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

[reformedsinner]

Not at all! Perhaps it's because the threats are a little different for a fish. [Hakkai reaches one hand down to swirl his fingertips in the water, watching as one bright orange fish darts over to nip at his claw.

They're surprisingly cute.]

Not many land creatures hunt by sticking their hands in the sea. Now, if you were your size with fins and very large teeth, I'm sure they'd scatter.

[A sharp smile flicks across his face.]

Cho Hakkai, by the way. I don't believe we've met?

[latebloomingeros]

[Well... at least he's a weird-looking demon-thing with nice manners? Yuuri smiles at him, a little bit distant but perfectly polite.]

No, I haven't... really met much of anyone just yet. I'm new, I guess.

Katsuki Yuuri. It's nice to meet you!

[reformedsinner]

New? I see. My condolences, but it's a pleasure to meet you nonetheless, Yuuri.

[The orange fish is swimming between his fingers now, apparently convinced that Hakkai is a friendly part of the scenery. They are unusually calm, Hakkai admits to himself, watching it swim little figure-eights.]

God or shinki?

[latebloomingeros]

"Condolences"... On my own death?

[Perhaps that was a little too uncomfortable a thing to say, though. It certainly feels like it was a little impolite, so he shakes his head quickly, his smile apologetic.]

Shinki. I'm still trying to find the god they told me I'm assigned to, but I've heard everyone is gathered here today, right?

[It definitely feels odd to just talk about this with a stranger.]

Um, what about you?

[reformedsinner]

Yes, he or she should be around. Some choose not to attend these parties, but it's a good place to catch up on the gossip.... [Hakkai's tone is mild, but hints at sarcasm. It's not usually gossip that he picks up at the Heavens' parties. Disaster is more common.

He flashes a quick smile at Yuuri.]

Condolences on your death and on winding up here afterwards. I'm a shinki of Mahakala.

[latebloomingeros]

[Yuuri picks up on something weird in that tone, but has a little trouble placing what exactly it might be. He frowns a little.]

It's not as if I'll be able to tell if winding up here is an improvement or a step down, so...

[He shrugs, as if to dismiss the thought.]

I'm supposed to be a shinki of Bastet. [The words still feel foreign, like he's not quite confident in how to say them yet, still testing the way they sound when he says them.]

[reformedsinner]

Bastet... I don't know him personally, but I believe he's a man who looks a bit older than I do, with black hair and narrow sunglasses.

[At least, the last Hakkai had heard of a Bastet, that's who it had been. He hasn't spoken to the man, though. He shrugs, very slightly, and lifts his fingers out of the water before they start to wrinkle. The orange fish circles, as though disappointed, for a few seconds before darting off to join its fellows by Yuuri's hand.]

This can be a dangerous place, I'm afraid.

[latebloomingeros]

Black hair, narrow sunglasses.

[Yuuri repeats the details, trying to visualize a person to go with them, committing them to memory. Well, it's more information than he had to go on before, at least.]

[Yuuri keeps his eyes on the water as he turns his palm upwards, watching as one of the fish swims right into it to nibble at his thumb. "Dangerous", huh?]

They did say we're... supposed to be weapons.

[reformedsinner]

Yes. There are monsters in the mortal world -- corrupted ghosts and monsters created by negative emotions. Some of them prefer us to the living as their prey.

[He clasps his hands loosely together on his knees, glancing up at the sky. It's very clear.]

As weapons, we can fight them. If you encounter one on your own, you should probably run.

[latebloomingeros]

[He heard some of that from the shinki he spoke with when he arrived, but hearing it confirmed in more detail is pretty sobering. Yuuri goes very still for a few moments, unsure how to react.]

[There has to be some kind of mistake, he finds himself thinking.]

[There has to be someone better than him to deal with that sort of thing, because he feels... completely out of his depth already, and he hasn't even seen one of the things.]

I'm... I will. I won't do anything reckless on my own.

[reformedsinner]

That's good! In that case I'm sure you'll be fine.

