Seaside 6: Six at the Beach

[Deathkeeper]

Shrine

Codebreaker shrugs.
"Whatever. It's just an offer, anyway. He doesn't have to take us up on it." He lays back down on his makeshift pillow.
It takes him a while to fall asleep but he does eventually. At least with his new self it's so much harder to get cold.

[Earl of Purple]

Team Quest

Mishnehel takes note of what Lapis is doing, with pieces anchored in nothing, and tries to build a platform of her own. The oily rainbow bubbles solidify quickly and she climbs up there to get a good look around. "It's handy, but I can't get more materials from up here, can I? Oh, but that's an idea." She hops down and digs two cubes down, before touching the side to vanish another cube, to see if the sand above it stays put or falls down.

She'll pop out of her hole again when she hears Eao's arrival, regardless of if her efforts in tunnelling have succeeded or not. "Hi. I'm... more fingery than fluffy."

[Purple Eagle]

[First Date Night]

Olvisin looks back into Chidi's eyes with a mischievous expression. Her ears perk up.

"Oh, I am. It's been a long time since anyone pulled all the stops for me like this. I appreciate it."

[First Date Night]

"Well, nothing but the best for such a pleasant lady." Chidi says, grinning and wiggling his eyebrows in an exaggerated way meant to mock the pick-up artist types that'll say and do anything if it means getting some fun in the sack.

After suddenly breaking into a small chuckle, he clears his throat. "No seriously, it's no problem. Despite being only into casual fun right now, I'm... quite the romantic, see? Maybe it's a side effect of growing up with a single mum." He goes silent for a while as he pushes a button to start the hovercar. "Point is, there was no way I was going to make this date a bad memory for either of us, regardless of where it leads."

And with that, he starts to pull out of the parking lot.

[Ironsmith]

[Shrine]

About an hour before morning comes, Arthfael stretches and gives Codebreaker a nudge. "I'm heading back inside. It'd be dangerous for me to be out here when dawn hits. You should be safe to come back inside, too; they'll be winding down for the day."

[Deathkeeper]

Shrine

Codebreaker opens one eye to look up at Arthfael.
"Uh, and what happens if you're uncle is still mad and he can still technically go outside and maul me to death? It might be better if you just find a place for your family and send a message that I won't be murdered if I go home, you know?"
Codebreaker would like to not get murdered today.

[Rebonack]

[Team Quest]

Sappeerel frowns at her sister's greeting. "Eao you shouldn't talk like the putti those are bad words," she admonishes her sibling. "You remember Selekhael, right? She was with us at the tutorial."

She gestures at the lionish young woman.

"AND she helps Mother at Trog's. She's nice and she's going to be our Fisher for the quest! But this is her first one so she'll need some help and advice maybe. And That's Mishnehel!"

Lapis waves at the Aspirant sticking out of the hole in the ground.

"I think she might be new we had to squash a crab to get a gun for her. She's going to run Tanker so we've been practicing building while we wait for the team to fill up," Lapis explains. "Did you know you can get relic fragments just from DIGGING? I bet there's going to be lots of buried treasure since this is a pirate quest so I'm going to scan the ground lots."

When Mishnehel digs UNDER the sand hole she'll find that, sure enough, everything stays exactly where it is barring sand being kicked into the hole from above. If she touches the walls of her pit it feels gritty, certainly, but it doesn't flake away or collapse. It feels quite a bit like touching sand paper or sandstone. A crab burrows out of the wall near Mishnehel and eyes her suspiciously.

That crab is plotting something.

Meanwhile!

Arukhael doesn't reply right away to the invite. Maybe it takes a moment to notice?

[Ironsmith]

Shrine

Codebreaker opens one eye to look up at Arthfael.
"Uh, and what happens if you're uncle is still mad and he can still technically go outside and maul me to death? It might be better if you just find a place for your family and send a message that I won't be murdered if I go home, you know?"
Codebreaker would like to not get murdered today.

[Shrine]

"He won't. He'll be too exhausted from keeping up with my sisters, and even if he weren't, Siana likes you and you only shot her." Arthfael smirks. "Come on. If you're scared, I'll go with you. He's not gonna maul me to get to you; that'd sorta defeat the point."

