October 18, Thursday, Carnegie soccer field 4:30 pm Freya's cell phone rang as she was performing stretches. As always, Shiki was quick to answer it. "This is Freya von Hohenheim's phone, but milady is currently unavailable. May I ask who is calling?" "It's Valencia," said she, though her voice was noticeably different. Shiki heard a sniffle before the Hispanic woman continued. "Ugh, I think I came down with something. Could you please tell Leena...hold on." Shiki recoiled as Valencia sneezed in the distance, and made a face when she coughed violently. She had been taking care of someone struggling with illness long enough to tell when someone wasn't faking it: Valencia definitely had something. "Ugh, sorry. I've been sneezing a lot recently. Could you tell Leena I won't be able to make it in today? I had to call a few of my instructors and tell them the same." "Uh, yes, I'll make sure she knows," Shiki replied. "If there's anything you need, I'd be happy to stop by and take care of it." "Nngh, no, don't both- HT-CHOO! HT-CHOO!- ugh, sorry! Lord in heaven! Don't bother. I already have everything I need. I won't be able to make it to the next game, though." "I understand. Please be sure to get some rest and take care of yourself. We'll just have to rely on Lauren until you get better." "That's an assuring thought," she joked. Shiki smiled a little before saying her farewells, and hung up with an expression of concern. Freya finally came over, looking surprisingly fit for one battling a degenerative disease. Today was one of her better days, thankfully, and she was taking advantage of her health. "Whew, I haven't had a workout like that in a good while! So who was on the phone, Shiki?" "Miss Durante. She called in sick as well." "Oh, dear," Freya grumbled. "That makes three already. I guess it is that time of year again. I hope things get better in time for the game. At least we have plenty of reserves!" "Yes," Shiki murmured, "though at this rate, who knows? Nothing is for certain." In this wide world People you're meant to meet can be seen Beyond the window, beyond the rainbow I think you're aware of them Take off that restrictive weight Let your feelings go Now keep your ears open and wait for that time Awaken now Cherish the little dream you've drawn in the vast sky If you do, you can always become happy It's certain, whoa whoa! "Getting Down with the Sickness" So far, Felicity, Kasumi, and Valencia had all called in sick, and that wasn't even the worst of it. By the end of the day, Fausta and Nadia had joined their number as well, bringing the toll to five. Normally this would've been seen as just another small outbreak, but two points stood out to those still left in good health: first, and most ironic, was the fact that the one lady who was normally sicker than most was at the peak of her health, and had been this entire week. Freya had no explanations for this, except to suggest that maybe, the forces at work were beginning to balance themselves out (she was joking). The second point was far more grim to the survivors. Many of their best players had been taken down by this disease, leaving only the intermediate, the untested, and the uncertain. Thank goodness at least they had enough players to fill in those positions, but none of them were at the level of those infirmed. Shiki, Maria, and Kathlyn spent what free time they had visiting the sick, helping them recuperate. They first came to the apartment Felicity and Kasumi shared, and entered with boxes and bags of food, drink, and some medicine. It was still relatively warm outside, so a few of the windows were open to let in fresh air. Kathlyn, Freya, and Fleur had theorized that the two roommates had caught the bug from each other; they did spent a considerable deal of time together. "Ah, so this is Chez Beckett-Velur," Maria remarked as she entered. The main hallway, den, bathrooms, and kitchen were left bare since both ladies shared them, but their respective rooms were decorated very accurately to their character. Both had reasonably flagrant posters hinting at their sexuality- one a Xena Warrior Princess spread and the other a Burst Angel motif. Unlike Felicity's girlish surroundings (which included a poster of David Beckham), Kasumi's wardrobe was an eclectic mix of street clothes, torn shirts and jeans, men's wear, soccer uniforms, and a few somewhat feminine outfits she set aside for work and church. There was also a poster for Rocky and Rocky Balboa, an old X-Box and some games, a laptop that looked like it was on its last legs, and some Harry Potter books stacked atop a small end table. The lady herself was in bed, her eyes bleary as she listlessly read a Kannazuki no Miko manga. "Hello!" Kathlyn said cheerfully. "We've come to bring you tidings of great joy...or at least great cooking." "Wow, that's really sweet of you...snnffh. Excuse me." She took a Kleenex and honked politely, then threw it in a trash can that was close to overflowing with snot-stained