Tauros Race Sign-up

[indigo_league]

As you all know, this weekend the Moo Moo Farms will be organising a get-together to celebrate the arrival of spring. While there will be various little farm games and fun things for people to engage in (which will be revealed on Saturday), the big event of the day is going to be the Tauros race.

The set-up is simply: after a long winter of staying inside the stables, the resident Tauros herd really needs to burn off some energy. And in an attempt to include visitors in this (it's good for business!), Moo Moo Farms has decided to achieve this by organising a race. They've got the track, and they've got the bovines, but the only thing they still need is some racers.

Which is where you people come in!

A booth will be set up at the Moo Moo Farms on Saturday where people can sign up for the race. Anyone can participate and there is no entry fee. Sign-ups will close an hour before the race, at which point every racer is given their racing number, which corresponds to a certain Tauros. Nobody gets to know which Tauros they will be riding until the sign-ups close. This way everybody has the same time to prepare!

The actual race will be going up on Saturday, March 20th, but we are opening up race sign-ups a little early. The reason why we are doing this is because every character will be receiving a unique Tauros to race on. On Saturday, you'll receive a small profile which will include some information on your Tauros (which might come in handy while tackling the obstacles during the race), and we'll be using that information to judge how successful your characters are going to be while racing.

How much information will you receive? Well, that'll just depend on how prepared you are, won't it? Will you be checking out your assigned Tauros? Bond with them? Try and check out the track beforehand? Or are you focusing on packing some supplies? Or are you just going to wing it? It's all up to you.

Just remember, you only have an hour, so choose your time wisely!


<B>Character Name</b>: <B>Preparation method</b>:

Comments

QUESTIONS

[indigo_league]

[neverfinishanyth]

Is it possible to keep your character's Tauros after the race :O

[vrdantwind]

Would Claude be able to request/receive permission for a kid to ride with him? (Said kid being Chip.) Zero benefits from having an extra rider, and it'd be entirely valid if this involved a speed penalty being factored into Claude's race results.

SIGN UPS

[indigo_league]

One character per comment, please.

[strings_theory]

Character Name: Jolyne Cujoh
Preparation method: OH, GOOD. Honestly, she's not concerned that much about the track and is going to absolutely be bonding with her designated male moo, instead. Since someone has learned that Pokemon all can do a lot of insane things if you get them pumped up and learn their methods.

She's also going to be an utter brat and totally try and use an old tactic of having her talonflame try and check out the track and be flying way above head with some signals about if some shenanigans are coming up (simple things like water or a pit, nothing in depth, obviously, it's a talonflame).

[neverfinishanyth]

Character Name: Leonardo da Vinci
Preparation method: He's definitely going to try and bond with his new bull friend! Lots of encouragement, lots of excitement, he's just so happy he gets to ride a pokemon and experience their power firsthand!

If there's time, he'd scope out the track before the race and be pretty good about strategizing how to deal with various obstacles. He'll draw diagrams in the dirt to demonstrate said strategy to his Tauros before the race, and gently direct the Tauros during the race. If it turns out there isn't time, that's alright, and he's not using any pokemon to aid him in the scoping-out process so it wouldn't be too thorough either way.

Really, he just wants to have a bit of fun and isn't taking it too seriously, and he's mainly going to be putting most of his effort into not getting tossed and breaking an arm. He doesn't want to anger the bull, of course! His main strategy is to be respectful of the Tauros' strength, and not push where he isn't wanted.

[vrdantwind]

Character Name: Claude von Riegan
Preparation method: Claude will absolutely be getting to know his Tauros! He loves riding, but...y'know, horses. Never a big bull. He'll be chatting his Tauros up, trying to form a good bond with him, but he will also definitely try hopping up onto his back and even running him around a little (assuming that's allowed prior to the race) to get a feel for how bull-riding feels and the difference between that and being on horseback.

