nomans_land | a new arrival

"Okay." That makes sense, at least. He's not quite certain, because of, well, the initial reaction, and also the way the guy stares at him, like Nicholas is missing something important, but those things would make sense.

"'m Nicholas. And if they are here, I'll need ta find 'em." Most of the anger has faded down, at least, and his eyes are bright and determined. He sifts to kick in the direction of the bag. "Some of the groceries I was sent out for're still with me, they can probably use 'em."

Yeah, that's why. Really.

Nicholas. It really is him. Wolfwood doesn't sigh and rub a hand over his face, but he's sure thinking about it.

"Okay, Nicholas, then how about you grab those groceries. Let's go see if we can find your folks."

This world's Wolfwood is dead and buried, and here he is, bringing an unsoiled and whole kid version of himself back to Melanie. If they're stuck here, like it seems they are, then this kid might be the first ever Wolfwood to grow up naturally. The first ever Wolfwood who doesn't have to sell his soul to become a killer.

Anyone tries to mess with this kid between here and the ship, Wolfwood decides, and they're gonna be picking their teeth out of the pavement.

"They've got to be here somewhere!"

He might not have to, if certain people make sure the eye of Michael stops using the orphanage as fresh blood source.

Nicholas stares at Roberto for a moment, his eyes a little brighter with unexpectedly renewed hope, before he nods and scrambles to his feet, shouldering the bag in a way that is very familiar.

"Yeah..." Beat. "And... thanks."

Miss Melanie does teaches them manners, even if Nicholas has decided only adults who are at least acquaintances deserve the benefit of those lessons.

Oh, he's going to track down and murder every remaining trace of the Eye in this world, don't you ever worry about that, kiddo. They won't hurt anyone ever again.

That look of hopefulness, however small and brief, does something funny to Wolfwood's heart. Was he ever really this small? And this friendly?

C'mon, kid, let's walk.

"So how'd you get here from December? That's a long ways." And there aren't any sand steamers or buses or anything. He didn't walk all that way, did he?

Oh, no, 'Roberto,' you were even smoler and arguably friendlier.

And anyway, you have earned the friendliness, for bringing news about his family. So yes, he's coming with, looking around with renewed sharpness, his gaze running here and there over the ground, to pick up any ankle-biters who might not have parents with them.

"I walked parta the way. I wasn't comin' here, just to check the next town over, and then the one after that. And at some point I was actually here, and had'ta ask about to find out where I am and why's it so crowded.

There's no way he could have walked all the way. That must have been those annoying transport bubbles that he's run into a couple times.

"It's lucky you ended up here, and not out in the middle of nowhere, huh?" Somebody in the crowd is smoking, and Wolfwood can't help turning his head in their direction, sucking in a deep breath. He's got to find some cigarettes here, if it kills him. "Things got weird recently, and I mean weird weird. A piece of advice, kid, you should keep water an' something to eat on you all the time, just in case one of those magic portals drops you out in the sands."

Most of the time, when people start with 'a piece of advice, kid,' they're usually either about to tell him something that he can't do even if it's not a bad idea, or some complete bullshit. He scowls, but he listens, and then he blinks, nods.

"Makes sense." He was lucky he had some stuff, and indeed lucky he didn't end up somewhere really, really bad.

"That happen to you?"

Most of the time, people giving advice just want to hear themselves talk, or don't really give a shit about the person they're giving the advice to.

"A couple times now." And it's sucked every time. "I don't really know what's causing it..." Or rather, he's been told, but it's just so unbelievable that it simply can't be true. They're here to help a Vash fight a Knives? But the fight's already over? How's that many any kind of sense? "...all I know is that it's a pain in the ass when you're walkin' one place and suddenly, bam. You're somewhere else entirely."

He's actually pretty sure one of those bam moments saved his life, a couple days back, but that's not a conversation he needs to have with a kid, junior version of himself or not.

Damn this city got crowded! How are they supposed to find anyone in this mob?

