"Well then, the first cricket match of the dormitories' tournament, Sapphire Owl versus Scarlet Fox, will now start!"
Redmond smirked at Bluer, "Oh, what a shame. How unlucky for you to end up against us right away, Lawrence." Bluer didn't respond to his fellow Prefect's teasing. Soma joined in taunting Ciel instead,
"I might lose in chess, but I won't in cricket!"
It was Ciel's turn to smirk. He had every right, if his strategy was to go as planned, "We shall see."
A fair distance away from them, sat the Phantomhive and Ravenne households. Evelyn and Wolfie sat in the shade of an umbrella, beside Lizzie and Macmillan. Lottie, Jacob and Paddy were chatting to Finny, Meyrin, Paula, and Bard like, as Paddy put it, "There was nah tamara!" Whilst Old Man James and Tanaka were in their own little world. Frederick stayed with Leon and Emily who sat watching the Green and Violet match. Snake stayed at home in the Phantomhive manor-he was not a fan of loud crowds scaring his slithery friends.
"It is quite exciting, isn't it, Lizzie?" Evelyn asked as she fanned herself with a fan. The heat was stronger than she had realized, "Time seems to fly when you least expect it to."
Lizzie clapped her hands, "Oh yes! And Ciel looks sooooooo cute!" Her green eyes opened wide! "Ooooh! Look, look, Evie! The match is about to start!"
Stroking Wolfie's furry head resting on her lap, Evelyn lifted her head, "Ah, so it is." The referee made his way into the middle of the field, and flipped a coin, heads for Red, tails for Blue.
It landed on heads, "Red House will bat first! In this tournament, each match comprises of 2 innings of 20 overs!"
"YES!" The two teams got into position-Blue defending the wickets.
"Alright...PLAY!"
Soma stood up first, facing off Bluer right off the bat, "Soma Asman Kadar, right handed." shifting the ball between his two hands. The onlookers were going wild with excitement!
"The Elephant King versus a Prefect!"
"GO BOSS!"
"Come on!"
"Blue House! Blue House!"
Bluer looked him hard in the eyes, "Come."
No need to tell Soma twice, "HERE!" He served faster than a tiger pouncing! Bluer had little time to react as the ball flew towards him-
Fast! But as much as he tried, Bluer couldn't block the small weapon from hitting the target, sending the poles-though sunk so deep into the ground-flying into the air. There was an audible groan heard throughout the crowds:
"OUT?!"
"Bowled right away..."
"We're really bad at sports..."
Evelyn made a hissing sound as though she was burned. Behind her fan, she wished for Blue House to do better! Come on, Lawrence...Wait?! Why was she thinking of such a thing! Evelyn, you can't take sides! Well, she was fine, as long as she didn't say anything...
Bluer's eyes met hers as he tried to take deep breaths. Before her mind could process the action, she mouthed-
You can do it
Both blushed as red as tomatoes. At least Bluer had an excuse! He was out of breath! "Evie? Why are you all red? Are you unwell?"
"W-what?! N-no, ah, Lizzie, forgive me, it is quite hot. I must have not fanned myself enough!" Great excuse, Evelyn, Her mind's voice said sarcastically, Idiot, why'd you do that?!
Ciel was chastising himself for underestimating Soma's skill, So it's true that he's good at cricket... Clayton was up next.
"Come, Kadar!" And like last time, Soma threw the ball with all his might. Unlike last time, Clayton hit the ball, sending it high into the air, It's gone up!-only to be caught by Redmond, Damn! He made me do that!
Redmond kissed the ball, like a lady would for good luck. Winking seductively, he teased the ladies, "Nice fly." sending the ladies squealing,
"Reeeeedmoonnd!"
"Wonderful!"
"Oh, Edgar!"
Evelyn was not impressed. Especially when Redmond blew a kiss in her direction, earning Evelyn vicious and jealous glares from the other women, and teasing from Lizzie and the other servants. A silent glare from Evelyn shut all their mouths tight.
The referee called for another to take Clayton's place. But unlike his teammates before him, the young lad actually hit the ball! It was tumbling away from one of the catchers, who was running after it. This was his chance! He ran to the other side of the wicket post! He was almost there! Just a little more-
Before the poor lad could reach it, despite the encouragement from Clayton and Bluer, the ball hit the wickets. The young student was out. "RUN OUT!" The referee shouted.
"This is bad..." Bard mused, scratching his head. That statement was agreed by all, even if he was the only one who outright said it.
