nomans_land | (no subject)

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[ he's been awake since before the sun rose and the labors of his training are littered across the desolate landscape in the shape of sliced and diced rocks, old cans, and whatever metal or bits of wood nai could get his hands on. he hadn't wandered too far from the makeshift camp rem had set up, but he didn't want to be too close either.

after all, he needed the space to practice without worry of accidentally hurting her - or anyone - as he practiced using his blades. he was still unsteady in controlling them past the length of his arm, but if he wanted the precision control his perfectionism demanded, then he knew no amount of training was wasted.

now, he stood in front of a tall rock formation. he knew from the top he'd be gifted with the sight of everything spread out in all directions. he wants to see everything.

he just needed to scale it without falling and injuring himself in any way. simple enough.

his progress climbing up is slow as he tries to keep his grip from slipping, nails digging into the rock where he finds purchase. with any luck, he'll make it to the top without any issue. ]

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[ Wolfwood takes a deep breath. Is this why he's here? He doesn't dare to fucking hope. ]

Why? Why did you do it? Why the... the army of messed up kids, why steal all the plants, why hire a killer to bring your brother in?

[ nai studies wolfwood for a long minute, his hands falling into his lap. he pinches at fraying him of his sleeve. ]

We had a sister, fifty years before we were born. [ his eyes narrow as the memory comes back to him, unbidden and still so fresh in his mind. ] They experimented- tortured her... until nothing was left. [ witnessing such cruelty changed him - there was a crack down the middle that hadn't been there before. now he could see how that crack would grow, no matter what he did. ]

Vash's name was alongside hers, I... I do it for him. And for her.

[ Wolfwood can actually feel the blood draining out of his face at that revelation. It's not a pleasant experience. ]

Oh kid.

[ He'd always assumed it was just a petty tyrant situation, you know? Somebody a little stronger than their neighbors deciding to take what they can. That's how life is on Noman's! But it wasn't like that at all. He was protecting Vash. ]

I didn't know. I had no idea.

[ Does this change anything? He would have done anything to keep Livio safe, but at the same time, Knives, grown Knives, signed off on that kind of torture being done to so many more little kids. Being horrified by and sad for somebody all at once is giving him a headache, and he doesn't know how to fix any of this. ]

Fuck.

[ he sniffs, scrubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand. maybe things change, goals molding into something that are beyond the scope of his own thoughts now. all he can say for certain is that everything he does, he does for vash. for their family.

no one else will save them, after all. ]

I can't forgive them. I won't.

[ there's no more room in his heart for forgiveness. ]

And I won't let Vash become another one of their experiments. He- He can't defend himself, not like I can. [ he stops to breathe in, feeling shaky. ] ... I don't want to talk about this anymore.

[ he's exhausted and he still has to walk back to rem's. ]

[ Forgive? No. No, some people might be on the side of forgiving your enemies, but Wolfwood knows better. If somebody hurts you, or hurts those you love, you hurt them back, harder, so it never happens again. That's the only correct response.

Some things still aren't quite adding up though. If Knives wanted to kill all the people -- on the ship, Wolfwood assumes -- who had hurt this girl and who were going to hurt Vash, that he can understand. But the ships crashed more than a hundred years ago. What possible justification is there for the Eye to still exist? ]

You don't have to talk, that's fine. Just lemme say one more thing, and I'll get out of your hair.

[ The rock he's found in the dust isn't anywhere near a good replacement for a cigarette, but its' something to roll through his fingers as he talks, something to help burn off that nervous energy. Something to help him not explode. ]

There's a cult that's gonna worship you when you're grown. I don't know if you start 'em off, or they find you, and I really don't care. That's not the important part. [ Livio, if this works, if there's a world where you get to grow up, you'd better be fucking happy every goddamn day. ] This cult experiments on kids. Cuts 'em up, and worse. A lot worse. Most of 'em don't survive, and the ones that do aren't really human anymore.

[ No that little rock isn't nearly enough to keep him calm. He needs a gun. He needs his Punisher, and a clear shot at this kid's grown self.

He needs his brother back. ]

So when you're grown, if you do what he did? Then we're gonna be enemies, me and you. I'm not the forgiving type either.

[ he doesn't have to talk, so he won't. nai watches wolfwood as he goes on, glancing down to the rock he spins between his fingers. he thinks he can relate to that feeling, the itch to hold something to keep you from tearing yourself apart. he'd pick at his own seams until they bled broken stitches and stuffing everywhere.

nai's eyes are still focused on the rock as bitter thoughts rise up. he doesn't want to care about future human children or cult members that follow after him, not if it takes him away from vash.

but he wisely says nothing of the thoughts going through his head, only giving a small, short nod of his understanding. everyone has someone they want to protect, it would seem. ]

What... What's his name?

