Festival: Light the Night

The air is warm, the sea breeze carrying with it the scent of salt blowing in off the water. All along the beach, a number of torches have been lit, giving the entire area a warm feeling. The voices of Landers and Adventurers carry in the night air, creating a social thrum of activity.

At one part of the beach, a group seems to be trying to introduce the Landers to game of volleyball, which doesn't seem to be entirely successful, but there is laughter and merriment. Elsewhere, there is a series of camp fires that have been set up. Food roasts over the open flames, bringing with it the savory scents of meat.

Children run up and down the beach, laughing and playing, while a few people linger at the edge of the water, taking the unique opportunity for a nighttime swim. Stars glitter in the thousands in the night sky, so many more than would normally be visible in the real world. It's enough to get lost in.

There seems to be some excitement, with people seeming to gather for the upcoming fireworks. Something that may very well have a bittersweet feeling to many Adventurers. The last time there were fireworks, were just before New Years Eve, when their world so drastically changed. And yet, the feeling here is light and hopeful, with changing of the seasons having brought renewed vitality to the land and its people.

Cyrus apperas to be one of the sporty folk trying to teach the Landers how to play Volleyball. He's wearing some black boxer looking swim wear, and a white button up shirt over that which hangs loose. He's embraced the power of the beach episode, and has no problems not layering himself with about five layers of clothing for once.

The catte is actually a bit on the buff side, especially for a support class. His thick tail bounces about as he moves under the ball, showing some footwork on 'how to get under the ball' and keep it up in the air, before catching the ball and underhandedly throwing it off to an older Salamander who is clearly a least a foot larger than him, who then proceeds to attempt to replicate this.

This gives Cyrus a moment to step back and look at the beach and the people mulling about.

Shiruba is here! And again wearing her sky blue bikini with pawprint patterns, and a towel tied around her waist. Because she promised Gwen that she would to help promote her 'summer sale'. And because Gwen promised to help her get the best of the cookout food if she did. Okay, more like bribed her with it. And despite knowing it's a bribe Shiruba just can't pass up the oppritunity for REALLY GOOD FOOD.

Besides, other than the incident with the mega-octopus, this isn't nearly as bad as she thought it would be. Though she's still not about to go parading it around.

    Merek makes a way along to that beach while he takes a moment to adjust dark attire which is meant to be beach wear. With that, the man nods a little bit to people he knows, then waves a little along to Shiruba as well as people which he knows.

Rylen just so happens to be walking down along the beach, his bare feet in the sand. The Beastmaster is characteristically shirtless, wearing what look to be an attempt at board-shorts which cover down past his knees. The lack of other clothing allows the tattoos along his back to be visible, though only a few of the Landers seem to give it more than a passing glance.

There is a wistful expression on his elven features, as if the Pooka were thinking about someone who might just have enjoyed this kind of festival event. His eyes linger towards the sky, but the look forms into a smile, regardless.

"Oh, hey, food!" Leave it to the wanderer to be easily distracted by the prospect of a free meal. Rylen starts heading in the direction of the various cooks around the firepits, waiting his turn for a chance at whatever it is they happen to be cooking.

    Baroness Wake arrives on the scene, thankful to have made it before the fireworks have started. She pauses, looking around for any familiar faces amidst the considerable crowd. The sight of children and the sound of their laughter draws her attention and she wends her way to get a better look at what they are up to, and perhaps to make sure there will be no fishmen or leviathan problems tonight.

    The Baroness is not alone. She almost never is anymore. Most of the small group that was following her is gently directed to go have a good time, leaving her with just one woman, whose hand she holds. As a pair, they pause with their feet in the surf, looking up at a sky full of glittering stars.

    Giganpor was there to actually relax for a change. He had been hard at work. Shibuya, the Undead Army... now, there was just the fact that he wanted some down time and this was it. Even a leader needs that.

    So, he had changed some beach wear, made sure the magics holding his Nightmare mount were fueled up for a good while, had someone on back up and checking it occasionally, and made his way ot the beach festival. That was where he at least stood out more. Because... low and behold, he wasn't in his usual outfit. He even wore that to the three alliance meeting, for crying out loud!

    No, Giganpor had actually found some shorts and an open t-shirt. And he had found an open spot for a campfire that he was unloading wood from his inventory into. Being a crafter is handy sometimes! Especially when most non-armor projects tend to be wood based! Chairs, tables, buildings. It was definitely something handy and he set it up to light it pretty well.

    "Wish I could let loose my summons here, but that'd be unfair to them." He muses to himself. So, he had simply equipped his shield for a moment, cast a fire spell, and then settled down on a blanket nearby to watch the sky.

Even at your beach scene, F.O.E.!

Some people seem to be content to socialize by osmosis. Proteus is present, the archaeological Imp pointedly still wearing her cloak and well-worn wilderness outfit in defiance of the tendency towards swim gear. She is lying on her back on the beach, observing the night sky as people do their frolicking and partying around her. She is simply enjoying the environment at the moment while she sketches her finger through the sand, making little markings every so often, seemingly random darting movements of lines and dots.

Gwen is right behind Shiruba she too is clad in a white bikini but it's a bit more daring than Shiruba's it's cut a cutaway in the top nothing indecent but certainly daring to be sure. She's been selling swimwear and seems pretty happy.

"See you look great Shiruba have you been getting any attention? Anyone try to ask you out?!"

She's showing she's Morri's daughter right now but the question is where are Uther and Morri. What are they /up to/. The real question is do you want to know. Gwen looks to the volley ball game.

"So haven't seen fireworks ... since that night have we Shiruba?"

The last time Kaydon was on a beach like this he was pretending to storm it.

Okay that's not true, he used to go hang out at the beach with his buddies a lot on the weekends.

Sitting in the sand wearing a pair of board shorts and a rash guard from Gwen's shop, he looks out across the water and wonders aloud, "Has anybody invented surfing yet?" He wonders if he could now that it was warm enough to actually do it. It could stand to be a bit warmer, but that was probably just Yamato's weather, not the Southern California weather he was used to.

    SOME TIME AGO:

    "Master."

    Akatsuki appeared from out of goddamn nowhere. One second she wasn't there, the next instant, Shiroe had a mini ninja dangling from the ceiling by his head, probably while he was busy working.
    This is only for a few beats before the purple-clad imp lets herself drop, landing in a crouch and almost reverent kneel to her Pooka Overlord.
    "I have a report."
    Said report mostly consisted of various cut and dry facts about the undead, and various other issues going on, to keep Shiroe appraised of things while he's so busy at his desk. But then...
    Then comes the fidget.
    "A-also..."
    There's a beat of hesitation as she clears her throat.
    "There is a summer festival not too long from now, between Landers and Adventurers. ... Would you... Like to go?"

    SOME TIME LATER:

    "... I have no cute clothes."

    This hideous, heinous, devastating realization hits Akatsuki and it hits her hard. Having gone through her entire inventory and bank account no less than three times and finding roughlt 675 kunai, 1037 shuriken, 822 caltrops, multiple knives, katanas, kodachi, a few healing potions, an old pair of boots, and an umbrella, drastic times will have to call for drastic measures.

    SOME TIME AFTER -THAT-:

    "Gwen."

    Akatsuki appeared out of goddamn nowhere, opening the door to Gwen's closet from the INSIDE and stepping out.
    "... I need something... Cute to wear. For the summer festival."

    NOW:

    "This is... Nnnnice..."

    A very awkward ninja has appeared on the beach. The normal way. By walking there with Shiroe. Clad in a pretty, purple, summer yukata and looking very extremely awkward and a little red in the face.

Kite smiles gently, the festivities lifting his mood up from what it'd been the day before. He typically did his best to have fun and take things one day at a time, but, it was hard not to feel frustrated with the way things were. Sure, the quality of life for adventurers had gone up since The Apocalypse, but ...

He still wasn't any closer to figuring out the 'mystery' of the world. It was just another motivator to work harder, he supposed. But right now, it was time to enjoy some R&R and fully embrace everything life, as the Adventurers now knew it, had to offer.

Kite adjusts his red goggles and snorkel to push them up into his hair, a white streak of sun-screen on his nose. His usual outfit had been replaced with bright red shorts and a red, silk-screen hawaiian shirt with a floral pattern.

Waving to Proteus in a 'long time no see!' kind of way, he opens up his friend list to hit up a certain friend.

    >you winning shiroe? :)

Shiruba shoots a sidelong glance at Gwen. "Please don't be your mother and make me regret agreeing to this." She's just here to have a good time, not 'get attention' as Morri would put it.

Then turns her head when she hears another familiar voice. "I don't know Kaydon! But sports like that are usually started by someone just trying over and over until they get it right." Jabs a thumb lazily over her shoulder at the other game going on. "That seems to what they're trying to do with volleyball."

One ear flicks a little at Gwen's last comment. "As I see it, that was before 'what happened', so this is still the first fireworks celebration of the new world!" Just going to put a positive spin on it so it doesn't ruin anyone else's mood, her own included.

Uta hesitates.

Hidden away in a changing hut set up for the occasion, still clad in her newbie gi/nurse's uniform getup, her finger hovers over the menu item she's yet not mustered the courage to equip.

"...You know how you kept telling yourself this world seems built on narrative, rather than hard science laws? Well, Uta... it's time you face the truth. It's..." She gulps. "/that episode/."

Weight shifted quickly from one foot to the other, she tries to reassure herself. "You can do it, Uta. You can do it. You've evicted the musical moles from Mister Starvo's garden. You've completed your training under Master Miyoda. You've killed monsters many times your size. You've saved landers from the undead. You have gone on adventures with Prophylaxis and managed to come back /not on fire/. You can do this as well."

An expression of determination appears on her features, she bites her lower lip, and jabs at the menu. Her body shimmers.

* * *

"Hello, people!", she announces, cheerful, as she steps out of the hut and joins the crowd. "How nice it is to be gathered here for this joyous- wait."

She looks around at everyone.

"Wait, why are you are all wearing swimsuits?", she exclaims, and after looking around in mild panic, she adds, "...wait, why are we on a beach?"

