victory_road | Beach fun for beach bums

Entry tags:

Beach fun for beach bums

Who: Everybody!
Where: Cianwood!
When: June 21st, all day.
Summary: Come to Cianwood today to celebrate the solstice, participate in a race and maybe even get a date??

June 21st. The solstice. The longest day of the year. Practically half the year gone already, which frankly, seems rather insane. It seems like only yesterday you were all fighting to save Christmas with Santa, and yet, that was almost six months ago! How can that be? We just don't know. Time is a force even more mysterious than pokemon evolution.

In any case, Cianwood has gone all out to make this solstice a great big celebration. The beach is awash with bright-coloured umbrellas and stands, selling everything a visitor might need to make this into one hell of a day (and, let's be real, also a lot of things you don't need, but hey, who doesn't want a nice souvenir?) Rental stands have everything from surfboards to huge inner tubes for rent for those who want to stay at the surface of the water, as well as snorkelling equipment for those who won't mind taking a peek below the surface. On a cleared stretch of beach, a small Sand Castle Contest is being organised. The prize won't be anything fancy (just a token little reward, really) but why not enter? Don't worry, there are separate prizes for kids and adults. Meanwhile, large piles of wood have been stacked here and there, waiting for evening to fall so the bonfires can be lit.

One particular section of the beach is a riot of different smells, with various restaurants and other establishments having set up stands to sell you all the very best. It doesn't matter what you are in the mood for, because you won't have any trouble finding it here! Want some BBQ? It's there; several Sizzlepede keeping those coals nice and hot while the cooks chuck everything that can vaguely be chucked onto those grills. Would you rather cool down with some ice cream? No problem; just as long as you can actually make a choice from all those different flavours available. Has the summer sun put you in a fruit mood? Watermelons (whole and cut), strawberries, cherries, papaya -- it's too much to name!

Or do you maybe just want a drink? It's important to keep hydrated, you know! Juice, water, mocktails and cocktails, everything that you could possibly want to stave off the heat is there. There is even coffee and teas available for those who need their daily worship at the Church of Caffeine. Just don't overheat on them!

And, of course, there is the race.

It looks like the first-ever SEMPER race has drawn quite the crowd. And where there is a crowd, there are more souvenir stands. Why not buy a flag or two to cheer on your pokemon? Or maybe you should buy an 'I ran the SEMPER race and all I got was this lousy t-shirt' for your pokemon to commemorate the occasion. They sell them in all sorts of sizes.

And then there is that mystery section of beach, currently cordoned off with ropes and screens. Signs let everybody know that this is where the Helping Hand auction will be taking place later tonight, but if you had hoped to get an early peek at the decorations or items up for auction, you will be sorely disappointed. Be patient and wait like everybody else is.

So come all and enjoy the beach. Participate in a race maybe, and pull your wallets for tonight's charity event. After all, who knows when disaster might strike again? Better enjoy things while you can!

ooc: The Charity Auction will have its own log, which will be posted later tonight. Should there be any questions, please use the event info post to ask them.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Oh!" Dimitri's expression lights up, eye bright. "It is more than all right. In that case, you should sit down underneath the shade." He gestures to the umbrellas that have been set up, and the towels spread beneath them. More then enough to keep one off of the hot sand.

"Would you like some water as well? It is important to have that, even though there are many vendors here with all sorts of delicious food and drink." Even if sodas and energy drinks aren't familiar to Dimitri's time, even he knows that wine isn't an exact replacement for water.

Well, that's certainly a reassuring response. Even if Shrike still feels a little unsure. Approaching someone just for a friendly chat and no more is kind of new to him, after all.

He does, however, sit down as directed, and it's probably obvious from his posture that it's a relief to be out of the sun. He's definitely not used to dealing with so much heat, and the fact that he dislikes the idea of anyone getting a good look at his face--or anything else, for that matter--doesn't help with that at all.

"Oh, uh, I can buy some myself..."

He did more or less take Dimitri's earlier advice with regards to finding a job he could do. And he has a particular aversion against feeling indebted to people, if he can help it.

So a gentle refusal, then. This feels faintly familiar to what happened at Riegfried and Soy's home... Well, Dimitri won't push on the matter. At least, not for now. Certain other people, like Ashe, know how stubborn he can get.

That can be a future matter. Dimitri nods, smiling. "Then it sounds as though you have managed to get your finances somewhat handled... That's reassuring to hear. May I ask what sort of jobs or tasks you have taken on?"

Shrike has a difficult time accepting gifts or favors he feels he didn't earn, as Dimitri might be noticing. He probably still feels vaguely indebted from before, too, though without any means to pay it back, there's not much point bringing it up. This may or may not get him into trouble at some point if his perceived sense of indebtedness keeps accumulating.

