recolle | OPEN — FOOD TRUCK RALLY

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OPEN — FOOD TRUCK RALLY

WHO: Everyone!
WHERE: Peach Beach and the Boardwalk
WHEN: April 12th, from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM
WHAT: A food truck rally for all our hungry selves.
WARNINGS: Sunburns?? Maybe.

THE FOOD:
With so many trucks, stands and kiosks, there's more than enough food to cater to everyone's tastes. Tables and chairs have been set up around the boardwalk, complete with patio umbrellas to shield customers from the sun and an excellent view of the ocean. It doesn't matter if you're a customer, a vendor, a swimmer or even one of the musical acts — it's hard to deny it's a nice day outside. The sun is shining, the temperature is pleasant, and the smell of delicious food fills the air. Vendors selling other wares and stands for face painting have also been set up around the area, so there's plenty to spend your money on throughout the day.

And for those poor, responsible saps who won't be able to join until later in the day (be it because they decided not to skip school or had to work a shift early in the morning), don't worry. The festivities won't end until 11:00 PM. There's plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, the food, and the beach.

Hope the queues don't stress you out, however.

THE BEACH:
The beach itself is equipped with a handful of volleyball nets. Some volleyballs can be found in the general vicinity, but should all of them be in use (or, you know, super duper squished), you can always bring your own — or buy them from one of the more opportunistic vendors in the rally. Those who are interested in making use of the nets are more than free to team up and get down to business. You all might want to be careful, however, to avoid accidentally smacking a passerby in the head with a badly aimed volleyball.

Or... a well aimed volleyball. It's okay. Nobody will judge. Probably.

Move past the volleyball nets and the sand, though, and you'll reach the waters. Today's weather is nice enough that no one needs to worry about getting dragged away by the tide, but just in case? There's likely to be a lifeguard nearby. That, or a good Samaritan. So don your best swimsuit and have fun.

THE MUSIC:
A small stage has been set out for the DJ and the live musical acts to do their thing. Music will be playing throughout the whole day, offering a nice mix of the latest hits and... questionable musical choices between acts. Some of the trucks and stands are outfitted with placards and flyers announcing this year's lineup, and there seem to be four (4) familiar names among the list:

Ainsley Menodora
Jade Wolf
A Lyrical Assassination
Yin Longwei
Feel free to grab a friend (or a stranger) and dance along to the music. Maybe relax after your performance. Or, contemplate throwing the DJ's equipment into the ocean when he plays the same diddly darn song for the 20th time in a row. It's not even the full version. It's only a infinite loop of the same 43 seconds. Please make it stop.

(We did say to be patient with the DJ.)

THE RAFFLE:
At 5:00 PM, there will be an intermission in the music in order to announce the results of the raffle. The tumbler drum is wheeled to the stage, where it's given one last spin before tickets are removed from it one by one. The winners will be called as their tickets are drawn, an announcer asking them to climb up to the stage via microphone. There, they'll receive their prize and will thus be free to gloat — or grimace at what they've been given.

The results are the following:

Dave Strider - Coupon book with $500 in savings at participating fast food restaurants.
Penelope Raban - $50 giftcard
Ranko Kanzaki - Novelty sunglasses
Izuku Midoriya - Free dinner for six (6) at some ritzy restaurant.
Ilia Trevelyan - A few dozen gourmet cupcakes, courtesy of The Confectionary
Noah Campbell - A selection of the latest games ÉcarlateSoft has to offer.
James Barnes - Two tickets for an hour's time at the Deadeye Shooting range, donated by Elizabeth Wolf.
Augustine Sycamore - $30 giftcard to Amazon, donated by Penpoint Productions.
Don Maxwell - Coupon for free slice of pizza with choice of topping and a medium fountain drink, courtesy of the Pizza Port.
Roxy Strider - A selection of character plushies from CUBEnix's flagship game series.
Minako Arisato - A month of free Zumba lessons at Dance!!! Studio

Enjoy your prize! And be sure to haul ass, lest the announcer decide you're absent and call someone else.

BONUS:
As the last few live musical acts play and the festivities begin to wrap up, it seems like this year's Food Truck Rally has come to a peaceful end. Most vendors have started to pack up in order to call it a night — save for two. Anyone who has been hanging around the local soft serve ice cream and açai bowl trucks might have noticed the growing tension between their vendors. It all comes to a head when, at the end of the rally, they both hop into the driver's seat of their trucks, rev their engines, and begin to race each other down the beach.

