there's always a lighthouse. there's always a beach party.

[wheremst]

[ Welcome to... a very nice beach, actually! It's very pleasant here. Carmen has set up a couple bonfires, there's some barbecues with meat to cook... and a lot of beach to hang out on! ]

Welcome to California's Pigeon Point Light Station State Park! Between Santa Cruz and San Francisco, just south of Pescadero, this lighthouse gets it's name from the Carrier Pigeon, a ship that wrecked here in 1853! ... Sorry, old habit. Go party. We have the whole place to ourselves. Most everyone here's been through something like this, or knows someone who has. And... the vending machine's bringing in some friends of yours, too.

[ It's a warm late summer night - not too hot for bonfires, but not too chilly that you need to stick by them to survive.

You've made it to the end. There are fellow survivors to meet and commiserate with, friends to meet or catch up with, and... it's over. For those of you returning, it's been about a year since the end of Round 2, and Carmen's gotten the word out to as many people as she can between trying to help this round and tracking down Round 0. If you'd like to play a hostage from the first motive, just know that they will remember it, but it's up to the player in the main round if time has passed since then or not so... it may have been a day or two ago or it may have been months! And hell with it, if you want to play a Round 0 character you suggested back in r1, come talk to us. Why not?

EDIT: Asher has gone to the trouble of making a toplevel directory for anyone intimidated by the number of pages!

Enjoy the last log of Unknown Seas! You've earned it. Love meme will come later tonight in the ooc comm. ]

Comments

[dullshooter]

[Misfire’s just out here relaxing against some poor tree, and then suddenly he’s being asked directions. He’d tune it out except, that description…]

Are you looking for Woofie? [A smile grows as he considers the opportunity for mischief. Just one last time. For the road.] What, are you one of his daughters?

[conceivesfrenzy]

Maybe they realized trying to replace all the dishware was getting too expensive, so that's why they didn't bother with the cruise this go around? It's certainly less tacky.

[ She smiles. Hi, Freyja. ]

You look good. Did you change your hair?

[prompocalypse]

Shame.

[She smiles at the wary calculation going on in Aria's eyes. Not the kind of calculation that comes from having been found out but having been hit with something just to the left.

It's not that Penelope didn't always know that Mielle was a horribly entitled and manipulative brat who looked her nose down on just about everyone in the game (and was, in Penelope's opinion, kind of a tragic case of a pathetic little meow meow given the sheer amount of times she fainted), it's just that Penelope is worse. Worse to the point that Mielle seemed to have immediately thought of her as much like Aria.

Unfair, in Penelope's opinion. She's much prettier.]

So you're Mielle's hated enemy, then. I'm Penelope. Lovely to meet you. [She cocks her head.] So, about that drink.

[howveryglib]

[You know... he's just going to watch that magical display, because holy shit? There's a part of him that's still kind of unnerved by watching such powerful magic, but eh. He knows who's casting it. It's fine!]

...I suppose this will sound like an odd question, but how does it feel to use magic like that?

[timegazer]

[THERE ARE SO MANY BOUNCY LIL BROWN PUFFBALLS JUST GOING OFF FOR THIS DISPLAY and one decidedly yellow, spiky puffball doing the same but like. Listen. It was massively cool, you deserved this, boy!!]

Well, it's certainly quite the feat! I certainly wouldn't want to mess with you with power like that in your hands--why, our Lady of the Ridge might flush with envy once she sees your prowess!

[He chuckles, though, grinning bright.]

Carmen allowed me the chance to bring them all from home! Rather quickly, I might add--why, it was as if barely any time passed at all! Truly a feat that I imagined only Almighty Sinnoh could pull off!

[But, ah--]

Quite the adorable ones, wouldn't you agree? They're all so adorable and spunky at this age!

[prompocalypse]

[She makes a note of it. Forrest really knows how to make art out of a tragedy.]

In general. I mean, I'm... [She trails off. She's not even sure what she was going to say. Dead? Alone?] ...there's nothing for me, back home.

