2020-09-24 - Tug of War Teamwork!

Despite the rough start during limbo, Byron was riding on the high of his and Lilith's win in the three-legged race. Given time to catch their breath and refuel with food and drinks from the stands, the entrepreneur is back again and ready to see who he will stand beside for the much anticipated tug of war. Dressed in a fitted white tank top and a pair of cool navy blue swim shorts, he waits patiently as people are split into teams. Once he knows what team he's on, he inspects the others through veiled eyes, having slipped on his sunglasses between events. He knew most of these people. And look. An Isabella.

"This is weird." He states aloud, leaning against Lilith with one arm draped over his shoulder, "When are we ever on the same team, Reede!" Besides, you know, when it counts. Like life or death stuff. "This is an interesting change. It's difficult to try my hardest though, if I'm not trying to beat you."

The whistle is blown and everyone takes their position along the length of rope. Removing his shades and folding them up to tuck away into his baggy pants pocket, he stretches out his limbs and cracks at his neck before rubbing his hands together, fingers laces in a mild stretch. Being positioned closer to the back, he takes the rope within both hands, taking up a wider stance for balance and so he can dig his heels into the sand. "Good luck, team! Don't let the other guys win."

So far, Aidan has come in third in both events, so no matter what happens, he's going to do better in this one! He looks even taller and slimmer than usual in a pair of white-piped navy running shorts and a pale yellow palm-tree-laden t-shirt from a Beach Boys' tour, both of which give the impression he might have invented a time machine in about 1981, popped in for the contests, and forgotten to change. The oversized roundish plastic sunglasses aren't helping there. The pause between events has been time to eat some cotton candy, which is surely the power energy food of champions!

As the teams are announced and divided up, he gives his new teammates a grin, and Grant an unreasonably complicated low-five/fist-bump/etc sort of thing. "Nice," he remarks brightly, and offers simply fist-bumps to the others if they're interested. Catching Rekani's gesture his way, he grins back and wiggles a warning finger at him in reply. As they fall into position, he's placed near the front, and grabs on tight, digging in his feet as hard as he can. "Go team!" he agrees with Byron, and they're off!

The truth is that he's definitely not the strongest tugger on the team, but he is at least pretty consistent, and definitely enthusiastic. There are cheerful exhortations! Particularly after the second reversal, when the other team is gaining ground. He's fairly adamant that they can do it, and in fact, eventually, they do! This is cause for celebration! And possibly, another round of cotton candy, too.

Lilith isn't very strong, but she's bossy. So while tactic'ing up as a team, she mentions she can yell to coordinate people's efforts up the line and no one... really argues the fact that she might just be damn well suitable for that job. Plus, it puts her in back toward Byron for anchor to sort of makeup for where she lacks when balancing strength along the rope, but he'll have to resist his innate urge to catch her if she slips and falls while trying to effort. Therefore, she's going to try very hard not to do that!

In fact, she even makes up code words about when to give a little for regaining grip and re-aligning foot position, or when to burst pull with full unsustainable strength as combo moves in the middle of a lot of rhythmic 'heave' and 'ho'. While she does have downbursts of energy, then sudden adrenaline surges of timed strength with the team helping along, mostly she stays steady and seems to really take some focus from being the one sensing the rope and progress/slippage to give commands. And good gracious, she has an uncanny amount of snap to in her tone when she yells, was she a drill sergeant or something? Jeez.

This is the first time she and Byron have ever been on a team together. Having taken her place with her group, she points at Byron in a game fashion, before drawing her fingertips back to her eyes. "This is weird!" she laments, projecting her voice enough to carry over the din of revelry that's overtaken the beach. "Am I supposed to help you win now? That's it! This Revisionist History nonsense has gone too far!"

Still, Isabella grins, and reaches out for her side of the rope. Her showing in the beach games has not been that stellar, if nothing else Alexander had beat her in limbo. But seeing everyone else having fun and raring to go has put her in good, if not great spirits, and so the archaeologist-not-kindergarten-teacher grasps the line and digs her heels, knees bent and attempting to get as much traction as possible, or as much as the sand would allow.

And when it starts happening, she tugs. She tugs with all of her might, following Lilith's call like a rower captain attempting to coax and coerce Harvard to beat Yale on the water.

Grant has declared this 'Team Baxter'. There's enough of them! While they are all not the vision of brawny badassery they seem to sync well! Okay Grant up front was smart enough to bring gloves even if he isn't smart enough to bring a shirt. Sacrifices had to be made, okay? The other team has a damn good game face, and the concern wears openly to the point where Lilith is calling "Pull!" and there is a panicked "This is pulling!" back to her and a cry of, "Oh shit, Isabella don't let her actually feed us to wolves!" Is fear and decisive action a motivator? yes. Yes they are. To they work on the 22 year old Baxter man Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabsolutely with winning aplomb which is telling when he starts to hand over hand start pulling the front of the rope back to the team and Byron digs his heels in back there to make sure that it stays put.

There is concern and open elation when he laughs, "Holy shit this is working!"

She thought for sure she'd do well in limbo, but no. No, she did not. She came in something like eighth, or seventh, or something.

This loss only made Nicole more hungry for a win. She had signed up for tug of war, and had high hopes for the group she ended up on a team with. After all, she went way back with some of these people, and others were well, cool people. She was wearing a pair of Nike running shorts in grey with a lavender and white accent stripe and lavender swoop. Her sneakers are purple with a blue swoop on them as well, while her long-sleeved top is purple and lavender heathered. Her hair is not only in a ponytail, it is all swept up in a messy bun near the crown of her head. She means serious business in this.

She was not at all about to argue with Lilith about yelling. Let's just say if there was a yelling competition, Nicole would lose against Lilith. She knows this, and is fine with it. Her role on this team is to use her long legs for balance and pull, pull with all that she has! Take that, limbo! She'll show you! (Not that one trly has anything to do with the other, but she's in a huff about losing. Motivation. She will use it.)

"It is more than a little awkward." Byron has to admit to Isabella's accusation, joking or not, that this was all a part of Revisionist History. "We usually work together when battling the forces of evil." He sets his sights across the way at the members on the other team who are all hot and sweating out on the beach similar to them, "Just to think of them as Dream creatures and if we lose, we die. Incentive enough?"

That's enough pep talk from him. Now to the pulling. Positioned at the tail end of the line, it's Byron's job to dig his heels in and try to drag the group back when he feels that they are being pulled too had forward. Gripping tightly on the rope, his arms strain to keep his grip tight, slowly trying to creep his way back in the hopes of pulling the group along with him. There are moments where he feels a hard yank and thus the pressure of the entire time being dragged forward and through across the line. He might seethe and curse beneath his breath, but what follows is his digging his heels deep into sand and using that annoyance as adrenaline to help the team pull even harder.

It's a strenuous back and forth with their losing ground before regaining it, but in the end, after much sweat and rope burn on their palms and fingers, the team feels the rush of being dragged back, some even falling into the sand as the other team can't help but be pulled over the threshold finally.

Breathing in heavily, the dark-haired business man in beach attire has to laugh. It starts off slowly and more like a chuckle, before he's fully beaming despite the exhaustion he's feeling. Come later tonight, he's really gonna feel the toll that these events have taken on his body. "Woo! Go team!" He calls out, slapping hands with those down the line who want it before he reaches for Lilith's hand and rather than giving her a low ten, he lifts one of her arms to above her head to twirl her into a playful spin out in the sand. "Drinks are on me!" Looks like he's buying at least one round from the refreshment stand for the whole crew.