Going off the Deep End (Zack)

[Viktor Rogers]

The normal calmness of the men's change-room during lunch-hour was interrupted by the presence of a boy, one who'd never stepped foot in such a place before. This same lone boy was standing with his ginger hair swept behind his ears, hovering, crouched, over a locker. His hands were shaking and he was fumbling with a lock, spinning the dial frantically according to a set of numbers he held onto with his free hand. Plastic was scattered on the floor around him, leftover from the recently unpackaged lock, giving the normally-clean changing room an appearance similar to that of an oversized recycling bin. The boy gave a heavy sigh and slowed down his hand's movements as the dial approached the last number.

Shit.

Vik tugged furiously at the lock, gaining increasingly and increasingly more frustrated at its stubbornness. There was a certain sense of ultimate failure that came with being unable to open such simple things, especially when you had the damn numbers in your free hand. Muttering profanities to himself, he took a step back and groaned, letting his head fall back so he could just stare at the ceiling. It had felt like a millennia since he had last used a combination lock, and this experience only reminded him of why he'd switched to padlocks. Sure, they made his locker look like it held a Boss Key, but at least he would be able to open the damn thing.

Pulling himself together, Vik snapped his head down and got back to work with spinning the dial wildly. C'mon, Hero of Locks. You've done this a thousand times before in your old high-school, you can fucking do this. He gritted his teeth as he stopped the dial on the last number, pausing. He wasn't really sure if he wanted to pull on the damn thing, as even though there was no one to witness his failure, it'd be extremely embarrassing if he did. When he finally mustered the strength to do so, it sprung free with a satisfying click (that Vik unfortunately couldn't hear) and the deaf teenager nearly leaped up in pure excitement. "Hah! Fuck you, asshole," he shouted triumphantly, grinning wildly as he swung the locker open.

Still gloating over his victory, Vik took a seat on the bench to pull off his shoes and mismatched socks (oh the horror!), throwing them in his locker along with his backpack. Not long after, his shirt joined them and the locker was slammed shut, but not without a hideous glare from the deaf teen. "Don't you dare think you've won," he muttered, as he slipped the lock on, "I'll be back for you." Giving the locker one last glance to remember the number (and remind it who was in charge), Vik made his way out of the change-room to head towards the pool.

When he'd stepped out, it took a moment for Vik to readjust to the lighting. The openness of the area contrasted greatly to the inside of the change-room, and it surprised the ginger much more than he'd admit. The windows along the walls gave the pool an outdoorsy look that Vik enjoyed, with the only thing taking away from that atmosphere being the potent smell of chlorine. At least I know it's clean. Vik mused, although his nose still wrinkled a little in reaction. He swung his head along as he searched for the blue-haired boy, feeling more than a little disappointed that he wasn't there yet. He glanced at his watch idly, reminding himself that he was early and it wasn't Zack's fault for not realizing that the ginger wanted to get started super fast.

Calling the night that Zack and Vik had met 'cringe-worthy' was a vast understatement. Vik wished he could live the whole thing over again and not be such a whiny bitch. He had been worried for ages that he had scared a possible friend away that night with his mopey everything-sucks-for-me rant. But, luckily for Vik, Zack hadn't completely hated him. The two had seen each other a few times since, thanks to having classes together, and they'd gotten along a lot better, thanks to having classes together. Because of this, agreeing to swimming lessons had not been a difficult to choice to make for Vik. He was beyond excited to learn, both because it meant more time with Zack and because it meant he'd actually be able to cool off in the burning hot summers by jumping in the ocean. The fact that he could get some time away from his roommate helped, too.

Taking a few nervous steps closer to the still water, Vik sat down and allowed his legs to dangle over the edge and disturb the calmness of the water. It was a lot cooler than he'd initially expected, and he shivered a little in response. Goosebumps popped up along his arms and legs while Vik suddenly felt as if he wasn't about ready to jump in the thing at all. He was going to fucking freeze when he went under. However, despite this, Vik was willing to do it for the sake of learning and, more importantly, because he wasn't a pussy.

Vik leaned back a little and glanced over at the boy's locker-room hopefully, begging that the door would open to reveal his friend. It did no such thing, but that didn't deter the deaf teenager from eyeing it. He didn't want the other boy to walk in and scare the shit out of him. After all, it wasn't as if he could hear when anyone walk in. Giving off another groan of annoyance, Vik brushed his hair back when the door budged and he grew excited. The blue-haired boy stepped through and Vik was on his feet in moments.

"Hey, Zack!" Vik called with a huge grin and twinkling eyes, "I'm glad you could make it." Vik found himself walking over to Zack slowly (no running near the pool, duh) with a bounce in his step. "Please teach me your ways, Master Fish-boy," Vik joked, bowing majestically when he had stopped in front of Zack. When he'd stopped bowing and returned to his upright posture, it was evident that his grin had only grown larger.

