[ORP] Under the Sun - Summer Beach Party 2010

[Chrystali]

(( Petting Zoo ))




A rather pleased squeal met the businessman's greeting, Alex pratically jumping up and down in the sand, waving at Ethan and his summery looking charge. "Ethan!" she cooed as the man was within reach, certainly not sparing him her usual greeting; her arms carefully wrapped around his shoulders, giving him a quick hug (she wasn't quite as dressed as usual, as it were!) and fixing him with a brilliant smile. "I'm so happy to see you! Let me be the first to formally welcome you to the Lab 305 Summer Bash!" The smile blossomed into a jaunty grin, apparently finding the notion of being formal at all rather silly. She may have been good at what she did, but these people and their wards were family. She'd treat them as such.

"And...as I live and breathe, is that...Vyn?" Her green eyes widened as the Rose Frei 'kneeled' by the Chimera's, awestruck for a few heartbeats. "You look like a summer goddess, Vyn, wow! Love the hat!" She grinned, knowing full well why the dainty Rose was wearing the protection and approving of Ethan's care for her. Vyn's skin looked to be its beautiful porcelain once again, relieving the Researcher's worries immensely. Looking back to Ethan - and catching Aphismet's wave, to which she lifted her hand and gave him a wink in return - she rested her gaze upon the older gent and spread her arms with a delighted laugh. "I'm fantastic! What a day, isn't it? It was meant to be!" Alex breathed in deeply of the salt air that was mostly laced with the scent of food wafting near by, feeling rather grounded despite her enthusiasm. This was just what she - what they - needed!

"How are you, Ethan? Is work going well?" Her attention turned to Vyn again, smiling at the query and giving Ethan a brief excuse me glance before kneeling. "These little cuties are called Chimera's. I'm not sure where Kyou gets them, but..." she leaned in, whispering with girlish delight, "...aren't they adorable?" Alex stiffled a giggle behind her fingers, extending her other hand to touch the Octopussy, whose ears flicked back and forth between the two females. "You can pet them if you like! They're very loving! That little squirt--" Alex pointed towards the FoxFish, "--is being a splasher, so be careful if you didn't want to get wet!"

The sound of ooohing caught her attention, standing and smoothing her leg-piece down in time to see -- oh god. Alex immediately felt a surge of joy and a plummeting sense of dread as her eyes fell upon Xuelian. Keeping her smile intact, she motioned for the minty Frei to come closer. "Xuelian! Hello my sweet!" she waved, resting on hand on Ethan's shoulder. "Xuelian, sweetie, this is Ethan. He's taking care of Vyn - this lovely vision in white here." Her smile turned to the Rose Frei for a moment, the hand not on the older man's shoulder indicating the smiling pastel girl. "Ethan, Vyn, this is Xuelian. She's being...ah, taken care of by Doctor Larine." Alex briefly bit her tongue for falling into an old habit, but didn't bother to correct herself. She wasn't sure she'd ever be comfortable using his first name.

And she just knew that somewhere, the man would be around. She hoped and prayed to whatever Gods were listening that civility could be had for the day!  

[Azure Desiderium]

(( Petting Zoo ))

Somehow, this was hotter than the last Beach party that Wit remembered. Perhaps it was the copious amount of time that that individual had spent in the water, or the fact that he now looked fondly on the event as the time that had brought Shadow into his life...it had also been his first view of those most peculiar creatures known as Raevans. Ah gods, but that seemed a long time ago, a more ignorant time in the blond's life, and though he had near and dear memories from those days, he was far happier the way things are now. There had come tumultuous upheavals within the recent months, Toshiaki's birth, Wit's own transformation, and since he had withdrawn from the public eye, he had become a calmer, steadier creature. Perhaps such a thing was best for the caretaker of a Raevan...especially one so flippant as Toshi was quickly becoming.

Speaking of that particular sly-eyed individual, the young Raevan was currently bobbing his way ahead of his caretaker, as with all the silly notions of youth, at the moment he didn't want to be seen with him. The man was wearing tan beach shorts - just barely kept aloft on hips by a slim belt, an open-chested white button-up, and a straw hat that made him look a mite more ridiculous than usual. As if the red marks that peeked out from behind aviator sunglasses and the labret piercing weren't enough to give the blond a comical look, though usually Dweian had the courtesy to call his style 'whimsical'. Not Toshiaki, however, who had thoroughly inspected the other upon his emergence from the wardrobe this morning, and had snorted softly, ears flattening unhappily against coffee-cream hair and had dubbed the ensemble 'gross' and 'unseemly'. Though the Raevan had fumbled on that last word, having just learned it from the patient butler not two hours past.

