open | come bury your toes in the sand

[redigere]

WHO: Naminé and friends; open to passersby
WHERE: Beach near Heropa
WHEN: October 15th
WHAT: BEACH PARTY! Feel free to create a new prompt if the ones below don't appeal to you.
WARNINGS: None for now!

It'd taken a lot of last minute scrambling, a lot of runs to the grocery store, and a lot of help from her friends. But as Naminé steps back from the set up, she smiles. Allows herself a little bit of pride in what she's accomplished.

The home tent is where all the food is. Fold up tables have been loaded with an array of sandwiches, finger foods, and drinks, and a cooler nearby has fish and other seafood goodies to be grilled at the bonfire once someone gets hungry for it. This is also where she'll direct friends to drop off snacks and homemade goodies. Please do not sneak any of the chocolate and marshmallows meant for s'mores later.

Close by is the rest area, which is really just a big spread of blankets and a couple fold up chairs on the sand. She doesn't expect everyone to want to stay standing up all day, after all. Naminé knows she's going to be there for a bit, chatting with friends who are visiting, and she may have started a tiny sandcastle and collection of sea shells at the edge of the blankets as well.

The volleyball net and accompanying volleyball are borrowed from a co-worker, so it definitely needs to get back to her in one piece. There's plenty of space for other sports and competitions though...perhaps a game of soccer? And how could anyone ignore the ocean? She and a few others will likely be waist deep in it, learning and practicing how to swim.

Not bad for her first party. Now all she has to do is wait for her guests.

Comments

[hightiderising]

[Xion, somewhat reluctantly, went swimsuit shopping earlier. They were all so... little. She wouldn't have been comfortable in any of those. Luckily, though, she found one that was more her style.]

Swimming

[This is what she's been most excited for. Xion leaves her boots and her coat back on the dry sand further back on the beach and takes off running for the water. She reaches the shoreline and hesitates for a second; instead she first dips her toes in. The water is just a little cold but... well... whatever! She wades in slowly and then Sora's memories take over and she dives in, easily swimming out like she's done it her entire life.

When she finally pokes her head back out to catch her breath, she looks around to see if anyone's joined her yet. It'd be boring to be out here all alone.]

Seashell Picking

[Though, in predictable Xion fashion, all the people and noise ends up too much for her after hours of hanging out, and she wanders off for a bit of quiet alone time down the beach. She can't go to a beach and not find a perfect sea shell, after all. Someone's welcome to follow her, if they want; one on one attention is always easier to deal with instead of a ton of people all at once.]

Bonfire

[She finds her way back as the sun begins to set, though; her rumbling stomach insisted. She's a nice kind of tired, a peaceful tired, brought on by the smell of the ocean and all her friends close by. It's so nostalgic, but it's the first time for her, too.

Xion gets herself a drink and sandwich to nibble on, but it's not quite enough when she knows there's fish waiting to be cooked too. She goes over to someone sitting by the fire already.]

Can you help me cook the fish? I don't think I know how.

[She only has some of Sora's memories. Useful ones are missing more often than not.]

seashell picking

[redigere]

[Naminé is already there at the end of the beach, sitting by herself with her sketchbook, though she's not drawing anything at the moment, only looking out over the ocean. Despite being the one who organized the party, and the one who certainly wants to spend time with new friends, she'd felt her exhaustion catching up with her. Not to mention a slightly overwhelmed feeling of shock that this party had actually happened. She'd left to get her own few minutes of quiet.

She glances up when she senses Xion heading her way, giving her a small, curious smile.]

Hi, Xion. Was someone looking for me?

[hightiderising]

... Oh. I didn't see you there.

[Xion had just been wandering. She didn't even notice Naminé had slipped away so far. She's not unwelcome company, though, and Xion wastes no time plopping down on the sand next to her.]

I just wanted a little time alone. Looks like you did too. We're a lot more alike than just our faces, aren't we?

[redigere]

I guess so! That makes me really happy.

[Xion had, at times, seemed untouchable, the girl on her own mission. It's nice that they share something other than a tumultuous past.]

Are you having fun?

[hightiderising]

Oh! I am. Please don't think I'm not. It's just... kind of loud.

[Idly, she digs her hand in the sand around her, first just making designs, then spelling out her name...]

I was going to look for seashells. Do you want to join me?

[redigere]

I thought so too.

[Naminé nods and sets aside her sketchbook, getting up to stretch.]

I'd like that. It'd be a nice souvenir. Where should we start looking?

[Xion is the expert shell finder, after all.]

[hightiderising]

I know just where! We've got to go down to the shoreline.

[Xion's gonna hop up and run ahead when Naminé finishes stretching so she can keep up with her.]

That way you can catch them just as the tide brings them in. No one will have stepped on them or broken them yet. Sometimes one will hit your leg as a wave brings it in. It's really funny.

[redigere]

[A memory of shells laid out on Roxas' bed flickers through her mind.]

So that's how you found so many before. I hope I have the same luck.

[hightiderising]

You definitely will. It's not hard at all. Besides, I know what I'm talking about. I'm the expert, remember?

