[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

[yankeedoodle_dr]

"Ah," says Hawkeye, seriously, "but it didn't reach you."

[simon_doctor]

"Also I'm beginning to wonder how long we could keep this up."

With exaggerated care, he steps a little further along the waterline.

[yankeedoodle_dr]

In the water, with less care, Hawkeye follows. "Keep what up?" he asks, grinning.

[simon_doctor]

"Me staying out of the water and you trying to maneuver me in."

There's a string of seaweed on the sand; he sidesteps it.

"It's like some sort of comedy routine."

[yankeedoodle_dr]

Hawkeye laughs at the 'comedy routine' part.

Simon has no idea.

"Who said I was trying to maneuver? Convince, on the other hand..." He shrugs, modestly. "Now that's where my powers lie." Beat. "Don't worry. I only use them for good."

Most of the time. Usually.

[simon_doctor]

"That's reassuring."

A larger-than-usual wave rushes up the beach, and without moving, Simon is abruptly up to his ankles in water.

There's a pause, and then he gives Hawkeye a faintly reproachful look.

[yankeedoodle_dr]

You'd better believe Hawkeye whoops with laughter. His is a genuine laugh; loud and knee-slapping and impossible to stop once it has started.

He's laughing with Simon, not at him.

Besides, you know, the part where Simon isn't (at least initially) laughing.

[simon_doctor]

Oh, Simon's not laughing.

Much.

"I have to say, that's more convincing than I was expecting."

[yankeedoodle_dr]

"What can I say?" Hawkeye manages after a minute, leaning with his hands on his knees. "It's my natural charm. Even Mother Nature can't resist it."

[simon_doctor]

"Clearly."

The wave's receded by now. Simon follows it down, and joins Hawkeye in the shallows.

[yankeedoodle_dr]

Hawkeye straightens up. As straight as he ever stands, anyway; he's tall, and has something of a perpetual stoop.

"See? It's not so bad." He surveys the beach, for a minute, looking satisfied. "This is about thirty degrees warmer than the ocean ever gets, back home." He leans down to pluck a shell out of the water. "You could make a sauna out of this water."

[simon_doctor]

"It's almost tropical," he agrees. "I think it was something they engineered when they terraformed Santo, but I have no idea how they managed it."

[yankeedoodle_dr]

In comparison with the waters off of Boothbay Harbor, you bet your ass it's tropical!

Hawkeye glances up from his study of his new shell to shoot Simon a quizzical look. "Terraformed?" He sloshes along just far enough to grab another shell.

[simon_doctor]

"--Yes. Made habitable for humans. Breathable atmosphere and so on."

He gestures with one hand. "All of this had to be made."

[yankeedoodle_dr]

"Impressive," Hawkeye says, eyebrows raised. "Pretty well does away with that whole, ' "Let there be light," and there was light' theory."

[simon_doctor]

"Yes, and I understand it takes significantly longer than six days even under ideal conditions."

A little wry.

[yankeedoodle_dr]

Hawkeye gives an appreciative whuff of a laugh, and shoots him a bemused look. "I don't know whether it's nice or frustrating that some things persist, even after a couple hundred years."

[simon_doctor]

Simon looks out across the water, and takes a moment to answer.

"A little of both, I think."

[yankeedoodle_dr]

Hawkeye shrugs, slipping the shells into his pockets, and shoving his hands in after them.

"Sounds about right," he says. "Still, the future has weird rollercoasters, warm water, and," he shoots a nearby female sun-worshipper a very interested, approving look, "intriguing bathing suits, so I constitutionally can't disapprove."

[simon_doctor]

"I'm glad to hear that," he says, and it's only a tiny bit wry.

Because, all humor aside, he is glad to see Hawkeye this relaxed.

God knows he needs it.

[yankeedoodle_dr]

Hawkeye would resent that thought. Or is it resemble? Either way.

"Oh good," says Hawkeye. "I'd be glad to hear your thoughts on some sort of horrible fried food from the boardwalk." He gestures with one hand. "You know, the kind of stuff that you warn patients against, that'll clog your arteries like a couple of grease-flavored tanks."

[simon_doctor]

"Hmm. Do you want the kind that pretends to have actual food content, or the nothing-but-empty-calories-and-we-don't-care-who-knows-it kind?"

[yankeedoodle_dr]

"The second one," says Hawkeye. "Definitely the second one. I'm working on convincing the mess hall to add stuff like that onto the menu; they've got the grease and the pretending to have actual food content down pat, but the taste needs work."

[simon_doctor]

"There's a stand somewhere about here that claims to be selling fried custard, if that sounds appealing."

[yankeedoodle_dr]

"That sounds," says Hawkeye, happily, "perfectly disgusting."

In other words: perfectly perfect.