songerein | { summer beach episode 2023 }

SUMMER BEACH EPISODE

Thanks to the Dreamsortium's aggressive advertising in town and around the Wildlands, the Forever Dreams resort's grand opening is a bustling and lively one with both dreamers and local fae alike coming by. Even the dragons from Dragefjell are coming down to enjoy luxurious sunbathing.

Just remember, only the first night is free! After that, one must either pay or help fulfill some "odd jobs" around the resort for the Dreamsortium.

More details on everything can be found here.

I. FOREVER DREAMS RESORT

A. Resort Amenities. Everyone will have a room to stay in, though there are also camping options for those who might want to stay outdoors.

🧑‍🍳Outdoor Dining. There are outdoor kitchen patios that are available for guests who would like to prepare their own food, however while the resort will provide with some ingredients, guests will have to bring their own. Perfect for those who try their hand at fishing and want to enjoy their catch. Just beware of the sea gulls that will try to pilfer anything left unattended.
♨️Spa and Massage. Need a break? Relax those sore muscles? The resort boasts only the best and have a special spa for those who can gather and relax with a drink and snack. They have also hired friendly dragons and orcs who specialize in providing the best massage possible.
🦀 Crab Shuffleboard. There are some shuffleboard courts setup that are said to be more unusual than normal, which is quickly revealed by the usual round "discs" used for play. The discs work well enough regardless…until at some point legs appear to reveal they are strange little crabs! They are sturdy little ones so some consider their traveling as part of the game, but others might want to catch them. (Note, they are not normal crabs and are Karka hatchlings.)

B. Animal Control. Unfortunately the construction agitated and displaced a few of the local creatures in the area, and while most have just moved on, others are less willing to leave their original habitats. Some are making it work, while others are hostile. Perhaps creating a newer, better habitat will make them more willing? Or figure out ways to coexist.

🐍Sea Snakes. Completely harmless, these aquatic snakes would nest in the tall seaweed that grows near the beach by the resort. Most of them were able to be relocated in other places, but there are some patches that haven't been moved because of their nests. By now the eggs have hatched, but the babies are still hiding out. Help move them to a safer location!
🦦Seaweed Otters. The otters prefer the clams that can be found in the shallows which is why they can be found lounging about. They're cute and friendly, but also mischievous, stealing other food and toys from beach goers. Although relatively harmless, it's dangerous for them. Good news, the same types of clams can be found further down. Catch the otters and guide them towards the new location. Alternatively, have them try different foods from other areas of the beach to encourage them to move elsewhere.
🦉Pineapple Owls. Pineapples are popular to serve, but harvesting them has been difficult. There are some owls that are dive bombing those who try. It doesn't help their eggs look like small pineapples! Help locate the affected trees to mark them and find empty trees to safely harvest from.
🦀Karka. KARKA ROOOOOLLL. Appearing by the coves on the edge of the Wasteland, these giant, monstrous creatures have a tough outer shell that is difficult to penetrate and requires using a special acidic solvent that somehow the Dreamsortium are able to prepare quickly. They appear to be very agitated and while they mostly stay where they are, some will come close to the resort to attack. Maybe returning some of those "little crabs" from the shuffleboard courts would help…

C. Beach Fun. There are some casual fun beachside activities that everyone can partake in! For those who didn't bring their own, towels and beach chairs are available to rent.

🤿Snorkeling. Grab your gear and do some snorkeling in the clear shallows around the resort! Might make a new finny friend or two.
🐚 Shell Collecting. There are a number of beautiful shells, and they say the large conch shells will whisper a dreamy tune that could help one sleep. There are also contests and requests to collect certain shells.
🏐 Games. Various games are set up, such as beach volleyball, watermelon smashing, water balloons and water guns, and the return of the fruit slicer, where one must slice a barrage of fruit with only dreamotion.
🍈Melon Dodgeball. A new game that's becoming an explosive hit is a dodgeball game using special melons. These melons are sensitive to the temperament and dreamotion of the players, so the more tense and energetic they are, the more likely they will explode and splatter their target instead. Still counts as out!
🐢 Boating. The turtle shell boats are back! Toting large clams shells big enough for two people, these giant sea turtles will happily pull people for either a relaxing cruise, or a fast paced ride through the water. Small sailboats are also available to rent.

D. Special Businesses. Some of the local businesses are putting up stalls on the beach!

🍷 At Day's End.Two days a week during the month of July, At Day's End will have a booth available at the beach resort! The bar and winery's offerings include a number of fine drinks and cocktails designed with summer in mind, such as: the Champagne-like Dew of the Ether; the luck-changing, naturally cold Azure Omen; the floral and sweet Divine Retribution, available with or without alcohol; and the minty and light fruit punch, Dawn in the Wildlands. Other drinks will also be available at the beach stall, though in limited quantities compared to the town's location.

Much like the services provided to patrons of the establishment proper, van Zieks will be available to provide cooling through his personal dreamotion abilities, though in exchange for passing out pamphlets or helping him serve drinks. He can't do anything about sunburns, though, you're on your own there.

