Finished A Surprise, Skates, and Super Soakers! PV Invitees Unoff. Mod

Febuary 11th 2024

Dialogue
English: #e22400
Spanish: #fdc700

"Oh me? No... not really."
That was good news for me. I'm not the only who doesn't know how to skate. Even if it was, it's fine. You never know until you've tried it. For all I know skating could be really fun and I was just overthinking it. On the other hand falling on your bottom is still pretty embarrassing.
"....Um, do you happen to know how to skate?" asked the boy. What should I say? We're all beginners here so I'm gonna tell him the truth.
"I'm Axyen by the way." he continued
"Nice to meet you Axyen, I don't really know how to skate too. So I guess that makes two of us. I'm Alejandro by the way." I replied. I would've loved to continue this conversation but the paintball match was about to begin. If I'm not mistaken Axyen and I were on different teams and my team leader Lily was motioning for me to come over.
"Sorry Axyen, I need to go join my team. I'll see you on the ice and good luck! Lets hope we don't fall over ehhhh.
I gave him a small pat on the back and ran over to join my team. After strategizing in our huddle, we seperated went on put on our skates, ready for the paintball match.

WC: 220/200 Mentions: N/A Interacting With: @Axyen Dragonclaw @Lily Isobel McCoire @Colin McCoire @Bailey Glade

Colin sat with Lily as they ate the stew and cider that AngelFyre had provided. The stew was yummy, but the cider was too sweet for Colin's taste. Oh well! He reached back behind the log he was sitting on and scooped up some snow. A couple mouthfuls of that would clear the palate nicely. Colin was unsure of Lily's abilities on the ice, however. She'd never skated before! As Colin strapped on his own skates he asked her: "Are you sure about this Lils? Just make sure you don't skate into a hole in the ice! Anyway, what are these soupy soakers we're supposed to be playing with?"

Colin reckoned he would find out soon enough! AngelFyre announced the teams and Lily signed him up for the blue team. Blue was a lovely colour! He could hardly complain about the choice! A couple other kids came over about then. One was a mousey haired kid, maybe a first year, by the look of him. Colin smiled at the boy and nodded his greeting. Immediately after was none other than Bailey Glade! He hoped one of these kids knew what this game was all about! Bailey at least was excited and eager to win!

"Are y'all ready to win!" she asked.

"I reckon Bails? I don't even understand what we're doing! Do either of you have any idea what these soupy soakers are?" Colin held his up. It appeared to have a handle and a bottle of some kind.There was a long bit that stuck out and had a hole in it like a straw. "Are we supposed to eat soup with this or what?" he asked curiously.

@Lily Isobel McCoire | @Bailey Glade | @Alejandro Garcia | @AngelFyre McCubbin

And They Are Off! @Simon Kincaid

Countdown Timer for Submitting Round 1 Moves

11 February, 2024

Things were beginning to happen. Some folks were eating before getting out onto the ice, which AngelFyre actually thought was a good idea, but she had other things that needed to be done in the moment. She might grab a few cheese cubes and grape tomatoes before she made her way onto the ice, just to take the edge off any hunger pangs. She knew, however, that once she was out there and in the thick of it, food would be the last thing on her mind.

Others were getting their skates on, and those not used to having a thin blade run the length of the bottom of their shoes were struggling just the slightest to figure out how to move and keep their balance at the same time. Simon, she was delighted to see, but not at all surprised to see, was helping Emiline get things figured out. Her boy was just a natural helper. It was one of the million things she loved best about him.

Before AngelFyre could even think to get her skates on, she needed to run around and hand everyone their ammunition. Blue beads to the blue team and Gold Beads to the Gold team. Colin made her chuckle as she approached. He was doing his pureblood thing, outloud and completely void of any self-consciousness as he was grappling with another bit of muggle world technology, which AngelFyre would forever now call, the "soupy soaker". God how she loved her confuzzled friend.

"Yes, Colin. Yes. Eating soup with your "soupy soaker" is exactly what you are supposed to do," she teased while grinning widely at Bailey and Lily and shaking her head in amusement. "And here are the flavor beads you can add to the broth," she said to him as she rolled her eyes and handed over to him his share of the blue beads. Looking to Bailey, she handed her her share of the blue beads while whispering somewhat conspiratorially, "Watch him will you, please? You know as well as I that that boy is just as likely as not to take me up on it and taste these darn things" and she giggled as she moved on to give Lily and Alejandro their beads as well.

