman' for her stamina and strength. On Carnegie's side, there's four-time high school MVP Felicity Velur, two-time MVP Shannon Wilson, national runner-up tennis champ Fausta Nazario, and a relative unknown, Kasumi Beckett, nicknamed 'the Secret Weapon' back at her home in the nation's capital. "Although both teams consider this to be a practice game, and thus will not count in the record book, there is no doubt that they will play seriously and professionally. You don't get into a match against a national team half-heartedly, and you don't play an unknown team with assumptions. There are already plenty of fans from both schools out here to cheer their teams, and if I might be able to share my opinion, it feels like a real game to me. Okay, they're bringing everybody to their positions now, and both teams are glaring like it's a Mexican standoff." "Some coincidence, huh?" Ashandra whispered. Kasumi nodded grimly. Among the players, she recognized Shadis Darc and Jeanne-Antoinette Cheveaux, two women that had stepped into Out and About last night and dragged her out on the floor. Even though Kasumi believed Valencia was her girlfriend now (or close enough), she had still danced and flirted with them- and now she had to fight them. They waved at her, but she didn't smile back: she was trying to focus. "Hey, let's have some fun!" Lothella whispered, winking at Felicity (who turned red and looked away). "It's just a game, right? And a practice game, no less." "Not for them, you idiot," Ashandra hissed. "If they lose two more, they won't even have a team! Urgh, why can't you ever keep your head on straight?" Lothella whimpered apologetically, and was caught off guard when the whistle blew and the game began. Emma-Jean jumped up and screamed at her to get her act together. "You can be like really fierce, y'know?" Reekau murmured. "Well, someone has to keep that headless moron in line." "Try showing her a little more love," Sonata smiled. "You know she does what she does solely for you." Emma-Jean pouted and crossed her arms. "I just don't want to see her embarrass herself." "You're like, so sweet and protective!" Reekau snickered. She grounded her fist into his shaggy hair. "Oh, shut up." - Kasumi Beckett, Hobbies: writing, singing, Halo; striker- "Carnegie's off to a great start here. Beckett and Velur are playing aggressively, hitting quick and hard... I think they took Anolis by surprise and- ohh, Dragan and Alandar intercept, and here comes Rinto to back them up. Khovansky and Hawthorne close in the net, Khovansky's going in for the intercept, Threal takes a bead, goes in, snatches back the ball...she's driving it down the line, and what a gauntlet she has to face! Sincabez recovers from the surprise initiative earlier on and leads Rinto and Cheveaux against Threal...she also has to take Dragan into account, but- whoa, there goes Beckett again, and now back to Velur, she's going...holy! That girl's a blur from up here! She drives it through Anolis defense...the crowd's on their feet...it looks good- no, it IS good! Wow! What a way to start a game! Darc didn't even see that coming! The crowd is stunned, too! Carnegie takes the lead with Anolis! Who'd have thunk it?" "We would!!" Shiki and Maria screamed. Freya clapped and waved the pennant proudly. "A decent beginning," Samuel Velur relented. Maybe now his daughter might show what she was really made of. She wouldn't disappoint him when she was going up against her equals. "I hope they don't let that get to their heads," Rosewood muttered as the game resumed. "I'm afraid that's the best opportunity they had. I'm glad they took Anolis by surprise, but now this means the other team won't make the same mistake twice. The calm has passed and the storm is coming." "Do you think they can handle it?" Mary asked. "Do you think we could?" Jerry fretted. Rosewood smiled placidly. "It's Leena and Bracton I'm putting my faith in. They would not recruit and train people they didn't believe in. I don't know how much of a chance you and the girls have, but win or lose, this stage is necessary in your development." "You talk too much, mother!" Mary chuckled. "Stand up and cheer! Evil Lord Gary won't hear it!" "I'll refrain for now," she grinned meekly. "Guess that means it's my job," Warren grumbled. He clapped and roared, "Hang tight, ladies! This is the part where it gets rough!" Rosewood and Warren weren't just blowing smoke: the ladies of Carnegie soon found out why Anolis was such a well-regarded team. Their actions earlier in the match had been merely those of a group taken by surprise, and that they attempted both offense and defense while still in a state of confusion said a lot about their skills. Women who had been