Lilywhite Ladies - IC

[Ninja_Prawn]

The three of you use different approaches, but each time the result is the same: the attacker breaks through and wins the contest. Walker sighs and remarks: "ugh, someone remind me to put some more defensive drills into next week's training..."

[Lentrax]

Uh, yeah! I can do that!

And so Leslie does try to set the other players up with shots. She kicks some of the balls in arcs, she lobs some of them lower to the ground, she sends shots of all kinds upfield for the others to try and score.

Spoiler

Show

I have no idea what headers and volleys is. A quick google search leads me to believe it is a variant where points can only be scored by shots made with your head? Not sure though.

Anyway. Neutral Skill.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Uh, yeah! I can do that!

The coach thanks you, noting your effort and what proves to be a fine display of skill.

"Alright, that about does it for today. Go get changed and take care on your way home. We don't want any avoidable injuries!"

[Space Lawyer]

It didn't seem like Nikki's plan had worked quite like she had hoped; neither Grace nor Robin seemed to have found any new vigor. Oh well, she couldn't let one failed attempt discourage her. She'd just have to keep on trying to pep up the others. If she kept at it, one day the team would be absolutely unstoppable force, just bowling over opponents with sheer energy.

It also seemed like it meant that the whole team would be spending more time on defensive drills.

Standing around.

Waiting for the ball.

Reacting.

Uggggghhhhhh

Nikki goes up to Grace and Robin. "Wow, Grace, that was some nice footwork! A little tricky for me, but you made it look easy! And Robin, I wish I could just get in there and take control of the ball like you!"

[Illven]

Thank you! Robin replied looking genuinely pleased.

I wish I had your energy. She added with a shaky chuckle and a sigh of relief at practice being over.

[Ninja_Prawn]

The rest of the week passes uneventfully. Lessons at the school have begun to settle into the usual loop of classwork, homework and required material, which may or may not be a comfort to you, depending on your outlook.

Scene 9

Spoiler: Scene Notes

Show

Location: Enfield Way
Dress: football kit
Morning Person: NO
Runner's Glow: YES

Your opponents this week were the champions last year. A formidable team with a long history of success, you can tell that they're confident just from looking at them.

Coach Walker sets you up in a conservative formation. "Okay girls, we'll need to keep it tight for the first twenty-five, thirty minutes here. I want lots of pressure on the ball - don't let them have any space in our half. Hopefully they'll slip up at some point and we can hit them on the break*."

Spoiler: Roll

Show

You need 2SP to start this one... which is everyone!

Unpposed roll!!

Conflict d6 - stop those overhyped showoffs! 2VP towards Lottie.

Spoiler: *Glossary

Show

Break, n. Football. In this case, she's referring to a style of rapid counter-attack. If a side has committed a lot of players to an attack but loses the ball, the other side might attempt to rush forwards to exploit the lack of players in their opponent's defensive line. Can also be used as a verb as in "this team always breaks quickly."

[jamieth]

Unfortunately that plan, while probably sound from tactical standpoint, wasn't exactly Grace's forte. Try as she might, she didn't really get any better in defense compared to the last practice; her best hope here was to wait until the Coach gives them a go to start attacking... and hope her teammates won't let any goals in before that.

Spoiler

Show

Weak Conflict for -1 total; can't suceed unless someone buffs me for some reaon

[Space Lawyer]

Ok, that settled it. Nikki was going to have to hit the gym at some point and just start pumping iron. Lifting heavy things and then putting them back down wasn't fun, but she clearly needed the musculature that came from it to compete at this level. The opponents this week weren't people she could just outplay - they were easily on her level, and it was going to come down to pure physicality. She could keep up with them all day, but that alone wasn't enough. She really needed to get some pointers on this style of play from Robin.

Spoiler: Roll

Show

No modifiers :(

[Lentrax]

Leslie tries. She really does. But she just isn't that great at being able to put the kinds of pressure on the other team as Coach really wants.

Spoiler

Show

Weak conflict. Can't pass.

[Illven]

That's when Robin's wiccan connotation overflows.

Beep! Beep! Beep! She lets out with a string of epithets as her left hand is covered in a thick warm grey goo.

Damn it, damn it, damn it. She didn't need this, she needed to be on the field in a few minutes to earn Mommy and Daddy's love. Wiping off the majority of the goo, with a nearby towel. She went out on the field.

Robin nods at the directions. Getting into people's faces were her forte.

A forte aided by the fact that her left hand started to absolutely reeked, meaning no player actually wanted to be near her.

Spoiler

Show

Neutral conflict, Brusier, Dark magic (if it applies) +4 total.