[bc56]

Team Quest
"I can floofing say whatever I floofing want!" Batsael retorts. "Of course you can floofing get relics by digging. But that's slow and boring."
Selekhael looks uncomfortable with Batsael's profanity. Hopefully Arukael can get here soon to restore balance.

[Deathkeeper]

Shrine

Codebreaker grumbles and gets to his feet, pulling on his shirt.
"Fine, but I'm getting the boss their crystals first."
True to his word, Codebreaker goes straight to the knick-knack store to pick up a set of luxurious crystals. The shopkeeper is confused but willing to accept "the nice spirit on the hill has asked me for crystals." You never know what spirits and gods need.
Once that's done he can shoulder his gun and head out. After making sure a likes the offering, of course.

[bc56]

Shrine

When the crystals are offered to a, they begin to shimmer with red and blue light. Then they simply disintegrate into nothingness. The entity glows brighter. "That is sufficient sustenance for now," it says simply

[Ironsmith]

[Shrine -> Codebreaker's Home]

Arthfael goes with Codebreaker back to the house, and lets out a groan of embarrassment and disappointment as they enter.

The place has been ransacked.

It's not just messy, in that things are strewn about. It's been full-on wrecked; the wallpaper's been torn, there are foot- and pawprints on the walls and cielings, broken bits of vases and such items all over the floor, and even from here, there are no less than three visible holes into the next room, which looks to be in an even worse state.

"...I don't think 'sorry' is quite going to cut it, is it?" Arthfael grimaces.

[Deathkeeper]

Codebreaker's Home

"Yeah, no." Codebreaker says flatly, doing his best not to look like he wants to shoulder the shotgun he brought back from the shrine.
"Get your family, and get the hell out of my house. I expect payback but not one of you is allowed within a mile of this place." Arthfael lives with Kyrie so he's probably used to being growled at by wolf-men.

[Ironsmith]

[Codebreaker's Home]

It's one thing to have Arthfael's uncle growl irritably at him, with the security of knowing it would never go beyond a growl and the regular justification that his uncle was just a coarse person in general.

But Codebreaker? Arthfael met him twelve hours ago. And he seemed to be pretty chill for the most part. And Arthfael had no idea what he was capable of when properly riled.

So when Codebreaker's proverbial hackles start coming up, Arthfael forgoes pointing out that he, personally, didn't do anything to justify being barred from this house and fearfully starts searching the refuse for his uncle and sisters. When he finds them, they're going to gather what they brought with them (Kyrie's armor, mostly) and go; none of them, not even the knight who's faced down much bigger and stronger monsters, wants to risk that confrontation.

[Earl of Purple]

Team Quest

Of course the crab's plotting something! Crabs are always plotting something. Mishnehel doesn't know that, however, so she ignores it, instead digging her way out of her impromptu tunnel. "Still no idea what you're saying, Batsael. Are those, like, angel swears?" She'd have thought angels swore with feathers and damns and the names of gods, but then it turns out that angels are very different to what she expected so it makes sense angel swears are too. "If digging for relics is slow and boring, what's a faster way of getting them?"

[Deathkeeper]

Codebreaker's Home

To be fair, Codebreaker is incapable of threatening anyone when angry. Even his shotgun would be unlikely to do significant harm to the strigoi without a very lucky shot.
Though on this particular morning, he thought to make a stop at that curio shop.
"Well besides the fact that I was almost eaten last night, and then almost impaled, I now have to spend half my fortune, which I got four days ago on repairs to the estate I also got four days ago."
It's actually not that much but it looks really, really bad from the front.
"I am going to expect being paid back for at least some of that. I'll settle on somebody helping repair poor a's shrine which needs repairs and paint as badly as this place and isn't where I sleep. Since they almost got left alone again." It sounds like they're not entirely getting out of this one.
Codebreaker can forgive vampire nature and parental instincts. He's finding it a lot harder to forgive the absolute senselessness of them trashing the place for absolutely no reason.

[Ironsmith]

[Codebreaker's Home]

The teens all seem to have suddenly developed neck problems; Arthfael is looking away from both Codebreaker and everyone else, Owena has her eyes down on her folded hands, and Siana... Siana looks like she's about to cry.

