fandomhigh | Around the World in Sixteen Challenges, Thursday, February 18, 2016

Around the World in Sixteen Challenges, Thursday, February 18, 2016

Remembering how you were freezing in Russia a few weeks ago, kids? That's not the problem today. "Welcome to Egypt," Anakin said, squinting into the sun as it beat down on them all. Did it matter that it was a dry heat when it was 86 degrees and not yet noon? Ugh, and sand was everywhere. "These are the pyramids of Giza, some of which are the largest structures anywhere on this planet."

"They are considered some of the greatest wonders this planet has ever seen," Obi-Wan said. "An architectural marvel, constructed at a time when Earth civilizations were still relatively young. They house the bodies and possessions of ancient kings."

"They're covered in sand," Anakin said, making a face. "But this is where civilization on this planet began, thousands of years ago. And while you still have a way to go--" Anakin, be nice, "--it is important to immerse yourself in the history of what came before. Today's pair activity will begin here, and then we will go back into the capital city of Cairo."

"Please be respectful, both of the ruins and of the local population," Obi-Wan said. After a pause, he added, smirking only a little, "I would also recommend sunscreen."

"So that the sand can stick to it," Anakin commented bitterly.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said, rubbing his nose, "We have had this discussion a million times. The sand is not stalking you."

"It gets everywhere," Anakin whined.

Obi-Wan sighed. "You may begin," he said, "Before An-- Master Skywalker has a meltdown."

Too late.

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Too hot. Hot damn.

Isabela

April

Eggsy Unwin

Alex Mack

Cosette Fauchelevent

Blue Sargent

Kira Yukimura

Kaylin Neya

Wander around the Giza Pyramid Complex and count and correctly identify all of the pyramids, while trying to ward all of the men who will try to get you to ride a camel.

There are many, many men trying to get you to ride a camel. It's also hot and covered in sand. Don't drive each other crazy!

Teams finish as follows:

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

April was excited to have a new partner today! It was nothing against Nathan, but she liked a change every once in a while.

She skipped up to Isabela, clearly undaunted by the heat based on how much she was smiling. "This looks easy! How hard is it to count six pyramids?"

Isabela would take heat over the cold any day.

"Not very," she agreed. "I'd always wondered what pyramids looked like up close." But since she had no intention of ever going to Par Vollen if she could help it, Isabela hadn't thought she'd ever find out.

Edited 2016-02-18 14:36 (UTC)

It just meant everyone was wearing less clothing than usual! And April had zero complaints about that this week.

"Me too! I kind of thought if I ever got to see them, it would be because mummies were attacking the school," she confided. "This is better!"

Isabela didn't have much of a problem with that pretty much all the time, but this week was brilliant for appreciating the results.

"They're big, I wonder how long the erection took."

Admittedly, Cosette was concerned about Master Skywalker actually having a meltdown about the sand, but having to deal with it herself here made her more sympathetic to his, er, plight.

Still.

This couldn't be that hard, could it? It wasn't as if there were that many pyramids.

Though it would probably be much easier if they could view them from a distance . . .

Cats were worshipped by the ancient Eyptians, and there are many (many, many) statues and other pieces of art devoted to them in the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. Go through the museum and count all of the cats. If you get the answer right, you'll get your next clue.

You had no idea how many puns Isabela thought up during this task. No idea.

But since she'd learned to pick out details in a crowd quickly (all the better to figure out who had fat purses) she completed it soon enough.

Much like Isabeka, Eggsy spent most of his time trying not to come up with vulgar puns about the cats.

It was way more difficult than it should have been. But he somehow soldiered on.

That was . . . a lot of cats. A lot of cats.

Also, it was a museum, and as hard as Cosette tried to concentrate on the task at hand, she couldn't help stopping every now and then to look at some plaque or other.

She was easily distractable this week, okay?

Cats. Right. So stupid.

Still her observation skills were excellent, so this wasn't too bad.

In Bellydance, you must successfully complete a bellydancing routine (in costume) twice. In Bargain, you must successfully haggle an Egyptian stall owner into giving you bread for the local price. That one could legitimately take alllll day. Choose wisely!

Yeah, April was going with the bellydancing. She knew a lost cause when she saw one.

And she did alright! Okay, she wasn't going to lie, it wasn't hard to pull off some of these sensual moves when a few of the members of the crowd were looking mighty fine today.

Three guesses which of these Isabela chose.

No prizes for guessing what happened after she'd finished and had a chance to chat up some of the other dancers either.

A chance to hit on locals and show off his old gymnastics skills? It was a no brainer that Eggsy picked belly dancing.

You picked a bad option, teachers. Especially with this group.

In retrospect, she'd have been better off going with the bellydancing, but Cosette had been sure she could get a good price on bread fairly easily ~~because I think I'm hilarious~~.

She could admit she was wrong.

Bellydancing was not happening. There was no way in all the hells that Kaylin was only wearing that little thing. It was completely obscene - not to mention it would have exposed all the runes covering her body.

So bargaining it was, though she hot and grumpy enough that it just about led to an all out brawl. Which didn't get her done very quickly.

Yes, Anakin's still bitching about sand.

Isabela showed up with a slink in her step, a grin on her face, and a new hickey on her neck.

"You're third," said Obi-Wan, with a sigh in his voice that was equally this-week, Isabela, and not-dealing-with-Eggsy-ever-again-related.

"You seem tired." Isabela, no. "Master Skywalker keep you up all night?"

Isabela, no.

"Not unless you count the five-minute screed about how we were not going to the desert because of all the sand that he inflicted on me over the comms," Obi-Wan said, sounding less tired and more harried now.

"Well it's rough, it gets everywhere and it chafes."

That could have been meant completely innocently, had someone other than Isabela said it.

"Tell me, you guys got ulterior motives with the belly dancin'?"

Of course he was going to start on that. Sorry, Obi-Wan.

"Of course not," Anakin blustered.

Want to know what Eggsy looked like when he didn't believe you at all? Because this was the expression he made. This right here.

"You could've argued with the cart vendor!" Anakin said. "You didn't have to shake your butt."

"And what? Deprive the world--" He meant Obi-Wan. "--of these abs?"

"They're not that impressive," Anakin said.

Kaylin was utterly miserable in her long sleeved, high-necked dark tunic shirt and long pants. Especially since said clothes stayed in place the whole time despite the heat. She was sweating ridiculously which meant that the sand stuck to her even more than it might otherwise have done.

Please not about sand.

Obi-Wan was sublimating everything about this week into an air of sarcasm and facepalm.

It worked for him.

Anakin did it by bitching about everything.

"I hate it here."

"Now that comes as a complete surprise," Obi-Wan said, so dryly even what little moisture the sand nearby contained sort of... skittered off.

"Shush, you," Anakin said, scowling.

"You could try to calm down," Obi-Wan suggested.

He could, but where was the fun in that?

"This week gets under my skin," he complained.

Like sand.

"It also appears to cause you to revert to being a ten-year-old," Obi-Wan sighed, unaware of just how old Anakin was when he last used that sand line. "Remember your training, Anakin--"

... it had been a long time since he'd last said that.

Anakin snorted. "I'm not a Padawan any longer, Master."

Even if he currently had the maturity level of a nerf.

Results:

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

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Around the World in Sixteen Challenges, Thursday, February 18, 2016

Sign in 2/18

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Pair up!

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Detour: Here, Kitty Kitty

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Road Block: Bellydance or Bargain

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Check-in

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Talk to Anakin or Obi-Wan

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OOC