You push on me, I'll push you back.

[Natasha Ainsworth]

"Don't kid yourself, you were going to take a two-hour shower anyway, even if it wasn't muddy out. Any excuse," Seraphim replied, as she finally pushed herself up and off of the blonde girl, getting slowly to her feet. She glanced in Natasha's direction, giving her a sheepish little shrug, no trace of guilt in her features either. She offered both of her hands down to Leigh, to help her up from the field.

"Your hair is a mess though, but mine probably is, too.. just easier to see in all of that blonde."

When Natasha had been unable to catch up with her, Eric actually managed to score Leigh's team a second goal, and there was a resounding groan from the entire opposing team [Seraphim, obviously, excluded], as their goalie gave them a little frown, and went to grab up the ball. Planting her hands onto her hips, Natasha waited for the toss out, glancing toward her players. If they wanted to win, they were going to have to get serious.

[Leigh O'Conner]

"Guilty as charged," Leigh answered, retaking her feet, and frowning at a passing twinge in her ankle. She rotated her foot until it passed, and nodded. "Let's get this thing going, ladies," she called out to her team, dropping a kiss on Sera's cheek, and then running promptly after the ball again.

[Natasha Ainsworth]

Seraphim rolled her eyes a bit, reaching up to rub at the kissed cheek, and only succeeding in spreading around a bit of mud in the process. She took off after Leigh, glad to see that Natasha had finally managed to get control of the ball for the first time in ages, and was heading right for the goal posts. It seemed that their previous short-comings were starting to get under the captain's skin; she even looked annoyed.

Never one to play the role of loser for long, Natasha was solely focused on her game as she made her way along the field, ducking between players, and even ignoring a couple of calls of 'open' from her teammates. Skidding to a stop just a few paces away from the other team's net, she hauled off and took her shot finally, aiming with all of the force she could put behind the kick.

[Leigh O'Conner]

A grande effort was made on part of their goalie, but the ball sliced cleanly into the net. "Sore loser," Leigh called towards the captain, as the ball was thrown back in, and she managed to get control again. She made it to about midfield point, and passed as Gladys called for it. And from Gladys to Erin, and then to Tiffany, who slipped a little. Luckily Erin was still nearby, and she slid directly under Ashley to toss it towards Leigh. Grinning wildly, the blonde moved to score again.

[Natasha Ainsworth]

Natasha stuck her tongue out at Leigh in return, although it quickly broke into a wide grin. She was a bit behind, seeing the tripping and scuffling only from a distance, and by the time that she caught up to the other girls, Sera was already ahead of her, taking off after Leigh, who was heading directly for their net. Typically, their practice games only went to four points, sometimes five, and if Leigh scored this one, they'd already be up to three. "Get on her!" the blonde called after her center, getting an absent nod from Seraphim, who seemed to double her efforts.

Although she wasn't sure she'd actually be able to catch Leigh before she got to score, she had to try, and the brunette was pretty close to getting her, before she slipped in a rather slick portion of the field. She swore loudly, as she landed right onto her ass into the pile of mud, and her girlfriend continued down the field. Just moments later, the other girls on her team passed her by, also intent on intercepting. She accepted a hand up from one in passing, scowling as she started to run again.

[Leigh O'Conner]

Leigh missed Sera's fall, as she was scoring a goal at the time, but she'd heard the swear, and when she turned to see Sera's grumpy expression, she guessed at what the problem was. "You okay?" She asked, having jogged up to the girl, waiting for the ball to get tossed in again. "Or are you trying to beat me for muddiest player?"

[Natasha Ainsworth]

"I'm fine, just a slip, my ass is kind of sore," Sera explained softly, reaching behind her to lightly rub just above her tailbone. "I'm going to live. But I might beat you for that muddiest player competition," she added, eyes moving over to their goalie, waiting for the other girl to perform the toss in.

Natasha was waiting as well, hardly able to keep still as she did so. When their goalie did finally throw it into the crowd of waiting girls, she was one of the first to head for it, making a quick jump, and managing to use her head to get the ball into the possession of one of her own teammates. It was scarcely looking like they'd win now, but she wasn't ready to give up just yet.

"Thick head, that one," Sera mused quietly, giving Leigh a little smile, before she off again, heading after the teammate with the ball.

[Leigh O'Conner]

"I'll give you a massage later," Leigh said with a wink. "Although you're never gonna win Miss Muddiest. Although I'm so up for nominating Natasha if you are."

"And, you have to admit," Leigh reported in between breaths, as she gave chase. "It's kind of charming, though." Natasha was making a mad dash, but Ashley was right on her heels.

"C'mon Ash!" Leigh cheered, doing her damnedest to distract Natasha while she did so.

[Natasha Ainsworth]

The promise of a massage distracted Sera enough that she almost slipped again, but managed to catch herself at the last moment before falling. Dirty tactics, those, all of that distraction. Seraphim picked up her pace, despite sliding more or less through the mud, and found herself bounding ahead of the other girls, stopping near the net, and giving a mad waving of her arms, having a decent shot all lined up.

Natasha basically cleared the way for the girl currently controlling the ball, covering against the other players, and tripping up what she could to keep them from stealing control yet again. When the ball came her way, she held it in her possession for just a moment, kicking it toward Seraphim just because Ashley could take it from her. Sera caught it, and made her shot, getting lucky enough to get it into the net, just in the far right corner.