[Hakkai's tone brightens cheerfully. The other man doesn't seem to be very comfortable with the idea of fighting monsters... which is likely a sign that Hakkai shouldn't risk going into detail about the other reasons he offered his condolences on Yuuri's arrival.

He'll learn about disappearances, and plots to overthrow the Heavens, and walking corpses animated by the tortured souls of their comrades soon enough. It's just his first day.]

Those fish really are unusually friendly, aren't they?

[latebloomingeros]

[Yuuri can tell he's turning the conversation away from something, and on some level, it irks him that he must seem like he obviously can't handle whatever it is. On another, the questions left behind just make him more anxious.]

[But on the other hand...]

[How much more does he really want to take today?]

[So he smiles, though his smile is a little different than it was before. A little more distant, a little more cold.]

They're cute, aren't they? Almost like a dog or something.

[reformedsinner]

They really are. Ah... a bit slimier than a dog, though.

[It's a minor difference, really. Hakkai absently notes the way Yuuri's smile is closing off his face; it's a familiar kind of smile, and so he doesn't challenge it. He's wearing one himself.]

It's a good thing it's so difficult to set up a salt-water aquarium, or I'd be tempted to steal some away to my god's temple.

We can't even get the electricity working, though...

[He sighs, sounding mildly put-upon.]

[latebloomingeros]

[Yuuri doesn't even quite realize he's doing it. All he knows is that it feels better to smile and go with the change of subject than it does to focus on his fear and doubt in front of someone he still doesn't really know.]

Ah... It must be hard to get help for that sort of thing here. It isn't like you can just call an electrician any time, is it?

[reformedsinner]

No, there's no handymen in the heavens. If I were any good at it, I'd be making my fortune starting up a business!

[His tone softens a little, without his quite noticing, as he glances out at the ocean again.]

My last god had an idea for starting a delivery service. It's hard to get food delivered from the mortal world to the heavens, too, you see.

[latebloomingeros]

Could you get food delivered to a shrine on the Near Shore? That seems like the simplest way to me...

[reformedsinner]

That's the way you'd have to do it now. Not everyone's shrine is big enough to use as a delivery address, though. It's one thing for someone like Bishamon, and another for -- oh... Dionysus.

[He shrugs, briskly, and glances back at the playful fish. There are quite a few of them swirling in the water now.]

Maybe someone else will give the idea a try! For now, we're stuck with carry-out.

[latebloomingeros]

It must be hard to cook at your house -- sorry, your... temple? -- without electricity, too...

[Unless they did it the really old-fashioned way, or adopted some kind of raw food diet -- those were trendy, but seemed like they'd be difficult to really stick with...]

[reformedsinner]

Luckily, it's more reliable in the kitchen than anywhere else! ... I hope your god's temple turns out a little more, ah, livable.

[Not that there's anything wrong with wood-burning stoves, other than the annoyance of having to cook outside or put a chimney through the roof, of course. Mahakala's temple is even well supplied with dead trees to chop for kindling.

It's all academic, anyway. Hakkai's not going to bother to try to make any changes to this household.]

[latebloomingeros]

I'll just have to see, I guess.

[It's not like he has much other choice, is it?]

It would be nice to have a pet, though, wouldn't it?

[reformedsinner]

Yes. Do you like animals?

[He glances over his shoulder, back towards the beach, with a faint smile on his face.]

... I'd introduce you to Jeep, but he's helping me look after my fellow shinki at the moment.

[latebloomingeros]

Well, as far as I know, I do.

[But he certainly feels like he likes them. He smiles a little bit more earnestly, finally turning his eyes back to Hakkai.]

What kind of pet is he?

[reformedsinner]

A dragon. -- Ah, he turns into a car, too. Thus the name.

[This is definitely a normal type of pet to have!]

[latebloomingeros]

A... A dragon.

[Is that a thing that exists?]

And he turns into...

[Huh.]

[reformedsinner]

He appeared in my bedroom one morning! I was a little startled.

He's not the only unusual animal around here, though.

[And they aren't even all ayakashi! There was that spider with hands in the storeroom, and he's certain he saw some things he thought were mythological running around while they were cleaning up....]