Day Out [Nordics!]

[Timo Väinämöinen]

When they met at the train station, Timo’s face was almost as over clouded as the day. Although good weather had been predicted when Timo and Berwald had agreed to meet it was threatening to rain and Timo was worried their day out would be ruined. He spent most of the ride over with his nose pressed against the window, staring at the sky hopefully. His conversation was even more absent-minded than usual, and to be honest, a little self-centred. He told Berwald about his week, briefly mentioning another weird dream and just about had the presence of mind to ask Berwald about his. He did at least pay attention to Berwald’s reply!

By the time they reached the sea, though, the sky had cleared, and Timo couldn’t help but let out a happy cry as the clouds finally parted, a ray of bright sunshine lighting up the landscape and reflecting off the sea. “Berwald, look! Doesn’t it look so pretty?” He cheered, resisting the urge to bounce in his chair. He was actually being a little childish, but he couldn’t help but be excited. He hadn’t been to the sea in years! “I hope it stays like this!”

Finally turning away from the window, Timo gathered up his bag. They were almost at the train station, after all! As he gathered everything up, the announcement went out, saying that they were about to reach the final stop, and for everyone to please make sure that they brought all of their personal belongings with them. Timo beamed at Berwald and shouldered his bag, leading the way over to the door. Because of the weather the train was almost empty, and Timo was happy, thinking they’d have the sea front mostly to themselves for a while. They could go for a walk along it; even if there wasn’t the sandy beach for them to follow there was a rocky one that Timo knew from when he was younger. Perhaps Timo would even go for a swim! The cold water wouldn’t bother him too much.

The train drew into the station, and Timo bounced on the tips of his toes in front of the doors, waiting for them to open. He glanced back towards Berwald. “Come on!” When the doors opened, he jumped out, waited for Berwald and then led the way through the gates, heading towards the seafront. “It’s been so long since I’ve been down here!” He smiled brightly at Berwald.

((I'm sorry this took so long! I hope it's okay for both of you. <3))

[Berwald Oxenstierna]

Berwald wanted to comment on the rather dreary look Timo had on his face when they met at the train station but thought better of it in the end. He honestly wasn't surprised. The other man definitely had his mind on the weather that threatened to ruin their day out. Due to the clouds blocking off direct sunlight, Berwald didn't even have to look skywards to know that there was a good chance of rain. He listened to the distracted way Timo spoke with a reserved smile on his lips, amused by how the younger blond couldn't seem take his eyes off the cloudy sky. Upon hearing his friend's short mention of another strange dream, the older man thought to say something about his own peculiar dreams. But as he watched Timo turn to cutely press his nose against the window again, he decided that some other time would be better.

Berwald's eyes softened at his friend's childlike reaction to the promising way the clouds parted. “Yeah, pr'tty,” he mumbled, observing how the sea sparkled delicately as the light hit it. He briefly recalled his last trip to the sea. It had been around two years ago on a particularly sunny day. His mother had suggested it on a whim during breakfast and his father had loved the idea. The next thing Berwald knew, he was on the nearest seafront, looking for smooth stones with his parents.

Berwald, already aware that they were nearing the final stop, only half-listened to the routine announcement as he double-checked his belongings. After the announcement ended, Timo beamed up at the older blond. He smiled softly in turn as he slung his bag over his shoulder. The younger man shouldered his own bag and lead the way to the door. Berwald chuckled softly at how Timo was practically bouncing with excitement. After the train slowly pulled into the station, the doors were finally opened. With the younger blond happily leading the way, the two of them headed for the seafront.

“S'been a while fer me, too. M'ssed the smell 'f the air,” Berwald said quietly. “Was with m'p'rents las' time I was here. Made a game of lookin' fer smooth rocks 'cause Fath'r got bored,” he murmured, his tone noticeably fond.