She takes stock of her bathrobe-clad self, carrying a washing baisin and a bar of soap.

"...oh, it's the /other/ obligatory episode...", she whimpers, and blushes.

    Thanks to Gwen, the werecat ninja is outfitted in a black swimsuit that very specifically steers AWAY from bikini or leotard-style one-piece and ends up looking like someone applied a moderate amount of 'female armor' logic to a surfer's wetsuit; it cuts off above the elbows and knees and bares a fair amount of midriff. It doesn't look like she'd have much to show off in a more 'daring' design anyway...

    It does, though, show that she has dark reddish-brown stripes on her arms and one continues stripe runs down her back vertically with short, horizontal stripes spaced every few inches which only reach out a few inches to each side. Much like a very stylized, minimalistic drawing of a tabby's stripe pattern brought to life.



    Volleyball? HELL YES. Sam likes games, obviously, but in real life he didn't have many friends to play sports with when he was young, and in adult life he A. mostly had online or tabletop gaming friends and B. started getting fat. But now? Not only is the spirit willing, but the flesh is in prime condition and there are people to play with!

    Mizuki is, perhaps, a little TOO eager. Spikes with the strength of a were-fang adventurer behind them have scared off some of the landers and it's been politely suggested that she maybe sit out for a bit. The resulting bad feels are replaced by hope when she spots Cyrus out of the game too. "Hey! Cyrus!" She approaches, waving. "Wanna get a... less newbie game going off to the side? Guess we'd need another net, but... I wanna see what we can do!"

"Ah, long ball!" Cyrus notes as the Salamander Lander manages to spike the volleyball up in the air, and it goes to sail way out there. "I've got it!" Cyrus calls, his flat feet running over the sands, and jumping over Proteus with a quick; "Sorry!" As he no doubt disrupts some of the intricate designs she was working on. His tail bounds with each movement until finally he catches it just before it can hit Baroness and her lady.

"Whoops, sorry about that. Caught it before it could hit you though." He tells her and nods his head to her, hoisting up the volleyball. "Are you and your wife up to play some Volleyball perhaps?" The youth asks, perhaps assuming a bit too easily that those two are together. But the way they're holding hands - they look like more than just a couple.

That's when he hears Mizuki calling over at him about getting a game going. "I'll be right over!" He answers her, waving his hand to let her know he heard her.

Wandering.

For the last month or so, few had heard, and even less had seen, anything about the dire-shire known as Arashi. While the Were Fang Stalker had been warming to the Silver Sword guild and New World alliance over all, sight of her had gone completely to drought. Why? Shard Seeking. That everlasting urge finally got the better of her, and that solo style she was known for took over for quite some time.

It's entirely on accident that she comes upon the festival.

She knew, at a distance, something was on. Fires gave off smoke, cooked food gave off smells, and the sight and sound of it all had drawn her out of curiosity. Seeing so many Adventurers and Landers in once place was somewhat stunning. Last time she could remember seeing so many at once was probably .. Mm. New Years. Huh.

A hungry gaze slips toward the fires, tired hooves beg for some rest, and as such the Shiruba-Proclaimed Pwny decides: Eh, why not? There's got to be someone here she knows, and even if not, maybe she'd run into someone new. Decision made, Arashi slowly starts across the beach. Someone's stomach has taken over. Food is required.

    Wisteria arrives, she's solved her issue with bathing suits... she's wearing fur, and a fundoshi and chest wrap. If it's good enough for a samurai it's good enough for Wisteria. Plus in bun form she isn't exposing any skin except maybe some toe beans. The tall albino bun with the razor smile hunts for friends with a package in her arms. This contains her Yukata for fireworks later... she was promised fireworks she's almost positive. "Vertina! Mizukichi! Jazzy?" she says loudly, and repeatedly as shhe works through the crowd of people. The outfit exposes the marking of her tattoo, black where her other fur is white. A geometric bunbun head with runes worked around it, at the base of her neck above her shoulderblades.

    Her red eyes bounce through the crowd hunting her friends, and even being good and avoiding using any of her wave arts that might cause a ruckus... even if the werefang does get a decent bubble around her from Landers, who wants a combat monster in combat form brushing up close is likely their thought... that or they saw her friendly smile.

After having secured himself some food, Rylen makes his way back up along the beach, pausing momentarily when a bit of sand gets kicked up by the nearby volleyball game. He lifts his plate to make sure it stays sand-free for the moment, then looks over, raising an eyebrow.

His eyes are drawn towards Baroness Wake and the woman beside her, perhaps lingering a bit longer than normal on their joined hands. There's no judgement in his expression, only that characteristic smile of his. He follows it with an incline of his head.

Then, he turns to Cyrus and Mizuki, "Mind a spectator? Should be interesting to see how a game plays out." He muses, then pops a bit of food into his mouth.

Of course, that's when he spots Uta, and nearly chokes. That girl... He clears his throat, "Well, uh... good evening, your most high and mighty one." It seems she even has him at a loss for words. "You seem to have come... prepared... for something, anyways."

    The lizard man, Rizadoman walks among the festival goers, his scaly claw hand holding a small plate in one hand and a skewer of some meat in the other, " By the nagas, this is the best." Turning to look at his compatriot that has attended with him, looking down a little in his friends direction, "Don't you agree my dwarven friend."
    Dowafu gulps from a pint of and with a big smile on his face looks up, "Absolutely, though I don't know wheere are pointed ear compatriot got off to." He laughs before trying to mimic erufu's voice, " Such a fine elf pallete as mine should never be exposed to such things."
     Rizaodman shakes his head, " Becareful Dowafu, if she hears you we will never hear the end of it. Besides we both know she never said that." The lizard man continues to walk along with his friend before spotting the game of Volleyball, that others seem to be gathering around and stand and watch.

    Hearing all the well... chaos, Giganpor sits up from where he's at, peers over and shakes his head at the volleyball game. Then he seems to consider.

    Getting up from where he is, he wanders over to watch for the moment, and seems to be considering before he asks, "Hey. What's the ball made of? Might be able to make an extra and some nets real quick."

    "If I do, though, I want to give it a try. Never did it back on Earth."

    Merek nods a little bit along with that with a nice wave to Uta as well as to Shiruba. "Ah, you look like you are doing well Uta! It's fine!"

    "Yesss!" Mizuki pumps a fist at Cyrus's response, then calls back, "Don't we need more than two people for volleyball though?" She looks hopefully at Baroness Wake and her ladyfriend.

    And then... a wild Uta appears! Mizuki turns at the exclamation, sees Uta, opens her mouth to say something but finds she's not sure WHAT, and just sort of tilts her head to the side quizzically as she wonders WHAT path of logic has led to this.

    Sensitive were-fang ears hear the answer, though, and from that she seems able to follow the logic well enough. She approaches to pat Uta on the back. "There /are/ some nice hot springs in Carmina Gadelica and Dun Loireag, but yes, I guess this is the beach episode."

    A few months ago SHE was starting to think reality might be running on weird logic too, and Uta reminds her of that time. Suspecting that the people with weird powers and previous involvement with people trapped in games might be the 'main characters'...

    Her gaze falls on Kite. But he seems to just be sitting there. But that's to be expected during the beach episode, isn't it? No plot here, just girls and boys in revealing outfits.

    Ears red with sudden self-consciousness, she crosses her arms and turns back to Uta. "I have a hawaiian shirt you can borrow if it helps. Gwen might have swimsuits in her inventory to sell; I guess with menu-equipping there's no need to worry about finding one in the right size." Then a thought occurs and she smiles. "Hey, wanna play volleyball?" She waves a hand over towards the court where the landers are learning to play.

    Watching this stars is incredibly romantic. Whatever Wake was about to whisper in her lover's ear is paused as she notices something of a commotion in the area. Looking past the volleyball net, the Baroness sees Uta and for perhaps the first time in recent memory, jawdrops at the sight.

    Following Wake's line of sight, the woman with her spots Uta and sighs. "Oh dear, I think.. we had best save her. She's a towel drop from inciting a riot, I fear."

    It's about this time that Cyrus and the volleyball get Wake's attention. "Hello! Oh, actually..." The Baroness laughs softly, "This is my fiance, actually, but volleyball does sound like fun. Haven't played in a while." She looks over at the scene Uta is making and smiles apologetically, "Please pardon us a moment, though. There's a wardrobe matter that needs an intervention."

    The pair don't run, exactly, but they do cut a way through the crowd as politely as possible on the way to Uta, ready to provide moral support. Along the way, it occurs to Wake that with so many eyes on Uta, a distraction might be the best remedy for the situation.

    "ATTENTION PLEASE!" she calls out, stopping near the nets. "As part of the celebration, I have decided.." In the past half a second, that is, "To have a beach volleyball tournament! The best team of two shall win a special prize!" She has no idea what that is yet, but she'll figure it out.

"Eh, volleyball? Well, it's not soccer, but ... " Kite mumbles with a grin, before noticing Mizuki. Their eyes meet as she ponders the circumstances of him being here.

Really, it's just for the Common Beach Antics, no plot here.

"I'd like to play too! Oh, but, you should cover up first." he says after jogging over to Uta and Mizuki with his incredibly helpful advice. "I don't think this is quite the place to have a hot springs outing."

    Rizadoman looks at his dwarven ally at the suggestion of the tournament but it would seem his companion didn't want to stand around and watch. Well whatever he would step up on his own as he moves forward, " My ancestors would disapprove of me if I was to pass up on such a challenge. I would like to participate in this tournament," His scaly hand up in the air as well in case Wake or others couldn't see it. By his naga ancestors, he would win this challenge.

Cyrus moves the ball from his two hands up, to his shoulder with one hand holding it against his head, and his other hand touching to his hip. "Ah, fiance. Well, nice to meet you two. The name's Cyrus." He introduces himself, which may be a bit of rarity, what with INSPECT making it so easy to see peoples' names sometimes.

He then motions his now 'available' hand. "Go on, intervene! I'll be at the net!" And with that he waves to Mizuki again as he heads on over, this time politely stepping /around/ Proteus. "Again - Sorry, sorry." He chimes at her again.

