2; THE BEACH EPISODE

[medicgunner]

WHO: Everyone!!
WHERE: Starting on the network, then The Beach!
WHEN: Forward dated to the last weekend of August
WHAT: Beach Episode!!
WARNINGS: None hopefully??



[With no context, no preamble, no nothing. Early on the last weekend of August, Eunie greeted the network with a message.]

text; un: fortuneclovers

hey
Eunie here, changed my un
so this month was fuckin awful
im goin to the beach. Maybe have a little fun there to get the mind off all the bullshit
if you’re seein this youre invited too. come on and lets have a good time, bring what you want

Oh yeah
im bringin a volleyball for the nets
anyone who wants a game come at me. >:)

🌭 getting grilled

[So ended the text one humble weekend morning. Eunie didn’t have specific plans for this, she just sort of ran off and invited the whole app to the beach without considering the logistics. She did say to bring what you want but she was social enough to arrange some things for a bit of a beach gathering.

It wasn’t a lot, a few coolers and BBQ grills people can hand around and either loiter or cook at if they have the capability. If they don’t though they will be removed from the grill. But maybe that’s part of the fun.]

🌊 ocean owned

[Aside from the coolers, there’s obviously the beautiful sea people can surf or swim in all they want! The water is fine, a little cold but in a way that felt refreshing from the hottest days of the last legs of summertime. The tides were even and there was no real risk of drifting away, but don’t go too far out unless you’re a strong swimmer. There are lifeguards on duty but we’ve had enough trauma this month, we don’t need a drowning scare. Or do, I’m not your mom.]

⛱️ avoid the burn

[Not a swimmer? Well then catch up on your tan under the share umbrellas and towels laid on the sand. Or your sunburn. It is a bright and sunny weekend after all so no matter what you’re catching up on, get your sunscreen on too.

It’s also just as good for a little break from the swimming and the music to steady yourself before you head out or head back into the water or some piers you can walk down on your own for the same experience to just catch the sea breeze while staying up and about.]

🏐 bolleyvall bapped

[That being said, Eunie was not joking about there being volleyball. There are a few nets on the beach for a few different games to go on at once. Organize a tournament or just play casually. Remember though that there are normies on the beach and any Earth Shattering volleyball spikes might cost some property damage claim money. This isn’t death soccer, people.

Who am I kidding, this is going to turn into a disaster either way. Go ham, challenge the bird girl or just watch the chaos unfold and place your bets, kids.]

🎇 bonfire lit up your life

[As the day winded down and night settled on the beach, some folks were headed home or have gone there already to get the sand out of their shorts. But those who stuck around will get the pleasure of sitting by a bonfire not me as they bid a fond farewell to the summertime and summer vacation.

Or get in touch with their inner arsonist in a less destructive way.

Sit, relax and socialize, take in the ambiance of the twilight by the fire, roast some marshmallows or hot dogs. Maybe decide to camp out for the night. It is a pretty peaceful time, and it’s these small moments of calm with friends and loved ones we have to cherish the most when in recovery, right?]

Comments

[fionnuisce]

[i; avoid the burn]

[Waver was taking up a spot under an umbrella, with clearly no intention of moving from that spot. What, you expected him to go swimming or something? Good luck with that. He was opting to stay in the shade, a new pair of sunglasses on his face and cane leaning against his chair; the fact that the weather demanded wearing shorts made the necessity clear for perhaps the first time, copious scarring covering the lower half of his right leg.]

[...Which he really didn't seem to care that much about showing, generally more focused on the book in his hand. Something about him did seem uneasy--he may have been staring at the same page for a couple minutes before snapping out of it--but he'd greet anyone who came over with the same casual demeanor as usual. The weather's nice, the company's about as normal as anything gets around here, and it's been a long month.]

[ii; bonfire]

[Come nightfall, he would at least sit around the bonfire; fate forbid he wallflower all day. Maybe he did actually need a vacation once in a while...nah, that sounded silly. He'd settle for reaching over for a marshmallow.]

[iii; closed to lancer]

[Hey. At some point as things wound down and the bonfire had begun to die down, there was a quiet nudge over a mental connection. I'm going to take a walk down the beach. You want to come?]

[art source]

i

[prunedworlds]

"Not gonna go swimming?"

Of course Ritsuka would say something like that to Waver. For that matter, she sure looks like she just got out of the water, herself, though she'll make an effort not to drip any water on his book there.

