"Finally! I felt like I was going to dieeee!!" Sara groans, dramatic as always. She steps out of the car along with Jeannine, her eyes squinting behind her expensive sunglasses in the bright, summer sun.

"Says the one driving." Jeannine reminds her, talking from the other side of the car. "You weren't even going the speed limit!" She berrates her, jokingly. 

"Yeah, well... I took a different road this time! One I don't know so well, okay!" Sara yells back, going on her tip toes to see Jeannine over the top of the vehicle.

I listen to their conversation from the comfort of her earring. It's a new model that Daedalus' workshop made. We felt it was about time we had a second one, especially now that we have two enormous ladies who can carry us around. Plus, now Jeannine has a matching pair. She's got the older model on her ear right now.

"I, for one, quite enjoyed the ride." Ori comments, the cheer in her voice causing the other two to settle down. Our earpieces allow us to communicate, even at this great distance.

"Well, I am glad." Jeannine nods, coming around to meet Sara at the car's trunk. They open it and each gather a beach bag. She then steps away so that Sara can shut it. With each of them ready, they check on us before the four of us move to the beach. "Are you two doing alright? Remembered to bring water, didn't you?"

"Yes, ma'am." I confirm, shaking my water bottle into the mic so she can hear it. "But did you?"

Jeannine steps closer to Sara, patting her bag. "Of course. Wouldn't want to get dehydrated, would we?" Her eyes are fixed on me as she speaks, before rising to meet Sara's. "So, should we change here or elsewhere?"

The two of them look around at the barren parking lot. There is no one around today, in fact, her car is the only one here. "Here should be fine. This part of the coast isn't exactly 'nice'. More a place to enjoy the quiet than to bring friends. I hardly ever see anyone else here, least of all when the Marina down the way is hosting a big party. "

With that, the two of them put down their bags and begin to take off their cover-ups. I keep my eyes on the ceiling as they do so. All the while, an intense blush forms on my face. I kind of wish I wasn't the only guy here. These three are my closest friends, but that only makes things more awkward.

"Ooh~ Very cute, Jeannie." Sara nods in approval. 

She's right. From where I sit, I can see most of Jeannine. She's wearing a plain, olive-green one piece with string knots on the hips. Simple, but she pulls it off well. Modest, like pretty much everything she wears. It's really nice!

"Thanks. A certain someone recommended it for me..." She smiles, pulling out her phone. She turns the screen toward us to reveal a picture of Ori in a very pretty swimsuit of her own. It's more revealing than what she wore at Elysium. "Isn't she just gorgeous?"

"Jeannine!" Ori cries out in embarrassment. "I sent that to you in confidence!"

"Sorry! I just wanted them to see how lovely you look!" Jeannine giggles, slowly putting her phone away. Her other hand rises to gently poke her earring. "I know you are wearing that right now, despite being in there." 

Sounds of Ori getting progressively more flustered are trasmitted to us via our earpieces. Feeling bad for her, Sara decides to shift the focus to herself. "How about me? How do I look, guys?"

"It's a little 'showy', but very much you." Jeannine blushes a little.

"I think you look lovely, Sara." Ori adds, now back to her usual self.

From where I sit, I can see very little of Sara. A part of me is curious what she is wearing, but I'm not about to ask her to show me.

"And you, Nick? Awfully quiet in there, little guy?" Sara teases me. Before I can respond, her fingers expertly unlatch the earring and bring me over to the front of her. She holds me there, twisting in place, so I can get the 'full view'. I go absolutely silent, unable to even look ahead. "So? Come on, I'm not asking you who looks the best! Alright, you can start with Jeannine, if you prefer..."

Usually in moments like this Jeannine will tell Sara to knock it off and then she does. Or even Ori. Strangely, neither of them say a word. It occurs to me that they genuinely want my opinion. Any silly ideas in my head disappear as I give them an honest answer. Finally deciding to look, I see that Sara is wearing a black bikini with similar knots at the sides. That's all there is, really. It's simple, but effective. I mean, if I'm honest, I think it's attractive. In a Brob way, if that makes sense? I don't know! She's also got a straw hat on, if that matters.

"Jeannine, you're cute as hell. As usual. Ori, I just love your style. All the damn time." I tell them, honestly. The next part is a little difficult to say. My delivery isn't nearly as confident. "And Sara, you... You look nice. Like, very nice!"  

