Baptism of Fire 76(IC, Everything)

[Lathamford]

S p o r t L i n k

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Pedro Menendez-Sutra d'Ame , or better known as Pedro Menendez, has been confirmed as Lathamford National team head coach and has been entrusted with the task of bringing Lathamford out of the football wilderness.

Pedro Menendez-Sutra d'Ame was a player-manager in one of the regional leagues before he was noticed by the Brisara FC. He took charge of the Hammers on a one-year tryout and promptly led them to the Red League, where they stayed for five seasons. His best season in the Red League was the initial year where they surprised everyone by finishing fourth; afterward, they were a consistent midtable team that didn't dip below thirteenth. In the most recent season, though, they slipped up at the last few matchdays and ended up relegated in fifteenth place.

As a Manager, he's more of a player's manager who looks to foster relationships and get everyone to play at their highest level. He prefers having active wingers and a striker who predominantly plays in front of everyone else, and his system also relies on having very active defensive backs. He also won a third-place for the Manager of the Year award while managing Brisara FC in Rainbow League System Season Two, and five in Rainbow League System Season Five. He is also known as the youngest manager in the league.

Pedro Menendez and, hopefully, enjoy newfound success,” said Lathamford Football Association (LFA) president Dr. Oscar von Cassbailey.

"After having seen numerous coaches, both local and foreign, doing their stuff, my gut instinct tells me that Pedro Menendez is the right man for the job. I may be wrong but only time will tell," added Dr. von Cassbailey.

Pedro Menendez, for his part, said: “I would like to thank Dr. von Cassbailey for getting in touch with me and then meeting me in LFA HQ recently. It will be an honor to coach the Lathamians national team. There is a lot of work to be done and I cannot wait to get started.”

MD1:: Ostankin vs. Lathamford

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Other News

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• Royal Farrowdraft Sign Ernst Ejnarsson formerly played at FC Caross
• Nick Cartus appointed first-team coach at Tractor Grasswind
• Hightrees promote to Lathamford National League next season
• Cote Unimatics agreed to sponsor Amberwood FC
• Genetics Diagnostic planed to acquired majority share of Emerald River Badminton Club
  

[Bollonich]

Baptism of Fire 76 - Groups A to C - Matchday 1

Group A
Maramaa 1–0 Britland
Ochre Islands 6–2 Raspotochje
Torisakia 1–1 Nyowani Kitara

  Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Ochre Islands          1   1  0  0    6   2  +4    3
2 Maramaa                1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Nyowani Kitara         1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Torisakia              1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
5 Britland               1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
6 Raspotochje            1   0  0  1    2   6  −4    0

Group B
Kiltoch 0–0 Vajlahrys
Behetij 3–1 Krbustan
Venmere 0–6 Pyazhnaya

  Group B              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Pyazhnaya              1   1  0  0    6   0  +6    3
2 Behetij                1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
3 Kiltoch                1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  Vajlahrys              1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
5 Krbustan               1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0
6 Venmere                1   0  0  1    0   6  −6    0

Group C
Ardelark 1–6 Milchama
Cabo Azure 2–5 Bahia Roja
Martune 2–1 Malta Comino Gozo

  Group C              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Milchama               1   1  0  0    6   1  +5    3
2 Bahia Roja             1   1  0  0    5   2  +3    3
3 Martune                1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
4 Malta Comino Gozo      1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0
5 Cabo Azure             1   0  0  1    2   5  −3    0
6 Ardelark               1   0  0  1    1   6  −5    0

Here's your first cutoff! While you wait you could listen to this.

[Banija]

And now time for my first cutoff of the Baptism of Fire! The search for your first WCC competition win begins today! Ain't that something?

Group D
Daehae 2–2 Merulantis
Pascafia 1–2 Moliza
India 4–2 Agresos

Group D                                 Pld  W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 India                                  1   1  0  0    4   2  +2    3
2 Moliza                                 1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
3 Daehae                                 1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
  Merulantis                             1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
5 Pascafia                               1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0
6 Agresos                                1   0  0  1    2   4  −2    0

Group E
Kaldtfjell 1–0 Vikanias
Democratic Kingdom of South India 3–0 West Guam
Yasquia 4–2 Saterun

Group E                                 Pld  W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Democratic Kingdom of South India      1   1  0  0    3   0  +3    3
2 Yasquia                                1   1  0  0    4   2  +2    3
3 Kaldtfjell                             1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
4 Vikanias                               1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
5 Saterun                                1   0  0  1    2   4  −2    0
6 West Guam                              1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0

Group F
Aix les Filles 2–1 Usanguk
Ostankin 0–5 Lathamford
Saint Eleanor 2–1 Rizealand

Group F                                 Pld  W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Lathamford                             1   1  0  0    5   0  +5    3
2 Aix les Filles                         1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
  Saint Eleanor                          1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
4 Rizealand                              1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0
  Usanguk                                1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0
6 Ostankin                               1   0  0  1    0   5  −5    0

[Pascafia]

Great On The Pitch, Bad On Paper, Terrible In Luck

Type: Game Analysis
Time: After MD1

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FULL TIME RESULTS
Moliza 2 - 1 Pascafia
Unknown (12' ; 45') / Erik Lase Batanias (46')

Well, this was expected, and unexpected in a way. Everyone expected Pascafia to lose, and they did. What everyone did not expect however, was that Pascafia actually performed very well for some islanders with not that much experience under their belts in the first place. Of course, everyone expected this so that no one is mad. But to believe that Pascafia played like they were top dogs was a bit absurd. Want to know how the match went? Well, we got you covered there, comrade. Now, how did it happen?

First Half.
Oh yeah, we start with kickoff. Well, Pascafia started with the huge attack despite Moliza starting with the ball. Andre Katani Henggo crosses from the left for Matenas Hosokagiri on the 7th minute, but the Molizan goalkeeper saved the header done by Matenas. It was really equal until the 12th minute, where Moliza was given a penalty! Javon Usuma Olkeni tackled a Molizan midfielder, who was in the box and was immediately given a red card! At first it would have been a yellow, but the midfielder got his entire foot injured because of it. Obviously, Orlen Asaman Udora did not make the save.

On the 25th minute, Moliza had an incredible chance to make it 2 - 0. As Molizan winger was running on the right and made a cross to the left winger who was running into the box to make a shot near post, Haris Manele Oso couldn't block the cross. A the Molizan LWF made the shot and it went near between Orlen, he smashed his right hand onto the ball between the post, proceeded to tip the ball out of the net, and slap it away to save the shot but give Moliza a corner. Maybe save of the tournament, but if it's this early, who knows? And yes, Moliza did not convert.

At the 39th minute marker, Pascafia received one of the few cases of a double booking. Davide Pertonalas tackled the Molizan LWF who had the ball, but at the same time, Tom Edom Itinar had stepped on the foot of the Molizan RWF as well! Both players earned a yellow card, and the free kick was given where the LWF was tackled, as he had the ball. Was this even allowed in football? Maybe, maybe not. Still 1 - 0, this game was more boring than the little amoujnts of hype surrounding it.

As extra stoppage time for the first half was being announced, the same Molizan midfielder had scored a brace. Yes, even with an injury, he still forced himself to play. Into the bottom left corner, Orlen Asaman Udora just wasn't able to reach far enough with his hands to stop it. And plus, he kind of did a tophand save when he should have attempted a bottomhand save. As he had dived, attempting to save the shot. So, i feel like the question of "Who is the stupid one?" makes sense here. As for the defense, where they were was another question god knows who could answer.

Second Half.
Second half begins and Moliza start with the ball this time. Pascafia and Moliza were still equal on statistics, except for goals, which was a 2 - 0 favor for Moliza. As the game progressed on, it was clear that both sides were actually fighting dirty. Two red cards for Moliza, and four more yellows for Pascafia, yet Pascafia still only had one player sent off. But before all of that drama, just as one minute had passed in the second half, Pascafia earns a majestic free kick, something that Pascafia needed to get a goal in. Erik Lase Batanias had kicked it over the wall with a curve from the right leaning to the left. It hits the top left corner of the post and goes in, beating the Molizan goalkeeper.

Pascafia had only one chance to equalize, and it was at the 90th minute, with 7 minutes of added stoppage time. Matenas attempted a flying volley, as he jumped, flipped his body to the side and shot the ball, as it came from a right corner by Welkas Marate Nenid. Guess what? He missed. That was the only equalizing chance for Pascafia and he missed. Pascafia missed out on one debut point, as these islanders lost their first every official NT football match, by a score of 2 - 1.

Moliza           Statistics         Pascafia
  12               Shots               10                 
   3              Corners              4
   9             Free Kicks            6
   7               Fouls               8 
   2               Cards               5 
  47%            Posession             53%

That's all for MD1. Let's hope Pascafia start to pick up form.

