ximilialog | [open] Downtime mingle: beach party!

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[open] Downtime mingle: beach party!

CHARACTERS: Any & all
LOCATION: Simulation room, beach style
DATE: Late May during downtime
CONTENT: Courtesy of a couple of your fellow orbers, the simulation room has turned into a beach party! For those missing the sea, or looking forward to summer, or just needing a break to relax after the last mission, all are welcome to join in.
WARNINGS: none

Colorful shells line the hallways of the Ximilia. Follow them, and you'll wind up at the simulation room. Once you step in the door, you'll find yourself surrounded by sand and sun and turquoise waters - or an evening of cool breezes and a purple-orange sunset sky. The water is warm and inviting. Come on in, relax, have fun, find a spot to sit and meditate. Whatever floats your boat!

I. Games and refreshments

Oceanside classics dot the sand. A beach volleyball net and ball are surrounded by lounge chairs with little tables and umbrellas for those who want to either play or spectate - though if you want to drag your chair elsewhere that looks easy enough to do too. Farther along there’s a pile of floaties and other inflatables, including a couple of enormous beach balls, and a bunch of pool noodles for either swimming with or battling it out in an epic swordfight among the waves.

At the center of the beach area are several tables laden with snacks and drinks. Chips and salsa (and nachos), sushi and poke, banana splits and shave ice, beer, rum, and fancy cocktails, and many other offerings are easy to find. And if you prefer your beach food cookout style, several grills are set up and ready to go, and a selection of meats and seafood, vegetables, burger and hot dog buns and all the trimmings are set out for any who wants to treat themselves or their friends to something fresh from the barbecue.

2. Boat dock

Feeling adventurous? At the dock are several small sailboats for those who want to try their hand at commanding one around the little tropical islands offshore. Make it all the way out to the islands, and enjoy snorkeling or diving in the reef among tropical fish - all the gear is waiting for you once you get there.

If even smaller is your style, try a jetski or sea kayak - or hop on one of the little motor boats and tow a banana boat behind for your friends.

(And if you combine those pool noodles with a jetski? Wave jousting, anyone?)

The end of the dock has an ice cream stand and a bunch of balloons, just for good measure - and anchored behind that is a moderately large wooden sailing ship that would probably look right at home in Earth’s 18th century. No cannons, this time, but it’s still a cool place to hang out and watch the waves.

3. Do You Want To Build a ~~Snowman~~ Sandcastle?

‘Sup, dude? Feeling artsy? Hell yeah. Tubular! The world is your oyster. Literally! Well, don’t use an oyster to build your sandcastle. We’ve got you covered, broski. There are shovels and buckets galore! All for you to create your pièce de résistance. Have a buddy or two tag along and help you construct your piece. Or go solo! Much like in the art world, there aren’t any rules to abide by. So if you have any special abilities to give your sandcastle some extra flare, then go for it! Make your own magical kingdom with moats, dragons, a combination taco bell/pizza hut. Get creative!

Word on the block says that there is a small competition happening. Best in show gets a free toothbrush! Ain’t that neat?! Not only have you won, but you are also winning in the oral hygiene department.

4. Sunset Bonfire

What better way to wind down your day out on the (simulated) beach than spending it out by the bonfire? There is a sizeable bonfire not too far from the shoreline, where the tides are lower this time at night. There are some options to roast s’mores by the fires. Maybe a weiner or two if you’re craving something more savory (vegan options are available!). Perhaps you are more musically inclined. In that case, there are a couple of ukuleles and drums lying around to pick up and play a little ditty for the crowd. Come gather around with those closest to you.

Alternatively, there are also fireworks and sparklers to make your night that much flashier.

This doesn’t have to be about having fun in the sun or pretending to be happy. Cleanse yourself. You all have made it this far into your journey with your crewmates. Find yourself in good company. Or maybe you need to find yourself in solitude in order to reflect. This is your chance to find yourself in the present and figure out how you all wish to shape your futures.

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[The last mission was jarring in a way the others hadn't been. This time, it was one of their own who had turned on them. Newton had tried to kill them, all of them, and Rosinante is only able to kick himself for not picking up on the severity of his instability sooner.

Retreating to the familiar scenery of the oceanside helps keep him focused while others deal with the fallout. He lived, despite the creature and the bombs. He's alive, he's not even badly injured, and it's time to give his mind a break before they have to get sent back out again. Might as well bring that break to others who need it too, right?]

