AU week -- All-Skate with Magical Games and Sports

[ostro_goth]

It is a lovely Saturday morning in magical pseudo-Scotland, and there is

• an improvised Quidditch pitch outside, with two tall hoops at either end, and a plain picket fence to mark the border. There are enough broomsticks and second-hand safety gear for anybody to to have a try;
• there is a tea cart that sells little cakes and sandwiches as well, and tables and benches for anybody to sit and have a chat;
• cats, Loth-cats and a few foxes (AKA dog hardware running cat software) are hanging around at the edge of the forest and may be stealing the food you drop;
• the archery pells are active, with bows annd arrows ready for friendly competition and with absolutely NO people tied to the targets to make things more interesting (sheeeeesh -- who spreads the slanderous gossip that there are magic traditions that would stoop to something like that out of their wizardly hubris);
• a diving competition is set up at one pier, again with absolutely no people to be saved from the cool depths of the lake -- who DOES these things??
• even a few practice swords in a corner;
• and many, many more things that I haven't spotted yet, but you probably have.

[Welcome to another Milliways All-Skate!

All welcome - yes, that means all. Whether they're retired, deleted, AU, original or already being played by someone else, bring 'em along.

Usual all-skate rules apply:

1. Everyone's stressed out of their mind right now, so have fun!

2. Communication is key.

3. Gratuitous behaviour (either of a violent or sexual nature) will not be tolerated in the bar proper or the public ooutside areas. Take that to an OOM, and then Content Warning the hell out of it before you link it.

4. Please don't be a dick.

This is part of the 2020 AU week, so the setup is part of the Magic School AU. However, feel free to bring your character from any other potential AU, or even the undiluted character as you usually play them. They can of course completely ignore the magic shenanigans and / or establish their own AU in some corner (E.G.: People with daemons go here / here is a food truck where these people are working together / in this corner, everyone are Moomins etc.) Any additions are welcome (swingsets / hot springs / maize labyrinths / whatever), but will absolutely not extend beyond this All-Skate post and shall have utterly vanished by the end of AU week.]

Comments

[feminine_menace]

There is a young woman in a postal carrier’s cap and jacket (the latter is a bit overlarge) at the archery pells. She’s pretty good - she hits in the marked part of the targets every time - because she’s had a lot of practice doing this back home.

A large mutt sits a little behind her, offering moral support and guarding her leather mail satchel.

[hat_and_dimples]

Waiting in line behind her is a young man in a white robe with a blue emblem stencilled over the shoulders; it's some beast, maybe a stylised bull, but it might be a wolf as well -- it's that abstract.

He has nothing bull- or wolf-like about him whatsoever, though. He is holding his own dainty bow and quiver of arrows, and patiently waiting his turn.

[feminine_menace]

YT's final shot is her best, just on the edge of the bullseye. She steps back and waves to the guy waiting behind her (who, she cannot help but notice, is cute).

"Hi there! Lemme get this shaggy mutt to move his lazy butt, and you can take a few shots."

YT steps back, smoothly picking up her satchel. She whistles at Fido, who gets up, licks his chops, and pads over to her at a respectful distance away from the shooting line.

[princeinexile]

You know who else wears black and red with gold accents?

The Wen.

Zuko is a perfectly good son of the Wen, if you don't count that he was maimed by Sect Leader Ozai to teach him a powerful lesson in cruelty and loyalty. Still, he could be any of his brothers or sisters, whether they were full blooded or half, and they all suck far more than the loner who doesn't get the protection of his powerful father.

Which is why he's over here, avoiding literally everybody in a hanfu, shooting firey arrows into targets to keep his mind off everything.

[hat_and_dimples]

"Wen-gongzi," says the young man in Gusu Lan guest disciple robes (with the Nie bull stencilled on over his shoulders) who is queueing up at the pells behind Wen Zuko, with the wary respect in his voice that any cultivator from his world, at this point, will afford a Wen -- especially an inner disciple.

[princeinexile]

Wen Zuko's shoulders relax half an inch, before they drop all together; his bow-string relaxed and his arrow now pointed at the earth.

He doesn't know this one. His eyes, one pulled taut by scar tissue, flick over him, before he bows, gestures, and steps aside. "Please. I've been here for..."

A while.

"Enough time. I should learn to share."

There's some dry sarcasm under there, because what Wen shares, really? None of his siblings do, that's for certain.

[alongfallfromgrace]

You know, you can try to avoid the First Disciple of the Jiang clan, but it's impossible. Just ask poor Lan Wangji.

"Your technique is good." Wei Wuxian, in his habitual black and red, is leaning against a nearby tree as he watches this Wen disciple practice.

[herb_and_needle]

Wandering about, the fire arrows catch her attention but soon enough the man's robes do as well. The style and cut are all too familiar, but she does not know this man, and his robes suggest he is of a high enough rank that she should.

Curious and nervous, she stills her expression and stands to wait for his draw to be done or for him to notice her.

[ooc: WQ is from canon, but I couldn't resist. Shall we say they are from one world over to each other?]

[queen_stabbity]

Cats. Ceilidh loves cats. Cats, foxes... any sort of animal really. The Lolth cats are smarter than cat's Ceilidh has met before. Sitting down in the middle of a pile, she's having a chat with them. There's a plate of meat next to her that she's offering to various cats as they talk.

