Chapter 2
Later, in the saloon:
Milly, Meryl and Vash are sitting at a corner table. For the past hour, they've just been sitting and drinking...and sitting and drinking...
Knives had gone to flirt with the young, female bartender long ago, leaving Milly alone to figure out Vash's secret.
"So, Mr. Vash, have you ever been to February City before?" she asks.
"No, but I heard it's a great vacation spot! That's why I wanted to come! That's the *ahem* ONLY reason I have for coming here." He glares at Milly, who stubbornly glares back.
"What are you talking about? Where did you get your information? This place is a dump! All it has is a saloon, a general store, and a bunch of houses! The population is about 15, and they all live in trailer parks on the outskirts of town!" Meryl cries.
"Uh...I guess my sources aren't very reliable..."
Meryl sweatdrops and orders another round of beers-and a shot of whisky for her.
"What are we gonna do? There's nothing here to see and not even an inn to stay at!" Milly whines.
"You're right, Milly, we can't just stay here drinking all day and night!. Let's go back to the bus stop. We can catch the bus to Eve City and-" Meryl starts.
"No!" Vash interrupts. "No! Let's not go to Eve City! We should just stay here. I mean, don't you think this town is charming?...in an old, run-down, decrepit sorta way...I can still see hints of what it looked like-I mean how it must have looked years ago in the days it was prosperous. Can't you?"
"Why the hell would you want to stay here? I see no charm, just filth! No wonder nobody on the bus went into town. They all got right on the next bus out of here! Come on, Milly, let's go!" Meryl gets up just as Knives returns. "We're leaving and you're welcome to join us. Your stubborn brother wants to stay!"
"Awww, you can't leave just yet! I just met a really interesting guy and I want you to meet him!" Knives exclaims. Before Meryl can protest, her pushes her back into her seat and turns to the bar.
"Hey, Nathan! Come over here!"
At the bar, a shadowy figure stands up and approaches them. He steps out of the shadows and Milly, Meryl and Vash gasp. This mad is the identical copy of Wolfwood. He has the same haircut, the same face, the same demeanor, the same smile, even the same outfit (minus the crosses). And hanging out of his mouth is a bent cigarette.
"This is Nathan W. Dogwood." He waves. "I was talking to him a few minutes ago. Actually, he's a really cool guy..." Knives trails off, puzzled at their astonished expressions.
"Hi everyone. I'm Nate. I live here in town and...What? Why are you all staring at me?!"
Suddenly they all snap out of it and Milly cries, "Mr. Priest!" Vash shouts, "Nicholas!" and Meryl calls out in confusion, "Mr. Wolfwood?" all in unison.
Knives and Nate are even more confused now.
"What? Why did you call me Mr. Priest? As a matter of fact, I'm Jewish! And I didn't hear a word the others said."
They all repeat what they cried, again simultaneously. Knives and Nate sweatdrop.
Meryl takes it upon herself to be the group's representative. "Sir, what did you say your name was? Dogwood? Wow, that's a remarkable coincidence! You look just like our old friend, Nicholas Wolfwood."
At the mention of this name, Nate's face falls. "What do you know of Nicholas Wolfwood?" he asks, narrowing his eyes.
"Mr. Priest was traveling with us!" Milly explains.
"He was our friend and he helped us out of some...sticky situations," Vash adds.
"What's it to you? Do you know him, too?" Meryl inquires.
Nate's face softens and he says, "Yeah, you could say that. He's my twin brother." He grabs a chair and sits down next to 3 still shocked faces. Knives does likewise.
"Your brother? What happened? How come he never mentioned you?" asks Vash.
"He never mentioned me? Well that doesn't surprise me. After everything that happened, I'd guess he pretty much hates me now."
"After what happened?" Milly asks, curiously.
"That's a long story..."
"And we have a long time! So tell us!...If you don't mind," Meryl requests, remembering her manners.
"I supposed if you're friends of his, you should knows the truth before it's too late. But why don't I tell you on the way to my house? There's no inn here so we'll see if we can make room for you at my place," Nate offers.
"All right! Let's go!" Knives stands up, ready to go. The other four do the same.
"If it's not too much trouble, Mr. Dogwood," Milly says politely.
"Please, call me Nate." He smiles and follows Knives out the door.
