Sol ☼ Thomas "Tan" Moore (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
secretofthefox) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
bunbox2018-06-09 02:13 pm
secretofthefox) wrote in bunbox2018-06-09 02:13 pm
Entry tags:
[ficlet] Stars
As luck would have it, they'd found a cave to stay in that night. It wasn't a huge cave with sprawling tunnels to explore or anything, but it was large enough to give the girls some degree of privacy, and so that everyone could have their own space to sleep in where they wouldn't encroach on the others. And, well, even with the weather being clear, none of them were going to complain about actual shelter for once.
It also meant that, since there was only one entrance, whoever was stuck with watch duty only had to really worry about one place, meaning that they could wander a little further away from the group if they wanted a little time to themselves.
That's why when Norbert woke up for second watch (his phone's alarm still worked for now, if nothing else, and he could hear it even on its lowest setting) and didn't immediately see Tan, who had taken first, he wasn't too worried. Just because Tan needed people to ground him sometimes, didn't mean he didn't need alone time too.
He was probably just practicing, Norbert figured as he pushed himself up and shook off his sleepiness. They'd discussed having a campfire in the cave, but John had vetoed the idea, pointing out some grumpy but admittedly sound concerns about ventilation. With only the one source of fresh air - and not a very big one at that - having a fire going that would make smoke and get rid of oxygen seemed like a bad idea. And, well, Tan was perfectly capable of thinking before he acted and doing the sensible thing.
Sometimes.
When other people were involved, anyway.
He wouldn't be Tan without that reckless streak, though. Honestly, Norbert admired that about him, that tendency to just do a thing without dwelling on potential consequences. It just meant someone needed to be there to make sure that the definitely actually bad ideas got talked down, and, well, Rena always told Norbert that he and Tan balanced each other out.
He made his way to the entrance, only to be surprised that Tan wasn't, in fact, playing with his pyrokinetic abilities, and was in fact laying down on his back, just staring up at the night sky. If it wasn't for the buzz of whirring thoughts Norbert could hear, he'd almost assume that his friend had accidentally fallen asleep on watch duty, but no, he was fully awake. Just watching the sky.
Well, if he was this relaxed, there was nothing wrong, so Norbert walked over and sat down next to him. "Hey."
"Hey. Does this mean it's second shift?"
"Yeah. My alarm went off. You can go back and sleep now."
Tan made no effort to move, though. "I'm not really all that tired. I think I'll stay out here for a bit, unless you're not up for the company."
Norbert laughed a little. "I'm never not up for it. But you should probably sleep."
"It's fine~ Besides, you get a really good view of the stars from here."
The stars? Norbert looked up, and Tan was not kidding. The trees blocked the view closer to the horizon, but the area around the cave entrance was clear, allowing an unobscured view. No clouds, either, and this world seemed to have a moon that came out more during the day, so there was no light from that to distract from thousands of tiny pinpricks of starlight... no, maybe millions.
"Huh. No kidding," was Norbert's reply, impressed. There were too many people who left their lights on at night to see anywhere near this many stars in Watergate. The only place you might come close was the park, but even then.
"I haven't been able to pick out any constellations yet, though."
"It's another world, Tan. I don't think they'll have the same ones."
"I know, but I can still look, right?"
"Nobody's stopping you."
"Exactly."
They stayed in silence for a bit, Norbert eventually following Tan's lead and laying down - he'd hear if anything weird was going on before he saw it anyway, so it wasn't like he was shirking watch duty or anything. It really was breathtaking, that many stars shining down in the night.
He wished Rena could be there to see it too. All three of them, together. That would make this perfect. ...Who knew, maybe she would be able to, someday. If she had powers too, she certainly hadn't said anything, but if there was anybody Norbert wouldn't put it past, it was her.
Wouldn't that be great, if all three of them did.
Eventually, Tan broke the silence. "Hey, Norbert?"
"Yeah, Tan?"
"Remember that campout we had in the park last year?"
"How could I forget?" That had been one of Tan's whims that had gone... worse than expected, but to be fair, no one could have expected an actual bear to show up. No one had been hurt - it had just been curious and no one had antagonized it - but the Night Phoenixes hadn't been allowed to meet for weeks afterwards until all their parents had been assured it was safe. Tan had been so frustrated... Well, at the time, anyway. He never did seem to hold onto frustration for long.
"When we find our way back, let's schedule another one. I bet the others'd love to see a view even half as good as this one."
"I dunno, will it be okay? There could be another bear."
"We can read up on how to keep them away this time. It'll be fine."
Norbert looked over with a bit of a mischievous expression. "What if it's a dangerous wild turkey this time?"
Tan looked back, his own expression amused. "I have never seen a wild turkey in Watergate."
"Hey, you never know."
"And you've been reading too much of your mom's mail."
"She asks me to sort the junk out from what's important. I just do my job."
"And rumors about 'dangerous' wild turkeys are important?"
"They trapped a woman in her car, Tan. You have to be careful."
"Honestly..."
But they were both laughing. And that was all that mattered, really. Everything was confusing, and every answer they found led to five more questions, and sometimes it got scary... But if Tan was there, Norbert could be okay with it. If they had each other, what could go wrong, right?
Eventually, they lapsed into silence again for a bit, and after a while, the background buzz of Tan's thoughts quieted down. A glance revealed to Norbert that his best friend had, in fact, nodded off despite himself. So much for not being tired.
