obligatory beach episode

[solongsockers]

the beach meme

It's a nice day, you're in your swimsuit or some other beach-appropriate wear, and the sun, sand and surf are all waiting for you. You could be here because you wanted to get away from everything, or your friends decided to grab you for a road trip to the beach. Go swimming, take up surfing, build a sandcastle, chow down at the myriad snack bars, crash a party, maybe even watch the sunset with your significant other from the comfort of your own swanky seaside villa. The possibilities are endless.

What are you waiting for? Get out there and have fun! Oh, and watch out for sharks.

1. Leave a comment with your character with their name, series and your preferences. You may write up your own starters, if you already have some prompts in mind.
2. Tag out! Find people to tag at this massive beach, you never know who you'll meet.
3. Rinse, repeat, and profit.

Comments

Shiro | Voltron: LD

[headspacedad]

[space dad at the beach? space dad at the beach. (yes, he's wearing the pineapple shirt). open to cross-canon/medium as well as canon.

[inhersights]

[ A small yellow ball lands with a light thump at the edge of Shiro's towel...

Followed by a growing black and white shiba-inu who pauses to give him a considering head-tilt before picking it up. Once he hears his mistress' voice however ("Hayate!" she called him), he wags his tail as she approaches. ]

I'm sorry, I wasn't careful in my throwing. I hope he didn't bother you.

[headspacedad]

[The mild impact of the ball's landing had his eyes snapping open behind his sunglasses but it was the only move he made until he registered what was going on.

And then the smile started and spread into a wide grin at the sight of the dog. By the time the dog's owner arrived, Shiro was sitting up in his chair, even if he was politely keeping his hands clasped in front of him instead of trying to touch and the smile stayed when he looked up at the woman as she arrived.]

No bother at all. It's been a long time since I've had a dog visit me. [He held out one hand, the human one, palm up, an offering that didn't actually get too close to the dog in case it wasn't welcome.] His name's Hayate?

[inhersights]

[ Hayate obediently surrendered his toy, and was rewarded with a good ruffling and a soft words of praise. He nosed his mistress' sundress and Riza signaled for him to acknowledge Shiro's greeting. Hayate happily obliged by nosing Shiro's palm, wagging his tail. ]

Yes. Second Lieutenant Black Hayate, actually. [ Her smile showed she knew how much of an oddity it was. ] The rank was something of a joke among colleagues.

[headspacedad]

[Shiro's grin threatened to split his face when the dog nosed his hand and he immediately capitulated, raising both hands, the metal one included, to run them over the dog's head and start scratching gently. It was shining in his eyes too as he raised them to look at the woman in the sundress.]

Hayate. That's a good word. Does he salute if he's a second lieutenant?

[inhersights]

[ Riza's brow raised in puzzled consideration, before returning to a smile. A "good word". She'll have something to hold over certain people giving her grief over her "bad" naming sense. The man's question got a gentle laugh from her. ]

I'll show you. Hayate!

[ Hayate had been reveling at the attention, jaw down, ears up, tail wagging. The metal hand didn't bother him one bit. But at the sound of his mistress' commanding voice, he pulled away to stand straight --]

Salute.

[ -- and sitting down, he raised his paw up to the side of his face. Riza fished from her small purse a doggie treat. She was very proud of her canine friend. ]

What do you think?

[headspacedad]

[Shiro pulls his hands away when Hayate snaps to attention, but stays leaned forward, resting his elbows across his knees. Completely delighted with the whole situation.

And when the dog actually saluted, he laughed. It was a coughing, rusty sound, something gravel and from deep in his chest, unused, but it was real all the same and he returned the salute. Even casual it had a bit of sharp snap and control to it. He lifted his face to smile happily up at the woman in the sundress.]

He'll make captain in no time.

[inhersights]

[ Sensing the approval in the humans' voices, Hayate stood, looking back and forth between his mistress and the nice man, as if debating between pettings and treats. Treats won out as Riza handed it to him, and scratched him between the ears. With a gentle prodding, Hayate returned to the man's side. ]

He appreciates your evaluation. Do you have animal companions yourself?

