The Beach, Thursday Evening

[hatesparadise]

Danny's day had been something he'd gladly not repeat again, but he was back on the island now. And that was not something he'd ever thought he'd be glad about. But Fandom was very much like Hawai'i in ruining his ability to hate it.

But he'd gotten a message from Steve about staking out the shore line to find Redd tonight. The only issue was the fact that he couldn't find Steve.

There was a weird little pile of what looked like seaweed and coconut skins piled up just shy of the waterline at high-tide. But other than that...

"Steve? You here?"

[open! lo, tharr be SEAL shenanigans.]

Comments

[grenadesandohana]

"Shhhhhhhhh," hissed the super-stealthy camouflaged cover area, what is wrong with you, Danny. "Over here. Don't disturb the covering on the getaway vehicle."

The rickshaw, done up like a palm tree.

[hatesparadise]

"...what the hell, Steve." Because no. He was not going to be covered in seaweed all night for a stakeout. He wasn't insane.

[grenadesandohana]

This was so much better than being stuck in a car, though! Back to nature, no awkwardness when someone farted...Steve didn't even put on the facepaint! He was being super casual.

For him.

"Get in here in case the boat's inbound, Danny," Steve commanded. "You really were late."

[hatesparadise]

"Next time you're coming with me to Baltimore," he grumbled, sullenly joining him in the hole in the ground.

It was a hole in the ground, Steve. You made him sit in a hole in the ground.

"What did you find out?"

[grenadesandohana]

"That he sells both legit items and fakes, and he's duped at least one other person than your initial call," Steve said. "A kitty."

No, Steve. A person named Kitty.

[hatesparadise]

Yeah, there were a number of cat people now. And also Mae. Also, the weird, SEAL dugout made sense considering Steve's love of all things cat.

Danny nodded, mostly because he did not know how to respond to Steve saying the word 'kitty'.

[grenadesandohana]

"His boat's also spewing smoke and probably polluting the water," Steve said, offended in a way only someone who grew up in Hawai'i could be.

[hatesparadise]

"Unlike other boats," Danny replied, nodding along with Steve's environmentalism. "Like the Navy."

[grenadesandohana]

"Those are ships and also highly regulated," Steve said.

[thatwaslucky]

Rey had come back to do some more diving.

Don't judge her.

But she could also tell when someone was around, which was why she stopped walking near Steve and guessed, "Pitfall seed?"

She hoped, otherwise who knew what this was.

[grenadesandohana]

"Surveillance," Steve replied.

He'd dug this pit on purpose, Rey! Like a completely normal person.

[thatwaslucky]

"Ah," she said, and nodded while still giving him an odd look. "Trouble on the... beach?"

[grenadesandohana]

"Potentially," Steve said, "but nothing to worry about. We're just chasing down a lead."

By sitting in a sand pit for an unknowable period of time.

[thatwaslucky]

"So not dangerous?"

This being Fandom at all.

[grenadesandohana]

"How dangerous can a fox dealing in counterfeit artwork really be, right?" Steve wondered.

[thatwaslucky]

Rey frowned at him.

"I'm sorry?"

[grenadesandohana]

"Yeah," Steve said, shaking his head ruefully. "This place is very strange."

[long_memory]

Silver was on the beach hoping the waves would drown out that horrible music. And, yes, maybe he was there to do some sullen pining at the ocean. Like you do.

He did not notice the bickering from the hole in the ground yet.

[hatesparadise]

Like you do when you're a pirate.

"Silver," Danny said, completely ruining the whole covert sniper's nest thing Steve had so lovingly constructed. Probably at one of those workbenches scattered all over the island. Ten bells said he got the recipe from a message in a bottle.

[long_memory]

Well that was odd, even for this place. "What the hell are you doing?"

You were supposed to be the normal one, Danny!

[hatesparadise]

IT WAS A RELATIVE TERM HERE.

Danny sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Staking out the beach for someone selling fraudulent art."

[long_memory]

"And for this you need to be in a hole?" he asked.

[hatesparadise]

"Trust me, I would prefer to be in a much more comfortable environment. With air conditioning and food that isn't out of a bag." But Steve.

So much of his life could end with: But Steve.

[long_memory]

"You take your job very seriously." Too seriously, Silver would say.

[hatesparadise]

Silver couldn't talk about that because of a certain restaurant. Just putting that out there.

"It's a serious job," Danny agreed. "This is... yeah."

Look, this island was nuts. That was all you needed to know.