friends the other day turned into forces of nature. Voirrey, Ashandra, and Lothella seemed to move like tanks, quickly overpowering Carnegie's first line of defense, weaving out of Alice's clumsy efforts and Elisa's awkward flailing, straight through Khovansky, Tu, and Nguyen, being held only briefly before piercing through Fausta and Shannon like they were made of tissue paper. Valencia held strong and reflected their first strike, but then Tamarit and Amika soared in and bounced the ball through a second time, easily tying the game. "Well, it was an amazing preemptive strike, but now Carnegie's feeling the full force of Anolis University's champions. They made scoring that goal look as easy as sitting down, and not even Threal and Nazario were able to stop them. Carnegie's got the ball again, but I doubt they're going to be mounting any offensive strikes just yet. Rinto's as flexible as rubber and there's no way they could get anything through her, and both Ford and Sincabez are still only just warming up. Cheveaux's taken the ball away from Hawthorne and is driving it through. If they can score again, when there's barely fifteen minutes on the clock, I doubt Carnegie will ever recover. Tu and Nguyen are picking up the pace and intercepting...Nguyen managed to take it away and- whoops, Alandar's got the ball again. She's got Nazario and Threal pressing down on her, so she...uh, gives it back to Dragan, who takes it over, hands it to Ford...Ford drives further- no, intercepted by Khovansky! Khovansky's really making tracks now. She's swerving around everyone by herself, no outside assistance...Hawthorne and Berkeley are coming to her rescue...I see Sincabez coming back, Darc getting ready to block... All Khovansky has to worry about is Rinto and...no! There's Delburn! Freya's not their best midfielder, but she's got her surprises." "Imagine that," Hohenheim mused. "A player with the same name as me. I hope they don't get confused." "Well, that Freya is a short-haired brunette," Kathlyn pointed. "And not a bad runner, too, I might add. Better than me, anyway." There was plenty of action behind the scenes; not everyone was entirely interested in the game. Chairman Fitzgerald was watching like a hawk, of course, but Rosewood chose to chat with her kids, and Kathlyn struck up a conversation with Freya that was completely unrelated to the game. "Hey, so like your girlfriend looks like she's finally taking this game, like, serious," Reekau pointed. Emma-Jean crossed her arms and gave a sassy smile. "That's right, my Horsewoman's no loser! But your little lover seems to be at the top of her game, too. Did you two get lucky last night?" "Like, don't even joke about that!" he snorted. "You know Frey-Frey never puts out before a game." "Lothella's just the opposite. She's like a bullfighter." "A bullfighter?" "They claim sex improves their focus or something," Sonata said. "If that's true, I wonder if I should be celibate. Ashandra seems to be doing just fine." "She could always improve," Paola pointed lecherously. "So like, what happened to Sage and Vilibi? Didn't they say they'd like, make it or something?" "You know Vil," Paola sighed. "She calls herself a lady and wouldn't set foot near this game. Sage said they were taking care of Meyrin's kid. Apparently she and Nariel took a vacation." "Oh yeah. Yeah, that boy'll have like a hundred mothers at this rate." "At least six by my count," Paola said. They stopped their chatter momentarily and clapped as Anolis scored another goal, taking the lead at 2-1. Coach Artharan and assistant coach Scholinder were proud too, but they came to expect this from their team. They were a little disappointed that they dropped their guard earlier, but it couldn't be helped: everyone's guilty of underestimating something at some point. Now their ladies knew better and were making Carnegie pay for their ambition. "I still wish we could've talked to their Chairman," Zafe sighed as her team trounced Carnegie again. No doubt their opponents were holding up well, and they had a considerable pool of talent, but Anolis still had the upper hand. Scoring two goals so early in the game proved their merit; Zafe was plainly frustrated. "This is a waste of our time. They're a good team, but they're not ready for our level! I wonder what Mr. Fitzgerald was thinking." "I looked into him a little bit last night," Salin said, checking her watch. Halftime was closing in and Carnegie looked like they needed the break. "Apparently Mr. Fitzgerald had a hand in erecting this school. He applied for a Carnegie grant, gave a great speech before the Board of Education, said something about how people shouldn't need to pay unreasonable fees to attend