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 Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 7:02 am
Date: Friday, July 4th, 2014 Setting: Some beach along the east coast. Temperature: High 80s to low 90s Fahrenheit! (The water's still cool, though, this early in the summer.) Weather: Gorgeous. Time: Mid-afternoon. Five hours east of Destiny City, the blue expanse of the Atlantic Ocean stretched across the horizon beneath a mostly clear sky streaked with lazy strings of thin white clouds, and the bright, golden rays of early summer sunshine. The scent of sea-salt was heavy on the air as gulls wheeled overhead, their cries just carrying above the rush of waves onto the warm sand. An array of shells littered the sand closest to the water, but most were broken or otherwise unappealing, as many had already been collected by early morning beach-goers soon after dawn. The atmosphere was lively. All along the shore were scattered blankets, towels, and festive umbrellas, with radios sending various tunes into the air from all directions. Further down, the strains of live music could be heard from a distant bandstand festooned with patriotic bunting. Food was plentiful; portable grills dotted the sand, brought by those who chose to do their own cooking, while food trucks and other such vendors lined the walkway just beyond the beach. From all around came the sights, sounds, and smells of a summer holiday celebration. Voices rose in conversation, accompanied by laughter, shouts of delight, and the cries of smaller children. Destiny City may always be the victim of war, but this far out it was almost possible to forget that such things ever occurred. The celebrations that occurred on the Fourth offered a brief period of respite, and promised a little excitement for even the least patriotic of individuals. As the day wore on, eyes occasionally turned to the large barge far out on the water, as preparations for that night's fireworks display got underway. Quote: OOC NotesThis is a civilian-only ORP. That means no powered shenanigans!
Feel free to engage in any and all beach activities! Take a walk along the boardwalk, go fishing along the pier, play some volleyball or partake in a little boogie boarding or surfing! Jet skis are available for rent.
It's the beach on the 4th of July, so there's alcohol a-plenty. Just be mindful of little children!
For now it's still day time, probably some time mid-afternoon. Next weekend (or soon after) I may fast-forward the time a bit and start the fireworks, but that'll probably depend on the level of activity. If people are still doing their own thing, I'll hold off so you guys can have your fun! If things have dwindled out, I may post some sort of firework-themed prompt!
Most importantly, HAVE FUN! <3
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 9:23 am
“Mooom, Nat’s touching me!” the youngest of the Roux family (Little Pete) whined, kicking his feet against the back of his father’s seat for good measure – because there was no other way he could possibly let Daddy Pete just how utterly miserable his life was in that moment. The car ride had been a little too long for him, and it showed.
Natalie just rolled her eyes, pressing her forehead up against the cool glass of the window. “It’s not my fault he’s all spread out, ” she grumbled; seriously, she was just as annoyed about the traffic as anyone else was! “Mike’s not even here and he’s still taking up the whole seat…”
“Daaad!”
“Alright kids, calm down.” Their mother had the whole ‘soothing-but-you-better-do-what-I-say-or-else’ bit really down pat. “It shouldn’t be more than ten more minutes. See, we’ll be parking soon, “ and when she pointed, Nat just took her word for her. Personally, she didn’t see anything different up ahead, but her mom would know better than she did. She used to live out here by the ocean, back before she’d met their father; Nat had heard all the stories. When they could, they came out here every year for the fireworks. Much as she loved those (who didn’t?), Nat was most excited about the beach. Swimming, games, and the food – oh the food!
Little Pete shot her a sour look and nudged her with his knee. Nat sighed and tugged her blue-and-white sarong a little more securely around her waist, purposely shifting a little more than she had to so she could reclaim a little bit of her precious lost space.
“MOOOM!!”
--------
The towels were set. The umbrella was in place. The sunblock was on, and then some. Little Pete was building a sand castle and trying to eat an ice cream sandwich at the same time with disastrous results; but at least he was happier now that he wasn’t in the car anymore. Her mom and dad had their books, drinks in hand, resting side by side in their fold out chairs.
And finally, Nat was off her leash, electrified by the energy that surrounded them on every side. “I’ll see you guys soon!” she called, casting off the sarong and sandals before making a beeline for the water in her two-piece; no bikinis or anything like that for at least two more years, or at least that’s what her dad kept trying to push. He cut her slack with a lot of things, but when it came to swimsuits and shorts about the knee, he got weird. He was the one to call after her ‘be careful!’
It didn’t really matter what she was wearing anyway – she plowed into the water, laughing out loud from the shock as cool water washed over her and sent goosebumps rising all along her skin. She didn’t really care all that much. It was refreshing, and she’d take the smell of ocean air over chlorine any given day.