To Rylen, the Cait Sith nods his head, "Sure! Join on in, or spectate. Either is fine by me." He notes as he hears Baroness Wake calling out about an impromptu tournament.

He waves to Kite as well and then throws the ball over the net to Mizuki. "Best if I am on the opposite team. You seem familiar with the game. Seems fairer." The youth notes.

Gwen says "Not that I know of Kaydon how about you do it? Getting a board made shouldn't be too hard."

She wonders though about if Aatasuki was enjoying the order she'd had just enough time to finish the assasins order. Though she was damn she was a ninja as she was even in the right size range to be one. Well, she'll have to ask the nin later about how it worked out.

She will look back to Shiruba. "Oh come on thee's no way I could become my mother, I'm not crazy enough..."

Somewhere Morri does over here this and she gets a devilish grin that gets Uther looking concerned at this. "Honey...."

"Oh don't worry I have plans for later."

Gwen suddenly gets a chill down her spine it must be nothing right?

Uta herself seems at a loss of words for what she's just done. Luckily, Rylen's jocular address eases some of the tension. "Oh, Sir Corvus, what a pleasure it is to encounter such a distinguished gentleman in these circumstances." In a similarly humorous manner, she's affecting a posh royal accent. "Indeed We are prepared. 'Always be prepared'. That'd be Our motto, if We had a motto. Problem is, We've never thought We'd need a motto before, so We never bothered to come up with one."

If there's a thing Uta is good at, it's being distracted. This is important, there'll be a quiz on it. Anyway, as we were saying, if there's a thing Uta is good at, it's being distracted, so the Baroness's convenient distraction succeeds in diverting Uta's attention away from Rylen and attract it to itself. "Prizes. I like prizes!"

Merek gets a nod and a smile. "I am doing well, thanks. How's business for you?"

Uta looks confused at Mizuki's words at first, but then her face lights up with realization. "Oh, right! Gwen /did/ give me a swimsuit! I think I'm contractually obligated to wear it for promotional purposes or something? I wasn't really paying attention." She swipes through her menu, and, thanks to the magic of menu-equipping, her bathrobe shimmers away, and when the light subsides, it has been replaced by a white bikini with a pastel slime pattern and various fantasy-theme-appropriate decorations like armbands and wings.

"...Is it the same volleyball that gives out prizes?", she asks Mizuki as the whole shimmering takes place. "I like prizes. I'd love to join in that case." At least, the discussion seems to- to do what?

That's right, distract Uta from having to look at the bikini.

Told you there'd be a quiz.

"Sometimes you make me wonder though..." And then Gwen is fortunate that Shiruba is distracted by someone else.

She knew about the shard search so that's what she figured was going on and didn't worry too much about Arashi being gone for long periods of time. The 'pwny' was probably hiding from any fans from the tournament too.

But she can't hide from the keen wolfen senses for long, and there's a little kick of sand as Shiruba takes off bounding along the desert. "Arashi!" Shiruba grabs the shire by the arm and starts pulling her back towards the beach party. Goodness she's gotten strong from all that work with the bow. "You're just in time for the food and fireworks and all that fun stuff! But mostly the food."

On the return trip they pass Uta and others, and Shiruba can't help but giggle. "Nice swimsuit. I see Gwen got to you too. At least it's thematic!" Just like her paw print... print. Pattern. Yes.

    Finding a distinct lack of friends the bun's ears are starting to droop, and then she spots the vollyball going on, and a familiar form. There is a BANG! of air magic, and a streak of white fur is arrowing for a flying tackle of one Mizukichi. Strong werefang arms squeeeeeeeeeeeeezing. "IthoughtIwasgonaendupherealoneandinabathingsuitthankthespiritsyou'rehere Mizuki-chiiiiii!"

    'So, was there anything special you wanted to do while we're here?'

    The question halts Akatsuki rather abruptly. It's a simple question, and there is any myriad answer is viable.
    There's delicious food.
    Games to play.
    People to meet.
    Fireworks to watch soon...
    And yet for all the possible answers she could give, Akatsuki freezes. For a beat she stares at Shiroe like a doe caught in the headlights of an oncoming mack truck.
    To her credit, the yukata-clad assassin rallies, and she rallies decently fast; and she most certainly does not even raise the fact that Shiroe isn't even dressed for the beach, because it's Baroness Wake's announcement that has the ninja's attention.
    "... My lord." She declares.
    There is a fire in her eyes.
    "We should enter the volleyball tournament. With your tactical skill and my speed we would be unmatched."

Uta /stares/ at Wisteria's flying tackle. "...this is /hard mode/ Volleyball...", she says barely above a whisper, looking rather worried and starting to take a few step backwards....

@emit The wave to Proteus gets a smile from the Imp, and a wave back to the inquisitive and strange boy. It really was a long time since the last time she's seen him. That would have been.... In the aftermath of the Black Wave, when he went exploring.

It was good to see he came back alive. Too many people aren't.

Unfortuantely, her ruminations (as endless as they are) are interrupted by Cyrus as he promptly ruins the design she was writing in the sand. With a grimace, she clenches her fist. "Gah! I was working on something!" She calls after Cyrus. "Be more careful!"

She doesn't pursue the alchemist, however, and just glares down at the spoiled pattern like it, not Cyrus, had personally offended her. With a sigh, she wipes it away and then settles back in, preparing to start again. And then Wake declares a volleyball tournament. "Really?" She mutters, her attention fully turned away from the erstwhile robe-wearer. Not that she was paying attention to her in the first place. Baka.

She ponders the proposal, looking speculatively amongst those who seem to be assembling for such an event.

The second near step from Cyrus gets some narrowed eyes from the Imp. "First time's an accident. Second time is coincidence." She says to Cyrus.

As Gwen mentions Kaydon should do it, he considers, "I don't know. There's a lot more to it than just sticking a piece of wood in the water and hoping that you don't fall off." He muses, before he rises up, and takes a quick look around, "Tournament?" He doesn't have a partner but wonders if he could win solo.

"Why yes, very distinguished." Says the man wearing nothing but board-shorts, standing on the sand barefoot. And then... a Wisteria goes speeding past and he has to make a quick backstep in order to not get his legs taken out from under him.

Unfortunately, some of his food isn't quite so lucky. A piece of meat falls to the ground. "Ahh well. At least there's more to eat." That is when a crab claw pokes out from beneath the sand, grabs the meat, then disappears again, "Riight. Didn't see that." It's probably just some harmless ... meat eating crab.

Stepping away, Rylen seems to set himself up with a relaxed stance, ready to watch, but then he ends up raising a brow towards the Cait Sith and Proteus. "Has he been giving you trouble?" Rylen asks, watching the two without any real understanding of their relationship dynamic.

    Merek nods a bit to Uta, "It's been well enough," he notes, while he takes a moment to maneuver along, where he can play ball with the people, then he thinks about it, "Nice place and all."

    Food March. Stomach demands-- Name.. called? "Eh?" There's a dustcloud back there, and a wolf right-PULL.

"Eh?!" That happened so fast it takes Arashi a few moments to process what just happened. Where is she even going? She's stumbling in the general direction of the much-stronger-than-last-time archer is pulling. "Shiruba? Where..?" Confusion. Clearly, but it's been a month and some more since she's seen more than a couple people. She'll catch up.

Gwen has not seen Arashgi in forever too andf would join Shiruba and going aftger the shard seeker and she grins at them.

"You say that like it's a bad thing Shirba! It's good people are having fun with it!"

Looks the shard seeker over.

"So your back huh net any of the shards since we last talke and I wonder...where Uta is..."

    There are many things he could have been totally fine with doing. Doing a game, watching the fireworks, talking with a few of the others they didn't get to from the other factions. However,
    "Volleyball?"
    It seems she has her own logic on the matter. That his tactical prowess and her speed would make for a very palpable team. Though it didn't really seem like she was accounting for his inability for hand eye coordination likely getting factored in, as well as Volleyball was a sport that generally favored those with significant height. Especially beach Volleyball where one's speed was hindered. While he could definitely tell her that, seeing that fire in her eyes. . . "Sure. . ."

    He pushes up his glasses, hiding the hesitation and doubt that was already beginning to fill his mind. He's never tried to go into a fight he can't win, but apparently there was a first for everything. He'd open up his menu to unequip his white robe showing off his usual attire that appeared to be his long pants along with his turtleneck and harness. He really didn't look at all the part for a summer festival. "Mmmm, wonder if anyone's acting as a vendor for summer attire actually. . . Speaking of, would you be okay playing volleyball in a yukata like that?"

"It's summer! It's time for beach stuff!... Well you probably spend plenty on time on beaches but this is for fun stuff. And food!" You remember how much the wolf likes food. Shiruba gives the were-shire a nudge over to where she had been sitting before. "Hey Kaydon, Gwen! Look who I found! Or she found us. Not important, she's here!" Wag wag goes the tail. She's in a good mood.

    "Giganpor, could you be a dear and set us up with enough nets and balls for a contest, while you are at it?" Wake smiles uncertainly at him and adds, "Thank you in advance, of course. I seem to have.. sponsored a tournament, haven't I?"

    The woman who was with Wake heads to Uta, who would recognize her as Tae, "Dear, you might do better to study what others are wearing before deciding things like this," she suggests. "And the swimsuit looks quite lovely. Gwen's work, I trust."

    Turning her attention to Rizadoman, Baroness Wake nods, "Certainly. You will want to find a teammate. It's going to be two-on-two. Best of three sets, first to 21, winning by two, the usual rules." She thinks they are the normal rules, but she's hardly a professional.

Kite nods as Uta's outfit transmogrifies into the proper get-up. Now that's a beach alt!

"Oh, but I think I see Shiroe over there ... so I've gotta' run!" he waves to the two before moving on to go see Shiroe and Akatsuki. While he didn't have much contact with the diminutive ninja aide that shadowed him constantly, he'd stayed in contact with the villain in glasses through friend-mail. "There you are. ... and you look the same as ever, huh."

