Day 78 | Of course it's raining.

[willturntides]

Who: Tom Pullings
When: Day 78
Where: The ruins of the church.
What: First impressions are important. This is not a very good first impression.
Rating: PG-13 at most.

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[halftheduet]

Heat be damned.

If Spanish, Carribean, and Galapagos summers could not deter Stephen Maturin, a Bell Pointe heat wave would not either.

So Maturin had spent most of the morning collecting samples of leaves, twigs, flowers, and other manifestations of the local flora. He had established a system-- a small box slung over his shoulder, each specimen wrapped in a loose piece of fabric.

When the rain started, Maturin grudgingly headed back. The flashes of lightning and cracks of thunder were cause for concern but not alarm. He took his time.

Just as he prepared to head to his house proper, he saw movement at the edge of the forest he'd come from. A beast? No. No, not at all. A person. One of those already here? Or a new arrival? He couldn't tell through the rain.

So he approached, waiting until he was close enough to take the man by the shoulder to announce his presence.

[willturntides]

Tom had never flinched away from getting wet before. But it had always been with the thrill and danger of a storm at sea. He hadn't walked about in the rain - on land - since he was with his family.

Vastly different, he thought sourly.

He continued to walk with his gaze set forward, but that wasn't to say he wasn't aware of his surroundings. The form of a person approaching gave rise to some actual panic and Tom wished it hadn't been raining so hard, his pistol would be useless.

The officer turned his neck, squinting in the downpour as if that would suddenly clear his vision. He said nothing, afraid that if he spoke he might find himself on shores unfriendly to the English.

[halftheduet]

"New to the town, sir?"

It was the best question to ask, Stpehen felt. He couldn't hardly see, let alone make out the man before him. All he knew was that it was someone thoroughly soaked. If it was someone used to this town, their own lodgings would be known. Someone new...

He knew something of wandering about. He could at least offer his house to let the man dry off.

[willturntides]

If either of them could have seen the look on Tom's face when he heard Maturin's voice, there would have been laughter for it was quite a comical sight to behold. He stopped dead in his tracks, turned about and looked as a guppy for a few moments before finally:

"........Doctor?"

Complete and utter shock mixed in with a disbelieving happiness. Were he dry and in better sorts he would have more animated. But as it were, a soggy lieutenant with no ship, made for a grumpy lieutenant with no ship.

But, clearly the Surprise was about if Stephen were near!
All was not lost!