introductory mingle: RIVER FESTIVAL

[riverviewmod]

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: Introductory Log and River Festival
when: The month of August; the bulk of celebration will be in week 1, but there is a party and fireworks display on August 14th.
where: Anywhere around the city.
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

river festival

In the days leading up to August 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: The River Festival. This holiday is in celebration of the river and the life that it gives to the city, as well as the heat of summer and forming bonds with friends, family, and romantic partners. The celebrations are marked by a community-wide cleanup of the docks and beaches along the river - particularly important considering the recent acid rain - as well as beachfront cookouts and parties (both private and city sponsored) and beach sports tournaments happening on either open stretches of beach or in special clothing-optional beaches, all capped off with fireworks displays on the evenings of August 7th and 14th.

a celebration of the river and togetherness

Following the hedonism of Carnivale, it's time for something a little more low-key and relaxing. The River Festival happens every year in August, and is geared toward community building through cleaning up the beaches and docks along the river and then using all that freshly cleaned beach to gather on. During the first week of August, there are various lightly-themed government-sponsored beach cookouts and parties geared toward family, romantic dates, or casual all-ages get-togethers for meeting new friends; there are also a few more racy parties at clothing-optional beaches around the city. Many private residents also take this time to gather together friends and family, and have cookouts on the beach with all the typical trappings of the beach barbecue. There are also various casual sports tournaments sponsored by community centers, gyms, and sports teams in the city, featuring prizes ranging from notoriety to sports equipment to big bucks. Finally, there are two fireworks displays, one on August 7th and one on August 14th, with free food, and various live performers beforehand.

i. cleaning up

The holiday starts off on a note that is just a bit more sombre than the rest of the season, with the cleanup efforts following late July's strange fog and acid rain blending into the usual tradition of cleaning up beaches and docks along the river. The cleanup is a group effort, with every citizen who is physically able pitching in to comb the beaches, where they pick up fallen tree limbs, garbage, and anything else that's accumulated during the winter and spring, and then raking the beaches to make them clean and ready to use. The cleanup of the docks is similar, with residents sweeping and hosing them down where necessary. This year, there are a lot of repairs to be made to beachfront structures that might've been damaged by the acid rain, so if anyone has some carpentry or building skills, those would definitely come in handy.

This is meant to be a community building effort, so many businesses in the area, more well-to-do private citizens, and the government have pitched in funding to provide lunches, cold drinks, coffee or tea, and snacks to anyone who's helping out with the cleanup efforts. All in all, the cleanup has a very friendly, welcoming vibe.

ii. cookouts and parties

The main traditions of the River Festival involve cookouts and beach parties. On August 7th and August 14th, the government as well as various corporations and businesses in the city, will be providing funds for large beach gatherings. On these days, there will be booths set up offering wares and freebies from various businesses around the city that have helped fund the party, large swaths of cleared beach where residents can don a swimsuit and catch some rays or swim in the river, massive barbecue setups to provide partygoers with all the standard barbecue fare, beach sports tournaments, dancing and musical performances, and fireworks displays (see prompts below).

The holiday isn't just about these big parties, though - many residents arrange their own barbecues, cookouts, beach camping trips, beach bonfires, and other riverside gatherings and outings. Many riverfront businesses offer discounts on services such as canoe or kayak rentals to go out paddling on the river, jetski or motorboat rentals for tubing, wakeboarding, or waterskiing, or mounts to take romantic rides in the surf. Additionally, there is an adults-only section of the beach where any of these activities can be done in the nude in a clothing-optional setting, including the big city-sponsored parties.

iii. sportsball tournaments

Is your character good at playing a particular sport that could, conceivably, be played on a beach? Chances are that during the month of August, a tournament will be set up for them to participate in. The tournaments are pretty standard, generally sponsored by community centers, sports clubs and teams, gyms, and other organizations and businesses in the city, with various levels of specialization, and levels of skill or competitiveness. The prizes also vary, with everything from plain old bragging rights to sports equipment or passes to gyms and community centers, to large lump sums of cash money. Definitely worth it, for characters with a love for sport.

Oh, and a lot of these tournaments are happening on the adults-only clothing-optional beaches, for those grown-up sports fans who like a bit of an extra challenge.

iv. performances and fireworks

On August 7th and August 14th at the end of the large city-sponsored beach parties, there will be evening performances all along the beach. Not as extensive as the musical performances during Carnivale, there are two large-name performers per night, with various lesser-known groups performing at random off and on throughout the day and night. Areas of the beach are cleared for residents to watch and dance to the music, both on the regular and adults-only clothing-optional beaches (acts will switch off between the two areas so both areas get both performances).

Player-characters who are musical artists, DJs, or otherwise perform are free to set up shop around this party and panhandle or put on free performances for publicity.

After the sun goes down, boats will head out into the water carrying a variety of fireworks, and there will be a beautiful display of exploding color in the sky for residents to watch and enjoy. The fireworks are highly advanced, incorporating old-fashioned gunpowder as well as modern technology that result in really beautiful displays that can take the breath away!

v. roommates or wildcard

Feel free to use this prompt to meet new roommates, for the purpose of getting to know each other, or hit up one of the mod-posted prompts for each Communal Floor. Or if you have an idea for a prompt that isn't in this list, set during the River Festival, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i: credit unknown; image ii: Albert Ramon Puig; image iii: Claudio Pilia; image iv: Alan Philips

navigation

Comments

COMMUNAL HOUSING APARTMENT MINGLES

[riverviewmod]

Feel free to post up a top-level for residents of any floor in the apartment building to mingle and meet each other.

Floor 2 - Kitchen

[threatenwithcuteness]

*Lola was feeling so much better about things now that the whole acid rain mess was over. So she's celebrating and the whole floor can enjoy too. ...Once she's finished baking all the trays of corn chips (which are purple but she's not questioning that), cheese (which is yellow... but sorta glowing) and a chaotic mass of toppings she knows tastes close enough to proper nacho ingredients but none of them look quite right.*

*If it makes anyone feel better, the bowl of guac is, in fact, perfectly normal looking. Lola is taking over the kitchen to make nachos and you will all have to deal*

Lola Pacini | OTA (Will match formats.)

[threatenwithcuteness]

I. Beach Clean-up (Bikini | Hair - Steel)

When Lola heard that it would be two weeks of Beach Parties and fun in the sun she could not be more thrilled... and then she found out the first part of this would be clean-up. That was not the sort of party she ever signed up for willingly. Still... it could be worse, her hair could still be screwed up from the acid rain. Instead it was proper and nice and she gave it a nice steel gray color to it. Something that wasn't too nice, but it was nice enough as she wandered the beach with a trash bag and a trash stick. Not the accessories she wanted, ever. But... she was cute and her bikini made her feel all nice about things.

Really, there are worst ways to spend a summer. She could be in class this week. If she's about and you're also working on the beach, or taking a quick break to appreciate the sun and sand, she'll be right there with anyone.

II. Lazy Summer Days (Parties - Bikini | Hair - Pink)

Naturally, weeks of beaches and parties were her time to shine, she found herself a few skirts and jackets to wear over her bikini that would look good in various states of removal, and prepared to make herself seen in all parts of the beach she was welcome. She'd happily offer to take charge of a grill, or bring food, or just generally be available to make whatever party all the cuter by her presence. Meaning mostly she'll happily sit around and bask in the sun like a cat, or a cute lil' lizard. The point is she's all about the lazy summer days in the sun.

Of course she won't be at any party she wasn't invited to, but the little networker had a knack for making herself invatable to all sorts of festivities. And Lola is all about saying hello and striking up a conversation with any pretty face she runs across. And during the summer this is doubly true.

III. Sportsball (Bikini | Hair - Mint)

While a little concerned, Lola hoped everyone playing volleyball was here for fun. She might not be the tallest, or the most athletic, but she'd been dragged into so many sports by her best friend at home she had spent several years learning to play at the high school level. And being Shay's training partner meant she a little more advanced than most high schoolers. Shay was brutal in her desires to win. Lola bore her intentions well.

Mostly because it meant when summer rolled around she cound dash around chasing a ball in a bikini, having fun and making friends. Maybe you're on the team with her, or watching from the stands at the end of a round, care to talk to the sporty little thing?

IV. Wildcard (Come at me with whatever!)

II

[realimperfect]

[ These types of things were not usually Re-L's time and place, honestly. Normally she'd be too busy working or just totally uninterested, but.. perhaps the sun and the lack of acid rain was getting to her. There'd been a lot of time spent indoors during all of that, after all, and she'd just begun to enjoy sunlight..

She recognizes Lola right away - change in hair color or not - from one of the raves when she'd first arrived and started working shifts like a typical beat cop. Not exactly anyone's shining moment, but as she adjusts the wide brimmed sunhat she's wearing (have to protect her paleness) she gives a little nod of recognition, and then, of course, a wise crack. ]

This time I'm not on baby sitting duty, so don't get dehydrated again.

Edward Elric | OTA | Willing to match format

[alchemyfreak]

[Please check out Ed's CRAU info & permissions post, especially if you're canon familiar - as this Ed might be different from expectations and certainly does not appear as he would in canon. (Most importantly, he's taller, has longer hair and happens to be 21-years-old so he's also a bit quieter overall.) He's also out on the beach fully clothed in his usual outfit, black leather pants, black jacket over a black vest and white gloves. Feel free to notice he's not appropriately dressed for the beach.]

i. cleaning up:

When Yuffie had made a point of dragging him to yet another event, Ed was not entirely pleased. Although he hadn't argued that she was due at least two more dates (why argue? She wasn't going to listen anyway) he was hardly interested in some beach party. Sand and water were not really the greatest thing for automail, and since he couldn't swim it certainly limited his ability to enjoy things. At least there would be free food.

