Your OC is at the Beach with the One Above You!

(I need to stop using this baby while I'm ahead screech)

"Huh?" the blonde grunted upon glancing at her foot. She had noticed that the thing her foot kicked against was a doll. Her eyelashes fluttered, pondering why it was left in the sand. After glancing at her side, Zinnia tentatively lifted up Kita, a corner of her lip twitching upwards.

"Oh, hello...You're a cutie. Looks like someone left you behind," she stated. Then, she realized that she was talking to the doll. She paused, questioning her actions. Is this thing even sentient? Is it even capable of understanding her? Zinnia abruptly pushed her thoughts aside, more focused on hugging the doll. After she finished squeezing it tightly, she kicked off her sandals. After she planted her feet down, she flinched in reaction to how hot the sand was. Once she slipped her sandals back on, she glanced back at Kita. Zinnia used one of her hands to tug down the edge of her t-shirt.

"I was gonna swim with my friend, but he cancelled at the last minute. He has to babysit his daughter. It's for the best; Aiden was always telling me he wanted more time with her. He deserves to be happy." Zinnia paused to bite her lip, maintaining her stare at the ocean as she sat down on the sand. She pulled Kita closer to her and let out an exhale.

"I mean, even if he were here, I probably won't end up in that water, anyways. I've just—I've been struggling with my body. This girl at my school—her name's, mmh, Stephanie—she bullies me a lot. Whenever I enter the school without Aiden, she...she pushes me into the lockers and makes fun of me because she thinks I'm fat. I can't stand seeing myself in the mirror because of it. I haven't touched a bikini in, like, a couple years. I want to be happy about myself, but I just...I just can't." After she finished talking, she turned Kita over so she could stare at their face. She allowed her thumb to stroke their cheek.

"Ooh, you're such a good listener. Here, let me see if there's a lost and found. Your child must be missing you...poor thing."

For someone who was pretty pissed when the girl drifted out into her garden in the middle of a dust storm, Brown sure was bold in taking her out to the beach, when it was windy, and the sand could be thrown up into the air at any moment... And then where would that lead? The sand would get in their clothes, their eyes, their nose- Okay, that was a little bit gross. And concerning too!

But she didn't seem fazed by that - nor the fact that she got dissed pretty hard by the girl's cats - as the middle-aged woman hummed, "You mentioned that you had some interest in my fossils, yes?" She folded her fingers together before letting out a stupidly extended sniff. "I mean... Interested enough to snoop in them for a bit..." The memory made her chuckle as she rolled her eyes and carefully adjusted the pickaze on her shoulder. Not the hat that looked like it was going to be absolutely decimated by a strong gale. The pickaxe. The pickaxe that was as heavy as a bazillion leaves compressed together into a stupidly dense block in a stupidly hypothetical situation.

This will be fine!

"But that is not too much of a mishap, huh?" Brown teased while running her fingers through her hair with one hand, "I just hope you can climb these rocks. They can be rather difficult and slippery at times, dear. I can help you if you want..." She stepped forward, before... Pausing. Then turning her head over to meet the other party. "... You are fine with that backpack on your shoulders, right?" Brown frowned as she stepped towards the girl and gently adjusted the satchel. "At least... I hope so..." It did seem like the package was unusually heavy, but at the same time, it might've been because Brown was buff as fuck compared to the poor teenager.

"I can carry some if you want," huffed the middle-aged woman before opening the backpack and taking out some equipment - ranging from a trowel to... A miniature shovel!? And a crowbar... Why the fuck does she need a crowbar...

With a laugh, Brown teased after closing up the backpack, "This is just in case some rocks get lodged, and I want to get them out," while waving the crowbar around way too casually. She even had a toothy grin on her face as she skipped past the other party, with quite the spring in her step. "So! Let us go!" she exclaimed even as the waves hitting against the shore threatened to drown out her voice, "And if you are a good little girl and help me with this, I can give you some fruit punch later! Watermelon flavor, to be precise!" And uncharacteristic to her, she let out a whoop, before skipping off... Probably leaving her behind. Oh goodness.

Brown, taking a chance at yet another potential not-son? it's more likely than you think (unfortunately).

time for a follow-up.

