thenearshore | 012 | The Beach Episode

Entry tags:

012 | The Beach Episode

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

ugly

old

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~

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[ Hibiki smiles, lowering her eyes in false modesty. Which is really just an excuse to get a look at -

Oh, huh. That's. That sure would explain why her eyes were drawn to that mark. Someone else's servant has been branded with that character? How amusing.

Hibiki raises her eyes again to keep smiling at the girl. As if there's no one else on this beach. ] Did you have a good swim?

[ Tell her all about it! She's fascinated! ]

[She gets the feeling Hibiki might be looking somewhere, but she quickly convinces herself that's silly. What would Hibiki possibly be looking at other than... you know, her in her swimsuit? The same girl whose body Hibiki just dramatically proclaimed as blessed. Clearly nothing to see there! Not even that mark on her thigh, because really, what significance would that have to this person?

Captivated once again by those eyes, and that charming smile, she finds herself starting to relax and feel more at ease in this conversation. As at ease as she can be with that nervous fluttery feeling.]

Oh... yeah, it was nice! Kind of funny, too. The fish kept swimming close to me. It was like they wanted to play.

Who could blame them?

[ May she take your hand, mademoiselle? May she lower her face over it? ] When confronted with your rapturous beauty, what heart could not be captivated?

[ May she kiss your hand? ]

[What. What. WHAT.]

Ah-!

[That was the tiniest, most high-pitched embarrassed squeak Natsuru's voice can manage, when Hibiki's lips make contact with her hand.]

I... don't know if they really noticed...

[Followed by the most nervous giggle, again. She really doesn't think she's all that beautiful! But goodness, would she not mind listening to Hibiki saying things like that in her general direction.]

Anyway... someone like you must meet a lot of beautiful girls!

I see no others.

[ Hibiki will happily feed you this stuff as long as you want if it gets you talking about the kinds of things she wants to know.

To that end: ] Have you lived here long?

[It's going to keep working for now. As much as Natsuru thinks this is clearly excessive praise for someone like her, she's not about to say anything to stop Hibiki from doing it.]

You mean here in this world? ... No, not really. Only about a month.

[Is it weird that she keeps staring at Hibiki's eyes? ... Well, where else would she look that's less embarrassing than that?! Yeah, she'll just settle on the eyes... as she gets a bit of a faraway look in her own again.]

[ ...Curses. Well, it's a month more than she's got.

Hibiki doesn't let her dissatisfaction show, choosing instead to meet that stare with one of her own. ] I trust it hasn't been treating you poorly.

[ That would be the most wretched thing. The sympathy is plain in her eyes if you look deep enough.

She'll provide you a nice view. ]

[So much concern for her welfare, or so Natsuru reads into those eyes. Honestly, she might see what she wanted to see even if Hibiki wasn't putting on such a performance.]

Not at all! I live with a really kind goddess, and I've met a lot of new friends. People here are really lovely...

[A blink, and her cheeks flush again. 'Lovely' technically works for what she meant, but that particular word was drawn out because she'd been gazing into Hibiki's eyes. And the dreamy tone makes it super obvious!]

Er, I mean... everyone's nice! M-mostly...

[ Not a goddess herself, then. So not everyone here was judged as worthy as Hibiki. Unsurprising.

She leans closer at that last admission, which frankly, felt a lot more like what she had expected than all that friendship stuff. Bias of the messenger, she supposes. ] "Mostly"?

[ Who hurt you? The Prince will avenge your wounded breast! ]

[She blushes, glancing off to the side as if she feels like she shouldn't have even mentioned it.]

It's nothing! One guy made some weird comments about the outfit I wear at work once. But he apologized later.

As well he should.

[ Work. This girl works. Hibiki is learning to not have a negative visceral reaction to that - let it never be said she doesn't respect results! - but she still has to swallow before continuing, reaching to try and tip Natsuru's head back her way.

If permitted, she'll also brush her thumb along Natsuru's cheek and keep it there. ] Where do you...work?

[Of course she's permitted, Natsuru is entirely too charmed by this princely girl (that she may have mistaken for the prettiest boy she's ever seen) to stop her from something like that. There's a slight look of surprise when her face is touched, but it quickly softens into an adorably infatuated little smile.]

Um, there's a sweets shop here, near a corner. [She probably gives the town and street names too, but that hasn't been figured out OOCly. It's definitely in Japan, though.] I'm usually wearing a cute outfit and advertising outside.

[~~Is it bad that she wants Hibiki to see how she dresses for work? It's probably bad. This girl is never going to recover from this crush at this rate.~~]

[ ~~Be dyed in her color, Natsuru. What's the worst that could happen?~~

Relieved it isn't grunt work, Hibiki's smile genuinely brightens. Her thumb brushes Natsuru's cheek some more. ] You must be very popular! I'll have to stop by.

