Monday, October 1st, Carnegie University soccer field 5:00 pm "I'm sure you're all wondering why I'm standing here before you and Leena isn't. The simple truth is that Miss P.K. was obliged to take care of some business back home, and had to take some time off so she could see to this. Of course, this means that she'll be out of the country for at least a week, which means that she needed a substitute coach for her soccer team- and since Bracton was not available to fill the gap, I guess that leaves one other person as your temporary coach. In other words," said Arthur Warren smugly, "ME." "Crap," Shannon groaned. "And with five days before our next game," Fausta sighed. "We're doomed," Kasumi deadpanned. Oblivious to their protests, Warren grinned proudly and snickered as he stood before the stunned sixteen. All he has to do is just walk around downtown, He's a playful man who catches the eyes of those he meets Oh! That's why you see he will be our hero from now on, So let's begin the countdown for change! One two three four five, Take a deep breath and one-two, Now stride out with your head held high, Downtown dance! "The Irresponsible Coach Warren" Day 1 "Run that by us again," Fausta groaned, squeezing the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Why, are you hard of hearing? I said I'll be your coach for the next week. It's as simple as that." "That can't be," she grunted. Elisa nervously wrung her hands, just as concerned as her friend and teammate. "Excuse me, Mr. Warren, but really, are you quite positive those were Leena's instructions? I think we all want to be perfectly clear on this. No need to jump to any, uh...rash conclusions." "Look, I don't see what all the fuss is about!" he said, throwing his arms up. "Leena needed someone to take over for her and she chose me. I really don't see why that's so hard to swallow." "There are lots of reasons," Fleur grumbled, "and even if we had a month, we wouldn't have time for me to get into them. Mainly, sir, you're the laziest, sloppiest, most laid-back and irresponsible sloth of a man I've ever seen." "Besides, didn't you say yourself that you don't know anything about soccer?" Felicity pointed. Warren raised his eyebrow at them and, surprisingly, began to laugh boisterously. "I'm sorry. I just thought I was here to instruct a team, not a pack of whiners." "But your credentials are- " "My credentials are fine. Rosewood trusts me, and I guess Leena does too. Look, there's nothing to worry about. It'll be fine! At any rate, miss...uh, La-croicks- " "La-croy," she snarled. Lauren muffled a laugh. "Oh, my bad. At any rate, La-croicks, if you're worried about wasting time, you've let five whole minutes slip by already! All this bitching and moaning about poor old me, who's only doing somebody a favor, and you're supposed to be training?" "I forgot to add frustrating to the list!" Fleur snapped. Rain put her arms on the brunette's shoulders and started massaging. "Now-now, it's only for a week. We've already improved from our last game against Braithwaite, so I doubt he'd be able to unravel all that by the time we go against St. Jeanne." "Actually, I was hoping you all could do all the work," Warren admitted gruffly as he scratched his head. "I mean, what with me having no knowledge of this sport." "See? I told you! Lazy!" "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Miss La-croicks," he resigned. He meandered away, yawning and stretching his arms, and found some bleachers to sleep on. Half the team stood gaping at him, while the other half tried to remember there were more important things at stake. "So is this really going to be hands-off?" Felicity called. "You're just leaving this to us?" Warren waved numbly. "If I step in, I'll just undo everything Leena worked for, right? You're all adults; you can take care of yourselves." He covered his face with his arm and seemed to drift away; that left the team standing around with no direction to take. "Just great," Shannon grunted. "Well, I ain't standin' around waitin' for Rip Van Winkle to snap outta it! Rain, Amy, let's do some laps togethah!" "Sounds like a plan." The three of them started jogging; gradually, the other women dispersed and began performing drills. Those most heavily opposed to this new direction found it hardest to return to "business as usual", but it was either that or neglect their training, and since their pride was on the line... "Kasumi," Fausta said in a commanding voice, "let's just go ahead and start working. Lauren and Valencia are waiting for us." "All right. You coming, Fleur?" "I suppose," she resigned. Warren opened one eyelid and watched them all return to their duties with a smile. So far, he had not even lifted a finger, and it looked like they were working harder than ever. "That wasn't so hard. Wonder how long I