He grumbles and groans. He hated the beach. The smell of the sea was just fish rotting and he always got a sunburn, no matter how much sunscreen he put on. His pale white chest seemed to reflect the suns rays as he sits down on his towel, frowning like a child. He sips on his water and watches the waves before looking over at the woman whom he had came with. His mother for some reason, even though he was 18, thought he needed someone to go to the beach with to look out for him.

To make sure he didn't get kidnapped or drown. One mother, he never went with strange people, even when he was a child and two, only death could force him to get into the nasty sea. Still he has an imagine to uphold, so his frown slowly shifts into a smile and he tries to look pleasant. Sadly, with his mismatched gold eyes and shark teeth, he looked more like he was plotting something. "Mrs.Brown, don't you think we've spend enough time at the beach." His English was only lightly accented. "I mean it's practically been the whole day hasn't it." It hadn't they just got here 30 mins again but to him that was already too long. The man he stayed in this heat, near the water, the sooner he wanted to go. "I don't know how to swim and I've forgotten my sunscreen."

Lies but his mother hadn't told the lady much about her troubled son. Mrs.Brown doesn't seemed moved. Alright. "Oh look, there's an icie vendor walking the sands, do you think you could lend me some money to get some." That should drive her away right, begging for money. Itsuki eyes now look up at her now, as if to say, well are you going to give me the money or not. He holds out his hand a little. "Please, I'll get you one too. He's selling mango, and that's my favorite." Really any sweet fruit would do but that sounded stupid and he was selling mango.

Juneau quickly ran around the beach, he loved this place. The sand under his paws scratched at his pads, he skids to a halt to dip his paws in the water. Juneau stood up, staring at the ocean with wite blue eyes. He jumped into the water, swimming around before realizing he could get his collar rusted. Juneau got out, throwing his collar off to the side, jumping back in the water. 

"Whee!" He started swimming around, he was pretty fast while swimming. Surprising, for a dog his size. Juneau slowly got out of the water, seaweed on his brown fur. "I'll be fine, I think-" He picked off the seaweed on his brown fur, throwing it back in the ocean before shaking the water off. He slowly put his collar back on, the pendant displaying his name, 'Juneau', with a large star on the back of the pendant. 

He laid on a towel, yawning. "That made me tired...I ran around a lot..." He muttered, yawning again before he curled up, paws under his head and muzzle. "Goodnight..."

It was a stormy day.
Luckily for both Xander and Juneau they weren't here for a swim. There was always something magical about being on the beach when it was windy. The salt but cold air that nestled itself in your clothing and freeze you to the bone. How the wind tugged at your hair or fur in Juneau's case. How it swept up the waves. Xander stared at the ocean, restless and full of chaos. The dark green/blue water was filled with suds as it roughly rolled over Xander's leathery boots. Luckily for him those boots were water and salt proof. The perfect gear for their little exposition to the beach. He and Juneau were looking for rare sea shells, but the ocean made it hard for them both...

"Oh, oh!" the older man said. "I think I found one," the opera singer crowed. He eyed the ocean wary before quickly bending down and picking up the shell. Xander made his way over to his new, fur friend to show him the shell he found.
"I think it's a Coquina shell," Xander said. As he pinched the glasses a bit tighter on his nose bridge. The shell looked a lot like a coquina shell, or at least as far as Xander's thought those shells looked like. Flat and as smooth as a rock. The shell itself had a milky white color with a soft purple border. A coquina! He was sure of it.
"Have you found one already?" he asked Juneau.  The pup had found... Well something. Not a shell but, wrack seaweed. A hand full of the stuff. Oh. Xander's face twisted. "Close," the older man said, "but were looking for something more.. Solid. Less, slimey my dear friend," he told Juneau. "But a good start! Really, keep up the good work," Xander said with quick apologetic smile.

With Juneau in his wake, Xander strummed further and further over the windy beach. Both of them picked up shells from time to time, that they then compared and picked the one they liked the most, throwing the other back into the sea. At the end of the day, Xander had a pocket full of shells. Olive, cockle, shark eye and even one whelk. Xander weighted the whelk in his hand, rubbing his thumb over its many ridges before he held out the pinkish/white shell too Juneau.
"You can have this one if you like my dear friend," Xander said with a smile. "It's a beautiful shell, I want you to have it."

