canon is next to normal

[hesnothere]

Why do you keep saying this is madness? It's not, okay? I think we can have a lot of fun. [There's this slow grin starting that screams "I am a little shit."] There's got to be some kind of trouble we can get into.

Are we going to find Mom soon? Or Dad? I need someone to nag me or ignore me, as usual.

Actually, let's forget about Dad and just find Mom. I mean, I know Mom loves me.

Maybe Natalie, too. We could have some fun with her, too. What else are big brothers for? [The "little shit" smile is now downright malevolent.]

Comments

[hnikarr]

There's a lot more trouble to get into than just bothering your family. [If you can find them. Nick hasn't found his big brother yet.]

sob phone cant do square brackets

[hesnothere]

True, but bothering your family can be all the fun you need. Family is so important, after all. (Another slightly malicious grin.)

[hnikarr]

[Nick shrugs, his face impassive. He actually likes his family, but it doesn't seem like this boy does.] They're usually pretty hard to find. Maybe you'll have better luck.

[hesnothere]

(It's not that he doesn't like them. He just doesn't know how else to be. She made him this way, didn't she? He does look a little disappointed at this.) Yeah. I can hope, but your family is better-known than mine.

[hnikarr]

I kind of doubt it, but I'm not into musicals or anything. [Alan might be. Nick doesn't really get the point.]

[hesnothere]

What's your family like, anyway? (Maybe Gabe can play with them while he's looking for his own. Or at least, play with Nick for their lack.)

[hnikarr]

There's me and Alan and Mum. Mum's crazy, Alan likes books. [And if Gabe messes with them, he'll regret it.]

[hesnothere]

(Oh, like he'd let anyone /know/.) Hm. Sometimes I think my mom's crazy too.

(...That was the sound of every irony alarm in a ten mile radius going off, all at once.)

[hnikarr]

If she doesn't spend her days screaming, she might be all right. [Well. That's the bad days, anyway. She's quiet sometimes too.]

[hesnothere]

Sometimes she does.

[hnikarr]

Well, that's exciting. [It's nice to know that other people's mums do that too. At least his family isn't completely abnormal.]

[hesnothere]

Well, she doesn't just scream wordlessly. She gets scared of the people around her and doesn't trust them. I help her out then.

[Yeah. Help. You don't clutch her like a doll and let her hear you shouting at everyone else to stay away just as loud as she is.]

[hnikarr]

She just screams louder if I try to help.

[Alan's good at soothing her. She can't even look at Nick without breaking down.]

[hesnothere]

So what's your brother like? Where's your dad? [He doesn't want to talk about Mom anymore. Talking about Mom with someone else probably won't go anywhere he wants it to.]

[hnikarr]

Alan? He's... my brother. [That's the most important thing about him in Nick's mind.] He likes books, and girls who read, and taking care of people. My dad died a long time ago, it's just been me and Alan and Mum since then.