[Open] APPRASSAGE WATER FIGHT 2017

[recollecters]

MINI-EVENT

WATERGATE 2k17 It's the first warm and sunny day in a while after the sprinkles brought on by April's weather. Spring's as beautiful as ever in the city of Recollé, and it's just about that time of year in Apprassage that students long for. Summer vacation is just around the corner. More teachers are willing to hold their classes outside. Study groups meet up under the shade of large trees with cold drinks and plenty of books. All in all, it's a pretty peaceful day...that is, until all across the district, a loud voice booms through the air. "Ladies and gentlemen, prepare for battle! The Apprassage Water War begins in ten minutes." I. This happens every year. One minute you're enjoying your day in Apprassage and the next people all around you begin to move as fast as they can. Have those buckets of water balloons always been there? Wait, where are those people going with that giant hose? You better move fast or you might be left behind. The clock is ticking and it's time to show your friends what you're made of. Grab some teammates, some ammo, and maybe a water gun or two to assess the situation and talk strategy. Not sold on the game? Better move fast. You have ten minutes to get to a safe zone. But...where are those, again? You may want to ask around. II. At the ten minute mark, there's a whistle that sounds all over the district. Students, faculty and others from all school levels are thrown straight into battle with their gear. Every year the balloons are filled with nice, cold water to shock your opponents and prank someone who crosses your path. However, as the battle rages on you may come to find that the balloons are different this year. Some are filled with water, of course, but others can be found filled with shaving cream, washable paint, and even what looks like pudding. It's nearly impossible to tell what each balloon will be filled with. Hope you like surprises! III. So, about those safe bases. They're spread out pretty far and wide across the campuses usually in places that make it nearly impossible to stick around for long periods of time. Some bases are located under the trees at the edge of the elementary school grounds. Some are the walkways between buildings under the overhang out of the sun. And some even still are more ridiculous such as a hopscotch square, the inside of a plastic slide, the half-mile mark of the high school track and more. This year it appears as though all of the bases are located in the most inconvenient spots. Are you sticking it out and waiting for the fight to be over? Will you find someone to shield you as you run to safety? Choose wisely and think your plans through carefully! IV. What's the fun of a water balloon fight if there's no incentive? Later in the day, another loud booming announcement seems to echo, but this time it's not from an overhead speaker. This time, it seems to come directly from any mobile device you happen to be on as the Retrospec app opens with a list. "Target acquired. Happy hunting!" For those participating in the water war, they'll find that there's a new score keeper on the display of their phone with numbers tallying for each point earned. This isn't like years before. This is something new...will you play? Or is it all fun and games until Retrospec steps in? Maybe you're one of the unlucky ones who just became a new target. Can you outrun the hoards of people looking to score some points? Let's hope so. BONUS. There sure is a bonus item on that list, isn't there? You can ask around all you'd like, but the bonus doesn't seem to light up on your phone's display no matter what you try. Is the whole thing a hoax? Is it just to instill false hope in your points? And just what are those points for anyway? As the water balloon fight draws to a close and the day winds down, some will notice something a little odd on their devices. A new photo has uploaded to their Retrospec profile. The photo seems to be dated for just a few moments ago, a candid action shot from the battle. Anyone who notices this change will soon find their device lighting up and their score tallying that extra 100 points for the bonus. Maybe it was better not to win this war. With the list cleared of this item, no matter where your character is standing they'll find themselves bombarded with one last round of balloons filled with confetti and glitter. Congratulations! You survived the war! Good luck leaving the district without getting roped into clean-up duty though. Grab a trash bag and maybe a towel. There's still a lot of work to be done. Welcome to recolle's April mini-event! The prompts are simply loose guidelines for you guys to play with and make up your own fun adventures for the Apprassage-wide water balloon fight! Any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here.

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MOD CONTACT

[recollecters]

Please use this comment for any mod questions you have regarding this event. Thank you!

Mako | OTA

[browbeater]

i;

[as soon as he sees the water hoses appearing on the margins, he knows that he should have marked his calendar a little bit closer. What a bad day to be outside-- and he absolutely doesn't want to get this particular outfit wet, Besides that, it's a touch too cold for him.

So, he starts heading in the opposite direction. He will have no part in this. Scouts honor.

