(open) ☀️ beach bonfire party

[niwabi]

WHO: Everyone! You and you and yes, YOU!
WHAT: Summer Beach Party
WHEN: June 23rd
WHERE: Solarpeak Beach
WARNINGS: none for now!

BEACH PARTY

The sun is shining, a cool, crisp ocean breeze flutters across the shores of Solarpeak Beach. There's not a single cloud in the sky, the perfect day to have a party! Whether you heard about it through Yoimiya's network post, word of mouth or just happen to stumble onto the festivities, everyone is invited to Ellipsa's scorching hot Beach Bonfire Party! Grab your swimsuits, sun dresses, or whatever you feel the most comfortable in, and join in on the fun.

➤

Gonna Soak Up the Sun

Through the combined efforts of Sisu, Yoimiya, and the many kind volunteers who lent their assistance in setting up the venue, the beach party is here and open to the public! Upon arrival, everyone will be given a choice of colorful, handmade hibiscus leis or bracelets to adorn for the party. They aren't mandatory in the slightest, just a cute little thank-you gift to those who are attending. After receiving a warm welcome from the hosts, you're free to set off and have fun! Meet up with friends or introduce yourself to new people from distant worlds, the party is your oyster. Of course, there will be plenty of other activities to partake in as well. Venture forth to the fun!

Feeling brave and daring? Sitting on top of the ocean is an inflatable balance beam built especially for water jousting. Foam joust poles and life jackets (if you wish to wear one!) will be given to would-be challengers looking to scratch the itch for a fight. The goal is to assert your dominance by knocking adversaries into the water and be the last person standing. Show off your strength and become the champion of the beach!

Perhaps you might be in the mood for a bit of fun in the sand. A large area of the beach is sectioned off for the grand Sandcastle Competition. Solarpeak residents from all across the city are bustling with excitement, flocking in to watch the artists do their magic, so go wild with your creations and give them a good show! Buildings, any kind of sculpture, or even just a basic castle are all accepted, let your imagination run free. You can even drag a buddy in for a helping hand if your work of art requires assistance. For the winner, the grand prize is a summer gift basket filled with goodies for a nice relaxing spa day at home. Tucked away inside the basket are gift cards to various restaurants in Ellipsa. Don't fret if you aren't interested in participating! Anyone is welcome to walk around and marvel at the competitor's creations.

➤

A Feast for All

The hosts are bound and determined to ensure that no one leaves this beach hungry. If you're craving a cold tasty treat to stave off the heat, a bustling shaved ice stall is here to cool down roasting attendees. An endless variety of flavors are available for mixing and matching, waiting to quench your thirst. If you are feeling adventurous, there are a few questionable flavors on the menu such as Bacon, Durian, Jalapeño, Ketchup, Mushroom, Pickle juice and Seaweed. Try them at your risk or if your palette is "hungry" for something more on the "unique" side.

For those who made inquiries about alcohol, special arrangements have been made! A small pop-up bar has been set up for today's joyous occasion. The bar's pride and joy is a variety of summer-themed cocktails but you can also find other basic liquor or non-alcoholic drinks if your tastebuds are craving simplicity. To go alongside the refreshing beverages, food is also provided at this small establishment. Some of the dishes on the menu are: kebabs with a hint of rum, peach bruschetta, spring rolls, fish and chips, crab hush puppies, and a spicy jalapeño popper dip (you can also ask for the ghost pepper version of this dip if you are feeling brave). All the hosts ask is that visitors to the bar be mindful of the people who can't or aren't interested in drinking.

Decorated across the shores of the beach are tables, picnic blankets, and sizzling hot grills for the designated picnic area. In a similar fashion to the potluck that took place a while back, several tables have been set up for those who like to go crazy in the kitchen or wish to advertise their food business by bringing samples to share.

Time flies when so much fun is taking place! As the last light of day begins to fade, the stars come out to brighten up the night sky on this clear summer day. However, just because there's no more sunlight, doesn't mean the party is over. Far from it! There's still lots of excitement to be had for the attendees who wish to stick around for the night festivities.

➤

A Midsummer Night's Glow

On the middle of the beach, a blazing bonfire burns ever so brightly inside a log fire pit. Eat snacks, catch up with friends, meet new people, or get cozy with others should one be feeling touch starved. In need of an icebreaker? A game of truth or dare or telling scary stories makes for a good way to pass the time. Maybe you'll have a fateful encounter and land yourself a date before the night is over.

