You Asked For It: The Beach Trip

[magicademymods]

Be Careful What You Wish For: A Beach Adventure Crowded Quarters To the joy and delight of the Sundered students who feel joy and delight over going to the beach, the Sundered students get to go to the beach in celebration of their completed midterms! Professor Trammel has graciously paid their way on the local airship, which runs regular routes on summer days to the ocean some 45 minutes away, and so every student who so desires can pack up and head onto it to enjoy a fantastic day of fun and adventure! Slight downside: the airship is small and packed, as it keeps its fees low by relying on volume to turn a profit. The crowded travel compartment is standing-room-only, and even those who are lucky enough to get seats won't find themselves with much shoulder room. Some people may even find themselves in the lap of a fellow student, which only the most cynical and bitter of minds would abuse as a way to ship-tease (right?). The trip isn't long, just hot and stuffy. You can make it, students! Wave Your Hands If You're Shore The beach at last! Though the hot sun beats down from above, a gentle breeze blows in from the ocean and the water itself is delightfully cool without being icy cold. Waves run about five to six feet in height, enough to be forceful without dominating like some giant curl suitable only for surfing. Though scores of people have set up tents, umbrellas, blankets, and towels across the sands, the Diatu contingent has plenty of space to conjure up tables and chairs, an awning and plenty of shade. Professor Trammel politely deploys Spells of Sunscreening, as well as directing students to the swimwear the school has obtained and the screened canvas changing areas where they can don them. Helpfully, he's obtained all manner of suits to fit any taste, so... choose wisely? Baskets of sandwiches and drinks kept magically chilled offer sustenance for the busy swimmers, and all manner of balls, nets, and beach toys to enjoy. The Sand Castle Contest Early in the afternoon, Professor Trammel announces that a sand castle contest is open to all participants! The rules are as follows: 1. Headmaster Birony is forbidden from competing. (At this, Headmaster Birony sulkily turns Makerion Keep back into stone and sends it back to the Magicademy Campus. Ka students will be finding sand in odd places for a while.) 2. Students may work in teams of no more than 2. 3. You will have an hour to work with any of the sand-castle tools available. 4. Judging will be on creativity, quality, and durability. 5. 'Bedmaster Hirony' is forbidden from competing. (Headmaster Birony rips her fake mustache off and throws it to the ground in frustration.) You have a few minutes to form pairs and get ready. Who will win the competition? Teachers' Day Off Some of the Professors, too, have taken the day off! Students are treated to the sight of Professor Trammel digging a hole in the surf so his own knocked-together sand structure goes up against the waves, leaving him to improve its walls and channels each time to make for a better hope of surviving. Professor King is teaching anyone who will listen about a new game she calls Sunder-inlota, which involved lobbing a ball through portals to get it into the other team's goal. Headmaster Birony occupies herself doing a Sorcerer's Apprentice thing with the waves, making them smash and crash against each other with glee, while Professors Porfsin and Trent fail to put campus politics aside and both spend the day trying to attract an audience with their own personal performances. And Professor Kith just... swims and enjoys herself, like a normal human being, which is probably in violation of the Adequate Wackiness In Teaching Staff Proclamation, but no one seems inclined to call her on it. Fire in the Sky As darkness falls over the beach, swimming comes to an end as the gathered people move to get home, their day off done. The Magicademy, however, still has some tricks up its organizational sleeve. With fires conjured along the sands, the Professors take turns cooking -- simple fare like sausages and hamburger patties, that even the less adept among them (coughCamBironycough) can't screw up. And as the last vestiges of sunlight vanish behind the horizon and the beach and ocean are both swept in darkness, Professor Trammel pulls off his final flourish: a Discovery of beautiful lights exploding in the sky, a mixture between fireworks and aurora borealis that paints the night in glory. All in all, not a bad day.

Comments

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

'Course I'm ready! [Jecht folds his arms, every bit the savvy vet on the scouting trail. Get going!]

[woo_oo]

Okay!

Three... two... one!

[and she BOLTS OFF like lightning!]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Man, for a tiny kid she sure moves fast. [Seriously, he's impressed. 'Course maybe ducks are just really naturally good at this?]

[woo_oo]

[Well, she was trained by a super spy since birth... she's already made it to the point, and now heading back!

All with a great big smile on her face!]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

[Jecht lifts his hands to clap, big meaty thwacks that roll across the water. Guy doesn't do anything quiet or subtle.]

Nice speed there, kid! Now catch!

[He kicks the bala-inlota up into one hand, then whips it at her in the same motion.]

[woo_oo]

Huh?

[She didn't expect that in a race! She jumps to try and catch it - WHUFF - and lands back a bit, holding onto the ball dizzily.]

... Got it?

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

[Jecht isn't above getting a laugh out of that, bending over and propping himself up with his hands on his knees.] Yeah, you got it. Now kick it back to me!

[woo_oo]

[She shakes her head, trying to get back into the game.]

Oh, okay!

[She gets up, and prepare for a massive kick - for the record, her kicking a hackeysack once went through a tree.]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

[This is blitz. You expect that sort of power, and Jecht's ready. Ain't much of a keeper but she ain't exactly trying to miss him, so that ought to balance out.]

[woo_oo]

[KICK!]

Here it comes, buddy!

[Okay, so someone has to say it.

it's, it's a ballroom blitz. b-b-ballroom blitz!]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

[Jecht flings one arm up to catch it, letting the momentum of it smacking into his hand carry him into a full backflip before he lands on the sand once more.]

Nice! You got a promising career as a scorer if you can take hits!

[woo_oo]

YAY! ... Is that a person who makes scores?

[She's trying.]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Yep. They take the front positions on the team. Their job's to get the ball in the goal!

[woo_oo]

Oh, wow! That sounds so fun, why would you want to be anything else?

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Heh, well, a good defender gets to tackle the crap out of scorers. That's always fun. [Tackle, kick, punch, wrestle -- blitzball is sure as hell a contact sport.]

[woo_oo]

Aw, that sounds like fun too! It must so hard to decide which one to be!

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Heh, it also helps to be real good at passing if you're in the back. You gotta get the ball up to your scorers so they can put it in.

[woo_oo]

Oooh, so it's all about teamwork and cooperation! That makes perfect sense!

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

'Course it is! It's a team sport! No one wins playing all by themselves!

[woo_oo]

That's right, there's no I in team!

[But you know there is a "me" - wait, get out of here, taylor swift!]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

[There's also meat, but who's going down that path? Yuck.]

'Course every team has its star, you know. Lots of people gunning for that title. That's why to get it, you gotta deserve it!

[woo_oo]

Have you ever been the star?

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

[Jecht throws his head back to laugh.] You kiddin' me? You're talking to the Great Jecht! People came from all over Zanarkand to see me play, and I kept 'em coming back! There's never been a bigger name in blitzball and there never will be!

[woo_oo]

Wow! All other Zanarkand!

... Is that far?

[Different worlds, Jecht, she has no idea.]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

It was a big city. And as far as we knew back then, it was the beginning and the end of the world.