[Ninja_Prawn]

The first half is a rough experience, with the feel of a medieval siege rather than the free-flowing game that your fledgling team would prefer. When the whistle blows for halftime, you are 1-0 down - and it could have been much worse if not for Robin's uncanny ability to unnerve her opponents at crucial moments. Lottie goes to pat her on the back as you walk off the pitch but, wrinkling her nose, asks: "woah, what is that smell? Is someone burning incense?"

Miss Walker gathers you in for a team-talk. "Well done, girls, that was good work out there." It seems she's trying to lift your spirits. "It's only one-nil, we're still in this game. Plus I think that big girl they've got up front won't last much longer, she looks sick as a parrot." She flips through a book of laminated pages containing different formations and strategies. "Anyone got any ideas for what we might change up in the second half?"

[Illven]

The first half is a rough experience, with the feel of a medieval siege rather than the free-flowing game that your fledgling team would prefer. When the whistle blows for halftime, you are 1-0 down - and it could have been much worse if not for Robin's uncanny ability to unnerve her opponents at crucial moments. Lottie goes to pat her on the back as you walk off the pitch but, wrinkling her nose, asks: "woah, what is that smell? Is someone burning incense?"

Miss Walker gathers you in for a team-talk. "Well done, girls, that was good work out there." It seems she's trying to lift your spirits. "It's only one-nil, we're still in this game. Plus I think that big girl they've got up front won't last much longer, she looks sick as a parrot." She flips through a book of laminated pages containing different formations and strategies. "Anyone got any ideas for what we might change up in the second half?"

I think we should pair me with the big girl, if she's about to crumple, she'll crumple faster with me in front of her, and that'll leave an opening for the rest of the team. Robin suggests raising her right hand.

[Lentrax]

Leslie is relieved when the half finally ends. She looks around as her teammates gather to discuss what to do for the second half.

Well, trying to outlast them didn't do so well. But maybe we can outmaneuver them with stronger attacks?

[Ninja_Prawn]

The coach agrees. "Yes, I think it's time to show them what you can do. Got any words of encouragement, captain?" she gestures for Lottie to take over.

"Right, yes. Okay. You heard what she said girls: we're still in this tie, and I know we can win if we all work together and do our best! Are you with me?"

Spoiler: Roll

Show

We're going to do another roll to determine how the second half goes. This time, you're free to choose any stat if you can justify it. The final result will depend on the sum of all your rolls, while whoever rolls the highest will be the woman of the match and gain a bonus VP with Lottie. Therefore this counts as an opposed roll.

[Lentrax]

Leslie goes out and plays as hard as she can, but then, she starts to slip up. Passes begin to go off mark, her feet slip over the ball. One shot ricochets off her head and becomes a pass. If it weren't for Lottie and her ability to keep the ball in play, and out of their own goal, Leslie would likely have done the game in for her own team.

Sorry, Lottie!

Leslie! Get your head back in the game!

Lottie.

Why do I care what she thinks? I mean, she's a team mate, and the Captain, but why do I care what she personally thinks?

But as Leslie looks to Lottie, she settles down, focuses on her fundamentals, and goes back into the match.

Spoiler

Show

Strong Luck, Accident Prone, Vulnerable. +5 total.

[jamieth]

Now that she finally was free to play her own way, Grace was a different woman; once she got the ball, she fearlessly rushed towards the opposing players and challenged them to a duel of intricate footwork... and, after winning said duel, sent the ball to her teammates and rewarded her opponent with either a polite curtsey or a blown kiss, depending on whether she found a particular player particularly attractive.

...granted, it didn't always work. Still, she could be much more happy with her performance in the second half.

Spoiler

Show

Strong Skill, Reneissance Lady, Second Wind for +3

[Illven]

Robin had plans, Robin was dripping with plans.

She had been studying her teammates thoroughly through the first month of school. She knew that Grace would act like a tiger once free to make up her own plans, that Lesile would start to falter in the second half, so she stayed by her.

Come on, just a little bit longer. She tried to reassure her, nowhere near as good as Lottie at doing so.

Spoiler

Show

Strong skill, Athletic, Honor student. Just as planned.

[Space Lawyer]

This was certainly a conundrum. The other team was obviously more physically gifted, especially that bruising attacker of theirs. The only solution to this would be a combination of brains and brawn. Nikki turns her formidable mind to the problem, seeing the stratagems that could be employed. Rather than coming at them head-on, they'd just have to slip around the sides, getting in at the unexpected angles and forcing the other team to eventually tire out and collapse. No matter what, Nikki would give it her all.

