Enjoy the view.

You've had your snacks and juice, so now you lean back and nurse a mug of mead. You sip the froth as you watch the others chatter, laugh, snack, and play, all while you postpone the actual quest a little bit longer. You don't want to take this away from them after all. Tom and Vodrani keeps mostly to themselves, but the others remain primarily around where you sit. After warming up further, they begin to have more fun in the ocean itself--giggling as the tides crash inward, spraying the party-goers with a refreshing mist.

"Aah, careful," Eva says as Niki nears. She tugs on the strings of her skimpy bikini with further unease. She's at least not flushed from head to toe, but she still has the ever-present reminder of her precarious wardrobe. "My skin is getting all wet now, so I'm worried I'll slip right out."

Niki laughs. "Maybe you shouldn't have asked for something like that then, silly." She reaches down and slips a finger beneath one of the strings, giving it a firm yank.

Eva gasps, instantly worried it'll pop right off. "No!" she shouts, grabbing the other girl's wrist. "I said c-careful."

She withdraws her hand. "Shoulda wore something like mine."

Eva stares at the other's chest. She raises her fingers, and pushes one right between the tight squeeze of Niki's cleavage. There she wiggles it, and begins to more firmly shake it left and right. "This isn't skimpy, huh?"

"Stop!" Niki gasps. "N-Not there..." She then grabs both of Eva's shoulder straps and uses them to push her away.

"Don't pull that!"

Amara, closely behind Niki, chuckles awkwardly. "Dear me. You are both going to give everybody quite the show if you continue."

As that happens, you place down your mug and stand to stretch your legs, back, and arms, after having sat for some time. You turn to see that Anastasia lurks mostly on her own. Ariusia is already in the water, and Meti is near it, though the cleric is alone. She fidgets around, even though nobody is looking, though when she notices your eyes, she freezes for a moment. Suddenly, she's aware once again that she's nearly naked outdoors. The breeze over her exposed skin causes her to shiver.

You step closer, albeit carefully. "Hey. Why don't you have fun with the others?"

She glances away. "... I've never done anything like this before."

You look her up and down, then offer a hand. "Why don't you come with me? You've gone swimming at least before, right?"

"I've bathed, but almost never outdoors. Never before have I been to a place like this. Yes, I've seen the ocean, but I've never been in it, especially not like this. How is this fine, to enter the bath with so many others?"

"It isn't a bath, silly. It's the sea, like you said. And you're not naked. You just enjoy the feeling of the water, and play around. Swim if you want, but you don't gotta. Come on. I'll help. You don't need to worry."

She stares down at your gesture. "... Okay, b-but no holding hands."

You can't help but chuckle and shake your head. "Of course."

The two of you walk past the others and to where the ocean meets the sand. You step in first. It's cold, but incredibly refreshing. The sand was already soft when dry, but the mud is incredibly pleasant on the bottoms of your feet. You move in deeper, until the surface is below your knees. Meanwhile, Anastasia follows behind. She flinches when first touching the ocean water, but she hurries to meet your pace. She watches with great interest as the waves push against her, not hard enough to knock her down, but to where she fights against it to proceed.

Just then, one larger one hits, up to her thighs. She gasps, but to your surprise, she smiles wide and laughs, so much so that she doesn't even seem to realize you've taken hold of her hand, and placed your grasp upon her side, to keep her from falling over.

"This isn't so bad--" she says, though looks down as the warmth of your skin is noticed. She jumps away, gasping. "Sorry!"

"Don't apologize. I'm the one who took hold of you."

"To keep me from stumbling, yes. Of course." She bows her head.

Fang suddenly emerges from the sea nearby, though just to her shoulders. Her long pink hair presses soaked and flat against her head. "You look even better now, Anastasia, with droplets of cool water all down your skin. Girls are even sexier when they're wet."

"G-Get away, you perverted cat!" The cleric grabs your arm for a moment, perhaps for some sort of protection, though lets go immediately as her cheeks turn pink. "Ah. This is still overwhelming to me."

With wide strokes, Ariusia swims by, only a short distance away. It must drop off rather quickly. Every time her head surfaces, she shouts. "You'll get... used to it! The water... here is so... nice!" But then she's off again.

Anastasia looks past you now. Her eyes are on something else.

You turn a glance, as subtly as you can, to see Alice not far away.

It seems the cleric has noticed your attention shifting, so she speaks up. "Do you think... she dislikes me?" she asks.

"Who, Alice?"

"Yes. I mean, I was recently employed by the man who made her. The man who made all of her."

"Hmm." You once again look behind you and call out, "Hey, Alice!"

"What are you doing?" Anastasia asks in a panic.

The golem girl marches over. She stops beside you, and your eyes trail up and down her vibrant cyan bikini. "May I ask you something? And you need to be truthful."

"I do not lie," Alice replies. "I will answer you with the truth as I know it."

You smirk at her and mutter, "You've definitely hidden things from me before," though you clear your throat and continue. Still, you see a glow of blush in her cheeks. "I want you to analyze Anastasia. Tell me everything you think of her, no matter how cold."

Alice's robotic gaze turns to stare at the girl. In response, Anastasia wraps her arms around her chest and reels back, feeling rather violated by the gaze alone. Your resident android remains silent for a time, as if her processor is taking time to load. "Anastasia Phairgem," she finally says. "Level unknown, though a rather high level cleric I assume. She is rather beautiful, though as a devout member of the Church of Lasis, it seems she has much to learn. Many people from Varat are close-minded and, in a sense, act in a similar manner to those who have been brainwashed, though I read a kindness in her eyes, and a desire to do what is right. She seems deeply ashamed by her actions, and perhaps would even be willing to do foul things to make it up to you."

"What?!" Anastasia shrieks. "Wh-What kind of--"

You're uncertain what's a joke and what isn't by her monotone voice, but she continues. "I heard what you said, and I understand why you think I may dislike you, but I do not. Not only are my people free, but you are not the one who created nor enslaved them. We all have things people want us to do, to believe, though we are also all free to act as we wish. That is freewill."

"You're talkative today," you comment. "I like it."

"Ah." She brings a hand through her hair nervously as she glances away, though only briefly, before she meets your gaze again. "I suppose I am just happy."

Anastasia looks between the two of you with a strange admiration, though it only leaves her more confused and conflicted than before. At the very least, she isn't a complete mess despite still wearing a swimsuit. The reality only hits her once in awhile now.

You turn to the party and project your voice. "Hey everyone! So do y'all wanna go look for that jewel now? I mean, now nobody is dressed even remotely like one probably should for a mysterious quest, but I guess we're all pretty tough, and we've got numbers on our side."

Luna chuckles. "I don't know. I think it's quite the look for adventurers."

Ariusia runs ahead, toward the tall grass and palm trees. She gestures a hand wildly in her direction. "Come on! For one, I wanna see this jewel. I don't care if I'm buck ass naked. I can take on any foe in our path."

"Me too!" Niki hustles out of the water. "We brought our weapons anyway. Let's just go. It'll be fun!"

As the group starts to gather, Eva extends a hand towards them in desperation. "I d-don't think... we should..." But her words are unheard by any except you. It seems she doesn't quite trust her bathing suit to hold up in a fight, or even a hike.