New Years Joy Festival - Archery Contest - RPLOG
Participants
Date
10/1/482
Log
It's a pleasant morning. The sun is rising above the horizon, the air is starting to warm, and large festival-tents have been set up near the tournament grounds. Everything is well-organized, with solacious guards making sure the peace is kept, and merchants setting up stalls where food and drinks can be gotten, warm and cold.
And then, of course, there are those preparing for various games to be played throughout the day, from archery to a full-on joust... Freesword for a day.
A small ocelot steps up in through the archway into the tournament grounds, unaccompanied. Dressed in a well-fitting tunic and with well-groomed fur, he looks more like he's about to try to impress a noble than engage in a day of physical activity. He looks up at the posted schedule, tail flicking inquisitively, and looks around for someone he can follow along to where he's supposed to go.. or the face of someone he knows.
Seldom does an archery competition around Firmament go down without Cassidy making an appearance. Today was no exception, her love of the sport of it drawing her like bugs to a flame. Dressed in thick dress to keep out the (relative) winter chill, and a sun hat on her head, she stood by to size up the range, and mingle a little with other participants.
Lyas enters the tourney grounds with his siamese companion at his side, looking around with interest. Such a large event would draw the tabby's attention under any circumstances - there's mischief to be had in a distracted crowd - but considering the focus of the events... well, the Cat is... rather eager to be a participant, actually. Life, Freesword work, and... less savoury activities have left him fairly confident in his fighting ability. And any decent cat loves a chance to show off!
The tabby reaches out to his companion, pulling her hand up to his lips for kiss while he gives a mocking bow. "Where to?" he asks, tail flicking. "We get to be 'Freeswords for a day', did you hear?" His eyes crinkle in mirth. Stepping out in the interest of fairness to the common folk doesn't seem to be on the table for the Cat... "Where d'you think we should try our skills?"
Leighton was making her way around the grounds, if only to visit every trader selling sweets and baked goods to the audience. The satchel she was carrying was bulging by now with various foods. She looks like she's rather enjoying herself too, humming incomprehensibly as she sucks on a sweet of some sort. Her eyes are of course drawn to the contestants, idly looking them over, as if picking on to support.
Oh, the smells. The smells that waft through the festivities are exciting and wonderful, drawing Kris in despite some reservations. The shark carefully moves amongst the those that mill and meander, and when she catches wind of archery, her frills perk. Smoothing down her skirt, Kris heads towards the event, interest peaked and attention fertive. Even if she'd grown more used to firearms, she still had a bit of experience with the bow, and a contest tickled her fancy!
Much like her companion, Aleera is wholeheartedly drawn to events like these for a... variety of reasons, really! A love of revelry, a love of mischief... and, in this instance, a love of showing off. She moves at Lyas's side, her eyes surveying the crowd, the vendors and, of course, the people who are already taking up positions at the archery range. Still, as he kisses her hand, the siamese's gaze flicks back to Lyas and she flashes him that familiar, toothy grin of hers, "It's been ages since I held a bow," she glances back to the range, "...but I wanna try my hand at it."
With that, she takes the other feline's hand and tugs him right on over to where the other competitors are setting up, although once they do reach it she twirls around to face him, brings his hand up to give it a kiss just like he had done ot hers, and quickly asks, "Do you want to join too or will I see you after the game, luv?"
Those wanting to participate in any of the games are quickly ushered towards a small training-grounds, where bows, wooden swords, and lances in various sizes are provided, to hold, to test, and to practice with. There are even a few targets to practice with, although with already a dozen beings from all walks of life being present, they'll have to share those targets.
"In the interest of fairness, bows will be provided," offers one of the assisting beings, gesturing towards a rack of simple longbows, before rushing over to a rather inept noble, holding his bow the wrong way. "No magic, and above all, the goal is to have fun. You've got a good few more minutes to practice, before the first archery competition starts. If you need any help on how to use the bow, let one of us know, and we're happy to assist."
And of course, at the same time, many other beings are being ushered towards the stands, set safely -behind- the archers, away from the targets... Just to make sure a stray arrow doesn't wind up creating a tragedy.
