PT-PP-F21 CRAB <<In Too Deep>>

[Warren 0]

"OH MY GOD!"

Oscar's bellowing voice could be heard across the beach as he took the item that the crab had dropped. He punched the air, bounding off of his feet as the sounds of his jubilation carried far and wide. 

"I FUCKING KNEW IT! AND THERE'S MULTIPLE PORTIONS!" Oscar let out a heavy sigh, a smile stretching from ear to ear. "This is the best day ever."

Warren smiled, stepping up to join the group. "Well that was certainly an interesting fight. Looks like Oscar got what he wanted. Which means I get what I wanted. And just in case," he said. Warren opened his menu and in a flash of light summoned a cooler filled with ice and familiar brown bottles. "Can't have a beach barbecue without some decent beer. It won't get us there, but it's the principle, yeah?" Warren grabbed one of the bottles and flicked off the cap with his thumb. He handed the first out to Abellio. 

"Uh, thanks but-" Abellio took a deep breath. He opened his mouth to speak and was clapped on the back by Oscar. Hard.

"Just shut the fuck up dude. You're fine. You weren't the only one that fucked it. If anyone needs to apologize, it's me," Oscar said.

"And if you really feel like you owe us one, debt's cleared. Oscar wants to cook that thing as badly as I wanna eat it," Warren added. "Now let's put our big boy pants on and just let it all mellow out. Drink."

 

Spoiler

Sand Dolla - 248220 | LD: 14, fail

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Oscar

[Lysette 0]

Abellio finally relented and took that first drink. Lydia received her beer second. She was a little nervous about drinking while being surrounded by three guys, but she remembered that she literally couldn't get drunk. That set her mind at ease. She didn't want to show anyone drunk Lydia. And least not anyone she had a purely platonic relationship with. Because drunk Lydia wasn't shy or bashful. She was direct. And a massive [censored].

So much so that the guys were in more danger than she was. She would never be able to live that down or look them in the eye.

As she raised the bottle to her lips, she took the first sip. It was... fruity? Almost like a bubbly wine. She could taste blackberries. She loved blackberries. Lydia took another sip and then laced her arm around Abellio's.

"I want to go fishing. We can't have a beach barbecue with just crab, right? I'm sure there's something tasty out there in the water. Help a girl out, will ya?"

Oscar stood off in the distance, having set up tables and a grill and a massive cook pot. He looked up from his work, jamming his knife in Lydia's direction. "THAT GIRL IS A GODDAMN GENIUS."

Spoiler

Sand Dollar - ID: 248221 | LD: 17, 4 Sand Dollars Spawn

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Lysette and Abellio sat off a distance away from their little makeshift camp. They were side-by-side, staring off over the water. Their drinks were dug into the sand next to them, their lines dug into the sand between their feet. Just behind them was a cooler that Warren had let them borrow to store anything they caught. Both of them mirrored the other, leaning back on the hands as they watched the sun sink over the horizon. Lysette broke the silence with a small sigh.

"This is nice," she said contentedly. A smirk flashed to her face as he head lolled to the side to look at Abellio. "So you need me start paying attention more?" She was teasing him. Abellio's eyes went wide as the blood rushed back to his cheeks. His body stiffened and Lysette giggled at the sight of it. "I'm just kidding. But it's sweet that you care so much."

"Well yeah," Abellio said quickly. "I like hanging out with you. I didn't have any friends other than Oscar and he's just..."

"Not nearly as pretty?"

They both turned their attention backward, watching Oscar chase some monsters away from his feast with his sword. He was screaming about jizz-shlorping gutter floozies getting away from his magnum opus. They both laughed at the sight and at the joke.

"Okay," Lysette admitted. "I took that too far. He's way prettier than I am."

"Don't say that," Abellio protested. "I don't think he can hold a candle, Lysette."

She frowned. Abellio thought that he had overstepped. He was about to try to walk it back when he felt her fingers brush against the back of his hand.

"Don't call me that," she said, her voice more forceful than he was accustomed to. "It's Lydia."

