peckenpaugh | THORNTRAIL'S HIDE & SEEK TOURNAMENT

hide & seek tournament

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what's up? Every year, each House hosts an event for the rest of the school, Thorntrail in autumn, Deeplurk in winter, Mothgarden in spring and Wildgulch just before summer break starts. These events are a chance for some friendly competition, a big House Points boost, and a potential custom party for the winners. With Thanksgiving break fast approaching, it’s time for Thorntrail’s annual Hide & Seek Contest!

Today, the half-day of classes ends just before lunch. Students and teachers gather at Thorntrail for a pleasantly chilly fireside picnic of bonfire-cooked goodies and squatch-themed treats. Once the meal is over, the games begin: students hiding and the staff is seeking, and the kids are given free range of campus. Hide anywhere you want! But once you’re found, you’ve got to book it to home base back at Thorntrail.

visuals!

volunteer slots! [CHARACTER A] thinks they've found the perfect spot, but so does [CHARACTER B]. They fight over who gets this prime choice hiding place, and wind up squeezing in together.

Maisy's first choice of hiding place is taken by a couple of freshmen who are getting pretty handsy with each other, much to their horror.

[CHARACTER D] finds a great spot, but it's a bit of a tight fit and just won't do. When they try to climb back out, they find they're stuck, and [CHARACTER E] passing by has to help them escape (or leave them to be found immediately).

how this works! ⬥ Lunch starts at noon and the event runs from 1 to 3PM! That's plenty of time to get yourself stuck in a storm drain or something!

⬥ The students are hiding and the teachers are seeking!

⬥ Students may hide in any unrestricted spot on campus (the Elflock Falls, the teacher's housing, the Sorting Path, the library tower, the Restricted section of the library), in groups or alone. You cannot leave the anti-apparition zone, and so you won't be stumbling upon anything too weird out there. You may not hide in dorm rooms or teacher's offices and Healer Greatheart will hit you with a rolled up newspaper if she catches you hiding in the infirmary, but most other interiors are A-OK.

⬥ Fill out this form and post it to the header where your character is hiding.

⬥ Students are given five full minutes to hide before seeking begins, but may continue hunting for a good hiding spot after that if they haven't found one, yet.

⬥ We encourage you to fill out the form today, as we will be selecting a particular hider to not be alone and discover a hidden cache of cafeteria pudding. However, we will continue to roll on all hiding spots until Friday, November 29th, at which point we will declare a winner of the contest.

⬥ You do not need to be detailed about where your student is hiding — you can simply say "They hid in a tree hollow" or "Under a table in the cafeteria" — however, more creative and detailed descriptions will reap greater bonuses. There is also an inherent bonus to hiding location: you're more likely to make it back to home base if you hide in the West Quarter, but there will be a bonus to your hiding roll if you hide further away, like in East Quarter.

⬥ The winning House will earn +50 Points toward the House Cup for November, and can anticipate a special House party thrown for them in January.

⬥ House overall scores are the individual hider's score in minutes + a flat bonus if they successfully made it back to base.

⬥ Having trouble thinking of a place to hide? Re-familiarize yourself with Peckenpaugh campus. The page neatly divides up the major landmarks of each of the four Quarters and Central Campus.

⬥ We encourage you to thread anywhere in this IC/OOC. :) You can bounce off other people's hiding entries or start whole threads.

locations! ⬦ SQUATCHSIDE LUNCH: Every Squatch beneath House Thorntrail has been decorated for the occasion, some in scarves and sunglasses, others donning hawaiian shirts or ponchos. They all look their best, ready to watch kids get sneaky. In the park beneath Thorntrail from noon to 1PM, students can get a campfire lunch before the festivities begin. Snack on simple fare like fresh fruits, roasted veggies and trail mix. Grab traditional bonfire treats like hot dogs, or try one of the more fancy creations cooked up by Mr. Hobgood — the herby crepes and vegan campfire nachos are both outstanding. There's plenty of space to sit, both at picnic tables and on rocks or the ground.

⬦ (H&S) WEST QUARTER: Peckenpaugh's West Quarter is mostly dense forests with some gently rolling hills, an easy place to lose someone or to get lost, yourself. Home to House Thorntrail, the surrounding forests and trails, the astronomy tower and the remains of Peckenpaugh's once extensive ranching and animal husbandry facilities, it's easy to find a spot to hide, but it's also easy to guess that someone might be hiding. The trunk of the tree that stretches up through Thorntrail House is Home Base for today's festivities, so if you hide in this Quarter, you're apt to make it back to Home Base easily when you're found.

⬦ (H&S) CENTRAL CAMPUS: It's easy to disappear between buildings or duck under a classroom desk if you decide to hide in Central Campus. In addition to just tucking yourself away beneath a bench in the Central Green or hiding in a classroom in the main classroom building, there's the cafeteria, the auditorium, the library and the radio station all waiting for you to sneak around in. Hey, the Muscheron might even lend you a hand in keeping yourself concealed! Hiding in Central Classrooms provides a light bonus to time spent hiding and a relatively low difficulty of getting back to campus.

