Seaside 3: A load of carp

[Deathkeeper]

Beachside Party

Willa nods, and goes over, hefting the cooler onto her horse-back and comfortably moving it to where it has to go.
"Willa's m'name. Pleased to meet y'all. But uh, what do you mean properly cut? You want me to try cutting a melon? I think I might be cheating since I'm, well, trained." she says with a confident shrug.

[Murkus]

[Beachside - Party!]

Beach Party

The shadow creature puts the towel down once it seems Drake is content with the amount of drying that has occurred. Drake was still a very strange. He didn't seem to be a lizard at all, despite its words. Well he kind of resembled a lizard. But lizards don't fly or talk. Maybe Drake was experimented on. That would explain a lot.

She takes a moment to glance up, as if reminding Drake of the umbrella whose shade she was currently occupying. If he didn't want to get wet when it rained, he could always use an umbrella. Theoretically that's what they're there for. To avoid the wet.

Now that there are less bombardment of doom balloons and Drake isn't writhing in agony anymore, she will return to her prior action. Still using the tendrils of questionable origins, she pops off the top and moves the honeycomb under her hood where it disappears into the inky black void that seems to make up her palette. Presumably this is where she hides her mouth too hideous for human eyes to gaze upon for when the honeycomb is pulled back out into the relative light, it has been drained of its honey.

Well she didn't spit it out in disguise or start crying in fear so I guess she liked it. Her unchanged facial expression of intensely staring at Drake isn't really giving much help. Well, maybe the staring appears to relax a little.

*****

"The balloons. And I'll drink anything." Reinholdt raises an eyebrow as a mer... something enters the bar, though can't be too surprised with tentacle man about. He gives Anchor and Fayyaad a wave of recognition before turning to take the shot of honey. He almost drinks it too, before stopping and peering at it suspiciously. Then looking over at Drake and peering at him suspiciously.

"Waiiiit. You're awfully eager to push this thing on people." He points accusingly. How rude. "You aren't trying to get a bunch of people to drink your honey so that we all horribly mutate and turn into creatures like you thereby forcing us to join your hive, are you?" Everyone loves honey sounds an awful lot like an evil mutation cult hive franchise slogan.

Tentacle man, meanwhile, looks up from passing out several of the aforementioned honey shots. "Dude. That doesn't sound so bad. I've never flown around before, dude."

[Beachside Party]

"Protect me? Well, I feel very reassured now," Fayyaad says, sitting next to Fetty. "I'll have something light and cold, I think."

Beach Party

"Oh, thanks!" Zhareen replies in a casual tone, the kiss on her knuckle apparently having meant very little. "Nice to meet you too everyone. I don't often meet people outside Riverside. Where are you all from?"

[Beach Party]

"I come from a land called Moran-Ir, and I've come here on a... holiday, of sorts," Fayyaad says. "I've been loving the place, so far."

The movement catches her eyes and Anchor waves back. "Hi!" But that's all. Don't want to come between a cat and his drink.

Now, there must be a seat on the other side of Fetty, right? Still nice and safe? She gives him a clear smile in return.
"From Inside, but I kind of go all over these days."

"I'm glad to hear that, Fayaad," says Fetty, gaze passing just as easily from him to Anchor. "Inside? Really? I haven't met a whole lot of people actually from there. I can't imagine what the growing up was like." He grins.

"I'm from a planet called Earth. City called New Anchorage. Beautiful town. Everybody oughta see it at least once."

Felandria puts a hand on his shoulder.

Hey, don't worry about it, I've seen some things that haunt me, too, best thing to do is move forward.

That being said, it's quite fun to share stories with new friends.

Hey, wanna see something cool, check it out.

Fel reaches inside her rolled towel and pulls out a rod.

She holds it out in front of her and pushes the button, then lets go as it remains in place.

Man, I love these things.

They're so versatile,like today they're to hold my towel down so it doesn't blow away in a wind, but they're great for exercise, they can be an instant chin up bar or they can hold your legs down when you do sit ups!

"W-well, I wouldn't say I'm haunted, just, uh," Adir stammers a little bit, backpedalling. He hadn't meant to sound like someone with PTSD. He can't claim any right to such a condition. Thankfully she has a change of subject.