Besides, he's unarmed, you wouldn't shoot a guy when he's unarmed, would you?]

ii;

[well. given he couldn't find a single one of those safe spaces, he'd decided he was going to stealth it out of there. He's got a pack of balloons, waiting for targets for retaliation. And he's using every bit of that stealth that he learned in the police academy.

Once he gets into the game, he's not going to get caught.

But he might throw a balloon-- right at you.

And it's not like he was expecting neon pink paint to explode all over you.]

Thats-- uh. Whoops?

iv;

[well, now it's just war. Are you ready to be targeted, friend?!]

iv

[clear_eyes]

[Rachel holds up her hands when she sees that Mako has targeted her, looking fearful. She knows how tempting a target she is. Taken by surprise, there's only one recourse left for her: bartering.]

W-wait! What if we teamed up?!

[browbeater]

[thus far, he's been scraping by. He hasn't been hit by much more than paint splatters, which... although annoying, could be way worse.

Just ask everyone he's hit out of desperation.

In fact, he almost ignores her and theeen....... He pauses. He wasn't completely gone. Yet. He didn't see any balloons on her immediately]

I'm listening...

i; late but not forgotten!

[youraffection]

[ Are you kidding?

He would totally shoot a guy when he's unarmed. In certain circumstances. Like this one. Where he totally can't get arrested for it and also it's the perfect opportunity to get a little revenge for the (well-deserved) heckling at his expense.

So that's exactly what he does.

Yosuke, with his usual finesse (or lack thereof), aims and fires, swinging a hefty balloon at the off-duty officer... ]

ota!

[counteracts]

I.
[The announcement rings through the air of the district, and, within the instant, Morgan is in his element.

This had been the case since his very first Apprassage Water War, all the way back in junior high, after he'd first moved into the city. It'd been a shock at first, but quickly enough he realized that the chaos ordered itself in a way that he seemed to understand. By the time high school rolled around, he tended to organize a small group beforehand, laying out plans and speculating the places throughout town the most furious of fighting would occur (and what paths people would take to get to them, as to best set up the best ambushes). As much as he'd left behind that amount of proactivity in grade school... he still couldn't leave it all behind. After all, war changes a person, and you can never escape it.

Within five minutes Morgan has stowed all of his school materials, as well as his jacket, in a safe place, grabbing an available water gun (more like a super soaker with a tank the size of a two-liter bottle) to sling across his back. He scans those milling around with a veteran's eye, and perhaps he notices a) that maybe you look a little deer-in-headlights, vulnerable in what will be, in a few minutes, sheer mayhem. He'd never been someone to prey on someone he felt was an easy target, so he approaches with a hint of vague concern in tone and expression.] All hell's going to break loose, so you better grab something, [a gesture to the piles of aquatic weaponry and water balloons,] or get outta here.

[That, or b) perhaps you've seen an Apprassage Water War or two in your time, or perhaps you're just convinced you can handle it. Morgan can recognize that in a person and approaches you with a nod.] Truce? [Accompanied by a swift, bright smile.] I've found it's best not to go into this as a lone wolf.

II.
[You'd think that someone nearly six and a half feet tall would just be a huge target.

But Morgan is fast, and he ducks and weaves with the expertise of someone who must've survived, triumphant, through plenty of dodgeball in grade school. Not that he's impossible to get a hit on, though, but if you do, he just wheels to face you with a dangerous-looking grin on his face.

Because he's really just looking for worthy adversaries, and at this point, you're standing out.]

IV.
[It's later on into the day when the list is distributed to the phones, and it didn't take much more than a cursory look to see what targets would be more lucrative to hunt down.

Oversized backpacks, headphones, Starbucks, school colors, bicycles? Even without looking how the students' scores were weighted (and not to even mention professors), it suddenly painted a giant target on the university campus. Sure, not every kid had the Retrospec app, but some would, and if they were smart, they'd be on the way to rack up points.

So he prepares.

Then he keeps an eye out. The first sign he sees of someone being pursued by a larger group, he moves to intercept, holding out both hands in an gesture of peace.] Wait, listen. [There's maybe less than a minute before that group of kids descends upon them, and it wouldn't be pretty.] I've got a way to get us out of this, but you gotta follow me.

[But think fast, because the pounding footsteps and shouts are getting closer.]

ii

[clear_eyes]

[Seeing someone as tall as Morgan made Rachel think he was a good target, and she's feeling the competitive spirit. Taking aim with her water gun (a super soaker! no cheap water pistols for her), she's going try to hit him from a distance. Unfortunately, she hasn't caught wind of his speed yet.

