Stand Together Against the Tide

We stand ready. [Indie YJ Kaldur blog. Will play S1 or S2. NSFW may occur, but all posts will be tagged as such.]

[madeofscxrs]

It didn’t occur to Roy that Kaldur might just be humoring him. It never did. Kaldur took him seriously like no-one else but Brave Bow had. He was sure they would have liked each other. “Hey,” he said, “don’t even joke. I don’t want you getting eaten by a Windigo. Because then I’d have to go kill the it, and I don’t think you can kill those things.” There was no indication in his expression that he was joking. 

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

Kaldur would never poke fun at Roy's old stories, knowing how much Brave Bow had meant to him. "Alright, my apologies," he said, giving Roy's hand a gentle squeeze. "I promise to never go looking for one, but I know that even if I were to run across one while you were with me, I would be perfectly safe." There wasn't even a trace of a joke in his voice this time

[madeofscxrs]

Roy looked up, nose wrinkling just a little. “Course there was. Brave Bow wouldn’t a’ said it if it wasn’t real. He saw one once, up in Colorado. It was February, ‘58. Didn’t get eaten, obviously. True story, though.” At least, Roy was convinced it was. He didn’t have anything left of his foster father but the stories and archery. He shared archery with Ollie now, but the stories were just theirs. “So never hang out in the woods in Colorado in February.”

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

"I see, then it must be true," he agreed. Kaldur had learned much about Roy's foster father, simply from listening, and decided that he would have liked the man quite a bit. "I do not see why I would have reason to, but I will do my best to avoid it. Though perhaps a Wendigo could confirm your very offensive suspicions that I taste like fish," he teased. 

[madeofscxrs]

In Roy’s eyes, Kaldur was anything but inadequate. He was a dumbass at times, Roy would be the last to deny it. But never inadequate. He could never see anything about Kaldur as strange. His hands, his gills, his tattoos, even the way he spoke, it was all beautiful to Roy. “No kidding,” Roy snorted. “Brave Bow used to tell me this thing the Algonquin people have. Story goes, usually in the winter, hard winters where there was no food, people would sometimes have to eat other people. At first, because they had to.” Roy’s hands moved as he spoke, natural motions that he barely noticed himself doing. “But something happens when a human eats another human. They can’t stop. It changes them, into something not human anymore. Wendigo. Scared the hell out of me.”

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

Kaldur listened intently, his hand still absently moving over Roy's hair. The way the archer spoke with his hands was strangely charming... as was everything else about him. "I can see why. Was there ever any proof to this Wendigo or was it just a myth?" he asked, always glad to get Roy talking more. There was something enchanting about the archer when he grew excited and his motions became more and more animated.

[madeofscxrs]

Roy let out a content hum. The touches said more to him than words needed to. He’d always thought Kaldur got that. For him, this was enough. It was a simple compromise, just turning his hand. But sometimes, he caught looks from Kaldur that made him wonder. “Oh, cannibals are real. At least, up here. It’s traditional in some places. They say eating certain organs’ll give you their traits. Like if you eat their heart, you’ll get their courage. At least, that’s what they say.”

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

By now, Kaldur was familiar with how Roy seemed to respond better to touch than to words at times. Usually when he was with the archer, he forgot the strangeness of his hands, but every so often, he couldn't help but feel inadequate in simply being unable to run his fingers through Roy's hair, or hold his hand the way others could. "Interesting... I suppose I could see where the belief comes from, though it is a bit morbid."

[madeofscxrs]

After a few seconds, Roy twisted his hand so that it was curled around Kaldur’s. He’d started doing it to avoid the webbing, but he found it more comfortable now. It felt special. Most people didn’t hold hands the way they did. Something that was just between them. “Maybe. Doesn’t seem like something people’d share, don’chu think? Do you guys have cannibals?”

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

Kaldur's thumb gently rubbed Roy's hand, moving in small circles against his skin. At first, he had been more than a little frustrated that he was unable to hold Roy's hand the way he saw everyone else do. Even others in Atlantis had been able to avoid his problems, his webbing causing a rather unique issue. "I suppose not. There are some, but they live far from Atlantis in less civilized areas. Although, I am not entirely sure if they are real, or just a story meant to keep children from venturing to unsafe places," he admitted with a little shrug. Having generally obeyed rules in his time growing up in Atlantis, he had never strayed to those places to look for the monsters that supposedly lived there. 

[babewith-abow]

+1 New arrow in your quiver

[babewith-abow]

"I-it’s nothing really, it’s been a tough week."

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

Kaldur tipped his head to one side, not about to be dissuaded so easily. "Tough in what way? Are you tired from the missions? I can grant you leave if you wish to take a break." 

[babewith-abow]

+1 New arrow in your quiver

"What do….Oh Kaldur, it’s you, sorry i thought you were someone else."

