It's in the eyes. Always the eyes.

Chapter Six| Seashells and Surprises

       The sun hung high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the sandy shore as Penny, Crash, Coco, and Aku-Aku made their way to the beach. The sound of waves crashing against the sand was calming, and a gentle breeze rustled through the palm trees. It was a perfect day for a break from their usual routine and menial tasks, and everyone was looking forward to a relaxing time by the ocean.

She took a deep breath of the fresh sea air and smiled at the endless stretch of water before her. Clad in a cream knitted cover-up that Aku-Aku had made for her and a teal skirted one-piece swimsuit underneath, she stretched her arms above her head, feeling the warmth of the sun. "I can't remember the last time we had a beach day," Penny said cheerfully, glancing over at Crash, who was already eyeing the waves eagerly, clearly itching to grab his surfboard and dive right in.

Coco, on the other hand, was just as eager but for a different reason. She hurried ahead, clutching a small, remote-controlled device with flashing lights. "Guys, wait until you see what I brought!" she announced proudly, holding up what looked like a tiny, spider-like robot. "It's my seashell-collecting robot! I've been working on it for weeks, and today's the perfect time to test it out."

Aku-Aku, hovering beside them, frowned slightly but maintained his calm demeanor. "Coco, I thought we agreed this would be a day of rest and relaxation," he said in his usual wise tone. "No work, remember?"

Coco waved off his concern with a smile. "Oh, don't worry, Aku-Aku! It's completely harmless and won't take much of my time at all. I just want to see if it can find the rarest shells on the beach. Besides, I built it for fun!"

Penny laughed softly, shaking her head. "I guess even on vacation, you can't resist tinkering with something, huh?"

"Exactly!" Coco grinned, bouncing slightly as she adjusted the controls on the robot. "But I'll only test it for a little while, I promise!"

Crash immediately ran off toward the water, grabbing his surfboard and signaling for Penny to join him. Penny waved back, feeling a surge of excitement at the idea of surfing for the first time. Meanwhile, Coco, already setting up her seashell-collecting robot, adjusted a few knobs and pressed a button, causing the little machine to whirr to life and scuttle across the sand in search of seashells.

Aku-Aku floated nearby, still keeping an eye on Coco but allowing her to indulge in her invention. "I suppose a little bit of fun with technology won't hurt," he mused.

Penny, laughing as Crash surfed a few waves and gestured for her to join him, looked over her shoulder at Coco's busy robot. "Let's hope it finds something cool. But for now..." She eagerly removed her knitted cover-up and open-toed sandals, leaving them on the sand as she jogged toward the water, eager to see if Crash's lessons would pay off.

As she stood at the water's edge, watching the waves roll in, Penny hesitated. The idea of surfing had always seemed fun in theory, but with the vast ocean in front of her, she suddenly felt a bit nervous. Crash, however, wasn't going to let her second-guess herself. He splashed over to her with his usual boundless energy, grinning from ear to ear, his surfboard tucked under one arm.

With an exaggerated gesture, he pointed at the surfboard he had brought for her, tapping his own as if to say, This is going to be fun! Penny raised an eyebrow, still unsure. "I don't know, Crash. I've never surfed before, and those waves look... really big."

Crash shook his head and gave her a thumbs-up, his smile reassuring. He mimed out a surfing motion, wildly waving his arms as if he were catching a huge wave, then pretended to fall off, landing with a dramatic splash in the shallow water. Penny burst into laughter, his goofy encouragement impossible to resist. Though she was still nervous, Crash's enthusiasm was contagious, and though she still felt nervous, she gave in.