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Post by Shihab on Oct 12, 2010 20:49:13 GMT -5
The fated Saturday had arrived, and Shihab was, despite all expectations, rather well prepared. He'd got supplies, he'd set up a team of Responsible People to watch, he'd found a relatively safe place, helped build a safe firepit, gathered dry and unlikely-to-explode wood, and was on the scene a full hour before anything was scheduled to happen-- it was a vague sketch, rather than black-and-white, though, so who knew? Sunset was maybe an hour away, and the air was just beginning to chill.
He made sure the tinder and kindling were set up, and, stretching, pulled off his shirt and sprinted into the waves. Might as well get a few strokes in, burn off some energy-- he knew he'd be hyperactive as anything once people started showing up. He hadn't bothered to hide the battle-scars around his torso, figuring "I used to wrestle crocodiles" makes for a pretty good fireside story.
The fire was just waiting to be lit in the mouth of the den, the food and drink supplies were stocked and set up, and there were some sizable stumps and rocks in the area around to sit on-- now all that was left to do was wait.
((Apologies for the capslock-- figured I'd try and get as many people posting as possible, before the page slowly implodes.))
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Post by Less Than Beta East Tundra on Oct 15, 2010 5:55:38 GMT -5
Less had gotten most of the twenty pounds of meat smoked in time, though admittedly some of it had had gone bad due and had to have been disposed of. The rest was packed in a cache near the forest, where the ground was frozen enough to keep it safe to eat. Once the bonfire was roaring, he planned to roast it.
The werewolf introduced himself by flying headlong at the beach and plunging himself into the waves. Considering it was winter, it was probably a good thing he was in his wolf form.
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Post by Damien Griffiths on Oct 20, 2010 7:13:49 GMT -5
Damien came trudging down the path, carrying several big bags of marshmellows, and what seemed to be a portable heater. He waved over to the two in the water with the hand with the marshmellows in it.
"Ey, are we startng yet?" He was clothed just likeat the setup - several sweaters, thick coat, scarf, hat, gloves, warm trousers and thick shoes. He really didn't like cold. He'd brought the heater to make sure he could get heat from behind him as well when sitting at the bonfire... no use getting heat on one side and losing it again on the other.
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Post by Shihab on Oct 25, 2010 13:03:54 GMT -5
Shihab greeted Less with a cheerful shout-- that sounded suspiciously like a bark, a wolf's version of "You're here! Glad to see you!"
As Damien came into view, he turned towards the shore and swam back, riding the waves, which had steadily begun to increase in size.
"For sure, mate," he grinned, shaking his head like a dog. "I could use something to warm up-- didn't realize how much colder it'd get as the dark hit." He reached into the (waterproof) pocket of his shorts and pulled out a flint and steel-- he'd been practicing fire-starting spells a lot, but no point in wasting the energy when a manmade tool would do as well. Kneeling by the firepit, he began to strike sparks, waiting for the tinder to catch.
"Hey, can one of you have a few pieces of wood ready?" he called over his shoulder. "It'll be a few moments until we need it, but I don't want the kindling to go to waste."
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Post by Kahlen Jeanne Nox on Nov 5, 2010 22:50:51 GMT -5
Kahlen trotted over to the group. "Hey, guys!" she said, cheerfully. "Need any help with anything?"
She stood next to Damien and jogged in place to warm up a bit. She had on jeans, a sweater, and a hat, but was regretting forgetting to bring her gloves. Mikhail was tucked in a couple of blankets and was snuggling in the crook of her arm. He was more than content to stay wrapped up.
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Post by Damien Griffiths on Nov 11, 2010 18:16:35 GMT -5
Damien sniffed abit and mumbled a muffled reply. He was looking a bit plae, and with all the clothes and caots on her was still cold. He quickly turned up the heater behind him, which seemed to relax him a bit. The bag of marshmellows was at his side.
"C'n we get it t' be a bit warm'r soon? I'm freez'n m'ass off."
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Post by Shihab on Dec 14, 2010 1:23:22 GMT -5
As the fire caught, Shihab began adding wood, building the structure of the fire to maintain integrity. It took a few minutes, but before too long, there was a decent-sized campfire, about three feet in diameter, two feet high at the highest. Breaking concentration, he looked up and around at the crowd, grinning cheerfully.