[Lathamford]

S p o r t L i n k

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Group F
Ostankin 0–5 Lathamford
Lathamford:: Carter Colfield '10, '45; Bruno Caskwoods '25, '74; Joe Wymondham '67
Ostankin:: NIL
@ Tiones Lumber Field at the Wolf's Den

Game Report
1: Kick-Off
6: Bruno Caskwoods takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
8: Ostankin Team is shown a Yellow Card.
9: Ostankin Team takes a shot. That's off-target.
10: Lathamford Team scores! The scorer was Carter Colfield
18: Ostankin Team takes a shot. That's off-target.
19: Otto Farrowsteam takes a shot. That's off-target.
24: Ostankin Team takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
25: Lathamford Team scores! The scorer was Bruno Caskwoods
28: Ostankin Team takes a shot. That's off-target.
30: Ostankin Team takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
33: Otto Farrowsteam takes a shot. That's off-target.
34: Ostankin Team takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
45: Lathamford Team scores! The scorer was Carter Colfield
47: Matt Falconderry takes a shot. That's off-target.
48: Bruno Caskwoods takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
52: Ostankin Team takes a shot. That's off-target.
53: Ostankin Team takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
54: Substitution by Lathamford player Haymoore make way for Darrington.
55: Ostankin Team takes a shot. That's off-target.
57: Matt Falconderry takes a shot. That's off-target.
67: Lathamford Team scores! The scorer was Joe Wymondham
62: Substitution by Lathamford player Hargreave make way for du Graypelt.
68: Substitution by Lathamford player Caskwoods make way for Kingsley.
70: Giles Kingsley takes a shot. That's off-target.
73: Freekick to Ostankin
74: Lathamford Team scores! The scorer was Bruno Caskwoods
76: Freekick to Lathamford, taken by Joe Wymondham
80: Ostankin Team takes a shot. That's off-target.
84: Ostankin Team is shown a Yellow Card.
91: Ostankin Team takes a shot. That's off-target.

Ostankin is a team Lathamford has never faced. In any case, Pedro Menendez is ready with some game plan for the first match of Baptism of Fire 76, Group F, against Ostankin. In general, no high hopes are placed on the “Speedy Cat” team this time, it is clear as this is the first time they have participated in a big international tournament like this. But, armed with the precise spirit and tactical plan of the coaching staff led by Pedro Menendez they managed to prove in their first match by defeating Ostankin 5-0

Among the factors that clearly contributed was Pedro Menendez’s gameplan by placing the 3-4-3 formation as a formation on paper, showing precision on the offensive line with 3 strikers placed there. The offensive and defensive ratio were strengthened with four midfielders who managed to monopolize the central area and managed to link up quality passes to the attacking team. In the defensive position, 2 midfielders will form the DMC, to further strengthen the three defenders.

Featherwood Lokomotive FC's winger Carter Colfield scored his first goal as a result of a beautiful counter-attack after the opposing team attacked a minute earlier, the ball being won by Skelmersdale then channeled the ball to Colfield was lone in the middle of the field, his quick run caught the opponent's defense and managed 1v1 with the goalkeeper before stuffing the ball in the 10th minute.

Ostankin's nightmare happened again when a shot from outside the penalty box by Bruno Caskwoods once again beat the goalkeeper and gave Lathamford a second goal. The result seemed to put a 2-0 gap over Ostrakin before the break, but in the 45th minute, Colfield again scored his second goal with a very interesting cut-inside move, 3-0 at half-time

Lathamford's attacking value increased in the second half, and it paid off when Goldfinger United FC left winger Joe Wymondham headed in a corner kick in the 67th minute. Bruno Caskwoods ended the match with his second goal in the 74th minute.

MD2: Lathamford vs. Saint Eleanor
Greenash
Decker - Skelmersdale (C) - Haymoore
Wymondham - Wyvernchaser - Hargreave - Colfield
Farrowsteam - Caskwoods - Kingsley

[Ochre Islands]

Jasper's Guide to the Ochre Islands

On day three, I took a ferry from Lucyston toward the City of Louisa, the capital of Hope Island. Hope is named after the aptly-named Dr. Louisa Hope, who founded the Bostopian Movement Foundation. The BMF successfully took money from the central Bostopian Government in order to fund the mass migration of millions of disillusioned (laughingly called 'woke' by opponents) Bostopians out of Bostopia, toward new lives in the Ochre Islands. Of course, central Government didn't realise that this is what they were funding and still remain quite oblivious to it all, with the Ochre Government so far doing a good job of keeping the Bostopians away, patrolling the shores around the Ochres but not quite ever being allowed to step foot on the islands.

However, sedition is a clean word on Hope, and is unsurprisingly the epicentre of the small, yet popular, independence movement. Louisa may be the smallest capital of any Ochre Island, at only 5,400 people strong, yet its people are hard-working, strong-minded people, who will graffiti 'INDEPENDENCE' across any wall which doesn't face the sea at will. Naturally, if the graffiti did face the sea, there's every chance the Bostopian navy could spot it and report back. The Ochre Islander is on average a fair bit smarter than most Bostopian naval commanders, plus they've heard of most – if not all – of the other countries in the region.

Hope itself is a rather small place, a port at the bottom of a valley with a city attached to it is the best way of describing it. That said, there is a rather impressive museum to the BMF which describes in detail how the Government was led to believe it was a Movement for Bostopians rather than a Movement of Bostopians, which led to the donations and eventual settlement of the Ochre Islands. There was discussion within the museum of Dr. Hope's house being turned into a museum when she dies, but as the Doctor is still only in her very early 50s, these have been put on hold for a few years.

There is a decent café on the City square that sells the standard fare, plus 'cornmeal batches', which are patties made of cooked ground cornmeal, then split and filled with things such as meat or cheese. Anything with black beans is generally popular across the Ochres. The proprietor of the café was trying to sell these off as a native dish to the Ochres, but a quick internet search suggests that while they're only known as 'cornmeal batches' here, it is something that is made in an uncountable number of nations across the multiverse.

As Hope is the smallest populated island in the Ochres, shopping and leisure facilities are quite limited across the island, but the relative slowness of life that accompanies this would suit a certain tourist. There are plenty of easy walking routes across the island, not least to the Air Temple at Hopeminster which is where I'll be heading tomorrow.

[Kiltoch]

Goalkeepers:
1 Robert Michaels (Starter, 23 Y/O)FC Pokepolis Kiltoch
22 Javier Peters (34 Y/O) Paradise Kiltoch
42 Milo Murphy (18 Y/O) Violet Hill Kiltoch

Defenders:
30 Ash Ketchump (Starter, 34 Y/O, CB) Sangem City Kiltoch
52 Ben Victor (Starter, 23 Y/O, CB) Destiny Palace Kiltoch
6 Rook Evans (Starter, 23 Y/O, LB) Hearthome City Kiltoch
40 Johnny English (Starter, 25 Y/O, RB) Soldier Island Kiltoch
94 Justice Wargrave (29 Y/O, CB) FC Laketown Kiltoch
52 (24 Y/O, LB/RB) Dream City Kiltoch
106 James Thomas (30 Y/O, LB/CB/RB) FC Atlantica Kiltoch
27 Donald Bond (26 Y/O, CB) Violet Hill Kiltoch

Midfielders:
46 Anderson Russell (Starter, 30 Y/O, LM)(third captain) Sangem City Kiltoch
46 Michael Shaw (Starter, 33 Y/O, CM) Hearthome City Kiltoch
81 Pradosh Mitter (Starter, 17 Y/O, RM) Irony Valley Kiltoch
97 Vilgax Johnson (26 Y/O, MF) Eterna City Kiltoch
74 Luis Hernandez (22 Y/O, CM) Eterna City Kiltoch

Strikers:
12 Justin Matthew (Starter, 28 Y/O, CF)(vice captain) Oreburgh Warriors Kiltoch
46 Max Tennyson (Starter, 29 Y/O, LW)(captain) Dream City Kiltoch
11 Nicolas Candella (27 Y/O, RW) FC Lost City Kiltoch
14 Marcus Smith (33 Y/O, CF) Valor United Kiltoch
5 Cristiano de Lima Ferreira (20 Y/O, LW) FC Atlantica Kiltoch
68 Hogwats Potter (25 Y/O, RW) Coronet Valleys Kiltoch


My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:

Choose my goalscorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: Y,but not too serious
Give yellow cards to my players: Y
Give red cards to my players: Y
Godmod other events: Y, but nothing serious


formation- 4-3-3.
modifier- +3 modifier.
Nickname: Pokestar
Trigram: KIL

[Saint Eleanor]

Local flu vaccine refuser dies of flu

Tributes have been paid after Michael Jones died after catching the flu on Saturday. Mr Jones, 56, was described by his children as a "family man" who "wanted the best for himself and the best out of everyone he met."

However, he has not been shielded from criticism. Many people in Sunset Gates, the working-class neighbourhood of Saint Eleanor where he lived, had criticised him for many years for failing to take the flu vaccine and encouraging people not to take it. One of them, Graham Rose, said that "Mickey was an incredibly selfish man who thought nothing other than to go out and enjoy himself. History will judge him for his refusal to keep everyone safe from the flu this year."

Jacob Owen, one of the emergency care doctors who was working to stop Jones from dying last week, recalled that "he was struggling to breathe, struggling to walk, struggling to do anything, he wanted the flu vaccine but I told him he was too far on to get it. The Association of Eleanorian Doctors, which I belong to and which has long been calling for mandatory vaccinations, will continue to push to make sure that nobody passes away like he does again."

Matt Sanderson, who regularly operates the tills at Jones' local One'n'Done corner shop, said that "Mr Jones has been both actively and passively putting the entire Sunset Gates community at risk from a potentially highly destructive, or even a pandemic, strain of the flu. While I don't think he died from a particularly bad flu, I got my flu vaccine in September, like I have done every year since the 1950s, and urge everybody to get theirs before they find themselves in a hospital crying out for the vaccine next month, year, or decade."

Jess Martin, who scored the equaliser in yesterday's game against Rizealand, told the Reporter exclusively that "everybody, no matter how young or how old you are, can do something to protect yourself against the flu and other nasty bugs. Getting jabbed could be that something."

