[closed]

[stonefaith]

Date & Time: 05/10 evening
Location: Unit 201
Characters: Bariyan e Kodhi (stonefaith), Martin Darkov (theguideless)
Summary: new fears and familiar faces
Warnings: N/A

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Bariyan practically burst into the apartment. A quick glance around showed that Koltira wasn't in, but Martin's door was cracked open and light was spilling out from behind it. Looked like the boy was here. Bariyan took a step towards the light -- paused -- thought better of it. He turned and went for the kitchen instead and went through a ritual he'd gone through a million times before; head to freezer, open door, reach for the nearest bottle-- but this time he hesitated again. After a moment's thought, he put the bottle away.

Not now.

He headed for his own room instead and looked around for his tablet. He didn't see it anywhere. When was the last time he'd used it? Last night, after talking to Thassarian... he'd been outside then. And where was it now? He had brought it back, right?

Bariyan placed his hand against the door jamb, and curled his fingers into a fist.

"Damn it," he said, to himself. Then he looked over his shoulder. "Martin!"

Comments

[stonefaith]

Bariyan grinned, without mirth.

"Don't fret over it," he said. "I don't want you to worry. Could be I'm just paranoid."

He was starting to convince himself that that was exactly the case, actually. It made more sense than any alternative.

He stood up, sighed, brushed himself off. There wasn't any use talking about this anymore; he'd said all he had to say on the subject. Or all that he dared to say.

"Do you want to go see if we can find Koltira?" Bariyan scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Should be about dinnertime for you soon..."

[theguideless]

It was as close to that mechanical yes, sir as Martin had gotten in a long time, but the impulse was not what it was before. He watched Bariyan rise and situate, his mouth opening to make a reply right away at the question, unthinking. He stopped, however, and gave thought to the question.

With how troubled Bariyan had been minutes ago, Martin struggled to shift out of worry for his sake. It made his voice thick with a dubiousness he didn't intend.

"I don't remember where he went, but..." He unclenched his fingers, using his hand as leverage to push himself up to stand at his side. "We can look, right?"

[stonefaith]

He stared at Martin for a while, watching carefully, noting the still-obvious discomfort in Martin's demeanor. Maybe it had been a mistake to tell Martin. Bariyan hadn't meant to cause the boy worry.

He sighed.

"Yes," Bariyan said, standing up. He held his hand out to Martin. And, in an attempt to reassure him, Bariyan added: "It'll do me good to go out for a walk, anyhow."

[theguideless]

And if you see any of those things, thought Martin as he took the hand, I should be able to...

Do something. He hoped, anyway. Rather, part of him hoped for that: The rest hoped for no such business at all, for phantoms or monsters to leave Bariyan alone. Martin didn't cut an intimidating figure to anything other than, perhaps, cockroaches or small things underfoot, and he knew it. So while he could hope for the best, he still doubted, and there was a trace of a frown that was much more familiar months before on his face as he left the room at Bariyan's side.