as the sun began its evening saunter down the horizon, gleams of purples and oranges and yellows rinsed over the skyline. admittedly, the intermingling of colors, particularly when swirled with the colors of the ocean, was captivating. the warm summer air was cooling as gentle breezes rolled across the beach, sand and hair and umbrellas and towels moving at its sweet beckoning. the noises of glee and laughter had dimmed into idle, tipsy chatter wading in the area beyond. peace had truly relax her pastel body against the evening. the tranquility of the scene was only highlighted by the knowledge that nothing had disturbed the delicate balance of utter neutrality, a thin glass that veiled across a war-torn people that could only maintain itself for a speck in the grand timeline of their mostly likely shortened lives.
syrus had receded to the back of the beach, finding his home as the enigmatic figure who was simply there and no one quite knew what all he did but they knew he was excellent at once again—for many years that was his description and occasionally it was comforting to slink back into the role he knew so well. arms resting against the fence and gaze on the ocean, his mind was unravelling the chaos of thoughts that fought for dominance.
but, he certainly wasn’t too focused to not be distracted when an unknown dog yipped cheerfully at his feet, taking his seat next to the man. internally, an unparalleled joy bolted through his veins. without second thought, the mob boss lowered into a squat and began petting the dog, a rare smile ornamenting his face. a rare smile that would be soon lost as the shadow of another cast over the dog.
“is he yours?” syrus questioned, eyes turning upwards towards the other person, “if not, do you per chance know of the owner? it’d be quite the shame if someone was unable to return home with everyone they came with.”
they’ve been wandering for a good hour in an attempt to relieve their boredom, but to no avail. headphones in, they’re attempting to distract themselves from the pounding music in the background, but the further they get from the speakers, the less there is to entertain themselves with. at this point, al has settled for watching the waves and looking for boats --- there isn’t much else for them to do now that sundown is approaching. people are getting even more hammered than before, and though they could participate in that, they have no interest.
as they wander a greater distance from the main gathering, a figure in the distance becomes more apparent. whoever it is is most likely looking for solitude, but al gives into the temptation to disturb them --- they’d like it if someone interrupted their peace with something of interest, so why not whoever that is?
...and yet, the closer they get, the more they start to doubt their own plan.
in the time they’ve known syrus, he’s never seemed like the sort to enjoy company. still, they’re already halfway to him --- it’s far too late to turn around, and besides, there’s a dog. al doesn’t dare dream of disturbing whatever sort of moment the other and the canine might be having, but apparently their presence itself is enough to kill it regardless. unfortunate.
“ no, he’s not, ” they say, hands entering pockets as one shoe kicks up a small cloud of sand. “ i’ve never seen him before, either. you’re telling me he’s not yours? that’s... euch. do you want my help finding his owner? there can’t be that many people here; i’m sure we can find them if we try. ”
