A much deserved vacation day!

[itookashot]

Who: The Free Cities Summoned
What: Beach Party Episode, aka the Summoned take a break and enjoy the new portal
When: June 6thish, post Nocwich weekend. We can timey wimey it folks.
Where: Aquila!



[ooc: these are just suggested prompts, please feel free to roll with any ideas you have! Thanks to Hannah for sharing the code. Descriptions about Aquila are taken from the settings page here and credited to the mods. A player-made Pinterest mood board was created here for inspiration, but keep the world of Abraxas in mind for the reality.]

The Aquila Portal / Time to Go!

An invite shows up on the network from Jesper Fahey to the Free Cities Summoned stating the following:

Hey everyone, I managed to score funds from our money makers to have a group outing through the Aquila portal. We deserve it, don't you think? We did vote it into being after all. So get out your beach day clothes (or lack thereof) and meet at 9 AM tomorrow. If you come later, I'll let the portal people know the list allowed. They've got chairs and such to rent there, so don't worry if you don't have anything helpful.

Let's party like we're in the Horizon! If you need some extra cash while there I know the people to beg.

PS - No arguing, Crows. (That means you Kaz.)

True to his word, Jesper will be waiting at the newly opened portal to mark the Summoned so they're allowed to get through with the money he's collected. He'll smile and wink at them as they go through. He is dressed casually himself for this outing and in high spirits. Summoned can meet up here and go through together if they'd like or maybe be persuaded if they're not really sure about it.

Welcome to Aquila!

Aquila is the world's fastest-growing economy and the scenery in Aquila is also considered some of the most beautiful, with both the mountains and beaches of Andromeda Bay nearby, making it a popular destination for vacationers.

The beach may be exciting, but it isn't the only part of Aquila to enjoy! The massive public market takes up most of the city's center. Anything you might want can be found here. Countless booths and stalls and carts fill the town's center, and traders from all across the nation congregate to offer their wares. From raw materials such as fabrics, dyes, exotic wood and stones, to finely crafted artisan everything. Furniture, clothing, foodstuffs, weapons, art, magical oddities, it's all here. The market opens at sun-up and shuts down sometime after sunset - plenty of sellers will linger, hoping for one last sale of the day.

Art and fashion thrive in Aquila. Studios and galleries of art are scattered all over the city and artists sketching or painting out on the streets or on the nearby beaches are a common sight. This is the time to go looking for new clothes as seamstresses and tailors are all looking to outdo themselves and create the next big fashion statement.

But if it's the beach fun you're looking for ....

Fun in the Sun!

It's more crowded than usual in Aquila thanks to the emergence of the portal, but the Summoned will manage to camp out their own area on the right side of the beach and have freedom to enjoy themselves alone. Nearby one of the entrances of the beach is a local business called The Wave Palace. There people can buy or rent chairs, cloth to sit on, hats, and other beach items to feel more comfortable.

Once settled onto their spot on the beach, the Summoned can enjoy a full day of various activities to either relax or be active. They can swim or race to see who is the better swimmer, do the same on a sand race, and head up to a popular nearby cliff that is perfect to jump off of. Challenge each other to the perfect dive or laugh if someone ends up belly-flopping.

Anyone can lounge comfortably in the sun or maybe they want to get creative and build sandcastles. They can rent bowls and sticks and other instruments at the shop to gather sand correctly. Maybe your castle is remarkably impressive or dismal at best, but the point is to have fun. If you're feeling mischievous you can bury a friend in sand, or even a stranger if you want to test fate. You can find rocks or shells to collect and bring home as a reminder of the trip here.



There is a bar down the beach called The Wave Crash Pub where people can sit and listen to live music or carry drinks back to their chair. At some point in the day, someone suggests playing a game of volleyball or something similar, and a net and ball can be found to set it up. Test your might against each other and no cheating! (Just kidding, cheat away.)



As the day comes to a close, stay long enough to watch the sunset together or do some night swimming to cool off. When it's time to go home, don't forget to either return your rented items or decide to buy it. See if you can convince a friend to get a keepsake or ask their opinion of one on the way out. Hope you all had fun in this beach day episode!

Comments

[assembles]

[ Right. Where else would it be?

Steve shuts his eyes for a moment and lets out a brief scoff. There's a chance that if he really contorted himself, he'd be able to reach that missed spot on his back, but it doesn't seem worth all the effort when Viktor is right here and has more or less offered to help. ]

Do you mind?

[ He hands over his tube of sunscreen and then shifts himself around so that his broad back is facing Viktor.

By this point Steve is aware that most people wouldn't mind getting their hands on him. He understands that. But he's still going to be polite. ]

[techmaturgy]

[It's possible that Viktor was simply heckling, and now has to face the consequences of his actions (and also the fact that Steve is, in spite of everything, an incredibly sincere person). He looks surprised for a moment, like things weren't necessarily supposed to come to this, but then relents, figuring it will only take a moment.]

No, I don't. Provided you don't make me get out of my chair.

[So, he'll motion for Steve to duck down a bit, squeezing some lotion into his hand and reaching out to apply it with his palm. Viktor is clinical about it, wasting no stroke of his hand and ensuring that it's all rubbed in--no white streaks. It takes only a few moments, but after that he seems satisfied.]

Better. [If he does say so himself.] You may now resume your beach activites.

[assembles]

[ Steve will absolutely not make Viktor get out of his chair given that he's doing him a favor, and it's also no trouble at all to scoot closer. He lowers down so that his back is easily accessible, and it's no surprise that Viktor remains no-nonsense about the whole thing.

At his dry remark, Steve laughs and then turns around to reclaim the bottle. ] I'll get right on that, thank you.