Of course, once they arrived it was Ed that was in his element. More than happy to move around the beaches and help clean up where alchemy could be used to offer assistance. He made quick work of clearing debris, sweeping and hosing things down. His real talents would shine when he helped repair some of the buildings - clapping his hands together with the crackle of electric blue light as anything he touched after seemed to fix itself under his fingertips. To some this might be a chore, something that had to be done in order to earn the enjoyment later, but for Ed this alone made attending worth it. He could spend the entire time focused on this if someone didn't drag him away to do something else, repairing and creating things was what he did best.

ii. cookouts and parties / iv. performances:

Between Ed's obvious discomfort with the large crowd and the additional bodies that could be found in the river, it wasn't long before he would find himself tailed by the same familiar creature as usual. Simply being near the river was enough to bring it out sometimes, but with all of the excessive commotion the Milotic wasn't going to sit idly by when it could tag along after the person it arrived here with. It wasn't often Ed arrived at the beach, so the Pokemon spent a great deal of time in the wild without much human interaction.

For his part, Edward seemed oblivious to the Pokemon's existence, ignoring or outright avoiding it. However, if someone was aware of them long enough, or at just the right moment, they might catch him interacting with the water snake. Sometimes speaking to it, offering food or even leaning against it if no one seemed to be paying attention.

[Ed is also available at the party, cookout and performances without the Milotic if you'd prefer to tag him alone - just let me know, tags can come in before it shows up!]

iv. fireworks:

He'd agreed to attend the fireworks with Yuffie so chances are he could be found with her during the evening. In particular settled somewhere comfortable with a good view, resting against the Milotic once more as if it were a living couch to watch the festivities from. Knowing Yuffie she'd run off at random to grab more food or stick her nose into someone else's business, so anyone is free to happen upon Ed alone while he's waiting for her return. Fireworks at a festival was not an alien concept for the Elrics, but it wasn't a pleasant one either, and he made an effort to simply enjoy the set up without letting his mind wander to events that were ten years ago now, long done and over with.

v. wildcard:

[Throw something else at him, I'm flexible! Add me or hit me up on plurk to discuss if you'd like: TransmutedSelf. If a character might pry about Ed's sulky mood at the fireworks, please be warned his canon does deal with murder and this may come up. Let me know if you have any questions or want something else!]

vi. Floor six:

[Prompt for floor six, or if you want me to tag you in the mingle thread, let me know on plurk! I'm open to options!]

iv

[alkahestic]

[ it's been a long time since al's seen fireworks for his brother, even if they weren't an altogether strange thing for the elrics. and with yuffie off getting food or something, al took the chance to snuggle up to his brother, drawing close so they could watch the bloom of lights in the sky. it's comfortable, relaxing even after the hectic-ness that had been the raid on the temple, and al enjoyed it thoroughly. with an ice cream cone in hand, he's settled next to ed, leaning over to offer some to his brother. ]

This is nice, isn't it? It's been a while since we've done something like this.

[ the day has been long but nice. spending time on the beach was something the elrics did a lot as small children, but in recent years, it had been all but impossible given neither could swim like they used to. there's a little bit of a sunburn coloring the bridge of al's nose, but it doesn't bother him in the least because he's too content and happy just being in his brother's presence after enjoying a long day. ]

nico di angelo ▪ open

[deathkid]

01: CLEAN UP →

[ the bright sunlight isn't particularly one of nico's favorite things. since his skin lost its original olive tone that he had as a child ( thanks to too much time spent in the underworld ), he's prone to burning easily. which is why he can be found in his bulky, black bomber jacket and jeans despite the heat. he's combing through refuse, diligently helping to pick things up when he suddenly pauses and stands up. in his hand is a perfectly bleached sand dollar and apparently it has prompted some memory because he gazes at it with concentration and a small frown on his face, recalling bright green eyes and dark, tousled hair. vaguely, he's wondering what percy jackson is doing at that moment. no doubt, his former crush is with his girlfriend annabeth, and though he remembers once being jealous of her, all he can think now is he hopes they're both safe. ]

02: COOKOUT/PARTY →

[ parties aren't typically his thing, but nico has been drawn by the smell of cooking food. he eventually gets close enough to get himself some barbecue, but rather than diving right in, he pauses and glances around. then, taking a bit off his plate, he throws it into the nearest grill and begins murmuring something in ancient greek. for those close enough to over hear him ( and possibly understand him thanks to translation conventions ), he can be heard murmuring a prayer to his father.

after that, he finds himself a secluded section of the beach to settle down. there's no appeal in the adult section ( nudity? he'll pass for now ), so he keeps to himself, picking at the food on his plate as he stares out at the water. ]

04: FIREWORKS →

[ fireworks are no strange thing for nico. they're common at camp halfblood, especially when the stoll brothers get too rowdy. but usually fireworks are a time for couples to gather and nico is predictably alone. he doesn't mind the solitude, laying out on the sand with his eyes on the sky. it's peaceful after the events of the temple raid. and after having since gotten rest to recover his energy, he's content where he is, lounging as the colors bloom in the sky overhead.

part of him wishes he had a companion, but he's quiet and doesn't complain. eventually, he'll settle a hand against the sand under him and concentrate. after a little rumbling, the skeleton of a small cat burrows its way to the surface to join him, rattling its ribcage in a facsimile of a purr. ]

01: clean up

[chaosvessel]

[It seemed like the right thing to do, to help out with the clean up after the strange rains he'd heard the place had received recently. He was a part of this community now, for better or worse, whether or not that would be a hindrance or a help to them. He would do his part, because, well, perhaps this, too, was a part of his punishment.

...or maybe it was penance. Maybe sins could be forgiven. Maybe he'd take Cloud's advice. Maybe he'd try. In his black leathers and tattered red cape, he stood out at the beach. Of course, he stood out basically anywhere, but if the hard gaze and frown on his pale face were any indication, he didn't really care about perception.

He stopped, watching Nico and the darkness that filled the boy's gaze when he looked at the innocuous sand dollar. Funny, he thought. He knew that look well. He wasn't far from the boy, and though his words were quiet, the coarse words carried over the sound of the nearby waves.]

I don't think the sand dollar needs cleaning.

Takashi Natsume (OTA)

[mingling]

i. cleaning up

Water. There's water! Um, hello, we have water... Apple juice... It's hot out, so if you're thirsty...

[He hadn't meant to be lazy, except he has poor stamina and poorer luck, so it follows that... Well, here is Natsume, seated at a little concessions table, a hefty cooler right next to him, and a wide, heavy umbrella casting lovely shade over him, to top it all off. He is not happy about this. His bastion of shade and offer of refreshing drinks might seem at odds with the dirty smudges on his face and clothes, not to mention how damp his hair is.

But he's being really earnest about trying to hand out drinks. It's, uh, humiliating to be pulled away from cleanup efforts by nice people who notice how badly he's faring in the heat with all this exertion. They ended up sitting him down at their table and telling him to help by keeping everyone hydrated. So if they won't let him do the labor, he's got to hand out, like... all the drinks... That's his goal. He's imposed it upon himself and he's very determined about it.

Unfortunately, he's also a little awkward.]

Um! Hello. It's really hot out. Why don't you take some water?

[There's a bit of grass in his hair, even though he's trying to look so sturdy.]

ii. river party

[This is where I'd take a moment to intrigue you with something notable about Natsume, and I'd do it briefly, but today he is a spectacle in his entirety. From top to bottom, he's laden with what seems to be the odds and ends of party-going: his jeans are rolled up to just below his knees, and he's wearing a garish tie-dye t-shirt that's much too big on him. (Another shirt seems to be slung over the crook of his arm; perhaps it's the original shirt he came in.) Then there's the pair of goggles hanging loose around his neck; they're crooked, strap a little twisted, and brand new. By the way, he has flowers in his hair, just a few, tucked behind both of his ears. Situated amidst those flowers, atop his head, is a clunky, cheap pair of plastic sunglasses, the kind often given out as a party favor or little treat for kids. They're electric blue. There's a smear of sunscreen over his cheeks like a kindergartener's war paint, complete with one little white glob on his nose. He's wearing a fanny pack, and a charm with a sailboat has been clipped onto it. And he has three meat skewers clutched in one hand, with one mushroom skewer in the other.

He doesn't look happy about any of this. More perplexed than anything, or maybe like he's questioning his place in the world and the existence of his physical form in this specific place and time. For now he stands at the edge of a grassy patch, supremely awkward, and maybe considering pleading for help.

No, it's okay. He'll suffer in silence.]

v. wildcard

[If you'd like a personalized prompt, or to slip me a prompt of your own, this is the place for you! Natsume can always be found milling around, reading, napping, or running away from ostensibly nothing, so there are plenty of ways to catch him. PM me or hit me up on Plurk at sodapoppet if you want to hash something out!]

ii.

[brightline]

[This guy looks like a walking advertisement for the fact that there actually can be too much free stuff. Totally loaded up, the guy actually looks kind of uncomfortable with the entire situation, despite the two meat skewers he's holding, on a patch of grass.

Marco's been doing his best to turn down whatever free stuff he doesn't want, but he's been picking up more than he might have at home, especially the useful stuff. Considering he's not a millionaire who's also a household name here, he's gonna have to start from scratch on his hustle. So he has a pair of decent sunglasses on his head and a tote bag hanging over one arm with a few useful things people have been handing out.

Thankfully, one of the things he's managed to stuff into it is another tote bag, which he digs out and holds out toward the kid.]

You look like you need this way more than I do, man.

Augustine Sycamore | OTA

[megabond]

I. Beach Clean-Up

[With all of the recent events such as acid rain and blackouts lately, Sycamore understands why the government puts out a beach cleanup before the festivities. He would try to let Garchomp help him out with the cleanup, but since he might use his telekinesis from time to time as a practice, he decides to keep her inside her Poke Ball at this hour as he fears she might be targeted of those telekinetic accidents like last time.

Whether if you encounter during the cleanup or his break, he is not afraid to have a little conversation as an icebreaker.]

II. Barbeque Cookout (With Pokemon!) [Mingle Prompt]

[Speaking of these incidents, Professor Sycamore knows that there are some residents who are still affected by this. So he hopes a barbeque cookout would put them at ease for the River Festival. So once the beachgoers visit the right side of the beach, they can see some tables and benches around the area with several barbeque grills at the front of them.

