Sooraya and Garrison: Accidental exposure in boiler beach

[xp_dust]

The system has worked well for years. Unfortunately today it did not, as Sooraya and Garrison discover.


Sooraya smoothed her towel again, even if it was already pretty smooth on the layer of sand, glanced at the door again before finally pulling off the loose kaftan and headwrap she was wearing. A long black braid fell halfway down her back and she only wore a simple green one piece bathing suit. 

 

Stretching out on a towel, the heat sunk into her body and it was rather... nice? Marie definitely had a point when she suggested this as a way to relax. 

 

Amanda had been right. The pair of Beats was a good investment, Kane mused, as the Hip's rediscovered Night at the Roxy played in his ears. It had been a mild winter, but scene from spring training, as well as a persistent ache in his joints had sent him down to Boiler Beach. A six pack, an hour of hot lamps and bright fake sun hopefully would recharge him a bit. Nothing else did these days.

 

He double check the door and seeing nothing, pushed inside. 

 

Stretching out even more, Sooraya wriggled a little more into the sand so it supported her body a little better... if she wasn't careful it would be pretty easy to slip into a light doze. From somewhere on the edge of her dreamy state, she heard the door open, but didn't pay that much attention. The same card she used for the rare occasions she used the pool had been put into place on the door and it had always been respected. 

 

Still, slowly she opened one eye.  

 

As he hit the sand, Kane suddenly paused to belt out 'Well I'm going down to see my highway girl' after which he gave a little twirl. And a sidestep, and the next line 'Yeh she just back from around the world'. There was a backwards shuffle, almost tragically off the beat and certainly not hip. 'I'm gonna get me a gun, I'm gonna stand on guard' and a single leg kick. Yes, a leg kick. 'In a little white booth in her front yard!' He said, each step involving a deeper knee bend; an off-rhythm supplication to the gods of Canadian rock. 

 

"Ah my little highway gir-urk!" He suddenly stopped with a choke as he registered Sooraya there.

 

"What!?!?" Sooraya's eyes had snapped open when the discordant notes filled the small room and caught Garrison in her gaze. It took her just a few moments to realize who was standing there... 

 

"Garrison!?!?!?" She shot up and almost immediately her body shiver as she dissolved into her sand form. 

 

"Wait, wait! Hang on!" Kane said, pushing the headphones back. "Don't you have a card? There's usually a card! Where is the card?" 

 

Sooraya reformed inside her kaftan, grabbing the wrap that came with her swimsuit to drape around her head as an improvised headscarf before she fully settled into her normal body. "I do!!! I put it on the door, you doof! You mustn't have looked very well!" She retorted once she was able to.  

 

"OK, I'm willing to be the asshole here, but there was no card." He had his eyes shut behind his sunglasses. "I promise that is the case!" 

 

Shaking her head, Sooraya sighed as she pushed a few locks of hair under the improvised veil. "You can look again. I'm covered up." She offered a lot more calmly. "Though I wonder what happened to the card then, since I am pretty sure I put it up." 

 

 "Sure, sure." Kane made his way to the door and doublechecked. "Okey, no card. I'm only partially an asshole."

 

 "I'm pretty sure it didn't grow legs and walk off or something." Sooraya called up the stairs, then fell silent. "Okay wait, scratch that. That easily could've happened around here. Any chance it fell off before or something before we go to placard growing legs?" 

 

"I'm going to stick with my only partially asshole status then. I am really sorry about this, Sooraya. I did not mean to accidentally cause issues." Kane said with a legitimately apologetic look. "Let me grab my stuff and I'll leave you be."

 

"It's okay, Garrison. It's not your fault." Sooraya replied with a small sigh, consciously trying to relax her shoulders against the tension she still felt. " I was just really startled. The card system worked well for years, but I guess this was bound to happen sometimes." She shook her head with a small smile. "Next time I'll duct tape it to the door or something, just to make sure it stays."

 

"Sounds like a plan. We've been friends for a long time. You know I respect your beliefs and try to support what matters for you." 

 

"I know you do." Sooraya simply confirmed. "I'm relieved it was you and not that feathery peacock or something... if he ever dared to get sand between his glowy white feathers. But I'd never hear the end of it." His face screwed up in distaste before firmly putting it out of her mind. "So how do you wanna play this right now? I can head out or I can give you a text once I'm finished..."  

 

 "Why don't you take the fake sun for today? I'm going to see if I can track down Jean for lunch." Kane said with a small smile. "But thank you for letting me down easy."

 

"I'm sure she's up for that..." Sooraya's smile broadened as she winked. "At least if the gossip is to be believed? Unless the spring fever hit early... then everything is possible."  

 

 "Hey, I respect your religion, you respect my fumbling attempts to date the hot redheaded doctor lady, ok." Kane said with a grin as he packed up his stuff and headed out. "And I promise, I'll put the card back on the door."

 

"Thanks Garrison and good luck hunting down the wayward doctor." Sooraya called after him as she pulled off the towel again and spread it out on the sand. 

 

A few minutes later she was happily snoozing under the fake sun again.