Playing Lowball - RPLOG
From Rusted Promises
Participants
Date
29/11/475
Log
A brisk autumn day. Fortunately, being as close to the tropics as the city is, the air remains warm enough to allow sports without too much discomfort, especially for the furred folk. On one side of the field, a gathering of soldiers has set up rank and file, kicking the lowball back and forth for practice, on the other, Sally, trying to get her team prepared for the match.
The iguana could almost be unrecognizable on such a rare occasion such as this where he's eschewed his priestly armour in favour of attire more befitting the event. Clad in shirt with elbow-length sleeves, knee-length shorts, and long stalkings the lizard is still doing warm-up stretches. Despite his relatively small stature, Ixitixl's actually pretty built, too. It takes muscle to tromp around in heavy armour all day, after all.
Angus stands up as he finishes some light stretches. "So remind me again why I'm here?" Turning to Sally he crosses his arms, still missing his heavy cloak and his tunic, and waits for an answer.
Sally tilts her head, "Because you need the practice, and because they asked, and because we're not afraid to kick the ball around the field a little, hmm. Enough reasons?" She moves to fetch a ball, nudging it along with a foot, as lifting it into her hands would not be possible, "You have both played, yes?"
"Oh, y-yes, Lady Solacious." There's no mistaking who that timid little stutter could belong to, of course. Ixitixl throws in a respectful little bow as he answers the question, keeping his head low and his eyes lower when he addresses the vixen.
Wulf hustles into the area Sally and her team are warming up, looking panicked. "WhatsiImiss,didwestartyet,I'msosorryforbeinglate,won'thappenagain!"
Angus shrugs before looking over at the Ixitixl. "Haven't played in a long time." He frowned as he saw just how muscle the timide iguana had, if they actually were standing next to each other he would look down right scrawny. He chuckles as Wulf comes sprinting in. "Hey Wulf don't worry you haven't missed anything yet. We were just warming up."
Sally shakes her head, "Well then, quick reminders," she says, not chastising Wulf as she arrives, "Ball can't go much higher than here." She nudges it up with a foot until it's at about her knee level, then boots it towards Wulf, "Go ahead, try."
Wulf is a lowball star... or at least pretty good since she catches the ball rather handily with the crook of her foot and her digitigraded leg, she tosses the ball up just a tad and bounces it with said foot towards Angus. "Catch..." turning her head towards sally she chuckles "I prefer defense."
The ball, as reported, does not like going very high. On hitting that invisible cieling, it bounces back towards the ground, creating a strange angle for those not used to the motion.
Ixitixl looks to the husky's arrival with a gentle smile, giving a slight bow to her in greeting as well. To Angus he then turns, pleasantly offering, "I'm sure it will come back to... to you quickly enough."
Angus sadly isn't anywhere close to Wulf's level of skill. As the ball comes towards him he trys to catch it but fails miserably, managing to catch it at a weird angle, and nearly falls flat on his back as the ball goes sailing away.
The other team, perhaps not the best sports, laughs at the mistake. The one that seems to be the 'alpha' of the team shouts across the field, "Going to crush you like the shadows, make you run for the hills," prompting a new set of guffaws.
Wulf giggles and nods at Ixi. "Seems I bumped the ball just a wee bit too high, yeah?" as the other team teases she smirks and stares them down. "Ya better back those words up with actions boy, else your nothin but a pup." turning back to Angus she chuckles "You can stay back and defend with me iffen ya'd like."
Ixitixl goes trotting off after the stray ball without prompting, guiding it back with gentle nudges. His brows knit, on the way, as he tilts his head towards the laughter of their opponents, murmuring softly as he rejoins the group, "That... that isn't really called for, is it?"
Sally shakes her head, "No, it isn't. Some people forget the point of sports and go for a chance to flex their muscles, and maybe attract an equally as vapid lifebond to be with, hmm. We'll not sink to their level on this. We are soldiers, we have pride in our composure."
Angus nods and trys not to look embarrassed. "Ya I think that might be a good idea." But as soon as he hears the teasing he begins to stare daggers at the other team. He opens his mouth, probably about to shout some insult at them, but Wulf beats him to the punch. "I'll just go get ready then."
Wulf nods at Sally. "True, true... I'm gonna get some steching in so if you'll 'scuse me." reaching her arms across her chest she streches 20 counts each and then bends over to try and touch her toes. After that she spreads her legs out and bends as far as she can and begins to to do cherrypickers.
Ixitixl is left standing around batting his eyes as Angus and Wulf set off to do their own thing, leaving him looking about cluelessly. "Ah, um... what... what position would you like me to p-play, Lady Solacious?" he asks at last, turning his attention to the vixen and, once again, bowing his head to her.
Sally spends a moment too long looking at Wulf before she clears her throat and moves for the ball, giving it soft kicks around. She knows the rules, it seems, but practice, that she doesn't have much of, ah well, "We haven't fought side by side much, what's your strength?"
Angus turns his gaze from Wulf, he wasn't staring he swears, back towards Sally and Ixitixl. "He 's strong for one and he's got a sharp mind, even if he is a little to timide." he crosses his arms again and looks over at the opposing team, maybe glimpse Wulf out of the corner of his eye as he does. "So Sally you said we were asked to particiapte in this game?"
Wulf slifts herself bakc up into a standing position, silently feeling the staring of eyes on her. Turning around she head off to find a lowball to practice with.
Sally nods her head, "It's a tradition. End of a conflict, we have a little informal lowball tournament. If we win, we get another match, until we lose, or we're the champions." She rolls her shoulders, "Let's be honest, you're trained to fight, not kick a ball. Just give us a good showing, hmm?"
