[Naturally, Meryl makes a face at his efforts. She glances up at the trees, trying to guess at the wind direction, before ideally moving out of the way of his eventual smoke cloud. Leave it to Wolfwood to be gross the second she finds him.]
Seriously? You already forgot how long it's been? [She puts a hand on her hip.] Two years. Two years since you took off and Vash -
[Though Wolfwood did eventually regain his memories of the incident at JuLai, he only just regained them. As in, the very last thing he remembers was that. The city was blasted off the face of the planet, Vash disappeared, and...then he woke up. Though he may have a wolf face now, it's clear by the tone of his voice that he's not fucking with Meryl this time.
Him taking off after that...doesn't surprise him, actually. He had no particular obligation to stay after everything, and he'd almost left before Vash went on a suicide mission, but two years...suddenly, the whole thing with Eriks is starting to make a lot more sense. Way more time passed than he himself can remember.
Wolfwood lifts both of his...hands? Paws, holding them up for a minute with his ears swiveling back as he tries to pick this apart one thing at a time. Vash first.]
He's fine. I mean...fine might be a strong word, but he's alive. I know it's hard to believe, but he survived. He disappeared 'cause he like...
[He gestures at his head.]
He got some kind of amnesia after the fact, so he was off doing his own thing for a while.
[Meryl only scowls at his question, though it does soften when she finally gets a look at his face. Her arms cross, expression shifting into something a touch more troubled. She's going to get a headache if things keep being confusing like this.]
I wouldn't lie to you. [And since that feels just a little soft for her.] That's your job.
[She hasn't forgotten that Wolfwood was part of... whatever the hell happened in JuLai. And while she might have both missed and worried about him, she could still be a little mad that he was hiding things from them.
But... there are more important things to think about. Like, Vash being alive, not just here, but there, too. She had hoped, but after two years and no sign of him, what was she supposed to think.]
He's alive. [She wraps her arms around herself, feeling a weight finally lift off her shoulders. She still could have done more, but at least her weakness hadn't truly resulted in his death.]
[The lying comment makes him wince a little, and gives him a clear picture of what Meryl does and does not know. Oi.
He's glad, at least, that she isn't grilling him about it right now. Though he's not so naive as to think it won't come up later.]
Yeah. Surprised me too.
[Anyone would have assumed nobody could survive something like that, even a Plant, but...they're just built different, he supposes. It feels a lot of the time like Vash can survive everything, at least until something in the Grove comes sweeping in like a hurricane and reminds him that's not the case.]
Anyway...this whole wolf thing is new. Like, as in the last couple minutes, new. Shit like this happens here, but I was hopin' I could avoid it this time.
[Wolfwood had come to her rescue, in the end. If nothing else, he seemed relatively on their side, even if she wasn't wholly convinced. That had to count for something. But for him to say Vash was alive after something so impossible, she couldn't help but have her doubts.]
So. Where is he, then. [She places a hand on her hip, staring up at him.] You don't expect me to just take you at your word, do you? [And then a scowl.] Or are you waiting to charge me for the information?
[To be honest, in the wake of Vash being alive she... doesn't exactly care about what or who caused Wolfwood's transformation. Like, she feels bad for him, and maybe she'll be more concerned later but... Meryl is like a dog with a bone, and Vash is her bone.
[Wolfwood heaves on another beleaguered sigh, even as Angelina looks happily between them with her tongue lolling from her jaws.]
She's happy 'bout everythin'...but Vash is prolly back home at the cabin. He bought one across the river, and now me, him, and Liv live there. If you don't believe me, I can just take you there.
[Of course, there's no guarantee Vash will be home- he might be out doing something- but at least Meryl might be placated by the signs of life there, as well as things left that are very obviously from Vash? Least of which the various feathers he's constantly shedding around their home, these days.]
[It's true...Angelina is his smart, perfect daughter, but she's never been the sharpest knife in the drawer either. Truly like father like daughter.
Either way, he'll pet the top of her head as she circles around him and starts trotting back towards the house, prompting Wolfwood to follow in her wake.]
Trust me, I know. Careful when we get to the river up ahead. The stones are slippery as fuck, so it's easy to fall in.
[Meryl narrows her eyes up at him, even as a devious grin plays at her lips. Since she's trailing behind Wolfwood, maybe he'll see it. Maybe he won't.]
If that's the case, maybe you should show me how to cross first, just in case.
[He happens to miss her grinning at him...perhaps for a mercy, perhaps not. Either way, he's leading the way to the edge of the Grove proper, and Angelina seems to just not care about the river at all and goes crashing straight through the water instead of using the stones. Seems like she's used to this.]
Hah. Now how did I know you'd say that?
[He sighs, his ears flicking back as he indicates the stepping stones up ahead.]
They're just there. You should prolly be fine since you've got shoes, but...
[Wolfwood's out here with a bare paw and a prosthetic, so god only knows. He WILL head across first though so Meryl can watch.]
[And Meryl makes no effort to hide the way she picks up the camera and points it directly at him. She might not be able to develop the film yet, but once she can, she'll be sure everyone sees this.
And if it even slightly seems like he might be about to cross without issue, she raises her voice up -]
[Wolfwood jumps nearly a mile, and that's really all it takes for him to lose his balance. He slips and falls backwards straight into the water, though thankfully he ends up falling between the stepping stones and doesn't bash his head on one of them or anything.
Angelina thinks this is her signal to play and crashes into the river after him, barking her head off.]