puffballs. Shiki replaced it with a fresh liner and took the bag outside to dump; Maria took some of the groceries and headed for the kitchen. "Ugh, you have no idea how much we need this. I've been too sick to run to the store." "Happy to oblige. You know, Freya's inviting everyone to her house so we can take care of you en masse. I think it's a pretty good idea." "So we really aren't the only ones? No shit. Who else is under the weather?" "Uhh, let's see. You two, of course, and Fausta and Nadia... Oh, and Valencia." "I think I accidentally gave my germs to her during out last date," she smiled grimly. "Felicity and Nadia work together...you'd better check on Lily to make sure they don't all have this. And Fausta... I dunno. So how come the rest of you are so healthy?" "I work in a hospital, so I'm immune to pretty much everything," Kathlyn chuckled. "The strange thing is that Freya looks as strong as any of us. We're actually considering giving her a position until you all get better." Kasumi groaned miserably. "Good lord, what has the world come to?" "I know," she muttered sympathetically. Maria stuck her head into the door just then. "I can't find Felicity. Is she here?" "Yeah, she said she was going to take a hot bath." "Oh. I was just about to say that once we're done unloading, maybe we could convince you guys to come with us to Freya's place." "I know, I heard. I'm kind of on the fence about that. You two aren't going to bicker while we're sick, are you?" "Nah, we only fight when Freya's around," she smiled. "I've had worse," Fausta coughed as she answered the door. She had the same symptoms as all the others, but being Fausta, she refused to let a little disease bring her down. "I just need some vegetables, water, and exercise. I've been climbing stairs for the past hour now. I can still play, you know." "You're barely able to stand," Shiki reprimanded her. "And your nose is running like a faucet. You've put away three tissues since I came here! Not to mention your eyes." "I can see just fine. I work best through pain." "Don't be masochistic. Just come with me and relax. You'll have lots of food and company." "Hmm, that's pretty generous of you. Still, this isn't the first time I've been sick. Is there any way I can convince you to leave?" "I don't know," she retorted. "Is there any way I can convince you to come with me?" Fausta laughed but was soon coughing. She snorted up a wad of spittle and phlegm, and excused herself to expel it. She sneezed three times during the journey. "God damn!" she snapped. "Ugh! I'd be okay if it weren't for the...for the snee...oh, crap, here it comes ah...agai...aghuh...ha...HT-CHOO! Shit! Sorry. Ugh." She teetered and nearly fell over; Shiki caught her. Fausta had just enough energy to turn her head and sneeze one more time; Shiki provided the next tissue. "Looks like I'm carrying you," she sighed. Fausta grunted. "Mm-hmm." Not only was Nadia under the weather, but it was also "that time" of the month for her, so she was suffering a double-whammy. She muttered something about "seeing the light" when Maria checked in on her, and slurred out something Russian she couldn't hope to interpret. Nadia's forehead was hot as an oven and her grip was frail. Maria was about to call an ambulance when Khovansky finally came to, and gurgled her greetings. "How ya feeling, sweetie?" Maria said as she took the girl's hand. "Bad as I look, maybe. Like a toilet." "That's pretty bad," she replied gently. "Listen, we're taking all the sick girls to Freya's for quarantine. Maybe you should come with us." "But I have no bring bathing suit. I will have to be swimming naked." She tried to smile but could barely twitch her mouth. "That's all right, Freya won't mind. Don't talk; just nod your head. Can you walk?" She shook her head feebly. "Can you stand up, then?" Her head shook again. Nadia's legs felt like rubber, and her stomach churned in protest if she so much as wiggled. Maria lifted her up and supported her, getting as far as the bathroom before Nadia expelled her breakfast. After drinking some water and cleaning up, she managed to hobble to the door, then to the car. "Just hold on," Maria said to her. Then, to Shiki, "She threw up awhile ago." "Oh, dear. There's some applesauce in the back. You should have something to eat, Nadia. You'll just get worse if you throw up on an empty stomach. Nothing solid until we know how bad you are." "Just no milk, please," she groaned. - Nadia Khovansky, family: Sasha, Valeria & Svetlana Khovansky; defensive midfielder- "I suppose we should count our blessings," Leena said, trying to put up an optimistic front as she paced before the remaining team members. "We lost five people due to this cold that's been going around, but thankfully, we still have enough for a functioning team. However, this means that some of you- if not all of you- will have to play a different position for now. We've got a game coming up, so I expect you all to adjust beforehand. Lauren, you're goalie." "That's