[Erik Olsen]

Upon the rocks of the rocky seafront, Lukas sat on one of the flatter rocks. He held a small piece of paper in his hand, and on that paper were small notes of music that were somewhat smudged and blurry. It was most likely because of the constant erasing that the man did, but he could still clearly see the notes. He looked down at the notes that were being held down by the small writing tool and eraser. "Hmm, let's see," he murmured, picking up his instrument and readying it. He took a deep breath of the ocean, smelling the water and the salt. He let out the breath, beginning to play the notes on the small piece of paper.

C, C, C, C, C, C, F, F, F, F minor, A, A, A, A, A, A, D, D, D, D...

He frowned at the sound of the music, erasing most of the notes and writing down that line as a failure. He placed the violin on the rock, scribbling in some notes and looking over them. He wondered if it would actually work. "Well, there's no other way except to try it out..." he murmured to himself, picking up his violin again.

C, C, C, C, C, C, A, A, A, A minor, F, F, F, F, F, F, D, D, D, D...

He groaned softly at the last part, erasing the last few notes and also labeling that line as a failure. He stared at the paper, wishing that it would just make its own music instead of him having to write down the notes. He sighed softly, tucking the paper, eraser, and writing tool in his violin case. He took the instrument in his lap, looking up at the sky. "Hm, so it won't rain after all..." he said to himself, seeing as there was no one near him and practically no one on the beach but himself. He picked up the small instrument, playing a soft tune that he had made and had happened to remember at that moment. The waves against the sand helped him slightly alter the song to the sound of the crashes and splashes of water. He only assumed that no one would hear him playing, but fate liked to change things around. He spotted a few people staring at him, but they soon walked away, probably annoyed by the music playing.

Lukas sighed softly, placing the violin pieces in its case and staring out at the ocean. He wondered. What kind of worlds lay out there across the sea? What kind of people were there beyond the horizon? Would he ever get to find the answers to these questions? What if the land that was under the ocean wasn't full of water? What would the world look like by then? These are the questions that the man just either shrugged off, ignored, or counted it as questions that had almost impossible questions. He took the small cross-shaped pin from its place in his hair, looking at it and then looking at the sea. 'Could this possibly hold an answer to my question?' he asked himself. He huffed softly and shook his head lightly. It was almost useless to think like that.

[Timo Väinämöinen]

It was cute to see such an adorable fond look on Berwald’s face, and a fond smile formed on Timo’s face too. He was pleased that the taller man had such nice memories of the beach. Maybe they could make some more today! “Rocks to skim, or just to keep?” He asked, curiously. Either way, it sounded fun! And it was very like Berwald’s father to get bored. If he’d been there he would have come up with plenty of fun things to do! Timo loved to paddle or go fishing in the rock pools, even in the cold. Often enough he’d go swimming, ignoring the cold water.

Happily, Timo led the way down from the train station, one hand on his bag to stop it from swinging, and the other tucking his hair back behind his ears. It was getting a bit long. “When I was little, I always wanted to go play on the sand.” He said, still sounding a little wistful. “I bet it’d be really soft on my feet.” Mind you, the Highlander’s beach didn’t have rock pools, but the Highlanders were free to visit their beaches where there were more than enough rock pools to go around. Timo didn’t understand where the social differences had sprung from and how they had become so pronounced. People weren’t different just based on where they were born!

As they reached the beach, Timo quickly rolled his trousers up with a happy hum. He wanted to go paddling! He led Berwald out towards the sea, and then paused. Plenty of people described the sound of the sea as music, but this wasn’t just the sea, he could hear a violin. “Can you hear that?” He asked, looking at Berwald, with a small frown on his face. He wasn’t imagining it, was he? A second tune made him pause and he smiled, listening to it. It was such a nice tune! “Let’s go and find him!” He said, happily.

However, the tune quickly faded away, and Timo frowned, glancing around to try and spot who it could have been playing. After a moment, he saw a flash of white, silver hair against the dark rocks. “There!” He said, happily, pointing to the boy that he could see, sitting a way away from them. Turning to make sure that Berwald was following him, he jogged over to him and smiled happily at the young man there. “Hi!” It seemed a bit silly to ask if it was him playing when the case was sitting beside him. “We heard you playing. You’re really good!”

