[PQ] (RQ) off the coast

SUNJATA

the flood

anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself

Gods he was tired. He’s spent some time roving through book after book and figuring out just how to make this work. But he needs input and a bunch of working hands. And most importantly, figuring out where they go. So he’s spent a majority of the night before, gathering and bringing things they’d likely need, piling it all into a pile on the edge of the Ahi Coast, in 3 different spots along the entirety of the beach. It’s been made easier by having a dragon shift, with clawed hands that can carry much of the materials to each section he’s sectioned out.

And then he waits for everyone to arrive, idly leaning back against a pile of rocks he’s collected, a cigarette hanging from his lips as the smoke curls around him. His gaze flickers to the ocean and the waves that beat down along the shore, to the sun that’s paler than the Longheat gold he’s grown used to.

---

Welcome to the PQ for our RQ!!

Open to:

Sunjata
Delta
Ray
Saiden
Jack
Melita

This is the requirement: PQ of 6 Torchers trying to predict what impact lack of winds will have on the natural erosion process of the beaches, and then come up with and implement a plan for how best to deal with its impact. (at least 4 rounds)

Sunjata has a plan that needs a bit of researching and enacting, however. Feel free to post your characters arriving! No post order <3

and you don't want no help, oh well
that's the story to tell

Melita

Eating fire is your ambition
to swallow the flame down

Helping, assisting, and gathering whatever capabilities she’d contained had been habitual right from the start. That they were doing this again, with Safrin’s guidance, only shaped and honed her predilections and motivations, stoking the ambitions, the aspirations, into her fiery heart and lungs as she and Fangorn traced over the foundations of sand. Despite her willingness to provide aid and provisions, the honeybee wasn’t certain of too many implications with erosion itself; she’d grown up in the desert, and its timeless impact had been significantly lessened when the land ceased to exist.

But the youth was eager to learn too – especially with so many Naturals around, those who had seen the waves come and go, ebb and flow, stretch, change, and alter. It would never be said that Melita didn’t try.

Her eyes had coasted, ghosted, over the framework of supplies collected down the beach, before wandering straight towards her uncle, withholding her own semblance of a sigh. “Ready,” was announced, for what was another matter entirely, chin jutting out in her usual seditious, defiant mannerism, waiting for the others to arrive.

to be lit up from within, vein by vein
to be the sun

JACK

"You call me away from preparations to sail for... rocks, Governor?" Jack doesn't sound impressed, but neither does he sound as irked as he might have done even a season before. "Governor," echoes Seven, the Sear Cat wrapped about the captain's shoulders like a velvet black scarf, yellow eyes pinned on Sunjata. Jack is smoking as well, wreathed in grey as he falls to a halt in the sand, keen eyes picking out the preparations that have been set up all along the beach.

Absently, he reaches up to scritch his feline under the chin, but if anyone sees or asks about it, he'll deny it. Fucking cats. "I s'pose I'm ready as well, since you've roped a lot of my crew in anyways." He raises his eyebrows across at the Flood, a silent question in his expression. Tired - he reads it on the Governor even without telepathy.

you wanted perfect, you got your perfect
but now I'm too perfect for someone like you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

just take your time wherever you go

Arriving at the designated spot, Saiden took a pull from a flask. Leaving it to dangle from his fingers, he grinned at Jack's words. Winking at Melita, the cook leaned in towards her and spoke in a exaggerated and feigned whisper that carried to everyone. "I think cap'n means us."

Heading towards the captain in question, the Hali held out his flask for the other man. Whether or not Jack took it, Saiden would grin at Seven. "Hello kitty," the cook purred. Reaching up, he'd attempt to scratch under the Sear Cat's chin, echoing the captain's recent gesture, which the Hali had totally seen and was barely able to avoid teasing the other man about.

A panther in the night, a fire burning bright. With all of the abrupt changes coming her home's way, Ray felt it was best to help prepare in any way she could. And in doing so, she'd likely be first in line to new developments, and thus new information. When Sunjata asked for help in determining the future of the beaches, she jumped in immediately. Some of the herbs she needed for her herb shop (and for the backdoor poisons) required local herbs. Any major shift in the beach climate could have a drastic affect on her inventory and businesses. And a lack of wind was a sever shift indeed. Packing a bag for the day which included snacks, water, and a basic first aid kid, Ray headed to the beach. She arrived swiftly and approached the pile of rocks where the others were meeting. "Hey everyone." Ray greeted, choosing to sit on a particularly comfortable looking rock in the sand. r a y The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. —Albert Camus

Who knew I'd make her so blue

It was always exciting to help and work with the humans. They always had fun things to do and work on. In this case, it was a super super super important thing and Delta was ecstatic!!

