The site for tonight's "game" is probably familiar enough for the locals among the group. It's not too far off the main road, an old, unofficial sort of campsite. There's a wide clearing here, and AJ's jeep is present. She's taken the time to get a nice, big fire started in the fire pit. She's also unloaded a large wooden crate. She stands, not far off, waiting for people to arrive. To fight off the chill, but stay stealthy, she's in a small black jacket and black jeans and boots. "Hey, everyone! Welcome!"
Paige didn't drive, for who only knows what reason, but walked, or possibly ran here. Despite that, she seems in good spirits and not really winded when she approaches the campsite wearing a coat and backpack. "Hi AJ!" she calls out cheerfully, sliding the bag off, grabbing a bottle of water from it, before she lets it drop lightly to the ground. "Oooh, are those the rabbits?" she asks, moving toward the crate to try and peek inside.
Damion isn't a local. So it might have taken him a bit to find the campsite. But, he's here now. He's wearing a black shirt and cargo pants, and black sneakers on his feet. With his dark red skin, he should blend in pretty well. He didn't bring a pack or anything. Striding into the camp, the big dragon stretches and says, "Hey AJ. Paige. Good to see you both again." He smiles at the fox and griffon. "So...remind me again, what exactly is this whole game about?"
While not local, she might be local enough to recognize the meeting place when she heard it. Tai doesn't drive, so probably takes an Uber to a near enough spot and walks the rest of the way. She's dressed in a pair of sneakers, black leggings and a t-shirt, all things that are a little more casual than her day to day wear.
Tom's invitation to this event probably went something like this: he overheard something something chasing rabbits in somebody else's conversation, and he replied, maybe at a bar somewhere: "I'm in." And he eavesdropped his way to being someone's plus one that they may not even know is arriving. That is the best way to get any kind of a date, and/or visit from Tom. Tell your friends. In any case, the big rangy cat man arrives with his usual good cheer and moony eyes sparkling at the sight of the firepit. "Hello, folks," he says, a growly sound. "Time to run and catch and pounce?" Ohpleaseohpleaseohplease. His fuzzy ears are on high alert.
Tini, being someahat new in town, had hitched a ride with AJ in her jeep, taking time to familiarize herself with the route out to the old campsite. Now she's leaning on the vehicle using the shadows it casts as a bit of cover for her petite self. She's opted for her usual outfit today; urban camo, black long sleeved shirt and her hooded vest over it. She peeks around when Paige asks about the rabbits and eyes the crate with some interest. "How much of a head start do we give them?" The mousey one wonders as she rolls her shoulders out and glances towards AJ the sandy-furred tips of her largish ear twitching and her tail twitching lightly in excitement.
Andromeda's car is a very generic, nondescript silver Civic circa 2009. It's nothing flashy to look at, but it's reliable in a pinch. She shows up in - well - at least it's not a sundress. Wearing jeans, gray tennis-shoes, a black t-shirt and a gray sweatshirt that zips up the front, her clothes aren't much to look at either. They're also about as monochrome as the rest of her. With a small smile for the others, she doesn't say much, and instead sets up shop quietly somewhere out of the way. She has a few folding lawn chairs, a medical kit, bandages, and a small cooler of beer to help nurse injuries as needed.
Arriving at the site is Eden, a little stretch made as she gets out of her transportation. "So.. a rabbit hunt, huh?" she asks, grinning just a bit, a toothy little grin.
"Hey everyone!" AJ declares again. "So, uh, right..." her eyes are on Damion. "The game! We release the rabbits. Then you go find the rabbits and bring 'em back! Super simple. Please try to not kill the rabbits. I mean, if you do, whatever. We'll make stew," she says, with a faint shrug. She then looks back to Tini. "So, we'll release them, then I'd like to a quick round of introductions, just your name and whatever else, then we'll take off!" She pauses. "Oh, and, stealing from other people is part of the game! As is beating them senseless. So..." She makes a gesture, and gives a broad gesture. "Andi is on hand to treat any injuries. She's amazing," she says. "All that said... No pouncing just yet-" that's said to Tom. Then AJ steps over, bangs on the side of the box a few times, and then unlatches the one side and drops it open. Some twenty rabbits go bolting out. "I'm AJ! Work at Desrochers bar, and deliver newspapers. I also like finding things in the woods, and protecting us all on this side of the world," she declares. "Ever need help with tracking someone down, or keeping an eye on humans or whatever..." She waves a hand.
AJ then closes back up the crate, and opens a small hatch in the top. "Rabbits go here. So, whoever wants to talk, go ahead!"
Paige glances away from the create and smiles at the familiar faces. "Hi guys!" Even Tom gets a smile, even though he's a stranger. "I'm Paige!" she says before the rabbits bolt out and she stares at them like she really, really wants to go chasing after them right now. It's a wonder she's not vibrating. "I own Cyclone, which is a bar, and is totally better than AJ's bar. Mostly cause of the back room that is just fo us!"