She's a bit overconfident. Maybe someone needs to take her down a peg? Either way, she can't resist giving herself away a tiny bit.]

Bullseye!

[parodeity]

[ dave's in jeans and a black t-shirt for the event, and seems to be wearing a watch as well as his shades, but he simply doesn't take either of those accessories off very often. so. ]

i. countdown

[ dave isn't caught off guard, mostly because this yearly fight has always struck him as fun. or. well. he might not do it alone and might have avoided it had he been, but it'd been a sort of friends-and-family activity back when he was a kid and now it's just a tradition. and who is dave strider to break tradition?

he's been outfitted with a water gun or two and plenty of water balloons in a bucket as he casually uses a bench as cover (crouched behind it checking over his gear). if you're rushing around trying to get the hell out of dodge, he'll say: ]

You've got a minute to go time, and the nearest safe zone is further off than that. Might be time to take cover, dude.

[ "dude" is gender-neutral, ok. ]

ii. tapioca

[ if he hadn't gotten back insane reflexes last month, the pudding-filled balloon that sailed towards dave probably would have hit him. as it is he jumped out of the way like a damn cat, not seeming to really register the balloon even as he dodged.

so, that definitely hit either you or near enough to you that you got splattered.

dave makes a face. ]

Is that tapioca? Who the hell decided to fill these up? They definitely should have gone with vanilla or chocolate or like, any other flavor. Ooh, actually strawberry? That'd be kind of like, easier to do dramatic death scenes with. Not that blood is pastel pink or anything. Maybe ketchup would be better, but I feel like that's kind of a waste...I'd say the pudding was, too, but who actually eats tapioca?

iii. target acquired

[ ...that's new. for the record, dave is a high school student wearing sunglasses (this is total bullshit and targeting him directly?) but he's not taking off the shades so whatever, he's a bonus of twenty points all told - twenty-five if sneakers count as athletic gear.

...well. thirty because he's also scrolling through the list on his phone with the thumb of his right hand, his water gun in his left. his eyebrows are raised. ]

I'm not sure I need the incentive, but...may as well see what happens, right?

[ do you match a bonus item on the list, because if so he'll level an even look at your direction, though a hint of a smile breaks out. ]

Target acquired. [ it's mostly teasing and he probably won't shoot anyone trying to escape the chaos...unless he knows them. ]

iv. bonus

[ well, okay. he has a harder time dodging random glitter-and-confetti balloons that seem to come out of nowhere than other things, so while dave stayed Mostly Dry for the majority of the day he gets clipped in the shoulder with one as he leaps backwards, barely catching his balance and looking for all the world like an offended cat.

a glittery offended cat. most of his focus was on throwing up his hands to cover his shades from any splatter, so that's...well, dumb. ]

Hey. [ and there's no one to even be mad at, because as far as he can tell no one threw it? a sharp glance your way seems to indicate that's the case, anyway. ] What the hell do they got against water war skills?? I call bullshit.

wildcard

[ or hit me with whatever! if you would like an individualized prompt hmu via pm or whatnot. ]

CLOSED to minako.

[parodeity]

[ for the most part, dave isn't wet or splattered with anything unknown (who the hell is putting paint and glitter in these things? it's not april fool's any longer, guys), although there's some red paint on his left pant leg where he was just barely too slow reacting to get out of the way. super speed comes in handy, especially when he's not bothering to try to forcibly turn it off.

this does not mean he's expecting an attack from above, and if he hadn't seen the shadow of a falling bombardment he would have been hit dead-on. as it is, some of the spray from the water balloons hitting pavement comes up and hits him - or his legs, anyway, as his gaze flicks upward. he moved just a little too fast for a human, there, and he looks completely offended by the idea someone would rain death from above, mostly because it's the first time today someone has. ]

Hey. [ like, he'll have fired off his own return volley of one balloon automatic and too-fast, but. HEY. ]

iii

[true_noir]

[She heard that and her head turned towards Dave, an impish look on it. Was she trying to escape the chaos? Yes, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't have at least a little bit of fun when the chaos came to find her. And, in that moment she was ready to see if somebody called a little bit of hacks and bullshit. After all, she wasn't quite as terrible at this sort of thing as she'd been when they played laser tag.