What's interesting about the cookout is that not only he invites anyone to help him out (since his cooking skill might leave a small chance of burning the barbeque), but the fact that he lets his Garchomp help out on serving some drinks and snacks to any visitors. And if you're looking for the Pokemon Professor, you can find him at the grills or any tables wearing a beach outfit that he bought for the festival.

So if you want, you can interact either with Sycamore or his Garchomp. Maybe even try meeting them while they are together!]

III. Floor 1

[Prompt for any roommates at floor one! Putting this right here since I'm planning to let him move to his new lab if it's accepted.]

WILDCARD

[If you something else, just go for it right here or hit me up on RunnerRPAwaker if you want to plot for the festivities or if you want me to tag on your mingle log!]

II.

[alchemyfreak]

[Ed had anticipated that showing up by the water's edge would result in him getting a certain tag-along for the rest of this celebration. Sure enough, the Milotic had surfaced and followed him around through the activities - as much as it could. The Pokemon didn't seem interested in anything or anyone else, watching Ed carefully everywhere he went like an overprotective guard dog.

He gladly took one of the drinks from Sycamore's Garchomp before heading over to the man himself, looking over the barbecue curiously.]

You seem to be going to a lot of trouble.

Link | OTA | Will match format | Threadjacking welcome (just ask first)

[bluechampion]

I. Cleaning Up

The acid rain had been more than a slight inconvenience to Link. As he spent more and more time outside and less time in communal housing, he found it aggravating to be stuck inside until the rain had passed. When he did go out, it was with a shield over his head, and he had helped those stuck out there the best he could. The least he could do was provide cover for people until they made it safely to shelter.

As much as Link wanted to get back out and explore afterwards, he decided it would be best if he devoted his energies to helping clean up. He can be found moving fallen branches and other debris from the roads. He doesn't have any carpentry skills, but he offers a hand to carry equipment and supplies and to do some unskilled labor to help out.


II. Cookout/Parties

Link had noticed the large gatherings of people at the beach and had decided to come check it out. There was definitely some cooking going on, and the smells of grilled meat was very tempting. In this particular instance, he wasn't too keen on finding himself lost in a group of people like he had during the carnivale last month, so Link found a spot well away from the party and made himself a campfire. You could run into him looking for fish in the ocean wearing his Zora armor, or sitting next to the fire he lit roasting some bass he had caught. He was a bit uncomfortable with it at first, but everyone else seemed to be ditching clothes for their skivvies, so Link thought it appropriate to do the same. His armor and weapons sat on the beach next to him as Link stooped next to his fire and grabbed a fish to eat. Since he wasn't weing his normal clothes, it was easy to see all the scars that covered his body.


III. Sports

Link had a nice time mostly to himself, and while he had eaten his freshly caught and roasted fish, he had watched some people put up a net and start playing some kind of game where they hit a ball back and forth. He approached and watched as a crowd gathered to do the same. At one point, someone asked him if he wanted to play, and Link obliged. He had some kind of idea about the rules by watching, and even though he had never played this before, he was pretty good. Link might look on and invite someone else in the crowd to join. Whether it was on his team or not, he didn't care. He was having a blast!


IV. Performances and Fireworks

The musical performances seemed to be immensely popular and large throngs of people crowded around the stage as the musicians played. Link hung back. The music was quite loud, so it was easy to hear it from a distance and Link wasn't one to be squashed against strangers that were screaming in his ears.

Link found the fireworks to be amazing. The closest thing he had seen to something like that was the explosions the Guardians made when he defeated them. These were far more entertaining and Link found the various colors and shapes to be awe-inspiring. He sat on a hill overlooking the beach, watching the colors explode and fade in the sky and letting his mind wander, at least, until someone addressed him.


V. Wildcard
Have another idea for what you wanna do with Link? Feel free to write it up!

II

[threatenwithcuteness]

So naturally someone, at the beach, wandering out of the river fully dressed was... well, eye catching. That fully dressed being armor was just a new level of weird that Lola wasn't quite ready for. So she stared, openly. But someone caught her attention and she put that weirdness out of her mind.

It was only the second time she stopped and saw him, down to a pair of shorts with all his... stuff, next to him. He went into the water dressed but spends his time on the beach in trunks? Or... underwear. Lola can't see a real distinction on this. But this time her eyes caught on his scars, marks of a life that was a lot less leisurely than her own. That kinda got her attention and brought her over. In her flashy bikini and bubblegum pink hair. "So... why go into the water fully dressed, just to take it all off after?"

...And ask a direct no nonsense question on her mind.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng | OTA

[de_evilise]

I. Clean Up Crew!

Cleaning up, Community Service, it was all the same for her - and it was definitely needed. So of course, Marinette was more than happy to help out, chucking garbage and litter into a trash bag with a mildly disgusted expression and occasionally helping with hosing the docks down. It's when she went to start clearing some rather large fallen branches that she had a little trouble. She had grabbed a large broken off limb which was wedged underneath a half-fallen tree, and grabbed onto it to try to pull it free. She wasn't making any headway until she put a foot on the trunk of the tree and pulled harder -- at which point her hands slipped and she lost her balance, stumbling backwards to topple over into anyone unfortunate enough to be behind her - and hitting the ground.

II. Cookouts/Parties

Obviously Marinette stays very far away from the adult-only side of the beach -- which suited just fine, really. She was debating getting something to eat at the barbeque, but at the moment she had donned a bathing suit of her own design - a red one piece with a black trim, and was busy fixing one of her flip-flop sandals which had snapped. R.I.P. Footwear. She would always welcome good conversation though!

IV.

She didn't go to the festive event every day - that would have been a little much, and she had her own things to do. However, she WOULD at least put in an appearance to the beach again for the performances and to watch the fireworks. And as fun as that is, she can't help but feel a little nostalgic. It'd be perfect if she could watch the fireworks with a certain someone she liked, but she wasn't going to dwell on that - if she did, she'd get depressed. "Gosh - no matter where you are fireworks really never cease on being 'c'est magnifique..'" so to speak.

V. Roommates / Wildcard

Got a prompt of your own in mind? Come at me bros! And brosis'!

IV

[tempredmental]

Keith was also watching the fireworks. He knew someone had sat down beside him, and a quick glance confirmed who it was for now. He'd never met her before, but he'd let her start the conversation first. Which... she did. He looked back at her again.

"Huh?" He took a second. "Oh... that's French, right? For magnificent?"

eddie thawne ✪ ota

[causational]

✪ i. cleaning up

[When Eddie hears that there's a city-wide effort to clear up the docks and beaches, and do repairs after the acid rainstorm, he throws himself into it wholeheartedly. Not only is it the sort of thing that Eddie would be all over normally, but it also gives him something to get lost in, so he doesn't have to think about how messed up things have been lately. A bit of hard work for a good cause is, in his estimation, one of the best ways to stop dwelling on his own problems.

So there he is, dressed in a pair of calf-length khakis and runners under a blue baseball tee, moving up and down one of the messiest stretches of beach with rake. When he sees someone with a very full garbage bag, he jogs over, smiling.]

Hey, need a hand with that?

[ooc: or feel free to do anything else with the cleanup by throwing up a starter for me]

✪ ii. cookouts and parties (multiple prompts)

✪ iia. grillmaster

[This is Eddie's domain - he loves manning a grill, cooking food for people, and enjoying the sun and surf. Eddie had volunteered to man one of the grills for a shift during the government-sponsored party, so there he is, flipping burgers and handing out food to anyone who comes up to the barbecue he's watching. He's not quite as artistic as some of the grill masters at the other barbecues, who are flipping things through the air and assembling burgers to order with a few flicks of the wrist, but he's not half-bad, and all the food he cooks up is nicely grilled and seasoned. As the next attendee in line comes up beside him, he grins.]

Last plate of my shift! Burger, sausage, chicken, steak, or veg?

✪ iib. sunscreen

[Eddie's around just about everywhere at the party, once he's done his shift at the grill. Catch him in his cute swim trunks hanging out by the beach and swimming, playing volleyball, renting a jetski and offering a ride. But whether any of those activities with Eddie catch your eye or not, there's one consistent thing he'll be doing multiple times throughout the day.]

Hey, sorry to bother you, but if you help me with my sunscreen, I'll help you with yours?

✪ iic. dancing (21+ for the clothing-optional beach)

[After donning a pair of slightly more scandalous trunks, Eddie is all over the dancing that happens while the concerts are going on. Dancing is a great way to get his mind off of his problems and to hopefully make friends with new people.

He will making thorough rounds on all the dance floors at both the all-ages beach and the clothing-optional beach, though he's going to keep his trunks on (at least to start), and he will dance with literally anyone. Please feel free to assume he runs into your character on the floor, or that he asked them to dance with an extended hand and a wiggle of the eyebrows.]

✪ iid. fireworks

[By the time the fireworks are going on, Eddie's pretty tired. So, rather than stand up and fight the crowds, he manages to find a place to lay out his blanket on a grassy hillside a ways away, still with a good view but with distinctly less people to fight for that view. Noticing someone wandering by, he smiles a bit, and pats the side of the blanket next to him.]

Need somewhere to sit? This space is free.

✪ iii. sportsball tournament

[As soon as Eddie had seen there was actually a beach boxing tournament, he'd signed up in a heartbeat, especially since the prize is a pretty decent chunk of change. He'd shown up about 20 minutes early to warm up at the punching bag they have set up to the side of the ring, wearing a much more practical pair of shorts than he had at the party, and warms up before climbing into the ring.

Want to be his opponent? Let's go for it! If not, he's going to be doing pretty decently at the tournament, all things considered, though he might need someone to cheer him on, or a hand patching up a split lip or eyebrow after the fact.]

✪ v. wildcard

Make your own prompt anywhere during the celebration, or hit me up via PM or on plurk at caffemisto for a custom prompt.

