USWNT vs. Portugal (Bare bottom cornertime)
August 1, 2023
Eden Park, Auckland
USWNT vs. Portugal, 0-0
A goalpost.
Their tournament had almost ended here, but they were saved by a goalpost .
Alyssa Thompson's heart was in her throat as she watched from the bench, helpless to do anything. She was cuddled between Megan Rapinoe and Kristie Mewis until they were subbed on, scrambling into Kelley O'Hara's lap when they left her, and the russet-haired defender wrapped her arms around AT, humming softly to her.
They were in extra time, now. Ninety minutes, plus seven, when a very last minute double substitution was called - Alex Morgan off for Alyssa, Crystal Dunn off for Kelley.
Kelley nudged AT to her feet. "Let's go, little bit."
AT nodded, getting a quick hug from her Tia Alex as they swapped places. But they weren't able to make a difference.
Two minutes wasn't enough time to make a difference.
It was enough time to stretch their legs at least, and AT and Kelley were glad of the break, but even so, AT's mind was spinning. She wasn't sure what she had been watching. What had happened?
A scoreless draw wasn't impossible, she knew. It had happened before. But with Portugal? And so many things had happened. If it wasn't for that one goalpost, Portugal would have beaten them. What were they doing?
AT shook her head, shuddering. Capeta's shot in the first minute of extra time had gotten past Big Alyssa. If it hadn't rocketed right into the post, they would be going home now.
And that was just the tip of the iceberg of Things That Had Gone Wrong. AT wasn't even sure what to think.
AT wasn't sure what was going to happen, but she dashed across the locker room to climb into Alyssa Naeher's lap, wrapping her arms around the keeper.
"You did so good Lys, you're the most best Big Alyssa, you kept them out," she said loyally, and Alyssa sighed, rubbing her hand over AT's back.
"Yes, except one time, and thank God for the goalpost," she said fervently, closing her eyes. "That really could have been a disaster."
"Uh huh, but it did," AT comforted her. "We're not out, it's all gonna be okay."
"Is it?" Alyssa asked. "Practically half the team - at least, the ones who saw action - are in trouble. Including Alex and Lindsey."
AT's eyes widened. "But if they're both in trouble, what are they gonna do, give each other their spanking?"
Alyssa snorted. "No. They can't do that."
"Why is Lindsey in trouble?" Kelley asked, joining the discussion. "She didn't do anything."
"Exactly," Lindsey said glumly. "I didn't do anything. Fuck's sake, Kell, I had the armband today, I should have done something. I don't know, prevented it from all going to hell."
"At least we didn't lose?" AT offered meekly. "Because Big Alyssa did so good."
The expression on their keeper's face told Lindsey that big Alyssa did not agree with her small counterpart's assessment.
"Okay, well, if you and Tia Alex are both in trouble, what happens?" AT appealed to Lindsey.
"With this many teammates in trouble?" Lindsey grimaced. "I mean, we have a few options. One, we could ask the Portuguese captain--"
" No ," Emily Sonnett said immediately. "She'd enjoy it too much."
"Probably, Dasani," Lindsey conceded reluctantly. "So then, we could always go through the official channels, though they'd be most likely to focus on Rose, Soph, and Naomi."
"I bet Pereira would throw a tantrum if they let me and Morgan off," Emily remarked sardonically.
"Well, you did kind of flatten her, Dasani," Lindsey sighed. "But since you, me, and Lynn weren't carded, they'd be likely to look the other way. No booking, no record, no order to the Classification Center."
"So you're not in trouble?" AT ventured, sucking her lower lip anxiously as Alex shook her head, motioning ‘wait’.
"Or," Lindsey finished, "we go through unofficial channels, and keep it team business. We do still have a couple former captains nearby."
The sardonic grin was wiped off Emily's face. " Foudy ?"
"Foudy," Lindsey agreed. "And she'd probably bring Carli for backup."