Assuming the Tauros he gets isn't so brimful of energy and restlessness that he can't pay attention, Claude will even talk strategy with him - telling him how he intends to give steering directions(unless the Tauros is an old hand who's been ridden before and indicates this), when in the race he thinks they might do well to marshal their energy and when to put on speed, etc. He'll also ask if the Tauros is one who specializes more in speed or stamina, precisely so he can make those calls - whether they should try to outlast or outspeed the other bulls.

He'll also chat with the Tauros while he's on its back, asking if he's got any preferences or complaints about Claude's riding. Again, this is all pretty new to him, and he's got a steed much more intelligent than he's used to back home; it'd be a shame not to lean into that!

Basically, it'll be a whole lot of talking from Claude, but also a decent amount of soliciting the Tauros for opinions and information as well. But to be fair, with only an hour to get acquainted, how better for them to get to know each other?

ETA: For the record, Claude would absolutely try to scope out the track if it's possible, but he'd do that long before his Tauros is officially assigned so I didn't initially think to include it here. >> He's also not above underhanded methods to do so if racers are discouraged from looking at the track ahead of time, such as sending Skittles the Joltik(hard to spot), Patzer the Ditto(able to disguise itself as an innocuous pokémon), Jadoube the Zoroark(also able to disguise), and/or Wyvern the Ponyta (fresh from MooMoo Farms himself, possibly able to pass himself off as being a farm native still) out for reconnaissance. Nothing too underhanded, honestly, since the race is all in good fun - he's more in it to have fun riding than to win, although obviously winning would be nice especially after his ignominious defeat at the cooking contest. But seeing what he can get away with is fun, too.

Re: SIGN UPS

[fingersandteeth]

Character Name: Steven Durante
Preparation method: He'll be bringing a bag with a bunch of Fresh Waters with him to the event at Moomoo farms anyway to make sure they don't all get dehydrated and once he finds out about the race sign ups, he's going to try to reserve most of those for said race. Unless they make him buy new ones at a vendor, in which case lame.

He'll probably try to do as much of a survey as he can of the track in half-an-hour--by air via Iron Giant probs?--before using the rest of that hour to visit his assigned Tauros and get to know them. He'll bring Isis, Tyler's former starter he inherited, with him to translate. (He might be working out a plan with her to be his mid-air recon pokemon during the race itself.)

... unless he can check out the track before then, in which case he'll use the full hour for pokemon bonding stuff. But he suspects that might not be possible.

[sharddrive]

Character Name: Shard
Preparation method: Oh god he's mostly going to be winging it and going in absolutely overconfident, unless there's serious RNG here he's almost certainly going to lose badly and possibly get himself hurt in the process.

Prep, such as it is, will include trying to scout the track and figure out what obstacles there are, and then making at least an attempt at building some kind of rapport with his Tauros (it's going to be a lot of attempting to pump it up to the tune of "I'm the one who's gonna be riding you so clearly you're gonna be amazing by proxy" and about 5% something about trying to work together, it's gonna be real bad but and arrogant but somehow genuine, please kick his ass).

Re: SIGN UPS

[uncutetomboy]

Character Name: Akane Tendo
Preparation method: Akane on the other hand is absolutely not sneaky or underhanded at all and has learned from the year Ranma stayed at her house that sometimes you just have to wing this stuff. So as long as her assigned Tauros doesn't give her flashbacks to Pantyhose Taro (don't ask) she's probably going to spend most of the hour of prep with her assigned bull, after buying some fresh waters/lemonades/sodas (whichever is readily available) and also a little snack to feed the bull. If she looks out on the track at all, it'll be on the way to the bull and probably just in a cursory fashion.

[schachmeister]

Character Name: Armin Arlert
Preparation method: Jean telling him he needs more exciting things in his life, and good-naturedly bullying him to enter is definitely why Armin will be entering, but that doesn't mean he actually has to be competitive about this.

Which means he won't be preparing too much. He's going to meet his Tauros, feed it some food, and try and talk to one of the stablehands about his particular Tauros, just to see if there is anything he should be aware of but that is it. He will probably be bringing his own little Miltank so she can meet others of her kind, so his baby cow might be bonding more with his ride-to-be than he will. It's ok. Competition is fake.