A wink, and she set herself to dodge if he came closer.]

Is it now? Catch me if you can, speedy gonzales, mmmm?

CLOSED to jade.

[parodeity]

[ dave's got his phone in one hand, but this is mostly because he's recording with it - recording jade with it, specifically. ]

Say "hi" to the viewers, Jade. [ not that they're live. ] And tell them all about how we're gonna explode some glitterbombs in these poor college schmucks' faces as soon as their class lets out.

ii.

[counteracts]

[Morgan was not the one who threw the pudding-filled balloon. He just happened to be standing nearby at the time.

Fortunately not too nearby to suffer a direct hit, though the balloon's rupture on the ground nearby did mean that he did get some tapioca shrapnel arrayed around his ankles and shoes. Definitely not a bad hit, but a little annoying. Could've been worse.

What's more surprising than the pudding usurping the cold water in that particular balloon was this kid's mouth. For a minute Morgan's instincts for battle lapse, causing him to just stand there and watch the ongoing pontification. Why on earth would you do something like that in the middle of a war like this? (I don't know, Morgan, why would you just stand there and gawk?)

After a brief moment he hefts a super soaker and attempts to just shoot the guy in the head. As a lesson or something?? It just seemed like the proper response.]

iii

[constellates]

[Anya was worth just about as much as Dave - she was wearing sunglasses in solidarity as she does - though admittedly now that he's hinting at that smile...

She's laughing, sticking her tongue out at him a la a habit she picked up from Yuri before removing her own sunglasses and dodging to get her hands on a rifle-styled water gun that's lying around? Some poor schmuck must've gotten taken out early and dropped out.]

Ahaha, wait wait, Davenka...!

[aegist]

i. crap

[ she had an exam and two essays due today, and thalia shoulders her backpack as she leaves the building and realizes...those are hoses. those are water balloons. this is april. the realization is not slow but fast and her immediate seriously not right now expression is obvious. while she doesn't mind the water war usually, she'd wanted to get home. possibly dry? and then like, eat food and maybe die or go to bed, whichever happened first.

god, the safe zones are never even in the same place -

she snaps out a hand to grip your elbow, and says in the tones of someone certain they are about to face Horrors: ]

Do you have a safe zone map? [ she will give up like pretty early on and do her best in the fight but haphazard escape attempts are a go first off. ]

ii. safe haven (no)

[ having gotten a map or threatened safe zone locations out of someone, thalia can be found at a few dumb safe zone locations before she is forced into the fight because this prompt is hilarious to me. you can find her:

a) standing inside a single hopscotch square. if you approach to try to take the square she will cross her arms and raise her eyebrows. ]

I am not moving, and you can't make me.

[ PROBABLY. and if you try to wait her out to get out of the square she might do something drastic like join the fight. god forbid.

or b) at the top of one of these things, where she sits perched with her bag and coffee, chin in one hand as she watches the chaos. if her feet touch the ground she's off the safe zone. this is stupid. ]

...Hey.

iii. aegis

[ thalia grace is 1) wearing a large backpack (20 points) 2) holding a coffee from starbucks (15 points) 3) wearing a campus sweater (15 points) 4) is a college student (20 points) 5) has just pulled out her phone to check the damn retrospec notification (5 points) 6) is wearing school district colors thanks to the damn sweater (25 points) and finally 7) is definitely still trying to escape this chaos (50 points).

her net worth is 150 points. accordingly, she swears as soon as she reads the notification.

she'd tried to book it from a safe zone, bored of waiting around, but clearly she did this too soon. when she glances up and spots someone she glares. ]

Don't even think about it!

[ so, like. you can a) take her warning and engage her in conversation or escort her elsewhere or b) think about it and attack.

those who choose the latter option will find that thalia will drop her coffe and dodge. she doesn't have anything to throw (YET) but after registering this person is from the dumb network, she taps her wrist - no, a bracelet on her wrist - before the next volley hits, and suddenly the bracelet is a shield that takes the blow instead. it's a terrifying shield - literally, there's terror looking at it, and medusa's face engraved on the thing.

