The Beach, Saturday Afternoon

[uncertain_dume]

It was kind of crazy just how much the weather could vary from day to day around here. Yesterday it was freezing, and today it was warm enough that Kanan didn't bother with the long coat he sometimes wore in order to stave off the chill. Which he was possibly going to regret anyway, since on a day as nice as today, he'd decided to make his way to the beach, to listen to the rolling of the waves and to be alone with his own thoughts for a while.

He was out there sitting on the sand for all of twenty minutes before he amended his plan to 'listening to the rolling of the waves and a small bonfire built in a pit in the sand,' but the effect was still the same. Just a quiet afternoon, alternating between meditating, appreciating the scenery, and occasionally holding out a hand and watching grains of sand dance around in the air, suspended over his outstretched palm.

Damn it, he really was starting to actually like this place.

[OOC: Open post! I'm bored and here all day. Come distract me so I don't watch the Rebels mid-season trailer another 400 times, screaming.]

Comments

[justice_undone]

Breq had also taken advantage of the comparatively warm weather and decided to take a walk along the water. Her thoughts wandered, and she remembered the hot, humid heat of Ors, and the smell of swamp water. She remembered dragging for concealed weapons that they hadn't been supposed to find.

Then she smelled the bonfire and after stopping for a moment she turned and headed in that direction. When she saw Kanan, she slowed down, not wanting to interfere if he preferred to be alone.

[uncertain_dume]

While Kanan had come here for a bit of alone time, he wasn't so bent on an afternoon spent solo that he'd turn anybody away. The sand above his hand spun in a little tornado for a few seconds, and then he pulled his hand away, and all of it fell, scattering back down to the beach as though it hadn't been disturbed at all.

He glanced up at Breq and offered her a smile.

"Afternoon," he greeted. "Taking advantage of the good weather today?"

[justice_undone]

"Good afternoon. I am." She made sure to smile, because she meant it.

"That looks more pleasant than pulling rocks on your head."

Breq took a few steps closer, pulled off her winter glove and stretched a hand towards the fire.

[uncertain_dume]

"Oh, believe me, it is," Kanan replied, his grin going a little lopsided. "I try to avoid rocks falling on my head whenever I'm in my right mind, I assure you."

He and falling rocks even had a bit of a history.

[justice_undone]

"I'm glad to hear it," Breq said, moving around the fire to avoid standing in the direction of the smoke. "And to see you're still in your right mind." Again, she made sure to smile.

[in_sidon_we_trust]

It was nice, comparatively, though Sidon was going to likely regret trusting all the uptick in temperature in a few days. However, it wasn't freezing, and that was good enough for a stir-crazy Zora to take his chances with a swim around the island.

And it felt great, even if the water was significantly brisker than the air.

He got used to it really quickly.

But that was why he was definitely staying in the water instead of coming onto shore when he saw someone out on the beach.

"Hello, there!" he called out. "Another one for enjoying the lovely respite from the terribly cold and freezing weather, I see?"

[uncertain_dume]

Kanan blinked up at the person calling from the water, tilted his head, and then offered the guy a friendly wave.

"When the island gives us weather like this, I'm not about to waste it by sitting inside," he called back. "I just regret not bringing my dog today."

But he wasn't about to chase Stance into the water, either. He was enjoying the weather, he wasn't crazy.

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"Oh, you have a dog?" Sidon asked brightly, with a smile to match. "How marvelous! I've learned so many things about dogs since I began my employment at the animal shelter. Tell me, sir, is your dog a very large dog, or is he quite a small dog?"

[uncertain_dume]

Kanan actually laughed a little at that. Okay, the guy in the water was enthusiastic, he'd give him that.

"He's a sort of in-the-middle dog," he replied. "Or at least I think he is. Dogs around here aren't anything like dogs back home, so far as I can tell."

They were closer to wolves, actually. Only without the scales. Earth animals were weird.

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"An in-the-middle dog!" Sidon remarked as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. "Why, that sounds like just the perfect size!"

