TEL VISHAN BEACH PARTY

[akito]

Characters: OPEN
Date: Saturday, August the 9^th
Location: The Shell 'Coastline' nearest the Water Sector
Situation: Baby Turtle Beach Party!

-

At the edge of Asti's shell there are coastlines of natural deposits that make up the closest thing to a 'beach' that they'll ever find in Keeliai. It's here that the official Tel Vishan Beach Party is set to take place. All turtle 'parents' will have gotten a message from their respective hatchlings about said party (perhaps a nice change from the whining and the temper tantrums).

Temporary shaded areas built with poles and sheets for weary parents or hatchlings who do decide to come, and some simple snacks and refreshments have been set up as well. There's a fishing net set up to act as a volleyball net for the day, and a ball waiting in the sand for some players.

The rest is up to those who come.


((ooc: feel free to comment under the headers, or start your own top-level comment!))

Comments

[wrathfulkhan]

[At least you will never lose him in a crowd?

But on a serious note: welp. Gene knew he couldn't avoid Tony forever, he just hadn't expected to run into him...here.]

Hey. [Nailed it.] Oh. Thanks.

[Kalliel is deaf to the awkwardness, and waves a flipper at Tony to say hello...as well as using telepathy.] Hello!

[highprofilerichkid]

[Tony flinches at the turtle's greeting. Only a little— he knows the turtles are telepathic, so he'd been prepared for it. That doesn't mean he likes it, though.] Hi, [he says with a weak smile, waving back. It's not the turtle's fault telepathy still kind of weirds him out.]

So... how's the beach? [he asks, scuffing his toes in the sand and not quite making eye contact with Gene.]

[wrathfulkhan]

[Haha. God. Whoops. This is awkward.] Good. We picked a good day for the party, I think. And the turtles seem happier for the chance to cool down. [Oh my God, are you talking about the weather?! Stop it!]

Enjoying yourself?

this is my favorite icon I'm so excited to use it

[highprofilerichkid]

Yeah. Yeah. It's... nice. Nice weather. Uh, the food is good. And I played some volleyball. With a turtle. It was... cool. [Wow, this is going just great.]

So, that's... your turtle? What's his name again? [Turtles seem like a good conversation topic. There are turtles here. Gene has a turtle. They're riding a giant turtle. Turtles don't have anything to do with magic rings or Makluans or kidnapping and attempted murder. Turtles. Yeah. Stick with turtles.]

UR GONNA HAVE TO USE IT A LOT M8

[wrathfulkhan]

[Tony, this is Gene we're talking about here. If anyone can make any topic end up in magic rings or Makluans or kidnapping and attempted murder, it's this asshole.]

Kalliel, [Gene says.] Before he picked me, he visited me in a dream. We ended up playing hide and seek.

[highprofilerichkid]

Kalliel. A dream, huh? They... show up to you in dreams? [Wow, that is extra unsettling.] That's— [freaky as hell] that must have been... surprising?

Uh, how do they pick people? [Tony is so not ready to be a babysitter for a telepathic alien turtle. Is there a way to opt out?]

[wrathfulkhan]

[Gene shrugs. He's...kinda acquainted with weird shit happening in his dreams. That is potentially why this didn't bother him or even really surprise him at the time.] Not really. It was...a nice change. [A nice change from nightmares about Zhang and ninjas and disgracing his bloodline.]

You know, I'm not sure, [he says.] I would have thought I'd be the last person to be picked.

Wow, Tony. So rude. SO rude.

[highprofilerichkid]

[A quiet] Oh, [is all Tony says to that. He probably wouldn't have picked up on Gene's implication, if he hadn't so recently been thoroughly and intimately acquainted with the myriad causes of Gene's nightmares. He's had a few nightmares himself, since then. Thanks for nothing, Gene.

He's distracted enough by those thoughts that he snorts and absently replies,] Yeah, I would have too, [before realizing what an astonishingly churlish response that is.

Uh. Whoops. Yeah, there's really no way to salvage that one, is there? He blushes and looks away.]

Tony pls

[wrathfulkhan]

[OH COOL. Gene forces a laugh and looks down. It stings, but he hadn't really expected anything better.] Yeah. Well. I haven't traumatized him yet.

[Gene is a good dad! Kalliel says, and affectionately bonks Gene with a flipper, knocking him over.]

See? [Gene says, winded, picking himself up off the ground.]

[highprofilerichkid]

[Tony lets out a surprised laugh when Kalliel's affectionate whap knocks Gene into the sand.] Okay, I guess I'll take your word for it. You're the expert, [he says to the turtle.

"Gene is a good dad" is not a sentence Tony would have ever expected to hear in any context, but Kalliel does seem satisfied with his... adopted parent. Just one more bizarre thing in this bizarre dimension.]

You, uh, got some sand in your hair, [Tony points out as Gene stands up, sounding amused. Without thinking, he reaches over and brushes it out.

Startled by his own impulse, he snatches his hand back like he's been burned, and blushes even brighter.]

[wrathfulkhan]

[If Tony wanted to list the bizarre things in this bizarre dimension, he'd have to use all the paper in Keeliai.

OH LOOK HERE COMES A BIZARRE THING RIGHT NOW. Namely, Tony brushing sand out of Gene's hair. Gene freezes, halfway through reaching up to dust his hair off himself.

Did...did that just happen?]

Thank...you...? [he says hesitantly, trying to ignore the fact that Stark looks like he just got three days' worth of sunburn on his face in about three seconds.]

[highprofilerichkid]

I, uh... [oh god why did he do that] I'm... going to go swimming. [Tony declares suddenly, an obvious but valiant effort at changing the subject.] Who wants to come with me?

