2025-06-15 - King's Launch Impromptu Speedboat Race

Asher is not a boater. But they heard there would be pizza, and Asher is a fan of carbs and melty cheese. They've stopped by one of the concessions spots on the way and have a large fresh-fruit lemon slush, studded with. an assortment of muddled berries, the plastic cup frosted over and dripping with condensation as Asher head towards the marina to watch whomever shows up brave enough to rent and race. In honor of a hopefully good time, their fictional band tee du jour advertise's Big fun, worn over a pair of rainbow plaid bermuda shorts with a pair of black flip flops. Their canvas messenger's bag is worn diagonally across their chest. Headed for the docks, Asher's scoping out a good vantage point from which they might be able to watch the boaters race without just getting blocked by someone taller's back in front of them. And a vast majority of the folks gathering around fall into the someone taller camp.

Hayley is off the clock, and is well aware that she is going to be near water in the summer heat, so she's dressed accordingly for the event. Sandals and a pair of salmon-hued shorts, a loose, sleeveless white tank top through which the bright colors of her bikink top can be seen, she's sporting a pair of enormous sunglasses and a messenger bag slung over her front, resting at her hip with the rest of her supplies, whatever they may be.

And, of course, a flower: a full-stemmed daisy is tucked behind her ear, the bright bloom contrasting with her dark shades, moving to join with the spectating crowd.

Dodge caught wind of the impromptu speedboat race and has ambled over to the marina. She's off-duty so she's wearing jean shorts and a white peasant top with a pair of coral orange flats. She has a hat (stitched with the classic New York Yankees insignia, yuck) pulled over her head to keep the sun out of her face and a perspiring iced tea in hand. She sees Asher by their distinctive hair and drifts in that direction, lifting a hand to wave, and as she does, she also catches sight of Hayley, and waves her over, too.

"I didn't know the park was insured for this kind of thing," she quips.

Dylan does not work today! (Some have claimed he doesn't work any day, but those people are just jealous.) He also doesn't boat, exactly, but there's the promise of pizza and if they rent them out to random tourists how hard can it be? A race sounds fun. A race with pizza following sounds even better.

Being aware that he doesn't boat, exactly, however, he's dressed for the potential of ending up in the lake (again), mainly in the form of swim trunks and the pair of rainbow Tevas he bought after finding out the effect of a polar bear plunge on a pair of Vans, along with a black aloha shirt covered in flowers, trees, and flamingos, open over a white t-shirt that declares in bright colours "PRIDE WAS A RIOT AND SO AM I".

He's also slightly late, so he ends up zooming by Asher, Hayley, and Dodge on the way, greeting them with a broad grin and cheerful, "Laaadies and theyby! Root for me?" without stopping, on his way to try to slip into the ranks under the wire. It means he's the last to hop into a boat, but he does manage to hop into a boat. Step one, successful.

Asher is short enough that seeing through crowds isn't their strongest talent. But with Dodge waving broadly and pulling Hayley along, they notice the women and beam brightly. "Bunny! Dodge!" They're glad to spot them both in the mix and move to join them, sucking up frozen lemon berry slushy goodness through a bendy straw along the way. "Probably some kind of rider on the Ferry coverage?" Tourist rentals, tour boats, water sports and activities of all kinds. Asher is glad that knowing what kind of insurance the park carries is above their pay grade. Asher knows they're covered by a comprehensive and good malpractice policy by Spellbound for their work as a medic, so, they just assume the whole park has just as great coverage. "You two racing or watching?"

Dylan is there and gone in a heartbeat, far faster than Asher can catch what's on his shirt. But when he's asking for support, they're calling after him, "Always, unless the Freak shows up. Then you're on your own!" After, they ask Hayley and Dodge, "Do either of you know Dilly? He's with the Magical Studies Department. Irredeemable flirt, but, sweet under the rest of it. Good guy to have in your corner." And then Jaime is arriving, sans twin, leading them to ask Hayley and Dodge, "Which one is that? Jaime or Joey?"

Roman was only scheduled to perform in the morning mermaid show, which meant he had the rest of the day to do with what he wanted. Was boat racing even on the list of things, not until he heard that was happening, then it shot to the top of the list. He wasted no time in claiming a boat for himself, hell if he was going to spectate and not take part in the fun.

