The Beach Near Galactica Point, Morning

[bloodyspitfire.livejournal.com]

It wasn't safe for him to be out and about so soon after the jailbreak, so shortly after regaining his freedom right along with everyone else in detention. Especially not taking into consideration the fact that he hadn't been able to get his hands on enough leather to so much as fake a set of bandages, to keep the riot of flames pouring from his body hidden as he walked through the dark. But so help him, Jonothon hadn't seen the sunlight in three damn years, and he swore to himself, if he ever tasted freedom again, there was only one thing he knew for certain that he was going to do.

The rest of his life was up in the air, wide open with no direction to it at all.

But this morning he was going to stand on the beach and he was going to watch a sunrise. Just one. And then he'd get on with sorting out whatever was left.


[OOC: Open to Loyalist or Resistance, just bear in mind that the guy with the nuclear weapon for a chest will be not best pleased if you try to pick a fight before the sun is up!]

Comments

[isvictorious.livejournal.com]

Victor hadn't really slept. He'd spent the night going over everyone he'd hurt, every rule he'd mindlessly obeyed, every way he'd been Ultron's son over the months since he came to the island and Topher messed with his programming.

He knew it could have been worse, but that wasn't really much comfort.

By daybreak, he was on the beach, headed vaguely toward the other figure he saw. He raised his eyebrows in alarm at the fire before recognition hit. He'd never met the real Chamber, but it was still a hard mutation to forget.

"Oh," he said, uncertain. He had no intention of starting a fight, but he hadn't been locked up for the last couple years. "Hey. Nice ... sunrise."

[OOC: SP tastes like pie?]

[bloodyspitfire.livejournal.com]

Jonothon spared the boy a moment's glance, and then turned his gaze back out toward the colours that were starting to creep out across the horizon.

//First I've seen in years,// he intoned, //and if you're not about to spoil it for me, I might even be willing to share it.//

Frankly, he didn't care what side of the coin this kid fell on. He started with a greeting instead of an attack. That would do, for the time being.

[It does! Mmm, SP!]

[isvictorious.livejournal.com]

"I don't want to spoil anything for anyone." That ... maybe came out a little stronger than the situation demanded, and Victor went a little pink when he realized that. "Unless they're trying to beat up a little kid or something."

That might not have helped. Victor shrugged and plopped down on the sand. "Sorry. Weird, weird couple days."

[bloodyspitfire.livejournal.com]

Jonothon remained standing, if only because he half suspected the Madri would come swarming out onto the beach at any moment. Even if they didn't, he still stood out somewhat.

//Not a big fan of bullies, are you?// He went quiet, mulling over that for a moment, and then gave a single, decisive nod. //Hold on to that, lad. That seems to be a rarity, on this island.//

[isvictorious.livejournal.com]

Victor shook his head. "I spent the last couple months being a bully," he said. "Standing up to them now ... it seems like the least I can do to start making it up."

[losthiscool.livejournal.com]

Bobby had finally been convinced to let go of Sookie's body. Not Sookie. He could admit that to himself now, that she was gone. There was one thing he had to do, though, before he could think about a memorial or a burial or... any of it.

Sookie had loved the sun, you see. And she couldn't be here now. But Bobby? Bobby could.

When he spotted Jono, he wandered over, giving the other boy a nod of greeting.

[bloodyspitfire.livejournal.com]

Jonothon glanced Bobby's way, and then returned the nod. He noted the absence of Sookie's body, could only imagine what it might have taken to get him to finally let her go.

//I'd almost forgotten what one of these looks like.//

Almost. Sookie had built a few for him to see, over the years. This one was real, more real than anything she could have created in their heads, but that seemed to manage to only make it all the more bittersweet without her there to see it, too.

[losthiscool.livejournal.com]

"I probably would've, if-" if it hadn't been for Sookie. He broke off, leaving the sentence unfinished.