[wrathfulkhan]

[TONY DID YOU REALLY JUST MEAN TO ASK YOUR EX IF HE WANTS TO GO SWIMMING WITH YOU. YOUR EX, WHO IS WEARING SWIM SHORTS. AND IS NOT WEARING A SHIRT.

TONY PLS.

Kalliel, meanwhile, thinks this is a great idea. Yeah! Come on! Let's go back in the water! And he cuffs Gene again, slowly towing him into the water.

Looks like his choice has been made for him!]

[highprofilerichkid]

[WELL THAT IS THE STANDARD ATTIRE FOR SWIMMING, GENE.

Tony gives Gene a slightly manic grin, and runs down to the shore. He splashes through the gentle surf, and then wades out until the water is up to his chest.]

The water's really nice, [he comments, in a forced-small-talk voice that is painfully transparent.]

[wrathfulkhan]

[IT IS ALSO THE STANDARD ATTIRE FOR MAKING ANY CONVERSATION WITH YOUR EX INCREDIBLY UNCOMFORTABLE EVEN WITHOUT THE WHOLE ATTEMPTED MURDER SORRY-I-RUINED-YOUR-LIFE THING.

Kalliel has shoved his adoptive dad out into the surf at about that depth and is happily swimming around. Yes! So much better than dry land! Bless you, Kalliel.

Gene flounders in his turtle's wake and finally settles down again.] Y...yeah. Not so much in winter, though. Asti's got some sort of internal clock that keeps him on what seems like an earthly seasonal schedule.

[highprofilerichkid]

[TOO BAD. SUCK IT UP AND SWIM, PRETTYBOY.

Despite the incredible awkwardness, Tony laughs at Kalliel's excitement.] Yeah, especially in this heat. If I was a turtle, I wouldn't want to spend much time on land either. This is great. [He floats on his back, kicking his feet lazily to keep from capsizing.]

Huh. You'd think he could steer a little farther from the equator, [Tony grouses. He is not especially enjoying the heatwave.]

[wrathfulkhan]

[And then this thread was a swimming anime.]

It got pretty cold in winter, [Gene notes.] It even snowed. All things considered...I like this better.

[highprofilerichkid]

You don't like snow? [Tony asks, genuinely curious.] Snow is fun! I guess winter kind of sucks in the city, but Rhodey and I built some epic snowforts in his backyard. [He grins at the memory. Ah, yes, early experiments in structural engineering.]

One year we even had a neighborhood sled-racing contest, but we all got grounded after two kids broke their arms. [And Tony had been extra grounded for modding everyone's sleds to go faster.] I thought disassembling a snow-blower to make a ultra-powered sled was brilliant, but the other kids' parents weren't so happy about it. Go figure. Some people have no appreciation for genius.

[wrathfulkhan]

[OSHA's just a character in A Song of Ice and Fire to you, isn't it, Tony?

Gene shrugs.] Snow's fine. I just don't like the cold very much.

[IF YOU MAKE A FUCKING LIZARD JOKE HE WILL ABSOLUTELY DROWN YOU AND NO JURY WOULD CONVICT HIM.]

[highprofilerichkid]

["Osha"? Gesundheit. HEALTH AND SAFETY REGS ARE FOR SQUARES.]

Can't you just make a bubble of warm air around yourself or something? [Tony says. That... came out a little more snide than he really meant it to. He stays floating on his back, hoping that maybe Gene didn't notice.

(Can he make a joke about how you're Mongolian, ya fuckin' weenie?)]

is this weather argument ic or ooc id on't even know anymore

[wrathfulkhan]

[(Just because his people are a steppe people doesn't mean that he has to enjoy bitter-ass cold! He can withstand it just fine, but. COME ON WARMER WEATHER IS BETTER.]

I would prefer not to, [he says, in true Bartleby the Scrivener style. He's got the temperament for Bartleby, too. Yeesh. If he starts saying that about eating you will have a problem.] I don't want to use the rings for frivolous tasks. [That way lies badtime.]

[highprofilerichkid]

[Tony's quiet for a little bit, resisting the petty urge to keep needling Gene. Don't be a jackass, Tony. Once he's regained his good humor, he smiles slowly and asks,] ...So, no picnics on the moon?

[wrathfulkhan]

I wouldn't encourage it, [Gene says, his voice dry. Don't you know that moon rocks are deadly poison? Tony, what kind of dang scientist are you? Don't you give me guff about him being an engineer, dammit!

Kalliel has decided that now is the time to swim up underneath Tony and surprise him. Surprise! Now you're on a turtle. A, uh, smaller turtle than usual.]

[highprofilerichkid]

Well, you're no fun. [He's about to start suggesting other completely frivolous absolutely serious possible uses for the Lisa Frank Rings of Real Ultimate Power, until his aquatic repose is rudely disturbed by a very large turtle emerging out of the water underneath him.

Tony squawks in surprise, flails around for a moment trying to keep his balance, and then goes tumbling off the turtle's sloped shell in an impressively ungraceful manner.

He pops out of the water a moment later, laughing.] Hey!

[wrathfulkhan]

[Hell yeah Kalliel has his back! Coming up out of the water like a significantly less toothy and more chelonian Bruce the shark!

Gene starts laughing at the turtley antics.] Nice composure.

[Your turn! Kalliel says, and dives.] No, wait, Kalliel--!

[But Gene's pleas are for naught, as the great turtle opts to give his caretaker the same treatment. Namely, dunking. Just be glad he didn't do a barrel roll, Gene.]