He greeted everyone with a smile and wave and then hopped in the boat. Roman has never driven one of these things before, but he has been behind the wheel of other types of boats, this can't be to different. At the GO he guns the motor and takes off with the others the boat hopping forward with the sudden acceleration before speeding through the water at a smoother but fast pace.

"Just watching," Dodge answers. "I don't have the nerve to test my boat piloting skills at high speeds today," she admits to Asher.

When Dylan zips by, she shakes her head. "Haven't met him, but I liked his shirt so I'm rooting for him." And on the topic of whether that's Jaime or Joey, Dodge raises her shoulders in a helpless shrug. "I've only spoken to them that one time, I can't really tell the difference between them yet. They both look like a puppy to me."

She pulls from her iced tea and waves at Roman, the latet challenger to arrive, as he jumps in his boat, and then they're off! Dylan -- or Dilly -- seems to take the early lead, and Dodge is relieved to see that none of them crash into one another or anything else.

"Sure!" Hayley calls out after Dylan has he runs by, giving multiple thumbs up, before she turns toward Asher and Dodge as they all gather together and grins sheepishly. "I have no idea who that is, but I like his spirit."

She then admits to Dodge, "It probably isn't, but since when have we let a silly little thing like insurance stop us? This is America," she reminds the brunette with a quick wink. Then she sees the cap, and her hand goes to her lips in shocks, before she moves it aside and admits, "I've always been more of a Rangers gal."

She shifts, then, to make room for Asher. "I feel like you would rock racing one of these," she tells them. "Perched right in the front, cackling like mad. It's a vibe."

She then clarifies, "I'm not racing, and I think that one's Joey?" A pause, a beat, uncertainty. "I think."

Step two is figure out how to work this thing. Handily, Dylan's general facility with things technical and engineered helps with managing that in a fairly short amount of time... and also it helps that the boats aren't really all that complicated. In some ways it's less complex than driving a car, which he will happily tell you he's awesome at, even if some passengers may have lied and claimed otherwise.

In any case, it means there's no trouble finding the steering wheel, the ignition, or, crucially, the throttle. On the 'GO!', he draws it hard out of neutral and is off, with a slightly startled but euphoric whoop. He pulls ahead of the field as they're head toward the first buoy, shifting his position in the boat slightly and leaning forward for maximum aerodynamics and balance. He hopes.

Asher recognizes Roman from the other side of a portal but he's in a hurry for the boat, so they don't try to slow him down, though they do return his wave on his way past them all. And as the racers are off and Dylan takes an early (and lucky) lead, Asher lowers their cup and lifts their pointer finger and thumb of their other hand to their mouth, whistling loudly. There's no way he'd hear any cheering, but, that piercing whistle might carry on the winds as he makes that turn and comes out for now ahead.

When it turns out Dodge caught his shirt, though, they ask curiously, "He ran by too fast for me to see it. Which one did he have on today?" Looking at Jaime, Asher ponders. It's not the golden retriever vibes of Zack and Jake, but... Asher sort of kind of sees it. A little. "One had more scruff than the other, but, I never figured out which of them was more and which of them was less." When Hayley says Asher would rock a race, though? "Nah, Bun, but I appreciate your confidence in me. I might sometimes rock a rhyme that's right on time, but, that's tricky enough for me. Boats always kind of make me a little seasick." Which is sort of ironic. "I love me a good long-board though if the waves are right." But if Bunny pronounces that to be Joey, Joey he is.

"Ok..." Now that they know all the players, Asher narrates the event to Dodge and Hayley. "So, Dilly, to whom we've pledged our cheers is out ahead, but Joey and Roman are neck and neck. Joey was wiley the other night, and I wouldn't bet against him, but. I've seen Roman keep his feet in some truly gnarly stress. They've both still got chances in this thing..."

The first bouy is rounded, Roman standing behind the wheel of the boat, wind whipping his curls back, as he manages to keep his vessel from clipping Jaimie as he tries to take the inside lane so to speak. With Dylan ahead he looks over to Jaime who is keeping pace with him.

