NOTHING LIKE GOD.

i just think wolfwood deserves nice things....like being little spoon

Oh wow. Whoever this girl was, she was able to push his buttons. Not exactly in the ways that Vash could, but in new found, even more annoying ways. With an annoyed twitch of his nose, he scoffs and speaks up again.

“ Freaky? Weirdest thing I do is look for bugs and reptiles. And so what if I bake! Pinstripes?! Yer just runnin yer mouth. “

He’d taken to baking since…well, back at home. Though he rarely had time for it. But now, in a place like this? Where he could settle down? It may not be everyone’s first choice, but he’d taken quite a love for the ‘domestic’ life now that he was afforded it.

“ . . . Fine. I’ll give ya some. “

✘✘ // oh shit . that was too easy . he bends to her will a little too quickly . . . which makes it seem like maybe he'd actually believed her . the idiot . as if jinx could make jack shit in the kitchen that wasn't erring on the side of hazardous .

no , bombs were more her style . jinx was going to make a sick-ass bomb . and this guy was going to be her accomplice !!

" its just different . wasn't expecting it . you think i know many muffin men ?? no way . i only know boogie men . the pinstripes i deal with always made shit like . . . i don't know : drugs . or guns . or guns with drugs . not . . . birthday cakes and chocolate chippers . "

jinx was a product of her environment , and she prefered to just be alone .

“ The hell type of crowd do you run around with anyway? Sounds a hell lot like Gunsmoke…” entertaining the thought made him shiver a little. This life had softened him. In his previous, there was guns, death, and drugs. Usually in that order. Oh, and the one man trying to kill all of humanity too.

He falls silent, watching carefully over him, observing all the awful ways the man’s face contorts and twitches as he tries to make sense of the words. It was quite possible none of them had hit. Or, alternatively, they had. He just couldn’t come to terms with them. He couldn’t see what they meant ever applying to him. He was no stranger to the feeling.

After you’ve done so much you deem bad, letting yourself truly be aware of what you actually believe shatters. It fragments. Over and over again, until they’re just parts of the fine grains of sand they walk on. Seeing the good in himself was a daily struggle. Even when he did, there would always be a feeling that anything he could do to right his wrongs would never atone in comparison. Each and every person fell victim to it. Some were more prone than others, so it seemed.

“I’ll buy you some, some other time. I’m lot letting you tear yourself apart like this. If you have feelings…ya gotta feel them. Not drown them out.” He too struggled with that. “Even if my words don’t help. It’s part of moving on. We all gotta do it.”

Such a hypocrite. Thats what he feels like. It’s easier to dish it out than take it. But in that same breath, he can’t stand to see the type of state it’s putting his companion in.

Taking the hint, he ceases his pressure and pulls the other man into his arms, slowly but surely pulling himself and Vash onto his own two feet. Times like this certainly made him thankful he didn’t always carry the Punisher. Although he probably should.

“Ya deserve to give yourself the kindness you give others…or whatever sappy way you’d put it. Just…remember that. The world, and people, are much more than good and evil.”

Vash has never experienced what it would actually feel like to stand on the deck of a ship in the middle of a storm, but right about now he has a pretty good sense that two bottles of whiskey get him pretty close. He endeavors not to heave the contents of his stomach all over the front of Wolfwood’s shirt as they limp out of the alleyway. Vash flashes the occasional thumbs up when the odds start looking dicey and Wolfwood feels compelled to stop and check on him. 

“Evil, shmeevil. The hangover I’m gonna have in the morning ish what’s evil.” His half-hearted complaint is punctuated with a loud hiccup, prompting him to groan and rest his temple against Wolfwood’s shoulder as they both squeeze up the stairway and down the hall to their hotel room.

“So this is what you’re really like…” Around people Nicholas truly cares for, abrasive edges and bared teeth become careful, calloused hands. He’s vaguely aware that Wolfwood managed to get him seated on the edge of the bed at some point. Hard to tell exactly when with all the details blurring together. He made an attempt, he thinks, to help Wolfwood get undressed. Or maybe he’s imagining the stinging on the back of his hand. He’ll get an actual account of the events in the morning, maybe.

You ought to reserve your love for someone else. Someone not him. Someone with a real future. He doesn’t have to say it to know that Wolfwood can see the exact moment he thought it, however involuntarily. A peace offering, then.     