[Berwald Oxenstierna]

“Hm... Was a contest. Whoev'r finds the most wins, tha' sort'f thing. Fath'r won, o'course. We did sk'm 'em aft'rwards, though... Ah. Well, Moth'r and Fath'r skimmed 'em. I don't know how,” Berwald replied as he adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. He had made a lot of good memories of the beach that day. As he glanced briefly at the cheerful blond walking next to him, a reserved smile lightly curled his lips at the thought of making even more. Timo spoke again, a bit wistfully this time, as he led the way down from the train station. Berwald grunted thoughtfully in response, internally wondering if there was some way he could bring the younger blond to the Highland beach someday.

When they finally reached the beach, Berwald inhaled the familiar salty air softly. He watched Timo roll his pants up before deciding to do the same. As the tall blond followed his friend closely behind, the sound of an instrument reached his ears and he paused. He strained his ears a little to catch the sound again, vaguely noticing that Timo had paused as well. “Can you hear that?” the small blond asked, turning to him with light frown. Berwald grunted an affirmative, nodding lightly. Another tune sounded from the unseen instrument and the older man began to wonder why someone was playing a violin on the beach.

“Let's go and find him!” Timo suggested cheerfully. The idea of engaging a complete stranger didn't exactly tickle Berwald's fancy but the tall blond grunted and nodded anyway. Disagreeing with the younger man was the last thing on his mind. When the tune faded, Berwald frowned a little and shifted his gaze to where he thought the sound had come from. Nothing. Before he was able to glance elsewhere, Timo suddenly exclaimed a happy: “There!” He turned to where the small blond was pointing and saw a head of blond, almost silver, hair. The younger man jogged up to the stranger and Berwald hurried to follow behind. After his friend had finished greeting the young musician, the older blond became unsure of what to say or do. However, after noting that maybe Timo could speak in his stead, he decided to settle for remaining silent. The bespectacled blond then aimed his naturally hard stare at the stranger.

[Erik Olsen]

Lukas silently sat on the rock, picking up a few pebbles and tossing them into the moving waters. He watched the pebbles be carried off in the water. Wherever they were going, it would surely be something special to see, to see what marvelous things lay beyond the ocean. It was definitely going to be an adventure for the little pebbles. He snorted slightly. An adventure he wouldn’t enjoy. After all, he was no inanimate object. He felt salt and water lightly sprinkle on his skin, and he chuckled softly, resting back and moving away from the water’s edge. It probably wasn’t best to get wet now.

He rested back slightly, closing his eyes and opening them at the sound of a somewhat girlish voice. He looked around slightly, spotting a person and huffing to himself. ‘Great… company… just what the doctor ordered,’ he mused to himself, looking up at the pale blonde with his blue eyes. He looked at the taller man next to the other, staring back at him and blinking slightly. ‘What are you staring at?’ he thought to himself, almost giving a soft growl but instead turning back his attention to the younger blonde. He gave a small wave of his hand. “Hello,” he murmured, trying to say it to the point of where he could be heard. It was common of Lukas to speak softly and almost inaudibly, and it was annoying having to be asked to say his words again.

“We heard you playing. You’re really good!”

At the comment, he gave a small smile of appreciation, nodding and huffing. “Thank you very much,” he said, unsure of what to say from receiving a comment. He wasn’t used to getting attention for his music, and at his job, he would either receive no comment or a ‘good job, Mr. Bondevik.’ He thought a bit, rolling around a few ideas of what to say in his mind. He looked back on the other man, not really liking being started at. He gave the other a glare, trying not to let his gaze falter. He turned his head towards the younger of the two, smirking slightly. “You’re friend… he doesn’t seem to talk much,” he started. “Is he? You know, mute…?” he teased slightly, wondering if the other would catch his tone instead of taking it way too personally.