So when the car had pulled up to the parking lot...the second that Wit had tapped his foot to the break, the Kitsune had defied the supposedly child-proof locks by rolling down the window and squeezing his lithe form through. Ears alert and swiveling to and fro like satellite dishes, he scouted out the scenery...never in his short lifetime had he seen so very many Raevans in one place. Already! And some of them were so very much bigger! Like Rivener! Whuffling, he made his way over to more familiar territory. Alex and animals. Those, after all, were safe enough. Slipping down so that his fingers might touch the rubbery side of the nearest pool, a haphazard sort of bending, a flicker could be seen behind thick amber lashes, "Konnichiwa!" He greeted, that a murring sort of noise to the redheaded Raevan perched next to him.

He had more important things on his mind, however, as these creatures baffled and confused him. He knew of all of the animal 'pieces' on their own, of course, but it seemed to him a very muddled thing to have slapped them together in one creatures. Unsure as to the safety of such a thing, his sensitive ears twitched in the distress of ignorance. Wordlessly he too looked to Alex for direction, expressive features wordlessly echoing the question that Vyn had voiced but seconds before he'd chosen to direct himself here. Were these animals broken? Having missed the dark-haired woman's explanation of moments before, he whuffled unhappily, but reached out to stroke the Octopussy, as the thing seemed safe enough, waving tentacles aside. He wasn't afraid of getting wet, after all, he'd rolled his sleeves up and fastened them at the shoulders, something that Dweian had recommended.

"Grown-ups are to be talking..." He muttered, an almost understood sort of eyeroll inherent in the words. Why were humans so boring? Even the non-humans weren't, like his guardian who was taking his sweet time in ambling across the sands in this heat.  

[tooaya]

(( petting zoo ))

As soon as Xuelian got out of the shade she felt her skin sizzling under the sun. Confused by the sensation, the Raevan held her arms together as a way to protect herself. It didn't do much, but the girl was far more focused on what was happening around her to care. Kenth, being inexperienced at going to beaches and being short on time coming here, did not do a good job researching what precautions should be done before getting full exposure of the sun. So there she was, standing (floating) in her normal outfit, completely unprotected. Being sheltered in the doctor's clinic which had full air condition didn't help much either. The weather, as she was taught, was becoming increasingly warm, but the Raevan felt it was an understatement: it was becoming too warm, maybe the sun was worse at the beach than in the cities? Despite the discomfort, the Raevan was ecstatic in mood. She inched closer to the petting zoo, and was greeted with someone she knew. Xuelian waved and flashed Alex a big smile.

"Hello!" She proclaimed, but the greeting stopped short there because the Raevan could not recall the woman's name. What was her name again? It had been a while since the Raevan had met her, and she had a Raevan too, whose name was Zoo? Xuelian tilted her head, a bit embarrassed by the fact that the other seemed to have remembered her name perfectly. At that instant the Raevan's mood dimmed a little, if only she had a better memory! But this disturbance in her mood was interrupted by Alex's words. She turned her head to see another Raevan not too far from her, and another man who looked older than Kenth. Alex's excited blurbs went by a bit too fast for her to handle. She nodded at the strangers, feeling compelled to introduce herself again. After all, it was required by her manners to do so, as taught by Kenth.

"Hello, I am Xuelian." Xuelian extended a hand to Ethan, and realized that she was greeting to Vyn also. Hmm...this was hard, she had never met more than one stranger before. After a short moment of hesitation and staring at her hand the dainty female extended out her other hand to Vyn.

"Nice to meet you." She giggled, amused by her cleverness to use both hands. But the same motion also troubled her. What if she met with more than two people? Would she have to borrow Kenth's hands too?  

[X Purple--Platypus X]

[ Petting zoo. ]

As always Alex was doing a superb job as a host and she welcomed both Vyn and Ethan was a radiant smile and charming words. She gave the businessman a hug, which he accepted graciously, before continuing to speak to Vyn; complimenting her on her dress sense and eventually explaining the critters that swum leisurely in the paddling pools. Ethan looked down at the creatures and was surprised to see a mixture of cat and octopus and fox and fish. How peculiar! But he had come to expect unusual things from the LAB so his surprise shifted into a bemused smile as another raevan positioned himself next to Vyn and started petting the wiggling tentacles of the octopussy.

Vyn blushed at Alex’s compliment and pushed the brim f her hat upwards slightly with a hand to smile with thanks at her. “You look lovely too.” She murmured, gesturing to the woman’s exposed and toned body. As the Italian explained her dark eyes flicked back to the creatures. They were very sweet... Risking the fact that she could be splashed (she would just dry out in a few minutes what with the heat) her black nailed fingers inched forwards towards the foxfish. It darted around in the water merily but as she moved towards it, it’s scattered attention narrowed down and it’s beautiful fins guided it towards her.

