Beach Basking

Cove looked up from his place sunbathing on the rocks by the shore. The days upon days of rain had put a damper on his lazy beach days and he'd spent more time sheltering from the rain or diving under the ocean than he might have otherwise. It had been alright, but he preferred the sunshine. A few drops of water splashed across his muzzle from the waves but he paid it no mind. He lifted his head, ears flicked forward. Someone was coming. His face softened as he recognised the figure approaching him, waiting until they were close to nod in greeting. 

“Hey, Uncle Cove. Nice to see the sun out again, isn't it?” Josephine greeted. She looked up to admire the sky now also brightened by the multifaceted light show from all the rain. “The rainbows are pretty too.” 

Tilting his head up to see them as well, Cove smiled wryly. “They’re nice after all the rain.” 

Josephine plopped down on the rocks beside him, opposite to the waves. She called him uncle, but it was in name only. He’d been close with her father before he passed, practically brothers, and had taken to checking in on his isoling because of it. She had come to see him as family, thus she’d come to call him uncle. 

“You gonna spend all day out here doing nothing?” she asked. 

He rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes. “Don’t see why not.” 

“Uncle!” she chided, playfully slapping at his ear. 

He hummed good naturedly but didn’t bother opening his eyes. He was already well acquainted with the face she was giving him. 

The sound of wing flaps was their only warning before someone fell heavily onto the sand in front of them. 

“Oof,” the isomara groaned, tail up in the sand. 

Cove looked over at the drop in arrival. He found that knew this isomara. It was that odd kid, Horacio, wasn't it? That's right, the kid who was into racing. He talked a lot, he remembered that much. What exactly did he think he was doing crash landing here? 

“Uh,” Josephine shared a glance with Cove before looking back at the newcomer, “Are you okay?” 

Horacio groaned. Sitting up, he fluffed up his wings before settling them against his back. Then he turned around, a cocky grin on his face. “I'm perfectly fine. All my landings are like that.” 

Josephine giggled and raised an eyebrow. “Crash landings?” 

Horacio flushed, ribbon ears fluttering in embarrassment as he brushed sand out of his fur. “Of course not! They're efficient and— and… precise.” 

“Yeah, because eating dirt is definitely ‘efficient and precise’,” Josephine smirked. 

Horacio puffed up, stepping closer and levelling a glare at Josephine. Cove was ready to intervene when the boy just froze, his face slack. 

“What? No comeback that time?” Josephine teased. 

He seemed to shake off whatever was going on in his head, face still flushed as he spluttered indignantly. “I don't— I don't eat dirt! I was— I—” 

“That's enough of that,” Cove interjected before things could escalate further. He just came out here for some peace. “You've both interrupted my nap in the sunshine for long enough.” 

“Oh yes, because you need your nap, Uncle Cove,” Josephine snarked playfully. 

“Uncle?” Horacio’s ears perked. 

“Yes, though not by blood,” the older green isomara clarified. 

“Chosen family is still family,” Josephine said firmly.

Cove glanced fondly at her before catching her eye and flicking an ear in Horacio's direction. She raised an eyebrow questioningly but he shrugged in response and laid his head back down on his legs. 

Sighing, she looked back at Horacio. “So what brings you out here? Did you come to enjoy the sunshine and the sky's light show?” 

He puffed up his chest. “I often train on the beach. Have to train if you wanna be the fastest on the island.” He tilted his head curiously. “What do you mean by the sky's light show?” 

Josephine slapped a paw to her face. “Really?” She flung her paw out, gesturing towards the sky. “How did you miss that?” 

He turned to look up at the sky. “Oh wow.” 

“Yeah,” she rolled her eyes with a wry grin. Bumping his shoulder, she teased, “It's amazing what you can see out there if you don't have your face in the dirt.” 

Eyes narrowed, he pouted in her direction before his expression shifted to one of embarrassment and he quickly turned back to the multicoloured sky, seeming to decide it wouldn't work out in his favour if he replied. Cove hid his own tiny smirk. The kid was right too. Perhaps there was hope for him yet. 

The excitement seemingly over, Cove rested his head back down and closed his eyes. He felt Josephine lie down next to him and rest her chin on his back, avoiding his fin and wings with practised precision—she’d been doing this since she was an isoling, after all. She was one of the few isomara he actually liked the company of, not that he would admit that out loud. She seemed to know regardless. 

Horacio shifted nervously. “So, we just sit here and do nothing?” 

“You don't have to stay,” Josephine said matter-of-factly. 

Cove peeked open an eye. The young green flyer stared at the sand, posture tight as he seemed to think it over. He huffed softly and ruffled his wings. “No, I'll stay. If you wanna have me hang out?” 

“Sure, Kid.” Cove closed his eyes once more. “Make yourself comfortable. And if you don't want to sleep, enjoy the view instead.”