Re: Rifts Dead Man's Hand - Festival Day - Francis

[Chaser1]

"Well let's get over there then." Frank runs to get in line for the egg toss. "You guys know how everyone always jumps in the sack race? Couldn't you just pull the sack kinda tight and just walk by sliding your feet along the sack?" He asks to make conversion while waiting. "I mean especially since most of the time the race is done on grass so when people fall it hurts less."

Johnny and Steve aren't far behind, when Steve says, "I meant the obstacle course. I really don't wanna get my new clothes dirty."

Johnny shrugs, "It doesn't matter to me."

[mylow4200]

"Well shit then whyd you bring up the egg toss if that's not what you meant? The obstacle course does sound like more fun." Frank heads toward the course. "So who wants to go first when we get there?" He turns back to ask.

[Chaser1]

"I was saying that I DIDN'T want to do the egg toss." Steve banters on.

"I'll go first." Johnny babbles on, "I think I have it figured out this time. So they changed a few..."

Frank, Steve and Johnny get in line, but he loses track of what Johnny is saying as he takes in the oddest scenery. Brad is off between the line and Bottoms Up, talking to a rather attractive out of towner. Several people ahead of Frank, stands Megana and some guy.

"Sam!" Steve yells to the guy Megana is with, "I'm back here!" as his friend turns to wave awkwardly, because he's holding Meg's hand.

"Steve!" He yells back, "What took you so long? Where's Maya?"

Steve shrugs, "I found Johnny and Frank."

Frank looks up the line further and sees something incredibly unexpected, almost unreal. Violet and Teddy... Arms around each other, almost at the front of the line.

[mylow4200]

Frank staring at Teddy, "Johnny look at that shit right there. And he was just bitching because I said I was going to root for Vi. It looks like he's going to be rooting for her too." He says while laughing in line.

[Chaser1]

Frank stares at Teddy, "Johnny look at that shit right there. And he was just bitching because I said I was going to root for Vi. It looks like he's going to be rooting for her too." He laughs.

Suddenly, Johnny seems more happy than Frank has seen him in weeks. "Today is going to be a good day," he replies.

Steve keeps watching Sam, "That sly dog! Who's your friend?" he asks, referring to Megana.

[mylow4200]

"Just don't hurt yourself when you go buddy," Frank says to Johnny. "I don't think carrying you around would be very fun." oO(watching him fall would be funny I suppose)Oo Turning to Steve, "Wonder when Meg and your buddy started chatting"

[Chaser1]

Sam shouts back, "Don't worry about it! She's MY friend." he laughs then looks back at Megana.

"Just don't hurt yourself when you go, buddy," Frank says to Johnny. "I don't think carrying you around would be very fun." oO(watching him fall would be funny, I suppose)Oo he turns to Steve, "Wonder when Meg and your buddy started chatting."

At that moment, Frank notices that Vi and Teddy have made it to the obstacle course. Vi confidently climbs the steps and stands next to the announcer. After giving her name, he speaks into the microphone, which booms his voice across the crowd, "Next up, we have Violet Trent! A local hero and undefeated boxing champion! She has a match, later today, with another undefeated champion, who is also right after her, Ted Swenson!"

Vi makes sure she has nothing loose that could tangle her up, especially her shoelaces, then braces for a quick start. A quick glance at Teddy shows concern on his face.

The start buzzer blares! She jumps off of the launch pad, jumping over the first quintuple step and landing on the second. She uses her forward momentum to completely leap across to the opposing platform. She doesn't hesitate after analyzing the rails for "Rolling Thunder." She climbs on, like an inexperienced person on a horse, embracing the log and applying the strongest gorilla grip possible. The log rolls as she holds tight when the first surprise drop occurs, her grip slips with her left hand, but manages to recover by the time the second surprise drop occurs. She loses grip with her right hand this time. The log stops rolling by the time she recovers.

She hoists herself up onto the next platform, overlooking a twenty foot wide chasm, where the opposing platform is a few feet higher. She goes to grab the rope and realizes that she's dizzy from the last obstacle. She slightly stumbles as the clock counts down, trying to overcome vertigo. She takes a deep breath at four minutes remaining, grabs the rope, jumps backwards for momentum and swings. She realizes that she didn't swing hard enough and reaches her foot out, grabbing the platform with the tip of her shoe. She strains as she pulls herself closer and leaps to grab the ledge. Instead, she bashes her face against the corner of the platform. Clock shows 3:31.

Upon catching her breath, ahead of her is a bowl shaped dip ahead of her, leading up the warped wall. A wall which swoops up for about fifteen feet and curves backwards, forcing contestants to leap up and slightly backwards to even grab the ledge. She launches down, getting a very good running start. She runs up the wall, making it almost halfway up and then she jumps. The crowd sees her foot roll sideways at a sickly angle. Her fingers find the ledge and grasp on, she then pulls herself over and sits on the ledge, examining her ankle.

