"So whack the box, magic goo is lobbed out? How is it a game?  Just aim into the bucket?."  Arvol seems a bit puzzled. "Or is Nora Ann just making it look easy?"

He steps over towards the boxes. "In any case, I'm sure I'll be giving this a try. You guys better join up too! Aelyn? Klok? Ambre?"

"Yes, yes, very interesting." Aelyn says, not really paying attention to the game, instead looking around for Aurora. "You go ahead Arvol, I'm sure you'll do great." He says absentmindedly, giving him a pat on the shoulder (Bardic inspiration ;-), then moving on to Mina Lee, giving her a hug. "Hi you, have you seen Aurora around?"

"Hi Nora!" Ambre waves excitedly. "Guess what! I was doing some reading in the Biblioplex and I found this new idea for a sculpture. I just need to find someone who'll give me about 4 pounds of cheese in a giant block!"

Klok slowly walks over "This looks to be entertaining. I will try"

Aithne made her way over to Drazhomir, having spotted him in the crowded room. She was still not particularly comfortable in large groups, but she recognized most of the individuals here and the atmosphere of general excitement was contagious. Focusing on keeping her breathing steady, a meditation trick she'd picked up from a book, she gave the minotaur a wave as she approached. Aithne came to a stop next to him and tipped her head at the table with the strange boxes atop it. "Is it really as simple as Nora Ann makes it look? Or is she just quite good at wizard-gizzard?" 

"The goal is to get as many of the magic spheres in the bucket as you can! If you're game, Arvol, I'll chalk you down as one of the players," Mina says. "And Klok too! Awesome! Anyone else interested?"

"She's right behind you," a familiar voice murmurs in Aelyn's ear, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "Hello, darling!"

"Ambre, that's awesome! Did you have a particular cheese in mind? I think I may know someone who can help you out with that," Nora Ann tells Ambre. "Oh, but are you gonna play tonight? It's really fun!"

"Oh, ah, hi Aithne... Honestly, Nora Ann is pretty good, but it requires quick reflexes and a good understanding of the arcane. But it's pretty fun! They make funny noises. If you feel like it, you should give it a spin," Drazhomir says with a smile. 

"Do we get to practice?"  Arvol asks. "Is the magic harmful? Like, should I be worried about hitting Aithne when I fail spectacularly with this thing? I don't want her to get hurt.  Or get turned into a spider or something!"

While waiting fur further instructions he'll look a bit more closely at one of the boxes, studying it.

"Mm, that voice, like out of a sweet dream, and that touch, cold, and yet it sends warmth of love through my yearning chest." Aelyn says softly to the woman behind him.
He turns around and kisses her, deftly avoiding her sharp fangs. "Mm, to kiss thy sweet lips my love..." He says, giving her another kiss.
"I was thinking of absconding with you somewhere more comfortable but perhaps we should cheer for Arvol and whoever else tries their luck with that peculiar game over there first." He says, taking Aurora by the waist, moving back to the Wizard-Gizzard game.

"Oh just go ahead Arvol, you clearly need no practice, just trust your feelings my friend and you'll be fine." Aelyn says with a smile, ready to cheer him and the others on when the shooting starts. (Aelyn has two more uses of bardic inspiration if anyone wants some for the game :-)

(OOC: Nora Ann's voice sounds a bit like Aelyns ;-)

"Well... I have one of those things." Aithne smiled at Drazhomir. Knowledge of the arcane she had in spades, but quick reflexes...? She chewed her lip for a moment, considering the wizard-gizzard devices. "I think I will try." She finally decided. "Promise to, um, cheer even if I fail?" She asked Drazhomir, taking a handful of backwards steps away from the minotaur before heading over to the table where the boxes were set up.

"Please don't turn me into a spider." She requested of Arvol, catching the tail end of his commentary as she stopped alongside him. "I don't think I would enjoy it very much." Offering a little wave to Mina, Aithne said, "I'd like to play as well?" Even after a demonstration, she wasn't entirely certain how these contraptions worked and she was less than certain about her ability to operate one. Despite that, Aithne had been making attempts to put herself in situations where she wasn't entirely comfortable and this certainly fit.

Arvol gives Aithne a smile.  "I will do my best to avoid that.  I would be pretty sad as well Aithne, I know I enjoy you just the way you are." 

"You're playing too Aithne, excellent, I believe in you, just don't do better than Arvol, he would be devastated I think." Aelyn says to the aasimar, giving Arvol a friendly smile and a wink.
"And you're doing this without even reading a book about it first, I'm impressed Aithne." He says, seemingly quite sincere about what he just said. 
(Bardic inspiration for Aithne too if she wants it :-)

Blushing over the compliment, Aithne slowly leaned into Arvol's side and brushed a kiss across his cheek. "For luck, then." She said, then smiled. "For you and for me." 

"Heck ya I'll play," Ambre says. "And it needs to be hard cheese. But not like aged Parmigiano hard."

"Mm, parmegiano reggiano, the best." Aelyn comments. "And if anyone is going to make sense of this gizzard-contraption I'm sure it will be you my dear Ambre."
(Aand the final Bardic inspiration for Ambre, should she want it :-)

"Thank you, Aelyn." Aithne beamed at the musician. "I'm, um, trying to encourage myself to try new things. Without reading about them first." He might have said it as a joke, but it was very much the truth. Aithne rarely did anything without reading a book about it. This new experiment, forcing herself to try new things (in-public-with-everyone-staring-at-me things, Aithne added privately to herself) was uncomfortable and terrifying and not something she enjoyed, but she was trying to get better. And it was working. If slowly.

"I would be very pleased if Aithne won!" Arvol protested at Aelyn's jest.  He gave Aithne a smile as she leaned into him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  He swiftly returned the favor with a tiny peck on her cheek. "Now we will be doubly lucky!" he added with a chuckle.

Klok looks over the magic contraption getting ready to play, concentrating not listening to the conversation around him. 

"And you're doing a marvelous job at it Aithne, not preparing, just living. Makes me rather think of something I read back home actually." Aelyn says, then seemingly citing something from his mind in a solemn voice

“The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prepare for them. I shall use my time.”

"Or something like that, I don't quite remember." He says with a smile. "And to be fair, that came out of a book." He says with a friendly smile to the aasimar.


"Oh you say that now Arvol, just wait until she has defeated you in the most humiliating way." Aelyn says with a chuckle.

"Hey, Klok, excellent, have a go you too." Aelyn says as the Loxodon joins them.

"Ha!"  Arvol says defiantly.  "I wouldn't mind at all. It would only be humiliating if you somehow won!"

"Fear not my friend, the only game I would ever partake in is the game of love, and there I think we are both winners." Aelyn responds with a loving smile.