((Salem Fox continued from new liver, same eagles))
"-when it's made from me and you," Salem huffed more than sang under his breath as he crouched on the beach, poking at a dismal-looking tide pool with a stick. He'd hoped to find mussels or crabs or something, even in the current climate, but so far all he'd turned up was some sort of slimy seaweed that he wasn't really willing to chance. Insert joke about how low his standards were, but that was where he drew the line. Not desperate enough to go that exotic yet.
He wasn't desperate at all, actually, which was why he was doing this now, unintuitive as that might seem. Salem wasn't much of a cook, but he also wasn't going to start trying to learn when he was already on the brink of starvation. Scrounging up what he could now would delay him having to figure it out when it mattered more.
"Well, maybe too many cooks will spoil the broth," Salem's voice lilted back up into more of a sing-song, harmonizing with the faint ringing that still lingered in his ears even though it had been hours since he fired the gun back in the woods. "But they'll fill our hearts with so much, so much love."
Well, this was a bust. If he couldn't find anything to hunt or forage, Salem had figured he might at least find stuff to scavenge. If the people who had been taken by the waves had their stuff with them, though, it hadn't washed back up. With a sigh, he grabbed the hem of his skirt to bunch it around his legs and keep from dragging the damp rocks, and he duck-walked his way over to the next tide pool, once again sifting through the briny water sitting inside with the stick.
"A family is like a soup, everyone adds an extra scoop..."
it takes a lot to make a stew
Day 4 afternoon; open once Deamon enters
it takes a lot to make a stew
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
((California Fox continued from “Look, Zeus is a deadbeat. Don’t rely on him for anything.”))
Another day, another panic attack.
California was embarrassed by it. It really couldn't keep happening, the first time was forgivable, they'd just woken up and with everything that had been happening at the time with what Kitty had done it made sense. The time with Trinity was less understandable, the girl had just been spouting insane theories, and yeah, she'd been animated while she'd been doing it but it was still just someone talking. Then there'd been her reaction to Kitty continuing to appear on the announcements and then the previous night as she had laid, hidden in the garage she'd thought there had been footsteps moving around outside. She had never gone out to check because she'd been too afraid to, instead she had just stayed where she was hyperventilating and hoping they went away.
It was embarrassing, she was twenty, an adult, and she should have been able to keep everything under control. She pulled the hood of her jacket tighter over her head as she walked, stopping for a moment to pull out her lighter and relight her cigarette. She had checked how she was doing with her tobacco supply and had been displeased to find that she needed to slow down with her smoking. The amount of tobacco, papers and roaches she had gone through was running her stock dangerously low and she doubted that there would be many chances to resupply.
The trip to the beach was nothing to do with that. After how poorly she had been doing she thought that the best thing to do would have been to go to the beach and listen to the lap of the waves against the shore. Her therapist had suggested meditation once and the few times California had dabbled in it she had found the soundscape that was a beach the most relaxing. So it made sense as a destination when she was trying to fix her nerves. As she approached and caught sight of the beach itself however California realized that calling it a beach was generous.
It was a mess of dark grey and black rocky outcrops covered in seaweed and moss. The ground itself was uneven and there was no sand that she could see. California frowned and sighed, releasing a plume of smoke out from under her hood. It was more akin to a fantasy wasteland than a beach.
But there was something else that caught her eye, a figure moving across the rocks from tide pool to tide pool. Her eyes went wide once she realized who the figure was and after a brief few seconds of indecision and panic she started to rapidly descend down the gentlest rock slope she could find, being careful not to slip on the wet surface and making no attempt to hide her movements.
Another day, another panic attack.
California was embarrassed by it. It really couldn't keep happening, the first time was forgivable, they'd just woken up and with everything that had been happening at the time with what Kitty had done it made sense. The time with Trinity was less understandable, the girl had just been spouting insane theories, and yeah, she'd been animated while she'd been doing it but it was still just someone talking. Then there'd been her reaction to Kitty continuing to appear on the announcements and then the previous night as she had laid, hidden in the garage she'd thought there had been footsteps moving around outside. She had never gone out to check because she'd been too afraid to, instead she had just stayed where she was hyperventilating and hoping they went away.
