will you be there up on the shore

[shiro2hero]

Who: Shiro (shiro2hero ) & Adam (saltyadam )
What: A beachside Reunion
When: Early November
Where: The Shores

Content Warnings: Squid-related nudity

Today is one of those days he would have preferred to spend in the Orphanage. It's bitter cold, the sky a solid slab of steel grey, hanging low toward the buildings. Sure, he'd graduated to one of the heavier coats sold around town - but the wing keeps howling through the fabric. Cutting into it off the ocean.

Should have guessed it'd be brutal out here today.

Regardless, Shiro is once again patrolling the shores. He's seen new faces crop up on the network lately. It's that time of the month. He'd promised more than a few people he'd keep an eye out for their loved ones. It's the least he can do, considering he'd failed to bring his own across. Those thoughts aren't going anywhere any time soon. Not even after Vyng yanked him out of the surf and out of his head.

Or out of potential Return Of The Squid anyway.

He stops for a moment, pulling his hands out of his pockets to try and blow some warmth into his left hand. Maybe he should turn around. Maybe he should go back to the Orphanage and play jungle gym for the kids for a while. That'd help.

It looked as if there weren't many new arrivals today. Maybe even the squids were too cold.

One more failure of a day to add to the list, looked like.

Comments

[saltyadam]

"But you've been injured."

It wasn't a question.

"Fern mentioned some people had been beaten up since arriving here.. If you aren't being attacked, how?"

[shiro2hero]

The fact it takes him some time to answer probably tells Adam more than any actual words could. He thinks - skimming over the memory of the Arena as much as possible without delving too deeply into it.

"It happened last month," he says, finally. Averting his eyes. "I don't know why, or how, but - I felt useless." His voice actually stumbles, hitches, on that last word.

"Vyng says he found me on the beach. Cut up. But I don't remember going there. Or being attacked."

[saltyadam]

Adam makes a note to speak with Vyng. And bring him a thank you basket.

He holds Takashi as he speaks, moving his hands across his back in slow, reassuring circles. I'm here.

"So nothing attacked you that you can remember. Just ... old wounds reopened? Perhaps both physically and symbolically then."

[shiro2hero]

"I don't know. Maybe."

He really has no idea. Nothing about that incident made sense. Vyng kept talking about a "Deadly-Do-Wright" but, honestly, Shiro couldn't tell anyone what that meant, in retrospect.

"We haven't been attacked. But things... keep happening. You'll turn up somewhere you didn't mean to be. You never tried to be." You never wanted to be...

[saltyadam]

Adam's brow furrows.

"Like those kids from the orphanage you mentioned? Going onto the roof and just appearing inside again?"

Was this place putting them in specific places for a reason? Or just a kid with an ant farm, experimenting?

[shiro2hero]

"No." His answer is immediate, firm. He shakes his head, though his hand fists in the blanket. "No, they... when they appeared inside, they were safe. Whatever is moving them, it's doing it to protect them."

You just got that sense from it. After all, why else snatch them away from playing Superman?

So far... the Sleepers haven't seemed to be so lucky.

[saltyadam]

"And it isn't doing the same with us? Maybe it thinks it is."

After all, being here is making Adam safer isn't it? He's dead back home. Moving him suddenly here is certainly safer than that.

[shiro2hero]

“Dropping people into combat arenas, rivers of corpses and leaving them to bleed on the beach doesn’t seem that safe.”

It’s far more bitter than Shiro typically sounds. Certain words coming out before he can shut them down. Unguarded. But -

This was supposed to be the waking world. Somewhere away from the nightmare. So why does this crap keep happening?

[saltyadam]

Adam presses a kiss to his forehead.

"I don't know, babe. Just trying to work out the logic of this place."

His brow furrowed.

"There's an arena here?"

[shiro2hero]

He sighs, slowly, heavily. Breathe - focus. "I'm sorry. I know. I know - I just hoped waking up would be easier. You know?"

Less nightmares. Fewer horrors. They're not so lucky, apparently.

Then, silence. The tension creeps back into his body, hands curling again, while he fights the urge to roll over. Away. Avoid this. He said he'd work on it. He said he'd try.

"... Yeah," he manages, through set jaw. "There is."

[saltyadam]

"Hey, it's just me. It's alright. You're allowed to be mad, upset. To feel cheated by this place. You have been."

Adam stiffens too. He smooths a hand across Takashis back, rubbing in slow circles.

".. ah." His jaw clenches. "So much for this being a more peaceful place."