Finny kept tugging on his jacket arm, "Hey hey, why are the members of the Blue House team going out so fast?" Paddy indulged Finny on the techniques and rules of cricket,
"Aye, see wee lad, when som'un knocks o'er the wickets behind the batter there, they call it "bowled" and the batter's out 'n the spot. The batter's also out if the ball's caught without bouncing. And then it's also out if the wickets on the o'wer side are knocked o'er while the batter is out o' the crease*. Loads o' folks call that a "run out" so they do."
"...So this was a complete disaster." Finny bluntly said, drawing his knees to himself. Meyrin beside him agreed, saying that Blue House suck at sports. A lot.
"That's mean, Miss Maid!" Macmillan scolded Meyrin.
"If I may be so bold as to speak, but Blue House, I'm afraid, does have a reputation for lacking in athletics." Lottie spoke up.
"In o'wer words, wee lad, Blue House are getting their asses kicked right in the b-"
"Paddy! There's wee ones here! You can't be swearing like I hear you do in the kitchen back home!" O.M James boxed his son's ears for swearing. Paddy realized his mistake, rubbing the pain away.
"A-aye, sorry, Miss Evie. Sorry there, wee lads and ladies."
"Well, we must cheer for Blue House! CIELLL! DO YOUR VERY BEST!" Lizzie piped up!
"By the way, why are there only two players from Blue House?" Meyrin asked.
"Oh yeah, we're all here to cheer for the master?" Finny pondered.
Bard gasped, "You mean to tell me that you don't know the rules of cricket at all?" The two Phantomhive servants nodded in sync. "Alright then. See..."
Evelyn and Lottie left them to their own devices. Not that she would admit it, but Evelyn did not care for cricket. Fencing was her forte. A thought passed by her mind, "Say, Lizzie, have you told Ciel at all about your skills in fencing?" Lizzie frowned.
"...Yes. He knows."
Evelyn immediately set down her fan, and stared into Lizzie's face, whispering, "Oh Lizzie! If I've offended you, forgive me-"
"No, no, Evie. It's alright. He took it well, actually. But..." Lizzie looked away. Evelyn excused herself and Lizzie to lead the two of them away to somewhere private, but close enough that both could see what was going on in the match.
"But what? If I'm prying, then-"
"I wish he had learned of...my uncute curse under better circumstances." Lizzie bit her lip.
"Oh Lizzie..." Under better circumstances? Sounds like someone I know...But what can she mean?
As if she read her thoughts Lizzie explained that whilst they were on the Campania cruise that had sunk, those monsters-those Bizarre Dolls-took over, and they were about to devour her. But in her love for Ciel, Lizzie refused to let that happened.
"I wanted Ciel to think of me as cute until the very end...But I love him too much to leave him behind! So I..." Lizzie sobbed quietly. Evelyn could understand, at least part of her friend's understanding. The two were actually close friends, despite Lizzie being 3 years younger than Evelyn, having been taught fencing together, studied together, learned etiquette together. They were like the sisters neither had.
"...You fought back." Evelyn brought her handkerchief to wipe away Lizzie's tears, and guided them both back to their seats, just as Bard and Paddy explained how "A traditional match is really long, lasting maybe up to 5 days!"
"5 DAYS FOR A MATCH?!" Meyrin and Finny chorused!
"That's why today they're not switching based on how many times players are dismissed, but on bowls instead. It's an original rule." Bard claimed. Paddy nodded in agreement, bouncing his fiery red head.
"See, one match there has two innin's, 'nd one innin is made o' ten o'ers-er sixtey bowls, if yeh care to split hairs-fer a total o' twenny o'ers. So the wee lads'll be able ta git intuh the final by the end a today. So no need tuh worry there."
Macmillan spoke up, "Since cricket is a long game anyway, we have a tea break every two hours."
Meyrin was delighted, "Ooh! How refined!"
Bard produced a picnic basket onto his lap, grinning smugly proudly, "As the Phantomhive's chef, I made a special meat pie. Here! Take a look!" And Meyrin, Finny, Paula, Lottie, Jacob and Paddy obliged-
What was seen can never be unseen.
"If Miss Evelyn and Miss Elizabeth eat this..." In union the servants gulped in horror as their imaginations' stampeded in their minds as to what may happen...One of which was Sebastian giving them his "Nightmare Demon look" as Finny called it. Which is ironic.
Evelyn and Lizzie's curiosity was piqued, "What is it-"
"OH NOTHIN NOTHIN AT ALL MISS EVELYN HAHAHAHA! JUST THINKING HOW THIS PIE WOULD GO SO NICELY WITH THE DRINKS!" Jacob and Finny shouted. Even Tanaka and O.M James took a look, eyes widening in horror.
"Ho..."
