The Beach, Tuesday, Late Afternoon

[not_in_the_book]

The beach was empty, until -- with a well-managed >whumpf< of expanding air -- it wasn't.

Ronan glanced around, grinning, before giving himself a quick brush-down. "Powers, it's good to be back," he said. And then his phone rang.

Rolling his eyes, Ronan pulled his phone out of his pocket and answered the call. "Hiya, Carl," he said, unable to keep a laugh out of his voice. "Excellent timing, I have literally just landed."

"Glad to hear it. The transit was okay?"

"I've had better, but I've definitely had worse," Ronan said. "So, is this my first check-in?"

Ronan could practically hear Carl shaking his head. "No, just a welcome-back call," the Senior explained. "We'll do a proper check-in once you've settled back into Fandom. We don't have any of our variety of wizards around there right now, so it should be a quiet few days to start with."

"And then, what, monthly jaunts up to you and Tom, and the occasional visit with wizards on the mainland? Piece of cake."

"Tell me that after you meet your first Nita and Kit," Carl said, laughing at him. "You'll see how easy this is. Anyway, good luck, Tom gives his best. We'll see you at the end of the month. Dai stího, Ronan."

"Dai, Carl," Ronan replied, and ended the call.


[Open beach is open!]

Comments

[myownface]

Yeah, Sparkle was worried about Atton.

Sparkle also needed to get out of the apartment from time to time or he'd go fucking insane. He was splitting the difference today with a walk on the beach, intending to take maybe twenty minutes here and then stop for groceries.

... Not that he needed groceries. There were leftovers in his fridge for days.

He blinked up and squinted a little as he approached another person on the beach. And then tilted his head a little. And then smirked.

Hey, there was a familiar new face.

[not_in_the_book]

Ronan turned towards the newcomer and smirked right back. "Well, hello. Fandom definitely has improved the welcome wagon since the last time I was here."

Probably a very familiar face; despite the few years since the last time he'd seen Sparkle, Ronan looked like he hadn't aged a day.

"How's it going, Sparkle?

[myownface]

Sparkle, meanwhile, had a couple more years and a bit less punk on him, but he was kind of thrilled that he was remembered, either way.

"Better now that there's a smiling face here," he teased. "What brings you back to this mess of an island, huh?"

[not_in_the_book]

"I just can't stay away," Ronan said. "Too many pretty people, not enough time in the day. I can't imagine that's changed much since the last time I was here."

He grinned a little wider. "I mean, it certainly hasn't so far."

[myownface]

Sparkle laughed and shook his head.

"And how long have you been here now?"

Flirting? Yes, he could handle flirting, thank you.

[not_in_the_book]

Ronan glanced at his phone, still in his hand, before tucking it away in his pocket. "About two minutes," he admitted. "But those two minutes have been fantastic."

[myownface]

"Well, I would hate for them to be a disappointing two mintues," Sparkle replied, "especially considering how you've spent them so far."

[not_in_the_book]

"Trust me," Ronan said, smirking again, "you have never been anything close to disappointing."

Reining in the flirt a little bit, Ronan continued with, "So, how has the island been? Any big changes lately? I imagine we're still getting our periodic invasions."

[myownface]

"The island's still the island," Sparkle said, rolling his eyes. "Parents weekend, followed by a weekend where the dead came back to visit."

He shook his head, smirking faintly.

"It's stupid, but it's home, I guess."

[spectre_alenko]

Monday had been great but there was still residual stress from the weekend, so Kaidan was doing what Kaidan did best - running across terrain that only the kind of masochist that made up the freerunner mindset would consider.

"Hey," he greeted the other guy on the beach as he neared.

[not_in_the_book]

"Kaidan! Hey!" Ronan replied, visibly perking up. "I didn't know you were still going to be on the island. How've you been?"

[spectre_alenko]

Kaidan came to a stop and blinked. Then he laughed a little and shook his head, "He's not. I don't recognize you, so you're probably referring to Kaidan 1.0. I'm Kaidan 2.0, different reality, further along in the timeline."

[not_in_the_book]

Ronan blinked for a moment, then laughed, shaking his head. "Oh, sorry -- we lived together, last time I was on the island for a while. 1.0, I mean. Hi, I'm Ronan. Ronan Nolan."

He held out a hand to shake; if Kaidan was paying attention, he might notice the three parallel scars, thin and well-healed, cut across the flesh below his thumb.

[spectre_alenko]

Kaidan noticed but he had another friend with scars on his hand.

He shook the hand, "Uh. Kaidan Alenko, which you already knew. Lived with as in roommate, or were you attached?"

Because that might get awkward.

[not_in_the_book]

"Oh, just -- flatmate, really. He was teaching at the school, and I'd come back to work at the clinic for a bit until I had to head off-world again."

Not that Ronan hadn't thought about it. Kaidan, whichever version, was an exceedingly attractive man.

[spectre_alenko]

That was a relief. Kaidan had yet to run into any of 1.0's attachments, assuming he'd had any.

"Oh, are you a doctor?" he asked.

[not_in_the_book]

Ronan shook his head. "No, a wizard," he explained. "Did a stint at the clinic back when I was a student here, and then I've just spent the last few years working at various clinics and hospitals around the galaxy."

[spectre_alenko]

A blink. "Oh. Well, that's a new one on me," Kaidan said.

Peter used magic, but Peter didn't call himself a wizard. This was a first.

[2_old_for_this]

Peter was enjoying the weather while he could, and while it wasn't quite Greece, the beach here was still nice.

He paused to nod to the new face, not sure if he should stop.

[not_in_the_book]

It was a very nice beach! With very nice people.

"Hello!" Ronan greeted him, with a cheery little wave.

[2_old_for_this]

"Hi." Peter waved back. "Are you new, or only here for a little while?" After all the visits from the last couple of weekends, maybe this was something else?

[not_in_the_book]

"Not new, exactly," Ronan explained, "but I haven't lived here for a while." He held out his hand, smiling. "Ronan Nolan. Used to be a student here, then I taught here for a little while, and now I'm back to figure out what I'm doing with my life."

[2_old_for_this]

Peter shook his hand and gave him a small smile in return. "Peter Octavian. I run the flower shop in town, and I have a...not really a class, more a movie night, every week when school's in session."

[not_in_the_book]

"Oh, fantastic!" Ronan said, considering the frisson of energy he felt when Peter shook his hand. It was... not familiar, but close enough that counted. Definitely some kind of magic. "Movie nights are always fun. Are they open to everyone?"

[2_old_for_this]

Peter shook his head and laughed. "I was really just returning the favor of letting you know what I do, not soliciting guests. But yes, it's open to everyone. Tuesday nights, at the community center."