With a sky full of beautiful stars, a bustling bonfire, and a large open space, the atmosphere is perfect for dancing. The DJ for the evening is the bright and energetic Aimoto Rinku, here to bust out an array of sick beats with her turntable. There's plenty of fun to be had in a group conga line or grab a partner for a slow, romantic bolero, and dance to whatever music piques your interest. A small makeshift stage is also set up for those who wish to sing, Rinku will be more than happy to work with any potential performers. From upbeat EDM to ballads, all types of genres fill the air with music. Let loose, enjoy the melody, and dance the night away!

➤

Festive Mementos

For one of the hosts, summer just isn't the same without fireworks exploding across the sky. To end the evening with a bang, a beautiful barrage of fireworks paints the night sky in various colors and patterns. As a final gift to the attendees, Yoimiya has prepared sparklers for everyone to play with. There are a variety of colors to choose from, pink, red, blue, green, orange, purple, yellow, etc. No matter what color catches your fancy, with a little flick of the wand, all of them appear like twinkling stars sparkling and flickering across the stick.

To end off the light show, fireworks representing each of the seasons burst into the sky. Blue snowflakes for Winter, pink cherry blossoms for spring, a yellow sun for Summer, and red maple leaves for Autumn. After the vibrant display, a final golden ray of light flickers and explodes into a bright, heartwarming message for all of the guests. "Thank you for attending! You are all amazing! Let's have a great time in Ellipsa!"

(OOC: Make your own top levels, mingle and have fun! ♡)

code

Comments

[titanscience]

[Hange takes the jellyfish bucket and just sort of trails after Levi, right up until the moment he begins to manhandle the staff, at which point Hange is butting in between them and hastily apologizing, leaving the bucket on a chair in order to pull him away from the poor nurse.]

H-haha~! It's not that urgent, I'm sure.. We can wait! Right, Levi...?

[He's worried, probably more than Hange is to be honest, so they can't really fault him for his behavior. Thankfully the threats and talk of venomous animals is enough to get attention though, so they get moved to the room soon enough....]

[.....And after a quick examination of the leg, the bucket, and explanation of what 'jellyfish' are, the Doctor makes it clear that nobody is in danger of losing their life today, so no further aggression will be tolerated. (Hange is side-eyeing you, Levi)]

[After the nurse applies some sort of cream to the leg with instructions to repeat it at home for a couple of days and to soak it in warm water, they try to offer an injection of some sort of anti-inflammatory, but it turns out to be a huge pain in the ass with neither of them agreeing to it until they know what is in it, because injecting serums hardly ever ends well, and then Hange is wanting to take a sample of it to run in some fancy medical software they've seen before in the research center and before long the poor staff give up, offering a simple ibuprofen with the option to take it or leave it before the pair are prompted to leave, poor jellyfish still sloshing around in its bucket.]

....Hey, Levi. Let's go back to the beach!

[Absolutely nothing has been learned from this encounter.]

[wingbound]

[ Of course he's worried. He's had to watch them walk away into certain death before. He's had to be left alone. There's no way he's letting some damn glob of jelly make him go through that again. He's irate and violent and even somewhat jittery, and his shoulders only slump with some relief once they're in the doctor's office being told that nobody dies from a sting of that jellyfish. ]

[ He almost wants to lie down on the floor and groan -- fucking four-eyes, putting them through all of this -- but manages to mostly hold it together. He's definitely ignoring the side-eyeing, though, because fuck that. ]

[ They're out in the lobby by the time Hange apparently has recovered completely, and he reaches out to grip their ponytail so he can turn their head toward him and stare for a few long moments. ]

Absolutely not.

[ And he's also taking the bucket-- ]

And we're getting rid of that.

[titanscience]

[Hange won't fight it too hard when Levi snatches the bucket away, but they don't really like the tone he takes when saying to get 'rid' of it. The creature did nothing wrong!]

That's why I said we have to go to the beach! We need to put it back.

[It's fine, Levi. Nobody will get stung again. (Probably?)]

I don't want Noodles to die because we had it trapped in a bucket, in the sun for all this time.

[It's a typical Hange moment, obviously more concerned for the creature that could have potentially killed them rather than their own wellbeing.]

[wingbound]

[ Didn't it though? The creature stung Hange and made Levi lose his goddamn shit for, like, an hour. He's not very happy about it. ]

[ In fact, he looks like he's actively holding back from stomping on it RIGHT THIS MOMENT. ]

Huh? Don't worry, I'll make it quick.

