The smell reminded him of his childhood. Winter was coming and leaves were detaching from their branches, dried out and brown to come falling to the ground in piles where they moldered letting off the sweet aroma of fall decay. It reminded him of the Halloween of his childhood the shuffling of feet over barren sidewalk crunching over leaves.
He remembered the sort of dry rattle the wind made at night, a sound which had once scared him, but later soothed him as he got older. They weren't sounds that he thought about often as they were completely absent aboard the ship, but now that he thought about them, really remembered them he was surprised to find that he sort of missed them.
He missed the way they had rocked him to sleep.
It never occurred to him, when he left for space, how easy it would be to return home so often, but with a warp drive which could travel the length of space in less than a minute, he had all the opportunities to be in deep unexplored space one moment and in earth's orbit the next. His longest commute time was probably the shuttle ride back home, which he could fly himself and was only around seven to fifteen minutes depending on weather conditions.
He had come down to visit his parents and Eris.
Unfortunately that meant that he had to bring Conn along with him as well as Sunny and Krill. Conn was still working on trying to make Sunny jealous by announcing that he had a child with Adam and she didn't. if it bothered her, she hid it very well. Then again if conn kept bothering her about it, maybe it did bother her. He could read minds after all and he wasn't likely to do something if it wasn't getting a rise out of her.
He would have to talk to her about that later.
He wasn't with them right now. He had stayed behind to spend some time with Eris.
If one good thing could be said about Conn, it was that he had taken quite handily to being a parent. Maybe he wasn't a great role model, but he did seem to care about Eris, and he made it a point to spend time with her when he got the chance, even asking to go on occasion. In a way he was a much better parent than Adam was. That thought sent a shot of guilt through him.
He loved Eris, of course he did, but it did seem that Conn was making more of an effort than he was.
There was no excuse for that, he thought to himself.
IT was simply his own selfishness keeping him from giving her what she needed.
There was a part of his brain that told him that it wasn't his job to feel that way considering he hadn't been involved in the decision to make her. He hadn't chosen this, and so shouldn't feel guilty for the amount of involvement or not involvement, but he stuffed those thoughts down.
He would try and be more active in the future.
She deserved that much.
In that moment he was thankful to conn for doing the right thing even though the floating bastard didn't generally tend to do anything else right.
"What are you thinking about?' Sunny asked as they took a turn down the street. There were no flowers for her to pick, and she had mentioned that dried leaves don't taste nearly as good as they do when in full summer
"Just how much work I have to do on myself."
"Well that list could go to the moon and back." He gave her a look and she hummed at him clearly leased with her sarcasm.
He waved her off shaking his head.
"You're so funny."
"I know."
A chill wind blew past them dragging leaves across the ground. He pulled his jacket up higher around his shoulders and shivered. The sun was sinking towards the horizon giving the air around them an eerie sort of feeling.
Sunny put an arm around him.
"Aren't you cold?" He wondered
"Freezing."
"Why didn't you bring a jacket."
"I forgot." She mumbled as they hurried up the street.
"Why didn't you say something." He reached out and grabbed her by the hand, puling her towards the closest building and shoving the door open. Warm air washed over them as did the clamor of voices and the biter smell of alcohol.
Adam screwed up his nose but still stepped inside.
Sunny ducked through the doorway. Voices cut off as she stepped inside and eyes turned to look at them bright and curious. Adam flushed a little as the eyes turned to look at him. He still wasn't used to that especially not people he had known from his childhood. He certainly recognized some of these people, people his parents had known rom work. There were a few men who worked on the farm with his father, their wives, the parents of people he had grown up with and a few newcomers.
He raised a hand awkwardly, "Don't let me bother you."
He awkwardly scooted forward, inching between tables and grimacing as he went by apologizing as he bumped into chairs and tables. Sunny kept her head high not seeming to care at all the staring people were doing as she stepped in. Sunny didn't care much about what others thought, and he had a theory that she actually liked getting some of the attention.
She liked causing a stir.
They walked up to the bar and he slid into his seat smiling at the woman across from him. She seemed surprised, clearly knowing who he was.
He didn't recognize her though.
"I uh... uh..... good evening, what Can I-get for you."
Her little smile was lost on him.
"Uh, I don't know something that tastes good I guess. I'm sorry I'm not being more helpful."