It's all too predictable when, in an attempt to avoid a prop that hadn't been packed up yet, the ice cream truck swerves and drives right into the ocean. The splash is big enough to soak anyone who happens to be nearby, the truck being pulled into the waters moments later. There doesn't seem to be any chance of saving the poor, innocent truck.

Almost appropriately, it seems like the DJ has time for one last song.

The haunting melody plays as the ice cream truck slowly sinks into the ocean, its mascot cheery and bright as it's all swallowed up by the water. The driver dog paddles away (thank god), but this is not the end of the chaos. On the other side, the açai bowl truck's driver momentarily turns to jeer at his defeated enemy — only to crash into a peach tree the next second. Anyone on that side of the beach might want to get the heck out of the way, because it's literally about to start raining peaches.

Welcome to the Food Truck Rally, everyone! The OOC post for this can be found over here, and a thread for questions is here. Mingle, don't drown, and try not to get a sunburn while splurging on food. Or totally let your character get a sunburn, if that floats your boat. Either way, I hope you all have fun!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A compelling argument may be beyond me - all I have to say is that it's more comfortable with shoes off. Sand or no sand.

[she shrugs and will leave him to his shoes. she's the one that gets to enjoy the water and the simple joy in walking in it.]

Why the umbrella? Expecting rain? [of course not, but it needed saying.]

To block out the wretched heat of the sun.

[-comes the response, as casual as you please, while also being sincere enough. Another twirl of his umbrella, though more slight this time.]

While I've nothing against a stroll along the beach, [which is obvious, given the fact that he's here] I'll not escape it unscathed without something to keep me shaded. A sorry state of affairs, I know.

[It's almost laughable, making him sound like some delicate flower that will wither under the sun. And while it's a bit of an exaggeration, there's more than a grain of truth laced within.]

How dreadful for you. Cursed to live without being able to soak up the sun's rays. Not wretched, but full of a warmth to equal a mother's embrace.

[for emphasis, she throws out her arms, tilting her head up towards the sun.]

And consigned to stay on the shore, out of the water.

An overbearing mother, maybe.

[He can't help but make the quip, chuckling at both his own words and Grell's dramatic gesturing. He's rather fond of the latter; heaven knows that he's prone to making such displays himself when the mood strikes him.

His eyes briefly glance back down to the slow tide rolling in, stopping just short of his shoes. Ardyn considers humoring her, and it should be noted that she's one of a very small circle of people in which he would.

And so, he looks at her again, smirking faintly.]

Though I hate that it's something as benign as the tide keeping us apart. What if I meet you halfway?

[As he says it, he's already working on removing one shoe with the other foot.]

Then I'd say you're making the right decision.

[dropping her arms, she waits to see if he'll really do it, or decide it's not worth the hassle and the potential chill.]

It won't hurt you, promise. It's not even that cold.

[which is a matter of perspective, but it's above icy and something tolerable, which is all she requires.]

[Ardyn does nothing in half-measures. This is something she'll discover about his personality soon enough, if she hasn't already — and so, it’s only moments later, and Ardyn is barefoot. He leaves his shoes sitting in the sand for now, walking over to her, crossing into the shallow water.

He makes a cognizant effort not to change his expression when the sensation of wet sand envelops his feet, and it’s a mostly successful attempt. The smallest twitch of his brow, maybe, at how foreign the sensation is. Not unpleasant by any means, but certainly not something he’s used to.

The umbrella isn’t going anywhere, of course. It rests comfortably on his shoulder for now.]

It’s a bit cold. [He feels the need to correct her, because in comparison to the warmth of the beach, it simply is.]

Convince me how this is better than walking along the decidedly dry parts of the beach? [He tries to keep his tone an even keel, but even Ardyn can’t help the underpinnings of a laugh in that question.]

[the smile on her face grows, and she waits for him to come over, the answer to his question already there when he asks.]

You come to the beach to experience both sand and sea. If you wanted to only watch the water, you could stay at a distance. Getting wet is a risk you accept coming onto the shore, and this is the natural progression of it.

[in other words, it's a fact with no real solid reasoning behind it. it's not the most logical, but it happens to be better.]

And, here, you have company, in comparison to on dry land, where you would not.

[Sounds a bit like an excuse to just get one's feet wet, Grell. But that's okay, Ardyn doesn't actually need a legitimate reason for the sake of humoring her.

Excuse him as he twirls his umbrella once more.]

I see. Well, you've won me over with the promise of company, so I'll not argue the point any further.

[The water flows in once more, tickling at his ankles, before ebbing away.]

Are you always drawn to the water when you visit the beach? Or are we just indulging ourselves in the novelty of it right now?

When I'm here, I like to make the most of it. Otherwise, why show up at all?

