Post by Deleted on May 20, 2023 18:59:25 GMT -5
It was Spring in Skia. And sure, that would occasionally mean days that tended towards warm, or at least temperate, but this was not one of those days. The clouds had gathered and the rain had started early in the morning, before the sun even had a chance to rise. It was... quintessentially Nevermerean. And it was the type of weather for quiet words and secrets murmured in back alleys. Overcast, dreary. The sky itself was devoid of color, muted tones of gray, whirling silently above the ceaseless roar of the rain. Yes... it was a good day to do business.
More accurately, it was a bad day to put in time on the greenhouse, and Temperance would only have chastised him for trying, had she been around. Without her, the cottage felt... more like the sky outside. Grey, colorless, devoid of expression or joy. And it was that particular line of thinking that led to crippling in action or depression, so work was the best solution. Keep the mind busy. Keep it occupied. Focus on other things. There was always work to be done, when your line of work had the tendency to involve just about anything.
Besides, he had a couple of reports to turn in. They weren't exactly overdue, since a date had never been particularly stipulated in the original contract, but they'd been sitting on his desk for a while now, and now they sat snugly in the satchel that hung from his shoulder, A long leather coat hung from his shoulders, well waxed to keep the worst of the moisture out. There was nothing, however, that could keep the downpour from flattening the thick dark hair on top of his head, running in little rivulets down his face to drip from the stubble on his chin. That too, was longer than it would generally have been, almost enough to be called a proper beard at this point.
As always, however, the large, furry form of Artos padded faithfully at his side, even with the rain soaking through his fur. The dog... for he was a bit too large now to be considered a puppy, even with another year left of growth, seemed quite content with this, heavy pink tongue lolling out happily as he ambled along, occasionally lifting his muzzle to catch some of the raindrops in his mouth. It was a long walk to the encampment on the outskirts of Skia, but neither of them seemed to mind the time to themselves, or the fact that a good portion of the passersby gave them (or more accurately, the dog) a fairly wide berth.
As they approached, the guards at the front of the encampment stepped forward, but parted moments later to let him pass, their eyes turning to follow his progress momentarily before resuming their posts. The training camp itself... well, the rain turned any well-trodden ground into mud, a rich, thick mixture that sucked at his boots in that familiar way, turning every stride into an endeavor. At least he didn't have that far to go, making his way to the collection of officer's tents and ducking his way through a heavy flap of canvas. "Lieutenaaa... Ah. I see you already have company."
More accurately, it was a bad day to put in time on the greenhouse, and Temperance would only have chastised him for trying, had she been around. Without her, the cottage felt... more like the sky outside. Grey, colorless, devoid of expression or joy. And it was that particular line of thinking that led to crippling in action or depression, so work was the best solution. Keep the mind busy. Keep it occupied. Focus on other things. There was always work to be done, when your line of work had the tendency to involve just about anything.
Besides, he had a couple of reports to turn in. They weren't exactly overdue, since a date had never been particularly stipulated in the original contract, but they'd been sitting on his desk for a while now, and now they sat snugly in the satchel that hung from his shoulder, A long leather coat hung from his shoulders, well waxed to keep the worst of the moisture out. There was nothing, however, that could keep the downpour from flattening the thick dark hair on top of his head, running in little rivulets down his face to drip from the stubble on his chin. That too, was longer than it would generally have been, almost enough to be called a proper beard at this point.
As always, however, the large, furry form of Artos padded faithfully at his side, even with the rain soaking through his fur. The dog... for he was a bit too large now to be considered a puppy, even with another year left of growth, seemed quite content with this, heavy pink tongue lolling out happily as he ambled along, occasionally lifting his muzzle to catch some of the raindrops in his mouth. It was a long walk to the encampment on the outskirts of Skia, but neither of them seemed to mind the time to themselves, or the fact that a good portion of the passersby gave them (or more accurately, the dog) a fairly wide berth.
As they approached, the guards at the front of the encampment stepped forward, but parted moments later to let him pass, their eyes turning to follow his progress momentarily before resuming their posts. The training camp itself... well, the rain turned any well-trodden ground into mud, a rich, thick mixture that sucked at his boots in that familiar way, turning every stride into an endeavor. At least he didn't have that far to go, making his way to the collection of officer's tents and ducking his way through a heavy flap of canvas. "Lieutenaaa... Ah. I see you already have company."