(Untitled)

[beentodamascus]

One of the last things that Adam remembered before waking up on the island, other than Fiona and the snakes, was Ros screaming his name. She'd wanted him to come back, but he wound up somewhere else entirely instead. Sometimes, if he fell into a deep sleep in his clothes, which he did, from time to time, he'd have dark dreams, and, all the time,

Comments

[heartliketin]

Cain knew the look. At first when he saw him, he couldn't help wondering if maybe that meant Coraline was missing again, but he figured the other man would've come and got him, just like the last time. Wearing his hat low, Cain kept walking in the direction of Adam, giving him a nod in greeting and waiting for a briefing on the situation.

[beentodamascus]

When Adam saw Cain, he nodded curtly. There was a muscle ticking in his cheek. He needed to relax. He needed to get some tension out. He needed to punch something. The look on Cain's face was a dark one, and Adam knew what that meant.

"She's fine," he said, preempting the problem, addressing it head-on. "Coraline. She's fine."

[heartliketin]

Cain felt his body release tension from his shoulders that he'd been holding, a lot more lately since he'd taken to looking out for people in an unpredictable place. "Hope you don't mind me saying," Cain started evenly, "but you don't look exactly pleased. What's going on?"

[beentodamascus]

Something in Adam, some proud part of him did mind Cain asking, but that was what people did and, if Adam and Cain weren't exactly friendly, then they definately had a mutual charge. Which permitted them to be wary for each other, he supposed.

"Coraline's fine, but that doesn't mean that everyone is. Ros is gone."

[heartliketin]

Cain didn't know who Ros was, but that didn't mean he couldn't sympathize. It was an occurence, it was losing someone, and he couldn't help the sympathetic nod that came along with that. "Sorry to hear," he offered his condolences. "The two of you close?"

[beentodamascus]

"We knew each other from home," said Adam, his jaw tight, his hands working their way into fists. No desire for violence, just all of this tension, with nowhere to go.

"We worked together."

[heartliketin]

Cain nodded again at that, not taking his eyes off Adam. "I'm sorry to hear that, then," he said quietly. "You wanna sit down and have a drink over it? Or maybe you want to talk?" That last offer was a bit uneasy, seeing as he wasn't so good with the talking.

[beentodamascus]

"A drink would be good." Adam nodded his head, his jaw tightening before he forced his hand to relax. "I don't think either of us are that good at talking, Cain. I think we can do without that."

[heartliketin]

Thank the gods for that small miracle of Adam knowing better than to want to share with Cain. That could be a disaster. "Drink it is. You want to do this out in public or somewhere private. We've got ourselves a small gazebo now, out of the kids' way."

[beentodamascus]

"That'll be good." Adam nodded and cleared his throat. "If I'm not there, Coraline'll find herself something for lunch. Kid's like a gannet."

[heartliketin]

"Gannet?" Cain echoed curiously, not always catching some of the Othersider speak as he gestured back to the path that led to the house.

[beentodamascus]

"Sea bird," said Adam. Full sentences felt like an effort just then, but at least he knew that Cain either wouldn't care, or wouldn't notice.

"They scavenge. Eat just about anything."

[heartliketin]

The nearest body of water was the one near Central, which Cain hadn't gone to in too many annuals and besides that, he didn't exactly know too much about wildlife. "Well, good. She'll find food and we'll find you a drink. Think I got some saved from my visit to the prison."

[beentodamascus]

Adam nodded. That sounded perfect, somehow. Even if Coraline would be cross with him.

"Why were you at the prison?"

[heartliketin]

"Visiting an old colleague who wants me dead." Colleague was stretching it, really. Acquaintance was more truthful, but didn't have the same ring to it. "Zero's waiting his trial, now."

[beentodamascus]

"Sounds like we had a lot of the same workplace hazards." He looked over. "Trial for what?"