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The Saturday weather forecast made one demand: when given a perfect beach day, you go to the beach.
Noé craned his head out the window, double checking that the blue sky really was completely clean of any white smudges. As he did so a pleasant cool breeze wafted its way through the alley, promising the most precious of summer days, sunshine that was not too hot and refreshing breezes that were not too cold. There was absolutely no excuse for staying inside.
Vanitas was still in bed, oversleeping somewhat in a way uncharacteristic of him. As he leaned up to let the covers drop to his waist, he could hear the ring of Noé's cellphone and the sound of Domi's voice on the other line. Plans were quickly being put together before Vanitas had even put his feet on the floor. Noé, noticing his friend had finally woken up, recounted the conversation. Domi and the others were going to meet up at the beach and said they should come along. Vanitas let out a sigh.
"Well? I can't refuse, I suppose." Vanitas punctuated his sardonic response with a stretch that let out a crack. He threw off the covers and made his way to the bathroom.
"The weather's not cold so you'll be fine," Noé replied, letting Vanitas' attitude wash over him while digging through his hangers to find an appropriate shirt for the occasion. "Besides. Jeanne will be there, attending Luca."
Vanitas paused with his hand on the door, looking back at Noé. He wore his usual thoughtful expression, but as the moment passed his face became dusted with light pink. His brow twitched as his composure started to crumble, irritation growing at his inability to stop the too obvious blush creeping up his face. He turned and slammed the door shut.
A bit later, Vanitas gathered that Noé agreed to stock up on beach provisions for the group. A cooler (thankfully empty), some brown paper bags full of snacks, and a beach umbrella were assembled. Vanitas took note of what Noé decided for his shirt; a garish purple Hawaiian button-down covered in vintage cats, matched with khaki shorts. On most this would be unbearable, but Noé decidedly could pull it off with a personality that justifies the outfit. The beach was a place Vanitas seldom visited, and he had a poor choice in clothing to suit the occasion. It would be too hot to wear the layers he was accustomed to, so he dug around for something that just about fit the bill. The result was a black tank top and some blue shorts. It would have to do.
The boys gathered outside their apartment and got ready to carry all their stuff. Living so close to the ocean, it was reasonable enough to walk there. Dominique often opined about the absurdity of their living arrangement given the rent of the area, but between the people who feel indebted to Vanitas and the natural charm of Noé he figured it all added up. When they were both prepared to walk over to the beach, Vanitas paused at the question on Noé's face. He can't hide anything, can he?
"Ask away, Noé."
Noé looked like he was going to say something about how easily Vanitas read him, but he seemingly chose to drop it and ask the question that was on his mind.
"You don't mind showing those scars?"
In times past, Noé wouldn't have dared ask such a question, so delicately he treats those around him when it comes to matters pertaining to the heart. Vanitas long ago permitted such honesty between them. If it's Noé, then it's fine. Vulnerability around him never lead to pain.
"Truthfully, it doesn't bother me. Strangers don't know my past, and it only helps me to let them think whatever they want about them."
Noé nodded, accepting the answer as is. Sometimes Vanitas' detached way of living in the world disturbs him, but he also knows Vanitas is proud and stubborn, and feels no shame about his battles. Noé wouldn't impose his views on him.
The pair carried their burdens down the streets to arrive at the beach. Already gathered around beach blankets was the group: Domi and the dhampirs, Dante, Riche, and Johann. A bit further away, Vanitas took note of Jeanne and Luca playing in the water.
"You couldn't have more perfect timing," said Dominique when she spotted them. She was clad in a very dark purple bikini, almost black, and it complemented her perfectly, Vanitas noted. Trust Dominique to know exactly what suits her. She was lugging a large bag of ice. "I was starting to wonder what was going to become of this."
The dhams were busy organizing the refreshments and other beach necessities. Dante and Johann wore swim trunks with matching patterns of beach umbrellas, whose origin Vanitas briefly pondered. Is there some kind of event dictating patterned summerwear to be worn by the men in this city, given the coincidence with Noé's shirt? Was that particular design on sale? These questions sprung up and disappeared almost immediately. He saw Riche was putting on sunscreen where her polkadot swimsuit didn't protect her, and her widebrimed straw hat didn't shade her.
Dante leapt up and jabbed a finger at him. "Quack! Now that you and your 'ultimate partner' are here, we've got enough people for a game! I challenge you on the volleyball court!"
"Finally, I was wondering when we'd be done doing boring stuff and actually start having fun at the beach." Johann had a volleyball ready in his hands that was pulled out of one of the bags.
"Just give me a minute and I'll be ready." Riche said hurriedly.
"Hah! Well Baldy," Vanitas said, becoming much more arrogant. "It's bold of you to challenge me to a game of daring and agility. Noé! Lets crush these information brokers into the sand!"
Noé had planted the cooler down and pulled open the lid to let Domi pour the slightly melted ice into the compartment, after which she stuffed with beverages. Leaning back up, he considered his opponents behind his sunglasses.
"What do you think Domi, do you want to play?"
Domi was wiping some sand off her hands while she took at look at her challengers.
"I suppose it only makes sense to make the teams even. Vanitas hasn't yet seen what I can do when I get serious."
"oh hoooo…" Vanitas replied slyly. "Those are some fine words. Prepare yourself Dante! Your team will see volleyball the likes of which the world has never seen."
