expiationlogs | [open mingle] let's go to the beach-each, let's go get a wave

Who: Anyone in Aldrip on June 12th
Where: The beach close to town
What: A totally open mingle for a party on the beach
Warnings: potential for injury and alcohol use -- let me know if y'all do anything that needs to be warned for, and I'll update it!

The prompts are just suggestions below -- this is a completely open mingle, so feel free to make your own starters, tag around, and go wild!

The weather doesn't change overmuch in Aldrip, but what is summer if not a state of mind? If anything, the too-pleasant weather makes planning ahead a little easier. A video message from one Kotone Shiomi had gone out the day before to invite everybody -- and that means everybody, locals and Chosen alike -- to a party on the beach, starting in the afternoon when the sun is consistently warmest and going until- well, until everybody leaves.

The morning of... Kotone can't do it all on her own, though! Maybe the prospect of a party is enough to get you digging around looking for supplies that could be useful on the beach. Games? The shops must have something, surely. Food? The kitchens are, as always, available. Hauling wood for a bonfire? Hey, someone's gotta do it. Maybe you're helping some of the locals go fishing early in the morning for extra food, or harvesting some fresh fruits and veggies from their gardens and farms. Many hands makes light work, or something like that. If nothing else, if you missed the initial annoucement, the bustle should at least clue you in that something's in the works. Don't forget to buy (or make, or "find") a swimsuit! Modernity not required.

If you can dodge a chore, you can dodge a ball, or, with or without your help, there are plenty of things to do on the beach itself. Some of the sports and activities might seem a little anachronistic to the generally old-fashioned vibe in Aldrip -- the volleyball net and ball are local, but the beach ball and water guns are a little too brightly-colored and plastic, the water balloons in their bucket too obviously mass-produced, to be local, but they're there for anyone to play with (or torment others with). The band's set up as well, though with some different music than they'd played for the inn party. Maybe someone can make a request for more appropriate beach music? Or maybe you just want to see if you can launch a water balloon from a trumpet.

Eventually, someone starts a volleyball tournament. Time to let that competitive streak shine! Or at the very least, you've got to try cracking open a watermelon with a bat... but maybe not too close to the people relaxing on lounge chairs under umbrellas.

Y'all gotta eat, right? Whether you helped the locals earlier with catching fish or preparing food, there's an array of grills that have been dragged out to the beach. Hopefully some of the more magically-inclined among you can figure out how to keep the insulated boxes of ice and ice cream cold away from electricity (or maybe you're using the trek back to town for more ice as an excuse to get away from the party), but even if not, there's plenty of fish, vegetables, and meat available for grilling. Maybe you're the chef, maybe you're just here for the food, but there's plenty available no matter what you choose.

The food is hot and the drinks are cold. Unlike the inn, there's plenty of space around to try to avoid mingling with others if you're the quiet type, but watch out! It also means there are fewer places to hide. It's harder to wallflower without any walls.

As the sun starts to set, someone gets the bonfire going. Marshmallows exist, though maybe in a less-manufactured way than you might be used to, and there's plenty of other leftover things to roast if you're the type. It's another beautiful night in Aldrip to watch the stars and take in the fresh air with some friends. In light of everything that's happened, maybe some quiet relaxation is finally in order.

Well, for some of you. For others, night is when the party gets rowdier and it's time for drinking and party games. Just try not to make too much of a mess! Because somebody's going to have to clean it all up tomorrow.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She kicks a little bit more sand in his hair! But laughs nonetheless as she heads back to a different spot on the beach. Within a few minutes, she's back, dropping a very modern, slightly cold tube of sunscreen right onto his stomach.]

Here's my birthday gift to you, then.

[Myleh! She sticks her tongue out at him before plopping back down to the sand to sit beside him instead of lay down.]

[He startles, yelping at the coldness of the tube and sitting up enough to blink owlishly at it. Then he chuckles, sitting up more fully and picking up the tube.] You're supposed to get given gifts on your birthday, dummy. Help me put it on?

Already said I don't want any!

[It feels weird to celebrate her birthday when she wasn't supposed to have this one, anyway! Also like, she threw the party. That's present enough.

