You Asked For It: The Beach Trip

[magicademymods]

Be Careful What You Wish For: A Beach Adventure Crowded Quarters To the joy and delight of the Sundered students who feel joy and delight over going to the beach, the Sundered students get to go to the beach in celebration of their completed midterms! Professor Trammel has graciously paid their way on the local airship, which runs regular routes on summer days to the ocean some 45 minutes away, and so every student who so desires can pack up and head onto it to enjoy a fantastic day of fun and adventure! Slight downside: the airship is small and packed, as it keeps its fees low by relying on volume to turn a profit. The crowded travel compartment is standing-room-only, and even those who are lucky enough to get seats won't find themselves with much shoulder room. Some people may even find themselves in the lap of a fellow student, which only the most cynical and bitter of minds would abuse as a way to ship-tease (right?). The trip isn't long, just hot and stuffy. You can make it, students! Wave Your Hands If You're Shore The beach at last! Though the hot sun beats down from above, a gentle breeze blows in from the ocean and the water itself is delightfully cool without being icy cold. Waves run about five to six feet in height, enough to be forceful without dominating like some giant curl suitable only for surfing. Though scores of people have set up tents, umbrellas, blankets, and towels across the sands, the Diatu contingent has plenty of space to conjure up tables and chairs, an awning and plenty of shade. Professor Trammel politely deploys Spells of Sunscreening, as well as directing students to the swimwear the school has obtained and the screened canvas changing areas where they can don them. Helpfully, he's obtained all manner of suits to fit any taste, so... choose wisely? Baskets of sandwiches and drinks kept magically chilled offer sustenance for the busy swimmers, and all manner of balls, nets, and beach toys to enjoy. The Sand Castle Contest Early in the afternoon, Professor Trammel announces that a sand castle contest is open to all participants! The rules are as follows: 1. Headmaster Birony is forbidden from competing. (At this, Headmaster Birony sulkily turns Makerion Keep back into stone and sends it back to the Magicademy Campus. Ka students will be finding sand in odd places for a while.) 2. Students may work in teams of no more than 2. 3. You will have an hour to work with any of the sand-castle tools available. 4. Judging will be on creativity, quality, and durability. 5. 'Bedmaster Hirony' is forbidden from competing. (Headmaster Birony rips her fake mustache off and throws it to the ground in frustration.) You have a few minutes to form pairs and get ready. Who will win the competition? Teachers' Day Off Some of the Professors, too, have taken the day off! Students are treated to the sight of Professor Trammel digging a hole in the surf so his own knocked-together sand structure goes up against the waves, leaving him to improve its walls and channels each time to make for a better hope of surviving. Professor King is teaching anyone who will listen about a new game she calls Sunder-inlota, which involved lobbing a ball through portals to get it into the other team's goal. Headmaster Birony occupies herself doing a Sorcerer's Apprentice thing with the waves, making them smash and crash against each other with glee, while Professors Porfsin and Trent fail to put campus politics aside and both spend the day trying to attract an audience with their own personal performances. And Professor Kith just... swims and enjoys herself, like a normal human being, which is probably in violation of the Adequate Wackiness In Teaching Staff Proclamation, but no one seems inclined to call her on it. Fire in the Sky As darkness falls over the beach, swimming comes to an end as the gathered people move to get home, their day off done. The Magicademy, however, still has some tricks up its organizational sleeve. With fires conjured along the sands, the Professors take turns cooking -- simple fare like sausages and hamburger patties, that even the less adept among them (coughCamBironycough) can't screw up. And as the last vestiges of sunlight vanish behind the horizon and the beach and ocean are both swept in darkness, Professor Trammel pulls off his final flourish: a Discovery of beautiful lights exploding in the sky, a mixture between fireworks and aurora borealis that paints the night in glory. All in all, not a bad day.

Comments

[advocateofgenderequality]

Crowded Quarters

Could this be it? The crowded public transit scenario?

Kazuma giddily thinks to himself, having secured a window seat before the airship begins to pack in with people.

