(open) like rolling waves

[hundredpower]

WHO: Barnaby, Ciel, way too many kids... and you?
WHAT: Special beach episode!
WHERE: The seaside just south of Achamoth.
WHEN: 21 Visoseri.
WARNINGS: THIS IS A CHILD FRIENDLY SPACE. except there are spiders


With things as difficult as they were in Venera, and wanting to keep his mind occupied beyond the grind of training or research, Barnaby had begun to spend a lot of his free time volunteering to help the orphans in the Citadel. It was the closest thing to his life back home that he had here, even if he's still a stranger to the kids here, and they to him, he still sympathised with them and wanted to help improve their circumstances. He'd wondered if there was something he could do to help expand their horizons even a little bit, with Achamoth largely being unsuited for young children, and so he sought permission from the Regent to take them out of the city for the day on a trip.

Their destination isn't far: the beach directly south of the city. While he initially floats the idea to Ciel, who has been helping with the organising and preparations, he'll offer for other Aions to come along if he happens to bump into them. Provided, of course, they're on their best behaviour and willing to ensure the children don't come to any harm, as per the Regent's strict orders.

1. TRAVELLING TO THE BEACH (cw: spiders)

Although the beach isn't far from the city, and close enough that the trip can be made on foot, there's one particular hazard on the way: giant spiders. The group have to cross a small woodland before they can reach the cliffside route that will take them down to the beach, and Barnaby pauses at the edge of the woods, spotting white silk webbing strung between entire trees, more than capable of snaring unsuspecting travellers not paying close attention to where they're walking.

The spiders themselves are nowhere to be seen... yet, and a lot of them have been dealt with in the days leading up to the trip. But it was impossible to eradicate all of them, and the forest canopy overhead is thick and ripe for ambushes, if they're not careful, so Barnaby addresses the group.

"If anyone who can fight is willing to volunteer to scout ahead, please take the lead. I suggest you take someone else and go as a pair."

Barnaby would go himself, but he'd much rather stay and keep an eye on the children. You're up, team.

2. THE BEACH

Once they're safely on the other side, a rocky cliffside path leads down to a private beach. The beach itself is fully secure, as Ciel, Barnaby and Eustace had worked to ensure it was safe in the days running up to the trip. For anyone who arrives early with the group, Barnaby will be giving swimming lessons to those who don't know how to swim, and for most of the rest of the day, will be keeping an eye out from a lifeguard tower they'd had an Achamite workman construct a few days before.

There's enough of a breeze and the waves are choppy enough that you can try your hand at surfing, if you don't mind the old-fashioned surfboards on offer. For those who don't like the water but don't want to just bask in the sun all day, there are buckets and spades for building sandcastles (sand Citadels...?) and balls for playing ball games, either in or out of the water. Food, snacks and refreshments are provided for the children throughout the day, courtesy of Ciel.

3. EVENING

The children are allowed to stay long enough to watch the sunset, before they pack up and head off with Barnaby and Ciel for the evening. For anyone who chooses to stay well into dusk or longer, there are dry branches and driftwood piles suitable for starting a bonfire. If you want peace and quiet by the sea, or to crack open the booze properly now the kids are gone, this is the best time of night for it.

Comments

spider time...

[gravings]

Gray isn't technically one of the adults present, but she does have a glaive strapped to her back, which probably puts her in the group of "technically should be insisting on going with Luo Binghe." But she does not insist, because her instinct is to obey what other people tell her. She looks uncertainly at him for a moment before deciding to awkwardly pat the wobbly-lipped child on the shoulder instead. The child's lip-wobbling only intensifies.

To Luo Binghe, she says meekly, "Um... good luck." He sounds really confident, so he probably has this handled?

[devilmancrybaby]

He gives her an annoyed look. Good luck? Perhaps if he wasn't freshly adjusting to his cursed sword he would have let that slide, but Xin Mo loves it when he's insecure and lashing out, so it's absolutely encouraging him to assume that people think he can't handle this.

"It's only spiders," he scoffs. He doesn't need your luck, Gray! He looks her down with some amount of disdain. "I expect you could handle them alone too if you had to."

[gravings]

She looks up at Luo Binghe with increasing bewilderment, not unlike a daydreaming student suddenly being singled out in class.

"Thank you?" For not estimating that she would be a hopeless failure right off the bat? It's a lot of faith in someone as frail-looking as she is, she thinks. She's really just confused, but in the spirit of teamwork, she decides she should try to be encouraging too.

"You've got this," she tries meekly with a bob of her head and a small thumbs-up. Her other hand is of course still on the shoulder of the now teary-eyed and sniffling child to her side.

[devilmancrybaby]

Luo Binghe's eyes narrow. His hand tightens on Xin Mo's hilt.

"Are you mocking me?"

[gravings]

Gray freezes, her thumb locked in the up position. Apparently, her attempt to cheer him on was a failure. She no longer knows how to proceed.

"Um," she says. Her body tenses, prepared to evade death.

[devilmancrybaby]

His eyes fix on her thumbs-up.

"What does this gesture mean," he demands with a curt jerk of his chin.

[gravings]

"I-It means... I'm trying to encourage you," she says uncertainly. Her thumb is no longer locked skyward out of shock, but it is locked skyward because she isn't sure if taking it away at this point will offend him in some new spectacular way.

[devilmancrybaby]

He glares at her thumb for a few seconds longer. At some point during those few seconds, it does hit him that he's being unreasonable. With all these other people here, too... Even with Xin Mo's dark influence roiling under his skin, realising what an absolutely terrible impression he's making is enough to make him rein it in.

... A bit, anyway.

"It's unnecessary," he says, less aggressively but still kind of sullen and petulant.

[gravings]

With that clear dismissal, Gray obediently tucks her thumb away, and as an afterthought gently pushes the distraught child away so that he can find some solace in his peers (or maybe they'll laugh at him for crying, who knows).

She still isn't sure how she should speak so that she can avoid offending him, so she gingerly settles for a (hopefully) neutral, "Them, um, we're counting on you." She almost thinks to add that he should shout it he needs help, but luckily she manages to catch herself. She'll just enhance her hearing a little and rush over if it sounds like he's having difficulty.