"Got it! They won't know what hit them this go around!"

Spoiler: Roll

Show

Skill: strong skill, honor student, overachiever, athletic. +6 total.

[Ninja_Prawn]

You all dig deep and give it your all, playing with such intensity that your opponents can't keep up. Nikki is everywhere, scoring one goal and setting up another to give you an improbable victory! But for some reason, Robin seems to be getting all the credit. How did that happen...?

[Illven]

You see what I was saying? Robin said to Lottie. I was telling you just give Nikki a chance to cut lose and she'll win the game for us. She says putting an arm around Lottie and taking her away.

[Ninja_Prawn]

You see what I was saying? Robin said to Lottie. I was telling you just give Nikki a chance to cut lose and she'll win the game for us. She says putting an arm around Lottie and taking her away.

"Yeah. Man, that was really smart. Maybe we should make you vice-captain..." she responds.

[Space Lawyer]

It definitely seemed odd that Robin had turned out to be the star of the game, but whatever. The team had won, and that was good enough. "Great work, everybody!" They had taken down last year's champions; that would be sure to make them stick out. Of course, that would also mean they would be viewed as the team to beat . . .

[Illven]

"Yeah. Man, that was really smart. Maybe we should make you vice-captain..." she responds.

Vice captain would look great on her application.

Oh really!? Robin asks a kilowatt smile on her face. Oh.. I suppose we should talk to the coach then.

[Lentrax]

Great job out there, Nikki. Sorry about the odd passes....

[Ninja_Prawn]

Great job out there, Nikki. Sorry about the odd passes....

After the game, Miss Walker congratulates you all. "That was incredible, everyone! It's so nice to finally get one over on those hotshots, and it's all thinks to you."

Lottie brings up the topic of the vice-captaincy, but the coach is reluctant for now. "I'd like to see you do that in a few more games first, Robin."

[Illven]

That's fair boss. Robin says with a curtsy.

[Lentrax]

That's fair boss. Robin says with a curtsy.

Och. Leslie snorts, elbowing Nikki and pointing to the smelly goth girl. Then she drops her voice to a whisper.

Look at her, actin' all proud o' herself, like she won the whole ting all on her own... Who does she think she is, anyway?

[Space Lawyer]

Great job out there, Nikki. Sorry about the odd passes....

"Not a problem at all. We won, and that is what counts in the end."

That's fair boss. Robin says with a curtsy.

"Hmph." Nikki is just a bit miffed. It sure didn't seem to her like Robin had the heart to be in such a postion; good thing Coach Walker wasn't making any decisions right now. Not to mention that it sure seemed like some of that credit was misplaced. Even worse was that Lottie seemed to have been impressed by the wrong person.

Look at her, actin' all proud o' herself, like she won the whole ting all on her own... Who does she think she is, anyway?

"Seriously. I mean, yeah, she stood up to that big girl, Barber, but that didn't get us the game."

[Ninja_Prawn]

Well, whether you were happy with the game's outcome or not, life goes on. You have the whole of Monday to reflect, then it's time for something completely different: a school trip!

Scene 10

Spoiler: Scene Notes

Show

Location: Kensington
Dress: Casual
Morning Person: YES
Runner's Glow: NO

After an early-morning registration to make sure everyone is present, you all crowd onto the tube and head up town to Kensington, in the south-west. This is one of the poshest parts of London, filled with white stone buildings, tree-lined streets, Victorian statues and thousands of tourists; the whole place reeks of Empire. You have come here to visit the museums and galleries; Natural History and Science are next door to each other and across the street is the V&A (a museum of art and design), with a number of other places of interest within easy walking distance. The school sees this as an opportunity for cross-curricular enrichment so you aren't split up by class or subject, but instead are free to wander the area and visit whatever takes your fancy.

To encourage you further, there is a scavenger hunt taking place throughout the day: whoever finds the most clues wins a box of chocolates. Megan is fired up - there’s no way she’s losing this, and whoever gets paired with her is sure to have an exciting day...

Spoiler: Roll

Show

Opposed roll for 3VP towards Megan!!

Luck - get paired up with Megan and win the scavenger hunt!

The losers plus Lottie will for two pairs; there may be another roll in this scene.

[jamieth]

Fresh and cheerful despite early morning, clad in her favorite white-and-cyan dress with a matching hat, Ashley Grace cheerfully greets her friends and teammates and waits for the pairs to be anounced - sure, she would be happy to team up with Megan; and their teamwork, tested by time, would likely bring them victory... but lucky draw is one part of this process she has absolutely no control over, so... nothing she can do but wait and hope.

Spoiler

Show

Luck +0