Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Saturday Afternoon

[not_every_mage]

Anders had planned to go to the hotel first when he and Nathan got to town, but when the portal deposited them within sight of the ocean being inside seemed decidedly beside the point. He hesitated on the sidewalk and turned to his companion.

"Are you going to be disappointed if I want to swim before we do anything else?"

[OOC: For the guy with him, please. NFB due to distance.]

Comments

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"They were big and ferocious," Nathan told him, blowing some bubbles in the water for a second. "Lots of teeth, lots of spikes. Probably couldn't talk like these books say they could but still. Interesting."

[not_every_mage]

"Big animals always are," Anders said. "And those are extinct now, aren't they? That makes them even better. They can't eat you that way."

He drew up his legs as he spoke, seeing if he could float in the water.

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Extinct, yeah." He'd been able to glean that much from what he'd read. He pushed his wet hair out of his eyes. "But, who knows if that really counts on the island? Things are weird there."

[not_every_mage]

"So you think we might get home and find the preserve full of dinosaurs?" Anders asked. "Well, I guess they could keep the alots company."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"No, I don't think they'll be there when we get home but I wouldn't be surprised if something like that showed up at some point," he explained. "Just randomly. Just because that place is weird."

[not_every_mage]

"But it'd be funny if they showed up right after you mentioned it," Anders shrugged, squinting back toward the beach. "Are you hungry, or do you want to swim a little longer?"

Which meant he was hungry.

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Sounds like you're hungry." He knew your game, Anders. "Getting splashed gives you an appetite? I could eat."

[not_every_mage]

It was a terribly sneaky game.

"I am," Anders said, already bobbing back toward the sand. "I guess it's hte salt air. Besides, I think I saw someone with ice cream when we were coming in, and now I want ice cream. And maybe a hamburger or something to go with it."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"You're gonna be so tired tonight," Nathan said, wading his way back to the beach. "Sun and lots of food? Lots of sleep."

[not_every_mage]

"We are on holiday," Anders said mildly. "I thought part of the point was eating a lot and spending a lot of time in bed."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"I wasn't arguing against it," he assured him. "Just saying. It sounds like a good weekend to me."

[Have to disappear. Heavy storms here.]

[not_every_mage]

"It does," Anders agreed as they reached the towels. "Happy birthday, by the way."

A few days off,but he figured it still counted.

[Yikes, take care!]

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Thanks," Nathan said, grinning as he walked out of the water. "Don't feel older but thanks."

[not_every_mage]

"You look it," Anders informed him playfully. "All gray-haired and dignified. It's distinguished."

He paused to slip his shirt back on. "What does feeling older mean, anyhow?"

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"I have no idea," he admitted with a shake of his head. "Maybe you're supposed to feel smarter or something?"

[not_every_mage]

"Then I didn't get any older this year either," Anders said, looking over their stuff before starting to gather up his bag. He was trying to decide if he wanted to take everything or at least leave the towels. "Hmm. Do you think you're going to want to swim again?"

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Not right away but maybe later," he answered, shrugging. "Seems kind of sad not to go again after awhile."

[not_every_mage]

"Definitely we should come back later," Anders echoed. "We could even wait until it's dark. I bet it's beautiful then -- much more lonely and wild."

For now, though, he wedged his stuff back into his bag. No point inviting someone to help himself to his towel.

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"All right." Nathan nodded and picked his own stuff up, tossing his towel over his shoulder. "Until then, I could eat and do other stuff."

[not_every_mage]

"Sounds fun. There are shops," Anders said, looking around as he started to pick his way from beach to boardwalk. "We should go to the hotel and drop off our stuff, too."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Lead the way," Nathan said, nodding and shaking some sand off his feet. "I have some money I can spend. On stupid stuff."

Stupid shirts or whatever.

"Sounds like a good plan."

[not_every_mage]

"Me too," Anders said, reaching over to rustle Nathan's hair as they walked. "There's not a lot I really need money for, back on the island."

Food was usually free, school was free, and it wasn't as though the island was some kind of shopping mecca. Anders had plenty saved up to spend on stupid t-shirts and paperweights.

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

The ruffling sent Nathan's hair askew but he didn't care that much. It spent most of its time askew.

"Yeah. One benefit of that place," he agreed quietly. "And I didn't have a lot of money back home so I tended to get things through other means."

Did what he had to do.

"I'm fine with buying cheap stuff for fun this weekend. After food."

[not_every_mage]

Anders liked it askew, honestly.

"Food's first," he agreed, eyeing the lines at the boardwalk stands as he tried to decide which one he wanted to suggest. The pizza smelled good but that line was longest,and ... it was complicated and he was indecisive, all right?

Then, more quietly: "Me too. Money's better. Less -- humiliating, really."

He'd taken what he could when he ran away, but it was never enough to get him by for more than a day or two. After that, survival was a matter of begging, bartering, and occasional outright theft.

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Did what you had to do," Nathan said, nodding and smiling lightly. "But, we've got money so we don't have to do anything like that. Hardest decision today is what to eat."

He glanced around. "Come on, we'll eat pizza. The line'll go fast and it smells good. Let's go."