"Whoah," Adir does a little double-take as the rod remains in the air. "That's a trip. May I...?" Adir reaches out to touch n' grab the floating thing if she permits. In fact, after a second he'll even stand up and go so far as to do a couple chin-ups himself!

"Hah! What the hell do you think the guy who made this was thinking?" He asks, grinning as he peers at her over the top of the bar. The stag holds his legs straight and feet pointed downwards as the bar suspends him in the air.

[Felandria]

[Beachside - Party!]


"W-well, I wouldn't say I'm haunted, just, uh," Adir stammers a little bit, backpedalling. He hadn't meant to sound like someone with PTSD. He can't claim any right to such a condition. Thankfully she has a change of subject.

"Whoah," Adir does a little double-take as the rod remains in the air. "That's a trip. May I...?" Adir reaches out to touch n' grab the floating thing if she permits. In fact, after a second he'll even stand up and go so far as to do a couple chin-ups himself!

"Hah! What the hell do you think the guy who made this was thinking?" He asks, grinning as he peers at her over the top of the bar. The stag holds his legs straight and feet pointed downwards as the bar suspends him in the air.

I dunno, he musta been pretty smart though.

It's a neat weapon too, somebody charges at ya, you just hold it out pointy ways and click it in place, then they get the wind knocked out of them.

You think this is neat, I got a whole bunch of cool things like this.

You can come over to the house sometime!

[UncleWolf]

Above the Rocks

"Oh... uh, I'm like the worst person to ask advice from then. I'd tell you to just pick up some other hobby, but I was never able to follow that advice myself. It helps a bit though, I collect gems I find on my travels and cut them into little sculptures. Gives you something else to think of for a while, you know? History is another old subject I put great interest in. Just anything but the constant slaughter. As they say, she who fights monsters should look to it that she herself does not become a monster." Despite the grim quote, Faithel still smiles by the end. "Though perhaps it's a bit too late for the both of us?" She ask rehorically. "Being a monster ain't so bad. You can cut past any line, plus it's the perfect excuse when you take take the last beer, 'I am a monster, I can't help it'."

Above the Rocks

The last bit actually makes the woman snort and give a small smile. It seems she has some sense of humor beneath that Srs and Strong facade she throws up around others. "Perhaps it is too late, and perhaps it isn't the worst fate provided I can retain my sanity." She admits as she reaches down into a pouch sewn onto her hip. She pulls out a small scrap of white paper and offers it to Faithel. "Eat it. Looks like paper and tastes like it, but it will replenish any nutrients you're missing after your stay in the belly of the ship. I didn't see any weapons in the room you were in, so I scavenged what I could from the corpses." She adds, nodding towards the bits of arms and armors she has laid out and cleaned. "Choose what you want and I'll cast the rest back into the sea."

[Shadowcaller]

Above the Rocks

Faithel smiles. "Glad I could give you some perspective then." She looks rather skeptical about the little piece of paper however. "It... doesn't have side-effects right? Never heard of humans making things like these before. I mean, what is it?" She asks while slowly getting up, picking up the paper as she moves.

[Beachside - Party!]

Zhareen waves to the kitty as well! How adorable!

Her attention is brought back to the conversation by Fetty's story however. "Earth? Who'd name their world after dirt? My world is called Elshar, it means 'all'. It is really lovely too, well, if you don't mind all the monsters. Really cool place though, we should really visit one another's worlds someday!"

[Rebonack]

[Tanari Island]

Orion lets out a long breath he hadn't been aware that he was holding.

"No one got killed over it, which is all I can ask for," he says. "And if these gnolls really ARE looking for a way to fight back against these demons you were talking about, then they should be valuable allies."

If grumpy.

And somewhat rude.

But hey!

It all worked out, right?

"I don't suppose you know which way Inside is? I was trying to get some help at a temple there before things go... weird." A beat. "Well, weirder."

[Beach Party]

And as the girl under the umbrella eats the honey-!

Nothing nefarious happens.

It tastes good? At least if you're the sort of person who likes honey. Some people don't care for it.

