Group #11

[Callum Baines]

• OOC | I'm going to assume Cassandra gave up on operation wine to water. For now, at least. Else we'll have very cranky boys on our hands, and it's only round five!
  
  Though he had never been particularly devout, Callum knew there must have been a god when he awoke with no hangover, his flask lighter but still sporting enough firewhiskey to last him a few more nightsùparticularly if Eze in his bartending glory saw fit to supplement his stores a littleùand if the air of the wilderness left him this clearheaded every night, he was certainly going to drink it. He was rather reluctant to set off again, but knew it to be a necessary evil; as tiring as the trip might be, the payout at the end would be worth it to a man of his standing.
  
  Finally, the group reached the end of the mountain and had a choice to make. Under different circumstance he might have suggested the easier route, but they were all men hereùsave for the obnoxious woman, but she at least was in trousersùand damned if they would pansy out. "Shall we go up, then?"

  

[Cassandra Trelawney-Bowen]

Cass sighed heavily when Mr. Baines proposed climbing. Most of the men were either drunk or hangover and they wanted to climb? She didn't need to be a seer to see will happen.
"Do you have a death wish, Mr. Baines? You are all either drunk or hangover and you want to climb? I don't need to be a seer to know it will end badly. Climb then, if you want, break something if you have such a wish. I am going around." She protested looking at Sam, who said with a heavy sigh.
"Cass is right. We are in no shape to go up. So, it will be better to go around" He said and Cass nodded her head.

  

[Callum Baines]

• "Just æcause your boy's doubtless a lightweight, girlie," Cal offered, inclining his head towards Sam, "doesn't mean the rest of us don't know how to handle ourselves." If he could chase after errant second years with an actual hangover, or win brawls while still drunk, a brisk climb when he actually felt rested would be no trouble, and the boys, no doubt, had gotten themselves out of worse situations.

  

[Ezekial Aesalon]

Eze was just barely hungover, and he would have liked to thank every higher power ever for that. He was also in a genuinely good mood, primarily brought on by the realization that winning land would give him somewhere to be stupid away from his mother. Yay.

He shrugged at the prospect of climbing, feeling like they were all starting to argue with Cassandra Trelawney for the hell of it. "I've done worse things while drunk," he said, "I don't really see how this could go wrong."

Famous last words, of course, but this was Eze Aesalon.

  

[Samuel Bowen]

"You really are an intolerable bunch of drunkards, has anyone ever told any of you that?" Sam looked at his group. He was relatively cranky, despite the fact that he still thanked Merlin every morning that he and Cass got placed in the same group. Other than that, however, the other members of his group were annoying and all they cared about was getting drunk. He hated it, and he was annoyed by them. He made a note to speak with someone about setting in place some sort of physical limit on people that forced them to remain sober while in the company of clearly more civil persons.

Sam sighed and rubbed his temples. "Why don't we just split up? You lot can go kill yourselves on the dangerous mountains that you think nothing of, and Cass and I will take the less dangerous route." He liked the plan not only because it kept both him and Cass safe, but because it would get him away from people who he would never be able to stand on any normal basis.

  

[James Riley]

What was it about being sober that suddenly made being drunk so difficult? James had never had problems pacing himself before, but of the exactly two times that he'd fallen off the wagon since swearing himself sober, he had gotten way more drunk than he had intended during both. Perhaps it was that his tolerance was starting to change, but that seemed unlikely. Perhaps it was simply that before he had been more accepting of the fact that he was getting drunk; now that he was internally in some degree of denial, he ended up getting himself into trouble.

He hadn't exactly been a mess last night, but he figured he was probably who the Trelawney woman was referencing when she mentioned the hangovers. Or possibly the "still drunk" comment; James might have been drunk, still, it was hard to tell with his head pounding this much.

As was to be expected, he'd kept to himself most of the morning, because honestly, he didn't give a rat's backside at this point where they went or what they did. When the pretend-healer started calling names, however, James couldn't help but say something.

"No one has ever said it as sweetly as you, Bowen," he said dryly. "You dolts can do whatever you please--though I'm fairly certain if the two of you run off it'll trigger the Ministry's 'deserter' curse. If you want to risk it, be my guest--we've got a majority and I guess we're climbing the mountain."

Not that James had any desire to climb the mountain at all, in his present state, but all be damned if he was going to side with the pretentious slum woman and the man who had just called him a drunkard and felt up ladies' unmentionables for a living.