can keep this up." - Arina Essylt, Hair/eye color: brown, blue and green; team psychologist/reserve- Day 2 Once classes were over, the team headed to the locker rooms, got changed, and met outside for their daily pep talk- except that they didn't have Leena's beauty, charm, and wisdom to look forward to. Instead, they met up with a disheveled, bleary-eyed, yawning, middle-aged man sporting a five o'clock shadow, clothes that looked like they had been slept in (several buttons were askew), and a disquieting smile. Valencia cautiously raised her hand as he greeted them. "Ah, afternoon, one and all! So how'd practice go yesterday? I kind of nodded off before I got the chance to see. ...Uh, yes, Miss, uh..." "Durante. Um, practice was fine, Mr. Warren- " "It was awful," Fausta spat. "We were sloppy and unorganized. I've never seen us flail around like that before." "Why, was something wrong?" "Of course something was wrong!" Fausta cursed violently in Italian and didn't stop until Warren yawned and turned his attention back to Valencia. "So you were saying?" "Don't turn your back on me! It's your responsibility to get this- " "Yeah, yeah, one second, will ya? Now, Miss Durante, you were saying." "I think Fausta's saying it better," she replied sheepishly. "We're just frustrated, is all. Are you really just going to lie there while we run around without a clear direction? I mean, you're our coach! You should do something!" "Like what?" he grunted. "I...I don't know!" she sputtered. "I don't know what a coach is supposed to do! I'm still new at this!" "Then what are you complaining for?" he exclaimed. "If you don't know, how the hell should I?" "Because Leena put you in charge of us for a reason!" Shannon yelled. "Y'ain't supposed to sit around sleepin'!" "So are you saying you're all totally incompetent without someone holding your hand? Is that it?" The smug, condescending look on his face was the last straw. Fausta and Shannon both balled their fists up, ready to strike. "Oh, hell no. That's all we can take." "You gonna fight?" he grunted. "Just look at you! You're a mess! And you think I'm incompetent? At least I ain't the one blaming someone else for their own mistakes, or getting angry over nothing. You all look like you're about to tear me apart! If you're really this flimsy, it would be pointless for me to try and direct you. And if you can't even get one practice session right without someone there watching over you, what else can I do except sleep?" Fausta had heard enough; she blindly threw a punch. Warren's hands were surprisingly quick, though, and he caught her fist easily- along with the follow-up blow. "All this energy going to waste! Calm down for three seconds, will ya? Kasumi, Terra, hold her back, please. Now take a deep breath, everyone, and think about what I said. You're really terrible but you think it's my fault. The fact of the matter is, you can't adjust to change. Something throws a wrench in your designs and you go ballistic. Now I'm not saying I'll be Leena's match when it comes to telling you guys what to do, or how to play. Hell, I don't know why she picked me in the first place. But I made it here all the same. If you wanna play like you mean it, you gotta give me something in return. But if you're happy running around like chickens when the fox comes, that's your call too. Decide quickly before I go catch some more Zs." Warren's words struck deep in their hearts, and deeper still in their pride. Few wanted to admit he was right, but what he said made perfect sense. Even though he knew next to nothing about football, after only one day of observation, he could tell it like it was quite accurately, and understood their weaknesses and what they needed to get the job done. Fausta, Shannon, and a few of the other hotheads gradually regained their senses, and wondered if maybe, there was some outside chance he was right. The change had been a great shock, and none of them were prepared. "Damn," Shannon murmured. "I'm sorry. I've been a jackass." "Changes happen during the game all the time," Arina noticed. "We can't rely on what was in order to win; we can only see what is." "Or in Sh-Sh-Shannon Wilson's c-case, what m-m-might be," Amy smirked. "And if we can't adjust to these changes and turn them in our favor, we'll lose." Arine glanced at her teammates with a wry expression: psychology at work. "Okay, so a few of us screwed up," Fausta admitted. "And I guess we put too much pride on the line. But Lord knows I'm willing to sacrifice some to win." "You're going to have to give up every last morsel before you come even close to winning," Warren stated in a voice too serious for his appearance. "When it comes to sports, pride is the first thing that has to go. But luckily," he cackled, "with me at the helm, you won't even know what pride is! I'll