Abellio shifted his hand, hooking his pinky around hers. A small touch, not obvious. Didn't want either Warren or Oscar to call them lovebirds again.

"Okay, Lydia," Abellio agreed.

And she decided that she really liked how it sounded when he said it.

Spoiler

AOE-I vs Sand Dollar
Free Action - QC to Kyuketsuki
- HLY/BLGHT
+AA, VAMP OFF, PHASE

AOE-I vs Sand Dollar 1 - ID: 248222, kill
AOE-I vs Sand Dollar 2 - ID: 248223, kill
AOE-I vs Sand Dollar 3 - ID: 248224, kill
AOE-I vs Sand Dollar 4 - ID: 248225, kill

Sand Dollars Drop Static Loot, rolls not required
+8k Col, +800 EXP to party

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Oscar

[Abellio 0]

Abellio and Lydia returned with a cooler laden with fish right as Oscar had finished filling his cookpot with crab legs.

"OH HELL YES!"

Oscar rushed forward, grabbing the cooler and setting to work. Quick as a flash, they'd been descaled, deboned, and filleted. It was almost scary to watch Oscar work. The dude knew his way around a kitchen knife. They were on the grill and it didn't take long for their beachside barbecue to be plated up and served on the table. Abellio and Lydia took their seats just before Oscar and Warren did. It looked almost too good to touch. There was an ethereal glow to it. A soft golden aura that radiated off of the crab's legs that served as the centerpiece.

Warren raised his bottle, clearing his throat to get everyone's attention. "That was some good work out there. And I really appreciate you all helping out with my little craving. I think we need to remember this feeling for the next time."

Oscar looked towards Warren, raising his eyebrow. "Next time. You mean the great Warren is gonna stop hiding out in his shop? You actually had fun?"

Warren sighed. "Yeah, I guess I had fun and would do it again if the offer and chance arose. Now can we eat some mother fucking crab please? I'm salivating over here."

There was a crunch off to Abellio's right. All eyes turned to Lydia, face stuffed full of fish and raising the butt of her spear to break open a crab leg. She didn't look in the least bit sheepish, with flakes of fish at the corner of her mouth and her cheeks bulging with food.

"What? Awm hungwy!"

Spoiler

Heavy Pockets
ID: 248226 | CD: 10
4 T4 Demonic Trinkets Found

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Thread Summary

Oscar | [Word Count: 5229/5 = 1045.8] * [True Tier: 10] * [Group Factor: 1] = 10458+5000+800 = 16258 EXP, Laurel Wreath: 1568 + 17000 col
Abellio | [Word Count: 5229/5 = 1045.8] * [True Tier: 3] * [Group Factor: 1] = 3137+5000+800 = 8937 EXP, 17000 Col
Lysette | [Word Count: 5229/5 = 1045.8] * [True Tier: 2] * [Group Factor: 1] = 2092+5000+800 = 7892 EXP, 17000 Col
Warren | [Word Count: 5229/5 = 1045.8] * [True Tier: 2] * [Group Factor: 1] = 2092+5000+800 = 7892 EXP, 17000 Col 

All Participants Recieve
Shore's Treasure x1
1 Mon
1 Token
2 Tokens to @Bistro

 

Thread Transcript
 

Spoiler

Their last outing had not ended well at all. Abellio had been going through something, Lysette was pissed that Abellio wasn't being honest with his intentions, and Oscar was being as frustratingly inscrutable as ever. He was certain the man had some idea what he was doing but after that last showing, one couldn't blame Warren for remaining unconvinced. Finding his way into the beta tester interface for the fancy pants new skills, he decided that the four of them could use some good old-fashioned team building. They weren't a team, but in his experience coming together for a common goal helped soothe those deep hurts.

And besides, he wanted some seafood.

So his menu flew open and he sent out a message.

