[Santo - The Beach]

[walk_ins]

[master post]

You have to walk down a ramp to get to the sand. The ramp stretches over sand dunes, with sea oats dotting them, blowing in the near-constant breeze. On the same level as the ramp: a boardwalk, dotted with places to get sketchy-looking fried food, to try your luck at a number of games of chance, to watch performers, to ride roller coasters of the future!!!!

When you walk down the ramp, it's all white sand and blue water. Down about half a mile is a pier that juts out several hundred feet.

It's a nice beach. Not too crowded.

Comments

[gonna_live]

"Somethin' warm?" Hopefully.

[simon_doctor]

"Anything you want," he says expansively, grinning at her.

It's that kind of night.

[gonna_live]

"...that's a gorram dangerous offer, Dr. Tam."

There is something a little knowing about her grin. "You gonna back that up when I come up with somethin'?"

[simon_doctor]

"That depends what kind of something."

His grin isn't so much knowing as suspecting.

"Are you going to deliberately try to come up with something outrageous?"

[gonna_live]

"You're just gonna have to wait and see," she says airily -- and runs a hand down her skirt. "Give me time."

[simon_doctor]

"Time," he agrees, "and something warm to drink. Shall we see what they have?"

And they start toward the entrance, arm in arm.

[gonna_live]

For Kaylee it's cocoa -- hot, sweet, and filled with liquor.

She crosses her legs on the stool; her skirts take a little more smoothing. And it's with a very awkward smile that she doesn't quite meet Simon's eyes when she says, "It's -- "

"A little... off. Or feels like it. Bein' this... okay. Or better."

[simon_doctor]

For Simon it's coffee laced with cinnamon liqueur; he's barely tasted it, and now sets down the cup.

"It's different," he acknowledges, after a moment.

[gonna_live]

"Off," she repeats. "I can't remember what -- it's like I..."



Kaylee shakes her head. "Never mind." Still with that same crooked smile as she picks up her cup.

[simon_doctor]

Simon tilts his head downward, trying to catch her eye.

"It's like what?" he says softly.

[gonna_live]

Kaylee takes a sip. It gets larger -- and it's good, hot and sweet.




"I can't help but feel like there's somethin' wrong with me." She sounds almost apologetic.

[simon_doctor]

A slight frown, somewhere between puzzled and concerned.

"What kind of something?"

[gonna_live]

"I can't remember how long it's been since I was this okay for this long." Kaylee's eyes are fixed on the bottles behind the bar. "All right?"

[simon_doctor]

A pause, and Simon looks down at his coffee.

"It's," he starts to say, and hesitates before continuing. "It might be a little like what sometimes happens after corrective surgery. Where the ... where someone has been in pain for so long that when it goes away, they feel like something's ..." A slight shrug. "Off."

[gonna_live]

Kaylee's right hand snakes out, slow.

Her fingertips come to rest on the back of his hand briefly, and then slide forward, curling around to touch his palm.

"Makes some sense." Soft.

[simon_doctor]

His fingers curl down in turn, around hers.

Soft, and tentative: "It's part of recovery."

[gonna_live]

"Means I'm recoverin', though." Another crooked smile. "Don't it."

[simon_doctor]

Yes.

He nods, and presses her hand.

[gonna_live]

"How about you?"

[simon_doctor]

There is no good reason that question should take him by surprise every time it's asked.

"I'm ... feeling all right, I think." Half a beat. "Hopeful."

[gonna_live]

"...on whose account?" Kaylee curls her hand a little tighter around his.

[simon_doctor]

He meets her eyes.

"Ours," he says, and his voice tips up at the end, as though it's half a question.

[gonna_live]

There: a smile with some sun behind it.

"With pretty good reason."

[simon_doctor]

They're in public.



Who gives a damn.

Simon leans over and kisses the corner of her mouth, lightly.

[gonna_live]

They're in public.

Which means that when Kaylee sits back, she asks -- pleased, mind, but she still asks -- "What's gotten into you?"