[Open] The Great Sled Race

[nor_iron_bars]

Who: Jailbreak and whoever wants to make terrible life-choices for a good grade.
What: Magical transportation.
When: Late January.
Where: On a hill just outside campus.
Warnings: Reckless sled-driving, Jailbreak.

I. young blood

So, remember like five months ago when somebody said "can we have class outside?" [Jailbreak does double-fingerguns and winks at her class, apparently totally unbothered by the fact that she's standing in actual snow and still wearing a sleeveless top.] You're welcome.

[She's the worst.]

But seriously, today we're out here for one reason and one reason only: to let you guys see what you're gonna be working with for your next project.

[She grins, and gestures to the row of wooden toboggans behind her.]

See, we're gonna be having a little competition. One week from now, you're all gonna meet up here on top of this hill, and race to the bottom. First one to the finish line wins. In that time, you're allowed to modify these sleds in whatever way you want- magic, science, magic science- go nuts.

Winner gets a prize. The prize is secret for reasons.

As for cheating... well, you oughtta know class policy by now.

[She winks.]

If you don't get caught, it didn't happen.

[May God have mercy on your frostbitten souls.]


II. here to start a riot

[It's the day of the race.]

[Maybe you're here to race. Maybe you're here to watch. Maybe you're just hoping to prevent this from inevitably becoming a complete and utter disaster.]

[Whatever the reason, you're here. Up at the top of the hill is a starting line, down at the bottom is the finish, both of them clearly marked. Next to the starting line on either side are a pair of wooden benches, for spectators.]

[Jail is leaning casually on a large golden trophy cup that's sitting on the end of the bench. The cup has a lid, which is moving slightly. She leans a little more of her weight on it and the lid settles back down with a muffled rustling noise.]

[It's probably fine.]

Who's ready to race?

Comments

[arcadianvampire]

They're one of nature's biggest badasses, so what do you think?

[It's rhetorical, and he'll give the answer easily.]

Truth is: they're indistinguishable from life and undeath in terms of, as the documentaries say, and I quote: "Not giving a fuck."

[nor_iron_bars]

[Jail nods solemnly.] Mood.

[The trophy is silent, possibly out of respect.]

[arcadianvampire]

Nevertheless, whatever surprise you have in store for the winner, I'm sure it will be quite delightful.

[For someone. Maybe not them.]

So, seeing as how you're running your own little miniature death race here, I'm almost surprised you didn't sell tickets. I take it the administration frowned upon that idea?

[nor_iron_bars]

Everyone's got their own tastes- but I think it's pretty cool. [...Okay, so that was definitely a bad pun somehow. Even without the context, you can just tell she's being a shit.]

[She sighs heavily and rolls her eyes at the question.]

Yeah, they were all "blah blah not an official licensed school event" and I was like "uh, no duh it's not? What, did you think I was gonna give you guys a cut of the profits or something?" and it ended up being a whole thing. Some people got way too much time on their hands.

[arcadianvampire]

Yes, they do, but I suspect it might be one of those liability matters that is such a pain. While Professor Atchison might relish the idea of a challenging liability suit, I suspect the rest of the school's lawyers would not. ...Moreover, the earfuls you'd get from upset parents.

[Valvatorez sighed, glancing off into the distance.]

Thank Hades we're not operating in the US. Litigation there would bleed us dry in a matter of hours.

[nor_iron_bars]

[Jail snorts dismissively.] U. S. legal system's a game of chicken: whoever looks at the bills and flinches first loses. You get those hair-trigger lawsuits when you're dealing with rich fucks who can afford to run out the clock until the other guy goes bankrupt or gives up. If this were an actual trust fund baby private school, I'd be worried- but as it is, pretty much the only guys on the magical side of things who have that kinda liquid cash to toss around are the old blood mage families, and they're all too petty about "unworthy mundane laws" to take anything they actually give a fuck about to normal human court.

[She shrugs.]

[There are very wealthy vampires and lycanthrope clans, it's true- but those are typically the very old ones, as opposed to the younger crowd that still feels the need to attend school. As for daemons and fae... well. If you're matching wits with them, a lawsuit is likely the least of your problems.]

Daybreak's got the cash handy to settle outta court with anyone who actually needs the insurance payout, anyway. Half those "hot coffee" lawsuits are just trying to get the case on record so the insurance company coughs up like they're supposed to.

[It's easy to forget that Jailbreak's American, sometimes- inasmuch as she belongs to any country at all, these days. She's the girl from nowhere, no fixed address, and happy that way... but she grew up in the States, and she figures that gives her the right to bitch about it.]

[Besides, she likes to read the occasional legal text in her spare time. It's fun to take a pen and cross off everything she's gotten around to doing, and make note of exciting new ordinances to break when she has the time to get around to them.]

[arcadianvampire]

[Valvatorez just scoffs, and waves his hand.]

Tear the whole thing down, if you ask me. Corrupt as it comes if the courts aren't actually interested in actual fairness. For all that you hear humans talk about "might makes right" being unacceptable, they just find clever ways to obfuscate it with money and bureaucracy instead of actual strength. That's one thing daemons have: you know exactly how things work with them.

[Val has opinions about this sort of thing, and for as traditionalist as he often may seem, he could still be radical in his own ways. He's a weird one for sure. ...He keeps quiet on the matter of insurance companies too, which is another thing he assuredly has opinions about thanks to...

Well, the less said about it the better, he figures. Enough people already know by this point already.]

Ah well, no need for me to prattle on about that. Not when there's plenty of good times to be had by watching the fruits of labor your students sowed.

[nor_iron_bars]

Hey, I'm not gonna argue. [A low chuckle.] Criminal, remember? The law's that thing that happens to other people.

[No law for the ones who break it, and no law for the ones that make it... just the ones without the luck or power to avoid it. Yeah, she can see where he's coming from.]

Y'know, if you're in the mood for some extra action... they just told me I couldn't sell tickets. [She grins.] Nobody said I couldn't run a betting pool.