"Well? Did you like it? I'm selling some special red honey at the bar but I think you might be too young for that since kids shouldn't do drugs and stuff but maybe you're not a kid I can't really tell I met someone the other day who looked like he was maybe eight but he said he was eight thousand and I wasn't sure if I should believe him or not but then again there are a whole bunch of really weird things in the Nexus so maybe that's normal hey look at that sea gull!"

With a buzz of his wings, Drake takes off to go investigate a gull trying in vain to capture sand crabs.

...bye?

Meanwhile!

"Whaaaaaat? Noooooo!" Drake wails in reply to Rein's accusation. "I just like selling it! People sell things all the time it's how I get money to get things that I can't make myself like cellphones and video games and chocolate and tiny cars and gemstones and broccoli!"

All sorts of things!

All sorts of very important things.

Doesn't Rein understand the concept of selling surplus agricultural goods for profit?

[Morty]

[Beachside - Party!]

"I'm a little unwelcome in my homeland at the moment," Fayyaad says smoothly. "Otherwise I'd love to show it to you all."

[Recaiden]

"Inside. Really. I can't recommend it as a place to raise kids. Or for adults. Or at all. It was eye-opening, I guess, but this-"

"What? Tons of people name a world after what its made out of!"
Anchor protests. She knows of like 5 'Earth's, one of which is orbited by a 'Cheese' and itself revolves around 'Fire'. Not to mention the 'Erda's and the 'Terra's and so on. It's only normal.
"So you've seen my world already, Zhareen. But I'd love to see these other places."

[Reinholdt]

Beach Party

The shadow girl nods gravely. It was surprisingly good for something that wasn't alive and squirming. She could see why pe- oh. Drake 2 was flying off. The shadow provides a solemn goodbye stare at his retreat. Goodbye cute thing friend. Good luck catching that seagull.

The shadow monster resumes being very still and quiet under her umbrella.

*****

Theoretically the cat fey should know the concept of basic economics. In practice it might just be too foreign to the ignoble thief.

"You'd lose your all natural abs." Reinholdt points out to the tentacle man. Or maybe he wouldn't. He'd be a horribly mutated ab bee dragon thing. Who knows?

I guess Rein will know in a second as he gives one last pointed questionable glare at Drake before downing the honey shot. It's quite pleasant. And he hasn't turned into a horrible hive mind cult. He gives it a few moments to work and to be sure, but the moments pass.

"It's good." He reluctantly admits. "I'll buy a box set." It's the grumpiest sounding agreement to purchase you could hear. It's like he doesn't enjoy buying things he actually likes. Maybe he's just disappointed there wasn't an evil conspiracy going on.

[UncleWolf]

Above the Rocks

"It is fortified paper. That is all. Fortified like that ration bar was with reclaimed minerals and the like. The ration bar won't give you everything you need, but that will help." The Sister explains. What she doesn't explain is that the ration bar was a corpse starch ration. It was hard enough to stomach without knowing what it was made from. Or who. "No side effects except a bad taste." She adds. After a few moments of silent from her, she gives a sigh. "I wish there were some place with a hot bath around here." She mutters. It was the one vice she allowed herself, a single pleasure. Such things were dangerous to those Marked like she was, but the thought of it was certainly attractive.

[Shadowcaller]

Above the Rocks

Sorrow's explanation doesn't make Faithel look any less skeptical. "Fortified... paper." She slowly repeats. "Ah, Eidthi, it isn't the weirdest thing I've eaten." Eidthi likely being some kind of swear word considering the way she says it. She glumps down the piece of paper. "A hot bath? Yeah, that and some fine wine would be beautiful about now. Anything that could wash off this stench..." She gestures at the dirty, tattered clothing underneath her armor.

[Tanari Island]

"Well... yeah, we got maps n' stuff. But kid, seaside ain't a safe place. Even if you're a great swimmer you should let us take you ashore, or at least use my dimensional ripper. It'll take you to where you need to go in the blink of an eye." Gnizel argues as the mercenaries and the soldiers appear stand down. Looks like there wouldn't be any fighting right now at least. Would always be a chance to earn money later though. "It would be the safest way to travel, so you don't get eaten by a sea monster or something. Plenty of those around here."