[braidedwonder]

[ Typically Duo isn't really the type to clean up in the aftermath - definitely one to cause the chaos, but the whole clean up thing.. isn't really his bag. Unless it's his scrap yard that's looking a little manky and hard to find bits and bobs in, but.. call it a break from his usual hard-headedness. He'd shown up and been given a job without any questions about what he'd been doing before they'd brought him here, and for that he could at least help with a little clean up, right?

The braided teen has the long rope of hair arranged like a scarf around his neck for the moment -

If it got dipped in to acid rain trash he may just have a little bit of a silent, inward fit. As it was he's got his jacket discarded somewhere, the tank top beneath all that's left other than his jeans and boots, but the offer for help is relieving. ]

Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks. I feel like it got a lot heavier since I started out somehow.

Kate Fuller - OTA

[littlemisskate]

Clean Up

[Kate is happy to help clean up the beach. Her hair is pulled off the nape of her neck while a bag hangs loosely in her hand. At first, she is picking up the small branches and leaves she finds. Later she goes for the larger, more gangly looking branches that need to be broken down into smaller pieces.

By the end of the first day her legs and arms are covered in small scratches. She doesn't mind but she's thinking that she needs to wear pants on the other days that she decides to help clean.

When she's done she finds herself sitting at the end of one of the docks, a bag of debris next to her as she stares out at the setting sun. There is something peaceful about it, more so now that there isn't acid rain falling from the heavens.]

Fireworks

[Kate has honestly had enough of parties and skips most of the events surrounding the festival. She does find herself near the beach during the fireworks display, the loud bangs surprise her and bring unhappy memories to the forefront of her mind. She screams after the first crack, covering her ears at the obtrusive sound.

She shook away the sensation, despite the unpleasant chill that began to snake it's way across her skin.

Kate found her way towards the fireworks, watching them somewhere off to the side. The noise is unsettling, reminding her of the echoes of gunshots but seeing the bright fiery flowers explode in the sky was calming. There is no one here for her to borrow strength from: her brother, Seth, Richie, Freddie. Her fingers fiddle absently with the cross around her neck. She's stronger than she realizes.]

Wildcard

[Hit me up! She's around, cleaning/doing stuff.]

Fireworks

[chaosvessel]

[Vincent still hasn't figured out why humanity always celebrates with fireworks. It's the same on Gaia. A lot of unsavory types like to use them as cover, a distraction to allow them to do what it is they seek to without fear of retribution. He'd seen it done rather recently and he wouldn't put it past something here, either. They had a guard for a reason, after all.

That, he'd convinced himself, was why he was here, at the beach. He was...guarding. He'd been good at that, once upon a time. Maybe he could be again. Kate's jump caught his attention, drawing his eyes from the sparkling lights in the sky to the girl cowering not so far from him, his brows lowering.

It takes a few minutes for him to work up the words to address her, and when he speaks, his voice is low, gruff, and quiet.]

If they scare you, why do you stay?

Re-L Mayer | OTA

[realimperfect]

II. morticia tries the beach

( bikini ) / ( cover up )

A [ Re-L's not really one to throw large parties - most people who know her probably know that, by now. But she's also not opposed to a small get together, even if it's kind of impromptu (aka spotting out a very pale girl under a sun hat and an umbrella and coming to say hi). Starting one of the smaller grill areas as the sun begins to go down isn't the hardest task, and so long as the shade stays...

Is that Re-L Mayer cooking? ]

B [ Under a low umbrella (with a thankfully angling top) Re-L can also be found, lounging away her free afternoons under as much shade as she can possibly produce. It's rare for Re-L to take time off to relax like this, but enjoying things like beaches wasn't something she's ever had the luxury of enjoying previously. To her credit, she keeps a pretty low profile, occasionally shifting out in to the sun (she is getting a little less snow white with time) and then back under when the sun feels a little too intense.

Feel free to come and visit her and hope she hasn't managed to nod off. ]

IV. social moths

( outfit )

[ Fireworks were the biggest draw for Re-L to these events. She'd never seen them except when they were captured on videos or photos and, really... it didn't seem to really capture the full effect. So once she hears that there will be a fireworks display (and a few performances) - Re-L makes a point to make an appearance, even if it's typically darkly dressed and the lot.

In the meantime she'll linger and listen to a few performances, but once the fireworks start -

There may be trouble for interrupting her focus. ]

IV. wild card!

Any situation I haven't covered, etc etc - hit me up on plurk ( goblinrex ) or just go ahead and slap it up here!

iv

[500gallontank]

[Frankenstein's seen fireworks before--small bouts of them the day before the start of the Race, and the big show at the finish line. He's seen a few of those. A few others of those, he'd been in the hospital and only able to see them through hospital windows and medical narcotics.

Still, it was enough to be hard to impress. His standards are high when it comes to bread and circuses. ]

Hmfff. Seen better.

the dag | ota

[foreseeding]

ii ; a → cookouts

[The idea of a party is baffling to her; she's aware of their existence as a concept, and she's heard echoes of celebrations from raids, the exuberant shouting of war boys carried up to the vault, but it's nothing like what she's seeing every day. She goes anyway, curiosity driving her out to see the world, still dressed in the white cloth from home, because though she wants to find something else, the choice is so overwhelming, and she's not quite sure how this whole money thing works. It's been a long time since she hasn't just had everything she wanted (aside from freedom) and it's been longer since her world used anything resembling currency.

The smell of the barbecues draw her attention, meat was a rarity even in the Citadel, since most animals are long gone and the ones that survive are too lean to eat, not when there's other ways to get protein and iron. She hasn't tried any yet, since arriving, because she can't quite decide if she likes the smell or not, let alone whether she wants to actually taste it. Everyone else seems to be enjoying themselves, though, so she watches with sharp eyes as people take offered burgers and steaks and hot dogs, trying to decide whether she wants to actually try it.]

ii ; b → beach

[On other days, it's the water that fascinates her, perhaps more than anything else in this strange world. The trees and rain and people are all completely foreign, but… seeing so much water is indescribable. For hours, she can just sit at the water's edge, fascinated by the way it moves, by the colour of it, by the sheer size of the river and the fact that everyone seems to treat this as perfectly normal. She watches children (healthy children, something she hasn’t seen for years) play in the water, she watches people in boats, a long forgotten remnant of the past, and wishes that she could swim.]

iii → sportsball

[Another new experience crammed into this already overwhelming week, but at least this one she can kind of make sense of, she can align it to her own world. She can imagine War Boys playing games like these to get themselves pumped up before a fight, but everyone here just seems to be enjoying themselves.

After about half an hour of just watching, she finally decides to approach someone when there's a lull in the game.]

How is this played?

ii a

[braidedwonder]

[ Duo could probably cook ribs on a hot plate if he really needed to, but a grill was just as good if not completely for the best. His long braid is carefully arranged over his shoulder so that he could be sure it wasn't on fire, minding a grill while someone else had wandered off to offer food to someone nearby.

He's seen the way she moves and watches everything - not unlike how he did when he wasn't sure of something. So, in the spirit of a fellow who knows what that's like, he'll nick a passing ear of what he assumes is something like corn, and a burger. ]

You want one? It's all good. I wouldn't steer ya wrong on a burger.

Vincent Valentine | ota

[chaosvessel]

i. beach cleanup

Vincent had heard of the acid rain that had occurred recently, and the evidence of its passing was to be seen everywhere one were to wander in Riverview. Making his way down to the beach, he couldn’t help but be reminded of his own world, decimated by the very life force that kept it alive, Gaia had weaponized her own lifesblood to rid herself of the plague that was JENOVA and...it hadn’t even worked. After the defeat of the Remnants at their hands, the hands of him and his friends, he’d felt...like a remnant himself, something that didn’t quite fit into the flow of Gaia’s regenerative life any longer. It was small wonder Riverview’s portal had found him and drawn him here.

What he found strange was his purpose. Was he to protect this place? He watched as the others gathered went about their tasks, happily working together to cleanup the damage the Quarantine zone had endured at the hands of the acid rains, so like the love the residents of Gaia show their own planet. His lithe form, clad in leathers and wearing a strange tattered cape, stood out in stark contrast to the milling others, but he watched them, moved among them, did his part to move fallen debris too heavy for some. He nodded as they thanked him, and moved on. Words were never his strong suit, but he would lend his aid. It was the least he could do.

v. floor 10; Balcony

The lithe man stood poised against the railing overlooking the city streets below, crimson eyes watching over the milling streets, watching the world pass by here as he did so often in his own world. Once being allowed to head to the bed he’d been assigned here, in the quarantine, he’d welcomed the general solitude. For all appearances, it seemed his new roommates were out, which suited the pale man just fine. He preferred solitude, and it allowed him to center his thoughts without interruption. He was, of course, under no assumption he wouldn’t be interrupted. Others shared this living space, too, but the current solitude allowed him to prepare for his meeting.

He wasn’t good with people, he knew that, but he couldn’t help it most of the time. He did care, in a disconnected way, even about those he’d never met. His friends knew that, but it was possible he’d never seen them again. Some would wonder if that would matter to him if he wouldn’t be happier left to his own devices and left completely alone.

A barely present, vague sort of smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He would care, and he did. Solitude and loneliness were very different things. They’d rudely woken him and shown him the difference.

He didn’t like loneliness.

wildcard

(OOC: I'm open to anything! Start a prompt, send me a message at vikael, let's have some fun!)

V. I'm so sorry :D

[de_evilise]

It's while he's standing out on the balcony that a certain someone comes home, "I'm back~!" she called out, per usual. Yuuto was out as much as she was, so sometimes she didn't see him, but she always called out to see if he was home, or needed anything.

Oh, there was someone ...she didn't recognize... on the balcony. She started to go for her earrings - stopped and glanced around, just in case she needed to defense herself from a thief or mugger. "... Yuuto?" She.. uh. She has a spool of thread she's gonna throw if that ain't you...to.

thom creed; ota

[sanator]

a. Can he clean a diamond ring? Mr. Clean cleans anything.

