Left Behind
St. Albans -- Spaceport =>St. Albans<=
Spaceport is a loose term for the primary landing zone on St. Albans. Ever it seems that snow falls upon the planet, continually blanketing everything only to be swept away by the winds and be replaced in turn. At the edges of the hard packed snow and ice coating over a flat expanse of rock are several small buildings, heated by fire, electrical, and by converted ship engines, allowing new arrivals an escape from the freezing temperatures. The largest building overall, is the cargo offices, which needless to say are the most busy with people rushing in to do business and then hurrying back out and to their ships with cargo in tow on their MULEs. Several stretches of beaten path lead from the spaceport, leading to the close built township of the planet, and others leading towards the homestead ranches that have managed to survive on the frozen wastelands and forests that present themselves.
It's only gotten colder as the sun slips down below the horizon and finally sets, leaving the field lit primarily by the harsh lights of the spaceport. Out on the edges however it softens to that of moonlight, reflected off the snow that has risen in drifts against hills and trees. It looks deserted, most sensible people home or at least tucked safely away on board their ships. But there is one lone figure, sitting atop a small rise.
"Don't know why I bother..." Sunan mutters to himself, exiting the Invictus with a large bundle in his arms. "Search all over the ship for her, then I find out she's not even onboard. She's batshit loco, and jumps at shadows." Still. he stares out around the area for a moment, before catching sight of a silhouette in the distance. Grumbling to himself, he begins to march toward the lone figure, careful not to make too much noise, but still let her know that he's coming.
Without turning around, Wren speaks, her soft voice carrying clearly in the freezing night air, "Zeus most glorious and most great, Thundercloud, throned in the heavens! Let not the sun go down and the darkness come..." The words trail off into silence as she hugs her knees more closely to her chest, hands stuck between to keep them warm. "But it always comes," she adds, her voice slightly hoarse.
"Scared of the dark?" Sunan asks quietly, curiously. He walks around front of the woman, dropping a thick, fur blanket down in front of her as he passes. Without asking, he drops down on the ground next to her, giving a slight shiver. "Don't know how the hell you've stayed out here like that. Place is freezing. It was freezing last time I was here, and it'll be freezing next time." he grimaces in faint annoyance. "Shouldn't be worried about the sun going down, should be worried about the snow coming on."
Wren glances up, the shiny tracks on her cheeks faint evidence of tears that have long since frozen in place. "You're never alone," she answers with a shrug, her eyes dropping as she reaches for the blanket, movements slow and painful from being in the cold too long. "It's always like this," she adds with a small nod and a sigh.
His grimace only grows more pronounced as Sue takes in the frozen tears. Then he only gives his head a shake as Wren... does that... quoting to herself thing again. "It is, but it's not all bad." he amends, reaching over to help settle the blanket over her, then about her shoulders. "Careful out here, though, or you'll freeze to death. Remember, I can't let you do that. Security, and all..."
Shivering, Wren draws the blanket more tightly around her, gaze shifting out across the snow white field in front of them. "Water crystallizes, turns to ice, can't move through tissue without tearing," she murmurs. "No one is dead until they are warm and dead," she declares more loudly, her gaze returning to search Sunan's face. "I'm not warm, I can't be dead."
"Course you're not." Sunan replies to that explanation, blinking away some confusion. He continues to sit cross legged, next to her, staring out around the area. "Well, we got Gabriella. She's safe, and none of ours got injured. That's a good thing." he spares a glance to the side, toward her, before he shifts his eyes back outward.
"It's a good thing," Wren echoes in agreement, breath catching and then releasing in a small hiss as she shifts beneath the blanket. "I'm not afraid of the dark, I'm afraid of shadow," she says in a conversational tone. "Time delays and it doesn't run straight, it's stupid and I hate it," she adds with more heat, voice rising.
"Oh." Sue replies smartly, holding up his end of the intellectual/crazy talk. "You'd do well to hate it, I suppose... there are less... viable options of hate?" he ventures, shrugging. "Can you stand?"
Wren turns her head to look at Sunan, brow furrowed as she tries to make sense of his words. "Less viable...?" she questions, and then shakes her head. "Usually," she answers his last question, shrugging her shoulders.
"Nothing." Sunan replies immediately to the first. "What I meant was, can you stand currently? You were moving kind of sluggishly, with the blanket, a moment ago... as my job currently entails worrying after you lot, I figured that'd be a place to start." he attempts a reassuring, amiable grin.
"You're in the lot," Wren comments, shifting a little in an effort to test standing capabilities. "The ground doesn't want to let go," she decides after a moment. "Trees put down roots," she adds in thoughtful observation.
"True enough, but I also carry around a gun and look tough." his grin turns wry. "Plants need drinks, trees put down roots." he rises to his feet and wipes some snow off of his pants. Extending a hand downward, he smiles. "C'mon, let's get you inside, before the cold makes your leaves fall off, and your limbs are all bare, or something. Plus, I'm tired as shit, and you'll have to forgive me, but I don't particularly want anybody alone outside the ship at night, especially given the recent happenings."
Wren blinks at the extended hand, and then smiles a little. "Plants need drinks," she agrees, reaching out to take his hand, her own stiff with cold. "No leaves, just Isabella," she adds, smile fading into a more anxious mien. "She'll want to see Gabby," she decides.
"I've yet to meet her." Sunan admits, grasping her hand firmly, his gloved hand fairly cold as well. "She will. She must be extremely relieved." then he hauls the young woman to her feet, "Okay... let's go ahead and go back to the ship now, eh?"
Take me back to Wren's RP Logs