[And true to form, Meryl grabs several pictures along the way. Once the barking dies down, Wolfwood will absolutely hear her click, click, clicking away. She doesn't even try to look ashamed if he happens to look at her. A toothy grin spreads across her lips as she gives her camera a wiggle.]
You know, something tells me that Firebringering guy might like these.
[You know he honestly should have seen that coming, and YET...
Wolfwood sits up with a heavy growl deep in his chest, giving himself a bodily shake that's much more dog-like than it is human. Angelina is, of course, hopping in excited circles around him in the water because YAY we are PLAYING!!]
Sorry, a journalist never reveals information that her sources may have given her.
[She's practically bouncing on her toes as she rubs it in Wolfwood's face, too. It's a good thing she's not on one of the rocks, otherwise she'd be in the water as well.]
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Seriously? You already forgot how long it's been? [She puts a hand on her hip.] Two years. Two years since you took off and Vash -
[Wait a second.]
Vash?! How is he - we watched him -
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[Though Wolfwood did eventually regain his memories of the incident at JuLai, he only just regained them. As in, the very last thing he remembers was that. The city was blasted off the face of the planet, Vash disappeared, and...then he woke up. Though he may have a wolf face now, it's clear by the tone of his voice that he's not fucking with Meryl this time.
Him taking off after that...doesn't surprise him, actually. He had no particular obligation to stay after everything, and he'd almost left before Vash went on a suicide mission, but two years...suddenly, the whole thing with Eriks is starting to make a lot more sense. Way more time passed than he himself can remember.
Wolfwood lifts both of his...hands? Paws, holding them up for a minute with his ears swiveling back as he tries to pick this apart one thing at a time. Vash first.]
He's fine. I mean...fine might be a strong word, but he's alive. I know it's hard to believe, but he survived. He disappeared 'cause he like...
[He gestures at his head.]
He got some kind of amnesia after the fact, so he was off doing his own thing for a while.
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I wouldn't lie to you. [And since that feels just a little soft for her.] That's your job.
[She hasn't forgotten that Wolfwood was part of... whatever the hell happened in JuLai. And while she might have both missed and worried about him, she could still be a little mad that he was hiding things from them.
But... there are more important things to think about. Like, Vash being alive, not just here, but there, too. She had hoped, but after two years and no sign of him, what was she supposed to think.]
He's alive. [She wraps her arms around herself, feeling a weight finally lift off her shoulders. She still could have done more, but at least her weakness hadn't truly resulted in his death.]
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He's glad, at least, that she isn't grilling him about it right now. Though he's not so naive as to think it won't come up later.]
Yeah. Surprised me too.
[Anyone would have assumed nobody could survive something like that, even a Plant, but...they're just built different, he supposes. It feels a lot of the time like Vash can survive everything, at least until something in the Grove comes sweeping in like a hurricane and reminds him that's not the case.]
Anyway...this whole wolf thing is new. Like, as in the last couple minutes, new. Shit like this happens here, but I was hopin' I could avoid it this time.
[Honking his clown nose]
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So. Where is he, then. [She places a hand on her hip, staring up at him.] You don't expect me to just take you at your word, do you? [And then a scowl.] Or are you waiting to charge me for the information?
[To be honest, in the wake of Vash being alive she... doesn't exactly care about what or who caused Wolfwood's transformation. Like, she feels bad for him, and maybe she'll be more concerned later but... Meryl is like a dog with a bone, and Vash is her bone.
... Okay, maybe not that phrasing?]
At least your dog seems happy about it?
[She nods to Angelina.]
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She's happy 'bout everythin'...but Vash is prolly back home at the cabin. He bought one across the river, and now me, him, and Liv live there. If you don't believe me, I can just take you there.
[Of course, there's no guarantee Vash will be home- he might be out doing something- but at least Meryl might be placated by the signs of life there, as well as things left that are very obviously from Vash? Least of which the various feathers he's constantly shedding around their home, these days.]
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[Translation, not many. No offense, Angelina, but you weren't exactly raised by the smartest people she knows.]
Lead the way. And quickly. You and I both know how slippery he is.
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Either way, he'll pet the top of her head as she circles around him and starts trotting back towards the house, prompting Wolfwood to follow in her wake.]
Trust me, I know. Careful when we get to the river up ahead. The stones are slippery as fuck, so it's easy to fall in.
[Ask him how he knows.]
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If that's the case, maybe you should show me how to cross first, just in case.
[And if she's lucky, she can get it on camera.]
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Hah. Now how did I know you'd say that?
[He sighs, his ears flicking back as he indicates the stepping stones up ahead.]
They're just there. You should prolly be fine since you've got shoes, but...
[Wolfwood's out here with a bare paw and a prosthetic, so god only knows. He WILL head across first though so Meryl can watch.]
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And if it even slightly seems like he might be about to cross without issue, she raises her voice up -]
Look out! On your right!
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[Wolfwood jumps nearly a mile, and that's really all it takes for him to lose his balance. He slips and falls backwards straight into the water, though thankfully he ends up falling between the stepping stones and doesn't bash his head on one of them or anything.
Angelina thinks this is her signal to play and crashes into the river after him, barking her head off.]
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You know, something tells me that Firebringering guy might like these.
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Wolfwood sits up with a heavy growl deep in his chest, giving himself a bodily shake that's much more dog-like than it is human. Angelina is, of course, hopping in excited circles around him in the water because YAY we are PLAYING!!]
For fucks sake, what'd he tell you?
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[She's practically bouncing on her toes as she rubs it in Wolfwood's face, too. It's a good thing she's not on one of the rocks, otherwise she'd be in the water as well.]
Guess you're gonna have to ask him, huh?