[Thom decided to help out with the clean up if only because it seemed like the right thing to do. He was, after all, a very ethical and moral young man and it seemed like helping to clean up a beach was the kind of thing the League would favour. They were always doing community projects such as these and Thom even more so in his personal life was involved in a lot of charitable doings.

After a couple of hours hard work though the young hero is definitely starting to feel the effects of the manual labour. A twitching sensation in his fingertips being a strong indication it was time to slow down and grab a cup of coffee, into which he dumped what was probably too much sweetener. It was hard to tell here, if he was just uncomfortable and tired or if it was something more than that, something which pertained more to his sickness.

On the off chance though that it was more severe, Thom started his same quiet littany that he always did when he first thought things were going south.] Invisible lass, major might, uberman, the spectrum, golden boy... [He whispers these words under his breath, eyes screwed shut as if it would bring him back from the brink. It did however have the interesting side effect of him looking like a complete crazy person.]

b. SPORTSBALL! GO TEAM!

[Thom had always been a big fan of sports and it was something that would continue to be with him while he was in the Quarantine zone. While Goran might not be here, there appeared to be enough sports going around that he mightn't immediately miss his one-on-one time with his friend playing basketball. The sun was high in the sky and Thom felt like he was on the first vacation he'd been on in a long time, the beach sprawling for miles around them with beautiful white sand. It felt more like a vacation than his actual summer vacation had been going so far, with its endless hours of work and superhero training. Today for example, he was hanging out on the beach, wearing some boardshorts with a volleyball in his hand.

He was lightly throwing it in the air and catching it again when he catches sight of someone else on the beach, grinning widely at them.] Hey! Wanna play? [It was just like old times, back before he'd been kicked off the squad for his differences. But here, he was hoping that those things wouldn't become an issue. It was a hell of a way to make friends, too. Besides, volleyball was pretty similar to baskbetball anyway, right? They both involved balls. The young hero already moved to toss the ball to your character, apparently overriding the idea that this particular brand of sportsball came with a choice. He was just being friendly, after all.]

c. baby ur a firework

[After hearing there'd be fireworks Thom made sure that he'd be there to enjoy them. They reminded him of happier times, like the fourth of July, or the kinds of aerial spectacles he'd seen from the league as a child, particularly with heroes such as The Prism being with them, the way they'd all shot across the skies like stars.

Here though, there was no League... well there was Thom but he hardly counted, having been stripped of his own probationary status. He was putting that all to the back of his mind though in an attempt to enjoy himself. While he kept mostly to himself during the performance sides of things, just listening to the music and trying to enjoy things quietly.

When the time came for the fireworks themselves Thom manages to have found a blanket from somewhere and spread it across his own little patch of beach, sitting down on it which his knees drawn up to his chest, arms resting across them and his chin on his forearms, staring into the sky, his face lit up with some kind of awestruck emotion.]

d. You know you're dealing with a wildcard.

[Wildcard Option! Anywhere else you want Thom go wild! I'm available @ razrushost and Discord: Razrushost#8963 for plotting purposes!]

a.

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco hasn't exactly been having the greatest of times, since the storm and the blackout had come along and introduced some uncomfortable complications in his life. But, as he is making his way down the beach, picking up broken bits of tree, soda cans, and other such garbage, he hears someone talking. Not to anyone else, and not even to himself in the way that most people do. Cisco glances over, sees that it's just a kid. A kid who looks like he's... not doing great.

He is torn, for a moment, between his strong impulse to help, and his almost equally strong impulse to just stay in his own lane. If it were someone his own age, he might have opted for the latter. But since the guy looks pretty young, Cisco takes a few steps closer, trying to catch his gaze before he asks: ]

Hey... doin' okay over there?

one | ota

[envisaged]

CLEANING UP
[ One has been helping clean up, hoping to find some answers by surrounding herself with the community here. Outside of taking care of some debris near the shore, all she's really done is make her eyes water from the stinging sensation of the different smells. Despite being at the beach, she's covered from head to toe in thick clothing-- completely out of place with the summer clothing everyone is sporting. ]

i. [ While not something she's particularly experienced in, it's easy for One to pick up things that only need a textbook to explain. She's found herself making repairs to the beachfront structures, not before observing the damages first. ]

Acid rain.. [ She thinks how she would've liked to have seen it instead of its aftermath. Her head turns to the person nearest to her, someone she assumes has been here longer than she has. ] Is that kind of weather common?

ii. [ It's snack time, meaning that One is drinking a very plain glass of water by herself. When perusing through the food, all she managed to leave with was a sandwich she's not keen on eating. She didn't want to refuse the person who gave it to her.

There's a glance to her gloved hands, thinking about all the sweat that's accumulated on her person and how uncomfortable she feels wearing them. Even everything on her person. She moves to take her gloves off, but in the end, backs out. The edges of her lips turn down, just enough to be noticeable, as she reaches for her glass once more. ]

COOKOUTS AND PARTIES
[ The noise and lights that come with fireworks makes her ears ache and her eyes squint, but she tries to gain some enjoyment out of the display. She's been feeling particularly empty, having been so close to what she wished to accomplish. Empty because part of her wants to mourn her sisters but she just won't allow herself.

On the outside, she looks faintly troubled. She's just made the connection that the blue, blue ocean reminds her of sister, Two. She nearly lets herself get swallowed in her own sadness until she hears the soft beat of footsteps. She tunes in with the distraction, the smell of the water finally hitting her.

One's managed to find a good spot seated close to the shore on a wide blanket. As of now, however, she doesn't need it. ]

You're looking for a spot? [ She calls out loud enough for the person in question to hear, even with the fireworks in the distance. ] I was just leaving. You can take it, if you'd like.

WILDCARD
[ or if you'd like another scenario written, or to post one up here, go for it! I can be reached at enoshima for plotting purposes! ]

Cleaning up, I

[500gallontank]

[ With no race to prep for, what's he going to do? Sitting in the apartment just made him stir crazy, so sure, he's here, helping. At least these people wanted to try to fix things that fucked up their world. ]

It is back where I'm from. [Only kind of rain they got in the UCA.]

Duo Maxwell | OTA

[braidedwonder]

i. cleaning up

[ Typically, Duo is the type that will make the mess and leave it, if he's being honest with himself. A typical teenage boy in some ways, he manages to make a mess of just about anything and then wander away from it without thought that he ought to clean it up instead of waiting until he gets back to it. For the moment he's enjoying a little bit of terra firma and sunlight while he's got it, his jeans rolled up, bare foot, his jacket long discarded in his pile of other clothes and boots, a tank top protecting his top half.

He's currently squatted down, taking a break from the sun with a bottle of water, idly musing to himself. ]

This would be a whole hell of a lot easier if there were trash gathering robots... I could totally build one...

ii. cookouts / parties

[ Duo's a little miffed about the fact that he's been swatted off from the adult end of the beach once or twice, foiled in his later attempt to sneak in. He supposes regular people don't know that he's see way worse than a naked body in his life time, and really, telling him 'no' just makes him want to go even more.

For the moment he's taken up his time alternating between lounging on the beach in his swim trunks and flittering in and out of parties like the social animal he is, plucking bits and bobs off of people's grills and taking whatever he's offered. For such a reedy kid he can sure put away some food, whether it's burgers, hot dogs, ribs... whatever he's offered goes down the hatch like lightning. Rather distinct as it stood, the braided teen makes his way between parties, chit chatting and figuring out where is best to stand in proximity to a grill or, his favorite sport, trying new fruits.

Colony kid novelties - fresh fruit. ]

Hey, d'you know what that blue fruit stuff is? Smells like cotton candy.

iii. PLAY BALL!

[ Thankfully, with this festival being centered around a river, there's grassy fields nearby with which Duo hopes to play some baseball. Somehow, he's procured (probably stolen) a baseball bat and a ball, the bat slung across his shoulder as he tries to get a little bit of a team game going so he's not pitching to himself like some weird loner. ]

Hey! D'you know how to play baseball? Even if ya don't, wanna learn?

iv. fireworks

[ Being the bomb builder of the five of his buddies, Duo is of course interested in watching the fireworks displays around. He might as well see what kind of technology comes with all of this mess, what he can expect when it comes to the Quarantine. Eating some sort of frozen treat Duo watches the fireworks with a sort of analytical eye, muttering out a thought or two as they occur to him - ]

Little bit more copper and that one could'a been like.. navy. No sulfur smell, though. Weird -

v. wild card

Duo's a pretty social guy, so feel free to throw any kind of situation at him and I'll roll with it! Or, hit me up at goblinrex and we can plan something!

[alchemyfreak]

[Ed is doing his own cleaning up when he notices Duo taking a break. He's generally one to condone looking out after yourself and not over-doing it, so he's about ready to ignore the other guy when he hears what he says.

He claps his hands together, the electric light of the transmutation forming over a nearby pile of debris that wouldn't be handy in any repairs, gathering it all together in one form before bending down to pick it up - tossing it into the nearest trash.]

If you can build something like that it might come in handy... but how will it know what's trash and what could actually be used to help fix things?

tris clark / ota

[saints]

I. CLEAN UP

[ listen, manual labor has never been tristan's forte, and it certainly isn't very appealing after getting spirited off somewhere. despite the acid rain, however, his emotions have been somewhat tempered for now by the people surrounding him. he gets down the beach to assist in the clean up, not only combing the debris from the shoreline but eventually being entrusted with a hose whose pressure ranges from a gentle sprinkle to may just take off your toes. he's been sweeping it along the dock as instructed, but the work itself is boring, mechanical. not that clean up is really supposed to be fun. he gets it.

which is why tris turns to someone nearby who looks like they've been toiling away in the sun pretty hard and calls out: ]

Hey! [ he adjusts the pressure and puts his thumb over the tip of the hose, turning it into a makeshift sprinkler. ] You look kinda hot— [ he holds out the spray of water now, creating a little arc to run in and out of as you please ] —wanna cool off real quick?