A trace of a smile curved her face but before she could entice the creature nearer she was greeted by a familiar language. Frowning her head turned to the being who had just moved in beside her. A waft of coffee tickled her nose and a thin eyed boy was reaching out next to her and tickling the tentacles of the octopussy. “Konichiwa.” She responded, amused that he spoke Japanese like her. Before she could acquaint herself with the boy properly Alex was introducing her to another raevan – Xuelian. Her attention was taken fully away from the newcomer and the animals when Alex mentioned the pretty looking girl’s guardian: Doctor Larine.

“Doctor Larine? I believe he’s my new doctor,” stated Ethan, a smile warming his expression. Knowingly he looked at his ward – she had found Xuelian’s essence and had been enraptured by its appearance. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Xuelian.” He extended a hand to her at the same time she had reached out hers and grinning he took her delicate hand in a firm but not tight handshake.

Vyn also went to say hello to the girl who seemed similar to her in the fact that she had a flowery origin, but before she could utter a word or raise her hand the foxfish took revenge on her for forgetting temporarily about it’s presence. Her hand was still half-floating in the water and the critter had been swimming playful and expectant around it, seemingly hoping for a splash battle or something. As Vyn had not been very positive in starting a water skirmish during her distraction it took this moment to flick its tail and cast a surprisingly large splash of water over the rose and her foxy companion too!

Yelping Vyn reeled back, however, as the foxfish mischievously nudged the edge of the pool her aghast expression morphed into one of amusement. “Kawaii!” She exclaimed in Japanese before cupping for water and flicking it over the foxfish’s furred head.

 

[Yuurei-dono]

((Parking -> Popsicle Stand))


Lucia slipped out of the back seat of Ty’s black rental BMW. She played with the hair ties around her wrist as she wondered if she should pull her hair back or not, if she should have chosen a different pair of sunglasses or not, if she should stay in the car or float home. She wasn’t sure about this whole group gathering, but Yuurei and Ty had insisted. She didn’t know if anyone who was still her friend would be there, and she didn’t know how she felt about being around anyone who didn’t like her anymore. The Kitten just wasn’t sure what to think about this whole situation. But at least she could remain by Ty’s side and feel comfortable enough. Even Yuu – or Rei as she had started calling her guardian parroting Ty – was more manageable; sometimes she was even an emotional help since she came back.

Ty tossed his wallet on the dash as he emptied the pockets of his black swim trunks. The tan t-shirt with a Vitruvian Vultron he had on was one of the few light-colored shirts he owned. He kept an eye on his sister and the frei. If it was too much for either of them, he would help or leave or do whatever needed to be done. Rei hadn’t been out in large crowds, but she seemed to be better. Lucia, really, had him more concerned. He didn’t know who would be here. That Rivener guy. Or Alex. He smirked at the thought of the cute Italian as he stepped out of the car and looked towards the beach.

Yuurei grabbed the large bag from her foot space. It had towels, a few sun umbrellas, and other knickknacks. She glanced at Luce, who had started floating towards the beach very slowly with Ty. Making sure the doors were locked, she closed the door and caught up with her family.

When they got to the beach and looked around, however, Lucia stopped going forward. At the drinks area was Rivener. At the pools with the chimeras was Alex, but Vyn was also there. At the popsicles was Zeke, but someone else was there too. Lucia didn’t know where to go. Everything seemed scary and unwelcoming. She was breathing a little faster when a warm arm slipped around her shoulder.

”Why don’t we go say hi to someone?” His eyes flicked to Alex, who seemed overwhelmed with people, to Rivener, who wasn’t the best person for Lucia to gravitate towards, and finally to the other group of people.

”Let’s say hi to them.” He gestured towards the popsicle stand as Rei watched his motions and began walking, her flipflops leaving soft impressions in the sand.

Lucia followed Ty’s guidance and, one hand gripping the hem a leg of his trunk, careful not to pull too much and pants him, and she floated towards the popsicle stand. ”Hello, Zeke,” she said softly as she floated up to Yuurei’s side in front of the stand. She smiled slightly in hello and blinked a few times, desperately hoping this outing wouldn’t suck.

Rei smiled at the man, happy to know that Ty had chosen well. Lucia knew him.  

[Storei]

[[Parking -> Drinks Booth]]

Of all the days for there not to be a single cloud in the sky! Isikoro remained quiet in the back of Aphi's car, refusing to get out with the rest of the family until he had lathered himself in sunscreen. His shorts were exposing too much of his pale scrawny legs for his liking and any excuse to stay away from the crowds was a good excuse for Isi. Frowning at the awkward shape of his calves, strengthened from years of awkward footing and forced standing, Isi glued himself to the seat while his ward, the ever-excitable Eirdirsceol, yanked at his arm.

