OOM: Santa Barbara morning

[sunbaked_baker]

Shawn had insisted that the couch at the Psych office was perfectly comfy - and he was more or less right. Sunshine hadn't been in any condition to complain, in any case - once she had accompanied Shawn and Juliet through to their world and things had been arranged, Rae had unceremoniously crashed. Even though she was still sick with fear and jumping at her own shadow, exhaustion won without even a fight.

Only once in the night had she been awakened, by a nightmare she forgot upon waking, to find herself in a strange room in an unwarded building, with the strange, salt smell of the ocean in the air. It had taken her a while to get back to sleep even after she'd remembered where she was, and that there was nothing to ward against here.

Sunshine had reawakened hours later with the early morning sun from the wide front window on her face, feeling, for the first time in weeks, more rested when she awoke than when she had gone to sleep.

And with a new world outside.

Rae got up quickly and went to the bathroom in the back to change. Her hair wasn't a problem - it tended to look better if she didn't brush it that often, anyway. Once she felt presentable, or at least prepared to go exploring, she came back into the front room and folded the sheets and blankets from the couch on top of the pillow she'd used. Snagging a pen and a piece of paper from one of the desks, she leaves a quick note on the coffee table.

Gone exploring. Will be back soon!

-Sunshine

With that, the baker goes out into the southern California sunshine.

Comments

[psyched_you_out]

As per Shawn's usual habit, it's fairly late in the morning by the time he gets to the office and sees Sunshine's note. Gus is out on his route, so Shawn's the only one in.

He can't help being a little... well, not worried, he knows damn well she can look after herself, but maybe concerned would be a better word. He hopes the visit will do her some good.

[sunbaked_baker]

It's only a few minutes later that Sunshine returns. She's got a paper cup of tea bearing the logo of a coffeehouse about half a mile away, if one follows the beach. In a light blue t-shirt (bearing the name of a band no one in this world has ever heard of) and lavender capris with sandals, she could only look more like a native by actually deigning to wear sunglasses.

"Morning, Shawn," she greets Shawn with a smile brighter and truer than those she's been showing these last few weeks. "I thought I saw someone come in here." And she was right!

[psyched_you_out]

"Morning."

As usual, his nonchalant, flippant demeanor takes over, masking any concerns he may have.

"You sleep okay?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"Like a rock," she says in affirmation, "or possibly like a log. I didn't stay awake long enough to figure out which."

Her tone is wry, but the words are heart-felt. "In all honesty, it was probably my best night's sleep in... weeks, if not months."

"A few hours outside this morning have also helped a lot. You guys get... great sun, here."

[psyched_you_out]

"You look a lot happier."

There's those wonderful observational skills at work.

"And yeah, we do. Sometimes I think we take it for granted."

[sunbaked_baker]

"It's kind of fantastic," she says with a grin, sipping her tea. "A lot stronger, or... more direct, or something, than we get in New Arcadia."

The faint network of gold pinpricks of light set into her skin had been nearly invisible in the bar - it is much more noticeable here, after having soaked in the direct morning sunlight for a few hours.

"I just stayed along the beach, this morning. Didn't figure it'd be a good idea to get lost on my first day in a new world."

[psyched_you_out]

"Well, you can't go wrong with the beach."

He nods toward her sparkles.

"You're looking a little, uh... shiny there."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Why thank you, Shawn," she grins.

"It's.. ah," how to explain? "It's a charm, or spell, that helps me tap into the source of my strength more fully than I can by myself. In my case, it's sunlight. Tattoos are a common form for wards and such to take, in my world. This one's just kinda... all over."

If only really visible when one is paying close attention - or is naturally hyper-observant.

[psyched_you_out]

"Wow, so you're kinda like... solar powered."

Another adroit observation from our detective.

"And all I've got is a tattoo on my hip that says "peace" in Chinese."

(... it doesn't, actually. This is why you shouldn't get tattoos while you're young and drunk.)

[sunbaked_baker]

"Quite literally," Rae says, wryly. "Any more literally, and I'd turn green and put down roots."

She... doesn't know what Chinese is, but her smile turns into something an amused grin. "Ornamental, I bet."

[psyched_you_out]

"Well yeah, some of us aren't lucky enough to have our own personal batteries," he jibes back, good-naturedly enough.

"So, what do you want to do today? My schedule's open."