[Zachary Ellis]

It was not unsual for Zachary to spend his free time doing one of two things: reading or exercising in some capacity (usually swimming). That particular day was no different, but yet, there was something different about the situation. He was not by himself in the pool that day. Honestly, he could not remember the last time he had been in the pool with someone else. Not too many students on the island had water-related powers, and among those who did, the blue-haired swimmer was the only one who ever really attended powers class. He completely understood why, though; the instructor was absolutely relentless. He frowned slightly at the memory. You call that an attack, Ellis?! That was pathetic! The young man shook his head slightly to dislodge the memory and jogged toward the locker room, hoping that the person he had been looking forward to seeing again was there. Just let it go, he encouraged himself, You’re going to take a load off and have some fun. He smiled a little to himself and pushed open the locker room door with renewed optimism.

“Hello?” he called out timidly as he poked his head in the locker room. Blue eyes scanned the room for the presence of someone, but there seemed to be no one there. That’s funny, he thought to himself, fully entering the room, I could have sworn I told him to meet me here. He shrugged the thought off, heading over to one of the empty lockers. He had not been expecting the school to have full facilities for any kind of swimming; after all, they were in the middle of the ocean. How the hell were they going to compete or have any meets? And yet, somehow, it had exceeded his expectation in a good way. Of course, he had not met anyone who had “graduated” from there on the mainland, but he had hope for himself and his classmates. He shook the thoughts away in favor of changing, quickly exchanging his uniform for a simple pair of swim trunks, and trading his red glasses for a pair of black goggles with red lenses that were also fitted with his prescription. “I hope my eyesight doesn’t change,” he muttered to himself, snapping the back string of the goggles into place. He tucked his clothes into the locker and shut it, jumping slightly at the ‘slam’ sound that reverberated through the room. He slung the towel he had brought with him over his broad shoulders and headed out to the pool area.

Zachary poked his head out into the pool area, noting that Viktor was sitting at the edge of the pool. He tilted his head slightly, watching the other for a moment or two. He had his legs in the water, which, the swimmer had to admit, was a good start. The groan of annoyance was his cue to finally leave his watching place. The awful scratching noise that the door made against the floor made him wince, and, for once, he was almost glad that the other could not hear much because, good God, that sound was awful. “Hey, Vik,” he replied, waiting until the other was close enough to read his lips. He grinned widely, his blue eyes sparkling with happiness. It had been a long time since he had made a friend, and he was really glad that he had done so. He tossed his towel to the side and chuckled a little at the other’s joke. “Be patient, now,” he joked with a grin, nodding at the other slightly before heading over to the edge of the pool. Without hesitation, he placed his goggles over his eyes and slid into the water. Almost instantly, his body seemed to merge with the water. The only thing that an observer might have seen was a pair of black goggles going deeper into the water. The water mimicker did not stay under long, though. He swam back over to the shallow end from the beginning of the deep end. It took him a moment or two to realize that the other would not be able to see him unless he touched the wall, so, he rested his arms and chest against the wall so that Vik could see him. “Do you trust me?” he joked, offering the other his hand. He could only hope the other would get the reference, because, if not, the situation would become extremely awkward.

[Viktor Rogers]

Sometimes trying something new could be compared to jumping out of a train without knowing whether you'd land on pillows or spikes. Sure, it could be kinda exhilarating at first, but when you started to fall you'd realize how much of a shit idea it was to risk being impaled just for a few moments of adrenaline. This was one of those times. Even just watching Zack hop in the water set loose hundreds of butterflies in Vik's stomach, and as the blue-haired boy vanished and swam around it felt as if each of those butterflies were being gunned down one by one to form a pile of dozens upon dozens of dead butterflies. Not just that, but when he realized that his turn was coming up soon, those butterflies resurrected into zombies and started eating away at his stomach like it was Thanksgiving dinner. Fucking asshole butterflies.

"Be patient?" Vik murmured under his breath once Zack had turned away, "I think I can do that." His zombie butterflies unanimously agreed. Vik brushed back his hair again, moving over to the side of the pool to watch the mystical pair of black goggles swim around. It truly was an experience that taught Vik so much about what he had to do to swim: attach himself to someone's head and flail his rubbery arms around. Perfect. 

Giving off a light chuckle, Vik followed the ripples from the side of the pool as Zack moved towards the shallow end with fascination. Superpowers were still something he wasn't quite used to, especially since his own was so unimportant. Damn, if the government tried to use him as a weapon or something like that he'd probably only be able to humour the enemies to death with the sound of a gigantic squeaky toy. That is, if he could've even make it sound like he wanted it to. On the bright side, at least his excuse for not attending powers class was that he couldn't properly use his power without hearing anyways.