⬦ (H&S) NORTH QUARTER: The North Quarter's rolling hills are dotted with shrubs and trees and large stones that make for adequate hiding spots, but you're probably headed for Lake Peckenpaugh, aren't you? Maybe squeeze beneath the docks, hide in a row boat or scoot on over to House Deeplurk's rocky island home and find one of the many stone hollows to climb into. The Falls themselves may be off limits, but the mist they wreathe the area in sure makes it hard to see. The North Quarter affords a moderate time bonus to overall hide time, and is moderately difficult to get back to home base from without getting caught.

⬦ (H&S) SOUTH QUARTER: Truth be told, there aren't many places to hide in Peckenpaugh's South Quarter. Sure, there are a few trees, and the above ground caverns provide a few places to tuck yourself into the shadows, but by and large it's just open, rolling hills. There are Wildgulch's caverns, though, and the spacious Artificing Workshop. Maybe its openness will mean fewer teachers are hanging around here searching? Try it out if you're feeling lucky! South Quarter affords a moderate time bonus for overall hide time as well as a moderate difficulty check for getting back to home base successfully.

⬦ (H&S) EAST QUARTER: Gardens, gardens and more gardens. It may take you a bit to get over to east campus, and you'll risk getting caught on the way, but once you're there the possibilities of places to tuck yourself away are nearly endless! It's easy to find secluded spaces in the greenhouses and the gardens. Just mind you don't upset Ms. Treetops by letting Zero Sugar Pepsi get at her succulents. There's the quidditch and quodpot pitches, their stands, and the athletic building, and then, of course, House Mothgarden, which provides a bit of magically enhanced hiding with its enchanted hedge mazes. Hiding in the East Quarter provides a bonus to total time spent hiding, but it is much more difficult to make it back to home base.

⬦ OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ramona has a theory that she could probably fold herself up small enough that she could hide in a cupboard in the concessions stand, which she thinks is a pretty solid hiding spot. But she doesn't get a chance to try, because as soon as she rounds a corner she sees some limbs not-quite-hidden under the counter.

"Oh, come on," she says. "I can see you from here."

"It ain't my fault. I'm too big to fit all the way under, and it's too late to find somewhere better anyhow," Wyatt stage whispers back. When he leans halfway out from under the counter to see who's there, he has an opened mini bag of Fritos in his hand. Thank god it isn't straight ketchup.

Ugh. Wyatt.

"Well, I'm smaller than you, so scram." This seems some kind of fair to Ramona, despite the fact that it isn't. Her dislike of Wyatt probably doesn't help. She's not even impressed by the fact that he's eating a legitimate snack food instead of garbage or condiments.

He raises his eyebrows, then counters with an eloquent and well thought out, "Nope." He raises his eyebrows and shrugs, challenge issued. "You squeeze in somewhere or find your own spot."

Ramona cannot believe her stupid dumb luck.

"Fine," she says, making a big show of 'accidentally' stepping on him as she clambers up on top of the counter so she can get into one of the higher cabinets. "Maybe having a big stupid distraction nearby will help me out."

Wyatt yipes like a puppy with a crushed tail, then glares up at her while she climbs. "Maybe having a big stupid distraction nearby will help me out." he mimics in a high pitched, whiny voice.

"Stop whining or someone's going to hear you," Ramona says, poking her head out so she can look down at Wyatt from her perch. "Some of us are actually trying to win here."

Wyatt tosses a big handful of corn chips into his mouth and chews them noisily. After a moment, but without swallowing, he says, "Did'ju say something? I'm busy hiding in the spot I found first."

"First in, first out," she says as she shuts her cupboard door. It's not sound-proof enough that Wyatt can't hear her say "See if you can find something louder to chew on while you're at it."

"Oh good idea," Wyatt says. From inside her cabinet, Ramona can hear Wyatt shuffling through various snack options. "Oh man, you ever wonder why Sun Chips have the loudest bag of any chip?" The deafening crinkle that follows suggests that he has just opened up a bag.

She hasn't, and she doesn't care to. The crinkling goes on for way too long, though. "You're supposed to eat the chips, not the bag," she says.

"You gotta lick all the cheese dust," Wyatt insists. "Waste not want not."

The cabinet pops open and she leans out to toss a handful of ketchup packets at him. "If you don't shut up I'm going to put a silencing charm on you."

Wyatt has quick reflexes. He demonstrates by snatching a packet from midair, tearing it open, and squirting it directly into his mouth before Ramona can return to her safe haven.

"Oh, disgusting!" Ramona declares, perhaps a little melodramatically. "The fact anyone willingly puts their mouth on yours astonishes me." She closes her cabinet again.

Wyatt spends a couple of minutes trying to figure out how to produce the most noise while slurping ketchup straight from the packets, and gets it to sound remarkably like a very sloppy makeout. "I'm just that good of a kisser."

THORNTRAIL'S HIDE & SEEK TOURNAMENT

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt

Occupied! Ramona & Wyatt