Xenotober Day 5. Rain
Minoth gets somewhat poetic about rain and thunderstorms. Addam just wants him to come inside before he's hit by lightning or something.
Enjoy!
Day 5. Falling rain
"Um... Addam? Do you have a moment?"
Haze's voice comes from the doorway to Addam's room, causing him to turn away from the paperwork he's been doing in the candlelight. It's getting late, the darkness outside more prominent due to the dark clouds dumping rain and lightning over the land. Milton and Mikhail are asleep on one of the three beds in the room, snuggled together under a blanket.
"Oh, Haze. Are you alright?" Addam makes his way over to her so they can talk without waking the children. He then looks at her curiously. It's not often one of Lora's Blades seek him out for anything. It's nice she seems to trust him, sure, but normally whenever something comes up, they go to Lora.
"Oh, I'm quite alright," she answers, looking at the ground, looking like she's trying to come up with the right words to tell him something. "It's just... about Minoth..."
"What about him?" Minoth isn't really someone who causes problems, preferring to keep to himself most of the time, working on whatever stories he feels inspired to write. "Did he do something?" He might have made some kind of comment one of the others didn't take well. He does have a bit of a different sense of humour, after all. Or maybe the others, who don't know him, don't know what to make of him being so standoffish and reserved. And Addam, as his "Driver", would be the best person to handle the situation.
"No, nothing like that!" Haze is quick to reassure him, smiling slightly. "He's standing outside in the rain, and refuses to come back in. And we're a bit worried about him." She shifts a bit on her feet, likely wondering if she's overstepping something, but keeps talking. "Lady Lora and I went to ask him if he would come inside, but he refused. Jin thinks we should leave him be, but he won't even take an umbrella, and it's very cold outside, and dark, not to mention the rain and thunderstorm."
"Is he doing anything?" Addam wonders, thinking Minoth might be training or something. Being able to fight in different weather conditions is pretty important after all, and the darkness hardly bothers him, being a Dark-Blade and all. "Did he say anything?"
"He's not doing anything." Haze informs him. "He's just standing there and staring at the sky." Sha shakes her head, not understanding the appeal of standing in the rain doing nothing. To be fair, neither does Addam. "He was very polite in telling us to go away. Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine here. That's what he said."
"Alright." Addam takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. He never though Minoth, out of the entire group, would be the one to make him go outside in a thunderstorm due to stubbornness, but here they are. "I'll go check on him, see if he'll be more inclined to come inside when someone else asks. Where is he?"
"Out back," Haze informs him, clearly happy he's going to help. She must have been very concerned. Maybe it comes with being a healer? Or maybe that's just how she is. He really needs to start paying more attention to his companions.
Addam tells her to go to bed, to not worry, and that he'll handle Minoth. He then makes his way toward the back of the building, one hand on the wall to help him as the darkness isn't easy to navigate. Should have brought a candle, but too late for that now. He finds an umbrella by the door and opens it over his head before stepping out in the rain. Despite the lack of light, Minoth is easy to spot where he stands in the middle of the yard, completely still, face turned up towards the sky.
Minoth doesn't react to Addam's presence until he's holding the umbrella over both their heads. Without turning to look at him, he starts talking to the umbrella.
"Please don't do that, Prince," he says before pushing the offending object away. "I was enjoying the rain."
"Are you trying to die from the cold?" Addam asks, replacing the umbrella, not letting Minoth push it away again, making the Blade turn his eyes to him instead. "And don't call me that," he repeats for what feels like the fiftieth time.
"Of course not," Minoth says, almost sounding offended. "I just wanted to get some fresh air, as well as some peace and quiet. Alone." The last word id pointedly aimed at Addam, with a slightly more convincing glare.
"In the rain? In a thunderstorm?" Addam questions. "You could just have stayed on the porch, under the roof."
"That would have blocked the rain," Minoth protests, trying to duck away from under the umbrella, to no avail as Addam grabs his arm to keep him in place.
"It's quite beautiful, the rain, and thunderstorms. Especially at night," he eventually says, looking out over the landscape, settling for standing under the umbrella with Addam. "Like liquid crystal, falling from the sky. The dark clouds and the flashes of light illuminating everything, just for a split second, giving a glimpse of the green and golden landscape in contrast. It's like a work of art."
"That sounds very nice and poetic," Addam says, not knowing anything about poetry. "Why don't you come inside and be more poetic? You'll even be able to write it down."
"Hmmm," Minoth seems to be considering his words, as lightning strikes once again, illuminating his features. His eyes seem to almost glow, and the scar stands out clearer than normal.
"At least come inside before you get struck by lightning," Addam tries again, sensing he's just about to change his mind. "Lora and Haze are worried about you."
"Why?" Minoth looks actually somewhat surprised at the thought of someone being worried about him.
"Because you're standing outside in a thunderstorm," Addam says, gently tugging at Minoth's arm. "Come on, now."
"Alright," Minoth gives in, allowing Addam to guide him back to the building. "I was getting cold, anyway." Soon they're both standing inside, with Minoth being soaking wet and dripping all over the floor.
"Wait here," Addam tells him to wait so the water doesn't get all over the place and goes off to find a towel or something to dry Minoth with. When he comes back the Blade has let his hair down from its usual ponytail and is in the process of shaking his head like a dog that just go out of water. He almost looks like a different person. He seems a bit surprised to see Addam back, accepting the towel with a nod, before he starts drying off.
"Thank you," he says after a while, not even looking at Addam but rather looking down on the towel in his hands. "I guess I've been by myself a bit too long if I'm this unused to people caring about small things like this."
"Don't worry about it," Addam reassures him. "You'll get used to it." It's almost a bit sad that something as simple as not wanting him to get cold in the rain, or giving him a towel when he's wet are something Minoth hasn't really experienced before, to the point he's actually taken back by the simple fact that some people might actually care about him.
"I suppose I will, if I keep hanging around you lot," Minoth replies, looking at Addam with a small, wry smile.
"You definitely will," Addam informs him, now with a grin of his own. "In fact, I'm pretty sure you need to start getting used to it starting tomorrow at the latest. I'm sure Haze will want to check you over to make sure you didn't catch a cold from the rain," he adds at Minoth's confused look.
"Lovely," he comments dryly. "I'll make sure I'm prepared for it." He then starts wandering off. Not in the direction of the bedroom, but the small room in the centre of the house, that functions as a living room, dining room, and kitchen.
"Aren't you going to bed?" Addam has to ask, more than ready to go to sleep himself.
"Not yet," is the reply. "I want to do some writing first. I feel inspired. I can't not write when the inspiration hits." Minoth has already made his way there, now nearly talking to Addam through a wall.
"Well, I'm heading to bed. Goodnight, Minoth." He doesn't get an answer but wasn't really expecting one either. Minoth might as well be in another world when he starts his writing.
He looks out the window to the yard where the rain and lightning are still raging, somehow doubting Minoth will be sleeping at all tonight.
I don't know anything about poetry. Also, I really like Minoth, so there will definitely be more of him!