nomans_land | Somewhere between July and December

Somewhere between July and December

1.
[ It wasn't the fastest car he'd ever driven, but it made better time than the old man's shitty station wagon had, and it was definitely faster than walking across the desert. None of the maps he'd found tucked under the seat had Hopeland on them, which was worrisome as all hell, but on one of the maps there was an orphanage marked, just off of a city called December.

The ghost he'd talked to on that mountaintop had told him he'd die in December, but that ghost had also ruined his last cigarette, so fuck that guy. If he died, he died, but first, he was going to make sure Miss Melanie and the kids were okay.

The sedan hums its way across the desert, kicking up a dust cloud that can be seen for miles. ]

2.
[ With a shudder and a hard jolt, the car comes screeching to a halt, the dash going dead as the engine seizes up. Wolfwood swears, punches the dash, then swears again when the solid dash nearly breaks his hand for his trouble. He'd managed to get the car hotwired, but apparently cars in this messed up version of Noman's were more different from the ones he knew than he'd realized. Is it out of oil? Out of charge? Not like he can do anything about it, whatever the problem.

Please ignore the man in black, standing next to a very dead car in the middle of absolute nowhere and screaming at the sky. It's therapeutic profanity, and it really is helping. ]

3.
[ Sunburned and exhausted, Wolfwood crests the hill and finally, there before him, sees the building that his map identifies as the December Orphanage. Even from a distance it's clear that the chaos that's affected the rest of the planet hit here, too -- there's clear bullet holes in at least one side of the building, walls that have collapsed, and the whole place seems as deserted as everywhere else he's been.

But he's here now, so he might as well have a look around.

He really wishes he still had his Punisher, though. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ It's a confusing situation all around! Good thing that worm seems to have gone, because it's time for 20 questions, buddy, sorry not sorry. ]

Came from where? I mean, did somebody put you in there?

[ Livio's his brother, okay? He's worried about the big lug! ]

Can you see what he's seeing? Are you just hangin' out in the background all the time? Is he listenin' to us right now?

[yes that's true, if the world ends one cannot have conversations]

No? [trauma put him there. murder did] I was just born there-- Just came after, before the Eye, and before the orphanage.

[his brow keeps furrowing but he's tryin to be patient]

Sometimes he can, or I can if he's got the wheel. Sometimes not.

[ Good thing he's being patient, because every question he answers just raises five more questions for Wolfwood. He's focused fully on Razlo now, trying to see through Razlo to the Livio inside, watching for all the little differences in the way the two men move... and yeah, absolutely sizing Razlo up, just in case. ]

Before the orphanage? [ He clearly wasn't expecting that! ] No way. If you'd've had somebody... I mean, if you'd've been in his head all that time, I would've known!

[ Wouldn't he? ]

Edited 2023-08-14 03:38 (UTC)

I dunno, he didn't even know. Dunno about your Livio. He didn't know about me till just before we left.

[there's a meaningful look there

he doesn't want to be patient, at all, but well, this is Wolfwood...]

[ Meaningful look, meet suspicious glare! The timing there is just too convenient for Wolfwood not the ask: ]

Are you the reason he joined the Eye?

[that suspicious glare right back]

What makes you think I kept us there?

[ Don't think because his leg is busted he can't fight you, asshole! ]

Seems awfully convenient timing, don't you think? You show up, then suddenly he gets a hair up his ass about joinin' the Eye? Tell me that wasn't you, makin' him do that.

[he won't feel that bad about suffocating him here]

If you're lookin' for someone to blame, 15 years or whatever later, you'd better fuck off. The person you wanna blame for that is dead. You killed him.

[ Fifteen years? Shit, their worlds really aren't the same, are they?

Wolfwood's still regarding Razlo warily, but at least he's not ready to launch himself at the other man and start punching. Baby steps, right? ]

I did? [ First bit of good news he's heard all conversation. All right then. ] Good. I hope I took my time with it.

[ It's funny -- there's all these Vashes running around crying at him because he's Nicholas D Wolfwood, and he's told off every one of them. That's not him. They aren't friends.

But when Livio does it -- or the guy living inside Livio, which is still weird as hell -- it's fine. Wonder what that's about? ]

[look he can't do math, Nick, give him some slack. Just a little.