When the boy rematerialized along the side of the pool, Vik plopped down in front of him and offered a bright grin. "You've got some talented goggles, there. You might want to ask them if they want to sign up for the Olympics," he prodded, reaching to the boy and ruffling his wet blue hair in amusement. He was really enjoying himself - more than he'd probably want to admit. He hadn't even gotten in the water yet, and already it was one of the best experiences he'd had on the island. "You look great when you're dripping with chemicals," he added, although there wasn't even a slightest hint of sarcasm in his voice. It was a joke of course, but he wasn't lying when he'd said the other teenager was good-looking. That was something that Vik was completely willing to admit.

"Well OK there, street-rat," he laughed, biting his lip before continuing, "I'll check if my pet tiger is cool with it." Vik playfully shoved his shoulder, before grabbing Zack's hand and sucking in a huge breath of air. Rather ungracefully, he slipped off the side of the pool into it, hitting Zack pretty well with his splash. His grip on Zack's hand tightened and he exhaled sharply. "Jesus fucking christ, it's cold," he murmured, shifting closer to Zack for the warmth. The water felt weird around him, almost making him feel weightless. However, even just shifting his leg was so much more difficult than it was in the air, as if he was being immobilized. It was almost as if the water wanted him to hate it. "How the fuck do you-" he started, before suddenly growing unbalanced and he began to wave his free arm around frantically and tighten edhis grip even further on Zack's arm to stabilize himself. "-move. Just kidding, figured it out," he admitted, with the crisis of accidentally falling face first into the water being averted. Vik glanced over at Zack with a nervous smile. His face was flushed a bright red, completely embarrassed by his inability to swim. "I understand the true meaning behind your reference now: I really am just a vulgar Princess Jasmine," he joked, poking at himself for his pussy-ness. It was terribly embarrassing that he was so god damn bad at this.

On the bright side, his zombie butterflies were frozen.

[Zachary Ellis]

Zachary had always loved the water, even when he was a young child. He vaguely remembered his parents having to pry him out of the bathtub while his older brother joked about him being a fish. The memory was very fuzzy, but it usually popped up in the back of his mind whenever he was thinking about water. He wondered if it was supposed to be some kind of subconscious reminder of what could have been, but there was no real logical reason for it. Maybe, it was just to quietly remind him that they had existed and that they were proud of him. Whatever it was supposed to be, it became more and more of a comfort as he grew older, and he was glad to have that reminder, even if it was a small one. He decided that dwelling on the subject was taking too long, so he took the plunge into the water, trying not to splash his friend on the way down. Sure, his body was able to transform into water, but physics still applied.

Zachary was not ignoring Viktor while he was swimming around; he was just getting used to being in the water again. Of course, it never took him long. He just liked to have a moment to enjoy the cold, familiar sensation before starting the task he wanted to accomplish. His desire was slightly hindered by the fact that his skin quickly melded with the water as soon as they touched one another, and he lost sensation when that happened. Still, it was nice to be able to warm up a bit. Normally, he would have done a few laps for good measure, but he knew that the other was already on edge; he could see it in the other’s posture. The blue-haired teen also knew the redhead was excited, though he was not sure exactly why. Maybe it was because it was the first time outside of class that they had been able to hang out, besides their painfully awkward meeting one late night/early morning a week or so after the swimmer’s arrival. Honestly, Zack did not really care, because he was excited too.

Zack laughed a little as Vik sat down right in front of him. He kept his goggles over his eyes, only because he could see the other better with them on. “Well, here’s the thing,” he replied with a soft chuckle, “These goggles may be immune to superpowers, but they have no real direction. And me signing up for the Olympics might not go so well, considering I have a habit of blending in with the water.” He shook his head a little and grinned brightly, showing that the other that he was joking as well. Seeing his friend grin caused the swimmer to grin even more and chuckle quietly to himself. Other people’s good moods were contagious, especially to someone like him, who was usually happy to begin with, for the most part. His right eye twitched closed when the other ruffled his hair and he shook his head, scattering a bit of water as he did so. “You think so?” he asked, blushing a bit when the other commented on his attractiveness. “Since you like it so much, I may just have to do it more often,” he joked, winking at the other playfully. In the back of his head, he wondered exactly what had gotten into him, but there was not much time to worry about that, since he was already offering his hand to the other.

