012 | The Beach Episode

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Beach party
When: All day June 5
Where: The beach
Summary: A beach party for all of the Far Shore residents

[01-27 Edit: Continue your threads at the overflow post to evade captcha!]



There were certainly a lot of broken hearts and emotional roller coasters recently, so the Heavens have decided it's time to allow their people to let loose and have some fun for a little while. Through some magic - or possibly just a lot of money - they have managed to rent out an entire private beach for the event so that they won't be interrupted by any Near Shore residents. The beach is beautiful and well-maintained, the ocean goes for as far as the eye can see, and rocky outcroppings offer a handy place to dive into the water on a test of courage.

It's a beautiful summer day, perfect for swimming and cracking watermelons and playing some beach volleyball. There's even some soft music permeating the air so that nothing is every silent on this fun-filled day.

New arrivals, after having been met at the Meeting Hall, would have been immediately redirected to this party. After all, they should be enjoying themselves as well.



Swimwear

Anyone who doesn't have swimwear will be provided with swimwear to fit their needs. Unfortunately, the Heavens don't have access to a lot of swimwear, so you'll likely wind up with something ugly, something old, or something just plain weird.

Playful Fish

The sea critters are excited about the party too. They're happy to swim up to anyone in the water and will even come up to the shallows to take a look at the fun happening on the shore. Toe nibbling and brushes of scales are in your future, so you'd better get used to the idea if you plan on being in the water.

Barbecue

Some basics have been provided, but everyone has been asked to bring a little something to the barbecue as well if they can. So you're more than welcome to grab one of the many grills and start frying things up. Heck, there are even fishing poles available if you feel like hauling in a few of those friendly fish to grill. Additionally, summery drinks have been provided, including iced tea, lemonade, water, and horribly fruity cocktails.

After Dark

Just because the sun is down doesn't mean that the party's stopping! The barbecue will continue well into the night, lit now by the stars and a huge, roaring bonfire. The bonfire is maintained by Amaterasu's shinki and climbs higher than any bonfire has the right to. Also, there are floating lights in the water so that people can continue swimming now that it's dark. And if you happen to get too drunk to go home, don't worry. A white-clad shinki will be happy to put you back to bed at the end of the night. Additionally, some sparklers and small bottle rockets have been provided for your entertainment.

In Summary:

• Get some sun
• Go for a swim
• Make sure you're in a swimsuit
• Enjoy the food and activities
• Don't drown
• Have fun~

Comments

[skepticstarbuck]

Down by the water

[Dana stares out over the water, her mind in a whirl. It's been one revelation after another today: You're dead. You're wearing a hospital gown with no back, in Heaven. You're a servant of an ancient Greek god. Oh -- and there's a party!

Have fun.

She'd remedied the hospital gown problem with a borrowed swimsuit, a black-and-white patterned one-piece with a back made up of so much lacing that she's still not entirely sure she put it on correctly.

There's something soothing about the smell of the sea in the air, the crash of the waves and the sobbing of the gulls overhead. She's wandered down the beach, away from the main hubbub of the party, to watch the cheery sunlight on the water glittering out to the horizon.

Somehow, it feels familiar. It's like family.

She edges out onto the nearby rocky outcropping, and picks up a wave-smoothed pebble lodged in the black lava, flinging it out into the waves. Splash!

She hurls another, a little harder this time, and brings up a little plume of spray slightly further out. And another. There aren't any swimmers out here, anyway. Right?]


Barbecue

[A sad little trail of smoke wafts up from the pile of coals Scully has been trying to light, wavers, and stops. She fans it frantically with one of the little plastic fans someone'd been passing out, but those coals look dead. She stares at the pile, scowls, and picks up her lighter again.]

This isn't that hard. It's just a grill.

[Pep talk? Pep talk. She's got a couple of hamburgers on a floppy paper plate sitting to the side, and she's not going to eat them raw. There is salmonella to think about! She flicks the lighter again, leaning in and holding it to the corner of a coal. They're supposed to be easy-light. They're not lighting easily.

If you're listening very closely, you might hear the shinki swearing under her breath.]

barbecue

[nolittlesecret]

[So that's kind of sad to watch. Something about this seems like something he can help with? Who knows. He's never lit a fire in his life. Her approach still doesn't seem like a good way to go. Nari carefully approaches the woman and watches her try to light the coal in vain.]

Might want to try and use some kindling. Like paper or something.

[skepticstarbuck]

This is supposed to be easy-light charcoal!

...You don't happen to have any, do you?

[See Scully. See Scully in a bathing suit and cheap novelty apron, neither of which have any handy pockets full of today's newspaper. She tries holding the lighter under a different piece of coal, just in case that one turns out to be easy light, for a few seconds before it singes her thumb and she hastily lets go.

She hates parties.]

[nolittlesecret]

Easy-light? Unless it's coated in kerosene, I doubt it.