"I know how to shoot," Lyas shrugs, digging his thumbs into his belt. "I'll join, all right." He steps in close to Aleera, invading her personal space. Nearly nose-to-nose (if only he was tall enough!), he gives her a challenging, yet playful look. "But then, you'd best sign up to the melee, too. I fancy a good tussle." Thumbs still securely tucked away, the fingers of his left hand inch towards the hilt of the sword at his hip. He has his daggers too, of course - but those aren't on show.
As the participants are shown towards the archery range, Lyas slinks after them, smirking at the bumbling noble. "Arrow-head /towards/ the target," he mutters, to Aleera. "Very important point, that. Don't forget." The Cat grabs a bow for each of them, running his hands over his selection to check the weight and flexibility of each.
Cassidy was delighted, truly, to see so many people taking an interest in the bow. The small vixen walks to and fro, watching people, encouraging some, and occasionally offering tips to others if they needed it. Fun indeed. For her, winning was hardly a priority compared to the chance to promote the artform that was archery. Especially with the production of firearms.
Leighton makes her way to the stands, still gawing away at her haul of tooth rotting consumables, though as she spots one of the contestants, Lyas specifically, her smile faulters, and the squirrel tries to hide in the crowd for a moment. While not looking afraid, she does look rather embarrassed. None the less, she follows the crowd to the stands, wriggling her way to the front the best she can.
Terry steps up towards the archery range. The ocelot inspects the bows provided and selects one for himself, preferring one with a weaker draw. He peers around at the other participants, still not recognizing any of the others. He offers a smile on seeing Lyas and Aleera take playful jabs at each other, but returns to the matter at hand by taking a few test shots at the practice targets.
Heading over to one of the longbows, Kris feels along the cord, lightly bowing to feel at the pull. Heading to the alleys for archery practice in the grounds, she pulls up one of the arrows, and, with some reservation, takes a practice shot. When it hits the target, though not a very straight shot from her intended aim, Kris gives a little nod to herself before taking a few more practice shots and familiarizing herself with the feel of the particular bow to get its bearings and leanings.
Aleera quirks an eyebrow as Lyas steps in closer, that grin of hers still plastered over her muzzle, but... even despite how close he gets she doesn't back down for even a second, of course. "The melee?" she echoes, letting out a short laugh before continuing, "If that's what it takes, then I'll sign up, aye! But I've held a sword even less 'en I've held a bow, darlin'." With him being so close to her, the siamese takes a moment to bump her nose against his, but with that, she likewise turns towards the range itself.
She follows right behind the tabby, and... judging by the way she smiles and laughs when she sees the noble fumbling around, it probably took a lot of effort for her to keep herself from pointing /and/ laughing. "Really, now? I was thinkin' it was the other way around!" she murmurs right back to Lyas, her tone, of course, playful. She accepts whatever bow he hands to her, seemingly unconcerned with the details lllthat Lyas tests for.
A tournament of sorts. Could be interesting to watch beings in physical pursuits doing who knows what. Either way, the wasp, clad in his robes, makes his way towards the grounds. In spite being present, and potentially capable, he decides it'd be more entertaining to sit and watch. Though without tooth-rotting consumables, he sits in the stands, antennae bobbing lightly while watching, idly pondering who he needs to catch up with. Again. He needs to stop disappearing like this, doesn't he?
Lyas jerks a thumb towards the range. "Get a few practice shots in?" he enquires. Without checking to see that Aleera will follow, he side-steps past her and lopes off to the nearest unoccupied target. The bow, while not the best quality, feels right in his hands... at least for this shot! The Cat swings it up, sighting and loosing all at once. With a faint /thunk/, the arrow hits the bullseye. Even Lyas is a little surprised by that, though he tries to play it off. "Practice," he grins to Aleera, cockily. "Naught beats it."
Leighton watches as the contestants pick their bows, still munching away at the goodies. When her gaze falls onto the small Ocelot, Terry, she perks up. Atleast she recognised him from the in. Sticking a pair of fingers in her mouth, she whistles at the ocelot, waving with the other hand. "Oi! Good luck!" She giggles a little, sitting down and takes a moment to look at the others in the stands with her, smiling a little.
