VACATION IS WHERE I WANNA BE

[kametaro]

☼ BEACH VACATION MEME ☼ Summer begins, and the saniwa's army earns a well deserved vacation. All expenses paid for by their organization, from travel to lodging to food, and yes, even the swim wear and toys. The water is blue, the skies are (mostly) clear, and it's time to have some fun at the beach! Watch out for the jellyfish and KBseagulls. ***Feel free to include some prompts in your top level. If you can't think of any, pick from below for some ideas!** 001.IN THE WATER This is why you're here, right? Take to the water and splash around. Now might be a good time to learn to swim if you don't already. But watch out! Here comes a large wave--! 002.SANDCASTLES This is it... the enemy's stronghold... not! It's a race against the clock to build a castle before the tide comes in. Collect those seashells, fortify your fortress, and don't be a jerk and ruin some else's castle. 003.SUNBATHING or maybe you've opted to sit under the shade of a large umbrella instead. Some times it's good to just sit back, relax, and watch to make sure no one needs to be rescued later. Keep an eye on the tide or you might find yourself getting wet anyway. 004. BEACH ANIMALS There are tiny fish in the tide pools, crabs crawling around, and uwah are those sea turtles?! Tsurumaru, put that octopus down right now. Ouch, did that jellyfish get you? And look, over there! That's a dolphin! You know, dolphins are intelligent creatures and have been known to help people-- WAIT NO ITS A SHARK ITS A SHARK NOT A FRIENDLY FISH IT LOOKS LIKE A DOLPHIN BUT ITS A SHARK. 005.MELON SLICING The organization has been kind enough to provide food and drink as well. They must have felt very clever sending all of those watermelons, though. Really, who needs that many watermelons? It's a competition to see which sword is the True Melonslasher. 006.STORM Those clouds came in so quickly, you barely had a chance to notice. The sky is dark, the rain is pouring down, and the wind is blowing cold. It's time to quickly collect your things and try to find some place dry. 007.KBCGULLS. Oh no, who fed the seagulls? They're circling around like vultures and making swoops at you, trying to steal your food. Hey, wait, that's not even edible! Was it just you or was there an evil glint in that bird's eye just now...? 008.BEACH PARTY. All of those watermelons you sliced earlier are being put to use. The sun is setting, the food is out, and a bonfire is going on the beach. Eat your heart out and dance around the fire. Watch the sunset, look at the stars, this sure is nice, isn't it? 009.WILDCARD. Mix and match. Create your own prompt. Find the dragon king's palace or something.

Comments

009

[yamanblanketry]

[ Wanting to be by himself to let the other swords enjoy the gaining night without needing to worry about the duplicate marring the pleasant atmosphere, Yamanbagiri starts to walk away from the festivities. He doesn't plan on going far and worrying anyone... but then he nearly trips over an odd pile of sand. Only awkward hopping and twisting prevents him from smashing the sand... whetstone? (It looks far too long and skinny to be one, but what else could it be? Charcoal?) And over there is another sand sculpture that's more recognizable. And another. What are these things, and how have they not been knocked over by the waves or by demonic gulls or inattentive frisbee catchers?

He follows them to their end where Kogitsunemaru is working on his newest creation, but he nearly turns another way as to not disturb Kogitsunemaru. The bucket tossed at him halts that action, however. He might as well do what Kogitsunemaru asks and let him get back to work without the disturbance. ]

Will one bucket be enough?

[aslyfox]

[ Oh, Yamanbagiri-san! Thank goodness. Kogitsunemaru is happy that someone ended up following the trail of odd sand things, especially because it'd be silly if he threw the bucket and no one was there. ]

It should be. [ He nods happily, stopping his molding to acknowledge the cape-wearing uchigatana with a cheerful smile. ] Did you like what I've been making? The swords, fried tofu, and foxes? [ He's clearly proud of his artistic accomplishments... he's trying his best, you know. ]

[yamanblanketry]

[ Yamanbagiri looks back on the sand sculptures that lead him to Kogitsunemaru. Now that he knows what they are supposed to be, he can tell by their shape much better. He's still not 100% sure of the sand swords, but he's not going to insult a sword of his renown like that. ]

I didn't expect them on the beach. Most were building castles and defensive structures.

[ Him included, if the ocean hadn't eventually reclaimed his sand citadel. He's still a little upset that his work was so easily destroyed, and he couldn't save it by diverting the water. ]

I'll be right back with the water.

[aslyfox]

Castles and defensive structures... [ He'll pat down a few wet clumps of sand to form a tail of a future fox. Seeing as it was probably easier to build some of those things with the already existing molds, he wanted to go free-form. You know, just in case the whole 'saving time' thing doesn't work out, he could go into the visual arts. ]

... maybe I'll try my hand at some of those later, Yamanbagiri-san. Perhaps an army of foxes can protect a citadel? And thank you.

[ He'll give the caped sword a nod of thanks for aiding him in his building endeavors. ]

[yamanblanketry]

[ Dutifully, he goes to get the water, carefully avoiding getting himself wet. Yamanbagiri tries to be quick, but he delays at the water's edge for a brief moment before retrieving the water and returning. ]

Sorry for taking so long. Here you go.

[ The bucket is brimming full of water. However... in the bottom of the bucket are two smooth pieces of sea glass and three sea shells with barely any chips in them. Nearly in perfect condition. Yamanbagiri found them in the sand, washed up from some of the more recent waves. ]

[aslyfox]

[ By the time Yamanbagiri comes back, the rest of the fox's tails have been formed and it's body has been crudely shaped. He's getting better as it's haunches can be seen outlined, and it even has four little paws. It seems the sand fox is stretching out, and it's just missing a head now.

