He sighed when the other man practically exploded about the smell of the cigarettes, making the figment disappear with a dismissive flick of his wrist. But he continued to listen, watching as he fumbled around, dropped back down, worried at his nail with his teeth. It was when he heard Livio's name, though, and when he saw the other man so obviously close to tears, that the little differences in his appearance, the lack of a memory of this day, and the small idiosyncrasies that seemed just slightly off from himself really began to take focus in his mind.
Had something happened to Livio, for this Nicholas? Livio, as far as he could even tell in the in-between, was...well, he supposed not fine. He had passed on a few years ago. Vash - and therefore Nicholas - had been there when it happened, at his room in the orphanage where he'd taken over after Melanie had passed on. The drugs had aged him so much more quickly than he should have, and he'd gone in his sleep, looking as if he were in his 90's, instead of in his 40's. Not unlike what had happened to Chapel's body all those years ago, but a much kinder end. And the moment he'd awoken in the in-between, Nicholas had been there to greet him. It...it had been good. Had helped heal some of the hurts he'd been carrying for so long. He'd spent time with them, watching over Vash for a little while with him, and then finally had gone into the light, promising Nick he would wait for the two of them, and that thought was, to be honest, one of the things that made him want to hope the most that he wasn't damned.
But this man talked as if Livio had already died, and that wasn't right, it couldn't have been right. Had he even known the Eye had found Livio when he was this young??? What even was going on, right now?
He watched back and forth as he flung rocks at the boulder with enough strength to break chips off and send them flying, listened to him hurting over what they'd done to one of the only people who'd been as important as family to him. No. This wasn't right. He knew he was still partly to blame for what had happened to him, he wouldn't ever fully forgive himself for that, but that didn't mean this man should carry this burden on his own shoulders.
He stood, bending over to pick up one of the rocks he'd thrown and, to get his attention, knocked it gently against the boulder three times. Then he tossed it gently back towards him so that it landed not far from his feet and walked back, crouching down and putting his fingers back on top of it, and focused on pushing it through the sand.
L I V I O I S O K
When he looked back up at him, tears were rolling down his face, and if he'd been visible, he wouldn't even seem to have noticed it was happening. It was more, though, that he'd grown used to it, to the way strong emotions sometimes made it happen. He didn't have anyone to hide the emotions from, not anymore, and he didn't need to breath. There were no sobbing, hiccupping cries, just a quiet acceptance as he let the emotions roll through him.
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Had something happened to Livio, for this Nicholas? Livio, as far as he could even tell in the in-between, was...well, he supposed not fine. He had passed on a few years ago. Vash - and therefore Nicholas - had been there when it happened, at his room in the orphanage where he'd taken over after Melanie had passed on. The drugs had aged him so much more quickly than he should have, and he'd gone in his sleep, looking as if he were in his 90's, instead of in his 40's. Not unlike what had happened to Chapel's body all those years ago, but a much kinder end. And the moment he'd awoken in the in-between, Nicholas had been there to greet him. It...it had been good. Had helped heal some of the hurts he'd been carrying for so long. He'd spent time with them, watching over Vash for a little while with him, and then finally had gone into the light, promising Nick he would wait for the two of them, and that thought was, to be honest, one of the things that made him want to hope the most that he wasn't damned.
But this man talked as if Livio had already died, and that wasn't right, it couldn't have been right. Had he even known the Eye had found Livio when he was this young??? What even was going on, right now?
He watched back and forth as he flung rocks at the boulder with enough strength to break chips off and send them flying, listened to him hurting over what they'd done to one of the only people who'd been as important as family to him. No. This wasn't right. He knew he was still partly to blame for what had happened to him, he wouldn't ever fully forgive himself for that, but that didn't mean this man should carry this burden on his own shoulders.
He stood, bending over to pick up one of the rocks he'd thrown and, to get his attention, knocked it gently against the boulder three times. Then he tossed it gently back towards him so that it landed not far from his feet and walked back, crouching down and putting his fingers back on top of it, and focused on pushing it through the sand.
L I V I O I S O K
When he looked back up at him, tears were rolling down his face, and if he'd been visible, he wouldn't even seem to have noticed it was happening. It was more, though, that he'd grown used to it, to the way strong emotions sometimes made it happen. He didn't have anyone to hide the emotions from, not anymore, and he didn't need to breath. There were no sobbing, hiccupping cries, just a quiet acceptance as he let the emotions roll through him.