"Hey, feel free to start dropping wood on-- the bigger, the better, until we run out of wood. Just make sure you don't do anything too forceful."
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Post by Eurybia Rook on Feb 18, 2011 21:27:24 GMT -5
Eurybia trudged along the cold sand beach, feeling the sand get into her patent leather boots. Man, she hated that. Even worse, she wasn't really able to read the directions sheet she'd been given-- but now that she could see the light of a growing bonfire in the distance it wasn't as if she needed a map.
She could be doing something like... reading a book or something because she was smart. Or seeing who was tough around here, and scoping them out. But no. Social interaction it was.
She got closer. There were already a few people there. Hm, the big tan one was muscular, but if she didn't let him get close... and the werewolf probably didn't like being stabbed in the snout... the black-haired one wasn't much taller than her, but felt funny... the girl could be taken down easily though. Just, she'd only have to get them to come at her one at a time like in that action movie...
Nah, she thought, crumpling the paper. She'd catch more hell. More hell than being transferred to a school filled with freaks.
Freaks like her, actually.
Eurybia approached the bonfire, and the small group. She didn't really know what to say, but stared off into the sea purposefully, her silken skirts billowing behind her.
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Post by Prof. Michael Freeman on Feb 18, 2011 22:29:51 GMT -5
To a casual observer, the boy who dropped over the parapet and out of the wind would look comfortingly but vaguely familiar. Maybe he'd taken a class a few semesters ago, maybe he lived in the same building - one way or another, the dark skinned, silver haired boy was familiar enough to be nonthreatening, but vaguely enough that in theory, nobody would try to figure out who precisely he was.
The clinking from his backpack suggested supplies. Between magic and bribery, Professor Freeman hoped he could escape attention, if not notice.
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Post by Shihab on Feb 18, 2011 22:42:29 GMT -5
As the fire grew to a decent size, Shihab stepped back and surveyed it with the pride of an accomplished craftsman. He glanced around, grinning cheerfully at the small handful of students, and noticed the two newcomers, giving both of them a friendly wave.
"Hallo, there!" He smiled brightly at Eurybia, and did a quick double take in Prof. Freeman's direction, giving him a slightly suspicious look.
He switched briefly to the oldest dialect of Arabic he knew. "...Do I know you?"
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Post by Prof. Michael Freeman on Feb 18, 2011 22:56:18 GMT -5
"...Maybe" was all Professor Freeman said in reply, in similarly ancient arabic. Maybe it was a bit presumptuous to think he could pull invisibility off in such company.
"Come on down!" he called to Eurybia, trying to change the focus of attention. "It's warmer once you get out of the wind!"
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Post by Eurybia Rook on Feb 18, 2011 23:02:21 GMT -5
"Eh?"
Eurybia looked back-- some guy, that she hadn't previously noticed, had called her over.
How hadn't she noticed him? Huh... that felt a bit dangerous. She flattened her skirts out and moved closer to the fire.
"H3y," she asked, staring at the pillowlike bags off to the side, "Are th053 m4r5hm4110w5?"
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Post by Shihab on Feb 18, 2011 23:22:21 GMT -5
Shihab wavered between a grin and a glare for a few seconds before giving in and just laughing. He nodded in an upward direction and deadpanned in the same language, "The hair is a dead giveaway. You're just in time, we were about to break out the needles and razors."
Flashing Eurybia a broad smile, he nodded. "That's... an odd accent. Y35, Th053 are marshmallows. We've got just enough of a fire to start roasting, too!"
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Post by Eurybia Rook on Feb 18, 2011 23:39:41 GMT -5
Eurybia's eyes lit up. "A l33ter!"1 she laughed, and then speared a bag of marshmallows with the tip of her naginata. She pulled it over, stuck a few on the steel blade, and thrust it into the licking flames.
She was awesome though to do this, so it was ok.
"S0..." she said, trying to squeeze her brains for a subject, "Wh47 15 7h15 80nf1r3 3v3n f0r?"2 she asked.
1a 'leeter,' or one who speaks leet.
2So, what is this bonfire even for?
