ic Ren Faire: Training Grounds (IC)

[Poncho]

(Golden Star)

 

"Man I wish we could participate." Michael said with a complaint as they made their way to the stands. "I get why, but like, I know how to control myself. I wouldn't go too far with it." It was a remnant of his eternally competitive sports player that he had to give up once he got Superpowers; Michael might have liked being a Superhero, he might have liked Claremont, he might had had grand ideas for who he was going to be, but he had also really liked being great at sports. So whenever he saw something like this, he was prone to getting a little sour.

 

When the Black Knight made an impressive swing and defeated another challenger, raising his sword high for the approval of the crowd, Michael blanched a little.

 

"I wonder if he has powers. Probably not, I guess. Still, he does seem pretty good at the acting and the fighting both. Maybe there's something to learn from watching him play to the crowd." he said, trying to come up with a positive spin on the situation. 

 

"You don't have to be a squire, Parker! You can be Sir Percival, the most noble and well mannered of all the Knights!" 

[Supercape]

Gamma Buzz

 

"That Black Knight is cool, right?" said Baz. "I mean, you have to admire his huge weapon...!"

 

The air hung still, and Baltazar's antannae glowed. 

 

"I mean, yes... its a very large sword. That's what I meant!" he added. 

 

He cast his insectoid around for other contestants. "But why don't we have any kung-fu knights? I mean, didn't they have kung-fu in medieval europe?"
 

Baltazar did not have much of an education, but he did know his old kung fu films. 

 

"Anyway I am sure we could beat them all, even without powers! I mean, all you have to do is wiggle a sword around a bit... hi-yaaa! hi-yaaaa!" he proclaimed, miming some swordwork that simultaenously appeared to be both flashy and ineffective. 

[Thevshi]

GM

 

The Claremont students had just settled in to watching the sparing exhibition, Parker felt a slight feeling off in the distance that reminded him of Lawerence using his powers. But even as he turned toward the direction of the town square, he was barely able to pick up something else, a human sized figure streaking through the air, coming down in the middle of the sparing expedition.

 

The other teens saw something drop down from the sky, landing between the Black Knight and his opponent. Then the two armored men were sent flying through the air, crashing to the ground over a dozen feet away. Standing where they had been sparing was a short young woman with long blonde hair tied in a braid. She was dressed in bell-bottom jeans and a white tunic, a white lily in her braided hair.

 

Looking around at the other armored and armed men that were part of the exhibition, she called out. "Tools of the oppressive patriarchy! You want to fight, come fight me!"
 

[Poncho]

(Golden Star)

 

"...Is this part of the show?" Michael asked, a little confused. "It's not a bad twist, but a bit out there. I didn't figure they did this sort of stuff." he mumbled to the others. "Maybe Sam and Daphne were right to dress up like those old SciFi serial characters."

 

He watched for a moment, looking at the Black Knight carefully. If it seemed like this wasn't intended, or if the people who should know what was happening didn't know what was going on, he was making himself ready to step in if he needed to, looking momentarily at Bazz and Parker as he shifted in his seat.

 

He didn't want to go off before there was any apparent danger, but he didn't want to be left behind or leave people out to dry if this wasn't planned. So he decided to go with what he felt might get to the center of the problem.

 

He stood up and cheered, clapping his hands like this was part of the show and he was into it.

 

"WOOO!"

[RocketLord]

Spaceman

 

Parker shrugs at Michael's suggestion. Sure, he could be a knight, but it's nice to not stand out and just be part of the crowd, right?

 

"Europe didn't have those kinds of monks, Baz," Parker responds. He is used to Baz bringing out crazy ideas like that, but still... He decides not to comment on the other bit, since Baz obviously backpedaled.

 

He looks up the moment before the woman arrives. Something about her is off. The way she appeared, it was like the space around her was bent, changed. Kind of like Lawrence.

 

"Definitely not part of the show," he says to Michael, while standing up next to him. The woman haven't hurt anyone seriously yet, but she seems aggressive. Should he step in? See what happens?

[Supercape]

Gamma Buzz

 

"Oppressive Patriarchy?" said Baz, scratching his head. "You should go take a look at the drug Cartels in Mexico if you want to find an oppressive patriarchy, lady!"

 

He paused, a moment of inspiration hitting his chaotic brain. He leaned over to his friends and raised his hand to give a conspiratorial whisper. 

 

"Wait... does she think this is real? like, Kings and Queens and all that jazz? I don't know my history, except for kung fu obviously, but wasn't it all like an oppressive patriarchy back then?"

 

As far as Baz was concerned, the USA was neither oppressive or patriarchal, at least by his standards. The drug cartels of Mexico had raised the bar pretty high when it came to oppression - and patriarchy for that matter. 

 

"And more importantly, when do we blast her?"

[Thevshi]

GM

 

There were mixed reactions among the other bystanders to the various events out on the training grounds. Some were clapping, thinking it was part of the show. However, others appeared concerned, or at least uncertain what was going on.

 

Meanwhile, the armored men that she had tossed aside, were helped to their feet by others. None of the participants in the staged melee seemed sure what to do and none moved forward to engage the young woman.

 

This seemed to annoy the young woman, who looked around at the crowd. "You should not be celebrating these symbols of an oppressive past, free your minds from the prison of time!"

 

She then flew over to an empty section of stadium seats and lifted them up into the air and then throwing them over towards the archery targets in the nearby archery range. This led to scrams and panic among the bystanders, many of whom started quickly moving away from the area…
 

[RocketLord]

Spaceman

 

"I don't know," Parker responds to Baz's question about whether the woman thinks this is all real. He isn't really paying full attention to his friend right now, more concerned about the woman. Baz's question is right, though. Do they intervene, or let it play out? She haven't really done anything dangerous yet, aside from the way she showed up, and the way her arrival sort of reminded Parker of Lawrence, when he does his time thing...

 

And then she starts getting violent. 

 

"Let's try to settle things peacefully before we start blasting, alright?" 

 

Parker doesn't blame Baz, things are probably going to get out of hand, like they always do, but he has to try, at least, even if she seems like she isn't going to listen.

 

Rising from his seat, he focuses, his powers pulling in his costume around him. White, black and gold, he takes a step forward, and then he is floating in the stadium between the woman and the archery range, arms crossed over his chest, while his black cape rushes forward from the sudden movement.

 

"Please stop, you're putting people in danger. Please explain what you want, and I will try to help, but you have to stop throwing things around before someone gets hurt."

[Poncho]

(Golden Star)

 

Michael still wasn't sure if this was part of the show or not. But he was pretty sure he had a way to let this pass if it was. He fumbled around momentarily and put his fake knight's helmet on, covering his face and head to go along with his body hidden under his chainmail, and took a mighty leap out into the arena, raising his hands and his fake foam sword as he exults the crowd, trying to make them cheer for him.

 

"Haha! I am the great Sir Gawain! While you may have defeated the others at this contest, oh maiden fair, do not be deceived! For the Knight of the Sun is here to challenge you for the honor of our great King and Country, with my great Galatine, I shall defeat you and restore honor and safety to those who watch these events! I have no desire to engage with rule breakers or rule shakers, and lest you forget; I can not be beaten during the daylight hours!"