Take a Shot

Beach

Enough character development. I'm taking you to the beach episode.

~~~~~

"Inudamn, Matt, this place is swanky!"

Gordie was first in the door of the bungalow, blue eyes moving here and there, frizzy blonde hair tossing to and fro as she swiveled her head to see everything. She squealed, dashing into the living room just in from the door and throwing herself onto a furry loveseat. Tekh chuckled as he followed her into the front room, her gold suitcase up on his shoulder and his own blue bag held loosely at his side. The purple-haired technician set the healer's suitcase on the ground in front of the table next to the front door, his good eye squinting a little as he looked around the living room.

"Who says swanky anymore?" Ref said with derision, struggling a little to heave a suitcase almost bigger than he was up the steps to the front door. He finally crested the top step and hauled himself and his rolling suitcase over the threshold. Once he was clear of the door, he bent over, putting his hands on his knees and panting.

"You need to work out more, kid." Stella followed after Ref, ruffling the tuft of white-blonde hair she called a 'fauxhawk'. Ref glared at the tote-sized bag Stella was easily carrying on her shoulder, but he was breathing too hard to produce a witty comeback. She grabbed Gordie's suitcase and sent it rolling across the floor towards the loveseat. Gordie offered some muffled thanks, which Stella ignored in favor of veering to the right and into the kitchen area.

"Man, Ref, you pack like a woman," Por snickered. He had jaunted up the three front steps, flip-flops slapping against his feet with every step. Ref stood up, aiming his glare now towards Por, who grinned obliviously.

"At least I don't look like a walking safety hazard," he sniffed, pointing at Por's bright orange shorts. His finger moved to the lime green shirt, nose crinkling in disgust. "You should be put on some sort of fashion crime watchlist. And stop calling me kid!" he aimed towards the kitchen. Stella waved him off, not even looking that way.

Por tossed his bag to the left, where the door to a bathroom stood ajar. He gave Ref's red hair a ruffle before skipping over to the bathroom. "Whatever, little man. I'm gonna go get my swimmies on!"

"I'm already regretting letting you guys come with me," Matt groaned as he made his way into the house. He looked back outside to see Emerald, chin tilted up, mouth ajar as she gawked at the house, fingers tapping on the straps of her backpack. He smiled, hiking his backpack off and tossing it towards where Ref was standing with his suitcase.

Matt put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. Emerald jumped, head snapping to him. He motioned for her. "C'mon. It's better inside."

"I don't know that I'd say better," Ref snarked. He pointed from the furry loveseat Gordie splayed out on, to the black, L-shaped leather couch on the far left wall. Matt laughed.

"More comfortable, at least," Matt admitted, moving to the side of the door and leaning against the wall. He cringed as he looked over the bright blue walls, all covered in photorealistic shipwreck paintings. "The, uh, decor isn't mine. My parents decorated the place, then when they died, my uncle and his family sort of shoved everything they didn't want, to this place."

Ref made a face. "Your uncle is dead too now, right?"

"Oh, yeah. That's how I inherited this."

"Good fucking riddance. He was a bastard," Emerald said, kicking the door closed behind her as she finally made it inside. She pointed past the kitchen, into the hall to a door that stood open. "Is that a bathroom?"

"Was that, perhaps, an extracurricular of hers?" Tekh asked quietly as Matt moved more to the center of the room. Matt shrugged the question off uncomfortably.