bakerstreet | obligatory beach episode

obligatory beach episode

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.

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.
Tag out! Find people to tag at this massive beach, you never know who you'll meet.
Rinse, repeat, and profit.

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[ Mid-sip, Riza's smile came fond, corners of her eyes crinkling at the thought of said "boss" and Shiro's assessment of him. Roy had always sought good things for her since they met, and she will always hold him to that. ]

I know. Though don't let him know I told you this, but he is quite useless without me. Putting out figurative fires will be the first thing I do when I return, I'm sure of it.

[ Said with a wink. She didn't figure that Shiro would ever get to meet Roy; or if he did tell him, it wasn't something she hadn't said to Roy's face anyway.

Shiro's answer to her question tugged at her intuition -- just a small prod at the back of her mind. She had seen strange enough things, but something told her that she might just be looking at one. She followed his gaze to look out into the sea herself -- such a vast expanse of calming blue, and she couldn't blame him for wanting to look out into the waters. Her attention returned to him quickly enough. ]

Locals here would tell you that there's no more perfect place than Aerugo to make things happen. You might just find your ship here.

[ If Shiro had a free hand, Hayate would be nuzzling his way under it. ]

[Spoken like a true second in command and Shiro has to smile at the familiarity of it. Leaders are necessary - but so are the people that come along after them and make sure the world keeps functioning despite them. Shiro likes to think he's not too bad at being the first - but he wouldn't be surprised at all to learn his team pick up slack he's not aware of.

And some he is aware of.

He hopes they're not bickering too much to be effective while he's away. He has a great deal of faith in them and their ability to focus on what's important, but he also worries that he left before they'd bonded as closely as he knows they're capable.

Riza's answer - and Hayate's nose nudge - both pull him back from his musing and he smiles, giving the dog his free hand in the form of elongated head scratches, careful to pay attention to the sides of the jaws and behind the ears. He looks back at Riza and smiles. But - military. Or once was. That - could be helpful or hurtful... He keeps his voice light, joking, points upward with the hand holding his juice.]

I don't know. What if its a star ship I'd like? You think Aerugo would provide?

[ Hayate settled happily, as if to allow Shiro the best stroking he could give.

Good as Riza was in keeping a poker face at work, she was less guarded when off-duty and out of her uniform. So there was no hiding the shift in her expression: from mild surprise, to full-on question. She heard Shiro's voice and the humor in it, but her eyes were searching for any trace of jest in his. ]

A "star ship"?

[ Their civilization had barely taken to the skies, and this man wanted the stars? She had her fair share of people reaching for things seemingly beyond their reach. Knowing they had achieved despite impossible odds was the the man thing that stopped her from dismissing the question entirely. And of course, she was curious.

So humor it is. ]

There are many things alchemy can do, but going further beyond the skies is still unheard of. Why would you want such a vessel?

[Her one question answers almost all of his.

Not this world. Not now. Not at all. Nothing advanced enough to even think of reaching for the stars yet and the military would know if such a thing existed so -

that's not one of his tickets off this planet then.

He can't say its for the bad. Right now the galaxy beyond their planet is a bad place to be. But ignorance, he's already found, isn't escape either. He'd learned that lesson hard and fast. Still - it was a hope and he exhales as he looks back down at the dog and gives a small smile, wistful, playing with one of the silky ears for a moment before going back to scratching the shoulders.

He's heard a bit about alchemy but its all in bits and pieces, sound suspiciously like magic and yet not. He's seen a bit too much to dismiss anything anymore but he wishes he could ask without sounding ignorant. Laying low doens't involve standing out like a sore thumb though and all his questions about alchemy on this world might make it obvious. Or not. He has no idea but he doesn't dare. The last thing he needs is to end up in some scientific bin, trapped for the next decade.

He already escaped that fate once. He looks back at Riza and smile and, for just a minute, in the sunlight, he's seventeen again and full of hopes and dreams.]

