(Untitled)

[somethingcruel]

Johnny was down on the beach again, lured by the white sand and blue water - a far cry from the dismal holidays of his youth, when his mum and whatever arsehole she happened to be dating at the time would drag him and his brother off to the seashore. He would dispiritedly try to build sandcastles while his mum and her man went off to the pub and

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[outta_texas]

Tyra's out for a walk. Even sunbathing gets boring after a bit, and she's just wandering along the sand, taking in the ocean and the sky and...the guy building sandcastles.

Okay.
Sugar, you really ain't in Dillon anymore.

"Hey there," she says, walking over. "That's a nice castle."

[somethingcruel]

Johnny took his cigarette out of his mouth and looked up. "It's not done yet," he pointed out. "The invading sand-Visigoths can still take it from the rear. It needs a moat."

[outta_texas]

Tyra arches an eyebrow.

Cute.

"Well, you wouldn't want that," she says, crossing her arms under a bikini top which is, of course, fucking blue and gold. "You'd better make good an' sure you've got a moat."

[somethingcruel]

"This is serious business, young lady," Johnny said sternly. "You won't laugh when the conquering hordes are at your doorstep."

He began digging out a moat with his hands. "D'you reckon I can get any boiling oil around here?"

[outta_texas]

"Sorry," says Tyra, and arranges her face into what she reckons is a suitably somber expression, even if she is dying to laugh.

"Maybe in the kitchen. That little fat blond might not like it though."

[somethingcruel]

The sides of the moat kept falling in, and now the upper tower was beginning to crumble as well. "Bugger," Johnny said, sitting back on his heels. "Sorry, men, you're all fucked. The sand-Visigoths are going to come and rape your sheep and eat your children. There's nowt to be done about it."

He glanced up at the girl, who looked like she was struggling not to laugh. An American who had a sense of humor? Could it be?

[outta_texas]

"Well, I haven't got any kids and I'm pretty sure I haven't got any sheep either, so I might be okay."

She arches an eyebrow.

"Maybe. Just maybe."

[somethingcruel]

"Dunno about that. You might want to invest in some armor."

He dragged on his cigarette and gave her another onceover. "Where're you from, love?"

[outta_texas]

Tyra tilted her head.

"Dillon, Texas. Don't worry. You've never heard of it." Her mouth quirked. "And I don't think I've got the figure for armour."

[somethingcruel]

"I've heard of Texas," Johnny said. "But have you heard of Manchester?" He waited for her to ask whether that was part of London.

[outta_texas]

"Manchester?" She shakes her head but at least, for a moment, she looks suitable embarrassed. "Spent my whole life waiting to get out of Dillon."

[somethingcruel]

"Dunno why that should preclude a knowledge of geography," Johnny said. "It's in England, love. Home of the Industrial fuckin' Revolution, thank you very much."

Abruptly one of the sandcastle towers collapsed. "Fucking hell," he sighed. "A builder's work is never done."

[outta_texas]

"I never paid much attention in school," says Tyra, and she ain't apologising. "Always had better things to do."

Tyra arches an eyebrow.

"No rest for the wicked, huh?"

[somethingcruel]

"I knew where Texas was from watching telly," Johnny said, unimpressed.

He frowned and considered the rapidly disintegrating castle. "Maybe I should start over."

[outta_texas]

"If you've got nothin' better to do," says Tyra. "And maybe I had better things to do than watching the T.V too."

[somethingcruel]

Goodness, this girl certainly thought she was something special, didn't she? On the other hand, when he was her age (back in the Dark Ages) he thought he was a unique snowflake, too.

He smirked, dragging on his cigarette. "Like what?"