Kyrie finally speaks up. "That would be insufficient." He says, his voice eerily calm. "Our- My actions nearly cost you your life, and did cost you no small amount of funds. It would be dishonorable of me to offer such a small recompense." He steps up to Codebreaker and lifts his chin. "I intend to pay you back every penny of the damages."

"Uncle, that may not be pr-"

"I did not ask you to speak!" Kyrie snaps, as Owena ducks her head back down anxiously.

Kyrie takes a deep breath and turns to face Codebreaker again. "...Every penny." He reiterates. "I recognize that still would not make it all right. But I will not settle for anything less, even as a start."

[Deathkeeper]

Codebreaker's Home

Codebreaker sighs, his anger already starting to dissolve.
"Kyrie you work at a bar or something, you are in no financial situation to pay me back for this place. I don't even actually know how much it's worth. Just fix the darn shrine. a said they're willing to take a shot fixing your back literally a minute after they saved me from you attempting to kill me and I'm not going to defy the Boss here." This is a lie. Codebreaker instinctively knows the exact numeric value his things cost.
There's the strange cosmic feeling that had they done this a year ago they would be given an exact figure immediately on the spot with interest.

[Ironsmith]

[Codebreaker's Home]

Kyrie says nothing, at least for a moment. He seems to be giving the offer some serious thought; Codebreaker was right, he really wasn't in any financial situation to go and buy repairs for a mansion. Especially since the monetary benefits of his work were minimal; he was paid primarily in room and board.

"...I will fix the shrine." He says finally. No word on whether he still intended to pay for all the repairs. If he was, he was keeping quiet on the subject to avoid any further protests.

[Deathkeeper]

Codebreaker’s Home

”Great. I’ll see you and whoever else is volunteering tomorrow night. I’ll bring the wood and paint.
Since I’m about to become very familiar with the local carpenter and paint store.” He manages to sound both incredibly grumbly and slightly cheerful about that before he shoves his hands in his pockets and walks through the door, closing it despite one of the hinges not even working and it being unable to close all the way.

[Ironsmith]

[Codebreaker's Home]

The door creaks shut behind him, conveniently masking the sounds of a whispered, furious argument between Kyrie and Owena. It only goes on for about a minute before the door promptly falls off its hinges, earning a "see what I mean?" gesture from Kyrie while Owena stands there with her hands on her hips. Clearly, they had some divergences about what the appropriate course of action here was.

Siana just sighs and starts picking through the refuse, trying to gather it into some semblance of organization while her sister and uncle fought. It doesn't take a genius to see she's feeling particularly bad about this situation; though it may be difficult to tell if that's guilt or the bullet talking.

Arthfael decides he doesn't want any more to do with any of these people and leaves entirely, heading for the Riftline station.

[Rebonack]

[Team Quest]

Nope.

Still no Arukhael.

Although Selekhael DOES get a ping back. He got the message and he should be there soon.

Sappeerel, meanwhile, answers her new friend's question!

"Doing quests! Like this one. Or solo quests, too. Or just blasting faeries. Mother said not to blast any old faerie since not all of them are bad but that sounds weird to me."

It IS kind of weird.

Aren't ALL faeries bad?

But apparently Zee doesn't think so.

[bc56]

Team Quest
"Blasting any creep is good," Batsael replies, "Especially it they're strong enough to hurt you. Then you get floofing real rewards."
There's a not-too-slim chance Eao's been killing random monsters, or maybe even people, to fund her upgrades.
Selekhael disagrees. "It's more important to help people than to kill monsters." That's how she got this nice ring that protects her from gossamer.

[Earl of Purple]

Team Quest

"I thought having fun was most important. That just me?" As Mishnehel speaks, she works on building a fake tree out of oily rainbow-slick solid bubbles, coalescing out of the air before her and forming a trunk and branches. Probably not the most practical structure, but she wants to see how fancy she can get- and she'll try controlling the size of the bubbles as well, if that's possible.

[Rebonack]

[Team Quest]

Controlling the size of the bubbles is absolutely possible. Mishnehel could make really tiny ones if she wanted if the goal is to make a finer structure.

"Fun is good, too. I have lots of fun at VIGIL it's great there I love it," Lapis says. "Helping is fun, quests are fun, blowing up mean faeries is fun, digging holes is fun! Your tree looks great, Mishnehel I love it!"