[headspacedad]

[Shiro realizes the woman's intentionally letting him have her dog's attention and he can't even feel embarrassed by the fact she's picked up on how starved he is for familiar furred companionship. Not when he can focus his attention on the dog's return and go back to a thorough head scratching that goes all the way down to his furry jaws and back of the dog's neck.]

Just a giant cat. [It slips out and then he exhales an amused sound without breaking from his head scratching routine and lifts his face to look at her.] Nothing furry. I haven't seen a dog in - [nope. back that up.] I've been away a long time. You're military?

[It seems a safe guess.]

[inhersights]

[ Perhaps it took one to know one, and heavens knew how Hayate has helped kept her sane in the middle of hellish days. Riza found her thoughts validated at his questioning, and how, despite the smiles and apparent adoration of Hayate, his eyes carried that distinct look of someone who had seen battle. The quip about giant, non-furry cats was taken and kept in active file in her mind. ]

Yes. Though more of the administration side of things for a time now. [ She couldn't really hide her amusement as Hayate placed his front paws on the chair. If her dog liked this this stranger, it was double confirmation that she had nothing to fear. Riza extended her right hand. ] My name's Riza Hawkeye.

[headspacedad]

[Hayate was more than welcome to have as much of his chair as he wanted and Shiro leaned forward a little into the attention, working his hands down to the dog's shoulders with murmurs of 'good boy, good dog'.

And he notices the 'for a time now' in the woman's answer as well. Something about the way she carries herself... he's not surprised.]

Administration can be worse than field work. [He says it with humor and understanding and his right hand comes up in automatic response to hers

before hesitating before closing the distance.

That's his metal hand. His Galra tech hand. And if he's pretty sure he's far enough outside Galra circles for that last part to be recognized... its still a metal not-hand and off putting to some. Using his left, human hand would be awkward though and - he finishes closing the distance and grasps her hand in a firm but easy handshake.

He's in short sleeves. She's been aware of the metal arm that disappears up into them since she arrived, he's sure. He offers a smile.]

Shirogane Takashi. Shiro to anyone that shares their dog with me.

[inhersights]

[ Hayate was more than glad to make new friends, and this new friend was quickly becoming one of his favorites. His temperament was easy though, so he didn't get in the way of his mistress' socializing.

Riza had noted the arm -- it looked to her like automail, but quite far from what she had become accustomed to in design. Perhaps from an up and coming automail mechanic?

She also noted his hesitation. Newly attached limb? But no, he wore it with enough ease as seen with how he petted Hayate. She didn't make a move to withdraw her hand, nor did her face show discomfort. If anything, she was reminded of the brave boys who paid more than an arm and a leg to get their mother back. She knew therefore that such changes carried stories much like scars, and asking about it fresh into introductions would be rude.

Riza's smile was encouraging until he took her hand. She closed her fingers around his metal hand as she would a flesh hand -- warm and cordial. ]

Shiro. It's good to meet you. I take you're military as well.

[headspacedad]

I am. [She's got a good handshake and there's no hesitation in it. It lets him relax again and his smile is easy as he lets go of her hand, letting it rest on her dog's head for a moment. It's obvious they're both curious about each other - and its also obvious they've got too good manners to just outright blurt anything. He - doesn't mind that. It's nice.]

Not from around here though and I'm off duty. [Or retired or - hell, if he knew anymore. He didn't even know which rank he'd use if asked considering. And he didn't think he could mention astronaut. This planet might be that advanced but he hadn't seen any signs of it so far. He's not even sure how advanced their aeronautics program is. He's so far out of any of his training - but he's gotten kind of used to that.] Can I offer you a cold drink and a seat?

inspiration hit faster than time to make more icons, lmao.

[lilboyblue]

[Lance can't contain his excitement anymore than he has already. It's always been trouble keeping a four-year-old still, but Lance, in all of his energetic glory, is just too thrilled with the beach to be bothered by something as simple as waiting for his father to take him. He knows how to swim, he can swim! Sort of. Mostly.