To Oscar, Lysette, Abellio:
I'm in the mood for some seafood. Floor 24. Paradise Islands. Please don't make me come and get you all personally. Because I will. And I won't be happy about it.
The message came through just as Oscar was closing up shop for the day. It surprised him, Warren, taking the initiative to bring the "gang" back together. They weren't that close, but Oscar wasn't happy with the way he'd left things. Honestly, he had been a real dick over it. He could have stood to be a bit more understanding with Abellio's outburst. But, in the heat of the moment, even Oscar found himself a little tripped out by the rampage the kid was going on.
No, that wasn't right.
He hadn't spared the dude a second thought about how the whole ordeal impacted him.
He was wrong.
And Warren's summons was a chance to admit that.
He opened his menu and typed out a response.
To Lysette, Warren, Abellio:
On my way. Gonna stop by a shop real quick for some stuff. I think I know what you're trying to take on. Let's be safe.
Abellio hadn't really been himself for the past few days. After his outburst with the Forgotten Time King, he really didn't feel as if he could look anyone in the eye. He'd used them. And it wasn't like they wouldn't help him in the first place. Quite the opposite. They'd jumped at the chance to do him a solid. The least he could have done was be honest.
Lysette had reached out a couple times. He'd responded - curtly. He appreciated her effort, but it just didn't feel right. He'd completely misrepresented why he wanted to take that boss on again. Misrepresented why he'd wanted Lysette to come in the first place. Test out his new sword. He'd certainly done that. And he made a fucking mess of himself in the process, just as Oscar said.
And he probably could have told Lysette that he just wanted to hang out. She was the first real friend that he'd made that was more or less on his level. He didn't feel that same connection with Oscar, kind as he had been previously.
The messages came through, one right after the other. Warren calling them to a location, mentioning that he wanted seafood. Oscar responding quickly that he was on his way. Abellio's finger hovered over the delete button. Why were they inviting him after he'd treated them like that? But rather than delete it, he took a breath and typed out his own response.
To Warren, Oscar, Lysette:
Thanks for the invite. I'll be there soon.
 It was a mess. Things were a mess. As they usually were. Lydia had just found her footing. Found a nice apartment and something she could actually work on. And she'd made friends. About as quickly as she had made them, however, the whole group fell apart. Oscar at Abellio's throat, Warren at Oscar's. Lydia hurt by the dishonesty and Abellio...

He was hurting too.

It took a day or so, but she realized that. She'd reached out, but Abellio hadn't seemed to want the conversation. And if he didn't want the conversation, he certainly didn't want the company. It broke her heart, really. Her friend - the first real, non-work friend she'd ever had - was suffering and there wasn't anything she could do about it. Three chimes came in rapid succession. She opened her menus, seeing they'd originated from Oscar and Warren and Abellio. She opened Abellio's first, then worked her way backwards.

Floor 24, higher than the last.

But Abellio was going. And she wouldn't waste the opportunity to be there too. She didn't have any idea how she was going to help. Or even if she could. But she was going to try.

 

    To Warren, Oscar, Abellio:
    On my way too! I wanted to try doing some damage anyway!
Oscar was the first to arrive. The man was certainly punctual. And fast. It only took a couple minutes for the man to meet Warren at the location. Warren threw up a quick wave, greeting the man as he arrived. With Oscar the only one here, he could explain himself a little more thoroughly.

"Didn't like how things ended last time," he said simply before taking a long drag from his cigarette. "Thought I might see if we could mend some fences. For what it's worth, I'm sorry I jumped down your throat."

Oscar let out a heavy sigh, dismissing Warren's apology with a wave of his hand. "No, no. You were right. I played that totally wrong. I've been so used to not taking a single quest mob seriously that I completely forgot what it felt like to have a brush with death."

Warren nodded in agreement. He was desensitized to it himself. But the army had bred a certain camaraderie into him that was not to be denied. "Yeah, I get it. It's easy to overlook at a certain point."

"Hey guys!" Lysette called out from behind them. She seemed to have a bit of a spring in her step. And was that a spear lashed across her back? Was she about to run the ones with the boys?

"Hey Lysette," Warren said in greeting. "Glad you showed. You seen Abellio?"

