[closed] (loud screaming) BOAT PARTY

[pocketspa]

Who: Taako, Lup, Barry, Kravitz, Magnus, Lance, and Nate.
What: 7 assholes, two boats, heading into the ocean for the chance to look for some buckwild stuff.
Where: Out at sea!
When: The entirety of the voyage; August 13th-September 3rd.
Warnings: Idk PG-13 levels of shirtlessness, curse words, maybe somebody ends up overboard at some point. Should be cool.

This is a catch all for the boat party for this group! Make top-levels for threads within this time and go friggin' wild. For convenience, I've provided 3 toplevel headers as general timeline assistance; as far as events of the voyage go, it'll basically be:

Week One: (August 13th-19th) Leaving the city and traveling to the fragment!
Week Two: (August 20th-26th) Still traveling, picking up whatever they find somewhere in here, since it's about the middle.
Week Three: (August 27th- Sept 3rd) Traveling and arriving home!

Feel free not to use exact dates, I sure don't care, this is just to help figure out if things happened before other things, OTHERWISE GO WILD

Comments

WEEK ONE

[pocketspa]

Header for Week One (August 13th-19th!)

[lifetothefullest]

[Okay, well, this could all be worse he supposes.

It's early enough in the whole adventure that Lance doesn't totally hate life yet, although he's still not so sure about having agreed to come along. It could definitely be worse, and it's actually kind of neat to see endless water and have the quiet of the ship and not be needed constantly for things, but on the other hand...

It's boring. There's only so many times Lance can watch the waves, or mess with the fishing poles he doesn't intend to use, or stalk the network for what stupid conversation people have left public. It's getting old.

So while the two boats are nearby, the journey paused for a short time for everyone to rest, Lance is peering curiously over the edge of the boat into the water.]

So if this planet is mostly water, shouldn't it have really huge creatures in the ocean?

[knockthemdead]

[Kravitz can certainly relate to a minor case of cabin fever. Of course, this circumstance is not the worst he's ever felt it, and after being stuck in Hadriel for so long, he's somewhat adjusted to feeling... well, caged. As much as one can adjust to such a thing.

He peers over the edge beside Lance, the two of them directing matching stares into the ocean.]

I suppose that would make sense. ...You know, you really shouldn't tempt fate in this way.

[lifetothefullest]

[Lance glances over at him briefly at that comment, then looks back at the ocean again when he responds.]

You're probably right, but now that we acknowledged it we should be good.

[Hopefully.]

But we should also probably take the possibility of giant sea monsters in account when people going diving for the fragment.

[nodogsonthemoon]

[Magnus was used to being stuck on a ship of some sort with his friends (and a few strangers, but hopefully they'd become friends or at least not kill each other by the end) and finding ways to entertain himself. He had taken it upon himself to be the lookout, climbing to the highest point of the ship (which wasn't exactly the safest thing in the world) and looking out for other ships or anything that might be interesting).]

[Often times it just resulted him in screaming "AHOY" at people from a distance and hoping they'd wave back.]

[So all in all it wasn't the worst thing in the world, but certainly not the most exciting.]

[Magnus approaches Lance and leans on the railing next to him, looking into the waters below.]

That would be super cool if there was. Maybe one will pop up while we're sailing and I can fight it or something!

[Even though he's not the most equipped to fight something in the water, but that would be a problem for future Magnus.]

[lifetothefullest]

Okay, as cool as that would definitely be, I'm not sure we want to be fighting some giant sea creature when we only have sailboats.

[He's seen movies, okay. They all say even huge pirate ships can't really stand up to over-exaggerated giant squid, and Lance definitely wouldn't put it past this weird planet to actually have monsters like that.]

[restinglichface]

[Don't worry, Lance. There's plenty of time to come to hate life the longer you are trapped on Idiot Boat.]

You interested in finding out with me? [Lance may peek over the railing, but Lup sits on it with her feet hanging overboard, bare toes touching the water. With how the boat tips from this way to that on the waves, it probably looks pretty dangerous.