"But...I thought Foudy was nice," AT licked her lips, suddenly dry. "Doesn't she have that podcast all about telling funny team stories, and..."
"You ever hear the expression 'beware the nice ones', little bit?" Kelley asked, and AT gave a slow nod. "Uh huh. Foudy'll be your best friend in the whole entire world - but break the rules, and she's gonna show you who's in charge."
"Not you , personally, mijita," Alex was quick to reassure AT. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"This time," AT said worriedly, pressing into big Alyssa's side as the keeper hugged her. "What if Foudy knows?"
"No, no, mijita. We're not dealing with that now," Alex promised. "It's alright, you did well today, you did so well. You don't have anything to worry about."
“But what about you, Tia Alex?” AT asked worriedly.
Alex shared a look with Lindsey. “I’m going to make the call.”
“Vlatko put me in charge,” Lindsey protested, and Alex snorted, shaking her head.
“Well, that was his mistake, Linds,” she said with a sigh. Lindsey sputtered in protest, but Alex just raised an eyebrow.
“Do you really want to be the one making the call? To your Mummy Carli? To Foudy?”
Lindsey’s shoulders slumped. “No, Alex.”
Alex nodded. “That’s what I thought.” Her gaze moved around the room. “Rose, Lynn, Sophia, Naomi, Emily, Megan, Alyssa--” She looked at the keeper. “Lindsey…and me, of course, stay. Everyone else, go on through and ice up.”
“But Tia Alex!”
“No buts, mijita. Go on, Kelley will look after you for us. Won’t you, Kell.”
“Of course,” Kelley promised. “Come on, little bit, we can plan a prank to play on your Tia Alex when you get home.”
Alex rolled her eyes and let it go as Kelley led the teen away, the rest of the team except those singled out following behind.
Alex stepped to one side, took out her phone and made the call.
“Hello, Morgan.”
“Hello, Foudy,” Alex replied cautiously. “Um.” She paused, beads of sweat trickling down her forehead, and not all from the exertion of the game. “So…this isn’t exactly a social call.”
“I’d guessed,” Foudy replied dryly. “Carli and I are on our way.”
Alex froze. “Oh. Um. That’s…good?”
“That’s for you to decide when we’re there, little girl. It seems to me this baby horse still needs training.”
Alex’s face flushed crimson. She hadn’t been called that nickname in years, at least not commonly; it was a reminder of her youthful career when her star was first on the rise, when she’d been looked at the way AT was now. If Julie Foudy was trying to make her feel like she was AT’s age, she was succeeding.
“Yes ma’am.”
“We’ll be there in five minutes.”
Click.
Alex swore under her breath, then threw Lindsey a panicked look.
“You didn’t hear that.”
“Hear what?”
“Okay.” Alex let out a breath of relief. “They were already on the way, they’ll be here in five,” she said grimly. “So at least we have a couple minutes to…get used to the idea.”
Emily burrowed into Lindsey’s arms. “Linds…it’s gonna be okay, right?”
“I’ve gotcha, Dasani,” Lindsey said softly, silently praying that Carli was planning on being Mummy Carli and not Captain Carli, and missing Mal terribly as she held her other best friend tight. If Mal had been here…
Well if Mal had been here, AT might not have been, but who was to say with Vlatko? Either way, Mal would probably have wound up in trouble right alongside her, and Mummy Carli having to deal with both her girls would be the first time in a while. Maybe it was just as well Mal wasn’t, then, much as Lindsey missed her.
And Emily needed her.
Alex saw how focused Lindsey was on her fellow little, and didn’t begrudge Lindsey and Emily the need to hold onto each other, but that left her to keep the others from falling apart.
Naomi and Sophia had turned to each other for comfort. Rose and Lynn had each other. Alex checked on them to ensure they were as calm as possible before checking on her keeper.
To those who didn’t know Alyssa Michele Naeher, they’d think she was perfectly fine. Her face was stoic, her body held perfectly upright as she sat on the bench, hands on her knees. But Alex knew better. Alyssa’s knuckles were white where she was gripping her legs, and she was twitching slightly.
