2018.01.15:FosternChallenge
| Fostern Challenge | |
|---|---|
| Sergei going for promotion | |
| IC Date | Half moon in early january |
| IC Time | late afternoon |
| Players | Pancake(st), Sergei |
| Location | somewhere out in the wilderness |
| Prp/Tp | none |
| Spheres | Gaian Garou |
| Theme Song | "Henry the 8th I am" [1] |
It was a matter of 'meet me at x place tomorrow evening', Iris was totally game to help Sergei with his Ahroun challenge despite not actually being one herself. And so, tomorrow is here and x place is visited. It's out there a hell of a ways into the forest, near no known wolf's territory, well away from Terminal Velocity's home as well as wherever Iris (and her half wild horse) have been calling home, but easily found with something like 'see them hills over there? right between those!' After a little searching and scent following, Sergei can find Iris hanging out near a stream and sitting by a large flat rock that seems to serve pretty danged well as a table.
"Hey, friend!" the Fury chirps in a friendly way when she sees the wolf (when the ninja wendigo *wants* to be seen, that is), "Come on over, I thought up something *really* fun!"
Howling-Wind will have made the journey in wolf form, not nearly as ninja-ish as Halona but still sneaky. Once he had eyes on her he will have approached in the open >>You are a clever garou Mercy's-Messenger, I trusted you'd come up with something worthy. There's nothing wrong with enjoying our sacred duty.<<
"Yeeeaaaaaah, you say that *now*.." Iris says with a laugh, and pats the opposite side of the flat table rock. "Okay so, I figured um.. You know, work on weaknesses. That's a theme that *I'm* focusing on for myself right now, figuring out what my honest weaknesses are and attempting to overcome them in one way or another. As a Fostern, it's time to grow up a bit more, broaden my shoulders to hold more weight and strength myself to avoid collapsing under it. I figure it's gotta be about the same for you as well, as an Ahroun, you'll have to carry more and be responsible for more."
While Iris babbles, she digs around in her purse, producing a baggie and pouring out a pile of peanuts on her side of the table, "So, I figured let's get you out of your comfort zone and territory, away from your pack mates, nestle us down in Momma's bosom with Auntie Luna looking in from overhead. Ever played cards before?" she asks, and gets out a deck of cards next. She has one of those Fade Out talens palmed in one hand.
Howling-Wind tilts his head as he watches Iris take out the cards and he melts into human form before he answers, assuming this is going to take thumbs "I have seen them played. Some of my uncles enjoyed poker and grandfather played solitare."
Thumbs will definitely be helpful! "Okay good. Well, we're going to play the most devious game of all. I actually have no idea what it's called. Slap Jack, maybe? I dunno." Iris says while looking through the cards to find a Jack. "See this guy? With the J right here? There's two black Jacks and two red Jacks." She shuffles and explains the rules while beginning to deal the deck into two piles. "It's really simple, the object of the game is to get all the cards to yourself. Don't look at your cards! We take turns adding one card at a time back and forth into a pile here in the middle, but we have to do it fast! If one of us puts a Jack down, then you slap your hand down onto the pile! We race for it, but whoever gets their hand there first wins all the cards. We just keep going till one of us is totally out of cards. If you slap the pile when there's *not* a Jack, you have to throw down a card as a penalty. Get it? It's all about speed, fast thinking, recognizing a particular target and not getting trigger happy with your slaps." Doesn't seem like much of an Ahroun challenge, really, but then again she hasn't explained the peanuts or why she's not sharing the pile.
Sergei listens carefully as he considers the rules, the cards, the peanuts....everything. "Speed, reflexes, and situational awareness. All valuable skills for a warrior."
"Exactly. And fun, don't forget that, cause you can't forget to laugh even when things get stressful. Ready?" Iris asks once she's gotten the cards dealt out. She holds her deck in one hand, the other ready to whip a mystery card out to flip face up on the table. "Be ready to put a card face up on top of mine as soon as I go!" As soon as Sergei's ready, she whips her card down as quick as she can!