He looked back at the other man, still smirking slightly and chuckling in a slightly snarky way. ‘You asked for it…’ he thought, meeting the other man’s stare and glaring again. No, it wasn’t that Lukas hated the two. It was his little way of ‘playing’ with people, and it often chased people away. It was a small way of seeing who the Norwegian man could trust and call ‘his friends,’ and his teasing started to become the main reason why he didn’t have any friends. It wasn’t a bad thing, to tell who he could trust and who he couldn’t, but it definitely was not the best way to try to make friends. He huffed slightly, closing his eyes and expecting one of the two to yell at him angrily. He expected them both to walk away and never see the two again. It was common to him… to be abandoned and to be left alone. He wouldn’t be alone for so long is the only hope he had.

[Timo Väinämöinen]

Timo actually frowned a little when Berwald admitted that he couldn’t skim stones. His grandfather had taught him when he was little, and while Timo hadn’t had the opportunity to skim stones for a while he was sure that he was still able to do it. “I’ll teach you!” He declared, happily, pleased that he’d have that opportunity. They could make new memories together! And it’d be nice to actually be able to teach the other something, like when they were little and Timo had helped him with schoolwork. Admittedly this would be a lot more fun and a lot less serious, but it that would just make it even more fun!

As the young man they’d found faced them, Timo wasn’t put off by the young man’s staring face or his quiet words. He was used to that from Berwald, after all! He just smiled happily at him, pleased at the opportunity to make a new friend, and who knew, if they were both so straight faced, perhaps the boy and Berwald would get along! Timo liked the idea of Berwald having more friends, even if it did cause a small surge of jealousy inside him. As long as no one got closer to Berwald than he was, anyway.

Chuckling at the comment, Timo looked at Berwald and smiled at him, before nudging him gently, encouraging him to be more friendly, then smiling back at the other man. “No, no, he’s just not very talkative.” He reassured him, happy to talk for him if that was what Berwald wanted. “He’s called Berwald, and I’m Timo. It’s a pleasure to meet you, …?” He left the sentence hanging, hoping that the other man would relinquish his name so Timo would be able to put a name to his face. It seemed a little rude to keep thinking of him as ‘the boy’ when he had the kind of face where he could easily be older than he looked.

“Where did you learn to play like that?” Timo asked, as always eager to make conversation. “I wish I could play an instrument! And this is a really nice place to play too, with the sea and the cliffs and everything. I bet it makes the sound echo nicely.” He said, happily. “It’s just as well it didn’t rain! That wouldn’t be very good for your violin, right?” Timo had never had the chance to play any instrument, so he didn’t know very much, but that didn’t stop him from being as eager to learn as ever.

((I am so, so sorry. ;__________; I didn't mean to leave it so long. I won't do it again, I promise! Please forgive me!))

[Berwald Oxenstierna]

Berwald smiled a little at his friend's thoughtful declaration. 'Teachin' me how ta do somethin' I can't... S'jus' like 'im,' he thought to himself fondly, recalling all the times the younger man had helped him with schoolwork. Back when they were teenagers, the tall blond had never hesitated to admit that, when it came to academics, his friend was much, much better than him. And even though the two of them had been estranged from each other for years, Berwald couldn't help but figure that Timo was still a lot smarter than he was.

As Berwald watched the stranger quite closely, he eventually came to realize something. 'Is he...? Ah, he is... He's... glarin' at me,' he thought worriedly. People usually had one of two reactions to his, well, intimidating expressions, mannerisms and general aura. It was either fear or anger. Fear from regular people and anger from those with more guts. The bespectacled man couldn't deny that the stranger he still hadn't said a word to looked pretty offended. He normally didn't care when people acted like this but it seemed like Timo wanted to befriend the quiet man. He internally cursed his naturally hard expression. It wasn't like he tried to be intimidating... He just was. Unsure of what else to do, he just continued to meet the other man's gaze. For a moment, the tall blond considered trying to consciously soften his face's features but recalled that the last time he had done that, he ended up startling his own mother.