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 9:33 am
Daniel was sitting in the sun near his Mama, the young boy relaxing in the sun soaking in sunlight, crooning. It was warm and pleasant, his mother reading, brothers off to find the volleyball and father - well Daniel didn't care. While Freed was left at home, and while he felt exposed, it was too crowded for Massalia.
Especially since his pen was in his pocket, although he had no plans to henshin today. The air was too nice and for once Thomas and Ruben weren't being butts.
good day, overal.
Emily Wren walked into the sunlight and san in a pair of cutoffs and a string bikini top, coupled with her bag. Lotion was applied, and Emily felt at least attractive as the thin young woman with a delicate looking build sought a spot on the sand, humming as she laid a beach towel out. She eyed the water with interest, humming a bit as she looked before stretching, thinking as she did so.
Swim now or later?
And then there was the picnic foods. Choices choices.
Although, eating meant admiring men, so Emily settled neatly, shorts over bthe botton of her bikini folded neatly in a bag as she settled to nibble a drumstick, blue eyes focused on the world around.
Hmmm.
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 10:01 am
Luca Krantz had insisted on going to the beach this Fourth of July. The weather was going to be perfect, and Luca had family out here somewhere (...she made that up initially, but apparently she was right), so why not go? Despite being of driving age, she had not yet successfully learned to drive for... reasons (yes, she had taken driver's ed, no, she had not done terribly well), so she had to beg her parents to drive her. Actually, it didn't take that much begging; Luca's parents had noticed that she seemed to be under a lot of stress recently (thanks, senshi lifestyle), and thought a brief vacation and some fresh air would do her some good.
Five hours of fidgeting in the backseat later, they finally made it, and Luca practically jetted onto the beach... or would have, if her sandals didn't keep getting stuck in the sand. Once she finally made it to a decent spot near the water, she zipped open her beach bag, set down a beach blanket, and spread it out with remarkable speed. She saw her parents and little brother a few paces behind and abruptly called out, "You guys do what you want; I'm gonna be in the water!" With that (and ignoring her mother's call of "Luca, you need to put on suntan lotion!"), she whipped off her sunny yellow sundress to reveal her new favorite swimsuit: a bikini with a white top and an orange skirted bottom. Freed from her sandals, she was able to make it to the water much faster than she than she did to her original spot. However, once she set foot in the water, she made it about knee-deep before she realized something. "Oh, the water's kind of cold..." she mumbled to herself, shivering a little bit. Just gotta get used to it, I guess...
---
Silas Bright, on the other hand, was totally capable of driving himself to the beach, and so he did. He kept his patience over the 5-hour drive, and when he finally got to the beach, he made his way to a spot near the water in no hurry. What was the point in rushing? The sand wasn't even that hot! Best to enjoy the walk and the weather. He set down a beach blanket and spread it out, then pulled off his shirt and shorts. He wore plain black swim trunks with two red stripes down each side- simple, but good.
Once that was done, he flopped down onto the blanket and spread himself out. He began to form a sort of itinerary in his mind: first he would relax for a bit and recover from the drive, then he would check out the food trucks, then he would go swimming because the whole thing about getting cramps was a myth (probably).
With a stretch and a sigh, he muttered a "sounds good" to himself and began stage one of his beach visit: chillaxing.
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 10:29 am
A day at the beach had seemed like the perfect chance to inject some normality back into the life of the Gowan family. Too much time was spent in the house, fearing to go outside because of the recent dangers so clearly marking one of the household, and it was starting to take a toll on everyone. A chance to blow off steam was desperately needed, and what better way than relaxing in the sun? Amid a large crowd in the middle of the day seemed as safe a place to be as any, so Matthew had shoved Orah into the car with the things they needed and she had driven them the few hours out to the beach. He was being surprisingly solicitous recently and Orah could only assume it was because of her injury... even if he tried very hard to cover his concern with sharp words about how stupid she had been.
"Don't lift that, idiot." Matthew snapped as he jerked the cooler out of Orah's hands, hefting their beach bags in his other arm. She flushed as she awkwardly clutched her towel in her hands, the only thing he seemed willing to let her carry. Granted, she was still technically injured, but he made her feel like an invalid sometimes.
"Its good for me to do some work, Matthew. I'm not a glass doll." The young woman complained as she trailed after her brother, the soft cloth of her waist wrap brushing her legs.
"Yeah, but its a five hour drive back to the hospital if you pop your stitches, so shut up and let me do it. Jesus ********." He growled as he stomped to a likely spot to dump their stuff. Orah frowned at the language, but had no heart to scold him for it today. Shading her eyes with a hand, she glanced over the stretch of sand to watch the myriad people enjoying themselves. No one she knew, yet, but that wasn't a terrible thing. She so rarely got to spend time alone with Matthew, it was a little bit of a treat.