And indeed it was exceptional. Noe brought out a previously unwitnessed volleyball prowess, wielding an incredibly deadly spike that was impossible to defend against. Against this Dante sent volley after volley, intending through sheer endless attacks to wear down his opponents' defenses. Vanitas met Dante with an uncanny agility, defending against balls at the most impossible angles, and frequently sending back sudden counterattacks. Johann faced this challenge with incredible defensive intelligence, relying on Dante's constant attacking to identify which areas the counterattacks would come, and directing Riche, who was playing with complete gung-ho energy and enthusiasm, where she would best serve the defense, and when opportunities for attack presented itself. Dominique was quietly seeking openings while defending, and she and Johann were playing a mental game of chess the likes of which their teammates were oblivious to, each planning the downfall of the other.
Many games passed until the gang was pleasantly exhausted and ready to do something more relaxing.
Dante and Vanitas weren't done fighting, though.
Both of them were on their knees in front of the cooler, fighting not for points but for who would grab a drink first.
"OUT OF THE WAY, QUACK. I'm dyin' of thirst here." Dante jabbed an arm in Vanitas' face.
"That's you're own fault, if you actually planned your shots more you wouldn't waste so much energy." Vanitas was trying to get some leverage against Dante so he wouldn't be pushed away by the dhampir's greater weight. "Hell if I know how you won any of these games with that play style."
"Yeah, well, I have great teammates who've got my back. Anyway, having Noé on your team is automatically unfair, so you should be grateful we didn't vote to eject him after that first hit he did."
"Stop whining, Baldy." Vanitas finally dug his hand into the cooler and fished out an icy water bottle, a precious thing on those merciless sands.
"FINALLY you're not blocking my view. Water? Pfft. Come on, you're at the beach, Quack." Dante scoffed. He chose a can of beer and soon the psht of depressurization followed. He took a big swig.
"Bwah–Now that's the stuff."
Vanitas rolled his eyes. "I question how you even survive with how you deal with dehydration."
No longer fighting, they were sitting next to each other with their backs to the cooler. Dante rested his beer on his knee and smirked at Vanitas, raising an eyebrow at him. "Now I don't want to hear that from you, when you don't make good choices with how to deal with dehydration either."
Vanitas' eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that."
Dante nodded his head in a direction somewhere in front of them. "What I mean by that is coming over. Luca and Jeanne are joining us."
Luca was running over with an inflatable swimming doughnut over his head, dressed in a kind of swimsuit that looked like it came from the turn of the twentieth century. Jeanne trailed behind him in a very cute and frilly bikini, a sort of opposite twin to Domi. Vanitas assumed Jeanne was going to stop and chat with Noé, but she kept walking until she made her way up to him.
"Uh…" Vanitas started.
"Vanitas!" She grabbed his arm and hauled him up. "Come with me, you haven't seen the water yet!"
"W-wait, I'm a bit tired from volleyball…" But it was no use. Dante idly waved goodbye as he was dragged away.
Clouds had drifted in near the horizon, although their effect was just to add some variety to the solid blue. The waves washed back and forth endlessly against the coastline, and piles of beached kelp had the crabs that wandered the shore as their only visitors. Jeanne and Vanitas splashed into the ankle-deep water. Vanitas was forced to admit the coolness was pleasant.
Jeanne picked up a shell she found embedded in the sand.
"That's rare," Vanitas noted. "The waves normally break the shells into fragments. It's not common to see one that large unbroken."
"Luca wanted to collect shells, so I think I might have become an expert by now." Jeanne put the shell she found aside, and kept walking along through the shallow waves. Vanitas followed a little bit behind her.
"I'm glad Dominique called us all out here. I think Luca enjoyed his break from his official duties. He has a chance to act more like a kid."
Jeanne smiled a bit wistfully.
"And I'm glad too," she said, brightening up. "That you came out here as well."
Vanitas stopped walking, looking slightly surprised from the unexpected smile and admission. He had thought she was thinking completely of Luca, but it dawned on him that she had been waiting for him. That inconvenient blush chose to grace his face again.
He tried to hide his reaction by turning away and walking further into the water. "You know, I actually love the ocean."
Jeanne perked up at his words. She had never heard him mention something he liked in this earnest way before.
"The ocean…" he started. "I used to spend a lot of time at the ocean with my father. With how unpredictable my life had been with our constant traveling, I thought the ocean was so beautiful and tranquil."
He gazed at where the rhythmic back-and-forth motion of the waves splashed around his feet.
"It's always moving, but it doesn't really change. I always wondered about that, how it could be so changing but stay the same." He looked at the horizon, which the sun was quickly approaching. The day had worn on and the temperature was dropping quickly.
"I hadn't come back to the shore in years."
He felt the touch of delicate fingers, gently running down his wrist to his hand. When he turned his head, he met Jeanne's steady and understanding eyes.
"Why didn't you?"
The hand slipped into his and gripped it tightly.
"Because that was the past. The past of what I was back then, before my father died and the days I spent afterward. It was just something someone who I used to be liked to do. There was no point coming back."
"But you're glad, aren't you?" Jeanne leaned against his arm. "That you came back here after all."
"Yes." Jeanne's warmth gently radiated through him. "It turns out the me of that time wasn't gone after all. I love it still."
They watched a dusk sky he hadn't seen in years as the sun fell into the sea.