Sergei takes the offered deck and makes ready, feeling like he's got a bit of a handle on the basic idea of the game. Its not familiar to him, at all, but there's a lot in this strange warm country that is new. He's trying to remain positive and respectfully focused on the challenge even though he doesn't entirely see the point.
It really does seem kind of pointless, doubtless Iris is a bit of a failure when it comes to warrior challenges. Ah well, lesson learned, find someone else next time, right? The game *does* get the adrenaline up a little bit, having to concentrate on a couple different things at once. Getting your hand quickly back to your own cards, drawing and laying one down right on top of Iris's last card as fast as possible, and of course keeping an eye out for Jacks that'll make you have to suddenly alter your rapid gestures. The face cards are the real challenge and that's where the laughs tend to come in. A weird sudden spike of elation when the usual number patterns is interrupted with a face, an uncontrollable laugh to release it when it turns out not to be jack and having to fumble and hurry back to laying cards down rapidly again. But the, suddenly a Jack appears!
Sergei is laser focused on the game. He might not see the point but he is an obedient follower by nature and if this is the challenge he's set he is on it like a flash when the Jack appears. His hand slaps down almost outside of the speed of concious thought and when his hand tilts to confirm the Jack, then he smiles.
"AHHH NOOOO!" Iris says when she attempts to slap down and her hand ends up atop Sergei's, "Way to go, Howling Wind!" she says with a grin, and abruptly flicks one of the peanuts off the pile, banking the hard little thing right off the man's forehead. Plink! She does this swiftly and there's no change of expression or other indication at all about having just done that, she just launches right back into laying cards down on the now empty table. Back and forth, back and forth, plink! Another peanut banks off of Sergei's cheek smartly. They don't *hurt*, of course. They're just peanuts. But it's sudden and startling and completely without explanation each time it jars the repetition of Sergei's game.
Sergei blinks a little bit when he starts getting pelted with peanuts. That are neither peas nor nuts but that's a different frustration. He responds to one of them with an attempt at a riposte, catching one in his mouth, as he continues playing cards.
Okay maybe once or twice she actually aims for his mouth cause, not gonna lie, that's kinda funny. Still. Iris makes herself a bit of an annoyance as they swiftly move through cards looking for a jack to slap. Which, in hind sight, is totally a Black Fury kinda game. Slap the shit outta the guy! It's extra work on her though, she's gotta whip her hand down and flick a nut and then get it right back up to lay a card super fast. Plink! JACK!
Sergei goes in for the Jack and his and Iris' fingertips bounce off eachother. TWICE. The third time though Sergei lets out a "Ha!" As he edges in and claims a second Jack. His heart rate is picking up a bit, he's still competitive as most garou are.
"Shiiiiit!" Iris complains while laughing as they have an epic finger punch battle over the card, eventually losing yet again to the wiley wolf, who's getting quite a stack of cards in hand. When he's ready to go again, cards get swiftly laid down and samiched one after another after another. PLINK! But just flicking nuts is getting boring, and right after encouraging "Faster! FASTER!" Iris launches into song. LOUDLY. Like, boisterous drunk guy in a bar loud. Also, she is not a Galliard and her singing voice is absolute shit.
"I'm Henry the eighth I am I am, Henry the eighth I aaaaam! I got married to the widow next door, and she's been married seven.. TIMES BEFORE!
And every one was a Henry! (HENRY!), she wouldn't have a Willy or a Saaaam! (NO SAM!), I'm her eighth old man, I'm Henryyy, HENRY THE EIGHTH I AAMM!
Second verse, SAME AS THE FIRST!"
Plink.
Sergei now is a little confused, does Iris not respect her own challenge? Sergei doesn't like being confused so he tries really hard to focus just on the game and not on how many men some strange homid woman has shagged with the same name.
