tushanshu_logs | Everything's Better Down Where It's Wetter [reasonably open]

Characters: lots of them
Date: landfall (Apr 7-13)
Location: coastal waters and beaches around Atam
Situation: fish people and the people who ~~manage to put up with them~~love them
Warnings/Rating: None anticipated, but individual posters should warn in the subject line if relevant.

From the event post:

Come on in, the water's great! The fish are happy and well cared for, the water is tropical (which goes for any beach bunnies in our midst, not just the fish people!) There's also the ruins of an approximately iron-age city sunk just off the coast for anyone who can swim to explore! It's visible about four meters down. It's mostly old buildings, walkways/etc, that are covered in ocean detritus. Some things could be brought back to the surface. Maybe you'll even find old treasure? Who knows! Have fun exploring.

OOC: This is the catchall log for Ocean Shenanigans. This includes water-breathers on holiday, air-breathers with high lung capacity, scuba gear, mysterious powers, or a water-breather willing to spot 'em, and perhaps even air-breathers who've recruited water-breathing help to skip the checkpoint and sneak into Atam, which is doable if they're careful. /drevil.jpg

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Let's not mention this to Batman. He probably already knows, but when he gets like that, I just want to punch him. [He and Bruce mostly spend their time posturing at each other like a couple of alpha males. When they aren't occasionally being friends. It's complicated. But he doesn't want a lecture about magic artifacts falling into other hands, because no matter how much Arthur protests that he would have just stormed in with the other Atlanteans to retrieve it...]

Humans lose all kinds of things in the oceans that they don't bother to recover, we might even find something useful. [Juulan, maybe. Or gold or silver. It doesn't hurt to stockpile funds when rationing is in place and you've got a wife and teenager to look out for.] The waters are nice out here, aren't they?

I haven't met Batman. [But from what she's heard about him from Arthur, he's probably lurking in the shadows somewhere. It makes Mera slightly uncomfortable]

Gold and jewels is what we usually find. Along with garbage. Perhaps we'll be lucky out here too. [Extra funds never hurt] They are. Clean and warm. Emphasis on the clean, since that seems to be becoming a luxury for us.

You probably don't want to. [He leans in to press a kiss to her cheek. But he has likely mentioned that Bruce tends to keep an eye on things; there's a reason Arthur doesn't talk much on the consoles when it isn't necessary or he doesn't want the conversation going semi-public.]

I'm a bit surprised the waters are so clean. Maybe these beings have gotten past dumping their trash in the ocean like savages. [He breaks away after a moment and another kiss pressed to her temple to retrieve his trident from where it had drifted.] Let's go see what we can find.

From what I've heard, no, probably not. [She will take every ounce of affection Arthur wishes to give her. She's missed him]

Do you think any surface dwellers could ever really get over that? [She's met some surface dwellers who are perfectly nice but it's hard to get over the thinking that most of them are savages who live to take from the ocean while giving nothing in return] After you.

[He tries to imagine how Bruce would get along with his wife, and it just makes him smile, because she'd be much too much for him to deal with. Mera doesn't back down from anything, especially not broody men in capes. ...Actually he kind of wants to see that meeting.]

I believe people can change. [He's idealistic, always has been in his own way. He wants to believe that people can change, given direction and options. Atlantis had changed. He starts toward the underwater city, though, descending smoothly into the water.] People can be better. Humans and Atlanteans.

[Mera just smiles as she follows him down. It's endearing that he truly believes that, even if she's not sure she agrees. She acknowledges that she's always been less forgiving than he has]

Don't ever stop thinking that, my love. [It's one of his better qualities] Now, let's see what this city has to offer shall we?

[He doesn't think he's naive or gullible, but a King should have hope, should have faith and compassion and honor. He tries to be better, and he thinks the world could be better, if they only tried. Though really, it's a miracle he still thinks this after everything he's seen.

The city is old, much older than he expected as the reach it, buildings covered in algea and crumbling in the waves. It's fascinating.] How long do you think it's been down here? It's always been here, as far as the fish know.

[Having hope is something that's hard for Mera a lot of the time. Everything has felt so hopeless for years now. It's just through sheer stubbornness that she's kept herself going]

Hundreds of years, maybe. Judging from how it looks. And if the fish don't remember, it's likely that it's been a while. Should we get a closer look?

[Considering their respective backgrounds, it isn't surprising. Arthur's father and the creatures of the sea taught him about the good parts of the world when he was young, and Mera's father... they don't talk about that. But today is a day for enjoying what the land here has to offer, and so he nods, taking her hand and descending into the city.]

Maybe we could take a few things back for the apartment. Or polish up a few antiques to sell in the market.

[They don't talk about Mera's father for good reason. He was out of his mind and prevented her from having a real childhood]

We could. There might be something of real value down here. Maybe some coins. At the very least there could be a lot of metal and I'm sure someone in the market will pay for that. Metal can always be melted down and reused.

[There's a reason they don't really talk about Xebel period, beyond 'how the hell did they get through the barrier'.]

The metal scraps might be too corroded to be useful, but if we find anything in good shape, I might be able to find a buyer. It's strange, having to worry about money, isn't it? [He drifts through the window hole of a building at random and starts looking around curiously.] I think this is a first, for me.

You never know. [She's trying to be optimistic. She's not sure they'll find anything worthwhile but hey, it's an adventure]

Very strange. Money wasn't really a concern in Atlantis. Just for the luxuries and those we provided because we were royalty. And what wasn't provided, we could get with treasure scavenged from the sea floor. But I suppose the surface world is different.

Vastly different. They actually have to pay for food and shelter up there. [He's pulling out a half-buried chest to dig around in it curiously now. Atlantis provides basic necessities for all its people, so this is indeed odd.] It seems barbaric sometimes, to let a portion of your people starve while others live in giant mansions.

And usually Garth and I never needed to worry about finances when we visited. We kept several pockets of treasure along the shores to have currency on hand when we needed it.

Barbaric is putting it politely. [In Atlantis, everyone had shelter. Whatever negative things could be said about Atlantis, and there are plenty, they at least knew how to provide for their people]

This is certainly a new experience for all of us, isn't it?

Everything's Better Down Where It's Wetter [reasonably open]

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