college, and got the green light. That's why he's the Chairman, but Ms. Rosewood was selected to be the Dean." "Maybe because they felt having a revered former General running the school would keep him in line," Zafe assumed. She smirked at her assistant and remarked, "I'm surprised you had the time to research this. Did you say 'last night'?" "Hana helped me," she nodded. "Aren't you two supposed to be on your honeymoon?" "It turned out to be no fun for us," she answered. "Anyway, Fitzgerald believes he owns the school due to all the contributions he's made, even though he can barely take a fourth of the credit. The guy's generous, sure, but he's an ass about it." "Ah. I've seen the type. Go on." "Well, before this semester began, the school had a budget surplus and wanted to spend it on a special elective. Rosewood voted for a sports team and Fitzgerald voted for a music hall. Both noble pursuits, but I guess Rosewood's words won the day. They compromised that if Carnegie can't prove itself worth the investment, whatever that means, Rosewood resigns, the team is liquidated, and Fitzgerald gets his hall." "Ah! It makes sense now!" Zafe crowed. The game finally reached halftime, with the weary Carnegie underdogs trailing 3-1; Anolis had scored yet another goal not long before the bell sounded. Frankly, Artharan and Scholinder both were surprised their opponents had performed this well. Usually Anolis shut their teams out in a landslide victory; here the score was still too close to call. She had to hand it to them: for a beginner team, they were really something. But enough with the interruption. "It seems that Chairman Fitzgerald is doing everything in his power to hasten their dissolution. Didn't that girl- um, their reserve goalie- I mean, Lauren- didn't she say those two made a wager? That if they lose two out of three, they aren't permitted to be a team anymore?" "It's the only logical conclusion," Salin shrugged. "No reasonable person would organize such a one-sided match." "I'm not so sure about that statement," Zafe said, pointing to her team. They weren't as exhausted as Carnegie's, but they hardly looked firm and unflappable. Carnegie was a tiny dam trying to stop a deluge, but even a little wall can hold back some water. No doubt the second half of this mismatched game would prove fascinating. - Amy Nguyen, Hobbies: martial arts, reading Shakespeare; right back- Not a single person was standing as they stumbled into the locker room and collapsed on the benches. Kathlyn, Maria, and Shiki hurried inside with towels and water; a few were wheezing so hard that it sounded like suffocation. Muscles ached and uniforms were drenched in sweat- and it was only halftime. Leena knew better than anyone that she couldn't demand anything more from her valiant beginners: they were putting the entirety of their being into this game, or near enough, and yet still came up short. She knew this was Fitzgerald's intent all along, but somewhere along the line, they had to taste defeat, if only to know how to conduct themselves afterwards. It now fell upon her to inspire them for the next "half of hell". "You're doing wonderfully," she attempted, smiling timidly as she sat at the only available bench. "A lot better than I expected. That offensive at the beginning was marvelous. You're exhausted, yes, and we're behind two points, but you have nothing to be ashamed of. There aren't too many teams that can do better than that, so don't feel like you're a failure. Our victory today will not come from outscoring Anolis, but by standing up against them until the very end. When that last bell sounds and the game ends, win or lose, I want us to be standing. We'll have gone up against a superior opponent without being fazed. We'll have been hit by the storm and we'll take it unflinchingly. I won't tell you to do your best: I'll never say that. I may as well tell you to run without telling you where. All I ask is that you stand in defiance of all the expectations people have towards us, and prove to everyone- be they your family, the Chairman, or even Anolis itself- that we have earned the right to be here. Make sure you're all ready for part two. Hawthorne, you going to be okay?" Alice nodded shakily. The team showed great courage in going through that door once halftime was over. "Well, here they come, ladies and gentlemen. Anolis is rested and ready to wrap this game up, but you can bet they'll be wary of this tenacious young upstart. Speaking of which, Carnegie looked ready to fall apart during the first half, and it seemed only a miracle kept them together. I can now sense a composition of peace in them, the looks of which reflect the quiet nobility of one facing their final