Chasing Stories

[Nico Ellison]

"Ah, outskirts, then?"

A lot of people didn't live in the town proper so that wasn't too suspicious. Being as young as he was, Nico still lived with his parents and they did live in the town proper, in a nice enough set of apartments close to the newspaper building. Nico shook his head at Red's question.

"Nah, we don't live with grandma but I visit her a lot and she visits a lot, too. Actually, mom says we moved here to keep her company. She got really lonely after my grandpa passed away and mom got worried about her so she had to come and keep her company and one thing led to another thing and now we're... just here."

He shrugged slightly, face reddening slightly. The thing was, he sometimes babbled uselessly when he didn't know what else to say and the words just sort of tumbled out.

"...Alex said you stayed with her... or something? So you're a drifter...?"

[Red]

Red nodded. Yes, outskirts. Far far far faaaar away from the town center and from all the people who lived in Hazleton. Most of the humans were harmless, so it wasn't that Red and his commune thought that they posed any danger. It was just that the humans' way of life didn't accord to what they knew. Some barely even shifted out of their animal forms, preferring to live out their lives as naturally as possible.

He sat listening to Nico, barely understanding the gist of what he was saying. He spoke too fast for Red to fully comprehend every word, and Red needed time to digest his meaning. But he liked the sound of Nico's voice. He liked the way he spoke, even if he only caught a few words here and there.

"Drifter?" Red had heard of the word before; it seemed to be a bad word, or at least it garnered a bad reaction from some people. He frowned. "I visit. Only few time. She give food. Grandma nice. Like Nico."

[Nico Ellison]

"Yeah, my grandma likes helping everybody. She's lonely, too. Her and my grandpa were really close."

And now without him, his grandma filled her time with charity cases. It wasn't that big a deal. So far, she was fine. But Nico's mom really worried about her. She kept saying they should move in with her so they could monitor her more closely. Or not her, per se, but all the people she was helping.

As for Nico being nice, he only shrugged a little self consciously. Giving up half a burger and some fries wasn't that big a deal! His grandma was way nicer. But it was kinda cool to see one of the people she helped and see that his grandma actually seemed to have a real impact on his life. Maybe his mom could meet Red sometime and she would see his grandma knew what she was doing.

[Red]

Nico didn't make a big deal out of being nice and only shrugged, but Red already had a good impression of him. It wasn't hard to get into the good graces of starving animals—and people—but Red was more cautious than most (of either group). He took a long time to warm up to people, being naturally cautious and shy and suspicious. After being gypped and pushed around and screwed over so many times, he had a hard time trusting just anyone.

Nico and his grandma, though, were special people. They were gentle and non-threatening. Nico's grandma didn't make a big deal when she first saw Red sneaking out from under her porch, whereas some of the people in town would make a lot of noise and pull out strange devices to point at him. She quietly watched him for a moment, and then went inside to get some food. Afterwards she went back in, letting Red know that it was safe to eat without fear of being caught.

"Grandma... lonely?" Red was a little distraught at the thought of that nice old lady being lonely. She took care of so many people! Red had seen them going in and out. He thought with so many people around... But maybe they didn't stay. He felt a stab of guilt. He didn't stay either; he just took her food and used her porch. Red leaned in, frowning. "Where grandpa?"

[Nico Ellison]

"Oh! Yeah... my grandpa died a while ago. My grandma really misses him."

Nico's mom told him they were together practically forever, that they had been childhood friends that grew into boyfriend and girlfriend in high school and then they married after graduation. Not a lot of people loved the same person for so long. Nico thought it was really romantic but also kinda sad. The one person his grandma had been close to for her whole life, basically, and he was gone. So she filled the void inside by helping people, animals, anybody who might need it.

"I think she's sad she couldn't save him," he said, perhaps saying too much. No, no. A lot of people wanted to save the people they loved. But... his grandma, she was a healer, a natural healer at heart, and not even her magic could save her beloved husband. It made Nico's heart hurt every time he thought about it.

"But she's not giving up," Nico said, inordinately proud of his grandma for going forward, not giving up. "And she has a lot of love to give. So... if you ever need help, don't be afraid to ask her. She needs it as much as you do."

[Red]

Grandpa died?

