3F

SPONSORED BY DUNK ACINO//WARNING - I don't know Italian - WARNING//SPONSORED BY DUNK ACINO
Team /ita/ was on the field with people pretending to be horses. They did not know why, how, or even when such a thing was fated to occur, and asking the other team would involve speaking to horses. Any good Italian knows not do such a thing; non era che la sfortuna cavalcava a cavallo, sfortuna era il cavallo stesso. The only real horse they had seen so far was the irritating pink thing that was to be 'avoided at all costs', so said the Leader. Still, it was convenient to have an excuse to thoroughly avoid of the rest. They were loud and annoying, and seemed to have certain strange proclivities.
Rather than sit in their assigned area and wait for the match to begin, team /pone/ had been doing some strange imitation of a dramma while playing kitschy foreign music on a speaker. Perhaps it was a meant as a warm-up, or to engage the crowd. Considering that the stadium was still empty, though, such things were unlikely. When the topic was finally raised, it was Salvini who laughed and shook his head. "Più probabilità di essere follia rispetto a una strategia," he explained, and given that the good man had more experience than most the rest of the team with the greater continent and places beyond, they were contented. When Lupo noticed that the person leading the strange dance changed every so often, he made that into a game, and that added meaning to the display. It was good sport, if not  good entertainment, as it was plenty suitable to be laughed at and bet upon. This betting and merriment went on for a long time.
    "READY TO HAVE SOME FUN?" said a purple-haired specimen, staring at team /ita/. He had parked just outside the alcove; for all their frolicking, team /pone/ had not once tried to make contact before then. "Mi dà i brividi," murmured Rita, and the Anonimo gave her a quick pat on the back. The team regarded the horse with general displeasure and distaste and after a long moment it grew dejected and returned to the dance, leaving them be. That ruined the mood, though, and it would take a long while for betting to begin again.
"Spero che le finali abbiano degli uomini veri," said the Leader, "questi sono mal fatti." Several of the men politely agreed, misgivings or not, but Rita was especially perplexed. "Non dobbiamo arrivarci prima?" To that he laughed and laughed, which was rare enough, though not too rare to be unheard of, but to her question he did nothing more. Before she could ask again, Salvini sought to answer, himself smiling radiantly. "Gli italiani non perdono, caro." Hearing this, she too began to smile and nodded vigorously, finishing his thought: "E noi siamo italiani!" Team /ita/ shared in their laughter and conversation began anew, some levity granted by the quick exchange. This conversation went on for a good while as they shared expectations and thoughts on the coming game.
    "JUST MOVE YOUR LITTLE RUMP!", said the purple-haired horse-person, who had returned with a new red-haired one. He was unbearably happy once more. They linked hands and did a quick spin, beckoning for the group of Italians to join in as they hopped about each-other. Not one deigned to join. Instead of mere contempt, this time Fantoccini even spat in their general direction and shouted "Froci!" The prancing lala horses did not seem to understand his speech, but they did manage to read his mood, and once left morosely. There was much grumbling now among team /ita/, annoyed by the interruption.
"Non lasciarli inasprire l'umore, festeggia la nostra vittoria!" said Rita, who was now too glad for her team to let some mild distractions ruin their fun. Her words made the mood spring back quickly, and now the team made fun of the horse-people's prancing more viciously, wondering what they were trying to do by running over to treat them again and again. If this act was meant to put the team off their game, then it must have failed. What kind of assortment were these horse people? /ita/ had been left in Group A with the monsters of metal and flesh, and even the Spanish, yet they had come out on top. They were forced to wonder what kind of group the horses must have been in. For their lackadaisical attitude, they concluded that the horse group must have been full push-overs. So now team /ita/ was full of confidence and felt the Leader was correct to dismiss them outright.
    "You should really join in!", said a new voice, a third interruption. Again, Fantoccini turned and swore, frustrated by the insistent fruitcakes. "Figa di cavallo cattiva," he got out, before he noticed that this time the recipient was the actual horse. The pink little one herself giggled. "Come on, don't be that way! Let's party!" Fantoccini shot nervous glances between Salvini, the horse, and the Leader, stricken for what to do. Quick pointed looks told him to retreat and he did so quietly, but the pony's eyes followed him precisely and uncomfortably. As that occurred, Anonimo brought the confused Rita and the quivering Gondola behind himself as quietly as he could manage. He did not seem to have attracted attention, but that was not to say he had not been noticed.
"Qual è il danno? Lei è solo un cavallo straniero," said Lupo, but even as he spoke the tittering grew louder.
"Pony straniero! Non è bello rifiutare un invito a una festa, non lo sai?" said the horse, smiling prettily at him. Lupo did not know horses could smile, yet now he wished he did not. Stunned, the Leader grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled him back closer to the crowd, clearing his own throat loudly. When he did so, the pink one hopped about, still smiling that odd smile, and began to prance away.
When she had gone, Lupo realized he was sweating, and that the laughter in his ears was his own, the sort of nervous laughter once could not stop. He clamped his mouth shut as Salvini patted him on the shoulder, consolatory. The team was shaken, though none could explain why. Yes, it was weird to see a talking horse, and the happy human horse people were creepy, but what was the big problem? They had fought the world, hadn't they?
"Non è che vinceremo facilmente," said the Leader, voice grim. Yet, as he spoke he was still tall to the world, with straight back and stiff upper lip, which was more than most the rest of the team could claim. "È che non dobbiamo perdere. Questo è il torneo per cui abbiamo firmato."
"Combattiamo con i giganti," said Rita.
"Li abbiamo già battuti," said Lupo.
"Sai cosa voglio dire," said Rita.
"Noi tutti facciamo, sta solo scherzando con te." said Fantoccini, "se combattiamo con i giganti, diventiamo giganti."
With many nods of affirmation and renewed vigor, team /ita/ stood as one.
Resolute.