Alex sat down by Alyssa, rubbing her back. “Lys, it’s okay, I’ve got you, you’re safe. It’s Carli and Foudy, you know they love us, they’re not going to blame you for what happened.”
“I blame me,” Alyssa said quietly.
"I know."
"I want Miss Ali to be here."
"I know, Lyssa," Alex repeated, stroking Alyssa's hair. "I'm sorry she isn't."
"Do you want us to call Miss Ali for you, Lys?" Lindsey offered, looking over.
"No time," Alyssa said quietly, and now they could all hear the sound of footsteps in the tunnel now, the ajar door swinging open to admit Carli Lloyd and Julie Foudy.
Under the former captains' gazes, the doomed USWNT players lined up, eldest on the outside and youngest in the middle. Pinoe and Alyssa flanking the others, with Alex next to Alyssa and Emily next to Pinoe, Lindsey on Emily's other side, Rose beside Alex, and then Naomi Girma next to Rose, Sophia Smith by Lindsey, tucked in the middle together. Belatedly, Lynn squeezed in between Pinoe and Emily, having only just realized what was intended.
"Ice baths, all of you," Julie said firmly, taking charge. Naomi and Sophia exchanged bewildered looks, but the others knew enough to get them moving. Orders were orders, and when they were all nine of them in for it, they didn't dare disobey.
Carli and Foudy followed them in. "The rest of you out, get dried off and dressed," Foudy commanded, and the doomed nine watched as their teammates obeyed. AT nearly crashed into Kelley in her effort to keep away from Foudy in stern mode, still half afraid Foudy would want to do something about her.
When their teammates had left (AT having to be dragged away by Casey Murphy and Aubrey Kingsbury, so she wouldn't try to interfere), the nine doomed players were ordered into the ice baths.
"Um....why, Captains?" Naomi ventured.
Lindsey groaned. "Just do it, Naomi, they'll get to why." Reluctantly, she was climbing into a tub with Emily and Alex almost before she'd finished answering Naomi.
Naomi sighed, shrugged, and got in with Alyssa and Sophia, leaving Megan, Lynn, and Rose to share a third.
"Alright." Carli let her gaze sweep her former teammates. "Lindsey."
"Yes, Mummy," Lindsey said, because she hadn't been in this much trouble with Carli since...well, sometime during lockdown, probably, that time she'd tried to run away to spend Easter with Mummy Carli, Daddy Brian, and Mal.
Carli nodded, allowing it. "Princess, you know Mummy doesn't love having to punish you. But who was in charge today, hmm?"
"M-me," Lindsey whispered, looking at the armband still wrapped around her arm.
"That's right. And so, who does that mean was responsible for how this team does?"
"Well...everyone's responsible for their own stuff, but...but me, too," Lindsey offered.
"That's exactly right," Carli said softly. "Do you think you can be my big girl right now? You can be my little girl when we're all finished."
Lindsey swallowed, took a deep breath, and splashed some of the cold water on her face, exhaling. "Yes...Carli."
"Good girl. Now, can you get me the bath brush, Lindsey?" Carli prompted. It was phrased as a polite request, but Lindsey knew it wasn't a question.
Reluctantly, she retrieved the implement and brought it back to Carli, bending over the back of the chair Foudy brought over, and holding onto the seat.
She felt the flat back of the brush tap the seat of her soaked shorts, and then the first swat - stinging much more over her soaked clothing, clinging to her wet bottom. It hadn't been a terribly severe smack, but as the light swats continued to rain down, Lindsey yelped and squirmed. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.
"Owww..." Lindsey whimpered. "Carli, please..."
To her shock, Carli stopped spanking. "Oh, that was just to keep you thinking about it on the way back, Lindsey," she said quietly. "We'll be dealing with you girls properly in your rooms. Get changed, Lindsey. Alex, I'll have you next."