Zack held onto Vik’s hand firmly, but gently. He could see the nervousness on the other’s face. He wanted to say something, but, just as he opened his mouth, it was filled with water from the splash. He coughed, sputtering a bit before laughing a little. He was far too used to getting water in his upper respiratory tract to be too affected by a little water in his throat. The blue-haired teen increased his grip on the redhead in response to the tight grip from the other. He wanted the other to know that he was secure. Of course, he would tell the other that he could stand where they were; the water was only four feet deep, after all. “You get used to it, especially if you dunk yourself under,” he said with a small shrug, “Don’t worry, I won’t do that to you, though.” The arm that Vik was clinging to shifted to hold him around the waist tightly, but gently. Zack smiled back at Vik kindly, laughing a little, “It’s all right. Let’s just get you standing and moving around in the water first before we move onto kicking and stuff, okay?” He smiled reassuringly at his friend, keeping his arm around the other’s waist to support him until he was ready to go without help.

[Viktor Rogers]

The water was weird. Sure, Vik had had a bath before, but he'd never really been in something as deep as the pool here, except for maybe when he was a lot younger. Though, hecouldn't think of a time in the past ten years that he'd actually gone properly swimming, rather, all he could think of were the countless times he'd imagined his bath was the ocean when he was a toddler. He'd always pretend that he was Ocean-zilla stomping around thousands of tiny microscopic coral reefs. In his attempts to crush all of them, he'd always end up just splashing water all over the floor. At the time, he'd never realized how close he had gotten to slipping on the wet tile floor and hitting his head. Perhaps in every adorable little boy there was a raging monster that just wanted to destroy the world...and microscopic oceans.

"I still think you should sign the goggles up," Vik responded, grinning wildly despite his slight discomfort in the water. "They're so majestic with how they swim. They have such gorgeous, flailing, rubbery arms and an aura of fascinating mystique that surrounds them," he laughed, waving his free arm around to try and mimic the movements. He allowed his arm to fall back to his side, a shiver running up his spine as it re-entered the water and he was reminded of the coldness. "I mean, those goggles are way cooler than any other swimmer I've met - you might have to hook me up with them," he joked, winking slyly as a way to show that he meant nothing harmful from it. After all, Zack was a hell of a lot cooler than any piece of swimming equipment, but he wasn't about to tell him that. What if he hurt the poor goggles' feelings? That'd be absolutely terrible. 

At Zack's flirty response, Vik couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as a smirk formed on his lips. "As long as you don't put any bleaching chemicals in there," he responded, shrugging a little. "I don't really have a thing for old-people hair," Vik added, grin returning as he thought about an old, wrinkly Zack. The thought was immature, but also more than a little bit amusing. Besides, he'd never really seen a blue-haired senior, and for some reason it just sounded so unorthodox that it was hilarious. Maybe in that case, Zack would actually intentionally bleach his hair so he could get the standard grey hair and receding hairline. At the thought, though, Vik bit his lip. He liked the individuality of Zack a lot, and seeing him being like 'everyone else' was something that wasn't easy to think about.

Vik was snapped back to reality as he felt Zack's arm wrap around his waist. He couldn't help but blush a little at the action, although he understood the reasoning behind it. With the blue-haired boy's help, he found his proper footing on the ground and found himself growing more reassured. His tall height allowed him to tower over the surface of the water, which was encouraging in contrast to when the water had seemed so engulfing. In response to this sudden comfort, a side-smirk formed on his face and he glanced back over to look at Zack to be sure he wasn't missing anything being said. After he was sure he wasn't, he held his arms out, forming a 'T' shape with his body before his grin grew even wider. "I'm flying, Jack!" he joked, watching Zack's lips carefully as he did so.

After his chuckling had subsided, Vik figured that he should follow Zack's suggestion and probably try walking around. He turned his head back around and looked at his feet nervously, trying to figure out how best to approach it - he felt it'd be a little weird if he fell, but he wasn't too confident in his abilities. Feeling increasingly awkward as time went on, he took a hesitant step forward and, again, was surprised by the resistance. However, as he waddled a little bit forward he found himself growing significantly more comfortable with just moving through the water, to the point where he didn't exactly even need Zack's arm for stabilization. That didn't mean he'd say so, though - he liked the comfort it offered. He still looked about as silly as a penguin on land, but at least he was making his way around much more confidently. "Hey, would'ya look at that," he started, a satisfied smile on his face. "I am about as good at this as a toddler!" Vik stuck his tongue out jokingly, head swivelling back around so he could watch Zack's lips.

[Zachary Ellis]

Zachary seemed to be rather content as he and Viktor waded through the water. The swimmer watched his friend, who seemed to be a little far away. The blue-haired young man figured the other was thinking to himself. He wondered to himself if the other had enjoyed bathtime as much as he had when he was a kid. Even when he was older, he was hard to pull out of the pool because he loved the water so much. He chuckled quietly to himself at some of the more clear memories. The first race that he won came to mind, specifically. All he had been trying to do was his best, and when he heard the buzzer go off, he popped his head out of the water in excitement. His blue eyes had widened when he saw his name on the screen and he smiled over to his foster parents, who were sitting a row or two back on the bleachers. That initial taste of victory kept the blue-haired boy going back to competitions over and over again, though he was never too disappointed if he lost. For him the thrill of victory was only secondary of the rush he received from participating. That makes me seem like an adrenaline junkie, he mused to himself in his head.