easy enough," she said as she walked to the net, throwing the ball in the air and catching it. "Shannon, you're going to be forward. Rain, you're striker. That's Velur's and Beckett's positions. Hop to it." "Shit, this is gonna get ugly," Rain grumbled. She had forgotten to take her medications and was in a jittery mood. Shannon seemed unfazed, at least. "Jennifer, Terra, you're sweeper and stopper. I'm putting you in defense because both of you have shown the most growth out of everyone here. I'm counting on you." "No sweat, right?" Terra said. Jennifer looked fairly relieved; defense was tailored to her liking. "Fleur, Amy, you have defensive midfielder. It's just like what you're normally used to, except you'll be closer to the action. Stay sharp." "Yes m-ma'am." "A change of pace is always nice," Fleur said amicably. "Elisa, Alice, you've got left back and right back. There's not too much pressure there, but don't feel like you can slack off. I want you both coordinating with Andre and Tu, you got it?" "I'm ready, coach," Alice said confidently. Rain grinned at her; Elisa felt jealous. She wished she could be that bold. "Arina, you're right midfielder. I like how you took control in that last game, and I think you deserve another shot. As for the left midfielder..." Leena turned grimly to Freya, who had been anticipating this moment with a mixture of dread and excitement. She was smart enough to know that she would never be put in this position unless Leena had no choice- and now, it had come to just that. "I'll do whatever I can for the team, coach," she swore. "I'm not expecting a lot out of you, Freya," Leena warned her. "To be honest, I'm only putting you out there to fill a position, nothing more. If you want to practice with us, that's fine, but don't overexert yourself." "I'll be careful," she promised with a smile. "I'm actually feeling really great today. I could almost run!" "Like I said, don't work too hard. That does not apply to the rest of you, now! I want to see four laps from each of you before we get into passing and shooting! Let's go, everyone, hustle! Freya, your job is to try and shoot goals. Practice with Lauren- nothing else." "But I can walk around just fine." "Do as I say, Miss Hohenheim," she stated firmly. Freya felt a little intimidated, which was rare for her, but quickly obeyed her coach. Still, she couldn't help attempting to jog a little on her way to the goal. "We're going to be partners today," she announced to Lauren. "Aw, sweet! I was hoping I'd get a cutie to play with." "This is very serious, Lauren," she replied sternly. Ofdensen couldn't help but grin. Freya looked really adorable when she was trying to be serious. "Whatever you say, Goldilocks. Okay, what are we gonna do first?" - Lauren Ofdensen, family: Brent & Nell, Vanessa & Ollie Ofdensen; goalie/reserve- "Tired yet?" Leena said once everyone completed their laps. She skimmed over the group and noticed the majority was not even breathing hard, and those who were tired were only subtly so. But of course: she was putting them through the wringer, so naturally there would be a payoff. Leena was glad she had a few veterans unscathed by the illness. She would put most of her faith in Threal, who could be more aggressive than Velur or Beckett if given half a chance, and Fleur, who was a surprise to everyone she met. There were also a great deal of natural athletes to round out the group, such as Howlet, Tu, Nguyen, and Andre- even meek Elisa Berkeley could prove remarkable if she only asserted herself a little more. Leena made a mental note to implement a strategy that would help round out those shaky edges of hers: Elisa needed someone strong in her life to bring out the best in her. But she already had Threal for a roommate, so then... "No rest for the weary," she said, clapping loudly. "Get into your positions and start passing, as far as Threal and Howlet, then back to Ofdensen. Relay it back and forth for a few minutes, and make sure everyone gets a turn. Start moving, now! The other teams won't be standing still! Not you, Hohenheim!" "Darn it, I'm not a helpless little girl," she snorted. Freya huffed her way back to her position and stood watching her teammates kick the ball between themselves, feeling isolated and useless. Once, one of them fumbled and sent the ball her way; she stopped it with her foot and contemplated it. "Now's the time to prove yourself, Hohenheim of light!" Jennifer called. Terra laughed; nobody else seemed to get the joke. Freya carefully reared her foot back and gave the ball a smart tap. Naturally, this was not her first attempt at playing a sport, or even playing soccer: she did have her good days along with her bad. But her inexperience showed immediately, as the checkered orb barely sputtered past Fleur. "Uh, thanks," she said dryly. She launched it to Amy, who gave it to Arina, who sent it to Rain and Shannon and then back to Lauren, pausing only once to receive a boost from Alice. "That really