Work Text:
Waves rolled higher up the beach, though Giovanni paid it no mind. His focus was entirely on the sand castle in front of him. In a spur of the moment decision, his orphanage had decided to take a rare group trip to a beach on the coast of District 19. Turning away from his work for a moment, he spotted the silhouettes of his caretakers watching him from a distance, distinct figures of black against the twilit sky. Giovanni, disinterested, returned his gaze to the sand castle once more.
In the center of his work-in-progress stood a thin tower, its height relatively tall but its base disproportionately thin. Crowning the tower was a small, plain seed Giovanni had foraged from a nearby grassy knoll. Surrounding the proud tower were three more towers, just as awkwardly shaped, with a fourth in progress. They would form the bastion that would protect the center. He had read in a book once that castles had lots of towers and walls, so he must have been on the right track.
The first outer tower Giovanni had built was quite the unique specimen. He had misjudged when raising it higher resulting in a slight lean, the sand compact enough to keep its shape for now.. Adorning its sides were stones of various shapes and colors brought in by the ocean. He could fix this one later after the walls were put up. For now, it would have to do.
The second outer tower was the antithesis of the first. Taller and notably straighter, it was a prim and proper pillar. Unfortunately, wind had swept away some of the looser clusters of grains, creating creases and indents all around its length, Giovanni had covered the imperfections with some scrap metal and seaweed he had collected from the water. He’d get back to it later. More work awaited him.
The third outer tower was, to Giovanni’s regret, a bit rushed. Created in a panic after he took note of how late it was getting, he had built it too thin yet too short. Resting on top was a single scrap of paper. It wasn’t much, but it was the only notable item he could grab without having to move from his spot on the sand. In time it could be a much better tower, but he needed to hurry. His time was running out.
Giovanni had decided to take a slower, more focused approach to the fourth tower. One rushed tower was acceptable, but definitely not two. His hands worked deliberately, melding the sediment into shape with precision previously unseen in the other towers. It was shaping up to be the backbone for the defenses. Something to keep the castle’s guard up while he renovated the other towers. A savior in their time of need.
And suddenly, too suddenly Giovanni felt a wet sensation on his foot. His fingers froze and his eyes shot to the outer grounds of the castle.Bombarding the towers were small waves of water, scouts to the rising tide intent on stealing his castle away from him. He did not outwardly show his frustration or his sadness. He only sat there, waiting and watching. The tide rose higher and higher and the waves grew bigger and bigger until finally the central tower collapsed, the seed buried in its ruins. One by one, his towers fell until only wet sand in his hands remained.
He had sat there, staring at the water splashing against his legs. Sand slowly poured from his limp hands until none remained. The white and blue of the water clawed at the remnants, ripping the stones and scraps and paper away from his reach. Finally, after an eternity and more, Giovanni lifted his head and glared at the cerulean villain. He could see the sun, nearly finished with its descent below ivory and sapphire depths. He could see the purples and the oranges and the browns of the heavens follow the sun into the abyss. He sat there, letting the frigid waves lap against him as the horizon swallowed the sky.