a new arrival

[tinico]

i. december

Nicholas was out for errands, a shopping bag slung over his shoulder with things that he'd been sent to buy, and he was almost back to the orphanage, smile already on his face to be returning to the shade. Then there was an odd shake of the ground, making him stumble, and when he looked up, everything was very different. Where buildings had been standing, now there was much damage, his familiarity the only reason he could recognize them anymore. Where people had been wandering around, laughing or yelling or just going about their business, there was... nobody. Only silence. And there was a strange smell in the air, like something wet had been spilled a while ago.

Nicholas's smile faded, eyes going very wide, and he ran towards his home, only to find the worst of the damage to be around it. He was calling out names - Miss Malanie's, everyone's - but there was only silence. Soon, he could see that there were signs that someone had been holed up in the basement, and then upstairs also but those were more recent.

And nobody was answering. Nobody.

ii.desert walking

Everyone had left. So he had to go somewhere else. He had no idea where, but. He'd managed to find a wide brimmed hat, and had added to his shopping bag whatever supplies he had. And he was walking to the next town he had seen on the maps. Which he'd also taken. There would be someone somewhere, right?

iii. octovern

Luckily for him, before walking in the desert could become too much for him, there had been another earthquake - and then he was among people again. After many, many hours mostly alone, other than some random encounters, he kind of needed a moment to lean in the shade and close his eyes in relief. He had not been to this city, but at least it was alive. He would take that.

Then he squared his shoulders, and went exploring. Even if he knew nobody, he should be able to find people who needed help that he could earn a living with, right?

iv. wildcard

ooc: have another idea? he'll pop up there! brackets and prose all good, will match.

Comments

[tinico]

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.

[louboutinjudas]

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."

[tinico]

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.

[louboutinjudas]

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!"

[tinico]

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.

[louboutinjudas]

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!

[tinico]

"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.

[louboutinjudas]

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?

[tinico]

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.

[louboutinjudas]

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."

[tinico]

"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.

[louboutinjudas]

"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?"

[tinico]

"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!

[louboutinjudas]

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."

[tinico]

"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."

[louboutinjudas]

He ran away? Maybe that's not the worst news! Sure it means that there's a little version of Livio out there somewhere fending for himself, but if he's not at the orphanage, he won't get taken in by the Eye. Better a hard life of drifting and petty crime than... than that.

"Tell you what." His cigarette's done already, and with a muttered curse he drops it to the ground and trods out the ember. They never last long enough! "After we find Melanie, I'll head back to December and leave him a message, how's that? Big letters on the side of the building where he won't be able to miss it." Assuming he comes by. Assuming he's here. But what else can they do? "For any other kids too, anyone who gets lost or needs a place to go. They should know to come here, what do you think?"

[tinico]

No... no, one day he'll find out Livio (sort of) sought out the Eye. And not even to catch up to Nico.

This isn't that day.

For a moment, the teaching that you must not disfigure buildings... or the orphanage will get into trouble... and the fun of that thought fight within him. But the orphanage isn't even fully there right now, so he nods, lips curving up just a little.

"Yeah. I mean, you don't hafta go back right away if you gotta do other stuff, but if you do go back there..." Beat.

"Make it real clear they're idiots if they don't get here to safety fast."

[louboutinjudas]

Wolfwood nods, the picture of seriousness. Idiots. Got it.

"There's some people I need to check up on first, but they're on the way." They aren't, not as the worm flies, but he's got to go make sure that Rem and the kids are all right before he heads back to December. But he said he'd go back, and he meant it.

Is it too soon after the last one to have another cigarette? Is that even a serious question? "And hey, speakin' of idiots," he mumbles, sticking a fresh butt between his teeth and fishing through his pockets for the lighter, "if you hadn't heard about the ships then maybe you haven't about the guy who's responsible for all this mess."

Wearing that name and that face, the kid's going to run into him sooner or later. Might as well do what he can now to ensure that the kid survived meeting the Humanoid Typhoon.

