The Sun lit the sky above the Free Republics into stunning shades of blue, indigo, purple, orange and gold. Dark fluffy clouds hung heavily in the sky. The most modernized variant of B747 Vangaziland could muster was chartered to fly most of the Imperial Olympic Delegation over the long haul. There were many athletes with high hopes and higher expectations on their shoulders.
One of the most notable returning athletes holds the title of 'the world's fastest man'. The moniker is usually awarded to the winner of an Olympiad's 100m sprint. M.C. Ristoff holds such honors from Olympiad XII. He spent most of the flight making rapid trips to and from the restroom. He has been imbibing large amounts of water to stay extra hydrated for the flight. He is also fighting a slight cold.
Sitting next to Ristoff was his good friend, Ed Labradorite. Ed joined M.C. as a gold medal winner with a victory in the 400m hurdles. The two laughed and joked, while flirting with two female athletes nearby. Annie Rutherton and Elyssa Banders both played for the women's soccer team. They obviously looked up to the two medalists. It always felt surreal to see people they only saw during the games. It was easy to forget that every athlete was training throughout the offseason. Both the soccer and track squads trained in different sections of Vangaziland and never saw each other outside of competition.
The track team trained high in the mountain towns of Imperial Hills. It was close to NSCF powerhouse Imperial Military Academy. The soccer team played tucked far away in the small-market, southwestern town of South Stead. Soccer was at an all time low in Vannish broadcast ratings. There were no plans for a Vannish team to enter any of the next several World Cups. New Gazi runs the most prominent Imperial team in international rankings.
Such a long flight would not be without drama. This plane ferried big stars and larger egos. There was no better example than upstairs in the B747's first class section. Near the back of the domed canopy, a clash occurred across the aisle of the widebody aircraft. On one side sat Jessica Franssen. She was known throughout the motorsports world for consistent success. Not only has she won titles in two different types of racing, she has managed two separate teams to victory under her command.
This success doesn't come without drawing jealous ire. Jess was used to this coming from a surly international crowd. She wasn't prepared for Stina Karlsson and Raychelle Milward. The duo were the co-captains of Spirit Vangaziland. They carried a haughty collegiate atmosphere worthy of top ranked cheerleaders. They were not afraid of drama. They thrived in it. It was their dominion...
It started after Jessica ordered her second glass of wine. Stina turned to Raychelle and loudly said, "It must be nice to DRIVE your way to success." Raychelle giggled and gave her teammate a high five.
Jessica was no easy target. She sat next to someone with an arguably higher profile. Jenna Vandersen was the daughter of the Jarl of Central Vangaziland. She held the Imperial Royal title of Baroness. She helped bring Vannish Motors Racing to a team championship in WGP2 I. Jess Franssen was her manager and mentor for the season. Now they were good friends.
The opportunity for motorsports in Olympiad XIII was major. Many WGPC regulars wondered if the Olympic spotlight would bring new nations into open wheel racing. The WGPC was home to the quickest, most nimble cars in international motorsports. Every season is daringly competitive in a world won and lost by sheer, overwhelming effort. Many people end up broken. Few become champions.
All of this meant exactly nil to the Vannish cheerleaders. To the two of them, there were two types of Olympians. There were cheerleaders and cheerleader supporters. They knew who each other were, as well as who Jess and the Baroness were. Championship rings and Imperial titles were cast aside.
"It must be nice to be a", Jess started to say something slightly harsh until Jenna Vandersen put a hand over her mouth. She didn't want Jess to get caught up in an international incident. All it would take would be one camera phone to record a frumpled Franssen.
Things became heated when Franssen's long time boyfriend came from downstairs. The basketball team was sitting towards the back of the plane and causing loud mischief. As soon as Stina saw Hectare Yulssen, she recognized him as the captain of the Vangaziland Royals. He led Vangaziland to an International Basketball Championships title. The entire time he made headlines about dating Jessica Franssen.
"Hi!" Stina called out to Hectare. She fluttered her eyes and smiled when they made eye contact. This made Hectare blush immediately. He was unaware of the tense standoff he just walked into. Just as a stupid, cheesy grin formed under his dark cheeks, a rapid punch from Jess snapped him out of it by way of a bicep stinger.
"Hey", the 3 on 3 team's starting guard whimpered. He was leaving the Olympiad National Team be run by Steven Eaglesen's capable PG hands. Both players had a similar game. Eaglesen was responsible for leading Vangaziland to back-to-back Olympiad gold medals. He hopes to run for a threepeat. It would be a major accomplishment, though far from an easy one.
"Get out of here", Jess told Hectare while pointing at his nose. He rapidly obliged, not sure why she didn't want him around. Jess could be quite a fickle partner. He laughed, but not until he was safely back downstairs in coach.
"He's sooo cute", said Raychelle. The two played for different colleges, but grew up cheering at the same camp. Many called them sisters. Stina had golden hair and the violet eyes of the Scandinavian Vann tribes. Raychelle had the dark skin of the Gazilians, bronzed with a rich summer glow. They were different but so similar. Both were perfect representations of Vangaziland.
"I'm going to choke one of them", Jess whispered to Jenna.
"Shhh", replied the anxious Baroness. The flight dragged on forever to her. She was used to supersonic transports and private aircraft which broke typical flight speeds. The entire time she felt as if she was managing Jessica's temper. The cheerleaders kept pressure on the drivers.
Things got quiet once Linda Henshmen made noise from the front of the section. "I'm trying to sleep", said the boxer and MMA specialist. Linda held titles in the Multiverse Boxing Organization as well as The Multiverse Fighting Championships. She has fought in several international events ranging from mixed martial arts to boxing. She holds belts in both disciplines.
Stina's rich purple eyes went wide once Linda looked directly into them. She didn't want drama with her. Soon after that statement, Stina put on headphones and dissolved into watching movies. Henshmen quickly fell asleep. Her heavy breathing turned into a light snore.
Another WGPC driver found himself sitting near the back with Hectare Yulssen. Jang Xiaopeng drove alongside Jenna Vandersen in WGP2. He drove for an international team in the WGPC. Now he was racing for the Vannish flag. He spent much of the flight joking with Yulssen. At some point a few athletes started an impromptu rap freestyle.
Xiaopeng won that hands down. he had the tone, attitude and extensive vocabulary to dominate the rhythm. Brash Stevens, captain of the surfing squad hammered out beats on his tray table. Others joined in on his queue. Golfer Lyon Metals stopped by to trade verses with Xiaopeng, only to stumble on a faster beat.
This drew loud cheers and jeers as Xiaopeng was proclaimed the winner.
Now the plane taxied down the dark set of tarmac paths, bumping along with the aircraft's rough braking. Soon they would stop at the terminal. Now they only had a short walk to a bus, then another stroll to their hotel beds. It had been a long flight. They were looking forward to seeing the new country.. The Free Republics were always in the news. Religion seemed important here. This would mean there should be a great deal of history. This was something intellectual Vangazi carried at a premium.
Vandersen would try to visit as many cultural and historic sights as she would find. M.C. Ristoff was also curiously interested in history. The two would likely cross paths while seeking out any nearby heritage sites.
The games would bring lots of competitive attitudes. Alongside those emotions are people of all different backgrounds and walks of life. Some are silly, others are stoic. Some will laugh, most will cry. The entire Empire is represented in one shape or form at Olympiad XIII.