[Terumitsu]

[Beachside Party]

"Oh fine. But I'll find you something else to do later!" Riss replied to the reluctant pixie albeit with a smile. The muse knew she wasn't much for people but that didn't mean she couldn't help her fey have fun with others. At least, that was what she felt interacting with others should be like. She would admit that sometimes it could be fun or at least not that bad.

Slightly leaning into Misha though not too much given that she still carried a cooler, she tittered from the light peck before replying to Willa. "Oh, now that you say that then I'll probably have to ask you to stick nearby just to show everyone else up then." she said, a little more conversational flow to her tone. "Or maybe you'd like to pose for an ice sculpture as Vit- Misha just mentioned." she suggested thoughtfully. "You've got a nice figure so I don't see why not if you'd be up for it. I've got a pretty good memory so it's not like you'd have to stand around in the sun for ages or anything." she added, finally reaching a spot on the beach that seemed like a good area to stop and setting down the container.

[Rebonack]

[Tanari Island]

Orion considers the offer, but finally he shakes his head. "No, I think I need to make the journey on my own," Orion finally concludes. "I need to get use to... this..." he glances back and gives his tail a shake. "I can tell that whatever did this is yanking me around from place to place for a reason. Not sure what that reason IS yet but... I just can't shake it. I'll be safe. Or safe enough at least. When you can dissolve into water while swimming in water, well, I can't think of a better way of hiding from something that means ill."

What would the sea monster do?

Gulp up the whole ocean and hope for the best?

"Just give me a heading and I'll take it from there," Orion insists. "I think the compass I've got in my head will take things from there."

Having a compass in your brain meats is pretty darn helpful.

All sorts of animals that roam long distances have them! Super handy.

[Beachside Party]

A dorsal fin breaks the surface of the water! Though anyone with any biology sense would instantly recognize that it doesn't belong to a shark. The thing is quite a bit too tall and the skin quite a bit too rubbery in appearance. A spout blasting mist into the air shortly there after really proves it. This is no shark! It's a whale! Or maybe a dolphin? Or maybe-!

"AAAAAAAHHHH!"

A strange creature that appears to be both an orca and a wolf at once bursts from the waves and goes crashing toward the beach-line, and angry giant blue sea-crab waving at the end of his tail like a banister. Several more grumpy crustaceans are close behind, clacking their claws menacingly. The akhlut bounds up onto the beach and begins spinning in a tight circle, doing his best to dislodge the menacing crab.

"Getoff!Getoff!Getoff!Getoff!Getoff!Getoff!Getoff! "

Looks like Orion has arrived!

And he brought a bunch of giant crabs with him!

Quick! Someone get a pot of boiling water going!

[Deathkeeper]

Beachside Party

The akhlut's arrival is probably good timing. One Sam Bacon arrived at the beach ages ago, but he's been rather awkwardly sitting under an umbrella the whole time. A rather undersized umbrella, I might add. He didn't really think of it, but well, everyone here seems to be prime examples of pretty Nexus people and well, that's certainly not him. He's kept his shirt buttoned, and his swimming trunks wholly unused since he has no idea how to swim. Every once and a while his eyes glance over to someone he recognizes, like Riss. He can't tell if he would like her to say something or not. Probably not. He's determined to be anti-social at the moment.

So when the poor sea-dog comes screaming in for help not twenty feet from his umbrella, it gives him some excuse to not be having fun with everyone else. The excuse being that he's busy picking up a folded beach chair and clobbering the crab on Orion's tail with it.

[Rebonack]

[Beachside Party]

The crab is clobbered!

Thankfully this is enough to knock the crustacean off. It sprawls out on its back, all its pointy legs scrabbling uselessly at the air. The rest of the crabs, meanwhile, begin to close in, clacking their claws menacingly! Really, though. Someone get a pot of boiling water going. That's a whole bunch of crab and boiled crab is amazing.

"Stay back you stupid crabs!" Orion shouts at them. "Why are you harassing me! I didn't even do anything!"

It's true, he didn't.

He did nothing at all offensive to anyone.

