Tidus (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
blitzcheer) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
voidtreckerexpress2020-08-11 12:10 pm
blitzcheer) wrote in voidtreckerexpress2020-08-11 12:10 pm
[OPEN] we like sportz
Who: Open to everyone! Learning some sports, making some friends?
Where: Gymnasium
When: Grasshopper 20-22 (or the rest of grasshopper if you like!)
What: Getting people to play some sports, whether as beginners or finding people more on their level! Also can come in here for your personal sports games if you like?
Warnings: sportz. flying balls. (no)
As per Tidus's proposal on the netwrok on the 19th, the gymnasium has been set up around the next few days (or more!) around lunchtime--whenever those busy cooks in the kitchen deem it to be lunchtime--to hold a few ball games for all. It doesn't matter when a person comes in or their skill level, or even what they want to play. While there's a few set games, anyone is free to take the time to show off a sports game they're good at!
The set games are:
For those looking for a more easy-paced game, badminton or even table tennis may be recommended; the former easier to go with if you treat it like my secondary school P.E. classes and launch the shuttlecock into the air; the latter found at the table of the gym with its own fold out tables for games!
Jugs and beakers have been brought in from the kitchen with water for anyone who gets parched, set in a corner where....hopefully no stray balls (or other) will find themselves being flung into. While Tidus has put this together and can be chatted to, he's letting anyone who knows more about the games to lead things as they like!
( ooc: this is just a chill 'come play sportz' thing that you can play at your leisure! also feel free to pick a sports game that isn't listed, BYOS (Bring Your Own Sports), w/e w/e. )
Where: Gymnasium
When: Grasshopper 20-22 (or the rest of grasshopper if you like!)
What: Getting people to play some sports, whether as beginners or finding people more on their level! Also can come in here for your personal sports games if you like?
Warnings: sportz. flying balls. (no)
As per Tidus's proposal on the netwrok on the 19th, the gymnasium has been set up around the next few days (or more!) around lunchtime--whenever those busy cooks in the kitchen deem it to be lunchtime--to hold a few ball games for all. It doesn't matter when a person comes in or their skill level, or even what they want to play. While there's a few set games, anyone is free to take the time to show off a sports game they're good at!
The set games are:
- Soccer: A team sport played with a spherical ball between two teams of 11 players. The game is played on a rectangular field called a pitch with a goal at each end. Numbers make this one tricky to play with a full two teams, but two or four players are possible.
- Volleyball: A game for two teams, usually of six players, in which a large ball is hit by hand over a high net, the aim being to score points by making the ball reach the ground on the opponent's side of the court.
- Badminton: A racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" and "doubles".
For those looking for a more easy-paced game, badminton or even table tennis may be recommended; the former easier to go with if you treat it like my secondary school P.E. classes and launch the shuttlecock into the air; the latter found at the table of the gym with its own fold out tables for games!
Jugs and beakers have been brought in from the kitchen with water for anyone who gets parched, set in a corner where....hopefully no stray balls (or other) will find themselves being flung into. While Tidus has put this together and can be chatted to, he's letting anyone who knows more about the games to lead things as they like!
( ooc: this is just a chill 'come play sportz' thing that you can play at your leisure! also feel free to pick a sports game that isn't listed, BYOS (Bring Your Own Sports), w/e w/e. )
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Hell, Inigo himself would most likely have called just about anyone else out for it. But this is Roland we're talking about. Inigo's sparkly brand new adoptive dad. There's no way Inigo, as soft as he is, isn't going to give him some leeway here. ]
Ah... [ He stops bouncing his own shuttlecock. Inigo attempts to catch it, only to miss and have it pathetically bounce to the ground. He bends to pick it up, giving Roland a small, awkward smile as he uprights himself. ] Sure. I guess it's kind of my fault that you missed..
[ Inigo scratches himself behind the ear with his free hand. ]
Sorry for the mix up, I suppose I'm still confused by last time! [ You know. When Tidus called him an old man. As Tidus does. ]
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[ Roland grabs his own shuttlecock and throws Inigo a grateful little smile and a side glance. If he wasn't just the nicest referee he's ever had the pleasure to play with! ]
Okay, the real game starts now. Don't go easy on me, you hear? All's fair in badminton record-breaking! Same stakes as before, ready? [ Alright, now he's into it! ]
Go!
[ The game resumes and Roland is already bending by the knees, attempting to get more balance as each bounce starts in earnest. ]
Speaking of age, how young are you, Inigo? [ Just a play on words, don't mind him! ]
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[ Inigo has gotten started on trying to bounce his own shuttlecock again too, but he has to focus on it so much that even the simplest questions need a moment to buffer in his brain.. He probably doesn't even notice the play on words Roland is making here. ]
I'm seventeen..