"What fun you are, a stone that drops to the bottom as quickly as an anchor. Good Isikoro, vacate from the car and walk with me!" the Sigel pleaded. He was wearing a light long sleeve shirt that tied around his neck, covering his shoulders, something that Isi insisted he wear to protect his nearly translucent skin. With another tug at his guardian, the raevan gave a loud and disappointed whine, "Isikoro, I shall make you fade through the very workings of this automobile if you dare keep still a while longer, I will drag you on a hurdle thither! And do not, for one instant, entertain the thought that I will not."

"Eiry!," barked the young guardian, trying to wiggle his arm away from Eiry's long fingered grip, "I'm going, I'm going, jeez! You should put on sunscreen, though, you're going to burn. You're as pale as a ghost."

Eiry gave a plaintive frown at the comparison, "Oh, if I had a book for each and every time someone mentioned that to me, I would have a collection rivaling that of the central library in Durem!" He gave another tug. "We're going to lose Aphi and Riv!"

"I'm bringing the sunscreen with me, then, you need to put it on whether you like it or not!" Isi growled, finally giving way to Eiry's incessant tugs and pulling. He made sure to stick the sunscreen in his back pocket. "I hate the beach," he muttered. He slipped free from the car as easily as rock-cold ice cream getting scooped out with a cold spoon. Finally onto his legs, he had to hold onto the car for the brief moment it took for Eiry to take out his forearm crutches and hold them out for him to get into. Once he was set with his "extra limbs", Isi glared at his beaming ward and started walking after the rest of the Delaran family, towards the drinks booth.

"Why do they always have to do these parties on the beach?" Isi complained, eying the sand with the look of someone who might eye a potential sinkhole. "Can't walk on the god damn thing."

Floating easily next to his guardian, already fanning out his fiery wings to catch the lazy breeze, Eiry grinned at the other's grumpy statements, "If it pleaseth you, I could hold your arm, carry you, or don you upon my back."

"Yeah, and make me look even more like a disabled 80 year old? No, thank you, kindly," Isi muttered crossly, "They need to do something else, god dammit, come up with original ideas or something for these summer party places. It's always the ******** beach. I hate the beach."

"I," announced Eiry in a pleased and haughty manner, raising his nose high, "am rather taken to the beach, it stirs my heart with its sounds and its smells. I quite like it. Moreso because of the silly things you say!" The raevan gave an eerie laugh, something that would no doubt strike shivers into the spines of any who passed close by.

Isi's face darkened, if it could've darkened any more than it already was and by the time they reached the drinks booth, there was a palpable storm cloud surrounding the boy, clashing like lightning against the immeasurable glee and amusement of the ghost-Sigel.  

[Ravina Loki]

((Popsicle Booth))

When he returned to the table and put his things where they should be, Zeke set to work putting the finishing touches on his booth. Given he was also in charge of game sign ups, the vet happily - but hastily - made a few colorful signs reading 'Game Sign Ups Here!' before tacking them up at intervals around the table's edge with masking tape. Anastacia was still in his line of green-tinted sight and the Frei had come to a full stop by a large rock near the line where wet sand met dry and was looking around.

'Assessing', he thought to himself. She assesses her situation and place. Probably taking in the arrivals as they came as well, because the petting zoo area that his sister was manning was rapidly filling with people. Kyou's drink stand had a guest - he hadn't seen Aphismet walk by as he had tried to catch his own ward - but his own little area was yet devoid of anyone but himself. All in due time, he assured himself, and added the last bits of flare to his table. Buckets of ice had quills of popsicle sticks sticking out of them and were garnished with fruit. Zeke stole a blueberry for himself though he was really eying that red, white, and blue popsicle. Rocket pop, one of his favorites, but not for him though he was sure he could steal at least one or two throughout the day since he was manning it. Plus there were plenty more where they came from, safely tucked away in a cigarette lighter powered freezer in Alex's truck. He debated with himself, but movement caught his eye and the vet looked up to see a Raevan-less man walking toward him. Zeke put on a friendly expression and padded back around to the right spot, giving the man a wave as he did so.

"Afternoon!" He said cheerily, pep in his step as he came to a stop near his and Anya's bags that were tucked beneath the table. His beach umbrella was also there and feeling the sun on his face, Zeke knew he'd have to set that up behind him pretty soon. "Welcome to the Lab's beach party!" He extended a hand to shake. "My name's Zeke, what's yours?"

His focus was on the brown haired stranger who had appeared, but the small gaggle coming up behind him were quick to earn his gaze as well. He didn't know two of them, but the third he knew quite well and hadn't seen for two or so months: quite awhile in his books.