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Post by Shihab on Feb 19, 2011 0:16:30 GMT -5
Shihab raised an eyebrow. "No reason, really! Celebrating the weather finally turning warm, I suppose."*
He added, "1f ur try1nG 4 1n(0|\/|p|^3h3n5181L17Y, Y0|_|'11 H4\/3 2 +RI h4rd3r +h4n +h4+.1" He blinked, then continued, "And if not, please stop. You'll make enemies quicker than Verin if you keep it up."
*Since it is towards the later end of the Spring term, things should be warming up - and as I type this post, it should be noted that this region (a few states south of SDA) is above 30s for the first time in months.
1If you're trying for incomprehensibility, you'll have to try harder than that.
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Post by Tane Matthewson on Feb 19, 2011 7:25:53 GMT -5
"Kia ora, cuzzies!"
Tane strode unhesitatingly up to the group, tossing a token log onto the growing fire (and of course it landed in just the right way to encourage the flames). He was dressed fairly lightly, though not crazily so, for the temperature. He'd brought his taiaha, perhaps out of habit, as he sometimes comes down to the beach to train. A few good sticks under one arm for spearing food completed the picture.
He looked at Eurybia and Shihab funny, wondering what sort of bizarre tongue they were speaking, but then shrugged it off - strange languages were not unusual here, after all. His eyes fell on the marshmellow bag Eurybia had already speared. "Marshmellows? Sweet as. Pass'em here, bro?"
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Post by Eurybia Rook on Feb 19, 2011 9:12:16 GMT -5
Eurybia glared at the tanned boy viciously. "\/\/|-|053 7|R`/1|\|6 2 1|\/||>R355?" she growled irritably. "1 pr3f3r 7h15 d1413c7."1
She rolled her eyes at him and threw the bag of marshmallows at the new spiky haired kid. "H3r3,"2 she grumbled.
Just like her to come to a bonfire and have the first idiot who talked to her try and display some one-upmanship. She blew out one of her flaming marshmallows and removed its gooey blackened perfection from her silvery naginata. A curl of firey vapor stretched up from the sugary treat mournfully.
Then she ate it. Because that was how cool people ate marshmallows: smoking and off of the end of a deadly weapon.
1Who's trying to impress? I prefer this dialect.
2Here
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Post by Shihab on Feb 19, 2011 23:06:27 GMT -5
Shihab snorted. "Yeah, and I'd prefer to speak in my native tongue all the time, but guess what? It would annoy everyone around me to no end!" He stabbed a marshmallow with a stick, and, either amused or irritated enough to let it show, thrust it towards the flame. As a means of self-control, he focused on the tongue of flame nearest the end of his stick and very slowly pulled it towards the marshmallow, almost like stretching an elastic or spring, drawing on the coals beneath it to wind it around the marshmallow for an even coating.
"Around here," he told her, not looking up from the s'more, "That's not always a good idea. Even if you do think it's 3|)9Y to eat your food off a blade."
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Post by Tane Matthewson on Feb 20, 2011 0:32:54 GMT -5
Tane caught the bag easily. "Chur." He flopped down by the fire, placing his taiaha down gently, then stuck a marshmellow on a stick and began roasting it the old-fashioned way.
As he waited for it to cook, he jerked his head up in greeting to the kids he recognised, including definitely-not-Professor-Freeman.
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Post by Eurybia Rook on Feb 20, 2011 19:57:30 GMT -5
Eurybia wasn't allowed to spear anybody. Her father had made that quite clear as his parting reprimand to his daughter.
But she was sorely tempted. Instead, she just shoved the tan guy who played with fire and then walked off to find some better company. Or, perhaps no company at all if this was the primary demographic of the hellish place her father had sent her.
That guy was was a jerk anyway, she told herself. She could speak however she wanted. Where did that guy get off on it anyway!? She could have fought him, kicked his butt to high hells and back and--
Eurybia kicked the sand and felt the cold air away from the bonfire. No spearing people, her father had said. So she listened. This time.
An uneaten, blackened marshmallow fell into the pure white sand with a desultory plop, gritty and forgotten. It would later be washed into the surf with the rising tide, and dissolve in lonesome quietness back into the infinate, unforgiving sea.
Somewhere, a marshmallow enthusiast shed a single tear.