Charlotte Morgan, the Vice-President for the Protection of Human Rights and Saint Eleanor's highest-ranking civilian, noted that "the national Constitution grants to all of its inhabitants the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, which includes freedom from influenza. The rate and level of vaccinations must be stepped up immensely over the next decade if we are to fulfil the President's vision of an influenza-free Saint Eleanor by 2015."

When asked for comment, the office of President General George Mitcham clarified that voluntary vaccination was at the heart of the nation's disease eradication strategy and that nobody would ever be required or coerced into being vaccinated.

Every winter, inhabitants of Saint Eleanor get and spread the flu. Vaccines are developed to help protect people from it and to prevent its spread, and are available to every Eleanorian aged twelve or over. Flu vaccines, however, cannot inoculate against all strains of the flu at once. It is believed that Mr Jones contracted a flu strain that typically results in mild symptoms for most people and which this year's flu vaccine was not designed to defend against.

It is unknown whether any tributes were paid directly to Mr Jones - who is the 46th Eleanorian to have died from the flu this winter - or his family.

[Nyowani Kitara]

Background Info on NYK

President Boaz Akongo, sitting at the Presidential Palace in the NYK capitol city of Dewayo

"God damn. This is, like, the third day in a row that I've thrown up like this." President Akongo told his trusted body guard, Gustav Isaksson. Boaz was a man who was notorious for his lack of trust and paranoia in anybody and everybody around him, which had heightened since his wife had died of a massive heart attack, out of nowhere, just two years prior.

Akongo counted the people he trusted on one hand. His two children, and of course, his body guard and childhood friend, Gustav Isaksson. The two men had been normal foot soldiers during the military coup of 30 years ago, and they had fought on the frontlines against protesters and interlopers and democracy advocates and whoever else was trying to overthrow the state. During those scenes, they had stepped up to save the state from itself, and put those who risked their life in their rightful place- at the front and center of it.

Since their 20s, they had been joined at the hip. Gustav Isaksson was smart but he lacked the ambition for the true top job- although he was the toughest, the biggest, and the meanest person around in these parts. Even now, in his 50s, Isaksson was a figure to be feared- built like a gridiron linebacker, the 6'8 white man towered over almost anybody he met, and Boaz knew that Gustav's loyalty would be unquestioned. As Boaz walked out of the bathroom and looked at Gustav, Boaz saw his longtime friend looking worried.

"Mr. President." Gustav started.

"Gustav." Boaz cut him off. "We've known each other too long. Call me by my name, please."

"Boaz." Gustav started again. "You're really worrying me. I think you could be really sick." Boaz Akongo didn't exactly have the cleanest bill of health, although his doctors continuously swore that the President had the 'bones to live until he was 100'. A chain smoker, Boaz had smoked about a half pack a day of cigarettes for the past 25 years, and they had taken a toll on his health. His voice was certainly effected, and so was his athletic endurance.

But it went beyond that. The last month had been particularly brutal for Boaz Akongo. Chest pains. Large bouts of mood swings. A serious lack of energy. And in the past few days, it had gotten worse. He had been vomiting multiple times a day. He had experienced serious weight loss- 10 pounds in the last month. For somebody who didn't work out, it was because the President was barely eating. That was one area where the two men differed- while Gustav took meticulous care of his own body, a dedicated vegan whose only negative think he consumed was the secondhand smoke from being around the President so much, Boaz Akongo was the exact opposite.

"You know, Gustav, I'm fine. Call in my chief of staff." Gustav called in the chief of staff. If this was a democratic with legitimate accountability, there'd be massive complaints about how governing seemed to be an affair of nepotism. The chief of staff was Boaz's brother-in-law. Boaz tried to stay focused, but he was experiencing serious energy loss. He could barely stay awake while the chief of staff gave him an update on Nyowani Kitara's security situation. Boaz usually was sharp during these- but Boaz dismissed his chief of staff as soon as he was done. The Chief of Staff, puzzled, exited the room.

As soon as the chief exited the room, Boaz Akongo started coughing. This time, as he used a towel to cover his mouth, he saw that he was coughing up blood. "Ok, this is a problem." Boaz admitted. "But this could be serious. I need to see a doctor."

"Ok, let me get you one." Gustav replied. Gustav whipped out his phone, about to call the President's personal doctor.

"No." Boaz said. Gustav looked puzzled.

"But Boaz, you said-"

"We need to find another doctor. One outside this place. Outside this Palace." Boaz Akongo's mind was made up. "Not even my personal one- this may be serious. We need somebody that we can trust. First, somebody who can give me the truth. And second, but probably more importantly- somebody who we can trust not to spill the secret under any means. Somebody who cannot be reached."

"Well, Mr. President, I may know a guy." Gustav replied. As Boaz looked intrigued, Gustav continued. "I've got a friend, from Græntfjall. His name is Valter Abelsson. He's a doctor. I met him at a Socialist International conference years ago- 30, maybe 35 years ago? We talk occasionally- I haven't seen him personally in years, but I can vouch for him."

"How can you vouch for him?" Boaz Akongo said. "He's from Græntfjall- their government would love to see me swinging from the gallows, so their suits can corrupt Nyowani Kitara like they are doing to Yuezhou as we speak."

"I personally can vouch for Valter." Gustav said. "My position, of course, doesn't exactly allow me to go travel to Græntfjall all the time. But he's come here to visit a few times, just on leisurely trips. I met him at Socialist International, of course. But he's a true believer, and an opponent of the capitalist regime in Háttmark. He was a recipient of the Order of the Red Kraken back in the good ol' days. A true dyed socialist through and through."

Boaz pondered thoughtfully as Gustav continued. "I know he doesn't like the current government. Most importantly, he doesn't really have many political connections here. So not only would he be the last guy to tell anyone here in Nyowani Kitara- but he also wouldn't rat you out to Háttmark either. My intuition also, of course, is that since this guy is a simple doctor, even though he is a true believer, it's highly unlikely that the Græntfjall government runs any sort of surveilance on him or anything. He's the perfect guy to do this."

President Akongo then made a decision. "Ok, call up your man Gustav- let's make this happen." Boaz said. Gustav then made a phone call and setup a plan. It'd be right on the Nyowani Kitara side of the border fence they had erected on their northern border with Græntfjall. It'd be in a remote part of the border, in the Viljan National Forest, that existed entirely on the Nyowani Kitaran side of the border. It'd be fairly simple- the President would take a visit to the north Viljan Peninsula. He'd visit the port. And then, while most observers were distracted with Nyowani Kitara's game against Britland, they'd arrive at the designated meeting spot in the forest.

The foresters would be closed to campers and visitors and cleared out that day. Complete privacy. And Dr. Valter Abelsson would be given all the tools necessary to diagnose Boaz with whatever he was suffering.

Boaz Akongo then drove to the party headquarters Downtown, where he'd watch the NYK BoF opener against Torisakia. And as he watched, his eyes were on the game- but his mind was anywhere else. Nothing he could do except wait until Matchday 2, right?

[Cabo Azure]

Cabo Azure 2-5 Bahia Roja

Pos. Name 
GK Carreira
LB Branco (goal 90'+3)
CB Mendes
CB Macedo
RB Fernandez (off 45')
LW Serra 
CM Alves
RM Santos
LW Dantas
CF Montenegro
RW Carrico (off 45')

Gouveia (on 45') (goal 77')
de Lima (on 45')

A poor outing for the Macaricas in their first-ever match of WCC-sponsored football, though it isn't entirely a stretch to say they improved as they went. The Azureans looked outclassed in the opening minutes by the robust play of Bahia Roja's midfield. Though it was inevitable that the Bahiarojense would score from the way they dominated possession, the first goal was especially embarrassing, coming off a sloppy giveaway by Branco which left Pablo Cruz 1v1 against an out-of-position Carreira. The Azurean defense picked up the pace some and made a few impressive stops, but Kevinson Guerrido converted a hard-fought corner kick for Bahia Roja's second goal.

Despite the scoreline, the Azureans seemed to settle in past the half-hour mark, keeping their discipline and forcing Axel Ferrant into some impressive saves as halftime approached. Cruz would complete his brace on a blistering counterattack against the run of play in the dying minutes of the first half to make the halftime score 3-0. The addition of young guns Gouveia and de Lima at halftime increased the pace of the Azurean attack substantially, allowing them to increase their possession, though any attempts at goal were swiftly rebuffed by the Bahiarojense backline. The first goal for the Steel and Gold came when Alves found Montenegro in space, who got Ferrant to commit before laying off to Gouveia for a go-ahead goal.

The Bahia Roja side answered quickly, with Diego Ferrant scoring a chipper from outside the eighteen-meter box, beating Carreira top shelf and putting the match once again out of the reach of the Azureans. Branco atoned for his earlier giveaway with a frantic run up the sideline at the death, ending with him cutting in and scoring past Chano as Bahiarojense boss Causas pleaded with the referee for a whistle. Branco's heroics were too little, too late, as the Azureans took a drubbing in their first outin in the Baptism.

A Good Bit of Business, Pt 1

Sunset Point Tapas Lounge in Portelo, Cabo Azure, sits, paradoxically, on the island’s eastern edge, not far from the wharf where boats leave every few hours to points elsewhere. Given the name, one might reasonably expect to watch the sun sink into the Endemian Ocean with a cocktail in hand before meandering back to the hotel through narrow cobblestone streets and up the steep hill leading to the royal palace. Instead, the name is inspired by the view of the palace as the sunlight strikes its golden domes at the end of day.