It was embarrassing, she was twenty, an adult, and she should have been able to keep everything under control. She pulled the hood of her jacket tighter over her head as she walked, stopping for a moment to pull out her lighter and relight her cigarette. She had checked how she was doing with her tobacco supply and had been displeased to find that she needed to slow down with her smoking. The amount of tobacco, papers and roaches she had gone through was running her stock dangerously low and she doubted that there would be many chances to resupply.
The trip to the beach was nothing to do with that. After how poorly she had been doing she thought that the best thing to do would have been to go to the beach and listen to the lap of the waves against the shore. Her therapist had suggested meditation once and the few times California had dabbled in it she had found the soundscape that was a beach the most relaxing. So it made sense as a destination when she was trying to fix her nerves. As she approached and caught sight of the beach itself however California realized that calling it a beach was generous.
It was a mess of dark grey and black rocky outcrops covered in seaweed and moss. The ground itself was uneven and there was no sand that she could see. California frowned and sighed, releasing a plume of smoke out from under her hood. It was more akin to a fantasy wasteland than a beach.
But there was something else that caught her eye, a figure moving across the rocks from tide pool to tide pool. Her eyes went wide once she realized who the figure was and after a brief few seconds of indecision and panic she started to rapidly descend down the gentlest rock slope she could find, being careful not to slip on the wet surface and making no attempt to hide her movements.
Footsteps. Salem had kind of expected it sooner or later, and honestly, it wasn't like he was accomplishing much with his little attempt at foraging. All his previous experiences playing (and dying in) Oregon Trail should have been a clue leading up to this, tee-bee-aitch. If he didn't want to go the way of all those failed runs and end up dying of dysentery on the side of the only road around, maybe he was better off not eating whatever he scraped up off the beach, honestly.
Anyway. The person approaching was doing so without making any attempt to be stealthy, not too unlike Kai, so Salem studiously kept his head down and poked at the empty tide pool in front of him with the end of the stick for a few seconds longer. "Look, this isn't the first time someone's snuck up on me today, so can you do me a solid and like, hit me with a real zippy one-liner before putting a gun to my head or something? The last guy wasn't great at conversation."
Anyway. The person approaching was doing so without making any attempt to be stealthy, not too unlike Kai, so Salem studiously kept his head down and poked at the empty tide pool in front of him with the end of the stick for a few seconds longer. "Look, this isn't the first time someone's snuck up on me today, so can you do me a solid and like, hit me with a real zippy one-liner before putting a gun to my head or something? The last guy wasn't great at conversation."
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
"You shouldn't be in such a hurry," California said as she reached Salem. He didn't look too bad considering where they were and what they were supposed to have been doing. Like her, it looked like he had avoided any real danger besides the elements. She believed that was the best result she could have hoped for. "Normally there's a monologue anyway."
After she had finished she stood, unsure of what to say. She was relieved to have found Salem, but any reunion still happened in the shadow of what they were living through. The specter of their impending demise still loomed overhead, watching and waiting in the clouds. Once their time came it would swoop down to claim them all. In light of that, it was even more difficult to find the right words than it normally was. But she knew she wanted to say something, anything, to him.
"I'm glad I found you," She eventually mustered, trying to keep her voice level.
After she had finished she stood, unsure of what to say. She was relieved to have found Salem, but any reunion still happened in the shadow of what they were living through. The specter of their impending demise still loomed overhead, watching and waiting in the clouds. Once their time came it would swoop down to claim them all. In light of that, it was even more difficult to find the right words than it normally was. But she knew she wanted to say something, anything, to him.
"I'm glad I found you," She eventually mustered, trying to keep her voice level.
Salem didn't comically freeze up or anything lame like that, but the rhythmic movement of the stick stirring the empty tide pool stuttered just a bit.
"Girl, you know I've got a dozen speeches saved up. Dying monologues for any occasion and every cause of death. You want shooting, stabbing, bad Chinese buffet? I got 'em all, pick your poison."
He finally lifted his head and turned to look at Cali. Habit tried to make him smile, but his feeeeelings froze his face into more of a grimace.
"Oh, I can do poison too. Shakespeare wants what I have."
She looked okay. Good, even, considering... y'know, literally everything. Maybe somewhere in the back of his mind, he'd been seeing her battered and covered in blood just like Kitty.
"What about you?" Salem leveled the damp end of the stick at Cali's chest. "Any last words?"
