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

[fallingsand]

I CAN'T BELIEVE HE INVITED EVERYONE WE DON'T HAVE ROOM

[ ...or they don't have room yet. After a moment of panic seeing that Tatara has invited other people, too, Bruno has settled on trying to do something about the depressing little tent he had originally. He can be found pacing around it with a long stick, doing his best to draw a perfect — or reasonably perfect — circle around it. ]

...do I just imagine it being bigger on the inside...? Does that work? Hm... but how big... and how do I get stuff to appear inside...?

[ He's muttering to himself as he tries to work out a concept. They need a bigger tent, that's for sure. ]

LONG WALKS ON THE BEACH

[ Later in the evening, Bruno can be found strolling down the beach away from the bonfire, away from company. Even with more than only Tatara here, he's still intent on doing what he came here to do. The night is clear and cool. Wind tugs are clothing lightly. If he gets far enough away, the noise at the bonfire is only a distant murmur compared to the shifting on the dunes and the gentle sound of the water rolling in and out.

He's searching for... something. Feel free to join him. One person likely won't distract from it too much. ]

[specialinquisitor]

[Believe it or not, Mòrag Ladair is here! The epitome of not having fun or relaxing has appeared at this, the beach!]

[....in full uniform, and with a look that means business.]

[During the day, the Special Inquisitor eschews any sign of fun or entertainment in favor of patrolling the beach, keeping a close eye out for any monsters, magical dangers, or disasters that might ruin the fun people are having here. This includes people unwisely getting sunburned; we can't permit that, now can we? She's not here to spoil your fun, that's just a potential side-effect...]

[At night, she takes it upon herself to maintain the fire, both feeding it and using magic to encourage stubborn or wet logs to burn more effectively. Outside of that she's watching out for anyone who may have had a little too much [makes the drinky drinky motion], is feeling some aftereffects from their beach exertion, or just otherwise in bad shape. And when those rounds are done, she switches to... another patrol again.]

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

[Beach log beach log beack log.

Kiryu is staring at the sea. He doesn't look like he's all set for beach times -- except that now he has something that's close to being a Hawaiian shirt. Also sandals. This is the beach time Kiryu. Last he was like this was when he lived in good ol' Okinawa]

Come on. We're going fishing.

[Kiryu invites anyone who comes close. Want to go fish in the sea? It's going to be a time! He adds:]

I have done spear fishing before. We can try it.

[Is it surprising that this guy offered a sane and normal activity like fishing and then gave the spin that turned it into a tough ordeal?]

tent

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

Isn't that how repairing with magic works? It probably works the same way here.

[In his opinion, imagining the result you want is key! Worth a try, no?]

For now focus on making it bigger. The stuff inside can happen later.

At night

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

Are you sure you enjoyed yourself when you spent all day decked with the uniform?

[There's Kiryu, sitting to the bonfire! Morag, that uniform looks like it could have gotten so hot, you alright?]

[impacter]

[Guess who is as far back in the sand as possible, far enough that it's hard to see that he's even present until others come to drag him towards the group.

Normally composed and relaxed just like a majority of those representing the North, Solomon now looks incredibly reluctant to be anywhere near the beach. He's not in a panic, at least - more that he looks very unwell and very, very uncomfortable.

But he told a couple people he would tag along. Just to see, just to make sure. And, well... he's glad he got his answer now, and not while on a battlefield somewhere.

Solomon will not be going near the water on his own, preferring to stay under the umbrellas as far back as he can manage, looking as though he's roasting alive. Later on in the day, either when he's overheated or just has pushed himself enough, he'll retreat into the tent, where he will be face down in one of the chairs with a glass of wine nearby.]

[jokey]

[What's Solomon look so uncomfortable for? Did he get sand in his crack already? You just got here, man, do better...

...It would be funny if the explanation were that simple, but Akira knows what a discomfited Solomon looks like. Still, he's never seen him wear that expression for more than a handful of seconds at a time. Something's clearly bothering him.

Akira saunters up to him and flops beside Solomon beneath his umbrella.]

What's wrong? Don't you like the ocean?

[Baby Solomon had always wanted to see it, hadn't he? When did Solomon and the ocean fall out of love?]

[impacter]

[Ah, his little Thief of Hearts. He looks like he's having a good time, at least! Solomon easily wiggles himself over to give Akira room to drop down without concern.]

Ah... Not especially. Large bodies of water and I haven't gotten along in a very long time, I'm afraid.

[Still, he'll dismiss the statement with a wave of his hand.]

It's nothing I haven't handled before. Just bad memories.

[revengier]

[ You know what's character growth? Coming here of his own volition when Tatara invites him. He's as much of a prude here as he was in the baths, however, wearing a tank top to accompany his swim trunks.