Reluctantly, Alex took Lindsey's place as the blonde hurried to change into dry clothes. Alex gripped the seat of the chair tightly, and took her thirteen smacks from Carli, swallowing hard. When she was released to get changed, she didn't waste time.
Emily got fourteen smacks in her turn, and whined indignantly. "Mama Alex--"
"Shhh, mijita," Alex said, tucking Emily in close to her and leading her off to get dressed. "No arguments, now, that was just a warm-up, and you don't want Foudy to have cause for extra."
Megan had been watching proceedings with narrowed eyes. She was not at all surprised when Carli beckoned her over next.
"Think you missed one, Carli," she said conversationally, and Carli gave her the ghost of a smile.
"Oh you noticed that, did you? Maybe if Sophia'd been sitting with Linds and Alex - but too late now. Go on, Pinoe."
"Rose after me?" Megan asked as she dutifully assumed the position, and Carli nodded, before Megan turned her face away, looking at the seat of the chair as she gripped it.
Silently, Megan counted the swats, breathing through them and trying her best to keep calm. After fifteen, she was ordered to her feet and Rose was called over.
Megan grimaced, hurrying to dry her smarting bottom. Rose would be getting the most swats, considering Carli's tactic, before the number reduced dramatically for most of the others. Comes of calling the Captains first.
Rose hadn't caught onto the scheme, but still, she made her way through sixteen swats of the brush with remarkable fortitude - they couldn't have been full strength, she thought. But they were still awful enough.
"Okay, Lynn."
As Rose got up to go dry off and change, Lynn reluctantly made her way over to Carli. "How many?" she asked shakily.
"Not too many," Carli soothed her former Gotham teammate. "Into position now."
Lynn reluctantly obeyed, and held tightly to the seat.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.
Lynn shuddered as the swats came, yelping with each one, but blinked when they suddenly ceased.
"H-huh?" She looked up at Carli, bewildered.
"Up with you, kiddo," Carli said. "Go get dressed."
"W-what?" Lynn scrambled to her feet. "I mean, that's it?"
"For now," Carli replied neutrally. "Sophia," she called, and the youngest remaining in the room jolted, mouth falling open slightly. She went reluctantly to Carli, and obediently bent over the chair.
"Carli," she said hastily, and Carli patted her back gently.
"I know, it's probably new, isn't it, the bath brush? Just hold still for me and it'll be over soon. Eleven," she added, before Sophia could ask, and the young forward's eyes widened in realization.
"Yes ma'am," she offered meekly, resolving to take her swats as well as she could for Carli, so Foudy wouldn't think she was any more of a bad girl than Foudy probably already thought.
Soph clung to the chair as hard as she could, and squirmed through the eleven swats - not too hard - before Naomi was called over. Her only comfort was that the slightly older, but newer player wasn't going to get it half as bad.
"It's okay Nay," she soothed her friend. "It's gonna be okay."
Naomi nodded, clinging to the chair as she took her position. Sophia scuttled off to get dry and dressed, knowing proceedings wouldn't take long now.
One. Two. Three. Four.
That was all, and Carli helped Naomi to her feet.
"W-what..." Naomi stared at Carli. "B-but ma'am, I got yellow carded!"
"Oh trust me, Naomi, there's plenty to come," Carli said dryly. "This is just a little reminder."
Alyssa pulled herself out of the ice baths and made her way over to Carli without having to be asked. She'd watched the other eight carefully, and raised an eyebrow at Carli.
"Somehow I feel like this is going to be anticlimactic."
Carli rolled her eyes. "Only you could use words like 'anticlimactic' when you have a bath brush threatening your bottom and you hardly ever catch it."
"I'm not looking forward to it," Alyssa said with a grimace. "But if I'm right..."
"We'll see, won't we, Lys?" Carli prompted.
Alyssa swallowed and nodded, taking up position.
She hissed when Carli tugged down her shorts and panties. None of the others had gotten it bare.