🌸Wild Harvest. There is nothing unusual about the Wild Harvest's stall, and at a glance, it is exactly as you'd expect. There are flowers for the taking, set decoratively inside a vase beside a stack of fliers for any new dreamers who don't know about the establishment yet. A list of names that seems to be a sign-up for something called You Be the Chef also sits in front of whichever staff member may be running the booth, and if asked, they'll happily speak about the contest.

There is a grill set up with sticks of freshly grilled kebabs, also for the taking to sample, and nearby, a wooden-looking slide of sorts has been set up. Those who have visited the Harvest in recent weeks will know this is for the nagashi somen, or flowing noodles, for anyone who'd like to "catch" them. Chopsticks are provided, as well as the complementary dipping sauce.

In addition, as a dessert, there is also a station set up with cups of shaved ice for passersby to create their own Summer Dreams. Various toppings, condensed milk, slices of fruit and fruity syrups are provided. Even emoji-fruit with positive emotions are used! And if patrons are unable to infuse their sample with their own positive dreamotion, the staff is more than happy to assist.

II. ATLANTIS

At some point during the grand opening, some merfolk will surface and wave at the beachgoers. With reassurance from the Dreamsortium, anyone who wishes to visit the underwater city Atlantis may do so and will be given a special potion that will allow them to transform into some kind of merfolk or aquatic creature. They can last for several hours and will automatically bring them back to the surface before it wears out. Enjoy~ And beware the sirens.

A. Around Atlantis. The city is vast at the bottom of the ocean with so many things to see and do, with numerous shops opening their doors and the locals curious to meet their land based neighbors. So much so, perhaps another visit will be in order. For now, here are some highlights, and for those less inclined to try the potion, they could try and figure out a different way down there. Surely someone with enough dreamotion talents can come up with an idea?

🎣 Jellyfish Hunting. A favorite game of the Atlantians, there are special schools of jellyfish that swim around the city that come in a total of five different colors: blue, pink, yellow, green, and orange. If one catches at least one of each jellyfish, a small chest of jewels will be given as a prize. The jellyfish are friendly and harmless, though they might still try to sting out of defense.
🍴 Look at this Stuff. A young mermaid has been watching the "landdwellers" for a while now and has started to create her own collection of items only found on land. She asks any visitor she encounters whether they have or could find some trinket to add to her collection.
✨ Glowing Coral. The city is filled with beautiful, large coral patches and large reef gardens, especially just outside the city. Of particular note are special coral that sing, and one particular group of merfolk request some help in harvesting these to be used for everyday purposes in the city. Visitors are welcome to gather some for themselves—with careful moderation of course. As long as they are cut properly and kept in sea water, the coral will continue to thrive and potentially grow.

B. Temple of Saudade and Hiraeth. An ancient temple that is partially submerged just outside of Atlantis, and there is an indiscernible melody or song that can be heard faintly throughout the temple. The merfolk are still excavating it to find what all is within it, but it's a difficult endeavor due to the effects of the temple. It has a large amount of dreamotion energy and there are certain areas where people can become trapped in an illusory vision of a memory or unrealized dream with a very strong emotional tie to the individual. This will make the individual more emotionally reactive and must be calmed and talked out of their illusion. If the emotion is strong enough, whatever the character is seeing or wishing to be real will form.

C. Sirens. While not targeting the visitors swimming through Atlantis, there are sirens and other hostile fae that dwell in the ocean depths that don't take too kindly to the visitors. Stray too far from the safety of Atlantis or drift too deep into the shadows and they may appear to either harass or downright attack. Their songs are not as effective while someone is in merfolk/aquatic creature form, but they do have some effect to at least try and lure them for attention. Those who are afflicted with nightmares or have more nightmare energy will also be more susceptible.

❄️ Christmas Carols!? One siren in particular may be familiar to those from around Christmas. Called "Sirenia Caviary," she is one of the more "friendlier" sirens, but her voice wails through the waters as she is suffering from writer's block. Help her come up with new Christmas songs and the sirens may look more favorably on everyone.
🍌 Treasured Bananas. One reason why the sirens are hostile towards outsiders is due to a recent "plunder" of their precious chest of bananas. Seasalted Bananas are a delicacy and hard to come by since bananas are not found underwater. Bring some bananas to the sirens and their mood may improve.
♻️ Underwater Cleanup. Another reason for the sirens' hostility is the amount of trash and litter that has accrued both during the construction of the resort and the large influx of visitors thanks to it. While it wouldn't be enough to make them as friendly as their Atlantian cousins, clearing out some of that trash would at least make them less inclined to attack and chase upon sight. The collector in Atlantis might also find some use out of the items.

D. Thieves. There are some suspicious individuals (pirates) that appear around Atlantis trying to steal various treasures and items from the city and from the temple. Try to stop and catch them–but even if they are caught, they somehow escape. There is always an odd "click" and "buzz" sound before they disappear in black smoke that has a hint of nightmare energy in them…

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Of course, these kind of homes are something of a luxury in Liyue. Not many people can live in these kind of places unless they are strong. [And then suddenly, in a low voice?] After all, there could be monsters or ghosts that could be lurking outside Liyue Harbor.