Kite laughs, glancing between the two. The disparity was real. "I think Gwen might be selling something you could grab, but, if you're comfortable then hey." Kite grins, rubbing his nose. Somehow, the strip of sunscreen didn't rub off.

Actually, why was it there when it was night time?

    Yes, volleyball. Clearly a little competition never hurt anyone. Except when people get tackled or something, but Akatsuki will not be taking no for an answer, and when Shiroe gives his assent, the miniscule ninja grasps him by the arm and starts leading him over towards Wake... Still in that lovely summer yukata.
    "Gwen was very helpful in providing me with something to wear for the festival." She does point out; mirroring Kite's answer as she answer Shiroe by starting to undo the sash of her yukata. Taking great care to peel the light fabric away and fold it up neatly before putting it back in her inventory to reveal what she had on beneath it.
    ... A one-piece school-style swimsuit. ... With her name written on the chest.

Once he got called, Kaydon lifted his head and tilted it a little bit, "Oh hey!" He moved over but didn't give her a hug, even though he wanted to, because he figured she might throw him into the ocean if he did, "It's good to see you again. The smell of food must have finally lured you in."

Admittedly, Estelle is... a little late, having gotten caught up in things. But she is here /now/. How could she miss a night that combines stargazing, beach fun, and fireworks, after all?

So the little patches of night sky she calls her tails swish and swirl behind her, as she steps onto the beach, ears perked as she takes in the chaos that is this many Landers and Adventurers - especially the familiar voices among the crowd. Her gaze seeks out Uta, Shiruba, and Merek as ones she can puts to faces; she tries to catch their eyes for a brief wave amidst it all, without interrupting their gathering for a... volleyball tournament, it seems?

The vixen is clad in her swimsuit; a simple, backless one-piece done in deep, swirling shades of blue, with adjustments to cinch in tight around the dock of her tails. Her bare feet dig little claws into the sand as she wiggles them, hands clasping behind her back, while she tries to decide what to do for now.

    Getting a look at one of the beachballs and nets, Giganpor gives it a good inspection. Crafter level inspection at that. Then nods before he tosses them back to the ones that were using it. And starts to produce volleyballs and nets, along with poles to set them up.

    And just for kicks he does it menu-way. Because he's lazy and wants to get the game going. No need to spend all that time on game tools, right!?

    Dropping about 20 sets next to Baroness Wake, the Were-Fang shrugs. "Sorry, always hated that they go in fives if you mass produce like that."

    He looks around curiously, "So... what's the rules on volleyball? Like I said, never played before, and it looks fun."

    Seriously, he looks that curious. And has obviously never, ever played.

    Processing. Processing. Friends are present. This is acceptable. Food is also here. Even better! "Oh. Ha. Well, I've been hunting a bit and I could see smoke and smell food and then I heard people and well.." her free hand motions at the festival. "Here we are." When and if Shiruba releases her death grip on the shire's arm, the two of them actually WOULD get a casual hug before Arashi forceably gets herself some food. That's what she wanted in the -first place-.

    "Best food I've been around in six weeks." Yep. She was out there for a while. "Good work on the base, though." At least she's getting news!

Uta scratches the back of her head as she nods at Tae. "I mean, that's a good idea, but if I were to research what people were wearing, I'd have to be among the people to research them in the first place, and by being among them, I'd need to have researched what they're wearing. It's a catch-22."

Silence.

"Oh! Yes, Gwen did it! The Chain Mail Bikini +1 offers a massive selection of swimwear for all needs and coin pouches, always stylish and comfortable, created with care and passion specifically for you! Visit The Chain Mail Bikini +1 today, and join the trends of this summer! The Chain Mail Bikini +1, Elegance for the Discerning Adventurer!" She then launches into a faster "Disclaimer: this message has been paid for in hand-crafted delicious snacks by Gwen Pendragon, owner of The Chain Mail Bikini +1, and as such it should be considered a promotional message." She sighs happily. "There. Done." She pulls back a little and smiles. "Thanks Tae, you look nice as well!"

    A tournament? Mizuki cheers, and nods at Cyrus's assessment. She glances briefly at Giganpor -- a cat team WOULD be strongly thematic -- but then looks to Uta. "You want to enter too? Let's--"

                                     BANG!                                      

    "I, uh, what?" Mizuki hugs Wis back, needing a moment to parse out her words. "...Why would you be here /alone/? It's the beach during a festival, or holiday or something anyway." She strokes Wis's hair in what she hopes is a calming gesture. "Do you wanna enter the volleyball tournament? Team tiger and bunny... we'll be unmatched!" She holds out one arm and curls it to show muscle. Which there isn't much of visible, because of anime rules and her being a girl.

    Wis's... dynamic entry has taken her attention away from Uta, but it sounds like the spriggan is having second thoughts about entering an ANIME SPORTS TOURNAMENT anyway.

"And the defenses reinforced. Now we just need to get the school going..." Shiruba grabs her own food, so she did have to let go once she was sure the equine wasn't going to try and slip off right away. "But that's work, and we're not here for work!" She laughs at the volleyball antics between bites of beach bonfire cooked meat. Much like Giganpor this is the first time she's really gotten to just sit back and relax for more than a few random minutes.

"If a volleyball comes your way... it wasn't me." Cyrus answers Proteus on the way to the net, and motions for another ball since Mizuki got distracted. The youth motions for everyone else on her side of the court, motions his hand back, and goes for a very simple underbanded serve!

Bop.

It goes just barely over the net, hitting it, and then coming down on their side!

"Ready or not!"

    Watched as Kite finally made his presence known in full as the beach-adorned twin-blade appeared. "Mmm, well coming was a bit of a last minute decision. But it looks like coming was a good idea. I'm glad to see someone people able to find ways to relax. As for Gwen, I might take you up on that, at least so I don't look too silly." He tugs at turtleneck again. Technically speaking the heat hadn't been too unbearable thankfully, but he can imagine sports and a turtleneck is going to end up a nightmare, especially if he gets sand in it.
    "Now that I think of it, where is Gw- Eh?" Before he realizes it, his arm's tugged by the tiny nin who appears to be in complete agreement with Kite. "Ah- That so? I'll have to thank them, did they give you something else besides the yu-"

    Shiroe has to stop as he seeps her undo the sash. Cheeks going red for a moment and before he realizes it the flash of light appears that unveils the attire beneath. At this point, Shiroe's gaze is shielded by the sheen of his glasses. His face stoic in seeing what she's adorned. "Ah. . . So, Gwen gave this. . . To you?"

    Baroness Wake considers the pile of nets and the volleyballs to go with them. "Well, this certainly will do the trick," she says. "And no worries at the large numbers, honestly. This will definitely make this work out properly. Just need to set them up now."

    Baroness Wake bends down to pick up a net and by the time she's straightened up again, her retinue has assembled. She smiles gratefully at them, "You read my mind. It'd take me far too long to do this on my own." With an example or two-and some direction along the way-she has the group setting up net after net. All the while, she's explaining the rules to Giganpor as best she can. At the end, she says, "So that's how you play. Basically. I have a feeling I better officiate this thing, though, and set up some rules against using magic and weapons.."

    Having been delivered the sales pitch by Uta, Tae finds her way back towards Wake, leaving the promotional matters in better hands. Besides, who doesn't know about Gwen's work! Honestly Tae's always wearing Gwen's work. Once she gets within earshot, she says, "Wake, dear, what have you gotten us into now? Weeks of putting up with a clothing obsession and now we're athletic managers." Still, she's smiling and amused at the turn of events.

Gwen says "Uther is likely getting a BBQ set up for later." She quips to her friend and then muses some more. "Volley ball would be a lot of fun whatcha say?" She then glances at Arashi "You could join as as well." her ings flick a little bit as she pauses at the food, to get some herself.

    Grins, all sharp triangular teeth. "Oooh Uhmm I've never been great at it but I'd be glad to.... but I couldn't find you or Vertina or Jazzy or anyone who I could just hang out with and not worry if they thought I was weird inmy bathing suit see?" she says and stands up, helping Miz to her feet. She shifts to human form just long enough to get all the sand from her and then back to fur. SO much easier than brushing.

Kite blinks obliviously. "Huh? Isn't that just a school swimsuit? ... But it does look good on you."

    Two thumbs up!

Rylen sets his plate down on the sands, just standing up in time to get the sales pitch from Uta. Likely, he is wearing something from the advertised store, since it's one of the few places to get more modern styled clothing in Yamato. "There they go again. You know, you should really sell your advertising services... for more than just food, that is. I'm sure people would pay good coin for it."

As for the invitation to play, the Beastmaster just shakes his head, "I've had my share of competition for one lifetime." Which, he does not elaborate on further at the moment. "I'll cheer from the sidelines." He grins, folding his arms across his chest.

Shiruba licks her fingers off. "You guys go ahead. I am going to enjoy -not- running all over the place for a change." And probably eat more food.

Getting some food is definitely on Kaydon's list of things to do, as he follows Arashi towards the food, grabbing some after she's done grabbing her own, "Well we need partners to do volleyball, how would we split it up?" He wonders, as he looks between the group, "Especially if Shiruba's not playing."

    Merek waves along to Estelle while he plays with that ball, "You look wonderful, you doing alright today?" the man asks while he takes a moment to relax and take a drink.

    That's right. Gwen provided Akatsuki everything she needed for the beach. It would have been a travesty to show up in her standard ninja gear.
    "Yes." She replies simply. "Does it not look good?" The miniAssassin asks, frowning faintly for a beat before putting on the most awkward of twirls to display her swimsuit.
    At least Kite thinks it looks good.
    Thank you, Kite.
    "Is something the matter, my Lord?"

    The warhorse wasn't going anywhere, but she supposes she'll deal with eating with one arm, for now. As Arashi noms, she realizes: This is probably the first R&R that Shiruba has gotten since her promotion. ... That'd explain it. OK. The armcling is fine. For now at least. "School? I didn't hear about that part..."

    "Eh. I've been mostly walking on on my feet for weeks. Much as I'd enjoy it, I need a bit of a break," she explains, hoping to give Shiruba an out if the relaxing officer needs it. "You two could try if you want?" she suggests, looking between Gwen and Kaydon.

