Day 20 | Night | Rainy Reflections

[gavehislife]

CHARACTERS: gavehislife and Everyone ever Other people
DATE: Day 20 - Just after Night Fall (11/22)
RATING: PG-13 as a safety
SUMMARY: Stephen decides to get some air and blow off some steam around the compound... in the rain. All the rain. Feel free to pick a place [within the gates] at random. I left it ambiguous for a reason. At some point in the night he'll

Comments

[distinctive_guy]

Rain, a soft gray drizzle that settled over the island like the cold shroud of mourning. It was ironic how the place that caused his emotions to begin with was now sending weather patterns to fit to his mood. Eliot didn't like the rain but it fit his mood so aptly that he sat just under the overhang edge of the west dorm doors, watching it anyway

[gavehislife]

Stephen nearly missed the comment, so lost in his own musings as he was. However, it did finally register a few feet past Eliot and he paused, turning to greet the man he recognized from the mission he took on with Erik. He had to pause to think about the question again. It was clear he had long since forgotten the rain, hair and clothes plastered to him, heavy and water-logged.

"Something like that." He took a few steps back in Eliot's direction, still standing in the open as he blinked through the rivulets of water to get a better look. "You?"

[distinctive_guy]

"Don't sleep much," Eliot admitted quietly. There was an overall somber blanket covering the rainy night and he respected it by keeping his voice soft. He didn't feel like raising it anyway.

Ever since the office trip, Eliot had been avoiding human company. He kept to secluded areas of the compound, forgoing anywhere that may even be remotely populated. The training hall meet with the telepath provided brief reprieve, but after that, he kept to himself. Even communication with Hardison was kept to a bare minimum as each criminal gave the other their space to mourn in their own way. This was the first human contact he reached out for today -84 hour reference-.

Patrolling, to make sure the 'camp' was safe from the enemy, at least that much he can handle.

"I'll join you." A brief pause as if he just remembered the rules of social conduct as he unfolded his bulk from the small side doorway. "If you don't mind."

[gavehislife]

The offer caught Stephen off guard for a moment, but he gave Eliot a nod and a gesture. Two sets of eyes were better than one, and he really had nothing in particular in mind. A little company to help distract his mind from receding into thoughts of 'home' was not an unwelcome thought.

"Not at all." He settled back into his casual pace through the puddles gathering along the ground, assuming Eliot would fall in step. He knew the feeling all too well. A flash of teeth and sulfuric breath came unbidden and he passed the shudder off as a reaction to the rain. "Bit of scenery change is nice." He motioned at the clouds. Really, he was mainly pleased it kept people inside a little more than usual. It made his walk more peaceful.

[distinctive_guy]

Eliot fell in easily enough, his quick strides catching up to the taller man. He shook his head with a light grimace as stepping into the constant drizzle waterlogged his hair, but he swept it back and tied it up by the time he was walking by the other man's side.

"For tonight it fits."

With his quiet cryptic answer, Eliot hoped it would discourage conversation for a while. He wanted to walk with someone, be doing something, but he wasn't ready to talk yet. Maybe later, after a mile or two.

[gavehislife]

Stephen doesn't push for conversation. He hasn't been feeling particularly talkative lately, either. He settles back into the routine trudge of his pace, eyes sweeping the shadows now and then.

At least Eliot's presence provided a reason to actually bother with focusing. He had become slightly lax after the first round, losing himself into his thoughts, his attentions divided. Now that someone might actually notice, his tracker instincts kicked back in and he paid closer attention to things as they passed them.

[distinctive_guy]

The soft drizzle of rain was a blessing in disguise as their walk continued. The light patter caused Eliot to focus his attention instead of letting his mind wander, for the blanket covering of sound and motion made it too difficult to pick out the night's nuances. Without the background stillness and the quiet night, his senses, while in a relaxed state, had to be on ready alert in case anything was out of the ordinary.

Nothing was.

The silence was surprisingly comfortable as each man carried on their own, but eventually, Eliot was ready to talk. "Stephen, right?"

[gavehislife]

Stephen gave a nod of agreement, his hands finding the slightly warmer protection of his jacket pockets after a while. He was going through the motions of rounds, but he really did not expect to run into much trouble. At least he had yet to so far.

"Eliot?" He glanced in the other man's direction, pulling the name from his memory of the mission they had gone on together with Erik. The man was definitely an interesting character. Stephen had not needed to see much to know he could handle himself.

[distinctive_guy]

Eliot's answer was a nod of acknowledgement similar to Stephen's. He too picked up a sense that the man knew his stuff and was an even keel guy. Considering their communication was restricted to what he learned from the mission before they split and what he garnered from their short chat over the network, Eliot was wary to judge more than that about a stranger.

"Don't think we're gonna run into anythin' dangerous tonight," he said. "Maybe it's the rain." If it was, it was something worth noting although Eliot just found himself grateful for the respite.

[gavehislife]

"Not quite as sure about it." He wished they would, and the thought surprised him. He was tense and worked up and distracted, in no condition to be fighting off more of the bloody creatures. But with this much to vent on his shoulders, He could almost use it. Either way he just continued on, letting the rain roll off of him easily.

"Be a nice break if it is true." He flashed a lopsided grin, slightly forced and perhaps a little bitter, but not unfriendly. "Just one more reason to love the rain."

[distinctive_guy]

Eliot noted the disturbance but chose to not comment on it. They all had their demons, and they all had their ways of dealing. If this was the other man's method then who was he to say anything.

"Most nights aren't this quiet." Since he didn't want to come off as argumentative, he added, "I'm just sayin'. Usually would've seen one of those weird prowlers by now." He could've meant a variety of creatures, but the fact was, they haven't seen a single one of any sort.

[gavehislife]

"Could be they know something we don't. So far, every 'freak' weather incident has preceded a new an unpleasant creature for us to deal with. I can not imagine this will be much different. Or they just don't much car for water. Hard to know. They do not act like normal beasts." Stephen shook his head, rolling his shoulders in a slight shrug. Who could tell with this place.