Beach Filler Episode (OPEN)

[Dust]

Dust wasn’t completely sure why Gildarts had to be so violent.. But being in his time out he had plenty of time to think. Or he would have had he not had a little girl to entertain. He had been playing with her when he suggested she dig him out, but she made a good point. If ‘Gilly’ found out they would both be in trouble. So for now, he was content with just chilling in the cold sand.

With Molly’s company, the timeout wouldn’t be all that bad. Or that long, surely. He could feel his tail wagging behind him, which only confirmed it was a phantom tail because there’s no way he could wag it while buried, and took a big bite of the fluff ball that was his payment for the kiss. It was quick to dissolve in his hot mouth, his saliva working hard to turn the sugar back into something solid before it vanishing moments later. “MMM! This stuff’s great.” He said, with child-like but genuine delight. This made Molly giggle to the point of having to pull the candy away, just as Dust went for another bite. He only caught air in his teeth, but when he saw and heard her he smiled again.

With the tension and the change of atmosphere, it was easier to be himself. It helped that she wasn’t making as big of a deal as the mage did about the kiss.

When her laughter died down, he was still smiling, but it was small. “You know.. He’s right. You shouldn’t go around kissing boys.” He said a soft voice. He still was oblivious to her feelings for him, or how much his tone could send a fresh splash of color on her cheeks. “You are too cute, someone will take advantage of it.” He explained.

“I know.” She said, looking away and pulling a piece of cotton candy off his cone without thinking, she pushes it in her mouth and waits before it melts to talk. “But I knew you wouldn’t.” She finally said, looking at him. “You are a good guy, Dust.”

Dust blinked at that, then looked away from her, his hair falling in his face.

Hearing someone say that to his face relieved some of the pressure on his shoulders. That is.. Figuratively since the sand was still there. It made him feel better knowing someone thought he wasn’t a terrible person, despite what he knew. It hit him hard when he realized he had been feeling bad about Shock. As a normal human, she couldn’t be in too much trouble, but part of him still believed she was his responsibility. That he abandoned her when she needed him, and after she was kind to him in a world of people who considered him less than dirt. “Thanks..” He muttered.

“I’m not the only one who thinks that either.” Molly continued, picking off another piece of candy before popping it in her mouth. “Gildarts thinks it too. Or else you wouldn’t be here.”

Dust looked up at that, his heart swelled at the idea of Gildarts really thinking he was a good guy. He had to swallow down his excitement before it got him in any more trouble. “Did you read his mind or something?” He asked, but the confusion on his face transferred to her’s. She wasn’t sure what he meant, “You know because you are psychic?”

Molly turned bright red when she remembered the little white lie that she told him to make sure he didn’t think she was a stalker, and laughed a little harder than she intended and rubbed the back of her neck. “Oh yeah. No. He told me.” She said, thinking about coming clean.

“R-Really?” Dust said, barely able to control his own voice. The sand around him moved just the slightest bit as he had tried to lift his arms. His face was brightened by the aspect of his teacher already praising him. Molly couldn’t contain the laugh, though she tried. It came out in a nasally snrk before it pushes passed her lips until she was laughing at him in a fit. Dust momentarily thought she was laughing at his reaction in a mean way, but her laughter was contagious and he couldn’t help but smile brightly back.

His nose flared up, however. He could smell wood burning. He frowned at that, then tried to look around only to be forced to admit he couldn’t. “Aw man.. Someone’s having a bonfire... And we’re going to miss it.” His chin hit the sand as his stomach growled under him. In his grief though, he missed the fact that the sun was still high in the sky. Or high-ish.