IMG_5090

The afternoon sun soaked the beach in a faint golden glow, the ocean glittering just a few steps away. Pepper had claimed her perfect spot in the sand, close enough to hear the waves crash, far enough that the tide wouldn’t swallow her work, and she was already kneeling beside a dark blue pail. Her fiery mane spilled forward onto her face as she scooped damp sand in with her hands, her fluffy grey wings flicking happily behind her. “Pookie, this is gonna be the tallest sandcastle in all of Califoalnia,” she declared, her eyes bright with childlike excitement. She flipped the pail upside down, gave it a couple of dramatic pats, and lifted it to reveal… a slightly crooked, uneven tower. She gasped like it was a masterpiece. Duskmirth knelt in front of her, his strong legs folding into the sand. The wind toyed with his black-and-red mane, his glasses slipping slightly down his muzzle. Normally, there was a cool distance in his expression, but right now his gaze was soft, focused on her rather than the endless horizon. “It’s… a start,” he said with the faintest smirk, brushing his fingers along the tower to smooth its edges. “But if we’re going for tallest, we’re gonna need better walls. And a moat.” Pepper giggled and flicked a pinch of sand in his direction.“Hey, maybe I like it lumpy.” She began pressing little pebbles into the base with a content, focused expression and soft smile across her lips. Duskmirth didn’t rush her. Every so often, their hands brushed in the sand, and each time she looked up, he was still watching her with that quiet, rare warmth in his eyes. The world outside their little patch of sand didn’t seem to matter, just the two of them, the waves, and their slightly ridiculous castle growing larger with every shared handful of sand. #beachepisode I don’t really want to join the contest I just wanted to make one to join in on the fun. This was really relaxing to draw <3 #rp