Such is life in the literal shadow of the Cidadela, the colloquial term for the campus which includes the royal palace, the Maritime University, and the National Guard headquarters and barracks. Two clubs represent the island in the Liga Hidalgo Primer, the top flight of Azurean football: Cidadela, which is historically the team of both the university and the National Guard; and Portela, which represents the rest of the island, the “townies” and menials who support the those “on the hill.” Where Cidadela sits on a war chest of alumni donations and government grants, Portela is forced to rely on old-fashioned sponsorships, gate receipts, and transfer fees to make ends meet. Amilcar Branco, then, was a good bit of business for the club.

Coach Salvatore dos Santos considered this as he looked up from his laptop to take in the palace’s sun-shrouded silhouette. Branco had been the youngest player called up to the first-ever Azurean national team, younger by a few weeks than Ademar de Lima, Sao Vicente’s carefully-groomed academy prospect. Branco was neither carefully groomed nor from an academy. As the middle son of a butcher on the unimportant island of Maninho, the most organized football Branco had played as a boy was the annual match between the sons of the townies and the sons of the farmers. He’d practiced with the local side, Ponta Flaca, a few times, but they weren’t much more than a pub team, and they hadn’t the proper setup to develop a talent like Branco.

So Salvatore had made a call and one of his scouts had trekked by boat to Maninho to present the Branco family with an offer; send their son to play football for Portela, and he could have a life there, with all the opportunities it represented. Senor Branco had been conflicted, but the mother had cast the deciding vote when she’d heard he could attend class at the university prep school with the rich boys.

Branco played the first official season of the Liga Hidalgo Primer with Portelo and led them to a respectable finish several places ahead of their better-funded rivals at Cidadela, all while making the league’s rookie-minimum salary. Not only had he come cheap, Salvatore thought, but with the exposure from these friendlies and the upcoming contests later this summer, he was sure to go to a foreign club for a rich fee. A good bit of business indeed.

[Venmere]

NATIONAL FOOTBALL SQUAD DECIMATED IN OPENING GAME
After much hype around Venmere, the VNFC took to the BoF with pride and excitement. With four Peregrine Cups played, including group wins in two, the Falcons were looking forward to putting on a spectacular show here.

So where in the world did the 6-0 loss come from? Venmere gave up more goals in this game than they had in their previous eight combined, and they did it all while maintaining the ball for just 31% of the game.

Followers of other Venmere sports will be worried that a showing similar to that at the recent IBC, which saw Venmere open with a 1-7 record before limping to a 5th place group finish.

Needless to say, we’re shocked. It’s been 21 years since Venmere lost this badly, when Zaberaz Hapang beat them 9-1 in a friendly. Venmere hasn’t given up more than 5 goals in a game since then—and hasn’t been held scoreless since they lost 2-0 to Coldian two years ago.

Hopefully this was a strange transient—and not a preview of what is to come.

[Pyazhnaya]

-- The Baptism of Fire 76 is covered by Kathleen Negretti --

In part two of our Pyazhnaya series as part of our Baptism of Fire coverage, we will have a look at the rest of the archipelago's composition.

The most intriguing of the nation's provinces is Chernyye Ostrova, which is unique within the country. Consisting of 21 islands, this sub-archipelago marks the north eastern corner of Pyazhnaya annd it stands out in several ways other than its remote location, beginning with its name, which means "Black Islands". Legacy to the volcanic origin, the islands' soil is almost completely black as is the rock they are mostly made of, basalt. Throughout Pyazhnaya's history these islands always stood apart and not just geographically, but also in terms of its population, its attitude and character and, more recently, also their political stance, which makes them unique within the Confederacy of Pyazhnaya.

Chernyye Ostrova is the smallest province with a total population smaller than the nation's capital Krasnograd and the province's capital Cherniy Zamok (Black Castle) also is the smallest in the country with just over 75K. While this would make it seem relatively insignificant in the bigger picture, these islands have traditionally been the small outlier with big impact. While never formally looking to secede, there has been a de facto autonomy from the rest of the nation in many ways for decades, if not centuries, in a bit of a "you don't bug us, we don't bug you" way that seems to have been working well for both sides. The key to this lies within a quite unique symbiotic relationship between the other provinces and Chernyye Ostrova. Whereas other parts of Pyazhnaya benefit from the fertile volcanic soil or extensive mining operations, the Black Islands are fertile enough to allow for autarky in terms of food, reducing their dependency on other provinces and also have rich mineral resources that allow for very efficient mining, but they also have some of the most developed weapon development and manufacturing facilities not just of Pyazhnaya but also way beyond.

The Prizraki (Ghosts), as the Islanders call themselves, are immensely protective of these technologies and trade secrets and in exchange for their largely autonomous state within Pyazhnaya and very generous subsidies are not conducting any direct business with any foreign companies or governments, but funnel all projects and deliveries through government owned agencies to create a very fine yet robust relationship that is fairly unique. Throughout the decades there have been various attempts at industrial espionage from both within and outside of Pyazhnaya but the remote location of the islands has prevented any leaks, aided by the fact that all facilities are located in subterranean complexes, shielded by volcanic rock and it is said that the bunker like structures could even withstand an attack by their own sophisticated weapon systems, giving their security features the same legendary status as their weapons.

The capital Cherniy Zamok itself also is worth mentioning as the city occupies a whole island, which is completely surrounded by thick and high reinforced basalt walls with only one causeway leading towards the city gates from the larger island about 4 kilometres away, where the city's airport and marine port facilities are located. This larger island also features the stadium of the local football club Prizrachnaya Brigada Cherniy Zamok or Ghost Brigade, which has been one of the stronger teams in the Prvaya Liga since its inception and has been one of the strongest home records of the league.

Now while the above does indeed read forbidding and ominous, the Prizraki are not hostile towards outsiders. While weary of newcomers, their hospitality, once proven not a potential threat, is renowned throughout the nation and has taken many tourists by surprise. They do, however, limit the number of tourists allowed on the archipelago throughout the year and it is very difficult to actually be able to move there, even as a Pyazhnayan citizen. Despite this, especially Cherniy Zamok regularly features as one of the "must see" places in Pyazhnaya in travel magazines throughout Anaia and beyond.

[Torisakia]

Cancelled: Todd Rothe Cut From Hattons Gardens, National Team For Farting In Public

Amidst a very slow news day, it was announced via social media that Todd Rothe, starting leftfielder for Hatton Gardens FC and the Torisakia national team, has been cut from both squads due to a gaseous incident that occur late last night. According to witnesses, Rothe was observed, both via sound and smell, passing gas on a subway train in Bollonich. Reports stated that the incident was so terrible that the local hazmat crew had to be called in to clean the cab. Rothe, aware of the damage he caused, was seen quickly getting off the subway at the next stop, eluding human interaction all the way back to his hotel. A street-wide manhunt ensued, with authorities searching for "The Mad Farter". Six hours and many Crime Stoppers tips later, Rothe was finally apprehended in his hotel room without incident. He was extradited back to Torisakia where he was released on bond later in the day.

Speaking of releases, both the Hatton Gardens FC and the TASFA front offices received word of Rothe's smelly antics this morning. After a very quick teleconference, both entities decided to terminate the remainder of Rothe's contracts and release him from both squads. Hatton Gardens FC Sporting Director Walt Egan told reporters, "[This] type of behavior has no place on this team or anywhere in sports. Rothe should be ashamed of himself and ostracized by society as a whole. Heck, I'd even consider giving him the death penalty for what he did. Absolutely disgustan and inexcusable. He can rot in hell". Rothe had just recently signed a 6 year, T$8 million contract extension with Hatton Gardens after leading them to a Megabowl appearance in the previous TSL season, which they would have won had they not choked a 3-1 series lead. On the other side of things, national team Sporting Director Marvin Burchy told reporters, "[I] don't really know how to respond. Yeah what Rothe did was kinda rude, but is it really that big of a deal? Do we have to go to THESE lengths? Apparently, yes. The decision to cut Todd from the national team was not mine as I was extorted and blackmailed into doing it. The sporting world is full of corruption these days". Burchy has been criticized for his apologetic attitude towards the situation.

Rothe is expected to face trial within the next month on one count of disturbing the peace, one count of evading arrest, and one count of chemical warfare in according to worldwide laws regarding the use of such weapons. His trial will be held at the Torisakia District Court of Tokai, with their unblemished track record, amidst a sellout crowd. Grandstands are being erected in and around the courtroom and ShubTub is currently selling tickets to the general public. Rumor also has it that the entire trial will be televised by every major over-the-air television network in Torisakia. Rothe has not publicly commented on the ordeal, preferring to have his attorney speak for him. His attorney, Scott C. McCaslin, has told reporters, "[My] client admits to having a public butt malfunction, but the law has gone too far in this situation. Under no circumstances should one be arrested, jailed, and sent to trial for simply breaking fresh wind in a public area. It is absurd and I am utterly shocked and appalled". Journalists from The Torisakian Inquisition questioned Mr. McCaslin on what his main defense for Rothe would be to which he replied, "Whoever smelt it, dealt it".