sucked," Freya sighed. "But I suppose it's better than what Shiki and Maria are doing." "Val! I'm on your side! And for the last time, Kasumi, stop stealing all the good stuff! You could at least save that armor upgrade for me!" "I can't help it if you suck at this," Kasumi smirked. They were attending to a multiplayer first-person shooter, and Kasumi, being something of an expert, had asserted total domination over all comers. Valencia was sitting beside her, laughing at her mistakes, giggling whenever her character died (whether by falling off a cliff or getting his head blown off); Felicity surprised herself at how easily she slipped into the game...and how easily she was killed. Maria wasn't so bad, but she was a poor sport, and insisted that everyone play by the rules; Kathlyn and Shiki, of course, paid no attention, and shot everyone that came within range. Nadia and Fausta were the only ones who declined to play. "Val, help a girl out here. Go distract Kasumi while I try and find some better ammo." "I'll do my best. So Kasumi, did you know that Voltaire made up the story about Newton being inspired by a falling apple?" "Oh come on, you can do better than that! Why don't you kiss her or...something? She is your girlfriend." "You're both putting me in a very tight spot," she muttered, right before running into a land mine. She burst out laughing and almost knocked a bowl of snacks over. "This is awesome! Hey, can I use a chainsaw in here?" "No, that's Doom," Kasumi said. "We could play a zombie-killer next if you really want to." "No thanks, I don't really go for that whole blood-and-gore undead thing. So as I was saying, why did I get put on your team, Maria?" "Because I thought we could bond better. Doggone it, Felicity, would you give me a break!?" "Wait, was that you? Augh, I'm sorry, I forgot who you were again. We're red, right?" "Right, we're red," Kasumi confirmed. "We are bonding," Valencia insisted, as she died again. "But Kasumi's my girlfriend. That's different." "I thought we were friends," Maria grumbled. She suddenly shrieked and jumped out of her chair, now officially upsetting a snack bowl. "HA! I powned you, Shiki!! I powned you! Aw yeah! Kiss my ass!" "Later perhaps," Shiki sighed. She bent down and cleaned up the mess her guest made. "Oh no, don't bother to help me, Mari-chan. It's not like this is the first time you've gotten Hohenheim-dono's estate filthy." "Shiki, hurry!" Kathlyn exclaimed. "Felicity's on my tail! I don't have anything left but my knife! Felicity, go away! At least pause it so Shiki can finish what she's doing!" "Nope," she smirked, before killing Kathlyn's character. "And powned. Another one for red." "You guys are cheating," Kathlyn grumbled as she bent down to help her partner. Fausta was in the hot tub as all this was going on, lounging in private and drinking some coconut milk. She figured that by ingesting enough liquids and laxatives, she would expel her virus quickly, and be back on her feet in time for the game. Kathlyn's official statement was that she was still running a fever, however, and her nose was congested as well- but she was the healthiest among them. She watched the six girls screaming, fighting, cursing, and laughing through the glass door, and while it was an amusing spectacle, she was glad she was not involved. Too loud and silly for her tastes. Nadia, poor Nadia, was recuperating alone in a spare bedroom, far and away from the noise. Shiki and Kathlyn checked up on her every half-hour or so, usually with food and drink or some medicine. Nadia had stopped vomiting and could keep simpler foods down, but she didn't feel like eating anything solid. She was coherent, though, and her period had gotten better with the medicine- now she was just bored. There was no television in the room, so she had to settle for a radio. "They are so lucky," she sighed. Back in the den, the game had stopped and the sick girls were being ushered back to their beds for some rest. Kasumi left with a proud smirk, which Maria very nearly wiped off with her fist, and Valencia was holding her sides, trying not to double over from laughing so much. Felicity stopped by the pool and knocked on the door, letting Fausta know it was time to come out. The Italian beauty emerged wearing only a towel, looking much better after her hot soak. "Ah, that hit the spot. I haven't sneezed once ever since I slipped in there. Now if it weren't so chilly outside, I'd ask that we all take a walk. Something the matter, Velur?" "No," she replied casually. Fausta threw her towel off right before stepping into her room, clearly comfortable with herself and her figure. Felicity was jealous of her beauty and confidence, but she also liked what she saw. Ah, missed opportunities. Before getting into her room, she stopped by Nadia's for a visit. She couldn't help but smile at the defenseless young woman, and thankfully, Nadia smiled back. "Feeling any better?" "Bit by bit. I like having visitors. Please tell everyone