“All right, I’ll talk to them about it,” Zack replied with a grin, “No guarantee they’ll decide to enter, though.” The blue-haired young man thought it was very amusing that the two of them were joking around about personifying an inanimate object. He had figured that he would make friends at some point, but he had never expected it to make him so happy. Sometimes, he had to remind himself that it was okay to be happy. He was a very optimistic person to start off, but there were times that he felt too happy for the situation. It was nice to be able to relax and joke around with someone who seemed to have a similar sense of humor. Quite frankly, Zack thought Vik was hilarious, but the swimmer figured that saying such a thing might cause some awkwardness, so he decided to keep the compliment tucked away until he found an appropriate time for it. His comment about hooking up with the goggles made the swimmer laugh and shake his head a little. “I’m sorry, but they’re currently in a relationship with my head, the blue-haired teen joked, “Although, if you’re looking for someone, I might know a few guys…” He grinned at his friend, laughing a little bit. He was just joking, of course. In all honesty, the redhead was his only friend, but he would obviously never say that.

Zack blushed a little bit at the raised eyebrow that Vik gave him. He did not realize how flirty his statement had been. I need to curtail that, he thought to himself, starting to gently usher the other to shift around in the water. The thought of dying his hair was not one he entertained much. He wondered what it would be like to have a normal hair color every now and again, but, in the end, it never really bothered him that much. Sure, he got a few strange looks every now and again, and a lot of people assumed his dyed his hair, but he really did not care what other people thought. “Nah, I like my hair the way it is,” he replied with a small shrug. He figured that, if he had wanted to fit in, he would have tried to change his hair color by that point in time. “Sets me apart from all the other contestants, you know?” he asked with a broad grin.

Zack seemed rather comfortable holding onto Vik’s waist. It was really only to keep the other young man stable and prevent him from falling. The notion was a little bit silly, considering the redhead had a good four or five inches on the blue-haired teen. The swimmer was not expecting his friend to stretch out his arms and try to re-enact an iconic scene from a chick flick. Sure, he had a foster mother, but he had never actually been subjected to the torture that apparently was Titanic. That was not to say he would not be willing to give it a shot; it was just the fact that he never really had the desire to see it nor anyone to see it with. “Is this the part where I call you Rose and you tell me to never let go?” he joked, half quoting the only scene that he could remember from the movie. Thankfully, the movie-quoting did not last much longer, because it was after that moment that Vik decided to start waddling around in the pool a bit with Zack supporting him. The swimmer loosened his grip a little, allowing the other some room to walk around on his own. “You’re doing good, Vik,” Zack praised with a wide smile on his face. “Do you want to walk around on your own for a bit to get used to it a little more, or did you want to start learning how to kick?” he asked, finally removing his arms from the other’s waist. The lack of warmth made him feel cold for a brief moment before his shook his head a little and blushed. What the hell was going on in his head anyway?

[Viktor Rogers]

In comparison to when the ginger had first jumped in, the water felt like it had become much warmer. It was only because Vik's body had grown used to it, but he was still pretty satisfied that he was growing so comfortable in it and was able to walk with little to no problems. Actually swimming would be a completely different story, though, once they got around to it. He had no idea how he would float on the water: it's not as if he were Jesus. However, Vik pushed away the thought so he could focus on continuing their conversation, at least for now. Besides, why waste your time worrying when you could be having fun with your friend?

"Damnit," Vik pouted, crossing his arms and sticking out his lower lip as if he were a child. "your forehead was my second choice for a date. Who do I go out with now? Don't tell me your left sock is taken, too," he fake-groaned, but his voice had hints of both sarcasm and humour in it that gave away his true emotions. That, and the big grin that spread across his face the moment he'd finished talking. It'd been, honestly, a while since Vik had felt such a huge load lift off of his shoulders like it did when he was around Zack. His best friend from high-school had grown very distant and more impersonal after the accident, and on the island, Marcus was barely considered a friend and he'd really not spoken to anyone else, so it was almost like he hadn't had a real friend in a few years. Zack, though, was above and beyond anyone he'd met or remembered, but he wouldn't say that out-loud.

Vik's eyes were trained on Zack's lips, watching them carefully as they moved. Sometimes it was tough to tell certain words apart, but context clues were extremely useful. "You should know me better than that - I can't just take any guy. I need someone really interesting," he said, pausing while his eyes twinkled mischievously, "like a guy who's really sweet and, y'know, takes people out to dinner every night...To eat them. You gettin' my Hannibal Lecter vibes?" he joked, playfully nudging Zack with his elbow to be sure it was clear he didn't actually have a for cannibals. Sure, the intelligence the guy showed was somewhat appealing, but the fact that he killed people and made dishes out of their flesh...really big turnoff.

