fandomhigh | Around the World in Sixteen Challenges, Thursday, February 4, 2016

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around the world

Around the World in Sixteen Challenges, Thursday, February 4, 2016

It was practically spring-like in Moscow today--hovering a few degrees above freezing!--as the students grouped around Obi-Wan and Anakin in Red Square.

"Welcome to Russia," Anakin said, hood pulled up to protect his ~~hair~~ ears. "This is Moscow, its capital. As is customary by now, you must complete one task with your partner, and then two tasks on your own before finding us again to head back to the relative warmth of Maryland."

Before Obi-Wan could get in a word edgewise, Anakin clapped his hands. "Your first assignment is a team one. See those men?" He pointed to a group of well-dressed Russian men. "They are waiting for you to bring them their brides from their apartments all over Moscow."

He handed each team a poor-drawn map with all of the street names scrawled in Cyrillic. "You must fetch the brides via those sturdy looking cars--" the sarcasm was palpable because the Ladas were anything but sturdy, and the Russian cab drivers loitering next to them looked anything but thrilled to be participating in this madness, "and then bring them back here to their future husbands." He smiled. "And then you'll get your next task."

Oh, you lucky things.

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Cold.

Isabela

Cosette Fauchelevent

Alex Mack

April

Rey

Kaylin Neya

Kira Yukimura

Pick out a surly cab driver, use hand gestures and bribery to get him to take you to one of the extremely cheerful but not really communal apartment complexes where you will use the ~~handwavy~~ instructions on your map to figure out her apartment, get her to fit with you into the Lada and get back to the Square.

Once you take your picture with the happy couple, the groom will give you your next clue.

Teams finish as follows:

1. Cosette Fauchelevent & Blue Sargent
2. Kira Yukimura & Laura Kinney
3. Alex Mack & Kaylin Neya
4. Isabela & Anakin Skywalker
5. Eggsy Unwin & Rey
6. April & Nathan Bryn

Isabela had actually worn her jacket today, but it still nowhere near warm enough and she was looking very plaintively at Anakin's cloak.

Surely he didn't want his student to freeze to death?

Anakin gave her a baleful look and pulled his cloak closer. "Just get into the car. It'll be warmer there."

If the Lada had a working heater.

Mean, Anakin.

Isabela got in the car, but her look didn't get any less plaintive.

"It's much warmer in here," Anakin lied. "Now tell the man where we need to go."

This, this would be why Isabela would end up using numerous lines about sharing body heat on their bride.

Isabela gave the driver the map, made the universal gesture of rubbing coin together, and pointed to Anakin. Because obviously he was going to pay him.

The cabbie started the Lada, which made a sort of strangled noise as it began to run and then took it to the nearest gas station and gave Anakin the universal sfhrug of "oh, dammit, I need more gas."

Anakin scowled. "We are being completely ripped off."

And whose fault was that?

"You think?"

"I think," Anakin said, glaring at the cab driver, who remained completely unmoved by his anger.

"You hired him," Isabela pointed out. Helpfully.

Rey thought this was weird, but also maybe sweet? But that was sort of balanced out by the feeling of unease that came with looking at the Lada.

You all can read Cyrillic, right?

No?

Oooooh. Sorry. Head to the Russian state library, which houses 24 million books indexed in a sea of card catalogs in the Russian language. Each student is given a list of books with their information printed in Cyrillic. Selecting four books from the list, you have to comb through hundreds of card catalogs to find each book's location and then search the aisles to retrieve the books.

You poor things.

This was kind of like a treasure hunt. A really dumb one, because who'd go treasure hunting for a book?

April was late getting to this task (sigh), and she was already cranky.

Fortunately, out of pure luck, she found the first book right away.

Unfortunately, the other three books took forever and she hated everything.

"What is this supposed to mean?"

Considering those were Rey's words upon looking at the list, she was not going to do very well on this.

In Scrub, you travel to a trolley bus depot, where you will be handed a sponge and some soap and told to clean an entire bus to the satisfaction of the driver, who is Extremely Picky.

In Scour, you must travel to Dubrovka Theatre to search among 1,500 pieces of Russian nesting dolls to find one of 11 teeny tiny clue pieces that tell you where to find Anakin and Obi-Wan.

...at least you don't have to dance or eat borscht?

And the terrible treasure hunts continued! Though sadly this was not going to be the worst treasure hunt Isabela was going to be party to.

Before today, April had thought dolls were cute and pretty.

No. They were not. They were awful and so was this country.

Rey wasn't sure of her own cleaning skills, honestly, but she figured she could do Scour, where she at least found the clues fairly easily, all things considered. At least it made up for the last thing she had to do.

Because Anakin would not stop bitching about the cold, so he and Obi-Wan fond a place to get something warm to drink while they wait for you to show up!

There was murder in Isabela's eyes when she saw where Obi-Wan and Anakin were. Murder.

"Would you like some tea?" Anakin asked. "They put jam in it for some reason."

Murder, Anakin.

"The cold probably affected their tongues."

"Maybe," Anakin said. "You're fifth today."

Or throw pieces of nesting dolls and library books at them. They deserve it.

Obi-Wan was sitting and sipping a drink, looking at nothing in particular with a neutral expression and still somehow managing to judge Anakin while doing so.

It was a skill.

Anakin was aggressively Not Caring About Being Judged, Obi-Wan, as he sipped his own tea.

And the RNG sayeth:

1. Laura Kinney
2. Blue Sargent
3. Alex Mack
4. Eggsy Unwin
5. Isabela
6. Rey
7. Kaylin Neya
8. April
9. Cosette Fauchelevent
10. Kira Yukimura
11. Nathan Byrn

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Around the World in Sixteen Challenges, Thursday, February 4, 2016

Sign in 2/4

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Russian Bride Delivery!

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Roadblock: Alphabetized!

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Detour: Scrub or Scour!

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Check-in: Cafe Pushkin

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Talk to Anakin or Obi-Wan

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OOC