That, and she won't comment on the leg if he doesn't comment on the fact that the cute two piece she's wearing probably leaves a few faint scars of her own visible.

[fionnuisce]

"I don't really do swimming. Honestly, I kind of hate water."

A shrug; he wasn't entirely complaining and more brushing it off like 'what can you do, really'.

"But I take it you're having fun?"

[prunedworlds]

"Really?"

If you give her some time she might be able to guess why, but she forgets sometimes that she's pretty thoroughly desensitized to Gilles de Rais's familiars by this point.

"Yeah, it's been a while since I could just hang on at the beach, you know?"

[fionnuisce]

Regrettably, we can't all be used to Cthulhu shit.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. Can't say I've ever actually been to one properly myself." The perils of living on the wrong parts of an island.

[prunedworlds]

She might be beginning to realize that her threshold for that stuff is very, very skewed compared to most people. Only a tiny bit so far, but still.

"So this is your first time?" Phrasing, Ritsuka. "Though even if you don't go swimming, there's plenty to do on the beach too."

Well, the volleyball might be out of the question with that leg, but there's other stuff besides just sitting around pretending to read.

[fionnuisce]

Just giving her the world's most flat look for a moment. You know what you said.

"You know, sometimes I swear everyone's got some criteria I'll never understand--'socialize, take a vacation, no wait not like that'." He rolled his eyes, sounding no worse than mildly annoyed.

"But sure, I'll ask: what do you suggest?"

[prunedworlds]

Sometimes Ritsuka simply does or says things before thinking them through. Or thinking at all. Surely Waver has realized this by now.

"Well, going for a walk along the beach is always nice. Most people like to wade when they do that, but you don't have to. It looks like there's people cooking stuff on the grills, too. Oh! And there's watermelons."

You know, for smashing open and eating.

.... It's possible she's the one who brought the watermelons, but she's admitting nothing.

[fionnuisce]

"..."

This is the look of someone begrudgingly having to admit he didn't hate that idea.

"...I guess watermelons wouldn't be so bad. You planning on breaking them open?"

[prunedworlds]

"Yeah! Just gotta find a bat and a blindfold."

She apparently did not think that far ahead.

[fionnuisce]

...Bless your heart for trying.

"You didn't-...yeah, okay. It can't be too hard to track down something that'll serve the same function, at least."

[prunedworlds]

Look, the watermelons are here, that's the most important part. The rest can be improvised if needed.

"Right. I was gonna go ask around soon, actually."

She just got a little sidetracked by Waver sitting there looking all mopey.

[fionnuisce]

"But you just happened to see an easy target to annoy, right?"

He knows how this works.

iii :)

[twofoldfury]

[The nudge caught Diarmuid's attention immediately. It was with a smile, wordless to everyone but Waver, that he responded.]

Of course. Lead the way.

[Said standing up from the sand he sat at with a hand offered to Waver to help him do the same.]

;)

[fionnuisce]

[Waver took that hand and stood up, dusting himself off and starting down along the coastline.]

This is...a little more standard fare around here in between Spirit Realm problems. Less actual chaos, more organized harmless chaos.

[This was seeming unbelievably impossible, but if he showed up on Monday after backing down August was going to throw him out a window.]

Are you having fun with it?

[twofoldfury]

[takame would help august throw him]

Haha, I see.

[He smiled brightly at his Master, happy in this moment.]

I am. It isn't wrong that we all need a reprieve after what took place this month. [And the stress leading up to it, though Diarmuid was only around for the latter half.] And you? I hope you've been having a good time as well and deserve one just as much.

[fionnuisce]

I'm okay. It's...nice, to see things this comparatively quiet.

[Faced with a look like that, it was impossible not to smile himself--even nervous as he was.]

I'm...really glad to see you a little more at ease. We never had much of a chance for that before.

[twofoldfury]

Good. That's good to hear. [Funny considering the reason for said smile was Diarmuid's current company as much as it was the relative peace.]

True, we haven't. I recall the last time we spoke like this. There was much at stake, and yet I felt more at ease speaking with you that day than I could remember.

[Hard to forget how the young Master discerned his true name due to his own lack of subtlety and the subsequent laughter. That lack of weight on his shoulders that had his guard down for the night.]

[fionnuisce]

Hm...yeah, I definitely remember that. Pretty damn hard to forget.