"You know who Vash the Stampede is?"

[tinico]

Nicholas nods. That makes sense, people are important. Whether someone will pop up in December at all is uncertain, or when.

He tilts his head up, frowning slightly, given that Roberto is speaking of the guy who's responsible for all this mess, and that can't be good. But the 'speaking of idiots' doesn't sound... afraid, as such? Or even particularly angry?

Then his eyebrows shoot up.

"Heard 'bout him, but always thought he wasn't real."

Look.

Can you blame him.

[louboutinjudas]

Just one more little difference between their worlds, Wolfwood thinks, turning them down a side street to try and get out of the crush of the crowd. He'd never heard the name himself, not until he'd been with the Eye awhile. The guy had seemed like a ghost, just a made-up story... and really, now that he'd seen Stampede in action, it wasn't hard to understand why.

"He's definitely real." He points out above the crowd, above the buildings that surround them, to a patch of cliff face that shows signs of a fresh landslide. "There was a big fight here just a couple weeks back, and he was in the middle of it." He doesn't actually know that the damage to the cliff was Stampede's fault, but visual aids always make a story sink in better, right?

"He might be around still, is what I'm hearing. Blond hair, red coat... you can't miss him." Another turn, another side street, as they near the downtown. The buildings here are even more jam-packed with people, showing signs of wear from overuse rather than from fighting like some of the city did at the edges. At least one city made it through without being destroyed!

"And look, he's a good guy. Means well, heart's in the right place, he'll show up with a smile and an open hand, but let me warn you right now, kid. Disaster follows this guy." Even without his brother tracking him down and ruining his life town by town, Stampede's chaotic way of dealing with problems isn't anything a kid needs to get sucked into. He'll do better staying away. "You see him, you run the other way and you don't stop running until you're in the next town. They don't call him the Humanoid Typhoon for no reason."

[tinico]

Children who don't come to the orphanage very young sometimes tell stories. Vash the Stampede has showed up in a couple of those, which made Nicholas pay attention.

He looks at the mountain, unimpressed, then back up to Roberto. He is paying attention. Though the words make him think a lot.

He opens his mouth to question, ask that if he's a good guy, shouldn't he help him instead of running? Then he thinks of how December looks, an embodiment of a disaster, and he realizes that he would not want to put his fa-- to put the little ones through that again.

"Right." He doesn't sound happy about it, but he certainly isn't arguing. Other than. "Unless he's headed for the others. Then I won't run. Not unless I'm drawin' him away from 'em."

Priorities.

[louboutinjudas]

Damn right. Even for a little brat, protecting others should still be his priority, especially when those others are just little kids themselves.

"He won't hurt 'em on purpose, not ever." Wolfwood blows a cloud of smoke into the sky, and tries really hard not to think about a light, bright as neon, falling out of the night sky. "He just can't help it. Some people attract trouble."

He should know. He's one of 'em.

[tinico]

Nicholas chews on that in his mind for a little bit.

"So, keep him away from anywhere that disaster may strike." Beat. "But if there's a chance, help him out."

That's not the running away he committed to right now. But he can't decide if Roberto likes or dislikes him, but if he wouldn't hurt the kids on purpose, then perhaps some assistance - from afar - might not be a bad thing?

[louboutinjudas]

"No!" Dammit, isn't this kid listening? "Don't lead him anywhere, and don't try to help him, for god's sake!"

They've got to be closer to downtown now, right? Sure, Octovern's a big city, but it's no Julai, and they've been walking for awhile now. They're almost at the cliff face -- where the hell's the street that'll take them up to the buildings at the base of the plant bulb? That's where they need to go, right? Given the weaponry he can see at the top of that one building there, that's got to be city hall or the equivalent. How do they get up there?

"If you see him, run. I don't know how much clearer I can say that!"

[tinico]

Nicholas watches him fume for a moment, then grins, wide.

"All right, all right. It just makes it hard to keep an eye on him in case he does head towards the orphanage, but I'll do my best."