1.a. Volleyball [Now back to a more-correct height of around nine feet, Rosinante towers over the volleyball net with a ball in his hand. He's settled for a t-shirt and swimming trunks, a pair of sunglasses, and teal lipstick that matches the water - and if you catch his eye he hefts the ball, ready to toss it to whoever has turned up.]

Best of three? Loser buys drinks.

[The drinks are free, and despite his height the odds aren't necessarily in his favor. He'd have to stay on his feet long enough to win, too.]

1.b. Floaties [Or spot him lounging in an enormous pink elephant floatie. Problem is, it's starting to drift away from shore. He flips his sunglasses onto his forehead as he notices, then frowns and tries to sit up, but seems awfully reluctant to kick or paddle his way back.

But seeing someone else approach melts the worry from his face.]

Need a swimming buddy?

2. Cerveza, por favor

[One of the flotation rafts has been repurposed. Rosinante drags it behind him like a sled, loaded with drinks and whole fish, as he makes his way down the dock to the tall wooden ship.

He could probably use a hand, but whether you choose to help him struggling with all of that or not, he later winds up setting up a small bar on the deck of the ship. Tables from the beach hold some of that beer, and he's currently slicing up fish into sashimi.]

Welcome to, um. Cafe Donquixote? I'm not much of a cook, but I can do beer and seafood. You want anything?

[Yeah, that name needs a little work.]

4. Bonfire

[Whatever silliness he may have gotten up to during the day, he eventually winds up back in a stoic, contemplative mode as he sits by the fire with a cigarette in one hand and a marshmallow on a stick in the other. The flames provide something to stare at while his mind does all the work.

In the last month he's lost friends. One in particular bothers him, because unlike those who vanished, she's still here, but lost to him nonetheless.

This is the cost of his actions, he knows that. Is it terrible that he doesn't regret them? That even if Newton hates him, if Daisy finds herself disgusted with him, and that others have had their sense of trust rattled, that he wouldn't change any of it? He's not without feelings and he has his regrets. It hurts to know he can't easily juggle both responsibility to others and his dedication to Law and their shared dream, but if one has to come before the rest then he knows which it will be.

Anyway, his marshmallow is now a molten torch that's dripping flame onto the sand right next to his leg and apparently he hasn't realized this yet.]

( Curiosity led him here, to white sandy shores and a blue crystalline sea, squinting under the bright sun.

Following his tête-à-tête with the Precursors, McCoy hasn't much felt like partaking of too much excitement. However he does kick his shoes off to go for a long walk up the coastline, letting the salty breeze tug at his hair and his clothes until the sim gently gets him turned back around in the right direction. He has a nibble of what's available (no sense in wasting it), and settles himself in the shade of a palm tree afterward, paging through a datapad full of brain scans and making notes.

If he hears anyone approach, he'll glance back toward them sharply, maybe even flinch like he's expecting an attack, then settles with a grunt. )

Saved you a seat.

( He gestures to the wide sandy beach around him. )

[ Finn didn't know what to think when he discovered the sim. Didn't feel like something he wanted to take part in at the time, so he left. Then he came back half an hour later with swim trunks and a tank top. Maybe a little distraction isn't all that bad of an idea.

It's when he's walking the beach that he spots McCoy, and he doesn't like that little flinch. He's not offended or anything. Just concerned, especially after what happened. But he approaches like he didn't notice. ]

Appreciate it.

[ He sits beside him with a sigh, a foot or so away, and- Ah. Brain scans. Finn looks to the water and debates with himself. He doesn't want to be that guy, but... he kind of is that guy. ]

Would you be honest if I asked how you were doing?

[ A lot of people haven't been lately, is all he means. But Finn's not one to pry. Much. ]

( His gaze follows Finn to his seat, the corner of his mouth drawing up in a quick smile, to see the younger man dressed for the beach. By contrast, McCoy is still in work scrubs nearly as blue as the ocean before them, getting sand in the legs of his soft trousers. Ah well. )

When am I not honest? ( It's a mild retort, then he shakes his head. McCoy slides his thumb across the screen of his padd, minimizing the scans. )

Worrying about a patient's not uncharted waters, Finn. It's part of the job. You worry and you think of, well, what are the potential ways we can move forward with this case? What are all the potential outcomes for my patient, good or bad- and you try not to dwell on the bad.