{ mydreamsareofatlantis}

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

"It is quite alright. Is something troubling you, my friend?"

[madeofscxrs]

Roy beamed, squeezing Kaldur’s wrist. “I dunno, cannibals. Cannibals say people taste like chicken.” Roy paused. “I mean, I guess anything can taste like chicken if you season it right. Like tofu. Except tofu is gross.

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

Shifting his wrist, Kaldur slid his hand up so he could gently return the squeeze with one of his own, his fingers winding around Roy's hand a little awkwardly due to the webbing. "Do you know many cannibals? Tofu can be pleasant if it is prepared properly, but I suppose that is a matter of personal taste."

[madeofscxrs]

"That make sense. Like how Atlanteans have super strength compared to surface-dwellers. Because pressure is proportional do depth, so the deeper you are, the stronger you got to be." He reached up, tracing absent patterns on Kaldur’s arm. A teasing smile played over his lips. "Yeah? I dunno. They say humans taste like chicken. I bet you guys taste like salmon."

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

"Exactly, yes." There was immense fondness in Kaldur's expression, knowing that Roy had done his best to learn about his people. Smile growing the slightest bit wider,he tipped his head to one side. "And who do you know that says this? Do you know many people who have tasted humans?" he asked, subtle tease in his voice. 

[madeofscxrs]

Roy beamed at being right. Hours on wikipedia was paying off. “Yeah? They pretty much the same?” Roy noticed the differences in Kaldur. He wasn’t going to pretend he didn’t. But they weren’t abnormalities to him. They were beautiful. “Hm… I dunno. I like them both. I couldn’t get a cat, though. It might try and eat you.” His straight face only lasted a second before he laughed.

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

"Primarily, there are some differences, mostly due to their environment. The giant ones have had to adapt to the immense pressures." Kaldur was well aware of the amount of time Roy spent trying to learn more about the ocean and found it quite endearing. One eyebrow rising, he gently tugged at Roy's hair before smoothing it down again. "Really? I may look like a fish, but I doubt that I taste like one."

[madeofscxrs]

"Tube worm? That’s the thing that looks kinda’ planty, right?" Roy wriggled his fingers to try and describe it better. He glanced up curiously, completely unsure if he was right or not. If Roy noticed Kaldur’s frustration, he never mentioned it. He didn’t care, he loved the way Kaldur played with his hair. This was nicer. "I get to take care of them at work, at least. Help them get good homes."

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

"Something like that yes," he agreed with a nod, small smile on his lips. "There are smaller ones in shallow waters." It was with Roy that Kaldur was strangely most comfortable with his abnormal hands, but also most irritated with them. "A very noble pursuit, my friend. Perhaps someday you will have an apartment that allows you to be one of those good homes. Do you think you would prefer a dog or a cat?" 

[madeofscxrs]

"They’re pretty complicated," he said, a little defensively. "It’s like the universe got confused. They’re supposed to be fish but the universe got confused and gave them mammal parts." Roy paused. It suddenly made a lot more sense. The comment had his eyebrows raising. "Yeah? What’s the weirdest you seen?" He leaned into the touches, letting out a soft sigh. He was weak for having his hair played with. “‘s too bad my place doesn’t let me keep pets. For the best, probably. I’d bring them all home if I could."

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

"Well... I once swam far too deep and encountered a giant tube worm, which was quite bizarre," he said after a moment of thought. Kaldur wound strands of Roy's hair around the tips of his fingers, unable to simply run them through his hair due to the webbing between his fingers, something he had only recently realized to his frustration. "That is a good point. All of them may be a bit much to take care of."

[madeofscxrs]

"They’re weird. Nothing weird as them but sharks and whatever else weird shit you got down there." Marine life threw him off like nothing else. It never ceased to frustrate him. "Nah, his claws’re filed down. These babies all scratch. They’re scared sometimes. I don’t blame them. I was a stray, too, y’know."

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

"Sharks are not nearly as complicated as you make them out to be, my friend," he said, letting out a rare chuckle. Roy was one of the few people who could provoke laughter from him on a regular basis. "They are far from the strangest sea creature I have seen." The further down one went, the weirder it got. "I know, Roy," he replied, absently reaching to run a hand over Roy's hair. "I believe the kitten would be very happy with you."

[madeofscxrs]

"That, and they lay eggs. Mammals don’t lay eggs. Except platypuses. Those things are weird." He wrinkled his nose a little. Platypuses were like sharks to him. They made no sense. "Not yet. Think I can hide him in my jacket? Keep him under the bed so the landlord doesn’t find him?"

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

"They do seem to complicate the definitions of what makes a mammal," he agreed, nodding, something creeping into his expression that looked almost like pride at Roy's knowledge. "Perhaps, but he may attempt to claw you to try to escape. If he is small enough, you could likely keep him from being noticed by your land lord for several weeks... as long as you are never seen bringing in cat food."