"Lucia!" He beamed at the Frei as she addressed him, turning his grin to the two humans accompanying her as well and giving them both a nod of welcome. "It's great to see you, how've you been?" He spoke genuinely - as always - but very much so toward the Kitten. He'd taken a shine to her after all and had fostered more than a bit of worry after their first meeting that hadn't dimmed since their second and a lot could happen in a couple months, especially with no changes to her file since then.  

[Arana Kamina]

(( Popsicle Booth ))

When Ronan finally came to the table, he was able to see each icy splash of color in the jovial display of popsicles and icebuckets. His eye also caught sight of the game signs, but before he could take a closer look he was greeted by the young man tending the booth.

"Good afternoon to you too sir," Ronan replied with a smile. "My name's Ronan. I was hoping you could help me get a feel for the surroundings and company. I must admit it is all quite unfamiliar, since I am acting as a.... stand in for my niece who was unable to come. She has always been very interested in the Lab, so she will want to know all she can about this party."

Hearing Zeke say someone's name, Ronan turned around, his lip giving an involuntary twitch when he saw the raevan in the group. How ironic it was that the first raevan he saw was the one Maili saw herself. He knew it was the one she had seen because the raevan's drawing had remained on the fridge for a better part of a year. Though he couldn't help but think that she looked much better without the Santa's helper outfit that had been in that particular drawing. Abruptly he was quite glad Maili was not present. Things would have turned awkward, to say the least.

Not wishing to intrude, Ronan returned his attention to the game signs and the ice buckets. Paint ball and Sandcastle building.... interesting. Might have to sign up later. For now, he looked through the popsicles, eventually pulling out pineapple. Instead of gradually licking it, he bit off the top few inches, the cold on his teeth a shock to his system, but still wonderful in the summer heat. His tongue played with the chunk of ice, enjoying the flavor as he relaxed by the booth.  

[tooaya]

(( Petting Zoo ))

Xuelian happily shook the older man's hand. Her other hand, however, was not taken. She looked over at Vyn, and saw that the rose Raevan was preoccupied with some other creature. Xuelian felt a little sad at the fact that her greeting was ignored, but her attention was then taken away by the creatures at the zoo. Her eyes widened with curiosity. Kenth had never showed her any animals, the most she had seen were from picture books that the doctor had bought for her. Even so, the creatures that were in front of her looked nothing like what she knew from the picture books. The dainty Raevan watched in awe as the Vyn played around with the foxfish. She wanted to play too, and---she found just the right creature to play with.

Or so she thought. Xuelian quickly approached to the other creature who had similar fox ears. They were brown and much larger than the foxfish had, but the similarity was obvious. There was no water in her hand, but it didn't matter. The girl simply followed what the rose Raevan did, cupping thin air and flicking it over the brown fox ears. If anyone were to pass by her reaction could be seen as an attempt at pulling a trick against the foxy Raevan, but Xuelian was serious in her actions. She wanted to learn how to play Vyn's game, maybe if she did Vyn would like her more and be able to shake hands?

Of course it never occurred to her that the tall fox person was another Raevan. "Kawaeeee." Xuelian exclaimed, mimicking the rose Raevan's words. What did the word mean? It sounded rather nice in her mouth. She repeated the words several times to herself before hearing a stern sound.

"That's enough."

Her hands hang in mid-air as Xuelian turned obediently at her guardian's demand. There was Kenth, standing not far away from her but far enough from the others and the creatures, staring in confusion, most likely at her action. The dainty Raevan gulped, realizing that she had done something Kenth disapproved of, and immediately flowed over to his side, ducking her head along the way. Kenth made no more comment, for Xuelian knew quite well about the situation. He had tried his best to keep his distance from the Raevan so she could enjoy the party, but it was rather troublesome. Xuelian may be unique, but for a party hosted by a group dedicated on researching Raevans the girl was no more rare than a human in the crowd. Eventually the doctor was forced to keep up with her pace, squeezing himself through the crowds to reach her. By the time he did Kenth had already saw his subject making a fool of herself already. He sighed and grumbled a "can't ever leave you alone" to Xuelian, and turned his attention to the petting zoo.

A petting zoo, in the middle of a beach party.

Kenth raised an eyebrow. Perhaps it was he who was out of place, but the concept of petting zoo didn't really work for him. Out of curiosity he stepped closer to see what animals were being displayed, only to find strange creatures---perhaps even more strange than the Raevans, in the area. He blinked, feeling the need to study further as his feet entered the zoo. It was then he saw familiar faces, several, even, in the little area. There was one of his patient and his Raevan with poor manner, and behind them was...

Alex.