During his time on the beach, Kurapika can be found spending most of the day sitting under one of the umbrellas and reading, which is the best thing to do at the beach.

He isn't reading forever, though. Kurapika also spends some time kicking a ball he's magicked up. His kicks aren't always successful, but that's because he just so happens to be blindfolded. Once he's gotten sick of that, he takes up the mantle of tending the bonfire. ]

umbrellas

[impacter]

[Hello fellow (apparent) prude.

Solomon isn't even bothering with swimwear and doesn't generally look like he wants to be here. But when he sees that Kurapika's also settling down to spend some more dedicated time away from the water, he'll at least shuffle his way over there. If he's speaking to someone, there's less of a likeliness for the more energetic of their number to try and pull him any closer.]

Engrossed in your studies at a time like this, or have you found something a little more entertaining to read?

[fallingsand]

Oh, hey, Kiryu.

[ Bruno glances up briefly from the circling his noodling around with, drawing in the sand, and then he turns back to consider the tent at the center. ]

I... dunno? How do you think that? This is trying to make something, um, new... and a little abstract, I guess? Repairs are just telling the broken thing to go back to a previous state.

[revengier]

[ He looks up from his book, but when he sees that it's Solomon, he closes it on his finger. ]

It depends on what you consider entertaining. I'm reading about the flora and fauna in Central.

[ Yeah. Pure nerd activities. ]

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

[Hmmmm...how to picture it...]

Imagine in your head how the inside of the tent looks like...and then pretend you reached with a hand and pulled from it like you're making it bigger with your own hands.

[Were he more knowledgeable about computers he'd compare it to grabbing the corner of an image and pulling from it to make it larger, but no, he's not great at computers. The metaphor never comes to mind]

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

You look as if you had one of those candies that make you sick.

[Very specific thing to talk about but hey, it's what Kiryu experienced]

Want to rest somewhere else?

[fallingsand]

[ Which is a good thing, seeing how Bruno has never seen a computer before in his life. ]

...making it bigger with my own hands... huh, okay. Let's try that.

[ He furrows his brow and stares hard at the tent a moment before letting his eyes shut. Raising his hands, he tries to imagine grabbing the tent and doing just that: pulling it to make it bigger. He'll mimic the gestures while doing so, murmuring his incantation.

The tent shakes... a little. ]

[impacter]

...Candies that make you sick? [It's parroted up to Kiryu in a strained, exhausted sort of way. Dude, what sort of stuff have you been eating...

Still, he gives a wave of his hand.]

Ah, no... staying in the shade is going to be my best option for the time being. I'd rather not be bullied into being a stick in the mud when I said I'd come along, but I've never been good with the heat, or with the ocean.

I appreciate the thought, though.

[impacter]

Out of curiosity, or necessity?

[A nerd............. hello young nerd. :)]

I used to enjoy reading and writing books about the ecology of the sea, but there's a difference between reading for the sake of the knowledge, and that of just finding a solution to a problem.

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

[Kiryu sees the tent shake. He doesn't say anything to avoid interrupting Bruno's concentration, but he does put a hand on Bruno's shoulder, squeezing a little to give silent encouragement]

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

Didn't think you'd care what someone else thinks about you.

[Solomon always seemed like he marched to the beat of his own drum. Then again, it's Tatara one is talking about...he's not one to hold back]

[impacter]

Really? Kiryu-san, I'm so hurt!

[His affront does not look genuine in the slightest.]

Between Tatara and Akira, they would pout at me to no end and call me an old man... it does damage to my ego, you know.

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

Everyone their age calls anybody more than three years older than me an old man.

[Says Kiryu, who has been called things like that even when he was, like, twenty]

[specialinquisitor]

I find purpose and satisfaction in my duty. Whereas, had something happened to anyone, I would have felt as if I'd let them, and myself, down. It may not be enjoyment to you, but I'm satisfied.

[She's not just saying that, either. Her smile is a bit relaxed, her words easy rather than sharp.]

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

So you were just being ready for anything that might happen.

[Kiryu can understand that, really!]

Usually when I do that people tell me I should let them take charge so I relax a little. Maybe I'll tell you the same thing. You know I can help defend anytime.

[So Morag can take a breather from time to time]

[jokey]

That's a shame.

[He was insistent that Solomon come because he thought he'd love the ocean. If Akira knew how much it traumatized him, he might've thought twice about extending the invitation.]

Do you still like fish, at least? Don't break my heart and tell me you don't.

[Beside Akira are two hand-whittled fishing rods.]

[jokey]

A tank top? Really?

[It's better than a long tee, but come on, Kurapika. Show off some pasty white skin! Akira takes a break from grandpasitting to approach him (not menacing), a vial of sunscreen (menacing) in hand.]

Put the book down and let me get your back. A flimsy tank top's not gonna stop the sun from bleeding through.