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[Bollonich]

Baptism of Fire 76 - Groups A to C - Matchday 2

Group A
Britland 3–7 Nyowani Kitara
Raspotochje 1–5 Torisakia
Maramaa 0–3 Ochre Islands

  Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Ochre Islands          2   2  0  0    9   2  +7    6
2 Nyowani Kitara         2   1  1  0    8   4  +4    4
3 Torisakia              2   1  1  0    6   2  +4    4
4 Maramaa                2   1  0  1    1   3  −2    3
5 Britland               2   0  0  2    3   8  −5    0
6 Raspotochje            2   0  0  2    3  11  −8    0

Group B
Vajlahrys 0–6 Pyazhnaya
Krbustan 1–4 Venmere
Kiltoch 0–1 Behetij

  Group B              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Pyazhnaya              2   2  0  0   12   0 +12    6
2 Behetij                2   2  0  0    4   1  +3    6
3 Venmere                2   1  0  1    4   7  −3    3
4 Kiltoch                2   0  1  1    0   1  −1    1
5 Vajlahrys              2   0  1  1    0   6  −6    1
6 Krbustan               2   0  0  2    2   7  −5    0

Group C
Milchama 3–1 Malta Comino Gozo
Bahia Roja 2–1 Martune
Ardelark 2–6 Cabo Azure

  Group C              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Milchama               2   2  0  0    9   2  +7    6
2 Bahia Roja             2   2  0  0    7   3  +4    6
3 Cabo Azure             2   1  0  1    8   7  +1    3
4 Martune                2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
5 Malta Comino Gozo      2   0  0  2    2   5  −3    0
6 Ardelark               2   0  0  2    3  12  −9    0

Cutoff!

[Banija]

And now time for the second cutoff of the Baptism of Fire! Will your nation etch your name to become one of the greatest sporting stories ever told?

Note the scheduling change, MD3 will be in approximately 48 hours from this post.

Group D
Merulantis 1–2 Agresos
Moliza 3–2 India
Daehae 0–1 Pascafia

Group D                                 Pld  W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Moliza                                 2   2  0  0    5   3  +2    6
2 India                                  2   1  0  1    6   5  +1    3
3 Pascafia                               2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
4 Agresos                                2   1  0  1    4   5  −1    3
5 Daehae                                 2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1
  Merulantis                             2   0  1  1    3   4  −1    1

Group E
Vikanias 0–1 Saterun
West Guam 2–3 Yasquia
Kaldtfjell 1–1 Democratic Kingdom of South India

Group E                                 Pld  W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Yasquia                                2   2  0  0    7   4  +3    6
2 Democratic Kingdom of South India      2   1  1  0    4   1  +3    4
3 Kaldtfjell                             2   1  1  0    2   1  +1    4
4 Saterun                                2   1  0  1    3   4  −1    3
5 Vikanias                               2   0  0  2    0   2  −2    0
6 West Guam                              2   0  0  2    2   6  −4    0

Group F
Usanguk 1–2 Rizealand
Lathamford 2–1 Saint Eleanor
Aix Les Filles 2–0 Ostankin

Group F                  Pld   W   D   L    GF   GA   GD    Pts 
1 Lathamford              2    2   0   0     7    1   +6     6
2 Aix les Filles          2    2   0   0     4    1   +3     6
3 Saint Eleanor           2    1   0   1     3    3    0     3
4 Rizealand               2    1   0   1     3    3    0     3
5 Usanguk                 2    0   0   2     2    4   −2     0
6 Ostankin                2    0   0   2     0    7   −7     0

[Milchama]

"How are we doing so far in our return?"

"Return of what?"

"Return to international football"

"We crashed out of AOCAF like a month ago you know that"

"I mean the real games"

"AOCAF is real. Regional tournaments matter!"

"Sure, I guess but we're in the WCC now"

"No, the World Cup hasn't started yet"

"We're in the Baptism of Fire! Can we stop with the stupid games and get to the real stuff!"

"Sure. So, this Baptism of Fire, how we doing?"

"We're winning!"

"Really?"

"Yeah by a lot"

"How much?"

"Well we won our first game 6-1 and our second game 3-1"

"So we're doing pretty well huh?"

"Yep"

"Marc K. Floren has been excellent. He's scored 5 goals already. He got a natural hattrick in the opener and got 2 goals in the second game"

"Wow!"

"Yeah, good to have a Floren scoring goals"

"Just like his dad or granddad or great granddad"

"You do know there's no relation between Marc J. Floren and Marc K. Floren right?"

"Yep but it's fun to imagine"

"I guess but like Marc J. Floren is dead or in The Archregimancy or something. Like he's not even the best player from that generation"

"Who is?"

"Darian Flinters or Dunston Copperlee"

"Nah, nobody remembers those two. They barely remember Avi Belmowitz"

"Who is that?"

"The all time leading goalscorer for Milchama. He was literally subtitled 'godmod' because he could score whenever, wherever, and usually did"

"That seems unfair"

"Well we were good back in those days"

"We were good. That second generation was really quite something"

"Yep and the third generation"

"Then we sucked"

"Then we isolated"

"And now we're actually in a Baptism of Fire and we're doing very well"

"Can you tell me what happened in the two games"

"We scored more goals than our opponents"

"Ok but actually give me some analysis"

"Sure our midfield did a great job of controlling the ball and moving forward which allowed our forward line to put in a lot of crosses. Those crosses were superbly headed in by some players. Additionally, the attacking nature of our defense led to a lot of turnovers in the attacking zone which led to more goals."

"Oh ok, why didn't that happen in AOCAF?"

"Well we played really well against Sarzonia but more importantly when it goes wrong it does lead to breakaways. It's a high risk/high reward style of play so sometimes we lose big but when we win it looks great"

"So we're good right now"

"Yes having inexperienced teams that panic is great and we're excited to beat them"

"Woo hoo! Beating inexperienced teams!"

"Wooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!"

"So we're doing well?"

"We're doing really well!"

"Come on You Warriors!"

"Let's Go Milchama!"

[Lathamford]

S p o r t L i n k

---

---

Group F
Lathamford 2–1 Saint Eleanor
Lathamford:: Martin Haymoore '10, Adolf Wyvernchaser '62
Saint Eleanor:: Corporal Aidan Harris '90
@ Istria Olympic Stadium

Match Report

1: Kick off
5: Jessica Martin takes a shot. That's off-target.
9: Corner award to Lathamford
10: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Martin Haymoore
16: Bruno Caskwoods takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
18: Katie O'Donnell takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
19: Corporal Aidan Harris takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
28: Evan Donald takes a shot. That's off-target.
29: Jessica Martin takes a shot. That's off-target.
30: Liam West is shown a Yellow Card.
33:  Corporal Aidan Harris takes a shot. That's off-target.
41: Jonah Hargreave is shown a Yellow Card
43: Kingsley takes a shot. That's off-target.
45: Official awards freekick to Saint Eleanor 
50: Katie O'Donnell takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
53: Corporal Aidan Harris takes a shot. That's off-target.
56: Substitution by Saint Eleanor player Liam West make way for Laura Brown.
57: Farrowsteam takes a shot. That's off-target.
58: Adolf Wyvernchaser takes a shot. That's off-target.
62: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Adolf Wyvernchaser
64: Corporal Aidan Harris takes a shot. That's off-target.
66: Official awards freekick to Saint Eleanor
70: Bruno Caskwoods takes a shot. That's off-target.
71: Otto Farrowsteam takes a shot. That's off-target.
75: Katie O'Donnell takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
76: Adolf Wyvernchaser takes a shot. That's off-target.
77: Jack Smith takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
79: Substitution by Lathamford player Bruno Caskwoods make way for Alan Caskwoods.
81: Alan Caskwoods takes a shot. That's off-target.
82: Farrowsteam takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
84: Carter Colfield is injured and down on the field.
85: Colfield has recovered and rejoins the match.
89: Otto Farrowsteam takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
90: Saint Eleanor scores! The scorer was Corporal Aidan Harris
90+2: Final Whistle

The path seemed easy for The Speedy Cat when they found the rhythm and managed to beat Saint Eleanor 2-1 in Group F's second match, 76th Baptism of Fire. Analysis on paper still states Saint Eleanor has a higher chance than Lathamford, their Manager Priscilla Evans is more experienced and authoritative than us. It didn’t take long, in the tenth minute, Martin Haymoore’s header when receiving Joe Wymondham’s corner kick was enough to give Speedy Cat a lead. As the opposing defense focused on controlling our three strikers, the unmarked Haymoore finished the kick-off with an impressive free header, 1-0 for Lathamford

Our hopes were almost shattered when Saint Eleanor striker Katie O’Donnell almost tore the Greenash -controlled goal with a move in which she managed to place herself between our two defenders and faced 1v1 with Greenash, luckily the kick was deflected out. The 5 feet 9 inches tall striker was stunned, as she missed an opportunity to score a goal. By the end of the first half, the score was still 1-0 and two yellow cards were shown to Liam West (Saint Eleanor) and Jonah Hargreave (Lathamford)

What Head Coach Pedro Menendez was talking about we didn't know in the locker room, but the second half The Speedy Cat came up with a different gameplan, which is not the case, the formation has become 3-3-1-3, Adolf Wyvernchaser has been directed to be the Attacking Midfielder Center (AMC) to strengthen the attacking line. As a result, in the 62nd minute, he managed to deceive the enemy defense who expected their offside trap to be but the lineman did not raise the flag, and easily Wyvernchaser fired in a goal from Farrowsteam's pass and made it 2-0.

In the 75th minute, Katie O'Donnell was once again a problem for our defense when she was once again able to shoot right into the net, but our goalkeeper was ready to catch the ball. In the 77th minute, substitute striker Jack Smith also almost broke through the net with an interesting freekick, fortunately, the crossbar thwarted him and the deflected ball was caught by the goalkeeper. Family in the Lathamford squad is common, brother and sister in a national team, 79th minute, Bruno Caskwoods replaced by his brother Alan Caskwoods for his first cap. The Dinamo Thetford FC striker was given the role of a poacher like his brother.

