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

[shorterinperson.livejournal.com]

I might be less suspicious if I didn't find myself suddenly disarmed.

[batmanschmatman]

I'd like to think that's just a precaution so we won't hurt each other, but frankly I don't buy it.

[shorterinperson.livejournal.com]

If the Admiral were concerned about us hurting each other, he wouldn't let us have weapons on board either. I don't like it.

[batmanschmatman]

Find anything interesting in your wandering around the island?

[shorterinperson.livejournal.com]

A few raving lunatics, but that's nothing new.

[batmanschmatman]

Barge lunatics, or did you stumble upon the natives?

[shorterinperson.livejournal.com]

[ Flatly, ] How would I tell the difference?

[batmanschmatman]

Well, last port, the natives were mangy, gun toting psychos.

[shorterinperson.livejournal.com]

So I should look for mangy people?

[batmanschmatman]

Anyone not from the Barge. And giant ants.

[shorterinperson.livejournal.com]

I'll just add that to the list of beasties to watch out for.

[batmanschmatman]

What else made the list?

[shorterinperson.livejournal.com]

You don't want to know.

[batmanschmatman]

Are you sure?

[shorterinperson.livejournal.com]

Monsters straight out of children's nightmares have come to wreak havoc on my home. Trust me, you don't want to know.

[batmanschmatman]

I don't know, we've got some pretty strange stuff back where I'm from.

[shorterinperson.livejournal.com]

Men with the legs and arms of birds, feathers made of steel, and a taste for battle and bloodshed? They feed on the results of war. They... roll around in it.

[batmanschmatman]

So, they're like vultures on steroids.

[shorterinperson.livejournal.com]

The worst kind of creatures. And that's just one of the monstrosities that have been showing up across Tortall.

[batmanschmatman]

Why?

[shorterinperson.livejournal.com]

I wish I knew.

[batmanschmatman]

No theories or anything?

[shorterinperson.livejournal.com]

All I know is that they're coming from the divine realm, and Ozorne may be the only one with the resources to release them. That, coupled with the unmarked fleets attacking my home as we speak...

It smells like war to me.

[batmanschmatman]

That does tend to be what unmarked fleets attacking places signal.

[shorterinperson.livejournal.com]

Normally I'd say pirates, but not this time.