But she's kinda into that.]

Cuz I could get us down there real quick.

[lifetothefullest]

[He's sure he'll get there quickly enough, but right now it's kind of fun to get to know people he's only talked to a little or doesn't know at all. Lance glances over at the suggestion, trying not to look vaguely horrified both at the idea and the tempting of fate by her sticking her feet in the water.]

I don't really swim unless I absolutely have to, and my only good defenses probably aren't great underwater.

[Neither a gun nor electricity magic would probably be the best options.]

But I definitely think you--general you--should find out what might be down there before you go diving for a fragment.

ota yo

[pocketspa]

[Taako has never been more excited to be out of the city.

Sure, the living conditions on the Starblaster weren't great, but it was home, and nothing's ever felt quite so similar as it does a day into this trip. The quarters are cramped, the food is surprisingly good, he has a fishing pole and his surfboard and his family all curled into one. This is just like tons of expeditions before off to find the Light, Magnus doing something dumb, Lup and Barry doing nerdy ass tracking, and Taako having a grand fucking time.

He can be found most times sitting near the back of one of the boats, a fishing pole trailing behind them as they move, legs kicked up over the edge as he surveys the water. Other times, he's surveying the track of the boats on the main deck, wherein a bird may perch by you, scream, and then three seconds later be a rather familiar elf. Sometimes he even seems to disappear for a few hours... but always seems to emerge from somewhere, looking pristine and well refreshed.

He's just here to have a good time at this point, and obviously doesn't seem to give a shit about the close quarters, so come find him for some personal time.]

WEEK TWO

[pocketspa]

Header for Week Two (August 20th-26th!)

[nonscriptum]

Week 2 - Former

[A couple weeks in and Nate has never been more grateful that there are two boats in this miniature fleet, because after a handful of days he might have killed everyone and then himself.

Not that it's been bad - sure, having to explain to the Taacos how a sail works was a pain in the ass, but they caught on quick enough - and neither have they had inclement weather outside of the occasional drizzle, plus a morning where the fog was so thick they actually had to tie the boats together to keep from losing each other. All things considered, it's uneventful. They've even had contact back with the islands, if spotty, so when Nate stretches out in the niche of the bow to call Elena and the communicator doesn't even emit static, it's concerning.

He sits upright, fiddling with the settings, and tries again. Nothing.

Having spent the better part of his time on various adventures being completely out of pocket this shouldn't concern him as much as it does, but there isn't a signal at all. It isn't as though nothing is getting through, it's as if the other side doesn't exist. In a world where the environment can change at the drop of a hat, that's bad.]

Hey, uh. Guys?

[The other boat is drifting nearby, with little wind today they're following a current, and so Nate raises his voice.]

...Can anyone get a call out to the mainland?

Week 2 - Latter

[It's his third dive in a day and Nate knows he's pushing it.

The first went swimmingly: water was a little cold, but the tank held up well and most of the equipment maintained a reasonable amount of its quality. They narrowed the search area. The second he had to cut short when an hour into it he realized his tank was leaking air, fast, and no amount of "I told you so"s from the resident wizards could make Nate wish he'd opted for bubble-heading himself again. He surfaced as quickly as he could without giving himself decompression sickness after pinpointing a perimeter he was sure would have what they were looking for.

Now, skeptically examining some of the last tanks on their boat - he's a Luddite at heart - Nate can't help the sick feeling that whatever fragment they find down there is going to fuck with them something fierce, if it hasn't attracted the local carnivorous fauna.]

I might need some back-up.

[He hazards, leaning over the side of the boat he and Lance have been sharing for the last two weeks.]

Last time I went down there, I saw something that looked like it came straight out of The Odyssey.

week 2

[restinglichface]

Back up? Pretty sure what you really need first is a big, ol' nap, hun.

