fandomhighdorms | Magic Reserve - The Preserve, Wednesday Afternoon

Nobody was at the usual meeting place. Instead, the Magic Reservists would find arrows drawn in the air with blue magical energy. (Look, Tony only had so many cool tricks. He had to make do with what he was given. Besides, it was easier than sticking signs to grass.) The arrows pointed to a space about a hundred feet away, where the ground rose up to make a small hill. The leaders of the Magic Reserve stood at the top of the hill. Refreshments were set up a few feet away from the base of the hill.

"Hey, everyone," Tony said. "Before we get started, I'd like everyone to fill out a brief survey. Let us know where you feel your strengths are and what you think are your weak spots. General stuff, like distance attacks, focused attacks, shielding, scrying, that sort of thing. Next week we'll pair you up with someone who will balance you out and practice working together."

Karla was not in a mood to be particularly helpful today. In fact, most of her thoughts were trending in the complete opposite direction. This probably stemmed from the fact that Karla was currently a male. Sure, it had happened to all the females on the island, but from her expression, she seemed to be taking it personally.

The additional testosterone probably wasn't helping any.

Thus, when it was her turn to speak, she kept it short, brief, and to the point. "Anyone feels the need to laugh or make a comment and I will cheerfully set you on fire."

She didn't look like she was kidding.

...Yes, she was still rather terrifying as a boy.

Merlin eyed her warily before nodding along with that. "So, today we'll be playing a spot of King Of The Hill. And... um... let's all try not to bring up the changes to the girls, yes?"

Rather than respond, Karla just stormed off to the edges of the crowd. It was probably a safe bet that she didn't have anything else to add.

"...Tony?" Merlin prompted, sounding a bit desperate.

"Um, yeah," Tony said. He pointed randomly in the opposite direction of Karla. "You're the King to start. Everyone else's job is to knock you off the top of the hill. Think of ways to push, pull and move, not attack and injure, okay?" They had a five minute break to clear the playing field and then Tony gave the signal to start.

[OCD up!]

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Okay. More hormone buzz. Ahem. Try to play that down, okay? "I'm okay, I'm okay, really, Raven." Dinah grinned at the other girl, and rubbed one shoulder, bemused. "Just didn't account for center of gravity when I fell."

"I should not have done that," Raven said, still unsettled. "I have never used physical violence against another like that before."

"Raven, really." Dinah reached for Raven's hand, if she'd let her, projecting as much reassurance as she could. "I'm fine. See? It's fun!" And under and around the ow there should have been a lot of amusement mixed with ruefulness and glee. "You did great. Sneaky is good." She added, trying to help, "You don't have to do it again, but now you know you can?"

"I am trying to reconcile true violence and mere play," Raven said, sitting back on her heals. She didn't refuse Dinah's touch. "But I still worry about causing a friend actual harm."

"No, that's understandable." Dinah sat up, and squeezed Raven's hand, smiling. "You missed out on everyone getting scraped knees and broken arms when they were little, hunh?"

Raven shook her head. "There was no one my age," she said. "And such rough play was unheard of. There were only the occasional accidents, such as someone falling off a ladder while reaching for a book on a high shelf." Except for her father killing Juris, but in a way he had provoked that attack.

"This is normal," Dinah said, trying to push down any amusement. "We get hurt--" She got up, dusted off her jeans. "We get up. See?"

That hurt was gone now, because Raven wasn't taking no for an answer. "I am learning," she said. "But pain has always been my enemy, and it is difficult for me to grasp allowing oneself to be injured for fun."

Or pleasure for that matter, but that was a whole other can of worms.

"The pain isn't the fun. It's just the risk you're willing to take for the fun." Dinah took a second to get her breath back, noticing she didn't hurt any more, and rolled her eyes a little. "That and saying you're tough enough to survive it." She straightened, raising an eyebrow at Raven. "Even though it was nice of you to take it away."

"Even in this wrong body, I am still a healer," Raven said. "Banishing pain is like breathing for me."

"Is it 'cause you're feeling it too?" Dinah wondered, cracking her neck. "'Cause you gotta learn to let some stuff, the little stuff, go, Raven." She gave Raven a serious look. "You could so burn out."

"I can be overwhelmed," Raven admitted, thinking of the Other Fandom. "But I do not think I can 'burn out.'"

"Hmmm." Raven probably would know better, at that. Then Dinah grinned, and leaned over to bop Raven on the nose, glee tipping her finger as she did so. "Then take as much fun as you do pain. Works?"

"I think people would be upset with me if I took their pleasure and amusement from them!" Raven protested. It was sort of an attempt at a joke; she knew that wasn't what Dinah meant.

Dinah rolled her eyes, then grinned when she realized Raven was kidding. "Then make your own fun. You know what I meant." She nudged Raven with one elbow.

"Like playing in the ballpit?" Raven said. Her experience with "fun" was rather limited.

"Sure!" Dinah's wasn't, and she still liked that one. "Or dancing. Or singing. Whatever makes you happy, without dealing with someone's pain. If you can't stop, can't justify that-- just add stuff to balance it out." She grinned. "Playing with kittens works too."

"I think I would like to have a kitten," Raven said, brightening. Playing with one in class last week had been nice. "Or two, so they have each other to play with while I am gone."

"Kittens are living joy. When they're not living insanity," Dinah said very seriously. "You should get some."

"Perhaps I will see if there are any animal shelters nearby," Raven said. "It would be nice to have the company. My roommate has a cat, but neither are around very much."

"Cool. And if you can't find one, there's Everything But the Monkey. They've got, well. Everything." Dinah grinned. "I got my cat there, and Priestly got his flying squirrel. So you should be able to find one."

Magic Reserve - The Preserve, Wednesday Afternoon

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE

Re: King of the Hill - ROUND ONE