humiliate you so fast, it'll make your head spin! Waahaahahahahaha!!!" "Okay, shaddap!" Shannon screamed. "We're all sorry for bursting out like that, but now we're ready to play! So whaddya have in mind...um, coach?" "Oh, not much," he beamed humbly, rubbing his stubble. "Just a little contest. Miss von Hohenheim, could you go to my car and bring me the buckets and cups you see there?" "Um, yes sir." She walked away with Alice tagging along to help. Nadia crossed her arms. "Something iz telling me, I will maybe not like what he haz for storing." The team was divided into four teams of four, all on one side of the field, armed with small measuring cups. On the other side was acting Coach Warren, arms crossed as he stood guard over four buckets. Behind the teams was a tub of water. Most of the girls caught on to what he had in mind once they surveyed the field, but then he threw a curve and asked for their arms to be tied behind their backs. "The game is hands-free Water Relay, ladies," he announced. "The object is simple. Using those measuring cups, you must take the water from that pool and pour it into these gallon buckets until they're filled to the brim! Of course, that's easier said than done, since you can't use your arms and those are one-fourth cups! The four teams will be graded on how fast they can fill up the buckets, AND how few trips they have to make! Take some time to form a strategy, girls. When you hear the whistle, get er' done!" "I have been thinking we came for football practice and not games," Nadia said. "Who knows what's in that man's head," Jennifer stated. "I guess we just have to get through it. Okay, how are we going to do this?" "I think he means for us to use our teeth," Elisa said. "Take the cups in our mouths, dip them, and head towards those buckets with as much water remaining as possible. That means no running." "It's a balancing drill," Jennifer noted. "I think I'm starting to see his method." "Warren doesn't have a method," Shannon sighed. "He's just a lunatic." "But you have been saying 'I will do this no matter what', and this is 'what'!" "Yer crazy too, ya know," Shannon glared. Nadia giggled and volunteered to go first; Warren blew the whistle and havoc ensued. It was difficult enough dipping the small measuring cups into the pool, which was at ground level- you had to squat down and thrust it in with your whole head, which oftentimes meant getting soaked- and transferring them to the bucket was a chore, to say the least. Some of the more unbalanced girls spilled all but a few drops on their first go, while people like Jennifer, Terra, and Arina were smaller and had more stable centers of gravity. Andre practically flew across on her first try, while Alice actually had to go back and get a refill before making it halfway. Some teams sent their people out one at a time, while others sent all four at once. Freya had organized her team to send people out in intervals: when one had reached a certain distance, another would begin her run. This way, there would always be somebody running, filling, and pouring. Thanks to this strategy, her team filled the bucket up first, although Jennifer's team had the least number of runs. "Great job, everyone!" Warren shouted once everyone had filled their bucket. "Boy, that was some fun, huh? I only wish I had brought my recorder!" "That was hard!" Lauren exclaimed. "And I got soaked, too." "Well, maybe later on, we can do this without anybody getting wet. But for right now, it's safe to assume that you're all ready for my next task! And it's even tougher and more entertaining than this one!" Everyone groaned, but they had no choice: not if they wanted to keep winning games, anyway. "Please, Leena, come back soon," Alice moaned. - Jennifer Andre, Hair/eye color: black, green; left midfielder- Day 3 The team dreaded what Arthur Warren had in mind for today's bizarre training session. True to his word, his tasks were becoming more humiliating, although a handful of girls took the punishment well and even had a bit of fun. Yesterday, he made them maneuver through a series of erected poles, with a long foam tube clamped in their teeth. Everyone fell down at least once, but as embarrassing and unusual as it was, none of them were ready to give up their pride completely. To show how great a sport Warren was, he brought them to Parody bookstore for their next session, and allowed them a few moments to shop before unveiling his latest scheme. "With your permission, Miss Granveldt... All right, women, break's over! Down to the basement!" "What are we doing?" said Terra, who was beginning to feel homesick for her job. Robin gave her a sympathetic smile and joined them as they headed down the stairs to the large cellar. Since this was game night at Parody, Robin had already started setting up a few