My words cause Jeannine to blush and Ori to voice a quiet 'thank you'. Sara, however, gives a very different reaction. "Hmph." She makes a dissatisfied face. "You need to work on your vocabulary, but I guess that's acceptable." She then puts me back on her ear. 

I sense some awkwardness in the air. It bothers me enough to speak up and change the subject.

"Okay, everyone! Remember, we're here for a job. The fun and swimsuits and all that can wait til after." I say, causing Sara to sigh. "Daedalus will be pissed if we don't bring him what he needs." I know that they know this, but I feel I should remind them. Authentic, Lilliputian shells are incredibly rare now, thanks to Brobs stepping all over the 'miniature' coastline. Those rare, lustrous, little things can only be found in a few places, and one day, they'll probably be gone altogether. It'll be a tedious, lengthy search even for just enough to make a pile on one of their fingers. "Let's help him make the City and Elysium even better."

The four of us begin on our way to the shore. All the while, Jeannine and Ori talk up a storm. Sara is uncharacteristically quiet, but that changes once we get there. The sight of the beach must be too powerful for her to remain in a mood. She lets out a happy sound and stretches her arms out wide.

"Ah, the sun! I love it!" She beams, tilting her head sideways to look at Jeannine. "I'm going to take Nick and go this way. Meet back here in two hours?"

"Okay. That leaves plenty of time to relax, have lunch, and maybe even swim."

"Hopefully not in that order!" Ori laughs.

The two giantesses part ways and each pair gets to work. My connection to Ori cuts off, and any chance of hearing Jeannine at this distance is made impossible due to the sound of small waves crashing below. For all intents and purposes, I am now alone with Sara. She walks along the shoreline, eyes scanning the wet sand with every step.  

"Hey, Nick~" She says, kneeling down to scoop some sand into her hand. She rises, bringing out a special, pocket-sized sieve designed by the city's engineers. It can filter the sand for shells, which would be otherwise impossible for someone of her scale to do. She talks to me as she works. "Did you come in a swimsuit, too?"

"No. Why?" I answer, wondering where that came from.

"Because I would've liked to have seen it." She pours the sand into the sieve, gently shaking it to filter our tiny shells into the container attached below. "I mean, how is it fair that you get to see three beautiful women, but we don't get to see you, little guy?"

Her question gets a good chuckle from me. "Next time, I promise."

Once she gets her first scoop done, she raises the clear container to her eye, trying to see the dust-sized shells inside. There are so very little considering how much sand she just filtered. We are going to be here for a while... She continues moving, searching for another area that's shiny.

"I've been holding back a question for a while now." She says, out of nowhere. "Mind if I ask it?"

"Fire away." I tell her. "No clue why you're holding it back, though."

She stops at another area and repeats the process, taking her time to do it properly as we chat. "I dunno. I guess because it's none of my business? I've always wondered... What kind of relationship would you say you and Ori have?"

"A friendly one? Almost familial, in a way." I shrug. I never really cared to give it a label, until now. Lou is like a nephew to me, and Ori like an older sister. Come to think of it, I wonder if she feels the same? I think so. Pushing my internal monologue aside, I continue. "There is no Lilli I am closer with than her. If you're wondering if I like her, then that's a big, fat no. And the feeling is mutual!" I laugh, the idea so absurd I can hardly entertain it.

"Oh. From how close you are, one could think you were dating." She tilts her head a little, probably unconsciously. "But, now that you say it, it makes sense. She's kinda out of your league."

"Yeah, yeah." I roll my eyes. "How many are we at now?"

She takes another look, shaking the container gently. "Can't tell. It's way too small, but I don't think we're even a quarter done." She raises it to her ear so I can see.

"Yeah..." I sigh, disappointed. "We're definitely going to be using the entire two hours."

Time passes and we continue to chat as we work. Our topic of conversation jumps around pretty randomly. One moment she's asking me about my hobbies, the next I'm asking her about her family, and then we're telling funny stories. It's all over the place. We end up learning a little more about each other. I don't even think about Brobs or Lillis or whatever; just friends hanging out. I never thought I'd get to a point like this with a Brob other than Jeannine. Sara and I definitely aren't that close, but it's comparable. 