An accidental touch from a pretty lady, causing us both to blush? Close proximity with one another, as the air heats up from the crowd and our secret embarrassment? This is what student life is all about!

Perhaps one could make the kid's day, if you're a pretty lady. Or do the opposite, if you're a dude.


Wave your Hands

Eventful airship journey or not, Kazuma now has a new goal in mind: Bikini Watching.

Clothed in a sensible pair of swim trunks, green ones of course, he quickly finds some suitable foliage as cover to survey the sands for buxom beauties.

With his stealthy lurking skill in full effect, the hormonal peeper would be hard to spot, but certainly not impossible. So make a spot check, I guess?


Anything Else?

Got an idea for some beach-y shenanigans in mind? Go for it!

Fishing damn it

[fatedsacrifice]

Going to the beach meant one thing for Noctis: Fishing. So he found a place and got a somewhat decent rod and lures for the trip. They weren't like the ones back home, but the king would just have to make do. And at least here he could fish as long as he wanted and not have people crabbing at him to leave or stand around and complain at him about it.

So he found a nice quiet spot away from everyone and threw his line out. It gave him time to think and Noct found that he'd missed doing something so simple.

[advocateofgenderequality]

In what seems like no time at all, Noct has hooked something. And by how hard it's pulling and frothing up the water, it must be a big one.

[fatedsacrifice]

The king is surprised that something feels heavy on his line. And it's then that he thinks about all of the horrible things that could be on the other end of his line because of what type of place this afterlife has turned into.

"Here we go."

Well, no time to worry about that now, one thing at a time as Ignis had advised him. So Noctis took note of his pole bending as he watched the tension on his line.

Did they have a dread grouper here too? Or something even bigger? He certainly didn't have his small retinue to help him out at this point.

[advocateofgenderequality]

Whatever it was, it was coming up fast. The frothed up seawater prevent Noct from seeing what exactly was underneath the blue waves, but the silhouette that could be glimpsed seemed lopsided and decidedly un-fish shaped.

Any questions he might harbor are soon answered as his opponent breaks through the water, revealing a tuna-like fish, struggling with all its might. Firmly attached to its side is one Kazuma Satou, his arms wrapped around the creature, holding onto it for dear life.

And then the duo are back into the water, the leap into the air lasting a mere moments. It seems that Noctis has gotten a double prize with this one. Or maybe it's a 'booby' prize instead.

[fatedsacrifice]

At the sight of the boy holding onto the fish, Noctis nearly dropped his pole. Well, this was rather..unexpected really. He certainly hadn't expected to catch a person. So the king did the only thing he could think to do and that was to put the pole down with a foot resting on it so that it didn't fall into the water.

Reaching into a side pocket, he grabbed his small knife and quickly cut the line. Well, he caught a fish so it wasn't a total loss, but now he'd have to restring the line. Catching a Kazuma wasn't on his plans, but somehow he managed it anyway.

[advocateofgenderequality]

Kazuma jumps up to his feet quickly, pointing an accusing finger at the other. "Hey! What's the big idea, Sasuke! Trying to steal my catch, are you!?"

[fatedsacrifice]

Noctis couldn't help but smile. "I should probably check the waters for kids who masquerade as fish." Still, somehow he wasn't surprised that Kazuma was here. And he noted the boy hadn't stopped calling him by this other guy's name.

But just like he didn't mind Talcott being a pest as a kid (and wow how he'd changed) he let Kazuma get away with it too. He just wasn't into royal processions or being known as a king or anyone important. Those who knew who he was were fine and would treat him accordingly.

crowded

[woo_oo]

"Hi Kazuma!"

Well, technically, a girl is touching him - except she's using him as a ladder, climbing atop to sit on his shoulder.

"Mind if I stay here a while? There aren't any seats left."

[advocateofgenderequality]

Of course it'd be a duck. A giant talking duck named Webby, specifically.

"No, no I don't mind at all."