But that's a topic for another time, if ever. For now, he's being asked a very different kind of question, and one he certainly doesn't mind answering.

"Oh, I'm helping fixing things. Sometimes building things. I don't know how to use the tools. but I can carry stuff and hold it where it's supposed to go. Or take it out." In other words, he found a handyman in need of an assistant. Work that generally doesn't require interacting with a lot of people, and those he does thankfully don't insist he remove his hood.

"Oh, so you have also taken on that kind of job." A bit of pleasure sparks in Dimitri at that. Of course it's something very different than what he does with his own woodworking skills, but still. It's nice to have someone else who makes things, and being a handyman is also something Dimitri does on occasion.

"Perhaps the longer you stay on as an assistant, your employer will start explaining the different tools, and how to use them. They may seem complicated at first, but it is not too hard once you adjust. You seem to be quite the good listener, so I'm certain you will do well."

"I guess so..."

He's not as strong here as he is normally, but he still gets a little nervous whenever trying to pry something open or be forceful in putting things together. And while some of the tools are straightforward and sturdy-looking enough, there's others he'd worry about handling. Or about somehow using too much force when using them and breaking something else.

That, and he's not at all sure how to respond to the compliment.

"There's a lot of stuff I don't know, too... Ah, like people here get water from pipes instead of wells and pumps! They keep the water in big towers so that it comes out on its own, which I guess makes sense since if a river's flowing fast enough the water can go up and over things too..."

Apparently he's really impressed by indoor plumbing. Who knew Shrike was such a nerd at heart?

"I know! Isn't is incredible?" Dimitri leans a little closer, smiling wide. So many people here are used to the technological wonders that Johto offers up, so it's always a delight to be with someone else who really appreciates them. Sylvain and Felix and Claude have adjusted far too quickly, in Dimitri's opinion.

"Have you learned about microwaves yet? I always find those fascinating, and how quickly they warm up food again with no need to fuss about it! And that there is so much fresh produce, even during the dead of winter, is fantastic."

"Those are those weird boxes, right?" Shrike's seen them, but is still perhaps a little apprehensive about using one himself. What if he did it wrong? Would it break the thing, or maybe ruin and waste the food?

Though before he can dwell much on that, Dimitri's mentioned something he hasn't been around long enough to know for himself.

"There is?" He sounds very surprised by that. "How do they--is it something to do with the... refrigerators?"

"The very same," Dimitri agrees. Honestly, they're foreign to him still as well, and he has.... you know... maybe definitely fried some foods to crisps. Once or twice. He's learned now, of course, but once bitten and all that...

That's not important. Or, well, it is important, but can go after Dimitri's excitement about grocery stores, and he smiles at Shrike's tone. It sounds incredible, if one hasn't seen it in action, he knows, and the full impact doesn't quite hit during summer. After all, summer is filled with fruits and vegetables that come into season - apricots, basil, all sorts of things.

"I believe the refrigerators and other ways to control temperature no doubt help in some ways. Still, there are other ways that they grow them so that they do well, like in greenhouses, I imagine! Have you ever gotten a chance to visit one of those before?"

"Green houses?"

Shrike has no idea what those are, and is most certainly getting an initial mental image of... houses that are painted green. Or something along those lines.

"No, I don't know what those are."

"Well, they are structures built specifically to encourage the growth of plants." For a moment, Dimitri ponders if he should look up examples on the Pokegear. Would that work?

...Hm. Maybe it would be better for him if Gremlin were out.

Well, it's not a difficult concept to survey, at least. "Generally, it is a small building, built mostly out of glass. Other material is mostly used as a frame, so that there is little to obstruct sunlight coming in. It leads to quite the warm environment, which many plants quite appreciate. Even back in my land, they were used to occasionally help with making sure that a household could help keep itself alive even during cooler months.

"Of course, usually they were for nobility because of how expensive glass was... but here, they are much more plentiful, and the different technology no doubt makes it much easier to keep plants blooming and bearing fruit."

"I see..."

He can kind of picture that. Though it does admittedly sound pretty extravagant.

"Maybe nobles have those, but I don't know." In the world he's from, that is. "But it seems like everyone here is wealthy..."

The sheer amount of, well, everything continues to amaze him.

"The wealth is certainly more spread out evenly, even though there are still some people such as Soy and Riegfried who live so extravagantly," Dimitri agrees. Then again, with how much they seem inclined to spend their money and constantly make more of it with contests... He can't be too upset. As long as it goes back into the economy.

The.... economy impacted by magical money making cats.

He has so many questions. Dimitri wisely decides to never ask much of them.