That impatience has him standing in the open doorway of their rental resort room, bouncing on his heels while he looks at the beach ahead of them. Shiro has to do all of the adult things before they can go out, like grab whatever they need before they go, but that takes too long. Lance just wants to touch the water on the shore's edge. And try the long board. (He can dream, okay?!)

He makes a loud, dramatic huff.]

Daaaaaad... we have everything, we gotta goooooo...

[Lance, who already shouldn't have opened the door, is slowly and steadily inching his way down the resort's open hall. Slowly, and still within view of the doorway, but moving. He's testing those boundaries of what Shiro will let him get away with, but he's also likely to explode if he has to sit any longer. After all, he's already dressed in his swim trunks, and definitely doesn't need his floaties! But if Shiro doesn't have a kid leash for this kid, he's probably going to have a runner on his hands.]

I can't tell you how much I love you for this!

[headspacedad]

[Shiro is so used to his son pulling a runner that he's thinking of signing him up for a track team when he's old enough and just standing behind him at the starter line so give him all the motivation he needs to speed away. Which isn't to say that Lance runs away from him in particular. Lance just tends to have a wider orbit around his father than Shiro's entirely comfortable with if the four year old is given half a chance.

He got his long legs from his father and he already knows how to use them.

But Shiro also knows he's a good kid and as much as he's inching down the hallway, he's staying in range of Shiro's voice. Shiro's only got to get their towels and find the sunscreen to add to his bag before they go but by the time he does his kid is going to be all the way to the outside doors and Shiro's already aware the first person that opens those doors if Lance is there is going to be taken as permission from a grown up to go out them whether they know it or not. Lance isn't a bad kid. He's just an energetic one. The trick is knowing how to channel that energy.

So Shiro lifts his voice just enough to make sure it carries clearly out into the hallway to his escaping son and mildly says, as he packs the floaties, because yes, his son needs those:]

If we had the beach towels we could go. You wanna get those for me from the bedroom, Lance?

8D I'm so happy you asked me to~

[lilboyblue]

[It's bad (for him, at least) that Shiro already knows all of his sneaky habits on sneaking away. It isn't that he wants to run away from Shiro--not at all, he can't imagine even being away from his father for even a day--but he's just growing steadily impatient while waiting for him to grab everything. He doesn't even want to go far without him, just... maybe halfway to the beach.

And the beach is right there. Well. A little ways of walking but it looks like it's right there, and Lance is sure he can do it. But there's the street--and he won't be able to hold his dad's hand to cross if his dad isn't with him. A dilemma. Lance starts the process looking around for something interesting further downstairs but still on the property when Shiro mentions the towels.

So close? That's it?! The little whirlwind puts his speed to use and takes off running back in and straight into the bedroom.] I'll get them!

[Instead of just slowing himself down, he opts for crash-landing onto the bed with a grin. And then he glances around, quick to spot the towels on top of the dresser. Lance picks them up and trudges his way back into the main room, hugging them both in his hands.]

Got the towels! Can we go now?

[headspacedad]

[Shiro glances up when he hears the pound of small feet back down the hall toward their room and then sedately continues packing his old military backpack with the things they'll need. Everything in its place and a place for everything. He doesn't need to look up to catch the little tan and blue blur that is his son as it tears past and into the bedroom beyond and he hears the impact with the bed just fine.

It's a good thing they live in such a small town where everyone knows both Shiro and his son so well. The amount of bumps and bruises the kid manages to pick up on a regular day would be enough to get him reported to child services if they were in a larger more suspicious town. Lance always bounces back from them though, often faster than Shiro thinks is entirely good.

His son's going to be a handful once he's in high school. Shiro can't bring himself to regret that future knowledge even if he's in no rush for his only child to grow up.

And he's grinning as Lance comes back out, almost entirely hidden behind the towels, slinging the pack over one of his shoulders and pulling on his worn NASA baseball cap, that matches the smaller one on his own son's head. Reaching down he ruffles the top of that little cap, just a little and then rests his hand on his son's small shoulder, letting Lance carry the towels as another way to slow him down, just a little.]

