((Salem Fox continued from Disavowed Anger In The Face Of Evil))
Salem was fit to blow a few piggy houses down with the way he was huffing and puffing by the time he reached the path. He'd done some brutal cheer workouts before, but none of them had consisted of running uphill through the snow while lugging a big, heavy metal object along. Every time he'd glanced back, Adam had closed the distance between them a little more.
He almost stumbled when the ground evened out into a path, the terrain somewhat abruptly becoming less coated in snow but more obviously rocky. Looked like there had been a bit of a landslide. Salem picked out the biggest, sturdiest-looking rock that caught his eye and darted behind it.
He wasn't trying to hide. He just needed a minute to catch his breath, and his best bet to avoid an ass-beating might be juking around the rock cartoon-style if Adam came around the side. He braced his free hand against it, panting.
God, he still had to hike up to the top of this mountain later. He was gonna be feeling that tomorrow.
"You really don't... quit..." he gasped, just loud enough for Adam to probably catch as he approached. He still felt a little giddy replaying the moment where the snowball exploded off the back of Adam's head in his mind's eye.
I'm so tired of 17. where's my fucking teenage dream?
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I'm so tired of 17. where's my fucking teenage dream?
"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."
((Adam Lader continued from Disavowed Anger In The Face Of Evil))
"I wouldn’t dream of quitting, bitch," Adam panted as he skidded to a stop.
When inhaling, the cold air hurt his throat, stabbing at him like pins against his skin. It made him cough. His lips were chapped, and his nose was running, so he wiped it on his sleeve. The snow in his hand didn’t resemble much of a ball anymore, just clumps of it.
He looked behind him for a second at the trail of footprints that would soon be covered by the falling snow. And just for another second, he wondered what he was doing running after someone who had killed someone else not too long ago. But this wasn’t just someone.
Adam took a deep breath before continuing toward the sound of Salem’s voice. Then he charged forward, perhaps a bit overconfident, and threw the remaining squeezed snow in Salem’s general direction in an attempt to bring him back into his sights. He wanted to be smart about it.
“Stop hiding!”
"I wouldn’t dream of quitting, bitch," Adam panted as he skidded to a stop.
When inhaling, the cold air hurt his throat, stabbing at him like pins against his skin. It made him cough. His lips were chapped, and his nose was running, so he wiped it on his sleeve. The snow in his hand didn’t resemble much of a ball anymore, just clumps of it.
He looked behind him for a second at the trail of footprints that would soon be covered by the falling snow. And just for another second, he wondered what he was doing running after someone who had killed someone else not too long ago. But this wasn’t just someone.
Adam took a deep breath before continuing toward the sound of Salem’s voice. Then he charged forward, perhaps a bit overconfident, and threw the remaining squeezed snow in Salem’s general direction in an attempt to bring him back into his sights. He wanted to be smart about it.
“Stop hiding!”
Salem peeked out from behind the rock only to immediately duck back down as Adam sent a retaliatory snowball his way. The snow mostly impacted the rock, but the edges of it broke off and grazed his head, soaking into his hair. He again flashed back to Julia's tub of ice cream splattering his face and grimaced; man, he needed a bath.
"Nuh-uh," he singsonged a little breathlessly, inching his way further around the side of the rock. "Come and get me if you want me so bad, babe." He squeezed the khanda close to his body as he moved, digging his fingers into the tacky fabric that covered the blade.
"Nuh-uh," he singsonged a little breathlessly, inching his way further around the side of the rock. "Come and get me if you want me so bad, babe." He squeezed the khanda close to his body as he moved, digging his fingers into the tacky fabric that covered the blade.
"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."
Adam’s irritation grew when he heard the tone in Salem's voice. He was pretty good at this, this grudge-holding against the past. They had had good times together, the best, until they didn’t. All that mattered now was to show him that he was going to win.
While letting his bag drop down behind him, he huffed out a shaky laugh. “Today must be my lucky day because I’ve never wanted you more.” He could see where Salem was now, and he knew he couldn't stay there forever.
His feet slipped on the ground beneath him, and he stumbled forward a few steps before catching himself. His mind raced as he came up alongside the rock, moving methodically. Adam shot it a glare before charging forward again to where he thought Salem’s back was.
Clutching the pool cue with both hands, he swung it down and aimed it at Salem’s side.
While letting his bag drop down behind him, he huffed out a shaky laugh. “Today must be my lucky day because I’ve never wanted you more.” He could see where Salem was now, and he knew he couldn't stay there forever.
His feet slipped on the ground beneath him, and he stumbled forward a few steps before catching himself. His mind raced as he came up alongside the rock, moving methodically. Adam shot it a glare before charging forward again to where he thought Salem’s back was.
