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Post by Dandy Danny on Feb 6, 2015 19:04:53 GMT -5
The large wooden stage was set for its participants. The preparations were complete for a contest of skill. It wasn't a competition of battle or wit, but a showcase of ability that these individuals have cultivated over their lifetimes. All participants are expected to come on stage one by one and display what they thought was show-worthy in front of the modest crowd who came to watch. Pamphlets with the participants and their acts listed were given to the crowd. It was clear that some had an advantage over others. Naturally acts focused on entertainment were better suited for this.
A human was the one to walk onto the stage first. "The name's Hugo and I'm your announcer for the day! We've got a number of participants lined up to show off what they thought was worth putting on this stage. But I'm not the judge here. It's up to you all to decide who is going home the winner today! One by one the competitors will step up here and perform for you."
"Let the Declaration of Skill begin!"
OOC:
-Each participant gets one post to showcase their general skill
-Please do not vote until all posts have been made
-The thread and poll will lock the morning of 2/14 when the results will be announced
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Post by Guy Sumtin on Feb 10, 2015 16:33:49 GMT -5
It was the big day. Guy was the first to stand on the wooden stage which served as the base of operations for all of the contestants today. He felt nervous at the prospect of being the first to showcase his skill. Secretly he worried that his skill wouldn't be as cool as the others but he had signed up for this anyway.
Looking around his work area, the mage checked off a mental list. Flour, milk, eggs. Sugar was there too and various other supplies for decoration and flavoring. Cracking his knuckles, Guy grabbed a nearby bowl to begin his creation. He started to mix his batter for the cake. "Hmm.... Why hold back?" He muttered to himself. Grabbing the container of butter he dumped in at least half of it and then drowned that in enough sugar to petrify a whole man. Guy cast a quick spell to keep the butter and sugar mixing in the bowl while he grabbed a basket of eggs and cracked dozens after dozens of eggs into the bowl as well.
Realizing the predicament he had gotten himself into Guy parsed the beginnings of the batter into several other similar sized mixing bowls. Satisfied with the solution to his problem, Guy grabbed the bushel of vanilla beans provided for him and divided it between each bowl.
He then turned his attention to the next step in this process. The flour mixture. With the help of a simple spell he brought a large bag of flour over to another large set of bowls. Divvying it between each bowl he added to each receptacle. Without missing a beat he dumped the mounds of salt into the bowls. A grim thought entered his mind as he watched the salt pour in. What if it's too much salt? He worried about the taste; too much salt would ruin the entire batter and create an awful puck when he would bake it.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts out. He needed every ounce of concentration for the spell he was about to weave next. With the precision of a master chef, Guy used his magic to bring the liquid mixture and the dry mixture together. Kneading the batter with nothing but a few delicate spells, Guy reached out and brought the tubs of milk to his batter and merged the two. "Now into three parts." He whispered, adding another line into his spell weave. He parted the batter into three parts, the first and by far the largest he flattened out and cast a fire spell upon to cook. The next largest he kept aloft as he grabbed handfuls of cocoa, powder and syrup, and flung it at the floating batter. With the chocolate flavoring invading it's entirety Guy flattened this one as well before casting his baking spell upon it.
Last but not least was the smallest portion of the cake batter. He had some strawberry preserves for garnish but quickly decided that they would be better used as flavoring. The big three flavors: Vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry; a classic. With this new plan in mind, Guy used the red jams to add their flavor and color to his last cake. It had turned a beautiful shade of pink by the time he was finished and baking it.
"Now time for the frosting." Guy ordered himself. There wasn't much time before his first cake would finish, it actually would've been done by now if it hadn't been for Guy prolonging the heat spell he was using to bake each one with.
Grabbing another mixing bowl, Guy tossed in some powder sugar and animated other mixing bowls to do the same. Quite a mixture was forming as the wizard added butter and some more vanilla bean to what was becoming his frosting. Not quite butter cream, yet. As a final ingredient in his icing, he added cream, not milk but the very cream used for whipping. Tasting it quickly, Guy made was very pleased. "Perfect!" He cried aloud. He took a portion of his frosting aside and added in some drops of red liquid for later use.
It was now time to bring the whole cake together. The first tier, vanilla, was done. He cleared a large portion of the wooden stage for his masterpiece. So what if the other contestants had less room for their own displays of skill? As long as his could be seen it would be perfect.
Lowering the cake base onto the stage, Guy prepared another spell to frost it. A comparatively small dollop of frosting on top to hold the next tier in place and at least a third of the rest of the frosting wove it's way around the cake until it was covered with a fine, off-white, blanket. Next Guy did the same with the chocolate cake and finally he topped it off with the strawberry.
"Not done yet." He muttered to himself as he mixed together some icing of more decoration. He grabbed a piping bag and enchanted other bags to follow his suit. It wouldn't be the artistic masterpiece he had in mind, seeing as he wasn't skilled at painting he couldn't draw and color scenes of the heroes like he wanted. Instead he gave each tier a harlequin pattern with chocolate frosting from his piping bags. On the empty spaces on the first two tiers he sprinkled berries of various kinds to to fill gaps.