He wasn't going to acknowledge the second thing she'd said.
"Girl, you know I've got a dozen speeches saved up. Dying monologues for any occasion and every cause of death. You want shooting, stabbing, bad Chinese buffet? I got 'em all, pick your poison."
He finally lifted his head and turned to look at Cali. Habit tried to make him smile, but his feeeeelings froze his face into more of a grimace.
"Oh, I can do poison too. Shakespeare wants what I have."
She looked okay. Good, even, considering... y'know, literally everything. Maybe somewhere in the back of his mind, he'd been seeing her battered and covered in blood just like Kitty.
"What about you?" Salem leveled the damp end of the stick at Cali's chest. "Any last words?"
He wasn't going to acknowledge the second thing she'd said.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
California's neck tilted slightly to one side when Salem responded. She didn't know what she had been expecting but it had been more than what she had received. Her body faltered somewhat and all her positive momentum seemed to evaporate as she rocked on her feet, shoulders falling a fraction in disappointment. Her excitement retreated inward and she realigned her expectations with the distance that had formed between them while they'd been apart.
She sniffed and not because of the cold.
"I don't know," She gave a shrug. "Probably ask Erlik how he missed the first time."
There was a pause as she looked out over the ocean, imagining a leviathan or Kraken emerging to take them both home.
"Have you seen anyone else?"
She sniffed and not because of the cold.
"I don't know," She gave a shrug. "Probably ask Erlik how he missed the first time."
There was a pause as she looked out over the ocean, imagining a leviathan or Kraken emerging to take them both home.
"Have you seen anyone else?"
She could have at least had the decency to crack a smile. Salem's own strained smile faded into something more neutral but appropriately (he thought) affectionate, and he lowered the stick. With a grunt, he rose to his feet, stretching his legs a bit before settling on the balls of his feet, like he was poised to dash forward into the sea.
He turned his gaze back to the water before speaking to her. "Like in general, yeah. I've been kind of trying not to, but-" He shrugged. "If you mean your pals, I ran into Kai this morning. He was heading to the town to look for Kitty." Salem mulled it over for a fraction of a second before deciding not to mention that he'd run into Kitty herself. Cali was looking- fragile. Yeah.
Salem dropped the stick and shoved his hands into his pockets. Guess he couldn't blame her.
"What about you? Y'know, people- experiences?" He nudged at a loose pebble with the toe of this shoe and then sighed. "Man, this sucks. You know we both suck at small talk." Salem could fake it better; he'd gotten a routine down years ago. Say something vaguely friendly, spout a few memes, needle at something that looked needle-able if he had the ability to walk away before the consequences caught up with him. The people generally liked it, because the people at large were easy to please.
Cali was immune to the formula, though. Always had been, metaphorical gun held to the back of Salem's head and all.
He turned his gaze back to the water before speaking to her. "Like in general, yeah. I've been kind of trying not to, but-" He shrugged. "If you mean your pals, I ran into Kai this morning. He was heading to the town to look for Kitty." Salem mulled it over for a fraction of a second before deciding not to mention that he'd run into Kitty herself. Cali was looking- fragile. Yeah.
Salem dropped the stick and shoved his hands into his pockets. Guess he couldn't blame her.
"What about you? Y'know, people- experiences?" He nudged at a loose pebble with the toe of this shoe and then sighed. "Man, this sucks. You know we both suck at small talk." Salem could fake it better; he'd gotten a routine down years ago. Say something vaguely friendly, spout a few memes, needle at something that looked needle-able if he had the ability to walk away before the consequences caught up with him. The people generally liked it, because the people at large were easy to please.
Cali was immune to the formula, though. Always had been, metaphorical gun held to the back of Salem's head and all.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
California's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Kai. Her chest warmed along with the news. He was still alive out in the snow. She hadn't doubted that he would have been able to look after himself but the confirmation was...it was nice. She quickly nodded in response, letting Salem continue.
He seemed restless. His hands fiddled with the stick he held before he discarded it and shoved them in his pockets. But even then his feet took over the fidgeting as he nudged rocks around the small area of the beach they were standing in. California looked him over, more concentration on her face. She blinked once when he turned the question onto her and opened her mouth to respond, only to close it again as he continued, frustrated at their situation.
