fluxscape | (no subject)

Who: Billy Hargrove, Newt the German Shepherd and YOU
What: Enjoying the sun, sand and waves
Where: The beach
When: Tuesday the 1st
Synopsis: Billy is just really enjoying having a beach.

Billy missed the beach.

It had been the hardest thing about not running back to California the second he turned 18 and got out from underneath Neil's thumb. He'd known he couldn't leave Max; not while she lived in that house, not while the risk of the Upside Down still hung over them. But Max had left, gone off to college and gotten away from that house and Billy had been considering moving back to the city when he'd ended up here.

Maybe this was the universe's way of telling him he belonged at the beach.

He doesn't sit on a towel -he'd rather save it to dry off and have it be clean- and he's enjoying the warm sand under his legs, under his bare back. Newt, ever loyal, is sprawled out in the sand at his side with his big, goofy head resting on Billy's thigh. One of Billy's hands rests in his fur, scratching at the back of his neck and the other rests on his scarred chest.

If anyone were to approach, it would seem that Billy is completely unaware, but the truth is, Billy is always aware of his surrounding; mind's offer the softest of hums in his mind even if he isn't focusing in on the thoughts beneath it and it makes him impossible to surprise.

Besides, Newt will alert him in a subtle way he's been trained to do. Speaking of Newt, he's wearing a harness that asks people not to pet him; he is working after all. But if you ask Billy nicely, he might let you.

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Gwen's out and about today, taking the day off and going over a list of school supplies that had been mailed to her. A small frown has crossed her face at the thought of school, but she supposes even a beach town has a school building somewhere. While it appears she's engrossed in her list, she's actually hyper aware of her surroundings at the same time.

Biiiiit of a sensory overload, sure, but she's used to it. She's close enough where it looks like she might step on the guy or his dog, but an automatic sidestep has her avoiding the pair. She stops to check on them, though. Just in case she kicked sand in their face by accident.

"You guys okay?" asks the girl dressed as though she has plans to go surfing later, her wetsuit half on and resting around her waist, the electric blue bathing suit underneath dry. She hasn't been in the water yet.

Billy didn't need the soft nudge of Newt's nose to tell him that they're not alone anymore. He doesn't do anything until she addresses them though, and he pulls his sunglasses down so that he can look at her.

"Fine. Thanks." He takes in her outfit, giving her a once over. "You surf?"

"Kinda, yeah," Gwen says with a small smile and soft, one shoulder shrug.

"I'm learning. The teachers at The Surf Board are all awesome and say I'm a natural."

Which Gwen will find secretly amusing because of reasons.

"I'm Gwen. Your dog is cute. I saw the vest. Don't worry; I'm not gonna touch him."

"I start there tomorrow. I look forward to seeing how much of a natural you are." Billy smirks, raising an eyebrow at her.

Newt lifts his head as if he knows he's being spoken about and Billy strokes a hand through his fur. "Thanks. His names Newt. He's pretty chill but he still wears the vest just to make sure people know he is actually a working dog."

"Oh, yeah? That's awesome!" Gwen states, grinning at the guy. She looks at Newt and gives the dog a small wave, not really risking more than that. She doesn't want to distract a working dog, not knowing what he's needed for.

"Where are you from?"

"Yeah, I think so. I'm looking forward to getting back on the water." Newt watches her, tongue lolling out of his mouth before he flops back down onto Billy's leg and goes back to sleep.

"Hawkins, Indiana. Originally from California."

"Hi--excuse me?"

Walking up to where Billy is stretched out is a buxom blonde with a radiant smile in a flattering simple black bikini adorned with a single rhinestone skull on the upper swell of one breast.

Her eyes are shielded by sunglasses, which she lifts up and perches atop her fall of pale gold waves. Her eyes are wide and dark, and brimming with warmth and good cheer.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sweetie, but do you mind if I set up here?" she asks, gesturing with the modest duffel bag slung over one shoulder. "I just wanna veg on the sand for a couple of hours, and if I'm alone then I'm going to get stuck trying to fend off a pack of dudebros coming down the beach in about five minutes, and I'm not in the mood. Just close enough so it looks like we're together? I promise not to make a peep."

Her thoughts are open and honest...and may be strange, given she has memories of an incident that hasn't happened yet.

But, being that Anne Forsythe isn't altogether human, Newt may have a strange reaction--like meeting another dog, and not another human being.

Billy always takes a certain amount of care to not probe into another person's mind without permission -or good reason to forgo consent- so, at first, there seems to be nothing odd about the beautiful, blonde woman standing over him.

It's Newt's reaction that puts Billy on edge. He doesn't growl or bark -he's exceptionally well trained- but his human is incredibly in-tune with the dog's mind and behaviour that it's easy to detect when the German Shepherd goes tense at his side. Outwardly, there's no sign that Billy has picked up on something different -and now that he's paying attention, he can sense the distinct lack of human that sits around her- and he pushes in only enough to determine the threat level before opening himself up to her.

When he's confident that she's speaking the truth, Billy nods, propping his own sunglasses up onto his forehead.

"Go for it. Newt and I can keep the... dudebros," whatever that meant, "at bay."