By the one hour mark, Sara suddenly stops and turns toward the ocean. She looks out at the horizon and takes a few steps into the water until she's knee deep.

"You know, the homeland is straight ahead. Sometimes I forget this place isn't ours." She thinks aloud, becoming hesitant. "I was born there. My family moved here when I was really young, so this has always been home. Is that wrong of me?"

I hadn't expected her to get all serious on me, but I'm here for it. I take a second to think over my response before I speak. "I don't think so. You don't have any say in where you are born or brought up. I don't mind if you call my home your home. Why can't it be our home?"

"That's a really beautiful answer." She says, turning back and continuing her walk along the shoreline. Her sudden, somberness fades as she finds another shiny pile of sand and stops to process it. "Sorry. Sometimes I get weird like that for no reason."

"No worries, dude." I reassure her. "I get it. Any time you wanna talk about something serious, I'm your guy."

She finishes filtering the pile then inspects the container. There's enough in there now that even she can see it. We're making good progress and good time. She rises to her feet once more and continues walking. "You sure about that? I'll talk your ear off. Just ask Jeannine."

"I said what I said." I reply, my invitation hanging in the air.

"Well, alright then. I do have something that's been on my mind." She slows her pace, her walk becoming much more leisurely. It translates to moving at the speed of a plane to maybe a car on a highway? Either way, the dampeners in the cabin make it easy to deal with. "I'm trying to figure out what to do post-uni. Lately it's all I can think about."

"Aren't you going to do something political science-y?"  

"Well, yeah, probably. I just need to figure out what. Currently, I'm between International Relations and Journalism. More to the latter because I like the idea of being on TV." She admits. I can hear the embarrassment in her voice.

"It's not as great as you think it is." I tell her, honestly.

"Wait, you've been on TV?!" She gasps. We both know I mean MG's news network, but she seems no less amazed. "Nick!"

"Chill out, it was only twice!" I explain, cringing as I recall the memory. "Once when I was addressing an almost-tragedy, and another when I was swearing Mayor Rin into office. Both times I was nervous as hell. I looked so stupid."

"Nooo~" She laughs, not even trying to hold it in. "Are there recordings?"

"I don't know. Hopefully not?" I cringe even more. "Point is, it's really scary and not something I ever go out of my way to do."

Sara picks up the pace, almost with a spring in her step now. It's funny how much of an effect our conversation has on her movements. She gives the earring a not-so-gentle poke with her finger, which is enough to knock me out of my seat. I catch myself with my arms and yell at her. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Ah, my bad. Still learning to be gentle..." She tries again, this time being more careful. "I wanted to give you a pat on the back, but this was all I could think of."

"Oh. Well, thanks then." I tell her, climbing back into my seat. I make sure to strap in this time, in case she accidentally gets too physical again. "Yeah, no, being on TV is a pain. Especially since people always have something mean to say. I wouldn't recommend it."

"Are you speaking from experience?" She asks, sounding surprised. I know why; it's because MG is such a close-knit community. We, and I hope I'm not jinxing this, have very few problems. Even with my stiffness in front of the camera, people still told me I did great. I need to correct my statement. "Yes and no. It didn't happen to me personally, but it happens. Like, surely on Brob TV."

"Don't worry, I've got thick skin! No one is going to say something I haven't heard already." She scoffs. She's so confident about it, yet, I sense something more beneath that. "I had a serious glow up in uni. You wouldn't believe what I looked like before!"

"Nooo~" I coo, doing my best to mimic her. "Are there pictures?"

"I'd die before I'd let you see them!" She stomps a foot in the sand, then folds her arms. "As far as you're concerned, the big, sexy Sara you see before you is all there's ever been."

"Pfft." The sound comes out, and it takes all I have not to burst out laughing. "Yeah, okay."

My comment seems to irritate her. She raises a finger to the front of the cabin so I can see it. Adhered to the ridges of her fingerprint is a single grain of sand. "I'm so not taking this from a dude this small." She teases me. She doesn't mean it of course, I know that. But when she feels 'attacked', the first thing she retaliates with is my size. I've grown used to such immaturity by now.

"Yeah, yeah. Gosh, you're so unoriginal..." I groan.