( He pauses like he's about to say something, changes his mind, then changes it again to add: )

Any physician who says they're wholly removed from concern for their patients' well-being is one cold bastard.

Sun
[ Beaches are quite a bit different from arid deserts, but it still reminds him of Vulcan in some ways. The warm sand is a comfort and though a party isn't something that tends to pull Spock out of his usual quiet places where he might go to read, meditate or research, he cannot deny that the heat is very welcome right now, so he's dressed himself in the beach appropriate attire of shorts and a T-shirt, though as soon as he's in the simulation, he takes the T-shirt off.

He's found himself a lounge chair that is a little out of the way of the main action and though he has a few books next to him, he takes a moment to just lie there on his back with his eyes closed in the sun. If he lets his mind wander, this could just as easily be a beach near the Academy. The cool breeze and the sound of the waves doesn't quite match his memories of Vulcan's deserts, but it reminds him of a familiarity in his life nonetheless. ]

Set
[ Spock is less interested in the snacks than he is the general atmosphere of the bonfire. There is something relaxing and meditative about a flame and as the night air gets cool, Spock finds himself moving closer to it.

The chocolate from the s'mores is likely to intoxicate him, but he's still on the fence about if he wants that right now, so he is content to listen to the crackling flame and the gentle music that filters around them from time to time.

This is perhaps the most content he has allowed himself to feel since he arrived here and the barest hint of a smile might just be sneaking onto his face as he finally reaches for a stick and marshmallow. ]

Wildcard
[ You want to get him on a jetski or something? hmu. ]

01. GAMES AND REFRESHMENTS

( kind of a fucking shame that this wasn't the real thing but it was close enough that billy could deal.

he grabs a beer and finds a lounger where he can flop himself down and stretch out. he's still wearing jeans, a shirt and his coat but he's relaxing. see him relaxing? he's doing well.

he's just saving himself from skin cancer, okay? he's got a beer and his boots on he's having a good fucking time. maybe he'll get in the water later or maybe he'll go throw a volleyball at someone and call them a fuckin' pansy for getting all fussy.

the day was young. )

02. SUNSET BONFIRE

( billy isn't drunk but he's definitely feeling relaxed. he's a little ways away from the actual bonfire, flat on his back in the sand while he stares up at the sky.

it's not real, he knows, but it's still a good view. he can count the stars and make a wish and know that it won't be granted but he still does it. what a fuckin' sap he is.

there's a half drunk bottle of beer at his hip that he reaches for and starts to tip forward before realizing he's gonna dump it all over himself if he does that. so, he puts it back down and sighs. )

Fuck me.

( yep, that's right. )

03. WILDCARD

( for anything that's not included, feel free to toss it here. )

[ Spock reaches over from his own seat of quiet contemplation by the fire to change the angle of the stick as it drips marshmallow juice so that it's a little further from the other man's leg. Sure, it wasn't about to drip on it, but it had been close enough to warrant concern. ]

I apologize if burning yourself was an intended goal, but it seems illogical and unlikely.

[ Spock's own steps are less about getting to a place and more about feeling the warm sand on his feet, but after a little while he does spot the familiar form of the doctor and comes to join him in the sand.

He's left his shirt and shoes somewhere nearby as he's been enjoying the feel of the sun on his skin, synthetic as it is, so when he seats himself just a few feet away he's only in a pair of long shorts. ]

It is an odd and concerning day when you are having a harder time recreating than I am.

Ohh I would, but I didn't bring my strap-on.

[ Zari is just going to gracefully lounge her ass down next to him in a bikini. She's got her own non-alcoholic beverage that she places down next to his, too. ]

Also this would be a little too public for me.

Not you too, ( he grumbles, reaching over to pluck his sweating glass of whiskey sour from the sand. McCoy's perspiring lightly through his scrub top, and not so idly wishing he'd changed before venturing further, but the risk then had been remaining right there and curling up with his findings in a less interesting setting. )

Don't feel like recreation. I feel like sitting' here an' enjoyin' the view, ( McCoy griped to the Vulcan, inflection deepening with his aggravation.

The sun looks good on Spock, hairy as a sehlat and pale like the rest of the crew from their limited sun exposure. He wonders, idly, about rigging the sim to make the false solar rays output UV light, just enough to get everyone's Vitamin D levels up. )

[ Spock hums in idle agreement. He'd come with his own share of reading, but he'd left it behind when he'd decided to walk around the simulation more with plans to return to it. ]

May I assist?