[madeofscxrs]

Roy laughed, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Nah, man. Lizards don’t have fluff. It’s why they’re reptiles. Only mammals have fluff.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and opened up the photo gallery. Most of the pictures on his phone were animal pictures. “It’s a kitty. Little black one. Lookit.” He angled the phone upwards so Kaldur could see. The cat was missing an ear and an eye. “Baby’s only a couple months. Isn’t he cute?”

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

"One of the many reasons yes," he agreed with a nod, his own lips twitching with the smallest of smiles. Looking at the picture, his expression softened further. Having grown up around fish, it had taken Kaldur some time to see why people found cats and dogs so charming. With Roy though, he never had to wonder. "He is adorable. Have you tried to sneak him home with you yet?"

[madeofscxrs]

Roy flopped down on the couch, laying across Kaldur’s lap as if he’d never heard of personal space. He grinned up at him in a silent greeting. “You," he said, "are never going to guess what kinda’ fluffy we got in at work. By the way, lock on your window’s broken. I didn’t do it, swear. I can fix it. But guess first."

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

Kaldur merely raised an eyebrow as the archer's weight settled onto his lap, not minding the personal space invasion in the slightest. It seemed to simply be one of the many things that came with befriending Roy. "By fluffy I assume you mean some kind of dog?" he said, faint amusement in his tone. "Or perhaps some new breed of fluffy lizard dressed as a dog? That is certainly something that I would never guess."

[maepoena-deactivated20190722]

You, me, and a monument {Kaldur}

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

  Lately, Kaldur had been dividing his time up fairly evenly between the land and sea, though he found he felt a bit out of place no matter where he went. The days he spent in his small apartment near what had once been the cave were usually fairly quiet and uneventful. Though, at times, it felt a little suffocating and maddening with nothing but books and painfully blank walls for company.

The monument wasn’t much better, the sorrowful nostalgia more painful than the boredom, but it was something to do. Somewhere to go where he didn’t feel quite so… wrong.

Webbed hands tucked into his pockets, he slowly made his way there. He had considered bringing flowers, but he was never sure what sort were appropriate. They all seemed far too happy to fit the feeling that surrounded what had once been his home. It was the place far more than the statue that brought back those feelings and the memories that went along with them. There was an inscription along the base of the statue that he never bothered reading. Something about bravery and heroism that seemed empty in the face of what had been lost for that cause.

For once though, he found he wasn’t the only one there. His brow furrowed as he drew closer, eyes flicking over the unfamiliar boy sitting amidst the rubble. There was something… slightly familiar about him, though Kaldur couldn’t say just what it was. Slowly, he drew closer, and noticed that the boy looked just a little bit… homeless.

"Hello?" he called a little uncertainly.

[maepoena-deactivated20190722]

Bart had dosed off by the time anyone else shown up. Which was just one person, sadly. Maybe it was a good thing since it wouldn’t nearly be as peaceful or quiet with more people around.

He didn’t realize that he dosed off until someone spoke up. Bart’s drooped head lifted up, and he blinked his sleepiness away while giving the monument a face. The speedster turned to look at the new visitor.

"Hey," He answered back with a little half attempted salute and a quirked brow. Bart’s eyes narrowed slightly. New guy looks familiar, but he’s been saying that a lot recently and having to knock people out because he made a mistake. Once he jumped someone because he thought they might’ve known something. 

Yeah, that wasn’t a fantastic day. There’s a little voice in the back of his head is telling him that he just needs some serious ‘Z’s. So, the speedster stays in his spot this time around, mind working furiously to try and tag the face to a name. 

Here the two have a weird staring contest and Bart pulls his knees to his chest and crosses them at the ankles. “Are you visiting the broken mountain too?”

[mydreamsareofatlantis]

"Greetings," Kaldur called, with a slight nod. There was a slight impulse to wave, but it seemed unwise to possibly let the boy see his rather... unusual hands, so they remained shoved deeply into his pockets and out of sight. His steps were slow and even as he approached, though he stopped several feet from the stranger, making sure to give him room. 

He nodded, eyes briefly flicking around the wreckage that had once been his home years before. "I am. It is... a good place to think," he said slowly. There were so many memories there among the rock and rubble that it was impossible for his mind to not dwell on them any time he drew near.

Still, letting that part slip didn't seem to be the best of ideas. The stranger, who couldn't have been more than fifteen from the look of him, didn't look very dangerous, but it never hurt to be careful. Eyes and ears were everywhere, and one person knowing the truth could lead to a world of trouble. 

"I have not seen you before. Did you... know anyone that worked at the mountain?" he asked, very careful with his words, trying to avoid anything that could accidentally incriminate either of them. It wasn't uncommon for friends and relatives of former heroes to visit the monument, though Kaldur was sure he had never seen this boy among them before.