Salem had always had a way with people. California envied it. He was always able to slide in and out of conversations. Laugh at the right times, make his jokes, and offer something with casual ease. He understood the flow of interactions, of a dialogue with someone or multiple people. He was much better at it than she was and always had been. She'd never had that skill, she still didn't have that skill. But they were alike in that respect. Neither of them could hold down the smaller nuances of a conversation.
She shrugged.
"Woke up near Kitty, saw Robin, Meena shot at me. Saw Fae and Trinity, Trinity thinks everything is fake."
There was another pause as she let him take in everything she had said. Then she moved on to replying to his second statement.
"Are you okay?"
He seemed restless. His hands fiddled with the stick he held before he discarded it and shoved them in his pockets. But even then his feet took over the fidgeting as he nudged rocks around the small area of the beach they were standing in. California looked him over, more concentration on her face. She blinked once when he turned the question onto her and opened her mouth to respond, only to close it again as he continued, frustrated at their situation.
Salem had always had a way with people. California envied it. He was always able to slide in and out of conversations. Laugh at the right times, make his jokes, and offer something with casual ease. He understood the flow of interactions, of a dialogue with someone or multiple people. He was much better at it than she was and always had been. She'd never had that skill, she still didn't have that skill. But they were alike in that respect. Neither of them could hold down the smaller nuances of a conversation.
She shrugged.
"Woke up near Kitty, saw Robin, Meena shot at me. Saw Fae and Trinity, Trinity thinks everything is fake."
There was another pause as she let him take in everything she had said. Then she moved on to replying to his second statement.
"Are you okay?"
Salem had been keeping his eyes carefully trained away from Cali's face, even with his back no longer turned to her, but he did quickly glance over in the wake of her summary of the past few days. Kitty hadn't mentioned that little tidbit. Maybe she'd thought that Salem would hate her even more than she already thought everyone hated her, if she mentioned that she'd gone and handed Cali a shiny new trauma right at the starting line.
And you know? Maybe she was right. He'd put a pin in that to mull over later, at his leisure.
"That's, uh. That's a lot," he said, just barely dodging the that's rough, buddy that wanted to roll off his tongue instead. Though honestly, if he said it and Cali slapped him upside the head for it, that might realign some of the connections that seemed to be short-circuiting at the moment. He studied her a little more closely, though he still avoided meeting her gaze. "You're not hurt, right?"
"Anyway, I'm not hurt. I fell down some stairs on the first day, but it's chill. I'm good."
He didn't put particular effort into the lie. It was just that Salem had spent the last year carrying California's mental health on his back some days, and even now with the world burning around them, he couldn't shake it off. Maybe that was brotherly love, or something equally cringe.
"Also, you can't just tell me that you ran into somebody who thinks all the blood and guts was just some kind of puppet show without giving deets. What does Trinity think is going on?" A grin flickered ever-so-briefly across Salem's face, more genuine than the previous smile for the fact that this one was a tad mean-spirited at Trinity's determined denial.
She always was the type who couldn't handle anything that rocked her little world too much. Better for her that she'd run into the elder Fox sibling; Salem didn't think he'd have been able to resist kicking over her metaphorical sandcastle.
And you know? Maybe she was right. He'd put a pin in that to mull over later, at his leisure.
"That's, uh. That's a lot," he said, just barely dodging the that's rough, buddy that wanted to roll off his tongue instead. Though honestly, if he said it and Cali slapped him upside the head for it, that might realign some of the connections that seemed to be short-circuiting at the moment. He studied her a little more closely, though he still avoided meeting her gaze. "You're not hurt, right?"
"Anyway, I'm not hurt. I fell down some stairs on the first day, but it's chill. I'm good."
He didn't put particular effort into the lie. It was just that Salem had spent the last year carrying California's mental health on his back some days, and even now with the world burning around them, he couldn't shake it off. Maybe that was brotherly love, or something equally cringe.
"Also, you can't just tell me that you ran into somebody who thinks all the blood and guts was just some kind of puppet show without giving deets. What does Trinity think is going on?" A grin flickered ever-so-briefly across Salem's face, more genuine than the previous smile for the fact that this one was a tad mean-spirited at Trinity's determined denial.