Cassidy didn't come expecting to use her own bow, and she isn't left disappointed by that assumption, it would seem. When it starts drawing nearer to the time, she starts mingling a little less, and goes to examine the bows she'll be working with. A longbow, today, that she tests the draw on. And the arrows, too, though mostly to examine the fletchings. She needn't worry about the tips as much on a target shooting arrow. "It's been a while since there's been a tournament like this."
Terry is lucky enough to be looking in the right direction to catch the wave and whistle. He smiles brightly, recognizing Leighton, and waves right back with his bow-wielding hand. He awkwardly holds the bow with both hands as he waits, finding it annoyingly large compared to the ones he generally trains with, but he's not going to complain about it.
Okay, that whistling is not pleasant. The wasp winces as the squirrel looses the ear-piercing noise, before shaking his head and glancing towards them. He is... not as cheery as her, that's for certain, but he does not know them. He ponders a moment, wondering how worth-it such a meeting would be, given their current circumstances. It might be useful to find out where those he needs to catch up with are, so that possibility's on the table. He turns back towards the competition for the moment, watching those who are there to demonstrate their abilities.
Aleera nods at the comment about practice shots, and thankfully she notices Lyas running off /before/ she turns her attention to messing with the bow. Once they do reach those targets though, while he's lining up his shot, she's plucking at the bow's string and adjusting her grip a bit, getting used to actually holding a weapon like this again. Still, she perks up a bit when he addresses her, offering a quiet, "Eh?" before looking to that target... and grinning wide, "I'm glad to see yer eyes are as sharp as yer knives, darlin'!"
With that, she hefts up her own bow, tests the wind, draws the string back.... She even makes sure to hold her breath until she finally looses that arrow, hitting the targets middle band. She places a hand on her hip, "Hm. I guess it's not bad.... I'll do better durin' the actual competition."
Honestly, none of these bows are particularly amazing, despite some of the results achieved by the various beings shooting them. They'll definitely prove inaccurate at best, and . But, by the looks on some of the beings' faces, it's really more about the experience of doing something out of the ordinary, rather than any amount of skill. So much, in fact, that Lyas's second arrow is wildly off-base, managing to *plunk* off of the wooden fence separating the different targets. So much for his accuracy.
Soon enough, the first few beings are led to their targets, groups of six each.
The first six, including the Noble from before, start aiming their bows, loosing shot after shot, to both uprorious applause when someone scores a bullseye, and delighted laughter every time the noble from before finds himself unable to hit the target at all, proving himself quite inept at archery.
And then, the next six are sent out, one by one...
Cassidy takes her spot in the queue, waiting for her time to shoot. She wasn't expecting spectacular results, herself, with the quality of the bow, but that didn't mean she would not do her best. Part of the fun, at least for her, was always doing her best- Even if the goal wasn't specifically to win. When the first volley is fired and the participants moved on, the fennec steps to the front and lines up her own shot...
Lyas is feeling a lot less confident, after seeing the way his second shot veered so wildly off target. "Heck, Aleera, don't stand too close," the Cat murmurs, only half joking. "Like as not, next shot the bow'll snap an' I can't say where the pieces'll end up!" He smirks at the bumbling noble again, wondering if anyone can truly be that bad - or if the guy just gets some weird kick out of failing in front of the crowd? The tabby watches the first six contestants pass them, streaming off the range, before ambling out and picking his target. He holds his bow by the end and waves it around at the crowd - no use being professional when he might shortly be making an ass of himself!
Terry perks up as he's waved at by one of the beings officiating the tournament, and quickly hurries along to his spot in the line. He looks around at the crowd, feeling quite a few eyes on him, and offers a shy wave in return. He nervously fishes for an arrow, then waits his turn, staying focused on the target as he tries to drive away his anxiety.
Leighton giggles to herself every time someone misses by quite a bit, and of course claps when a good shot is made. When Lyas steps up to plate, the squirrel lets off a loud "BOOOO!" Proceeding to give the feline the thumbs down. Immediatly switching gears, the squirrel cheers for Terry. "You can do it!" Stuffing her face with candy, the rest comes out mumbled.