But that doesn't matter to the menacing crabs.

Because they're menacing crabs.

They don't need a reason to be menacing.

As one they continue their march across the beach! Orion lowers his head and blasts one of them with a stream of high-pressure water from his blowhole, sending it bouncing tumbling through the sand.

[Deathkeeper]

Beachside Party

Sam's poor chair isn't in very good shape after being used as a club. Barring a notable weapon, Sam tries to simply grab one of the crabs in front and swing it into the others!
There aren't that many, and crabs really aren't that tough. He's not really expecting to have to run for a weapon.

[Rebonack]

[Beachside Party]

After a sound thrashing, the remaining giant crabs retreat to the sea!

Run awaaaay!

That still leaves four crabs to make a wonderful meal for anyone who happens to enjoy crab.

And let's be honest, here. Who doesn't enjoy crab?

Orion frowns at his bruised tail. Giant crab pinches hurt! Sam, on the other hand, is flashed a smile. "Thanks for the help. That whole situation was... weird."

Yes.

Weird.

That's exactly what it was.

"Have I stumbled into the middle of a beach party? I hope it wasn't invite only," he comments, glancing about at the festivities.

[Deathkeeper]

Beachside Party

Sam knows exactly how to cook the crabs, but he doesn't have any equipment for that and he's sure the bar as cooks anyway. Not a big deal, right. He'll just leave the crabs as they are. Someone will clean them up.
"Uh, yeah, it's a party. No invite needed, you can go enjoy yourself." he says, picking up his chair and starting to trudge back to his umbrella.

[Rebonack]

[Beachside Party]

Well...

If nothing else, the sea gulls will probably eat the crabs.

Gulls will each just about anything, after all.

"Oh, good, I'm glad I'm not ruining anything," Orion says as he begins padding through the sand. Stupid quadrupedness. How are you supposed to use your hands for things if your hands are feet? "This is a nice change of pace from my last stop. I've actually made it back to... well... closer to the Nexus, right? This is the mainland and not another island?"

Some of those islands were...

Weird.

Really weird.

[Deathkeeper]

Beachside Party!

Sam puts his chair back in place and flops onto it. It creaks piteously.
"Yeah, this is the mainland. Took a bus here straight from Riverside. No problem really." Sam says, drumming his fingers on his belly. Something seems to be bothering him, if Orion takes notice...

[Rebonack]

[Beachside Party]

It's weird how quickly Orion has dried off. That thick fur of his should still be sopping wet, but it's already bone dry. This results in him looking hilariously poofy. His hair always poofed up like that, even when he was human. But now that's he's got dark blue fur (and white!) everywhere the problem has only gotten worse. He sits down next to Sam, trying his best to ignore the fact that he's getting sand all over his butt-fluff. At least he doesn't smell like a wet dog...

"Oh good, glad I finally made it," Orion sighs. "Last island was populated with flesh eating tomatoes. Name's Orion, by the way."

It was exactly as absurd as it sounds.

He glances over at Sam, then over at the party.

"Something wrong? Or just not much into socializing?"

A beat.

"Oh geeze, sorry. That was a stupid question to ask. It's not even my business. Thanks for the help with the crabs."

And then the akhlut begins to move to leave...

[Deathkeeper]

Beachside Party

"Sam. Nice to meet you. " he says, glancing to his side at the beach-goers, but he snaps back and waves his hands dismissively at the creature's apology.
"No no, it's fine, really. It's just....I don't really have a beach body, you know?" he says, the hand on his belly poking it for effect. "I don't know, maybe it was a stupid idea to come. I don't have any friends here, and I don't really know how to act at a place like this. Not to mention I don't exactly fit in."
Really Sam, having four arms and bristles really isn't the weirdest thing here. You're not even sitting next to the weirdest thing here.

[Rebonack]

[Beachside Party]

I dunno.

Akhluts are pretty weird.

"Does that really matter?" Orion asks as he sits back down again. "You didn't come here so other people could look at you, right? Then what should it matter whether you're shaped like a muscle builder? I honestly don't think 'fitting in' is that huge of a deal. I've been in this crazy place for all of twenty four hours and it has already seen fit to turn me into a fuzzy whale."