[ Probably, anyway. Look, it's hard to keep track of birthdays in the zombie apocalypse, okay. ]
But.. [ He starts, but then his voice trails off as he has to focus on his shuttlecock - it's almost bouncing away, but he manages to save it and keep bouncing at the last moment..! ] Do most people really live to eighty where you're from, Roland? And then they.. stop working?
[ what up i'm inigo i'm 17 and i hardly ever saw a person over 55, probably ]
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[ Roland tends not to elaborate on things like that, and he really won't unless pressed. But it takes him back, to hear that he was currently bouncing shuttlecocks with a kid who, by all accounts back home, was probably just getting his driver's license. It put things into perspective. ]
[ And though Inigo's question does throw him off somewhat, it does occur to Roland that coming from a kingdom - perhaps one like Evan's, where in some ways their world was ahead yet backwards at the same time - Inigo may not have heard of such things like retirement or settling down. So he decides the safe route. ]
I don't want to speak for most of my citizens, but it's not unheard of to live over eighty years old, especially when you've taken great care of your health, or have good genes. Retirement is also common, that's correct. In my country, it's mandated by law that you do have to consider retiring at around 66 years old to get full benefits from your government.
[ At the 20th bounce, Roland decides to ask something that's been plaguing him for a while now. ] Inigo, your world. You come from a kingdom, right? [ He just ends it there, first. Tests the waters. He doesn't want a repeat of the volleyball to the face. ]
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He doesn't like thinking too deeply about it though. His thoughts will just drift back to that miserable hellscape, and that's the last thing he wants while having a shuttlecock bouncing contest with Roland. So instead he focuses on that question. ]
Yes. [ At least this isn't too shocking or startling to answer.. He's still bouncing! ] The Halidom of Ylisse, to be exact.
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[ Don't mind him, Inigo, your new dad figure just enjoys talking shop way too much; falls into it too easily. Twenty five, twenty six! He's slowing down now, trying his best not to bump into Inigo at all as he moves around. ]
Before coming here, I was with a kingdom called Evermore. [ And boy, does he sound proud of it, a small grin lighting up his face. ] Ruled by a king who's even younger than you, if you can believe.
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Oh, and by listening to what Roland is saying about the place he came from, because that's pretty important to him too. ]
Younger than me..? [ Inigo has seen various kings and queens, but most of them were definitely at least older than him. Then again, if his father had died from something other than the apocalypse, his sister would have had to ascend to the throne at 13 or so to.. ]
He must have been incredibly impressive if he was already a ruler at-- ah!
[ THERE THE SHUTTLECOCK GOES. Onto the floor. Oh well. Inigo just picks it up, holding it still in his hand now Roland is still going. ]
.. at that age, I was about to say.
1/2
Forty one, forty two, forty three -- !
[ So enraptured with the task that Roland doesn't even address anything else, it will wait! Give him a second!! Are you watching son!!! ]
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[ He almost looks silly now, moving about with an arm extended because the more momentum it gets, the harder it is for Roland to actually control where and how it lands on the racket. The force builds up and he feels himself lose control. But if he can hold on just a bit longer... ]
-- fifty two, fifty THREE! [ He raises his arms up over his head, racket still in his grip, and the shuttlecock just falls to the floor. He's panting. ] And the crowd goes wild. President Crane achieves a new national record for most badminton bounces in one attempt! [ THE OTHER ONE WAS A PRACTICE ROUND. Don't mind his slight geekery, as he walks about pretending to be his own announcer to a nonexistent crowd. ] Heh. Or something like that. [ He flashes Inigo a grin. ]
Sorry, you were saying?
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.. Although by the time he stops trying to bounce it, and instead stands there with his arms in the hair, panting, and saying those ridiculous words.. Even Inigo knows this can't be normal in any world. This is definitely just dorky behaviour.
But it's kind of cute on Roland, so he can't quite find himself minding it. A small smile plays around his lips, and he even puts his hands together to give Roland applause, no matter how ridiculous it may seem. ]
Good job! Sorry that I can't quite simulate the noises of an entire crowd for you. Should we talk about your young king some other time so you can bask in your current victory or what?
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[ The racket is loose in his grip as he twirls around with a nimble wrist. ]
Heh, I'll pass in the basking. I'm a gracious winner. [ Smirksss. ] And he was. He is. King Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum is only about ten years old and he's already leading Evermore into its golden age. [ He walks over to Inigo and gestures him to the table with water bottles lined up. He hands one over to him before he goes in for his own. ] Speaking of lines of succession...Say, I was wondering if you had siblings, Inigo. Are you an only child like Evan?
