Personal Raincloud (11) : It’s a beautiful, sunny day in Destiny City–for everyone but you. There’s not a cloud in the sky–except for yours. No matter where you go, a dark cloud seems to hover, casting shadows wherever you go. It’s been raining since you woke up today, and it’s like bad luck and bad weather just follows you. It’s a constant downpour, always exactly where you are. The raincloud is usually big enough to easily cover a full building, so if you stick around for too long, your misfortune will turn into someone else’s too. The raincloud might follow you for a few hours or for the whole day before slowly fading; there’s no escaping it, or the strange, sombre mood that seems to follow you.
He could swear he'd gotten over the events with that snake and his brief…death…and all of that, yet somehow today when he left home this constant gloom had just stuck itself to him, following him all about the city as he went and ran some errands. And of course, given the gloom, that was what came to mind.
All. Day.
Not even just that, but at some point it had started raining. Just a sprinkle at first, but the longer he stayed in one spot the harder it started to fall. And it was particularly strange because he could see sunlight in the distance all around him, in what was an apparently very measurable distance. It was like there was a hard line between where the clouds stopped and started, and it was such a bizarre sight that he started hearing a smattering of commentary from everyone around him.
Almost all of them came to the same conclusion, much to his annoyance: it was that time in the Summer.
The answer did absolutely nothing for Harvey, who did his best to keep his focus on the tasks he had on his to-do list. Domestic tasks, mostly: groceries, a bank thing, visit with an old college buddy who agreed to discuss a possible work opportunity over lunch, eventually pick up Desiree from school and spend time until he had to take her to her mom's after dinner.
It was still hours before she got out of school, so between the rain and his mood and his thoughts, Harvey opted to go for a drive and let his thoughts wander, along with his mood. At least until he decided on where he wanted to go next. He had his laptop with him, so a cafe with a decent internet connection—and yes, he'd done his scouting before—nearby Desiree's school was an option. Or maybe one near the theater, so he could coax Mel out for a little snack.
Of anyone in his life, she'd been the only one aware of his near-death experience.
"It happened right in front of her ********' eyes," he muttered. The memory triggered an irritation that he knew was just a mask over a depth of sadness he didn't care to dig into, but he could admit to it, at least. "Of course she's aware. And then there's no point in telling mom, or Des, or anyone else, because how the <********> do you explain any of that to civilians?"
Harvey scrunched his brows together so hard he started to feel a soreness between them, and he was forced to relent. With a sigh, he pressed his thumb to the spot between his eyebrows when he came to a stop, finding the gesture familiar and soothing as it reminded him of his mom. And of Desiree, because she started mimicking her grandma whenever she decided he'd worn a frumpy face for long enough.
There was a flicker of a smile at the recollection, and it was enough to keep him from flooring it as soon as the light turned green. It was the happiest thought he'd had all day, but it eventually brought him back to Mel. Because no, it didn't feel like they'd totally unpacked everything about that night. He'd been the one unwilling to talk, it felt like, and after another sigh he quickly made a right turn and started heading for the theater.
He parked in the front of the cafe soon enough, and only once he turned the engine off did he pull his phone out and start typing.
At the cafe next door. Killing time 'til I gotta get Des, if you have some time to hang out?
Harvey read and re-read the message a few times before hitting send, and then grabbed his bag and headed inside. It probably wasn't the greatest place to have that conversation if she did manage to sneak away from work for a bit, but he could at least try and mention that he could…try...and talk about it.
And that was progress, at least for him.
678 (gdocs)