Zack's blush definitely didn't go unnoticed. Vik said nothing, but he was humoured that Zack was overall so embarrassed and nervous about such things. He definitely understood, though, for he was sure he'd act the same way if he unintentionally flirted. Soon, though, the subject changed to talking about the Titanic and Vik waved his hand around dismissively. "Something like that, I guess," he agreed, before slowly shaking his head. The movie hadn't been anything spectacular, and Rose had been an absolutely disgusting character that just got into more trouble than what even seemed possible on a luxury cruise ship. Then again, the whole ship sank...that's about the shittiest luck you can get.

Without warning, Zack's grip around his waist disappeared almost, causing a shiver to run up Vik's spine as his body, once again, adjusted to the temperature change. He hadn't minded having the other boy in such close proximity to him,  and Vik couldn't say whether it was for the warmth or for underlying reasons. "I think I'm ready to give kicking a go, Ariel," he paused and gave a hint of a smile, "Can't be much different from sideways running, right?" Vik tried, shrugging a little bit. He couldn't say that he ran sideways very often, but he had an idea - and isn't that what matters most? Plus, he'd seen swimmers and stuff on TV sometimes...

[Zachary Ellis]

Zachary chuckled softly at Viktor’s joke. He had to admit; the other young man was very witty. Sure, he had met other amusing people in his life, but there was something about the redhead that just made him all the more funny. He was not sure if it was because their first encounter had been so formal and awkward, or if it was because he was learning more and more about the other the more time they talked to one another. Either way, he was not really going to complain, since he was able to hang out with someone without it feeling awkward or forced. Granted, the blue-haired teen had not really tried to interact with his classmates much, but it seemed like they were not really interested in talking with him either. In all honesty, it was probably good that he just stuck to being friends with the other young man. “Mm, I’ll have to check with him,” he joked with a grin, “I can’t guarantee anything, though, even if he is single.” He chuckled and shook his head a little at the thought. The notion of someone even thinking about dating a sock was ridiculous, even if it was just in jest.

Zack managed a look of fake offense without actually laughing before doing so. “You act as if I think just anyone would be good enough for you, in my eyes,” he replied, his eyes twinkling with mirth. “I’ll have you know I’m protective of my friends,” he added, gently nudging the other in the ribs. For a moment, he rather liked the description the other put forward. He had to admit, though, going out to eat every night was a little much, in his opinion. The other’s last few words caused him to bust out into laughter again, causing him to smile widely and actually show his teeth while doing so. The blue-haired young man’s lips were usually closed when he smiled, but that day, for some reason, his smiles were wider than normal. He felt the most comfortable he had in awhile and he was extremely grateful. “I can understand the intelligence part,” he replied, still giggling, “But being eaten alive? Not a big fan, honestly. I’d rather keep all of my flesh, you know what I’m saying?” He laughed a little again, shaking his head and scattering a few drops of water in the pool.

Zack was grateful that Vik waved off his Titanic reference. He did not really know much about the movie quite honestly, and he was glad they were moving away from the topic. He withdrew his arms from around the other to allow him to move around more freely, but he did notice the other shiver for a quick moment. The arm he had removed from the other was cold for a brief moment, but it got used to the water temperature quickly. The other’s comparison of kicking in the water to sideways running made him snort softly and shake his head. “Come on, Vik,” he said, gently taking a hold of the other’s wrist and helping him back over to the wall. He gently placed the other’s hands on the wall of the pool, doing the same with his own hands after a moment or two. “Okay, now, lay on your stomach, as if you were laying in bed or something,” he said, demonstrating as best he could until his body melded with the water. An annoyed look flashed across his face briefly before he let his feet touch the bottom of the pool. He waited for the other to do as he requested, and if he needed help, he helped the other lay out. “Alright, now, pretend your legs are a pair of scissors and alternate moving them up and down in the water.” He smiled at his friend encouragingly, hoping the other would understand what he was saying and not think he was crazy or something.

[Viktor Rogers]

Vik was beyond grateful that the awkwardness from his and Zack's first meeting hadn't seeped into their meeting that day. That night had been far from the best experience for the ginger, and it likely hadn't been the most fun for Aquaman either. Vik couldn't pretend that he wasn't guilty of causing it, though, as he'd spent a lot of time that night moping. Now, though, things had changed, as the more time Vik spent with the other boy, the more fun the island seemed to be. It had become much less of a prison and much more of a home. At the very least, Vik could spend his time talking about dating socks (only the left ones!) without fear of judgement. If that isn't relaxing, what is?

