Touch Football mega thread

[nola_eleanor]

There was a field not too far from Phoenix Effect that was too small for all the various sports leagues in the city to have snapped up for weekend practices or games, but big enough for the fairly flexible game of touch football, so that's where they played. People came and went for most of the afternoon, though the game itself only lasted an hour and change. Almost everyone played, but there were several people watching, choosing to cheer or heckle or talk amongst themselves as it suited them.

When everyone got together enough to actually start the game, they divided into two teams, with Matteo as the referee. Zach's team was made up of Hazel, Max, Hanne, Nori, Nick, Alex, and Oliver; Kyle had Elspeth, Joel, Carrie, Caleb, Irene, Sam, and Elena on his team. It wasn't a blowout, but Zach's team won by a few touchdowns and were crowned the victors. Despite a couple minor accidents, everyone came out of it in one piece. More or less.

Comments

Dani

[nola_buckybarnes]

Joel felt so guilty about being MIA—ugh, that little turn of phrase hit a lot closer to home these days—for so long that he actually showed up for the game early, hoping to maximize his time with Elspeth and everyone else. It wasn't their fault he'd woken up one day and remembered he was a Super Soldier.

Which reminded him—he needed to keep focused and not get too into the game. It'd be easy to forget himself. Thank God this wasn't tackle.

There were only a few other people milling around the field when he walked up, and he wasn't sure how many were just random passerby. One face, though, he definitely knew. Like, really, really knew. The same way he knew Steve.

"Wanda?" he said, keeping his voice low. The incredulity still came through loud and clear.

Sam

[nola_quicksilver]

It was kind of nice to have something normal and wholesome to look forward to after all the tumult of the past few days. A nice touch football game in the park with friends on a beautiful spring day! What could be more carefree than that?

Of course, they were also folding in a meetup with other universe-displaced people. But that was just efficient scheduling.

By the time Sam and Oliver arrived at the park, others were already there, though the game wasn't even close to starting yet. Way at the other side of the field, Sam's chess nerd friend Zach was setting up some goal markers, and he cheerfully raised his hand to them in greeting before going back to what he was going.

Oh, and he was Hank McCoy now.

Oliver stopped in his tracks, his elbow jamming sharply into Sam's side. "Scott! I mean, Sam—whoever—are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Nori - before game

[nola_buffy]

It felt surreal, the way that she and Nori had been kind of co-existing, movingly easy around each other, both wary and on high alert. Carrie had been looking, as much as anyone could look, for people from their lives as Slayers, but it seemed like they weren't around. Maybe they had died and this was a new life. Maybe Slayer memories lingered in the next life.

Whatever the reason, Carrie was glad Nori was here; that Faith was here. So why not play a dumb game of football? Why not try to share space and a life and see what happens?

Carrie was dressed in cute workout clothes, of course, and waved at Elena as she caught sight of her. "That's who I go running with," she told Nori, as she put her bag down and started to stretch. Looks like she would know a few people here.

Hazel and Kyle, before the game

[nola_jeangrey]

Katie had really enjoyed her morning with Caleb and Scottie. Grounding her new sense of identity with people who understood but didn't look at her like she was their dead ex-wife or whatever had been a good thing. She didn't feel like the Katie that had existed prior to painting the mural, but she felt a little less unmoored. She didn't even mind when Caleb headed off to warm up.

And catching a glimpse of Hazel helped, too, because Hazel was Katie's favorite person, and the guy she was with looked cute even from a distance. It was nice to be reminded of Katie's concerns. She smiled and waved.

Zach, after the game

[nola_cyclops]

It had been so strange to play sports with Hank McCoy, like Sam -- or Scott -- had done hundreds of times before -- and yet also do it for the first time. It was a different game, they were on opposite teams, they had different names, but it still kept bringing back memories. Countless ones, large and small, from a life spent more or less together.

When the game was over and people had started breaking off into smaller groups or leaving, and after Oliver had gloated, of course, about winning(!), Sam couldn't wait any more. He headed over to Zach, still smiling, although he could feel his shoulders moving back, his spine straightening, his 'fearless leader' form activating. "Good game," he said, by way of greeting.

[nola_tristan]

It was all fun and games until you accidentally tripped over your beautiful teammate on the field! Sure, Hanne had made it to the end of the game, but Max was worried about her leg. As soon as the game was over he made a beeline for her, even though she had been a stranger a couple of hours ago.

"I'm so sorry. I hit you hard back there! I'm so sorry! Can I take a look at your leg? It's not creepy, I'm a nurse, and I'm worried it's worse than it looks. Did I mention that I'm sorry?"

Joel

[nola_eleanor]

Elspeth honestly didn't know why she let Kyle talk her into playing touch football. If she'd woken up hungover she probably would have blown the whole thing off, but she'd slept surprisingly well and it only took two cups of coffee and a breakfast burrito to have her feeling downright chipper. Maybe it was the prospect of meeting a bunch of new people, at least some of whom had to be fun to flirt with, or maybe she was just enjoying the excuse to wear her favorite pair of athletic shorts, which made her ass look great. Either way, she was in a good mood when she got to the field, and it only got better when she spotted Joel.

"Hey hot stuff!" she called out, stopping where she was. He was clearly talking to someone--a girl, cute from what Elspeth could see--but he could go back to her later. It had been way too long since Elspeth had seen Joel, so as soon as he glanced in her direction, she smiled and crooked her finger in a 'come here' motion.

Oliver

[nola_wanda]

After Joel left to talk to someone else, Dani scanned the newly-arrived faces for another familiar one. When she found Oliver's, she waited until he was looking in her general direction before lifting her hand in a wave.

Katie

[nola_wanda]

With the game starting soon, the people who were actually playing had to group up. Dani decided to stay, for at least a little while, so she headed for the sidelines. In particular, she aimed for the woman Oliver had pointed out to her as the one who was, like Dani herself, someone Pietro knew but from a different universe.

"Can I sit here?" she asked Katie, pointing to an open space next to her.

Nick

[nola_eleanor]

Elspeth had been a little disappointed when Zach had snagged the new-hottie-named-Nick for his team so she couldn't, but on the bright side, it meant she could spend most of the game looking at him instead of lined up next to him. And boy, did she. She made sure she was across from him whenever she could, indulging in some very enjoyable eye contact and meaningful smiles. So what if they lost? Kyle had promised this would be a bonding experience and look, here she was, bonding.

After the game she ended up talking to a few people, but as soon as she extricated herself from that series of short conversations, she made sure to find Nick. "I hope you weren't planning on leaving before saying hi or at least undressing me with your eyes a couple more times."