She shook her head at him and smiled leaning forward to touch his hand once before pulling back,' Soemthing that tastes good, coming right up."
"Also if you have any tea for my friend, non caffeinated if you have it."
She nodded and moved off as Sunny sat next to him. The only bar stool available to accommodate her height was set sort of behind the bar blocked by a wooden pillar into the rest of the room, which was actually very convenient for the two of them as it blocked her from view of curious and prying eyes. Sunny leaned back in her seat a little and closed her eyes.
The bartender came back a few minutes later setting a glass down in front of Adam, the top rim encrusted with white granules of sugar. Sunny got a cup of tea which she seemed pleased about. It was one of the human foods she was able to consume considering as tea was mostly just leaf juice though she had to wait for it to cool down.
She hummed as she sipped.
Adam leaned back in his chair.
The bar got a little more busy, but he tried to keep his head down.
Eventually most people ignored them aside from the occasional person who wanted to talk or say something, and the bartender who seemed more than attentive to Adam's needs, which Sunny noticed but Adam did not.
Sunny was rather amused to watch the bartender try though, it was a valiant effort. She would touch his hands, lead over the bar position herself in the best location for conversation, ask questions. The first couple of which Adam didn't notice and the last of which he would answer politely and then go back to his drink.
At some point they were sitting at the bar when a loud voice rose up from the crowd. A spoon was clinked against a glass.
"Hello everyone, sorry to interrupt your evening." The voice that spoke was loud and high-pitched causing heads to turn towards the woman standing at her table smiling. She had a short, layered A line haircut and wore a flower printed dress that could have come straight out of the fifties. Her smile was the kind of smile shared between dragons, and sharks.
Adam tilted his head around the pillar and then blanched white hiding back in place for a moment. Sunny saw the look eyes opening slightly as she looked at him an expression of worried curiosity on her face.
"What."
"It's her."
"Who?"
He shook his head not sure how to say it. The one woman in the world who he partially credited with the reason that he didn't like humans very much. This woman was probably the reason that he and Sunny were together, but in a bad way.
She smiled, "Welcome everyone it is my pleasure to announce the tenth year reunion of the class of 4016 Mountain Lake high school."
There was plenty of clapping around the table but the rest of the bar went back to doing what they were doing, having absolutely no interest in this speech. Adam pressed himself against the pillar behind which they were sitting eyes wide.
Sunny stared at him, "What is your problem?"
He grimaced.
"That..... was my graduating class."
Sunny peered around the pillar frowning.
"I.... see." Her eyes narrowed as she recalled the stories that Adam had told her.
"You didn't graduate with them though."
"Well.... No I joined the Transspace Aireal Combative Acadamcy around my sophomore year, but..... I still saw them around. We should really get out of here."
"And that is...."
"Yes sunny, but please don't cause a scene."
"That's the girl who...."
"Please sunny just drop it, for me."
"Fine." Sunny grumbled sitting back on her bar stool as Adam pulled out his wallet and set the money down on the counter.
He stood.
"You know you aren't going to be able to sneak out, I kind of tend to grab attention, and so do you."
"Dammit. Well, I can go first and then you can follow after me in a few minutes."
Sunny shook her head and then nodded.
Adam pulled his collar up hunched shoulders trying not to be noticed as he pushed through the crowd.
"Do you remember that time-"
"Whatever happened to-"
"Can you believe that-"
He kept going as the voices drifted over to him in the bar. He tried not to look at any of their faces, knowing that he was likely to find someone that he knew and didn't want to talk to. He heard her voice louder than any of the others high pitched and cackling when she laughed. It reminded him of a witch, though he was probably just biased, biased against her of course.
"Adam Vir."
He froze back straight horrified that someone had seen him.
But no
He paused head tilted listening.
"Can you believe it."
"Believe what/"
"That he was actually right all along. About aliens."
There was a sort of muttering around the table, Adam kept his head low urging himself to get out of there as soon as possible, but a part of him was just too curious. He stayed where he was leaning against another one of the wooden pillars so he could hear better.
"Its not the same guy." That was another voice he thought he vaguely recognized, though he couldn't place it.
"Are you stupid of course it's the same guy, I saw him on the news just the other day, looks exactly the same."
Some girl laughed, "No he doesn't that Adam is..... well hot, and our Adam was well..... not." There was laughing around the table.