[And see that smirk on her face? Was she kidding or was she being serious? Tat was up to him to decide! But for now, she'll simply brush it off as she continued to look for the mysterious well.

As she marched on forward, she eventually managed to find it. Granted, it didn't seem anything too special considering the various things she had seen in Teyvat. And yet, she couldn't deny how pretty it was. Staring at all the glitter around it, she couldn't help but wonder... ]

I wonder if you are as powerful as he says that you are...

[Ferran did raise his eyebrows at the idea of supernatural things preventing people from living outside of some kind of safe zone—he'll might ask about it later, though it certainly seems like a difficult way to live—but later, maybe...

Before she has too much time to investigate, though, he's walked up behind her, just in time to hear the tail end of her musing.]

Ready to find out? [He opens his hand, revealing one of the tiny orbs he showed her before—but it's a real one this time, infused with the magic apparently only the tapirs have access to. Stepping up to the well and being careful not to trample on any of the flowers, he holds his hand over the opening, which seems like the brick reservoir of a perfectly normal well...] It can be kind of messy, so unless you like the idea of finding sparkly spots for two weeks, you should probably step back.

[He won't try to keep her from taking a closer look if she wants, though—it's her funeral, so to speak.]

You just take one of these, focus on what you want, and...

[He closes his eyes, taking a moment to remember. His friend, their time together, all the wonderful things she did for him... and the single physical object he had as a reminder, when she left. With a turn of his wrist, he lets the bauble fall into the water deep in the well.

One second passes, two seconds, three... POOF. A wooden case along with a handwritten card suddenly manifest in a cloud of glitter that then rains down like confetti, and Ferran moves quickly to snatch them out of the air to prevent the latter from flying away, or worse, down into the well. His face is scrunched up once he's got them both safely in hand, shaking his head like he's trying to shuffle something loose.]

Augh, it got in my nose...

[All Hu Tao could do was raise an eyebrow. Surprises like these, she was used to. After all, she was usually the one surprising others so a sudden appearance from the back wasn't anything new. However, her eyes went straight to the orb.]

Well, I think this is my cue. Don't mind me taking a step back! Although, I should say the same for you if you don't want any sparkly spots either!

[Not that she minds, she would rather not be having people question why she was covered in glitter. However, as she continues to stare at what he intends to do? She held her breath waiting to see what would happen next. Was going to be amazing? Specular? Awe inspiring?

She just had to know!!

And just like that, there was a blast of glitter everywhere! With a gasp, she had to stare up in the air at all the sparkles! Indeed, it was definitely awe inspiring as she stood by to watch the show before her. Once everything was clear, she walked by him.]

The look on the bright side! At least you can say that's why you're so nosey about things!

[Ferran shoots her an exasperated look, pausing in his attempts to brush glitter off of himself as he clutches the package to his chest. You were the one who started asking him questions, girl...]

I'll file that one away in case I need it.

[After briefly brushing glitter it out of his hair, the most important part of his appearance to clean, he returns his attention to the card and case. He admires the former for a few moments with an expression that's hard to read; the handwriting is a little unsteady, like the writer was unfamiliar with the alphabet, but the holiday message is clear enough. Another moment passes, and he opens the case to examine the colored pencils inside, some of the more natural colors already used.]

Just as I remember... looks like it's all here.

[Don't mind her, she's simply here to enjoy the ride. Now that the glitter was out of the way, she continued to step close. As she got a better look at the card, all she could do was raise an eyebrow or two. How magical that this well could really bring anything from their world to here regardless of how this was all supposedly a dream.]

It seems that they took a lot of time to make sure that you would enjoy your present.

[Suddenly, her face softens before giving a small smile.]

...How wonderful.

[Even if it's only a reflection of what he had based on his memory, it's good enough for him; it's tangible and physical enough for this world, and with it he can safely keep that memory intact, regardless of whatever happens in his head.]

It's one of the few good things about being stolen from your own world, I guess. Making good friends like her...

[Though it depends on the personality, destination, and home world, admittedly. Ferran is all too happy to be here, for now. Carefully tucking the card inside the case, he closes it with a snap and turns to her.]

So, that's how you do it. I've heard you can use them to glance at things going on back home at the observatory in town, too, but I don't know much about that.

[With that, Hu Tao closed her eyes. Placing her hand on her chin, she was debating if she should use it or not. While there wasn't much she wanted to know about her world at the current moment, she did want to know more about what her friends were up to.

For a moment, she didn't say anything. But when she did...?]

Is that so? Perhaps I could look into it and hope that Teyvat has yet to be in pieces. The last thing I would want is for my business to be gone and I might have to start over again! Now wouldn't that be something?

[She said while giving a giggle or two.]

Although, the last I heard, one of my dearest friends was going to a different country in search of his sister. Now, has anything happened, I'm not sure but I hope my homework is still in one piece!

{ summer beach episode 2023 }

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ooops that "back to the matter at hand" was supposed to be in brackets

It's all good!

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