The announcer shows concern as the clock counts down below three minutes. Teddy and several of the obstacle workers rush up and carry her down. Teddy waves to the announcer that he no longer wants to attempt the course as the workers attempt their best first aid. He stands up, looks back to where Brad is talking to the young girl, calling out, "Brad! Get your ass over here! Bring your kit!" He squats back down next to Vi, as they needlessly ask how bad it hurts, poking at the swollen area, forcing her to yelp involuntarily. He brushes her face with the back of his fingers and says something inaudible to her.

"Sorry folks, that was unexpected. Let's hope that Miss Trent is okay and that it's nothing too serious. We'd love to see her try again later!" Even the announcer seems concerned, then turns back to the crowd, "But what a great run from her. Give it up for Vi!" The crowd erupts into a combination of concerned banter and cheering.

"What the hell just happened?" Johnny asks in disbelief. "Did she just get hurt?" He begins to back out of the line, "I'm not going on that. I mean, look at my hair, it'll get caught in something."

Steve just admires the commotion, "Woah, now I HAVE to try it."

[mylow4200]

"See I was literally just warning you about doing something like that Johnny." Frank says to Johnny while cringing at the sight of her ankle. "I'm still going to try. maybe I'll be able to notice something she didn't or maybe I'm more bendy than she is." Frank looks around scanning the crowd. "Didn't they take bets on how many people would get hurt on this thing last year? I wonder if they're doing that again."

[Chaser1]

"See I was literally just warning you about doing something like that, Johnny." Frank adds while cringing at the sight of her ankle. "I'm still going to try. Maybe I'll be able to notice something she didn't or maybe I'm more bendy than she is." Frank scans the crowd. "Didn't they take bets on how many people would get hurt on this thing last year? I wonder if they're doing that again."

"Dude! She's tougher than all three of us!" he exclaims, "Look at her now!"

The crowd surges around to get a closer look at Vi, always excited for a fight or someone's misfortune, making it difficult to see if Vi is okay. The course is paused, awaiting the staff to get her out of harm's way, just in case someone fell on her.

Steve raises his brow at Johnny, "You need to chill, buddy. At least a hundred people did this course today. She might have just misjudged the course. Or just bad luck! It happens every year."

"Yup, and I always end up with bad luck." He nervously laughs, "The rope swing, easiest obstacle on that whole course, would probably somehow wrap around my neck."

Steve rolls his eyes and tries to stand on his toes to get a better view of Vi. Yet, at that moment, The announcer erupts with excitement, Teddy at his side, preparing... "It looks like Vi is going to be alright! We now have her nemesis... and maybe boyfriend?" Teddy flashes him a look, "In any case, everyone give it up for Teddy!" The enormous crowd, who've come to see Vi, erupts into cheers, "Ted-dy! Ted-dy! Ted-dy!"

Teddy looks down towards Vi and respectfully nods. The buzzer sounds and she finally sees his true reflexes kick in. His reaction time is almost perfect as he breaks into a run for the quintuple steps and breezes over them as fast as Vi did. He leaps onto 'Rolling Thunder' and rolls down without even budging; even through the surprise drops. He doesn't waste time and just uses his forward running momentum and swings out on the rope and lands to Vi's nemesis, the warped wall. He takes a moment to analyze it, then breaks into a run, down the bowl shaped ramp and then, up the wall. He leaps, reaches back and grasps the ledge and pulls himself up.

Teddy takes a moment, looks at the clock, which reads 4:12. He carefully crosses the spinning log, almost falling off on every third step. He looks up at the clock; 3:45. He then glances down to Vi, showing that it's getting harder. He sees the drop to the trampoline, which should launch him into the spider jump and climb. He hops, drops straight into the middle and launches forward but mostly up. He wedges into the two plastic walls and begins hopping forward. He ducks under one obstacle along the wall, then hops over the second.

At the end of the wall, there is no platform to stand on, instead, Teddy realizes that he has to leap out and catch a zipline. His lips become thin with determination as he leaps out as hard as he can and miraculously catches the handles on the zipline. He slides down twenty feet of wire and realizes that he needs to swing out and catch the cargo net. He succeeds! The crowd roars with excitement.

The last obstacle has foiled all but a few contenders who've reached it. Teddy decides to climb under the cargo net. He reaches the platform and pulls himself up, breathing heavily. He managed not to mess up and looks up at the clock; 1:55. He presses the buzzer. Teddy has just defeated the first stage of the festival course.

"Sweet Lord!" The announcer screams, "Our fourth competitor to complete the first stage has been crowned! Who else will join him! Everyone come watch at noon, when Teddy will attempt stage two!"

Teddy ignores the guy and heads back down into the crowd, seemingly looking for Vi.

[Chaser1]

OOC: Read Megana's thread to find out how she exactly did.

Megana attempts the course and fails at the rope swing on her first try. She fails on quintuple steps on her second attempt. Sam then tries and fails on the spider climb both times.