"Carli--"
"Breathe, Alyssa," Carli said gently. "It'll just take a second."
Alyssa squeezed her eyes shut and took a breath.
As she let it out, the bath brush swatted down across her bare bottom, drawing a loud yelp from the usually stoic keeper.
"Shhh, there, there," Carli cooed, "good girl, Lyssa, there you go." She tugged Alyssa's damp clothes back up, just for now, and the water cooled some of the sting from the swat. "There you are, come back up."
Alyssa let Carli pull her close, shuddering. "Jersey numbers?" she guessed, silently giving thanks for being number one keeper as Carli nodded.
"Jersey numbers," she agreed.
Alyssa hurried to get dry and dressed, not daring to complain at the burn of the bare bottom smack. All her teammates had endured worse, even if it wasn't bare, and they all, it was to be presumed, had more coming.
"Carli? What's going to happen next?" Lindsey asked once they were all dry and dressed in comfortable clothes.
"First, we'll get you girls back on the bus to the hotel," Carli said. "I'll ride with you while Foudy drives the car back. Then you're going to go to your rooms and wait for us."
Lindsey swallowed nervously. "Oh."
Carli squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "I'm not going to lie to you and say it'll be easy, Linds, honey, but please remember we're still part of the family, and we're doing this because we love you and want you to do better."
Lindsey nodded, leaning into Carli's side as they headed back to the bus. When all of them were on, they headed back to the hotel. It was a short, but uncomfortable ride - some due to the pain in their bottoms, for others due to their worry over their teammates.
AT had only just been stopped from scrambling for Alex by Kelley, and she curled up in the russet-haired defender's lap, clinging to her.
"Are they lots mad with Tia Alex?"
"No, they're not 'lots mad'," Kelley promised gently. "But someone has to take care of the team, so it's up to Carli and Foudy when there's big trouble. Honestly, I'd prefer them to being sent to whatever Classification Center's around here, wouldn't you?"
AT gulped and nodded. "Is...is that why Tia Alex is making me wait for home? Because of it'd be better from Mama Tobin and Mama Christen than...those people?"
"I better watch my mouth before I scare you off from going to 'those people'," Kelley rolled her eyes in irritation with herself. "No, honey, it's no scarier going to the Classification Center than it is going to the doctor or the dentist."
"I hate the dentist," Julie Ertz grumbled from behind them.
"We know," Alyssa Naeher chorused in tandem with Carli, making Julie blush.
"Okay, so those can sometimes be scary too," Kelley amended. "But it's no worse than those things. Still, you might feel better getting it from someone familiar than someone you don't know, hmm?"
AT nodded, wide-eyed.
They reached the hotel, and the nine looked to Carli for orders.
"Go to your rooms, Foudy will be right up, and she'll want you bare bottomed in your corners," Carli said firmly.
"But, Mummy--"
"Yes, Lindsey," Carli sighed, petting Lindsey's hair gently.
"How are we gonna open the door?"
Carli relaxed, glad Lindsey wasn't protesting the punishment itself. "That's what you have roommates for, princess. Now go on, we'll be up soon."
Reluctantly the team filed off the bus, carrying their go bags, and AT stuck close to her Tia Alex as they went to their room.
"Um...Tia Alex..."
"Yes, mijita."
"Carli just said you got to be bare in the corner."
"Yes, mijita." Alex's cheeks flushed pink.
"And that Foudy's coming to our room."
"M-hmm." Alex nodded, squeezing AT's hand.
"But that means I have to open the door. For Foudy."
"She won't bite you," Alex said, trying for levity.
AT nodded, still feeling worried, as they went to their room. Big Alyssa had gone to the two-bedroom suite she shared with the other keepers, leaving Casey and Aubrey to watch the door as she retreated to her room. Lynn and Rose were sharing a room, as were Sophia and Naomi, Kelley and Pinoe, and Lindsey with Emily.