To fly. To leave behind gravity. To watch stars form. To see the dark sides of moons, rings around planets, to race comets. To go simply to go, because someone should. To find myself in the silence and lose myself in the vastness. To be free. Mostly for the freedom. [And then, softer, unaware he said it outloud] To find a place I belong.

[ Riza's gaze never left Shiro's face as he spoke, and for a minute, she was reminded of a young man in her father's library, eager to learn of Flame Alchemy so as to be able to make Amestris a better place. ... because someone should. She was reminded of orphan boy raised by a bartender and brothel mistress, and now that young man ruled over Amestris.

And Shiro wanted the stars.

Little did he know that she was ignorant in her right as well, when it came to the existence of multiple worlds and realities.

That near and it was hard to miss the last bit. Idly, Riza wondered if she knew where she belonged, and immediately reminded herself that she did. She does. ]

It's a great dream you have. Who knows, you might just see it through? [ She spoke to the young man she caught a glimpse of. Never will Riza have the heart to gun visions down for their level of craziness, unless they involved mass murder. In the same breath -- ] But do you need to go so far?

[It had only been a momentary lapse and he slipped out of it quickly enough, fingers moving across fur in a full scratch. Space did have its disadvantages and the lack of dogs was certainly high on that list. The woman next to him didn't dismiss his answer and he gave her credit for that. Surely he wasn't the first one, on any planet, to dream of going to space but from what he'd heard of the recent history of this world, space hadn't been anything anyone had much time to dream about. Still - it was nice to meet someone that was positive and encouraging about dreams. It made her a good person in his books.

Her question though had the smile going a bit crooked and, for the thousandth time, he stretched out his mind, searching for that familiar piece of forever clad in steel. The Black between the stars given physical form. He met Riza's eyes.]

I think I might. [The smile softened, wistful, but still real.] Unless you had a suggestion that was closer?

[ Hayate's tail thumped to express his satisfaction. He really liked this new friend, and certainly wouldn't mind adopting him into his pack. As if sensing that longing, Hayate let out a small and soft whine.

Riza blinked at Hayate's little bit of input, and the look in her eyes softened. Crazy dreams aside, Shiro was arguably a guest in these parts and she knew more than he did about Aerugo. ]

Well-- there is one spot in this area where the sky's the clearest at night. It's quite a view.

[ She turned a bit to point to an outcropping of rock that resembled a ship's bow. ]

That edge, what the locals call the Naveh, is a fair distance from here -- about half an hour's drive from town. Or if you're feeling a little adventurous, you walk for about an hour or so along the shore -- so long as you do so before the tide comes in. The Naveh faces South, but in this season if you make it in time, you might even catch the sunset.

[ It truly wasn't much to offer to someone who probably wanted to see the stars up close. But Riza supposed in her own marksman's way that having a clear shot of your target was a good place to start as any. ]

[Shiro follows the line of her gesture and sees what she's talking about. He doesn't want to look at the stars, he wants to be out there in them. But there is a certain amount of comfort in even being closer to them and he appreciates her offer. He appreciates the fact she's looking for ways to help him even though he's, literally, asking for the stars. Gentle he ruffles Hayate's ears. Keeps looking at the outcropping. Then he looks back at her.]

You feel up to a walk? Don't say yes if you'd rather not. I'm a stranger asking and I know it. And you never offered me several hours of your day.

[ Hayate perked up at the mention of "walk", while Riza's brows raised in mild surprise -- only because she had considered offering to show him around, though she felt it might be too forward of her. But she was glad Shiro asked -- ]

I don't have much of a plan for the rest of the day, and I would feel responsible if you got lost with my vague instructions. [ Her smile came in sporting humor. Shiro looked far from someone who needed supervision. ] And between the two of us, you are arguably a guest. So, yes, I'd be happy to show you around.

[ Hayate then looked to his mistress, expectant, which was answered with a warm smile. ]

And Hayate can do with the exercise.

