DUNGEON LOG: KEYSTONE REEF

[phantasmods]

Expedition day dawns, as usual, with an android mass text -

Okay, so, this time we're aiming to go out and stabilize the Fissure in the reef you can see up a little to the north of here. The waters are usually pretty calm this time of year, so if you can swim instead of needing to take a boat, that'd be a great help. We only have a few of them.

Also, I know that last time was a mess, so I'm just gonna say this: If you need to get out for any reason, just send us a message and a picture of your location. We'll get a drone out to you as soon as we can and bring you home. No questions asked.

( ﾟ▽ﾟ)/ Stay safe out there! When you're ready to go, meet us down at the beach. The rocky, sparkly one, not the sandy one.

Unlike previous expeditions, this time there's no rooftop sendoff - instead, as Charm noted, the tables are set up on Glitterstone beach, along with a series of boats pulled up on the sand. Two rowboats that could maybe sit six people but probably better suited for four, a trio of inflatable rafts (with motors attached to the back, all mismatched) of about the same size, a two-person dinghy and a long canoe that could hold two or three.

Besides the little fleet, there's also the usual bagged lunches (in gallon ziplocs this time, and other such watertight containers), and every boat is equipped with a large number of those chepa dollar-store water bottles, all with their airtight store seals. There's also a selection of life vests and other floatation thingies in a box next to the table. Strange hovers over the setup, checking watertightness of a handful of first aid kits with a spritzer and a bucket to submerge things in. They give a little wave to anyone passing by headed to the boats.

For those who opt instead to swim, everything seems perfectly normal until you reach the border of the Fissure... When, very suddenly, it isn't.

Comments

[serrata]

Do you actually trust yourself to be able to swim in a straight line in this condition? ...No, that's a stupid question, don't answer it.

[ She huffs a sigh. ]

Should we call for someone at the station to take back?

[myocordial]

Oh, I never swim straight.

[........

did he just]

I really don't need to go back. I'm fine.

No, more than that. Actually, I feel great. Really, really great?

[serrata]

... Hm.

[ Maybe this is ridiculous and she feels ridiculous for even saying it, but... now that he mentions it, he's acting a little... ]

Did you eat or drink anything while you were down there?

[myocordial]

It's underwater.

[Gosh, Yuuri, what's he gonna drink underwater.]

It was just a lot of water. And sharks. And... there were these weird little fish...? They seemed to like me a lot.

[serrata]

[ An EVEN MORE SUSPICIOUS SQUINT THAN BEFORE. It's incredible that's even possible, but here we are. ]

What kind of weird little fish?

[ She's starting to cotton on, what with the weird psychic jellyfish but... well, it can't be. Can it? ]

[myocordial]

Hmmm, these sort of... small, orange fish? They had little heart-shaped tails. And they kept kissing me?

[A slight headtilt as he thinks back. Hmmmm...]

Oh, that's about when I started feeling really great. [What is putting two and two together when you're in a big ol' haze?] ...I kind of want to go find something big and fight it.

1/?

[serrata]

[ ... ]

[serrata]

[serrata]

[serrata]

[ wait ]

[serrata]

[ a fucking second ]

[serrata]

Are you drunk?!

[ CLOSE ENOUGH ]

[myocordial]

Noooooooo. No. Definitely not.

What would I be drunk from, sea water? That would be ridiculous? That's-- Yuuri. You are very silly? obviously I'm not drunk, I'd definitely know if I was drunk...

And I'm not.

[...........well he's not wrong, technically.]

[serrata]

[ Yuuri just stares at him.

And then she points at a rock jutting up out of the water, about ten feet away. ]

Swim there and back in a straight line, and then we'll talk.

[myocordial]

...

[...]

I'm sensing a lack of faith in me. That hurts.

Yuuri? Yuuri, I'm hurt.

[serrata]

My heart just bleeds.

[ It does not. ]

I'll apologize once you've proved me wrong.

[myocordial]

No, that's m-- oh no, wait, the saying. Right.

[Heart you are not helping your case honey...]

Fine. Fine, if it's so important, I'll do it. I'll swim there and back, in a straight line. I will prove it.

[...So he says, but he's... he's not going.]

[serrata]

[ ...

. . .

. . . ]

I'm waiting.

[myocordial]

...

[...]

Was I not going?

[serrata]

Does the rock look any closer?

[ That's a no. ]

[myocordial]

[Heart turns quickly to look, as if he's worried the rock will be gone suddenly. But you see, here's the thing. Heart has that very long tail right now? And with just how quickly he turns, his tail turns with him.

It is as long as his whole body and very flexible. What I'm saying here is this.

Momentum's a bitch.]

I guess it doesn't--

[Heart is promptly cut off as he smacks himself in the face with his own tail. Some water splashes with it as it quickly disappears beneath the water again.

He's beauty, he's grace.]

[serrata]

[ It would be terribly mean and very unsporting of Yuuri to burst out laughing right now.

But go and guess what she does.

Just guess. ]

[myocordial]

[Heart looks entirely caught off guard by that. There's genuine confusion for a bit, but eventually, he just... turns to look at Yuuri.

Who is still laughing.]

That didn't-- Um.

That didn't happen.

[serrata]

[ Please don't mind Yuuri just continuing to laugh herself sick on the boat. You know, like any good friend would do. ]

Of– of course not. Of course it didn't. Just like how you're definitely not drunk.

[myocordial]

Is this what bullying is? Because I feel like this is what bullying is like.

You're a bully and I'm not drunk.