"No, but he said he was coming. So I guess we wait."

They didn't have to wait long before Abellio sauntered up. He was completely devoid of the energy he had when they met. His eyes followed the ground. He looked like an ashamed, beaten dog. Even Warren's heart tore a little bit at the sight.

"Abellio," he called out, his voice more chipper than he ever really remembered it being. "You alright?"

"Yeah," he said, but he didn't fully meet Warren's gaze.

"Listen-" Oscar began. Warren cut him off.

"Well I'm gonna need you to focus up dude. We're taking that thing down," Warren said, pointing to the massive crab off in the distance.

"I don't-"

"Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've had crab? Are you going to look me in the eye and deny me that succulent monstrosity? I can't do it by myself."

Oscar looked across the way and was immediately filled with determination. He would have his talk with Abellio and he would make his apology to him - to all of them really - for his incredibly shitty behavior. But right now, all he wanted to do was kill that boss.

And then cook that boss.

"I'm not," Oscar said as he broke off in a jog towards the creature. This was already shaping up to be a great adventure. It had been a long-standing dream of his to cook a boss, but nothing was ever very appetizing. But a crab?

Fuck.

The.

Hell.

Yes.

He skidded to a stop in front of the monstrous crustacean. He inhaled a deep breath and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"I'M GONNA BUSTACEAN THIS CRUSTACEAN!"

Blue light radiated from his feet, rippling out in all directions. The crab, ceasing its idle animations turned to face Oscar. It had its eyes dead set upon him. Hate was established. The fight was on.

 This was a completely different side of Oscar. Lydia had known him to be a serious guy. But when he took off toward the crab and dropped that pun, all she could do was freeze in her tracks. Just for a few seconds, only long enough to wrap her head around those words coming from that man. And after a beat, she laughed. Bringing the back of her hand to her face to cover her mouth, she let her laughter rise free and clear into the air. Suddenly, she grabbed Abellio's wrist, still fighting off a fit of giggles, and tugged him towards the fight. He locked eyes with her, clearly hesitant but also not fighting her on the matter. All she did was give him that same stupid smile he gave her.

"Come on," she said brightly. "Let's go bustacean this crustacean."

She had made it about halfway to the boss before letting Abellio's arm drop and taking off into a sprint. She pulled her spear off of her back and used Oscar's shoulder as a springboard. Flying high into the air, she came down like a spinning javelin, the tip of her spear colliding with the back of the creature's shell. 

 Nothing changed. In spite of his rage and his duplicity, they didn't turn their backs on him. He had been specifically called. Messaged three times. It hadn't been a typo or a slipped finger that added him to the message. They simply gave a shit. And it made him feel worse. He didn't deserve it. Maybe he should just take off. If they couldn't trust him to be honest with what was going on, how could they trust him to have their backs in a fight?

And then he felt Lysette's hands wrap around his wrist. Shocked, he looked up and for the briefest of moments, it was like looking in a mirror. That stupid fucking smile reflected back at him. Was it - was he - always this infectious? She half dragged him a few steps. As they got closer and as he felt her hands tighten around his wrist, it all just clicked. She'd let his hand drop, breaking off into a sprint. He took off after her. They ran in tandem, that stupid smile quickly placing itself back where it belonged. The two shared each other a glance, the moment before they made it into striking distance. The two were beaming at one another, brilliant light clashing together in a moment of private radiance.

And then they parted. She went high, he went low. As she came down like a javelin and crashed into the creature, Abellio went for the legs. His weapon passed in a wide arc, striking every limb within reach. He skidded to a stop and took off in the other direction.

Didn't wanna be under that thing when it fell. 

 Leave it to the god damn morale-boosting expert to pull Abellio out of his funk. Warren watched as Lysette half-dragged Abellio into the fight. And even from the distance he was at, he could see the moment when Abellio started smiling again. God, Warren loved it when a plan came together. He wasn't good with in-the-moment feelings. But, when he was given the opportunity to think about it - when he was given prep time - he could more or less feel his way through it. Keeping people locked into the fight was his literal fucking profession, after all.