Berwald blushed a little at Timo's gentle nudge and bright smile but admittedly felt a lot more encouraged to actually try to be more friendly. It'd be for the best if he tried to join the conversation anyway. Much like himself, the young musician didn't seem like the talkative type. It wasn't impossible for Timo to be chatty for all three of them but the tall blond didn't want to burden his friend with the task of carrying majority of the conversation all by himself. He was very grateful that the small blond introduced both of them, however, because he usually ended up repeating his name a couple of times whenever he tried to introduce himself. He gave the stranger an apologetic look and nodded his head once in greeting.

The tall blond listened to his friend's familiar chattering, starting to feel embarrassed that he still couldn't find his voice. He really admired Timo for being able to speak so easily to any kind of person.

((I know I've said this before but I think I'll say it again... No need to apologize! <3 /hug))

[Erik Olsen]

Lukas nodded, breaking his gaze from Berwald and looking to the ocean. ‘Hm, maybe they aren’t so bad… Maybe,’ he thought, repeating the word maybe over and over to himself. “I see,” he started. “Is it problems with speech or just general dislike for talking to others?” he ended, looking back at Timo and Berwald. He huffed slightly, looking off to the side again and shaking his head slightly. “Lukas, Lukas Bondevik. Pleased to meet you two,” he said, closing his eyes and taking in the smell of salt.

The Norwegian man noted that the other was quieter than the man who was currently talking to him. He was also bigger, but Berwald was more of a silent giant, unlike most who were about his height. If some people were that tall, they would have probably been obnoxious and pushy. Then again, even short people could be pushy and annoying. He ignored the thought, smiling lightly at the two and trying to appear as calm as possible. He relaxed himself, picking up his case and putting it on his lap.

“I learned how to read notes and figure which strings play which sound in one of the classes I took. I learned to actually put it all together and play by myself. My teacher was not a very good one… could have done better,” Lukas said, hoping that it wouldn’t be too confusing. Most people often got confused at that part. “Yes, instruments are nice when you can play them, and you’re right, it does work nicely depending on how you use your surroundings.” He wiped off some water that had splashed in his face, glaring off to the side and snorting slightly. “Yes, the rain wouldn’t be too good for the violin. It could possibly be damaged, and that wouldn’t be good,” he murmured, almost feeling like he was talking to himself.

He huffed softly, looking between the two and deciding whether to continue the conversation or not. He eventually decided to continue the small conversation, but it was already getting a bit awkward for him. Lukas was not used to talking this much, unless it was while working or while asking for coffee. He looked back at the man who was introduced as Berwald. The name was certainly suiting. If one had the spirit and guts to, they would stare back at those seemingly frightening eyes. It was as if he had a scary face to him, but the Norwegian man was used to a face like that. Since he never liked it when people stared at him, it was common for him to glare at wandering eyes. This man didn’t seem like the person to do such a thing, but that still did not change the fact that he did not entirely like being stared at. Oh well, he might as well deal with it for today.

[[ Don't apologize; it's all right~ :> You're forgiven~! ]]

[Timo Väinämöinen]

Timo had once been told by his grandfather that you could never have too many friends, and it was something he took to heart. The young man always wanted to befriend more or less every person that he met, unless they made it very clear that they didn’t want to be friends with him. Besides, there was something about the stoic young man in front of him that reminded him of the older man beside him. Somehow that made Timo even more sure that the other man needed more friends. It would be good to see him smile! He probably looked beautiful if he did smile.

He was a little awkward at answering for Berwald, though, and he looked at the man beside him again before replying to Lukas. “Neither! He’s just a little shy.” He said, his voice fondly. Berwald was free to contradict him if he wanted, but Timo didn’t consider his accent a problem with speech, and he was nice so Timo didn’t think that Berwald would ever not talk because he didn’t like someone. “Lukas is a really nice name!” Timo said, happily, and as honest and eager as ever. He thought that it suited the other man.

