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

[poisontippedcure]

[Avoid the Sunburn]

[To say that Rose was having a bad month would be an understatement, a massive one. Since being taken back to Amal's she'd left the house on a few occasions, but she'd spent most of the time staying in. It turns out that even she can't pass up a good beach day, however, and she happily dons a cute two-piece in preparation for her re-entry into society.]

[When she gets there, she avoids the water. Her skin is delicate after all. Instead, she'll park herself under an umbrella with a pad in her lap and a pencil in her hand. She's going to spend her time at the beach drawing. Most of what she sketches is landscapes, but she'll do a picture or two of her friends--only when she's sure they aren't looking.]

[Bonfire]

[Once the sun dies down, she's more happy to be about. The last time she saw a fire was incredibly violent, so there's something extremely soothing about this one. She'll scoot in close, feeling the warmth on her skin as a summer breeze passes.]

[Perhaps, she can find it in herself to be social again. She'll turn to the person next to her:]

This is nice. Peaceful.

[reignitions]

A. I'll Grill, You Chill
[Okay, maybe this isn't really a surprise. Shio's not really much of one for beach activities, so he's more or less just assigned himself to the grills for the day. Hot dogs, burgers, various skewers. He'll even be grilling fruit if anyone's so inclined.

He'll glance over when someone approaches.]

Want anything in particular?

B. Around the Fire
[Only when it gets towards twilight does Shio actually sit down and, like. Relax. He's dragged over one of the coolers near the one where he's sat down and if anyone sits down next to him, he'll just silently offer a drink.]

[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]

[sunforging]

[i; ocean owned]

[With all the speed and excitement of a cat at 3AM, Scintilla sprinted across the beach, down the pier, and launched herself into the water in a flying cannonball. Sorry not sorry if you're in the splash zone.]

[...Is she planning on coming back up?]

[ii; getting grilled]

[As the day carried on, she could be found lurking around the grills, perhaps craning her neck to see what all we're cooking over here. Can you not see she is but skin and bones and no ability to cook?]

[ii; bonfire]

[Having never met a fetch quest she did not accomplish, Scintilla quickly set herself to gathering wayward bits of driftwood that looked flammable enough, dropping to sit down with her pile of sticks and dropping them into the fire when it started to burn a little low.]

ii

[reignitions]

[Shio seems more amused than anything when he realizes Scintilla's lurking. He even leans over a bit so she can get a better look at what he's grilling.]

I've got some chicken skewers going right now, but I can get something else going for you if you want.

[sunforging]

I ain't picky, if y'wouldn't mind partin' with one or two.

[food is food says the caloric black hole]

[reignitions]

Not at all. They're here to be eaten, after all.

[He gestures at a few of the skewers easily within her reach.]

Those are the closest to being done, they just need another minute.

[lapislazily]

[I. grillin]
[Zhongli eventually shows up and he is prepared for his first beach vacation in far too long to mention. He brings a cooler with him and a bunch of plates, and gets set up at one of the barbecues. It just so happens that he's wearing the dorkiest drip imaginable, complete with big kawaii sunglasses and birkenstocks. Glowing gold leyline tattoos are visible all along his arms and legs. He can't hide them, so fuck it.

What's a master spearman to cook, you might ask. Isn't the answer obvious?

Skewers. A sweet but subtly spicy sauce, pineapple, bell peppers, and a protein of choice. They're available in chicken, beef, and vegetarian versions, and perfect for eating on the run. Just try not to stab yourself with the wooden stick part.]

[II. chillin]
[Zhongli can also be harassed after the food is done; he's within view of the volleyball nets but not close enough to get hit by a stray ball unless it's spectacularly bad luck at work. He's set up a small folding table, large umbrella, and a couple beach chairs, with a half-eaten skewer on a plate beside him and a book in his hand. Every once in a while he glances over at the game, then it's back to reading.]

[III. wildcard]
[If there's a prompt I didn't put up, dunk a starter here.]

[incendiarize]

[ocean]
[Now. Arthur really isn't much of a swimmer. But he's not gonna stay away from a beach party! Hell no, party hard.

So what Arthur's gonna do instead is build the biggest, coolest sandcastle he can. Or sandmecha. Definitely sandmecha. He might be trying to sculpt some of the crazy vehicles he built in Hyrule. Is it working? No. Is it fun? Yup!]

[avoid burn]
[Mistakes were made. Big mistakes were made. Witness Arthur crawling back to an umbrella to collapse facedown in the shade.

Witness, but do not pity. He did this to himself. Who the fuck wears long pants and sleeves to the beach?!]

[bonfire]
[Night falls and Arthur is revitalized. Could not be happier to hather around a crackling fire.]

Hey. So. I got homemade marshmallows, right? In a bunch of flavors. Who wants to see how well they roast?