But it was time to get stuck in.

He had no intention of warming the bench this time. The benefits of more prep time. A weapon and the means to use it. An aura that radiated energy to his allies and, if it came to it, a little bit of Field Medic action. Yeah, that would work.

Warren brought up the rear, slamming his weapon between the crab's eyes with a stunning blow. It reeled, staggering backwards. The damage to its legs caused them to buckle and then splay out in all directions. He wasn't going nowhere. Warren hopped backwards, skidding to a stop next to Oscar.

"Bustacean this crustacean?" He cocked an eyebrow as he flicked his sword over the back of his hand and caught it.

"I said what I said." 

Oscar really didn't like getting played. Even though it was obvious why Warren had called everyone out to the beach - and it had been obvious from the outset - it was a bitter pill to swallow. That a guy so detached from everything would be able to cut to the quick so easily really made him stop and think. And Oscar needed more of that. More accountability. It was easy to think of himself as the expert. But he wasn't. He was one of the experts. And this was just proof that he couldn't simply keep barreling through as he had been. Maybe if he'd paid just a bit more attention, he would have noticed the cracks. It didn't matter how good Abellio had been at hiding them, seeing them was his job. And he was off his game.

"That was a good play," Oscar said as he took a swing at the crab's flailing claw. "Let the guy get back into a fight that didn't hit so close to home. Realize that the first fight hadn't been his fault. He had the chops regardless. Simply masterful."

Warren merely shrugged, lighting up another smoke as the fight raged around him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

 Lydia was happy to see that smile on Abellio's face again. All that stuff with the Forgotten Time King didn't matter. She didn't care that he hadn't explained himself properly. She cared that he didn't give them the opportunity to truly be there for him. Even Warren - a comparative stranger - had taken his feelings into considering. They were present, they cared. And he had to know that, deep down.

And if he didn't, she would make it her mission to make sure that the idiot understood.

Her heels clacked against the crab's shell. The smooth surface did little to give her friction. Rather than being able to attack, Lydia skidded off of the crab's shell and somersaulted off of the side. The ground was approaching quickly and she did not have her bearings in the slightest. But before she could collide rather inelegantly into the sand, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. 

She looked up, still disoriented from her spinning, to see Abellio beaming down at her.

"You okay?"

She nodded. "Are you?"

Time slowed for a moment. She found herself comfortable here. He was warm. Sweet, even. She would have been fine. He didn't really need to go out of his way. All of a sudden, she realized that they were entirely too close. His powerful, lithe arms cradling her frame felt a bit too vivid. She shot to her feet, cheeks glowing faintly. "T-thanks," she sputtered. 

For a second, Abellio forgot that he was in the middle of a fight. He had his hands full in every sense of the word. He could have just... slid her out of his arms. Probably would have been more appropriate. But he really didn't want to. It just felt nice. He realized that he'd done her best to try to help him. Reached out to check up. He felt bad that he hadn't been more responsive. But even after giving her the cold shoulder, she was here. Trying to lift him back up.

And it was really, really kind of her.

It was like a searing iron straight to his chest. It stuck with him.

But the moment ended abruptly. She shot up, pulling Abellio out of his trance. He mirrored the gesture, the color also rising to his cheeks. "Yeah, no problem," he said quickly before dashing off back into the fight. But his heart wasn't in it. Even as he drilled the creature with everything he had, his thoughts remained on that spot of beach, where his feet had dug deep ruts. Right next to her.

Warren was still holding up the back line. Though he was more effective now, he didn't like being so far detached from the thick of the fighting. Though, his placement did provide him with a wonderful vantage point. He got to see everyone in action, take his mental notes and all that. And he got to see that sweet little meet cute between Abellio and Lysette. Before he could formulate a thought about it, Oscar had dropped back to the rear line. He landed lightly, kicking up a small cloud of sand as his feet touched the ground. And Warren couldn't help himself.

"So uh," he began quietly. "You wanna put some action on those two kissing?" He gestured vaguely with his cigarette towards Abellio and Lysette.