[Maybe that was when it started, if Waver had to pinpoint something exact. Truthfully, he might never be able to figure it out to that extent; he'd just realized too late that he'd felt like that for longer than he comprehended.]

Hey- [He stopped walking, trying to steady an uncertain voice.] I actually wanted to talk to you about something.

[twofoldfury]

[The event Diarmuid would not forget. At least "Lancer" wouldn't. Certain feelings attached to him and refused to be ignored no matter how necessary it was.

He stopped just beside Waver, not a step behind. Their footsteps in the sand on an equal path.]

I'm here to listen. Is something wrong? [Waver rarely did anything without reason, but the question was asked more curious than anything given how easy he was to read when he was nervous.]

[fionnuisce]

No, it's not--nothing's wrong, I just sort of...

[He trailed off at first, letting that hang uneasily as he tried to collect his thoughts.]

...Before I continue, I need to make sure of something. You know-...you know that I would never ask anything of you that you would be unwilling to give, right?

I need you to confirm for me that you understand the final order I gave you still stands; new contract or not, I relinquished my authority that night so that you would have complete freedom to do or say whatever you please. You can always, always question me, or even deny outright if you should decide I ask too much. And I will never push back against a line you've drawn. Before I say another word, that has to be crystal clear.

[twofoldfury]

Hm?

[Diarmuid was a patient man, waiting as long as it took for Waver to pull his words together. It was the condition placed before him that made the air hang a little heavier.]

Do what you believe is right.

[A command that meant nothing and yet was woven into his existence, past every thorny vine as the one thing Waver truly wanted him to do. To speak for himself. To question him. To speak with him as a friend despite the clear established hierarchy that Diarmuid lived his human life by as a Knight.

Something to unheard of, unspeakable and yet undoubtedly and unshakably Waver. What made him Waver. What made Diarmuid feel so...

He nodded, and with all his conviction:]

I understand.

[fionnuisce]

...Okay.

[Waver closed his eyes and took a slow, deliberate breath as if steeling himself. With that same conviction, he looked straight at Diarmuid and started speaking:]

There is something that has been bothering me for a very long time. It's not something I understood at first, and I can't say exactly when it started--though I have a guess or two.

[The night they defeated Berserker. A winter sunset over Fuyuki City. Screaming in anguish with his only friend's blood on his hands-]

And lately I am coming to realize that I can't leave it unaddressed anymore. Even if it frightens me to consider the ramifications, it's something that concerns both of us and must be navigated with the utmost caution. If I act carelessly on this matter, I risk causing you pain--and that is something I can not allow as your friend and partner.

[Waver was speaking far too carefully--like he'd thought for hours on end about exactly how to approach this in meticulous detail, each word chosen with absolute care and consideration for how it would be understood. Utmost caution, indeed; yet his voice and focused stare were the only things steady about him, grip white-knuckled on his cane and remaining two Command Seals emblazoned on a trembling hand.]

[twofoldfury]

Waver... [Though not fully aware of what Waver implied, or perhaps he didn't want to consider it, what was clear was that he was stressed about this. From his meticulous word choice to that grip on his cane.

Whatever this was, all Waver seemed to care about was what Diarmuid thought. That combined with the sheer nerves on display made him reach for Waver's hand to steady it. Steady some, any of his Master's nerves.

Maybe he was emboldened by the reminder of that last Command Seal's use, maybe he was just comfortable enough to do this. But he gave that hand a light squeeze.]

Say what you need to.... It's alright, you do not need to worry with me. I want to know what you have to say.

[fionnuisce]

[Did he, though? If Waver said this, there was no going back. It might destroy everything, shatter the delicate trust of a partnership that meant more to Waver than his own life.]

Understand that I don't ask anything of you. There's nothing I want in return, nothing you are obligated to give me. Nothing in this or any world that will ever make me think of you as anything less than my knight. Nothing has to change; you need only say the word, and I swear to you on this life you saved that I will never speak of this again.

[But...it had to be said, didn't it? No matter the risk, to continue to hide it would be no better than lying. Be the knight you think you are, he told himself. Don't you dare look away. And if he turns you down, meet that with a smile and accept it without disappointment. You know he'll blame himself otherwise.]

But you deserve to know the truth. To know that the heart I entrusted to your protection already belonged to you, and has for a long time.

Diarmuid ua Duibhne, you are...you are the most courageous, loyal, compassionate, wonderful person I have ever known.

And I...I'm in love with you.