[The twins aren't exactly the type to push themselves to extremes on the regular - considering elves don't even need sleep, it's amazing how many mornings the two are caught sleeping in, even during their journey - but they have enough workaholics in their lives to know when someone needs to slow it down and give themselves a break.

And Nathan Drake? He seems like the type of guy who hasn't had a real break in at least a decade or so.

Jumping between the two boats, separating the twins when they start throwing sharp, elvish words at one another, has become the norm, which is why Lup's perched on the railing of Nate and Lance's boat, long legs kicking off the side.]

Nothing is gonna move without you. Go get your cute butt in bed and don't come out until you get at least a few z's.

former yo

[pocketspa]

[Taako's lounging near the front of the other boat, feet kicked up on the edge and hat pulled down over his eyes. He looks like he might be napping, but at Nate's yell, one ear perks up and he tilts his head.]

What? Who're you calling? You better not be sending dick pics without showing me first.

[But he sits up, fishing around for his phone.]

I just talked to Cecily like, yesterday, what's goin' on?

bullying taako

[restinglichface]

[It's only a week into their trip when Lup is very abruptly cornering her twin against one of the railings of the ship, pinning him down with her sharp gaze.]

Okay so, please feel free to tell me I'm totally wrong, but have you still not told Skeletor how you feel?! [Look. Lup would love to be wrong in this situation, but they both know how right she is. There's no denying it.]

I thought you took care of this ages ago!

y e s

[pocketspa]

[Meanwhile, Taako has both hands against the rail and is looking anywhere but at Lup right now. Really, he's got one eye on the ocean and one eye in the sky, contemplating if it'd be easier to escape if he dropped into the water and grabbed the anchor or if he just flew out of arm's reach. These are good, right? These are totally normal things to do here.]

Uh, Lulu, listen, it's-- is this really when you wanna do this? I mean, not even that, like, is this where I wanna do this, cuz this isn't a super romantic locale, soooo maybe it's just not a good time.

[Oh yeah. He hasn't said a damn word. Even though he sure has been thinking about it, what with Kravitz having been in the city a year this month. A year since Kravitz held him in an unfamiliar apartment and whispered confessions just for him and Taako honestly thought if he could survive a three story fall.

Listen. It's fine.]

Don't worry, cha boy's just waiting for the right moment. Def.

open!

[knockthemdead]

[It was fairly easy for Kravitz to swallow his discomfort at first, but as the time drags on, he's enjoying this voyage less and less. Being surrounded by water on all sides when you've Kind-Of-Sorta-It's-A-Weird-Technicality drowned isn't super enjoyable.

He can intermittently be found staring sulkily at the railing- a solid distance away from the edge- or curled up with a book, doing his best to keep his mind off of nasty thoughts.]

[restinglichface]

[Without warning, there’s an elf sliding up to Krav’s side as he’s shooting distasteful looks at the railing. Too bad it’s probaby not the elf he was hoping for, but at least Lup isn’t pretending to be Taako. Yet.]

Now what the hell did that railing ever do to you?

[nodogsonthemoon]

[Magnus spent most of his days up above the deck in his makeshift crow's nest. There he could keep an eye out for anything interesting on the horizon and he had a good view of the ship in case something went wrong (or when he was bored and wanted to people watch).]

[It was one of those "bored" times and it doesn't take long for Magnus to spot Kravitz sulking from his perch up above.]

[Deciding to check on the goth reaper man, Magnus slides down the mast and lands on the deck with a loud "THUMP". And moments later he's next to Kravitz, casually leaning against the railing. Just hanging out like one of the bros, as one does with Kravitz.]

Ahoy, Kravitz. Why the long face?

WEEK THREE

[pocketspa]

Header for Week Three (August 27th-September 3rd!)

closed to taako

[knockthemdead]

[Kravitz doesn't do well in cramped, close quarters- a byproduct of spending eternity with an entire stockade and apartment to himself- but in this moment, he feels almost peaceful. Their journey is nearly over, the end is in sight, and for some fucking reason- that he refuses to question, lest the universe sees fit to ruin it- he has some space to himself. (Suspicious. No! Not questioning. Anyway.)

