[Gift] Lazy Beach Day

As Reverie struggled to keep their heavy eyes open, waking with their slim form curled around a soft, moon-shaped pillow, they wondered why in Murmur's good Burrow they would ever agreed to be up this early. Of course, they knew it was because Placido had requested it, eyes shining at the idea of Reverie accompanying him to the beach.

Even putting aside their friendship, Placido's kindness was always difficult difficult to turn down. Reverie knows that the invitation was well-meaning, as Placido only really ever has good intentions regardless of the outcome, but that didn't mean they did not somewhat resent their past self for acquiescing to the other succubun's request.

Still half-asleep, they prop themself up on one arm, still clutching their pillow to their chest, the fabric soft against their bare stomach, where their scant clothing didn't cover. It was taking concentrated effort to be upright, Reverie almost feeling as if gravity had intensified, but concentrated in the small area consisting solely of their nest of bedding.

They stayed that was for a moment longer, head dropping as sleep fought to reclaim them despite their, albeit somewhat half-hearted, determination.

Reverie scraped up what remained of their self control, fueled only by the fact that they had made a commitment, and were going to show up and spend some time with Placido, whether they currently wanted to or not.

And with that renewal of motivation, Reverie finally managed to pull themself free of their nest, their sleep-heavy limbs fighting them the entire way.

Finally, standing on their own two hooves, they blinked blearily at the room around them.

Wasn't there... something you're supposed to take with you to a beach?

A moment of concentrated thought, their mind almost feeling as if it should be creaking as they fought to wake up enough to try and think through the problem. Unlike other succubuns, Reverie kept their hooves in their doll form, so it wasn't shoes they needed to find. Not that they even owned a pair of shoes.

It was then that it finally occurred to them - a towel! Yes, taking a towel may come in handy. Though Reverie wasn't truly all that interesting in venturing into the ocean, Placido was both very fond of spending as much time as moss possibly could within the nearest body of water, and extremely persuasive. Simply put, the writing was already on the wall.

A few minutes passed, Reverie slowly rummaging through discarded clothing and linens to find a clean towel. It was an older one, a deep midnight blue with the fabric worn soft from use.

With that, Reverie slung the towel over their shoulder. It still felt as if they were missing something, but their head still felt as if it full of cotton. Deciding that it was likely a lost cause, they turn and left their burrow.

It would only occur to them much later, if it ever did, that what they were likely trying to come up with was a swimsuit.

--

The walk to the beach itself was probably about as pleasant as it could be. It was a warm day, but not overly so. That being said, having to travel anywhere on their own two hooves was undesirable to Reverie. It was only intensifying the regret they had been feeling earlier.

What were they thinking? Agreeing both to be awake early - having to be out of bed before one in the afternoon was a crime as far as they were concerned - and not only that, but leaving their both warm bed and cozy burrow, too!

But, it was too late to take back the promise now. They had told Placido that they would come along to the beach with him, and so they would.

Trying to tear their mind away from how much it sucked to have to do, well, anything really, they turned their attention towards the other succubuns on the way to the beach. It seemed like others had noticed the pleasant afternoon, and had come to enjoy the warm light of the crystal's above under the illusory sky while conditions held.

For as interesting as it was to mentally categorize the wide variety of swimwear that both buns and dolls were adorned with, alongside the vast array of colors, they found it hard to be truly engaged with people watching.

But this trial was finally at an end. The path they had been following was finally beginning to turn to sand, and soon opened up to the beach. The false sun was high overhead, providing generous amounts of light, making the golden sand shine. The air was filled with the lull of lapping waves against the shore, and the sand below their hooves was soft and carried with it a pleasant warmth.

Reverie's low mood began to lift almost immediately. While they weren't quite grateful for the outing yet, it had been a long time since they had last been to a beach. After meeting up with Placido, maybe they could seize the opportunity and have a nice nap here if they were not immediately dragged into the water, letting the sounds of the ocean wash over them as they drifted off.

