Huntsville is currently having a festival involving competitions, games, and other fun activities. Among the competitions is an archery contest. "...and he has quite the stellar reputation! You know what they say about elven archers! Please welcome Aothin Moonrise!" a pause is had for loud applause to be given to the elven archer stepping up to the second archery stall.

The announcer continues, "Also we have a rabbitfolk lady joining us today! They are known for being quick and dexterous, but will that be enough for this little lady to compete with the other fine archers? Please welcome Angel Bard!"

A black-furred rabbitfolk walks up to the third archery stall. She gets a mix of applause and oos and ahs of wonder.

"And of course, we can't forget our local champion. With 3 tournament wins in a row under his belt, he is making a name for himself here in Huntsville. But will his skill be enough to win this time? Please welcome Derek Hunt!"

A charismatic human with brown hair and perfect teeth steps up to the first archery stall.

Others are introduced until there is about 12 archers. Many of them have something interesting about them, but the first three were announced first for obvious reasons. Though the crowd seems torn between Aothin and Derek, nobody seems to think Angel much more than a spectacle since smaller folk don't normally compete with the larger folk in their tournaments...

...They were more used to smaller folk having a more entertaining role, as is the case of JB, the mousefolk dressed in his flashiest Jester Motley, bruxing for the kids. In his costume, people thought that the large round ears and fussy face were part of his makeup.  Or an elaborate mask with a working mouth and twitching nose.

As Angel Bard stepped up to her spot in the archery competition, JB was juggling three daggers with practiced ease, while balancing a fourth on that black plum for his nose.

When one of the festival game stands had an opening, JB took all four daggers and balanced it on one finger.  With his free hand, he took out a silver coin he got from his performances earlier to buy in.

"Watch this," he said with his trademark smile, as he then added the ball with the other four daggers, jugging the daggers while playing hacky sack with the ball and with a well-timed bicycle kick, sent the ball right on the sweet spot of the pyramid of cans.

All of the cans, including the rigged one, flew off the table they were set on.

Everybody was awed at the Jester Mouse, who just bowed for the crowd, even the one manning the game, who had to pull off a large plush bear--larger then Johnny himself--to hand to him.

"Whoa," Johnny said. "Looks like folks'll have a field day seeing me lugging this around!"  He then spun around in a dance move with the plush animal as he moves through the crowd, picking up some more coins for his performance.

Upon seeing how her competitors do, Angel applauds them with everyone else. She scores a bulls-eye on her turn just like most of the competition. After all, it was only the first round.

The second round rules out a large chunk, however, as 6 contestants get eliminated for being slightly off compared to the other 6. Then the third round eliminates all but Angel, Aothin and Derek.

If Angel could have seen JB's display of pure amazing, she would have been thoroughly impressed. But that would have to wait until she was done with the competition.

Some of the people watching the archery competition spot JB. A human boy who had watched JB earlier is there and says, "Hey Johnny! You should check this out! Our local champ archer is up against an elven archer and some bunny!"

Johnny's ears twitch from under his Motley cap when he heard that.  "Rabbit folk, eh?"  He mused as he spun the oversized (at least for him) teddy bear over his back to head to the stands.  "This I gotta see."

As Angel was about to go into the next round, she could see the colorful rodent skipping around with the plush and the kids in tow.  As she steps up to the stands, she could even hear his cheers over the crowd.

Angel may be doing this for herself. But that is only part of it... she is also doing this to rise awareness that rabbitfolk are not to be overlooked or regarded as less. So in a remote way, one could argue she is doing this for mousefolk as well. And seeing JB in the crowd brought that thought to mind and gave her already large ego an added boost. She looks directly at him with a knowing smile, then turns to look at her target and lets her arrow loose!

"Wow, folks! That's a bullseye at 150 yards! I think I see the other two taking Angel a bit more seriously now!"

Aothin mutters something about never having taken Angel lightly and fires his arrow, also hitting a bullseye. So does the local champ Derek. The targets move farther, Angel glancing at JB and the crowd each time, until finally, Angel hits 230 yards and the others don't quite make a bullseye. The crowd goes nuts! Lots of cheering... and loud booing as well. Some are beginning to claim Angel cheated.