[ However, for now those beach activities seem to consist of talking to Viktor, so Steve plops down on the sand while grabbing for his waterskin to take another generous sip.

He'd felt something while Viktor applied the sunscreen: a cold touch of metal. When he looks now, he can see the ring on his hand. Silver, adorned with gears. It's not hard to put two and two together. ]

That's new, isn't it? [ He gestures to the ring with his free hand. ]

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor gives Steve an anticipatory look, like he's expecting him to cavorting off back into the water--so he seems slightly surprised when he takes up residence in his makeshift beach camp. It seems he still doesn't register that people might want to spend time with him, so for a moment Viktor doesn't quite know how to proceed.

Helpfully, however, Steve points out the one thing that's different about him, though that also catches him off-guard. He isn't going to not wear it, but perhaps it didn't occur to him that he's not necessarily a jewelry-type guy, especially given how potentially dangerous it can be in the workshop, so any change in that regard is going to attract attention.

Still, he immediately seems a bit flustered about it.]

Oh. Uh, yes. New-ish.

[In that it's been a little over a month, and maybe part of him is still wrapping his mind around it.]

Jayce made it for me.

[assembles]

[ It's rare to see Viktor anywhere near flustered, and Steve can't help the smug smile that tugs at the corner of his mouth as a result. He's been in the know about Viktor and Jayce's relationship for a decent amount of time, given that Tony was physically incapable of keeping his mouth shut about other people's personal matters.

He hadn't realized just how serious they were, though, and this more or less answers that question. ]

That makes it that much more special, doesn't it? That it's handmade.

[ While it's entirely possible that engagement customs are different on other worlds, Steve's going to assume that's what happened here unless he's told otherwise. He draws his legs into a crisscross position and then leans back on his hands. ]

Congratulations. Have you started planning anything yet?

[ Steve shuts his eyes for a moment, just to enjoy the feeling of the warm sun on his (carefully protected) skin. It's nice to bask in good news for once, with how much the Summoned have been put through the wringer as of late. ]

[techmaturgy]

It's one advantage to being an inventor. We can make almost anything we like.

[That said, of course Viktor finds it sentimental. The enchantments on it especially, and the care put into the design. He's intimately familiar with Jayce's handiwork, but Steve is right that it's special, if only because of what it means.

Perhaps he was hoping that engagement customs would vary from universe to universe, but Steve seems to recognize it. Viktor appears to be a bit embarrassed, like he isn't used to talking about himself, even though he knows he has nothing to be ashamed of.]

I'm not planning anything. [Does he look like a guy who actually wants a wedding ceremony? He does not--but he'll do it for Jayce.] If Jayce wants to make a--a public fuss, he can organize it.

[assembles]

[ Steve expects that there's more to the handiwork that went into it than he could identify with a simple glance, but he isn't going to press for more details about how Jayce put it together, or what hidden meanings there might be. Viktor already seems to be embarrassed by the attention, and Steve can't really blame him.

He'd probably be exactly the same in this situation.

He laughs at Viktor's exasperated response about the possibility of a wedding ceremony. There's something novel about realizing that it doesn't matter where people come from, this point of contention between couples is universal. ]

I mean, you could always go for a smaller, more intimate thing, unless Jayce really wants to go all out.

[ Steve would probably opt for something more subtle himself. As they talk, he reaches for his pack and pulls out a small container of cut fruit, taking a few bites before he extends it over to Viktor in case he wants some. ]

[techmaturgy]

I don't really...like the attention.

[Even saying that seems to be taxing, as obvious as it is. Jayce has assured him that whatever they do will not be too much, but that's a risk he always has to take--that Jayce will be too much, regardless.

Viktor shakes his head at the offering of food and slouches back into his chair, as if the very discussion has taken it out of him.]

Something in the Horizon, he says. So our friends in other factions can come. I want to hope he will not purposefully embarrass me in front of them.

[assembles]

[ Steve nods, because believe it or not, he understands. He's been under a spotlight and with a lot of attention on him for a good chunk of his life now, but that doesn't mean he ever really enjoyed it. He did what had to be done.

He shrugs when Viktor doesn't take any of the fruit, not hesitating to eat a few more bites himself before he closes up the container and puts it away. ]

Well, at least it means it'll be Summoned only. That means it'll definitely be on the smaller side.

[ He idly draws his fingers through the warm sand as they chat. ]

What could he do to purposefully embarrass you? Recite his own vows?

[techmaturgy]

It's what I'm telling myself. To cope.

[Despite his aversion to these kinds of things, he trusts Jayce not to do anything he won't like. Besides, it's not the ceremony that's important to him. The proposal on the beach had been all the affirmation Viktor needed.

He smiles a little at the thought.]

Something like that, yes. [Viktor is not necessarily opposed to hearing those assertions from Jayce--he might even like it--it's the added element of other people watching that he's still not quite comfortable with.] But I'm willing to do it, if it makes him happy.

[Which it will, and that's what matters.]

[assembles]

That's what it's all about, right? Compromise?

[ Or so Steve has been told. It's not like he's ever been in that sort of relationship himself, but he's certainly gone through something sort of similar when coordinating with teammates.

It's the best point of reference he has, anyway. Some would probably consider that sad. ]

It'll be good. [ He considers reaching out to clap Viktor on the shoulder, but instead just gives him a firm nod and a bright smile. ] And everyone's gonna be happy for the two of you, and happy to commemorate it. [ They need some wins around here. ] Don't worry too much.

[ With that, he stretches his arms up above his head before pushing himself to his feet. He's starting to feel warm enough that a dip in the ocean will feel amazing. ]