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Post by Damien Griffiths on Feb 20, 2011 20:04:15 GMT -5
With a muffled grunt, Damien acknowledged the new people, and funbled with a pack of marshmellows.
"Warm weather m'ass. I hate 'rly spring. Gimme summ'r." His scarf was getting in the way of his talking, and he had some trouble extracting the marshmellows he'd brought from the bag. After finally getting one out, he fumbled to put it on a stick.
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Post by Tumult on Feb 20, 2011 20:05:49 GMT -5
"Is this where the party is, then?" Tumult asked, approaching the fire.
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Post by Shihab on Feb 20, 2011 22:12:05 GMT -5
Shihab didn't bother resisting the shove, deciding to just take a step back. He rolled his eyes and pulled his marshmallow out of the fire, briefly debating whether it'd be a good idea to fling it at the Too Cool For You girl's head.
"Hey there!" He grinned at Tumult as she approached. "Glad you made it! It's... well, it's something like a party. The fire's still a bit low - wasn't someone considering fireworks?"
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Post by Tane Matthewson on Feb 21, 2011 2:51:27 GMT -5
Tane shook his head at Damien. "Ao, you're stull cold un all that? Ut's spring! You from the desert or something?"
He stretched his back a little and looked up at the newcomer, Tumult. "Kia ora!" Then he tore into his blackened marshmellow with relish.
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Post by Wendigo on Feb 21, 2011 15:42:19 GMT -5
Not far up the beach the Wendigo lifted its head, its nostrils flared. On the evening breeze it could smell something delicious, something it craved, something it needed....the smell of human flesh. And it was close...
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Post by Verin Vetis Malphus on Feb 21, 2011 18:11:08 GMT -5
It was a miniscule fire by Verin's standards, but fire of any kind wasn't something to be missed. however, having arrived, Verin found himself a little disappointed. They were burning wood. There wasn't many situations back home that didn't call for a celebratory bonfire, but usually it was the subject of conquest that was immolated.Another stupid thing done by idiots. What else was new?
Verin stood apart from the rest of the crowd. The fire held his attention. Actual burning was such a world apart from magical fire...
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Post by Shihab on Feb 21, 2011 20:42:31 GMT -5
"...Ah, of course."
Shihab glanced over at Verin. "Hey, Evil Boy of Evil! I'm assuming you know something about building a fire? I've got this one pretty stable, but I was hoping for something... bigger." He briefly considered asking Freeman; clearly, the man understood fire - but if he'd been looking for attention, he wouldn't be wearing a disguise. Bah, mages. Natural enemies anyway, if the stories were any indication.
"Or you, Damien?" He grinned widely, waving a log in the bundled up boy's general direction. "...Great way to get warm!"
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Post by Derek Galen Wright on Feb 22, 2011 21:41:55 GMT -5
Derek trudged down the beach toward the bonfire with his eyes focused on the rolling ocean waves, and his mind focused on something entirely different. He wasn't sure why he had bothered to come out to this event since he had taken great pains to avoid social activities up to this point, although his strongly suspected that it had something to do with his pet's choice of reading material in the last week. The other option leaned strongly in the direction of a fit of temporary insanity.
"I'm assuming you know something about building a fire? I've got this one pretty stable, but I was hoping for something... bigger."
Derek had just about wandered into the fire while he wasn't paying attention. he took a quick step back to avoid singeing his shoes and studied the layout of the fire. The logs were piled too close together, preventing adequate airflow and keeping the fire from being as big as it could be. He picked up a long stick from the stack of spare wood off to the side and carefully began prodding the logs into a more effective arrangement. while he worked, he threw a quick glance at the others gathered around.
"you might want to step back a bit."
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Post by Verin Vetis Malphus on Feb 23, 2011 15:51:57 GMT -5
Verin had been about to respond, when he noticed the other boy stepping forward. He was fairly glad that someone else had stepped in. If he succeeded, he'd just been saved some effort. If he failed, well that could be amusing in more ways than one.
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Post by Tane Matthewson on Feb 23, 2011 15:55:58 GMT -5
Tane raises an eyebrow at Derek. With a shrug, he picks up his spear and shifts back a little, giving the newcomer and the fire some space.
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