Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was one of those days where Olivia wasn’t sure whether to wear a suitably refined sundress or something warmer. Her school uniform would not be appropriate at a beach or at such an informal family outing, even if it was suitable for many scenarios, and hiking gear would be too much. What would be perfect and in-between?

Finally, she decided on a one-piece swimsuit with a shirt and a pair of pants that had seen better days. It was a balance between old enough to take the punishment that saltwater could give, warm enough that it would protect her from the Autumn n** in the air, and in good enough condition to maintain her ever-present dignity. Her dyed hair was tied up and out of her face, away enough that she had a choice about getting it wet or keeping it dry with the hair cover she packed in her bag. Also in her bag were sunscreen (because even in autumn the sun was present), a change of clothes, two towels, a bucket (for shell collecting, mainly for nostalgia’s sake) and a pair of sandals. No snacks, because Oceanne was taking care of that.

Presently on her feet were a pair of very serious, high-end walking shoes. She didn’t mind if they took damage from sand and surf - they were durable, and she fully intended to do a lot of walking with her cousin.

Words could not describe how much she was looking forward to such an impromptu time outdoors. She’d been cooped up for far too long… she deserved a little fun.

Ah, fun.

When was the last time she’d had that?

“Am here.” Olivia texted, before looking around for her cousin. It wasn’t hard to spot her amidst the thin crowd of people. “Oceanne!” she called out, waving at her.

“Planned? No.” Olivia said. She didn’t have any plans for a day at the beach, and it was very odd not to have her day planned out already… hence why it was such a treat. Or, rather, it was supposed to be. So, first, we have a picnic on the beach, and then… No, wait, no, she was trying not to plan out today. Schedules were her life, but this was the time to appreciate the freedom... of time itself. “Other than, as you said” she smiled, “Taking a day off.” She gestured towards the beach, “And what would a day at the beach be without going to the beach?” she smirked, “I know what you meant, yes, that would be a good spot to set up the blankets.” or towels. Or either, considering the weather. “How are things?”

“Mmm… Not bad myself.” Although Olivia knew that ‘alright’ wasn’t the whole story with her cousin, she didn’t suspect anything. How could she? That whole world of intrigue and battle and confusion was closed to her. Not even an inkling of it’s nature, aside from the occasional weird news report, had found its way to her. But ‘alright’ was not suspicious. Everybody said it, at some point, and it meant nothing more than they didn’t wish to talk about the specifics… specifics that, in Olivia’s classest arrogance, she assumed would not be important. “Midterms are coming up, but I think my tutored students will be doing quite well.” She, of course, was not worried about herself. “They’re picking up things well…” she smiled out to sea with no small amount of pride, “Oh! And I bought a new book - full of adventure and excitement and magic and good-against-evil... Fiction, of course.” She lay down and stretched, “I’ve been reading a lot of fiction, I’m almost ashamed to say.”

Olivia looked at her, puzzled. What was her cousin going on about? This sounded less theoretical, more... personal. With religious overtones and some sort of uncertainty. She was silent for a moment. “Oceanne...” she said quietly, concerned, “Is everything all right at home? You don't usually talk like this...”