they must come see me more. Just no bright lights, okay? Will give terrible headache." "I will," she grinned. "So, um...how do you think everyone else is doing without us?" Nadia shook her head speechlessly for a moment. "They are doing as best they can. Leena will be knowing what for best with them." "Yeah. Anyway, let's all get better soon." "Yes, very soon. Am not liking this lying down." Felicity beamed at her before leaving; she hated being sick but she also rarely got a chance to relax like this. Maybe once in awhile wasn't so bad. - Terra Tu, family: Vu, Lien, & Mai Tu; left back- 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. "Let's also hope our five absent teammates get well soon," Leena concluded. "I want a great game from you all later today. Get some rest, get something to eat, and meet at the usual place. Our opponent today is Hartford Community College. They should be a perfect match for this group. That's all I have to say." Freya made a note in her PDA to call Shiki later for news regarding her guests, then walked over to Arina, whom she believed she could carry a reasonable conversation with. "Excuse me, Arina? Might I have a word?" "Just one?" she said. Freya paused and made a face. Arina grinned: "Kidding. Go on." "Well, I was just wondering what the team expects me to do. I mean, I know I've been practicing with you all a bit, and I've read up on football... I just don't know how to apply it." "I am sorry, but I don't think you'll be of that much use to us later today," she replied quietly. Freya became upset as Arina resumed: "It's nothing personal, Freya. You just aren't an athlete. You have provided quite sufficient assistance already as our manager and strategist. However, you are only being included in this game because we have no one left. Why else do you think I am here?" "But you...you helped us out the last time. You beat Shannon Wilson." "It really wasn't my doing," she muttered, more ashamed than humbled. "But there's a difference between you and me and the rest of the team. They have no expectations for me and none for you, either. From what I gather, you are simply required to stand there and fill in for someone else. I am assuming that Shannon and Fleur will cover for you when they can. Hopefully, the other team won't notice how outclassed you are." "Now you're just insulting me," she snapped. Arina shrugged and walked away, Freya following closely. "You asked for my opinion and now you have it. Odds are that our opponents will take advantage of your lack of skill and cause us some distress. Watch out for that." Freya stood still for a moment, clenching her fists, feeling infuriated and worthless. She wouldn't give up, of course- she'd fight until her final breath- but if it hadn't been for this damned disease...if she had been born a healthy baby... She had lost count of how many times she entertained these ideas- how very different her life might have been if just a few things had gone differently. "I'm going to do it," she stated out loud, though no one could hear her. "I'm going to help you win today. It might be my only chance. My...very last...chance." She wiped the tears from her eyes and marched on, as focused as a laser. "BOOYA!!" Lauren jumped up and hurled the ball to Alice, being sure to pump her fists for the crowd. Hartford had delivered a vicious offensive and she had caught their shot with almost no trouble at all. "That one's for you, Goldilocks! I couldn't a-done it without ya!" "She's pointing at you," Fleur announced. Freya looked at the goalie but couldn't see what Lauren wanted. She hoped it was nothing bad. "Why? I didn't do anything." "Look sharp, Hohenheim!" The ball came right for her and she shrieked; Fleur jumped in and blocked it with her chest, then quickly sent it flying towards Shannon. She then focused her frustration on Freya, nearly flipping her the bird in front of everybody. "Damn it, blondie, pay attention out here! That ball would've knocked your head off, you know! Then we'd have to forfeit the game!" "Well it's not like I'm a natural football player or anything!" she yelled. Leena covered her face in shame; she wished Kathlyn was there to help assuage the stress. The game was proceeding exactly the way she had anticipated: so far so good, but not the spectacle it normally was. She almost hated to admit it, but the team was seriously lacking something with most of its strength gone. At least the survivors were filling in nicely: Alice had improved dramatically, and had blocked, passed, and even shot the ball with much sharper precision. Leena wondered if she could convince the unusually tall, dark-haired woman to assume a more permanent defensive position: her size came in handy when it was time to stop a rogue ball. "Come on, Berkeley, wake up out there," she murmured. The ball was in Threal's care now, and she was going deep into Hartford territory, but Elisa looked like she was daydreaming. Lauren shouted something encouraging to her, but she