    Find Wisteria weird? "Why would--" then as Wis stands up she gets a look at her 'swimwear'. "Well. It's kind of an odd choice, but..." She kips up and waves a hand at the various beachgoers. "We got all kindsa stuff goin' on here! We're /videogame characters/. You see how those usually dress? If no one makes fun of the guy covered in zippers wielding a giant pizza cutter, no one gets to make fun of using a wrap and a fundoshi for swim wear. It's /your/ style."

    And then she realizes she and Wisteria are standing in an area that could be considered 'on the court' by one of the new nets that was just set up, and Cyrus is serving. "Hey!" She dives under the ball, hands clasped together to bounce it high in the air. Which side of the net is it even going to come down on? "Wis, spike it!" Wait, she said she didn't play volleyball? "Just hit it onto his side, but not out of bounds!"

"Thank you, Merek." The vixen tips her head towards the man as he approaches, offering him a soft smile. "And I've been doing well. Keeping myself busy with various investigations, and my usual divinations and stargazing." Seeing the drink in his hand, though, she looks around for the source - and likely moves to get herself something, as well. "Though you might have heard some of that in the Chimlink. I'm still no closer to finding anything on this... Traveler and Visitor situation, though I've still got a few leads to chase."

A drink acquired, she finds a spot out of the danger zone to stand and sip at while they talk. "How about yourself? How are your endeavors, of late?"

    Merek looks around and takes the ball, his, the game's. Whoever, while he begins to swing that fist into it with that magic, "Ragnarok's Wisodm!" The ball then would be sent flying into orbit, landing into the water while it spirals along in flame. The man nods a bit to Estelle, "I am working with projects. I'm making magic!"

    "Ah, no, it looks fine it's just. . ." To be fair seeing a school swimsuit in an isekai video game was rather, surprising. Did Elder Tale actually have those sort of costumes available the last time he checked? Regardless he doesn't press the matter too much. . . As long as he's not put in a school suit as well. "I just wasn't aware there was an actual swimsuit skin in the game. Is that a player made item?" Honestly it'd have made more sense, and yet at the same time he feels like he should find out who this person was. Also possibly bring up a public morale committee during the next Round Table Meeting.

    "Anyway, let's uh make sure we're signed up, right?"

"Mizuki has the right of it, Wisteria. No one is gonna think it's weird. Besides you're not the only one that's dressed more casually." There's the ninja over there after all. Shiruba also waves to Estelle briefly, before turning her attention back to Arashi. "We're going to put up a school to teach the Eastel inhabitants the finer points of using shields -- physical and magical -- so they can defend themselves better."

Because in between stuffing her face is a fine time to fill her friend in on some of the things she's missed on while out hunting her fragments.

    The Baroness smiles at Tae, "You seem amused." Tae nods, "I'm thinking of how you are going to make up for this lost romantic evening with me." She laughs playfully and darts off, calling back over her shoulder, "Have fun with your tournament!" And off she goes, to enjoy the food and watch from the safety of the sidelines.

    Wandering around the recently constructed tourney area, Wake calls out, "We'll begin the first round shortly! Best of three sets, first to 21, the side must win by two." She pauses, trying to think of the way to best deal with the magic issue. "No magic can effect the ball past the net and any popped ball is a loss of point, two broken is a forfeit." To her that sounds somewhat enforcable.. She's still trying to imagine a prize. Does she have anything that might resemble a trophy? As she considers this, she steps to the side and asks Giganpor, "I don't suppose.. you might bail me out with a trophy or award or something for the winning team. Could you?"

    Wisteria blinks "I mean... I can't ... I..." she makes a face "I ment cause I was all alone and still dressed up for the beach... This is perfectly acceptable if I can wear it for festivals back home I can wear it here for the beach." she says with a little wff of breath and a stomp. "OKay so Volly ball?" she licks her lips "Are Wave arts allowed?" she looks a bit slyly at the net.

There doesn't seem to be any warning to the start of the fireworks. There is no quiet before the first scree of magic that casts light into the sky. High above, in the air, there is a pop, and then a showering burst of colorful sparks that rain down into the air. This is soon followed by another and another, until the night begins to be filled with the consistent sound of fireworks exploding.

There are a variety of these magic-driven, colorful explosions. Some pop loudly, vibrating in a way a person might feel in their chest. Others whistle and fizzle as they approach the ground, twirling in the air. Others seem to almost pop into shapes, though the wind quickly disperses the effect.

The fireworks pop off, one by one, seemingly cast from a boat somewhere out on the water. Sometimes, the edge of the masts is just barely visible when the light falls close to the waterline. Then, the sounds start to come closer together, the fireworks overlapping in elaborate ways. It's not quite the finale of a fireworks show that you would get in the real world, since quite a lot of people and mana must be going into it, but it certainly does look spectacular.

Eventually, there is a last huge explosion of sparks, which seems to signal the end of the show. Cheers and whoops follow from around the beach, along with a bit of clapping. Then, perhaps unsurprisingly, people return to their games, food, and festivities.

    The lizard man wwatches as people pair off and looks around, he would take vengence upon his dwarven pal for abandoning him in this time of dire need. He looks around about to ask for a random partner before the first firework pulls his attention to the night sky. He simply stands their now though, awe-struck at the fireworks and just stares into the night sky until it is over and begins to clap and cheer with the others, "THAT WAS AMAZING. BY MY ANCESTORS , IT WAS TRULY A FEAT!"

There's a shake of her head for that poor ball, as it's spiked with a fiery blow, before the fox responds. "Ahh. I see. I chipped in a bit on such a project as well, providing a few insights to complete a design." There's a little nod, at that. "What are you working on, exactly?"

But then there's that distant scree, and Estelle turns her gaze towards the heavens, watching the artificial stars of the celebration. The patterns they carve across the sky, bursting into patterns of beauty to challenge the firmament itself. She doesn't clap, or whoop, or holler - but her smile is serene, and the motion of her tails relaxed and content. Even as shockwaves vibrate through her.

"Ah... I can't imagine how much effort that took, but it was stellar work."

    'It looks fine'.
    The answer is as simple as that and it seems to earn a flat-faced pout from the Assassin, but Akatsuki rallies and she rallies well.
    "Ah, yes... It's player made." She admits. Not by her obviously, but then-- look at that a distraction!
    The fireworks snap Akatsuki's attention away from dragging Shiroe in Wake's direction long enough to pause her.
    "Ah..."
    She watchs in silence for a beat, starbursts reflected in the imp's violet eyes. There's a slight inching closer against Shiroe's side.
    It's a beat after the last of the explosions happens that she realizes she's a little too close.
    "..."
    A blushing ninja vanishes from sight, just like that.
    So much for volleyball.
    She'll be back, later in this beach eopisode, having fun in the background.

The battle is joined. Cyrus claims that the ball won't be sailing over in her direction on his account... And Proteus seems to be satisfied at that, since he didn't just flub it and comedically drop the ball right on what the Imp was working on. She seems content to just settle in at that point...

And the fireworks begin. The Imp looks into the sky as new stars bloom for moments, the blazing bolts sailing into the darkness over the water and highlighting her hooded face. For once, the toothy smile she bears seems to be a pleasant one.

Again, her hand dips into the sand, absently beginning to trace lines while the fireworks show goes on. Perhaps she's tracking the path of the lights and explosions, or something else equally eccentric. But between that and the raging volleyball game going on nearby, the world seems to be a happy, peaceful place for a change.

    Giganpor turns to watch the fireworks. He didn't join in the volleyball, but he did listen to the rules and such as he watched a few games. Maybe next year he'll try it out. The Were-Fang looks considerate, then comments to Baroness Wake, "I guess I can help be an official? Seriously, what were you thinking of setting this up? Next you'll tell me you had some crazy prize."

    That's the last thing that Giganpor wants to hear. Crazy prizes are crazy prizes, after all.

    Kite nods. You're welcome Akatsuki.

After looking expectantly at Shiroe, Kite folds his hands behind his head. "Yeah. The three of us will win for sure! .. or at least have a lot of fun trying, yeah?"

Kite pauses, loud popping noises drawing his attention to the starry night sky as bright flashes joined the stars in a merry jig of colors. "Oh ... the big fireworks show is starting. it really is like a summer festival back home, huh ... "

... it felt bittersweet. Just like every festival since that incident had been. If only Orca could be here to see it, too.

Maybe not this year, but, he would be. Kite resolves himself of this, he'd see another Summer Festival with him eventually. It wasn't over yet. "C'mon, there's no better backdrop, right?"

    Jumps at the first firework, then gets the distracted look of someone in their menus before she suddenly is not in swimsuit but instead a yukata. She wraps her arms around Mizuki's shoulders and rests her chin on the shorter were's head. "Loooooook." she says with a happy sigh, squeezing her friend from behind to watch fireworks and lets it feel like home for at least a few minutes. Her foot slams into the ground, "Stone Catapult!" she says sending a pillar of earth and stone to shoot at the ball. Distractedly and without much care if it hits... there are Fireworks.

    "Alchemist's Fire, it's like that Greek Fire," Merek mentions then to Estelle, while he nods a little bit to the woman. There's a smile, then he will begin to make a way to play ball, while he speaks, "I am in addition farming the coffee."

    Whatever else must be done, there is a moral imperative here. There's no way that Wake is going to miss watching the fireworks with her girl. Without any hesitation, at the first sight of the first flare of light, she's off and in moments, finds her fiancee.

    Whatever else the night may have in store for her, she has this time, just enjoying the beautiful art unfolding in the sky. More than a few times she is turning to study the look on her beloved's face. Seeing the joy there has Wake reflecting on the unlikely path that led to this very moment, trapped in a world that is looking more and more like paradise.

    Only when the finale is complete does Wake rise. "I'll be back once this tournament is handled." She gets back to Giganpor to complete the converation she sparked earlier, before her attention was claimed by the display.

    "I was thinking Uta has everyone staring at her and that seemed uncomfortable for her," Wake explains to Giganpor. "I helped with what was at hand. I am.. ideating the prize as we speak. Thus the hope for a couple tropheys."