Amazingly, they've not swarmed the plate of meat and eaten it already but instead are waiting politely for Ceilidh to hand them a piece.

"Really? Those are some amazing wolves. Being able to go into a place between time and space," she says to a black and white spotted one. "Is it like Milliways here?"

A pure tan one meows something in response taking a piece of meat offered.

"That sounds more like one of the transition realms."

Next to her, perched on a spear stabbed into the ground, is a rather miffed looking hideously bubblegum pink barn owl. A small one. But still pink.

[ostro_goth]

Among the cats hanging out around her is a rangy black one wearing a red collar. He knows that this is cheating, but he is curious as to what this parliament of felines is all about.

[[OOC: Teja is wearing cat-shape as per that collar, a gift of Loki's.]]

[childofrebellion]

Not too far from the diving set up, there's a small ice skating rink, its about the size of a backyard swimming pool. On it, Cassian is practicing spins, twizzles and footwork, he's fast and precise in his movements. If he's going to have a new partner soon then he needs to be ready. He's wearing a workout jacket that has Yavin Skating Club on the back.

OOC: This video gives a sense of the kinds of moves he's doing.

[hat_and_dimples]

There is a young man with white robes and a dimpled smile leaning on the edge of the skating ring, watching with the absolute fascination of somebody who has never seen anything even remotely likely in his whole entire life.

[herb_and_needle]

Wen Qing wanders by and pauses to watch the man on the ice. She has vague memories of seeing people moving about on ice one Winter in her youth but doesn't remember the trick of it.

Of course, they also were not as talented or graceful as the man. She can't help smiling as she watches.

[herb_and_needle]

Wen Qing is still getting used to this strange realm, but she is growing to like it. Stepping outside for some fresh air and to check out the garden, she is mystified all over again at the wonders present.

Are those people flying? On brooms?

[ooc: Here's a bit about Wen Qing. She is coming from early in canon, from Cloud Recess.]

[element_wizard]

"You know, I never figured out how to stay on one of those," Alec said wandering over to the Qudditch pitch next to Wen Qing. His hands are shoved into his jean pockets and he rocks back on his heels, watching the people on brooms fly above them.

WW-Raven Blaise

[sunbaked_baker]

Raven had never been good enough of a flyer to be chosen for a school quidditch team, and her mother wasn't about to spend money for her to have her own broom, but none of that stops her heading directly over to the broomsticks (not at all hurrying like an excited kid) and taking off. The sensation of flight, like sneaking food from the kitchens at night, is as sweet as it ever has been.

So there's a red-headed witch in semi-professional robes, whooping like a kid as she flies around the quidditch pitch and over the Milliways grounds.

Re: WW-Raven Blaise

[street_sparrow]

A seventh-year student quickly flies in to join her from where he was practising, in what could be a friendly race if she wants.

Re: WW-Raven Blaise

[will_scarlett]

Seventh year Gryffindor beater Will Scarlett is dodging in and around the hoops to keep his agility up and he gives Raven an answering whoop when she flies by him.

[manofbusiness]

A ragged child, too young to have been invited to most of the schools yet, is sitting at one of the tables with a pack of cards in hand, laying some of them out.

[daringyoungman]

He's being observed by an older boy from above. Dick comes from a tradition of clarvoyence and prognostication that the Isaacs don't teach, so he's interested to see if this kid is doing it for serious.

[daringyoungman]

Broomsticks? BROOMSTICKS.

Wizards of Dick's tradition can't fly in general, with or without broomsticks. But Dick is a flyer by temprament, and if there's gonna be flying, he sure as hell is going to try it.

So - teenager in 1930s school uniform, complete with straw boater that he's got clamped on to one hand as he gives this thing a go.

He's remarkably good at it for a first timer, but only for a first timer.

[will_scarlett]

Will notices Dick flying and swoops his way over to say, he's always happy to help a beginner, "Looking good."

[we_bring_hell]

A skeleton war has broken out in the grass out by the lake. A one-sided one, at first glance; a squad of five skeletons are circling warily around a single figure armed with a sword and shield, where the others are bare-handed. The one in the center has a grey-ish tinge to its bone, while the others have a more usual yellow-white ivory appearance.

The five charge! The one in the center whirls into action, hacking and smashing through its opponents, as they rip and smash at it. The central skeleton is victorious, but badly damaged; bone smashed and ripped free.

A black-robed figure seated quietly in the grass--perhaps unnoticed until now--raises her hands, and the smashed skeletons begin to rise; the ones shattered into multiple pieces becoming multiple skeletons.

The one in the center backs away, its own bones bubbling and regenerating, thickening where it took damage.

Round 2!

[deadmanbusiness]

A skeleton walking around is something that always catches Theo's attention. A skeleton fight is something that attracts him like a zombie to brains. He walks over and watches politely from just out of the fighting field. When the shattered skeleton turns into multiple skeletons he gives a soft impressed whistle.

He is wearing business casual today, nice dark blue pants and blazer with white button down shirt. His eyes are silver and he gives off the aura of having walked on people's graves. (Not something he can turn off but ... there you go...)

[local_genius]

Eventually a woman in a T-shirt and leggings comes strolling out of the bar, yawning and carrying a mug of tea in one hand and a packet of custard creams in the other.

She watches the skeleton war for a few minutes, and then says:

"If you get human remains in my river there's gonna be a consequence."