Although she arrived last, that didn’t mean she was unhappy. With her arriving, she offered a smile to everyone in attendance. ”Im here to help in any way possible.” She had zero idea what plans Sunjata exactly had but she trusted the man. It would all work out and he most likely had a good idea of what to do... hopefully. And hopefully, everyone here would work good too! And maybe she’d have time to even chat with them.

Delta

SUNJATA

the flood

anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself

A nod is given to Melita as she arrives before his gaze is drifting to Jack and his companion. “Hello Seven.” Sunjata rumbles to the feline in greeting, offering a half amused smile to Jack – even if it appears tired. A nod is given to Saiden and Ray, followed by a wave to Delta as he pushes off the rock and takes another deep drag of the cigarette, moving so that he stands a bit closer to the edge of the water for the mermaid’s benefit.

“Alright, so since we’re all ready, I’ll cut straight to the point.” He begins, gesturing with a hand back to the pile of rocks he leans against. “We have to figure out how not having our wonderful monsoon season will effect our beaches. After doing a lot of figuring it out, essentially not having the winds will mean that the beaches won’t erode away as much as usual. Which is good, in theory, however,” he holds up a hand as if he’s pausing to try and figure out a word, “it means the normal winds we do get will erode the beach differently and won’t provide as much nutrients to it as before.” He murmurs, looking to all of those in attendance.

He’s done his research, he knows how it needs to go. “Now, I was thinking we can construct some groynes. They’ll go out into the water – hence the rocks – and will give a way for the waves and winds to break against it rather than the beaches themselves.” His attention flickers to Jack next. “This will affect how the Ark sails in and out, but it’ll also protect her should anything be following you that doesn’t know about them.” A raise of his brow shot the captains way as if he’s thought this through.

“Three along the coast should do it to start. I’ve collected the piles, but we need a few pairs to go and see how long they need to be and how wide, where the wind is currently coming from, and where most of the vegetation seems to be richer than elsewhere.” Especially since they know now that the monsoon winds coming in straight off the ocean wouldn’t provide for them so much. "Let's get started, shall we?"

---

Alright! Pair up (Sunjata will fill unless he’s picked <3). The tasks are as follows:

1. How long/wide the groynes need to be
2. Which direction the wind is coming from in order to angle the groynes
3. Following the nutrient trail to the palms and vegetation along the beach

No post order <3

and you don't want no help, oh well
that's the story to tell

just take your time wherever you go

Once the group had assembled—there were more people than he'd expected, honestly—Sunjata gave them their instructions. Saiden frowned, having never heard of these groynes before. However, he shrugged, not questioning the information.

Looking around at the small group, the cook glanced between Melita and Jack. Shooting the captain a grin, the Hali stepped towards the redheaded woman. "Ye wanna go shooting the breeze with me?" He could feel it coiling around them, and he had to clamp down on his magic to keep it from responding.

Regardless of whether she'd join him or not, he would start to head in the direction he could feel the breeze blowing from. As he did, he fished in his pocket for a small piece of cloth. Holding it up, he would use it to check the direction and force of the wind as best he could.

---

Saiden volunteers to check the direction of the wind. He asks Melita to join him, but regardless will head in the direction of the breeze and use a cloth to try and check out the angle.

JACK

Jack watches and listens, sees everyone gather. He already knows some of this plan, not just because he's a telepath, but because Sunjata is actually a pretty good governor when he wants to be. (And when he's not being fucking crazy, but then Jack can't really say much about that). As people start to disperse - bye then, Saiden and Melita - the captain reaches into his back pocket and draws out the choker with the manta jewel set into it.

"I'll go with our Mer friend, see how long the groynes will need to be," he says, already starting to strip off. Soon enough he's in nothing but the choker, and there's no shame in him at all as he fastens it around his throat, heading straight for the water and beckoning for Delta to come along. "I reckon we should be able to figure this out if we get far enough from the coast," he says, before ducking beneath the waves to start swimming.

---

Jack strips off, puts on a cloud manta jewel, and ropes in Delta to figure out how long the groynes need to be from the sea.

you wanted perfect, you got your perfect
but now I'm too perfect for someone like you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Who knew I'd make her so blue

Thankfully for everyone here, Delta doesn't quite understand that specific part of the anatomy of a human- or at least she has zero appreciation or disgust towards it. Mostly just indifference. Of course, she does think that Jack's torso looks fantastic... but that's another story and she'd never vocalized it. She's a Princess, after all, she cant go around complimenting just anyone, especially in such a public location. "That works perfectly with me."

Secretly, she was happy with the task. One of them was something that a mermaid couldn't do. She cant exactly walk up to the trees. So thank goodness Jack had volunteered her for this task. 'If you need to chat, just wave to me underwater." And with that she ducked down too, swimming alongside Jack.

