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003 ♟ text/action

_{[By the looks of the network, there's something wrong again, something about missing people, but when isn't something going wrong in Wonderland?

Adam has more immediate concerns, ones that, in comparison, are far more innocuous. In opposition to missing someone, if anything Adam is still trying to adjust to an addition to his one-man family. Getting a dog had seemed like a great plan when the event had been in full swing and encouraging him to ignore the oh my god, I can't be responsible for another living thing panic, but now the event's long over and the dog's still around with no humane society in sight. The destruction the dog wreaks around his apartment spurs him to write a text message he figures can't do any harm. It's not the weirdest thing he's ever asked on the network, anyway, and if nothing comes of it, no loss.]}

Anyone have any dog training tips? For a larger kind of dog if it won't listen.

_{[The warm and fuzzy honeymoon feeling has worn off and cold, heard reality has set in in the form of one barking, grunting, chewing, drooling, messy, smelly, furry giant.]}

And if it won't stop chewing everything it's not supposed to.

_{[At the end of the message, he adds:]}

Any good names for a guy dog?

_{[Not long after he posts his message, Adam takes his new responsibility out for his daily walk, phone in his jacket pocket and gun tucked into the back of his pants (hey, it's not like anyone's around to report him missing, but he's not about to become another statistic if he can help it). The mastiff, a soft fawn-colored dog nearing two hundred pounds and pretty much as tall as his owner standing on his rear legs, trots ahead of Adam, collar jingling merrily. Adam follows behind, rubbing his face tiredly. For once the redness around his eyes isn't just due to night terrors; lately, having a pet padding around his room and bumping him with its nose keeps drawing him out of nightmares and into the perils of having a dog that won't stop trying to crawl onto your bed.

It's a strange thing, having something there with him at all hours. Really strange. And comforting.

After a while, they end up on a patch of grass beyond the gardens. There, Adam tries once again to teach it the "stay" trick like he's been doing all week. He might not have picked a name for the bastard yet, but actually listening to him when he needs it to stay put is kind of important, and a command that has yet to stick in any meaningful way.

Housebreaking? Not really a problem. Sitting? Not too hard with enough commanding and maybe a beer to calm his nerves. But the staying...]}

Okay, stay. Stay there.

_{[He leaves the dog lying down at a point in the field and tries to back away. The routine almost always ends the same way: by the fifth step or so, the dog seems to think the distance means "green light, go!" and launches forward to paw his legs and nip his bootlaces, tail wagging, where he has to push it back to the start again.

At one point, the dog rips his laces undone completely and bending down results in a dog frantically trying to lick his face from top to bottom.]}

I'm starting to think you're just doing this on purpose. _{[Adam pushes its big head away, acting annoyed but not feeling it.]} Take a pill. You want one? I have one. Might kill you, but at least you won't be able to get up and follow me. Now get over there and stay.

_{[Back to the starting point.]}

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[ finnick thinks to give the nameless mutt his fish — and he does, bending down to scratch the hopeless dog behind the ears. the sugarcubes aren't in his pocket, since sugar and water don't mix very well, and he has yet to have a dry day to visit the stables. poor dog has to take a rain-check for today. the dog doesn't seem so threatening anymore, especially with him not trying to take a bite out of his leg. ]

What's his name? [ and he glances up at the shirted stranger in hopes of kidnapping his dog. ]

_{[In contrast to Adam, who assumes the worst of everyone until he's proven right, once the dog is through with his inspection of an individual he's content to assume the best of everyone until he's proven wrong. Seemingly deciding the dripping water won't hurt him too badly, he accepts Finnick's attention and the "treat"--

Which turns out to be food he's never had before.

Once the fish is in his mouth, the animal's eyes widen in confusion, and he immediately lets it fall out of his mouth to the grass. What the hell is that? That's not chicken or beef. Despite the fact there are way too many rippling muscles in his vicinity, even Adam has to look on with a touch of amusement as the dog needs another few seconds to decide it's edible.]}

Aren't you spoiled. _{[To Finnick:]} There you go, he's learned one trick, begging for food.

_{[... Seriously, though, if you just hand-fed his dog some kind of poisonous fish, he's coming after you, Odair. Maybe with an actually vicious dog on a leash, because he really wouldn't want to get into it with this guy on his own.

Adam still keeps his distance, needing a far longer period of time to assess before he decides what to make of the blond beach bum.]}

Nothing, yet.

