Now I cannot share your laughter, ship of fools

[historyisme]

It was once said that time healed all wounds.

Menander and Chaucer and their ilk were welcome to their delusions. In truth, the only healer was death, and at times, even that was not enough. Oh yes, there were ways to lessen and to numb--he'd wasted half a century drinking so much he'd lost decades. It was not so difficult as one might think,

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[halfahead]

Glitch didn't even stumble this time around, which was why he nearly stepped on Adam's jacket before realizing the other man was even there. He backpeddaled a bit, but remarkably didn't fall down. He stood there for a moment, absolutely shocked at the turn of events.

He ran through the facts. Adam was there. Glitch was there. And for the first time, he hadn't fallen down. Nearly tripped, yes, but he hadn't fully tripped. There had been zero contact with the ground with anything but his feet.

"I didn't fall down," he said, amazed, and grinned at Adam. "Adam, I didn't fall down!"

[historyisme]

It was bound to happen. Failing someone very bored following them around, sooner or later, they would have to meet without tripping on either side. He wouldn't test the situation by standing himself, however.

Instead, he glanced to the side, where Glitch stood, and offered the man a slim, sarcastic smile. "It may well be the harbinger of the island's doom. I wouldn't advise taking any long walks near by the volcano any time soon."

[halfahead]

Glitch shrugged. "The volcano's been dormant for a while. I think we'll have a bit of a warning if it's going to explode," he said simply, and sat down at a distance that was more or less still politely distant. Glitch didn't much care, but Adam probably did. "So how are you?"

[historyisme]

"Like the island gives warning for everything else it does, Glitch?" He glanced over at the man briefly, before shrugging off the question. He posed no threat to Adam just yet, so he saw no reason to move from his position. "And I am free from any island influences, if that's what you're asking."

[historyisme]

The voice was not even vaguely familiar, but that hardly surprised him. Familiar voices were far more common than unfamiliar ones, even after eight months on the island. He preferred it that way. It was easier to control the flow of information, when it was little more than a creek.

He glanced at the woman briefly, easily summoning a lazy smile. "I've been told the way out of here is hidden up there."

[historyisme]

Her smile quirked briefly wry. "Closer to this island in a bottle, and that being the opening." He pointed up toward the sky. "Unless it's a sky-colored cork."

[kensei_yatta]

After spending the day in the compound working the elevator, Hiro decided it would be a nice change of pace to go for a walk. He found himself walking down to the beach. It was such a beautiful day, as most of the days had been, that he couldn't resist going for a swim

[historyisme]

He'd been considering retiring to his hut, and spending the rest of the night reading over the books he'd collected during his time here. One got...used to repetition of information after four hundred years. One tended to after thirty in a gray cell, too.

He did not get to finish his walk back inside, when Hiro appeared. Inside his fence, even. Miles of island for the man to walk, and Hiro had to explore the twenty-odd square feet Adam had requested privacy within.

It didn't surprise Adam in the least.

He glanced over his shoulder at the man with a half-formed sneer. "Isn't it past your bedtime, Hiro?"

[kensei_yatta]

"Why do you say that?" he asked. Though he'd really meant to ask 'why do you say mean things to me all the time?'

"I'm not a child."

[historyisme]

Adam would have quite a few choice words for Hiro if he'd asked what he meant. He wasn't irritated enough to say them otherwise. At present.

Adam did sigh, though, giving Hiro a flat look. It was almost forgivable, given that when they'd met, he hadn't been half as old as he was now. It might have been, were it anyone else.

"What are you, Hiro? Twenty-three? I was a mercenary before we met longer than you've been alive."