[shiro2hero]

Character Name: Shiro
Preparation method:
BE FRIENDS WITH THE BEEF. The power of friendship can win anything right? So how about some bonding? Bonding always works. Always makes the team stronger! It's only an hour, but oh boy, that cow is getting some sweet sweet attention. Pets, terrible dad jokes, and even a few treats.

But not too many treats. Can't spoil the cow too much before the run. There will be words of encouragement, a pep talk. All that good stuff.

It's honestly probably pretty similar to how Shiro pumped his team up before the Elite Four happened.

[tokenelfcharacter]

Character Name: Runaan
Preparation method:
All right, this jerk is going to prepare for this race like it's for a mission. Which means skulking around the racetrack beforehand, scouting it out in great detail. Trying to commit as much of it to memory as possible.

When it comes to the cow, though, some of that angry exterior fades. He'll describe the course to his new partner, in as much detail as he can. He's preparing his mount like he would another assassin on the same mission. It's no good if one of them doesn't have all the information going in.

... He may also sneak it a snack, too. Look, Runaan has a weakness for pokemon.

[nastyboy]

Character Name: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd
Preparation method: Oh, friend? Friend!

Dimitri came to MooMoo Farms to let some of his own Pokemon children have fun, and then his boyfriend joined the bull run, and now he is here too. While letting The Kids (tm) of the group run about and check out the track (Gremlin the Rattata, Gabby the Miltank, Gwin the Swablu, Fraldariend the Galarian Ponyta, Donn the Mudbray, and Desta the Budew), Dimitri will check in on his Tauros!

If he's allowed to take his new friend out of the stables for a walk (or even a ride), then he absolutely will, just because he knows that it's one thing to hang out with a completely stationary creature. It is totally different to be with or on that creature while moving. Whether he can or can't, this will still absolutely end up with him just... doing his best to give some last minute self care for this big ol' Tauros. Depending on the personality, this could end up with a simple brushing, or a whole Thing where he polishes the horns and everything.

Dimitri will casually talk with his Tauros too, explaining how he's staying in Olivine, if Tauros likes MooMoo Farms, how they'll get all that energy out, if there are ways that his friend likes to run, etc... Dimitri is definitely trying to treat him more as a partner than a steed.

Pokemon are smart, man, he's not gonna pretend they aren't.

At some point in this pampering process, The Kids (tm) will toddle back to them, and they will excitedly regale both Dimitri and Tauros of things going on in the rest of the farm - including some information about the track itself! Maybe there will even be some useful information in there, especially from Gremlin, Gwin, and Donna.

A shame Dimitri won't be able to understand any of it, but...

Re: SIGN UPS

[epitaffio]

Character Name: Vinegar Doppio
Preparation method: So here's the deal - Doppio is here largely because a) the Boss insisted it was fundamental for him to gather intel on whether there might be anything valuable at Moo Moo Farms and b) before the Boss could take a moment to reflect on the likelihood of that, Doppio agreed it was a great idea because he... kind of wanted to check out the place.

That said, his signing up for the race is a bit of an accident, as Doppio ends up wandering into a restricted area, semi-accidentally, and his attempt to save face is to agree that why yes, he did get lost on the way to the race signups! Where is he supposed to go for those again?

So... now he'd better make the most of it, right? As such, Doppio's preparation consists primarily of two things:

1) Mapping the track. Well, not literally, but... With the Boss's help - and at his firm insistence - Doppio attempts to figure out the path of least resistance, so to speak. Sure, it's just the one track, but if he figures out how to position himself, and the right times to swerve to the side, and the bumps and obstacles he needs to avoid... He's sure to get an advantage! It's basically the next best thing to having future sight!

2) Bonding with the Tauros. Figuring out the track takes up most of his preparation time, but Doppio still thinks this is fundamental, and the Boss does acknowledge it's important, so... Here he is. Can Tauros smell fear? Because Tauros are a fair bit bigger than the creatures Doppio tends to strike up casual conversation with, but god, he is trying his best. Bulls like getting pats on the head, right...?