When JB saw that Angel was giving him a smile, he couldn't help but act out all smitten at the rabbit, each time with all the more exaggeration as a proper Jester would be.  Some even thought that he has fallen in love with the rabbitfolk.

And when she won, Johnny actually rushed the stands to give the rabbit a warm hug in congratulations, almost taken her back at the rodent's display, but as he lifted Angel's arms in victory, he whispered something in her ear.

"We best take out spoils and scram, my dear, before those spoilsports ruin it for the both of us."

Angel is taken aback by the hug.

Aothin mutters to Derek and Derek nods. Derek yells, "May I have your attention please?!" and the crowd goes quiet. "I have made a new friend; Aothin! And if I should have such fortune, I will have a second friend in Angel! These two were the finest marksmen I've had the honor of competing against and both Aothin and I were admiring just how skilled Angel is. In this kind of competition, if you are off by a fraction of a centimeter, if a rogue wind blows, ...sometimes you lose simply from bad luck! But I assure you all that Aothin was here to ensure no magic was used to cheat and at these distances, only magic COULD help you cheat!"

This seems to have quieted *most* of the objections of the crowd... if Angel's competitors are clearing her name, then most have the sense to accept that. Somewhere in the crowd, someone claims that Aothin and Derek were bought off, but that voice gets pretty well ignored.

Angel glances at JB and shrugs with a smile. "...I guess we'll be OK?"

Derek approaches the two and publicly congratulates Angel. "I'm going to have a party to celebrate this competition. Would you and your boyfriend join Aothin and I?"

Angel blushes. "He's... not my boyfriend, I just met him." she looks at JB, "But there is no doubt he's a friend now..."

Johnny gasped in delight as she called him a friend.  "I shall be more than honored to be your friend, my sweet Angel of the Night."  He did an elaborate bow in front of the rabbit folk and kissed her hand, looking up at her bewildered eyes as if she was a Royal Goddess, so full of devotion and adoration.  "All you need to do is ask me to be a friend, and I'll be forever yours."

With a pirouette of a spin, he sprang over to her side, and offered her his arm, "Nothing will make me happy if you chose me as your jester, my Angel.  Nothing fills me with such joy than to see you smile."

This close, Angel could see the spark of merriment in his eyes.  He's clearly enjoying the act of a love-struck clown, maybe a bit too much; she could tell that he does indeed like her."

Or maybe it's because of what someone in the back said.  "Oh no, that Jester's got that look again.  Last time he was this smitten, he became a dragon's pet for a month."  Another one just shook his head and said, "Masochist."

At her hand being kissed, Angel places her other hand to her cheek, flustered. Blushing, she smiles and says, "Why... thank you. Alright. I'm asking: Be my friend."

Soon, the pair are guided to The Purple Unicorn, a local tavern that stays clean and has good food codes. There is a chair labeled "Number 1" and Derek seats Angel there. He offers to JB that he can sit caddy corner to Angel if he likes (Since she is at the head of the table, that is the nearest chair to Angel's).

Aothin raises an eyebrow. "You had this planned for whoever won? Whether it was you, me, Angel or anyone else?"

Derek says, "Yup! I knew that no matter who won, it would be a fun thing."

Aothin says, "Don't you think it would have been a bit much if you had won?"

Derek says, "Hmm? What makes you say that?"

Aothin says, "....you know what? Let's just enjoy the food."

Johnny couldn't contain his excitement as he gave Angel another squeeze.  "Oh thank you, my sweet.  I'm sure to be a good friend to you."  She then walked over to the Purple Unicorn with her arm in his.  His smile was bright enough to lighten his whole face as he pulled chair "Number 1" for Angel and made sure she's set in, before taking the caddy corner chair making sure he stays next to her.

"So tell me, Angel, what brings you to this fair fare?"  Johnny said as he produced a flicker of flame from his fingers.  With a flick of his wrist, the flame bounced off a couple candles, lighting them.  "I'd love to hear more about you."

For some reason, leaning against Johnny's chair, within easy reach, was a fiddle colored as flashy as his motley.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:22, Wed 18 Oct 2017.