"Besides, no doubt a small part of it is how well they take care of the general populace on all of their most basic needs. For example..." He tilts his head back in the direction of the city. "I'm sure you've noticed it when going to get your Paliens treated at a Pokecenter? They do not charge you for medicine, or anything regarding your health. So the people here do not have to worry about if they can pay for medicine that would keep them healthy, or even save their lives."

"All the houses here are so big, too."

And there's so many of them. Even the smallest little townhouses Shrike's seen are still comfortable multi-room affairs.

"And there's so much stuff at the shops..."

"A sign of a prosperous country," Dimitri agrees. "Although I believe some of the size is no doubt taking into consideration the large size that some companions can get to."

He nods over to the water, where there are plenty of examples: a Crawdaunt carefully building sand castles with a couple of children, a Golisopod sunbathing alongside a young woman, a Ludicolo acting as a buoy for an elderly trainer.

And that's just in the shallows. Further off, in deeper waters, Blastoise surf along the waves, along with other enormous Pokemon.

Dimitri went house hunting a short while back, since it was becoming clear how apparent it was for all of them to have somewhere to return to. That made it incredibly clear to him how much thought people put into their residences, just out of consideration for their Pokemon.

"Have you bought much, besides the necessities?" he asks, glancing back to Shrike. "Or new clothes, perhaps?"

That's not a question Shrike was really expecting, so it takes him a brief moment to respond.

"Uh, most the clothes are... too short? Or too warm." He can't really replace his hooded cloak with a hoodie when it's simply too hot out to wear the hoodie. The cloak at least allows for a little air circulation.

It also doesn't help that Shrike's definitely far too shy to try anything on, so he just has to make a guess at what would fit if he wants to buy something...

Too short or too warm... "The style of dress here is quite different, although it makes sense for such hot weather," Dimitri agrees, although he has no idea if Fodlan and Shrike's homeland have much in common. The technology of Johto is new to them, yes, but that doesn't really mean much...

"Although I suppose I should ask, by too short, do you mean simply the style, or have you not found anything that fits?"

"It's really hot here."

Shrike had been living in the mountains prior to arriving in Johto, so he's not accustomed to this kind of heat. As is perhaps evidenced by how he reaches to wipe the sweat from his brow with his sleeve as he talks.

Though, Dimitri's question makes him pause, then self-consciously tug his hood further forward and tuck his hands back away out of sight again.

"I-- I don't like it when it's short."

His face isn't all he's keeping hidden from others' sight.

So perhaps scars, or something similar... That is what Dimitri thinks, at least, and the only way to know for certain would be to ask. Well, he won't do that, and certainly not in such a populated and public place. The more important thing is helping Shrike feel comfortable.

"I see," is all he says, nodding as he considers the dilemma carefully. "I can understand not wanting to be seen, but your health might suffer the more you are outside in such weather." So there has to be some sort of idea he can think of...

Oh! "Have you ever heard of a poncho?"

Much worse than scars, or so Shrike thinks. After all, any normal human could have mere scars. What he's hiding is something that clearly indicates something inhuman about him, a visible part of his fay heritage. Even if the marks look... different, since he came here, than they normally do.

But suffice it to say he's afraid of the reactions should anyone find out, especially anyone he's come to respect and like.

"A poncho?"

"That's right." Dimitri raises his hands, roughly gesturing how the shape would fall on his own form. "It's a cloak, of sorts, but without an opening or fastening on the front. You simply slide your head through, much like a shirt.

"Normally the fabrics can be a bit thick, but I have seen them made out of other material as well. I am positive that you could find one made of a thinner cloth, so that it would be cooler to wear, and that could mean wearing shorter sleeves underneath it. That way, you could still be covered, while not being so hot."

It's an idea, at any rate.

"Maybe. I don't know..."

It might work in theory. But then there's the problem of any time Shrike has to reach for something or otherwise use his hands or arms for anything not also under the poncho. Clearly he just needs to catch an ice type.

If it's only a maybe... Dimitri nods. "That's fine," he says gently. "It was just a thought I had. If you do not feel comfortable with it, then you do not have to go along with it." Being in the shade and having a cold drink should hopefully be enough to make up for it at least a little bit.

"But do let me know if you start to feel too warm, or dizzy, anything of that sort."

"It's always too warm here..."

Was that humor? Or maybe just a bit of complaining about yet another thing that's strange and new and different.

Whether it's a joke or not, it still has Dimitri chuckle. "Well, you have arrived in the warmer months. Once we start moving towards autumn and winter again, it will be a little more comfortable, I should think."

And yet when he thinks about winter in Johto, something about it makes him perk up. "And you will like winter here, I think! There are quite a few holidays spread throughout the season, and one in particular during the start where gifts are exchanged. A saint is involved, and makes sure all are appreciated."

Because that's one way to describe Santa Claus.

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