But Norbert wasn't about to torment Tan too much over it. Instead, he just gave him a smile and a quiet "Good night, Tan," before looking back up at the stars. It would still be a while until John came out for third shift, but he could enjoy this quiet time for now.
He had to say, just about anything was more fun with Tan. Even watch duty.
It also meant that, since there was only one entrance, whoever was stuck with watch duty only had to really worry about one place, meaning that they could wander a little further away from the group if they wanted a little time to themselves.
That's why when Norbert woke up for second watch (his phone's alarm still worked for now, if nothing else, and he could hear it even on its lowest setting) and didn't immediately see Tan, who had taken first, he wasn't too worried. Just because Tan needed people to ground him sometimes, didn't mean he didn't need alone time too.
He was probably just practicing, Norbert figured as he pushed himself up and shook off his sleepiness. They'd discussed having a campfire in the cave, but John had vetoed the idea, pointing out some grumpy but admittedly sound concerns about ventilation. With only the one source of fresh air - and not a very big one at that - having a fire going that would make smoke and get rid of oxygen seemed like a bad idea. And, well, Tan was perfectly capable of thinking before he acted and doing the sensible thing.
Sometimes.
When other people were involved, anyway.
He wouldn't be Tan without that reckless streak, though. Honestly, Norbert admired that about him, that tendency to just do a thing without dwelling on potential consequences. It just meant someone needed to be there to make sure that the definitely actually bad ideas got talked down, and, well, Rena always told Norbert that he and Tan balanced each other out.
He made his way to the entrance, only to be surprised that Tan wasn't, in fact, playing with his pyrokinetic abilities, and was in fact laying down on his back, just staring up at the night sky. If it wasn't for the buzz of whirring thoughts Norbert could hear, he'd almost assume that his friend had accidentally fallen asleep on watch duty, but no, he was fully awake. Just watching the sky.
Well, if he was this relaxed, there was nothing wrong, so Norbert walked over and sat down next to him. "Hey."
"Hey. Does this mean it's second shift?"
"Yeah. My alarm went off. You can go back and sleep now."
Tan made no effort to move, though. "I'm not really all that tired. I think I'll stay out here for a bit, unless you're not up for the company."
Norbert laughed a little. "I'm never not up for it. But you should probably sleep."
"It's fine~ Besides, you get a really good view of the stars from here."
The stars? Norbert looked up, and Tan was not kidding. The trees blocked the view closer to the horizon, but the area around the cave entrance was clear, allowing an unobscured view. No clouds, either, and this world seemed to have a moon that came out more during the day, so there was no light from that to distract from thousands of tiny pinpricks of starlight... no, maybe millions.
"Huh. No kidding," was Norbert's reply, impressed. There were too many people who left their lights on at night to see anywhere near this many stars in Watergate. The only place you might come close was the park, but even then.
"I haven't been able to pick out any constellations yet, though."
"It's another world, Tan. I don't think they'll have the same ones."
"I know, but I can still look, right?"
"Nobody's stopping you."
"Exactly."
They stayed in silence for a bit, Norbert eventually following Tan's lead and laying down - he'd hear if anything weird was going on before he saw it anyway, so it wasn't like he was shirking watch duty or anything. It really was breathtaking, that many stars shining down in the night.
He wished Rena could be there to see it too. All three of them, together. That would make this perfect. ...Who knew, maybe she would be able to, someday. If she had powers too, she certainly hadn't said anything, but if there was anybody Norbert wouldn't put it past, it was her.
Wouldn't that be great, if all three of them did.
Eventually, Tan broke the silence. "Hey, Norbert?"
"Yeah, Tan?"
"Remember that campout we had in the park last year?"
"How could I forget?" That had been one of Tan's whims that had gone... worse than expected, but to be fair, no one could have expected an actual bear to show up. No one had been hurt - it had just been curious and no one had antagonized it - but the Night Phoenixes hadn't been allowed to meet for weeks afterwards until all their parents had been assured it was safe. Tan had been so frustrated... Well, at the time, anyway. He never did seem to hold onto frustration for long.
"When we find our way back, let's schedule another one. I bet the others'd love to see a view even half as good as this one."
"I dunno, will it be okay? There could be another bear."
"We can read up on how to keep them away this time. It'll be fine."
Norbert looked over with a bit of a mischievous expression. "What if it's a dangerous wild turkey this time?"
Tan looked back, his own expression amused. "I have never seen a wild turkey in Watergate."
"Hey, you never know."
"And you've been reading too much of your mom's mail."
"She asks me to sort the junk out from what's important. I just do my job."
"And rumors about 'dangerous' wild turkeys are important?"
"They trapped a woman in her car, Tan. You have to be careful."
"Honestly..."
But they were both laughing. And that was all that mattered, really. Everything was confusing, and every answer they found led to five more questions, and sometimes it got scary... But if Tan was there, Norbert could be okay with it. If they had each other, what could go wrong, right?
Eventually, they lapsed into silence again for a bit, and after a while, the background buzz of Tan's thoughts quieted down. A glance revealed to Norbert that his best friend had, in fact, nodded off despite himself. So much for not being tired.
But Norbert wasn't about to torment Tan too much over it. Instead, he just gave him a smile and a quiet "Good night, Tan," before looking back up at the stars. It would still be a while until John came out for third shift, but he could enjoy this quiet time for now.
He had to say, just about anything was more fun with Tan. Even watch duty.