consoles. However, today was a special day, and instead of regular free-for-all gaming, Granveldt had scheduled a Dance-Dance Revolution tournament, which meant there would be plenty of machines open for use. "You have got to be joking me!" Elisa balked. "Oh, please say you're joking, Mr. Warren! You know I can't dance!" "Then now would be a good time to learn, wouldn't it?" he leered. "That's right, ladies. You're all going to play Dance-Dance Revolution for today's training. Divide into your teams from yesterday and get cracking. Miss Granveldt, I hope you brought a recorder!" "And plenty of snacks!" she grinned. Terra didn't mind playing this game in front of other people, but Fausta was another matter: she adamantly refused until Valencia took her aside and tried to explain. "Listen, I think Senor Warren wants us to focus on our footwork. Dancing has always been a great way to improve the legs; most football players in America take ballet just for this reason, don't they?" "In that case, I wish Leena had given us a ballet instructor." "Don't be like that!" she smiled, giving her a playful nudge. "It's not every day we get to have fun like this. You should loosen up and get that stick out of your ass." She winked and joined her team, leaving Fausta to groan. It looked like she would have no choice but to get up there and bust a move. Not surprisingly, years of playing this game put Jennifer in the lead, and years of denying her skills put Elisa flat on her bottom more than once. "Graceful as swan," Nadia laughed as she helped her up. "Make Baryshnikov jealous." "You are awful sometimes, you know that?" she blushed. Nadia laughed huskily and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek to support her; Elisa's next attempt was considerably less gruesome. Day 4 As if water relay races, foam tubes, and arcade dancing games weren't enough, Warren's next surprise was even more bizarre. He first had the girls take over grounds-keeping duties and mow the school lawn- with push-mowers- then he had them run up and down an escalator, always going against its flow. Once they were all thoroughly exhausted, Warren gave them a break and let them explore a shopping mall, but soon after, he threw his final wrench into their plans and forced them to race each other- balanced precariously atop railroad rungs. "I swear," Kasumi groaned as she was helped up from a particularly memorable fall, "he looks like he's doing this for his personal amusement! I'm almost twenty-one years old- I don't have to take this!" "I know what'cha mean, but'cha gotta admit it's effective," Shannon said. "Warren may be all nuts and no bolts, but whatevah he's got in mind, it's workin'. Mowin' the lawn gave us bettah strength and endurance, the escalatah helped our leg muscles, this is givin' us bettah balance..." "Okay, you've made your point. I just hope it doesn't blow up in our faces when the game starts. I don't know about you...ugh...but I can't wait...until Leena gets back." Kasumi stretched until her sore muscles were soothed; a bit of tender care from Valencia helped ease the more stubborn joints. Frankly, she wasn't worried about the game against St. Jeanne, so much as the one versus St. Thekla. St. Jeanne had all-around talent, similar to Anolis and Lovelace, but it was a beginner team, like theirs, and had no noticeable advantages. Not St. Thekla, with its impenetrable defense and superstar goalie. Recently, Kasumi had been watching videos of St. Thekla's games, trying to discern any weaknesses that Shannon Wilson might have. If there was one, she had not noticed it yet. "Whoa, Earth to Kaz there." She felt her girlfriend nudging her back, and smiled warmly as her hand slipped to her bottom. Lately they had been getting more daring with each other: not just heavily making out, but sharing the same stall after games, getting undressed together, even some petting and moaning. Valencia didn't appear reluctant to go further and Kasumi was slowly losing whatever control she thought she had. She wondered if it would really be okay to start having sex now, and if not, what catalyst could possibly lead to it? "What's the matter, having too much fun?" Valencia kissed her cheek and their fingers entwined. "My mind's going everywhere. You know, my dad never mentioned anything about my coming out in any of his letters." "Maybe he just thinks it's not a big deal." "Well," she sighed forlornly, "he didn't raise too much of a stink when mom left us. ...Umm, did I ever tell you about that? My parents divorced when I was seven, and just when I went into high school, I found out my mother was bisexual. Dad blew it off like it was nothing, but I've always blamed my parents' separation on that. I've always felt that my mother's lied to us all." Valencia really didn't know what to say. She knew Kasumi had