He glowers at his paw, lifting it out of the sand and flexing the toes.

"I know I can make myself humanoid again, too. I pulled it off once already, but I can't figure out how to do it again."

He would really love to get his hands back.

Hands are helpful.

"Besides, if you're worried about weight I probably have you beat. Whales and blubber are pretty synonymous."

[Deathkeeper]

Beachside Party

"Well, yeah, but...you're all lean." he grumbles.
And then? Sam takes his shirt off. It's a bit of an affair, with all those arms. There's nothing really notable about this, save for that Sam lacks a navel.
"At least you're something neat. You could have been a slug or something. But unless you can make yourself a set of spare trunks, you might want to wait on being biped." he adds with a guffaw.

[Rebonack]

[Beachside Party]

"Only because I just swam a few hundred miles," Orion points out. "Staying in shape requires effort, you know? If your size bugs you so much, then there's nothing stopping you from expending the effort to change that. Hell, there's probably some wizard who specializes in weight loss spells or some nonsense who could just magic you into shape."

Orion has no idea whether or not such things exist.

He WAS told that you can encounter just about anything in the Nexus, and ostensibly weight loss spells should fall under the category of 'anything.'

And then talk of trunks!

Orion probably just flushed a bit.

Though given all the floof, one can't really tell.

"Ah, hah... yeah. That's a good point. My clothing didn't fare well when I got all whale-y."

It exploded.

[Deathkeeper]

Beachside Party

Sam shakes his head emphatically.
"No no no. No magic changes. Not now, not ever." he insists. Calming down a bit, he adds, "And I do my best, but I work at a restaurant. It's hard. I've gotten used to this size, really. It hasn't really bothered me in a while really but...this is a bit of a special occasion."

[Rebonack]

[Beachside Party]

"Haha! I can understand not wanting any more magic weirding you up," Orion laughs. He stares at his paw some more, giving it a few good shakes and trying to will it to be a hand again. This time around, the limb abruptly turns into water and reshapes, this time resembling some medium between an otter paw and a wolf foot. Which means he has adorable little hands! "Ha! That's-! Well... Better than before, I guess?"

He experimentally picks up a handful of sand with his silly webbed toe/fingers.

"Did you get dumped into the Nexus and turned into something weird, too?" Orion asks. "I was walking into a grill on the waterfront back home and all of a sudden I was in some place called the Dancing Fox Inn instead. One weird thing led to another and suddenly I'm a whale wolf."

Silly whale wolf.

Leaves him all whale wolfy.

"...I'm getting the impression that whatever did... that... to you, made you overweight as well? Unless that's a normal weight for whatever it is you're supposed to be."

[Deathkeeper]

Beachside Property

Sam just sort of stares at Orion.
"Oh no, I live here. I've always lived here. This is just the replacement body I got because someone hacked off my only right arm at the time and I needed a replacement. They went nuts with it. I'm really not that fat. Well, maybe a little, but my frame's just really big. They put a lot of redundant systems and stuff in me so they needed the torso space. That's why I'll probably live to be two hundred and never get sick and can digest almost anything. Really it's entirely worth the cost of being kind of ugly. Just uh, that doesn't mean a con less of a con."

[Rebonack]

[Beachside Party]

"Oh... your arm? How did you lose your arm?" Orion asks, concerned and more than a little bit sympathetic at this point.

Hopefully it didn't get eaten by a monster or something.

"I honestly have no idea what kind of impact being an akhlut has on my life span," Orion muses, flopping his tail fluke in the sand. The end of the limb turns into sea water, though it still maintains its general shape. "Since I'm pretty sure I count as some sort of water elemental now. Do water elemental even have life spans? Do I even have organs anymore? I really don't know. I'm surprised I haven't had a complete nervous breakdown by now. I've been dropped right into the middle of a bunch of really weird stuff."

Extraordinarily weird.

Just...

The weirdest.

[Deathkeeper]

Beachside Party

Sam blinks.
"...someone hacked it off. I just said that right? Well, he hacked it off because I was dying of neurotoxin. Nasty stuff." he adds with a shudder.