Kenth's eyes were immediately stabled onto the dark female by an unknown force. It was as if she was more interesting than the chimeras. Yet, the interest was different on fundamental levels. His eyes stared at the woman for no more than 3 seconds before snapping his attention away from her. This was, he knew, not a good time for a direct confrontation. In fact, he'd rather be away from her to avoid any possible cold war. Kenth looked at Xuelian who was still hiding at his side.

"Let's look at somewhere else."

"I want to touch animals." Came the tiny reply.

"We can come back later, why don't we look around and see what else is going on first?"

"..okay."

Xuelian puffed her cheeks and sighed in disappointment, but Kenth had a point, he always did. The dainty Raevan gave Alex and Ethan a bright smile before departing.

"Byebye, I will return!"  

[Aki Ana]

((Arrival > Drinks Booth))

Melisande dipped for a moment as she passed over the beach, her delicate touch leaving furrows in the white sand. The tiny grains brought back so many memories, and a smile blossomed as she rubbed the grit between her fingertips. Last time she'd been at the beach, it had been with Zavier...and with any luck, she'd see him again today.

Pasha's eyes were hidden behind large, pale framed sunglasses as she scanned the beach. Her curls bounced and pulled to the side when a breeze came up from the ocean, and she held them out of her face with one hand. The Sigel finally spotted a festive looking booth and made up her mind. A drink first, then she'd have a look around. It was a bit warm for her tastes, but Pasha had worn something to keep the sun off of her skin anyway...an oversized white mens dress shirt, with the cuffs loosely rolled up to three quarters length. It was unbuttoned nearly to her stomach, showing the cute blue and white polka dot bikini that she wore beneath it.

One hand still holding back her hair, Melisande drifted to a halt behind those already ordering. Only a few of them were familiar faces. Rivener was instantly recognizable, even from the back, but she didn't wish to interrupt his conversation. Instead, she held up two fingers to Kyou, and then pointed to Aphismet...silently trying to order whatever it was that he'd just requested. Something in a coconut sounded like fun!  

[Kyoupiruchi]

(( Drinks Booth ))

The weather was bright and sunny, although a little dry, but it was perfect for a beach party. Kyou was dressed in a pair of navy blue boardshorts and an unbuttoned white short sleeve shirt. The scientist was still busy setting up when the group arrived, there were still one ice box filled with jugs of fruity drinks that he had yet to bring out. But putting it aside for now, he waved at Aphismet cheerily. "Hello Aphismet, Rivener. And it is nice to see you too Isi and Eiry!" He greeted them with a large smile on his face. It was nice to see the big family together like that, although Eiry looked so gloomy and miserable he could have a storm cloud raging over his head. "One coconut drink coming up." Noting Aphismet's order, he picked out a nice, big and heavy coconut from a basket nearby. Chopping off the tip he began to prepare it for the white haired chef.

Dressed in his usual attire, Lazarus was helping Kyou arranging the items on the bar counter when Rivener arrived. "Hey." He greeted casually and chuckled. "Yeah it's something I do in my free time, I like to experiment with fruits and see how they taste like." The challenging tone in the scorpion's last sentence though, didn't go unnoticed. Thankfully he did made something similar to a creamsicle not very long ago, and it was rather simple too. "Of course I can make one, just wait for your drink." He boasted as he went searching for the ingredients - vanilla vodka and orange soda.

"So... do you plan on joining the events later?" The fire Sigel asked casually as he mixed the drink. "They have the paintball game again like the last time, but they have this seashell picking thing going on as well. It sounds pretty cute." Within moments the drink was ready, pouring the concoction into a tall glass, he added some ice and garnish it with a slice of orange and hands it to Rivener. "Here you go."

As Kyou prepared Aphismet's drink, he noticed Melisande just behind the Delaran family. She looked lovely as always as he beamed at her, noting her order as well when she pointed to Aphismet. After digging around inside the coconut to loosen the flesh, he poked a little pink umbrella and a straw into the coconut. "Here." Swiftly he served it to the chef and turned around to get another coconut for Pasha. "What would you have? Young man?" He asked as he look at Isi. "Maybe something bright and cheerful to lighten up your mood a bit?"  

[OrionDeltaOmega]

[[ Parking Lot --> Ocean Side...? ]]

Engine revving on her Kawasaki, Lette zoomed into the parking lot of the Gambino beach front, planning to spend the day sunning and enjoying the waves of her favorite spot. Pulling into a parking spot, her eyes widened behind her helmet as she noticed the crowd of people gathered on the sandy beaches, seemingly holding a get together of some sort with tables and groups milling all around.

Well that's odd. I've never seen a beach get together like this before. Huh. Might as well dip on in and see what's happening.

Shaking her hair free from the cumbersome headpiece, Lette hiked herself up off the bike, taking in the ocean breezes and the soft sounds of the waves breaking on the sand. It really was a beautiful day for the beach, and even moreso for a get together of this magnitude. Stepping out of the baggy pants she had worn to ride in, she stored them within the compartment under the seat of her crotch rocket, withdrawing a pair of sunglasses from a protected case inside, and a bottle of sunscreen.