--

Seals 👐 seals 👐

this is a bit long, so I'm gonna.... chuck my response in a spoiler box.... it's seal time in the house, hopefully. :")))

oh.... Fitzgerald honey.... mom said it's my turn for a follow-up. apologies for this being late; real life and follow-ups kicked my ass hard lmao.

Put it in a spoiler box in case it's on the long side.

"Listen, pal," he said. Pointing his finger at the criminal with a strict face. "I'm not your drug-hound. I'm a person, alright. A professional," Jack paused to place both his hands on his chest.
"Professionals have standards."
Standing on a windy beach, in the middle of the moonless night. With only a kerosene-handlamp as their only light was hardly professional. Besides... Jack was pretty excited to sniff the buried stash out.

Jack was so excited that he hopped on his feet. Like a dog on a leash that knew he was getting released soon. Or a puppy at it's first puppy training.
Jack sniffed the air closing his eyes as he let the different smells linger in his nose for a bit.
He smelled the sea, of course, salty and polluted. But he also detected Anaximandro. His heavy and rich perfume, the smell of gunpowder sharply edged with alcohol. Thug. Jack rolled his eyes.
But for easily distracted as it turned out that there were birds here too. Jack had never been to the beach before, another exciting factor. And something deep down inside of him, even though he would never admit to it, wanted to change those birds. Biting at their tail feathers when they hastily had to take off. Like you know.. A professional.
Focus, Jack instructed himself. Just focus.
The hairs in his neck raised when he got a sniff of it. Further down the beach, the wind carried a sweeter smell. One unknown (but in a different kind than the seagulls) to Jack. He grabbed his shovel and nodded to Anaximandro.

Jack lead the crime lord to the place he'd sniffed out. Jack eagerly circled the place he had found. Even with the thin light of the kerosene lamp, it was easy to spot that some of the sand had been hastily shoved back into place. Besides: the heavy smell was almost nauseating this close. "It's here," Jack said. Placing his shovel in the sand. "Don't ask me how I know it, but it's here." Jack took another good sniff and wrinkled his nose. "We're lucky, it's not buried that deep, as far as I can smell it." You know, like normal people could. Not sus at all.
--

I'm so sorry Zack

Zack hated the beach. It was dirty, it smelled dirty, and there was never anything to do here. He tried not to trip on the sand, clicking his tongue in irritation when he saw sand clinging to his pant legs. Already a mess. Great.
"You're sure she's here?" he grunted as he looked up. The beach was fairly busy, with families, couples, and friends all over, getting as much sun and fun as they could. There were even some barbecues he could smell happening at the edges where the sand was thick enough to hold grills. "Guess it could be a good place to hide. Animals might want the food here too, or the shade," he muttered. His eyes followed a couple that walked down the shoreline. They were holding hands, smiling at each other, laughing, happy...
The vampire shook his head before looking at Jack. "Can you smell her past all these people? I can't pick up a thing. Guess we can talk to these people, worse come to worst. Doubt your person's dressed for the beach, and the animal I'm looking for isn't the type to be found here easily." But man, did he not want to do this. He hated crowds almost as much as he hated the beach.
Reaching into his pocket, Zack pulled out a travel-sized bottle of sunscreen, handing it to the werewolf. "You mind pouring some into my hand?" He paused and shot him a look. "I'm sensitive to the sun. It's not because I'm a vampire." A vampire and a werewolf, that was still something to get used to. Zack never grew up with a resentment for them, let alone any kind of creature, so there wasn't any worry on his end about Jack switching sides suddenly. Although, ever since that scene at the food truck festival, he couldn't help but feel an urgency to get to the missing animal first.

Normally, Brown wouldn't even consider taking one of her companion animals out anywhere - let alone to the beach - but she was a strong adherent to the idea that they at least deserved some fresh air beyond her enigmatic garden every so often... And this was especially true for Tabby, because if the aristocrat allowed her to linger in her garden for more than a few seconds, her precious plants - including all those roses she had taken the time to cultivate - would be absolutely destroyed in an instant.