[ Which is a nicer way of asking: are you next in line? Talk shop to me about your halidom! ]
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Well, not when it comes to Roland, at least. He gets some special privilege here, because Inigo will gladly let the other hold a favour over his head, whereas Inigo would have complained and whined about it forever with certain others. He's sure Roland wouldn't use it to do something embarrassing anyway.
So rather than lingering on it for too long, he listens to what Roland has to say. King Evan Pettiwhiskr Tildrum, huh.. Talk about a mouthful! It's wild to a boy who's only used to people having one first name and nothing else, but not as wild as the thought of a ten year old ruling over a whole country and doing well..
.. dang, he feels really incompetent now for being seven years older, yet not even being able to save a single thing about his own kingdom. Inigo mostly manages to shove the feeling down though - at best it just shows in the way he awkwardly rubs the back of his head for a moment before taking the bottle of water that's offered to him. ]
No, there's Lucina, my older sister. No other siblings though. [ He opens up the bottle, taking a sip of water. ] So it means that when we get older, she'd be the next Exalt.
[ He's very careful in his word choice here. He doesn't want to lie to Roland, but he's not quite ready to tell the whole truth about his world yet either.. So saying she would be Exalt is much more accurate. She would have been under any normal circumstances, but that sure isn't happening anymore now. ]
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But the work wasn't over. It rarely goes that easy. He still had so much to do...But that was then, and this is now. So Roland's mind returns to the present, where Inigo shares more about the world he hails from. As he listens, he begins some practice swings again, to get in the mood for badminton that wasn't just bouncing the shuttlecock around. ]
Lucina and Inigo. [ He repeats the names, looking impressed. ] Very royal, indeed. Is Exalt the equivalent of president, king or queen, in your kingdom? Ah, pardon. Halidom?
[ He doesn't notice anything. He's just happy to talk shop! ]
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Yes. Ylisse is refered to as a halidom rather than a kingom since its rulers have a pact with the Divine Dragon of our world, Naga, which goes all the way back to the first Exalt that ever existed. So since the position of ruler is blessed by Naga, the king carries the title of Exalt rather than just 'king' or 'queen' like they do in many other places.
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A pact with a divine dragon that grants you the authority to rule...[ He nods in understanding. This is the second time now that he's found a similar concept - the first being Taiki granting his liege the title of king as kirin, or kingmaker. It's not as uncommon in fantasy worlds after all. Maybe the idea of a democracy choosing a president was the outlier... ] ...and it's a right passed on from one generation to the next from the same line of kings? [ His hand takes the racket, swings it across the other shoulder. ] So that means you're technically blessed by Naga. Are there other halidoms with pacts to other divine beings?
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Inigo knows it's technically a little more complicated than it being automatically passed on to the next generation.. But maybe the details don't matter that much here. Especially since he feels like that might head into selfdepreciation territory really quick, and that's the last thing he wants to bother Roland with right now.
So he just nods again. ]
More or less.
[ He has the Brand, after all. Proof of Naga's blessing. ]
But no, it's unique to Ylisse where I come from. Naga is the only divine being in our world, after all. [ Discounting Grima, but holy shit, that's even worse territory to talk about! ] Other countries have various other ways of choosing a ruler. I believe that up north in Ferox they chose their ruler, the Khan, through physical combat. They believe that whoever is strongest should have the right to rule.
[ .. That does bring a thought to Inigo's mind though. ]
How did you end up president back home, Roland? Was your father the previous president?
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[ This is talk Roland lives for, so he's even momentarily forgotten about his racket and the badminton game, just swinging it around absentmindedly, giving his hands something to do. ] That's an interesting system of leadership...
[ At the prompt, Roland offers a small smile and shakes his head in disagreement. One hand rests against his hip as he explains comfortably. ]
No. In my country, we didn't take up the monarchy. Succession through bloodline is pretty much defunct. Presidents are chosen by the citizens through democratic election. That is to say, in the simplest way I can describe it, whoever gets the majority of voters, wins.
no subject
By Naga.. that's amazing!
[ No, it's not the democratic process that has gotten Inigo so enthusiastic. He takes a step, covering the slight distance between them, and takes Roland's one racketless hand to clasp it between his own, his smile growing wider. ]
So you got chosen because everyone wants you to be their leader? I mean.. Of course I can see why, you're great, but it must be so great to know so many people are behind you!
[ What does that validation feel like. It must be amazing. Inigo can only imagine. ]
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Heh. Thanks. That's mighty nice of you to say. But it wasn't all me. We were a whole party. I had a good campaign manager - someone who helps run your bid for the presidency so that more people know what you stand for, what you'll do if you win. [ Again, an oversimplification, but it's enough to get the gist! ]
[ In the end, however, Roland can't seem to mirror the same level of admiration Inigo was showing him. The clenched grip in his hand that holds Inigo's unexpectedly tighter is because his mind travels somewhere else right away. ]
I was...re-elected for a second term, actually. Unlike kings, presidents in this system can't rule indefinitely. They have terms that last four years at a time, or eight if you get elected again. You can't run for a third bid. [ He's doing it again - when his expression falls a tad bit too serious. ] I owe it to the people who believed in me to help lead the country, even though I was way, way younger than most of my constituents. I worked hard so I could pay their trust back triplefold.