"My, um... my stren-strength?" Ixitixl recoils from the question as if he found it somehow offensive, eyes batting rapidly as he considers his response. Fortunately, Angus provides one instead. "Um." is all the iguana can say to the fox's assessment of his abilities, wearing an I-agree-because-I-don't-want-to-argue kind of smile.
Angus nods as he looks continues to look at the other team. "I can definitly agree to that statment." He turns and walks back up to Ixitixl and pats him on the back. "Oh come on stop being so timide. I've seen that strength of yours. If you can face down a raging mutant bug you can face of a few lowball players."
Wulf looks over at the three and calls out. "You guys wanna quit yappin and get some practice in? I'd rather not lose to that 'yote.'
The game proceeds. One side is assured of their practiced skill, the other side, a bit more desperate, and eager to win. It is this desire to win that propels them, pushing beyond their training and taking chances where they maybe shouldna be taken, but it's working out fairly well so far. The game is almost over, the scores are tied, and that coyote is charging across the field, juggling the ball up and down across its ceiling expertly as he comes in towards that goal line, meaning to claim the game.
Wulf howls with passion, the adrenaline coursing throuh her veins like hot fire as she speeds towards the Coyote. Her aim diagonal towards the target so she can meet him, hopefully, with the adrenaline fueled speed and momentum of a shoulder check or tackle.
A great crash as the two brush against one another and he rolls to avoid is, narrowly avoiding being bowled over. He darts around her, moving for that goal, a little off, but still on target. Can the goalie block the shot?
Wulf isn't one to give up and with a frustrated growl goes after the Coyote again, but she isn't likely to reach him before he takes the shot.
Ixitixl is big in his own right! Big enough to cover the goal? Well, um, he's giving it the ol' college try. The iguana cringes when Wulf fails to stop the coyote's charge by the narrowest of margins, his bulky little arms, legs, and tail a-quiverin' as the mutts come right at him. "OhCreatorsohgoodnessohmyohsweetshatteredmoonabove"
The ball is sent sailing, bouncing off its ceiling, bouncing off the ground, and coming up with plenty of momentum left to approach Ixi rapidly even as he dives. As the dust clears, Ixi is in the ground, with the balls just at the tips of his fingers, blocked. The crowd of watchers erupts into cheers at the display.
* On, Singular ball, bad typis.
Ixitixl lays there, refusing to open his eyes even after the Crowd Goes Wild, still trembling something fierce. "Did we... did we lose?"
Sally jogs over to him, "Time's up," she announces, "Since our team is newer, we get the credit of the doubt and advance. Good job Ixi, everyone. You all did great out there." Jingle jingle goes her tail, quite pleased with her team.
Wulf blinks and then jumps as she comes to a stop just barely bumping into the Coyote with her body, before heading over to Sally and the rest, a large bounce in her step "Woo! That was fun!"
Ixitixl exhales, relief washing over him, eyes batting open. He climbs slowly to his feet and approaches to join the rest of the team in celebration, clapping his hands softly. He doesn't stay with them long, though, before slinking over to offer handshakes and praise to the defeated team.
The other team is a bit less... excited, for losing. One of them accepts the shake, the rest are busy looking petulant about the whole thing, muttering about dumb beginner's luck.
Ixitixl comes back looking saddened, above all else. "...Well, ah, per-perhaps the Creators blessed us this victory to help these good men learn a lesson of humility." he offers in optimistic tones, before regarding Sally with knitted brows. "I had no idea competition between military units was so... um, so heated."
Sally tilts her head at Ixi, "Depends on the unit, and what they've been up to recently. If I had to guess, the war's done, and they never got a chance to shine, and were hoping this would be their shot. Our unit got a round of promotions and accolades around, so if they trounced us, it would have been a really bright day for them. This is just me guessing, of course, but I'm fairly confident."
Wulf nlinks and peers at Sally "What? We ALL got promotions? Someone failed to mention this to me it seems." Either that or the husky was passed over for it.
Wulf says, "ooc blinks.*"
"O-oh, is that so?" Ixitixl wonders, and then, once again, bows his head respectfully to Sally. "Um... congradulations." He spares a sideways peek at Wulf as his head rises again, biting down on his lip.
Sally reaches over to Wulf, "Not my fault a certain husky didn't attend the party where I gave Zev and Maz their PFC badges. You didn't spot them?" she asks, "The brass was quite convinced there are no rank amateurs left in my unit." She swats Wulf firmly, a flash of earth magic, and a PFC badge is stuck there with very mild adhesive.
Wulf jumps as she is swatted and blinks at the new badge, eyeing it curiously. "Oh! There was a party? I never got the message." turning to Ixi she smiles happily. "Thank you Ixi" and noticing the bite on his lip she headtilts. "Something eating at your mind that you wanna say?"
Ixitixl's cheeks turn a few shades darker and he shakes his head quickly. "That, um, that badge is kind of pretty, isn't it?" He gestures with a hand towards it, "It ... it, um, suits you."
Sally wrinkles her nose before a laugh escapes, "It's as high as you can go before you're officially part of the leadership. I told the others, I'll tell you. This is where you decide if you want to progress forward or not."
Wulf blushes at Ixi and turns away quickly to look back at Sally. "Understood mam... uh i think I'll need to think about leadership, it is not an easy thing to send soldiers to face death."
Ixitixl decides he ought not to be loitering about eavesdropping on their military business, so he quietly shuffles off in search of a place to sit down and relax for a bit.
