Blessings and Curses II - The Challenging

[Harri-chan]

Elliot collapsed in relief as they crossed the line in second place, and crawls out from the sack. Her blue eyes studied the wolf pair, and she hoped that the race had played to their strengths and they wouldn't finish ahead of them in the other games. Blushing, she climbed to her feet and had her arm raised with the older fox girl, her transformed name being called out as all those eyes briefly looked in their direction.

"Nice work, Mom", she says in the break between events, and she slides her arms around Kether to give her a hug.

[Kether]

Elliot collapsed in relief as they crossed the line in second place, and crawls out from the sack. Her blue eyes studied the wolf pair, and she hoped that the race had played to their strengths and they wouldn't finish ahead of them in the other games. Blushing, she climbed to her feet and had her arm raised with the older fox girl, her transformed name being called out as all those eyes briefly looked in their direction.

"Nice work, Mom", she says in the break between events, and she slides her arms around Kether to give her a hug.

She hugs her back "You too, hon"

[Whatevr89532]

A few back-and-forth turns later, Ookalf finds herself at a left-right intersection with another armored guard standing just barely inside of the right turn, facing the other direction. She surely would have heard the hedge shifting if Ookalf had tried to create a shortcut on the way here!


It seems like there's some time before the next event, for everyone to at least catch their breath. Some of the picnic-goers, including ones that didn't participate in the sack race, go back to their plates and resume eating.

[Harri-chan]

There was no way Elliot would even suspect that Kiara was actually Kether. After all, as she'd stepped through the door, Kether had been mocking her, but this old fox girl was so warm and encouraging. Her green eyes glanced around, eager for the next event, but as she saw the others were taking a break, she muttered and started to follow them, having latched onto Kether's hand to lead her to a table filled with food.

"Who do you think would be our competition for the ring toss, Mom?", she asks as she picks out a sandwich, her tail swishing behind her, and takes a big bite from it, checking out the other pairs.

[Ookalf]

A few back-and-forth turns later, Ookalf finds herself at a left-right intersection with another armored guard standing just barely inside of the right turn, facing the other direction. She surely would have heard the hedge shifting if Ookalf had tried to create a shortcut on the way here!

*Good thing she didn't, then! Now that she's aware of the guard, Ookalf tries to quietly sneak down the path behind her.*

[Kether]

There was no way Elliot would even suspect that Kiara was actually Kether. After all, as she'd stepped through the door, Kether had been mocking her, but this old fox girl was so warm and encouraging. Her green eyes glanced around, eager for the next event, but as she saw the others were taking a break, she muttered and started to follow them, having latched onto Kether's hand to lead her to a table filled with food.

"Who do you think would be our competition for the ring toss, Mom?", she asks as she picks out a sandwich, her tail swishing behind her, and takes a big bite from it, checking out the other pairs.

*She narrows her eyes and whispers conspiratorially*"The humans, they have the superior hand eye coordination of the Ape, like cat girls have more broad agility but get stuck in trees and can't gt down when they climb.."

[Whatevr89532]

Ookalf's chosen path goes forward a short way, then turns right, and then there is a four-way intersection. The middle of the intersection has a tall stand with a lit torch on top of it. There are no guards in immediate view in any of the three non-backwards directions, but there is the sound of some metal clinking past the hedge-walls.


While they converse, the wolf-man father happens to pass by to the fore. There's something off about him, though..his hair seems a little longer than before, and he doesn't look quite as beefy; his clothes seem more loose-fitting. In fact..he seems to be getting shorter? But if he's noticed it happening, he isn't reacting to it at all.

[Ookalf]

Ookalf's chosen path goes forward a short way, then turns right, and then there is a four-way intersection. The middle of the intersection has a tall stand with a lit torch on top of it. There are no guards in immediate view in any of the three non-backwards directions, but there is the sound of some metal clinking past the hedge-walls.

*Ookalf takes a moment to consider options and, with no obvious threat in any direction, continues down the path straight ahead.*

[Harri-chan]

Elliot leaned in closer, and nodded in agreement as Kether discussed their rivals. She was really working her way through those sandwiches! She'd just started her second when the adult wolf boy wandered through her eye line... and she scowled slightly... before frowning as she realised something strange was going on.