The wasp glances back at the squirrel yet again. They are... very vocal, at the very least. He takes a deep breath to try to keep himself from doing anything... rash for the time being. Using hexes on other beings is usually frowned upon. Still, he is somewhat enjoying the rather... entertaining display from that noble. Missing with all six shots. That takes some impressive ineptitude.
"...Nevermind," is all Aleera says as Lyas's second shot goes so wide, and it's followed by her shamelessly chuckling, a wide, amused smile on her lips. "You mean move away from ya? You know I can't possibly do that, darlin'!" she says, moving in to stand close enough to give the tabby a kiss between his ears to emphasis her words, "After all, yer so close to me all the time 'n I'm pretty much a walkin' powder keg." She's joking, of course, but considering how much ammo she tends to carry with her....
In any case, she funnels into the range along with the other six competitors, taking up the position next to Lyas, of course. Speaking of which... it seems like she doesn't realize that there's someone boing the tabby, because the siamese simply occupies herself with giving the crowd various exaggerated waves and bows.
Having at least a good idea of how her bow tends to fire after some familiarizing shots with it, Kris is quite happy with her ability to use it. When the first six are drawn in and display their shots, the shark's eyes do their best to keep track of the archer's movements as opposed to the landing of the shots, gauging their skill by body language. This shoudl be interesting! When the next set is called in, the shark prepares herself.
"Round one for our second group of contestants. During this round, the outer ring is worth one point, the next two, then five, then ten. The bullseye is worth a whole twenty-five points! Six shots, fire when ready, but do not enter the range until all contestants have finished shooting," offers one of the beings, yelling loud enough for everyone in the crowd to hear.
At the same time, a bear, sitting three seats away from Leighton glares daggers at the poor squirrel.
The tabby cat raises an eyebrow. "Sure you want to next to me, then? If I hit you, you'll explode an' take me out as well. Surely one a' us ought to survive this tournament!" Even so, he selects his first arrow, giving it a look over - Creators, the fletching on this one is /shocking/ - and sets it to the bow. Best not to overthink the shots, luck might play a bigger part in how well they perform today... A voice booing from the stands distracts him momentarily, and he squints against the morning glare to see who's doing it! His eyes finally light upon the reddish fur of the Squirrel from last night. His smile is taunting as he waves at her. "You look different with your clothes on!" he yells out at the poor young Being. For shame! The tabby even motions to Aleera, pointing out the unfortunate Squirrel with a smirk. He's told her about his night's activities already, of course, and they have two lovely trophies from it on Aleera's table - a broken vase and a wooden hand, of all things.
Shameless public teasing done with, the cat swings his bow up, sighting and loosing his arrows quickly rather than carefully. It would probably came out much the same if he took his time, anyway. The arrows /thunk/ into the target, one by one - he's avoided having any misses, at least, and sighs in satisfaction as he lowers the bow. "Looks like I don't have to hide my face," he jokes to Aleera.
Terry doesn't hear Leighton this time. He's concentrated on the target in front of him, and as the call is given he hefts the bow and nocks the arrows, one after another. Used to a shortbow and having picked a longbow with a weaker draw, most of his shots arc a bit too low. His first shot hits below the actual target, thumping onto the wood, while the second is a fraction of an inch below the first ring. His subsequent shots improve. One hit on the outer ring for one point, a fraction above where his second shot landed, then one on the second ring, for five points! Frustrated, he aims high and looses his final two shots, hitting twice again on the outer ring with the arrows flying just too far left or right. Total score, eight.
He look over at Leighton now, giving the squirrel an apologetic smile from across the tournament yard.
Flexing her digits, Kris limbers them up some, shaking out ehr nerves and focusing on the target. The shark gauges the discrepencies of the bow based on her earlier tests and exhales a soft breath with each release. A bullseye snaps in, and then the target is peppered with a couple in the 1st and second ring with one outlier. Well, for not having used a bow in some time, she felt pretty happy with those results! She slids from her spot to settle where those who've already fired are to watch what remains.