moments. Indeed, this may be the end of Carnegie, or this may be a sign of unexpected developments. The ref blows the whistle...and here...we...go!" It would be inaccurate to say, or even to assume, that the ladies of Carnegie were changed and inspired by Leena's speech. In fact, they felt just as helpless and hopeless as before, although the peace the announcer had noticed on their faces was real. Carnegie would play hard and potentially lose in the process. There might be a strain on the friendships they had made with their adversary, but they would also know that they had faced something they knew they could not beat, and put a brave face on, and dared to prove themselves worthy of respect. Of course people like Kasumi and Felicity attacked with all their might. Randy Beckett and Samuel Velur obviously had different feelings about their daughters, but they watched all the same; they knew how significant this game was. Randy had turned down a lucrative fight to come here and Samuel was "sacrificing valuable time and clients". Alice had no family who would ever come to her games, but in her heart she believed Rain was out there, Fitzgerald or no Fitzgerald, obligations or no obligations, cheering for her with great love. Supported by this love, she challenged Anolis and implored Nadia to do the same. I can do this. I have to. Screw my inhibitions: I've got to show them I'm worth something. Nana is watching. Papa is watching. Gardenia is watching. Felicity and Elisa are watching me! Now's not the time to let them down! You can DO it, Nadia! And if you can't, fix yourself so you can!! She drove it hard down Anolis's defense, amidst cheers and a gauntlet of terrifying opponents who had once been friends. Nadia was almost surrounded but gave the ball to Amy, who juggled it in the sky to draw attention and kicked it away once Anolis made a move. Terra shot out and dribbled until Nadia was back open, then passed it and circled around to receive again. "Spread out far and wide!" Arina shouted. "Keep that defensive net as loose as you can! Break them apart and watch them carefully! Do you think they know what they're doing, Leena?" "If not, I've got a brilliant psychologist I could always send in." "Oh no, what a disaster that would be! You may as well forfeit if that's the case." "You give yourself too little credit, Essylt," Lauren said. "You're not bad. Just average." "I didn't mean me. Leena was clearly talking about you." "Ah, but that would entail that I'm brilliant and you're not. Are you ready to concede defeat?" "Forget it," she sighed gruffly. Why did she always have to pick the densest friends? First Lauren, and now Fleur. Well, at least Ice Queen Lacroix was behaving herself. She alternated between studying the game and nursing her foot, and was quiet as a cloud, but Arina could tell she was disappointed. "I say!" she called, "Are you doing all right there, Fleur?" "Just fine," she answered dismissively. It was clear she wanted to be left alone, so Arina was kind enough to indulge her. The game was really intensifying now: Carnegie was working hard to regain the advantage. Everyone was putting everything they had into it, not just the vets. Even Alice was impressing; she managed to keep up with Nadia briefly and resume a complicated attack pattern. The balance of power shifted between the two teams as they fought over control of the treasured ball- but then Amy stormed in, surprising everybody with her power and speed. She took the ball to the goal, faked a kick, passed it to Nadia, and gushed relief as One became Two. "[That's my girl, that's my girl!!]" Svetlana screamed in Russian. "[You mean grand-girl, nutcase,]" Nadia muttered. Elisa laughed. "Wonderfully played! I'm thinking maybe we have a chance after all!" "Waz not too bad," Nadia sighed as she jogged back to position. "Now all must do iz score again and make free shots. Pretty Eleeza do great?" "I will!" she exclaimed, breathless and joyful. She felt like kissing Nadia then, but knew it would mean more if they held it off- preferably where they could be alone. She settled for brushing their hands together and beaming; Nadia's heart was racing long after she returned to her place. Now the two teams were truly fighting each other. For the first time since the game began- indeed, for the first time in many games- Anolis felt themselves to be in real danger. They were still ahead, but only by one point, and as the clock ticked down and Carnegie proved more resilient by the second, their window of redemption drew closer to shutting. If Carnegie scored just one more goal- a fair possibility at this point- they would tie the game and go into free shots. Shadis was a good goalie, but from the way