[ finnick continues to pat adam's friendly dog, for the owner himself is not as friendly as his animal. finnick's used to strangers — within the span of a few minutes, he's always had to acquaint himself with them to the point where they're almost friends. dealing with someone who is standoffish and guarded like adam isn't anything new for him. so, he keeps his focus on the dog, who seems to be quite pleased with him, even if he doesn't share the same feeling toward the fish. ]

You named your dog Nothing? [ yet. considering he had a friend, sort of, named gloss and he had a sister named cashmere and there's a woman who has the mind of a genius named wiress, calling a dog nothing seems to fit the panem bill. but finnick's glancing up at adam with an amused grin on his face, even though he thinks the inaccurate name is a pretty subpar choice for a big, drooling beast. ]

[ finnick, personally, would've went with poseidon, merely for the fact that he enjoyed the ocean and his mutt of a dog would, too, but also because of all the drool pouring from the dog's mouth. ]

_{[Good luck befriending this stranger, Finnick. You'll have an easier time with the dog.

Adam just narrows his eyes like he's not sure whether the guy's trying to be funny or not, while the dog tips his head into Finnick's palm. Is there something in the water around here? He hasn't gone swimming in the ocean yet, which is where he's assuming Finnick's come from, so it's hard to say.]}

As in he's not named yet.

_{[Obviously, bro.]}

[ there's probably something in the muscles finnick has and adam lacks. ]

[ finnick glances to the dog, brows furrowing as he pats him. at least he's not named nothing. that'd be a bit of a downer. ]

Nothing wouldn't be the worst dog name I've ever heard. [ like, seriously. he says it so casually, too, with a shrug of his shoulder. there are people out in his world who are probably named sand, so. but he glances up at adam, eyebrows raised, because, you know, he's a friendly guy. ] Why haven't you named him?

[ names are kind of important. especially for dogs! ]

_{[Or the one Adam has and Finnick lacks, that squishy pink muscle between the ears... Adam is seriously wondering about this the more the guy talks. First of all, who in their right mind thinks that's an okay name? And secondly, why is someone wandering around out here half-dressed, carrying fish with them? It's spring, not really that warm out. Granted, if the mastiff had sensed a threat, it'd probably mind Finnick's close proximity a whole lot more than it does, and that tells Adam that it at least doesn't find him to be an immediate problem.

It's not much of a relief. Snapping his fingers and calling the dog back to him crosses his mind, but he's half afraid the dog will prove Finnick right and fail to listen to him.

For the moment, he settles for shifting his feet, bemused and not afraid to show it.]}

Then you come from a place with some weird ideas.

_{[Little does he know...]}

Because-- _{[God, why he is even dignifying that with an answer?]} How about I just haven't thought of one yet? Why aren't you wearing any clothes?

[ a heart? ]

[ finnick just smiles. if this kid knew the half of it, he'd understand that panem was a place with weird ideas — weird ideas of punishing its people for a rebellion that they hadn't exactly participated in, weird ideas for punishing children, and weird ideas for entertainment. names would be the least of this kid's worries. but finnick makes a big deal out of it since panem is a place where names are important. glimmers's from the district of luxurious items; names helped define who you were. adam's dog seemed a little lost. ]

[ he's getting awfully defensive over a simple question — and finnick's lack of dress. finnick seems surprised, eyebrows raising, and when his gaze ducks it's not to settle his eyes on the dog. not many people complain about finnick's lack of dress. if anything, they highly demand that he shed every little piece of fabric. some people of the capitol like to play hard to get, a little like adam's doing, and finnick can't quite help but slip that mask back on. this kid sits on the opposite end of being a threat, but finnick's not exactly the type to wear himself on his sleeve and admit to a stranger that he's not wearing anything for he wears a mask all-year round. ]

Why? [ he glances up. the dog's owner reminds him of katniss, of how she had been a brick wall not even his own chisel could chip at. he smiles slowly. ] Do you find it distracting?

_{[Panem could be Heaven, with its self-proclaimed benevolent residents milling about, finding new ways to crush the peons underfoot. Adam's learned the politics of power the hard way himself when he'd become a bargaining chip, and later on, collateral damage. The difference is, he hadn't realized he'd been playing a game, hadn't realized he should've been fighting tooth and nail for his own survival.

Now it's a little too late.

When you don't have anyone left to lose, or anything left to bargain with, or even anything left to survive on, naming things and assigning value to identities... It all means little. In the Cage, none of that matters, and it still doesn't now that he's come out the other side. Attractiveness? Another thing that has no value for Adam anymore. The guy is fit, though, and Adam's noticed that, because fit means strong, and strong means some hurt could potentially be coming his way on the horizon. A friendly stranger wouldn't have raised his suspicions before, but then before Adam wouldn't have been so prone to irritation, or to being uncomfortable in his own skin let alone uncomfortable seeing someone else's.