"Right. I'll... keep stuff on me." He's thinking of what jobs he hasn't yet tried to look for that might still take him. Maybe messenger? He can get through to places and find people, and get back quickly. Probably. If he has some double dollars, he can be prepared.

As to where to look...

"I haven't been here long. Do you know anything about how the city's set up? Miss Melanie would not take everyone to the worst parts of the city, and likely won't be able to find a place in the best parts, so we could start with the the rest."

With the way everything was crowded, she probably wouldn't have been more picky than that, but perhaps that's a start?

Good luck finding a job right now, kiddo. With the number of refugees in the city, chances are that anyone hiring will be paying dirt wages, and might not want to hire a kid. Still, he might get lucky!

"The guy who told me they were here said that a, uh, mutual friend might've set Melanie and everyone up in their place." In a ship. He can see the dim outline of a ship way up at the edge of the atmosphere, just a blur of blue-on-blue. Is that the ship that Needles meant? How in the hell are they supposed to contact somebody all the way up there? "I don't know where their place is, though."

And he's never going to spot a thing in this crowd. Where can they go to get higher up? The cliffs? Is there another option? "...Hey, okay, I know how to find them. Let's head downtown, right into the middle of everything, and find whoever's in charge of all this." If Luida was giving a speech on the radio the other day about the Earth ships, then she's got to be nearby, right? She'll know where Melanie and the kids are, if they're here.

Nicholas listens, and tries to make marks of everything, but then the last part comes out, and he gives the universal preteen 'something's not right with your head' look.

But he swallows any sharp words down. He has no idea where to start, and while people have been friendly and nice, they haven't been able to help, so perhaps that will work. Or if not work, at least scratch one of the list of things to try.

"Right. Alright."

Sure. Whatever.

Look, he's not all that excited about talking to the government officials and federal agents and space cops and whoever else might be milling about downtown. He's a criminal, someone who's spent their entire life trying to avoid that kind of attention. If it was just him here, he'd... well, he wouldn't be trying to find Home in the first place, but if he did have to, he'd probably just break into one of these taller apartment buildings, get out on the roof, and play spot-the-spaceship. But that's dangerous -- and more difficult -- with a kid.

"Her name's Luida." There's no harm in filling his younger self in with information about who they're going to find, right? And this way, if they get separated, at least young Nicholas here will have some idea where to look, and who to look for. "I don't know if that's her first name or family name or what. Just Luida, I guess. She's head of..." Of a spaceship that didn't crash a hundred years ago? That wouldn't go over well. "...of an organization, that's working with the government and all these Earth ships to try and figure out what to do next."

Nicholas is walking with him, and listening. (And if it was phrased right, he might have stayed put so he wouldn't have slowed 'Roberto' down, but then again. Maybe better not to risk it.)

But then there is that last sentence and Nicholas skids to a halt, staring up at the adult.

"... what do you mean Earth ships."

He has been very focused on finding any information about those from December. He may have missed this. Just a little.

How the hell did he miss this?! Wolfwood turns on his heel, staring down at Nicholas with wide-eyed disbelief.

"What do you mean, what do I mean?" They've been all over the radio? They're all anyone on the street is talking about? He points up at the sky, where the shape of one of them is just faintly visible, way high up there. "The ships from Earth!"

He was a little busy trying to find out if his family is alive??? Also, it's been a few days, he hasn't had that much time to listen to the radio!

He squints up in the direction that Roberto is pointing, though it takes him a moment to figure out what he's seeing. Then he bunches up his shoulders and glares into the distance.

"Right."

Actually, none of his business. If it's relevant, Miss Melanie will say so. If that will help them find Miss Melaine, whatever.

Right, he says, and that's it, like ships from Earth isn't the most amazing thing to ever happen on this miserable rock!

"Oi, kid, this is a big deal!" They can keep walking, keep heading toward their goal, but come on. Isn't it exciting? "Don't you get it? Things are gonna change now, it's gonna be better!" And sure, change comes slowly to those at the bottom, but they aren't alone here anymore! There's help!