[even if not to the point where she'd actually go swimming in the ocean. it's not hot enough for that, and swimming in the open water alone was foolish.]

When's the last time you came here, risking the perils of the sun and everything else? Before you found your trusty shield, or after?

[the thought also occurs to her that if the sunlight is an issue, there's nothing stopping one from going at night. just a fact.]

Oh, I don't know. Masochism?

[A light-hearted sort of sarcasm in response to the question of why show up at all, his expression a bit smug. But he shrugs as he considers the rest of her statement.]

A couple of years ago, maybe. [He looks out over the water, more out of scrutiny than any sort of romantic appreciation.] And I've always had sense enough to take my shield with me. [Ardyn looks at her again, adding:] Jealous of it?

Hardly. I'm feeling rather fortunate that I don't need more than good sense and sunscreen to shield me.

[some people don't need fancy umbrella twirls in their life. parasols are cute, but as a necessity? they certainly don't live in that day and age. stepping a bit away, she wanders further into the water, seemingly without a single care at the moment.]

That, and a streak of luck that's held up for quite some time. Perhaps I've cursed myself by mentioning it, but it is what it is - it's not even the height of summer. Not truly a time to be concerned.

[not even as the water's slowly pulling out to make another wave, though one that's going to come in might not be the smallest affair. it's a little bit off, but it shows no signs of getting smaller.]

[Excuse you, but everyone needs fancy umbrella twirls in their life, some simply don’t realize it.

Ardyn listens as Grell speaks, of course, but the movement of the water — only a short distance behind her — catches in his peripheral. He considers briefly saying something, maybe a warning for her to look out towards the water properly, but— Well, Ardyn is Ardyn. She’s tempting fate with her words, and the fact that she’s self-aware of this fact doesn’t seem to ameliorate it one bit.]

Luck is fickle thing. [An airy comment that he utters, oh-so casually taking a step or two back, even while his grin twists into something playful.]

That, and the sun isn’t the only thing one needs to worry about while visiting the beach.

Oh, of course. But if you worry too much, you'll never visit the beach at all.

[final words, to someone. the wave's continued encroaching as she's talking, and as such things go, the moment she turns to look back, it's too late. the water hits her full force, even in the face, to soak her and make her regret every word about luck. her hands fly up for some amount of paltry protection, but it's a miracle her glasses don't fall off in the moment.

pardon her for being too shocked for a second to do anything. the thought that Ardyn saw and knew isn't on her mind - the thought that like this, the water's chill is more pronounced is.]

[Grell can take pride in the fact that this new development elicits something rare in Ardyn -- a laugh that is both open and sincere, a clear amusement that isn't restrained in its usual wry half-measures. He feels sorry for her, yes, but the timing is so perfect and goddamn hilarious that he can't help himself.]

You... you-

[He loses track of what he was even going to say; some witty remark, no doubt. Something about irony and reasons why visiting the beach should be delegated only to those who don't mind getting slapped in the face with sea water.

But he’s also not just going to stand there laughing. In a small urging of sympathy, he walks forward into slightly deeper water, closer to where she stands. His laughter manages to gutter out in his words, though the fact that he still finds this all very funny is obvious.]

Are you all right, Grell? You must have angered Poseidon.

[Poseidon, in her opinion, at this moment can swim off to some other sea to drown a wicked maiden who deserves it, because she does not. he's laughing, and it's not the appropriate depth of water to sink to one's knees in despair, so she has to move over towards shallow water. closer to him, and the look on her face is nothing short of indignation, completely put out by this state of affairs. it had to, and now she's probably going to freeze or something else all because this is her fate.]

I've been betrayed. I gave the water my trust and it took advantage of me. Where is the all right in that?

[to Grell's credit, she sounds as outraged as someone should at the idea. it's dramatic, but, well, he can adapt to her descending into theatrics over this. she could try to wring excess seawater out of the edge of her clothes and her hair and figure out a place to sit in the sun and dry out some, but she'd rather cross her arms, push up her glasses, and feel pitiful.]

[Despite the humor of the situation and her dramatics, Ardyn can't help but feel a little sorry for Grell -- but only after his laughter fades completely, to be replaced by a grin that he's trying to tone down for her sake. He sloshes through the water closer to her, putting his free hand on her shoulder. She's allowed to feel pitiful, he imagines.]

There is none. Life is unfair, especially where the sea is concerned. A cruel, unrelenting mistress. Never trust her again.

[And then, with a bit less flippancy and slightly more concern.] Let's find you a towel to dry off with, hm? I'd hate for you to catch a cold.