The top of the cake was going to be special, and as Guy climbed to the top he planned his finale. He had mixed some red coloring in with a portion of his buttercream earlier. Now it was time to use it. Picturing the simple image in his mind he magically crafted a large frosting rose on top of the cake. He then added a few mundane spells to keep the cake from spoiling too fast before lowering himself back down to the stage.
Finished, Guy turned to the crowd. "I am done!" He shouted. "My work of skill is this cake, the largest pastry likely to have been made by Terrans." He bowed, and as he did so he shot a couple sparks spells up into the air to create the illusion of fireworks. "I must remind you, this is a real cake and after the other contestants are finished everyone is welcome to as much as they want to eat and take home!" Guy bowed once more before vacating the stage, leaving it for the next performance.
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Post by Ulrich Thistle on Feb 10, 2015 21:16:38 GMT -5
 Guy's performance was magnificent. For many his cake would be the most captivating part, but for Ulrich it was his use of magic. He had lived in the deep country for his whole life. The mages he came across were either academy-bred or something akin to village mystics. He had never thought of using magic for simple tasks like these. He wondered, hoped that one day he would be able to use magic in such a way. Today wouldn't be that day. His spells were considered vile by the public. He would be committing social suicide by bringing his skeleetons with him to the contest.
This is the very reason the only sound coming from the stage was Ulrich grunting as he drug a large wooden cart behind him. The wooden boards of the stage creaked as his cart inched further and further. The slim young man was obviously having difficulty getting ready for his show. He hadn't planned to build any suspense with this stunt. The burlap cloth that covered the contents of his cart kept the crowd from knowing what he had in store. He had piled the cart high with his specialty which was clear even with the burlap covering it. The young man wore his typical garb of a dirty shirt and faded overalls along with his black boots. Some would properly identify him as a farmer, but they wouldn't know for sure until they saw what was beneath the cloth.
After what seemed like an eternity Ulrich managed to get the cart where he wanted on stage. He panted with his hands on his knees. When he straightened back up he had a big smile on his face. It was clear the crowd's patience was nearing its end. He took in a deep breath and just when everyone thought the moment of truth was upon them, he fled. A small roar of unrest came as Ulrich sprinted back off stage. He returned with a bag over his shoulder and pulling a table. The horrible screeching of wood on wood seemed louder than any of the announcers as he pulled it into place. He laid the bag on the table. He pulled some of its contents out. He looked over everything and nodded. He turned and dramatically pulled the thick cloth off of the cart, covering its contents until it finally hit the crowd.
Vegetables, lots and lots of vegetables.
To everyone except Ulrich this may have been underwhelming. He was bouncing on his heels in excitement. One by one he laid out vegetable after vegetable. He began to pile them high. The colors were earthy, but wonderfully diverse. No sweet fruits or colorful products of flowering plants were present. Every unit he brought with him still had dirt clinging to them.
Ulrich raise a hand that firmly gripped a brush with coarse bristles. He went for a plump carrot first. He spent about sixty seconds cleaning the vegetables. The dirt came off in clumps and clouds. The rough outer skin was sheared away. By the time he was done, the carrot had a vibrant orange color to it.
He continued this process. The soft browns of potatoes, the deep reds of radishes, the purples of beets reminiscent of bruises, the whites and violets of round turnips. The dull earthy tones were made more appealing right before the crowd's eyes. His pile shifted from his right to his left. It seemed he would run out of vegetables to brush very soon.
Until Ulrich produced a crate from his cart. He cracked the lid off of the top of it. He traded his brush for a knife. He continued to move in a slow rhythmic fashion. He made certain to only one vegetable came into view at a time. He would perform a deep cut into each one, halving it, and setting it on display. Tomatoes, eggplants, and even some oddities that were difficult to identify. You could see the juice gathering at the base of these vegetables and soaking into the table.
The dynamic of this performance went in tune with Guy's cake. With edibility as the major theme between them, Ulrich did well going next. However, their foods were opposite of one another. It could be said that going second might hurt his chances. Typically people weren't excited for vegetables, especially children.
Regardless, Ulrich wiped down his tools and put them away. He beamed a large smile and bowed to the audience. If this contest had been announced last season he could have prepared some massive plants or focused on something specific. He still felt he did well showcasing his ability as a farmer. He painted a picture of his typical harvest on the table in front of him. Without a spoken word, Ulrich marched offstage leaving behind his vegetables much like how Guy left his cake as a reminder to the crowd.
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Post by Aaliyah on Feb 10, 2015 23:54:23 GMT -5
we're GOnna dance
the night away | | The first two performances were very food oriented. A reverse dinner of sorts, with the desert coming out first in a grand display followed by a healthy heaping of vegetables. It left quite a few hungry for more and there was still plenty to come in this demonstration of talent. In particular, Aaliyah had been waiting off stage for a good moment to step out and she figured now was better than never. Stepping out onto the stage, she gave a broad smile and a wave to the audience.