[ He said he'd leave after he said his piece but he's still sitting, watching Nai watching him. Nai might be just a kid, but at this point, the idea of turning his back to this kid seems less than wise. ]

Who?

[ neither want to turn their back towards the other, that apprehension and exhaustion both keeping nai where he is for now. ]

Your brother, what's his name?

[ he isn't asking for some nefarious purpose, but because he's never met someone else who has a brother. had a brother. he wonders if wolfwood is the older of the two, conflicted by how something like that feels so close to kinship. ]

[ Wolfwood scowls at the clarification. It doesn't feel like a trap, and he's got a pretty good instinct for that kind of thing -- easy, when everything's a trap -- but at no point can he forget who he's talking to.

On the other hand, Livio's dead. What more can some kid do to him? ]

...Livio. His name was Livio.

[ And, just to make things perfectly clear: ]

If you mess with him in the future, kid, don't doubt for one second that I'll make you feel that loss.

[ Hurt his brother, he'll hurt yours, and that's a promise. No matter how much he might like the guy. ]

[ and the moment, as fleeting as it was, is gone in an instant. nai's eyes narrow as he glares hotly back at wolfwood, lip curling.

all humans were the same. biting at his ankles, aiming for his weakness without hesitation. how could he ever think differently? vash couldn't see past the orange tint of his own glasses to recognize the innate cruelty of humans, always ready for the chance to inflict the worst in themselves onto others.

he stands up, ignoring the protests of his body. there are terrible threats just waiting to spill from his lips, vitriol that begs to be spat out. ]

Go fuck yourself. [ a wonderful thing that rem isn't here to hear him saying such things! at least it's (mostly) out of his system as he turns to walk away, back in the direction of rem's makeshift home. screw wolfwood! ]

[ And just like that, whatever good vibes he was getting from the kid faded with a curl of his lip and a toss of his head, the arrogant little shit. ]

Oh, I see how it is!

[ Wolfwood's still not moving, encamped in this spot for the rest of his life apparently. ]

Grown you can ruins the lives of millions, all to keep your brother safe, but I tell you not to get petty and hurt mine, and suddenly your feelings are hurt? Fucking baby.

Shut up! I'm not going to hurt your stupid brother!

[ he bites back, anger stirred up again, so easily it goes against all of his sensibilities.

he wants to throw that rock at wolfwood's head. ]

Just leave me alone already!

[ The feeling's mutual, brat!

Wolfwood throws his hands up, surrendering with angry sarcasm. ]

I'm not stopping you! Fuck off, if you want to!

I will!

[ he screams back, already walking away. in the direction of rem was also wolfwood's car. something nai had never seen before outside of picture books and old movies.

at first, he intended to ignore it completely, but... he finds himself slowing down to peek inside, his curiosity winning out over his frustrated anger. ]

[ He waits for the count of... fuck it, he's not actually counting, but it's long enough that he figures the kid is long gone, scurried off to mommy or found himself another cliff to kill himself on. Either way, it's not Wolfwood's problem anymore.

He really is a mess, he notes, hauling himself to his feet. His suit's torn at elbow and knee, he's got gravel and shit embedded in his scrapes, and his bones ache in that very particular way that says hey asshole, you landed wrong. Even without the vials he heals faster than he used to, and he's had plenty of training on pushing through pain worse than this, but to suffer this because of fucking Knives just adds insult to injury. At least the kid is gone.

But of course, by the time he's limped his way back to the car the fucking kid is back, and poking around the only car in a hundred miles. ]

Oi, get th'fuck away from there!

[ That car represents his only hope of getting to Hopeland, his only chance to see that Miss Melanie and the kids are safe after everything that's happened. If Nai has messed with it...? ]

I thought you were leaving!

Shut up. You're way too loud.

[ nai doesn't even spare him a glaring look, too preoccupied with leaning in through one of the door's rolled down windows. his feet just barely touch the foothold below the door. ] Is this an automobile? What does it run on?

[ his voice is slightly muffled as he peers around the seats, one arm reaches out to rummage through some of the canvas bags and other random debris piled up in the back seats. seems like his earlier melancholy has dissipated for now, and in its place stubborn curiosity. ]

[ The stuff in the back seat belongs to whoever's car this was, originally. Wolfwood hasn't even bothered to look through it, so who even knows what's back there? Probably nothing useful, since the car had clearly been abandoned during an evacuation... but then again, the car itself was still intact, so maybe there is something interesting in the back seat?