Red was again distraught. He didn't bawl but he did put a hand to his mouth, remembering how his grandpa was taken. And his grandma, his parents, his older brothers and sisters... One by one they disappeared. Luka's parents had to go out to find food for them, after all; they couldn't stay in their den forever. Then when they didn't come back, Luka's older siblings had to go and... And then it was just him, quivering down in that big empty lonely den. Eventually he had to accept that everybody was gone. He scurried out and hadn't been back to that part of the woods since.

But it didn't sound like Grandpa had been hunted or trapped. There was no horror in Nico's voice as he spoke, only sadness. Red didn't understand much of what he said but he understood enough. Grandpa was gone and Grandma was alone and sad. That made him feel guiltier, taking advantage of her like that when she needed help too! (Or at least it sounded like she needed help, from what little Red understood.)

"Grandma needs help?" He stood up suddenly. Grandma needed help! Right now? Right now! "Red can—"

A hand at the back of his head made him turn suddenly. Alex was there, looking puzzled. "Everything okay, Red?"

"Grandma needs help!" Red said urgently.

"Huh? Grandma? Whose grandma?" Alex looked down at Nico. "What were you guys talking about?"

[Nico Ellison]

Whoa! Nico stared in alarm as Red became distraught and shot up, like he was going to march right over to Nico's grandmother's place. Before Red could take off, though, Alex came back and stopped him in his tracks. If Nico knew that bringing up his late grandpa would freak Red out so much, he would have kept it to himself. That's what he got for being stupid and awkward; he always brought up the worst subjects to the wrong people!

"Oh... I was just telling him about how my grandpa passed away and my grandma is lonely..." But thinking he might sound like he was somehow fishing for pity or something, he added quickly, "I was just telling him that my grandma was probably happy to help him! Not... anything weird."

[Red]

Alex put an arm around Red to stop him from rushing away immediately. Red did struggle a little bit, still under the impression that Grandma needed him. Right now! If she needed somebody, he could help! He took so much from her—it was the least he could do!

"Ahh," Alex said as he forced Red back into his chair. "Um. Red is... kind of sensitive about... family members dying. He lost his family a while back so... maybe take it easy around him."

Red tried to stand again. "Grandma!"

"It's okay Red. Grandma is okay! She's good." Alex gave him a thumbs up. "Grandma's okay. Calm."

"No, no Grandma..." Red looked to Nico for confirmation. "Grandma needs help, Nico?"

[Nico Ellison]

"Oh."

That explained the sudden panic. Shit. Nico shouldn't have said anything about dead people, then. He didn't know Red's family had passed on. He put his hands up gently, as if that would somehow help calm Red down and keep him from trying to get up over and over again.

"It's okay. Grandma is okay," he said. "I was just saying that... you can visit her sometime if you like. She would appreciate it. But she's okay. She likes having people come over to talk to and feed and stuff."

[Red]

"Grandma... okay?" Red breathed a sigh of relief but part of him wasn't convinced and wouldn't be until he saw her again with his own eyes. He looked at Nico and then at Alex, both of whom were trying to reassure him, and nodded. "Grandma okay... Red visit." Maybe later... Maybe tonight he could bring her something from their camp...

Alex sat down beside him but he was smiling at Nico. "It's all good buddy. Grandma's okay. Red, just stay calm."

"...okay." Red glanced at Nico. "Nico... okay?" Did Nico also need help like Grandma? Was Nico lonely too? Since he was so much like her, Red wondered about him too...

[Nico Ellison]

"Huh? Me?"

Nico half smiled and shrugged. He was fine. Why would Red even ask him that? Because of his grandpa? Nico shifted a little uncomfortably in his seat before swiveling his computer chair back to his desk and sifting through the paperwork, notes, and half written articles that littered the desk.

"I'm fine. I didn't even know my grandfather."

He only knew him from the stories his grandmother so fondly told. Nico remembered when he first asked about his late grandfather, his mother reached over and pinched him on the arm, trying to be discreet. His grandmother scolded her for it and then told Nico that she wanted to talk about him. It was the only way to keep him alive, now that he was gone. Nico liked the way she thought. He never really thought about it like that; he thought he was more like his mother that way.

His mother didn't want to talk about him. She missed him. Nico saw her crying when she thought nobody else was watching. But she couldn't seem to bring herself to talk about him.

"Anyway... are you working here now?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at Red. It didn't seem likely. If his English wasn't very good, they wouldn't hire him on at a newspaper, even a podunk one like theirs.

