Sun, Sand, and Calcium

No.

Nope.

No.

This was not okay!

Lochlann did not like being picked up like a sack of potatoes. It was destroying his already fragile sense of masculinity. It also meant that this was an intense hallucination.

Lochlann scrambled and squirmed until he was able to escape and fell from her shoulder face-first into the sand, and then he looked up in the face of Bear.

When he realized that he could actually smell Bear's breath, that's when Lochlann realized that....holy shit this was a really intense hallucination.

"Oh my god you smell like fish. And sand."

Lochlann got up, took another look at Bear and the babe, and started to run.

He might have actually gotten far if he didn't trip and land face-first in the sand a few feet away.

Lochlann pushed himself up out of the sand, spitting to get some of the damn stuff out of his mouth.

He looked up into the shadow of the stern hallucination and the bear, and then sat back on his butt, rubbing his head. It was really, really hot out, and Lochlann just wanted to go back into the ocean, but he was afraid to do that on the off chance that he tried to bring her with him.

Although he supposed it didn't matter if she was a hallucination. It's not like he could eat someone who doesn't exist, right?"

"I'm probably going to try and run again," Lochlann admitted. He glanced at Bear nervously, then back at the woman. "But I think you can help me if you....oh I don't know...come into the ocean with me?"

"......Just like that?" Lochlann blinked. "You'll....you'll go in the ocean with me?"

This was pretty messed up. Lochlann picked himself up off of the beach, brushed the sand off his knees, and followed her towards the waves. The cool water was refreshing and felt good on his aching body, but the second the water hit him he seemed to change a little. He seemed more at ease, but his movements were off. He lifted his legs higher and when the sea spray hit his face, he closed is eyes and exhaled the contented sigh of a predator.

"What about Bear?" Lochlann asked, squinting back towards the creature on the beach. He was sure the animal could swim but Lochlann wasn't sure how well in the ocean.

Good. The bear was gone.

Lochlann took a step forward and held out his hand to the woman.

"This is all so sudden," Lochlann murmured. As the water hit him again, the waves coming up to his hips now, he seemed...more at home. It was hard to explain. A look of relief had washed over him and the tension eased out of his shoulders.

"I don't even know your name," Lochlann said. "I know the names of most people I've hallucinated, but I don't know yours."

"Milk, right, hello," Lochlann said, shaking her hand. He didn't drop it, instead taking another step into the water, urging her to follow him. "My name is Lochlnn. What were you doing on the beach today, Milk?"

He was engaging in random small talk, trying to find out if anyone was likely to walk in on him eating her, but since she was a hallucination he didn't have to worry about this so badly.