[It's a bitter truth and she's only just starting to figure it out. All she has to look forward to is trying again. She could change, of course. She won't.]

[timegazer]

[Glaceon doesn't seem to have an answer for that, unfortunately; one second she was there, and the next she seemed gone, no thanks to the oafish diamond boy, but thankfully she can't communicate that to Ingo.

Adaman, however, runs up to the both of them--mostly just to make sure he really isn't seeing things, and sure enough, he isn't.]

Yes, that's me! In the flesh! [Man, is it strange he sounds so relieved to see him? He's one of the first breaths of familiarity that he's seen in weeks, just--] I can attempt to explain what happened, though you may find it a touch unbelievable...but really, I should be saying the same of you! How did you get here--what happened to you, and are you alright?

[He wants to ask how Hisui is doing--he's not sure, himself, what answer awaits, but...well, mostly he wants to make sure Ingo didn't get hurt in the process of coming here.]

[crocodiline]

You and me both.

[ She looks out at the sea. ]

You know, I've apparently got some governments to overthrow, if you're interested.

[bootyhunter]

Well, some people would say I'm all style and no substance, so I think I've gotcha covered on that front.

[Dandy preens his ridiculous pompadour in the process of spewing those words. He catches the warmth in Aiba's voice, although he doesn't attribute it to anything specifically, simply choosing to believe that the mood has lightened since things have suddenly taken a turn for the better.]

I can try, can't I? And even if I can't, I'll still be pretty damn Dandy, baby. Y'know?

[Dandy is not a fighter, but dance? Oh! He is certainly a master at that, no matter how goofy he may appear when he gets to tapping those otherwise clumsy feet.]

[thieviusraccoonus]

So, something tells me you're not just rooting through that vending machine for loose change.

[So says this raccoon here, trying to casually enter... whatever conversation she's having with the device.]

[thieviusraccoonus]

[On the other hand, there's folk who don't enjoy the beach, most of the time anyway. Take for example - this guy. Raccoon. Guy.]

On the one hand, I do love a good party. [He's speaking mostly to himself, combing the sand before him with the tip of his oddly-crooked cane.] But me without my metal detector and treasure maps... I should've been more prepared.

[dullshooter]

[Don’t worry buddy, it won’t take Krok too long for Misfire to spot him at least.]

Krok!

[He waves him down on the approach and then covers the remaining distance in his alt mode. He’s missed doing that.]

I was wondering when you’d show up. We don’t have to go back right now do we? I’ve got to introduce you to everyone.

[There’s still time to turn and leave, Krok.]

[crocodiline]

[ oh this is fucking weird um. like she could be wrong about who this guy is but christ alive once you've had albert wesker explained to you how are you gonna not recognize albert wesker ]

Ran this one, actually.

[crocodiline]

I didn't pick one up this game, but you beat Sitwell easily.

later

[didntgetdadslooks]

[ hey girl hey- a very Slim young woman, with a sleeve of sick tats and wearing some kind of Fantasy Garb, sits down next to her. ]

These are pretty weird, huh?

[dalsegno]

[ judging by the way Aria goes tense at the sight of her, she's no better prepared for this than Mielle is. it's so unsettling that Mielle is older than Aria last saw her. she doesn't like the uncertainty of it; what kinds of things have happened for Mielle that Aria has no knowledge of? what sort of upper hand does she have now, even in this one conversation? the anxiety itches on her skin, and she crosses her arms to shake it off.

she wants to scream. she wants to tear Mielle's hair out by the roots. she wants to shout at everyone here, grab them by their collars and shake them until she understands, because how can she get away with it, how is it that always always always, without even having to try, Mielle is graced with the love and forgiveness that Aria could never get. but because it's Mielle she's dealing with, she plasters a smile on her face as always. ]

How could I leave without knowing what my beloved sister's fate will be?

[arealkeeper]

If I wanted loose change, I'd sell snacks.