She always was the type who couldn't handle anything that rocked her little world too much. Better for her that she'd run into the elder Fox sibling; Salem didn't think he'd have been able to resist kicking over her metaphorical sandcastle.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
California shook her head to reply to Salem's first question. It felt lucky she guessed. She'd not met anyone who had wanted to harm her. Maybe Meena had, when they had been at the cabin and she had shot at her. But she had shot the window instead. That had been the only time someone had ever been close to hurting her. Kitty had run away from her, but that was different and if they found each other she didn't think Kitty would hurt her. Kitty wouldn't hurt her.
"I'm glad." Was her response to his announcement that he also wasn't hurt. "That's good."
He didn't offer anything else. No other information about what he had been doing for the time they had spent on the island.
California found herself frowning at what was supposed to have been a happy reunion.
When Salem turned and smiled at her however she returned it, albeit weaker than she would have liked.
"She uh said that it was set up and that uh no one was killing anyone, they were just saying that to make people kill or something or believe people were killing I don't know." California awkwardly scratched at the scar on her neck. "I said that I'd seen Kitty kill Robin so she was wrong and yeah," California trailed off and ended with a shrug.
What California really wanted to do was ask Salem about where he had seen Kai, but she waited for his reaction to her story first.
"I'm glad." Was her response to his announcement that he also wasn't hurt. "That's good."
He didn't offer anything else. No other information about what he had been doing for the time they had spent on the island.
California found herself frowning at what was supposed to have been a happy reunion.
When Salem turned and smiled at her however she returned it, albeit weaker than she would have liked.
"She uh said that it was set up and that uh no one was killing anyone, they were just saying that to make people kill or something or believe people were killing I don't know." California awkwardly scratched at the scar on her neck. "I said that I'd seen Kitty kill Robin so she was wrong and yeah," California trailed off and ended with a shrug.
What California really wanted to do was ask Salem about where he had seen Kai, but she waited for his reaction to her story first.
"Heh," Salem exhaled with just enough of a lilt to pass it off as a laugh. "Wonder how that's working out for her." Most likely, Trinity had already come up with some new delusion to comfortably cocoon herself in; if not the idea that it was all faked, then the tried-and-true sentiment of "it'll never happen to me." They'd all fallen victim to that nice little fallacy by going on the trip in the first place.
"Gotta be honest, I was hoping that the answer was going to be aliens or something, but I guess for a film geek, Trinity's not very imaginative." He rolled his head from one side to the other as he talked now, cracking his neck just to give himself something to do. If there was ever a fella who needed a fidget spinner, it was this one. Salem didn't care that they were played out years ago. That actually made him want one more.
He caught the waver on the edge of Cali's smile and looked away from her again. Tag, you're it.
Salem wouldn't be caught dead in Hot Topic unless he'd heard that they had a particularly garish Funko Pop on sale, but he'd actually kind of enjoyed reading Poe in English class. He'd liked it enough for it to be a fixation for a weekend, beyond peppering "nevermore" into his sentences at strategic intervals. "The Imp of the Perverse" never seemed to get any love from any of the gloomy shmucks who felt that ol' Eddie Allen was just like them fr fr (conveniently glossing over the alcoholism and underage cousin marriage, fr fr), but that one had stuck with Salem. It was one of those private understandings you had with yourself, rather than say, gleefully advertising that you'd brick somebody up alive in the basement for insulting you (though Salem would do that too, if he had the patience).
Nothing good would come of anything said here between the two of them. He finally turned and looked her in the eyes.
"Go on. Ask what you wanna ask me. I'll be honest this time." He said it like a dare more than an offer.
"Gotta be honest, I was hoping that the answer was going to be aliens or something, but I guess for a film geek, Trinity's not very imaginative." He rolled his head from one side to the other as he talked now, cracking his neck just to give himself something to do. If there was ever a fella who needed a fidget spinner, it was this one. Salem didn't care that they were played out years ago. That actually made him want one more.
He caught the waver on the edge of Cali's smile and looked away from her again. Tag, you're it.
Salem wouldn't be caught dead in Hot Topic unless he'd heard that they had a particularly garish Funko Pop on sale, but he'd actually kind of enjoyed reading Poe in English class. He'd liked it enough for it to be a fixation for a weekend, beyond peppering "nevermore" into his sentences at strategic intervals. "The Imp of the Perverse" never seemed to get any love from any of the gloomy shmucks who felt that ol' Eddie Allen was just like them fr fr (conveniently glossing over the alcoholism and underage cousin marriage, fr fr), but that one had stuck with Salem. It was one of those private understandings you had with yourself, rather than say, gleefully advertising that you'd brick somebody up alive in the basement for insulting you (though Salem would do that too, if he had the patience).