"What's going to happen, Tia Alex?" AT asked. "And do you want Lavender?" she added.
"Well, 'what's going to happen' is up to Carli and Foudy, mijita," Alex explained. "But I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I held Lavender. Thank you, sweetheart, I really appreciate that."
AT nodded, and fetched her plush reindeer, giving the toy to Alex to hold. She blushed as Alex had to go stand, bare bottomed, in the corner holding Lavender. AT went to lie down on her bed, arms wrapped around a pillow as she waited to see what would happen.
Her phone chimed repeatedly, and AT looked at the team group chat.
Dasani14: Just so you know, Foudy brought a paddle.
TheCap10: And she doesn’t mean the team paddle, either.
WilmaJeanW: Uhh…what DOES she mean?
Dasani14: You’re probably about to find out
GoBatsGo: Can you just TELL us please
TheCap10: You know that thing Zach swore he’d never use on Jules
ZachsBrat: The thing he says would break me in half?
Dasani14: It’s like one of those
Curious, AT chimed in.
AlyssaT: Uh...Em, Linds, Rose, Lynn, should you guys even be texting?
TheCap10: Well, Foudy's finished with me and Dasani, so
Dasani14: At least, we think she's finished, we hope so anyway
WilmaJeanW: I guess technically me and Lynn are still in the corner...
Grandma'am: I swear if I ever figure out which of you changed my username on this thing...That's enough texting from you, little girls.
TheCap10: It was Mal
Grandma'am: 🙄 of course it was, I never use this chat until I'm around you all and then this happens
TheCap10: oh come on, it's funny, you like jokes
Grandma'am: Not when I'm in the middle of having to whip the lot of you
DoYouKnowTheWayToSJ: Uhhh...do you mean that literally, Ma'am?
ThornsMVSoph: take it easy Nay I'm sure she doesn't for you
AT licked her lips nervously, turning on her other side and trying not to look at Alex. "Foudy's got like a giant paddle, Tia Alex."
Alex tensed. "Foudy has a range of things, mijita," she said, trying to calm herself down.
"Oh. Well...maybe it won't be that bad?" AT offered hopefully. She sighed at Alex's lack of answer, but then, talking in the corner normally wasn't allowed. Soon the chat pinged again.
GoBatsGo: I thought you said she had a giant paddle.
Dasani14: She does, it's massive, and we'll be lucky to be sitting again anytime soon
TheCap10: Don't exaggerate, Dasani, it was horrible but we're not going to die
WilmaJeanW: That's not what she brought in here though
ThornsMVSoph: What do you mean
GoBatsGo: She's got a strap. Like a belt but not
DoYouKnowTheWayToSJ: A what
ThornsMVSoph: 😮
ImTheVeganGay: Lynn I swear if you're fucking with us
PinoeTwo: Kell, I don't think Lynn would joke about that
ImTheVeganGay: If she tries to bring that thing anywhere near the kids I swear to fuck I'll
Grandma'am: Yes, Kelley Maureen?
ImTheVeganGay: ...damn it
TheCap10: I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it, ma'am, we're all protective of the kids
DoYouKnowTheWayToSJ: I'm not that young
BigAlyssa: Young enough, Nay
ThornsMVSoph: Hmph
AlyssaT: I mean...we're all kids to her and Carli right?
Carli10: I hope you weren't calling us old
AlyssaT: Uh...no ma'am, sorry
MurphysLaw: Oh fantastic
PinoeTwo: Anything that can go wrong, will?
MurphysLaw: Ha ha. Well, if you're our favorite roomie
AubsKeeper: I resent that
MurphysLaw: I didn't see a paddle or a strap, at least, and it sounds like they're making a phone call from what we can hear
PinoeTwo: Thank fuck for that, I hope they're calling Ali. Or Brunn.
AshlynH: Hi from the other side of the world, loves, what have you lot dragged Ali into?
MurphysLaw: We? We did nothing. Aubs and I sat on the bench like good little subs, as per usual.