II. PARTY TIME

[ unfortunately, tris is a creature who tries to avoid the sun at its highest, prone to freckling quickly and burning even faster, so the nightlife works best for him.

tristan actually hasn't been to a party in years. when you're busy running your own business and dealing with the new flux of your own magic it's kind of hard to hit the club scene and find a place with heady music that makes your blood pulse and a swarm of people you barely know. while the local open beach party isn't exactly the basement nightclub setting he'd grown used to years back, they work well enough.

he can be found weaving his way between the generic and more "adult" portions of the beach, the music thrumming all the same along both sides. tris has gotten a chance to wash his clothing from home, so he's donned a gauzy, black top and a pair of dark jeans, the only bright things about him being his smile and the firefly-type lights that are in his hair. he's tossed his shoes somewhere by a little rocky alcove, choosing instead to meander barefoot in the sand and later on, to dance. the music thrums and beats and hums delightfully in his chest as he stretches out a hand to someone who looks like they might be approaching the sandy dance floor. ]

C'mon stranger, let's dance.

[ later on he can be found walking along the edge of the beach with a drink in his hand, shoes hanging from the others, mostly just taking a little time to be contemplative and quiet, but company won't be turned away. ]

V. ROOMMATES & WILDCARD

nb: tris is rooming on floor 14, bed 4. you're free to respond to the quick and dirty starter below or make your own.

[ tris can be found meandering the communal quarters, lingering around the windows, flopping down on his bed, in general exuding a somewhat nervous energy. sitting near one of the windows, nudging it open and peeking outside at the (yikes) drop below, he blinks as his stomach drops all the way to his toes. ]

It's like witch school all over again... [ a pause ] beds in a row and everything. Nic would get such a kick out of this place...

i

[tutee]

[ Bill has been busying herself with the work effort to distract from the fact that she hasn't heard anything from the Doctor in days. She doesn't want to think something's happened to him, or that he found a way home and just left her here. So she doesn't think at all, instead focusing on the task at hand. That task happens to be carting wheelbarrows full of debris from one side of the docks to the other, and bringing the emptied wheelbarrows back to be refilled.

When Tristan offers to spray her with a hose on her way by, she puts the empty wheelbarrow down and wipes the sweat off her brow.

Why not? ]

Yeah, alright. Just a bit, then.

Dorian Pavus | ota

[tevinteraltus]

I. Beach Clean-Up

If the past two years on Thedas had taught him anything, it was no one could afford to be adverse to manual labor. The Inquisition had succeeded when all else had failed because it strove to succeed. It was with a certain amount of confidence that he made his way down to the beach to aid in the clean up after whatever it was an acid rain was. He’d never actually heard of acid raining from the skies, but the damage such a thing could wreak was obvious enough even to a casual observer. Oh, he’d leave the actual reconstruction to, well, the builders obviously, and so, instead, made his way down to the beach proper with a rather clever invention he’d been given for the occasion: a claw attached to a pole with a level built into the handle of the other end, perfect for fetching debris without stooping. Why it was almost just a pleasant stroll down the beach and one he was certainly willing to enjoy. He wore loose pants for the occasion, and a billowing shirt open to reveal most of his chest. Really, he was enjoying the sun, the warmth, and offered any passerby a pleasant smile.

Community rebuilding really wasn’t all bad, now was it?

ii/iii/iv. parties/tournaments/and 1000 questions (various prompts)

ii. Cookouts and Parties
Parties, Dorian can certainly get behind. Tevinter, his homeland, being, well, notorious for them, he’s welcoming the distraction...for a number of reasons. The food smells divine, and he can be found enjoying a rather clever little hot dog near a bonfire or watching near a jet ski rental stand as others enjoy their new if temporary, acquisitions.

In fact, to anyone who happens by as he’s watching, he turns, a pleasant smile on his face, before motioning toward the river.

"Clever inventions, aren’t they? Do you know if they have any function other than for sport?"

iii. Sports Tournaments
Dorian, of course, had no mind to compete, but he was also completely unfamiliar with any of the sports being played during these weeks. After watching a few matches, he’s decided, though, to be most fond of this "volleyball", though it’s been a few matches, now, and he still hasn’t caught on to the rules. He has a blanket nearby the ‘court’ with which to watch the match, and a cold (very cold here, very nice) beverage, but he isn’t shy to address anyone else who might happen by.

"Ah, begging your pardon of course, but would you mind, awfully, if I might pester you for an explanation of the rules? Watching grunting competitors lob a ball back and forth over a net is all well and good, but I don’t even know who’s winning."

iv. Performances and fireworks
He makes the rounds of the various performances as well, willing to accept dances with random partners, reveling in the various and sundried sounds, sights, and tastes. It’s a wonderful party, really, and after all the frivolity, collapsing on the sand to watch the most beautiful fireworks display he’s seen since leaving Tevinter…

...ah, that’s right. He hasn’t seen fireworks since leaving Tevinter.
(OOC: Feel free to join him for a dance, a drink, for to watch the fireworks)

V. roommates

He honestly didn’t mind aiding this place in its rebuilding if returning to Thedas wouldn’t miss him in his absence. Under all his bluster was a man who wanted to help for helping’s sake, and so here he was, in this...communal living space...with naught but a bunk, a desk, and a pitifully small chest to hold his clothing. He let out a small sigh as he moved to the side table and began opening the drawers one by one, frowning as each closed.

"How do they expect a man to live in so small a space?"

It wasn’t directed at anyone in particular, but he hasn’t really noticed if anyone else was home, either.

"...really, now. Is this a dungeon or a reconstruction effort?"
(OOC: Dorian is on Floor 10, Bed 3 :D)

i.

[judicia]

( Being outside is a joy enough in itself, after the week they had with the acid rain. It made quite the mess, one that Anders is gradually but persistently raking away from the beachy sands of the riverbank. He pauses a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow, his chin tilting up toward the sun beating down on them with its relentless beams.

Even dressed in a tank top and shorts, it was still too hot. He drops the rake and throws a look over his shoulder at the moustached stranger just a few paces away. )

I'm going to go cool off. ( He says, walking closer to the river. )

Halbert | OTA | will match formats

[maskerades]

[For the outdoorsy activities going on, Halbert is more or less sporting a more dressed down version of his silky robes; he is wearing a pair of purple swim trunks, but he's also effectively wearing a lavender scarf around his head and shoulders as well as his mask. So, more or less more appropriate than his full ensemble would be.]

i. cleaning up

[As far as the acid storms go, Halbert hadn't been present for them, but he's aware of what happened vaguely by asking a few people around here. So, really, he commends everyone working hard to do the clean up job.

This kind of manual labor really isn't his thing, though, so he is taking advantage of the snacks left out and is working on making himself a nice iced coffee, currently dumping heaps of sugar into it. Maybe he'll want to add some coffee to his sugar.

If any hard working folks glance his way, he raises his cup and cheers them on:] Keep up the good work! You're doing absolutely fantastic!

[A good team player, for sure.]


ii. cook-out

[And really, who can argue about more free food with entertainment?

Halbert has food stacked on a plate, currently nibbling on a kebab as he's strolling down the activities. He stops by a bonfire, watching it with mild interest, his eyes squinting behind his mask.

Then he notices you. He smiles.]

Hey! [Halbert waves in your direction.]

Want to see what we can set on fire?

[Great conversation starter.]


iv. roomie shenanigans [Communal Housing; Floor 14, Bed 1]

[First night here, and Halbert is already fussing.

He isn't especially happy about sharing his space with anyone else, and he's already set to work on gathering up the top sheets on his bed before climbing onto the mattress, working on a makeshift tent around his bed.

Should anyone meander inside, Halbert will stop momentarily to offer a flat gaze, his lips pursed.]

Well, it's not as if it's an ideal set-up for anyone, right?

ii. Because he mentioned fire...

[tevinteraltus]

[Dorian is never one to turn down a party, let alone one with free food and drink. It's pleasant, warm (most importantly), and a great distraction from what he may or may not be leaving behind on Thedas. Distractions were everything, after all. This evening, he traded his leathers and robes for loose pants and an open shirt, revealing most of his chest. He also seems to have left his shoes...somewhere.

When Halbert calls to him, he raises the bottle he's been nursing, some strange sort of ale he's trying to decide whether he likes or not, in response.]

I do love a good flame.

max kiesler | ota!

[burnination]

CLEAN UP;

[ so, acid rain, that was cool. max sort of wishes he'd found a way to bottle it, because that seems useful, but there were more pressing issues, like the wormhole into space thing, and trying to make sure tristan wasn't going to completely lose his shit. jury's still out on the latter topic, but hovering over him all day isn't likely to help tris find emotional catharsis any better.

thus, max does what he's usually best for - being strong and relatively immovable. and, magic. the early part of the day, while the sun isn't at it's peak yet, max spends retrieving debris and bringing it back to the structures that've lost pieces and bits in the storm. as it's summer and freaking hot, and max naturally runs more hot than a body should, he ends up either in some kind of tank top or shirtless by noon, tattooed sundry on display. once he has a good stockpile by one of the places in need of repair, though, he pauses the clean up detail, and focuses on repair instead.

while his primary magic specialty isn't what his world called the Mechanic plane (manipulation of all things man-made), it's the second down on his ladder of abilities. james, a friend that was a brother to him, probably could've managed all this in a blink, but max has to go piece by piece. there's something that shimmers in the air, as a palm lays over an eroded pillar or a hole in a roof, and over the salvage pile nearby. Gradually, some kind of transfer starts to happen, like siphoning the debris into the repair, pieces chipping off the salvage and filling in on the walls, pillars and rooftops. he'll be off somewhere on his own, likely, messing with a place other workers haven't touched yet so as not to get in anyone's way (or have anyone in his way), but this is simple enough magic that talking to him won't distract enough to have him screw up. if someone stumbles over his salvage pile nearby, max's eyes won't raise from his work, but he will speak up, voice distracted and mild. ] Watch your step. Splinters in the air.