Another thirty minutes pass of us searching for and collecting shells. The conversation dies down, and we simply enjoy one another's company. Around the one hour forty five minute mark, we end up collecting all the shells we need. If only we'd started farther down this side, we might've even finished in half an hour! Assuming Jeannine and Ori have done the same, we will have met our quota.

"Let's start heading back." Sara tells me, turning on her heel and walking back the way we came. "And by the way, thanks for entertaining me. I'm a little closer to figuring out what I want to do now."

"Any time. Though, I'm surprised our brief exchange helped you make such a big decision." I say, almost skeptically.

"I mean, I'm not certain of anything, but now I know what to try first. And if it doesn't work out, oh well! I'll try something new until I find something that fits." She says, with a refreshing cheer in her voice. It seems she really does feel better. If I truly played a part in that, then I'm glad. "I've been talking so much. Is there anything you want to talk about? I promise I'll keep the jokes to a minimum."

I think for a moment, considering. There is not much, really. My life and future seem pretty good. I don't currently have any problems on my mind. Occasional worries, sure, but nothing worth sharing. Thinking more recently, there was something I was feeling guilty about.

"Earlier, when you asked me what I thought of you three..." I begin, becoming shy as I speak. "Did my answer bother you? I was trying to play it safe. Sorry if I offended you."

Her mouth opens and she lets out a sharp exhale. She reaches for the cabin and unlatches it, bringing it forward. She extends her arm, letting me dangle from the chain at a distance that allows me to see almost all of her. Yet again, I find myself getting red. I focus my gaze on her face and try to be cool. 

"You idiot." She shakes her head. "You didn't offend me! I was just...expecting you to say something nicer." She looks at her swimsuit and then back at me. "You gave Jeannie and Ori such nice compliments, but all I got was 'nice'? Come on, dude. I wasn't asking you to write an essay!" She huffs, looking away for a moment. "Your answer was weird. I thought we were cool? It just made me wonder."

"We are cool! I just..." I struggle to finish my thought. I'm not sure where I was going with it, to be honest. I try to think of something to explain myself, but the honest truth is just easier. "Look, I just get nervous around girls sometimes, okay?! I was like this with Jeannine at one point; same with Ori. I'll get used to you, eventually..."

Sara holds my gaze, very intensely, and then bursts out laughing. I am jostled around a bit in my seat, bracing against the armrest until he earthquake of a laughing fit ends. She keels over, holding her stomach with one hand, while the other loses its hold on the earring. The entire structure falls through the air, landing safely in the sand below. The situation should have been terrifying, but it isn't. For some reason, I can't help but laugh a little too.

"Oh my gosh, I should have known..." She sighs, calming down again. Her eyes fix on the earring at her feet, and she crouches to pick it back up. She raises it to her eye to look inside, directly at me. "And here I was thinking maybe you genuinely didn't like it! Like, you thought I was trying too hard."

"Wait. What?" I ask, totally lost.

She responds by moving me away, and her free hand to the cup of her bikini top, tugging at it to adjust it. She does the same for the other. "I haven't worn this bikini in like two years, but it's my nicest one. It's pretty snug! I always find sand in the weirdest places after each visit. I guess something so small is bound to find itself in the darndest places." She giggles, her hand traveling down to adjust her bikini bottom too. "If only I'd realized that before last night, I would've gone out for another one."

And with that, my face reaches peak redness. My eyes only glance her chest for a moment before I tear them away and close my eyes. But the image doesn't go away! I bang my palm into my forehead, trying to think of literally anything else. Anything at all!

"N-No... I'm just awkward. I hadn't even noticed that..."

The most smug smile ever appears on her face, only to be replaced by dissatisfaction. Carefully, she brushes the pieces of sand off the exterior, cleaning one 'face' of the accessory up. "A little better..." 

That same, grinning face proceeds to rush toward me. Or rather, I'm brought toward it. I tense up as I anticipate a crash, but then I see her pursing her lips. What in the world is she planning? She couldn't be...? Just then, she stops it a centimeter or so away, parting them slightly to blow on it. She seems to do it for good measure, even though the cabin was pretty clean already, then brings it back to her ear and secures it once more.

I am left in a daze, processing all that just happened for an undefined amount of time. Strangely, there's a small sense of disappointment, for what, I am unsure. Before I know it, I head Jeannine's voice calling out to us. A minute later, Ori's is heard too as our devices reconnect to one another.