[bebest]

[avoid the burn]

[Zulius is going absolutely nowhere NEAR the water, but he can be found lounging on the sand. He happens to be lounging on a seat that's made out of his own hair, but anyone who's known Zulius for more than an hour by now should know the day he does anything fucking normally is the day he's been replaced by a pod person. He seems pretty relaxed, anyway, he's got a cooler next to him filled with frozen cocktails. If you come near enough, he'll crack an eye open to regard you lazily. ]

You want one? Think of it like a grown up Capri-Sun. Super fun.

[bonfire lit up your life]

[Zulius WILL linger a little longer, even after the party has died down as night draws in. It doesn't have to always be non-stop party time for him, it turns out. He's at least got out of his horrific hair contraption now, instead standing by the fire, roasting marshmallows to make smores because he is a fuckin' adult and he can make smores if he wants to. ]

Normally I'd say we have hit the right ambience for spooky stories but tbh I have hit my limit for that this month. Anyone got any embarrassing stories instead? Those are always fun.

[He will not be held accountable for anything anyone is foolish enough o say to the town gossip. ]

avoid burn

[infezione]

[And that is a water bottle being placed in front of him.]

Have you considered getting a wetsuit?

[incendiarize]

[...]

That. Would be a good idea.

[This is the voice of someone who entirely forgot those are a thing that exists. He fumbles for that water bottle.]

[infezione]

[Sympathetic pats.]

... At least it'll probably be cheaper to buy one with summer winding down.

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.

[sunforging]

'Kay, I can wait a bit. [tail swaying excitedly because Food] S'good weather, ain't it? Been a good while since I had a chance to hang about on the beach like this.

[incendiarize]

[Loooong drink...and then he's holding the bottle to the side of his neck.]

Yeah... To be fair, I don't usually stay out of the air conditioning all that long.

[crisantemo]

i. grillin time

[ You know who has barely gone to the beach? This nerd.

But when Eunie puts out that message, Lapis figures there's no harm in going - she's even made sure to dress cute for it too, very much uncaring about the scar now on display. People here have seen way worse.

And immediately she goes for the grills, having brought some supplies with her. She may not have used them before, but she's a quick study - after watching the others for a while, she's soon joining in and helping with food prep.

So anyone who hovers is looking will get a glance, expression fairly peaceful as she goes back to keeping an eye on the grill. ]

I'm making a variety of things, but let me know if you want anything specific.

ii. rock pools

[ Despite being at the beach, going into the ocean is not on the agenda. Lapis is horribly vain about her hair and salt water would not agree with it, so no swimming for her.

Instead she's more focused on what's at the edges, hidden under the sand and within rock pools. She seems... very intent on one spot, gently poking about before she lifts her up treasure -!!

- A dainty little hermit crab peering out of it's shell. She loves it already. ]

Oh, it's so cute... [ She almost looks like she's sparkling as she cradles the little thing in her hands. Almost. ]

iii. volleyball

[ I have nothing fancy to write here, Lapis just wants to play volleyball. She will happily play with anyone, but she is also incredibly competitive.

There will be no massive craters, she's not that strong, but she will absolutely want to win. If a "powers are allowed" rule is in place, expect shadow manipulation abuse. ]

iv. bonfire

[ As things wind down, Lapis will be one of the people around the bonfire. Her hat is either long gone or put away somewhere, but now she just ties her mass of hair out of the way as she settles down - content to simply listen to others.

And with the grills now off, making s'mores is on the agenda; while she's made some for herself, she'll also quietly offer one to anyone who sits near her. ]

I

[infezione]

[Honestly, Zhongli probably should've expected this at some point when he got set up at one of the barbecues.

One (1) curious Fugo watching as he works.]

Those look really good...

[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?"

[infezione]

Yeah. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have thought of it myself if it wasn't for...

[Well.]

[reignitions]

[Food!!]

Yeah, the weather's fantastic. I don't think I've gotten a chance like this for a while, either.

bonfire

[bebest]

[Zulius will come in and settle next to her, folding his little zebra legs under him, glancing up at the fire.]

Suuuuure is. Think it's about time we got a breather.

[But he has been worried about her. He's given her some time to deal with...well, everything that happened. He casts her a little smile. ]

How're you holding up, Rosey?

[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?"

[lapislazily]

[Zhongli greets him with a slight smile.]

Hello, Patrizio. I hope you have been well.

[He turns over the skewers on the grill.]

The meat ones still need a couple of minutes, but the tofu ones are ready if you don't want to wait.

[Even if he had his dragon breath that is not how he's going to cook them, sorry to say.]

[infezione]

A little restless-- [Considering it's a fire month...] --But otherwise well, yeah! What about you?

[He's willing to wait for the meat ones, sure, but he's absolutely already reaching for a tofu skewer. He's hungry and these look awesome.

His eyes light up a bit when he tries it.]

Oh, the sauce on these is amazing...