039 [video]

[batmanschmatman]

[Dick turns the video feed on to show him sitting on the beach. He's wearing a long sleeved baseball shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows - he doesn't wear actual short sleeves often because of the ridiculous amount of scars he's acquired over the years - and jeans. What's he been doing almost all day? Shucking coconuts. There's a sharp stick shoved pretty securely in the sand, and he's been stabbing the outer husk against it repeatedly, rotating it until it's all off, which leaves behind the fruit you'd see in the grocery store back home.

It's very therapeutic.

But he's stopped for the moment to make a post, so the stick is just there, along with a pretty impressive pile of ready to be cracked open coconuts.]

This could very easily be paranoia built up from months of living in a place where things have a tendency to fall apart almost every other week, but is anyone else just waiting for a polar bear to come smashing through the jungle? Or like, a smoke monster that sounds like a didgeridoo? Anyone got cursed numbers following them around ever since they won the lottery? Anyone? Anyone? ... Bueller?

I'm not sure I'm all that jazzed about swimming either. I mean, this pretty clearly isn't Amity Island, but if I'm remembering my terrible movie sequels correctly, the sharks don't really care where the directors wanted to film. Howie, you haven't had any random urges to tell everyone the beaches should be closed, have you?

Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not complaining or anything that nothing like that's happened yet, but I guess I've just kind of come to expect a catch. So, where's the catch? Or is the Admiral just feeling randomly charitable? And if so, why now? It's not like this month's been any better or worse then any other week.

Kind of a bummer when you can't even enjoy a vacation because you're worried it's not a vacation, right?

Oh, and if anyone needs some coconuts - [And here he jabs his thumb towards the pile.] I'm pretty sure I got you covered.

[ooc: If you're so inclined, spam away, fellow beach goers! Dick's going to be doing some wandering around anyway, so if you want him to be somewhere, I can come up with a reason for him being there. The Jaws reference with Howie is specifically from a conversation Arthur and Dick had a few days ago.]

Comments

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[ichoosefight.livejournal.com]

Vacation is never vacation in our line of business. At least the worst thing I've dealt with so far is a jaguar.

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[batmanschmatman]

And how did that go?

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[ichoosefight.livejournal.com]

I'm alive, aren't I? I'd say that qualifies as going well.

Are you gonna eat all those coconuts, or are you saving them for yourself?

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[batmanschmatman]

I'm hording them. But I guess I could be talked into sharing.

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

I've been swimming, it's alright. So no urges to close the beaches, no. [pause]

Why is this my job?

I might come and steal some coconuts, though.

[batmanschmatman]

Because Arthur and I were talking about how if the Admiral ever made us reenact the plot of Jaws, you'd probably be Chief Brody.

And by all means, come on down. God knows I've got enough to spare.

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

Is it a bad thing that I've never seen Jaws? Even so, I'm not sure I like the sound of that role, so I'll pass.

I might come and grab one.

[feels-no-love.livejournal.com]

[Weirdly enough this video feed is from a darkened room, even the window covered at the moment, so that the figure is a mere dark shape with a white blur for a face. The voice that comes through is a soft rasp.]

A catch? Some sort of...inherent problem? [The voice is cold, but there's a just slightly troubled tone to it as well.] May I ask, is that common for these Ports?

[batmanschmatman]

Yeah, more or less. Although honestly, most of the ones I've been to have been pretty lowkey compared to the stories I've heard about others.

[feels-no-love.livejournal.com]

...

...that is a...concern. There is an individual that I know who offboarded, and I--

[hesitation]

I had a feeling he should have brought me along.

Ehm...thank you.

[shorterinperson.livejournal.com]

It's always best to be prepared for the worst.

[batmanschmatman]

Even when like, eighty percent of what I was just talking about being prepared for was inspired by highly fictionalized events?

[shorterinperson.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't know. My fiction is pretty different from yours.

[Spamspamspamspam]

[boughtitall.livejournal.com]

You intend on eating all of them?

[Spamspamspamspam]

[batmanschmatman]

[Dick just laughs, looking up from his latest victim - which has about half of the outer husk hacked off of it - to squint up at Saito.]

No. But it's something to do, right? [He slams the coconut down again before looking back up at Saito.] You want one?

[Spamspamspamspam]

[boughtitall.livejournal.com]

I suppose there is that.

Are you sure you have enough to spare?

[gingerspeedster.livejournal.com]

If I wasn't convinced that port would take my powers away, I would be so jealous of that beach.

[batmanschmatman]

Yeah, well, spoiler alert: It's pretty boring down here.

[gingerspeedster.livejournal.com]

Glad I missed out on the boring beach trip, then.

[ NOT HERE ]

[fivestepsahead.livejournal.com]

[ But he's glad you're okay, Dick.

Also he's in a cave with bats. THIS IS JUST LIKE HOME. EXCEPT FOR ALL THE IDIOTS WHO COME TO DISTURB HIM- wait. No. That happens at home too. ]

[ NOT HERE ]

[batmanschmatman]

[Well. Mostly okay. If he was really okay, he wouldn't be shucking coconuts by himself on a beach talking about LOST. :|

And heyyyy. We're not idiots. :C]

[ NOT HERE ]

[fivestepsahead.livejournal.com]

[ Yeah, he notices that too. And he knows it's mostly his fault. This is partly why he's meditating.

... That is debatable-- I MEAN. OF COURSE NOT. ]

[peektuttut]

Are you seriously shucking coconuts?

[batmanschmatman]

I'm seriously shucking coconuts.

[peektuttut]

Hear any didgeridoos?