[her bruised pride feels a little better to have him respond so, suitably made out to be tragic. she gets to sulk about it with as much dignity as she can muster, and he gets to be entertained. everyone wins.]

That would be for the best.

[and the sea had been so inviting when she had first stepped in. so deceptive. glorious in that, but really, it could have picked a better target to remind of its true nature.

she moves to go with him, but freezes after a step, her expression gone strangely blank.

(the man with the silver hair, and the world is tilted. everything hurts and it doesn't matter, he's slipping away, the floor breaks apart and she's falling, there's nothing to grab and she hits the water to sink, dark and cold enough to burn-)

when she blinks and everything is back in focus, the blankness is gone, but her expression twists into a wince. the pain in all manners is a ghost slowly letting go. she didn't fall. it still echoes like it just happened, and she breathes deep. no water threatening her lungs, and- oh yes, she's not alone.]

...I saw something.

[quieter than before, and no matter what, she's getting out of the water now. this has been enough for a day.]

[He had already taken it upon himself to lead the way, moving only a few steps in front of her. The rhythmic sound of the water lapping at their movements tells him that she follows behind, though it turns out to be a brief endeavor. Ardyn can hear her stop, inexplicably, and so he turns to see if something’s the matter.

The rather blank look on her expression is telling.

It’s alarming how quickly humor drains from him, to be replaced with concern. I saw something, she says, and immediately Ardyn knows what she’s referring to — memories again, the blasted things. An interruption of an admittedly rather silly moment, turning it into something worrying.

Mentally, Ardyn ushers words to him. They come immediately, and the grip on his umbrella tightens.]

What did you see? [Her expression, a wince, is difficult to not ignore, so he follows it with another question. The white foam of a gentle wave nudges up against him as he speaks.] Something… unpleasant?

[In his head, he can’t stop himself from cursing Retrospec and all it stands for.]

Something painful. [it's the truth, but she swiftly amends:] Physically. I'd be more concerned if it hadn't happened before, but...that's something that can't be anticipated.

[she says it all a little more flippantly than would be expected, but she's processing. trying to not get thrown off so badly. it's impossible, she looks concerned no matter the tone. it unnerves her, as much as she'd like to take it in stride. at least when it was a dream it wasn't so sudden.]

There was the man with the scarred face again, and he- [how do you say the phrase he cut the ship in half without sounding like a complete lunatic? despite her being certain in that moment in that that that is what happened.] He made the ship sink, fast enough that we fell, and I hit the water. The last thing I remember is being underwater, and in pain, and angry. Both at him, and at myself.

[Her amendment to the “painful” admission doesn’t ease much of Ardyn’s concern. Pain is pain, after all, and given the poignancy of these memories as they happen, he imagines she still must be feeling the ghost of it even now.

(Also, he’s feeling bad for laughing at her. Even if there had been nothing malicious about it when he did.)

And so his words are lined with sympathy this time around.]

Let’s talk about this out of the water.

[And so he’ll lead her to the shore, to dry sand. His own clothes will need drying off at this rate, but Ardyn is nothing but prepared. Even if he didn’t plan on getting into the water, the risk is always there — a little ways off, then, sits a neatly folded beach towel left rather simply in the sand.

It’s obvious that’s the direction he’s ushering her (not forgetting to pick up his shoes he left in the sand on the way over), but in the meantime, he’ll ask a few questions.]

How and why did he sink the ship? Do you remember?

I don't know why, I couldn't tell you. Other than the sense I had that the ship sinking was inevitable.

[for now, she'll let herself be led, turning over everything in her mind. why had it been so cold? why was the ship so huge? and who were the others she had seen in brief flashes - she'd known them, but she'd need to try hard to remember their faces.]

As to how, you may think me completely wrong, but I'm very sure that he cut the ship in half.

[yeah, saying it felt as weird as thinking it.]

It broke apart, and he escaped, that's the word I think of. Which goes a bit towards explaining the anger.

I have no reason to doubt what you just remembered. If you think he cut the ship in half, then he cut the ship in half.

[They're beyond the point of thinking anything is too ridiculous these days. There's no skepticism in his tone, only acceptance of what she's told him.]

Which implies that you were chasing him. Or... [They've reached the towel now, and Ardyn closes his umbrella. He sets it down in the sand as he picks up the item, unfolding it and offering it to Grell.] ... at the very least, searching for him.

Do you remember anything else? Any smaller details you might've found odd, or stood out to you?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

OPEN — FOOD TRUCK RALLY

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when i go "oh yeah, we have other threads"

walks into this room with arms full of threads