Cassidy takes a deep breath and finds her center of focus, as had been drilled into her so many times in her service history. The first shot goes a little off, sinking into the five point band. Accounting for the flaws in the bows construction, though- And a few other factors, her other five shots find more success. First one, then another, each shot after the first sinking into the bullseye. A ring around the edge of the bullseye, in fact, the last planting dead center. She lowers the bow, then, dips her head and slowly steps back as she tilts the brim of her hat a little lower to cough awkwardly.
"Wouldn't 'at be a romantic way to go though, darlin'? Consumed together in a fireball 'at one of us caused?" Aleera teases, her tone and smile alike amused... despite exactly how morbid that joke was. She's probably used to gallows humor, after all. The feline is ready to swing up her bow and start taking aim at the targets, but Lyas distracts her before she gets the chance to... and when she spots the squirrel, the siamese simply grins and laughs a bit. "I still can't believe how lucky of a gambler you are, luv...," she gives, but with that, her attention goes to the game.
Aleera's ears perk up as the rules are explained, then when she's finally given permission to go, she raises the bow up, takes a deep breath, narrows her eyes... and starts firing. She looses one arrow after the other, although one can guess that she... likely isn't allowing herself as much time between shots as she should. That's probably just evidence of her lack of experience with a bow. In any case, as the last of those arrows thuds in, she lets her breathing return to normal and examines her handywork.... A one-pointer, two two-pointers, a five-pointer, a ten-pointer, and one that didn't earn any points. That's..., "20 points in all. Not bad, but I coulda done better with one a' my pistols." She glances to Lyas, showing him a toothy grin... and taking a moment to examine his target, of course, "Aye! Neither of need to walk out of 'ere with our heads lowered yet." Although... she can't help but stare when she sees exactly how well one of their competitors did. That must be on talented fox....
Leighton grins and looks confident, atleast until she glances over to the bear. "Eep..." She shrinks a little, simply resigning herself to sucking on some lollipop like treat for the moment. The squirrel was just about to boo Lyas again, but blinks as he adresses her. It's amazing how one can grow both pale, and entirely red under all that fur at the same time. She sits back, pouting, arms crossed over her chest. Seeing terry shoot atleast gets her to stand up again, waving at him and giving the thumbs up. The squirrel looks quite impressed with Cassidy's shooting, clapping throughout it.
When the bevy of bullseye ballistics barrage the target, Kris lets up a whoop and claps rapidly. That was quite the display of skill, and she's very happy for it, her applause rising with a hot and hollar!
"It's just good practice," Cassidy assures, blushing faintly and offering a curtsy at the applause. "Any of you could do the same, with enough time! Firearms might be easier to use, but they're only so accurate... A bow will do wonders, though, if you put the time into it."
In the stands, an armed and armored jaguar rises to her feet to applaude Cassidy. She lets out an enthusiastic cheer, then sits down, nudging whoever happens to be nearby. "She's been at this even longer than I have," she positively beams. "Just goes to show where you can end up with enough hard work and dedication."
Terry can't hide a bit of envy as he scans around everyone else's targets and spots Cassidy's tightly grouped clear bullseyes. He still claps, of course, congratulating her and the other fellow archers before slinking back behind the shooting line to let the next group through.
Well that was a pretty massive change. Though the sudden outburst from two of them, one saying something about looking different without clothes, and another about being a lucky gambler. A little huff, makes for a show at least. Until he gets nudged by the jaguar. A little glare from those blue eyes of his, though he doesn't say anything for the moment, before returning his gaze to the tournament. Nonetheless, he has to agree, someone did do a fantastic job at hitting multiple bulls-eyes. Now, if there was a contest of magic he could partake in...
For a moment, silence falls upon the crowd as Cassidy makes a show out of her shooting, only for the silence to be broken by the sound of clapping, soon turning into a cacaphony of claps.
Once the crowd eventually dies down, the announcer smiles and continues. "Seems we may need to handicap one of the contestants so the rest stands a chance, huh?" he offers, mostly getting himself to laugh, even if it draws a few half-hearted chuckles from the crowd.