He sits with his ankles crossed, nose buried in the book he took with him for the journey, scribbling corrections in it's margins. That's how he do.]

[pocketspa]

[Earlier today had been a fucking nightmare.

Lup's little stunt had left him feeling worse about this than ever before, but she made it pretty clear that she's willing to go through with her threats. And he's-- okay, maybe he's taken this one a little too far. He knows it's important to Lup, but... it's more than that. It's the knowledge that his denial could mess up the best thing he's ever had.

Besides, he remembers when Kravitz arrived. Sometimes he can be a sap for anniversaries.

Taako's approach is the quietest he's possibly ever been, walking over and plopping down on the floor, legs cross crossed while he props his head up, elbows digging into his knees.]

So. That was uh. You probably wanna know what's. Up.

Closed to Kravitz - Time for HELL

[restinglichface]

[Romantic lighting? Check. An endless sky of twinkling stars above them? Double check. An eerily quiet boat? Even Lup isn't sure how this came into her favor, but check.

It's been a few years, sure, but a lifetime of switching seamlessly from Lup into Taako isn't something a twin ever really forgets how to do. And even with some of the new changes to her brother that Lup is learning to navigate around, still learning how she can fit at his side even after so long without her, Lup still knows Taako better than anyone else ever could.

The same way that he knows her.

Which is exactly why she's doing all of this to begin with. Because even if it's so impossible for him to admit it or to take that first step, Lup knows this is the future that he really wants. He loves Kravitz and, for once, he's actually managed to pick a guy that Lup thinks could deserve him.

And one day Taako may even be able to forgive her for this. Maybe. Probably.]

Hey babe. [Not only does she manage to get his pitch perfect, but she's cast Disguise Self to give her that authentic Taako look right down to the freckle, and swiped his usual hat and one of his more flashy outfits. Peak Taako right here.]

for Lup, but everyone feel free to Yell At Him

[barold]

[The fragment Nate retrieved from the depths of the ocean only a few days ago has been nestled safely in the box Tranquility provided them, isolated and untouched. Apparently it’s not entirely safe to touch. Apparently prolonged contact with it screws with your head. As a group, everyone had agreed it would be safest to just keep it in the box until they reached shore again, so it could be examined in the lab before handing it back over to the gods.

It would be safest, yes. But not very informative. Nor very interesting.

When has science ever been safe, anyway?

The fragment isn’t in the box today. It’s on a table. Over which Barry is hunched, scribbling some cramped notes into a homemade notebook. Somebody should probably tell him off - or maybe lend him a hand.]

[restinglichface]

[Someone really should be telling him off. But here his wife is instead, leaning over the table at his side, reaching out a finger to poke at the fragment.

It's kind of beautiful in a way, glowing with that lovely shine, intricate little patterns and symbols carved along it's surface. It feels like magic is humming through it, and sure enough, when the pad of Lup's finger connects, she swears she feels something there. Like if she just held it closer for a little bit longer, she may be able to make out words...

But Lup pulls her hand away and shoots a grin at her husband, propping her chin up with her palm.]

Sooo, we're gonna do some sick experiments before we just hand this thing over, right? We're on the same page, aren't we?

[pocketspa]

[Taako knows, in the part of him that was WAY more cautious than most of the assholes on the Starblaster, that what they are doing is SUPER dangerous. Nate made it very clear that this thing was not to be fucked with, and that whatever it did, it was suitably horrifying. (He wasn't super listening to that part.)

That said, though, seeing Barry take to this thing just feels extremely like old times. Which means he is slinkin' over, draping himself on Barry's back and resting his chin on the top of Barry's head.]

Heeeeeeey, Barold. How's it doin'? Started hearing whispers and writing gibberish to a tentacle god yet? Cuz like, big dibs babe, give chaboy a call.