All right. [He pockets their room key.]Now we can go to the beach.

[lilboyblue]

[Lance is already quite the handful, but at least he's small enough to be picked up and carried back if he gets into anything dangerous. But, just being young and curious about nearly everything, it pretty much comes with the territory. Thankfully the bed doesn't add to his new set of battle scars--he picked it up from some TV show he's watched, and bruises are cool, even if they hurt a little if he pokes them--and the towels are nothing but soft as he presses his face into them.

He's ready to go, and he looks up at Shiro, waiting for him to pack the towels too. But when his father doesn't even reach for them, Lance realizes this makes it his duty to not drop them. He fixes his grip and grins up at him as Shiro leads him towards the door. It's time to go, and he's back to being extremely excited.]

Yaaayyy! [He'd throw his arms up but, towels. Lance has an excited little spring in his step as he bounces next to Shiro, thankfully not going too far ahead of him, for now.]

So we can still build a sand castle and swim right? Can I try the longboard too? I bet I'll be really good at standing on it, I can balance on a lot of stuff. You know, I can balance on the dresser. It's kinda like a longboard. So I can do that too but in the water. [You know, the dresser in the room that Lance shouldn't have been standing on at all? That one.]

[headspacedad]

[It's a good thing Shiro has such long legs because he can keep up with his son fairly easily at this point without having to trot. So he strides along behind his son until they get to the door and then he leans forward to push and hold it open for the little tan and blue blur. He does hum though.]

We can swim and build sand castles and even sand dragons for the sand castles. [And, because Shiro might be a dad but he's still a very young dad and there's no mother anymore to be the good influence.] And we'll work on the longboard. [They reach the intersection across from the beach and Shiro stops at the crosswalk, one hand on his son's shoulder. He doesn't have to worry about Lance darting across the road. He's drilled that into his son's head far too much.

Shiro lost his wife and Lance lost his mother in a car accident. Shiro's been leery of cars around the people he loves ever since.]

All right, what color are we going to wait for the man to change to and what are we going to do after he does before we cross the road?

[lilboyblue]

I'm gonna try really hard! I'm gonna be a surfer one day, so I gotta practice!

[Lance beams. He's already back to walking quickly, even with the towels, while they head out and begin walking from the room. He wants to bounce ahead, but he sticks close to Shiro's side as they walk, grin just widening when his entire checklist of Best Things At The Beach gets approved. Including the longboard! It's the newest dream of the week.

When they reach the intersection, Lance dutifully stops and looks up at him. He's not careful in many aspects--but crossing the street, being in parking lots, anywhere near cars is definitely where he actually pays attention. And right now, the red hand indicating stop definitely means waiting. He pouts at it--it's too long already.]

He's gonna turn white and then we gotta look both ways so it's safe.

[But then he bounces the towels a little.] But I can't hold your hand because I'll drop the towels. [His tiny mind goes a million miles a second before he just gasps. It's a dramatic theory, but:] Dad! How am I gonna cross?! Does that mean I'm stuck on this side?

[headspacedad]

[Shiro will support any dream Lance has of what he wants to become when he's older and if its currently surfer, than so be it. The last thing he's ever going to do is tell his son that there's something he can't do if he works hard enough and fights for it.

Even if sometimes life does its damnest to take it away from you.

Across the street the beach doesn't look too crowded and the waves are on the very mild side. The clean smell of the ocean is already on the breeze and, not for the first time, Shiro wonders about moving. Maybe a little town somewhere on the Gulf coast where Lance could grow up near the water. That wouldn't be a bad thing. Its just - the town they live in now has so many roots for both of them. Sometimes painful ones and sometimes comforting ones. Shiro doesn't want to end up trapped in the past though, not if its going to stunt Lance's growth in anyway.

His mother wouldn't have wanted that.]