  

[Everett Grimm]

While it seemed that they had managed to have a good time and enjoy a hangover of sorts, Ev felt quite refreshed, having chosen not to imbibe quite as much as he usually did. His plan had to drink just enough to knock him out for a real, honest-to-goodness, a-whore-next-to-you-in-the-bed kind of sleep. He knew a hangover the day after wouldn't be the best thing to have to deal with in addition to Miss Trelawney and her boy toy. Ev had plenty of experience trying to function with a hangover and usually managed pretty well, but he didn't want to break a leg out here and have to go home. No, he needed the rewards from this trip and he was going to do whatever he needed to in order to get them. And if that meant he had to watch his drinking and make sure he paid attention to what he was doing, then fine.

While the rest of his group argued about which way to go, Ev chose to stay mum. He wasn't exactly excited to go climbing a mountain today, the other option was the openly agree with Trelawney and Bowen and that was not a smart choice either. Everett only grinned as Bowen called them intolerable drunkards. That was not the first, nor would it be the last time this lot had heard that, so therefore he chose to take it as a compliment.

Shouldering his pack, he stood next to James as his friend retorted to the comment. "See ya." He said, turning to head up the hill with the rest of them. The two lovebirds could do what they wanted, it was no skin off his nose.

  

[Callum Baines]

• When the group had first been assembled, Cal had assumed that James Riley would take Bowen's sideùtrue, he might have been good friends with Ev, but the caretaker had little doubt that hospital ties and a general possession of money would win out, as it often did. Too many upper-class layabouts, in the wizard's opinion, thought nothing of the opinions of those who worked for a living (though as he was coming to like Riley, he was far more willing to consider what the younger man did "work"). Still, time and time again the man had proved him wrong, and Cal could not keep a smile from his face when the healer countered Bowen'sùreasonably aptùjibe, questioning his common sense all the while.
  
  Turning to the rest of the tolerable group members, Callum bent to strap the empty cageùthe owl had flown off with a simple report for the Ministry the night beforeùto his pack, double checking as he did so that his more valuable possessions were firmly loaded in as well. "It's a shame whatever'll get æem from the Ministry is a spell, and we've the spell damage healer," he remarked to Eze, perhaps with more glee in his tone than was necessary.

  

[Ezekial Aesalon]

Eze laughed. He was a bartender, he called himself a drunkard sometimes. He was also amused by the fact that the two civil people wanted to go off on their own. "Have fun, you crazy kids!" he shouted in a tone far too loud before turning back to the majority.

Eze laughed at Callum's comment, a grin lighting up his face. "Now that's justice," he said, shifting back and forth on his feet and absolutely cheerful, even if two people could be dying awfully. Hilariously, though.

  

[Samuel Bowen]

For the sake of not starting too many arguments at once, Sam chose to speak only to the man whom he only call a colleague. "Deserting would be leaving and going home, not continuing forth on a less dangerous path. Some people actually care about their lives and making it home to the people they care about." He stopped there, unwilling to press the issue any further. He didn't even bother looking at Cass for this one, however, he would step down if she saw something he couldn't see. He wasn't all about risking his life and future with Cass for some stupid ministry project, but if she had seen them climbing the more dangerous of the mountains and making it out alive, then he would concede. Sam wasn't above admitting he was wrong, if he had reason to admit it.

  

[Hogsmeade Trail]

EVENT ANNOUNCER - ROUND 6
Your group has come to an indecision that results in the splitting of the group. Samuel and Cassandra head off around the mountain, while the others head up the mountain. On June 4th, the couple soon run into another group and are able to join in with them.

As for the remaining members of group 11, they climb higher and higher. By the end of the day on June 4th, there is a thick layer of snow all around you. The temperature has dropped unexpectedly quickly and just as the sun has disappeared behind the mountain, you are forced to make a quick decision before you all freeze to death. You can camp for the night where you are and hope to keep sheltered from the elements, or you can try and find a cave that will not only offer shelter, but warmth. The trouble is, you'll have to look for it in the dark.

Round 7 begins June 7th

Samuel and Cassandra should post in group 21 from now on.

  

[James Riley]

"If we can't keep warm with this much firewiskey, we've got some issues," James said, expecting that this would be the final word on the subject. In his head, the Hogsmeade Trail had become a sort of fantasy world, where he had no responsibilities and neither did Everett or Ezekial or Baines--there was no crying baby, there was no puppy, there was no reporting to work each morning. In other words, he was starting to sort-of enjoy the loss of his daily drugery--especially now that the naggy Slum woman and the pretend healer had parted ways. Since there was no reason to be sober and responsible every morning--so long as he was sober enough to climb, which wasn't difficult--he was damn well planning on doing some drinking tonight. And if he was drinking, he wasn't going to climb around a steep mountain in the dark. He wasn't stupid.