...probably she could have chosen a less drastic method of cover but it's been a long day and she is Done. ]

iv. so anyway

[ at that point thalia apparently decides Fuck It and joins in the fight. you can find her being absolutely terrifyingly accurate at throwing water balloons or having excessively good aim with water guns. she spent a lot of time in these stupid fights as a kid, and when pressed her skills aren't that rusty.

maybe no one should have pressed her because friends and family mean Almost Nothing if you don't ally with her immediately? they do mean something because as long as you don't attack her first she won't attack you back (...usually. if she likes you a lot.) but she is definitely getting a mean streak and attacking people wholesale.

she kind of leaves people trying to escape alone since she Feels You Bro but. ]

wildcard

[ alternately hit me with whatever or pm me for an individualized prompt! ]

iii

[commandertoolbelt]

[ Okay, look, this is a golden opportunity and Leo has never been one to pass on that. That point count? Is impossible to resist.

So he'll pause, think about, and throw the balloon anyway, because of course he does.

He's just not expecting Thalia to have some kind of shield? Or for the balloon to explode into neon green paint all over it, at which point he just stops in tracks to stare in surprise. ]

What the- [ Between the shield and the paint, Leo clearly doesn't know what to say. ] I swear I thought it was water!

Rachel Hishimura | ota

[clear_eyes]

[ii]

[Rachel has never really been big on this whole annual water war thing. But this year is a little bit different. Maybe it's how more open she's become recently, due to having made more friends. Maybe she wants some catharsis after all the stuff Retrospec has put her through, not to mention the looming specter of the end of the school year and finals.

In any case, she's prepared for this. Not only did she make an effort to be the first to get to the water balloons, she had brought not one but two water guns. Yes, indeed. For once, Rachel was ready for a conflict.

In any case, she's going to try and find some high ground to hit people from. She's commandeered a fair amount of water balloons for herself, and set up a sort of camp. Are you being hit from higher ground? Trying to take her by surprise? Those reserves are awfully tempting. Either way, Rachel is ready for war.

Too bad she looks like a huge dork with the sunglasses she put on for this. There's looking cool, and there's trying too hard.]

[iv]

[With her backpack, sunglasses, and status as a high school student, Rachel immediately became aware of her status as a target the moment the notification popped up on her phone. When this happened, her confidence and eagerness started to ebb. And what's more, she'd chosen to wear blue and white that day. She was a fool! A fool!

Oddly enough, it's enough to dampen her enthusiasm a bit more rather than add incentive for her to acquire points. Instead, she's just going to try and get while the getting's good... which, ironically, adds another 50 points to her as a target. She might be willing to make a pre-emptive strike, but for now? It's time to get to a safe zone.]

ii

[commandertoolbelt]

[ Lucky for some people, Rachel trying too hard means extra points for the taking! Leo’s got his own water gun at his side and some water balloons carefully stowed in a bag even though that makes him a bigger target, too. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the cause, etc.

Thing is, he’s trying to be sneaky in this year’s game. Since his usual method of going all out and charging right in tends to mean losing terribly, he’s trying something new and ducking behind trees and whatever might hide him sufficiently (or not, because Leo that stop sign will never be a good hiding spot).

Right now he’s hiding behind a trash can, and he’s got Rachel in his sights. Hope she’s ready to feel refreshed with the blast of cold water he’s throwing her way!

(And boy, does he hope his aim's gotten better since last year.) ]

iv

[strongestheart]

AH-HA!

[Whoops, looks like you didn't get there soon enough, Rachel.

Cutting off your path to safety is none other than Maya, bouncing a water balloon up and down in one hand.]

I'd heard there was someone matching your description bombing people from high ground, but thought there was no way it could be you!

[She thrusts out her phone - encased in a waterproof shell for the day - as well, displaying the list.] And it looks like this is my lucky day! Any last words?

[Okay, look.

Rachel.

You've really only been privy to Maya's nicer side.

She'll apologize later but you've made the mistake in being opposite her in a competitive environment.]

[frostythehitman]

[ i ]

[ James has been looking forward to this all year. As a Recolle newcomer last year, he had no idea what to expect or what was happening, but this year? Ohhh, this year, he came PREPARED. Mostly in the form of a backpack with a small plastic basin in it to hold the water balloons more safely, and two moderate-sized water guns strapped to his sides. As soon as the buckets of balloons come out, James is sprinting for them and stockpiling as much as he can in the backpack.

And once he's done that, he darts for his locker to bring out the water guns. Once fully armed, he's got a locked and loaded water gun in each hand, and a backpack full of water balloons strapped to his front. Hey, it may not look elegant, but it works.

