Absolutely everybody, outside and inside, early afternoon on Saturday

[scots_wolf]

It is a cool and rainy Scottish afternoon by the lake, the rain now pouring, now drizzling from the fast-moving clouds over the lake. The wind is gusty, and even though it is July, there are some moments in some corners along the steep lake shore when it's positively unpleasant. Despite this, some people need to be outside. Among them are:

• Urquhart, who is walking along the lake shore with the dog, who is getting muddier by the minute and loving it. Urquhart is wearing an oilskin cloak that covers his long blond hair and obscures much of his face, so what you basically see from afar is a tall hulking black-cloaked shape trudging along, and a smaller brown-and-white four-legged creature flitting back and forth. Occasionally, Urquhart throws something for the dog to fetch, and then Franz takes off at top acceleration, mud flying everywhere.
• Tamara, who is of course outside; going inside might be an option if she forces herself on dry land and gets legs instead of her tail fin, but it's not a way of thinking for her. Rain is normal and harmless anyway, if a bit colder than what she's used to in the Caribbean. She is drifting on the surface, not far from the shore, and holding out a hand to collect rainwater in her palm and lick it off. Mermaids get their liquids from their food, as all marine creatures, but she likes the exotic taste of freshwater.
• Teja, who is in the forge, working on a project which is, for once, not metal but wood. Still, he has a fire going as it is that kind of day, and as the cats prefer it that way. While he is whittling away at something round and intricate, all three cats are sitting on the stack of logs next to the door, well under the eaves, and peering out into the rain with profound feline disapproval.
• Tower, who is paying the bar one of his rare visits and has gone outside to smoke a cigar after some women by the fireplace gave him a nasty stare for it. Tower rarely minds nasty stares -- he's often bad news as it is -- but one of the women had an especially pointed nasty stare, and he didn't feel like an argument. So, Tower has pulled down his hat and is leaning in the corner between the bar itself and the extension where the infirmary and day room are situated, protected by a porch, smoking his cigar and looking at the clouds. Eventually, he'll go back inside and get himself some scotch.
• the lonely swan that's watching the mermaid and might be another patron, and if so, he might be admiring her figure. On the other hand, it might just be some random swan being random.

Most people, on the other hand, keep inside and try not even to look out of the window. Or perhaps look out of the window with a hot drink in their hand, to feel even more comfortable in contrast to that weather. Among them are:

• two off-duty goddesses lounging on a couch by the fireplace together. They have pushed a little coffee table against the wall and set up a TV screen and a video game console on it, and now are playing a number of ever-changing little games. Sometimes, they slouch on the sofa drinking tea and discussing how to best push virtual banana crates around, then they lean forwards steering cute little biplanes or scooters through some funny obstacle course, and then they giggle at the game where they need to shoot virtual cardboard bandits and leave the girls which pop up as well standing. Sometimes, they jump up and do something more energetic, using their remote controls as tennis rackets or baseball bats. Neither of them looks very divine today -- warm socks, leggings, hoodies, and hair tied up into pony tails seems to be the fashion of the day. One goddess has dark hair and a feather on the back of her hoodie; the other has a silver snake pattern on her leggings, and her hair is bleached to colourlessness, with pink strands in it. Lately, they have acquired a rubbernecker -- a little girl that hangs over the back of their couch and keeps cheering them on, no matter what game they play.
• Lady Margolotta, who is sitting at a table, with a pot of tea, some cookies, and her knitting. Even though it is grey and raining outside, she's keeping well away from the windows, choosing instead a lamplit nook on the far side of the fireplace.

[[OOC: To celebrate the fact that LJ is alive again, have one of my Saturday everybody posts as I used to make them in my now sadly defunct else!game. Console games courtesy of my sister's Wii -- I don't really know much about them, just have played a few of them last Sunday night with her and her family.]]

Comments

[crabbycustomer]

Karkat would not normally be outside before sunset, but it is dark and dismal enough for him, although he is squinting a lot and swearing absently at the rain.

He is hunting up and down along the sandy verge of the Caribbean inlet. He's looking for something. He's swearing about that, too.