Anyway, she plops down next to him.]

What, and give you a second present for my birthday? [The gift of touching him, that is. She still holds out a cupped hand, though. Give her some sunscreen.]

Man you and Akechi need to form an Unbirthday Club or something, you're both so weird. [Just wait until Akira's birthday, he'll be the President of the club.]

[His eyebrows raise, and he shrugs.] Maybe it's my gift to you to let you slather me in greasy white paste.

[She hums at him, unamused, and holds out her hands again, more insistently. Give greasy white paste, nerd!]

I don't really remember celebrating my birthday before.

[He tosses it to her.]

Me either, honestly. Obviously we should change that.

When's yours?

[She squirts a healthy amount of sunscreen into her hands and shuffles around behind him, slapping both hands on his back with a playful laugh.]

I'll make you a cake. I'm a pretty good baker, you know!

Nope, not telling! Fair's fair, I can't tell you until day-of. [He sticks his tongue out, looking at her over his shoulder.] --jeez, it's cold!

I bet I could make you tell me.

[She drops her chin onto his shoulder and tilts her head with a bit of a mischievous gleam in her eye, but retreats quickly enough to rub sunscreen into his shoulders and upper back.]

I kept the sunscreen in my bag under one of the umbrellas. Anyway, how come you never celebrated your birthday?

Does that count as extortion? [But he's grinning. He doesn't plan on telling her, if only because she'll tell Akechi, and that will make a whole lot of things a lot more complicated than they already are. He sits good and still for her to rub the sunscreen in, despite how bad he is at it, and hums thoughtfully.]

Lived in the sticks, my parents have always been the hands-off type. Sixteen years of that made for it just being another day, really.

Ends justify the means!

[Said with a laugh. Anyway, she's methodical about applying the sunscreen, swiping her hands this way and that to massage it into his skin.

Sticking her tongue out, she makes a dissatisfied noise. Bleh!]

Sounds like you've got sixteen years to make up for, then!

Eighteen, if we're being specific, but the last two were different. [He doesn't say how, and at least one of them Was Not Great. Technically seventeen were spent at home/in his home situation, or closer to it than Tokyo, but-- it's fine, I can't count or figure dates.]

Hmmm...

[She tilts her head and leans over his shoulder, raising her eyebrows at him. Care to elaborate, mister?]

Good different or bad different?

[There's a moment where his whole expression clouds over, and he remembers a lot of Not Particularly Pleasant Things all in rapid succession. Flinching, he closes his eyes and shakes his head. A brief, breathless sort of laugh escapes him, and he gives her an annoyingly rueful smile.] I don't..., both?

Hmmm.

[She drops her chin on his shoulder and lets her arms wrap loosely around his middle for a hug. There's no way to know exactly what he was thinking, but in a way, she doesn't really have to ask.]

Well, if you tell me when yours is, we can make sure it's just good different this time.

You make a compelling argument, but you still waited to tell me yours until you already threw yourself a party, so no-can-do.

[He does toss one arm over her waist, though.]

I'll just ask Violet-san. Or Goro.

[She quirks her eyebrows at him. Don't tell her his teammates don't know when his birthday is?]

[He smiles, nodding.]

Go ahead. They don't know. [Because he's a butthead and won't tell.]

Seriously?

[She puffs out her cheeks in a pout and retreats away from his hold to squirt more sunscreen into her palm. This, she smacks right across his stomach with a laugh and tosses the bottle of sunscreen at him.]

I'll ask anyway. Then you'll have to put up with all three of us bugging you about it.

[He laughs quietly, yelping when she smacks his stomach and curling over onto his side.]

Wow, abuse! This is abuse.

Uh-huh. Oh no, people care about you! That's the worst!!

[She wipes the last of the sunscreen onto his back and finally sits back herself with another laugh.]

I'm glad you came, though. This was really fun, right?

[He sulks, pushing his lips out in a pout at her.] I know people care! This is different.

[He stretches out, digging his toes into the sand and nodding.] Yeah.

[open mingle] let's go to the beach-each, let's go get a wave

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