Nothing good would come of anything said here between the two of them. He finally turned and looked her in the eyes.
"Go on. Ask what you wanna ask me. I'll be honest this time." He said it like a dare more than an offer.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
After Salem replied they settled back into silence.
California didn't know if she needed to say something else. A reassuring lie to make him feel better. She could have said she was doing alright, despite all that had happened to her. That could have helped with the mood that had settled on the beach, thick as ink.
There was something wrong, but California had no idea what it was or if she could help. There was always the chance that Salem had been lying to her, that his experience hadn't been as easy as he had let on. But why would he have lied to her? They were siblings and they trusted each other. Being siblings meant that you could talk about things. But California felt like there was something Salem wasn't saying. Maybe it was linked to his restlessness and fidgeting. She didn't know, but he hadn't said anything and she didn't want to pry.
Instead, he offered her the opportunity to ask her question. An offer she grasped firmly with both hands, not wanting the opportunity to get away from her.
"Where, uh," She began, trying not to sound too eager. "Where did you see Kai?"
California didn't know if she needed to say something else. A reassuring lie to make him feel better. She could have said she was doing alright, despite all that had happened to her. That could have helped with the mood that had settled on the beach, thick as ink.
There was something wrong, but California had no idea what it was or if she could help. There was always the chance that Salem had been lying to her, that his experience hadn't been as easy as he had let on. But why would he have lied to her? They were siblings and they trusted each other. Being siblings meant that you could talk about things. But California felt like there was something Salem wasn't saying. Maybe it was linked to his restlessness and fidgeting. She didn't know, but he hadn't said anything and she didn't want to pry.
Instead, he offered her the opportunity to ask her question. An offer she grasped firmly with both hands, not wanting the opportunity to get away from her.
"Where, uh," She began, trying not to sound too eager. "Where did you see Kai?"
"Somewhere in the woods. Close to the edge. He was probably going to take the road into the town." Salem's answers were true, like he'd said they would be. His head inclined to the side little by little with each word.
His gaze refocused on Cali's forehead, at the point where her hairline met the edge of her hat.
"He might be dead by now."
His gaze refocused on Cali's forehead, at the point where her hairline met the edge of her hat.
"He might be dead by now."
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
California nodded as Salem answered her question, memorizing what he said. They could go to the town, it wasn't too far from where they were. They'd need shelter for the evening too.
Salem however, for some reason, decided to add more thoughts.
She looked back at him as he studiously avoided making eye contact.
California's eyebrows knitted in concern as she contemplated the statement.
"He's not been on the announcements."
Salem however, for some reason, decided to add more thoughts.
She looked back at him as he studiously avoided making eye contact.
California's eyebrows knitted in concern as she contemplated the statement.
"He's not been on the announcements."
"He's going to find Kitty, and everyone knows where she's going to be today."
Salem tugged on a lock of his hair.
"She killed four more people after Robin, you know. She's not gonna stop. I dunno if she can stop, but you know? I don't think she actually wants to."
Sure, she'd said she did, and Salem believed that she did at least in part. She was just strapped into a roller coaster that was zooming from hill to hill, taking her along for the ride. Just, if you were stuck on a thrill ride, what could you do besides put your hands up and scream?
He shrugged. "I'm just saying. I don't think she's gonna kill him, but people are probably gonna keep coming after her. He seems like the kind of person who would jump in front of a bullet, is all."
Salem tugged on a lock of his hair.
"She killed four more people after Robin, you know. She's not gonna stop. I dunno if she can stop, but you know? I don't think she actually wants to."
Sure, she'd said she did, and Salem believed that she did at least in part. She was just strapped into a roller coaster that was zooming from hill to hill, taking her along for the ride. Just, if you were stuck on a thrill ride, what could you do besides put your hands up and scream?
He shrugged. "I'm just saying. I don't think she's gonna kill him, but people are probably gonna keep coming after her. He seems like the kind of person who would jump in front of a bullet, is all."
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."