Open | The Epicurians Present: The 1st of September Beach Bash!

[bleatingedge]

Who ► Leo & Anyone that wishes to join!
What ► BEACH PARTY!!
When ► September 1st
Where ► Δ Haggard Traveler's Reprieve
Content Warnings ► People will be drunk. Will add to if needed

[The time has come... for fun! Δ Haggard Traveler's Reprieve has been decorated with all the niceties that a beach party requires - docks for fishing, large umbrellas to hide from the sun, several tables with sets of chairs for sitting and conversing, and the most obvious addition: a massive roaring bonfire with a big cooking mesh over the top of it for barbecue cookin'!

Leo's wearing a fishing hat and aviators alongside his trademark loincloth-and-nothing-else getup for maximum dissonance. From his position on the other side of the bonfire, he waves a hand at those arriving.]

Welcome to the Beach Bash! Snacks and drinks are on the tables, bottles of sunscreen and crafting tables are under the umbrellas, and complementary fishing gear are at the docks for your convenience. Have fun, friends~

[Emperor Grunty is also here, should you wish to annoy him! He's currently laying in the sand with a reflector. What? Grunties need their sun too!]

Comments

[dissimulative]

It has to be. It's easier for people to formulate opinions over groups rather than individuals, so they'll look at my family as a whole, and not as who we are as a person separately.

[ He holds out a bbq rib to Michel. At least he isn't stuffing it into his mouth like last time. ]

That's just how people are in general. Of course we want to be the exception individually, but it is what it is.

[ Anyway, that's enough of cynicism regarding human nature. ]

Did you want to ask me anything about what you read though?

[userunfriendly]

[ Well, that part isn't wrong. Michel lets out a sigh of provisional agreement and eyes the bbq. It's really too early in his day for this. But a food offering from Oria feels like a gift with weight, so he reaches out to take it. ]

You're — well, unsurprisingly cynical for your age.

[ That kind of position would do that, wouldn't it? Eighteen is something of a blur to Michel. But he doubts he was much more optimistic. Absentmindedly, he nibbles at the rib. ]

Not about what I've read. [ Is there any use in point-blank asking "were you involved in your ex's death?" ] How did you meet Sinclair?

[dissimulative]

Oh, so you know Vogel in real life too?

[ That's what he'll assume instead of terrible mirror shenanigans. ]

We met at a fancy business party. Our families attended. There are rarely any people who are around my age, so he was easy to find and we talked!

[userunfriendly]

[ If he were prepared to lie, that would honestly be preferable to having to explain to Oria how he ended up trading memories not one, but five separate times... ]

No, he only mentioned it to me, and I was curious. [ True! ] Although it's not surprising, considering your families.

[ He's not completely unfamiliar with the whole rich family social milieu, unfortunately. ]

1/2

[dissimulative]

Yeah. My dad is interested in investing into technology these days, so our families' interests happened to coincide at the time. Good thing too, because I would have been bored out of my mind by myself.

[ He's only there for free food. Everything else is obligation. ]

[dissimulative]

[ He's sitting here, thinking.......................... ]

He was cute back then too!

[userunfriendly]

I had the impression that boredom was the goal.

[ Like... some kind of gauntlet rich families do for fun. He's not sure. He's too distracted nodding agreeably at the second part before he thinks for a moment and— ]

"Cute"? You just said he was your own age.

[ Isn't that kind of condescending? Even though it's not wrong. ]

[dissimulative]

People can be cute regardless of age, Winter.

[ It's a compliment?? ]

[userunfriendly]

[ Sorry, some obnoxious huge-breasted man in the hot springs made it sound like an insult and now he has to re-calibrate his everything. ]

For "someone you fancy," apparently...

[ He's not muttering, he's just turning this over in his thoughts. ]

1/2

[dissimulative]

Hm?

[ Wow. That man deserves a scolding. ]

You don't have to fancy people to call them cute, like...

[dissimulative]

[ Oria looks over at the rest of the beach party. He sees Leo, Hien, Matoba, Tylor, Hector, Mithrun, Levi...

... ]

... Anyway.

[userunfriendly]

[ Following Oria's line of sight to assess that crowd... and then back to Oria.

He rests his case. ]

...He was right?

[ Terrible news. ]

[dissimulative]

I don't know who you're talking about, but look! Swallow is always cute and cool in her outfit.

[ THERE!! Someone he doesn't fancy but thinks is cute!! ]

[userunfriendly]

[ He has to think long and hard about that one... But there's goth solidarity there. He'll allow it with a nod. ]

Fine. [ A beat. ] As cute as Vogel?

[dissimulative]

[ Immediately: ]

No.

[ Sorry shoka ]

[userunfriendly]

[ Shoka's adorable cat aesthetic vs teenage love, fight.

Michel tries to contain his laugh to a tiny cough. He's just trying to picture Sinclair's face for this. ]

...Did you tell him that?

1/3

[dissimulative]

Yup!

[dissimulative]

[ ... ]

[dissimulative]

Actually, I'm not sure. I thought that a lot but I don't remember if I actually said it.

[ First world problems. ]

[userunfriendly]

It's definitely more strange if you're always thinking it and don't say it.

[ He's not acknowledging any hypocrisy here. He's just saying. ]

1/2

[dissimulative]

[ He could... hm. He puts his hands around his mouth and yells: ]

VOGEL IS CUTE!!

[dissimulative]

See? No problem at all.

[ I hope Sinclair dies of embarrassment. ]

/here but also not here

[insinning]

[Jumping right out of his skin by the docks---oh that sure is a lot of his things falling into the water huh?

Oria, why!]

[userunfriendly]

[ Not just Sinclair......... Poor Michel's secondhand embarrassment. And he didn't even get to see Sinclair's reaction to that because he was too busy dying inside. ]

...In the future, I'll think before I speak.

[dissimulative]

Great idea!

[ Just as planned... or something. Oria didn't plan that and honestly, it's just very funny. ]

But are you saying that you usually don't?