[ He inclines his head towards the datapad, surmising easily that if it were literature that the man would not be taking notes. ]

Wow, missed out. I'm fuckin' desolate.

( he scoffs and looks over at her. )

You probably really do have a strap on hanging out in your room.

[ Finn smiles. It's small, doesn't really reach his eyes, but it's there for a moment just because of the honesty. But then the smile fades just as quickly as it appeared. ]

Can't help but agree with that. [ Doctors who are cold and calculating with their patients are types that Finn's dealt with in the past. A lot. But that's another conversation. ]

We're going to do everything we can to get those things out of his head... But, believe me, you're not worrying alone.

Hm? ( Oh, the datapad. Bones glances at it, figures he'll be useless with it for at least another couple of hours, and shuts it off. )

Oh no, no. Not unless you're about to surprise me with heretofore unknown knowledge of the human brain, when it plays host to an alien group mind. It's like nothing I've ever seen before, and Lord knows we've seen a lot out there.

You getting on alright?

Edited 2022-05-26 21:14 (UTC)

[ Zari shrugs. She doesn't actually have one here, but she's no stranger. ]

I could say a lot of things about my ex, but our sex life was not bad or boring.

I cannot even make much sense of the human mind's output when it is not playing host to such a thing.

[ Not that he won't be interested to hear about the findings later. It's not exactly a regular occurrence. ]

I told Jim of my plans to leave Starfleet.

[ He lets that hang as the clear answer it is. ]

[ Zari is just going to sit down right next to him in a bikini and slide closer until she can wrap an arm around his shoulders. ]

Leonard, this is not a work-cation.

I know. ( McCoy lets go a sigh, and thinks better of what he'd like to say next, that everything they can do will still come down to what Newt's already-ailing mind can handle. Neuro-regenerators can only do so much, he can only do so much.

He squints at Finn, tilting his head. )

And you came out here for a break from worryin', I'm sure. ( Straightening, he presses his heels into the sand. )

I could use a cold one, how about you? ( And without waiting for the younger man, he drops the padd off with his shoes and socks, and pushes himself to his feet, dusting falling sand from the seat of his pants. )

Zari, ( he greets her evenly, and she almost gets a small chuckle out of him for that, as he leans a bit into her little half-embrace, his stylus flying across the screen. )

Didn't realize I was bothering anyone out here.

( He shrugs at him, gesturing with both hands-- see?? --before he slumps. Then straightens, again, blinking at Spock. )

Oh. Oh. But Spock, you... ( He doesn't know. McCoy sits there uneasily for a moment, before he ventures, )

He wasn't happy about it, was he.

( it isn't a question, because he knows, he knows Jim so well... )

There's a difference between bother and worry.

[ She rolls her eyes affectionately and pulls away just enough to settle next to him. ]

What's going on it that big, smart brain of yours?

Congratulations on that.

( he actually means that and gives her a round of applause for it before his arms fall back onto the sand. )

Sex life here a bad thing, then? Seems to be implied.

Negative. He was... upset.

[ Spock looks down at his own hands and tries not to think about the way he had felt when Jim had told him to leave. ]

I had believed that in light of your marriage, it might be easier for him to see that I am not leaving him alone. I was mistaken.

[ That actually gets a small laugh out of her. ]

No, but there's a really big difference between no strings sex with a friend and sex with the person you love. They're both, you know, fun, but not the same. I still miss him.

[ If Finn were the cold, detached type, he probably wouldn't give Newton a high chance of survival, given what he knows of the Force. It's hard to say how much of him is even still left or how much he'll be able to recover over time.

But Finn's not cold and detached. He refuses to let those thoughts get the best of him. Not giving up is the only way they'll win.

Anyway, Finn was just about to answer that... maybe he had, but breaks have never stopped his nerves before. But McCoy's already standing, and Finn finds himself with a real smile on his face again.

He stands, too, dusting sand off and stretching against the artificial sun. The shirt is just there to hide the scars, not an aesthetic concern but one of potential exploitation. He doesn't have to worry about that with McCoy, though, so maybe he'll ditch it later. ]

I'd love one. Not often we really get the chance for this, anyway.

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[open] Downtime mingle: beach party!

Rosinante | OTA

McCoy | OTA

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Spock | Star Trek AOS

billy butcher — the boys

01. GAMES AND REFRESHMENTS

02. SUNSET BONFIRE

03. WILDCARD

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