Lathamford's offensive mode has yet to decline, striker Otto Farrowsteam (Locomotive Featherwood FC), almost twice scored, a drive from outside the box in the 82nd minute, and a near-perfect volley in the 89th minute both saved by John Bailey. Lively and energetic, that's what can be concluded in this match, both teams do not want to give up and counterattack each other. And finally, in the 90th minute, as a result of the negligence of the Lathamford defense, Corporal Aidan Harris managed to bring the ball from the middle and dribble two Lathamford players before firing in and making the score 2-1 until the end of the match.

MD3: Lathamford vs. Rizealand
Greenash
Wolfsong - Skelmersdale (C) - Haymoore
Wymondham - Wyvernchaser - Hargreave - Selfridges
Farrowsteam - Caskwoods - Falconderry

[Galimencia]

Britland National Football Team

Nickname(s):The Four Lions
Association: The Football Association
Head Coach: Charles Wright-Philips
Captain: Reginald 'Reggie' Smith
Home Stadium: Various
Football In Galimencia: Football is the most popular sport in both Britland and entire mainland Galimencia. With over 90,000 football clubs spread over the 4 provinces, the United Kingdom of Galimencia has the largest number of football clubs in the world(in this case, the world in which Galimencia belongs). Almost 40,000 clubs belong in Britland itself. Football has a long history in Galimencia. Football was played in Galimencia as far back as medieval times. The first written record of football comes from an account of 1253, written by Julius Fitzephen. King Henry IX, the man who united the three provinces of Galimencia, was reported to be an enthusiastic football player. However, there was no unified code for football, and it was played in different ways in different regions. Football as a sport in Galimencia was officially codified in 1872. The first official football club however grew up in 1865, seven years before the sport was even codified. There exists no single united Galimencian football team, as the 4 provinces which makes up the Galimencian mainland has separate national teams and also separate football leagues. Britland, Cortland, Wanland and Murland have their own football leagues, with the Britlandian Football league being the most watched and richest among the four of them. Each of the provinces have a national football association responsible for the overall management of football within their respective province. However, by the pure number of league attendance, registered fans, active players and football clubs, Britland dominates the football scene in mainland Galimencia. The Britland National Football team is also the most successful among the four, with it winning the Galimencian Football Championship a record 12 times.

Squad For BoF:

Goalkeepers:
1. Robert 'Bobby' Anderson (31),club: West Lownfolk United FC[s]
4. Andrew Morgan (22),club: Portsborough FC
14. Colin McDonald (29),club: Worchester United

Defenders:
5. William 'Billy' Hodgkinson (27),club: Hertford FC [s]
3. Thomas 'Tom' Wright (24),club: West Lownfolk United FC[s]
2.Richard Samuels (30),club: Presdale FC [s]
33.Mathew Callaghan (22), club: Blackford FC[s]
4. Robert 'Bobby' Robinson (26), club: Worchester United FC [s]
13.Harry (21),club: West Lownfolk United FC
2. Christopher 'Chris' Moore(28), club: Hertford FC

Midfielders:
11. Reginald 'Reggie' Smith(28),club: West Lownfolk United FC [s]
23. Peter Hughes(25),club: West Lownfolk United FC[s]
15.James 'Jimmy' Morrison (27),club: Werwockshire FC[s]
19. Alexander Arnold (21) ,club: Morburry FC [s]
22. Michael Henderson (29),club: Hertford FC
13. Stanley Williamson(24),club: Presdale FC
18. John Bond (27),club: Blackpool City FC

Forwards:
10. Gareth 'Garry' Callaghan (26),club: Werwockshire FC[s]
9. Peter Rhodes(21),club: Hertford FC[s]
8. Robert 'Bobby' Jackson(22),club: Worchester United
20. Harry Flower (25),club: Eastbroke FC
12. Martin Anderson (25),club: New Sheffield United FC
28. Walter Long(24),club: Barlington City FC

RP Permission: Everything, just don't kill or cripple the players, thus no career ending injuries. TG me before godmodding.
Formation and Style Modifier: Britland will use the 3-5-2 or the 4-4-2 formation, with a style modifier of +1
Note: Players with the [s] symbol are the starters and will form the starting 11.

[Pascafia]

Equalized

Type: -
Time: -

---

FULL TIME RESULTS
Daehae 0 - 1 Pascafia
None / Welkas Marate Nenid (17')

A single goal was what Pascafia needed to take to equalize with India in the Baptism of Fire group stage. Moliza sits at first with 6 points (2 - 1, 1 - 2). The key moments for Pascafia, India, and Agresos would be the moment where Daehae or Merulantis would go onto a full shock mode and beat or draw Moliza, which would certainly be enough of a momentum stop for any of the three sides formerly mentioned (Pascafia, India, Agresos) to attempt to take over the table standings. This group is tighter than everyone thinks. This, in fact, proves very much true if you actually have a thorough look on the group stage table, comrade. You won't regret looking through the analysis, trust me.

Pascafia has the least goals conceded in the entire Group D, and also has two goals scored. Yet are only positioned at third place. Moliza sits at first with a goal record of 5 - 3. India are at second, above Pascafia by one goal differential. Agresos meanwhile is below Pascafia by one goal differential. Daehae and Merulantis at this point are fighting for fifth place. And then you realize, not only the amount of points are actually quite close, but also the fact that the goal differences are still quite in close contention. Every team in Group D has at least one point, which proves that there is still some competition in the group. And oh boy, that competitive edge is what everyone in this group wants.

Every team will be fighting out with their lives to earn qualifications to the next round. And this group might just be the one with the most battle hardened participants so far. Orlen Asaman Udora even said "Pascafians are battle hardened. Despite the fact we are socialists and pacifists, our will to fight, especially in sports sometimes is just unmatched," and i am sure many will agree on that statement. Anyway, other than that, Pascafia if you had realized earlier, had won their game against Daehae. Welkas Marate Nenid scored a goal, by dribbling from the right wing into the box, and with a shot to the near right post, he scored the game winning goal in the first half.

Let's hope Pascafia continues the performance they showed. No, Javon is still suspended, it's for two matches.

[Cabo Azure]

Ardelark 2–6 Cabo Azure

Pos. Name 
GK Carreira
LB Branco 
CB Mendes
CB Macedo
RB Carneiro
LW Serra 
CM Ferreira (Marciano) (red card 65')
RM Santos (goal 72')
LW Dantas (goal 21')
CF Montenegro (goals 15', 37', 58')
RW Carrico (goal 90')

A true statement by the Macaricas, resurgent after their drubbing at the hands of Bahia Roja in the first match of the Baptism of Fire, though Marciano Ferreira's red card, the result of a cynical studs-up tackle on Malek Larbi, casts something of a pall over the otherwise jubilant atmosphere. Ferreira will miss the next match vs MIlchama, a critical fixture against a squad that has yet to put a foot wrong in this Baptism.

Montenegro opened the Azureans' account with a powerful header from open play, followed up by a coast-to-coast run by Dantas that saw a miscue between Benali and Yasim leave the goalkeeper exposed. The Sand Cats would claw one back around the half-hour mark as Givaoui got on the end of a masterful free kick from Amori. Montenegro put the Azureans two goals ahead once again with a chipper from the edge of the box, making the halftime score 3-1.

The Sand Cats managed to slow the pace at the start of the second half, with several promising buildups by Cabo Azure being rebuffed. The Ardelark side failed to maintain possession long enough to get anything going until Larbi got the ball free and in space, leading Ferreira to take an ill-advised sliding tackle that resulted in a straight red. Though the ten-man Macaricas would score twice more, both from set pieces, the mood over the team was somber after Ferreira was sent off, and the celebrations more muted than perhaps would be expected from the team's first win in WCC play.

A Good Bit of Business, Pt 2

Amilcar Branco remembered how, the first time he’d seen Sao Simone from the sea, the lights had spread across the horizon and made the city seem infinite as it disappeared from view in each direction. For a kid born and raised on an island where you could almost see from one end to the other, the shift in perspective had been jarring. He remembered exactly how insignificant he’d felt in the face of such a huge place.

Now from his vantage point on the top deck of a yacht, he could see the edges of the city, but somehow he felt even smaller. Tomorrow he and his team would board a plane that might land in a completely different reality from this one. This was different from the Copa Rushmori, where they played against teams they had read about in books or seen on TV. Playing against teams from across the Multiverse in the Baptism of Fire, the only thing they could count on being familiar was the game of football itself.

“Not much for crowds, either, are you?”

Branco whirled around to see a woman approaching him, drink in hand. His mind said "woman", though he realized she had to be at least a year or two younger than he was. She wore a strapless dress in a deep mauve, and a small constellation of jewels sparkled at her collar. Her steps were short, measured, and Branco almost laughed when he realized it was because she was unsteady in heels. She grasped the railing beside him to still herself and fixed her gaze on the horizon.

“This is my father’s boat,” she said. It was such a non sequitur that Branco couldn’t keep himself from laughing, tucking chin into chest to conceal his mirth. She smiled, embarrassed. “I didn’t mean it like that,” she protested, face reddening, “Just that I’ve spent a lot of time at parties like this one, and I never know what to do. When I was younger, I could hide in my stateroom and play video games, but I don’t think that would be very couth tonight.”

“I’d go for that,” Branco admitted. She regarded him with a raised eyebrow, and he felt himself blush, realizing what he’d said. He started to apologize, but she interrupted him.

“You’re Amilcar Branco,” she said, changing the subject. “You play for Portela?”

