It's a hot and sunny afternoon as students in swimwear and sun hats begin to arrive at the clearing behind the lodge. Let the annual Azurcrest Parting Party begin!

Each year's senior Azurcrest class holds a (staff-approved) "Parting Party" for the student body to celebrate all the adventures they've had and friends they've made at Gooseberry High. It's also tradition for them to outdo the previous class' efforts. Last year's theme was The Mighty Jungle; the rope-swing course over Lake Gooseberry was legendary!

This year, though, the big blue jays think they have a strong contender. Sand is laid over the whole clearing to expand the modest beach. Umbrellas and lounge chairs evocative of a resort dot the 'beach' and the summer-ready tunes of DJ Levi Kramer pump across the party. At one point, "You Reposted in the Wrong Neighbourhood" begins to blare over the speakers—disaster is in the air, but [Volunteer A] saves the day and skips to the next track before any teachers hear the questionable chorus.

The Azurcrests are throwing a...
BARBECUE BEACH BASH!


The first thing students see as they round the corner of the lodge is very large and very blue: it's A GIANT SLIP 'N SLIDE! Starting atop a hill behind the lodge, it ends with a small ramp to launch adventurous teens into Lake Gooseberry.

In true Gooseberry fashion, [Volunteer B] starts a competition to find out who can shoot the furthest off the Slip 'N Slide. Meanwile, [Volunteer C] tries to impress [The Apple of Their Eye] by sailing off the ramp and catching a beachball mid-air... but it's intercepted by Goosey, who punts it back to shore with her tail! Whoa! Apparently even lake monsters wanna have fun.

While swimming in the lake under the bright summer sun is fun, especially after a ride on a giant slip n' slide, isn't life even more fun with a little competition? At some point, [Coppertale Volunteer A] climbs up onto [Volunteer D]'s shoulders and challenges nearby classmates to a game of CHICKEN! The game quickly catches on and students are soon cheering and whooping while their peers try to knock each other into the water.


After a cookout dinner grilled by the seniors and a few enthusiastic staff (in thematic aprons!), the party heads up the hill to Azurcrest to end as it always does: with a bonfire.

[Volunteer E]'s improvised song about the Gooseberry houses, to the tune of [Song of Their Choice], is an instant hit.

The final ballad of the night is also the final tradition of the day—a heart-wrenching rendition of [A Song Suggested by the OOC Studio Audience, Please Take Pity on Me, This Is a Very Long Post] performed by the Parting Party seniors. Although not a senior, [Volunteer F] joins with such gusto that they're ushered in to finish the song with the rest of the pack. The crooning of Mercedes Estrada and Quinn Cunningham lead some to question whether or not they actually practiced like they insist they did. (They did, but they're... just that bad.)

When curfew falls and it's time to go home, house groups gather and walk back to their camps while the graduates-to-be clean up the evidence from their final Parting Party.

RULES

• The whole school is invited! The Parting Party happens every June and characters will already know what & when it is.


• Summer clothing and swimwear is recommended but there is no dress code. Clean Azurcrest gym shirts are available for those who prefer to wear them when swimming or sliding.


• The party begins at 3:00 PM.


• Dinner is served at 6:30 PM.


• The beach segment packs up and moves to Azurcrest for a bonfire when the sun begins to set at 8:00 PM.


• The evening concludes at 9:45 PM. Students gather into prefect-led house groups and walk back to their respective camps.


• All contraband is contrabanned. Yes, even though this is an Azurcrest fête.

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RULES: SLIP 'N SLIDE

• The Slip 'N Slide is safe! This isn't another extreme sledding incident. There are charms to keep students from veering off of the slide and everything has been triple-checked by staff.


• More charms keep the slide wet at all times.


• Only one person on the slide at a time.


• No animagus forms allowed. (You have claws, children.)


• You only have one chance to compete. Feel free to fill out the form more than once, but don't expect a score for extra runs!


• No magic use is allowed in the competition.


• There's no prize for the winner; consider it a metaphor for adulthood.

» Before the Party: Set-up time for the senior Azurcrests is primp 'n preen time for the rest of Gooseberry!

» Beach & Lake: Whether students want to relax, chat, or play, there's plenty to do! Beachy ambiance is provided by picnic tables, beach chairs and chaises, large towels, and colourful beach umbrellas to provide shade (and modest privacy). Nets for volleyball and badminton are set up, and when in doubt... you can always swim in the lake or build sand castles on the shore!

» Chicken! Post a comment with the first team's names (ex. Ty & Hazel vs. ???), stating which is the vehicle (the person on the bottom) and which is the attacker (the person on top). Then another team can claim the match à la beer pong (ex. Ty & Hazel vs. Casey & Riley), stating who fills the same roles. Katie and Rin will roll your results!

» Slip 'N Slide: The bright blue plastic runs down a steep hill behind the lodge and ends with a small ramp that launches adventurous teens into Lake Gooseberry.

• Slip 'N Slide rules can be found under Rules.


• Sliders compete to find out who can fly the furthest off the ramp!


• Post the below form on the Slip 'N Slide thread to receive your score! You can only compete once, but if you are not competing, you can post as many times as you like and don't need to use the form! :)

<b>Character Name:</b> <b>House:</b> <b>Their slidin' style:</b> Do they do the classic 'stomach or bust,' or do they try something more adventurous like holding a pose, beginning with a cartwheel, or going down backwards? (This has no bearing on RNG. Probably. Unless I get Inspired.) <b>Anything Else?:</b>

Azurcrest	Coppertale	Ebonhide	Ribbonfin
-	-	-	-

Longest Distance: N/A

Totals have not yet been updated.
» Cookout: The evening's chefs—the ten seniors and a handful of generous staff members (Mr. Merrill, Mr. Elmasry, Ms. Thrussell, and Ambrosia)—slip on puntastic aprons in Azurcrest blue and grill up some grub! The menu consists of hot dogs, hamburgers, and corn on the cob. As always, meat-free alternatives are available and cooked on uncontaminated barbecues. (The less competent cooks have been given less vital tasks.)

Ambrosia:	FEELING PECKISH?	Henrietta:	Eagle-eyed
Mr. Elmasry:	Eggcellent chef	Jesse:	Hawkward!
Mr. Merrill:	TOUCAN SAY THAT AGAIN	Laurel:	Shake a tail feather
Ms. Thrussell:	Songbirds duet better	Levi:	BIRD IS THE WORD
Cecil:	PAPA BIRD	Mercedes:	Free as a bird
Diego:	Cheep and cheerful	Quinn:	FLYING THE COOP
Drusilla:	MIGRATING SOUTH	Ryan:	Trick or tweet

» Bonfire: Parting Parties always end with a large bonfire back at camp. Songs, s'mores, and stories are exchanged as friends snuggle up under blankets and swat away the season's first mosquitoes.

» End of the Night: When curfew falls and it's time to go home, house groups gather and walk back to their camps while the graduates-to-be clean the campsite. Azurcrest non-seniors are welcome to stick around and lend a hand.

» OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!