"Eh, I think I might pass." Kaydon says, as he glances back out at the water, "Gwen suggested I try to figure out if I can make surfing work. I might be a blacksmith by trade, but I do have a bit of woodworking skill.." He hmms faintly and then chows down on some of the food.

Stone Catapult! The ball sails right for Cyrus as the fireworks come up. The youth turns in confusion, right as the ball slams into his head from the side, and the youth kind of falls over in a more 'comical' than 'painful' looking manner! The ball sails further along the path as the youth hits the ground and temporarily gets the 'UNCONSCIOUS' status effect.

It just lasts for a few seconds, before he sits up in the sands as the fireworks continue to pop off, and the youth goes quiet.

"You know... this world is kind of beautiful sometimes."

"Ahhh. Trying to use magic to create something lost in our world, hm?" Her tone is musing, as she turns that idea around in her head. "I can see that. Something like it might even be recorded somewhere to the West, in the equivalent of Greece. But that shouldn't stop you, no. Alchemy is so much more than Chemistry was, from what little I've experimented."

Still, she sees him walking off towards the nets and the games, and she bows her head. "But, I won't keep you. Have fun, Merek, and try not to leave too many craters or broken balls in your wake." Though, she does make her way over towards Wake, as the apparent referee of this all. It should be a good vantage point to watch the impromptu tournament from.

The Baroness gets a bow of her head in greeting, and a small smile, before the vixen finds herself a spot to drop a simple, folding chair and settle into it.

    Got -some- news, but clearly not all of it. There's an occasional nod between food from Arashi, but her stomach demands food and she must sate the monster within. Kaydon also gets a nod of agreement when he declines the volleyball match. The only thing that really does get the warhorse's attention is fireworks. Good fireworks. Something not seen since a certain point at the start of the year. "Hmm. I like this.."

    Fireworks! Mizuki glances at them, then looks back to the ball. Which hits Cyrus in the head. "Are you alright?!" Well, it's not like concussions are a thing, right?

    The point won, she turns to watch the fireworks with Wisteria, leaning back against the bunny. After a moment, she detransforms to turn off her night vision, ooh-ing as she sees the fireworks the way they're meant to and pressing back against her friend's fur. For a moment she can just... watch the show.

    /Watching/ was so common in the modern world. TV, then streaming videos... maybe they watched too much. But in this world you can never just relax on the couch and /watch/ something. So she'll take this chance, to just relax against Wisteria and watch the fireworks. Properly amazed whenever they do an effect possible thanks to magic, and wondering how such enchantments are built, for once, rather than thinking about VFX technical artists creating it on a screen.

    Wisteria smiles and when the fireworks end she kisses the top of Mizuki's head "Thanks for being here." she says happily. She relaxes and lets the smaller girl go before switching back to her bathing suit. "Alright... uhm did we get the point lose the point?" she was distracted by fireworks and memories and just doesn't know. She's not even aware of beaning someone inthe head.

    Shiroe falters. He falters quite hard when he sees her pouting. Was it something he said? Thankfully she's quick to forgive and that's quite the good thing for him, cause nothings more frightening than a tiny ninja that knows where you sleep. . ."Ah, I see." Still, she's not the only one to have their attention stolen by the fireworks. The lights illuminating the sky were without a doubt majestic, but at the same time brought back an unpleasant memory of what had happened not even a full year ago. Still, that hadn't stopped Akatsuki from savoring the sight, and for him that was well enough. At least until. . .She poofs. "Ah, Akatsuki- Mmm. . ." He looks back in confusion towards Kite, "I'd say she needed to use the toilet, but guess that wouldn't be the case here. . ." What could it be though?! What?!

    It's only then does Kite elaborate on the fireworks which in Shiroe's mind just means that maybe she was hoping to get a better view. "I see. If that's the case we should find a good spot to see it as well, no?" He gives a brief nod to Kite as he opts to have him tag along, traversing the beaches as the others continue their games. Truth be told, the two of them could still end up as a two person team to play. But. . .Not like he's going to make mention of it! *GlassesPushUp*

Shiruba leans back a bit to watch the fireworks. She does finally let go of Arashi's other arm... if only so she can use both hands to hold even more food and enjoy the show. This whole week has been a much needed break from all the other insanity going on in this new world.

Cyrus plows into the sand nearby. Thankfully, it doesn't spoil the lines Proteus is drawing this time. She glances over to the fallen alchemicat as he lies there and watches the fireworks.

For a moment, Proteus smirks a little... And then she stands and crouches next to Cyrus, offering a hand up. "This world is beautiful." She agrees. "And our presence here makes it even more beautiful." After she helps him up, she dusts him off. "Good luck." She says, sweeping away and then walking back to her work, crouching down and tracing those lines in the sand.

Eventually, she wanders off, leaving the lines in the sand, a pattern of an evening of beauty and enjoyment in her wake, eventually to be washed away by the water and the wind to leave the place clean once more.

Mizuki gets a nod from Cyrus as she asks him about the head, and slowly shifts up. Eventually, as Proteus approaches, he accepts the offered hand and rises up. "Thank you." He answers her, before looking back towards some of the fireworks. "And maybe... if anything, our presence here stops the increased monster presence from making things worse." He rolls his shoulders for a moment, and then nods to her as she wanders off. "Thanks." He answers her, before raising his hand to Mizuki. "Going to see if I can find Mikage actually. Still got a status on my window." He motions at where his status roughly floats for himself. "Maybe I'll jump in later."

    Baroness Wake offers a curtsey to Estelle, "I hope you are enjoying the evening," she says warmly. Wake turns back to the task at hand. She has to figure out how to complete this tournament and provide a proper reward. Little does she know, her retinue is already hard at work on the latter detail.

    There's no proper chair for her to use, so Wake ends up standing on a table to see better. It's hardly the ideal, but at least she can see the top of the net. Her attention is directed to Merek and Rizadoman. "Perhaps you should form a team together," she suggests. She isn't sure if Wisteria and Mizuki are actually in a proper match at this point, but she does see Cyrus get up, which is a relief. And he's off, heading away from the tournament. She offers a wave, which she hopes he can notice on his way. "And I think.. we have exactly two teams ready to battle it out."

    Merek nods a bit while looking to find where he can play, a nod offered along to Estelle, while he smiles. "Alright, well let's play," the man notes, while he begins to take position and wait. Watching the fireworks.

Gwen will move to sit down and join with Shiruba ans Arashi for the momentr some food in hand ands she looks up ot watch the fireworks. 5R
"Still pretty isn't it?" Even with as crazy as life is she seem pretty happy here. She looks up with a big grin on her face and watches while she eats some of her food.

"I am." The vixen admits, bobbing her head to the graceful woman clambering atop the table. "It's... nice, just to be out amongst the festivities. Seeing the people revel under the stars, and put their worries aside for a time." She folds her hands in her lap, leaning careful against the back of her chair. "To hear their laughter, and the murmur of their stories. To see what we protect, with our every step and investigation."

Her tails give a little flick and curl behind her, astral fur wrapping around one of the hind legs. "I'm Estelle Mancer, by the way. Astrologian."

    Rizadoman steps into the volleyball court and nods his head towards Merek, " Greetings to you this fine evening. I appreciate this opportunity to work with you. I shall hope for victory for us." Glancing past Merek he cast a friendly nod towards Estelle, "Greetings young lady." He turns to face the challengers as his tail pounds the sand and crouches a little apparently ready to get this started. His eyes flick over to the Baronness, "Excuse me my lady but which side will start us off?"

    And then the fireworks are over. "I think that was a point for us, but uh... does Cyrus have a partner?" She nods as he excuses himself. "Alright, but we WILL have a match later!" She'll explain the rules to Wis, at least as well as she knows them, asking others for clarifications of things like 'how many times are teammates allowed to hit it back and forth to eachother before they have to hit it over the net?' and likening it to tennis with hands instead of rackets and the ball isn't allowed to bounce off the ground.

    "So you know how in tennis you hit it back and forth, trying to force your opponents into a position where they won't be able to reach your next return? Same deal. A spike is just an overhead smash."

    Since when does Sam know anything about sports???

                               ~~~ Years Ago ~~~                                
    Sam is at a family reunion, when someone sets a box down on a table and pulls out a couple of paddles and a ball. Shouts of 'Woo, ping-pong!' and 'Alright, time for the annual Williams family ping-pong tournament!' and the like fill the air. Despite the words, it's an informal affair more like people waiting to play a fighting game at an arcade, a new challenger stepping in when someone loses and no meaningful count of games won, with some contenders wandering away as they get bored. A clear divide emerges between the casuals just playing because it's there, and the people who routinely overhead smash the ball just an inch shy of the edge of the table or hit the ball with so much spin it bounces off the table or their opponent's paddle in a crazy direction, and eventually only the latter are left, playing eachother until they get bored or tired.

    Sam is one of those.

                                  ~~~ Now ~~~                                  

    "Well, two teams is a bit light for a tournament..." Mizuki transforms back to were-fang form, "But better than nothing! You ready?"

    Merek nods a bit to Rizadoman, "It's pretty nice to see you about when we aren't fighting the Goblins," the man notes, then he waits, before he begins to make a play to the ball when it's placed into play.

    The moment Mizuki serves the ball , Rizadoman steps up and leaps , judging from his size and everything it might appear he is going for a spike but no it is a simple knock back to bounce the ball across the net. Turning his head he looks to Merek, "Get ready, it's all yours when they send it back." They had rarely worked together so some verbal communication was neccessary.

    Before things get started, the Baroness directs her attention towards Estelle. Which is a bit odd standing on a table. She tries her best to make it natural. "An honor to meet you, Astrologian." She bows her head in respect. "I have so many questions for you, but I've landed myself in responsibilities. It seems even when I'm meant to relax it ends up this way."

    And the game begins! Wake has to admit that it is rather exciting to have created a tournament, even by accident. While there are only two teams aiming to win the whole thing, the rest of the nets are not abandoned, as adventurers and landers play games of their own, some of which appear to be completely new approaches to the game. When magic goes wild and rules are reinvented things get very intersting.