"Eze, if you get some wood I'll light a fire," he offered. "And we can regall each other with dirty stories all night if we please, now that the woman's gone."

He supposed he should have wished them best of luck, but some part of him was hoping the Ministry had accidentally zapped them as deserters. Bowen he might have been able to eventually come to terms with--except that he had no spine and just let his woman tell him what to think about everything, which was obnoxious. And apparently had a low tolerance for people around him enjoying themselves, which was also obnoxious. The real triumph, though, was that they no longer had the pleasure of Miss Cassandra Trelawney's company. If she had said one more aggressive I-see-all-you-idiots moments he might have been forced to hex her, despite the fact that she was a lady. Why treat her as such if she refused to act like a lady should?

  

[Ezekial Aesalon]

Eze was genuinely enjoying the adventure now that it was just a bunch of drunkards on a mountain. His stores were running a bit thin, yes, but he still had a decent amount of bottles and could, in case of emergency, mail Kitty begging for help in furthering his bad habits. He had also decided that blizzards sucked, but not nearly as much as taking the EASY way out with THE STUPID PEOPLE would have.

"A'right," he said, just a little bit drunk. With steps that got firmer and better - placed each time he moved, he went to grab some firewood. He found a dead tree several yards from their location and grabbed as many branches as he could.

He came back and dumped it all on the ground. "I got it," he announced, "time for dirty stories." He groped around for his bag, found it, and pulled out a bottle.

  

[James Riley]

James looked over at Eze and raised an eyebrow. "How are you already drunk?" he asked in semi-amazement. He hadn't seen Eze drinking on the climb, but then again, Ezekial had been walking behind him and James had been more focused on his feet than on the rest of the group, so it was entirely possible. "Don't you go and fall of a mountain or anything, Eze," he chided, mockingly motherly. "They'd have to have a maid pour the shots at the Head, and we just can't have that."

Knealing next to the pile of firewood Eze had dropped, he started to arrange it in more of a fire-esque shape, as opposed to just a fire, though aside from making it look more like a fire he didn't really know what he was doing. A quick Incendio started the flames, and another spell projected a little barrier around where they would be camping--not enough to keep things out and away from them, but enough to keep the heat of the fire inside--at least for as long as the spell would hold, which was difficult to tell in these sorts of conditions. But hey, James figured if it broke in the middle of the night and they started freezing to death, they'd probably wake up first, and which point they could build another fire.

  

[Everett Grimm]

Ev wasn't sure if he was glad Miss Trelawney and Mr. Bowen had left them. While yes, they were both highly annoying, she was at least a voice of some reason and with them gone, Ev suspected that would soon become his job. He would have assumed the position would shift to James, but even his buddy, who had sworn off drinking, had fallen off the wagon again and Ev wasn't feeling the drinking nearly as much as his mates were.

That wasn't to say he was abstaining from drinking, no that was far form the case, as it was really the only way to keep warm, but this newer, just a fraction more responsible version of Everett told him somebody needed to be closer to sober than completely smashed.

Like making the choice to camp out in the freezing wind. Even with firewhiskey, a fire and heating charms Ev knew there was a possibility of frostbite, he was no idiot. "Don't you guys thing some shelter might be a good idea?" He questioned his friends, but it seemed James and Eze were already getting settled outside for the night. On a sigh, Ev took a seat on a nearby rock and refreshed his warming charms. He only had his blanket wrapped around his shoulders as it had been sunny and warm when they left and was now freezing, if not below. He took a sip of his firewhiskey too, to warm up his insides as well.

"Bunch of buffoons." He mumbled to himself, watching them get firewood and get settled. He was so not in the mood to sleep in the snow, yet again.

  

[Ezekial Aesalon]

"That's my secret, James," Eze said, "I'm always drunk." Except for when he was working. Ahh, the irony. He took a sip from his bottle and pulled the ministry-issued blanket from his bag, settling it on the ground and lying down on top of it. He cocooned himself in it and wriggled around until one arm was free so he could reach his liquor.

Eze rolled closer to the fire by a few inches, took another sip. "If I roll off the mountain," he said, "make sure my replacement isn't a loser." He had been planning on requesting they burn all his personal belongings, but that was Kitty's job.