PARTY PARTY;

[ any time there is an option to be nude, always be nude. max spends most of the festivities on the adult only sides of the beach, in various stages of undress. he shows up in board shorts and a tank top, and throughout the day:

through cook-outs, he manages to keep himself clothed, through the boots he wore onto the beach get tossed off somewhere, and max noses his way into the space of anyone cooking, watching them work and asking a few questions - what kind of animal is that and where'd you get the spices and how do you know it's done and does it taste like chicken? he's typically the cook for his friends, and this place is all new and strange. tris can handle the research on the physics and magic of the land, but max likes things more hands on.

then, sportsball, where he loses the shirt. max isn't great at most of these games, given he's never played sports, and rules feel dumb. there might be a time or two that he breaks a rule, and then squints at whoever informs him of it, replying just with but that's stupid? someone will need to give detailed explanations about these activities to him before he decides he's willing to put up with the stupid bits for the sake of fun. or just makes a vague grunting sound, and walks off, to find something more entertaining.

of course, swimming, where he loses the shorts too, and flops himself into the water for some skinny dipping. max hasn't ever been the type for shame, least of all when it comes to nudity, so if you're in the clothing optional areas, you'll definitely get the full experience of witnessing nudity in action when max heads off to play around in the water.

but by the time dancing comes around, he's at least tugged the shorts back on, because having your junk flop around on a dance floor is just uncomfy, for you and everyone else around you. and he must dance. by this point, though, he's well sauced, mind in a drunken hum and body feeling the pound of the bass in his bones, swaying and dancing like a club boy (because he was/is one). anyone who brushes up against him will notice his skin is an unnatural kind of hot - not enough to burn, but a cozy warmth. ]

ROOMMATES/WILDCARD;

[[ max is on floor 14, bed 5! ]]

[ the first thing max gets to doing, upon arriving on his floor and learning tris has the bed right next to his, is start moving furniture. whether bed 5 was against the wall with the window or not, max is making it so. he's slept with windows and doors open in his room since he was 14, and he's going to need to be close to one if he's going to get any kind of sleep.

not that he explains that to anyone. just starts rearranging. in addition, tristan clark's bed is being pushed up against his as well, to make it one big mattress they can share. after his bedframe bumps against the wall, max reaches up to pop the window open, letting in the cool night air. ]

Anyone who gets cold at night can take my blankets. [ as he does not get cold. ever. ]

roommates!

[mingling]

[Natsume's general behavior in this communal living space amounts to keeping his head down. The rearrangement of furniture, then, earns a sweep of Natsume's glance, lingering just so, and then a duck of his head. He steps past like he's trying to draw inward; that's how he usually walks around this floor. So he's sitting on his bed (number 9) with his legs crossed and his own blanket drawn around his shoulders (and settled around his face) when Max opens the window. That's what makes him look back up.

...

He's not sure how to say this, and it shows, but,] I don't know if that's a good idea. [His words strive to be non-combative, but what they really mean is: That's not a good idea.]

Yuffie Kisaragi - OTA

[thegreatninja]

ii. cookouts and parties

[Yuffie isn't big on cleaning but she is big on parties and free food. She's around all month at different parts of the event. She does help with the cleaning but only when she's sure that no one is looking. She doesn't want anyone to start thinking that she cares or anything like that. It'd ruin her awesome ninja reputation that may or may not be nonexistent.

At the cookout and parties she's dressed in a brightly colored bathing suit thanks to her talk with Lola at the masquerade. Keeping true to form she has a black bag around her hips that is currently holding all of her Materia and a few blades that she doesn't mind getting wet. All of her other things have been hidden strategically between Floor 6 and 10. She believes in being prepared and feels weird when she doesn't have her stuff with her.

When she isn't swimming she's munching on something that's been skewered or looking for shaved ice. It's the best thing for the beach and she silently hopes that they'll have melon flavoring. She can't help but be excited. The festival is more like the festivals that are held in Wutai. It makes her horribly homesick though she doesn't show it. Towards the end of the day she can be seen sitting on the beach as the sun sets, allowing the tide to reach her and wash away patterns that she draws in the sand.]

iii. sportsball tournaments

[Yuffie is very athletic and very excited about the prizes that have been lined up for the tournaments. She's still wearing her brightly colored bathing suit as well as the black bag that's hanging tightly around her hips. She has a metal gauntlet on her left arm with two glowing orbs inset into it. They give her a bit of an advantage but given how many non-humans are here, Yuffie doesn't see it as cheating. She has a white band around her forehead that keeps her hair from her eyes and also has the Chinese lettering for 'fighter' written across it.]

Think you can take me on?

[She asks, not caring what the game is or who she's playing against. She has enough confidence to power a small country.]

iv. fireworks

[This is by far Yuffie's favorite part of the festival. It had been her favorite part at home too. She's dressed in a traditional blue kimono that she'd managed to purchase a few days before. It's nice and once again has her thinking of Wutai. She specifically drags Ed to the fireworks but she can be found wandering around: on the search for food or waiting for Ed to get back from who knows where.

She has a paper fan in one hand and pink cotton candy in the other. She loves the sugary spun goodness of the treat because it's one of the few things that her mother used to give her when she was little. Much to her fathers disapproval but whatever Yuffie's mother wanted, she got. It hurts when Yuffie thinks about her mother, trying her best to remember a face or a voice in fragmented memories of war and panic.

Yuffie pinches a bit of cotton candy and pops it into her mouth. Her eyes stay mostly glued to the bright explosions in the sky, even while she's walking.]

v. roommates or wildcard

[Feel free to come bother Yuffie @ floor 6. She's also often found on floor 10 since she has so many friends there and Vinny has shown up. She can be found napping in peoples beds, going through the fridge and ninja-ing food or cleaning a fighting array of blades in possibly inappropriate places. You can also catch her doing something she isn't supposed to do like sneaking through a window or going through Yuuto's things and rearranging them to see how long it takes him to notice. For general wildcard-ness Yuffie can be found around or hit me up on plurk for some planning. I have some plans in the making but have been slow to get them up and I'm super sorry about that! mizuyoko]

i. & starting with v.

[alchemyfreak]

[As promised, Ed had come to the festival with Yuffie. The concept of clean up and a cook out definitely made up for the dragged out evening of the masquerade, but he wasn't going to even discuss that matter. He knew he wasn't the only one unhappy with the whole ordeal, considering he and Al had left early at his little brother's request.

So, when Yuffie asks him to join her on this, he doesn't say no. He figures at the very least he owes her that much and he drops whatever reading he'd been doing at the time - probably with his little brother, in favor of following her out to the festivities. One day wasn't too much to promise, but knowing how these things went, it would be a whole week of whatever this latest event was.

Edward did intend to stick around, in an effort to not repeat the situation at the dance, but the idea of cleaning up and being useful here had been more tempting than the idea of- not. Yuffie, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the clean up and it was only a matter of time before they got separated. Early.

When he does find her again, color him surprised to discover her bent over some piece of debris, as if she might actually be helping with the efforts after all. He says nothing to announce his presence, letting her pick up a few more things before making his mood. Although he doesn't think he can effectively sneak up on a ninja, he does approach as quietly as possible - making sure to stay out of her line of sight.

He chooses to strike as she's bent over, reaching for the next piece of trash on the sand.]

Looks like you're being productive.

cisco ramon ☆ ota

[franciscoramon]

I. CLEANING UP

[ It seemed like such a good idea at the time; Cisco had spent hours, along with the rest of them, picking up the stray debris to clear up the docks near to the river. Now, all that's left is hosing them down. Which, considering the size of the docks, was going to be almost as time-consuming as the garbage collection. So Cisco, being Cisco, had asked himself: how could we make this more efficient.

He had made some tweaks to the water hoses provided - nothing drastic, just an adjustment here and there and some monkeying with the water pressure, to make them stronger and speed up the process. All the engineering behind it was very sound. What he neglected to account for, however, was that with the increased water pressure, velocity, and force, he would have a difficult time holding onto the hose, much less aiming it it.

Which is how he ends up spraying an arc across one of the other volunteers, just absolutely drenching them. Cisco drops the hose in surprise, which proceeds to whip around on the ground, out of control, like some kind of awful snake. He goes chasing after it, trying to catch hold and keep it from dousing anyone else. As he scrambles after it he shouts: ]

Shit! Watch out! Hose on the loose, I repeat, high-powered hose on the loose!

II. BEACH PARTY

[ Cisco's not really big on beach sports (or... any sports), so after he's had fun splashing around in the water, and pigging out on the amazing barbecue, he settles in for something that he is actually good at: sand-castle making. Sure, he's not a structural engineer, like Ronnie was. But he knows a thing or two about building stuff, and he's good at imagining a design and then executing it.

The castle is sprawling and rather intricate in design. Cisco shapes it, moat and tiers and towers, careful and precise. After quite some time he stands back, hands on his hips. It still seems like it is missing something... ]

IV. DANCING

[ Since the blackout, Cisco has been a pressure cooker of heightened emotions, and he is pretty desperate for distraction and escape. Which, in the context of this festival, means getting a little (okay, more than a little) drunk on sugary, fruity drinks and absolutely tearing up the dance floor. Or rather, the dance sand. He just cuts loose, doesn't seem to mind who might see him dancing. Cisco's particular style is a weird mix of goofiness, grace, and surprising sexiness. He's willing to dance with just about anybody who comes his way and seems interested. ]

II!

[foreseeding]

[The mysteries of sand castles has been revealed to her and she's decided that she's fond of them, so she's been watching Cisco build his from a distance, noting that it's a lot better than Jon's (sorry Jon). When he stands back, though, she realizes that it's missing something and snatches up a stray stick that probably belonged to a kebab at one point, then tears off a section of the cotton wrap around her shoulders.

She ties the fabric to the stick, like a little flag, and walks over to silently offer it to Cisco.

She's a helper.]