[ hey buddy! ]

[dullshooter]

Not with that attitude.

[The size difference between them is greater than ever now, so Misfire’s offering of an outstretched palm is even more…more.]

Get on up. We’ve got a flashmob to start.

[honeyedtea]

[ Oh, so that's the game they're playing, is it? After a moment, Mielle folds her arms in turn and, with some effort, manages a smile that doesn't look like she wants to tear out Aria's throat with her teeth. ]

I see. How sweet of you to have been so concerned with me when you'd find through such an ordeal yourself.

[ Aria looks... smaller. Younger. Maybe it's something to do with the way they were brought here - maybe this is an Aria who hasn't quite grown all the way into being a villainess yet. Not that it makes Mielle anymore inclined to be kind to her. ]

You weren't treated too terribly in her care, were you? Noble daughters are typically taught at quite a young age what to expect from a kidnapping... but of course, you wouldn't have been so prepared.

[dalsegno]

[ oh - there's no hostility there, after all. she'd worried that anyone who had come out the other side of that experience with Mielle might be another of her blind devotees, ready to condemn Aria for so much as breathing in her sister's direction, but this girl is more shrewd. that's fine. Aria doesn't mind that. it's not as if she's here to make friends with any of these people, but she can socialise just fine with someone like this to kill time until Mielle finally storms over

that wary look in Aria's eyes doesn't disappear, but she smiles. ]

Oh dear. Is that what she introduced me as? [ she steps forward to link her arm with Penelope's, the way that young noblewomen do among friends, to walk in the direction of whatever passes as a bar here. ] Well, I'm a little surprised that it wasn't "that lowly whore."

[myceelium]

Of course. I'm glad he didn't come to harm.

[ Because if he did, Jade would be a lot less pleasant! Not necessarily at Jonathan, but there's an aura around both of the Leech twins that can be quite imposing. ]

I'm happy to hear you enjoyed his presence as well- Floyd can be quite free-spirited at times.

[ And also an absolute gremlin. ]

[capreelcious]

I sure am~! A moray, to be exact!

[ His tail is long enough to peek it out of the water and wiggle it at her in a wave! ]

[dalsegno]

[ hah. is that really what she's bragging about? does she think that Aria so desperately wishes she had been born a real aristocrat like Mielle? as if it's something to be proud of, to be that useless, that much of a helpless parasite. there's an enormous contempt lodged in Aria's throat that she's never been able to express and never will, since she has no choice but to play the part of nobility.

but... does it matter, when the Mielle she's speaking to isn't the one she has to live with every day? when there's nobody around to impress? she doesn't have to be as careful with the delicate spider's thread of her own life right now. ]

You're right... I didn't live the kind of sheltered life where I had the privilege of those lessons. I'm glad you're worried about me, but it's okay, sister. Outside of the aristocracy, even a child knows how to survive without being told.

[ she beams, warmly. ahh, it feels good to let loose just a little bit... ]

But, were you alright in this situation? I mean, I hope those lessons were easier for you than your embroidery lessons were...

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[Among the faces that turn up... is this one! A woman, possibly in her mid-twenties, with curling raven hair tied back in a short ponytail. Despite the summer weather, and even though it's pretty cool, she seems utterly determined to wear a leather jacket for some reason.

For Round 3's specifically, she approaches them openly, giving a wave.]

Hey, congratulations on finally putting an end to all of this.

[For everyone else, she might seem just a little bit surlier. Tugging a bit on the collar of her shirt.]

Ugh. I've been traveling for too long. I'm not used to the summer weather anymore.

[dullshooter]

[In terms of spots, Misfire couldn’t have picked better. The beach has the right balance of calm and potential for partying, plus the space to accomodate for Misfire at his …actual size.

In the interest of not squishing anyone now they can’t just come back (or at least, that’s the excuse he’ll give), he sticks to lounging around various parts of the beach. He’s not looking particularly contemplative or anything, really, he’s just having a good time.]