They gazed out to the ocean, watching the light from the faux sun overhead glint across the water.

Catching sight of something, nearly too far for their eyes to see - even with the help of their glasses - Reverie squinted to try and get a better look. It seemed as if a succubun had gone further out than the rest of the swimmers, and was bobbing along with the waves, draped over an inner tube.

And, more telling, had a round shape clutched to their chest. One that was shaped suspiciously close to a fishbowl.

There was a chance that there was another living within Burrowgatory that would carry a similar round object with them wherever they go, but as Reverie looks over the busy - yet not crowded - beach, it feels as if their conclusion is very likely correct.

Reverie had shown up at least a little bit later than the agreed upon time - for as determined they were to try and keep commitments, they were not someone who could be described as punctual - and they could easily imagine Placido's eagerness to swim quickly overtaking his patience.

Well, that was okay. Reverie wasn't very inclined to swim out all the way to try and greet Placido, something that it was very likely the other succubun already knew, so they would just proceed with their other plan.

Namely, finding a nice spot clear of any particularly pointy rocks and other debris, and curling up in the warm sand.

With that, Reverie turns away from the water and starts down beach.

--

While Reverie was searching for a place to indulge in their favorite afternoon activity (and truly, their favorite activity for any time of the day), Placido was, indeed, out swimming. Right then, his eyes closed, body draped over a translucent near-pastel green inner tube, a fishbowl, the home of their pet devish, Florida, resting on their stomach.

The bowl was currently empty, kept at hand if the devish wanted a break from the open ocean. Moss kept careful hold of the bowl, Florida swimming around their floating form. If the imp was ever going to request to float alongside Placido, it appears as if it would be sometime from now.

It was always nice to spend time in the water, and the chance to spend as much of their day in the ocean was very welcome, for the both of them.

Placido was supposed to meet Reverie, but between their tendency to run late to everything it was possible to be late to, and having become lost in the sensation of bobbing out in the ocean, it had slipped his mind.

The moment he remembered, though, the flash of alarm work him up from their near doze. For all that allowing mosself to float out as far as Burrowgatory's caverns would allow was an excellent use of time, it would be even better spent alongside a friend.

It was going to take some time, and a lot of work, but it was time to head back. Placido rolls over, his inner tube shifting with their weight as moss rotates to be stomach-down, the inner tube now floating on its side, Florida swimming in large, lazy circles around them. 

Assured by the slight brush of fins against him, Placido begins the lengthy swim back to shore.

--

Placido wasn't very worried about Reverie getting irritated by his absence, for they were both a similar type of bun. Even without having seen his friend that day, Placido still could attempt to predict what Reverie would be doing that very moment and be entirely correct.

And that activity was exactly what Reverie had set out to do almost an hour ago - laying down in the sand and sleeping. 

It hadn't taken much work for Placido to find them once he and Florida had come ashore. Sure, they had passed many other beach-goers, but Placido knew both where the main path to the sand ended, and that Reverie would not walk far from it.

Upon coming across Reverie's sleeping form, curled on their side, Placido set aside their inner tube, closely followed by Florida's now-full fishbowl. It would be rude to wake his friend up, and despite the warm weather, Reverie almost looked cold. Maybe it was possible that their sparse amount of clothing was leading them to feel a chill that Placido didn't.

The consideration that if either of them would be colder, it would be the one clad in a swimsuit, who was still dripping wet from a multi-hour swim, was not something that occurred to the grey-furred bun.

Not one to allow a friend to be uncomfortable if he could do anything about it, Placido settled down to think for a moment. Reverie did have a towel, but it was clasped within the grip of half-closed fingers. Any Sloth succubun was likely to be a heavy sleeper, but it still felt rude to potentially disrupt another's sleep.

Gazing around, Placido attempted to find another option. Not sure what moss had been expecting, they were still somewhat disappointed to only find sand.

It was then that the idea struck.

Yes, only sand surrounded the trio, but there was a lot of it, and it had already been warmed. As long as Placido didn't dig too deep, perhaps it could serve as a pleasant makeshift blanket!