[angewiesen]

Character Name: Jean Kirstein

Preparation method: Jean isn't a "wing it" type, so he does several things to prepare. He takes a fly-over the race track to see how long it is (so he knows how to pace himself, and if he needs to pack supplies) and if there's any obstacles that would be difficult for a regular Tauros to traverse.

Then he does a little bit of research on Tauros in general. He's an accomplished horseback rider, but he's never rode on a bull before. What's the difference between their gaits? What kind of saddle do they wear, if at all? He makes a note of the Tauros' tail, as it supposedly whips at it's own hindquarters to goad itself into going faster. Maybe a longer one makes for a faster Tauros?

He's less inclined to check for temperament. But he will do a general health check. The state of it's hooves, coat, eyes, etc. He's got a okay idea of what that all should look like, and he's very practical about it.

That's about it!

[goldeneyeball]

Character Name: JW
Preparation method: JW is a farm boy so he knows a good cow! He'll be checking out his Tauros's hooves and knees to make sure they aren't scratched and sore from being cooped up. He'll encourage his racecow to stretch first and maybe feed it a lie or two about what the other Tauros are saying. Nothing fuels the fire like spite!!

[lovelybottom]

Character Name: Geralt of Rivia
Preparation method: Walk the track, if possible. Or at least see as much of it as he reasonably can, to have an idea of what to expect on it. If that isn't allowed, he'll accept it and move on to other things.

Geralt will also try to get some information about the Tauros that he's been assigned, like general temperament, how frequently it's ridden, performance in previous races, etc from the people who work with the Tauros the most. After that, he'll introduce himself to the Pokemon and try to get familiar with it, and if allowed, maybe see if he can ride it for a bit to get used to the differences between riding a cow and a horse.

[mightdoriya]

Character Name: Izuku Midoriya
Preparation method: SO Izuku is going to shounen protag his way into this race via a misunderstanding...unfortunately one of the workers from MooMoo Farms pitching the race sign ups is going to be a little TOO enthusiastic and sign Izuku up thinking he had agreed to it when in reality he stood there trying to explain that he’d probably just watch but oops too late now! He’s too nice to tell them no and feels an obligation to participate so here we go.

Unlike some of his more intense competition, he’s not going to be scoping out the track much at all. Most if not all of his time will be spent getting to know his Tauros, a Pokémon he won’t have met up until this point. He’s not going to turn down an opportunity to learn at least, so he’ll try to learn as much about them as he can even if it’s not with the express intent of winning. He just wants to get out of this in one piece, he’s kindof never ridden a horse before much less a giant bull. His Pokémon are also all still pretty baby so they can’t do much for him beyond cheer him on from the sidelines. The Tauros will at least get plenty of treats before the race from his pockets if it’s receptive, as sort of a preemptive consolation prize for getting stuck with someone who has no idea what they’re doing.

[insidegalra]

Character Name: Thace
Preparation method: Thace was going to just watch Steven in the race, but bets were made, so he signs up last minute. He'll be talking to his Tauros, using his Meowstic as interpreter if need be, and discussing preferences and likes and dislikes, and whether the Tauros is more stamina or more of a sprinter and all of that. (The first thing he'll ask is if the Tauros wants to be ridden during the race. I'm assuming the answer is a yes, here.)

Meanwhile, his Gardevoir will be using teleport to scout the race track quickly, and the reports will be sent back to the Tauros and Thace.

There will also be Poffins in the Tauros's favorite flavor because Thace basically has some on him all the time now. But the bulk will be saved for after the race, because Thace doesn't want to give Tauros a stomach-ache.

[braveloyalhugs]

Character Name: Scorpia
Preparation method: There's a pretty good chance that Scorpia has met her Tauros before, since she worked at MooMoo farms for a while. She's really excited to be back to see all her cow friends from before (she promises not to sing as she leaves this time).

