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[abrightboy]

This is Bright. Leave a message.

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[empathicfault]

Will isn't exactly expecting a boy here, honestly. He frowns at the young kid and stares at him while listening for any other sounds. He nods at the statement, although confusion does flicker across his face. Where's Malcolm?

More questions pop up as the boy explains, and then shows him the knife. And then it all coalesces at once, when the boy tells him 'my dad gave it to me.'

"Have you seen him here, Malcolm? Your dad?" he asks, carefully.

[abrightboy]

"No." He puts the knife back in his pocket. "But I know this apartment. My parents used to live here." He frowns faintly as he looks around. "I live here. But. Not yet." He looks at Will. "Do you know the legends about King Arthur?"

[empathicfault]

"I know them, but I bet you know more than me," Will admits, lips twitching up even as he starts moving to check all the spaces in the apartment for himself.

He's slightly less tense- the mechanism of the Flood seems apparent, and they haven't seen either of their benefactors- but he's not going to just assume they're out of the woods just yet. "Why do you ask?"

[abrightboy]

“Because I can remember the future. Like Merlin.” He watches Will move around the apartment for a moment with curious eyes. “I know who you are.”

[empathicfault]

He goes through the place like he did as a police officer. Clear, clear, clear...there's no one here but the two of them, right now. The things the boy says are of extreme interest, but he realized he needed to focus harder or he was going to keep getting distracted.

However, when that's done, he holsters his gun with a sigh an drops down to a crouch to talk to Malcolm. His mind's working past emergency mode right now. "Okay, looks like we are safe. Just...had to check for myself." He smiles apologetically and then moves on to more interesting topics. "You know me? You remember the Barge?"

[abrightboy]

"Yes. But I know it didn't happen yet. Like a story I read in a book, except I'm in the book," Malcolm tells him.

[empathicfault]

"That's got to be very strange for you," Will says quietly. "I'll do what I can to help you through it, okay? I love you and I'm going to take care of you while you're here. If you need help with anything- even weird things, even frivolous things- you can ask me. Okay?"

[abrightboy]

Malcolm smiles. It almost looks unpracticed on his serious little face.

“We have plans. When I’m a grown up. You’re a safe person. I future-remember that… and my heart says it.”

[empathicfault]

Will smiles back. His smiles have been somewhat more practiced, here with Malcolm. This particular smile is relieved. "I'm really glad to hear that. And yep, we do have plans. We want to have adventures together and help people."

[abrightboy]

“I like helping people. When I grow up, I want to…” His voice trails off and he frowns. “It’s confusing. Because my future memory says I’m a detective. I do like detective stories, but I wanted to be a doctor.”

[empathicfault]

...ah. That's something Will intuited but never quite said aloud. Of course Malcolm wanted to be a doctor as a child. And of course he couldn't follow in his father's footsteps there, either.

But if Malcolm isn't upset, Will's not going to bring it up and possibly stir up some terrible feelings. So he just shrugs. "It's not unusual to end up doing different things than you expect, when you grow up. And being a detective is pretty good, too. I think you really like it when you're an adult."

[abrightboy]

“Well… I like puzzles,” Malcolm acknowledges. “Do you like puzzles?”

[empathicfault]

"I...like mechanical puzzles," he says, after a brief hesitation. "And I like being able to help people. I don't think I quite have your adult self's drive to solve the puzzle and close the case, but there's definitely some satisfaction in it."

It's something he admires about Malcolm, watching him be clever. Watching him enjoy being clever.

"Have you had anything to eat yet?," Will asks, then amends. "Do you think you could eat anything? I'm pretty sure we shouldn't do our usual coffee routine." He's going to have to keep an eye out for mental necessities, too. He doesn't seem as manic as usual, maybe the chloroform damage hasn't happened yet?

[abrightboy]

"Do you know how to make eggs?" Malcolm asks. "I like them scrambled with green onions."

[empathicfault]

"I can do that," Will replies, with a small smile. "I'll get started." They should have eggs- and if there aren't any green onions, he can grab a couple from the kitchen, he's sure.

By the time he's cooking, he's feeling far more comfortable. Nothing's off that isn't explained by a flood. No one new is here. And he enjoys taking care of kids. It'll be weird, but what isn't on this boat?

"You picked one of the few things I actually have experience making, so that's lucky. Do you have any questions for me, about...anything?" He's not sure how exactly remembering backwards works, especially when one is stuck in a still-developing mind.

[abrightboy]

“Why do I trust you so much?” Malcolm asks. “I know I do. More than anyone, I think. But it’s like… you know when you’re watching a movie and everyone else laughs but you don’t get it? It’s like that, except with trust and the everyone else is my limbic system.”

[empathicfault]

That makes Will laugh, just a pleased chuckle as he thinks over the question. "I'm...honestly not entirely sure. I know we've spent a lot of time being more comfortable with each other than...anyone else in our lives. Our histories share a lot of similar events, and we understand each other. But you..."

He looks at the boy and smiles at him. "I don't know if you've actually been through it and you're just younger now, or if you're literally brought here from a prior time and experiencing 'echoes' of your future. Hmmm. I can't believe both are options, here." He stares at the eggs as he moves them around on the pan while shaking his head. "I'll do my best to keep that trust, Malcolm." Just in case that needed to be said.

[abrightboy]

“I’m not worried,” he says and he’s really not. He climbs up onto one of the stools at the kitchen island. “Is there any juice?” He pauses. “I should know that, right? This is my house.”

[empathicfault]

Well, he's glad Malcolm isn't worried, but he also just felt the need to make that clear. Maybe he's just remembering everything Malcolm goes through at about this time.

Talking about juice is a lot easier than that. "I don't know...if I was suddenly twenty years younger, my memories of my life in the future probably wouldn't include the presence or absence of juice. It might be too mundane a detail for you to recall." Which just means Will is going to have to go look. "What kind do you like, anyway? Apple, orange, tomato?" Is there any kid on earth that likes tomato juice?

[abrightboy]

“I like apple. Or grape. Or cranberry,” Malcolm tells him, swinging his legs on either side of the stool.

[empathicfault]

"Okay. I think Kikimora likes the apple from time to time..." He rifles through the fridge and comes out with a small pitcher of apple juice. "Success."

He finds a smaller glass in the cabinet and pours some apple juice for Malcolm before returning to the eggs. "Do you like salt or pepper on these? Or just the green onions?" They'll be done soon. Will's made enough for both of them.

[abrightboy]

“Just green onions,” Malcolm tells him, taking a drink of juice. “Do you think I’ll be a grown up again soon?” he asks pensively.

[empathicfault]

"It might take about a week," Will admits, unsure which scenario this younger Malcolm would prefer. "Do you remember anything about floods here on the Barge? I think this is probably one of them."

He finishes up with the eggs and slides them onto two plates, then busies himself getting silverware.

[abrightboy]

He thinks about it. “Yes. I future-remember floods. I think I’ll be happy to be grown up again. I like being equal with you. We’ll be friends again. It’s hard for a grown up to be friends with a kid.”

[empathicfault]

"Yeah," Will agrees. "But these things do happen here. I think we might continue to get along better than most. You weren't scared by me bursting in here with a gun, that's...a pretty good start." He thinks so, anyway.

He comes around the counter with the plates and sets Malcolm's down, sitting at the bar next to him. "Let me know what you think. I might need to practice some."