If he passes by anyone in his mad scramble to prepare for the war, he'll make them an offer. ]

Listen, I'll make this easy for you. Either we work together here and watch each other's backs, or I give you five seconds before you get drenched.

[ ii/iii ]

[ James has read the target list, and he knows full well his backpack makes him a target. But, he's accepted that risk. What's more important, he figures, is going after the big points. So he spends most of his time trying to hover around the safe areas around the university, keeping an eye out for anyone who looks even vaguely like a professor, or someone who's trying to escape to the safe spots.

So, while folks in the university area should be wary of an angry teenager who are basically firing away at anything that might fit his criteria, James should also be wary himself. Because, see, he's made himself very, very easy to sneak up on... ]

iii

[scarlet_devil]

[ It looks like he's gotten lucky since for a moment, Émilie is a bit distracted to the point she hasn't noticed him right away.

Given that she expected today, she's wearing dark clothing and something that will hold up to getting soaked, but either way she is trying to avoid it! But that doesn't mean she won't retaliate... ]

i

[sparsity]

[ Micah has a few of these under his belt. His first year, it'd been something of an exhilarating accident — getting smashed in the face with a water balloon had flung the doors open on his ability to be a little monster in a fight. Just. A sanctioned one, where no one had to eat shit in a way that ended up in a trip to urgent care.

They'd know a thing or two about that, wouldn't they. ]

You're letting me pick this time?

[belligerentwarrior]

VI

[This was Freya's element. She's been at this since the very beginning, and by now her clothes are stained with paint (and is that apple sauce?), but it doesn't seem to be slowing her any. She won't target anyone that's clearly upset about the day's war, but everyone else is fair game. Especially the people she knows.]

[And by the end of the day, Freya's competitive streak's escalated this to unreasonable levels. In a tree, waiting to spring an ambush? Somehow managing to climb to the top of the student union and lobbing long shots at the walkways of other buildings (or at the open window of a certain professor's office)? Turning a parking structure into her battle ground of choice by weaving between cars and climbing the railings between levels?]

[Freya does not let a challenge go, whether it's because her target's elusive, or fighting back.]

[Wildcard]

[Wildcard me, I'll roll with it.]

water balloon travesty

[daemonized]

[Of course the balloon that flies through Ardyn's open office window is not the sort filled with plain cold water. No, that would be too mundane.

Seated at his desk, Ardyn has thus far managed to avoid the warfare on campus otherwise known as giant water balloon fight. He'll not criticize those participating, but he's wise enough to stay out of the line of fire, waiting for it to pass before he returns home. It's a safe enough of a strategy-- a bold assumption, and in the end, a wrong one.

It hits him in the shoulder, first, the impact nothing painful of course, but certainly surprising. He's barely time to react when a splatter of violet washable paint explodes across both himself and his desk, soaking into (thankfully non-important) papers, and just barely missing his laptop. The rest of it is spread across the left half of his body, on his clothes, on even better, across the side of his face.]

...

[This is one of these rare moments in which Ardyn isn't certain how to react, and so he settles on a lack of one for now. Slowly, he casts his gaze towards his open window, and stands. Crosses over to it. Leans out the windowsill and looking to spot the perpetrator who would be so bold to do such a thing.]

Freya.

[Scratch the lack of expression part up there, Ardyn's expression widens into a grin. A rather sharp one. Way to spark his villainous tendencies again, Freya.]

Was this your doing?

[There's an odd lightness to his tone that sounds disturbing in how misplaced it is. He already knows the answer to his own question.]

[bold_in_deed]

[Ilia sees that balloon in your hand, Freya. And she's not liking it.]

Don't you even think about it.

[Even as she tries to come across as serious, there's a slight laugh in her tone. Just to be safe, she's gonna start shoving her notebooks and shit into her backpack.]

IV

[mincingminuet]

[Target Locked, Mission Start. Penelope wasn't really into this sort of stuff but since she had been dragged into this, she was aiming for an all out victory. Freya may have found a particularly tricky opponent today, because she wasn't alone.

Rolling up to the parking garage she'd seen Freya duck into, Pen hopped off her skateboard and passed off a balloon to a friend. A small, red-headed friend. The Alraune scuttles off into the depths of the garage, running under cars while his boss calls out.]

I saw you run in here, Freya. Best come out!