[h1]The Melon Derby[/h1] [b][u]Pregame[/u][/b] The drinking with the Hegelans came to an end as the Melon Derby start was approaching. As the plan was explained by Desmond, Ingrid listened to the plan and it seemed agreeable. Ingrid, Ismette, Dory, and Dorisay were to stay and set up really strong defense from the start. Any melons that would come in would stay there. It was possibly not the best plan with 3 of the 5 biggest RAS on the team were all on base defense. But Ingrid thought this made more sense for her. She is likely to tire out and she isn't a free castor so defense suited her more. [b][u]Hour 1[/u][/b] At the very start of the games the teams took off with Zarra going off on his own trying to nab high value melons. What wasn't to the defense group was that Ismette teleported him and herself out. The idea was going to revolve on making the place sealed off and using her power to get in and out with ease but no matter she was already gone. Ingrid helped melt the metal latchings on the windows to seal them from kinetic opening taking into account of the hegelans skill with metal. She hung plates and pottery in the air to make it a shitty situation for whoever comes in. Ingrid was quite satisfied with the job Dorisay and Dory had been doing. She ended up soaking up some rope in kerosine and icey brine. [b][u]Hour 2[/u][/b] However, Ingrid grew anxious just waiting for the other's to bring the melons. Ingrid trusted the competency of Desmond but the other's not so much.[color=8882be][i]Were they getting any? Are they already knocked out?[/i][/color] Came to her mind as she prepared for a bit more defensives. Without Ismette, Ingrid's absolute defense of fire and ice would just be too much for their own team to get in. Ingrid justified leaving through this lens and left, now like there was anything to steal. Ingrid flew up feeling for the first time her new power, her range was slightly larger and she felt boundless in drawing. She just closed her eyes for a minute and just felt this new power. It was amazing. She couldn't even use her own to its own potential but this power made it feel impossible to fail. She blasted off to the Owl Obelisk, a land mark she could easily make out from the sky. Although the flight was still unrefined, she didn't care because when combined with her Arcane Eye, a spell that zooms in on things she focuses on, she could get all sorts of goodies. A hundred pointer here, another one there, a dark melon hiding away. Ingrid saw a small nikanese girl taking a 100 pointers and she simply flew by and nabbed it. The girl seemed angry but Ingrid was riding the high of doing so well. [color=8882be][i]800 points! If I keep this up I might not even need an elemelon![/i][/color] Ingrid thought in her achievement based high! [color=8882be][i]But what about the supreme, could I find it?[/i][/color] Ingrid thought. She was on a roll so maybe. [color=8882be][i]I really should be getting home though, the other's may have come back by now and we might have melons now…[/i][/color]Ingrid pondered for a few moments until she has a great idea in her head. [color=8882be][i]The Clamshell! It might be there. I should look just in case.[/i][/color] And Ingrid blasted out to their again with her melons in tow. She arrived and there was nothing. Not even a 10 pointer. A complete bust that she should of coming, that would be the same as Hugo just saying "hey, take the win" But it seemed as she flew up to stay away from the chaos down below she saw something interesting. [b][u]Hour 3[/u][/b] From her bird's eye view, she could see her former captain and now team leader Desmond drowning in water. At first she was confused but from the people chasing him it was the Watermelon! Some nun threw an arcane lance at Desmond and Ingrid flew down to hopefully scare them off. Normally she wouldn't do this but she wanted to scare them real good. She converted the light around her into that penetrating radiation and filled the nun with it, causing her to weaken and puke. She hoped they would recognize her strength but instead this weird priest tried to affect her in some way. She wasn't sure how but it was creepy. Ingrid was about to start smashing him but they retreated when Desmond made it in the base with the melon. Ingrid let out a sigh of relief, knowing in her heart that she wouldn't be able to win against them without possibly getting disqualified from accidently losing control. Ingrid spotted the beam of light earlier. But she was more worried about getting the melons to the base than just blasting off. Ingrid dropped them off and she could see a lot of people there so without much talk she blasted off again. This time seeing quite a few people. What decided who she would go for was helping Trypano and messing with Zarina. She flew down before the fight even started with the intention of knocking her out with some radiation. Who knows, she may even have some diseases from working at Zeno bucks so much. [color=8882be][i]You never know,[/i][/color] Ingrid thought as she snickered. But before she could get down there, Kol wannabe snatched the melon and it lit up!. Now she had to grab it for Trypano. Lots of things happened but mostly Ingrid wasn't involved. She just lucky to have the time to grab the melon from when one of Zarina's goons got knocked out. [color=8882be][i]Good, I can give the melon to Trypano![/i][/color] Ingrid thought before a sudden weight was placed on her and brought her down to a kneel. It was a tethered, maybe Jocasta… Ingrid held strong and defended it from Zarina, knocking her out in the process, and Yuliya. She could finally hand it off to Trypano and saying something slightly cheeky to Yuliya before going off again. [b][u]Hour 4[/u][/b] The short flight back to the base was long, the place where the light came from was full of determined teams and they weren't about to let Ingrid just get through when she was just heading directly to her Zeno's abode. When Ingrid got there, her house was damaged and there was like 3 people in her base that have no reason to be there. Ingrid smashed someone into the floor, thinking he was running away with potentially their high point melons. Then there were apparently Ismette's family and they seem to be on bad terms. Lots of things happen and nothing much at the same time. Odd magic was being slung and even a demon was spawned and then removed. Ingrid handled it well, it was just another magic, probably not okay but hey, she been chemo-ing people all day so, whatevs. Zarra just noped out of there which was funny but very inopportune. And that is when a cold wind could feel. Cold started to set in and Ingrid wasn't too sure what was going on but Ingrid was she was prepared for a fight. But as the wall began to eerily unravel, meticulously deconstructing and holding it aloft as he calmly walked in. If this wasn't a competition Ingrid would almost be taken away by the majesty of it. Unfortunately they were competitors and he just entered her house. Ingrid acted quickly, grasping at him with open palm and chanting in Eskandish "Warm milk and honey, sleep gently child." It was an easy chemical spell that she was used on her whenever she would have a hard time sleeping as a child. But it had no effect. The Ice King simply walked up to her and set a hand on her shoulder. She didn't use magic because she was well aware of his strength. If he wanted hurt her, he would. His presence was oppressing. And seeing how he quickly dealt with everyone there was terrifying. Hugo has to step in and she couldn't be happier. Everyone had left and she could breathe again. But where was Dory? [b][u]Hour 5[/u][/b] Ingrid apologized for leaving so long to Dorisay, she seemed to get messed up a good bit fighting by herself. Ingrid went on the defensive for the remaining hour. She felt that they had a good chance of coming top 10 if they could hold on to what they have earned. She was against sending more people out since Zarra already ran out and Dory was nowhere to be found. But the final hour was a lot less hectic as the 2 before. Maybe with 6 of us here it made it too dangerous to do it. It gave Ingrid to reflect on how the Ice King knew all of that. Who was he? Why was he so strong? Ingrid wanted you know but her mind pushed those to the side as she felt a kind of jealousy and guilt pertaining to Dory. She left her here when she should've pushed for Dory to go out and have some fun, Ismette was right and this was a game and instead she treated it so seriously that she let an oppressive plan take hold. Ingrid herself even broke it without thinking of Dory, they could have left with her and the 3 of them could have had some fun. No she was with Manfred, someone she doesn't approve of because of how lightly he treated their relationship, being vacant when she needed help the most. But here he was, sweeping her away for some fun. Dory returned with some melons and seemed happy. Ingrid just put away those ugly feelings, she had no reason to have them.