[Wind Reach Festival] Courtyard Snow Battle! (open to all)

[Vala]

Vala fumbled with her red tunic; she tried to hold on to her mesh bag of paint balls, and ended up just getting her arms stuck, unused to her borrowed clothes. As she spun around to glare at her whispering team mates, Vala realized they had just been paying attention to the fuss with the Wind Warrior. Vala didn’t recognize the girls decked out in their white finery. The first girl looked a little more disheveled compared to the second. Looking closer, she noticed that the second woman maybe wasn’t an Inarta; she had been deceived by the girl’s long red curls, indicative of her race, but her sharp golden eyes were not like any Inarta’s she’d seen before. As if hit by an arrow of ‘duh’, Vala realized it was probably the Inarta/Kelvic mix that turned into a Wind Eagle, who was famed in the city for her shifting abilities. She was glad that the Wind-Eagle woman had chosen her team, the red team; from the way she had kissed, more like tongue battled, the Wind Warrior, she looked aggressive: aggressive people dominated, and domination usually meant winning. Vala smile turned feral at the thought. After struggling for a while, Vala finally realized it would have been easier to just put the bag of balls down while dressing. She sighed at her own stupidity. As she finished pulling the scarlet tunic over her snow white katinu, Vala felt a tingling within; her stomach turned and her skin itched in discomfort. Her heart raced as she realized her body had noticed something her mind had yet to perceive. She crouched warily, craning her neck as her eyes darted, scanning the growing crowd. It only took a second to spot him. He was with his Eagle too. Vala did not know his name, but the image of his blue bead was always on her thoughts. ’Had it really only been seven days?’ Vala muttered in her mind as she pulled down her scarf and reached up to run a gloved finger against the thin pink scar marring her pale throat. It had been healing well, same as her bruises; the few large spots of blue left on her chest were hidden underneath her heavy Katinu. It was only logical: it was a small city and they were bound to meet again eventually, but Vala hadn’t imagined it to be so soon. She hadn’t had the time to plan. She had been spending most of her time recuperating and catching up with work, trying to get her strength and dignity back. She had even joined the Snow Battle on the hopes that the ‘game’ would help raise her spirits. Now that he was here, she had to think fast: would she claim this opportunity or continue to bide her time until she was truly strong enough? She couldn’t decide until she knew two things. 1. Did he recognize her? By his non-chalant expression as he waited in line, either he hadn’t seen her yet or didn’t care. His eagle recognized her though. Vala turned her eyes downward as Seleer’s piercing gaze landed on her. And 2. Which team would he be placed in? If he was put in with the blue she wouldn’t have any contact with him, except when he sent his Eagle to ‘kill’ her or when he pegged her with a paint ball. She wasn’t excited with either option, remembering how much stronger he was. But if he was put on her team… she could get close, she could set the gears of her plan in motion… Vala had to wait. She bit her bottom lip in restlessness, drawing a drop of warm, metallic wine even redder than her tunic, which she lapped up with anxious hunger.

[Aidara]

Watching as the woman took hold of the man whose feet she knelt at, grasping firmly and pressing a passionate kiss to his face, Addy couldn't help but grin. "And that's why I love you." Pushing herself back to her feet, the healer-turned-Endal stepped to wrap her arms around Sira's waist as they waited for the Wind Warrior to recover. And recover he did, quicker than she had expected him to. She had been on the receiving end of such a kiss and Addy knew from experience what Sira could do if she put her mind to it. Thoroughly impressed, and now slightly distracted by other thoughts, the woman missed the whole speech and showing of both team colors to the Kelvic. "Sorry Addy, hope you weren't wanting to be on the red team. But blue just isn't my color." Seriously. She got to pick?! Smiling at the Warrior, Addy took the proffered blue tunic and slipped it over her head. Stooping as Sira strutted away towards the other team, a hasty snowball was packed between mittened hands, and flung as she shouted "Blue looks better with my eyes anyway." Turning and moving towards her own team, Addy didn't even stop to see if her snowball found it's target, or even one close to where she aimed. It wasn't until she had joined the group wearing their blue sashes that Addy realized she had been placed on the same team as Kovac. Grinning brilliantly, the small woman bounced over to where the lithe hunter stood. "You'll protect me from the evil kelvic, right?" Eyelashes were fluttered and dimples were plied. It was on now. And it was a good excuse to...well, do what she normally did anyway. Plus, there was only so much time for flirting. Soon, they would all be chucking colored spheres at each other. It's hard to sneak a kiss when you have a glass ball flying at your face. So, Addy went to her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Kovac neck in greeting. (in reality, he would have to bend a bit to allow this movement. But something told Addy that she wasn't going to meet much resistance.) In a movement identical to the one Sira used on the Wind Warrior, Addy pulled Kovacs face to hers and captured it with her lips. She held back a bit once they made contact. They were in public after all. Not that she cared, but some people got a little antsy about such things. "Riiiight...?" She prompted, drawing out the middle of the word for effect, reminding Kovac of the question she posed moments before, green eyes sparkling wickedly over her impish grin.

[Kovac]

With some interest, Kovac watched the goings-on between Sira and Aidara before the throne of the Wind Warrior, his eyes following Addy as she made her way to his team's gathering point. The Avora caught a glimpse of the Endal Fois approach the Warrior to receive his color before returning to watch Addy saunter over. The archer toyed with the paint spheres in his hand, shifting them from one hand to another, the feeling of them rolling around in the mesh bag interesting. Then Addy was in front of him. The girl was in rare form, exuding playfulness and looking gorgeous, even bundled up against the cold. He could not help but crack a smile at her faux damsel-in-despair plea. Oh, he knew Addy well, he had played with her before. He glanced over to the red team to see Sira, but Addy's arms encircled his neck and he instinctively leaned down. His green eyes met hers, a wry and willing glint in his gaze, and then she kissed him. Not like she had before, but enough to get her point across. Kovac smiled knowingly down at her. "Of course, Endal," emphasizing the word, stinging a bit by her recent elevation is status, "it behooves us all that our riders are protected from malevolent shapeshifting women." His lopsided grin spread to a toothy smile, enjoying flirting with his friend, if only to goad Sira. "Though you have every right to paw any Avora now as you see fit, perhaps we should practice discretion, lest you desire to earn the ire of my benefactor, again. " He smiled and winked. To be honest, Kovac didn't know where Shayth was, not that he was worried. It was her eagle that liked to twist things against him.

[Sira]

Sira laughed at the spectacle Aidara made of herself kissing Kovac and asking for his protection. "You'll need more than him to protect yourself from me, Addy!" Laughing, Sira turned her attention to her own team. A girl nearby was fumbling with her tunic, while the rest of the team as busy mingling or strategizing with one another for the upcoming battle. Sira recognized a few of them including Vala, the artist she had met earlier that day when she and Kovac had their fortunes told. Hopefully Sira's fortunes would be good in the upcoming tournament. It would be no fun if she was eliminated early on, and would certainly put a road block on her path to becoming Wind Warrior. Sira glanced back over her shoulder spotting Aidara and smiled. Her fortunes had certainly been better than last winter; maybe they would continue throughout the tournament. OOCSorry, short post..

[Gossamer]

. Character: Sira Experience: Stealth +1, Rhetoric +2 Lore: Public Displays Of Affection Issuing A Veiled Challenge Artfully Recognizing When Someone’s Baiting You Character: Aidara Experience: Persuasion +2 Lore: Getting Ready In A Hurry Giving As Much Sass As Being Given Giving Strategic Kisses Character: Fois Experience: Lore: Showing Proper Respect In Wind Reach Additional Note: Great for a partially completed thread! .