"Here, do my back." The boy said as he shoved a bottle into his sister's hands and she blinked down at the suntan lotion. He wanted to hit the water like crazy and it made him fidget as Orah rubbed the lotion into the center of his back where he couldn't reach, pulling his long ponytail over his shoulder so it wouldn't drag through the gunk.
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 11:32 am
Paris sat draped out down the length of a comfortable lounge chair, basking in the warmth of the summer air beneath the protective shade of a large blue umbrella. Though she didn't feel entirely up to a dip in the water, she felt the need to be around people after weeks of limited activity and minimal social interaction. Being cooped up at home lent itself to monotony and boredom. The Gallos' beach house was a nice change of pace, of course, but Paris still craved the company of other people, so after a bit of whining she'd managed to convince her mother, husband, cousin, and brothers-in-law that ditching the Gallos' private strip of beach for the public one some ways off would be a better way to spend the Fourth.
With a pair of large sunglasses perched over her eyes, Paris reclined while sipping on a frozen Georgia Peach previously handed to her by her mother who, though she frequently looked at Paris as if Paris were still a sweet little girl, hadn't ever seemed terribly concerned by Paris's penchant for underage drinking, probably because she's been guilty of it herself. The summer heat and their proximity to the water encouraged a scant amount of clothing, though Paris's style remained somewhat modest as she grew progressively more comfortable with her body. She wore a bright pink, strapless bandeau top which appeared as a large bow across her chest, and a long, semi-translucent skirt tied at her hip over a pair of navy bottoms with white polka dots. Her hair had been swept back out of her face that morning, twisted loosely into a French braid up top and wending its way back into a full ponytail.
She hummed happily to herself as she flipped through some magazine full of celebrity gossip she hardly paid any attention to, her sandals discarded in the sand. Occasionally Paris would dangle one of her feet over the side of her chair and wiggle her toes into the ground, but for the most part she had remained relatively inactive since arriving, keeping herself a comfortable distance from the water and basking more in the lively atmosphere than in anything available for her to do there.Quote: Feel free to come keep Paris company! She's not going to be moving too far from her chair, but she's been feeling pretty deprived of social interaction as of late!
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 11:50 am
Haven Sinclair wasn't a big fan of the beach, but then of all the seasons summer was her least favorite. She preferred the cold to the heat; she liked sweater weather and fall colors and snow. Summer was too hot and too muggy, and the beach was too crowded with careless people. And salt-water was disgusting. She didn't even want to think about what people did in there, and she wasn't especially fond of sea creatures that weren't kept safely in tanks.
Plus, she didn't really know how to swim.
But her parents seemed to think she needed to get out and spend time with people her own age, particularly people they thought were her friends. Either they had some strange delusions or they were desperately hoping they could encourage her to make some, because the minute they'd heard their neighbors were taking a mini-vacation to the beach for the 4th of July they'd shipped Haven along with them.
Thus Haven found herself tagging along with none other than Peter Gallo, her academic rival at Knightside and the boy she insisted was the bane of her existence. She took great pains not to give him too much of her attention, though without Peter's mother there for company (she'd stayed behind at the beach house for some alone time with her husband) Haven didn't have much to do but play around on her phone in the shade cast by the umbrella and the back of the chair Peter's sister-in-law currently occupied.
She was thirteen-and-a-half, soon to be entering the eighth grade once summer vacation drew to a close, and this summer marked the first time she'd ever worn a bikini. The flouncy white and purple floral-printed top gave the illusion of a larger chest than the realistic 30A it covered, but the matching solid purple bottoms were at least modestly cut enough to suit her youth. It made Haven feel a little more grown-up than usual, but more self-conscious, too, as she noticed the more developed figures of some of the other women and girls that populated the beach around her.Quote: Likewise, feel free to drag Haven out for some fun! She's way too grumpy for her own good!
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 12:58 pm
Merric didn't usually like beaches. He burned waaaay to fast and sand got everywhere he didn't want it. He didn't even spend a whole lot of time outside doing anything social. He'd lost himself in his duties as a Captain and didn't give a second glance anywhere. So why, might you ask, was he here?
Because his little sister begged him to spend time with him. She'd pulled every puppy dog eye method she knew how, called him half a dozen times, and all but wound up at his door. He hated ignoring her, but he assumed it was best if they didn't interact. Less of a chance someone might go after her.