[Nari just kind of pats himself down just in case. Nope. None. With a soft sigh he kneels down beside her and holds his hand out for the lighter.]

Let me try?

Barbecue

[mementodagger]

[Yurick is standing at the next grill over, watching the red-headed woman struggling. He knows fish, apparently, but what he knows even better is fire. He comes over to her, not really managing a smile but something in his single eye is gentle.]

May I?

[He thrusts his hand toward the coals and there's a bright flare of red and gold... it's a fire around his fingers, shaped like a broad-bladed dagger. He holds the burning spell in the stubborn charcoal until it has no choice but to burst into flame. A bit of fanning with his hand as he lets the spell go, and he's pulling his hand back.]

Just let them go white before you try to cook.

[skepticstarbuck]

How --

[Scully stumbles back a step as the boy's hand catches fire, blazing brightly as he holds it in the coals. Spontaneous human combustion, says a voice in the back of her mind. Pyrokinesis. Bullshit, that's what both of those things are, except that his hand really had just caught fire for almost half a minute. She reaches out for his hand reflexively.]

-- Are you burned?! What were you thinking?

[She'll address the question of what just happened in a few seconds. The first question is whether this guy is okay.]

He's just being his calm, collected British self. Sorry, Scully. XD

[mementodagger]

[He blinks at her, raising his hand to show her that there is no damage whatsoever to his flesh. His skin isn't even the slightest bit red, as pale as the rest of him save for the kanji over his heart.]

It's my magic. My own fire can't harm me or anyone I don't want it to. I'm perfectly fine.

Down by the Water

[kokuyoyo]

[Definitely no swimmers, but there is a teenager wandering nearby, who pauses not too far away to watch her. Nothing said, just following the curve of rocks through the air and into the water.]

[But he doesn't interrupt her, although that's only so long as she's throwing rocks. Quiet company isn't bad company, right?]

[skepticstarbuck]

[The tall, skinny teenager isn't interrupting, which Scully appreciates, but he's not moving on, either. After a moment, she pauses with a pebble in hand and raises her voice.]

There's a few rocks you might be able to skip.

[She knows how, even if she can't remember how she knows. Hold a flat rock parallel to the water. Throw with a spin. It's childish, but he's probably half her age, and she's feeling childish enough throwing rocks at the ocean.]

[kokuyoyo]

[Oh, so she’s not that lost in thought. Bending over, he starts to take up a few rocks himself, turning them over inbetween his fingers.]

You don’t look like you’re having fun with it…

Down by the water

[moonfang]

[Well, there weren't any swimmers. But the splashing of the stones attract the curious fish, and those, in turn, attract something else. For all their friendliness, it only took a few of them getting eaten for them to learn to avoid this particular beach-goer, or at the very least watch him from afar. But he's still hungry, and fresh fish are sating his appetite nicely.

Whatever it is, it's white, and it swims like a crocodile, complete with a long tail. A white shadow passing under the waves, toward a group of colorful fish investigating the rocks. Then, some fierce splashing and just a tinge of red blood that is quickly dispersed by the current. The white shadow stands up, revealing...

a teenager?

A teenager with horns, a hole in his chest, and a fish in his mouth. He raises his arms up victoriously]

HAHA!

[skepticstarbuck]

[Scully, with a yelp, falls off her rock.

Luckily the water turns out to be quite deep to its left; she resurfaces, gasping but uninjured, a second later, and stares.

Yes, he has horns. Yes, he's apparently catching fish in his mouth and eating them raw. Yes, there's a giant hole right through his chest.

Somehow, as shocking and bizarre as this all is, Dana feels like she's not nearly as shocked as she should be. It must be because this isn't even the weirdest thing that's happened to her today.]

Warn people before you jump out of the water like that!

[A curious fish the size of her palm circles around her knee and nips at it. She looks down.]

And I don't need you helping, either.

[moonfang]

Ha?

[he turns to look at the (angry, wet) woman, and holds the dead, but still twitching, fish in one clawed hand]

Hyahaha!! Like I even knew you were there! I just saw the fish over here and used the opportunity! Were you feedin' em? [he opens his mouth and drops the fish inside, swallowing it whole... despite the fact that the hole should, in fact, be bisecting his esophagus. And lots of other important bits]

Down by the water!

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Ayumu's taking a break from the crowd on the sand and maintaining appearances to wade barefoot along the shoreline, just focusing on the feel of the water and the granules of sand between her toes. She's carrying her sandals in one hand, staring down at her feet and the path she's walking so she doesn't step on any rocks or jellyfish.

The scent of the sea and sound of the waves are calming to her, too, and she notices the sound of rocks splashing into the water first. The force the last one was thrown with makes her look up but Ayumu doesn't speak up immediately. On the best of days, she's not quite sure how to approach civilians but with the fog of depression slowing her mental processes, it takes her a moment of blank staring to remember how to greet the unfamiliar woman.]

