the beach episode (dated before the east mission)

[fallingsand]

There's a small slice of sandy beach between mountains and wasteland, where the South meets Central, only an inlet of ocean between them, and that is where Bruno has decided to set up camp.

Literally.

He only had a simple tent and supplies for two initially. Tatara had asked if he could join him on his little trip out and how could he say no? Unfortunately for him, Tatara may have decided to invite everyone else, too, so, welcome, everyone, to the beach episode and a chance to relax after a potentially rough week in the City of Rain.

The sand is warm and fine, the water isn't too chilly, and scrubby little palm trees and plant life dot the dunes. Sea birds are the most active wildlife out here, not counting whatever fish can be found dwelling in the depths of the inlet between South and Central or further out into the ocean. It's comfortable enough... unless you hate sand, that is! You don't hate sand, right?

Since Tatara's arrival, more than Bruno's humble setup can be found.

- There's food fit for a picnic and enough bottles of wine for the evening.

- In the evening, a (non-deadly) bonfire will be built and there'll be pillows to sit on for those who don't want to sit directly on the sand.

- A few colorful rough wool blankets laid out under umbrellas meant to provide shade.

- There's still only one sad-looking tent... However! Bruno's gone ahead and enchanted it so that, when one pushes the cloth flap aside and enters, they'll find a much more comfortable setup inside.

And, of course, anything the other wizards have decided to bring! Bruno wasn't expecting a party but now that it's here, he sure can't tell them not to have fun however they want.

Comments

[fellheart]

there's a snake in my beach episode...????

[ there's probably at least a few faces conspicuously missing from this trip; maybe they're just stick in the mud no fun allowed grumps? look, you already got the rest of the north here, even solomon, surely no one will actually miss robin.

because robin is absent. probably!

that said, if someone happens to wander a little further up their slice of sandy beach, they may come across... a giant snake dozing in the sand? you know, just normal things, if giant snakes also had six wings, six eyes, and horns.

maybe one of the native monsters just strayed a little too close... good thing it seems to be nice and cozy? it's kind of hard to tell whether it's awake or not, huh... ]

but frederick, it's nearly dark

[ as it turns out, somewhat closer to evening robin does show up. maybe someone managed to convince him to come along after all? it doesn't seem he minds the sand or water both that much, though rather than dressing down at all for the occasion he's clad in full cloak and hood and everything as per usual.

he can't actually be comfortable like that, can he? is this just a goth commitment to a bit?? (no.)

anyway, while he won't shy away from the water like some, neither does he really spend that much time in or near it. instead he seems to be comfortable enough just reading underneath some conveniently placed beach umbrella, even as the sun starts getting lower on the horizon. ]

Snek

[dyingtohealyou]

[He JUST told Morag there probably weren't any monsters around here, what the fuck.

Kinda keeping an eye on it from a safe distance???]

[fellheart]

[ it, quite honestly, simply appears to be sunning itself in the sands. has ahito ever seen a bird sunbathing?

because yeah, it's kind of like that. ]

[dyingtohealyou]

[He has never seen a bird sunbathing, no, but it doesn't seem like it's causing any trouble, so...]

What even is that...?

[fellheart]

[ it does not seem to be causing any trouble. it's even giving day a skipping stone free of charge and letting itha use it as an oversized emotional support snake, or something, and no one's being eaten.

but it allows ahito to boggle over it for a while, before eventually lifting its head and rumbling:

(it's... still in an amused register, though whether that can discerned from the tone alone given that the structures producing sound are vastly different from human vocal cords is. questionable?) ]

... Yᴏᴜ. Oᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ.

Hᴀsɴ'ᴛ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴛᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ɪs ʀᴜᴅᴇ ᴛᴏ sᴛᴀʀᴇ?

[dyingtohealyou]

[Ah. It talks.]

Sorry, sorry... It's just, one of the people here's determined to fight any "monsters" she sees, so...

Be careful...?

[fellheart]

[ another rumbling noise seems to come from the snake.