Clutching the pool cue with both hands, he swung it down and aimed it at Salem’s side.
It was hard to tell exactly where Adam was approaching from without looking; Salem was still catching his breath, blood still pounding in his head. He edged a little farther around the rock.
Wrong call.
Salem yelped as Adam popped into view and the pool cue, on cue (ha), cracked into his ribs. He shoved away from the rock, straightening up and twisting as he did to swing the khanda up at Adam's arms.
It was a slow, clumsy swing; the heavy blade already wasn't very aerodynamic, and the sweater it was swaddled in didn't help. He didn't think the sharp edge was even facing the right way.
But when he exhaled, it sounded like a laugh more than a wheeze even with his stinging ribs. Salem stumbled back another couple steps, sidestepping to put the rock between them again. Their movements were a stilted slow dance, with that as their centerpiece. Like figurines on a music box whose mechanisms had rusted.
"What've you been up to?" He asked, resting the sword's blunt point on the ground for a moment. "I figured I'd have heard your name by now." One way or the other. Adam had always been a rat bastard.
So had Salem. That was why they worked together, for a little while.
Wrong call.
Salem yelped as Adam popped into view and the pool cue, on cue (ha), cracked into his ribs. He shoved away from the rock, straightening up and twisting as he did to swing the khanda up at Adam's arms.
It was a slow, clumsy swing; the heavy blade already wasn't very aerodynamic, and the sweater it was swaddled in didn't help. He didn't think the sharp edge was even facing the right way.
But when he exhaled, it sounded like a laugh more than a wheeze even with his stinging ribs. Salem stumbled back another couple steps, sidestepping to put the rock between them again. Their movements were a stilted slow dance, with that as their centerpiece. Like figurines on a music box whose mechanisms had rusted.
"What've you been up to?" He asked, resting the sword's blunt point on the ground for a moment. "I figured I'd have heard your name by now." One way or the other. Adam had always been a rat bastard.
So had Salem. That was why they worked together, for a little while.
"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."
The rush Adam felt when his weapon connected with Salem’s ribs made him exhale sharply— his teeth clenched, and the tremor engulfed his body like a small charge of electricity. The sparks were sent off flying when the blade of the khanda grazed Adam’s arm.
Jumping back, he twisted it to take a quick look. All he saw was a hole in the fabric of the sleeve. No pain. Adam hated to admit it but, like, Salem had an advantage here; according to the list and the announcement, he wasn’t just carrying the sword that he had just been surprised with, but also a gun. Adam wanted to fuck around, yes, but not find out by taking a bullet. The music box kept spinning.
"What? I thought we were going to play nice and make up?" His eyes moved from one side to the other and back again, a slightly playful undercurrent to his voice. “Worry about your own business... How did it feel, killing Timothy? Wanna give me some tips and let me try them on you?”
Jumping back, he twisted it to take a quick look. All he saw was a hole in the fabric of the sleeve. No pain. Adam hated to admit it but, like, Salem had an advantage here; according to the list and the announcement, he wasn’t just carrying the sword that he had just been surprised with, but also a gun. Adam wanted to fuck around, yes, but not find out by taking a bullet. The music box kept spinning.
"What? I thought we were going to play nice and make up?" His eyes moved from one side to the other and back again, a slightly playful undercurrent to his voice. “Worry about your own business... How did it feel, killing Timothy? Wanna give me some tips and let me try them on you?”
Salem ran his tongue over his teeth. "Is that why you think I'm here?" The spot on his ribs where Adam had hit him throbbed lightly.
He dug the end of the khanda into the dirt a little more firmly so that he could lean forward on it, looking up at Adam through his hair as it fell over his face. "How did it feel..." He made a show of pondering the question.
How did it feel? His whole body ached. He could still taste bile in the back of his throat if he thought about it for long enough. Julia was out there somewhere. He still had a mountain to climb. He didn't even like ginger ale.
Salem lifted his head a little and bared his teeth an in expression that was technically a smile. "It felt great."
"Actually," he continued, straightening up more. "Yeah. I'll give you some tips." He grabbed the khanda to lift it out of the dirt and gave it a heave. It fell between them with a muffled but heavy thump.
"Tip number one: you're not gonna get any style points for bonking someone on the head with a stick. Here." He spread his hands and took a step back, leaving his offering open for the taking.
He dug the end of the khanda into the dirt a little more firmly so that he could lean forward on it, looking up at Adam through his hair as it fell over his face. "How did it feel..." He made a show of pondering the question.