[Red]

Nico's just like me!

Red studied his profile as he turned away to shuffle some papers on his desk. Hm. Ordinary though he was from the front, Nico had a nice profile, actually. Quite a handsome one, to be honest—not that Red was checking him out or anything but he did notice it, with a somewhat artist's eye. Besides Alex was right there! He wouldn't ogle another person with Alex right there!

"Grandpa..." he whispered mostly to himself, feeling terrible for Nico's loss. Even if Nico wasn't openly weeping, Red knew that the sadness of losing someone never went away. It was always there. Red understood that better than most and was more sensitive to it than most. Alex, not so much; he seemed to be able to let go more easily than Red.

"He's definitely not working here!" Alex said cheerily, but almost... too cheerfully. Almost a bit forced as though wanting to change the topic quickly. "Red can't write. I think he's just here because he doesn't want to go home alone. Heh..." Reaching out, he gently ruffled the hair at the back of Red's head. Red, embarrassed, tried to push his hand away. "But I won't be home till pretty late. Mr. Meyers gave me a new assignment. Well, us, if you wanna come with, Nico." Alex pursed his lips slightly as he smoothed down Red's hair. "Red, you have to go home alone today."

"What? Alone?" Red shook his head. "No... dark... scary dark." He didn't like going home in the dark. That was how the hunters got his family—after dark, with guns and traps.

[Nico Ellison]

"What?"

Nico looked from Alex to Red and back again. An assignment that he could tag along with... Nothing in this town was worth tagging along with anybody. It was all so mundane. Their newspaper never covered anything of substance. Even when things of substance always seemed to be happening. It was like they were some big coverup and he sort of knew why--Mr. Meyers wasn't human, either. A lot of people in Hazleton, he was pretty sure, weren't. But nobody knew who was and who wasn't--not for sure. And so they silently held their secrets and covered things up.

It was ridiculous.

Nico thought maybe Hazleton started with good intentions. A place for their kind to gather safely. But as always, humans found a way. And behind them, hunters. There were a lot of hunters around lately and not just the kind that traveled through the forest with guns, hoping to get some nice fur. No... these ones were much more dangerous and they worked under the veil of being just another human in town.

"...I could walk him home," Nico offered, since the idea of being a tagalong sounded boring anyway. Plus, Red looked terrified at the idea of heading home alone in the dark. "I was going to see my grandma anyway, if it's the same direction."

[Red]

"Yeah I wouldn't come along either," Alex said with a wry grin. "He wants me to write up about the old library. Pfft. Who even goes there anymore?" Alex sighed as he began to pack up some things into his worn messenger bag. Red hovered anxiously beside him and tried hard not to latch on to him--in case he bolted for the door or something.

But--he perked up. It sounded like Nico was offering to walk him home! Red looked at Nico with relief evident on his face. "Go see grandma?" he asked hopefully, as Alex straightened and slung the bag over his shoulder. "Red see grandma with Nico?"

"Oh. Uh..." Alex had a funny look on his face that Red didn't understand. "Yeah, yeah. That's really nice of you man. Red's all for it. He must like you a lot--he doesn't usually take to people so fast."

Red frowned. What did that mean? He liked Nico? Nico was nice to him and gave him food--of course he liked him! It sounded like Alex meant another kind of like but Red didn't think he acted inappropriately. He touched Alex's hand before it fell away. "See Alex at home?" He smiled and the funny look faded from Alex's face.

"Sure thing! I'd better get going though. Thanks Nico! See you at home Red!"

After he left, Red sidled closer to Nico. "Thanks Nico."

[Nico Ellison]

Okay. Well, it seemed that Nico now had a job. Just walk Red home, wherever that was. Or to his grandma's? He wasn't quite sure but he thought they must have been in the same area.

Once he cleaned up his desk a bit and tossed out the now empty bag that used to contain the fries, he got up and swept a few things into his backpack so he could take some of his work home with him. He gestured for Red to follow him. Before leaving, he handed a USB to Susan, who would take his articles and place them in the paper for him. After he said goodbye to everyone, he led Red out of the building.

The conversation was a bit sparse on the walk towards his grandmother's. When he arrived, he stopped and turned toward Red to ask if he wanted to come in or if he wanted Nico to walk him the rest of the way to his home.