“That’s right,” Branco answered. “And you’re Joaninha Sequeira. Joaquin’s daughter, the Ladybird. I was sorry to hear about your mother.” Joaninha’s father, Joaquin Sequeira, was a household name in Cabo Azure both as the proprietor of the country’s only mobile data carrier, Zul, and the subject of the most intense media circus in the small country’s history. His divorce from Joaninha’s mother had played out in real time on radio and television, both parties’ vices laid bare for the public to judge. Branco had been starting secondary school; he guessed Joaninha would have been nine or ten at the time.

“Oh?” The girl’s surprise at the mention of her mother was genuine. “What did she do this time?”

“Went back to prison, or so I thought,” Branco answered, his brow furrowed. Joaninha turned away, hooking her elbows on the railing behind her.

“I don’t keep up with the news,” she said flatly. “It’s too painful. I love my mother unconditionally, but I’m not blind to her flaws. I know Daddy sends her money, because neither of us can stand to see her destitute, but she isn’t a part of my life anymore.” She trailed off. “I’m sorry. I just met you a second ago.”

“It’s alright,” Branco assured her, turning to face away from the railing. “I shouldn’t have asked.” His hand brushed hers as he placed it on the rail; neither of them moved.

“When do you leave for Bollonich?” she asked.

“Tomorrow morning.”

“Early?”

“Early.”

“Give me your phone.”

He obliged, and when she handed it back, she’d taken a selfie and set it as her contact picture. “Don’t give that number out,” she ordered. “Send me a text when you get back.” She disappeared into the crowd, leaving Amilcar to wonder how he’d just gotten the phone number of a beautiful billionaire’s daughter (the daughter was beautiful, his inner monologue hastened to add, not the billionaire. Although Joaquin was a good-looking man). This national team thing was a good bit of business.

[Lathamford]

S p o r t L i n k

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MD3: Lathamford vs. Rizealand
Greenash
Wolfsong - Skelmersdale (C) - Haymoore
Wymondham - Wyvernchaser - Hargreave - Selfridges
Farrowsteam - Caskwoods - Falconderry

Lokomotive Featherwood FC is taken over by Hundredstarians billionaire Estevon Rubalcaba under his company, Featherwood Sports Networks. He pays eight million Latham Coin for the National League team. On May 21, the eccentric businessman will come to Lokomotive Featherwood to explain his plans. The SPORTLINK has since announced that James Fairweather, CEO of Featherwood Sports Networks, has been appointed as CEO/director of Lokomotive Featherwood. Fairweather promised in a statement that the current board can stay on. Lokomotive Featherwood would also continue to play in its own club colors. Featherwood Sports Networks share stakeholders include former COO of Fort Graves Hotel Group, Howard Taggart which holding 48% after-sale 1% of his stake to local Etonintia County Inc.

Rubalcaba would put eight million Latham Coin on the table for Lokomotive Featherwood. Certainly, in the first instance, the board should be allowed to stay on and the basic number and club colors should also be retained.

The SPORTLINK knows that Ken Fairweather, the CEO of Featherwood Sports Networks, will be appointed director of Lokomotive Featherwood. Estevon Rubalcaba wants to maintain the local anchoring of the club and ensure that Lokomotive Featherwood has a competitive team in the long term. Rubalcaba became known in the world as the CEO of the Hundredstar, Fort Graves Hotel Group, and especially Featherwood Sports Networks, the sport management entity. Rubalcaba especially stood out because of strange statements and interventions.

Turning to the Baptism of Fire 76 situation, our Scouts are scrambling to get an accurate picture of our next opponent, Rizealand. All we know is they are now in 4th place with one win when beating Usanguk 2-1 and one loss, 1-2 over Saint Eleanor, and earning 3 points. What tactics will be used by Head Coach Pedro Menendez is still a mystery. What’s more, he lost his best-inverted winger, Carter Colfield who reportedly suffered an injury during the match against Saint Eleanor during the day. Vorn Selfridges (Rotor Blewbury FC) will reportedly be starting as a first eleven. Guess, we have a chance to win this third match if the players manage to master the rhythm and settle down early, as in the previous two games, whatever we wish the best for The Speedy Cat!

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Our Strikers Performance so far...
Bruno Caskwoods, 34 [Goldfinger United FC]
5 shot - 4 on target - 2 goals

Otto Farrowsteam, 28 [Lokomotive Featherwood FC]
5 shots - 2 on target - 0 goal

Matt Falconderry, 30 [Dynamo Buttercourt FC]
2 shots - 0 on target - 0 goal

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Other News

1. Lathamford tennis hungry for more highs this year
2. Dr. Vincent Fairchappel makes Red Star Holyrock almost debt-free
3. Stocksbridge Scorpio loan Alex Farr and Simon Townsend to Anders Alpine
4. Dean Fritzweather rules out Ed Grandbreeze swoop

[Ochre Islands]

Jasper's Guide to the Ochre Islands

I began day four at the Hotel Cooper (named for the owners pet rabbit) which is a couple of streets back from the seafront in the City of Louisa. Of course, being a couple of streets back from the street front in this city makes it practically a suburban hotel here rather than realising the prime spot it is in (there's the seafront, then the street, then the square, then a second street on the other side of the square, then the street the hotel is on is behind that one), so the prices are more than fair and the service is a little better than you'd expect. I don't think the owners realise how much of a bargain they're giving their guests but nobody who stays here is likely to speak up and say anything.

At the moment, the Hotel Cooper is a sparkling gem in the heart of an otherwise unfortunately rather dull port town, that is trying its hardest, but the longer I've stayed here the more I've realised everyone seems distracted by something. I've been to some capital cities or bigger cities across the multiverse and while people are in a rush, they are least seem to be focussed on what they're doing. Here – people are rushing around but you can tell they're constantly thinking about something else instead.

Following a tip from the Hotel Manager, I took the LH5 bus out of Louisa toward the Air Temple, as this gave the best views of the Temple itself on your approach...

After a half-hour drive, the bus rounds a corner and the driver indicates to you – and only you - that this is the end of the line, as the road in front of you is nothing more than a turning circle, where it finally has to yield to the geography of the island, where roads are replaced by walking routes as buses find it particularly difficult to drive up the side of cliffs, especially where the walking routes aren't wide enough to accomodate a bus and there are cacti and rocks on either side of the trail to boot.

You look up at the path winding its way up the cliff, glad it seems to be a natural path rather than that awful sharp-gravelly-pebbly-stuff that some authorities insist on laying. You begin your walk up, pausing every now and then to take in the view out towards the ocean, looking south towards nothing but sea. Slowly but surely, the top of the Air Temple appears over the ridge of the cliff as you look up toward it, each padding step you take seemingly getting easier as you approach, aided by what seems to be incredibly conveniently times breezes in your back almost pushing you up the final climbs.

The Air Temple is another round, ornate, building, made from grey brick. While there are no windows, there are what appears to be slits and channels built into the structure to make the most of any breeze that comes through. The only thing that really stands out is the welcome mat outside the arched door, that you brush your bare feet on before stepping onto the cool stone floor inside, a welcome respite for a weary traveller.

'Did you brush those properly?' A deep old male voice came from nowhere yet all around around you. Clever acoustics were definitely something that could be used well, or in this instance, unnecessarily intimidatingly. 'Of course' you reply, unsure where to look as you do so, though you do notice that this building has no roof whatsoever, explaining its brightness, though not the acoustics. 'Where exactly are you?'

'Here' the voice responds gruffly. You look up and slightly left to see a Monk, not wearing very much at all, on a platform flanked by two wooden spiral staircases, directly opposite the entrance. As if for effect, a breeze blows his long, grey hair dramatically away from him as he begins his descent. You watch on as he takes a walking stick at the bottom of the stairs, which he motions at the central stone circle, set into the floor of the temple. He expects you to meet him there, so you approach and stand on the other side of it to him. You pad across to him and go to ask a question, but you're cut off by one from the Monk, who has noticed your pen and paper. As journalism goes, you're still old-school, despite advances in technology. 'Have you visited any other Temples yet?' He asks, though you sense it's not a friendly question thanks to his rather brash demeanour. 'Just the Fire Temple in Rocksminster' you answer, trying to sound innocent. The answer seems to set the Monk up a level.

'Ah, the Fire Temple' he begins 'did they tell you that they're the source of all life and provider of greater nutritional benefit than the others?' 'No...' you say. 'Because that's the impression-they-GIVE!' He responds, shouting the last word through gritted teeth. 'Air is the most important element of the four, and yet the most under appreciated! Tell me something, what is water made up of?' 'Erm... hydrogen and oxygen?' 'Air would have been correct but I'll take it' the Monk says, adjusting his loincloth. 'And, tell me, what shapes the stones around you?' 'The wind' you answer, starting to see where this was going. 'And finally-' he says, staring into your eyes 'what does fire need to burn?'

'Kindling.'

Your mouth answered quicker than your brain could think about what you were about to say. The Monk looked enraged and raises his arms to the sky, before bringing them – and the walking stick – pointing toward you, a sudden gust of wind physically pushing you backwards toward the exit of the building, tearing your notepad out of your hands, which you just about manage to watch fly up toward the heavens. 'GET OUT' The Monk yells above the swirling winds, incandescent with rage. You trip over the threshold, the welcome mat almost embedding itself in the side of your legs as you fall onto your side. The doors to the Temple slam shut and the winds die down. Knowing enough to know you shouldn't stick around, you start walking quickly towards the top of the path, looking behind you only once to see the Monk has ascended the staircase and is stood on the roof of the building, watching to make sure you go.