Then his mother called and guilted him into it. To be honest, he had missed her and it was probably a good idea to appease the girls in his family. So here he was, lathered up with 100 SPF sunscreen underneath his T-shirt, building a sand castle with the munchkin. He'd sent a text to Nina before they left if she wanted to come, but hadn't received a reply. She was probably busy, but the invitation was open.
"Alright, squirt, who rules in this castle?" he said to the little blue haired girl across from him as he built part of a courtyard.
---
"Princess Soli. She rules all of the Sandi people with a firm hand." Jenn was estatic. Here she was, five hours from home, with her brother for a whole weekend! He'd insisted on lathering her up with the same sunscreen he wore, but she did not waste time with shirts. Her little one piece was covered in cute apples (something she found hilarious the first time when she put it on, given what she turned in to) with cute little green frills around the edges. She'd had him pull her long hair into a pony tail for her, with a matching red bow. She loved beaches. Sand. Water. Sunshine. Not having to be in under her mom.
What made this even better was that her brother was here. She was spending time with Merric for the first time in months and oh man was she gunna milk this! She'd drag him to the boardwalk and play games and maybe goad him into that that plushie making store down the road. Her mom had told her to be nice and not take advantage of her brother, but how could she not? He'd ignored her for far too long.
She grinned at him, the eleven year old's eyes bright and continued with her story.
"She has ruled for many years, but everyone worries at night. Something happens to her and she vanishes! But she returns in the daylight, so no one knows. Is she the sun? Is she a mermaid? Who knows!" She happily continued to fortify the towers, really just enjoying having her brother around again.
Quote: Feel free to interact with either Merric or Jenn! They're building a sand castle! Orangeish Sherbert For a mention, and in case Nena wants to join them.
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 1:32 pm
Rhiannon thought the beach was boring. Other than taking the opportunity to wear her rarely worn swimsuits, she didn’t find much enjoyment in the water. And so, having been dragged along with her aunt and cousin and cousin’s in-laws, Rhiannon laid out under the umbrella close to the girl named Haven, reading a book and trying to avoid the sun as much as possible.
Being out in the sun and riding horses was one thing, but in the sun for the heck of being in the sun? No thank you. Even still, she wore a strapless turquoise bikini top and some striped turquoise, white, and coral bottoms, while perched on her head was the widest brimmed hat she could find. Sunglasses on to block out the light, and sunscreen to keep herself from getting burnt (if that was even possible with her pale complexion), she was as content as she could be with her book and avoiding interaction. Quote: Anyone is free to talk to Rhiannon! She's hanging out under an umbrella near Paris and Haven, reading and hating everything.
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 1:42 pm
”What are you drinking?” Chris asked as he approached the lounge chair that had been set up for Paris, holding two drinks, himself. “Is that alcohol?” he wondered in exasperation, before biting back any other comments with other people around them. He might be a stick in the mud, but he thought he had every reason to be if she was breaking the law for being underage.
Regardless, him being there was as big of a surprise to him as it would be anyone else. While he played most of his games down in South Carolina on the minor league team he’d been sent to, a rare opportunity came up for him to play on the Destiny City team itself. It was only for a few games as their pitcher had been placed on the disabled list, but it was better than nothing. Even better, his team was one of the two teams not playing that day.
And so, a trip to the beach was too good of a chance to give up. And while he was not in the short shorts Paris would have preferred for him to wear, he was wearing navy colored swim trunks so he would at least match her in color. Quote: Anyone is welcome to talk to Chris! His fussing over Paris’s drinking habits.
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 1:54 pm
Peter loved the beach and wished they could be there all the time. He loved the water he loved the sun he loved the sand he loved catching little fish and then throwing them back or crabs and watching them scamper off or making sand castles or playing games or boogie boarding or jet skiing or… literally anything! Swim trunks on, shirt off, sunscreen on (because his mother basically held him down and slathered it on him), and boogie board under his arm, he was ready to take to the water!
“It’ll get better!” he grinned as he leapt into the water past a girl (Luca) who was mumbling about the cold. “Go under! You’ll get used to it faster!” he laughed, diving into the water himself, his boogie board stubbornly remaining on the surface of the water as he went under, which definitely took away any graceful qualities he might have had, jumping in. But what did he care? He was thirteen going on fourteen and he was at the beach! No one cared about looking awesome at the beach, right??
“Heads up!” he called as he splashed by another girl (Natalie) who was already in the water. “Look out for jellyfish. Sometimes they like to show up around here. It’s okay, even if one stings you there’s first aid on the beach,” he shared his sage (and probably already known) knowledge, as he pulled himself up to sit on the mostly floating board to wait for a good wave to ride in on. Sami-Fire Feel free to ignore him if you want. XD; Quote: Anyone is welcome to interact with Peter! He’s out in the water on a boogie board!
