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[thethrillof]

 (art source)

Once, it was thought when one's soul glowed when in the presence of another, they were soul-mates; that is, two souls destined to love each other romantically forever. For centuries, unions were based upon this criteria and nothing more, and for centuries...many couples' lives were miserable, mismatched things, and utter hell if more than one soul glowed for another later.

Nowadays, the social sciences have more or less proven that it isn't necessarily romantic love. It can be platonic. It can be a link of shared grief, both knowing a similar loss of parents, even if they don't have a single other shared trait or 'reason' aside from being able to validate each others' feelings. It can be between destined enemies. There's no real way to tell but time.

This doesn't mean the stigma is entirely gone from public consciousness. If a pair are caught with the pale pulse in their chest, then they're going to at least be forced to meet each other more often, even if they were total strangers mere days ago.

who doesn't love the beach?

[thethrillof]

(tbh, me. the sun gives me headaches.)

Welcome to the beach! It's a place where you do...beach-type things.

Like swimming! There's quite a lot of ocean spread out before you, crystal-clear in the shallows and the most gorgeous blue the further out you get. Just watch for stones in those shallows, and that you don't swim out too far for a lifeguard to spy if you're in trouble. And sharks, but those aren't likely to show up here...right?

And there's the beach itself, all that sand. Make a sandcastle. Make a sand town. Make a sand city. Smash it down like Godzilla! Or don't. Maybe just take a nap on it and sunbathe--but beware sunburn, and also mischievous others who might dump water on you or bury you in sand.

There's also cliffs off to the sides and jungle in the back. You could explore those...or use them to relax with one specific other, or to try to hide from the loud crowd on the sand.

Do whatever you want. 

what is going on here?

[thethrillof]

you don't know. 

This is an abandoned place. A mansion. A hospital. A school. A castle. An entire town, perhaps. 

There's nothing here. Just ruined masonry, rats scampering beneath floors, dust in the air and plants winding through any space they can find. 

There aren't supposed to be people here.

Why are you here? Did you mean to come, looking for ghosts? Did you take a wrong turn, need to find shelter for the night? Did someone leave you here on a dare or a kidnapping attempt?

Or do you belong here, dead and supposedly empty as the walls that surround you?