"Mom... look!", she says, tugging on Kether's short skirt with a hand, and then points to the man... as his clothing loosened and his hair grew longer.

"Something weird is happening to him. Do you think it's because they won?".

[Kether]

Elliot leaned in closer, and nodded in agreement as Kether discussed their rivals. She was really working her way through those sandwiches! She'd just started her second when the adult wolf boy wandered through her eye line... and she scowled slightly... before frowning as she realised something strange was going on.

"Mom... look!", she says, tugging on Kether's short skirt with a hand, and then points to the man... as his clothing loosened and his hair grew longer.

"Something weird is happening to him. Do you think it's because they won?".

"Or someone might have messed with their food."she pauses looking down at the sandwich, "stop eating now"

[Whatevr89532]

Whatever the reason, the two fox-girls seem to be the only ones who even notice him changing, as his height and visible strength diminish further and he can be heard talking in an increasingly higher-pitched voice. His clothes start to reshape, staying loose but shrinking enough to be just shy of falling off. But..nothing is happening to Eliko, or anyone else really; not yet, at least.
There isn't much time left to eat more anyway, as the officiator starts "Your attention please!"-ing again. "The ring toss will be held here," she says from a spot near a bunch of pegs, a white line painted onto the grass, and a bag full of colorful plastic rings. "Parents and children will take turns throwing each of ten rings from behind the line; whoever has the most rings on their peg at the end of the time wins. Rings thrown from in front of the line do not count." And so, people start milling toward the spot.


When Ookalf steps in the area directly in the middle of the intersection, the ground sinks slightly! Actually, on closer inspection there seems to be some kind of square-shaped ceramic tile stuck in the ground, hidden by some freshly-cut grass, and it's been tilted by her weight. The stand with the torch on it starts on its way down, thrown off balance by the tilt.

[Harri-chan]

Elliot wasn't convinced by Kether's suggestion it was the food. Everyone had been eating and drinking, but only one person was changing, and that person had also won the race. Strangely, despite her being convinced her theory was right... she set down the sandwich when told to by the older fox girl, and her cheeks went a little red. Washing what she had eaten down with some more punch, she began to head towards the officiator. If she'd been nervous before, now she was suspicious. Did she even want to win if it made something bad happen to you? The whole thing could be a trick!

"Maybe we should aim for second again... ", she says in a hushed voice as they get in line to try the next challenge.

[Kether]

Elliot wasn't convinced by Kether's suggestion it was the food. Everyone had been eating and drinking, but only one person was changing, and that person had also won the race. Strangely, despite her being convinced her theory was right... she set down the sandwich when told to by the older fox girl, and her cheeks went a little red. Washing what she had eaten down with some more punch, she began to head towards the officiator. If she'd been nervous before, now she was suspicious. Did she even want to win if it made something bad happen to you? The whole thing could be a trick!

"Maybe we should aim for second again... ", she says in a hushed voice as they get in line to try the next challenge.

"That will give us a chance to observe properly"

[Ookalf]

When Ookalf steps in the area directly in the middle of the intersection, the ground sinks slightly! Actually, on closer inspection there seems to be some kind of square-shaped ceramic tile stuck in the ground, hidden by some freshly-cut grass, and it's been tilted by her weight. The stand with the torch on it starts on its way down, thrown off balance by the tilt.

Whoa... *Ookalf steps back off the platform and kneels down to inspect it.* I'm gonna need to be careful here... *She looks around, to see if there's any way to get past without stepping on the tile.*

[Whatevr89532]

And soon, the ring toss starts! It seems like everyone's allowed to set their own pace in this contest--within reason, at least--as mostly parents pick up rings and start aiming them at their respective pegs.


It doesn't look like it would be all that hard to avoid the tile--it's really just a square tile in the middle, and she could have dodged around it in the first place with advance warning. But stepping off of it doesn't completely right it, and the stand starts rocking over in the opposite direction!