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[ The same sparkle of admiration is still there, though Inigo seems a little less lost in dreamland as he's talking now. He doesn't miss that edge of seriousness about Roland as he speaks now, though Inigo isn't sure what's behind the change in tone.
But of course he's just going to compliment him anyway. Compliments always make Inigo feel better, after all, so clearly they work that way for everyone, right? ]
Even though you had to be picked once more, it still happened! It speaks to how capable, trusted and amazing you are.
[ HE WON'T LET YOU TURN DOWN THIS COMPLIMENT. JUST SWALLOW IT, DAD. ]
Though.. why can't you rule indefinitely? Why waste someone's talent after eight years if they're a good leader?
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-- but he has no time at all to even rebuke that because that's a great question to ask Roland and he jumps on that immediately. ]
To avoid abusing the presidency. Have you ever heard of the saying, "Absolute power corrupts, absolutely?"
[ What was he doing holding this racket? RIGHT a game. But he can't focus on that now, so it's really just in his hand for no good reason. ]
The longer you're president of the country, the more prone you are to abusing its system. The will of the people is silenced, and that's the one thing that can't happen in a democracy where the citizens get to decide who is best to rule the country. No one's above the law. Not even us.
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Is that true..?
[ It's not that he hasn't seen bad kings. But to Inigo it always seemed more like those were just bad people from the start. He can't think of Roland that way - even if he would rule for that long, would he really suddenly stop ignoring people, caring for people?
.. would his dad have ended up like that if he hadn't died? Inigo can't imagine that either, even with as distant of a relationship he has with him. ]
But I can't imagine you abusing the system whatsoever, Roland. You're much too kind and caring for that. You've had the power for a while already, right? And it doesn't seem to have changed you for the worse.
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Roland glances down at the floor, suddenly thankful he hadn't let go of his racket which he is now using as a means to busy his hands as he thinks about how to word it out. ]
That's...a dangerous assumption to make, Inigo. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate that you think of me that way. [ Even if he knows he's got a long way to go, if the fate of his nation is of any indication. ] But even the purest of hearts, even the kings and queens who care the most about their people, can fall to the allure of power, in whatever form that may come.
[ He thinks of his soulmate, as his eyes glance up at the ceiling of the car for a moment before shaking his head and resuming the motion of swinging his racket back and forth, though more slowly now. ] It's especially true in my world. We set that rule for a reason. It's not unheard of for a president to suddenly change his policies in the middle of a term just to extend his influence. The same goes for Evan's world. We had to convince a lot of sovereigns to snap out of it because they were getting too caught up in their own little world.
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I've.. seen bad rulers before. [ He tries to clarify, as if that might be the source of a misunderstanding here. But Inigo deep down knows that's not quite it. Especially since said bad rulers just seemed like they had always been like that. ]
But I have never heard of a single Exalt who ever abused their power.
[ His father gave his life for the country. Inigo's aunt did so before him. And Inigo knows, deep down to his bones, that Lucina would have done the same in an instant, if she would have had the chance to become Exalt after their father. ]
They were always so selfless, caring about their country and their people before themselves. I.. can't imagine any of them ever falling to that sort of influence. [ Maybe it's innocent, a little too idealistic. But Inigo seems to genuinely believe so - his tone seems to indicate as much.
Especially when he continues. ] I can't imagine that about you either.
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Or worse, like Evan, still waters running so deep that they ended up overthrowing an entire family line. A coup that deposed a young king destined for the throne.
Even worse, thinking Roland couldn't be subject to the same temptations. How would Inigo react if one day he found out that another bearing Roland's face - one that shares his soul - did exactly that? Until eventually, he put the entire world at risk? ]
...Well, in the country I came from at least, it's an evil that has a long running history. So we've taken measures against it, so that nobody even has a chance of abusing that power. Even if they're upstanding citizens, like me. Heh. I'm glad to hear your line of Exalts lived and ruled honorably.
[ Roland decides that today was not the day for a serious discussion on the dangers of being the most innocent monarch in the room. Especially when Inigo's father was king - Exalt - and in fact, Roland had very little clue about that world to begin with anyway. So he just smiles and resumes swinging his racket about, diffusing his thoughts with a bit of humor. ]
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(no subject)
wow look at us, wrapping up threads LEFT AND RIGHT