"What?" Oscar turned his head in Warren's direction, cocking his eyebrow in confusion. It must have escaped his notice, happening with his back turned and all.

"Never mind," he said as he polished off his smoke and flicked the butt away. "HEY! HE'S GOING FOR FOOD. NAIL HIM WITH DELAY ARTS!"

Clearly Oscar had missed something. And Warren's question got him thinking. Oscar's attention flicked between Lysette and Abellio. Even as the fight raged on, he noticed them stealing glances at the other with rose-tinted cheeks. For a moment, Oscar looked shocked. He'd missed a massive something. But a smile rose to his lips. He tilted his head to the side, his gaze narrowing as the gears began to turn in his mind. Whatever it was, it was new. Hell, they probably didn't even really realize what was happening. But it was cute. And Oscar was never one to begrudge someone their crushes.

"Call it 100k. Give it a month or two," Oscar said.

Warren nodded, taking a deep breath as his face twisted in thought. He pursed his lips for a second and then shrugged. "Call me ambitious. Two weeks," he said with finality. He held his hand off to the side. Oscar took it and both men shook on the bet.

Lydia's fingers twitched. Her stomach threatened to rebel, leaping into her chest in some strange effort to stunt her fluttering heartbeat. He'd been too close. Lydia didn't shy away from physical gestures. A held hand, wrist. A hug or even someone snaking their arm around her waist. She hadn't been nearly so uncomfortable when Abellio literally yanked her out of Terra Firma's jaws. But this had felt different. It was the way he looked at her, she guessed. It wasn't like he'd casually pulled her out of harm's way. Was it appreciation? Or...

Whatever.

She didn't have time to think about it. Rushing forward, Lydia shot like a missile towards the boss. She kicked off the ground, twisting in the air as she shot straight up from under the crab and plunged her spear straight into the creature's soft underbelly. Whatever that had been could wait until this very welcome distraction was dealt with.

 Abellio struck the boss again in rapid succession, spearing the creature at the joint as he twisted in midair. He flipped over his sword, using it for leverage as his feet clacked against the creature's shell. Kicking off, he shot down towards the ground, dragging his weapon through the beast's carapace as he did. He landed in a burst of dust and debris. Abellio rose back to his full height, spinning his sword back up into a ready position with a flourish. Two Delay arts had the crab off its game. It was teetering, ready to collapse again, desperately trying to drop a boulder into its maw like the world's stalest bon bon.

And there was Lysette, driving her spear up into its belly.

Right in the line of fire.

He kicked off the ground, the movement and motion automatic. How many times did this make? Didn't matter. His arm clamped down around her waist as he shot past, pulling her and her spear out from under the creature along with him. He skidded to a stop, spinning round and dropping her down on her feet.

"I need you to pay more attention," Abellio said with a bit more edge to his voice than he'd intended.

Lysette merely stared at him wide-eyed, eyes flicking from Abellio to the about-to-collapse boss. Terra Firma all over again. She wondered how much damage that thing would do if it fell on her.

"Sorry! I just got so into it." And I like it when you watch my back.

Abellio quickly turned and grabbed her by the shoulders. He'd give pure honesty a shot. "Lysette. I need you to pay more attention.

 All she could do was nod. His expression was thick with concern. Worry. His smile had disappeared. She understood.

"Ok." 

"Oh you are so going to owe me money after this," Warren said, watching Abellio and Lysette exchange words on the other side of the crab. It was all in his face, his eyes. The way he suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders, spoke without yelling. "They might not even make it two weeks." Warren popped another cigarette into his mouth and lit it, taking a long drag before smirking at Oscar.

"Why are you smoking that much man?" Oscar's voice rose a pitch. His face contorted in confusion and irritation. "Shit ain't even that stressful."

"Shit dude, I might upgrade to Marlboros after all the money I'm about to get out of your ass. Don't begrudge a man his vices," Warren said as he cocked back his sword arm and launched his weapon towards the crab. It shot through the air in a shaft of red light, finally bringing home what everyone had been trying to accomplish. "And go kill that crab. I wasn't lying when I said I wanted some seafood, Oscar."