[ And feed you cake. Hand-feed you cake.

Say aah. ]

[Hibiki... if you do that, you'll trigger repressed memory-feelings of Natsuru's first ever crush. And you will never be able to take back what that will do to her!

As if that would actually do much more than Hibiki's already doing, to be perfectly honest. Keep smiling at her and complimenting her, sweet prince. What could possibly go wrong from entertaining a little innocent infatuation?]

Please! I'd love to see you there!

[A beat.]

I-I mean... we would. Love to see you. All of us at the shop.

[No. She meant what she said the first time.]

It's a little warm, isn't it? I know we're in the shade, but...

[She's basking in another kind of light besides the sun right now.]

[ Oh goodness, where are her manners as a gentleman. Hibiki ~~takes pity~~ slips her hand off Natsuru's cheek in order to lift her spare teacup. ] Then, will you join me?

[ Look at her pouring this out so elegantly. And with the tea pitcher held far higher up than this particular blend, strictly, needs.

But why not? Presentation is everything. And she looks so pleased with herself doing it, too. ]

[So classy. Do we even need to point out every single time Natsuru blushes and smiles at this point? It's practically becoming every moment. She's such an easy target.]

Oh-! ... Yes, thank you.

[She didn't manage an answer until after the tea was pouring, so what else was she going to say? Besides, there's something really enticing about being invited to join Hibiki for tea. And speaking of which, she's been so utterly charmed this whole time, she's forgotten one important detail.]

Um, I don't think I got your name...

[ Hibiki is riding an ego trip made of equal parts gratification at being appreciated and self-pride for bamboozling information out of this girl so effectively that she doesn't even mind having to make this kind of menial smalltalk. ] Shikyoin. Shikyoin Hibiki.

[ Here is your tea. She didn't ask how you take it because she knows best about all things. ] You may call me Hibiki.

[ Granted, most people who make the face you're making skip right to "Hibiki-sama". But it's better when they think of that themselves. She trusts everyone will.

So in the meantime, you get this special privilege. ]

[Hibiki... what a wonderful name. (Sure, she has a co-shinki named Hibiki who once walked in on her in a towel. But never mind that! The name sounds so much prettier coming from this person.)

She's used to Western name order and being on a first-name basis with people for reasons she can't quite recall, but this conversation is reminding her that not everyone from Japan is like that. Feeling it's only proper, she introduces herself in the traditional order as well.]

Senou Natsuru.

[Accepting her tea with a soft, bashful smile...]

In that case... you can call me Natsuru too.

[She's been on a first name basis with literally everyone she's known as far back as she can remember. Why does it seem so intimate now all of a sudden?

She takes the opportunity to at least attempt to hide her blush this time with a consciously dainty sip from the teacup. The tea is perfect, of course. Because she wants it to be. If you don't think she really is seriously considering jumping right to -sama for the first time ever in her life (except for her actual gods), you would be mistaken.]

A name like a whisper of breath from the heavens.

[ Hibiki smiles. She debates "Natsuru-chan" for a second, but really, she's not the cutesy type.

So instead, she tries the name out, lips caressing very syllable, voice impossibly low and soft and sultry. ] Natsuru.

[ How'd she do? ]

[She's never thought of her name as particularly beautiful before. But heavens help her, it sounds incredible in that voice! It didn't seem possible a moment ago, and yet she's still officially reached a new plateau of flushed cheeks and wide, almost sparkling eyes.

She lacks the eloquence to return Hibiki's flowery language in kind, so she just nods and smiles like a total dork.]

It... sounds pretty when you say it, Hibiki-sama.

[Yep. She did it. In her own mind, it's to differentiate this Hibiki from her co-shinki, who she calls 'Hibiki-kun'. But -san would have done that job just fine. She just couldn't address someone so elegant any other way. Hibiki served her iced tea in a fancy teacup, for crying out loud! And she's a god! Not her god, but... details.]

Then it fits its bearer.

[ Right, enough fun. Hibiki takes a sip of her own iced tea, trying to think of anything else she should ask this person. She needs to get to PriPara....

But, well, can't that wait? She's in a good mood right now, and given how her day had been going, that's rare. She'll treat Natsuru, then. There will be plenty of time to extract any sort of information she needs later.

Really, there's no need to rush anything at all. ]

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012 | The Beach Episode

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https://images.plurk.com/ZShqXT6aCUXurgqjFTWQ.jpg honestly i mostly plurked this for natsuru

http://68.media.tumblr.com/1d27bf3990c9b42745f0ec40ecf8951b/tumblr_nmf1gkNBNB1ts9vgoo3_500.gif

mikagura was a fun show