grown up in a single-parent household for most of her life, and that her relationship with her mother was strained most of the time, but she had been reluctant to say why. A matter like this was beyond her wisdom, so she decided to keep her peace and squeezed Kasumi's hand instead. Still. "Doesn't it bother you that you're the same way?" "A little, but at least I didn't get married before I realized it. I want to be with someone I can be totally honest with, you know? Even to the end. I guess that sort of thing's going out of style, huh?" "I don't know, my parents are still together." "You're lucky," she said. Kasumi smiled and snuck a kiss in a more intimate place. "Okay, enough about that. Let's just prepare for whatever crazy scheme Mr. Warren has in mind for us next." "Nothing special, champ!" he called as the ladies slipped into the cars. "Tomorrow's the last day! After a few relays, I'll cap my fountain of wisdom with a good old-fashioned game of dodge ball!" The reactions were just as mixed as their personalities; Kasumi was starting to wonder if facing St. Thekla's was really worse than all this. "Hang in there, everyone!" Freya cheered. "Only one more day before the big game, and two more before Leena gets back! Let's all make sure she knows how much we missed her!!" "That won't be hard," Fleur sighed. - Valencia Durante, Hair/eye color: reddish-black, amber; goalie- Day 6, Carnegie University vs. St. Jeanne's Catholic Women's College Arthur Warren waited patiently outside the players' locker room, naturally prohibited from entering due to regulations of modesty. Not merely content to break tradition by asking the girls to play games in lieu of training, he also cancelled their early morning meeting- not because he felt it was wrong or unnecessary, but just because he couldn't bring himself to wake up that early. Admittedly, most of the team was relieved when he made this decision; even Fausta didn't bother complaining. Then again, Warren was also late to the game, and didn't arrive until thirty minutes before it started. "I sweah, he's the most oafish and irresponsible man I've evah met," Shannon grumbled as she tightened her cleats. "That's just his way," Terra said as she negotiated her sports bra. "He may act like a buffoon, but he's a lot sharper than most people give him credit for. And remember what he said when he first started. We're not children that need someone to pamper us." "I know, but it woulda been bettah if he had come here on time." "He can't come in here anyway, so I really don't see the problem," Freya admitted. Nobody was surprised anymore to see her wearing the team uniform; that was her decision as much as anyone else's "He's not Leena, schatz, so we shouldn't lump all these expectations on him." "I'm still worried about the game," Lauren sighed. "If he had just given us baseball training like he normally does, we would've been fine. I mean, they're awfully different sports, but they've got a few concepts in common. I don't see how playing dodge ball or DDR will help us." "I'm still a little sore from that game, too," Felicity groaned. She rubbed a tender spot on her forehead; Amy bent down to take a look at it, causing Felicity to turn pink. "Uh, yeah!" Rain exclaimed. "I think I got hit pretty hard too! Right on the thigh, see? Alice, could you take a look at it for me?" "What!" she shrieked. Jennifer rolled her eyes and, after assessing their situation, walked to the door and opened it. "You can come in now, coach," she said to Warren. "We're all decent." "Ha, and you ladies call me slow. I've known firefighters who get dressed quicker! It's not like you're going to Milan or anything. All right, let's get this show on the road." He strutted into their room, hands in pockets, still as unkempt as ever, and yawned twice before sprawling on an empty bench. "Um, coach?" Freya said fretfully. Warren sat up and rubbed his neck. "God, how do you ladies do it? These things are like slabs! I'd be more comfortable lying down on a sidewalk! Sheesh!" "Coach!!" she screeched. "Say something! What kind of plan do you have? St. Jeanne's is out there waiting for us and we don't even have a strategy!" "I thought that was your department," he grunted. "Or...was it Miss Essylt's? I forget." "But it's the coach's job to organize us. Look, we all know you're capable of doing this! You've run a baseball team; why not impart some advice here?" "Advice, huh?" Warren squeezed one eye shut as he rubbed his sandpapery cheek. The entire team leaned forward in anticipation. Surely now, at the final hour, he would start acting like a proper instructor. "Some advice, you say? Well, I'm not very good at passing on mantras or anything, and they always sound forced when I do, so...maybe something encouraging?" "That's fine. Just give us something to go by." "Mm-hmm, that