She spoke softly when she got to Alejandro. "I overheard your comment about not knowing how to skate. No worries. It looks like you are in a lot of good company on that score. The best advice I can give you is that it is all about balance. It is true on a broom, and I saw you flying well enough in the Quidditch match yesterday, so you figured out your balance in that situation. You can do it here too. When I was first taught how to skate, I was told to try an not skate, but to just to walk. You know how to do that without even thinking about it. Try that and see how it feels when you put your foot down and you have to balance on that blade. I promise it sounds harder than it is. And if you can, try not to look down when first getting used to the feel of the blades. That will be the hardest part of the whole process, but looking down will actually screw with your balance. Once you get comfortable with the feel of the blades, the gliding part will come easily enough." AngelFyre smiled widely at him and wished him good luck before moving away to dole out the golden colored beads to her own teammates.

When everyone was properly suited up, including herself, with their equipment and ammunition, she called out to everyone and gathered them at the frozen edge of the lake. She took a few steps out onto the ice and turned to face all of them. "Okay, when I say GO! I want everyone to head off to their strategized positions. As the referee/moderator of this event, I say, 'Good luck to everyone!' As the proud girlfriend of the birthday boy and a member of Team Gold, I say 'Gooo Gold! I know our Midas touch will deliver insurmountable blue bruises to Team Blue's egos! We have this!'"

And at that, AngelFyre raised her right hand high in the air above her head and then sliced it down to her side once again while yelling, "GO!!" The dulled crunching of numerous blades on the snow covered shoreline gave way to a more metallic, staccato-like symphony as blades met and chipped the ice at various times and with varying forces. She herself waited until everyone had passed by her and then AngelFyre turned and headed for her bubbled space. She could not help but smile as she noted with a tremendous amount of satisfactions that her glide path offered her the most fantastic view of her handsome Hufflepuff from the rear.

Sighhhhhhhhh.

Focus, AF. FOCUS!

Colin, of course, took off like a speeding bullet and she noted, with some degree of interest, that he and Simon seemed to be going in a somewhat similar direction and at similar speeds. She knew her Hufflepuff was a grand skater, what with his hockey background and all, but this was truly a new look at Colin. AngelFyre had no idea her bestie could skate, at least as well as he obviously could. Excellent! This would make the game that much more interesting. As she watched them flying across the ice, she wondered just how aware each of them was to the other's presence. Both fellows chose spaces as far north on the field as they could go, with only one, open space separating them. Her heart raced as it looked like there was obvious potential for a showdown right out of the gate, but AngelFyre knew both boys well enough to know that the "obvious" was not always their style.

AngelFyre took up her planned position on a bubbled square. Her move had been coordinated with Simon, of course, but neither knew Colin would be a spanner in the works. She had planned to position herself on the northwestern side of the bubble, but Colin's position had her nix that idea immediately. She quickly glanced over to Simon and smiled widely at him and winked as she settled nicely on the southeastern side instead. Then she laughed as she caught sight of Colin through the bubble. He looked as if she was viewing him through a carnival fun-house mirror. Cool!

Knowing Simon would have his eyes on Colin allowed AngelFyre to turn her back on her lupine friend and assess where everyone else had gone. When AngelFyre had called out Go!, Bailey had shot off in the opposite direction of Colin, and at a similar speed and degree of competency. She gracefully reached her destination on the northeastern side of the field and came to a controlled stop. AngelFyre smiled as she noted that Baily had chosen the most "protected" space on the battlefield as she was surrounded by three bubbles and there was no danger of being attacked from behind. Very clever girl that Ravenclaw. How it would all work out for her was soon to be determined though, as Axyen had ideas of his own and made his way to a space diagonally adjacent to Bailey's. Ohhhhhhh, goody! Another potential for what could almost amount to hand to hand combat if the two were so inclined, which AngelFyre was pretty sure they were not. Yet, it was another hot spot on the field that warranted watching.

As her eyes continued to move across the field, she noted that Lily was pretty far off to the east. In fact, Lily had taken a position in the southern most position one could take. She was almost in direct linesight of Bailey, but there was one bubble on that pathway. Then it clicked in AngelFyre's head. The blue team must have a "box them in strategy" or maybe, more likely, it was a defensive, watch your back thing going on. She quickly turned her attention to the southwest corner and sure enough, there was Alejandro. Okay. Interesting thinking going on there. When her gaze moved away from Alejandro, who did have a clear sightline of Colin and vice versa, AngelFyre smiled widely at Emiline. No one was going to mistake her for having anything near to a Disney on Ice skating proficiency, but Simon's help session with her seemed to have really done the trick because there she was, super soupy soaker at the ready, standing in her appointed space. She was in direct linesight of the man of the hour, so if nothing else, that had to feel a little reassuring. AngelFyre knew it always reassured her.

So there it was. Everyone was in place and sizing each other up. Now it was simply a matter of who was going to simply twitch and who was going to actually make the first move.