Thanks to the blue boy's reactions to his jokes, the deaf boy found himself swelling with confidence. The blue-haired boy had seemed to laugh at almost everything Vik had jested about, which was something that was definitely different from the countless apprehensive, blank stares he had gotten used to receiving. That's why, although he was unable to tell whether Zack's laughter was real or not, Vik was grateful. Not just for Zack's willingness to joke along with him, but also for the presence of a friend. The jokes, the laughter, and the shared sense of humour was reminiscent of his life long ago. Even though swimming was far from being a part of Vik's daily routine, just being with Zack reminded him of normality. That was something he didn't get often on an island filled with superhuman kids. It was...grounding.

"Hey, now," Vik started, grinning, "there's nothing that makes you feel more alive than being chopped up and eaten for dinner." His yellow, almost cat-like eyes were twinkling with mischief while he spoke. It was a bit of a morbid thing to be jesting about, especially considering the likelihood that there were cannibals on the island. To say the very least, the forest had some weird shit. Luckily for Vik, he had yet to encounter something as terrible as that. Therefore, until he did, the subject was far from sensitive and he had no problem with joking around about it. Since Zack seemed to be in a similar position, Vik had no qualms with continuing. "And...try new things?"

When he felt Zack's grip around his wrist, Vik swivelled his head around to face the direction they were walking in. His fingers tingled as they touched the cold tiles and he glanced up at the other boy for explanation. He couldn't pretend he wasn't curious. What was the boy's plan? Were they going to get out? Was Zack bored with him? Luckily, it didn't take long for Aquaman to answer his questions. So, the plan was to practice kicking and using the wall to balance himself. At least, that's what Vik gathered from what Zack had said. He couldn't say Zack's 'demonstration' helped much, considering he merged with the water the moment he tried to show Vik what to do. Trying to mimic the image he had in his mind, he placed more weight on his resting hands and tried to just...float.

Even if he knew it wasn't, swimming sounded silly. When you live so much of your life on land, you get used to the idea of being unable to hover. It just wasn't something you did. So, trying to release your weight off of your feet and just hang almost weightlessly seemed like a ridiculous idea. It wasn't something that bothered Vik much, of course. He'd had a bath before - you tended to float a little in those. It was just a weird thought...he was like Neil Armstrong or some astronaut like that. They must've gone through some underwater training stuff, right? Right?

Partially thanks to the help of his friend, Vik managed to 'lay down' in the water. He was no Jesus, but he was getting there! As Zack tried to explain what exactly to do, Vik paid much less attention than he should've. Moving his legs up and down was all that was important, right? Wrong. It was inevitable that the teen would make a mistake, but the fact that he made such a childish one was laughable. Vik's legs kicked in and out of the water, slapping the surface and sending water flying in all directions. So, in essence, Vik discovered a new way to embody a sprinkler. It didn't take him long to realize that he was doing something wrong, though. He figured it shouldn't hurt your chins to swim. "I don't think I'm quite cut out for this," he admitted, a sheepish look in his eyes as he stopped kicking and swung his head around. "I've got as much grace as a fat baby whale. Actually, scratch that, a fat baby manatee. Whales make cool noises. Well, allegedly." He was doing little more than jesting, of course, but there was a certain level of truth to it. Although, calling him a fat, baby manatee was very, very offensive to sea-cows across the globe.

[Zachary Ellis]

Zachary enjoyed spending time with Vik; that much was true. It reminded him of a simpler time, when joking went beyond pot shots toward one another’s strokes or habits of running into walls. A small smile crossed his face at the memory of people gathered in one space, encouraging one another before a big event. He remembered receiving a few claps on the back as well, but not many people said things to him. Honestly, though, he probably could have been remembering wrong, but he had not really been paying attention because he was trying to focus himself for the competition. Nevertheless, it was nice to enjoy himself as much as he used. It was a nice diversion from being on an island of “freaky people”, or at least, that was what he imagined those that knew about the existence of the project called them. Honestly, he did not really care what he was called, but it was certainly strange to be surrounded by people who were able to move things with their minds, shoot blasts of fire out of their hands, and cause others’ eardrums to break merely by amplifying their voices. There were far more powers than those three that he had seen, but those were the ones that had caught his attention.

Zack raised an eyebrow at Vik’s statement and laughed a little. “Maybe for you,” he replied, shaking his head a little, “I’ll get my adrenaline rush from swimming, thanks.” With that, he playfully splashed in the other’s directions, as if to prove some kind of point that he had not actually made. The other’s inquiry about trying new things made him think for a moment. Sure, he would never think twice about being eaten alive, but it was an interesting thought to dwell on. Maybe he should try something new, just for the hell of it. “Hm… That sounds like a good idea, but I’d rather keep all my skin,” he prompted, glancing at the other with playful, blue eyes, “Any other ideas for something new?” He was not sure what the other would come up with, though he did seem interested for a few minutes. Once the other was done talking, though, the blue-haired teen led the redhead over to the wall to start the first lesson.