[ ...Hange may be able to talk him down, though. But they'd better be willing to make some promises like staying away from the water. ]

[ Alternatively, they could chuck it into the sewers and hope it doesn't lead to a mutant ooze monster event... ]

[titanscience]

Levi!

[Okay now Hange is actively trying to steal the bucket back.]

We have to go put it back into the water! Then we can go home! I won't even go in it this time, I'll stay on the sand! Pleeeease?

[If it saves the creature from being squished, they're willing to give up on hunting for more, at least for now. And if he disagrees, well Hange will just continue to try stealing it from him, let's hope there are no more stinging incidents...]

[wingbound]

[ They manage to snatch it back, or maybe Levi allows it, but at the same time it seems to snap something in him, something that he's been barely holding together since they got out of the water. ]

[ He may not be denying them, but he sure has an opinion about it. ]

--That thing could have killed you!

[ No, it technically couldn't have, unless he believes it was in fact venomous until the moment they found out it's not. But it's what he thought, so the stress was still 100% real. ]

[titanscience]

[Success! Hange takes the bucket and looks all smug, quite happy to turn around and march on over to the transportation crystal again until Levi starts to yell.]

It didn't though. I'm fine! I mean- my leg's really sore right now, and it still burns, but I'm not going to die! Levi, I'm fine.

[wingbound]

[ They're right, of course. It's objectively no different from being stung by a bee or something of the sort, but he can't just turn off everything he's felt in the last hour like a switch. ]

[ His jaw clenches for a moment, as he apparently tries to reel it all back in, partially succeeding, and he pushes his hair back in frustration. It falls back into place as soon as he lowers his hand. ]

...Right.

[ He hardly had enough time to get used to their death back home. There was too much going on. But during his first month, it had really hit him, that sense of being the last, the loneliness, the loss. And then they came back. ]

[ And then shit like this happens and he realizes that maybe he hasn't worked through it all as well as he had thought. ]

[ He stomps after them to catch up. ]

[titanscience]

[Hange waits for him to catch up before initiating the transport, and in a few flashy seconds they are once again within sight of the beach. The walk will take a little longer this time seeing as they aren't on top of a sprinting titan, but there is not as much urgency either.]

[It's important to Hange that the jellyfish is put back before it dies, because if that happens they will feel bad even though the little thing has caused nothing but trouble. But that aside, it doesn't feel good to outright dismiss Levi's frustrations. Everything's fine now, but from the way he yelled outside of the hospital he's evidently pissed about the whole thing.]

...Hey, Levi. Thanks for saving me, again! [Probably not what he wants to hear, but it is the truth. How many times now has he pulled Hange away from a titan's mouth, or a stack of falling books, or from their own crazy lethal experiments...]

We'll put it back, and then we can go. What do you want to eat for dinner, my treat!

[wingbound]

[ It's not so much that he's pissed but more like he's scared and concerned, but he's showing it in the most acceptable way he knows. Will Hange figure out what his real problem is? Stay tuned to find out! ]

[ He also thinks this is the stupidest damn idea ever, but he's not about to let Hange go off on their own, so he follows them into the teleport area and then they're back on the beach, his mood souring further. ]

I don't want your gratitude. [ They've talked about this before, him chiding them about being careless with their valuable life. ] Try not sticking your neck under the axe for once.

[ But, sure enough, he will do it again, and again, and again, and however many times he needs to, in this world or any other. ]

[ He's already picking up his pace to catch up to them so he can snatch the bucket from them before they reach the shore. ]

Give me that.

[ Invitation to dinner: ignored. Who can think about food at a time like this?! ]

[titanscience]

It's not like I did it on purpose! I never would have even imagined there could be jellyfish and their poisoned noodles in there!

[Hange lets Levi snatch the bucket away, pausing for a couple of seconds before rushing to catch up to him, but true to their word Hange halts in place once they get close to the water's edge.]

That's why I wanted to investigate it! Even at home we never got the chance to properly explore the sea! Who knows what other cool things are in there! Like that water scorpion!

[The one he yeeted away! Hange understands why he's upset, but at the same time haven't they been through conversations like this dozens of times in the past? Previously it used to concern titans, and now it's.. well. Whatever happens to be the creature of the week.]