could work. Well then." He suddenly bolted upright and glowed with the light of the sun as his face burst with excitement. "When you're all out there playing, I'm going to cheer really loud!!" It obviously took them some time to recover from that. "That's...not what I meant, coach." "Well, I meant every word! Hey, it sounds like it's just about time to start! You ladies have got some work to do, so I'll just mosey outside and get outta your hair. Ciao!" "Mr. Warren!!" "Oh yeah, good luck with your game! Remember, I'm cheering loud and clear!" Everyone growled and tried to suppress a nasty headache that had been irritating them all week long. Fleur took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. Since everything else seemed so screwed up, it only seemed fitting that she be the voice of reason. "Well, since Leena never told us to do our best, I guess it's only fitting that Mr. Warren doesn't, either. And the fact that he said he'd be supporting us may be the best form of encouragement there is. You have to admit that even Leena doesn't say that very often." "At l-least n-n-not with th-that much g-gusto!" Amy laughed. And so for the first time, the Carnegie soccer team stepped out amidst a cheering crowd without their Coach, without their early morning prayers, without the blessings of those who passed before them, and most unsettling of all, without any strategy or even much preparation. "And there they are," Chairman Fitzgerald observed from the stands. He turned to glance at Warren, who was reclining lazily, a smile of deep satisfaction on his face. For once the Chairman didn't bother to hide his disgust. "Well, whatever prestige they may have boasted will surely be lost today. I honestly don't know what that Coach you supplanted was thinking, but this farce will only go to show how great a lack of judgment she has. Mr. Warren, sir, you are the most idiotic person I have ever met." "Really?" he grumbled, sitting up briefly. "Then that means... I'm number one!!" He laughed and held his finger high with pride; Fitzgerald covered his face in shame. "I suppose that's what I get for talking to him in the first place." Alice, Elisa, Valencia, Freya, and Arina nestled in the bleachers, feeling lonely without Leena to guide them- but a single howl from a man in the crowd gave them new cheer. "He certainly has the loud part down," Alice smirked. "All right, ladies! Time to strut your stuff! Hit em' high, Felicity! Hit em' hard, Kasumi! Don't give them an inch, Shannon! Or a centimeter in your case, Fausta!" "I think he's stealing your job," Valencia grinned as she ribbed Freya. The blonde smiled feebly and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "He can have it. That kind of exercise is harder than it looks. You know, for all the sleeping and slouching he does, I have to wonder where he gets all that energy." "I still can't believe somebody actually married him," Alice stated as she leaned back. The game was just now underway, and St. Jeanne's was in peak form. They had already made it past Jen and Fleur, and were working their way to the defensive midfielders. "Nadia, Rain! Do the DDR now!" Warren shouted suddenly. Khovansky and Howlet were confused, but did as they were instructed. St. Jeanne's was confused by these peculiar orders, and more confused when the two ladies literally danced their way across the field, snatched the ball away, and shot it far. "WAHOO, great footwork! Okay, Felicity: the pole in the forest! Kasumi, railroad racer!" "What the devil is that fool talking about?" Samuel Velur grunted. He, Fitzgerald, and most of the fans for St. Jeanne were stunned silent as they saw Felicity swerving around her opponents like a squirrel in the treetops, while Kasumi ran down a razor-thin with the grace of a cat. They carried the ball between them past the goal, running up the score with only five minutes on the clock. "That's the way to do it, girls!!" Warren shouted. "Way to go! Okay, Fleur, it's your turn! Mow the law, mow the lawn! Jennifer, don't just stand there! Escalator, now!" "If you say so," Andre muttered. She surprised herself as she soared up the field, intercepting St. Jeanne's like a bullet train. Fleur practically bowled into the opposition, retrieving the ball and carrying it back to the center. She and Jen knocked down everything in their path as they blazed back to the goal, and together they put another tally on their board. "Wonderful! Hurry, Shannon, water relay! Just like Freya showed you! Nadia, Terra, water relay, hurry! Amy, DDR!" The team flew into motion and knocked the wind out of St. Jeanne's offense. They formed a chain line and kept it solid, just like the water relay, always one girl running, intercepting, defending, and ready to fire. Terra even went so far as to make it to the goal line; she handed it