How did it feel? His whole body ached. He could still taste bile in the back of his throat if he thought about it for long enough. Julia was out there somewhere. He still had a mountain to climb. He didn't even like ginger ale.
Salem lifted his head a little and bared his teeth an in expression that was technically a smile. "It felt great."
"Actually," he continued, straightening up more. "Yeah. I'll give you some tips." He grabbed the khanda to lift it out of the dirt and gave it a heave. It fell between them with a muffled but heavy thump.
"Tip number one: you're not gonna get any style points for bonking someone on the head with a stick. Here." He spread his hands and took a step back, leaving his offering open for the taking.
"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."
Adam could do nothing but stare down stupidly into Salem’s eyes, his chest visibly rising and falling with unsteady shudders.
The smile was one of a kind.
He liked to think that he could predict every single one of Salem’s moves, but when he nudged the khanda towards him, Adam’s brows furrowed. His fingers curled around the pool cue in a way that made it spin carefully into a vertical position before its end dug into the snow.
“What's this supposed to mean?”
Adam looked angry, almost.
“....Why?”
One of many “whys”, be it past or present. He didn’t care which one would be answered.
The smile was one of a kind.
He liked to think that he could predict every single one of Salem’s moves, but when he nudged the khanda towards him, Adam’s brows furrowed. His fingers curled around the pool cue in a way that made it spin carefully into a vertical position before its end dug into the snow.
“What's this supposed to mean?”
Adam looked angry, almost.
“....Why?”
One of many “whys”, be it past or present. He didn’t care which one would be answered.
"Don't get the wrong idea," Salem said, taking another step back to put some extra distance between them for good measure. "If you come at me with that, I'm gonna blow your brains out." The words rolled off his tongue as easily as if he didn't have a gun on his person at all.
He tilted his head to the side, actually considering the second question rather than just pretending to this time. He could see how he probably looked from the outside, to an extent. "Erratic" would be the word, most likely. In his opinion, the people who weren't erratic at this stage were the greater anomaly, but nobody had offered him a penny for his thoughts in a while.
"Why" was a question that Salem didn't often ask himself these days. He had his niche, his role, and he played it. Maybe the better question at this point was who that really benefited.
Finally, he shrugged at Adam. "I'm tired of the whole 'I can fix him' mentality. I can make you worse." He gave Adam another grin, more genuine but still with an edge. "What're you gonna do anyway? Keep wandering around with Aion? You like him or something?" His tone was flippant rather than accusatory, as though the idea was too ridiculous to even merit teasing. Adam didn't really like anyone.
"Take a look around you. Is he here? Did he come to help you when you went chasing down a killer with nothing but a fancy stick?" Salem looked Adam in the eye and held his gaze. "Has anyone given you more help than what I'm giving you now?"
He tilted his head to the side, actually considering the second question rather than just pretending to this time. He could see how he probably looked from the outside, to an extent. "Erratic" would be the word, most likely. In his opinion, the people who weren't erratic at this stage were the greater anomaly, but nobody had offered him a penny for his thoughts in a while.
"Why" was a question that Salem didn't often ask himself these days. He had his niche, his role, and he played it. Maybe the better question at this point was who that really benefited.
Finally, he shrugged at Adam. "I'm tired of the whole 'I can fix him' mentality. I can make you worse." He gave Adam another grin, more genuine but still with an edge. "What're you gonna do anyway? Keep wandering around with Aion? You like him or something?" His tone was flippant rather than accusatory, as though the idea was too ridiculous to even merit teasing. Adam didn't really like anyone.
"Take a look around you. Is he here? Did he come to help you when you went chasing down a killer with nothing but a fancy stick?" Salem looked Adam in the eye and held his gaze. "Has anyone given you more help than what I'm giving you 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."
Adam was silent for several seconds. Then he snorted. He gave Salem the same look, cocky and challenging. So, while he kept the sneer plastered on his face, he smiled.
“Awww. I didn’t know you were jealous.”
He took a step forward to match Salem's pace while keeping the established distance.
It wasn't a question that needed answering, was it? And yet Salem felt the need to add it anyway. Either way, Adam thought that Aion was a fucking dumbass, a fool, manloser coded. Adam could go on and Salem knew that. Amos lingered close enough to the same category. In the end, that’s just who he happened to stumble upon and it was better than having absolutely no one around.
“What can I say....," he started, dragging the word out. "Some are just very easy to take advantage of.”
He glanced down at the offering, somewhat reluctantly. But after a swift swipe, Adam looked satisfied once he was holding the khanda.
“If you keep waiting for me to fall on my knees and gush about how grateful I am for your help, you’re gonna be disappointed. I will come at you when you least expect it, I promise. Your gun won’t help you." When he spoke again, his voice was flat and emotionless. "Afterwards, I’m gonna go home and rest, and maybe look at cute pictures of us together.”