Iris is all smiles while doing her best impression of a trolling Ragabash on a bad day. The man's got a mission, win the game damn it, using the superior wits and speed of a warrior to outsmart a deck of paper bits and get all the cards! But Iris, as much as she's having fun sitting around and playing a stupid game with a friend sure does try and make a distracting nuisance out of herself by trying to upset his concentration and even strategy in a strange scrap of territory in a place that isn't his home, loud enough even to almost drown out thoughts flitting through the man's pack link. That's when she whacks him in the shin with her super green recycled shoe. Not TOO hard, mind you, but it's sharp and unexpected and jarring. It's not a physical fight, no, but then he's an Ahroun, he can handle that. How much can his brain handle when he's thrust out there, maybe alone, and in uncertain terrain? Can he quiet himself enough to win his own game and complete his mission despite annoyances, distractions and angers from all directions? Can he overcome dependance on others to function alone when he has to? If not.. Iris strokes the Fade Out talen still cupped in her deck hand, ready to bolt if Sergei fails and frenzies before the end of the game. Plink! Oh hey look, a Jack! Whap. Fourth verse, SAME AS THE FIRST!
Sergei is without his bonded pack but he has fought alongside Iris before and she's trying to help him improve himself. He's caught on to the fact that she's trying to distract him from the game as part of the challenge so he tries even harder to stay focused and claims another Jack. His instinct and reflex game is amazingly strong.
Iris gets nigh insufferable during the last quarter of the game, it's all toe stubbing and horrific off key singing, getting a peanut right in the wolf eye, whapped in the shins and all sorts of shenanigans. She's upsetting the wildlife but it's for a good cause, and the annoyed cries of birds just help add in to the 'fun'. When the final Jack pops up, Iris attempts to straight up deny Sergei the wind when she just smacks a load of peanuts at him and goes for the gold!
Sergei homid growls as he gets a face full of peanuts and misses the last Jack but he does laugh "So did I need to get them all to succeed? I confess I wasn't sure what was going on exactly but it was....invigorating none the less."
Iris only *barely* makes it to the Jack first. All her annoying ruckus stops right then, no more singing or flicking or kicking or anything like that. Instead, she picks up her hand and gently pets Sergei's with a genuine smile and a soothing touch. "Yeah, but three out of four ain't bad, and I had to practically cheat just to get the last one at all. You know what, you're a pretty great Ahroun, I gotta say. If you somehow got lost or stuck somewhere dangerous or frightening or just weird, I have no doubt at all that you could keep sane and calm and get back home just fine, and I think any Fostern Ahroun worth their salt would agree that you've got a good head on your shoulders and a calmed heart. I might not be an Ahroun, but I think I trust you as one and to be the best one you can be. Thanks for not punching me on the nose, friend."
Sergei nods and considers "I did consider trying to catch some of the peanuts and start shooting back. Up the nose would have been a very difficult shot though. Besides, punching isn't the way you'd want it right? You've gone more for getting clawed right?" At the end he's smiling.
Iris snorts and bursts out laughing, abandoning the cards and slipping the talen back into her purse. The peanuts are for eating (and maybe throwing) now, so she picks up a few that are scattered on the rock and pops them into her mouth. "That's true, yeah, it does seem to be my preference. But hey, go big or go home, right? Man I hope I didn't just ruin a perfectly good card game for you, it's a lot better when the other person isn't being annoying."
Sergei shakes his head and takes a few peanuts for himself "All the things I said about it remain true. I think it can be a most excellent training exercise."
"It's pretty awesome with several people all playing at once." Iris says while picking up cards and getting them all rubber banded together so she won't lose them. "Speaking of stuff with lots of people, you guys wanna go out bowling? The night is young!"
Sergei nods enthusiastically "I'm on a roll as the humans say. Might as well keep going right?"
"Woo!" Iris says and offers Sergei a high five of agreement. The cards are stuffed back into her bag as she stands up and offers a hand. "My treat since I annoyed the shit out of you for *this* game." It'll be a bit of hike back to civilization but whatever. Exercise!