                               ~~~ Years Ago ~~~                                

    Sam is also the one person holding his ping pong paddle funny, with his thumb against the base of the handle and his index, middle, and ring fingers pressed against one side of the paddle, for 'more precise control.'
                                  ~~~ Now ~~~                                  

    At one point Mizuki continues commenting on strategy with Wisteria: "I guess in doubles it's harder to get BOTH opponents out of position, so maybe table tennis is a more apt comparison; look for opportunities to hit the ball to a location they can't hit it back from."

    Mizuki's having some difficulty adapting to the idea of using special moves or magic in the game. At least at first. Fortunately, she seems able to make good use of the physical abilities of adventurers and were fangs. Not calling on magic to hit the ball remotely or reposition herself, but zooming back and forth across the court THAT FAST, making inhuman leaps to either stop a ball from hitting the ground, or smash it back down to the court from higher than any athlete can jump! The first few times she even says "SPIKE!" in her best Sonic Colors Announcer imitation.

    Even when she doesn't get the chance to deliver a spike, while she's not herself innovating in the use of magic and special moves yet (really, she's just having a ball being able to play a sport with the physical capabilities of a videogame character), she's starting to get a feel for how Wisteria uses it, calling out to her to hit it with magic when a good shot from the enemy makes her accidentally bounce it towards the court boundary or the like. And calling out 'STONE' or 'WATER' or the like when Wisteria does, in the same Sonic Colors Announcer Voice imitation, because it feels appropriate!

    Wisteria herself starts working her Wave arts. As the ball moves she tracks it like it's something she's fighting. Then she zips one way or the other with a small crack of thunder or if she's out of position then she uses something like Stone Catapult to launch the ball back. The Shadow is not a physical class despite it's reliance on sword work. Without a weapon she's much more suited to a support casting roll. It isn't too long before that shows and she misses a return, the spell having too much umph and sending the ball well out of bounds.

"And when you have the time to ask them, I shall give what answers I may; it is my job, after all, to read the heavens and provide guidance. Though I may have questions of my own, in turn." The vixen's ears give a little twitch, as she tips her head towards the Baroness. "And you do have that sort of air about you; a gravity, pulling things into your orbit." The stars for tonight are auspicious, however, and so she simply lets herself relax and recline.

The game takes the center of her attention, for a time. Especially since she's never been too... sporty. Even in VR. The inclusion of Artes does mix it up of course, and she studies the interactions and uses intently. It gives it a hook that the mere play of the ball doesn't have for her. Especially as the duos weave them together, synergizing their techniques in combos and feints.

    Merek advances forward while he swings the ball back, then the point looks to be like it was offered to the party they are fighting. The man uses that Ragnarok's Wisdom to try a swing into that ball.

    Wisteria holds her own using magic to keep the ball up when Miz can't. And when they finaly reach a high set where Miz can leap high to spike. She opens her hands, a flash of dark magic rippling around her fingers. "Dark Ball!" she announces loudly the flash of black magic making it hard if not impossible to see where the ball is actually being spiked TO.

(BGM change? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcCrHZAKfPI )

    Mizuki is on FIRE! Not literally. She could be, but fire isn't really useful here, she doesn't want to destroy the ball! As they move into the second set, she starts experimenting more with using magic to boost her already-good repositioning abilities... although despite that, it seems she's not positioned quite as perfectly as she was through the first set. Perhaps she was really lucky before?

    They'll have to work together to clinch this! Wisteria no doubt has her own cool moment coming in another pose...

    ...but at one point as the ball nears out of bounds, Mizuki shouts, "Wis! Hit it high!" She takes a martial arts stance on the sand and punches the air, then LEAPS as the pillar of stone rises up, propelling her upward! "EARTH!" She's already doing ninja hand signs. "AIR!" When she reaches the peak of her jump, she double-jumps, triple-jumps, and quadruple-jumps... as the spellcasting rings surround her!

    "Let ice on my body mirror ice in my veins! Ozocubu's Hulk Hands!"

    A sheen of ice starts to grow on her body, but then it all goes to her hands, all the mass of a full suit of armor becoming a pair of oversized gauntlets instead! "WATER! METEOOOOOR SPIKE!" As she falls towards the ball she brings down her ice-encased hands, hitting it with her gathered momentum and getting free momentum from creating ice in the air she didn't have to launch! PHYSICS, bitches! The ball rebounds even more elastically off of hard ice than fleshy hands!

    It smashes into the sand on the men's side at ridiculous speed, and shortly after, Mizuki lands, dispelling the gauntlets and looking incredibly pleased with herself, grinning and tail twitching happily. "I guess I should find some way to work fire into it next time..."

    The lizardman steps up as he sees Mizuki getting ready to hit the ball and steps up ready to return it when the ball disappears from his sight. Rizadoman's eyes go wide as he sees the hand motion and blindly dives in the direction he thinks it is going trying to return it. Instead he slides across the sand wwith the grace of a giant lizard before he stops, and sees the ball simply resting infront of him. He had just missed it, and he tasted sand.
     Standing up he spits some sand from his mouth and hears a familliar laugh as he looks over at his dwarven friend had apparently been watching this entire time. Turning his head back to Merek he says, " Sorry, I really thought I had it." Turning his attention back to his opponents he gives a respectful bow. " It appears it is your in, congratulations on winning the tournament I believe."

    It occurs to Baroness Wake that it takes a considerable amount of focus to even keep up with this game. Everyone involved has greater capabilities than the most impressive athletes on earth. Fortunately for her, the ball never strikes gently, and she can make her rulings based on marks in the sand. If she were to introduce tennis, the whole thing would need to be magically judged! Basketball, maybe..

    With the sheer ferocity of play, there's not much time to mull things over. The set, much like the first, stays pretty close for a time, until at last Wisteria and Mizuki pull into a lead that they never relinquish.

    With the last point scored, Wake's call rings out clearly. "That's game! Let's hear it for our champions, Wisteria and Mizuki!" Before Wake can finish the sentence, the crowd erupts with cheers and applause. It says something about the power of adventurers in this world that a pick up beach volleyball game was more epic than any sporting event in Earth's history.

    While the cheering is going on, Wake hops down, immediately met by a young man from her retinue. He holds up something in a cloth and nods at her. With a relieved smile, Wake takes the cloth. She stops just a moment to try and fix her hair before she makes her way onto the sand court.

    The Baroness raises a hand, but not until she's let the crowd cheer for nearly a minute straight. As she does, it brings the roars to a quiet murmur. "Thank you to both teams for the incredibly entertaining contest! We are all grateful!" Another rush of applause floods out her next words, and she waits once more before raising a hand for silence once more. "And for our victors, we have something special." With the help of the same young man who brought her the prizes, she draws out medals for both Wisteria and Mizuki and with care puts them on each of the winners. They read, 'Champion of the First Annual Beach Volleyball Tournament'. How she had this prepared in such a short time is something of a mystery. She definitely owes some favors for it, though.

There's a nod at the tactical choice of obscuration from Wisteria, as the vixen considers the latest set. Mizuki, however, just gets a Look. It's vaguely awed, but also slightly befuddled. "... Ozocubu's Hulk Hands? Is that a standard Arte I'm not aware of, or a more custom work?" Her ears have pinned themselves back a little, as she runs through her memory. "The rest of it was quite something, though. A wonderful show of combining multiple techniques into an overwhelming advantage."

"... and I think fire would have been overkill." She notes after a moment, before shaking her head. "Even if the balance of it would probably be aesthetically pleasing."

But then the victors are declared, the crowds are cheering, and her ears pull flat for an entirely different reason. One hand reaches up, pale fingers rubbing at the dark tufts, and she takes a moment to study the medals as they're produced and offered. Though only briefly, before she's rising to her feet and folding her chair back up for storage. Even if that's not... entirely necessary, given it's being stored in her inventory, but.

She lingers, though, there on the edge of the crowd, tails dancing a little.

    Mizuki raises her fists in the air and turns around to face all of the cheering crowd, then gives Wis a jubilent hug! "We did it!" She then turns to Merek and Rizadoman, "Good game. That was really fun! I look forward to seeing what people come up with for Adventurer Volleyball in the future!" She approaches them to shake their hands, before turning to Wake to accept the prize with Wisteria. Looking at the medals feels novel. She's never had a sports victory like this...

     Rizadoman continues to brush the sand off himself, and then claps when the medals are awarded. Seeing the medals, Rizadoman feels a bit better about not winning, he had been expecting something like some gift certificate at one of the food booths or somethings. As he approaches his friend the dwarf pats him on his back, while chuckling and adding, "Wait till I tell everyone about getting to watch you eat sand. Come on lets get something to wash it out of your mouth." As the two vanish into the crowd the dwarf and lizardman's laughter can still be heard for several more minutes.

    Merek offers a little nod when the women win, then he nods to Rizadoman, "Thank you!" It looks like the man finds all of that fun, all the same. The dark attire adjusted about him, he begins walking along to find people which might offer a recipe for fireworks while he waits.

    Once the crowds cheering dies down, the Baroness is able to lower her voice and have a real conversation with the winners. "That was truly amazing! I never imagined we'd have such a spectacular contest. I'm curious now just where it might go the next time we do this." She's already got ideas in the back of her head.

    "For now, though, please do enjoy the rest of the evening. Eat, drink, celebrate. Your food and drink are on Baroness Wake's account tonight. When my castle is ready for guests, I'd be pleased to have you visit so I might properly show my appreciation for your performance. You brought a second set of fireworks for us to enjoy."

    Before Wake can finish speaking, her fiancee returns, looking excited. It takes some restraint for her not to gush over the performance. She instead says, "That was truly an amazing thing to watch. How have you been able to stay in such good form? Were you playing here previously?"

    The Baroness does notice Estelle has not wandered off, and is pleased. She calls out, "Wise Astrologian! Perhaps it is too late to speak, but if not, I would be grateful for a few minutes of your time."

"The stars' patience is endless, and I can give a little longer." Estelle replies, a soft quirk to her lips. Her hands are clasped behind her, hidden by the cascade of her hair. "Though not too long." After a moment, she reclasps her hands in front of her and leans against the table, giving the Baroness the time she needs to sort things out with the players who remain, though her star-filled tails have curled around her legs.

