The look that crossed his face when he heard the name Miss Melanie was...complicated, and refused to settle on one for long. Shock, hope, sadness, relief, it all warred in his expressions until he finally managed to make himself settle into something a little more neutral, though the smile he gave was still edged with something that was hard to place.
"Is that the Miss Melanie that runs the orphanage in December? I saw her and the kids on a refugee ship...not too long ago. If that's who you're looking for, I know she'll be happy to see you again."
He had completely forgotten about the sandwich half in his hands as he tried to smile a bit more brightly, hating it but unable to stop the horrible, painful little stab of hope that ached in his chest as he tried to work up the courage to ask the question that was on his mind.
"What's your name, by the way? I'm-..." His voice stuttered, and he glanced around only briefly before glancing back at him, and then turned back to give him a shy sort of look as he held out his hand, offering it for a handshake as his voice dropped to almost a whisper amongst the hubbub of the crowd. "My name is Vash. But people know me as Val around here. The guys that came in on the spaceships are looking for a guy named Vash, and they've got me a little spooked, so I'm going by a nickname for now, until I can figure out if they're nice people or not. But if we both know the same Miss Melanie, she'll know me by my real name when we find her. Do you think you can keep it a secret until we do? I know she's with nice people."
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"Is that the Miss Melanie that runs the orphanage in December? I saw her and the kids on a refugee ship...not too long ago. If that's who you're looking for, I know she'll be happy to see you again."
He had completely forgotten about the sandwich half in his hands as he tried to smile a bit more brightly, hating it but unable to stop the horrible, painful little stab of hope that ached in his chest as he tried to work up the courage to ask the question that was on his mind.
"What's your name, by the way? I'm-..." His voice stuttered, and he glanced around only briefly before glancing back at him, and then turned back to give him a shy sort of look as he held out his hand, offering it for a handshake as his voice dropped to almost a whisper amongst the hubbub of the crowd. "My name is Vash. But people know me as Val around here. The guys that came in on the spaceships are looking for a guy named Vash, and they've got me a little spooked, so I'm going by a nickname for now, until I can figure out if they're nice people or not. But if we both know the same Miss Melanie, she'll know me by my real name when we find her. Do you think you can keep it a secret until we do? I know she's with nice people."