He manages to grind out the white lie with a flat, even tone, but in his head he's probably crying out in frustration and despair at the totally ruined romantic possibility flag.

"Excited to go to the beach?"

[woo_oo]

Webby is, naturally, oblivious to the tension and lying, sitting comfortably on him. They're buddies, as far as she's concerned!

"Totally! It's my first time ever! I can't wait to do all kind of beach things!"

[advocateofgenderequality]

Buddies, sure, just not the buddy he'd choose to be snuggled up to right now.

"You mean to say with all the crazy stuff you've done, you've never gone to the beach?"

[woo_oo]

"Nope!" A pause for thought. "I've been to a marina, but it's not quite the same. Have you ever been to a beach and done beach things?"

[advocateofgenderequality]

"Uh, a few times, sure." Kazuma's tone suggest he isn't fully sure of his own answer. (Does the time with the spin-off crossover show count?) "But never with so many people before, I'd say."

[woo_oo]

"Oh, so we can learn together! That's great!" What a wonderful day, oh joy!

Crowded Quarters

[stillnewatthis]

A sudden shadow fell over him -- followed by two tons of robot, which he only narrowly avoided been crushed by when Orisa planted her forelegs on the airship's hull, leaving her suspended at an angle above him. So hey, now he had an excellent view of her undercarriage. Pervert!

"My apologies!" Orisa said cheerfully, trying to make sure he could hear her under there. "I do not believe I can move without risking harm to others at present."

Well, Orisa sounded female anyway, right?

[advocateofgenderequality]

"Gaaaaah!" Kazuma's scream at nearly being crushed to death sounded like a female too. All thoughts of a romantic flag are vanquished as his life flashes before his eyes.

"Holy crap, Orisa! Warn a guy next time! How were you able to even fit through the airship doors!?"

[stillnewatthis]

"The motion was unexpected! I apologize for not offering adequate warning. My processing functions were devoted to minimizing injury." Which she suspected he preferred to the alternative.

"In answer to your question, I entered through a cargo door!"

[advocateofgenderequality]

"Minimizing injury!? What about the heart attack you nearly gave me just now?" He seems to be hyperventilating at this point.

[stillnewatthis]

"Your cardiac functions are accelerated but unimpaired." Obviously! "Causing harm to others in order to avoid being crowded would be an unacceptable use of force."

[advocateofgenderequality]

Kazuma breathes in deeply and lets out a big sigh as he begins to calm down. "I'm not sure if you're trying to be funny or not, but I've decided to be mildly offended either way."

[stillnewatthis]

"Your decisions are yours to make," Orisa said philosophically. "However, humor is a low priority, so I have rare opportunity to exercise that function."

Wave your hands

[daughterofclay]

You know who else is good at sneaking around?

It might just be girl standing riiiight behind him. She's wearing this swimsuit, which may just be part of Kazuma's legendary luck. You see, it means she's had to leave behind most of the weaponry she usually hides on her body.

What this lucky guy gets instead is a very, very silent former spy slyfooting closer, and closer, until she's but a breath's width away.

Which is when she'll ask, completely deadpan: "Enjoying the scenery?"

[advocateofgenderequality]

"Yeah, actually. Nothing like quite like it, really." Kazuma reply is equally neutral, his full attention towards peering through the binoculars in his hands.

"Wanna take a lo- Bwaaah!" Finally realizing that his new conversation partner was female, he suddenly lowers the viewing implement and spins around to face her.

"H-hey there, miss Jude. Lovely weather for a beach trip, eh?" He's managed to fall over from his spying crouch as he turned, and is now sitting flat on his ass, looking up at her looming over him.

[daughterofclay]

"Nice to see you too."

She crouches down, reaching for the binoculars -- she'll pluck them right out of his hands if he lets her.

"What were you doing?" Sorry, Kazuma, 'Miss Jude' is impervious to your, er, charm. What she is is genuinely curious -- based on his reaction, she can surmise he was involved in something less-than-kosher, but...