"Nice to see you too, Tini." Damion watches each person arrive in turn. "Some unfamiliar faces seems like. Hello, everybody I haven't met so far. I'm Damion. Nice to meet you." Then he turns attention back to AJ and listens closely. He smiles. "Already did my introduction. Oh...and I own a gym. The Iron Church. Preferential rates given to Lost. Also, a pool and boxing gym. Okay, enough shilling for now." He perks up as the rabbits are released.
"Warden Chen Tai, I work as a waitress at Crossroads, and...if you ever need help on the other side, I may be of assistance." Tai adds in her introduction, giving everyone a quick bow along with her introduction.
No pouncing? Says you, lady. Tom does the big-dude equivalent of the cat buttwiggle; there's a little dancing back and forth as if to prepare to go rampaging off. But introductions are happening. "Tom O' Leary, Court of Moon, I will be your interloper this evening, Summer Court! The chaos in your midst! I am the Knight of Ghosts and Shadows, and the cat who walks by himself and allllll places are alike to me!" This is a ridiculous speech. He ends with: "Also restarting my band. Got a band. Once there are bandmembers. Come on, who are the rest of you all? We gotta go get Bunny Foo Foo." And now his introduction is ludicrous in a whole different way.
"Eden Lopez, Knight de Cuisine, and Summer Courtier." Eden says in her incredibly distracting voice as she gathers around, her gaze drifting in the direction of the departing rabbits, hmmning softly as the instructions are given, her gaze moving to size up the competition.
Tini lifts a shoulder at Damion, "Don't speak to soon, I plan to win this thing." The tiny jerboa Knight steps from under cover of the shadows and upnods to the group, "Tolltaker Batini Giroux, just Tini's fine." She greets the group as a whole and she shifts her weight a bit and shakes herself a little tension building as the swift little Beast is already ready to go.
Andromeda gives Tom a thoughtful look. "A band, do you need-- we should talk," she lifts a finger, lips pressing together slightly. "I'm Andromeda, or Andi. Spring. Healing, obviously," she gestures toward the bag resting on the faded blue chair she just set up. Lifting it, she drops it into her lap so she can take a seat. "I have some beer for you all afterward," she throws out there. She's missing most of her usual cheer, sounding soft and straight-forward.
"You brought beer!" AJ declares loudly, with that 'shit I forgot' sort of tone. "Thank you, Andi," she says, with a bright smile. "I love you," she adds. "Also, I totally sing," she declares, to Tom. "... Oh, uh, right! Go!"
Damion heads into the woods as soon as she says go. The big dragon moving swfitly to try and intercept one of the scurrying varmints. He angles himself towards one, reaching down and snatching at it...but it gets away. He curses, reorienting himself and looking for where it went next.
Andromeda doesn't smile back at AJ. If anything, she gives the fox a slightly confused look. With a little shake of her head, she slumps into her chair and tugs out her cell phone to look at in the meantime. Even if there is a lack of coverage. Maybe. "Good luck," she throws out there, in general, to the rabbit snatchers.
Paige peers over at Tom and grins. "You ever wanna perform...you're welcome to use Cyclone to start getting people to hear you," she offers. But then AJ says go and she's done talking, at least for the moment. She darts off in the direction the bunnies took off, laughing happily. Weirdo.
Go is barely out of AJ's mouth and Tini's off like a shot the direction a few of the Rabbits had fled. Dirt kicks up from the force of Batini's booted feet as she bounds off into the foliage in a blur of camo and the flutter of her little tiny tufted tail behind her. Despite the swiftness of departure Tini seems to make very little noise out there in the wood.
Tai listens to everyone elses introductions, putting names to faces before she moves off as well when the go is called. Unlike some she's not moving quickly, instead slowly, her eyes scanning the area around her.
AJ takes just a moment to look so pleased as everyone darts off, then she darts off herself! She's off, into the woods, keeping low as she sneaks along. Soon enough, she spots a rabbit...!
Tom might be distracted, because: other musicians. Fellow lovers of song and -- Nope. "Heeeey, bunny bunny bunny bunny," Tom choruses, although there is that moment well before he launches himself after the rabbits to chase and catch where he realizes there are offers being made. Still, it's just a heartbeat or two, and then the big cat man is in pursuit, with the sense that he has the scent of -something-, all right.
Once the go is given, Eden is out into the woods as well, likely not as fast as the others, and appearently having a bit of an issue catching the trail of the wiley wiley rabbits!
Damion takes off after the rabbit again, and once more tries to intercept it... reaching out... and missing. Again. He curses louder then glances around the woods, trying to spot if anybody else has caught a rabbit or not. He starts to head back towards the box....