Speaking of singing, she'll totally make up a song about the race and how cool her assigned Tauros is on the spot, and sing it while she makes sure the Tauros is at his best. Grooming, water, maybe some treats... the works! And lots and lots of praise. Millie her Miltank and Hairessa her Bouffalant will probably be out and chat with the Tauros too, and then wander off to explore the farm they've heard so much about (and the race track). Scorpia isn't so concerned about the racetrack herself because friends working together can totally overcome any obstacle! But Millie and Hairessa will tell the Tauros whatever they find out.

[copykiri]

Character Name: Kiri
Preparation method:
Kiri only signed up for the race because Geralt did, honestly, and she wants to be a big strong adventurer someday!

Kiri spends most of her time putting together a charm of molted feathers to give to her Tauros so they match! Unless the Tauros objects, she'll probably tie it to one of the horns. There's a bunch of mimicking of her birds and people while she excitedly chatters on about her life and aspirations. Her Chatot will "translate" which may or may not have any relation to what she's actually talking about and probably be more confusing than anything.

Also, the poor Tauros is going to get shovel-talked by six very protective birds. They'd be thrilled if Kiri pulled out a win, but they're mostly concerned about the tiny bird-child getting hurt. And if she is hurt during the race somehow, they will kick the Tauro's ass so hard he'll be seeing menacing circling Ducklets whenever he faints for the rest of his life.

[breakyourlife]

Character Name: Steve Palchuk
Preparation method:

I mean... Steve loves cows. If you don't think he's going to use every available moment getting to know his Tauros you'd be wrong. Even if he'd brought Pokémon suited to scouting the racetrack it probably wouldn't occur to him, honestly.

Is it a soft Tauros? Easy. That boy's getting so many pettings. A hungry Tauros? Too many treats. Which may wind out to be a hinderance, but oh well. Is it a grumpy Tauros? Then he's going to use his experience with his own Tauros to seek out his secret soft spots.

You probably get the idea!

While he isn't going to bring his whole herd to race prep, he is bringing along his Miltank Bessie Jr. II. She's a fan of competition, so she's excited to be Steve's sidekick for this. She's going to try her best to psych up Steve's Tauros for the big race. She wants to know how strong he is! How fast he is! Does he know any cool TM moves? Does he want to see any of hers?

Of course, Steve also wants to get a feel for riding him before the race starts. He's pretty experienced with riding Tauros/Bouffalant at this point, so unless he winds up with one with a particularly difficult temperament hopefully that will be a fairly easy adjustment.

[tearsofademon]

Character Name: Ryner Lute
Preparation method:
Please ignore that Ryner's only doing because his Clefairy, in her infinite wisdom, is forcing him to. (It's good for him to do things!)

As it is, Ryner doesn't really care about winning, so he's not going to bother trying to scope out the track beforehand or anything. No, if he has an hour to prepare, he's just going to use it to say hi to the Tauros he's been assigned to, give said Tauros a snack and some water, and maybe spend some time brushing said Tauros for a while, try to gauge temperament a bit, try to get used to each other a little, you know. An attempt (?) at bonding.

Re: SIGN UPS

[islandshore]

Character Name: Riku
Preparation method: Riku wants to try and hit a balance when it comes to prep time. Definitely spend some time with the Tauros and try to get a feel for the personality and temperament. That'll be priority one to ensure both he and the Tauros are at least somewhat in sync. A few small snacks- berries and the like as a peace offering, but not too much to get the bull too full to run.

His other priority will be scoping out the track. If it's permitted ahead of time, he'll wanna check things out early. If that doesn't pan out, he'll either check it out himself or send Slash the Weavile and Flare the Charizard to survey things from above and then give him the lowdown while he prioritizes the Tauros.

Riku's really just in this for a break from his usual routine and to keep an eye out for any shady activity. He figures an event like this might lure some attempts to make off with the Tauros and doesn't trust Team Rocket to keep quiet. He'll be playing it cool and trying to have as much fun as possible, but he'll be on high alert and may even warn the Tauros to keep an eye out.