"I know we can. After today it'll be more than you and me. Who know." I feel confident there, watching Mark put Ezekiel down on the floor, Rys about to score..stomm, even if Rys doesn't score now people can see us. I can't wait to practice with our …
"It's not a real match. So it's off the record." So no one will get in the least trouble for a bad call. I watch the replay again. "Someone is putting me in my place." I look at the remote cameras.
"I did just come out of Iso. And on the other side…
I smile and gesture back to Zola as she points at me, tapping a fist over my heart. I think I've seen it in feeds. A team thing.
Ashley's excitement peaks again and I look down at what she's done.
"Yeah, I want to." I accept the navi and sweep thr…
Greyboxes are a subject of morbid curiosity for me, the dark side of implanted comms and personal transponder technology. They're highly illegal, so I've only managed to get my hands on a single one before, and it was damaged, but still educational.…
I sit next to Ourania when Ashlee is engrossed in her Navi. I'm riveted by what she's saying, eyes wide, leaning in. The discomfort I felt with Ourania the last time we saw each other melts. "I'm done with Iso?!"
I throw an arm over Ourania's shoul…
Procedure. Proc-
I jump towards Vyvyan, animated by fear and a gut-turning question. I grab for a large handful of xir hair so I can pry xir around. I want to see the back of xir neck. Laying a harsh hand on xir is just a side benefit.
Lecturing m…
Ashlee is so cute when she's animated like this. I smile back. She's like a puppy, just unable to figure out what to do with herself. I can't help but reach out to ruffle her hair.
"You were right. Do you have it recorded? I want to see where that …
I walk into the stands, looking for familiar faces next to empty seats. All of these pod 8-ers around makes me antsy, really. I keep twisting around to catch bits of the action. I need to get a seat.
"Oh. Ourania." She turns and looks right at me,…
"Well. If you think I'm unaware of how scrutinized I am then you definitely think I'm thick. But you know, I've always seen it as making sure I was prepared instead of letting me founder by my own whim." I stand back up again, unsteady and missing m…
DQ'ed? Drokk! Now I don't get to play the same game with Kellek's face that he just did with Mark's shoulder. I toss my arms up and head for the away lockers.
I should get a look at the play footage, see where I crossed the line. I cross Zola on t…
I dip in to tackle her and leave my following arm up as I reach for her legs with the other. We cross into each other hard, but when it's done I'm fine, if dazzled. I think I flipped her over me?
Gen Yu has to pass, and I'd love to introduce her to the floor before she has a chance to do it, lock her up and maybe muddy possession.
I catch Mark's eye as I aim towards Gen Yu - Rys can handle Pellit, it's up to Mark and I to give Jace a shot.…
It's all..believable, I'll admit. But it's also all bottomlessly hopeless, faithless, and ultimately it's ignorant in its own way.
I've looked. I've thought and made decisions, about myself and the Archebellochs as a whole and about my prime in pa…
I nod to the coach, then roll some stiffness out of my shoulders. Those were some good plays, and now I've got to keep my concentration up. Locking down on Gen Yu will be about speed, but also about anticipation. Gams, I dunno.
I nod to Rys as we …
I let Gen Yu's glare roll off of me. Keep my smirk on the inside as I hug Zola close and breathe her in before letting her go to get in position. Have to go another four days without her.
Mark lets us know it's all second verse, same as the first. …
"You're demented! If what you say is true xie made that decision before you were even ten." I brace more upright and press against the back of the chaise as Vyvyan closes in on me.
"To think that you've replaced a sense of responsibility for your b…
Hah! What a good opening goal! Pax is good at bringing it into the other team's space. I realize I've never played with her before. If this is her after day 3 on the team, that's zeng as hell.
I bounce on my feet once, clap hands together and chuck…
I grin at Gen Yu - she didn't leave any oomph for trouble. And I still got it. We knock into each other and it's not pretty, but I come away with the ball, wait for Mark to be open.
Taking my 3rd harm, cap'n.
Mark's orders are good, even if I'd rather wait for Gen Yu to come with me, lock her up and steal the ball. Gen Yu has never seen me pour on speed. I usually save it for reacting and not acting. That works for me, usually.
"Pax, left." That's all s…
My head bumps against the plex as I'm coaxed to get close. I just blink at myself and listen to Ashlee's explanation. "Okay, I'll work on that. Take up space." I could try to copy the gestures, get them down better, but that could be a tipoff when A…
I shoulder Zola aside quietly and respond to Ezekiel. "Thanks. For the peace offering. It's doing me good already. Let's see what kind of plays. You've got."
I glance back at Zola, see Gams and Pellit in the periphery of my vision. Hear all the sq…
I do a few burpees cold, which sucks but gets my blood flowing. Deep lunges, some shoulder stretches. I sit and do some butterflies. I want my hips and shoulders loose after being coiled up in an Iso box.
Corporal Sip..Ioanna remembers him from a c…
"Scrimmage is a friendly game. Like 75%. Of a real game." I wonder where Zola's silence is coming from. "I just don't expect Power. To bring much chill."
"Don't push harder than they push. But don't push any less hard, either."
"You need to watch. Each one of them. They're coordinated..and Gen Yu is drokking fast." I make the 'eyes on you' motion with one hand. "Plus, with Zola doing her thing. They'll play aggressive."
I'm going to be catching hell if I'm lucky. Stomm, I…
"Yeah, like that." I grin and nod. In imitation, I roll my shoulders and coax a pop in my neck with a hand. Feels good. Graceful, huh?
I look over at Pax. "Are you ready for pressure?"
I take the time Vyvyan spends nattering so to think.
Xie isn't the slightest bit worried about TXR being forced to shift markets to aliens, fringers or other rebels if this disgrace happens? Xir own markets? Well..it is terribly unlikely, but..I ca…
"Ion drives. And the power plant." I walk between Zola and Pax, feeling like part of a posse. I think about the gel, and Pax's comments.
"The ship has so many. Systems. I'll be looking into more of them." Mostly out of desperation, unless I can spe…