Oh, hello. I don't mean to disturb you.

[The slow, quiet awkwardness and stillness Ayumu's demonstrating right now would bear a remarkable resemblance to her brother's demeanor had anyone been around to recognize either of them. She's not quite sure what else to say so she falls silent again.]

[skepticstarbuck]

[Dana starts, and glances over-- it's a young woman, as wide-eyed as she must be herself. She manages a little smile of her own, trying to paper over the awkwardness hanging in the air.]

It's no problem. I was just thinking.

... It's a nice day, isn't it?

[Oh God, she's talking about the weather. She's been reduced to inanity already.]

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Judging from the way she'd thrown that last rock, Ayumu imagines whatever thoughts that prompted that are better left alone for the moment. It doesn't even occur to her that the weather's inane small talk. It's a topic to talk about that isn't about her feelings or violence so of course, she goes along with it.]

It is. It's nice and sunny today.

[And grudgingly Ayumu has to admit, if only to herself, that she does feel a little better after being out getting some fresh air under the sun. Even the bustle of people around has been nice background noise.]

The sea's pretty.

[Sophisticated conversation at its finest.]

[twin_star]

[ There might have been a swimmer out there, except someone is throwing stones into the spot that Hokuto had picked from a distance to check out. But that's okay, there's plenty of time in the day for a swim. And besides, the rocky outcropping provides a pretty view of the sunshine reflecting off the waves. She can keep this stone-thrower company meanwhile.

Hokuto approaches from the sandy beach and pauses to watch her throw. ]

That's an impressive wind-up you have there, [ she says with a smile. ]

[skepticstarbuck]

[Scully glances down at the teenager, shading her eyes against the bright sun with one hand. Well... at least this one's not some kind of giant fish-eating crocodile monster, or summoning fire out of her hands. Maybe the dream is going back to something a little more normal.]

Thanks. I could have played baseball. Who knows?

[She wouldn't remember one way or the other. Her tone is dry.]

[twin_star]

Oh, you must be a shinki, then? Me too.

[ It's a bit disorienting, not having much context of yourself. Hokuto hasn't thought to really question much of it, though she did ponder briefly (and with some discomfort) about the clothes she arrived in... ]

Or maybe you just enjoyed skipping stones in the water. [ She smiles and picks up a flattest stone she can find. Somehow, she just knows that those work better. She tosses the stone into the water and it skims the surface before dropping into the ocean. ]

Down by the water

[hontobakabaka]

[A pale skinned girl watches the newcomer quietly for a bit under an umbrella before stepping out after the third stone is tossed. Moving to stay in her own shade she stops some 10 feet away before tilting her head a bit.]

"Miss, if you are looking to skip stones you need to flick your wrist differently."

[skepticstarbuck]

"I was just throwing them," Scully admits, perhaps a little defensively, and hefts the pebble in her hand. "They're too round to skip."

She probably can find one the right shape to skip, if she tries, but does that even work over breakers?

Some things come back to her, she's found. Nothing personal, but little details: what pyrokinesis is, how to swim, which foods on the buffet are most likely to give them all food poisoning after sitting out in the bright beach sun for hours. Rock skipping on the ocean is drawing a blank.

Barbecue

[adventurology]

[Oh. Oh dear. Lara definitely heard that, Scully. Shame on you, there are children present. Still, she supposes she can take pity on the woman attempting to cook. Marching over, she steps into view with an easygoing smile.]

If you'd like, my station's already going strong and I've got room for yours.

[She nods towards a nearby grill with strips of meat roasting there.]

That charcoal may be a tad wet, if you're having that much trouble.

[skepticstarbuck]

I think I've just lost the knack.

[She scowls at her stubbornly unlit coals, and picks up the metal tongs to scrape them into a slightly more efficient-looking pyramid.]

You don't have any newspaper, do you?

down by the water, a billion years late

[leapingchuu]

Well, none except Viktor! And he'd been submerged when the hail of pebbles started to splash into the water around him, trying to see how far he could swim before needing to come up for a breath.

When he did, he was hit immediately in the direct center of his forehead by one of the pebbles, and sighed. It wasn't enough to really hurt, but it still wasn't the most pleasant thing he'd ever experienced. At least he didn't think it was.

He raised a hand, calling out a "hello!" just in case the person throwing rocks hadn't realized he was a person yet, and made his way for the outcropping in his incredibly ostentatious swimwear.

excited screeching noises

[skepticstarbuck]

[Scully stops mid-toss and promptly drops the pebble in her hand, turning red.]

I'm sorry! Are you okay?

[Someone was swimming all the way out here?! She scrambles down the edge of the rock, hissing as she manages to scrape a knuckle in her haste, and hesitates at the edge of the rocks. He seems all right. He's swimming casually over, in any case.

What is he wearing?]