“Are we going to let him win?!” A hand comes out the wheel as he makes a waving gesture toward Dylan’s boat ahead of them. The has to yell pretty loud to be heard over the wind. He pushes forward on the throttle, hoping the boat has more to give.

Dodge wrinkles her nose in feigned distaste, and then winks, when Hayley mentions the Rangers, and then says to Asher, "His shirt said 'Pride was a riot and so am I'. And you know, I never learned to surf. Don't get seasick, love the ocean, just... never learned. Always meant to. Still do."

She leans in closer towards Asher for the much-appreciated commentary and play-by-play. "Now I wish I had actually bet something," she murmurs. "I think I would have bet on Dylan on t-shirt aura alone," she decides confidently.

"It's a pretty great shirt," Hayley opines, before she shakes her head and says. "I love the ocean, but I just didn't think I had it in me to go sailing today. Next time, though, I'm going to show all these boys how it's done," she decides as she crosses her arms at her waist, an easy grin on her face. "Stakes," she reminds Dodge, some kind of inside joke there.

"I wonder what kind of product that one uses," she adds while pointing at Roman.

"Go Dilly!" she calls in a loud cry, followed by a whoop and a pump of her hand.

Dylan probably does hear the whistle, because that's around when he sacrifices a little bit of aerodynamics to lift an arm and wave at, then blow a kiss to, his adoring(?) fans(?); the grin may or may not be visible, but it's definitely there. There's a little showmanship going on there, though not as much as there'd probably be if he were farther ahead and/or more confident in his boating prowess. Most likely, he's lucked out on how this boat's little details are set -- maybe the person who used it before him genuinely knew what they were doing with a speedboat. He himself doesn't seem to have figured out any way to go even faster, yet. If he did, he'd be pulling farther ahead rather than just trying to maintain the current lead.

"That shirt is true." Asher has to admit it. "Dilly is funny as hell. Just don't tell him he's funny or you'll never hear the end of it." Asher had considered their 'Pri(de mon)th' tee, but, in the end, even if they had traded jeans and sneaks for shorts and flip-flops, the fake band tee habit was just too strong to break. So. Wearing their Big Fun tee, the trio of Heathers is out to enjoy the race - and pizza. As to surfing, though? "I'm not any good at it. If I'm not paddling on my stomach, I'm off way more than I'm on. But. I love it. The waves and the salt and the hubris of facing that endless struggle of falling off over and over and over to waves that will never stop pounding and never be conquered..." Some folks would find endless frustration in that. "That's my version of zen."

"Next time," Asher agrees, Dilly will have to find a new cheer squad. You'd cream 'em all, Bun." As to Roman's hair? Well. That wasn't something they'd picked up on amongst the 'shrooms. The secrets of Roman's hair-care are things someone else will have to share, Asher doesn't have the first idea. When Hayley calls out a cheer for the guy in the lead, though, Asher offers up another of those whistles. They may adore the guy, but, not enough to try screaming over speedboats about it.

Clearly Roman is better at cutting through the water himself, than driving a boat through it. No matter how hard he pushes the speedboat, he just can't seem to catch up to Dylan in the lead. Well then, if he can't be first, he is just going to have to be second. That's not to bad of a deal. He can live with that.

With the next bouy in sight, Roman continues to push the boat into going as fast as it can, both dangerously, and definitely illegally so, good thing DNR isn't anywhere near to stop any of them. The resounding agreement from Jaime has him crowing in delight.

"Stakes," Dodge echoes back to Hayley, shaking her head ruefully.

"Anyway, I'm just glad no one has crashed," she mentions to Asher and Hayley both. "I'm sure all the safety-everything is up to par and up to date in the event of an accident, but still," she muses, eyes trained on the neck-and-neck back-and-forth between Jaime (who they are calling Joey) and Roman. She puts her two fingers together and uses them to also whistle, a shrill and piercing sound.

Dangerous and illegal speeds are the best speeds! And inasmuch as the tourist rentals will allow, Dylan too is doing his damnedest to reach them. So far, it seems like he's already as far into them as the boat can be pushed, but he's at least managing to keep it consistent, and though it's probably not very visible from afar, his expression goes more focused as they approach that second turn, trying to work out the arcs in his head to grab just a bit more distance from the turn itself. There isn't really enough data -- currents probably matter, right? All that hydrodynamics stuff -- so it's a particularly loose approximation. But an effort is made to hug that buoy! (Not literally. This time.)