Nicholas holds onto him tight, the arm he’d snaked around his back latched as if welded there eternities ago. His brown eyes were careful. Watchful. Observant. To him, the fear that if he let go the man would sink down into the sand and become one with it was very real. Metaphorically speaking, it felt like that could happen. Vash could be one bad day, one bad night, one bad hour away from anything. And, maybe selfishly, he was cherishing this rare closeness between them. It wasn’t often they talked about emotions. And for that matter, he’d like to be more physically close too.

As wise as he was—or whatever Vash may see him to be, it didn’t stop his humanity. The qualities of living creatures that never could be shaken off unless you became cruel and inhuman. Often in moments like these he found himself at an overpass. One of the kinds with two sides and a middle. He didn’t want to be in any of them. Giving into his fears, comforting his friend in the face of something awful, or both. He didn’t want to do either. Because, ideally, neither should be happening. The most happy middle ground was often contending with both, though. Because Vash needed care. And he often couldn’t fight his fear. And that’s what he was silently doing in his mind as he looked at Vash. Hopefully it didn’t show.

“Not if ya drink some water. Which yer gonna do when we get back. I’ll get you some electrolytes too…bought some a bit ago. Lucky you, they’re apple flavored.” With how much Vash had drank though, nothing was promised. It didn’t matter. He’d take care of him if that became the case, gladly so. Lord knows he needed it right about now. Two men, so broken. So needing of that. And he’d do it, fighting Vash’s accusations of him being soft the entire time as he did whatever he needed of him.

Yet deep down that’s all he wanted to hear from someone.

They didn’t have any reason to be rushing out of the town other than bounty hunters, and even then those were just a regular part of their life regardless of their whereabouts. Staying another day to let Vash recover from his stupid decisions wouldn’t hurt.

When the two successfully get to their inn, he falls quiet as he works them both up the stairs, grip tightening on Vash’s back in preparation for any stumble he may make while climbing the stairs. He acknowledges Vash’s comment with a small hum, not quite sure how to contend with his care being so…openly seen. It was both uncomfortable for his lack of it ever being seen, but at the same time…nice. Especially out of Vash’s mouth. It felt right.

With a click of some keys and and shove of the subsequent door, they were in. And he quickly aids Vash over to the bed, hesitating to loosen his grip until he’s sure Vash made contact with it. After that, he doesn’t take long to help Vash strip of his armor. It seemed they both were undressing each other at the same time, taking turns. The intimacy of it all makes his skin burn. When he’s done with that, he tosses Vash’s things on a nearby chair, silently promising himself to clean them for the man come the morning. Maybe he’ll even go out and get a donut, too.

“Sure. But who says I wouldn’t mind makin’ out?” he says, not quite sure if he’s joking or not. He was too tired to think about that now. Maybe he was just saying what he thought. That, or the admission of love on his part was in fact very real to him.

Nonetheless, with a smile and a final kick of his pants to get them off, he continues, teasing hinting in his voice while he sits beside him. “Just don’t use it as an escape next time, then we’ll see. I like a man who communicates, that’ll really woo me.”

Wandering through the woods had become almost a daily occurrence since his arrival in these foreign lands. Being on a desert planet his entire life prior, it was no surprise—certainly not to himself, that he’d taken such a great liking to the flora and fauna. It gave him something to do when there otherwise was nothing. And it was genuinely just fascinating!

He had been in the process of inspecting some leaves in the moments before his yell, only noticing the disturbance he’d caused after the stranger approached him. To which he looks…slightly embarrassed. He usually never sees anyone out here. There’s no sign of injury. Just to his ego!

“ Oh—no ‘m fine. I got a lil excited. “

Anxiously rubbing at the back of his neck, he gestures toward the bush, specifically some sort of beetle settled upon one of its shiny leaves.

“ I’ve been looking for this guy. Documenting. Just fer fun. “

"...you got a little excited?" she repeated back, confusion evident in her expression. She knew that humans would often let out sounds of delight and excitement upon seeing something that caught their eye. She also knew that certain youkai, like Itto would often cheer aloud. Screaming, however, was a new one.