"It'll be a big deal when I find my family. Then I'll deal with the rest of what is going on after."

He's. Skeptical. About things getting better.

Well shit. He can't argue with that! What a serious little shit he used to be, huh?

"Whatever you say, old man!" Weaving through the crowd, Wolfwood's fingers just happen to slip into the pocket of a passer-by, liberating his packet of cigarettes. They aren't his brand -- they are, in fact, a brand he's never heard of -- but pickpockets can't be choosers, right? He'll wait another block or so before lighting one, just in case the guy notices the loss, but damn it feels good to have smokes on his again!

"So hey, how about you tell me about 'em? Who are we lookin' for?" How similar are their worlds, he wonders?

And that 'old man' gets a very mature stuck-out tongue. And no argument because that would just be making it worse.

He doesn't quite notice the pickpocketing, but he can see a pack of cigarettes when there were none, and can draw his conclusions. but it's none of his business, is it? It makes him grumpier, but it's not his business. He might tell on him on Miss Melanie, however. Eventually. (ha... ha.)

...the request makes him squint, but then he looks away.

"Sure." And he starts tlling him, about this kid and that. And, because that was recent, he tells about the crybaby that was with them only for a little while, and how Jasmine was stuck up high and he caught her fall with his body. Because it had been pretty stupid. If also great.

The kid can judge all he likes. He'll understand when he's older. ...Or maybe he won't! He's about the age Wolfwood was when Wolfwood started smoking, the older man thinks, finally lighting up his first cigarette in what feels like weeks. Without the continual healing -- and already short lifespan -- he got from the Eye, smoking might really fuck him up long term. Best if he doesn't start.

Besides, that leaves more for the grownups. Wolfwood breathes out a deep lungful, rejoicing in the head rush from days and days of nicotine withdrawal, as Nicholas tells him about a crybaby little kid, and another he got to be a hero for. Turning his face up to exhale means that Nicholas can't see his face when he talks about how the crybaby was only there a little while.

So things were different for Nicholas, and his Livio. Damn.

"You really caught her? When she fell all that distance? I have to admit, that's pretty amazing."

"No! I didn't catch her, I brought down the puppy she was up there for. Livio caught her.

Beat.

"Means he's got a pretty good aim, right? Too bad he got upset and run away not long after that." Miss Melanie said it hadn't been him. So it has to be someone or something eles.

"Wait, Livio did?" Shit, he wasn't paying close enough attention! "But he's just a little thing!"

A second later, he realizes what he just gave away. Whoops. "I mean... that's why you called him crybaby, right? Because he was little?"

"Yeah. I mean, Jasmine's even smaller, but it was still quite the fall!"

Beat.

Stare.

"... Roberto."

Beat.

Smaller voice.

"Have you run into Livio? He ran off. Is he all right?"

He's worried!

Shit. Wolfwood chews on the filter of his cigarette, pretending to scan the crowd instead of answering. Livio was supposed to stay at the orphanage! He was still there when Wolfwood was taken! Or at least, that's how it had been for him. All these stupid alternate worlds, changing everything... what's the point? How are they supposed to help anyone if they can't even know where they are? Who they are?

"Sorry kid," he replies at last, and he certainly sounds sorry. "I don't know where he is." Chances are he's not here -- he's back wherever this version of his younger self came from, which means Livio is stuck back in a world with the Eye and no Nico to protect him.

Not that he did a damn thing to protect him last time.

"But if he's here, then I bet he's looking for Miss Melanie too, same as we are."

"Oh." Of course not.

But since he's still not thinking about time shift, he shakes his head. "He ran. I doubt he'd be comin' back. Somethin' happened that it was easy to think he did. Miss Melanie said it wasn't him, but a lotta the kids were angry. 's why I'd just like ta know he's--" his mind goes back to the state December is in. "--okay."

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