And, as the scores are tallied, the six beings, the last of whom got a lucky bullseye and nothing else, are instructed to retrieve their arrows and return to the staging-area.
Soon enough, they're brought back out again, and the next round is explained. "Five shots. Five times the points, but each ring only count once! Lets see how our contestants do!"
Lyas claps a hand over Aleera's shoulder, leading her off the field as their round concludes. "What was your score, Firework?" he murmurs. "I'm sitting pretty on twenty-one. Ah! If I'd just got one bullseye, I'd have near about doubled it..." he shakes his head. Never mind, they have no need of a prize when they can help themselves to their own later on. The Cat waits for the other group of six to take their shots, keen for another round. If he can just get the hang of this bow... it's a bit wonky, aiming a little to the left.
r He grins at the announcement of the next round's rules. "Well, looks like the first go didn't count for much anyways," he smiles, readily taking his position. "Think we can turn it around?"
Natska leans forward on her seat to watch, tail flicking. She is enjoying the contest - not just Cassidy's display, but seeing the others and their earnest competition. The sour glare from her neighbor goes unnoticed, like an ocean wave breaking against a stony cliff of high spirits.
Aleera does take a moment to properly congratulate Cassidy, of course, but rather than simply applaud, she grins wide and shouts out, "That was some damn fine shootin'! I ain't never gonna like bows as much as my guns, but yer still damn good with 'em." Complimenting the fox even despite her insulting guns?! She must be impressed by the fox, indeed.
However, her attention is once more taken up by Lyas as he leads her off of the field, flashing him a grin... that falters into a bit of a pout when she hears his score. "20," she states flatly, but she quickly perks right back up and grins again as she teasingly adds, "Consider yerself lucky. If I didn't like you so much, I'd kill ya for getting /one/ point higher than me."
With the next round starting, however, she's quick to take up her position, raising up her bow and offering Lyas a quick, "I reckon we can manage it...." And with that... she takes in a deep breath and starts firing off arrows once more. However, it seems that she got too focused on trying to spread her shots around, because two hit worthless spots on the target and the other three all hit the outer ring. She mutters a curse of some sort under her breath and then looks to Lyas. Hopefully he did better than her, at least.
Terry was already starting to put away his bow when he spots everyone heading back to the firing line, and then his name too is called. He hurries back, running at first and then trying to look nonchalant as he steps quietly into his spot. As the call is given he lets loose five arrows, taking care to aim each one at a different part of the target to hedge his bets. His second shot misses completely, to his embarrassment, but the others all land one on each of the four outer rings for a total of 90 points. He huffs in frustration, and this time doesn't even look Cassidy's way for fear of exploding with envy.
"Aww, I have a gun, too, but consider this! You can put more shots down faster with a bow. No need to reload. Cheaper to practice with, too. You can re-use practice arrows just fine," Cassidy says, tail flicking behind her as she readies her next volley. "That said, war archery never really stresses accuracy much, you know? You don't need to hit a bullseye if you're firing into an army." She straightens her posture, lifts the bow, and fires one after another, each striking true to a total of 215. "But guns are nice, too," she says genuinely. "They can be pretty in their own way, and I enjoy the occasional sport shooting with a rifle." She doesn't comment on her score.
A bit more taciturn in speech, Kris launches her arrows after taking some careful aim and accomodating as best she can. Exhaling with her launches, the shark nods, happy with her shots. She offers up a warm smile towards the others as they shoot, too, and with Cassidy's exemplary display, she again whoots and applauds. Such a show, it's inspiring!
Lyas takes a look around at his opponent's targets, largely unsurprised by their results. He then inspects his work, fairly satisfied with this spread. One miss, but the rest of his shots all managed to hit a different ring. He counts the points up the thirty-three, based on the individual shots. Then... it was five times the points this round so... so... "Eh..." The cat mutters, looking at his fingers helplessly. They don't go nearly high enough! After a moment of hard thought, he gives up. A country upbringing, followed by a life of petty crime and Freeswording, has left him ill-suited to do any maths that takes him into the triple digits. He looks up at Aleera, grinning. "Well... I know I out-shot you," he observes, quirking an eyebrow at Aleera's target. "What's the matter, love? Need me to give you some lessons? I can get you one a' those kiddy starter bows they give the tots. That won't break the bank." Oh, boy. 'You're lucky I like you' can't last forever, can it? The tabby is sure pushing his luck with the firebrand siamese.
