(Untitled)

[patriotqueen]

- It's just a drink. Alcohol clears the mind, sets one up for the day, or for the next one, until evening falls and a nightcap gently eases one to sleep again. Alcohol cleans the mind, like medication, keeps it preserved, keeps it all in working order, up and running. Alcohol numbs the mind, what hurt will be less painful, what worried will be

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[theunascended]

A walk. Another one. Four days since Owen's arrival and he still couldn't process it, didn't want to process it. It was hard enough knowing that Owen had gone back to Torchwood when he hadn't wanted to. It was another thing seeing him here and knowing that he didn't remember anything. Didn't remember him or Jackson or anything.

He nearly tripped over a dark figure huddled against a nearby tree and he blinked.

"Sorry."

He frowned and squinted. That figure was very familiar. "Guy?"

[patriotqueen]

Guy didn't look up, but knew Daniel's voice enough to recognise it, even now. "Shh. One moment," he answered brusquely, putting a finger to his mouth while keeping his eyes to the ground.

[theunascended]

Daniel frowned and followed his eyes to where Guy was looking. He didn't see anything, though, and it made him worry a little. "What are we waiting for?"

[patriotqueen]

They were waiting for Guy's stomach contents to make up their mind as to which way they were going to travel. For the moment they seemed to chose the customary down-ward motion. Guy swallowed and looked up, but everything was dizziying still and even though he was leaning against a tree, he had trouble keeping balance. "Nothing. Apparently everything is going down."

[a_sport]

"Guy?" He was going to watch the stars come out, but they'd wait for him. Calvin veered off the path to crouch down near him. The scent of the alcohol was palpable.

"Hey," Calvin said quietly.

[patriotqueen]

Guy looked up and - since he knew the voice - tried a smile. But the palm trees and the bushes spun around him and so did Calvin. "Hullo," he said, sounding strained and not quite as nonchalant as he wanted it to sound.

[a_sport]

"Hey, Guy," he said again, gently this time, almost carefully, and moved to sit next to him. It wasn't as though Calvin was a teetotaler, and he'd had his share of headaches in the morning, but it wasn't anything like this.

"You okay?"

[patriotqueen]

Guy didn't nod, because he knew nodding would make everything worse. "I'll be fine. Just a moment." He took a breath and held it for a second, while intently looking at a branch that wouldn't stand still. Then he exhaled. "I think I'm safe. For the moment."

[over_and_dunne]

Willie was no stranger to long night walks of the island, stumbling from one place to the next to try to get away from the things there at the edge of his vision. They were always trying to get in these days. No longer content to simply appear after dark, they were making bold attempts during the day now, leaving Willie with few places left to hide from his own thoughts. But the night's blind staggering at least gave him the illusion for a while of leaving them behind.

It was on one of those walks that he stumbled across the Englishman under the tree. "Mr Burgess?" Willie crouched down next to him, laying a careful hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right?"

[patriotqueen]

"If I were all right I would be gaily skipping into the sunset. Am I gaily skipping into the sunset?" There was truly no need to take it out on Willie, (particularly because there was no imminent 'it' to take out on anyone). But it spoke of a certain trust towards the soldier that Guy didn't lie by telling him he would be fine.

[over_and_dunne]

"Mr Burgess, I don't think you would be gaily skipping off anywhere," Willie said, and it took quite a bit to say that to him like that. He wasn't as bad as he had been with speaking his mind, but he would never be as free with it as some people. "What happened?"

[patriotqueen]

Nothing had actually happened. Over the passed few weeks, yes, but not this particular day. He had only woken with a few thoughts he could bloody well do without. "I woke up wrong," Guy offered as an explanation.

[sly_magus]

Raistlin had woke up that morning to find that it seemed the Island had given them presents again. Or at least that's what must be the case since there had been a package with his name on it. He had no idea what an iPod was, but he carefully opened the box and started reading the instructions for use. It seemed interesting, but he had little desire for music. When he turned it on though he found that there wasn't much under 'music' and quite a few things under 'video'. He had spent most of the day learning how to use it and investigating what he had. Though the screen was small he was interested to see more.

He had finally put it away, certain he had found some everything, when he noticed someone sitting under a nearby tree. He couldn't see much of their features until he got very close. As he got close he noticed that Guy didn't look quite himself. "Guy?"

[patriotqueen]

Guy had closed his eyes and when he heard his name opened them and looked to the shoes of the man standing over him. He didn't recognise the shoes and therefore he would have to look up. He did so quite reluctantly. "Rais," he replied, hoarsely.

[sly_magus]

"Are you alright?" Raistlin watched him intently attempting to figure out exactly what was going on.

"How long have you been out here?" He wasn't sure of exactly the hour, but he knew it was late.

[patriotqueen]

"Fuck if I know-," Guy answered bluntly and broke off his sentence. He inhaled before continuing. "I'll be perfectly all right... In a moment."

[song_n_dance]

Cole had never been one to pay much attention to his surroundings; whether it was self absorption or an excess of imagination likely depended on who you asked. But he nearly didn't notice Guy at all as he approached on the path to the Compound--but did, finally, catch sight of the brim of his hat out of the corner of his eye.

His face brightened, as it tended to do in Guy's presence, and crouched down in front of Guy. It didn't take him long to smell the alcohol, though he didn't comment, just whipped off the orchid pinned to his lapel and handed it to Guy with a flourish.

[patriotqueen]

It wasn't a particularly smelly orchid, but Guy hadn't noticed anyone approaching him and so the sudden presence of a flower startled him and he winced.

After blinking a few times he looked up. "Cole," he managed. He even managed a smile as he accepted the flower. "A flower. Lovely."

[song_n_dance]

Cole really wasn't the sitting on the ground type, so it was quite a concession when he settled down beside Guy.

"Is there a reason you're drinking alone, my dear?" he asked innocently.

[patriotqueen]

"No," Guy replied, lightly enough. "But you solved my problem." He passed Cole the half-empty bottle of palm toddy liquor. He wouldn't be drinking alone if Cole joined.