Whilst still composing yourself as you are onto the path down now, you feel a breeze approach and fear the worst, staring down toward the bottom of the trail and expecting to be there quicker than you'd like. What you weren't expecting was for someone to whisper 'sorry' in your ear as the breeze passed by you. You continue down the path, which as you take each step seems to be blown clear of any of the stones or sticks which you'd had to step over on the way up. 'This is really, really weird' you think as another breeze seemingly personally dusts the path for you just before your heel touches the ground and you feel a tap on your shoulder from the tree you just passed by.

'Oh, thanks' you say absentmindedly as you retrieve your notepad from a branch, your pen still in the loop attached to it. You wonder if you've hit your head on your way out of the Temple, because looking at the tree, you're certain you sensed, though not saw, it smile at you.

Jasper's Guide to the Ochre Islands.

I'm assured that the Monk in the Air Temple is an outlier, someone who has taken it all too far and uses his ability to commune with the skies for impure intentions. I'm told there's a reason he lives alone up there, scouring the horizons for threats in the form of the other elements, whilst at the same time thriving from the fact that oxygen – the air – is so critical for pretty much all of them. The Temple itself though is a masterpiece, and the town of Hopeminster still desperately needs whatever tourist traffic it can get, being nothing more than a scattering of houses and a couple of cafés posing as restaurants. The people though are friendly and deserve some outside attention.

[Pyazhnaya]

-- The Baptism of Fire 76 is covered by Kathleen Negretti --

As the Baptism of Fire continues, we will also continue with our parallel coverage of Pyazhnaya, one of its participants, who also have been off to a tremendous start to the competition, winning both of their first two games 6-0 each.

Given their location in the very north of Pyazhnaya and also their insular nature, transportation is an equally interesting and complicated chapter, so this is what we will be focusing on in this edition.

As one could imagine, transportation throughout Pyazhnaya is a very diverse affair, combining air, sea and land transportation, often intertwined. Looking at the largest scope, air transport is the by far fastest travel method to connect the various islands and sub-archipelagoes, with Pyazhnye Krylya (Pyazhnayan Wings) being the nation's full service flag carrier. Pyazhnye Krylya is headquartered in Severoyarsk, capital of the province of the same name, which is taking up the southwestern part of the Ostrov Izumrud. It also operates secondary hubs in Tverinsk, Khilyovsk and Vselitamak, from which their regional feeder service operates under the Pyazhnye Krylya express brand to connect to secondary airports. Several of the airports also have international flights, with the capital Krasnograd being the hub for passenger services and Severoyarsk for cargo operations.

There also is a second, budget, airline covering much of the archipelago with Pyazhnair, who have been trying to snatch part of the aviation market by offering at times considerably lower air fares, but at the expense of some of the services offered in flight. During winter some areas, especially in the eastern archipelagos, build runways on the ice to facilitate air transportation when the port facilities are blocked by ice.

Marine transport plays a major role in Pyazhnaya's cargo sector, with several ports throughout the islands being part of international shipping routes, such as Krasnograd, Tverinsk, Severoyarsk, Ochuromorsk, Vselitamak and Buravska with north eastern Chernyye Ostrova being a bit of an exception as their main port is not attached to any of the cities, but a central shipping facility that combines all exports of the archipelago and focuses it into one, which is heavily patrolled by both ice breakers and also the Pyazhnayan Navy due to the often sentitive nature of goods being shipped from there.

There also are some ro-ro (roll on/roll off) car ferries operating between some of the islands, most notably between Vostrakhan and Tverinsk, Severoyarsk and Ochuromorsk and all of the above and Vselitamak on top of some international destinations.

Within the bigger islands there also is an extensive train network, which is mostly powered by wind power generated by very large wind turbines that have become extremely feasible due to the often high winds coming in from the Salamantic Sea to the west and south west. This has led to Pyazhnaya becoming one of the region's leading research and development nations when it comes to hybrid locomotives that are capable to supplement the wind energy with both solar and emergency diesel power.

[Venmere]

NATIONAL FOOTBALL SQUAD REGAINS TOP FORM

The worries of Venmere fans are over after the squad defeated Krbustan 4-1. It was a good recovery from the dumpster fire of the first game, and pulled Venmere out of last place in its group.

The game served as a good regaining of form for the squad, which had been shell-shocked after their horrifying 6-0 loss last match. With play like this, the Peregrine Falcons can be legitimate contenders, which is exactly what this nation has been waiting for.

The game itself was not very exciting, with the Peregrine Falcons leading 3-0 at the half and only letting in an 83rd minute goal with a backup goalie and defenders playing.

The players left the pitch looking relieved and happy. They haven’t won a match since the PCIV, where they lost in the round of 16 to New Meixio.

Thankfully, they’ve gotten out of their funk and the future is bright here for these Peregrine Falcons.

[Saint Eleanor]

Oneshot: With Some Power Comes Some Responsibility

8:06am - Monday 15th January 1996

"Yes, Emma, I get it, I completely and utterly get it - we have to go back at some point in the next half an hour or so!" Emma Francis and Rachel Woodhouse had been friends for... almost too long to count. Suffice to say that they were they were in Year 12 and had known each other since possibly one of the negative years*.

"In which case please, for the love of all that is good, Rachel, could you please check and see if you have everything you need? Don't worry about the books, they'll be given to you in class, you'll have plenty of those by the time the week's over." Year 12? They would be that morning, anyway, with all the delights of being able to trim any two of music, art or drama off one's timetable without any of the burdens of school leadership exercises or almost-standardised tests - almost.

"Do I... have everything? Yes, and I'm confident you're all ready. I've had my morning coffee, should I assume you've had yours?" Newbanks Community School was fairly average in most regards; it only had nice buildings because the previous ones had been destroyed by the National Liberation Front a quarter of a century ago. Now they ran the country and the curriculum. School Council, that greatest of subversive colonial-era institutions, was safe for now. Both of them knew this and both wanted to stand again; not that they'd talk about it where the intelligence services could hear, of course.

"That would be correct. Now hurry up or you'll get smacked and told to report to Attendance as I'm going to do. Not the being late thing, of course." The hard yards were to begin now, at least for students. Some of the staff might have an easy ride; most of them would probably be shouting at the worst-off in society - and mock exams - most of the time. She didn't think she fell into either of those categories: either of her.

"I promise I'll make it back home for the game against Aicks leh Feehs, honest," retorted Rachel, despite knowing fully well that the game was not scheduled to begin until 5pm. And with that, they hung up and set off, probably at once. Nothing else to talk about or think about, surely...

∴

8:33am - Monday 15th January 1996

A good walk and a few bad queues later, 12ELW had finally got its house in order. Everybody knew what to expect, except not really. When you're one of only forty secondary schools in the country and the only one vaguely pretending to serve your allegedly suburban place, you don't get much of a choice. People matter much more than ideas here. Emma tried to reel off some of them in her head, with little success... perhaps self-enforced.

Miss Young? Front of the class; boring but well respected as a result. Rachel? A few chairs down - it wasn't like she wanted to be sat next to the vaguely middle-set people who probably needed to learn from her more than their teachers most of the time - blonde ponytail, smart cookie (much of the time, anyway), infuriatingly snappy to most. Adam? Pretty much the other side of the room, shaggy black hair, shaggier organisation, snappily infuriating to all. Ripe for a lawsuit about thirty years down the line if enough people complain about serial bum-pinchers and other forms of abuse in pseudoplatonic relationships by then.

Everybody else, she decided to try to recognise later, such as whenever register was taken; keeping a relatively light mental load on the least consequential schoolday of the next three years felt like a sensible idea. Perhaps ignoring most of the first-day school values presentation would have been, too. It would undoubtedly be the same as last year, and the year before that, and the year before that, and maybe the year before that. She only had those suspicions confirmed a few hours later.

∴

9:02am - Monday 15th January 1996

And of course she had to perch up next to Rach - Newbanks was kind like that. Most of it, anyway, she suspected. Period 1, English with Mr Barrett - a bit of a nutter, though willing to make sure that most things run successfully and on time, especially homework. None of that today, however. Instead, a nice, gentle, introd...

"Welcome back, everyone. Your Right Start task is on the board. I'm going to do the register in a few minutes, but before that, I'd like to start by clarifying that the English Department doesn't have enough books to go around and some of you will have to write on paper for the time being." He stood there, thinking for a while, and then returned to action.

"Due to budget cuts." Budget cuts? Budget cuts? When the same President, with almost the same group of advisors, had never reduced the Department for Literacy and Numeracy's budget in twenty years? Emma was almost immediately stunned into silence; she looked around for a bit before realising that most of her friends, too, were confused. It continued for about ten or fifteen seconds.

"Sir..." A voice called out from somewhere around the back. "Sir, I walked past the corridor a few minutes ago and found a pile of empty books on one of the desks next door. Could you get them?" He nodded and obliged. Just.

Most people had snapped out of their shock by the time the door closed behind Mr Barrett. Not Emma: really, she must have thought, did it have to fall to Adam Kenny - resident class bully and homework refuser - to do what none of his mostly upstanding and honest classmates could?

Some time later, Rachel turned around to her and asked "isn't this absolutely splendid?" Finally, an opportunity to complain behind some incompetent moron's back about failing to do the most basic aspects of his job properly, however subtly. The President wouldn't notice if they went further, wouldn't he?

(*: Mandatory schooling in Saint Eleanor begins during the calendar year in which one turns five; i.e. Year 1. Hence why sixteen-year-olds partake in Year 12.)

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Former tin cans prove too slow for Speedy Cat