Still, even as the sun beat down on the creature's scales, Tabby was content. The sand only provided a nice, warm place to sleep while Brown was busy excavating some fossils in the cliffs. Of course, though, that exact arrangement didn't really matter to the beast; what did matter was that - well - Tabby was alone. For the most part. She still heard the sounds of people laughing, playing, and splashing, but... That was normal, apparently. That was fine. Tabby had no need to worry, and so her eyes started to droop a bit...

Then they flung open. Great.

With a long, drawn-out sniff, the dinosaur let out a groan after accidentally inhaling in what was likely a stream of sand grains, before fumbling her way up to her feet. She had heard something, and damn it, she was going to find out what it was even if Brown magically appeared and decided to kick the ass of whatever this something was. A blade of grass? An innocent child? A giant seagull? Everything was fair game when it came to being owned by an eccentric, bellicose fossil collector. Tabby shifted her way forward for a few hundred meters or so before plopping down onto the sand in front of this something.

That something just so happened to be the vampire she had given a ride to a while back. Nice. Tabby was content with that.

She stared up at him before extending her lips out to possibly take a bite out of his shoes? Maybe? However, Tabby stopped halfway through, instead letting out a low exhale. Her body firmly attached to the sandy ground, it didn't seem that she was going to be offering him another ride anytime soon. The reality was that she was probably here for another treat. He fed her so much berries last time, after all! And all for ,letting him put a tiny hat on her!

Tabby hoped that he'd let her eat a hat this time. As a treat. But for now, she decided that lounging next to him was a very good idea, as she shifted in her makeshift sand nest once more and started to doze off.

Tabby time. Tabby time. through a semi-quick follow-up...

Allowing her eyelashes to flutter, Zinnia squatted down and grinned. Despite the fact that the dinosaur was simply just doing her own thing, the young girl was still pleased to be accompanying Tabby and walking along with her. She paid no mind to the sand that somehow gotten into her shoes, albeit her brief cringing out of disgust.

Then, she saw the dinosaur stop lumbering along, stopping herself in her tracks so that she could turn her body to face Tabby. She tilted her head to the side, making sure that the two were still near Brown. Upon letting out an exhale, the blonde staggered briefly so that she could seat herself on her knees.

"Hey, Tabby-boo, do you want to play? Do you? Do you?" Zinnia squeaked before clasping her hands together. Judging by the dinosaur's expression, Zinnia found that her attempt in psyching up the dinosaur had failed. The teenager turned her body so that she could seat herself at Tabby's side. She watched the dinosaur sit her head down on her lap. After Zinnia allowed her lips to smack, she lifted up a hand and rubbed the dinosaur's neck. Then, she tentatively pulled it away upon noticing that she had uncomfortably shifted her head. Unsure if whether it was the sunshine or Zinnia herself disturbing Tabby, Zinnia tentatively lifted her hand up and planted it against the sand.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" the teenager abruptly squeaked upon noticing the dinosaur's reaction, brushing her hand against her t-shirt before returning to petting the large dinosaur.

"There we go, sweetie. Isn't this nice?"

Hala grew up on a hill overlooking the beach... except that the beach was rocky and dangerous, and not sandy and gorgeous. She liked the feeling of sand beneath her feet, and she liked how the sunlight made the shore glitter, foamy waves reaching towards the shelter where the two sat. Of course she dragged the girl out here with her. It was better than going to a party. And moping. Right?

As she watched the sun begin to settle over the horizon, she leaned back against the picnic table, careful not to dip her windswept hair into the bowl of hummus behind her. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, both to save them from the unbearable sunshine ahead and simply because the beach was fairly quiet this time of day that she might as well pass out there on the bench. So, there she remained for a minute.

Until she heard chattering nearby. Shifting to the side and reopening her eyes, Hala glanced to a small family with their bags packed, making their way uphill and further from the shore. She supposed it was about time to get going -- she didn't want to keep Zinnia for long. You know, curfew and all that. She was pretty sure getting the cops on her for kidnapping the kid was a bad thing.

"I hope you had fun, at least." The woman sighed. She rose from the bench and dusted off her skirt, before tiptoeing around to begin packing up the basket of food she had brought. "I'd offer to just give these brownies to you, but they're a bit melted... I don't think you'd want melted brownies, hm?"