It's a shame he probably can't make out the yells between his two closest competitors over the sound of the wind and engines, because he likely has something to say about that. Alas, the world shall never know.

"... Dang, girl," Hayley says to Dodge after that sharp whistle, clapping now in their direction and giving a few nods of approval. "You've got to teach me how to do that one."

"I would cream them all," she nods in agreement with Asher, turning her head back out to look at the men on boats, her hand coming up to rub at her chin thoughtfully. "I think I would be trying to cheat if I was behind. It's usually a pretty good strategy for that situation," she announces in a tone as utterly serious as she can manage to keep it.

"Where'd you go surfing?" she wonders to Asher. "There are some good enough waves during hurricane season and we'd go be dumb if it looked like the storm wasn't heading our way."

Asher doesn't know enough about boats to realize just how fast the racers are pushing their vessels. But as Roman and Joey, Jaime? No. Joey... As the other two are jockeying between second and third, shifting for positioning while hitting the wake of Dylan's lead... Asher stays where they are with Hayley and Dodge, but they're looking more concerned, and watching the boats more than paying attentions to the banter. But, as Dodge invokes the luck that no one has hit anything... It's like saying there's a quiet night in the clinic, so far as Asher is concerned.

Hayley asks where they used to surf, and Asher is trying to answer, but, their heart is less in the waves than it had been a moment ago as they're watching the three boats hit that final stretch. "I grew up in the Bay, lived there until just about six months back when I came out here for the job..." Asher may have seen one too many things go wrong out at that water, and they may be doing the math of just how long it would take for them to get within hands-on distance to help if any of those skipping the wake lose control, or if Dylan's vessel sleeps sidelong on a turn and gets hit from behind.

If Roman knew about the surfing talk going on amoungst the spectators, he may be a but bummed that he missed it. But not as bummed as he would be if he missed racing. As he comes up on the third and last buoy, the boat bounces on the waves produced by the boat that is way ahead. It's enough to have him gripping the wheel tighter, but he keeps the boat steady enough in the turn to not clip the buoy or the Jaime's boat, who he still hasn't pulled in front of.

It's the home stretch, and Roman is getting into the zone, unlike a racecar there isn't much switching of gears, just adjustments of the throttle, he had pulled back a little on that to round the buoy, but now that is a straight path to the finish line he is once more pushing it. These boats are going to need a nap a a refuel before they go out again. He's just gonna need some pizza. Roman glances back to see how his competition, the only one that matters now, Jaime, is doing.

Math (and luck) are on Dylan's side today! His gamble on having the arc sussed out enough to keep his speed up pays off, and he starts to pull away again, further into the lead. The throttle gets a little tug just in case it may have been hiding a little more speed in there -- it probably was not, but all the same Dylan throws his head back and howls "POWAHHH!" as he does it. The leads grows a bit more, and as he crosses the final boundary, Dylan pops up to his feet with a triumphant whoop, both arms thrown up above his head. The boat wobbles a bit, but doesn't throw him -- even so, he drops back to sitting almost immediately to pull the throttle down into neutral and then reverse so that he doesn't actually crash into the marina or something and lose pizza privileges.

Once the boat's dropped to much more of a just-kinda-drifting speed he pops it back into neutral and stands again, because it's much harder to take flamboyant bows while seated. And thanks to several months as Doc Nightshade, he's damn good at a flamboyant bow. Even without the hat. "Thank you, thank you!" he declares to the assembled crowds, whether they're actually cheering for him or not.

A glance over at Asher is maybe dulling the sharp edge off of Hayley's mood, but she's too young to worry too much about the possibility of injury as fun is stirring up, so she doesn't linger too much on their obvious concern.

Instead, she turns back to the crowd, and rather than cheering for any of the racers in particular, she's got both hands above her head and is letting out whoops of celebration as they all start heading in. "Come on, bring it home!" she calls out loudly and enthusiastically, then letting out a loud whoop once more for Dylan as he finishes.