DT 2021: Small Town

Andra and Merlin sat along the rocky shoreline of Brilliance Creek, skipping river stones from shore-to-shore as the Bouvet sunset glared down upon their backs. Despite their superhuman reflexes, they tossed with contentment when the smooth rocks didn’t always make it to the other side.
Daylight on Furthest Point was shorter than Earth by two hours. One hour shorter than Argus V. Yet the days continued to seem long.
Factory conditions was a different experience than fighting a war: clean, routine, predictable. Boring.
It left the supersoldiers with hours of pent-up energy and yet an overwhelming sense of tired. The drowsiness won out ultimately, drawing them to the cool water’s edge day after day.
Brilliance Creek was a fair fifteen-minute-walk from their temporary accommodations and an hour-or-two-run from their actual ‘home’, a Pelican gunship hidden away in the woods. It was nice to have a proper bed to return to, but it was even better to return to the soil after years sleeping in foxholes.
Chalk covered their clothes, consequences from digging comfortable spots out of the pebble sands. People along the bridge overhead gave them passing stares but for once it wasn’t for inhumane acts of strength. Brilliance helped mask that a little bit, the solid earth limiting the scope of their stone-throwing to more reasonable feats.
“You two look like a lovely couple,” an older woman flashed a generous smile as she shuffled her way down the grassy hillside to reach the Spartans. “I’ve seen you two several times the last couple weeks as I pass by here. Are you new in town?”