She placed said brownies into the container, followed by the hummus and the many vegetables she had dragged with them. She popped a baby carrot into her mouth, first.

"I can buy a milkshake for you, though!" She quickly offered, sending a smile to Zinnia, "Once we get up to the boardwalk, I'll buy some milkshakes for us, and then we can start getting you home. I'm sure you have things to do, anyhow... Ah, your studies, I suppose. And your cats. I'm sure you need to feed your cats..." With a pause, she sent another glance to the sea. "They'll probably hate the smell on you. Salty breeze, and food, and all of that."

She finished putting away the last of the food, and then hooked the basket around her shoulder. Inching away from the girl, she stepped into the hot sun. The hot, scorching sun.

"..Oh, you did put lotion on, did you?"

hala is diseased .

"To be honest, I think your friend was the one behind inviting me here, so I have to thank her for that," hummed the scientist with a laugh while walking alongside the noblewoman, "if only because this does allow me for some time to not worry so much about my interns. Here, i can just unwind in peace and watch the waves... Though I have to admit that I barely see the beach except when attending one of those fancy parties. Weird, huh?"

Maybe that was the case. Maybe that wasn't. Either way, Walker would've lost her absolute shit if she figured out that her friend was hanging out with... This guy. The guy literally responsible for her son's disappearance, at least in her eyes.

But M. Pourife seemed oblivious to the tension at the moment, as he hummed, "Perhaps this scene could inspire us in differing but intriguing ways, hm? I can see an interesting essay being conjured out of this..." Though he trailed off with a sheepish chuckle, the older scientist seemed... Uneasy, otherwise. It was because she had noble blood in her, huh. If it weren't for that fact alone, he would've been more casual - perhaps to the point of being patronizing, but alas... He was a simple man. He saw a woman in a dress - he simply had to defer to them...

Unfortunate, really, but he supposed that there wasn't much he could do about it, the longer he thought about it. An essay could, indeed, be written from this type of scenery. The soft sands, the rolling waves, the slightest hint of saline in the air... It was relieving. It was... Inspiring. Maybe, if only for the creative spirit. M. Pourife wasn't creative. He was the formulaic type, as he looked over at her and cocked his head in her direction as if he had recited this action many times before - with many different types of nobles and other higher-class, rich folk.

Pity those who had to deal with his nosiness.

"Or a journal!" exclaimed the middle-aged man with a sparkle in his eyes, "I can definitely see a journal. There is so much to study from the beach, even if it is... Say, a crab. How it moves, how it behaves when offered food..." He almost brought up about it being a delicacy, but he really wasn't one to say on the matter. Awkward. Instead, he gave her a sheepish grin while running his hands through his hair. "... But there can be more than just crabs. Maybe oysters, maybe fish. It depends on what we find in the tidepools-" He paused. They were in the wrong section of beach, huh? There were no rocks to be seen, and the only thing he could see was water, sand, and sky. Poetic, but not at all great for science.

Waving a hand, M. Pourife curtly told her from here, "Come along now, we should be getting to our intended destination soon. I doubt the beaches will be that fun to traverse when it gets dark, hm?" He laughed as per usual, but it was... Shaky. Great. "Most of the interesting wildlife is diurnal anyway. We should be getting this done with sooner rather than later, hm?"

M. Pourife..... fucking...... implodes...... TH will probably format this follow-up as long, but this laptop is wild so 🤷‍♀️

It was getting colder. Roswell hated this. Hated every singly piece of what was happening right now, with all of his heart. Roswell disliked sand. He despised cold. Not a fan of Pourife. And as cherry on top: it was raining. A drizzle to be exact.
Roswell stood there, his face locked in a grimace. Stiff and cold he followed M.Pourife over the beach. With a shaking hand, Roswell pricked his cigarette between his lips. His other-hand, he held Gustav's reigns. The camel scuffed along with them. Unlike its owner, Gustav seemed to be unfazed. Not even the rain could bother him.
"Just a wee bit of cargo and we're out of 'ere," Roswell hissed between his teeth. Moving the cigarette o so slightly as he did. It was unusually calm in port. The sandy beaches were empty. Beside those pesky seagulls, oh and some seals on a nearby sandbar. "No study of any critter. No breaks, or quick drinks on de way home, zip zero," Roswell said. Making a dismissive gesture with his hand. The quicker they got out of here, the better.