Valencia had been defending, she could read shots and trajectories like second nature; she could almost predict their exact path. Her only weakness was stamina, and Valencia had been working hard to improve that since the last game. Shadis would not be able to stand up against Carnegie's offensive and the game would be lost- to an underdog beginner team, no less! But that was "if and only if": they still had an advantage, but Carnegie was making them fight to keep it. - Freya von Hohenheim, Hobbies: piano, computer graphics, animation; manager- "With the score now tottering at 3-2 in Anolis's favor and time slipping through the hourglass, the phrase 'down to the wire' comes to mind as Carnegie, reenergized by their recent offensive, mounts an all-out campaign to win its second practice game in a row. I have honestly never seen anybody playing so passionately so early in their career; it simply boggles the mind, and no doubt it's boggling Anolis as well. Tu has the ball now and is passing it between Hawthorne and Berkeley. Khovansky's coming up from behind them while Delburn, Ford, and Cheveaux create a defensive perimeter. Tu runs straight into their line...back to Hawthorne...back to Khovansky...Velur's outside their net and it looks like Khovansky's going towards her...passes to Berkeley- whoops, Sincabez has the ball now and is driving hard. Khovansky's after her and Hawthorne's not far behind. Now Nguyen and Threal are rushing to intercept. Nguyen...ow! Blocked the pass with her body and bounces it to Hawthorne, back to Threal, a hard kick down to midfield, Velur catches it, over to Beckett, she's going deep...but Rinto's got it now! Back and forth!" Amika took the ball and signaled to Tamarit; Rayth stormed down ahead of them as they juggled it between them, caught it, and launched it to Lothella who was deep in Carnegie's defensive line. She kicked, but Fausta took over and swept the ball away. She fiercely hurled it back down the field but ran afoul Ashandra, who wrestled for control of the ball, their feet like hooves galloping over grass, a race toward victory or defeat. Fausta belted the ball but Freya Delburn intercepted, nearly falling to the ground from the impact. Ashandra quickly pulled her up while Voirrey took control of the ball and drove further in. Now Amy and Shannon were on her tail; Amika covered Terra and prevented her from helping. Lothella came back just as Threal took the ball away and punted it; she knocked it with her head and kicked it as hard as she could. Valencia had seen it coming and caught it easily, but her returning throw was sloppy and another attack was made. The second save knocked the wind out of her, but Shannon and Fausta covered her and sent the ball hurtling in the air. "Beckett's got it again and she's going for the goal. That last skirmish pulled half of Anolis into Carnegie's side and now their defensive net is wide open. She signals to Khovansky and Berkeley to cover her while she makes the goal. Cheveaux intercepts but Berkeley is on it. Those who watched the last game will remember the daring offensive this young woman made, and one has to wonder if- whoa, here comes Dragan! Voirrey does not look happy and she's taking it out on Berkeley! That woman's going to have to move fast if- she gives it to Khovansky, Khovansky takes it down the center, back to Beckett...she kicks!! No good! Excellent save by Darc!" "Wear her out!" Arina shouted. "It's our best hope! Keep that goalie busy!" "That will be the easy part," Fleur reminded her. "In case you haven't noticed, there are ten experienced players between our girls and the goal. Not so simple." "Is it?" she mused. Anolis had the ball now and they were desperate. Time was against them and they had to score again- or at least prevent Carnegie from taking the advantage. Rayth and Tamarit drove the ball hard while Amika remained in position, watching for surprises. They juggled the ball between Lothella, Ashandra, Freya Delburn, and Voirrey, occasionally surprising their opponents with a sudden twist or false shot. This is where Anolis had earned most of its reputation: not through skill or experience, but by being in the middle of a tense situation and shining through it. The now-familiar visages of Amy, Terra, Nadia, Felicity, and Kasumi formed a mob around them; they drove deeper and deeper, two desperate forces fighting, the unstoppable and the irresistible. Through the storm, Valencia kept her eyes sharply locked on the ball, watching and anticipating any degree of entry. She was a little worn-out but swore she'd not collapse until the final bell sounded. Will would conquer fatigue and the spirit would outlive the body. Then, during what felt like a moment