"I swear it is still the same guy, he came to speak at the school like a year or two ago."
"No I don't remember that."
"You wouldn't."
"Did you send an invite to him/" It was another voice he thought he could remember.
"Why? His parents moved him to another school sophomore year or something like that. He didn't technically graduate with us."
"Does anyone know why he moved schools."
"Again, who cares."
The voices were difficult to follow who was who, but he knew her voice anywhere and it made his blood boil.
"Well if he ISN"T admiral vir, which he totally is, than I want t to know what happened to him. Its not like he has a Yourpin, I already tried looking for his profile."
"Probably smoking meth somewhere like his older brother."
"Which brother he had like three."
"Thomas I think? The kid hung out with the stoners."
Adam tightened his fists slightly a sudden overwhelming urge to go over to the table and knock some sense into these people, but no, no he just needed to leave. These people didn't matter anymore, and look how many people had showed up? It's likely no one wanted to come and they were all just trying to make themselves relive their glory days when they peaked in high school. It wasn't his fault he was on the up and up. He didn't need these people to believe who he was.
He knew that.
And everyone that mattered knew that.
He pushed himself off the walk and began waking pushing his way through the tables. He was getting a bit closer to the table in question, but he kept his head down knowing they wouldn't notice him as wrapped up as they were. He cut between the table and the extra retro (almost ancient) Jukebox where a man was feeding it quarters.
Adam tried to dart past, but just as he did the man turned, and collided with Adam. The man was large, both in muscle and rather soft around the middle. Adam was hit hard and staggered back flailing as he pitched onto the ground with a thud. His hood and collar fell down around his face as he caught himself on the floor.
And he looked up.
Into the eyes of someone he thought he remembered.
Josh Tanner.
He was on the football team back in the day, one of their linemen. There had been nothing wrong with him other than he tended to hang out with a horrible group of people. Now he was about the same size but he had put on a not insignificant amount of weight. His hairline was receding , but he didn't have an unkind face.
Though right now his face was less of being kind or unkind and more of being shocked as he stared down at Adam.
It seemed as if the other man had recognized him too.
And his fall had attracted the attention of the table beside him, where at least ten people from two tables were looking at him with wide eyes and open mouths. A bottle clattered to the table.
He hurriedly straightened up and went to push past Josh, but Josh put a hand on his shoulder.
"Adam. Is that you?"
He stopped paused and lowered his foot.
He didn't have to be impolite to Josh. He didn't have to be impolite to anyone. He was better than that.
He sighed and resigned himself to being noticed, "hello Jos, its been a while."
The man looked him over eyes running up and down his body as if trying to reconcile the two men they knew into one person.
Adam the awkward freshman and Admiral Vir.
The man took his hand in a crushing grip, "I can't believe it, it really is you." Adam grimaced and smiled.
"Ah yeah, its me."
"Why don't you come sit with us."
He shook his head, "No no I couldn't I really have to go."
"Oh come on."
Josh didn't seem to notice the awkward, but Adam sure did and the rest of the table sure did. He was pushed into a seat which rocked back on its legs as he sat, and turned to look at the two waiting tables, and the two waiting tables.
They stared.
He stared.
And then there was her. He felt his chest clench in fear as he looked at her but he didn't turn his head.
"IT can't be."
Adam sighed, "It is me."
"prove it!"
He clenched his teeth," I have no obligation to do that." He went to stand but Josh sat next to him smiling." He seemed genuinely pleased to see Adam. Josh had always been a bit.... Slow? No that wasn't the word. He was a bit oblivious.
"Wow, is that a real eyepatch. They say you have a mechanical eye now."
"yes I...."
"how did you lose it."
"In an accident?"
"Some kind of industrial accident." She said. It didn't mean anything but the way she said it made his blood boil.
He turned to look at her lifting his chin, "No, I was in the engine room of my ship. I fell, and lost my eye."
"Woah."
Their faces were still skeptical. All accept Josh who seemed riveted.
"Ad your leg?"
Others twitched uncomfortably. Most people didn't like asking about any of his prosthetics. He didn't mind it was kind of refreshing. Josh seemed to have grown into a descent if oblivious sort of man.
"Yes." He patted his right leg, "Lost during the war."
She laughed. He felt like he was going to throw up.
He didn't want to be here.