Good. [He gives his son's shoulder a gentle squeeze of approval and then looks down a second later, eyebrows climbing as - ]

Oh. Huh. You've got a point there, kiddo. Well... I'm not going to leave you. [The light for the cross-walk turns green and Shiro pretends this is a great dilemma, glancing from the other side of the road down to his son and back again.

he doesn't let it last too long though, knowing his son's patience is about as long as a sneeze and, suddenly splitting into a grin, he swoops down suddenly and scoops his son, towels and all, up under his good arm with a grunt and, sure enough, checking both ways, heads across the street.]

We don't leave our wingman behind, do we?

[lilboyblue]

[Thankfully for Shiro, his little kid's being raised as an optimist. Lance has been pretty good about doing his best to look forward, despite all of the tragedies and struggles they've been handed, with his childlike wonder and his hope for everything cool and dramatic in the future. But he doesn't like stopping. He wants to keep going the best he can.

Even though their trip has reached the first dilemma. Lance stares ahead at the beach, feeling at a completely loss on how to fix this one.]

What are we gonna do, dad?

[The light's green and Lance almost whines right at it. He's a little stuck here; he's sure it should be okay if he just walks next to Shiro, but these are new streets and they already come with that unfamiliar and apprehensive worry that something might happen if he doesn't watch out. But he also really wants to go to the beach. Thankfully, Shiro scoops him up in record time--even though it was an eternity--and he grins. He checks along with Shiro, though he's a bundle of laughter when they begin to cross.]

Can't leave the wingman behind! Yay! Daddy, we're almost there! I can smell the salty water!

[headspacedad]

[The sound of his son's laughter makes it all worth while. Everything. Everything they've been through, everything they've endured, it's worth while if his son laughs like that. And it brings out Shiro's own laughter, a sound that's more bouncing exhale than anything else. It's impossible not to feel Lance's enthusiasm and with that little voice to cheer him on, Shiro breaks into a flat out run, just for the speed of it.

He's long ago given up caring what other people think of him or the way he raises his son.

So they reach the beach in record time - Lance isn't the only one that can move when he's motivated and Shiro crashes to a dramatic halt right at the waterline, just above the lines the waves are leaving in the wet sand. Grinning, he demands:]

Did we make it?

[lilboyblue]

[Lance is a nearly endless supply of laughs as Shiro takes off towards the water, hands reaching over to cling to his father. His father is the absolute best. Even through everything they've gone through, his dad's been able to keep him happy, and that's all that really matters to him. Well, that and the amazing beach when they arrive. He has to take a deep breath once they reach the water, but he's still giggling a little when he looks down to see how close they stopped.]

You almost wore your shoes into the water!

[As he looks up again, his eyes just widen at the expanse of ocean before him. He'd been gawking at it every time he's looked at it from the room, but there's just something new about seeing it and being so close that just has him speechless. His grip tightens around Shiro as he grins, taking in the feel of the morning sun and the fresh breeze.

And as one of the swooping seagulls chirps, he looks up, and ends up getting himself immediately riled up again. He bounces a little, pointing up to it.]

We made it! Look, look!

http://headspacedad.tumblr.com/post/157900103087/foxyjoy-art-i-animated-a-tiny-lance-collecting

[headspacedad]

[Shiro's gotten very good at holding a bouncing sun and he has no problem with it now.

Maybe he really should do something about moving them close to the ocean...

But he chuckles a little at his son's excitement and shifts him around so he's cradled against him sideways, still able to watch the water but a little more tucked in and stable. And -

Its been a long time since Shiro's been near the water. Lance's mother used to love the water...]

We made it.

[In so many ways. And then he grins and something heavy seems to roll off his shoulders and when he inhales he can feel his chest expand.]

Okay. First we're going to set up a home base. That way we've got somewhere we can come back to and somewhere to leave our supplies and gear. After that, we'll go for a swim first and then we can decide what we want to do next after that. But first things first. This is a new place. We've got to soak it in. [His arm shifts, holds his son a little more open.] First we close our eyes and breathe in really really deep. Hold it. Let it out. What do we smell?