"Hello, everyone! I hope you enjoy my performance!" she kept her words concise and friendly, not trying to win the audience through words but action. It was a talent show after all, not a debate. She navigated her way past the display of vegetables towards the prime spot on stage for everyone to be able to see her. To all those in the audience, she appeared to be headed straight towards the massive cake plopped down on stage. As she got closer, some wondered if she was going to kick the cake or move it out of the way.
She wasn't that mean. She would use it for her own ends though. Raising a foot to take a step, Aaliyah began lowering it in a direct path for the bottom layer of the cake. Before it could even disturb the art that was the cake, she stepped onto something seemingly solid above it. It was a small trick in her repertoire of showmanship magic, letting her seemingly "dance on air". It was a layer of air between the solid surface and herself, compressed and manipulated through magic. In many a tavern did she dance upon the drinks of the patrons without spilling a drop. She ascended up the cake in this manner, reaching the strawberry top and placing both feet on the "ground" she made for herself.
Slowly, her arms raised from her sides to form a t-shape and her knees bent. Her eyes shut as the air around her seemed to take on an orange hue, dancing around her like wind. Sounds began to ring out from the open air, like a duo playing hand drums, starting out slowly. Her right arm began to move, a rolling starting from the shoulder and carrying to the fingertips making her arm move like a snake. As her fingertips rose, she then started the same motion from her left shoulder and carried that through to her left fingertips. A few repetitions of this, with the accompanying "drums" slowly picking up in pace as her lower half began to move. Starting from the right, her knee extended out and then snapped back in, dropping and then lifting her right hip. This motion then transferred to her left side in the same pattern, before repeating. She started off slow intentionally, but picked up her pace into a full lower body shimmy as the drums picked up the pace.
And then suddenly, she snapped her head back and gave a whip of her pony tail. A flash of light burst from behind her, bright enough to be surprising but it would not really damage anybody's sight. It was her magic, after all. The flash faded to reveal an illusory sun outlining her figure standing atop the cake, the orange-hued wind around her expanding outward like tendrils to slowly sheath the cake. During the flash of light, she herself had turned to face her back to the audience, continuing the lower shimmy while visibly shifting her hips horizontally from side to side. The light from the sun shone through the semi-translucent leggings she wore, outlining the shape of her legs as they followed up to her hips and upward. Her arms moved from the air beside her hips upward, outlining herself before extending them outward once more.
With a step and a turn, she swiftly brought herself to face the audience once more, her eyes wide and her smile wider. She placed her left foot forward, with the right hand near her head and the left hand near her waist, as an undulating motion moved from her hips and traveled upwards, thrusting her chest out and ending at her shoulders. She continued to repeat these undulations, shifting her hips into a circular motion and fluidly transitioning from her left foot forward to the right. The drums beat to the rhythm of her motions, emphasizing each move she made.
Shifting herself forward, she let her legs carry her down the front of the cake in much the same ways she ascended, giving a twist of her hips with each step as her arms slowly moved upwards, the motion spreading out from her shoulders to her fingers. They moved to form almost a ring circling her head, without her fingers touching. When her foot touched solid wood as she made it to the cake, the tinted winds faded from around the cake as the sun beyond it did. In its place, an illusory mist began to seep through the stage itself, blanketing the stage. Though the mist's height only rose to perhaps her knees, it added a bit more as the drums slowed down in pace.
Her arms returned to shoulder height as she began a shoulder shimmy, moving her upper torso forward and back as she did so. Her hips continued a circular motion and she slowly stepped in a similarly sized circular shape. With two circles, she transitioned, undulating from her shoulders down to her hips as she transitioned into a figure eight motion. Her hips followed this pattern while her simply flowed in time with the rhythm of her body.
As she continued this calm motion, two illusory copies of Aaliyah arose from the mist beside her, mimicking her moves in time. As they did, her arms slowly moved back upward and eventually her hands met above her head. She turned to the side, and as her upper torso remained still the undulations continued from her stomach down to her hips. With her right side facing the audience, she topped off each undulation by lifting her right hip up, and then letting it drop. As she did this and the copies mimicked it, the mist began to gather, rising and forming almost a cyclone around her. There was no real wind though to it.
With a final loud "ba-bam" of the duo drums, the mist vanished, leaving a single Aaliyah highlighted by a magically formed spotlight standing before her audience. Chest held out with pride and arms outstretched she stood, her eyes watching the audience and genuine joy in her expression. Even if she didn't win, this was fun for her.
"Thank you everyone! It's been fun and I hope you enjoyed the show!" Aaliyah's words were followed with a transition into a bow, keeping her arms extended, and nodding on the rise. Finishing with a large wave to the entire audience, she happily made her way off stage with a bit of a shimmy in her steps.
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