For half a second, Adam doesn't even get it, it's that far off his radar. There's something about the change in Finnick's demeanor that brushes against his nerves. He's seen people smile right before they honestly and plainly wanted to see him coughing up blood on the floor, and Finnick's is still predatorial, just...

Oh.

Man.

Realization of what Finnick's getting at is visible in stages: a faint wrinkle appears in his brow, not understanding what one has to do with the other, before he recoils, pulling his head back. No, Adam hadn't been expecting that one at all, and now that the "do you think undressed men are hot?" vibes are out there and he's zeroed in on them, he's not sure how to dismiss them without making himself look demure. Surprised, he presses his lips together tight before releasing an almost petulant breath.

He has the hardship under his belt, and the desire to play the game so that other people don't play him, but the one thing he doesn't have yet is a convincing mask. Adam has two settings for situations like these: sarcasm and stonewalling.]}

You're kind of dripping on my dog, so.

_{[You hear that sound? That's the sound of innuendo smashing against Adam's brick wall like a crash test dummy.]}

You might want to try a towel next time.

Edited 2014-04-24 05:25 (UTC)

[ at least katniss gives chase. she may not play into his hand like many of the capitol citizens, but katniss gives as good as she gets. adam doesn't. he reminds him a little of johanna, where she'd roll her eyes and either strip herself bare to play his game or she'd simply stonewall him like adam's doing right now — but at least she'd wear a smirk, knowing her lack of allowing the peacock to preen gave her amusement. finnick's unsure if he's hit a trigger within this one; his reaction seems a little too cold. haymitch isn't one to play into his hand, either, but at least he can either knock finnick back by having a drink or simply getting down to the business at hand. ]

[ finnick's not bothered by adam's refusal to play along. hitting a brick wall is fine by finnick; he takes it in stride, scratches and bruises and all. slipping that capitol darling mask in is easier than baring himself for all to see; it's not something finnick likes, using himself and others, but after a decade of playing this role, he finds it's become a part of him. it's the easiest way to guard himself from harm. ]

[ he merely smiles. ] The man with the towels wasn't on the beach today. [ buckingham, he thought, was a riot; he was just as eccentric as caesar flickerman, but there was something in his gaze that was softer than the man with the purple hair. people in wonderland were a lot kinder than those in the capitol. a selfless, kind act was merely that — it lacked the strings snow liked to stitch int the skin of the victors he reaped. ]

[ he's pretty sure he should stand to his full height and leave, since something in adam must be uncomfortable, but he doesn't. the tactic he'd taken to get on katniss' good side had been to be his peacock self — and he saw it to be no different in wonderland. he scratches behind the ears of the nameless dog, shifting his gaze to the more docile of the two. ] Your dog doesn't seem to mind.

_{[Suspicion intensifies!]}

... What man?

_{[Is this playing around? Adam's missed the part where they've decided to goof off and have fun...

But that's the problem, Adam's forgotten how to read things in tones of fun. Everything gets slotted into a few rigid categories: Hell-related, a reminder of Hell, dangerous, question mark, ignorable, not half bad. This guy's not making it easy to pigeonhole him... and apparently he's not willing to give up having a good scratch-fest with the gentle giant at his feet, either.

The dog doesn't give a flaming crap that Finnick is a stranger, possibly a serial killer for all Adam knows, big, broad, and heavily muscled like an NFL linebacker, and to Adam's great doubt, he agrees with Finnick's sentiment by licking his wrist. A fan of dripping wet playboys, it seems.

Adam's this close to rolling his eyes, too.]}

Weren't you headed somewhere?

_{[Wouldn't want to take you away from your busy day doing whatever it is you're doing in your swim shorts, guy. Finnick can get back to it and quit making Adam feel like he can't look anywhere safely now without feeling like he's being questioned on his sexuality.]}

Edited 2014-04-24 06:32 (UTC)

The guy with the white horse and the towels. [ for a moment, finnick doesn't remember buckingham's name. it's borderline normal and unusual, hence why he can only remember one half of the syllable. but something in him doubts that adam's the type to ever go for a wander to the beach. his dog would love it down there, finnick thinks, but instead, he keeps him to the grounds, rather than letting him frolic in the water. the beach can't be tamed like the gardens of the mansion. what's he afraid of? besides shirtless men who have been carved from marble. ]

[ contrary to what adam may think, finnick can take a hint. rather than simply say he has nowhere to go, he gives the nameless hound one last scratch behind the ears, and stands at his full height. ] You should really name your dog. It helps with the whole obedience thing. [ take it from someone who has to sit when he's told to sit, and when he's told to jump, he must ask how high?. ]

_{[What Adam thinks is that he's come across a guy who's a bit on the weird side. Walking around in his shorts, riddling to him about dog names like the Joker and mystery men on white horses... Does he find Finnick distracting? Yes, because he's weird. Maybe this all seems normal to him where he comes from, or he's a little on the dumb side. Or he's smart enough to play dumb.