[sunbaked_baker]

"In my world, ornies are for wusses," she teases, grinning. "Nobody with any pretension of been flash, stark or cool would get an ornamental tattoo - warding tattoos are used as a popular measure of a person's toughness. Simultaneously shows that you live a dangerous enough life to need all that protection, and are strong enough to stand the drain of having so many wards feeding off you. I visited a friend of mine in her world's New York a year or so ago. There were these guys with sleeves of ornamental tattoos, trying to act all tough - I couldn't take them seriously at all."

It helps having a former motorcycle thug for a boyfriend. Sunshine certainly didn't get her tattoo as a way to show how tough she is.

"Would you show me around Santa Barbara? I know... absolutely nothing about this place, apart from its vague location somewhere on the western edge of the United States," she grins. "All your favorite places."

[psyched_you_out]

"Well, we've got a lot less use for magic in this world, so looking tough is kinda all we have."

He scoots his chair back from his desk, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"I would be happy to. There's a place on State that does great hot dogs. I think they do a veggie dog."

[sunbaked_baker]

"For reference," Sunshine grins, pulling out her wallet, and taking a photograph from the wallet to show him. "This is my boyfriend, Mel."

The photograph is about two years old, though well-kept. It shows a brown-haired, well-muscled man in his mid-thirties, sitting on a monstrous motorcycle that shines with good care. He might look like a motorcycle hooligan, apart from the very zen look in his eyes. The contentment of one who doesn't feel he has to prove anything to anyone.

The man's arms and shoulders and the sides of his neck are marked with numerous tattoos in full color - but none of them are the skull-and-flame, naked ladies and vulgar images one might expect. They shine in the same subtle way Sunshine's sunlight-net does - the large oak tree spreading on his left shoulder, individual leaves shining in the light of an unseen sun, on his arm the hourglass that you can't tell which way the sand is flowing. Symbolic, all of them, and with their own purpose.

One might be able to see more of the tattoos, except that there's a younger Sunshine with her arms about his shoulders, beaming at the camera. She, in the picture, has no sunlight net glimmering with quiet strength. No, nor any of the scars or bruises that now mar her shoulders and back and upper chest. Nor any sign of the sleeplessness that often plagues her.

After showing Shawn the picture, she puts it back in her wallet. "Sounds good to me - I'll admit I've never tried a veggie dog before." But Rae is certainly curious.

[psyched_you_out]

He leans over to get a better look at the photo. Mel's tattoos are a lot more elegant than the biker tats he's used to seeing, and definitely more meaningful, if he's getting the gist of what Sunshine's saying. The unfettered happiness of the girl at the picture is somewhat at odds with the tough woman he knows, but also... not.

"Great." He stands, grabbing his jacket from where he threw it. (On Gus's desk, as it happens.) "Let's go see the sights."

Curious, in Shawn's book, is definitely a good thing.

[sunbaked_baker]

'Tough' is certainly not the word Sunshine would use to describe herself. Not yet. She is, however, a bit more experienced in the ways of saving the world.

"Spartan," she grins, content to be led. "An early lunch sounds about perfect."

As usual, her breakfast had been tea.

[psyched_you_out]

"After you."

Gus has the car, so Shawn's motorcycle is parked out front as they head out into the sunny morning.

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae looks almost at home out in the sunlight as she does in a cinnamon-smelling bakery.

"Nice bike," she grins over her shoulder at Shawn. "She got a name?"

Though whether she's referring to the bike itself or the mudflap-girl on its side... is anyone's guess.

[psyched_you_out]

The mudflap girl is.. unfortunate. And rather screams 'I've been riding this bike since I was a teenager.'

"Actually, no. That's a good idea, though."

[sunbaked_baker]

Totally been riding this bike since he was a teenager.

"Make sure it's a good name," she suggests with a wry grin. "One that won't get you in trouble. A friend of Mel's had the bad habit of naming his bikes after former lovers."

Now guess how many bikes he owned...

[psyched_you_out]

"See, that just strikes me as a bad idea from the start."

And when Shawn thinks something is a bad idea, you know it's approaching epic levels of unwise.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Oh, it was," she replies with gusto. "It led to a lot of lovers quickly becoming former lovers."

Just another bike in the garage.

"So, name with care." Once Shawn is on the motorcycle, she sits behind him. Rae has, in fact, done this before.

[psyched_you_out]

"Got it."

It's a short ride from the office to the hot dog joint. The bike may be small. but it's fast.

As it turns out, they do indeed have veggie dogs.

[sunbaked_baker]

And it turns out, once Rae and Shawn have gotten their food, the veggie dogs're kind of fantastic. As much enthusiasm as Rae puts into making good food, she puts equal measure into enjoying good food.