Ava Anatalya Orlova | Marvel

[krasnaya_vdova]

i. cleaning up

[Ava's skills don't usually tend toward carpentry and repairs, but she's not exactly someone that'll walk away in the aftermath of something like the rains and the fogs that burned their way through the city, either. So she's out there helping out where she can, quiet, and despite her small size she's agile and good at climbing up to the roof to finish nailing a board back in place. She's a hardworker, focused, and doesn't complain, though she's not much for conversation, either.

Down on the docks she brightens up a little as the beach starts to clean up a little -- less remnants of what had happened, and more a promise of what will be there with just a little more work. Ava admittedly hasn't been to a beach in years. That time Sana dragged her to Coney Island and Ava ate too many hot dogs and around sunset they walked in the surf with their pants rolled up, carrying their shoes. Then Sana had said something and Ava had thrown one of her shoes, which neither of them had been able to find. She's nostalgic, and it distracts her a little, enough that if someone's being careless, she finds herself on the wrong end of someone's hose.]

Really?

[She looks half annoyed and half-frustrated, heaving a sigh, and returns the gesture with a spray of her own hose. Alls fair in water fights.

Later, half-dry with her red hair still on the damp side she can be found partaking in the free food that's on offer. A cold drink in her hand as she watches the sunset, and she can't help thinking that Sana would have liked it here. Trying to calm her thoughts, she'll offer a drink to any familiar faces, or those that look like they might really need it. Dehydration is bad, okay?]


ii. cookouts and parties

[Ava doesn't like parties. She doesn't like people, doesn't like being expected to talk to people when she doesn't want to, the music and feeling crowded and vaguely claustophobic and how it makes her teeth clench when she can't see the exits. But it's on a beach instead of an over-packed warehouse, and well. She does like free food. She's still quiet, more prone to sticking to the edges than actually getting involved in the party spirit, devouring a hot dog or nibbling on an ice cream bar as she watches the others and tries to avoid the actual party.

But, eventually she ends up setting up a little corner and selling sketches and portraits in either pencil or charcoals, with a dash of color for a little extra. She considers getting herself a swimsuit, going swimming, but even just at the YMCA, she'd never liked the feeling: too exposed, that vulnerability that itched at the back of her neck. And drawing gets her some pocket money, which she could use as she studiously avoids having an actual job. It feels just a little too confining for a girl that still has one foot always out the door. And she's good at this. If you come close enough she'll flash a warm smile, a lift of an eyebrow.]

Do you want a picture?


iii. sportsball tournaments

[She doesn't actually participate in the sports tournaments herself, but she ends up pausing, watching for a while. It's not really her sort of thing, but she can just imagine Alexei out there, dark-haired and athletic, broad shoulders, and that dorky grin that warmed his grey eyes. Too good to make it really fair, but that hadn't seemed to stop him in fencing as much as the black cards. Too quick to thriow a punch, though she understands the feeling. She wondered if that's what this would have turned into. Someone spiking a ball, shoulder-checking him a bit too rough and she'd be watching him fight out on the sand.

She misses that too, if she's honest. The way they'd moved together-- you go left and I'll go right. She'd hardly had him for any time at all; a week before he'd been torn away from her if she didn't count the dreams that weren't dreams at all. And she still misses him, but it doesn't hurt as much these days. She buys a red rose, and she throws it into the sea. For memory.]


v. wildcard

[Feel free to hit me up with whatever. Ava will be selling drawings around, indulging in the free food and helping out with the clean-up efforts. She mostly sticks to the all-ages beaches, and shows up for the fireworks. She's feeling a little nostalgic and missing home.]

ii.

[feelybug]

[Mantis is not used to parties, or to this many people all in one place. Mantis is also not used to beaches, or sand, or any number of newly encountered experiences she has been discovering since her arrival in Quarantine.

She is exploring the events, however, when she spots a familiar face. Familiar, in that she is fairly certain that it is the face of the girl who lives in the room beside her own, though Mantis has not yet had the opportunity to get to know her beyond that information. As her own steps grow closer, the girl asks her a question, so Mantis responds, her own surprise rather evident in her tone.]

A picture of what?

Laura Howlett | August 14th | OTA

[shoplifter]

OPTION A. BEACH.

[Arriving in Riverview has been quite an event for Laura, but ever since she'd left the compound she'd grown up in, everything feels like an event. Hit the ground running, metaphorically or literally. Her case worker Linda is not a bad person, she's decided, just a little too clumsy and ill prepared for her job — ultimately, she's not what Laura wants to deal with. So as they move along the beach, Laura makes a quick dart to the left and loses her.

Bless Linda's heart.

Laura walks along the ocean, eyes wide as she approaches the waves with some awe. She wanders close, not quite touching the edge of the foamy wave as it rolls in. The sand reacts strangely — it's dark and feels so different, and she can't help but step hard and watch it grow from liquid to solid all over again. She's not remotely dressed for the beach in her jean jacket, but she's got some killer sunglasses on. They have cupcakes on them.]

OPTION B. FIREWORKS.

[It doesn't take long, later in the night, when her focus is solely on the fireworks.

¿Qué fue eso? ¿Qué es ese ruido?

And then the thoom-crackle-pop of fireworks follow.

When they start, the sound and energy behind them send her running to the nearest picnic area, away from the dangerous things that seem to pop off like gunfire; the underside of the bench has a few pieces of gum stuck to the underside, but they're coverage enough. The colors are beautiful, there's no doubt, but the sound crackles like thunder in her sensitive mutant ears. Her darks eyes peer out from under the bench, intense and anxious. Look out, if you're planning to sit down. There's a kid under there. Why are those fireworks screaming? Everyone seems to be enjoying them, but they remind her of worse things. Sinister things.

... They are pretty, though.

More vibrant than birthday candles. How do they get the colors in them?

How do they fill up so much of the sky? She mumbles from her safety:]

... Like Vegas...

OPTION C. FOOD.

[Linda the tragic case worker finally does find Laura a little later, the poor dear. She stays by with a more cautious and weary eye as the mutant child gives in to her hunger and looks over the hamburger section on one of the tables. Hamburger... hamburger. She knows them in theory. They're a very American thing, hamburgers. One of the nurses said McDonalds is popular, is in some cities in Mexico, or perhaps they could someday visit a puesto de hamburgesas. A silly little thing that she said to make them more hopeful, maybe. She still hasn't really gotten to try one.

She's no clue how to set one up, either, so she just puts down two buns and starts stacking layers and layers of meat. Layers and layers of cheese. She grabs a ketchup bottle and starts to douse the not-a-burger with it. Someone please save the child, she's practically making a hamburger salad with ketchup dressing. Though, funnily enough, Laura may not notice them too quickly; Linda has helpfully supplied her with ear muffs, so that the popping of fireworks may not be so startling to her just yet.

Doesn't necessarily block out the smell of gunpowder. It's strong to her nose.

Stinky.]

A.

[threatenwithcuteness]

*Eventually Lola will get used to not everyone knowing how to dress for the beach. But this is her first beach season in the Quarantine, and she isn't used to it yet. Or thinking about how many people just arrived and don't have stuff yet. Still, Lola's dressed for the beach. Her hair is a light mint green to go with the outfit as she wanders around. So of course finds a kid, she can tell Laura is a kid because the two are exactly the same height.*

Do you not have a swimsuit? Did you just arrive.

*Lola smiled, she's very friendly and completely unarmed... and soft looking. She's pretty much the least threatening thing unless there's a newborn kitten on the beach.*

jyn erso | open | aug 14

[realists]

ii. cookouts and parties

[ jyn doesn't have anything against beaches, as a rule, but she also doesn't particularly want to set foot on one any time soon. the siren call of food, however, is stronger than any distaste for sand she may or may not have and she follows her rumbling stomach to where the free food is. not for a second does she think about donning some kind of appropriate beach attire, so she slogs across the sand in her usual get up that has seen better days. her boots already have sand in them that she's going to be finding for the next however many years, there's no saving them.

food piled on to her plate, she retreats to a slightly less busy part of the beach, perching on a felled tree to eat. she should definitely pace herself because there is no telling what her space stomach will disagree with but instead she shovels food into her mouth like she's disney's the beast guzzling soup. once the food is thoroughly inhaled and jyn's had the chance to roam around, he goes back for seconds to bring back to her room, so yes, she is slipping away from the beach cradling a towering plate of food like it's her first born child. don't judge. ]

iii. sportsball tournaments

[ during her walk to make all the food she'd consumed feel less heavy, jyn finds herself watching a beach volleyball tournament happening. it seems ill advised to throw yourself in the sand with such little clothing for protection but whatever. they're the ones that have to deal with the sunburns later, not her.

she moves on, lingering at a handful of matches: wrestling (just as ill advised in the sand, she thinks), beach flag football, bocce, badminton. she's looking back at a number of people holding kites aloft and doesn't notice she's stumbled into the adult portion of the beach until she realizes she's watching a nude wrestling match.

softly: ] What the fuck.

iv. performances and fireworks

[ there is something about the overgrown, lush forests of the moon that remind jyn of maz's castle on takodana and she half expects to turn and find a towering statue of the diminutive little woman nestled in among the shrubbery on the apartment building.

she's half through the door when the fireworks start and she jumps at the first huge boom. instead of ducking inside, she lingers outside the door, looking up at the fireworks with a thoughtful expression on her face. she would have loved these as a little girl, had loved the parades and fireworks on coruscant when she was a little girl, so young she only remembered the colors and the noise. as an adult, they're less attractive to her. no more ooohs and aaahs, she watches in silence before an ahem pulls her out of her thoughts and forces her to move so she's not blocking the door anymore, murmuring something that sounds like it could be a perfunctory apology but probably isn't.

she should go inside, but she doesn't. at least she isn't standing directly in front of the door. ]

v. wildcard

( have something else in mind? go for it. )

ii!

[foreseeding]

[It's the plate of food that catches her attention, partly because it's piled so high, but also because she can recognize the intent behind it, so when Jyn is in earshot, the Dag speaks up.]

Don't need to do that, it's easy to find food here.

[She's never starved, herself, but she felt the same during her first couple of days anyway, wary of this place and wanting to make sure nothing was taken away.]