Clapping his hands, Timo’s eyes widened a little to hear that Lukas had taught himself. “That’s amazing!” He said, brightly, honestly impressed. He’d never be able to do something like that! “I’m sure your teacher tried their best, though.” He added, gently, for a moment seeming a little fatherly. Perhaps it was the part of Timo that had always longed to be a teacher speaking. He didn’t believe that any teacher wouldn’t put anything but their best into helping their students. After all, it was so rewarding to see people grow and get better! “Do you come down here to play a lot?” Timo asked, curiously. He almost asked where Lukas came from, but didn’t want to sound rude. It was almost certain that Lukas came from the Lowlands like they did, since he wasn’t on the proper beach, but it was still better not to assume.

“Do you know how to skim stones, Lukas?” Timo asked, smiling at him. “Berwald just told me that he never learnt so I was going to show him.” He said, turning his smile to Berwald again, fondly. He was still looking forward to that. “Do you want to come with us?” It’d be nice to talk more and skimming stones was more fun the more people you had. Besides, it’d be nice to talk more to their new friend! And maybe if they did something like that, Berwald would relax enough to talk a little more.

[Berwald Oxenstierna]

A light blush bloomed on Berwald's cheeks as he looked off to the side out of embarrassment. He had intended to answer for himself that time, he really did. But speaking to strangers had never been a strong suit of his so he wasn't too alarmed when his words died in his throat before he even got to open his mouth. He didn't have problems with speech, just a funny accent that he had picked up from how his father spoke. And due to how he tended to mumble everything he said, his accent sounded even heavier than it should have been. It wasn't really general dislike for talking to others either... sort of? It had more to do with the act of talking itself rather than the people he actually talked to. He had always disliked social situations because of... how awkward he was. A little shy? Ridiculously shy sounded a lot more accurate.

Lukas Bondevik. 'Suits 'im,' the tall blond thought offhandedly as he watched the young man place his violin case on his lap. He listened intently as the musician spoke in a hushed tone. Berwald didn't know much at all about instruments but was naturally impressed that Lukas had taught himself to play the violin. He couldn't imagine himself playing any sort of instrument but, for some reason, he liked the idea of playing one for his parents and Timo. However, he quickly dismissed the thought from his mind. He curled his left hand into a loose fist, feeling the callouses there scrape lightly against each other. His hands were rough from years of woodworking and weren't really suited to play delicate instruments. He understood that musicians probably had callouses of their own from hours of tedious practice but he figured that his were most likely different. Berwald even had a few light scars along his fingers due to how clumsy he had been when he was much younger.

As the bespectacled blond listened to Lukas talk about how rain would be bad for his violin, he thought of how he was all too aware of the negative effects moisture had on wood. His knowledge on the matter came from working with wood nearly all his life and having a father who worked as a carpenter before retiring. “S'important to keep water out'f the building's frame! Poor workmanship and design leads to a leaky house structure. And when the water gets in, the wood rots faster,” his father had said. Berwald found himself wondering what one had to actually do to maintain an instrument like Lukas's but came to assume that it couldn't be all that different from taking care of a piece of fine furniture. He had half a mind to ask what kind of wood Lukas's violin was made of out of curiosity but decided to save the question for later.

Berwald grunted appreciatively at Timo's suggestion. Skimming stones with the two other blonds would most likely help him ease up enough to actually say something. He wasn't as eager to spend more time with their new acquaintance as Timo was but strangely felt that it wouldn't be so bad, that making a new friend would be fun. He probably felt that way because, instead of being alone like usual, he was with Timo who was delightfully talkative and friendly. Lukas was quiet and serious, just as Berwald was, so he couldn't help but wonder how conversations – if any were ever to occur between the two of them – would go if Timo wasn't around. But quiet, serious people were definitely easier to get along with than noisy, obnoxious people so the tall blond was sort of thankful.

[Erik Olsen]

Lukas' lips curved upwards into a playful smirk. Well, this was interesting! People who actually wanted to talk to him and didn't run away in disgust, terror, or fear of him. It was actually a nice turn, and he wondered how long it would take to actually have a normal "buddy-buddy" conversation with these two people if they all were ever to become friends. Maybe he could be friends with them. Hopefully, that would keep that little voice in the back of his head quiet for a change, since it constantly nagged him to make friends with other people.