"Excellent!" Natasha shouted, jumping up a bit, and wrapping an arm around the shoulders of the nearest teammate. "We've almost got them, now, they've only got two on us, we can still do it."

[Leigh O'Conner]

"It's adorable how you almost believe that, Tasha," Leigh shot out, and immediately took control of the ball as it was tossed back in. She streaked away -- it was one of those moments that it felt almost as though she was flying as she ran. Away from her sweaty, muddy body, and away from the girls who were all behind her, voices fading the higher she went.

Until she was suddenly at the goalpost, shooting, and missing, ad the goalie blocked with her hands. The ball ricocheted out, but Leigh was on it, even as two of the other girl's called for her attention. She dribbled it, then sailed it towards Erin, letting her make of the play what she would. As usual, Leigh was pretty much exhilarated just to be playing the game.

She was only half-paying attention as someone stole the ball from Tiffany -- Leigh had no idea how the Asian girl had even gotten the ball, but she was off and running again, to get it back.

[Natasha Ainsworth]

Sera had to laugh at the scandalized look on Natasha's face when Leigh called out to her, and she watched as the blonde took off with the ball yet again. For Sera, half of the thrill of soccer, was watching Leigh on the field. She had a lot more time to watch her when it was only a practice, like this, but it was just as amazing to see; Leigh put forth all of her effort, even when they were only going against each other. It had the same energy, and enthusiasm, as a real game.

The month she had to sit out from the games last year, after she had gotten her appendix removed [mother simply wouldn't have her running around a field until she was positive that she was fully feeling better; it had been a scare and a close call and had very nearly burst], Sera had still come to the games, just to sit in the stands, and to watch Leigh play.

Snapping herself out of her reverie, only when she realized Natasha was screaming at her to get running, Seraphim did just that, heading down the muddy field at a break-neck speed, toward the player who had just stolen the ball away from Tiffany.

Natasha was right there again, ready to take another shot at the net, and just waiting to be passed toward. That was, of course, assuming Leigh didn't manage another interception. She was really on her game today, and with the way Seraphim kept staring after her like a lovesick puppy, and conveniently knocking into her, Natasha's side was really at a loss to make up for it. Sera was one of her better players, and with her distracted, it was hard to stand a chance.

Even if she had scored one of their only goals, other than her own.

[Leigh O'Conner]

Gladys, Leigh noted with pleasure, was probably best at stealing the ball on their team. She had quick feet. And she used them well, delivering the ball towards Ashley -- her best friend. Leigh knew all the intricacies of every player on the team, and it sometimes helped to know where the girls were more likely to place the ball. In fact, she knew that Ashley and Erin had been fighting over something, so she'd deliver to Tiffany or Leigh if she could. She wouldn't lose a game for it, but it was clearly a factor as she made a slightly more difficult pass at Tiffany instead of the very open Erin.

Erin made a rude gesture in Ashley's direction, which made Gladys laugh a little, but Leigh didn't see it, having been off and running again. They were very close to the goal, and Sera was now on Tiffany's feet -- Natasha was guarding Leigh.

"What's up, oh captain my captain?" Leigh questioned, still moving.

[Seraphim Donnelly-Rousseau]

"Just kicking your ass, blondie," Natasha replied coolly, giving no indication of her annoyance at the fact that they were still two goals down, and Leigh's team was just one point away from winning. The older blonde was moving as well, trying to look more confident than she felt. She kept herself in front of Leigh, covering her, and making sure that Tiffany wasnt' going to get any passes to her. Tiffany was an atrocious shot, and Leigh was far too good. If she could pass it off, she was going to, and Natasha knew it.

Trying to ignore the banter between her girlfriend and their captain as she ran past them, Sera focused only on Tiffany, and keeping her from shooting any goals. Not that she thought she could, anyway. She didn't have the strong kick that some of the other girls had, and Sera was sure that even their inexperienced goalie could block it.

Finally catching up, the brunette made for another dive, cleat grazing the ball enough to knock it from Tiffany's possession, although it was quickly taken over by Erin, who was a much superior shot. Cursing again, Sera looked toward Katy, who was closest to the quickly gaining Erin. "Cover her, come on!"

[Leigh O'Conner]

"On the contrary, my ass seems rather un-kicked," Leigh reported smartly and grinned as she saw that Katy managed to get the ball from Erin, but sent it out of bounds, instead. Erin grinned and ran after the ball, standing at the edge of the field. She waited until everyone seemed situated, and then tossed in the ball -- too high, so it went further than it was meant to. Gladys was there in a flash -- quick feet, Leigh reminded herself with a grin. "Let's get this done, ladies, I need a freaking shower!"

[Seraphim Donnelly-Rousseau]

"Yeah, well the losing team gets to use the showers first, just so we're clear on that!" Natasha called back, taking off after Gladys like a shot, not wasting even a moment of her time. Even if they were going to get their last goal, she was determined to make it difficult for them. No way they were going to walk this one in. "And don't think that you're going to be getting in with Sera, either, because I'll make her wait with your team. Really let that mud soak in."

"Wait, when did I become the traitor?" Sera called back, scowling from her position next to their net. She was trying to block Ashley, attempting to keep her from being open enough to receive any shots at said net. Natasha would flip on them, even if they gave up now, when they were more or less doomed regardless.