Zack found the chance to help Vik how to swim an opportunity to develop some qualities that he would use in the future. He hoped to one day be like the people that had helped him walk again after the accident that damaged his leg severely. Naturally, he would prefer to work in the aquatics part of physical therapy, but he would not mind too much if he did not get that job at first. He blinked a little, realizing he was getting mentally side-tracked. He tried to demonstrate what to do for his friend, but, of course, that did not go very well because his legs melded with the water. He shook his head a little and watched as the other moved his legs up and down as he was instructed. He laughed quietly as water splashed all over and he ducked under the water to observe what was actually happening. He had to admit, his instructions were not the best, because the other’s form was poor, but he was also a beginner, so that probably did not help much, either. Luckily, the swimmer was able to surface in time to hear his friend’s words. “Did you want to call it a day?” he asked, peeling his goggles off of his eyes and glancing at the other with a smile, “We can just goof around in here for a little while longer. No one’s here to kick us out yet. It’s up to you.” He smiled broadly at the other, seeming rather happy.

[Viktor Rogers]

Using his hands that were still holding onto the ledge, the ginger was able to pull himself upright and his feet soon felt the rough pool floor again. He pushed his upper half out of the water to meet the chill air, welcomed with a shiver that ran down his spine. He almost wanted to dip under the water if only for the warmth, which was odd considering how, earlier, it had been cold to the touch. Water had splashed all over as a result of his 'kicking', and he realized this only now as he observed the soaking wet ledge and noted his drenched hair. In response, Vik shook his head to dry it, sending drops of water flinging in a circle around him (he was working on becoming a dog). When he was dizzy and wasn't sure what was up and what was down, he figured that he'd gotten rid of enough water and stopped, brushing his hair back out of his eyes and trying to readjust to his surroundings. He noted the presence of water in his ears, but he didn't move to get rid of it as it didn't bother him much (he was deaf anyways, what would a bit of water do?). Besides, he'd only just been able to focus on the area around him and realize that the ledge was not, in fact, shaking like a dancing stick bug, and he didn't want the world to swirl around him again.

While he'd been splashing about like a defective fish, Vik had gotten some time to think about how exactly he should respond to Zack's comments. Was it true that the swimmer would get any adrenaline from swimming? Sure, Vik's ruthless zombie butterflies had made their dramatic appearance, but that wasn't the same as getting that rewarding rush of adrenaline. Perhaps it had something to do with the competitiveness of swimming and the crowds that observed, but Vik couldn't say. After he'd stood up and Zack's face stopped spinning, he gave his friend a small nudge and a smile. "I got it! You could always try dating one of the psychos on this island," he pointed out, shrugging, "I'm sure some of them are just as interesting as Hannibal Lecter." Vik stuck his tongue out in a childish manner and his eyes twinkled with amusement. He enjoyed spending time with Zack, and the light jokes they exchanged gave him something else to think about other than the ruthlessness of his roommate and the stress that still lingered from trying to please his parents even if he didn't see them. However, when asked what Zack and Vik could do now that the lesson was over, Vik rose an eyebrow in interest. He wasn't the king of water activities: all he knew of was the game 'Marco-Polo' and...well...that game didn't work so well when one of the participants was deaf.

"I've worked so hard to get the ledge around us so wet... I think you're right: I deserve a break. We can pick it up again some other time. Maybe then I'll be able to make the whole school into a pool. I'm sure the prefects would love that." Vik jested, although it was a weak joke and he expected little more than a pity laughter from it. He didn't mind, though, as it was far from embarrassing. If anything, his pathetic jokes helped to keep the mood light, and that was always good. "I have a suggestion, actually," he started, nodding as he came up with an idea. "It's called 'Dunk Aquaman'." As soon as he spoke the words, Vik grabbed onto Zack's shoulders and shoved him backwards, hoping to knock him off his feet and back into the water.

Whether he succeeded or not, once Zack had regained his balance Vik offered a loose smile. "Oops." He brushed his hair out of his face and shifted his weight to the other foot. "I want to see your powers, if that's cool. I mean, apart from the invisible-in-water one. I've seen that numerous times," Vik suggested, tilting his head while he spoke. "I don't get to see you in the water so often," he pointed out, before poking Zack's stomach and grinning, "I've got to say I like it though; you're not bad-looking without a shirt." Vik winked, although his own flirting caused his face to go a little red. He wasn't exactly sure why since flirting in a joking manner wasn't very uncommon for him, but for some reason it was different this time. It was almost nerve-wracking to wait for Zack's response.