Lysette sputtered, twisting out of Abellio's grasp. Lovebirds? What was Oscar talking about.

Just because she cared about him and just because he'd saved her hide three times so far didn't mean that she wanted to jump his bones. She fumbled with her spear for a moment, trying and failing to adjust her grip before attacking the boss again. Abellio's hand fell on the butt of her weapon, helping her steady it without a word.

"Thank you," she said, with a bit of relief in her voice. She turned back to face Oscar. "And we're not lovebirds!"

She threw her spear like a javelin. The weapon sank deep into the creature's leg, just inches from Oscar's face. Close enough for plausible deniability, but her aim had been off. She'd wanted to hit them both.

Because, honestly. Just because she gave a shit and he'd been constantly catching her when she overextended, it didn't make her want to jump him.

That stupid fucking smile did.

Oscar had suddenly cut to the quick. As he always did. Lysette sputtered and protested. To an almost suspicious degree.
Abellio wasn't the smartest. Probably wasn't the most observant either. But why would it bother her so much if there wasn't a grain of truth there? And he wouldn't deny that there was some small part of him that felt jubilation at the thought of it. But he wouldn't press it. The vibrations had returned, but he would play them off as more of the same. He was just a high energy guy, after all. 
Abellio struck off of Lysette's attack, his blow landing and lopping off one of the crab's claws. Its health bar reached zero. The behemoth splintered, cracks spiderwebbing over its body. And then it shattered in an explosion of glass. It left behind two glimmering spots on the sand. <<Shore's Treasures>> for everyone. And something else. Abellio had been the one to grab it, but he held it out to Oscar.
<<Legendary Ingredient: Sand's Claw>>
Oscar had suddenly cut to the quick. As he always did. Lysette sputtered and protested. To an almost suspicious degree.

Abellio wasn't the smartest. Probably wasn't the most observant either. But why would it bother her so much if there wasn't a grain of truth there? And he wouldn't deny that there was some small part of him that felt jubilation at the thought of it. But he wouldn't press it. The vibrations had returned, but he would play them off as more of the same. He was just a high energy guy, after all. 

Abellio struck off of Lysette's attack, his blow landing and lopping off one of the crab's claws. Its health bar reached zero. The behemoth splintered, cracks spiderwebbing over its body. And then it shattered in an explosion of glass. It left behind two glimmering spots on the sand. <<Shore's Treasures>> for everyone. And something else. Abellio had been the one to grab it, but he held it out to Oscar.

<<Legendary Ingredient: Sand's Claw>>

"Might need this, buddy."

 "OH MY GOD!"

Oscar's bellowing voice could be heard across the beach as he took the item that the crab had dropped. He punched the air, bounding off of his feet as the sounds of his jubilation carried far and wide. 

"I FUCKING KNEW IT! AND THERE'S MULTIPLE PORTIONS!" Oscar let out a heavy sigh, a smile stretching from ear to ear. "This is the best day ever."

Warren smiled, stepping up to join the group. "Well that was certainly an interesting fight. Looks like Oscar got what he wanted. Which means I get what I wanted. And just in case," he said. Warren opened his menu and in a flash of light summoned a cooler filled with ice and familiar brown bottles. "Can't have a beach barbecue without some decent beer. It won't get us there, but it's the principle, yeah?" Warren grabbed one of the bottles and flicked off the cap with his thumb. He handed the first out to Abellio. 

"Uh, thanks but-" Abellio took a deep breath. He opened his mouth to speak and was clapped on the back by Oscar. Hard.

"Just shut the fuck up dude. You're fine. You weren't the only one that fucked it. If anyone needs to apologize, it's me," Oscar said.

"And if you really feel like you owe us one, debt's cleared. Oscar wants to cook that thing as badly as I wanna eat it," Warren added. "Now let's put our big boy pants on and just let it all mellow out. Drink." 