Sounds like Lapis loves most everything.

This should come as a surprise to exactly no one who is familiar with her.

And then?

There comes a WHUMP! as Arukhael appears! The young human man (haha, right?) is clad in that tabbard of his as usual.

Arukhael
Spheres: Time, Motion, Quality (Wholeness II), Growth
Class: Blaster (upgrade: Invoker III)
Primary: A Moment, Fractured
Secondary: Perforator
Melee: Ripple

"Hey Selekhael. Sorry it took a minute I had to finish something up. It would have looked a bit suspicious if I left right in the middle of healing Mister Ellis' pig," Arukhael says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. As usual he's been helping people with relatively common (and often uncommon) problems. Arukhael really likes the Influence quests. That seems to be a point of commonality between he and Selekhael. "So what's this about? Pirates?"

"Pirates!" Sappeerel confirms exuberantly.

[bc56]

Team Quest

"Uh, hi, yes. Pirates." Selekhael waves shyly to Arukael.
Batsael takes a much less reserved approach. "Floof yeah, here we go!" She selects the option to start the quest immediately.
Of course if it requires everyone to confirm, she'll still be waiting a bit.

[Earl of Purple]

Team Quest

"Yeah! Pirates, and treasure, and eyepatches!" Mishnehel says, also starting the quest and pulling out her Metastatic Mitrailleuse. It's a fleshy looking blob where she holds it, with three twisted bone spurs sticking out one end and arrayed in a helix. Despite its size, she's able to support it quite easily.

Somebody should maybe notice she still doesn't have a secondary equipped.

[Morty]

[First Date Night]

"Well, nothing but the best for such a pleasant lady." Chidi says, grinning and wiggling his eyebrows in an exaggerated way meant to mock the pick-up artist types that'll say and do anything if it means getting some fun in the sack.

After suddenly breaking into a small chuckle, he clears his throat. "No seriously, it's no problem. Despite being only into casual fun right now, I'm... quite the romantic, see? Maybe it's a side effect of growing up with a single mum." He goes silent for a while as he pushes a button to start the hovercar. "Point is, there was no way I was going to make this date a bad memory for either of us, regardless of where it leads."

And with that, he starts to pull out of the parking lot.

"You're not one to go for half-heasures," Olvisin sums up. "And you give it your all no matter the circumstances. I like that. I think we're alike this way."

[Gnrlshrimp]

Follow Your Nose

"I mean it would be hard to convince anyone that a short, skinny human was actually their tall'n'fat wolf neighbor the whole time. And no, I haven't a clue where the guy's actual body is. I just know that he's dead, and I am physically exactly like him before he died to the most exact detail." Codebreaker leans back, floating in the water facing the ceiling.
"I mean it's all very inconvenient but so far pretty worth it. Have you seen this place? And it's not like I can't see my real family anymore. It's not like I died or gone made a fairy or something." All distinct possibilities when you live in Inside.

[Follow Your Nose]

"Well, I hate to rain on yer parade, but I reckon yer family might be a little suprised if ya turn up as y'are now. Not to say I think it's impossible or anythin', mind, but yer gonna have to approach that with some amount of caution." Atreyu muses, scratching his snout. "Smart fella that you are, I imagine yer already thinking of somethin' fer that?"

[Deathkeeper]

Follow Your Nose

Codebreaker certainly seems confused by that line of thought.
"Huh? I already called them about it. Mom sighed at that was about it. But she said something like 'again' which was weird. But yeah. My family's fine. I just don't want everyone else to figure out I'm not the real guy 'cause I gotta make sure I keep this. Or it was not even close to worth it." He starts drumming his fingers against his middle while he floats in the pool.
"I mean you seem to like looking, which I appreciate, but still."

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Follow Your Nose]

"Huh. Well don't that just beat all?" Atreyu remarks in surprise. "This kinda thing normal 'round here then? Woulda figured yer mom would have heard a different voice and at least had some doubts or somethin'." He gives a shrug and swims over beside Codebreaker. "Still find it kinda weird ya felt like confidin' in me on this, Kid, but thanks. And fer what it's worth, there's plenty about you to enjoy lookin' at."