Of course, she swam a lot easier than him so she tried to keep slow and move with the same speed as Jack, even observing him to see when he'd give her his next idea.

---

---

Delta agrees and goes with Jack!!!

Delta

A panther in the night, a fire burning bright. Ray watched as everyone paired off. Given that she hardly knew anyone here she wasn't surprised that no one approached her. She glanced at Sunjata. "Looks like that leaves us to follow the nutrient trail. Determining the nutrient hot spots might be a good place to start. That way we can determine what areas need the most attention and protection." Ray offered her idea as she began to follow the line of palms and vegetation. She tried to spot the locations where there was increased vegetation, sea life, etc. Ray was able to identify a handful of spots along the beach that appeared to be nexuses for the nutrient flow of the ecosystem. Ray asked Sunjata to join her in following the nutrient trail. She decided to focus on nutrient hot spots to see where there needed to be extra protective measures. r a y The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. —Albert Camus

Melita

Eating fire is your ambition
to swallow the flame down

The tasks configured, the people rendered, the details delivered, Melita granted a firm nod towards Saiden, and she, along with Fangorn, motioned along towards the beach. Having grown up in a desert, and then an entire hellhole, the honeybee wasn’t certain what a groyne was either – and perhaps gesturing towards the wind, studying its turns and shifts, was the safer option. She caught glimpses of the cook’s gestures and intentions, and altered, composed herself towards the sea – intending for the wind to hit along her features somewhere, give some semblance, while she rifled through her bag. Some fabric had been left from her Ludo doll creation and contortions, and she lifted the spotted, dotted cloth high into the air, to watch and witness how, where, it billowed.

--

Melita joins in checking the direction of the wind with some long fabric.

to be lit up from within, vein by vein
to be the sun

SUNJATA

the flood

anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself

Everyone pairs off, leaving Sunjata with Ray – to whom he flashes an easy smile in greeting. “Agreed.” Her plan was one he couldn’t argue with – and so the Flood begins to follow along where the vegetation was brighter, where the palms grew thicker, lusher. He drifts along the edges, searching for any sort of indication of where the nutrients are arriving from, but comes up completely empty – deciding to shift into his nyala shift in order to perhaps scent it better. Ray doesn’t fair perfectly well, but she does better than Sunjata does – finding one darker line in the sand leading toward the jungles that appears darker, fletching out through the pale sands with spurts of dune grasses.

Saiden and Melita in their attempts to search for the wind go roughly about the same. Saiden manages to figure out which direction the wind is coming from – Melita’s fabric slips from her fingers, however, drifting through the wind with whips here and there as if it’s playing a joke on her. At least it gives some idea of which way the wind is coming from, however, and she can use that to figure out from Saiden whether or not it’s the same or if it’s curved.

Now, for those in the water, Delta and Jack drift out further into the sea against the waves and the undercurrents. A ways down the water, the mermaid will find a space that seems perfect for the end of the groyne, far enough in that it should be sufficient and far enough from the dock to not cause any issues with the Ark’s docking. Jack, on the other hand, struggles to get through the water as quickly as Delta has, and will find as he swims further that his leg gets caught in a tangle of seaweed that has reached up to grab him.

---

ROUND TWO:

- Sunjata and Ray are… Moderately successful. Ray finds a thin stream of lush vegetation through the sand that might be a line to investigate.

- Saiden and Melita also are moderately successful, Saiden succeeds in determining where the wind is coming from, Melita loses the strip of fabric to it.

- Jack and Delta are wildly different, Delta succeeds in finding the perfect placement for the start of the first groyne, Jack gets tangled up in some seaweed.

No post order <3

and you don't want no help, oh well
that's the story to tell

Melita

Eating fire is your ambition
to swallow the flame down

Well, that was stupid.

She could keep a grip on swords, knives, bows, and staffs, but gods forbid a piece of fabric. It tossed away from her on a heaving gust of wind, and she sneered, hissed, as it tumbled through the air. The honeybee instinctively stomped after it, mighty, clonking strides that probably would’ve made her laugh in any other situation, and if she wasn’t on the verge of some vile temper tantrum, but noting, watching, that it flew far, far, away from her, all she could do was bear witness to its antics. By the push and pull of the breeze, by the way it wound around or dove down below, until it was gone, faded from view, destined to be a part of something else.

On a sigh, she returned to the beach portion, rifling back through her bag to see if she had anything else to use. “Any luck?” She muttered to Saiden, hoping he’d found far more information than she had.

--

Melita grumps, but watches the way the fabric turns, twists in the wind (before it completely disappears).

to be lit up from within, vein by vein
to be the sun