He didn't want Takashi anywhere near that arena.

[shiro2hero]

"Guess it was too much to hope for. Things getting better." Him being allowed to be mad? That sounds fake. That sounds like something he can't accept.

Not yet.

"I - " For a moment his shoulders pull away. Pull back from the contact. Like he's worried about something. About the reaction. "I never wanted to be there. I didn't try. I swear, I just... I woke up there. Like the beach."

But there's no scolding. There's just the offer of comfort. He stops fighting the touch, finally.

[saltyadam]

"Takashi, I know. I believe you." He can't imagine a world where Takashi would enter a battle ring willingly. Not unless he had no other choice.

He continues to rub his back.

"Was it just you there?"

[shiro2hero]

Another deep breath. Slowly forcing himself to relax by degrees. All right... no arguments here. He really hadn't been seeking out dangerous situations here. They found their way to him.

A shake of his head.

"I don't really remember." He'd blanked out for a good chunk of time. "Someone - I had to fight someone. Peter got me out, in the end."

[saltyadam]

Adam nods absently, hoping he's able to keep the angry tension out of his body language. He's seething, simmering with rage towards this place that dared to put Takashi in such an overwhelmingly traumatic situation.

He owed Peter a fruit basket too.

"I'm glad he got you out," He manages. "And thank you for telling me. On my way in it felt..." He hesitated. "It was like this place was convincing me this was a fresh start. Somewhere peaceful. I'll be more careful now."

[shiro2hero]

Irrationally, for a moment, his brain tells him the anger he can feel from the other side of the bed is his fault. That he’s gone and screwed up again - broken a promise, overstepped - feelings he hasn’t had in a long time. It’s irrational.

At least he knows that much now.

“The locals are better,” he says, a quiet thread of hope finally back in the words. “The people from Trench. They really do like us, for once. No one… gives any of us a second glance for being anything other than a Sleeper.”

They don’t care his arm is metal. They don’t care Will has a boyfriend. Or that people are more color than pale paper white.

That’s a step up. At least.

[saltyadam]

Adam is a deeply cynical man. He didn't trust Deerington and he doesn't trust this place, especially after hearing how it hurt Takashi. He's waiting for that kindness to vanish, to find out they have some nefarious reason for being decent.

But Takashi is already so tired. He can't bear to take this from him. So he tucks the suspicion back inside himself and nods.

"There's that at least. Hey, we might even count as legally married here then."

[shiro2hero]

It's been a long few months. Longer than even the start of the Dream. At least then, he hadn't known how many people were gone. How much he was missing, aside from his team.

Now... things are starting to slot back into place. Starting to patch themselves together again. He's grateful for the agreement, even if it's only on the surface, and squeezes their joined hands again.

"Still not upset it wasn't a normal wedding?"

Something lighter. Something teasing, gently.

[saltyadam]

Adam snorts.

"After you asked me out in a McDonald's bathroom? Never. We have standards to maintain."

He leans in a bit closer, propping his chin against Takashis shoulder.

"I've never been one for big shows anyway. And you have way too many friends to fit into any one building."

[shiro2hero]

He feels it - the last unease, the last tension finally fading out. Finally relaxing to nothing. This is real. This is happening.

"Kind of thought a greenhouse was a step up from restrooms."

Somewhat, anyway.

"Not going to apologize for friendships..." Even though he knows it's not necessary.

[saltyadam]

"Greenhouses are good. Better when the world isn't ending though."

He sighs dramatically.

"Do you have to be friends with absolutely everyone though? How many children have you adopted at this point?"

[shiro2hero]

"We could ask Eddie for another go... if you want."

Does Eddie even have a greenhouse, here? He's not sure. But he doesn't want to break the mood in the room right now.

"Same number," he admits, with good humor. "Plus one. You'll like him. He reminds me of us. Him and the friend he talks about all the time." A beat. "If we were musicians, not astronomy nerds."

[saltyadam]

Adam blinks, pulling back just enough to look him in the eye.

He speaks slowly.

Deliberately.

"Takashi. You're good at math. I know you are. The same plus one is more. Not the same."

1/2

[shiro2hero]

Shiro's silent. Staring at him, and trying his best to keep a straight face. To defend what he'd just said.

"That's why I said same plus one - "

[shiro2hero]

No, he can't keep that up. Not beyond that single statement. Then he's starting to curl up. Starting to turn into that cooked shrimp shape.

"... I ... I missed that look on your face."

Yeah, he's laughing now.