AJ has spotted her rabbit, and now it's just a matter of grabbing it! The fox's tail twitches, her ears shift to hone in on it, and she jumps! Only... too slow. The dang thing is away before she get it. There's a quiet grumbling coming from the bushes.
Paige runs through the woods, pretty light on her feet, and she doesn't even slow when she spots a rabbit. She just runs full out then...pounces! Though she is careful not to smoosh the poor thing. She manages to get a hold of it though, grinning like a lunatic. And then? Well, it's time to start back to the campsite, keeping an eye out for evil thieves. THIEVES!
Pouncing is what Rabbits are built for, but attacks out of no where from the side? Not so much, Tini zips out of a bush as a rabbit running from one of the others bounds by and snatches it up before heading for the trees. Time to get the rabbit back and now? That means sneaking!
Tai doesn't spot anything, not right away. Instead, she continues to look around, wandering around, looking behind trees, kicking lightly at the ground to try and scare anything loose, so far no luck.
Tom rustles and lurks in the woods in the night, bringing the chase to fuzzybunnykind, his eyes positively glowing in their moon-mad way as he follows the scent. And then there's a long-legged dash, a downright tackle through the underbrush; it's hard to say at first whether or not he came up with his prey when he disappears to go after something. Like a ninja, friends, because it's not enough to catch it; after Peter Rabbit's apprehended, then you gotta get him back to Bunny Jail, after all. Still, when Tom doesn't emerge right away from that seeming wrestling match, he probably has his prey in hand. Or mouth. You never know with that guy.
A bit of frustration comes to Eden's face, having no luck whatsoever with the rabbits, a slight scowl forming as she continues stalking through the underbrush in search of the fuzzy little bunnies.
Paige runs with the wiggly rabbit clutched to her chest as she makes her way back in the general direction of the campsite, looking, futilely, it seems, for another rabbit to join the first. Probably for the best, though. She probably couldn't hold two bunnies at once!
Taking it slow seems to have worked out afterall. Tai manages to rustle one of the rabbits up from the shadows, and she moves quickly to pounce on the rabbit, or to make the attempt. Unfortunately, rabbits are wiley little creatures, and as such are more hard to get a handle on than she might have thought at first.
Tini weaves through trees moving swift and silent, holding the Rabbit carefully half by scruff, half by butt and not letting those hind legs anywhere near her. No luck on getting another on the way back, she's busily attempting not to loose the one rabbit she's got. She's not giggling, she's trying to be quiet, but she is grinning her little fool head off, displaying those slightly gapped largish front teeth. Still on the lookout for would be bunny theives.
This time... There's no getting away from her! No! AJ lets out a low growl then pounces again, and skillfully wraps the bunny up tight. It gives a squeak, and then she promptly unzips her jacket and stuffs the thing inside.
Tom is back there in the brush and the ground so long that it's almost certain that he has either decided to come back with an armful of rabbits (and possibly a mouthful), or he is shaking the one he has in perilous fashion, just for the fun of it. Instincts, man. Every so often there's a glow of his eyes and the sound of some rushing, and then -- aha. One hand steadying Bunny Number One, and a slow stalk, almost imperceptible, as Tom seems to have spotted another that's in his targeted sights, not yet running back with prey until he can possibly catch that second.
Still out in the brush stalking along is Eden, having found some signs that a rabbit was nearby, though she appearently has just missed catching the little critter. She scowls even more, then starts making her way back, with some haste, to the camp, and the turn-in.
Damion watches the forest for signs of returning contestants. Then he spots a small blur racing towards the box he's standing in front of, and launches a punch at the last moment, trying to intercept her before she can get past him and make the dunk. Plunk. Whatever you do with rabbits. He manages to catch the mini merc upside the head with an oversized red fist, then snatches the rabbit out of her hands. He turns, preparing to drop it in the hole.
Tini was so close, but there's Damion to ruin her fun. What, does he think just bonking her on the head, ringing her bell and stealing her bunbun are things she's just going to take sitting down? Oh no, he turns to try and put the Bunny in the hole and Tini launches herself at him with a rather playful Rar! She's so scary, so tiny, so fierce..
Paige continues holding onto her squirmy little bunny (she made a new friend!) but she does pause, just for a second, before darting off in an entirely different direction. One that no longer leads back toward the campsite.
AJ stays back, watching for a moment, to see Tini make a dash home. And there's Damion, and AJ winces as Tini gets hit. Yeah, she needs a better plan. And so she's going to call up a little bit of Luck for herself.
"Little Bunny Foo Foo.." Starts to escape Eden's lips as she begins back towards the campsite, and the Bunny turn in area, doing her best to project her voice as far as she can, the melody distracting, largely due to the qualities of her voice rather then the song itself, "Went Hoppin' through the forest..."