Even with all the embarrasment so far, Leighton still makes sure to cheer for the ocelot. "Woo! 4 out of 5!" Of course, the applauds the feats of Cassidy as well, but it's fairly obvious she has favorites. "Man...she is trouncing them." Popping another sweet into her mouth, she watches the rest shoot, this time not piping up when Lyas takes the stand, though still gives him the thumbs down, this time just quietly instead.
Cassidy's defense of archery earns a curious look from Aleera, the siamese even quirking an eyebrow once more, but... judging by the way she smiles, it does seem like the discussion has her interest. "All of that is true, aye! But guns don't need to be quick, eh? If you hit someone with one, they're gonna drop and there ain't a whole lot they can do about it," there's a short pause, a moment of thought before she adds, "'Sides, if yer tryin' to hit an army, a blunderbuss works better 'en a bow ever could. You don't need to aim with one of those neither." Still, the more genuine comment about guns makes her smile widen a bit, and she likewise relents, "'N bows are nice too, I guess. They ain't nearly as fun to use as a gun, but they're pretty things." Not that... the bows they're currently using are good examples of the 'pretty' part.
The siamese is evidently just as intent on avoiding commenting on the fox's score, however, because she turns her attention back to Lyas... just in time for him to see the big, toothy, marginally annoyed smile on her muzzle. "Hey, luv, why don't you come a little closer? I can't punch ya from this far away!" she says in a friendly tone that drastically contrasts her actual words! Still, when she lunges towards Lyas, she simply wraps her arms around him, chuckles and noogies him firmly. "Like I said... yer lucky I like you. Now shut it before I actually hit you," she says in a playful tone.
"But you have to be so close to hit them with a blunderbuss don't you? Longbows have astounding range. You can thin out armies before they collide. Though, to be sure," Cassidy says, "When it comes to a close quarters encounter I'd rather have a blunderbuss than a bow. A single arrow can put down a person, too, though, same as any gun. Everything has its time and place, though. I have made good use of a concealed pistol before when a bow simply is too cumbersome to carry around."
And of course, the crowd *roars* as cassidy hits every mark, her score now totalling a grand total of 345 points. Few of the others even still stand a chance of catching up to her.
And again, the contestants cycle out for that third round to begin.
"Three shots. Points are doubled again. BUT! Only your last shot counts. You can bow out after any shot. On your marks... Go!"
There is no one here that Falx can identify himself. He doesn't know who is competing, nor does he know who is watching. Perhaps those here know people he knows, or where to look for them. Until he figures out who to ask about it, though, he does his best to enjoy the competition. At the very least, this is an interesting display and tournament. When things wind down, could be useful to try to talk to someone about those he knows...
"I'm surprised you've not yet done so," Lyas murmurs, catching Aleera about the waist just as she releases her hold on him. He gives her a quick squeeze before letting go, tuning in to her conversation with the standout of the competition. He glances back and forth between the two women - he doesn't really have a preference, between guns or bows. He's more of a melee sort. "Throwing knives," he disagrees with the two, suddenly. Really? Maybe he's just being contrary. "The're better than your guns or bows. Can do some serious damage with a handful a' them, and they're easiest to conceal. Can't stick a handful of arrows down your trousers. An'... well, I suppose you could do, with a gun, but I for one'd not risk having gunpowder down there!" He follows the other five contestants off, waits for the first group to go again, then lopes back onto the field, looking at the target with a calculating expression. It's be nice to finish strong, here... He looses one arrow, then two - both are... decent enough shots, but surely he can do better? He takes the third shot, concentrating hard, and... it zooms off, way off target, burying itself in the fence. Seems his earlier tactic of firing without thought was best, after all! He gives a dramatic sigh, holding up his arms in defeat.