[His smile came back at her answer and he even grinned as he ruffled Hayate's fur before starting to pack up what little he'd brought. Most of it was borrowed from the older woman he was doing home repair for and he packed it up with quick efficiency, soldier disciplined right down to the methodical double check of his gear once everything was folded away before standing up and swinging the small satchel over his shoulder, offering a hand up to her that he was sure she didn't need but his mother and grandmother would never forgive him for not offering all the same.]

I appreciate you taking your time like this. It's - nice to have some company.

[ As Shiro gathered his belongings, Riza made sure Hayate wasn't getting in the way and that she hadn't dropped anything. Just as she deemed herself satisfied with her small preparations, Shiro was holding out his hand to her -- a courtesy, she recognized -- and gladly took it as she stood up. ]

Thank you. And likewise, the pleasure's mine.

[ And like a properly trained soldier in his own right, Hayate stood by his mistress' side, waiting for her and Shiro, and will move as soon as they do. Riza took to leading the way. She was fine in spending time in silence, but she did have a few questions about her guest with the... avant garde automail arm. ]

If you don't mind my being curious, how do you envision a ship that would reach the stars?

[Shiro was happy to fall into step next to her, just a quarter step behind her lead, enjoying the chance to stretch his legs but enjoying the company even more. It was - lonely. Here. Cut off from Black and the others. As much as the old woman he was doing house repairs for had adopted him it - Riza felt like war. Or rather, felt like the end of a war. There was a flavor to that that couldn't be matched or found in any other situation and - it helped. He wasn't so out of place with that. Even if neither of them acknowledged it.

Hayate helped too, the smile staying on Shiro's lips and around the corners of it each time he glance over at the happily trotting dog.

His eyes slipped sideways to his human companion though at her question and his lips curved a bit. So - she wasn't exactly going to let that go? He was all right with that. He pretended he had to think before answering.]

Well - you'd need a ship that could fly through the air first. You'd have to break atmosphere before you even reached the empty space outside here. So something streamline, smooth, sleek. [His human hand subconciously made a gesture, mimicking the memory in his head of the ships he's flow and loved in the past.] Something that wouldn't drag in the air, something that would cut through it clean without a lot of turbulence. White. I'm partial to white. With black trim I think. Something that handles smooth, responds to each little touch on the controls. Durable though. It's a long trip to the stars if you don't have a way to shorten the journey. So she'd have to be sturdy. Solid to keep her crew safe while they traveled. Something that could be home for them for however long it took to get where they wanted to go. [He looked over at her and smiled, wide and bright.] Small enough to maneuver but bigger than a soup can.

[ Riza followed Shiro's gestures and tried to picture the "star ship" he had in mind. First, she thought of a cruiser seen around Aerugo's busier ports -- one that took to the air. Then she thought of a locomotive with biplane wings. But those two things would cause a lot of aerial drag. Or perhaps...

Her efforts at imagining Shiro's description showed on her face, lines between her brows, and her lips in a slight pout. ]

I'm picturing a giant hollow bullet that pierces the clouds. [ Sharp, Riza made a handgun-pointing gesture, as if to target a particularly fluffy cloud ahead of them. Muscle memory served her well, even if she didn't have any firearms at-hand. ] But you would need a gun large enough to power it. Alchemy is able to produce such energy, but the array would have to quite large and the source plenty.

[ She was no alchemist, but she knew enough about the principle of equivalent exchange, and how seemingly little could produce large (and destructive) results. She brought her hands down, tucked that thought aside, and mentally erased her bullet-ship. ]

But a bullet isn't dirigible once fired. [ Her smile returned shortly -- because he had also said 'soup can' and she couldn't help but picture a flying soup can now. ] You've given this a whole lot of thought, I see.

[ Hayate took to running ahead, curious over a crawling starfish. He gave a sharp bark and waited for the two to catch up. ]

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obligatory beach episode

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:D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHM9nWPAfQQ&t=193s

awwwww, such a cute one! LOVE it!

:3b