(like every other noise they've been making, it's amused.) ]

I ᴄᴀɴ ᴅᴇғᴇɴᴅ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ... ʙᴜᴛ I sᴜᴘᴘᴏsᴇ I sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇʀɴ, ᴍɪsᴘʟᴀᴄᴇᴅ ᴀs ɪᴛ ɪs.

Tʜᴏᴜɢʜ, I sᴜᴘᴘᴏsᴇ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ᴀʀɢᴜᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴀᴛ, ᴇxᴀᴄᴛʟʏ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ 'ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀ' ɪs.

[dyingtohealyou]

Pretty sure she's just the type to go after anything that doesn't look humanish.

[Not that he knows for sure but that would require interacting with Morag in a deeper way than simply "teasing the straight man of the group"]

[fellheart]

[ it bares its teeth, maw falling open in a fanged, toothy grin. ]

Hᴏᴡ ᴛᴇʀʀɪʙʟʏ ᴅᴜʟʟ, ɪғ ᴘʀᴇᴅɪᴄᴛᴀʙʟᴇ. Aғᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴇsᴛ ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴡᴇᴀʀ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ sᴋɪɴ.

[ ... before it converts the motion into something like a yawn and settles back. you know, that big, open-mouthed gaping snakes do as they readjust their jaw. ]

Snek

[troublereduction]

[ Huh. Okay, maybe Bruno shouldn't find out about this or he'll have a heart attack, Day thinks.

That said, he's squinting because...six wings? Six eyes? Where has he heard or seen this before? ]

[fellheart]

[ well, he hasn't heard about the eyes, but as for the wings... who knows? fushigi mystery.

the eyes, though ... maybe if he thinks back, and removes the level of abstraction from the sigil he might have seen that one time, he can sort of get the idea. robin's never been without his gloves, so it wouldn't have been from the back of his hand, but...

:thinking:

as if in response to the scrutiny it's getting, though, the tail, long and whippy, does sort of ... lash out to better rearrange itself in a curl. maybe it's just trying to get rid of that sensation you get when you know someone's staring at you... ]

[troublereduction]

[ That's what he was thinking of, and why he was squinting because maybe? But not quite...?

Day, however, does not believe in coincidences, because once you're tied to fate, you realize how little coincidence means in the scale of probabilities and possibilities. but maybe for now he won't say anything, as he redirects his attention to looking for suitable skipping stones in the sand. The little dragon-snake thing doesn't seem to appreciate being stared at, anyway. ]

[fellheart]

[ that little dragon snake is the size of a large horse. it does not seem to enjoy being stared at, and doesn't seem to make any further indication of being aware of anyone else there...

but eventually, the end of its tail does curl enough to manage to loosely grasp... something in the sand? and with a flick lob it in day's general direction. maybe a little magic might have been involved, sure.

(that something looks to be a fairly decent skipping stone...?) ]

[troublereduction]

[ I forgot that it was horse-sized because I'm smart,

Day reacts with reflexes that, again, might be surprising given his usual demeanor, catching the stone almost immediately and without ceremony. Take a moment to examine it before he pockets it. ]

Thanks.

[fellheart]

[ it's fine, the large dragon the size of a small dragon simply seems to ignore the thanks initially...

after a moment, though, it blinks two sets of its three eyes, leaving one to gaze at him. given that they're solid red it may be hard to discern any real subject of focus, but maybe day can tell he's the current object of interest anyway. ]

... Aɴᴅ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ, ᴇxᴀᴄᴛʟʏ?

[ it's not robin's voice. the sound the vocal cords of this form and a human one would not match up anyway, much less so after one accounts for the resonant and breathy inflection this one imparts into his tone. ]

[troublereduction]

[ Hard not to notice that when he's the one being addressed here. Pauses for a moment, debates if he should like, turn around or something, or carry on this conversation casually.

Haha, just kidding, who would he be if he didn't just carry on like this isn't kind of alarming at all? ]

Collectin' rocks for skippin'.