[bloodyspitfire.livejournal.com]

//I don't think I could possibly name all of the people who would have, if not for her,// Jonothon murmured, sympathy and understanding softening his voice, there in their minds. //How're you holding up?//

He was standing here. That had to count for something.

[losthiscool.livejournal.com]

Well, he still hadn't been able to shift back to human form, even with the full return of his powers.

"Okay." But standing there counted as okay, right?

[no-songbird.livejournal.com]

Dinah had carefully made her way down to the beach after having her leg seen to this morning. Being cooped up had been horrible when it hadn't been avoidable; now it was unendurable. She'd also made a phone call to someone who'd agreed to meet her here.

For the moment, she was just going to stare at the water, mesmerized. "Hey," she murmured to Jono when she saw him.

[bloodyspitfire.livejournal.com]

//Morning, luv,// Jono replied glancing her way and offering her a small nod in greeting. //So, this is what people do with freedom once they've got it, is it?//

Today seemed to be a good day to watch the sun come up.

[no-songbird.livejournal.com]

"Apparently. I was going to go dancing, but..." She gestured to her bandaged leg. "That's gonna have to wait." Dinah rubbed at her pale arms, face turned upward. "Worth a sunburn to be out in this again."

[bloodyspitfire.livejournal.com]

Jonothon looked vaguely, somewhat morbidly amused for a second, there. A sunburn was the least of his worries, really.

//How long has it been, for you?//

[no-songbird.livejournal.com]

"Two years. And a couple months." Just after her Graduation ceremony. She should have finished two years of police training, or college, or something other than a prison sentence by now. "You?"

[weldedtomyspine]

It was funny, really, getting a phone call. The number had still been in his caller ID, of course, but he'd written off ever getting a call from it again years ago.

He was practically trudging through the sand as he approached Dinah. She was... thinner than he remembered. Much thinner. Still tall, though, and if her hair was lanker than it had been, it was just as blond.

"Hey," he murmured softly. Maybe too softly to hear.

[no-songbird.livejournal.com]

Dinah heard something, at least. She echoed the greeting back to him. "Hey." And a tiny, sad smile. "It's good to see you."

Really good. Good to know someone had come through this in one piece.

[weldedtomyspine]

"Good to see you, too," he answered, trying a smile. "You look..."

He wanted to say good, but...

"Terrible."

[losthiscool.livejournal.com]

Dinah... Dinah had been a good friend, especially those last couple days. Bobby looked over and offered a tentative half-smile.

[no-songbird.livejournal.com]

"Heeey," Dinah whispered, heartened that Bobby was actually in the here-and-now. Smiling back, biting her lip. "How are you doing?"

[losthiscool.livejournal.com]

"Okay?" the fact that his answer sounded like a question was probably an indicator of how not-really-okay he was, but. He was still standing, at least.

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

Rapunzel had loved the beach, when she'd first arrived on the island, before it had sunk in just what kind of place it was. And now, with the last of her life ripped away from her, she found herself there again.

She didn't even know why. Any memories would be bittersweet, after all, and it wasn't like looking out at the waves was going to make everything okay again.

But there she was. Standing in the surf and trying not to think about anything.

[bloodyspitfire.livejournal.com]

//Christ, girl. You look about as lost as I feel, right now,// Jonothon murmured, watching her from where he was standing on the shore. //I don't remember seeing you in detention, though. Something eating at you?//

Loyalist, Resistance. He didn't care. Mostly because after all this time and all that hell, Jono still had a soft spot for big sad girl eyes.

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

The voice made her start. Her head whipped around, searching for the source, but the movement was too light, too easy. Another reminder.

"Oh, um..." She blinked. "I'm just..." Well, not thinking. Staring.

"Thinking."

One hand rose, fingers brushing across the uneven fringe of hair at the nape of her neck.

"I want to go home."

[bloodyspitfire.livejournal.com]

//Isn't that what we all want, luv?// Jono attempted to look about as gentle as he could manage, on fire though he was. //Some place safe and familiar, where we can feel as though we belong?//

Everyone around here seemed to be utterly lacking in something like that, too.