The Wheel Turns

"Yeah," Nul says.

 

Arie's not sure of the exact size, but "big bone knife" is pretty specific. She shudders again, because

"How could you possibly know that?"

 

"....small, sharp teeth. Messy head of hair... like they never comb it?" He says, slowly, brow furrowing. "About..." He bumps his hand against Legion, at about Mutt's head-height. "...this tall?"

 

"Ev? What the hell?" Legion frowns.

 

"How?" It's a demand now. A frightened, forceless one, but a demand.

It's also, of course, a confirmation.

 

"...don't know. Just," he frowns. "...that's who I see in my head when I hear that name... I mean..."

He looks at his companion. "...Lee'n I don't. Our memories are in tatters, it's. Not the best thing. Just about the only thing we really remember all that well's each other."

 

Arie looks up at Nul with saucer-wide eyes. "We have to bring him here."

 

"Yeah. We do." It's the only thing that makes sense, the only thing that's not confusing or bad, and he clings to the thought.

 

"...what you need is shoes?"

 

They got out here reasonably okay. Except that the disregard of pain that came with the blind panic is pretty well gone now, so it would take longer. And even if Arie had her shoes, the idea of going out there in a T-shirt and boyshorts no longer holds any appeal.

"Do you guys have a phone?" she hazards. Even if Mom and Dad are... something... they'll at least be up to bringing shoes and pants, right? Or Ethan can do it, failing that...

 

Even hesitates. "...er. Well.... uh. No? I mean. There's no hookup for a phone..." He glances at Legion. "...I... we might have something?"

 

"Neither of you has a phone?" Arie has no memory of a time before cellphones- this definitely sounds fake, but okay.

 

"I. No. I mean.. "

He glances at Legion.

"...we don't really have jobs, either. It's. Complicated."

 

"....I have a job." Legion growls.

 

"A legal job."

 

"Oh."

Great. She's fallen half-naked into a criminal's secret shack. If only that were the worst that's happened today.

 

"Complicated like it's going to be for me?" Nul says, and it's as much a statement as it is a question. He at least has Arie, but he's only existed for a handful of days and he's not sure he'll ever be certain of anything in this world.

 

"....if you don't have an id? Yeah."

 

"I don't know," he says, thinking. Even if he does, he's not sure if he looks enough like Mica to pass as him, or if he wants to; the thought makes him deeply uncomfortable. It feels wrong, like...like...well, like he's corrupting the memory of Mica.

 

"You probably do." Arie sounds pretty morose for someone who's delivering hopeful news. "Mom and Dad knew you were both coming. They even had a room all ready. Out of nowhere. There's no way they don't have what you need."