Dressed in a bikini of alternating reds and golds, Lette bent down, smearing the lotion it over her legs and working it into her skin as she made her way up to her shoulders and face until she felt adequately protected against the harmful rays. Now she just had to figure out what this get together was all about, and maybe join in on the festivities.

Marching out onto the beach, Lette gazed at the different booths set all over the place, with its smattering of men and women all over the place and....half...people? Floating above the sand....with no legs....and some kind of ribbon trailing underneath them...and...they had...wings. Oh boy. What had she just walked into - a movie set for something on a science fiction network? Staring dumbstruck at these animated, talking beings, Lette, for once in her life, had no idea what to say or do. Interest soaring through the metaphorical roof, she gazed around, hoping to find someone off on their own that she could ambush and find out what was going on.

Locating what looked to be a male with bony wings, backwards curled horns, and an exposed spinal cord standing by himself and staring out over the ocean, she figured he would be the best...thing to start out talking with. He was, after all, the only one out on the beach that was by himself that she could see and a prime example of whatever these things were. Better to start out small in this group of unknowns, then charge into a group of them unknowingly.

Walking determinedly up to the floating being, Lette tapped his shoulder. "Hey there floating-ribbon-horned-dude. What's this gathering all about. And what, may I ask, are you? Name's Trinity by the way. You can call me Lette though, if you want." As the words left her mouth, Lette wondered just what she had gotten herself into. Yes she had seen others like this one talking, but had they actually been speaking English? And who was to say they weren't hostile to outsiders? Oh boy. Too late now.

Staring wide-eyed at the back in front of her, Lette braced herself for the male to turn around.  

[kitten]

[[Arriving >> Drink Bar]]

Doucette looked between the piece of paper in her hands and the general party atmosphere of all the people milling about happily and enjoying themselves. At least, they looked like they were enjoying themselves. And why shouldn't they? The weather was amazing (if a bit too ant-under-the-microscope for her tastes) and there certainly looked to be plenty of stuff all around for everyone to do.

But the Irish woman felt out of place, even as she reminded herself with another glance at the paper in her hands that she'd been invited there. Invited. It made her smile despite herself. Not that she was never...welcome at places, but people had a tendency to simply forget to send her the invite. Now she was part of something bigger. She should really try to play the part after all.

With her over-large wide-brimmed hat and a breezy combination of shorts and a wispy sleeveless top, Doucette began inching her way into the pleasantries, smiling at people as they passed without actually offering up commentary to any of them unless they breached the verbal barrier first.

It took a bit of wandering before she discovered she really wasn't sure what to start with and so she decided simply to move on to the closest booth available to her. Twiddling her thumbs she simply stationed herself near the drink booth and pondered the choices instead of budging into anyone's conversation.  

[Milk and Golden Honey]

[[Arriving >> Petting Zoo]]


He had mixed feelings about the beach party. On one hand, Fathle felt guilty for keeping Ekundayo relatively isolated from her own kind since she had moved in. On the other hand, he felt wary of bringing her into an environment overflowing with Raevens. An event this big only increased the chances of a Raeven or owner recognizing Ekundayo and asking her polite yet probing questions. Fathle was not ready to tell his charge about her forgotten past, and he was sure that Ekundayo was not ready either.

“Ekundayo, I wish to tell you this before we leave. People might come up to you and ask you strange questions about yourself. When they do this, I just want you to politely tell them that they are confusing you with someone else. Do you understand, my dear?”
They were in the bathroom and he was gently brushing her dark brown hair. Ever since he had told her about the beach party, they had spent the entirety of yesterday buying random things for the special occasion. A pair of pretty goldfish hair pins had caught Ekundayo’s eyes when they were about to leave a clothing store and, after buying them, she was adamant that she wore them to the beach. Thus, Fathle carefully looped her long hair in a loose, messy bun before clipping the glittering goldfish pins to hold back her bangs. Golden eyes watched his progress from the mirror.
“Strange questions?”
“Yes,” Fathle said as he drew back slightly to examine his handiwork. “Do you remember what Ms. Shade asked you when we first met her and Cordelia? Something about a mouse?”
“Yes. I remember.”
“Any question that reminds you of that, my dear, is what I mean by a strange question.”
“I… I think I understand,” she said slowly. She was much too anxious to seriously think about the reason for this odd request.
Fathle smiled and looked at her reflection. “I am glad. And if you are not sure, just look to me. I will never be far from your side.” He then bent down and kissed her soft hair. “You look beautiful. Are you ready?”