Roswell huddled close against his camel. His only source of heath in these dire, dire , times. He even took it's smell for granted.
"Just some research material roi? Glasses and tubes and such?" he asked Pourife.  At least that's what Xander had told him.
'Just a few crates, Roswell. You won't be out long,' the singer had promised. Púh. Roswell spat on the ground. His saliva colored the sand an even darker color. Xander hadn't told him the cargo was still in port! The leidsman avoided the port as much as he could. And not without reason.
"Yer seein' any Zeewolven?" he asked the other middle-aged man. His only eye scanned the beach, but too his relief Roswell didn't spot any sign of them. Not sure if relief was the right word though... Something tugged at the edges of Roswell's mind.
Why weren't those pirates here? 
Slowly Roswell's hand dropped to the handle of his kram. His fingers curling around the leather strips. "Who are yer dealin' with anyway?" he asked. His voice dropped to a softer tone. "Oi mean, who are yer plannin' to meet 'ere Pourife?" Roswell spat. His words dripping with suspicious.
"From me Kraker's oi've 'eard some of the Zeewolven moved more uptown," Roswell said. As he kicked some sand aside. "Aroun' de Turf.. Yer lab happens to be in de Turf roi?" Roswell continued to ask. His voice almost a growl.
"If yer drag me all de way 'ere, to meet up with sum befriended Zeewolven and rat me out in de process.. I'll give dat over grown piece of fur on yer upper lip a good trim," wow. Says who? Mister lard-face himself! Another spittle landed on the sand below.
"If yer want to see me 'ang or killed by Zeewolven, as oi Bet yer want. At least 'ave to decency to betray me in de city. The beach is de lást thin' my solo peaker wants to see, before Nathaniel rams that kram of his in me general chest-area." Okay mister dramaqueen. Giving his own chest a good pet. 

--

I'm sorry Ace that you have to deal with this man child. 

Today was going to be fun, this much Ace knew. Her companion had arrived, just like he promised, to take her to the beach. The day before, she had noticed Roswell at the casino. The man seemed quite sure of himself, like his victory was a foregone conclusion. Ace could tell why, he was blatantly cheating; She approached the man with a convincing offer. The look on his face when Ace revealed that she had beaten his illegitimate hand was priceless, Ace’s cheats were simply superior.

It was a sweltering day, the blazing sun was almost at zenith and the wind was completely still. “Do you have some sunscreen? I don’t need any but I don’t want you to get burned over our bet. Let’s rent one of those beach huts.” Smiling at Roswell, she added, “You’ll pay of course.” 

She changed into her bikini under the cover of her cape, before taking it off and leaving it in the hut. When Roswell was finished changing, Ace looked at him and said, “You’re quite handsome… for someone your age… anyway, let’s go!” She dragged the man along with her as she ran into the water.

The two spend the next couple of hours swimming, playing volleyball against others and just relaxing. But then the wind picked up and clouds started gathering. Soon it would rain, this might even be a storm.

“Where are you going? Are you seriously afraid of a little rain?”

Ace was walking across the beach, alone. She had planned to meet with her boyfriend, one of them, but they were running late. On her own, there wasn’t anything she wanted to do here; Swimming, playing around or just sunbathing weren’t any fun without friends. 

Still hoping that her partner would show up eventually, she took out her notebook and started reviewing the results of her last experiment. Some time later, Ace noticed a young woman playing in the water in front of her; Upon looking up, she was splashed with water immediately. 

After quickly checking that her notebook was okay, she stashed it in her cape before looking up at Míriel and smiling. “Don’t worry about it, I still get excited at the beach too… well.. as long as I got company at least.” At this point, Ace realised that her date probably wasn’t coming, but before she could think about it too much, she was suddenly splashed again. “Hey,” Ace called out before putting on a faux menacing smile and saying, “Don’t start something you can’t finish.” She jumped forward into the water and started splashing it on Míriel. The ‘war’ had officially begun. 

“Oh, I’m Ace, nice to meet you Míriel. It’s a lot of fun, you just need some company.”