[fellheart]

[ when you accidentally lose an entire word even after editing, gj self. anyway, there's... a huff of breath that disturbs some of the sand, a little? ... was that a sigh? ]

I ᴀᴍ ᴀᴡᴀʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴘᴛ ᴏғ sᴋɪᴘᴘɪɴɢ ʀᴏᴄᴋs, ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ.

Mʏ ᴏ̨ᴜᴇsᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡᴀs ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴏғ 'ᴡʜʏ.'

[ did day come to the beach just to skip stones. ]

snek

[leewards]

[After the spectacle at the shore, Ithaqua has been avoiding water, and keeping his head down-- literally, so people don't get an eyeful of his ugly face. He's still miserable, so when he sees something that's wholly out of place on the beach?

He's almost ecstatic. It's a snake! He doesn't know what kind of snake it is, but he's already enamoured. He jogs up to it on bare feet and crouches down nearby, peering at its head, its face.]

Asleep? Or perhaps awake and uncaring... [Mostly musing to himself.]

[fellheart]

[ it's a snake! and while it doesn't immediately react at his approach... ]

Iɴᴅᴇᴇᴅ ᴀᴡᴀᴋᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴀᴘᴀʙʟᴇ ᴏғ ʜᴇᴀʀɪɴɢ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ sᴀʏɪɴɢ, ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴇ.

[ it does respond to his musings. its voice is not an entirely familiar one, what with the odd, resonant quality of the intonation, the natural differences in the way different bodies would produce sound.

it does, however, seem mildly amused. ]

[leewards]

[Not at all afraid that the serpent starts to talk, he scuttles closer, lacking in cares given about his own safety when he places his cheek against the snake's scales, just against its neck.]

Then you're fortunate I've not said anything terrible.

[fellheart]

[ huh. that's a new reaction. don't think he's ever gotten that particular one before. he does shift, a little, arranging his coils such that a specific spot on his nape is a bit less exposed, but otherwise does not try to dislodge ithaqua. ]

Eᴠᴇɴ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴅ, ɪᴛ's ғᴏʀᴛᴜɴᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ I'ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴄᴜʟᴀʀʟʏ ᴛʜɪɴ sᴋɪɴɴᴇᴅ. Oʀ ʜᴜɴɢʀʏ.

[ a gaping, mouthy yawn, before it regards itha though one set of great red eyes. ]

Qᴜɪᴛᴇ ғᴇᴀʀʟᴇss, ᴀʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ?

[leewards]

Is there any reason to?

[Ithaqua is barely jostled by the snake's movement, he's just glad the scales are cool to his overheating skin. As expected of a serpent.]

Beasts who speak are less likely to kill on sight. [And he knows.

Conversation is a rarity, as is the other person's courage.]

[fellheart]

Iᴛ ɪs ᴍᴇʀᴇʟʏ ᴀɴ ᴏʙsᴇʀᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. Yᴏᴜ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ I ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ sᴘᴇᴀᴋ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴏᴀᴄʜᴇᴅ, ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ.

Aɴᴅ I ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs sʜᴀᴘᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇʟʏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇss ʙᴏʟᴅ ᴀᴡᴀʏ. [ still amused, really, though perhaps tone alone is more difficult to read in absence of the normal human body language and facial cues...

or who knows? maybe not so for the northerner apparently content to seek respite from the heat via his scales. hmm.

they sweep one of their dark wings— one of the frontmost pair— up, mantling it not unlike a raptor after a kill. behold: shade from the unrelenting sun. ]

[leewards]

Ah, that. [A littls snort as he adjusts position, curling up under the shade like a cat.]

I lack fear when it comes to beasts. [Mostly because of experience. He knows what many beasts are like, and can extrapolate what others who resemble them could do.

But also, curiosity wins out all the time. The chance to see a beast he's never seen before? Of course he would be ecstatic.]

[fellheart]

[ there goes itha, getting cozy with shade and scale. ]

Is ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴏ? Bᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴏғғᴇʀ ғᴇᴡᴇʀ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴇɴsᴇs, ᴏʀ ғᴏʀ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀsᴏɴ?