The Wheel Turns

"Hah, you think? I'm pretty sure I'd probably remember that." She snorts.

 

Nul shrugs and the blanket finally falls. "I've only existed for a week," he offers. "I haven't met very many people, so I think I'd remember some of them."

 

".. well, I'm in my twenties and I think I'd probably remember you."

 

"Lee, you can't recite half of the books we read last month, don't even."

 

The woman goes pink-faced and her skin shudders in a wave. Null feels endless tiny hands twitch against his skin. "...shut up, I remember important things."

 

"Okay. What's your last name?" He raises his chin in challenge.

 

Her expression crumples in outright distress, underlaid by anger, and she spits out a word, furious, but it comes out in a tangled, multi-layered jumble, like a hundred voices fighting to speak one word.

She chokes, presses one hand to her face. "Fuck you, Ev!"

 

"I-fuck, Lee, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" he hesitates, drifting over to put a hand on her shoulder, which she angrily swats away. "...you know I didn't."

 

"Get bent," she snaps, angrily turning her attention to making sure Nul's feet are taken care of.

 

The heels of Nul's hands are pressed against his ears in an attempt to keep the loud noises out. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

 

"This isn't about you!" Legion snaps, hissing in a sibillant chorus.

 

Even pulls at her again, hauling her up and curling his arms around her, a cloud of smoke encompassing her. "Come on, calm down, Lee. It's fine," he grimaces.

 

Nul pulls his hands away from his head slowly. "I..."

 

Ev holds Lee tighter. "....she'll be fine. Just. It's a really, really long story."

 

Nul nods. "Yeah." He wants to say something else, but he's not quite sure what.

 

"I hurt him."

Arie's voice is small and quiet- she might even have been saying this for a little while and not been heard over everyone else. She certainly doesn't seem to be talking to any of them. She's drawn the blanket all the way around herself, whether she's actually finished cleaning her feet or just abandoned the project, and is staring moodily into the fire.

 

Even looks at Nul, then casually covers Legion's mouth. "...hurt who... Arie, was it?"

 

Arie shifts uncomfortably under the blanket-cloak. "Both of him. I didn't watch him. And then I didn't want him around and he knew it. I made sure he did." She huddles in on herself further, in a movement that's a lot like a shudder. "And now Mutt thinks I want to take the knife away."

 

Nul shifts uncomfortably, not looking at her.

 

"....well, you're fine," he mutters. "Now you've got time to fix some of it, right? Mutt..."

Even's brow furrows more. "...Mutt...." He pauses, letting Legion go. "...has... a bone knife... this big, right?" He asks slowly, letting Legion go and holding his hands apart.