AshlynH: 🙄 the next time you refer to yourself as a 'sub' please be more careful of context, I know you are but Aubs sure as fuck isn't
AubsKeeper: thank you Ash
MurphysLaw: ANYWAY Foudy barged into our room to deal with your protegee
AshlynH: Oh no, I hope she's alright...I mean, it was a 0-0 draw, in our opinion Lyssa did a fantastic job, she really only slipped the once
MurphysLaw: You know as well as we do that 'the once' could have meant the difference between victory and defeat, and you know how Lys is, Ash, she'll be feeling like it's her fault we almost went home
AshlynH: I'm not saying it wasn't a close thing, but there's other players who deserve much more blame for things going wrong than Lyssa
AubsKeeper: Truer words...I swear she projects this confident exterior to everybody and their mom, but when she's with us, after she perceives she's done something wrong she just crumbles
MurphysLaw: Not that we respect her any less for it, and I guess that means we're her safe place. The team, not us particularly
AliKriegs: She's okay, just needs rest. It was the hairbrush, nothing horrific, and Foudy let me stay on with her when it was going on
AshlynH: Thank fuck for that, the hairbrush is bad enough for our Nittany Cub
AliKriegs: Definitely, why don't you girls go snuggle with her?
MurphysLaw: On it
AubsKeeper: for sure, night all
AshlynH: good girls, sleep well
AlyssaT: night Casey, night Aubs, tell Big Lyssa night for me
MurphysLaw: will do, goodnight AT, don't stay up too late and no sneaking out
AlyssaT: no more, I swear
Grandma'am: ...what's this, now?
Alyssa nearly dropped her phone. "Tia Alex? Did Foudy not know about me and the thing with the Swedes?"
"Not really," Alex said slowly. "I hadn't figured it was her business, so much. It wasn't Angel City business after all."
AT gulped. Somehow, she'd forgotten. Julie Foudy wasn't just a former captain or a soccer commentator. She was a co-owner of Angel City FC.
AlyssaT: .....
Grandma'am: Alyssa Paola Thompson Press-Heath...
AlyssaT: ...um. I kind of ran away again because it seemed like a good idea at the time but it was only to the Swedes' base and Captain Caro punished me and brought me back so....
ImTheVeganGay: She would have to reach our room right after hearing this
PinoeTwo: I'm sure Foudy isn't planning on taking it out on us
ImTheVeganGay: Maybe not, but she's planning on taking out something on you, at least.
PinoeTwo: Looks like a hairbrush. Well, this isn't going to be fun, but at least she's not getting too creative.
AlyssaT: I bet she could get creative if she wanted to. We don't want her to, though.
Grandma'am: Indeed.
AT curled up on the bed, mentally going over the number of miscreants in her head. Emily and Lindsey had been paddled, with a big paddle if they were telling the truth, and Lynn and Rose had gotten it with a strap. Both big Alyssa and Pinoe had gotten, or were getting it with the hairbrush.
That just left Soph and Naomi. And Tia Alex of course. And...AT swallowed hard at the thought...maybe her, too.
DoYouKnowTheWayToSJ: Pinoe? Are you alive?
PinoeTwo: Yeah, kid, I'm alive. Foudy's not in the business of killing her friends.
ImTheVeganGay: Just making them wish they were dead.
Grandma'am: That can be arranged, Kelley Maureen
ImTheVeganGay: No thank you ma'am
DoYouKnowTheWayToSJ: Did you know Foudy owned a slipper?
PinoeTwo: Some of us are aware of this, yes
ThornsMVSoph: Did you know she intended to use it?
ImTheVeganGay: that's what generally happens to implements she owns, they get used
AT mentally crossed Megan off her list, then after a moment, Soph and Naomi too, since it was obvious they were about to face Foudy.
The hour of doom was close at hand, she thought with a shudder. Paddle, strap, hairbrush, slipper....