to Nadia for another easy score. "Unbelievable," Elisa whispered. "I know," Valencia murmured. "I just got the chills." "I can't believe those cockamamie methods of his are actually working." "Truly, his is a mind that no one could plumb the depths of," Arina added. "Shake it, girls! Loosen up their defenses! You didn't log all those hours at the mall escalator for nothing! Rain, clamp that foam tube hard! Don't touch any of the trees! Hey, Lauren, they're coming right for you! Dodge ball!" "I thought the object was to dodge the- hiiiiiiieeeeeee!!! Holy shit, that hurts! Damn, but at least I stopped the little bastard." "Shannon, Fausta, quick recovery! You've got a measuring cup in your teeth and a pool of water right in front of you!" The two of them quickly crouched down and smacked the ball with their heads, bouncing it away from a puzzled St. Jeanne's and back into Nadia's care. She took off down the railroad, or pretended to at least, and socked it to Fleur, who almost gave Carnegie another point before halftime. St. Jeanne stopped her attack but the damage had been done: the score was 3-0 in Carnegie's favor. And Helmuth Fitzgerald sat wide-eyed and pale as chalk, hands still folded in an unbreakable grip. - Fleur Lacroix, Hair/eye color: dark brown, deep green; defensive midfielder- Today was a day for precedents. Not only was it the first time Carnegie's team went without their usual coach- or their usual training method- or their usual pre-game meditation- but it was also the first time they completely shut out an opposing team, and they also entered their locker room without a sound. They were all stunned to total silence at what had transpired, and rightly so. Winning with the methods they had used was odd enough, but winning decisively, without their opponents even scoring... "No matter how many times I pinch myself or bite my tongue, the results are still the same," Fausta said in a hollow voice. "I can't believe we won five to nothing. I mean, after everything we've been through..." "I don't know whether to call it dumb luck or an act of genius," Arina agreed. "And did you see the Chairman's face? He looked like he just saw a ghost!" "This victory seems oddly empty," Kasumi moaned. As everyone settled in and tried to accept their unusual victory, their acting coach stepped in, glowing with pride, still disheveled and yet strangely gallant as well. "Ah, basking in the glory of victory, are we? Take your time, girls! You've earned every minute! And in a few short hours, I'll be outta your way and you'll have your regular coach back! I bet you can't wait to say goodbye to my sorry self!" He laughed and leaned against the wall, digging through his jacket pockets for a cough drop. "Ugh, but my throat is really sore. I guess all that cheering is to blame. Well, what can ya do? If you don't believe in your team, you're better off without a voice anyway! Say, anybody need one of these? I've got lemon, peach, tangerine, coconut, cinnamon..." "Coach, uh..." Amy shyly stepped forward, smiling sheepishly as she wrung her hands. "L-listen. I j...just want to say, on b-behalf of the team, that w-we're sorry if we g...g-ave you a hard time. And I'm s-s-sorry for doubting y-you." "Doubting? Whaddya mean? All I did was cheer and make you play silly games. A coach is nothing but a face, someone who represents the team, but in the end, is completely powerless. Of course, I should be the one to apologize for wasting your time, but come on! It was just too much fun! Whelp, I'll see you all later- some of you sooner than most. Remember, we've got that test on the Scandinavian conquest of Russia coming up! Miss Khovansky better not be the only one with an 'A'!" He walked out of the locker room as suddenly as he came in, with more than one woman gawping. Nadia rubbed her face. "How can he be like that? He is too strange for me." "Like I said, dumb luck or an act of genius," Arina sighed. "I suppose even the lackadaisical can make an art out of it," Fleur said in resignation. As the girls got undressed and started crowding the showers, Amy and a handful of others thought about their mentor's parting words. Warren might have been a slob, a slouch, a disorganized slacker, and a careless, irresponsible wreck, or maybe he merely acted that way to make people lower their guard, to penetrate their defenses and cause them to expose their true selves. Perhaps he only made them do those exercises to see how far they were willing to go, and what they were willing to do. And what other reason would he have to shy away from the affairs of the team, other than trying to strengthen their independence? If that had been his idea all along, then truly, his was a genius that no rule could contain. Even so, Leena had one hell of a welcoming.
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