still looked out of it. Suddenly, Shannon lost the ball, and as Rain and Amy chased after it, Arina swooped in and kicked it hard. Hartford caught it and made a beeline for the goal again. Lauren crouched down, grinning hungrily; Terra and Jennifer sprang into action. They took charge and wrested the ball away, sending it bouncing to Elisa's side of the field. The skittish young woman seemed to panic only for an instant (but what an instant!), then took the ball and made a long charge down the field, which was relatively cleared. Hartford slowly caught up to her, and before she was overrun, Berkeley shot the ball as far as she could. It flew into a fantastic arc, over Amy and Fleur, straight to Freya. Lacroix made a break for the stunned German, but there was no way she'd get there in time. "Catch it, Hohenheim!" Leena shouted. Freya saw the ball coming and braced herself for the impact. Fierce hope started booming in Leena's chest. Mouths hung open in anticipation. The crowd stood on the edge of its seat... And the ball fell neatly into Freya's awaiting hands. You could almost hear the disappointment and disbelief venting out. Leena squeezed her eyes shut in aggravation. "Damn it, Freya," she muttered. Hohenheim balked as she realized her blunder. "Uh, oopsie." "Yellow card warning!" the referee called. "Hartford gets a penalty kick." The ladies of Carnegie groaned and more than a few gave Freya an impatient glare (Fleur was downright boiling). "Sorry, everyone! It was an honest mistake! I just flinched! I'll get it next time, I promise!" Lauren wasn't able to catch the shot, and so the score ran up zero to one in Hartford's favor. "D-d-don't be so h-hard on her, ev-v-veryone," Amy pleaded. "It's her f-first game. She's b-b-bound to make m-mistakes." She gave Freya a sympathetic wave and even smiled- that made the blonde feel infinitely better. "Just try not to catch it with ya hands anymoah," Shannon warned her. "If you get one moah yellow cahd, you're outta the game." "I know, I'm sorry. I did it without even thinking." "It's okay, don't blame yaself. I shoulda been there to help ya." Shannon crossed herself and knelt down as the game resumed. Freya stood helplessly as her teammates and rivals battled: the ball went back, forth, back, forth, Carnegie, Hartford, Carnegie, Hartford- and she would have no part in it. Rather than crying, Freya began to burn with determination, and vowed to do better the next time fate called upon her. Fleur scored a goal when she wasn't looking, and the tide of the game seemed to turn once again. However, Hartford had watched her mistake carefully, and believed she was now Carnegie's weakest link. When their side came barreling down past her, she was determined to jump out and kick the ball away from them, heedless of where it might end up. But oh, they were so fast! They moved like Shiki when she ran! Freya could barely keep up with Maria- what chance did she have here? "If I don't do it, I might never get another chance! Charge!!" She surprised the other team with her aggression, and she did actually get in range of the ball, close enough for a decent kick. She wound her leg back, shot her foot out... Missed the ball... Stood precariously balanced on one foot as her leg hovered in the air... And promptly fell flat on her rear end. "Wow, that was kinda cool," Lauren said. "Gosh, I hope that didn't hurt too much. Heh, it's definitely something you don't see every day, eh Jenny?" "Yeah, poor thing. Hey, look!" She smiled as a member of Hartford's team walked over and helped her up. Freya was rubbing her sore bottom but tried putting on a smile. "Are you okay?" the other girl said, trying not to laugh. "Owwww, owowow. Uuuuuugh, that hurt. N-no, I'm fine. I just lost my balance there for a second. You're very kind." "All right then. Um, good luck." "Thanks, you too!" Freya went back to wincing and recovering; the crowd had laughed at her and was now feeling more sympathetic. Fitzgerald did not share in their compassion. "Pathetic," he snapped. "A few of the players get sick and this is the result? Perhaps you should start reconsidering our agreement, Rosewood. If this is what happens under abnormal circumstances, I can't see how they'd ever have a chance." "The game is not over yet, Fitzgerald," she replied patiently. "And besides, there's one other thing to consider. If Carnegie can pull through and win this game, when some of their best players are out of commission, then it'll prove beyond all doubt that they deserve to be here." "I suppose," he relented quietly. - Kasumi Beckett, family: Randy Beckett, Diana & Charlie Berry; striker- Freya was a different person when halftime had passed. Lauren, Amy, Jennifer, Elisa, and Terra were still benevolent to her plight and had offered her all their support during the break, but the others had not been not so helpful. Shannon had still tried to comfort her, being the Catholic she was, but her tone was much more harsh and reprimanding. Arina had to but glance