Abellio finally relented and took that first drink. Lydia received her beer second. She was a little nervous about drinking while being surrounded by three guys, but she remembered that she literally couldn't get drunk. That set her mind at ease. She didn't want to show anyone drunk Lydia. And least not anyone she had a purely platonic relationship with. Because drunk Lydia wasn't shy or bashful. She was direct. And a massive [censored].

So much so that the guys were in more danger than she was. She would never be able to live that down or look them in the eye.

As she raised the bottle to her lips, she took the first sip. It was... fruity? Almost like a bubbly wine. She could taste blackberries. She loved blackberries. Lydia took another sip and then laced her arm around Abellio's.

"I want to go fishing. We can't have a beach barbecue with just crab, right? I'm sure there's something tasty out there in the water. Help a girl out, will ya?"

Oscar stood off in the distance, having set up tables and a grill and a massive cook pot. He looked up from his work, jamming his knife in Lydia's direction. "THAT GIRL IS A GODDAMN GENIUS."

 Lysette and Abellio sat off a distance away from their little makeshift camp. They were side-by-side, staring off over the water. Their drinks were dug into the sand next to them, their lines dug into the sand between their feet. Just behind them was a cooler that Warren had let them borrow to store anything they caught. Both of them mirrored the other, leaning back on the hands as they watched the sun sink over the horizon. Lysette broke the silence with a small sigh.

"This is nice," she said contentedly. A smirk flashed to her face as he head lolled to the side to look at Abellio. "So you need me start paying attention more?" She was teasing him. Abellio's eyes went wide as the blood rushed back to his cheeks. His body stiffened and Lysette giggled at the sight of it. "I'm just kidding. But it's sweet that you care so much."

"Well yeah," Abellio said quickly. "I like hanging out with you. I didn't have any friends other than Oscar and he's just..."

"Not nearly as pretty?"

They both turned their attention backward, watching Oscar chase some monsters away from his feast with his sword. He was screaming about jizz-shlorping gutter floozies getting away from his magnum opus. They both laughed at the sight and at the joke.

"Okay," Lysette admitted. "I took that too far. He's way prettier than I am."

"Don't say that," Abellio protested. "I don't think he can hold a candle, Lysette."

She frowned. Abellio thought that he had overstepped. He was about to try to walk it back when he felt her fingers brush against the back of his hand.

"Don't call me that," she said, her voice more forceful than he was accustomed to. "It's Lydia."

Abellio shifted his hand, hooking his pinky around hers. A small touch, not obvious. Didn't want either Warren or Oscar to call them lovebirds again.

"Okay, Lydia," Abellio agreed.

And she decided that she really liked how it sounded when he said it. 

 Abellio and Lydia returned with a cooler laden with fish right as Oscar had finished filling his cookpot with crab legs.

"OH HELL YES!"

Oscar rushed forward, grabbing the cooler and setting to work. Quick as a flash, they'd been descaled, deboned, and filleted. It was almost scary to watch Oscar work. The dude knew his way around a kitchen knife. They were on the grill and it didn't take long for their beachside barbecue to be plated up and served on the table. Abellio and Lydia took their seats just before Oscar and Warren did. It looked almost too good to touch. There was an ethereal glow to it. A soft golden aura that radiated off of the crab's legs that served as the centerpiece.

Warren raised his bottle, clearing his throat to get everyone's attention. "That was some good work out there. And I really appreciate you all helping out with my little craving. I think we need to remember this feeling for the next time."

Oscar looked towards Warren, raising his eyebrow. "Next time. You mean the great Warren is gonna stop hiding out in his shop? You actually had fun?"

Warren sighed. "Yeah, I guess I had fun and would do it again if the offer and chance arose. Now can we eat some mother fucking crab please? I'm salivating over here."

There was a crunch off to Abellio's right. All eyes turned to Lydia, face stuffed full of fish and raising the butt of her spear to break open a crab leg. She didn't look in the least bit sheepish, with flakes of fish at the corner of her mouth and her cheeks bulging with food.

"What? Awm hungwy!"