Cassidy lifts her bow and takes a single arrow. Whatever it hit, or if it missed, she was going to fire just the one. Her desire to win was not as such to compel her to keep trying for a better shot. It's nocked and loosed shortly after, falling to the 100 point mark. "I have throwing knives, too," she says, glancing towards Lyas' lane. "I'm quite fond of them actually. I use them to great effect with my magic, typically."
Watching the others firing beforehand, Kris keeps track. Some fine shots, though it looks like the ace shooter only took one and kept it. Pursing her lips as best she can, Kris takes a shot... mmn, not good enough. A second... tied in ring-distance, there... Should she stay or should she... well, no harm in trying. All she has to lose is the game! Witht eh final one, her fingers slip just a bit and TWANG! Oh... that was worse than her prior two shots. Well, sometimes you gamble and lose! She's pretty sure that ace archer was holding back, anyhow. She shows off a warm smile towards the other contenders and says, "Good shooting!" in a pleasantly full, feminine voice.
"Again, those are all good points, aye," Aleera offers, glancing back to Cassidy even while she has Lyas bundled up in her arms, "I get the feelin' we've got different tastes, though. I don't use guns because I can hide 'em.... I use guns becaue they're loud and /damn/ fun to fire off," her words are accompanied by a smile that's... almost raunchy. How classy. As for Lyas himself, she soon enough releases her hold on him, and that squeeze earns him another kiss right between the ears. Athough... his comments about throwing knives earns a shake of her head in response. "Like I said, it's hard to find anythin' more satisfying to use 'en a gun is. It can't be done," she declares, though her voice is almost teasing.
When she actually steps up to the range for this last round, however, the siamese is a bit quicker to take her aim.... The first shot misses, the second hits the outside, and the third hits a middle ring. There's a soft, "Tch," from her, but... ultimately, seeing Lyas miss leaves a rather cocky grin on her muzzle. "What's wrong, luv? Need me to give you some lessons?" she teases.
Terry was ready for it this time, and returns to the firing line to complete his third round. All he needs is one good shot.. his first one is not particularly good, again flying too low and missing. The second flies true, impacting the 10-point ring for a total of 100 points! He clenches his fist. That won't win him anything, even though it's the best shot he's taken so far. "No. I have to do better." He vocalizes, perhaps a bit too loudly, and picks up his third arrow. With a silent prayer to some deity he lets loose the third arrow and.. it hits just below the second one. Five points, multiplied to 50. He scratches the back of his neck and turns from the target, frustrated at himself.
Leighton delights in seeing Lyas miss the final shot. "Nice shooting, hotshot!" She giggles afterwards, popping in another sweet. She can't help but roll her eyes a little as Cassidy only fires on shot. "Showoff..." As Terry steps up, she leans forward, almost leaning out over the edge. "You can do it!" The squirrel chews her lower lip as the ocelot takes his shots, ending with a load. "Aawww...you did you best, Good showing!"
"Loud and flashy, huh. Oh boy, I can do that. Not here though." Cassidy lowers the bow again, casting a glance and a smirk Aleera's way. "I wasn't briefly called Thunder Queen for nothing. Though it's not for a gun, but for my magic. Perhaps someday there will be cause for you to see it. It has been a little while." She rests the bow against the ground, taking a moment to adjust her hat. "I enjoy being flashy and showy, most of the time. Just not today."
Natska joins the crowd in cheering on the competitors again, then rises from her seat and starts heading towards the ready area - she had heard of the next event.
All in all, it's clear who the winner is going to be. Sure, the next group still gets their turn, but in the end, it's Cassidy, Kris and Lyas who wind up on the podium, next to one-another, each of them presented with a smallish, metal arrow each. Gold for Cassidy, Silver for Kris, and bronze for Lyas, although the first two are no doubt only covered in a thin layer of their respective materials, and not as valuable as their size might suggest.
Still, after the celebration, all contestants are pulled aside, for a group-photo in front of the podium... And with that, the first archery-competition of the day is over.