at her to affect her mood, Rain had simply ignored her and tried concentrating on the game (she had only taken part of her medication prior to arriving), and Fleur... Her response needn't be said. "It's official," Jennifer muttered. "Fleur is the biggest bitch in the entire universe." "She's also correct most of the time," Arina muttered as she performed a few stretches. "Although I suppose she did go overboard this time. What could she hope to expect out of a beginner like Freya?" "Some of us aren't exactly experts, you know," Elisa muttered indignantly. "Yeah, you two need to loosen up," Lauren advised. "It's not like it's the end of the world if we lose. Who really gives a fuck, anyway? It's just some dumb game." "Only in your world," Arina murmured. The game was underway again and Freya was trying not to let the gloom overwhelm her. She had to remember: being in this game was just like her medical condition. She had been a weakling all her life, with only occasional bouts of strength, but still she persevered. Freya had something to prove, and she refused to go down until she had made her point. At times like this, she would fall back on her lovers or her family for support- but they were not here right now, so she would have to do this on her own. Determined, she studied the ball as it sailed from one woman to the other. The score remained tied for several hectic minutes, but Hartford was wearing down a little. Shannon pressed the attack like a woman gone mad, and Rain- for all her quirks- was not far behind. She very nearly scored another goal before the Hartford keeper caught it. Arina had the ball next, swiping it from charging red-clad women, and punted it to Amy, who was coming up fast from her flank. Freya watched her curve around the field, pursued by four others, until finally she relented and sent the ball flying to Elisa. Berkeley signaled to Alice and Jennifer; Terra stayed behind and kept their defenses tight. Elisa caught the ball but was overtaken; Alice blocked its passage and Jen regained control. She got as far as Fleur and Amy before losing the ball again. It flew far, strong but clumsy; Terra jumped into the air and delivered a powerful spinning kick that sent the ball flying. It coasted all the way to Fleur, who sent it to Rain, who worked alongside Shannon to drive it further up, further in. "Time's almost out," Freya murmured to herself. "We just need to score once. Give it to Shannon, Rain. She can do it. You just keep the ball away from midfield. Amy and Fleur can help you. Oh wait- OH CRAP!!" Tthe ball was heading in her direction again. Fear washed over Freya's body and she felt icy sheets suffocating her. Adrenaline surged and she felt like she could conquer the world, if only she could budge. Fleur was heading right for her, ready to assume command. Shannon would be there soon as well- but would it be soon enough? Freya didn't know whether this was "her moment" or not, but she refused to let another opportunity pass again. Win or lose, she would go all out. She spun around and stuck her leg out, more to block the ball than to kick it. Her momentum not only stopped the ball, but slugged it hard, sending it soaring back into the air. Shannon gawked at it for a second, then followed it at full speed, eventually slamming her forehead into it as it came sailing down. Rain caught it and dribbled it deep into Hartford territory; a somewhat jarred Threal followed up on her attack and socked the ball into the goal for a clean win. Hartford still had some minutes on the clock, but it was a futile gesture: Carnegie kept the ball away from them until the very end. Freya would've been jumping for joy if her foot didn't bruise so much. "Oww," she moaned as she collapsed onto the grass. Elisa, Jen, and Amy were beaming as they ran over and lifted her up on their shoulders. Nobody believed for a second that Freya's insignificant little maneuver actually won them the game, but they adored her anyway for the small part she played. Once she was put back down, several gallons of Gatorade were poured on her, and though her foot and her rear still stung, Freya was glowing with victory. "You all did well out there," Leena said brightly. "Alice, you and Elisa were particularly outstanding. I might just put you in more games after what I saw today. As for you, Miss Hohenheim, I'm sorry if I sounded rough on you before." "No apologies necessary," she answered. "Just do me a favor, and never make me do something like that again." Everyone laughed out loud, even Freya, even Fleur. It had been quite a definitive game. Yet all was not well in the world... "Darn it, how'd you get so good all of a sudden?" Kasumi groaned as her character died yet again. Nadia stuck her tongue out as she sucked on her thermometer. "Winners never reveal their secrets. Who will be wanting pown next, please?" "I am ashamed," Shiki grumbled. "Where's a white robe and a tanto when you need one?"
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