"Mmmmh!" Rae says, taking another bite. "I'm going to have to find out their recipe secrets, I can tell. Or at least see if there's a equivalent supplier in my world."

[psyched_you_out]

"Told you they were awesome."

Does he know how to treat a guest or what?

... Don't answer that.

"So how're you liking it here so far?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"It's nice. Santa Barbara has a whole different feel from New Arcadia," she says, sipping her drink. "And I love all the sun you get here."

"There was just a moment of trouble, around four this morning. I woke up and couldn't tell where I was or for the life of me why I was sleeping in an unwarded building," Rae says, wryly. "Had to remind myself there's nothing to ward against, here."

[psyched_you_out]

"Wards are magic protection spells, right?"

See, he does occasionally pay attention.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Yeah," she nods. "There're a lot of different kinds. House-wards come in anti-burlary, anti-Other, and anti-things-going-bump-in-the-night flavors, and suchlike. There are personal wards that you can wear, and vehicle wards, too - since the Wars, just about every car and motorcycle brand has a ward-sign worked into its logo."

[psyched_you_out]

"Sounds pretty scary."

He takes another bit of his loaded chili dog, chewing thoughtfully

"Needing so many, I mean."

[sunbaked_baker]

"It's a pretty scary world, to be honest," Rae replies with a slight laugh. "Or else there'd be no need for the... you know."

Non-bakery-related, blood-stained stuff.

Sunshine takes another bite of her own dog. It's really good.

[psyched_you_out]

"Yeah... I kinda figured that."

He hasn't exactly forgotten finding her up to her elbows in blood that time.

[sunbaked_baker]

"You already know more about what I do than anyone in my world," she says, with a dry smile.

Apart from Con, that is.

Rae takes another sip of her drink, reflective. "The one who knows most about what I do, back home, is... my landlady, of all people. But she's one of the good guys, too, thankfully. She made the... uh, shiny." She gestures to the light web still glimmering in her skin.

[psyched_you_out]

"Not even your boyfriend knows?"

They seemed pretty close in the photo.

[sunbaked_baker]

It doesn't take a psychic to see the discomfort. But she answers honestly. Shawn already knows what she does, and besides, it's not like she's ever been a convincing liar.

"He knows... that something major is going on. He can't not." What with the scars, and all. "But I don't tell him, and he doesn't ask. It's... better, that way. Safer for us both."

[psyched_you_out]

"It sucks having to keep stuff from people."

Uh-oh, did someone say something significant?

[sunbaked_baker]

"It really does," she agrees, emphatically.

Rae isn't psychic, but she has insight. And it helps, knowing both parties. There's a pause as Sunshine takes another bite of her veggie dog, swallowing before she says, gently, "Jules doesn't know, does she?"

[psyched_you_out]

He shakes his head, mouth conveniently full of chili dog.

[sunbaked_baker]

A thought hits her.

"Who does?"

Rae is in Shawn's world, for... however long. It could be important.

"Gus, I'm assuming... anyone else?"

[psyched_you_out]

"Gus does," he confirms. "My dad knows. ... I think the chief might, she's always maintained plausible deniability."

He stares intently at a spot on the ground somewhere near his right shoe,

[sunbaked_baker]

"Offical law enforcement types are good at that," she says, with wry understanding.

"It could be worse. At least she pays you?" Rae doesn't see one copper(ish) cent for what she does.

[psyched_you_out]

"That's true," he muses after polishing off the last bite of his hot dog. "I do make a decent living."

Even if it can't fully be said to be an honest one.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Well, I'm glad it's working well for you," says the baker, giving a lopsided smile.

"Either way you're facing, having to keep secrets about supernatural powers from those you love is a real pain."

Whether you're keeping secrets about having them, or keeping secrets about not having them.

[psyched_you_out]

"Yeah."

It's not like he hasn't thought about it, but telling the truth now would have serious consequences for people other than him.

It's kind of a bummer, really.

"Anyway, when you're finished there's still plenty of town to see."

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae's considered it plenty, too.

But she'd rather not be locked up as a lab rat and she'd prefer her SOFs not lose their jobs.

"Just about..." Sunshine says, making that last bite count for two. She's savored it enough - there's places to go and things to see! "Mph.... Done! Let's go, I don't want to miss anything."

[psyched_you_out]

"You got it."

Tossing his napkin into the nearest trash bin, he leads the way back to to the bike and on to their next adventure.