Challenge Finished PV Jack Warren Closed

It worked, for what it was worth. Jack seemed like he was taking it seriously, proclaiming his victory beforehand. Flash had no place to argue, Jack was both adept at the game and also being given the opportunity to not hold back. Even though Flash would be more than happy to win a game against someone so competitive, the joy of knocking a pedestal out from under someone’s feet was almost always satisfying, he wasn’t unrealistic.

Even though Jack was readable, and relied heavily on brute force, he was still good at the sport. That was, at least he probably would still be, without the shoving and kicking, as he attempted again to snag the ball away from Flash. Their legs made contact, no subtlety in the way Jack kicked for the ball like Flash wasn’t even there.

Roll to not get tripped (Evasion):
1d20(18) + 5 = 23 (success)

Flash was expecting the pain train this time, so the second contact was made, he was able to compensate and withdraw. It was a hollow victory, since it still gave Jack the ball. The only advantage was that he wasn’t face-first on the ground this time, he had the chance to try to catch up with the speeding locomotive.

Roll to catch up with Jack(Evasion):
Flash: 1d20(5) + 5 = 10
vs
Roll to run to the goal (Evasion):
Jack: 1d20(8) + 8 = 16

It was no use, Jack’s speed couldn’t be matched. He was gunning it for the final goal, the winning point right in front of him, and Flash was chasing after him, always a step behind. If he didn’t do anything, he was sure to lose, but to get the ball he had to be able to catch up. Well, in a normal game that was true, but this was their game, so there were more options.

Roll to shoulder check Jack (Strength + Accuracy):
1d20(11) + 6 + 6 = 23
vs
Roll to avoid shoulder check (Strength + Wisdom):
1d20(7) + 6 + 2 = 15

Arguably an outright attack, Flash’s underhanded effort paid off. Likely, Jack didn’t see it coming. The surprise alone worked in Flash’s favor as the undeniable victory was ripped out of Jack’s hands... or feet, in this case. Not far away from Jack’s goal zone, the ball was in Flash’s possession again, though whether he could manage to get it all the way back to his goal was yet to be seen. At least he could say with confidence that he used everything at his disposal to win. This counted as playing the football ‘rightly’, given violence was established as fair game.

Flash was sure to give Jack a knowing smile before running off in the other direction. This was what it was all about: the last ditch efforts and the hidden player politics in the way you fouled and interacted. It made a game more interesting when emotions were involved.

@Jack Warren

Why was it that when Jack felt like he had victory in hand, something was always there to sweep his feet and steal it away. In this case, however, it wasn't really a sweep of the leg, but rather a ramming pressure against his top half. Oh- this must be what the saying of 'A taste of their own medicine' came from. Once again, he was in the air and destined for glory the ground.

He could see the kid's smile, and a sneer crossed his own face. He knew he couldn't be too mad because that was the rules that they had set, but still. It's not so fun when you are on the receiving end of a shoulder check.

Like a flash of lightning, Jack was back on his feet. There was no way in hell that he'd let that kid win after knocking his butt to the ground! Sprinting once again. Not once did he consider using his brain to actually try and win. This boy's one-track mind was one of his greatest strengths and weaknesses. He could run and run and run but at some point, his body will give out. Yet Jack was many things like a jerk, hyperactive, over-aggressive, but he is not a quitter.

Roll for Flash to score:
1d20(18)+6(acc)= 24

Roll for Jack to defend:
1d20(5)+5(acc)=10

Sliding across the grass, Mr. Warren gave a last-ditch effort to stop the opposing boy from taking the win, but alas winning was not in the boy's stars on this day. The ball flew past Jack's feet by mere inches. A heartbreaking miss, but sure the ball found its way into the boy's goal.

Against all odds, Flash’s move had been successful enough to throw Warren off his game and score the winning goal. Well, no, it wasn’t against all odds at all, it was completely calculated. Even though Warren seemed to be the physical superior, both faster and stronger, there was a lesson somewhere to be learned about the ability to adapt. Not every game demanded the same skill every time, though whether this lesson was lost on Jack wasn’t really Flash’s concern. If he continued to be completely ignorant, he could continue to be easy to predict.

Jack had slid in to try and get the ball away from Flash at the last moment, but it was too late. As the ball bounded into the area designated for the goal, Flash gave a satisfied sigh, a bright smile perched on his cheeks. It was strange, even though he had only meant this as a quick diversion, his mood had so greatly increased as to have forgotten what his problem was to begin with. Hadn’t he been upset, or something? It hardly mattered, he was victorious.

Nothing quite beat the feeling right after having won, especially once all the expectation was dropped and all that was left was to celebrate. At least, he could celebrate internally, while remaining perfectly composed on the outside. Perfectly, despite having to catch his breath, and having the kicked up dirt sticking to his lightly damp forehead and forearms.

”Ah, I suppose I’ve won.” Flash said, his ever growing smile betraying his humility.

He would have liked to say something diminishing, like how he didn’t really deserve it, but that would imply the street rules invalidated the whole match, which would implicate Jack’s first point as well. Better to avoid the subject, it was only ever meant to be a way to release some pent-up energy anyway, hitting each other was a valid form of that. Arguably it was the best form, though Flash wasn’t about to go founding a fight club to deal with anxiety.

Honestly, Flash wanted to shove it in his face for being so confident without the brains to back it up, but propriety forbade it. Not everyone could be the full package like Flash was. It wasn’t like he didn’t spend every waking hour trying to better himself, it had to pay off eventually. He didn’t think it would be in the form of an unofficial football match.

”Thank you for the game, I feel a lot better now.”

A cheesy grin. More than anything, now he needed a drink of water. It was a relatively short game, but packed tightly with exertion and adrenaline. Enough to make the walk back to the castle seem long. A good feeling, being worn out instead of high strung.

@Jack Warren