Later, in the saloon:
Milly, Meryl and Vash are sitting at a corner table. For the past hour, they've just been sitting and drinking...and sitting and drinking...
Knives had gone to flirt with the young, female bartender long ago, leaving Milly alone to figure out Vash's secret.
"So, Mr. Vash, have you ever been to February City before?" she asks.
"No, but I heard it's a great vacation spot! That's why I wanted to come! That's the *ahem* ONLY reason I have for coming here." He glares at Milly, who stubbornly glares back.
"What are you talking about? Where did you get your information? This place is a dump! All it has is a saloon, a general store, and a bunch of houses! The population is about 15, and they all live in trailer parks on the outskirts of town!" Meryl cries.
"Uh...I guess my sources aren't very reliable..."
Meryl sweatdrops and orders another round of beers-and a shot of whisky for her.
"What are we gonna do? There's nothing here to see and not even an inn to stay at!" Milly whines.
"You're right, Milly, we can't just stay here drinking all day and night!. Let's go back to the bus stop. We can catch the bus to Eve City and-" Meryl starts.
"No!" Vash interrupts. "No! Let's not go to Eve City! We should just stay here. I mean, don't you think this town is charming?...in an old, run-down, decrepit sorta way...I can still see hints of what it looked like-I mean how it must have looked years ago in the days it was prosperous. Can't you?"
"Why the hell would you want to stay here? I see no charm, just filth! No wonder nobody on the bus went into town. They all got right on the next bus out of here! Come on, Milly, let's go!" Meryl gets up just as Knives returns. "We're leaving and you're welcome to join us. Your stubborn brother wants to stay!"
"Awww, you can't leave just yet! I just met a really interesting guy and I want you to meet him!" Knives exclaims. Before Meryl can protest, her pushes her back into her seat and turns to the bar.
"Hey, Nathan! Come over here!"
At the bar, a shadowy figure stands up and approaches them. He steps out of the shadows and Milly, Meryl and Vash gasp. This mad is the identical copy of Wolfwood. He has the same haircut, the same face, the same demeanor, the same smile, even the same outfit (minus the crosses). And hanging out of his mouth is a bent cigarette.
"This is Nathan W. Dogwood." He waves. "I was talking to him a few minutes ago. Actually, he's a really cool guy..." Knives trails off, puzzled at their astonished expressions.
"Hi everyone. I'm Nate. I live here in town and...What? Why are you all staring at me?!"
Suddenly they all snap out of it and Milly cries, "Mr. Priest!" Vash shouts, "Nicholas!" and Meryl calls out in confusion, "Mr. Wolfwood?" all in unison.
Knives and Nate are even more confused now.
"What? Why did you call me Mr. Priest? As a matter of fact, I'm Jewish! And I didn't hear a word the others said."
They all repeat what they cried, again simultaneously. Knives and Nate sweatdrop.
Meryl takes it upon herself to be the group's representative. "Sir, what did you say your name was? Dogwood? Wow, that's a remarkable coincidence! You look just like our old friend, Nicholas Wolfwood."
At the mention of this name, Nate's face falls. "What do you know of Nicholas Wolfwood?" he asks, narrowing his eyes.
"Mr. Priest was traveling with us!" Milly explains.
"He was our friend and he helped us out of some...sticky situations," Vash adds.
"What's it to you? Do you know him, too?" Meryl inquires.
Nate's face softens and he says, "Yeah, you could say that. He's my twin brother." He grabs a chair and sits down next to 3 still shocked faces. Knives does likewise.
"Your brother? What happened? How come he never mentioned you?" asks Vash.
"He never mentioned me? Well that doesn't surprise me. After everything that happened, I'd guess he pretty much hates me now."
"After what happened?" Milly asks, curiously.
"That's a long story..."
"And we have a long time! So tell us!...If you don't mind," Meryl requests, remembering her manners.
"I supposed if you're friends of his, you should knows the truth before it's too late. But why don't I tell you on the way to my house? There's no inn here so we'll see if we can make room for you at my place," Nate offers.
"All right! Let's go!" Knives stands up, ready to go. The other four do the same.
"If it's not too much trouble, Mr. Dogwood," Milly says politely.
"Please, call me Nate." He smiles and follows Knives out the door.