She nodded and Fathle took her hand.

-----

“Faye! Look at how many there are!”

Ekundayo had grown increasingly nervous during the drive over to the beach, touching her new bikini top unconsciously. However, when she saw the large crowd of people upon the blindingly white sands, her excitement began to outweigh her wariness. She quickly floated up a small sand dune and stared with awe. There were so many Raevens.
“Quite a few have shown up for the occasion. I am much impressed,” Fathle said as he climbed up beside his charge. Compared to shopping for a beach outfit for Ekundayo, finding something for her guardian to wear was a bigger challenge. Fathle liked conservative styles and did not particularly enjoy shorts. Ekundayo eventually helped him decide on a black button-up long sleeve shirt that was rolled up to the elbows and buttoned up only to his lower chest. It was paired with khaki shorts and sandals.

“Is Alex here? Or Ebony or Cordelia?”
“I am not sure, my dear. Though, I cannot imagine any of them missing something like this,” he said as he let his gaze soak in the crowd.
“…I want to find Alex. I miss her the most,” Ekundayo said before she floated off toward the crowd, leaving her guardian to follow after her. The closer she got, she could feel everyone’s excitement wash over her senses and she smiled. Though, it was not as strong as what she had felt inside a movie theater or a concert hall, it was enough to slowly put Ekundayo at ease. She barely heard her Faye calling out to her with a chuckle in his voice. Where was she? There were different booths that had food and drinks and what looked like popsicles. There was another with little swimming pools.
“I can’t find her,” Ekundayo said with a frown before looking over at her guardian.
“She is right there, my darling,” he said gently before pointing Alex out to the Raeven. She looked different enough out of normal clothes that Ekundayo hadn’t even recognized her at first. For some reason, she had expected to see her in her usual Lab fare.

Fathle glanced over at Ekundayo when she did not immediately leave his side to go greet Alex.
“Are you not going to say hello?”
“I want to. But she looks busy,” Ekundayo said, her golden eyes studying the other three Raevens in the general vicinity with their appropriate guardians. Fathle smiled and gently pressed her forward.
“I am sure she is not too busy just for a small hello, my dear.”
Ekundayo hesitantly floated toward the small group, not quite closing the distance. She tried to catch Alex’s eye and offered a small wave.
 

[Yuurei-dono]

((Popsicle Booth))

Lucia smiled slightly at Zeke’s hello. ”I’m . . .” The kitten paused and thought about it. Ty was fun. Yuu was better than she had been. But she missed Zul. And Alex. And she missed her friends.

Even with the apologies, she didn’t know how everyone felt about her. She was scared. Her eyes glanced at Rivener, thoughts racing through her head. And now he was joined by his brother Heathcliff – who knew what he would think of her now.

Lucia returned her attention to Zeke with a small sad smile on her face. She shrugged slightly. ”I’m okay.” She paused for a second, watching Zeke’s expression, before she continued. ”This is my guardian, Yuurei, and her brother, Ty. I’m sure you know a bit about them.

Zeke works at the lab with Alex and Kyou. He’s a raevan doctor, when needed,” she mentioned to her humans. She didn’t care what his real job there was, or that her bones were set by Dr. Kyou. He took care of her body when she was hurt. She glanced at the other man by the booth. She hoped she hadn’t interrupted anything and she fell silent, just watching him while Yuurei and Ty introduced themselves.

Ty held out his right hand to shake the green haired doctor’s. ”Ty” he said introducing himself. His Australian accent was slightly noticeable in his name, but more pronounced as he continued. ”So what are these?” he asked gesturing to the signups.

Yuurei smiled and nodded back at Zeke. ”Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a bit about you since I’ve come home. Thanks for your help with her.” The blonde looked as her half-brother gestured. Paintball -- neither she nor Lucia liked that, but maybe Ty would enjoy that game. Seashell collecting. Well only Lucia could do that. It was a little simple, but hopefully she could pair with someone like Melisande. And sandcastle building. As the reigning co-queen of the pie eating contest, Yuurei was a little disappointed at the lack of the pies, but happy she wouldn’t lose her crown – or half crown. But maybe she could build a sand castle. Knowing that the signups were for events, she wrote her own name under sand castle, Ty’s name in Paintball, and Lucia’s in the seashell. ”We’re all doing an event. May as well put ourselves out there for others to enjoy.” She ran her fingernails along the top of Lucia’s head, stopping to scratch behind an ear before trailing down the length of her wavy hair. She had to get involved with others in order to get better. And Ty and her were there for help.

"Hello." Lucia had decided to introduce herself to the strange human. She could deal with people she didn't know. "I'm Lucia. I'm a raevan. Why are you here?" After saying it, Lucia hoped it didn't come off as rude. She had only meant to create conversation.