Course of action decided, he began the laborious process of burying Reverie in sand by hand. 

From within his fishbowl, Florida watched, somewhat judgmentally.

--

Some time later, with Reverie's midsection successfully covered, Placido finally saw their friend stir. As Reverie surfaced from unconsciousness, a look of vague confusion crossed their face. Cracking their eyes open, they take in the pile of sand on them. 

Placido helpfully steps within Reverie's line of sight, bright smile in place, and Reverie's confusion smooths itself away.

"You looked cold," Placido helpfully supplies. 

Reverie is silent for a moment, seemingly processing the statement. What comes next is spoken slowly, sleepily, in a way that makes it obvious that the one speaking isn't truly awake quite yet.

"Thanks." 

And with that, Reverie's eyes close once more.

Placido manages to brighten further, glad to have been able to help their friend.

But their task what not yet done, Placido returns to their self-appointed quest. There was still plenty of Reverie that was remained exposed, clear of sand. After that had been completed, perhaps they would join Reverie in resting.

--

It was only after faux-sunset that Reverie stirred again, body heavy from both sleep and the weight of what is, frankly, more sand than was strictly necessary to cover them. Buried in the sand, up to their neck, it almost feels like a shame to try and break free of what Placido had so carefully built.

Perhaps that wasn't just care from their friend speaking. If they had to be honest, despite snoozing away the day on the beach, sleep still called to them. And that was one siren song that was near impossible for them to resist.

Reverie began to carefully move, gently levering themself out of the cocoon of sand around them. It poured off in a stream, the sand fine and uncompacted, the topmost layer still warmed by the last lingering light.

In a sitting position, the fallen sand had gathered in a large heap in their lap. Reverie blinked sleepily, trying to wake up enough to be aware, resisting the urge to rub an eye with a sand encrusted hand. They leaned back, arms behind them to prop themself up, and began to cast their gaze over the beach.

By this time, with the illusory sun nearly invisible beneath the horizon. Many of those who were present to cool off in the waves, or enjoy the light and warmth, had long left. Of course, there were still a few stragglers, either playing in the now-cooling sand or wading their way out of the water.

And, right by their side, was the sleeping form of Placido. The grey-furred succubun was curled around Florida's fishbowl, and seemed to also be stirring. As Placido opened their eyes, he found Reverie smiling at him. Even if they hadn't spent much time awake at the same time, Reverie was glad for Placido's company all the same. 

Although, even though the day was technically over didn't mean that they had to go back home quite yet.

Another moment of consideration, Reverie spoke, their voice still heavy with sleep.

"Did you want to go swimming?"

Placido's answer was, as always, an immediate, bright acceptance, thrilled that moss had a friend so willing to accompany him into the water.

Gently removing themself from the remains of Placido's thoughtful sand-based blanket, Reverie stood, then offered a hand up to Placido. The grey-furred succubun was still beaming at them, and as Reverie turned towards the lapping waves, Placido only paused for a moment longer to grab Florida's bowl and their inner tube before following closely behind.

--

The water felt colder than it had earlier in the day, the slowly cooling evening air causing the temperature to imbue any swimmers with a chill. Both succubuns had waded near waist deep into the water, Placido briefly dipping the fishbowl moss still held close to allow Florida to swim around them.

Moss clambers into their inner tube, water splashing up around moss as he gets mosself into a position to float. Despite the increasingly persistent chill in the air, it's still pleasant to stare at the illusory stars, just becoming visible, far above them.

A glance to Placido's side reveals Reverie, floating on their back, eyes turned upwards, right beside him. Placido resettles, changing their grasp on the bowl they hold, and turns his face skyward once more.

The two succubuns would only have a couple more hours to appreciate the display above them before it grew late enough that they needed to leave. But until then, both are determined to use the time to the best of their ability.

As he feels Florida's fins brush against a dangling hoof, Placido relaxes into the bobbing waves, content.