Sports class
Louella and the other girls arrive at the sports hall and take a look around.
"hey look at this, we get individual cubicles to change in, but the showers are all like, not individual"
"eww, you mean like, we're all in together, like you know? slaves? gross"
"that's like, against Scripture and stuff isn't it?"
"totally, it's like, unrighteous to be naked in public and stuff"
"yah but this is like, indoors so not public?"
"kind of, but like, we'd see each other?"
"dunno, I think I'm going to like, just use the showers in my own room"
"eww, smelly!"
"no you smell!"
"it's probably for when theres the outdoor sports, cos of mud and stuff"
"ew, mud. But like, its in a dome, so why'd there be mud? there's no rain, is there?"
"I think they said there's like, some artificial weather or something?"
"I don't want to get rained on and get muddy because of artificial weather, that's like, just silly"
While this conversation is going on, the girls change into their sports outfits - shorts & t-shirts.
The teacher, a red-haired Udorian woman with obvious muscles, arrives "Hello girls, all ready for some fun exercise? Superb! We're going to learn some skills today, for the game of stickball. Or as the Gallente call it, hockey."
Aktih puts up a hand "Miss? we don't have to play against Gallente do we? I heard they like, walk about naked and stuff?"
Miss Savan raises an eyebrow "Naked hockey? What a curious idea. Where do you girls get these ideas from?"
The rest of the class giggle a little, Miss Savan says "Alright girls, lets get you warmed up. Follow me"
Miss Savan leads the girls through some stretches and other warm-up exercises. "Now then, has anyone played stickball before?"
Some girls shake their heads, Girned and Sehrazah raise their hands. "Oh, you have? Excellent, come up here. Now then, we'll show the others some of the correct ways to pass the ball, alright?"
Girned and Sehrazah demonstrate the correct way to use the stick to pass and receive the ball. "Super! Now class, divide into pairs and try what you've just been shown, alright?"
"no no no, miss Tash-Murkon, don't swing the stick like that, you push the ball, don't smack it"
"Very good, miss Dougans, that's exactly what we want"
"use this side of the stick, not that one, using that side is a foul. Like this"
"Good work class, now then, we'll look at controlling the ball while running with it. What you'll do is control the ball around these cones until you reach the end, then you pass the ball back to the next girl, alright? Like this"
"Good control, a little faster though"
"Control the ball, that's it. Well done"
"Superb. Now, tackling. I'm going to run with the ball, and I want you to try and take the ball from me. Using the stick to trip an opponent is a foul, so I don't want you to be doing that. Alright, try it"
"Come on, you can do better than that"
"Again, try again"
Louella runs up beside Miss Savan and shoulder charges her in the ribs, while pushing her stick between Miss Savan's and the ball, to flick it away.
"Shoulder-charging is a foul, Miss Dougans, in traditional Amarr ladies stickball. Physical contact is only allowed in Udorian-rules stickball"
"Alright now, that's the basic skills covered. Now we'll put you into teams, for a little practice game, alright?"
Sehrazah and Girned are chosen by Miss Savan as the captains for the two teams, and they pick from the other girls.
"Excellent, ladies, that's it, keep the ball under control, good tackle, keep the pace up, excellent"
The practice game ends up a draw, 4 each.
"Well, that was some superb work this afternoon ladies, some of you may eventually want to play for the Academy in the inter-school competitions!"
"You get to travel and stuff, to play stickball, Miss?"
"That's right! There's the constellation competitions, the regionals, even the Empire wide ones! The Cup final is held in Dam-Torsad itself!"
The girls look impressed at this concept.
"Now, remember to wash up before changing, cleanliness is Important for a fine young Amarrian lady, and I'll see you next time"
The girls head back to the changing room.
"I still don't like these shower thingies"
"but we're all sticky and stuff, it's gross"
"still unrighteous I think, eww"
Zesia stands up. "Well, I'm going to, like, lead by example, cos I'm a fine young Amarrian lady and stuff", which causes a giggle from some of the others, and goes into the shower.
The rest eventually follow, some shyly, and after the inevitable silliness of prodding and splashing each other, the girls end up back in the changing room, now all washed, and put their normal clothes back on.
"Wow, that's almost dinner time now, we'd better head over there"
"yeah, wonder what it is this time"
After a brief sermon by the headmistress about proper Amarrian manners, especially concerning the use of the correct spoons, dinner is served, consisting of pasta tubes stuffed with vegetables, followed by cheesecake.
After dinner, most of the girls head off to their individual rooms. Zesia and Louella however, go to the library to write out the punishment exercise they were given earlier in the day.
"whew, glad that's done, Louella"
"Yeah, hope we don't get in trouble again"
"Me too"
"I liked the stickball today, think I'll try out for the team, how about you?"
"Totally, it'd be fun to see other planets and stuff, I think"
Louella's Journal
dear mum, today was first lessons, we had biology, and it was all eww, cos it was about babies and stuff, and there were diagrams. I got into a fight, but it was alright. Then we played stickball, and I scored a goal. We had cheesecake it was yummy.
love, Lou-lou