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

[mirristry]

[Ding ding ding.]

Read, mostly. I had no shortage of books to keep myself busy.

[Primarily because he wasn't allowed to go outside that much as a child, but. Details.]

[troublereduction]

Man, you sound kinda like my sister...

[ Though to said sister's credit, she also trained (kicked his ass a couple of times, too) and gardened. ]

[mirristry]

I hope that's meant to be a compliment...

[You never know with siblings!!]

[troublereduction]

Well, yeah. She was pretty uptight, but there ain't no one more reliable than her.

[ Said with a kind of fondness only siblings who are comfortable enough to rib each other would have. ]

[mirristry]

U-uptight...

[sob. Clearly this is not the first time that word has been used in reference to Phil.]

... well, I suppose that does fit to a certain degree, although I've been trying to be better about it.

[troublereduction]

[ Phil did you just miss the second part of the sentence entirely? ]

Heh. If Path wasn't the one draggin' me back for ditchin' lessons, it was prob'ly her. Meant you could always rely on her whenever it counted, though.

[mirristry]

[Look, Phil is well aware that he is not reliable, so clearly the second part did not apply to him!]

So that's what it's like to have a sibling... I always did wonder. I thought it must be to have someone to rely on like that, even if they did tease you sometimes.

[... or maybe more than just sometimes.]

I could never decide whether I wanted to be the older sibling or the younger one, though.

[troublereduction]

I can say if the age difference ain't too big, then it don't matter much.

[ Day was ostensibly the older one by a year, yet, see what he just said earlier. ]

...I think maybe you'd be able to step up to bein' the older one. [ You know, despite everything. ]

[mirristry]

Do you?

[How funny when he'd been the youngest one of their little group...]

... thank you. I'll take that as a compliment.

[It's bittersweet, yet at the same time the idea that someone else thinks of him as being somehow trustworthy enough to be an older sibling is oddly comforting in its own way.]

[troublereduction]

Heh, you'd just seem like the type who'd step up to the plate when it mattered, even if you're a klutz at other times.

[ Though as he says that, he rolls up his pants legs a little more so that can he wade out a little into the water. It's been a while since he's done this at a beach. ]

The water's not bad.

[mirristry]

[The sad trombone sound is almost audible.]

Now you definitely sound like Marcus. But you also aren't wrong... maybe I really should take his advice on starting an exercise routine.

[Phil follows, walking out just enough to let the tide lap at his ankles. The water feels a bit cold to him, though that's likely just a function of having no natural insulation to speak of.]

It's been a while since I've done this...

[troublereduction]

I could prob'ly help you figure out something simple to start with...

[ Funny how Day sort of just, immediately volunteers himself without really thinking about it. It'd be like when Path first started him on training as a kid, except Phil might need to take it even easier given what Day's seen of his constitution. ]

Haven't been to the beach in a while?

[mirristry]

Not since I was a child.

[For multiple reasons, not that he's going to say as much, though Day might note that same flicker of something distant in his mismatched eyes.]

And I was never much of a swimmer even then. Most of the time I ended up just sitting on the beach.

[As if the fact that he's got the hoodie on over his swim trunks right now wasn't enough of a giveaway on that front...]

[troublereduction]

[ Huh. Nostalgia, or...? ]

Did you have fun, at least?

[mirristry]

... the fun was mostly from the people I was there with.

[That much, at least, isn't a lie. He would have gone anywhere with Ix and Mileena, no matter how boring he might have found it himself.]

[troublereduction]

Friends? [ Which is good to hear! He tends to see Phil alone here, but knowing he had friends growing up is relieving. Day walks a little further out into the water, enough that it's starting to reach his knees. ]

And...well, you're older now, so you wanna try goin' a little further out? [ Instead of just sitting on the beach, as Phil had put it. ]

[mirristry]

Why do I feel like I'm being made fun of again...

[He doesn't sound put out by it, though, instead following Day out a little deeper into the water until it likewise reaches his own knees.]

I don't think I'm going to swim, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to go in past just my ankles.

[Phil sir you're in water like a foot deep, why are you being so cautious about this.]

[troublereduction]

Just sayin' that you don't gotta keep stayin' on the beach. 'Sides, this ain't that deep.

[ Is Phil also one of those overly cautious types, he wonders... ]

[mirristry]

Yes, but even so, you should also never turn your back on the ocean.

[Things you learn growing up on an island!!

But he seems to be enjoying himself, so that's something?]

I learned that one the hard way after getting rolled over by a wave. As embarrassing as it is to admit, my friend had to rescue me because he thought I was drowning...

[troublereduction]

Haha, he sounds like a good friend! [ To jump to action so quickly. ] What's it like growin' up near the sea?

[mirristry]

Well, it's--

[It is then that Phil's phenomenal luck manages to kick in. He is, in fact, taking a few more steps out into the water! Unfortunately, said steps lead to him putting his foot down right on a very unhappy crab, which then proceeds to do what crabs do and give him a warning pinch before scuttling out of the way.

The fact that it doesn't even hurt that much is irrelevant, because he's jumping and immediately losing his balance in the process. He's beauty, he's grace, he's about to fall right on his face (thank goodness for the water???)...]

[troublereduction]

[ Thank goodness for the water???

Day immediately tries to move to catch Phil, wondering what on earth just happened, but he is 1) not actually used to moving through seawater and sand, and 2) also just stepped on a crab, holy shit. He's startled enough that he stumbles and oh, there he goes into the water too. ]

—Shit!

[mirristry]

[It was probably the same crab, RIP that crab in particular...

... and also RIP Phil because he fully expected to wind up in the water and NOT also half-sprawled on top of Day in the water thanks to Day's only-semi-successful attempt at Phil Rescue.

At least it sort of worked? So much for not going for a swim, though.]

[troublereduction]

[ Day supposes it could be worse. He could actually be drowning, for starters, so luckily this is not enough water to drown in. His hair and clothes are wet and he is learning quickly that saltwater is, indeed, salty, but like. It could be a lot worse than having another man sort of sprawled on top of him in the water too. In fact that's probably the least bad thing going on right now.

Day is trying to sit up with a cough. ]

You alright?

[mirristry]

["Alright" is a very strong word to be using to describe Phil's current condition. He's conscious and alive and uninjured and most assuredly not drowning, which are the parts that matter the most, but he also seems to be undergoing some sort of critical software error and has just frozen in place as a result, face bright red.

It looks like he now may need saving in a very different way that doesn't involve any sort of direct physical contact.

RIP Phil, we knew ye well]

............