[scots_wolf]

A wet and muddy dog is coming along the beach, running along cheerfully despite the weather, and sniffing at stuff he finds interesting.

Among them might be the thing that Karkat is looking for?

[crabbycustomer]

Maybe, if the thing he is sniffing at is sort of like a small black rock half-buried in the sand.

"GET AWAY FROM THAT, FUCKASS," Karkat says, warningly. The "rock" shifts, kicking up little puffs of damp sand.

[scots_wolf]

The dog jumps backwards, with a worried little whine.

[crabbycustomer]

He is just in time to avoid purple pinchers that pop up from the sand and snip at him crankily. Karkat laughs his nasty gurgly chuckle and moves forward to the grab the irritated crab.

[scots_wolf]

The dog barks at the nasty little sand creature, quite loudly.

[crabbycustomer]

The crab scuttles away from the barking, which allows Karkat to scoop it up; it pinches him for his trouble. He doesn't seem bothered. "GOT YOU, SHITHEAD."

[death_gone_mad]

Like Tower, Amascut is outside, smoking. Or was. Out on the lake there is no protection from the winds and rains. Not in a waka, at least.

Foul northern climates. She hopes the rains won't put out the fires she had set.

She paddles toward shore, but with the winds, who knows where she will make a landing. Or who she will bump into in the way.

[areyoumyjolly]

She bumps into the tail fin of the drifting mermaid.

Tamara turns in the water, and finds that she already met the woman with the odd red hair.

"Hello," she says, cheerfully. "What a cute little boat!"

[death_gone_mad]

"I am in no mood for any mischief, mermaid," she says as she continues paddling.

Who knew that the water averse woman would actually be out on a canoe in the middle of a lake. And would know how to paddle. She's full of surprises!

[areyoumyjolly]

Tamara leans over the rim of the waka, giggles at the red-headed woman, and rocks the boat a little.

[death_gone_mad]

And up comes the the oar from the other side of the waka. She's just going to bop the mermaid in the head, but she is already reviewing her options if things get ugly. "Stop that!"

She is already wet, and being dumped into the lake won't accomplish much. Still, there is not much she scan do to stop the mermaid from overturning the waka except lean in the opposite direction and keep the same rhythm as the rocking.

[areyoumyjolly]

"Why are you so scared?" Tamara giggles. "It's only water! You're wet already!"

[basic_powers]

Tower'll spot the boy coming in from the woods and the rain long before Tyler actually stops and recognizes the man.

It's been a long strange year since last the timelines were reasonably accurate as to say 'last year' from the boy's point of view.

"Heya, Tower."

[destroy_restart]

"Hello Tyler," Tower says, grinning.

[basic_powers]

"...it's been a long strange year since I got that tarot card from you." Tyler smiles a little, sitting on the floor cross-legged near Tower. his voice sounds just a little scratchy, but playing in the wet is probably contributing to that. "How've you been?"

[destroy_restart]

"As usual," Tower says. "I'm just me, I don't change much. Tell me about the long strange year. What card was it again I gave you?"

[basic_powers]

"It was the anuciation? From that deck that looked like church windows." Tyler says after a moment of thought. It's carefully pinned up to a wall in the lair, and he sees it almost every time he's in there.

"You said it stood for The Lovers card in the classic tarot."

[destroy_restart]

"Icon," Tower says. "It was orthodox icons. So, what happened to you in that year, and how did the card connect with that?"

[not_his_pa]

William is heading towards the Bar after a wet day working in the stables and ducks under the overhang where Tower is as the rain gets harder,

"Damn, the weather's bad today."

[destroy_restart]

"Really offensive," Tower says. "Want a smoke, too?"

[not_his_pa]

"No, thanks,"

He takes off his hat and tries to get it a little drier, "You been out here long?"

[destroy_restart]

"Since I started on the cigar," Tower says. "There were these ladies staring daggers, and I didn't feel like an argument."

[not_his_pa]

"That wasn't nice of them to send you out into the wet."

[destroy_restart]

"Cigars are so dreadfully stinky and poisonous," Tower shrugs. "Try telling them otherwise. I don't bother any more."