Oh, the anticipation!

------- ----------- -------

First Moderation

Blue Team Positions

@Colin McCoire is on space A1
@Lily Isobel McCoire is on space I5
@Bailey Glade is on space I2
@Alejandro Garcia is on space A5

Gold Team Positions

@Simon Kincaid is on space C1
@Emiline Hunter is on space C4
@Axyen Dragonclaw is on space H3
@AngelFyre McCubbin is on space B2

This was an easy moderation. No one took aim at anyone (I was surprised!) and there were no contested battles for a square, so a quiet round all in all. Moves and actions are requested by next Saturday morning, 10:00 am, my time. The timer has already been reset above. Everyone should get a post out getting themselves to the space they occupy on the board before the timer runs out as well.

The map reflects current team positions. The real fun now begins! Have fun everyone!

@Simon Kincaid @Clair Fernandez @Colin McCoire @Bailey Glade @Kim Sato @Linda Ramirez @Alejandro Garcia @Emiline Hunter @Axyen Dragonclaw @Emma Wynn @Lily Isobel McCoire @Charlie Jacobsen

Charlie began to lace up her skates while sitting on a small tree log that was pressed in to the fluffy, powdery snow. She looped the laces in and out of the holes before joining the others on the ice. She had left her stuff by the edge of the pond and watched as others skated around.

When AngelFyre made an anouncment, Charlie stopped skating and skated over so she could listen to what she had to say. A game of paintball? She had never even heard of paintball, much less seen a game in action. Charlie knew immediately that she didn't want to play because, well, what even was it!? She listened to what AngelFyre had to say and continued skating around the ice as people continued socializing. She hopped off the ice for a moment to grab a quick drink and snack from the snack table. As she did so, she told herself that she would watch the paintball game and figure out what it even was in the first place. Charlie sat back down on the same stump and relaced her skates. People were getting ready for the paintball match, and Charlie recognized Bailey and Colin. Colin was being weird as usual, and Bailey was her sweet, kind, normal self.

Charlie watched as the match of paintball began, on the ice. Charlie had automatically assumed it was going to be happening in the space near the party, but paintball on ice! Fun! Charlie slightly regretted not signing up for it, but her mind set on having no regrets on decent actions, she unlaced her skates and threw them over her shoulder. She then made her way over to the snack table.

wc: 284	mentioning: @AngelFyre McCubbin, Bailey Glade and Colin McCorie.	open to interactions

Axyen was now on the ice, he was actually super nervous and he also had to constantly worry about slipping up. He went near a bubble, that'd be good support in case he happened to slip and fall, he'd have an opportunity to grab on to a bubble to not hit the floor, at least that was the plan. He was unsure if he'd actually be able to get a good grip on the bubble, plus the slippery ice would most-likely still cause him to fall anyways. Well, all he could do was focus because he was about to multitask between trying to skate and trying to play the game. Axyen also considered the possibilities that he might completely embarrass himself in front of everybody, the thought alone increased his focus on not falling, which he wasn't sure if that'd even help him here.

Axyen thought about his best move, especially considering the positions of everybody here. After a bit of thinking, Axyen decided that he knew what his next move would be. The only hard part about it was the actual execution of the action, but he was sure he'd be able to figure it out when he got there. He had to think fast as well, he didn't know what he wanted to do, he didn't want to stand there looking foolish, but he also didn't want to attempt something and look even more foolish. After a bit of thinking, Axyen determined it was a fifty-fifty chance, and he didn't know what risk he wanted to take. His body seemed to move on its own, which he didn't know if he was making the 'right' choice here, but at this point he was just going to stick to whatever he was about to do.

Colin groaned at Lily's answer. But he kept a keen eye on what she was doing. He knew that before Hogwarts, she lived in a Muggle neighbourhood. She must have seen and played with these soupy soaker things before. Smart girl! Clearly there were advantages to knowing more about the muggle world. Colin followed his sister's lead. "Strange toys Muggles have, eh?"

Eventually he got the hang of loading his. "So, if we don't eat it, why's it got soup?" As soon as AngelFyre cried go!, Team Lily dispersed and raced for their appointed places out on the icy lake. Colin resigned himself to perhaps never understanding Muggle toys. But at least he’d give it a try!

Of course, there'd be time later to think about it! Right now, battle was about to break. It was bound to be a soupy war, and Colin would play his part. "Ayo, Simon!" he called out as he skated around the Hufflepuff boy. "I hope you like soup! Cos we're going to soupy drench you lot!"

So far, everyone was just skating into position! But soon enough, Commander Lily would send them all into action! And once battle began, there would be no stopping them!