AlyssaT: Umm...Can I ask you a question, ma'ams?
Carli10: Foudy's a little occupied, what is it, little bit?
AlyssaT: Is Tia Alex in very lots of trouble?
Carli10: Your Tia Alex is in some trouble now, and some later, just like you were when you faced Captain Caro.
AlyssaT: W-what about Foudy and me? My Mamas said I'd have a tally and they'd do something when I got home....
Carli10: No, not you, little one. If they're keeping a tally, it's something to look forward to - or not - when you get home. Not before.
AT exhaled shakily and nodded. She realized her mistake, and responded properly.
AlyssaT: Yes ma’am.
Just then, she heard a knock on the door, and scrambled to go answer it.
As she had feared, it was Foudy. The Angel City co-founder’s smile was gone, replaced by a stern look.
“I hear we have a Baby Horse in need of training,” she said calmly, and made sure the door was shut and locked behind her before calling Alex - still bare bottomed - out of the corner.
Alex found it hard to move with her panties and lounge pants bunched at her knees, but she obeyed Foudy’s order, going to where Foudy pointed. She climbed up on the bed at Foudy’s direction, one arm still wrapped around Lavender.
“Put Lavender down there,” Foudy said firmly. “Hands and knees, Alexandra.”
Gulping, Alex assumed the correct position, putting Lavender on the pillows so she could at least look at AT’s reindeer while she was on her hands and knees on the bed.
“A baby horse is very much like any other athlete, you know, Alexandra,” Foudy said calmly. “Self control must be taught. Wilfulness and naughtiness must be disciplined.”
“Yes ma’am,” Alex whispered, wishing Foudy wouldn’t keep using her old nickname like that. It sounded like a strong hint, and if that’s what it was, then Foudy must be using--
Alex yelped as the flat end of the crop snapped down on her bottom, stinging her. It was shaped like a circle, a soccer ball really, and it was raised and lashed down again and again. The little flat circle peppered Alex’s bottom with swats, and she squirmed, tightening her firsts in the bedspread in order to stay still.
AT buried her face in her pillow as her Tia Alex was whipped, unable to bear to watch. She wasn’t ordered to watch, either, so she decided to give Alex as much privacy as she could.
Alex’s bottom was smacked repeatedly, until Alex was sobbing contritely. “Ow…ow, sorry, I apologize,I’ll be a better Captain from now on…”
“And no more flattening goalkeepers?”
“I promise I won’t do it on purpose,” Alex sobbed, but that was the best she could do and Foudy wasn’t cruel enough to push for more. She stopped the whipping, putting the crop aside and rubbing Alex’s burning bottom with her palm gently.
“Then that’s all I can ask you for,” she said quietly, helping Alex pull her clothes back up and tucking her into bed. “Come on, Alyssa, snuggle with your Tia Alex.”
AT didn’t need any more convincing. She hopped onto Alex’s bed and slipped under the covers with her, snuggling Lavender between them.
“You’re not done, Alexandra,” Foudy warned her. “When you go home you’ll go to the Classification Center. But it seems to me that reminders are needed in more than just your case. I’d recommend Miss Agatha for you, she usually works with our people.”
Angel City, Alex translated through the mental fog, and San Diego. “Alright,” she agreed. “I mean, yes ma’am. When we go home, I’ll go.”
“Good girl,” Julie said, giving her hair a pat. “Sleep well, my girls. Both of you.”
“Yeah, because trouble is such a fun thing to look forward to,” AT muttered as soon as Foudy had gone.
“It’s alright, sweetheart. We can plan a fun prank to play on Foudy later,” Alex reassured AT. “After everything’s settled down. Some pranks aren’t naughty, you know.”
AT nodded. “I think…I think I’d like that. After everything.”
“M-hmm. Now, time to sleep,” Alex soothed. “Goodnight, mijita.”
“Goodnight, Tia Alex,” AT yawned. “Love you.”
“I love you too, always and forever, my little one.”