Razlo's expression is still solemn, but there's mounting annoyance for a moment--

It's like the air is sucked out of him though.]

It was Mast--...Chapel. He-- [he tips his chin up now, a little arrogance, a little swagger to hide that unwanted little boy] he knew I could kick ass, so he took us in.

Chapel?

[ He kills Chapel? Holy shit! Suddenly Wolfwood doesn't look ready to fight. He looks somewhat ill. ]

I killed Chapel?

Yeah you did. [his voice a little more solemn, that heat leaving] He was gonna kill me, so.

Then good.

[ That answer, at least, is immediate. Good, if he was going to hurt -- if he was going to kill Livi-Razlo? Then to hell with that guy.

But damn that must have been a hell of a fight! Chapel was terrifying, and carried an arsenal. Wherever that fight happened, the place must have been blown to shit! He really can't believe, actually, that he could have...

...A crack in the ceiling catches his eye, and he follows it all the way down into the floor. This place has been blown to shit, and recently.

This place with the fresh grave outside. ]

Heh. He kills me too, doesn't he?

[Razlo, of all people, flinches, his eyes suddenly going wide.

He didn't think Wolfwood would ask anything else. Figured he'd be satisfied, finally, and shut the hell up.]

...No, he didn't.

You're tellin' me I survive a fight with Chapel?

[ Those wide eyes are concerning. Does he just not want to talk about this? Tough shit, if so. ]

I don't believe you, pal. I fought that tough sonuvabitch, there's holes in the roof here, and Punisher freshly stuck over a grave.

[ Come on. What else could have happened? ]

It doesn't fucking matter-- it didn't happen to you, it probably won't. It doesn't matter.

[through gritted teeth and those wide, wide eyes]

[ Huh. This Razlo guy really doesn't want to talk about it.

Sorry Razlo, but Wolfwood's not a nice guy. ]

All right. [ He shrugs, then turns to use both hands to lever his busted leg over the edge of the bed. Looks like that hour or so of sleep is all he's getting tonight. ] I'll just have the other guy tell me.

[he just gives Wolfwood a look

and shoves him back over]

The hell do you think you're doing.

[ Wha--? No, asshole, he's getting out of bed, don't stop him again. ]

The hell do you think you're doing?

[ If he's not going to sleep and the rain's stopped, then he's going to go dig out the car before all that mud dries and gets hard. He might not know the first thing about rain, but he knows what happens when wet sand gets dry. ]

Every single person I've met in the last... however the fuck many months I've been here, they've all given me grief about this place. About that asshole.

[ Here he nods at Punisher, then shoves off the bed. He's getting up. Move. ]

I'm really goddamn sick of it.

[nahhhh he's going to flop over, because Razlo's going to shove him over again]

I don't give two squirts of piss about any of that. You're your own pain in the ass, I know that much. And I know you're going to sit your ass here, or I'll strangle you myself.

[ Try shoving him, and he'll grab that arm and try to get Razlo into a choke hold. Who's strangling who, dipshit? ]

You and what army, Tiny?

[Tiny??? he gives Wolfwood a toothy grin

and leans his entire arm across the other man's throat]

[ So they're choking out each other! All right, fine! They're gonna see who can go longest without air, huh?

Because he's not staying put. Nobody gets to tell him to stay put. Nobody gets to tell him to do anything anymore, got it? He's not gonna... He's...

Whew this asshole is strong. He's not going to be first to yield though! No matter how red his face gets, no matter how much the room starts to sway, Wolfwood's not letting go. If anything, he's holding on tighter.

Yield, you bastard! ]

[Razlo would literally rather die than give in, and he keeps smirking even as the oxygen is slowly pushed out of his lungs, but he can do this all day

he pushes the entirety of his big ol body over Wolfwood]

[ Fuck! Okay, okay, he can absolutely throw his guy if he can just get some leverage, if he can just...

Wolfwood's scrambling for a foothold, but with that busted leg, he can't get the strength he needs to push Razlo off. Not that he's not trying! His leg is screaming agony but he ignores it, shoving his heels into the floor and shoving at Razlo's stupidly large bulk with all his might. Off, asshole!

The room is getting dark at the edges. That's not a good sign. ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject