Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Animal Companion Competition: Talent Showcase

ACC Challenge D - (Talent) Showcase


The next challenge for our competitors …


Showcase Challenge: This week’s challenge is very open ended. Tell us about and/or demonstrate an interesting talent you have. It can be combat relevant, quirky, something you do to make your person smile, or something else entirely. The sky, as they say, is the limit. (although if you’re doing something actually high up, remember the judges need to be able to see what you’re doing if you provide a demonstration.) Keep in mind, the judges may be less impressed if it’s a skill you’ve already shown off in the past three challenges. 


With such an open ended challenge, we’re excited to see what the competitors decide to bring to the stage!


First up, Cleopatra:


“A talent? Well, not many people know this, but I can bake! It’s kind of hard because I’m small and the things I bake tend to be larger than I am, and my oven is on a ship, and sometimes the ship rocks and makes things spill, but I manage. I even made Elly-wan’s birthday cake this year! I can’t wait to see them eat it!” 




(Elouan later confirmed that the cake was delicious, and the divot filled with frosting was a pleasant surprise.)


Cimone: Baking is a solid skill to have and share with others. At sea even, that’s got to make quite a mess sometimes. I see no problem with extra icing - I hear there is even a thing to do that purposefully in cupcakes.  

Cressida: Yummy! Who doesn’t love baked goods made with love? I appreciate anyone talented enough to feed me delicious treats! *Whispers from the booth* What do you mean the cake wasn’t for me?! 


Aara is up next:


“You don't get to spend time with Kovaks without picking up a lot of trivia and lore about the Realms. Don't tell them, but when they're off at fight practice I sometimes read their books. I think I'm the only one in the Realms under one foot tall who can properly spell ‘Rrathclwynn’.”



Cressida: Aara is the most studious pupper! I know from personal experience just how smart Aara is. If you don’t believe us here, just check out the Trivia Contest aka Home Questing Task 25 when it premiers on the View in a few weeks!

Cimone: Loremaster in training I see.  I probably should have expected nothing else.  I salute your ability to spell things I would hesitate to try and pronounce if I hadn’t heard them said before. 


Malcolm Mallard has been practicing his talent:


“This week, you asked to see some sort of skill or talent. While, I have not quite perfected it, I am accomplished enough to show off for this challenge. While every bird worth their bread can fly. Only the hummingbird can HOVER. Until now. I have been practicing this skill so I can stay in the air near Bogen, so I can help him when he is in particularly close combat. I get out of the way, then, If he survives I congratulate him. Or he dies, I then giving him a report of what happened while he was down (Death Watch) once Bogen is raised. Being able to hover near by enables me to get a better view for him, so I can explain things in more detail to his simple mind. Attached is video evidence of this hovering.”




***(Note: Bag, string, etc. is OOC)


Cimone: Looks like you don’t have the stationary bit completely down, but that’s still a very impressive given ducks can’t usually stay any kind of stationary in the air.  (OOC props for building a contraption that worked as well as it did.  It looks like quite the craft store engineering feat.)

Cressida: Incredible talent! Who knew one could learn to float by sheer force of will and the tenacity to never give up? 


Kedol Maas is ready to show off, don’t blink or you’ll miss it:


Kedol Maas has learned how to blink to avoid swords!


(Trouble with this video? Click here to watch it on YouTube.)

   


Cressida: I had to see this talent a few times because you truly do miss it if you blink. Such a useful talent to have when facing enemies with swords or projectiles! 

Cimone: Did he blink, or did I?  (both?  both.) An unexpected and useful talent to have.


DaniDanger and HelpPink take to the floor with a very special guest star this week:





Cimone: Oh hey, singing and dancing.  I do enjoy a good bardic routine.  Didn’t HelperPink use dancing as a distraction last week though?

Cressida: I want to party with all of them! As a bard, I am always down for a party that can break out into a brawl at any moment. 


Jharru thought it best to show you the talent he has learned while adventuring with Aranel:


(Trouble with this video? Click here to watch it on YouTube.)



Cressida: I can confirm that Jharru can in fact speak fluent Common as we have had many riveting conversations. He is quite the chatterbox if you get him going! Also having a Draconic translator on hand could save one from a fiery situation. 

Cimone: Multiple languages is something I’ve tried and mostly failed at before myself so I’m very impressed.  An excellent demonstration. 


We saw many talents this week that amazed us! The competition is really tight going into the final challenge next week! It will all be up to you at home after the next challenge so sound off in the comments on which competitor’s talent blew you away. Can you dance, blink, or float? What is your secret talent? We want to know! 


Make sure to come back next week for the FINAL Challenge: Style!