He nodded. While doing the action, his bangs feel forward; he was forced to clip the hair back into place with the cross-shaped hairclip. He chuckled softly. “I see, I see…” he murmured, not bothering to speak up while he was busy thinking about what kind of a man Berwald was besides the one standing next to him. Of course, like anyone, there were different sides to him that only needed the gentle prod or a few buttons pressed to allow someone to see that specific side. Though now was not the best time to do it… Maybe he could actually manage to get Berwald to follow him somewhere and push a few buttons, but he pushed it aside for now. “Ah, thank you. You also have nice names,” he said, trying to be nice by making the same comment. Both names seem to fit their person. Berwald’s name because his height makes him like a bear, and ‘Timo’ had that ring of someone who was social and bubbly.

At the clapping of Timo’s hands, he jolted slightly, not exactly being prepared for such a small thing. It had not been that difficult for him to learn how to play, but that was probably because of the massive amounts of free time he had. He assumed that most people were often busier with other things rather than practicing for something they wanted to do. He often pushed things aside just to practice with his violin, but the other reason why he probably had more time was because he didn’t have to deal with siblings. Lukas had heard stories of other classmates being distracted from their work because of their younger or older siblings. It had used to make him feel slightly jealous, since his siblings had died before he was able to let them hear the music he played. That didn’t matter now. He had to get over that, since it was better to let go of the past. It was best for him to forget about his family, since that didn’t really matter to him now. He frowned slightly, soon remembering about the two people in front of him and trying to act like he never thought back on the past by playing a small yet somewhat sad smile. ”Yes, I’m sure he tried well,” he murmured, turning his head away from them. ”I do come here quite often to play, but there are some times where I’ll play for the people in the Highlands,” the man said, then added. “This beach is where I usually play. Most people don’t come around here, and it’s a nice place to relax and get away from the Highlands.”

Lukas’ sad smile turned into a playful smirk, chuckling. ”I used to play that with my brothers, so I guess you could count that as knowing how to skim stones,” he said, sighing contently at the thought. They used to have good times playing that game, which often ended with all three of them jumping into the water and wrestling each other. ”Though I’m no master at it, I do know how to skim stones.” The Norwegian man slightly wondered why the other would ask such a question, but he started getting an idea of why Timo would ask him that question. He wasn’t sure if he should, but he had nothing better to do besides go back to work and do nothing. He huffed softly. It was either be bored at work or go skim stones with these two, and he decided that playing a game was definitely better than doing nothing. ”I’ll come,” he said, placing the violin case beside himself and picking it up when he got up. This would be good.

[Timo Väinämöinen]

Timo blinked at the mention of the Highlands. Was this man really one of them? For a moment his heart sank. How long would he put up with them once he realised that they weren’t? He quickly pushed that thought away though. Lukas seemed like a nice man, and he’d been nice to them so far. There was no need for him to think like that. Besides, this man didn’t seem like what he’d heard about Highlanders. He spoke of trying to get away from the Highlands by coming down here, and that was different for a start. He smiled at him and nodded. “It’s easy enough to get to too!” He pointed out happily.

Smiling happily when Lukas admitted that he did know how to, he beamed even brighter when he agreed to come. He glanced at Berwald, making sure that he seemed all right with all of this, and relaxed when he saw that he seemed quite happy with the idea – or at least as happy as Berwald ever looked. He brushed his fingers over Berwald’s hand subtly, wanting him to relax so he could talk with Lukas too. Even without Timo, he was sure that they would be able to. You didn’t need to constantly chat to be friends, after all.

Leading the way back down to the sea, Timo happily bounced over the stones, keeping an eye out for any good skimming ones as he did. “I wish I had brothers!” He said, happily as he walked. “What else do you play with them?” Of course, if Timo had any idea what had happened to Lukas’ family, Timo wouldn’t have remarked, but he didn’t know, and he really was jealous. He’d always wanted siblings when he was younger, but, well, his parents couldn’t afford it, and then his mother had died, so. For a while Berwald had been close enough to be a brother, but then he’d had to move away, and he’d lost him too. Suddenly noticing a perfect stone, Timo stooped and grabbed it, holding it up with a noise of triumph. “Here, Berwald.” He held it out to him with a smile. “This stone’s perfect, you have it!” It’d make it easier for him to get a good first throw.

