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

[nolittlesecret]

[Nari nods, trying to recall just where he'd seen one when walking around.]

Trying not to. [He tries to keep himself from pressing his nails against the possibly burnt skin to see if there was a reaction. That's for when they aren't busy setting things on fire.]

Lemme go check. Can't give directions so save my life. [He stops as he's standing.] Wait, I'm dead. Great. Now I gotta think of another way to phrase that.

[Cylinder is more important at the moment anyways as Nari goes off to fetch it. Would it be "Can't give directions to bring me back to life?" No. That's awful.]

[skepticstarbuck]

["To save my life" does lose a little of its impact, even if Scully's dubious about the death claim. She pokes at the coals absently, thinking, until Nari returns with the charcoal cylinder and she can offer:]

How about, "I'll be damned if I can..."

[Morbid? Absolutely. But whatever else this weird, hallucinatory beach scene is, Dana's pretty sure it's not Hell.]

Thanks. Let's see.

[There's a grating inside, made to hold the charcoal so that air can flow up through the coals and help them heat to blazing temperatures. So, the charcoal goes on top, and underneath goes something flammable. Charcoal first.]

[nolittlesecret]

That does have a much better ring to it. [Still. It was weird.] I've got no idea if this dead thing is even legit. I feel as fine as a living person should.

[Nothing was broken, there was no blood, though the clothes he came here in did have holes in them that didn't look random in pattern... Nari will have to file a complaint about being dressed like a homeless person when he got here.]

Oh shit. I didn't grab paper or anything... Do you think anyone would care if we sacrificed paper plates. There's a ton of those things anyways.

[skepticstarbuck]

I'm having trouble buying the "death thing" myself. For ghosts, we seem a little too real.

[She bites her lower lip absently, eyeing the charcoal-packed chimney.]

-- There's plenty of plates. Let's use them.

[nolittlesecret]

I don't feel like a zombie, either. Though I don't think they feel in the first place.

[They are way too civilized for zombies.] Worst comes to worst someone will claim necromancy.

[He'll just casually grab a stack, putting them down and taking one from the top. In a few quick rips they have smaller pieces top work with.]

So they get stuck under that grill thing at the bottom?

[skepticstarbuck]

Necromancy is definitely not real.

[Just like... oh, at least seventy-five percent of the other things she's heard people tossing around like they're normal today. She grabs another of the plates, tearing it into several pieces of its own.]

Right, pile them together, and we should be able to light them before we put the chimney on top.

[nolittlesecret]

Demonic summoning is out of the question. I still feel pretty human. Plus, I'd make an awful demon. Too much of a good conscience.

[Or at least what he feels is good. Okay, so maybe he was a dick to a kid earlier, but the kid deserved it.

A few more plates become scraps till there's a nice pile. Nari grabs the lighter and holds it out to his fire starting companion.]

Wanna do the honors?

[skepticstarbuck]

My pleasure.

[She takes the lighter and flicks it, twice, before the flame springs to life. It catches easily on the edge of the paper plate and begins licking in towards the center of the pile.]

I think we can rule out our being demons.

[She hooks a finger under the thin golden chain around her neck, pulling out the cross which hasn't showed any sign of doing anything dramatic like searing her flesh or glowing.]

And vampires, for that matter. Probably. Let's put the charcoal on now.

[nolittlesecret]

[Hm. He didn't come here with any jewelry. How many other shinki came here with things like that?]

Or werewolves? Though those technically aren't undead. You never know.

[He's on it! As carefully as one can manage, the charcoal gets put into the cylinder.]

Definitely going to have to wash our hands before eating. There's charcoal dust all over them.

[skepticstarbuck]

I don't think werewolves are supposed to hate crosses. Maybe if it were silver.

[She looks down at her hands, and nods in glum agreement.]

There must be some sinks somewhere around here. Most public beaches have bathrooms...

[Awful sand-covered concrete-floored bathrooms with dubious plumbing, Dana suspects, but as long as the sinks work she won't complain.

The smoke is spiraling up through the charcoal in the chimney. She squints suspiciously at it.]

[nolittlesecret]

At least vampires and werewolves have one thing in common: stab them in the heart and they die real quick.

[A glance around confirms there are indeed some bathrooms.]

Not too far from here. Though..... I have yet to see anyone go in there. Squeamish maybe?

[Or is there something about their anatomical functions he's not aware of?]

[skepticstarbuck]

If they were real, sure. ... But then, if you stab a living person in the heart, they'll die fast too.

[This is not a very supernatural trait.

She eyes the beach bathrooms very dubiously (no one's gone in them yet? That's a terrible sign) and heaves a sigh.]

All right, I'm going to wash my hands. It can't be that bad.

[She treks over, nostrils flaring. The bathrooms actually don't smell that bad, even inside; they've been cleaned recently, it seems, and most of the odor is chlorine bleach and sea salt.

No one else does seem to be close to them. Maybe it's a coincidence, she thinks, heading back out and over to Nari .]

[nolittlesecret]

That is very true. But then you get the freak cases where someone somehow survives.

[Please don't let him be that kind of freak, it sounds painful and miserable.]

If you don't come back in ten minutes, I'll send a search party.

[Nari just stares rather intently at the slowly heating up charcoal as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. The normal (hopefully) human thoughts of "hey would it hurt if I grab one of those" floats around in his head till Dana comes back.]

And what's the verdict?

[skepticstarbuck]

They're fine. It must have been coincidence.

[She shrugs, and peers at the grill.]

-- Those look ready. So, do you want... [She glances over at the table with the ready-to-grill food on it, and squints (apparently she's a little nearsighted.)]

Hamburgers or hot dogs? Or something else?

[nolittlesecret]

[Good to know for when he goes to wash his own hands.]

Hamburgers fine. Looking at the hot dogs gives me a weird feeling that I probably won't like them. I'll trust my gut on that one.

[Nari nods to himself.] My turn to go wash my hands. Be right back. [And brave the surprisingly clean bathrooms. At least it's just charcoal, so he's back fairly quick.] Oh! If there's a part of the grate that's warm without an open flame, I am so toasting a bun on that.

[skepticstarbuck]

[Scully considers the hot dogs herself -- somehow, the hamburgers look better to her too -- and slides three burgers onto the grill. The coals are sizzling hot, and they brown quickly, smoke wafting up as the occasional droplet of grease hits the hot coals and bursts into temporary flame.

She points out a spot at the side of the grill to Nari.]

You can toast it over there.

I wonder if anyone else wants some. [She glances at the plate of raw burgers and half-package of hot dogs.] I took more than just two of us are going to eat.