... though does have some interest in the answers to Wake's questions, herself, so her ears are perked and turned towards the victorious athletes.

    Wisteria stretches then changes clothes in her menu, switching back to her Yukata to enjoy hanging out for the evening.

    And then the Baroness comes to talk to her. Amazing? "Thanks!" Mizuki grins again, then considers the thought. "Well... I guess you might want to have regular physical volleyball -- well, as regular as it can be for Adventurers -- alongside magic volleyball? Magic could turn it into something else completely. Which would still be cool, but maybe a different sport. Maybe the meta will become about hitting the ball remotely, and stopping your opponent from doing so. Are you allowed to use physical projectiles to hit the ball while it's on the other team's side of the net? Hmm..."

    Free food and drink?! "Sweet!" her tail twitches faster, and her ears redden a bit at being called a second set of fireworks. "Aww, I'm sure future matches will be WAY more firework-y... especially once people figure out how to use fire element constructively... I was thinking about that actually, if you form a stone platform under your partner and then use an explosion to propel it... and could you use and move such platforms on your opponent's side? But that's just Stone Catapult with extra steps, isn't it?" She raises her hand to her chin. "Hmmm..."

    And then the fiance makes her blush too. She scratches the back of her head, "I'm honestly not sure adventurers even need to exercise, but I guess we get enough from adventuring. But physical classes of Adventurer are clearly stronger, tougher, and faster than humans, and I'm a were fang on top of that... Honestly, I haven't played volleyball in over a decade. But it's all related, isn't it? It's not like running and jumping and throwing things with precision isn't something I have to do in nearly every fight..."

    She turns to Estelle. "It was Ozocubu's Armor. I just announced a different name after the incant... and kind of magically 'pushed' on it to be different? Honestly I was pretty lucky all of that lined up... I'm not sure how reliable it would be in combat. Although what would you use Ozocubu's Hulk Hands for in a fight, anyway?"

    "The stars defeat me in that regard," replies Wake. "Patience has never been my greatest strenght. However, the stars aren't likely to help me remedy that tonight. But what can the stars tell you in this world?" She never put any stock in those things in the real world. However, in a world of scripted events, it's possible for such predictions to be incredibly useful.

    The Baroness goes on to ask, "Do the stars here work like we'd expect, or have you noticed differences? I suppose I should ask if you have an observatory at this time."

    Wake's fiancee remains focused on the stars of the show. "My apologies, I should introduce myself. I'm Tae." She pauses, gathering her thoughts. "I wonder how far the game can be pushed, and what might be done.. though I think the magic should not reach across the net. With more time to play I imagine that this could be the most popular sport in the world!" She looks over to Wake, "We need to make this an event, dear! Seriously, the landers loved it, too."

"Combined offense-defense - all of the ice mass seems focused there, after all, adding extra weight to your blows. Even if it might slow them down before momentum gets involved. Blocking for an ally; they're large, and you can swing them around between attacks and their targets." The fox muses towards Mizuki, as she ticks off fingers and considers the potential of the Hulk Hands. "And there's some utility potential outside, as well, depending on how exactly they function." She wiggles her fingers, playing more off from there. "It's an interesting little trick."

And then she turns to wake, tails flitting about in excitement behind her. "As for the stars? This is a world of magic, and astrology has long been a form of Divination. They can offer true guidance here; hints and directions that would otherwise be missed. They helped me locate where the Whisperer is, for instance, and that he yet lives - though the first half of that information was also found through more mundane means; his captor was of note to the Hunter's Guild, though I haven't heard anything of a retrieval mission yet."

She pushes off the table, gesturing upwards with both hands. "As to how they work? They are the same stars that we saw from our homes, Before." A flourish withdraws star charts from her Inventory, and she turns to spread them along the table. "Look; there is Suzaku, Lord of Summer, laid out in ink. And there..." Her hand rises, wand snapping into it; a soft murmur has it trailing light in the air behind it, as she traces it out, encapsulating the constellation's stars. "... he lies in the heavens, watching over us. The distances are compressed, but astronomy still thrives."

"... and I'm currently investigating the sites of observatories from Home, and considering the foundations of one."

    Mizuki looks impressed as Estelle immediately thinks of legitimate uses for a spell variation she invented to cheat physics in sports and named as a joke.

    But then Tae is talking to her. "Nice to meet you!" Mizuki suddenly realizes NPCs might not have the Inspect tool, and introduces herself, "I'm Mizuki of the Odysseia Knights!" She turns her head to glance back at the pick-up volleyball games being played, tail twitching. "Ooh. Well, we'll have to have soccer and basketball too. I was never really into sports in our home world, but here..."

    The cat ninja grins, leaps into the air, and mimes dunking a ball. "Swish!" After landing, she comments, "You might have to raise the hoops. Also how do you deal with adventurers being able to use Artes to aim a perfect three-point throw every time?"

    She tilts her head to the side in thought. "Ooh, we'll have to have tennis too! And badminton!"

    After imagining that for a moment, she turns back to Estelle. "You're an astronomer? Ah, I guess here astronomy and astrology might not be so different... Still, you should to talk to Jazz, she's been studying the stars since the Apocalypse! I bet you two could learn a lot swapping notes...What's a Whisperer?"

    "I would not presume to change your plans, but if you are seeking for a site, I am currently quite a ways into the process of clearing a mountain home of orcs. I imagine that telescopes work much the same here as they did back home, and that being away from many bright light sources and having less atmosphere to look through can be a benefit." The Baroness considers her words carefully, but her interest is clearly piqued.

    "There are matters of great concern ahead of me. Having one who can see what is to come could inform some of my decisions." She feels it irresistable to share some examples that spring to mind. "Knowing how our crops will fare, or if the weather in the coming season will be particularly bad could give us time to prepare or seek to alter the events."

    "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mizuki! And I think we could open a whole world of sports. The action would be truly amazing! I think the duelist league is a great starting point, but certainly not the end of how we can compete in this world." Tae is clearly animated by the possibilities, but she doesn't let it rush her speech.

"Oh, I'm already collaborating with Jazz." There's a firm nod, at that. "Her astrolabe helped significantly in some of our checks and surveys, and will be crucial in long-term mapping of the lunar orbits - though I'm still researching what roles they play in Divination, given how firm a divergence that is from Home and my astrology studies. The fact that they don't interact properly with certain things baffles my astronomy ones, too... It's an interesting project to look into, especially given what small records I can find about Eclipses..." Her voice trails off there, for a moment, before she shakes it off - literally - and continues.

"And the Whisperer was a Lander. He developed the enchanted flute recreated and tested of late, and was captured when it drew in a Young Baphomet - one who's earned a name, though I can't recall it off the top of my head. The Hunter's Guild is aware of the situation, however, so I'm sure it's being worked on."

"... As for your offer, Baroness," she turns back to her starcharts, gathering them up, "I will offer what help I can, though I'm not yet certain as to the long-term scope and accuracy of astrology in this new world. Again, it's a work in progress to remap what I know, and to apply it in recognizable ways." The papers vanish into her Inventory, and she turns towards the woman. "And I'll consider the offer there, as well, though so far Tsushima has been promising - and it offers some additional information resources, as well."

    "I will keep an eye on your results," says Baroness Wake. "And if you need help, please reach out. I have recently made many resources available and I'm between tasks, you might say. Considering what lies ahead, it is a rather unique time for me. I rarely have this much bandwidth available."

    She looks skyward for a moment, then lets out a soft sigh. "But for now, I must rest. The hour is late, and there is always much to do."

    Wake glides elegantly into a curtsey, her head bowing politely, "I bid you all a peaceful night." She rises smoothly, taking Tae by the hand. Tae waves and lets out a sigh, "Sadly, she is quite right. It is time to rest. Good night!"

    Mizuki listens curiously to the discussion of the Baroness building, well, a barony. She doesn't usually think in terms of building stuff like that to STAY here.

    Mizuki blinks at something Estelle says. "They don't interact? With what? Eachother? The stars are too far away for gravity between them and the moons to be noticeable, right? Or... are the tides off?" She looks towards the beach. "I haven't even THOUGHT about how tides work on a world with two moons... It just never came up..."

    She nods to the Baroness. "Thanks for the food! And the tournament!" Then she puts an arm around Wis and walks towards the food. "Let's try everything delicious!"

"Yes. According to Jazz, Tidal motions don't match up with Lunar activity. It's actually quite interesting, and worth an entire research project on its own - but I'm going to focus on their role in Divination, first, for practical reasons." is the off-hand comment towards Mizuki, as she slips away with the werebun. "And have fun."

But she turns to the bowing Baroness with a glint in her silver eyes, tails lashing a little. "I do have some questions of my own, though! If you're arranging for a proper barony, as it sounds like, you have resources. And perhaps a library or two you can plunder that I haven't looked for." She crosses her arms across her stomach. "So, have you ever come across the linked titles Visitors and Travelers? I'm doing some research, and the former come up, and looking into that lead to the information they're also called the second... and Giganpor mentioned that they might have something to do with the Waves."

    The Baroness pauses to consider the question. "I do have resources, and my home is in the Fourland Dukedom, but I doubt the library will have any books left in it. Long ago the castle was evacuated, and long has it been held by orcs. Not much longer, certainly, will they have their sway, but I do not expect to find such a treasure."

    Yet not all her words are hopeless. "I will certainly restore the library, and even though I have not seen those titles, I can certainly seek it out, if that would prove helpful to your work. I wonder, if it is related to the waves, what the Undine might be able to tell me. I will certainly do what I can."

"It would." The vixen agrees at that glimmer of hope, giving a short bow to the Baroness. Her tails are a bit less agitated, now that she's gotten her own question answered. "And thank you. May the Stars watch over your slumber." She rises from the bow, and brushes from sand from a tail where it flicked along the sands. "I should likely get to my own repose."

She turns, at that, and starts making her own way off - pausing here or there to take in a moment happening on the beach around her, before she's gone entirely.