Thankfully, the water is just in time and as he takes the bucket, he looks into it and sees the shells and glass. Wow, they're beautiful! ]

Ah, are these for me? [ Presents for Kogitsunemaru? How sweet! ]

[yamanblanketry]

[ That fox is coming along nicely... though it still needs a head. Yamanbagiri hopes that one bucket of water will be enough to complete it. This is more complex than anything he attempted. ]

They were at the edge of the water. You can use them if you want.

[ Some of the other swords were excitedly snatching up various decoration for their sand creations, sometimes off of others' castles. If Kogitsunemaru doesn't want to use them, Yamanbagiri might take them to the tantou. ]

[aslyfox]

[ With the water that the other sword brings, the head should be easy to make! He's had a ton of practice already, so it'll just take a little bit of time. The little sand fox will be resting his head on its paws! ]

I think I can find some use for them.

[ He'll place one of the sea shells gently on top of the fox's newly formed head. It looks a little weird, but after he takes a second to position it, it's almost like a leaf. Kind of. Sort of.

He tried. ]

What do you think?

[yamanblanketry]

[ Secretly, he's glad that the findings are useful to Kogitsunemaru, but he's hesitant to admit it to himself. Yamanbagiri moves closer to the sand fox to view it better and at different angles. ]

It's a nice hat, and you've gotten better with each one.

[ It's not perfect, but unless Kogitsunemaru presses for more information, he's not going to say anything bad about it. It does look like a fox, and he thinks the other sword can be proud of that work. ]

[aslyfox]

[ He'll take the compliment and wear it with pride. The little fox stands up with the bucket (and the remaining shells and glass in hand), nodding. ]

Thank you. I will make sure to thank Nakigitsune's fox when we get back home. [ Best model fox will get a nice piece of tofu or something later... wonder if it'd like a shell. Either way, he'll hold the bucket back out to Yamanbagiri. ]

Will you help me put more "hats" on the foxes I've already made?

[yamanblanketry]

[ Nakigitsune's fox, huh? Knowing that, he thinks he can see the resemblance in the helper fox. Maybe even a little of Nakigitsune too if he tilts his head in the right way. ]

Do you want me to find more shells for them? How many do you need?

[ He... didn't exactly count how many foxes there were as he walked past them. He many need to get creative with the "hats" if he has trouble finding enough big shells washed up on the shore. ]

[aslyfox]

[ He'll rub his chin with his pointer finger, thumb resting on the side. How many foxes did he make?... must have been like... four or five. Maybe six. They sort of got bigger as he got more confident with his creating. The one he just finished is probably the largest one so far, closest to life-size. ]

Ah, I made some foxes closer to the water. Perhaps there will be seashells down by the seashore?

[ They're not his best work, but hey, he could touch them up a bit and they'll be good as new! ]

[yamanblanketry]

[ Yamanbagiri nods. ]

More likely than higher up on the shore. I found those by the rocks.

[ He supposes the bigger pieces are harder to wash up than the broken or small pieces. Though, he wonders if those foxes have survived the waves, unlike his late sand citadel. ]

[aslyfox]

[ Kogitsunemaru doesn't realize that last bit, only wanting to crown each sand fox with its own little memento. It should be easy to just put them down and let them live their lives on the beach. ]

Let's go. [ He'll start toward the shore, beckoning the cape-clad sword along. Nothing possibly could go wrong. ]

fyi I'll be going on vacation soon, so there will be a delay in tags

[yamanblanketry]

[ Nothing can possibly go wrong, indeed. Yamanbagiri follows silently, taking the bucket and keeping an eye on the ground for anything that could suit their needs of fox decorations. He takes each step carefully because he doesn't want to step on anything useful.

He finds an interesting piece of driftwood shaped in an odd curve and worn smooth from the waves. He plops it into the bucket with a quiet thud. Then he continues his expedition for seashell resources. ]

no worries!~

[aslyfox]

Wait... where did they all go?

[ Where Kogitsunemaru hoped to find some of his newly shaped friends was, instead, lumps of sand that had no features as the water washed over them. So much work wasted... he's a little bummed, so the little fox will sit down and mope.

Moping is good for the soul, after all...? ]

[yamanblanketry]

[ Moping and being moody is something that he does often about his status as a duplicate and not being seen as himself for that reason. (Even if the swords of the citadel have probably long since viewed Yamanbagiri for his own merit.) He sees the value in moping.

Yamanbagiri kneels down next to Kogitsunemaru in supportive silence. He too has lost to the dark ocean waves. There are no words to comfort for this loss. The bucket with the various findings is placed between them. ]

[aslyfox]

[ Upon feeling Yamanbagiri's presence, he sighs and shakes his head. ]

... I didn't know this would happen, otherwise maybe I'd build a wall to protect them. [ It may not have saved them, but at least he would've tried. The water completely routed his little sand army and most of his time, which was what really upset him. He didn't even get to show everyone his project. ]

I suppose the memories will be enough. [ And he'll peer into the bucket, tilting his head and blinking. ]

So what did you find...?

[yamanblanketry]

[ A wall could only do much. Same with a moat. Yamanbagiri shakes his head at the idea of saving something this close to the water's edge. ]

Here.

[ As he passes over the bucket full of small collected trinkets, he takes a long, smooth piece of driftwood and sticks it into the sand near the late sand fox. It's not much, but the makeshift grave marker shows where the fox met its end. Yamanbagiri clasps his hands before him and offers a few words. ]