{09/09/2024}
"Snow huh?"
There were many things I had grown a strange attachment to in life and winter was one of them.
It was to me, a perfect season and I always yearned for it to come by. The cold, snow and cherry red patches on everyone's fair skin as they let out cold breaths, were all things that I wished my mind would take in and process on a deeper level.
But sadly, I wouldn't be experiencing this winter to it's fullest due to the duration of our mission.
"Let's gather around please". Blaze, our captain seemed to be in a good mood as he swung both arms across his body in a swaying fashion as if to stretch. We had all met a couple of days back for a get together, since this was to be our first mission together.
Blaze, Root, Veronique, Ace and Agate. Those were the members of our team as well as a female medic who stood aside from us, almost never speaking throughout our introductions and even the get-together.
Medics had been trained solely to aid in recuperative measures and so they kept their distance from the rest of the team, so as to not get in the way of their mission and also not to form any sort of connection with any members of the teams so that wouldn't affect their decision making.
They had received a tweaked version of the Z fluid which helped them gain healing abilities, a feat I could not comprehend.
'The doctor really is a beast in modifications' I thought, clasping both hands together to provide some warmth.
I had on a pair of black baggy sweatpants and a brown sweatshirt that was a little bit wide around the neck.
I had packed a few clothes to help make up for the duration of our mission but still felt weird carrying them in my bag.
As I walked towards the rest of the team, I could feel my sweatshirt cling tightly to my body, offering me a certain warmth that helped boost my confidence.
"Pardon the cold, seems the weather got intense since we are closer to a gate. Feels like we're in the north pole right now, hahahaha....."
Everyone laughed, trying to free up the tense clouds that lingered on our conversation but I remained silent, almost as if I hadn't even heard anyone speak, the look on the faces of everyone as they stared at me made me regret my actions.
I had a misplaced sense of humor, hence the reason why I didn't find causal jokes that funny, but I faked a chuckle at the next joke Blaze made, so as to not feel like the odd one out of everyone.
"So we've been charged with sealing off this gate as well as the other three teams that went in a few days ago. We are also going to be keeping an eye out for them in the cause of our mission."
The cold winds Intensified as the captain spoke, wrapping everyone as we all shivered mildly.
The cold had a way of calming me and I wouldn't want to take that away even for a second. I moved closer to the rest of the team as our captain gave the breakdown of our mission, cold breaths clouding my view each time I peered onto the map he held.
At the end of the briefing, we waited while our truck was loaded, sipping hot tea and indulging in small talks. Most of the party members said their goodbyes to their families that had come to see them off, tears trickling down their faces.
It made me think about my parents, they lived in Monoceros and I hardly ever visited even after college. My mom would have bawled her eyes out if she were here but not so much my dad or my younger sister.
"Gear up guys, time to move out."
I struggled with my bulletproof vest, tugging at the edges as I tried the fit the interior into my body. It wasn't tight, with almost enough space as to leave convenience but still yet I couldn't wear it properly.
"Let me help you with that" A calm voice offered from besides me. I turned partly, peering into the eyes of my volunteer and catching the gaze of sheer beauty.
Agate, she was an awfully quiet and socially detached member of our group but her ability was super scary. She rarely ever talked, even during our get together when Ace made passes at her, she just merely snubbed him.
I watched as she dragged the vest calmly till it slipped in completely, fitting like an old attire. She smiled at me when I expressed my shock at her skill, a pink patch on her nose, almost turning red from the cold.
Her skin was smooth with freckles that laid sparingly on her nose, totally blending with her brilliance.
She was slightly chubby with full cheeks but somehow made all the outfits I had seen her wear, work. Rocking even the vest she had on, making her look sexy in them. I averted my gaze the minute she looked up towards me, just enough to see her blush.
"Thanks" I greeted, mouthing the words that hung on my throat, smiling lightly as I looked her in the eyes. I could see the shimmer in her pale blue eyes lighten up as she hurriedly looked away, fidgeting as she let go of my vest.
Her silky blue hair stood out as extraordinary as her eyes also and I wondered how much time God must have spent crafting her singular existence.
"Oh, yeah"
We both walked back to the truck which had already been prepared, me behind as I watched her walk, taking one careful step before the next, her eyes totally fixed on the ground, kicking the snow as she moved.
There was a certain bit of childishness attached to her behavior and it was somehow laughable. It was funny though, how I had reacted plainly to her gestures and didn't even feel any urge to keep our conversation going.
As we moved past the gate, the time on my watch seemed to have moved back three seconds in an instant. Although it was my first mission and I hadn't showed any signs of an ability yet, I wasn't anxious in the slightest.
The cold had grown more intense and worse the minute we entered, masking our view of the road as we barely drove through the snow. Their weather was five times more intense than ours back on earth and the snow was slightly heavier than ours also.
We drove for another hour till we reached the entrance of a cave and decided to camp first, while we waited out the intense snowfall. I sat on the rock close to the entrance trying to avoid interacting with the rest of the team while they hurdled around the flame they had made to receive a little bit of warmth.
Agate came and sat besides me, hugging herself tightly as she looked away from me, embarrassed.
I had on a blanket that I pulled out of my bag before sitting, so I decided to cover her with it before she could protest to my action.
"You know you don't have to, what are you going to do if you catch a cold" She protested, grabbing onto the blanket thankfully.
"Don't worry, my body is somewhat fine-tuned to the cold"
"Liar"
Indeed I was lying, but I wouldn't pass up an opportunity to speak with one of the most beautiful girls in our squad. I could see the gaze of Ace from the corners of my eyes, but acted reluctantly while I spoke to her.
"So, why are you always alone" I inquired, trying to keep the conversation going.
It was weird hearing myself asking the same question I had spent my entire life answering, but I just waved the thought aside.
"Because I don't do well with socializing"
"Oh, then I guess we're both birds of a feather" I mocked playfully, reaching out to feel her hair.
"We are literally flocking together, aren't we?"
I laughed, it had been a while since I had done that but at the moment I felt free and didn't want to care about the consequences of opening up to someone.
We talked extensively from then, stealing gazes at each other when the other wasn't watching, our little game developing into something else. I looked back at the rest of the team and caught Blaze speaking with the medic, smiling as she pressed down on his knees, offering him treatment.
I knew it was all an act to get close to her but I remained silent about it, knowing that my actions would attract ugly repercussions. Amidst the blistering cold, we slept that night after having our evening meal. The snowfall had hindered us from rejoining in our mission, so we slept anyways.