[Xion, having had a really nice day surrounded by friends, laughs much easier than usual.]

[redigere]

Right!

[Naminé makes it to the edge of the water, letting her toes curl at the slight chill of the water against her skin before she walks in deeper.]

Is this deep enough?

Bonfire

[dualismum]

[ Sasaki came only because Namine really asked him to; not that he doesn't like bonfires and beach parties, he just feels a bit strange to be invited to one. At least he knows some of the people in the place and spoke to a couple of others, like Xion.

He is sitting close by, but he won't be touching any of the food, and instead is reading. When she approaches to ask him for help, he puts it down and offers her a smile ]

Sure, it's not very hard.

[ he gets up - easier to explain standing ] You'll need a skewer. The trick is also to not let the flames actually touch the fish, or you will burn the outside layers too fast, while the inside won't be cooked enough. [ for someone who can't eat, Sasaki REALLY knows a lot about food ]

[hightiderising]

[Luckily, Xion doesn't know any of that and just assumes he already ate!

She follows his instructions, finding a skewer nearby, jamming the fish on awkwardly, and finally sticking it directly into the fire. You know, the opposite of what Sasaki just said to do.]

Thanks a lot!

[dualismum]

[ XION......... ]

Ah- well, it'll probably burn like that- [ well, it's not like the fish is very big and meaty, so maybe it'll be alright, but it'll still burn the skin. ]

Try keeping it a bit higher, so it won't burn the fish directly.

[hightiderising]

What--? Oh!

[Yup, predictably the scales are starting to look rather crispy. Xion quickly raises it above the fire and finds a safer spot to hold it, where it won't get immediately torched. She laughs awkwardly, embarrassed at herself, and quickly changes the subject.]

Have you been having a good time here?

[dualismum]

[ Sasaki won't judge; it was her first try after all. ]

Yes, I have. It's good to have a relaxing day from time to time. [ not that his days are very full, but everything is a mess in Sasaki's life ]

And you? Was this your first beach party?

s e a sh e l l s

[protects_the_small]

[Clearly this lone human wants company, and Chubrub is HERE TO PROVIDE IT. Splashing up as Xion is bending over, he drops his ball right in front of her feet....possibly on the shell she was aiming for, oops.]

FRIEND????!!!!???]

[hightiderising]

[While Chubrub is thinking FRIEND???, Xion here is thinking DOG???

Oh gosh, and he's such a cute dog too...

Well, she's not gonna deny such a cute puppy a throw. Xion picks the ball up and pitches it off down the beach-- possibly right towards Kel.

Whoops.]

[protects_the_small]

[The dog takes off in a splashing run, spraying Kel as she walks up]

Ack, CHUB-!

-Ah, I see.

[Kel smiles down at Xion]

His newest victim, I suppose.

[hightiderising]

[Giant woman.]

Chub...?

[Xion runs up to greet the giant woman-- and apologize, of course. But she doesn't quite make it there.]

You named him Chub? That's kind of mean...

[He's PERFECT. But Xion is terrible at naming things, so who's she to judge?]

[protects_the_small]

Oh no, he came with the name 'Chubrub' when I got him. It suited him so well I didn't bother changing it.

[speaking of the pupper, Chubrub comes splashing back, his whole back half a-wag with excitement]

He'll never let you stop , you know. Till either you or he drops.

[Kel's grinning as she says it, so that's probably a Joke]

[hightiderising]

Chubrub... I guess that's cute.

[Wait... you can just GET a dog? There's a place where dogs come from???]

Where did you get him from?

[Those are indeed stars in her eyes.]

[protects_the_small]

The shelter my housemate works at. There were quite a lot of dogs up for adoption, and he had been there much too long.

[Chubrub drops the toy and when Xion doesn't pick it up right away, nudges it closer to her feet. Helping.

[hightiderising]

Shelter?

[A house? For dogs? A store full of dogs??? There are places FULL of DOGS to BUY? Xion's never considered this before in her life. She only gets more starry-eyed staring up at Kel. She's so caught in this reverie that she doesn't notice the poor puppy trying to play with her til she feels the toy knock against her feet. Xion quickly scoops it up and sends it off flying again.]

swimming

[alreadyhuman]

[ Vivi used to think that if he swam, he'd dissolve in the water, but that wasn't really true. Since he's so light anyway, he doesn't need to take his clothes off to swim, but it seems kind of proper to.

But then again...he'll just wade into the water, anyway. It's nice to be here, just watching the waves and listening to other people having fun.

He sees Xion poke her head out and waves happily. That's someone he recognises, so it'd be rude not to greet her! ]

Hi, Xion! Is the water okay? [ He says, standing waist deep in it... ]

[hightiderising]

[Finally, some company! Xion swims towards him, waiting just out of wading depth.]

Vivi, right? It's pretty nice! Are you gonna come in?

[Can he come in with all those clothes on? Speaking of, what's even under those clothes? She can't make out any face or anything on him. Of course, it's probably none of her business - she's a replica and has no right to think other people might be weird.]