(Untitled)

[risesagain]

Jean knows that she is well on her way to being terribly sunburned. The tips of her ears have started pinking up as has the bridge of her nose. The sunscreen that she had put on that morning before going out was in the middle of its final throes and giving up at an alarming rate

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[hyperspanner]

Scotty, like many of his countrymen, tended to burn at the merest thought of sun. After several unpleasant occasions where he'd come up like a lobster, he'd taken to staying in the shade and working during the day, and only going out at foraging for materials when dusk set in. Every so often, though, he got impatient, and today was a particularly hot day, so he'd decided to risk the sun and go paddling while looking for interesting things that might have washed up on the beach. So far, he'd got a bucket full of unusual-looking shells and bits of driftwood, but nothing of any real use.

Somewhere along the beach, he came to a small landing, with a girl sat on it basking in the sun. Shielding his eyes, he caught sight of the book she was reading, and smiled. A lass after his own heart. When she spoke, Scotty grinned and called back,

"Sorry, I've no' got a tiny umbrella, but I've got a couple of coconut shells. Maybe if we hang around long enough somebody else'll turn up with the rum and bananas."

[risesagain]

Jean laughs, loud and open before sitting up and turning in the direction of the man. His voice reminds him of Moira and growing up and despite her own doubts about people in general she wants to trust him immediately. It is funny how those things just happen.

"I hope they don't forget the ice. You can't have a fun drink without the ice."

[hyperspanner]

"Aye, and in this weather, ye'd want it. The sun's so bright today it's frying the hairs on the back of my neck," Scotty said, coming to a stop and resting his elbows on the edge of the landing, smiling up at the girl.

"Looks like it's starting to burn ye, too," he said, giving her a closer look. "I'd get in the shade pretty sharpish if I were you."

[risesagain]

Despite the fact that Jean had already realised that sunburn was a realistic possibility she still reaches up and touches her cheeks.

"I see that I am," she laughs as she says that and lowers her hands. "I should know better, but I just didn't want to get up and sit in the shade. Silly, I know."

[leftwithmybones]

He's been wandering the shoreline since the morning, sunscreen slathered on him and keeping him company. It's been a good companion, but when he sees a woman ahead he rethinks solitude for the rest of the day. "Sorry?" he asks, when he gets close enough. He's heard almost everything, but he's not exactly sure what umbrellas have to do with anything.

[risesagain]

Rolling over slightly so the she can get a good look at who is talking to her, Jean shades her eyes once again. She doesn't know him but that is no reason not to be honest. It isn't something horrifying or that embarrassing to start with.

"You know, the little paper and toothpick umbrellas. One of those in a drink, isn't that what you're supposed to drink in places like this?"

[leftwithmybones]

He tilts his head to the side to match the angle of her head, offering her a slight smile as he takes that as invitation that she doesn't just want him to screw off. "Woman after my own heart," he announces, easing closer and extending his hand. "Leonard McCoy," he introduces himself. "And if I'd known I was supposed to bring drinks, I would have. I won't make the same mistake twice."

[risesagain]

"That's good. No one wants to have to keep retaking the test."

An odd choice of metaphors, even for her, but Jean has a feeling that this man will appreciate it. Or at the very least not think that she's gone off the rails for it.

Reaching up she shakes his hand. "Jean Grey."

[drownondryland]

"I'll settle for one without an umbrella," Meredith says, hands swinging at her sides as she walks over to join Jean. She's finished her morning in the clinic and come right out for a walk, but there's no reason to exert herself when there's a friend to hang out with instead. She meant it, though. Life's back almost to normal, but that doesn't mean she couldn't go for a drink.

[risesagain]

"Hmm," Jean considers bending her leg and tapping her foot in consideration. It is a mildly awkward position to be in, but she just doesn't feel like sitting up just yet.

"I think the umbrellas are half the fun. More of the spirit of the drinks rather than the alcohol or something."

[drownondryland]

"The spirit of the spirits?" she asks, deadpan, settling down to sit at the edge of the dock. Slipping her shoes off and setting them beside her, Meredith eases her feet down into the water. "It does have that particular tropical feel. Like a vacation." Instead of what they have.

[risesagain]

"Exactly," she nods, smiling as she puts on the effort of wincing at the pun. It is sort of terrible and she feels a bit bad for prompting it but she's heard worse.

Sitting up she looks around. "Yeah. Maybe someone will show up with a blender and the fixings out of the blue. I shouldn't wish for that but it would nice."

[shot_my_shoes]

Harry has an easy way of avoiding sunburn - he covers up. He's been here long enough now that his face is used to the sun, but none of the rest of him is, because he always wears long sleeved shirts and trousers.

Rover spotted the woman lying on the dock before Harry did and raced off to greet her. It meant Harry was forced to run after him and so was just behind when Rover stopped beside the woman and started licking her cheek.

"Rover!" Harry shouted at him. "Sit." The dog at least did that. "Sorry about that," he said. "He likes people."

ooc: Rover's a four month old labrador - so not full grown yet, but bigger than in the icon

[risesagain]

Becoming the subject of a puppy's affection so quickly had caught Jean off-guard. Taking it in stride, she laughs as she sits up and gives the dog an affectionate scratch on the top of his head.

"I can see that," she says partially to the dog, partially to his owner. "I don't mind though. Just surprised me, that's all."

[shot_my_shoes]

Rover wagged his tail at her touch, but Harry was glad to see that he did as he was told and stayed sitting.

Harry smiled at the woman, glad that she wasn't too upset by what Rover had done, even if Harry wasn't impressed by it.

"Are you sunbathing in this heat?" he sounded a little incredulous because he could never understand why people did that.

[risesagain]

"Reading," Jean gently corrects, lifting up the book that has fallen by the wayside. She doesn't sunbathe. That has a lot to do with her aversion to large amounts of heat since she was nearly burned alive by the radiation from the sun.

But she doesn't talk about that. It's hard for even people who were there to swallow.