shatterverse | (no subject)

(no subject)

Dead Boy's still in Kansas, prowling around getting the lay of the land. He's considering setting out for Metropolis sometime soon, but he hasn't fully explored the safe zone yet.

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Miki is doing something similar. He's still in leather and fur, and still carrying a big club and a boomerang, long hair tied back off his face.

He's a long way out from the Cooper farm, and he's circling it. Has been for a couple of weeks, a slightly wider circle each time; he's got a wife to find out here.

At sight of another human -- something getting rarer -- he lifts a hand to wave, cheerily.

Dead Boy waves back, looking him over curiously.

"Morning!"

"Is it still? Spirits, morning lasts around here. I swear it's gotta be way past lunchtime."

Miki's stomach growls in agreement, and he grins, sheepish.

"Hey, you haven't seen an Earth Kingdom woman around?"

"I wouldn't know how to recognise an Earth Kingdom woman from any other. Does she have a name?"

"She does," Miki says, with an easy grin, "but I'm not sure she'd be using it. She's fairly short -- well, compared to me -- and very beautiful, and she'll be wearing a jade hook on a string around her neck, and probably dismaying everyone around her by being very good at everything."

It is possible Miki is biased.

Dead Boy grins at him knowingly.

"Doesn't ring any bells, but I'll look out for her."

Miki beams at him. "She'll wanna know who was asking -- tell her it was, uh, Bato, and if she pries some more my real name's Miki."

"Bato but really Miki", he repeats dutifully. "And I'm Dead Boy. Or Ted, if you prefer."

Ted isn't his name, but it'll do.

"Ted is a way better name than Dead Boy," Miki agrees, not terribly upset by talking to a dead person. "Dead Boy is kind of ... obvious."

"I prefer to think of it as upfront", Dead Boy says cheerfully. "And everyone went along with it where I came from."

"So Ted's not your real name? Where'd you pick that one up, then?"

"A girl called Steph gave it to me the day I arrived at the farm."

"Oh! Her."

Miki grins.

"That sounds typical."

"She likes to rename people?" he hazards.

"She couldn't pronounce my cousin's name properly for years," Miki says, grinning, "so she just called him Sebastian. Which he couldn't pronounce either. You know her well?"

"I've only met her once. Are you two from the same world, then?"

"Nah, not really. Actually, the one on the farm, I don't think she's the same one I knew at all. It's a really weird situation, actually, I know a whole lot more about her than she knows about me. ... I hope."

"She strikes me as someone who knows more than she lets on. Does the alternate timeline problem come up often here?"

"It seems to," Miki says, wrinkling his nose thoughtfully. "I know there's, like, two separate versions of my -- of this one guy. That'd be brain-breaking."

"But something you'd get used to with time?" Dead Boy says consideringly.

Miki nods. "They all seemed to deal with it. It'd be way weird, but I guess you'd learn to live with it. Why -- you got the same problem, huh?"

"Not yet." He smiles faintly. "But you never can tell, and I've had experience with timeslips before."

"Annoying things," Miki agrees, grinning. It seems to be his default expression really. "Hope you don't get anything too weird. Have you been here long?"

There are worse default expressions to have.

"A couple of weeks, I think. You?"

"Yeah, a few weeks. I think my wife landed here first, but I haven't found her yet." Miki shrugs. "I will, though. As long as she doesn't infuriate someone with enough power to pulp her first."

"Good luck", Dead Boy says sincerely. "I'm looking for my car, myself."

"Oooh, you have a car?" Miki's face lights up. "What's it like? Does it drive on petrol? Does it go fast?"

CARS! EXCITING!

"It won't tell me what it drives on", Dead Boy says seriously. "It's the most beautiful you've ever seen and yes, it goes fast."

"Cars can tell you things?" This is new! Miki is intensely curious. "How does it talk?"

"This one does. It's special." He grins. "It has an onboard readout."

"That's coooool."

Miki hesitates.

"... I think. Uh, what's an onboardreadout? It talks out loud ... while you're on board?"

"Not out loud", Dead Boy corrects. "On a screen. If I find her, I'll show you."

"Promise?"

BEAM.

"On my undead soul."

He grins back.

Miki has a NEW BEST FRIEND FOREVER.

"The instant I find Ai-Ling, I'm back here to capitalise on that," he promises, beaming.

"Ahhh, so her name's Ai-Ling!" He looks amused. "And how long have you two been...?"

"Married?" Miki supplies, grinning proudly. "Almost a year now."

It may - or may not - be worth noting that Miki is only about eighteen.

For the record, now the mun is reminded, Dead Boy looks all of about seventeen.

"Looks like it's working out well for you."

"Perfectly," Miki says blissfully. "She's awesome."

He could go on.

"Good luck to you, then."

"Thanks," Miki says, beaming. "I'll need it."

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