Adam really can't tell, and Finnick's description of Buckingham is met with a confused frown in response.]}

Right. Yeah, I don't think cabana boys are a normal part of the scenery.

_{[Just saying. But Finnick's right about one thing, Adam doesn't head that way too often. Whatever you crazy kids get up to around the beach is your own business.

The mastiff snorts when Finnick stops petting him and licks his chops, looking like a dog that wouldn't mind another ten hours of pampering, a black hole designed especially for attention and food. Tailing wagging, the dog gets to its feet as well, then turns back to face Adam, tail whacking against Finnick's leg. At least one of these manly men is going to play with him and that's all an animal needs in the grand scheme of things. He lumbers back to Adam when Adam tips his hand out, palm up, to rub his head and down his back.]}

When I come up with something, I'll let you know. And don't worry, it'll be better than "Nothing."

[ perhaps not a normal part of adam's scenery; he seems to be shortsighted, unwilling and incapable of believing that cabana boys truly do ride out on white horses onto the beach he never treads on. but if he's not willing to believe finnick, then so be it. he misses out on a ridiculously fluffy white towel. finnick merely shrugs, unaffected by adam's reasonably cool shoulder. if finnick allowed himself to care, he would've crumbled beneath the chilly weight years ago. ]

[ but since the nameless beast has returned to his nameless master, finnick figures it's time for him to surf on out of here. sparring in a battle of words where one opponent is an impenetrable fortress who seems to take things a little personally isn't what finnick calls fun. wonderland lets him flip flop between finnick the peacock and finnick the person beneath all the feathers. he's finding himself retreating back beneath the arrangement of colour as it's expected of him from the kid before him — he thinks he has finnick all figured out, and finnick thinks he might as well let him think he knows him from their very brief interaction. the way to best an opponent is to surprise them. ]

[ finnick knows when his presence isn't desired. he smiles. and he begins to walk, as if approaching adam, but he has no desire to pat him on the back or even give his pooch one last scratch. he should return to the beach, but finnick wants to go to the kitchens. ] Have a good day.

[ he sincerely doubts nothing's owner will let him know what he calls his dog. adam may approach him like he's as crazy as wiress, but he's the one who has a few marbles loose inside his own head. ]

Edited 2014-04-25 06:53 (UTC)

_{[He takes the leash out of his pocket and clips it on so that Mr. Dog can no longer just up and run away on him. It might be time for a walk, just to get away from all the people.

It's not Finnick who's the problem, per se, but he's part of a language Adam has trouble speaking after the Cage. This guy is different, and not just because some odd crap has come out of Finnick's mouth in their short conversation. Like a lot of people in the mansion, he's self-assured and he smiles easily. "Laidback" isn't quite the right word for people here, but more easygoing than Adam himself. Adam is like the incomplete sculpture, jagged, with edges that cut, while everyone else is a finished product, smooth, easier to look at. In moments like these, where some of his edges are showing and he finds he can't smile back, Adam wonders what old Adam would have done better, how he got to this point, always on the lookout for the Machiavellian twist. He thinks he'll never understand it, how things like Michael and Zachariah can smile so nicely and be so inhuman, how people like Dean can make earnest promises and still look at themselves in the mirror when they choose not to follow through.

And then he thinks maybe it's better not to smile. At least he's not lying to anyone, or pretending.

It's close enough to the truth to be the truth, if he doesn't try to be unpleasant or show off sharp edges and still ends up that way. He follows Finnick with his eyes a moment before lowering them. He made it through another conversation and no one mentioned vessels or Winchesters--that's still progress, right?]}

Yeah.

_{[Only very late does it occur to Adam to add something to this tender farewell.]}

Sorry you're out a fish. I'll add it to my IOU.

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003 ♟ text/action

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because i promised you this ...

Thank you, another reason for Adam to side eye...

his muscular physique? why, ty! ｡^‿^｡

X( In your dreams, beach bum.

i'll see you in yours tonight!

/WEEPS.

i'll just laugh at your pain, shirtless.

Gross, get those pecs out of here...

flexes them some more

/punches.

my chest is carved out of marble, have fun punching it.

I'll do it with a sledgehammer. X(