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 3:52 pm
Nick and Tallulah had been planning this vacation for a little while. It was just lucky that nothing had happened to derail those plans in a permanent manner; Tallulah's little stunt with the casting of her spell (spell?) had scared the s**t out of him and her doctor, but it wasn't permanently damaging that he could tell. They'd gone ahead with their vacation plans, and now here they were. It was nice to be in a hotel, rather than the apartment building, where Kaatje could drop in at any time. Actually, they were neatly out of Kaatje's range, and that was nice--she couldn't go more than three hours from base, and… here they were! "No," he said to Tallulah, "I am not going to take off my shirt. You will all go blind." He was seated just outside the shade cast by Paris's umbrella, with the stated intention of 'tanning', although how successful this would be would be telling. "Besides, no one deserves my quote-unquote hot bod unleashed on them." Except her. Because for some reason, she liked it. He looked over his shoulder to Paris. "You doing all right back there?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 5:19 pm
“I'm doing wonderful, thank you for asking,” Paris chirped from behind her magazine. She lowered it seconds later, holding the glossy pages in her lap as she looked toward Nick. “I keep forgetting you're a doctor. You don't have to play doctor around me, Sweetums. I feel fantastic.”
She stretched a bit as if to demonstrate, tossing one arm over her head as her toes spread and her feet showed their perfect ballet arches. The redness and blistering that usually decorated her toes had diminished the longer she was kept from her usual exercises, so that her feet appeared less beat up than usual. It made Paris anxious. Still, there was something to be said for a little bit of rest. Her toenails looked particularly nice these days, painted a bright pink to match her swimsuit.
Settling back into her chair, Paris caught the band of Chris's swim trunks with her free hand and took a healthy swig of her drink, peering up at him over the rim of her sunglasses with eyes that twinkled mischievously through long, darkened lashes. Teasingly she ran her fingers over his stomach.
“You wanna taste and see?” she asked and held the drink out to him, meeting his disapproval with a chipper grin. “Lighten up, Babe, it's not like I don't drink at home. It's not like you've never drank with me before, either. Go show my mom that grumpy face, not me. It's her fault.”
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 5:41 pm
Tallulah had somehow been talked into a bikini. Like, go figure and blame Kaatje, who at some point decided that Tallulah could not and should not be allowed to call an athletic one-piece her "good swimsuit." So it was black and it was relatively modest but it was definitely a bikini and a pretty nice one at that and she was doing her best to not feel completely self-conscious about it while she slathered sunscreen onto her legs. "Come on, Nick," she said, rolling her eyes as she offered the sunscreen to him. It was, like, SPF 50. Completely overkill for someone with her complexion, but Tallulah knew from experience that she'd wind up tan by the end of the day anyway. "We all get that you're a fair French-Canadian rose, but Paris is practically translucent and her top is smaller than mine." (To be fair, Paris also required significantly less top to keep everything in.) Speaking of. Tallulah wiped her hands on her beach blanket and leaned over to tap Paris's knee. "Do you think your mom brought enough to share?" she asked. It was her first fourth of July being legally able to drink, and unlike her friend, Tallulah had been much less keen on flaunting the rules before her twenty-first birthday. And Nick could harumph all he wanted about how she'd just been sick, but damn if that didn't look refreshing. "His bod is very hot," she added to Paris. "Nick, we are at the beach. Are you going to swim in that t-shirt?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 12:40 am
Nick smiled, chagrined. Caught in the act! Well, it was in his nature to fuss. He liked fussing. "Force of habit?" Was that even an applicable excuse with someone not directly related to him? He pondered this as he slathered sunscreen on his arms, the back of his neck, and his face--he did not want to go back to work with a sunburn, that was way too much s**t for one man to deal with while working in a hospital with a lot of sick people. He sighed at his dear fiancee, and said, "I do not intend to swim at all." As he was not very good at it. He could propel himself well enough in a pool, but oceans had waves. "It's not so much that I'm bad at swimming as I am terribly good at drowning," he reflected. Growing up in inland Canada was not a good thing for one's ability to swim, especially when you only had two weeks of swim instruction every school year, okay? He frowned at Tallulah, thinking. What could he offer that would make her back off on the shirt topic? He leaned across the distance between them and whispered his ideal trade in her ear, then straightened up with a maddeningly superior look on his face--either way it came out, it was a win for both of them, right? Nick pulled a book out of his bag and looked back to Paris again. "What's going on in Hollywood?"
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