...Ah! Why don't we eat ramen again? [Since u didn't answer... all this talk of poisoned noodles is making Hange lowkey hungry..]

[wingbound]

It's full of other weird gross creatures! Of course some of them could be dangerous!

[ You just don't care, he almost adds, but stops himself. That wouldn't be fair. He knows they do. Hange loves their friends and subordinates, they just... get caught up in the joy of discovery, or whatever, and there's certainly lots to discover in this place. Wasn't Levi the one who told them to live life fully now that they didn't have (as many) other responsibilities to worry about? ]

[ Can't argue with himself, after all. ]

[ But he just can't -- doesn't want to -- go through that again. He doesn't want to have to watch them die. He's seen enough friends and loved ones dying at this point. That's enough. Enough. ]

...just don't forget your promise.

[ Their mutual non-death pact. Don't leave me again. ]

[ He clutches the handle of the bucket tighter and glares down at the jellyfish. It's starting to look a little wilty; the water in the bucket is probably getting too warm. Lucky you, he thinks bitterly. But Hange is behaving and he doesn't want to upset them more by squashing the thing when he agreed not to. ]

[ He hops over some rocks to get further into the sea -- sure, his boots are already soaked, but he's not repeating that performance for the fuckin creature -- then winds up, and uses his pent up aggression to chuck the contents of the bucket as far into the water as he can (keeping the bucket, though). The jellyfish sort of splats into the ocean and sinks beneath the surface, and Levi makes his way back to the shore. ]

...Fine. [ He can stab the ramen and pretend that it's the jellyfish! ] But I want to change clothes first.

[ There's only so long he's willing to tolerate artificial piss water soaked shoes after all. ]

[titanscience]

[Ah, the promise. Hange didn't truly think they were on death's door here, the injury hurt but they didn't feel too bad. But mention of the promise is enough to cause their mood to turn a little more serious for the time being. It's beginning to make a little more sense, why Levi is so pissed off with everything that happened, because it all turned out fine, hadn't it?]

...I won't. I was serious about that, you know I was. You're stuck with me forever, you know?

[Hange watches from their spot on the sand as the creature becomes the first jellyfish to achieve flight, watching as it hurtles through the sky and lands into the water with a sad little plop. Not the way that Hange would have done it, the poor thing might be dead after all after that, but Hange already knows now that they are pushing their luck with what Levi is going to put up with, so they simply offer a hesitant smile as he makes his way back over.]

Okay. Let's go home and change, and then we can go. I want to try the one with pork today!

wrap or lunch,

[wingbound]

[ In better times, he'd maybe say something about that being a fate worse than death, or at least pretend to be seriously comparing the two, but right now? All he hears is reassurance. It'd fucking better be forever, or at least until they're both old and gray and meeting their end peacefully in the middle of an afternoon nap. ]

[ There's a little noise -- maybe a huff, maybe an angry sniff -- before he accepts their surrender. ]

...Good.

[ He's unconcerned about the well-being of the jellyfish, but those critters are pretty sturdy, so it's probably fine! ]

[ He grumbles some agreement and then they'll be off, visiting home to get a quick change of dry clothes and then heading to whatever noodle shop Hange had their eye on (and Levi will no doubt bitch about chopsticks if he's given them because he's probably never used anything like that to eat before.) ]

/wrap else i will be describing ramen for 3 months lol

[titanscience]

[The pair head off to the ramen place after a quick change, Hange's treat, and the dinner passes by mostly uneventfully. They do indeed get served chopsticks but Hange gets them forks easily enough- Levi's missing fingers after all and Hange just wants to eat instead of trying to grip slippery noodles.]

[They talk about what else happened during the day while skillfully avoiding the jellyfish in the room, and by the time the meal is over Hange's leg still feels rather achey, so they head home to spend the rest of the evening glued to the picture box. Looking up documentaries on sea creatures no doubt...]

understandable

[wingbound]

[ Levi does use both the chopsticks and the fork to stab the noodles perhaps more than necessary, but considering it's a fairly harmless way for him to get out that pent up jellyfish aggression, it's probably fine. Right? ]

[ And surprising absolutely nobody, Levi heads home as well, or more particularly, home to Hange's, because they've done fucked up and their punishment is having Levi breathe down their neck for the next week or so. At least that's the official version; he might just want to spend time with them in reality... ]

[ He might just pass out on Hange's couch in the middle of one of said sea documentaries, though, as is becoming tradition. ]