Granted, he would have said that no matter what the man had answered.

"But how are they different?" Because of course he wanted to know. "And where is 'back home'? I've found the people who come to this island are from such a fascinatingly wide variety of places!"

[vdistinctive]

Eliot and Val were also out to enjoy the nice turn in the weather. It'd be cold again before they knew it, and neither man nor dog was afraid of a little freezing weather, but that didn't mean it didn't feel good to be out and about without bulky winter gear.

"Hey ki --" Eliot cut himself short, remembering what Kanan had told him about the name 'kid' last fall. "Kanan," he finished after only a slightly hitch. "How's it going, man?"

[uncertain_dume]

Kanan caught that hitch, but let it slide. Hey, Eliot was trying? He'd take it. He glanced up from the fire and gave him a smile and a nod in greeting, and then held out his hand for Val.

"I don't have any complaints at the moment. Just taking advantage of the weather behaving itself to spend a little time just... connecting, I guess."

Connecting was exactly it. In a slightly less metaphysical way than he could be, at the moment, though he had been contemplating meditating some more, later on.

[vdistinctive]

"It's definitely a good day for that," Eliot agreed. Val trotted up happily, sniffed Kanan's hand, and proceeded to bathe it in as much spit as one tongue could manage. "Mind some company for a bit? Feel like we ain't chatted in ages."

[uncertain_dume]

That was a mighty amount of spit, but nothing Kanan wasn't used to, considering his own dog. Not that Stance was out here with him, today. He'd been conked out after a long walk when Kanan had left the apartment for a little more time just kind of being, out here.

"There's plenty of room by the fire," he replied, smiling a little and reaching his other hand to scratch behind Val's ear. "I was probably going to start pestering you at work one of these weeks anyway. You're right, it has been a while."

[vdistinctive]

Eliot chuckled. "You're welcome to do that, too," he said. "Lord knows we gotta stick together in the face of that damn kitchen staff."

Said the man who was ultimately in charge of that damn kitchen staff having jobs.

"So how you been?"

[battlewithstyle]

Mitsutada gave Kanan a little wave as he came onto the beach, then approached when he saw the fire.

"You seem to be looking more yourself again," he greeted with a pleasant smile. "I am glad to see that."

[uncertain_dume]

"I'm feeling more myself again, too," Kanan replied, smiling back at Mitsutada and nodding. "No weird inclinations to go find some slugs to pet, anyway. I'm going to consider that a win. How've you been?"

[battlewithstyle]

"I am as right as ever," Mitsutada said. "Especially since I have become less secretive about myself and why I am here. People have taken rather well to the fact that I am not as human as I appear."

[uncertain_dume]

"People around here take pretty well to a lot of weird things," Kanan noted, raising a hand and coaxing a small swirl of sand to rise up off the beach underneath it. "I'm pretty sure it's the normal people who are really out of place, here."

[battlewithstyle]

"Around here, there really isn't a thing as normal," Mitsutada said with a light shrug of his shoulders. "An island of misfits who here are just... fits. That sounded better in my head."

[what_the_shock]

A nice day, open space...why not? Miguel walked along the beach, pleased to be able to take his shoes off.

And waved at Kanan. “Hey. How are you today?”

[uncertain_dume]

"Can't complain," Kanan replied, looking up from the fire and giving Miguel a little grin and a wave in turn. "Figured I'd take advantage of a nice day by just being out in it. I think a few people have gotten the same idea. Yourself?"

[what_the_shock]

“Pretty much,” Miguel agreed. “Even the staff were cheerful today.”

He came and sat by the fire.

“There might be a lot of cotton candy leftover tomorrow.”

[uncertain_dume]

"Can't wait to see how the cook works it into pancakes," Kanan replied, rolling his eyes but grinning a little all the same. "What brought on the cotton candy thing? Just a sugary day or something?"

[what_the_shock]

“Sugar and fat in abundance.” Miguel shrugged. “Why not?”