Wolfwood's more concerned with the front of the car anyway, especially all the buttons and knobs that make the car work. ]

What do you think it runs on? It's electric, there's a battery, don't touch it!

[ He stops just short of actually grabbing Nai and yanking him out of the car window, only because, from this close, he can finally see that the kid is rooting around in the back seat instead of messing with the front. Don't test his patience though, kiddo. ]

It's the only car left on the whole goddamn planet... [ Which might be an exaggeration, but isn't all that far off. ] ...so if you break it you're gonna fix it.

Maybe it runs on your bad attitude, I don't know.

[ nai slips into the car fully before wolfwood rethinks his decision. it takes him less than ten seconds after he's inside to crawl over the seats to sit in the driver's seat. so much for keeping him away from all the buttons and steering wheel. ] If it breaks, it won't be because of me.

[ oh look he's touching some of the buttons, smart enough not to press anything but... ]

Did you steal this?

[ Oh you little shit. ]

There's nobody here to steal from!

[ That's a yes. Wolfwood isn't going to haul the kid out of the car, only because he's positive that a kicking -- and possibly knife-wielding -- kid would do a lot more damage to the car than a smartass exploring the dashboard. But he's sure leaning up into at driver's side window, ready to smack any little hands that touch what they shouldn't. Like those wires, dangling loose beneath the ignition button. Definitely don't touch those, or you'll get a surprise, kiddo. ]

This is my toy, not yours, so hands off.

Hmmm, so that's a yes...

[ he knows he's being antagonistic (bratty), but cannot bring himself to care. he takes note of the exposed wires, careful not to brush his leg against them. he can't reach the gas pedals anyway, so there goes any chance of driving himself. not until he starts growing again. ]

Drive me back to Rem. [ demanding! hands on the steering wheel, turning it until the locking mechanism stops him. ] You do know how to drive, right?

[ They really are related, Stampede and this little shit. That kind of annoying has to be genetic. ]

You do know I could dropkick you over this car, right?

[ What massive fuckup happened in his last life, Wolfwood wonders, that he ended up in this one destined to take orders from Knives? Adult Knives, kid Knives... it's not funny. He's really not enjoying it. ]

...Well?

[ Move the fuck over if you want a ride! The driver sits in the driver's seat, dummy. ]

[ nai sticks his tongue out at him. ] You do that, and I'll tell Vash you hurt me. [ oh he will. maybe even rem too, all to see wolfwood get yelled at.

but, he drops the dirty look when he sees that he's won this round and hops over to the passenger seat. even before he settles, he's already looking out the window, legs kicking out in front of him. he reaches to open the glove compartment. ]

[ That just earns him a snort. ]

Yeah? And what's he gonna do about it, d'you think? [ Rem scares him more than Stampede ever will. He doesn't want to be any further on that lady's bad side than he already is. But Vash the Stampede? Fuck that guy. ] I've seen him fight. He's not that big a deal.

[ He slides into the seat as he's talking, glancing over Nai's shoulder into the glove box just to verify that, nope, there's still nothing in there other than the papers that declare this car the legal and registered property of some guy who used to live in a town called Carcasses. There's other garbage in there too -- receipts and paperwork for an apartment building the guy owned, a notepad from a hotel in Octovern with various radio bands and pictures scribbled throughout, a handful of coins of various denominations... just junk.

You find any cigarettes, I'm callin' dibs now.

I'll tell Rem, too.

[ probably not, a little too proud to involve mom into his battles, but for wolfwood? he'll be as petulant as he pleases.

the glove compartment is filled with junk, yes, but nai finds it interesting enough to flip through some of the papers, turning the coins over between his fingers, and at the very back... ]

One of these? [ he holds up a slightly bent cigarette, a little too close to the open window. nai looks at wolfwood, testing the waters. ] It looks expired to me.

[ Fuck it. Rem hates him anyway, probably, after everything he said to her golden boy on his way out. He led your brother to his death without a single hesitation, kid, don't think for one second that he's... that...

The cigarette glows in Nai's hand like a beacon on a hilltop, and Wolfwood's mouth starts watering. Fuck. ]

Then let me take it off your hands. [ He holds out a hand, flat, an offering plate ready for an offering. ] You want a ride? I want that cigarette.