"Dear Gad, mother o' pearl nd' everyting that's shiny! You're gonna let the ladies eat this s-"
"Quiet Da!" It was obvious by how they looked, talked, walked, and acted altogether, that Paddy was O.M James's son, "Honestly, 'nd he bites m' head off for swearin'..."
Meanwhile, Sebastian looked over them with disdain, "What are they doing there?" He sighed. A whistle blown drew his attention back to the matter at hand, "Oops, they're switching already...They only scored twenty-one points."
Soma swung the bat straight and true, the ball soaring through the air!
"Catch it Clayton!" Bluer ordered!
"Yes! I've almo-UGYUAH!" The ball thwacked poor Clayton right in his face! Evelyn winced. That seemed to happen a lot when Clayton played cricket...It's a third year in a row...
"CLAYTOOOON!"
The ball bounced once into Ciel's hands, "Shit!" he cursed. But the Red House and guests sneered and laughed unkindly. Much to the dismay of the other Blue House players and students who sat with their heads hanging low in disappointment.
"The usual swots!"
"Hahaha! Just like Blue House to mess up!"
Ciel threw the ball to the team member for them to bowl, as another stood up next. His long, white blond hair was held back in a ponytail, a nice change-and a sign that he was serious about this match, "Wish me luck, darling." He winked at Evelyn, knowing full well the consequences of winning this tournament. "I'm ready." he said with a confident smirk.
Bluer narrowed his blue grey eyes, "Redmond, at last." He called out to the bowler, "Pull yourself together!"
"Yes!" The bowler threw the ball! To the delight and amusement of the Red House students, it was a slow ball.
"What's that meek ball?"
"Smack it back, Boss!" They encouraged.
But Redmond's keen, ruby eyes widened in realization, No...This is on purpose. He may be a pretty face, but Redmond knew full well that the strengths of Blue House lied within their strategies and calculations. Fast balls are hard to hit, but if you do, they become long balls. But slow balls are the exact opposite...He bowled it slow to prevent it from becoming a long ball!
However...Redmond raised the bat-in Evelyn's eyes in a slow motion. Many of the Red House audience were wondering what the hell their Prefect was doing?!
"Look!"
"W-what's with that stance?!"
The speed of the ball makes no difference to me! He spun around, and Evelyn's ever active and Romantic mind took over:
She saw thorny rose vines sprout suddenly from out the ground, almost wrapping Redmond in their prickling embrace as he spun with the grace of a ballerina. They moved as he moved. Redmond was controlling the vines! White blonde hair whirled wildly like a storm. Scarlet eyes gleamed with determination and confidence. A flurry of red rose petals followed in the wake of the Crimson Tornado!
Redmond hit the ball with a surge of strength! The ball soared into the air, descending to the ground too far for Blue House to catch it. The crowds went wild with excitement, clapping and roaring praise!
"WOOOAH! IT'S A BOUNDARY SIX!"
"Nice, Redmond!"
"Ohh, he look's like he's dancing."
The Viscount of Druitt swooned, "OOOOHH! He really is my nephew!"
I'll admit, it was a nice technique...Evelyn mused as she fanned herself, I wonder if Bluer can keep up...If she knew him well enough as she thought she did, Bluer would have some plan to bounce back from this minor bump.
Sebastian stood a distance away, arms crossed By spinning around, he uses the centrifugal force to hit a powerful slog shot*. He analysed Redmond, understanding well that this victory may be harder than it looked, It's quite impressive that he can still keep the meet point despite spinning. He skilled.
Redmond's blood red eyes seductively challenged the bowler to come at him again, "Come now," his voice was confident and dared anyone who stood in his way.
"The game has only started."
*Like a baseball's batter box
*Slog Shot: A method to deliver a powerful blow with a full swing
I don't understand the laws of cricket so I couldn't really justify to myself that I needed to write it (lol LAZEEEEEEEEEE) Omg Paddy and Old Man James tho like wut? They're not in it much but I love them so much!
Also, a Romantic is not someone who is in love all the time. It is "a writer or artist of the Romantic movement." examples like Mary Shelley who wrote Frankenstein, Coleridge who wrote The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (I've studied this so I kinda know what I'm doing with Evie's character. Remember she wants to be a writer, and is kinda a radical as she doesn't conform to most of the ideals of the Victorian Era.) so a romantic is something to do with love. A Romantic is something else altogether.
Alright lecture over. Please review, and tell me what you think. What worked, what didn't etc etc. Are you enjoying this as much as I am? I hope so. Also, my apologies that Evie wasn't as in it as I would've like, but there is not much I can do without taking away from the canon, I hope you understand :)
Unicorn out.