As they reached the water, Timo looked around, grabbing a couple more so they had a good supply to start with. Leaning into Berwald again, he smiled at him, holding one of the stones and holding his hand up so Berwald could see. “You need to hold it like this, and then umm… kind of flick your wrist.” He tried to explain. “Watch me, and then if you have any questions I can try and explain.” Timo suggested, then stepped away so Berwald would be able to see well and threw his stone. It hit the water five times and Timo frowned. He could do better than that! Maybe he was out of practice.

[Berwald Oxenstierna]

Berwald eyed Lukas's cross-shaped hairclip with mild interest as the young musician arranged his fringe and snapped the delicate-looking hair accessory into place. Due to its shape, the tall blond was vaguely reminded of the silver cross necklace he had given to Timo years ago. He let his gaze flit to his friend for a short moment. He wondered curiously if Timo was wearing it right now. Just the thought of it nearly made his lips curl into an affectionate smile. Berwald had to guiltily admit to himself that it was the presence of their new acquaintance that prevented him from letting the corners of his mouth twitch upwards. It was just so hard for him to feel that comfortable around people he barely knew. He made a hasty mental note to ask Timo for pointers on being friendly to strangers later. He shifted his gaze back to Lukas when he heard him compliment his and Timo's names. He wanted to echo the compliment back but decided it would have sounded kind of silly since Timo had already said Lukas's name was nice.

Berwald was a little surprised when the musician mentioned the Highlands. He hadn't expected Lukas to be Highlander at all since he was here on a Lowland beach. The tall blond caught himself wanting to ask about what could possibly make the young man want to get away from the Highlands but immediately pushed the idea from his thoughts. He knew better than to pry. Berwald unconsciously shot Lukas a contemplating look when he mentioned his brothers. The serious-faced man did not seem the type to have siblings. The tall blond was suddenly pulled from his thoughts of siblings, however, when he felt soft fingers brush his hand. He understood it was meant to be a comforting gesture but a blush bloomed on his cheeks anyway due to Timo's deliberate contact. His hand tingled and Berwald found the feeling strangely pleasant.

He followed the small blond closely as the three of them made their way down to the sea. Timo, happily leading the way for all of them, spoke to Lukas in his usual cheerful tone. Berwald noticed his friend's gaze flickering to different places on the ground and assumed that he was looking for good skimming stones. He decided to do the same. But before he was able to find one, Timo went up to him and offered the stone he had just found. The tall blond noted how cute his friend looked with that triumphant smile upon his face. The stone was perfect. Berwald wondered if it was okay for him to take it. He'd probably waste it on a sad first attempt. Deciding not to argue, though, he took the proffered stone with a small grunt of thanks.

When they finally reached the water, Timo quickly gathered a few more stones and went up to Berwald again with a smile. The bespectacled man listened very carefully to the small blond's instructions. He nodded once as his friend stepped away to demonstrate. Berwald made sure to watch closely. Timo threw his stone with a sharp flick of his wrist. The tall blond felt his eyes widen slightly as Timo's stone slapped the surface of the water not once, not twice, not even thrice but an impressive five times before finally falling through the water and sinking to the bottom of the sea. He tried not to gape. “Five?” he breathed out, sounding awed. “Neith'r of m'p'rents hardly get tha' many, T'mo,” he commented, so impressed that he did not realize he had finally spoken. His grip around the stone tightened a little – out of determination or nervousness, he was not sure. He swallowed thickly and decided to himself that it was the latter. He frowned slightly, already convinced of the imminent failure of his first attempt. “'m not so sure 'bout this...” he murmured as he looked towards Timo, uncertainty etched on his features.