[Santo - The Beach]

[walk_ins]

[ master post]You have to walk down a ramp to get to the sand. The ramp stretches over sand dunes, with sea oats dotting them, blowing in the near-constant breeze. On the same level as the ramp: a boardwalk, dotted with places to get sketchy-looking fried food, to try your luck at a number of games of chance, to watch performers, to ride roller

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[still_a_cop]

The sun is bright. It's also a little... off.

Charlie's wearing sunglasses as he's peering up into the sky. He's standing on the boardwalk.

"They'll fry anything these days," he says. Absently.

[simon_doctor]

"I saw a stand back there that was selling fried custard," Simon agrees. "I'm not even sure how that's possible."

[still_a_cop]

"You wanna try it?" Charlie cranes his neck to the left.

[simon_doctor]

"...well, I admit I'm a little curious."

A beat.

"Do you?"

[still_a_cop]

"It's like it's a lot further off. But it's still warm."

He pauses.

"I'm gonna try the worst fried thing I see. And I don't think that's it."

[simon_doctor]

"...Something to be said for the spirit of inquiry, I suppose."

The other man's first sentence sounded like a non sequitur, though. Simon follows his gaze toward the sky.

"The sun, you mean?"

[still_a_cop]

"Yeah." Charlie shoves his hands in his pockets -- and looks down.

It'll still be there when he looks back up. And there are spots in his eyes. "I don't know. Do you think it's off?"

[simon_doctor]

"Well, it's a little different from where I grew up, but I've gotten used to that."

They're walking slowly. A group of teenage girls saunters past them in the same direction, talking and laughing, bright sarongs fluttering in the breeze; some of them throw glances back at the two men, and giggle.

[still_a_cop]

"...yeah." Charlie shakes his head a little. "Yeah. I guess you would. Sorry."

A lot of the signs are labeled in Chinese, or what he's pretty sure is Chinese, and the English doesn't always make sense. LUCK ATTEMPT is a frequent phrase.

[simon_doctor]

"No need."

Simon's looking at the stalls again.

"Fried pickled beets. Does that sound horrible enough?"

[still_a_cop]

"...I think I'm gonna hold out a little while longer."

He looks to his right, where the water is. "You know if there's an equivalent to the Pacific Coast Highway out here?"

[simon_doctor]

Simon follows his gaze out to the sea.

"I ... sorry, I'm afraid you'll have to tell me what that is."

[still_a_cop]

"State Route 1." He's still focused on the water. "Runs along the Pacific Ocean. On the California coast. You get far enough north and it's two lanes, on cliffs. Really windy. Some of it crumbles a little."

[simon_doctor]

"A road, you mean."

He shakes his head. "I don't know. I could call up a local road map, if you're that interested."

[still_a_cop]

"Not unless there's a place to rent a car."

Simon gets a sidelong look -- or what's probably a sidelong look, considering Charlie's sunglasses. "Or a flying car."

[simon_doctor]

"There should be. I know Santo relies heavily on its public transit system, but there must be some commercially available private vehicles."

A beat.

"Though I'm afraid I'm not qualified to teach you how to operate one."