of pure clarity, a checkered orb broke through the struggle and came her way. She stood poised to save her team and even smiled. However, Shannon spared her the effort, leaping out and grazing it with her foot in an attempt to reflect it. The ball hovered in the air for a split second before Lothella Sincabez broke through and struck it hard with her forehead. Valencia had already jerked to the side to catch that last attack, and now she was almost too far away. She dove, arms outstretched... "Damn it!" she wailed, as the ball nestled in the net. She ignored the announcer's elated comments and threw the ball back in frustration. Four to two and four minutes left in the game. They would never recover in time. There was no point- but they did it anyway. Khovansky and Velur hopelessly took the ball into an impenetrable fortress and attacked in vain. The clock ended just as Cheveaux had intercepted and stalled by passing between her teammates. The game was over and Carnegie had experienced its first defeat. "Good game," Valencia heard Shannon say as she hugged Fausta. Threal had an expression of gracious humility and helped Valencia to her feet. Loving arms were folded around her as she said, "Good game, Val." "Good game," Fausta sighed as she hugged Amy. Soon nearly everyone was in on it; Felicity stood numb as Nadia, Elisa, and Alice hugged her. She couldn't respond; she knew she had failed, even though nobody else thought so. "Good game, good game." "Aww, too bad," Mary moaned as she watched Anolis celebrate their victory. "It really looked like they'd make it." "If it were that easy, there'd be no question about their right to play," Jerry sighed. Their mother nodded solemnly, taking a deep, relaxing breath. "This too is something they must adjust to...although I must admit, I didn't expect them to perform so well." "Me neither," Warren said. "Just goes to show their potential, I guess." He looked up and smiled at the older woman, but turned serious as he saw Fitzgerald picking through the crowd. He knew the other man would have something pompous to say and prepared for the worst. "Well, there you have it. One victory and one loss. It appears that the match against Lovelace will decide all, although I doubt they'll do much better. It's regarded in many circles as Anolis's equal, if not their superior." "Were you even watching the game, Helmuth?" Rosewood wondered starkly. She looked down at the field and gestured to the players. "Just look at them for a minute. Those are Anolis University's finest, some of the best in the nation, and they look like they've been through the wringer. Look at them, they're worn-out! What do you think did that to them, Fitzgerald?" He froze in anger and humiliation as he glanced at the team. This was not victory they were basking in. Most of the women were bent over, breathing heavily, and sprawled on the grass or a bench, thoroughly exhausted. Carnegie didn't look much better, of course, but they weren't a top-ranking team. He glared at Rosewood coolly, adjusted his glasses, and stuttered his way through. "Yes, perhaps. I have other appointments to keep. Excuse me." Warren smiled beautifully as he laughed and reached up to squeeze Stacie's ankles. "Marvelous observation, lady. Hahaha! I'm glad I'm on your side! They did pretty well, didn't they? I didn't expect them to score twice." "To be honest," she grinned, "I didn't expect them to score at all, let alone make Anolis work very hard. There's definitely something special about that team. Leena certainly has a wonderful lineup." "And the irony is that if it hadn't been for ol' Fitzgerald and his grants, most of em' wouldn't even be here!" Warren laughed, and Stacie excused herself, presumably so she wouldn't get mobbed by reporters or fans. Meanwhile, Anolis had recovered and the players were going over to Carnegie's side, weary but full of joy. "That was a hell of a game," Ashandra said. "You all surprised us." "In more ways than one!" Tamarit exclaimed. "So can we get in on that hug action?" Shadis asked. There was no need to be so formal: the ladies were happy to congratulate their rivals. Even Freya von Hohenheim stepped out on the field; only Felicity and Fleur declined. The handicapped brunette called Velur over before she could confront her father. "You're not into schmaltzy bravado, I take it." "No. I hope you get better soon." "What, this? Didn't you hear? It's a freakin' miracle. I'm surprised I haven't started flying. But seriously, it's no bother. You worry about yourself." "Oh, you have no idea," she murmured dreadfully. Fleur stared at her quizzically as she faded into the crowd. "Huh. What's eating her?"
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