Singing. Singing is...distracting. Compelling. But the bunny, Bunny Foo #2, is RIGHT there before Tom. And he's getting ready -- one hand still gripping his first prize -- aaaand...POUNCE. He almost has to force himself to launch at the right moment, to keep his eyes on the prize. He goes rolling, rolling, with both arms full of Rabbit, not caring how he looks in his effort to catch all that he can.
Unaware of what is going on back at the rabbit turn in spot, or with anyone else, Tai misses the rabbit the first time she makes a grab for it. But then she changes tactics and tries for it a second time. This time she is able to grab the rabbit by the back leg, ending up practically face first in the dirt in the process. But success! She caught the rabbit.
Tini misses her chance to get her Bunny back, so hurries back off to the forest to catch another.
Paige shifts her hold on the bunny already captured, and pounces in an oddly bird-like fashion into some bushes, making a small, pleased sound when she manages to snatch another fuzzy creature. She's grinning when she gets to her feet again, holding two, and she manages to unzip her coat and tuck them inside. Easier to hold, harder to lose!
Bunny in hand, Tai scrambles to her feet, tucking the animal beneath her arm to try and head back towards the line. Ever see a very bright fireheart try and sneak? It's not nearly as subtle as some, really. But, she puts in as good an effort to be sneaky as she possibly can.
AJ is a sneaky fox. So sneaky! But not sneaky enough. She darts past Damion, but Eden and Tai both catch sight of her. She sucks in a breath, channels some of her power, and dives at the two. There's a kick, then a jab, then she does a spin past the two and makes it for the box. The rabbit gets yanked from her jacket and shoved inside, not very gently, neither.
This is Tom on stealth. Sneaksneak with the bunnies, crawling through the underbrush and cover just as long as he can, before he sees the straightaway. And then, he decides to try his version of hiding in plain sight. "BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIII!" comes the yowl as he leaps to his feet with one rabbit in each hand. He just starts to sprint, and it seems it's going to be fast, fast, fast, ready to dunk some cottontail...
Then there's the tree root. His foot catches. He drops a bunny, tries to get it again, bobbles the other one. "SHIT!" Kicked in the face by a rabbit. "GET BACK HERE, LUNCHMEAT -- ow fuck." And he's down. He meant to do that. He MEANT to damn well take himself out of the game, for sure. Just like he means to crawl back somewhere in the woods, hoping no one saw him, and from there to disappear.
Eden has managed to snatch one BunBun and return it to the box, only to see the sneaky fox slipping in, "Down comes the good fairy and she said... OW!" she exclaims as the feisty fox manages to pop her a bit as she makes the attempt to snatch the rabbit from AJ.
Having lost her bunny, it is time to try and take someone elses. Tai turns her attention towards watching for in coming people, and manages to spot AJ coming in. She makes a move to try and grab the fox, but gets a face full of nope instead.
Damion wanders closer to the woods, watching closely for anybody coming in...which is probably why he doesn't notice the fox that circles around him until she's already brushed past the two that DID spot her and made her bunny-dunk. He turns around and smirks as he spots her by the box. "Sly fox."
Paige is going for gold! Or, well, two bunnies. Same diff, right? She darts, she dodges, she sidesteps, with her eye on the prize. And she manages, barely, to make it past with the bunnies still cradled to her chest, before she (mostly carefully) gets them where they're supposed to go...then lets out a happy little whoop!
AJ is there and ready to go back, when Tom comes rushing back with TWO bunnies! And then he falls on his face and they go flying everywhere! She pushes and shoves and dives and rolls and snatches one of them up. Her bunny! Of course in all that she misses Paige's return...
Damion sees the loose rabbits just sort of coming out of woods, and dives for one of them. He manages to snatch it up before the others, glancing at AJ as she gets one of her own. Well. He's definetly not going to win with just two now....
There are two more rabbits? Paige's gotten two already, but two more would be /better/! And in true Summer fashion, she fights for it. Not hard enough, it seems, but it's the thought that counts, right?
Damion glances around, then runs for the fox. He swings at her, but manages to miss. Then he takes a hit form her, and loses his bunny. It seems like his luck isn't with him tonight.
Eden likewise doesn't seem to be having much luck either, and she's even stopped making noise, much to everyone elses benefit. She tries to waide in on one of the rabbit haulers bringing in rabbits but doesn't have much luck at all!
Two rabbits left! One in her hands, the other in Damions. And looks like the score would be tied all around if either of them scores just the one. So AJ does the only logical thing, and fixes sights on Damion. Who already has the same idea. She fires out a kick as he swings for her, landing a solid blow before snatching his rabbit away. She throws an elbow at poor Paige, since she's actually near the same height. Then she shoves Eden, turns, and slam dunks! Two rabbits into the box. They both give a shriek. "Oops..." she says, then giggles. "Victory!!"
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