“Awww. I didn’t know you were jealous.”
He took a step forward to match Salem's pace while keeping the established distance.
It wasn't a question that needed answering, was it? And yet Salem felt the need to add it anyway. Either way, Adam thought that Aion was a fucking dumbass, a fool, manloser coded. Adam could go on and Salem knew that. Amos lingered close enough to the same category. In the end, that’s just who he happened to stumble upon and it was better than having absolutely no one around.
“What can I say....," he started, dragging the word out. "Some are just very easy to take advantage of.”
He glanced down at the offering, somewhat reluctantly. But after a swift swipe, Adam looked satisfied once he was holding the khanda.
“If you keep waiting for me to fall on my knees and gush about how grateful I am for your help, you’re gonna be disappointed. I will come at you when you least expect it, I promise. Your gun won’t help you." When he spoke again, his voice was flat and emotionless. "Afterwards, I’m gonna go home and rest, and maybe look at cute pictures of us together.”
"You kept pictures, huh?" Salem made to take another step back, but a rush of dizziness overtook him. He needed to have something to eat soon. He closed his eyes to weather it, then remembered that Adam was standing in front of him with the khanda, and his eyes snapped open again just as quickly. The blade of the sword was still wrapped in his ice cream-stained sweater.
"That's sweet." The ghost of a smile touched Salem's face.
"But if you want that rest, you're gonna have to earn it." He did step back then, and kept going. The delivery was made, his piece was said, and it was time to get outta dodge. He slipped one hand into his pocket, fingers curling around the grip of the gun once again. This time, its weight reassured him.
"When I want you to get down on your knees, you're not gonna be thanking me," Salem said, the lilt in his voice fading into something to match Adam's tone. Not completely flat, but more matter-of-fact than the teasing edge he'd been speaking with all this time. "And when I want to shoot you-"
He couldn't help himself. The grin split his face again. "-I won't hesitate, bitch."
With that, he turned and hurried away up the path, and he didn't let go of the gun until Adam was well out of his sight when he glanced back.
((Salem Fox continued in Oz the gweat and tewwible))
"That's sweet." The ghost of a smile touched Salem's face.
"But if you want that rest, you're gonna have to earn it." He did step back then, and kept going. The delivery was made, his piece was said, and it was time to get outta dodge. He slipped one hand into his pocket, fingers curling around the grip of the gun once again. This time, its weight reassured him.
"When I want you to get down on your knees, you're not gonna be thanking me," Salem said, the lilt in his voice fading into something to match Adam's tone. Not completely flat, but more matter-of-fact than the teasing edge he'd been speaking with all this time. "And when I want to shoot you-"
He couldn't help himself. The grin split his face again. "-I won't hesitate, bitch."
With that, he turned and hurried away up the path, and he didn't let go of the gun until Adam was well out of his sight when he glanced back.
((Salem Fox continued in Oz the gweat and tewwible))
"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."
"I'll burn and delete 'em afterwards....!" Adam shouted after him, his feet steady and buried in the snow in place. He felt stunned.
But he laughed. Kept that smile plastered on his face, yes. Because everything was alright, splendid even just like his not-so-shiny shiny new weapon. If Salem wanted to play games, Adam wasn't going to falter. He was confident that everything was under control.
That....
He let his eyes wander up the slope, where there was no sign of Salem.
Adam hated the silence. He hoped Salem would waste his energy and break both of his legs with nothing but snow around him. His face had been pretty close, no? His neck too. The khanda would have looked lovely submerged in his pale and dehydrated flesh.
"Whatever. Shut up," he huffed and sprinted back to his bag. The hazy cloud dissipated slowly, transforming into a surge of energy that he could use to find his way back to Amos and Aion. He left the pool cue behind.
((Adam Lader continued elsewhere))
But he laughed. Kept that smile plastered on his face, yes. Because everything was alright, splendid even just like his not-so-shiny shiny new weapon. If Salem wanted to play games, Adam wasn't going to falter. He was confident that everything was under control.
That....
He let his eyes wander up the slope, where there was no sign of Salem.
Adam hated the silence. He hoped Salem would waste his energy and break both of his legs with nothing but snow around him. His face had been pretty close, no? His neck too. The khanda would have looked lovely submerged in his pale and dehydrated flesh.
"Whatever. Shut up," he huffed and sprinted back to his bag. The hazy cloud dissipated slowly, transforming into a surge of energy that he could use to find his way back to Amos and Aion. He left the pool cue behind.
((Adam Lader continued elsewhere))