A moment of quiet peace

Posted on Sun Nov 27th, 2022 @ 12:19pm by Cameron Hood & Elias Buckley & Levi Rousseau

1,236 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 2: Northern X-Posure
Location: Xavier School of the Gifted, back garden
Timeline: August 5th, late in the evening.

The evening was warm without being muggy, which Cameron counted as a win. He was tired but wasn't quite ready to go to bed. What he was ready for, however, was a cold beer. During his most recent trip into town he had procured a couple bottles of English beer. It was some random brand he had only recognised by name, but it tasted far better than the local brew he bought before. Cameron had posted up on one of the foldable lawn chairs around the swimming pool. He had an old red cooler next to him and a brown bottle in his hand. He was simply gazing across the lawn and enjoying the silence.

While he could insta-travel pretty much wherever he wanted, Elias was no mind-reader, and he didn't benefit from ESP either. So it was pure chance he happened to be mooching about, Walkman on, in the vicinity of the swimming pool as he did a quick circuit of the wider grounds. Weights would be waiting for him when he headed inside for step two of the exercise regime then, maybe back out here for a swim.

That all went to the back of the list when Elias saw Cameron chillaxing with a drink.

"Waiting on a date?" the teen threw across the ground between them as he swerved a little closer.

Levi's thoughts on the day's earlier meeting and subsequent trainings were still whirling around in his head, making the prospect of sleep anytime soon unlikely. He'd wandered out onto the pool deck in time to see Elias emerge from the grounds. He'd almost not noticed Cameron at all on the lawn chair until Elias had drawn attention to him. He headed over toward the far side of the pool, noticing the cooler as he got closer. "Can I crash the party?"

"Just enjoying the silence and warm evening." Cameron replied in a very relaxed voice. "It's important to appreciate the simple things, especially when you've risked your life." He gestured to a chair next to him right as Levi joined them. "No party here, but you're welcome to sit and just relax for a moment. "

Cameron set his half-drunk bottle down and leaned over the side of his chair to the cooler, grabbing another two bottles. He knocked the first bottle's cap off on the armrest of his chair, and caught it. Using his own powers he fashioned it into a small bottle opener and used that to leverage the second bottle open. Without a further word he offered a cold drink to each.

"Thanks," Levi took the bottle he was offered and gave only a cursory glance to the label. He'd never had a beer before, but he wasn't about to make a big deal about it in front of two guys he particularly looked up to. He lifted it to his lips and tipped it back for a quick sip. His cheeks stung as he held back the unfamiliar, slightly bitter flavor without giving too much of a soured expression.

Elias had hung back, unaccustomed to being invited (or wanting to be) into adult gatherings. He stepped forward with a comfortable confidence as Cameron lifted the two bottles from his cooler though, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the older man was interested in sharing. Free beer was always a Good Thing.

"Neat trick with the bottle cap," Elias noted, with genuine interest. "And, hey man, thanks," he added, as he gratefully took the offered bottle. In the interest of fraternity, the teen then clinked his own bottle against first Cameron's and then offered it up to Levi's as the other student lowered his from his mouth. "Cheers." Then he drank, long and slow and with a closed-eye moment of subtle savouring.

A clink was the only sound emanating from around Cameron. He then gestured to the two chairs besides him that were empty. Another long pull emptied the glass bottle. He swished the dregs around one more time and drizzled them on his tongue. He then simply pushed the bottle in on itself as if it was a thin tin can until a thick glass cube was formed. Cameron put the cube on the small pyramid besides him and took another bottle and removed the cap by turning it into a marble.

"Yeah, cheers," Levi mumbled awkwardly as he clinked his own bottle against Elias'. He watched as Cameron recycled the glass bottle and wondered what it would be like to be able to actually create something physical and real with your powers. "That is so cool," he sighed and sank onto one of the chairs. It was only then that he noticed and realized the small pile of cubes. It was no secret what was likely eating at Cameron.

Quiet. Elias could handle that. Most older adults had a lot to say, but if Cameron was content to sit and quietly drink that was fine by him. He watched the soldier for a moment, then reached silently into his own other world, a hand briefly twisting out of sight with a wordless request. To his side then strolled a falcon-headed griffin, quiet and still but surrounded with an aura of majesty. Elias offered that lethal beak his beer bottle and the tip ventured noisily in search of the amber fluid within. As the creature lifted the bottle entirely from his hand, tipping it upwards, the teen laughed. "We're sharing," he told it, in an affectionate voice as one would address a family pet. "Sharing..."

"What is that?" Levi asked in astonishment when he saw the creature-bird. He was leary to lean close, it looked a bit lethal. "Did... did you make it?"

"She's a she, not an it," said Elias, his tone neutral as he stroked fingers down the griffin's back and bided his time to take the bottle back. "And no, I didn't create her, I just brought her here for a bit. She likes to explore new places. Her name's Heba."

"Elias, Levi." Cameron grumbled before turning his attention from the pool to Elias. "Nice griffin." The Brit said, his tone as appreciative as if he were looking at a particularly pretty dog. "Lads, I appreciate the company, but I'm here to quietly contemplate the infinite. I welcome you to join me, but do so in relative silence." And Cameron pulled from his beer, savouring the bitter.

"I could be much quieter with another beer," chanced Elias with an impish grin accompanying his polite suggestion.

From the cooler another bottle was released. The cap molded into an arrow tip as Cameron's hand glided over it. He put it down on the concrete within reach of Elias. All in silence before Cameron relaxed back in his seat.

Without word or great ceremony, Elias lifted the bottle from the ground and raised it to his lips. A small sip, just a savoured mouthful, and he finally took a seat. Not on a lawn chair, but cross-legged on the ground with Heba the griffin as a willing backrest. Maybe, he considered, the Brit wasn't so bad. Maybe this place wasn't like the others. Maybe. Maybe not. Not like he didn't have the ability to leave whenever he wanted. Not like he needed these people. But for now, in this moment, just hanging out here with free beer, all was right with the world.

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