Rubbing at the back of his neck, he finds that he’s not too sure how to explain *why* he was so excited about it. To be quite honest, he isn’t better sure himself. Ultimately he decides that’s probably rooted in the fact he lived on a not so biologically diverse planet for…well, his entire life until now!

“I’m not quite sure. It’s kinda like…ya ever see a history book? Or something showing something really cool, and you wanna see it get yourself? Up close ‘n all? I suppose that’s why.”

The beetle itself wasn’t anything too special other than the prominent pincers and mandibles. It was green in color and had black spots speckling its back.

“It’s a Hercules beetle.”

exposed

alt below

Huh. What an unusual question. He was going to play it off, act like he hadn’t even heard it, but as he turned to look at the speaker—

“ Oh, you. “

His eyebrows furrow a pinch.

“ Flour—I ain’t flourless! I bake…occasionally! What the hell do ya need it for anyway? “

✘✘ // " well color me surprised . " and she is , genuinely . he doesn't strike her as the sort . " i thought you were into something a little freakier . you're telling me that you bake bread and cakes and stuff in pinstripes ?? "

although , she had to give it to him : there were some deceptively domestic people out there . not her . but , there were some people who didn't . . . mind rolling dough and greasing pans .

Oh wow. Whoever this girl was, she was able to push his buttons. Not exactly in the ways that Vash could, but in new found, even more annoying ways. With an annoyed twitch of his nose, he scoffs and speaks up again.

“ Freaky? Weirdest thing I do is look for bugs and reptiles. And so what if I bake! Pinstripes?! Yer just runnin yer mouth. “

He’d taken to baking since…well, back at home. Though he rarely had time for it. But now, in a place like this? Where he could settle down? It may not be everyone’s first choice, but he’d taken quite a love for the ‘domestic’ life now that he was afforded it.

“ . . . Fine. I’ll give ya some. “

He falls silent, mortified and speechless as he watches the strongest person he knew crumble into nothing this feet. Knowing Vash, knowing what he was capable of and what he had done…he knew such a break down would eventually occur. But it didn’t concern not surprise him any less. To see strength become weak… The facade that The Stampede put on could only last so long until the tiniest of grazes would break it. And it had finally happened, the alcohol had been the gun. As soon as he sees Vash beginning to stumble and loose his balance he lurches forward and grabs ahold of his arm, slowly helping to lower the both of them until they’re on ground level. ”I said I love you.” He repeats, pronunciation even more distinct and firm now that it had been challenged. He meant it. He truly did love him and didn’t think he ever would stop loving him. To him, any negatives that his blonde may have were minuscule. Grains of sand when it came to the good he saw in him. The heart was what mattered. He knew what was truly there. They both knew it, but Vash was having doubts that he would be there to soothe. ”You’re a victim of your circumstances. And that doesn’t make you a monster.” this time he’s the one closing the space between them. With a firm but gentle pull he envelopes the damaged plant into his arms. One hand reaches up afterwards to cup his face. ”You’ve saved me. You’ve saved so many, Vash. And you’ve only ever acted with good intentions. You’re better than almost everyone on this god forsaken planet morally.” You’re everything I want to be. Everything that I can’t be. ”You’ve saved so much. But…not everyone can be saved. No matter how hard you try to stop it, someone has to die so someone else can live. I’m sorry.” ”All you can do now is keep going. For them. In their name.”

A victim of circumstance. Is that what he is? He hadn't considered the possibility. How can he? How can he even begin to presume to have the right?

There are far more people who could consider themselves a victim in the wake of the Humanoid Typhoon-- so many, so many of them, the sun is overhead, they smiled at him, held his hand, welcomed him, not knowing what he was capable of, gone, gone with July-- Vash feels a fresh wave of nausea as he searches Nicholas's face desperately for any sign of disgust and finds none.

His little distraction hadn't worked. Wolfwood holds him like someone worth cherishing, worth loving, and Vash wishes he was.

"Wouldn't call what I did good intenshions..." he mumbles. Vash clicks his tongue against the backs of his teeth. "Shoulda let me have that whiskey."

Maybe he would have passed out before they ever got this far into this mess. Maybe Wolfwood would have never needed to say 'I love you.'

"Aaaah..." His whole face feels flush with heat from the alcohol and then some. Wolfwood's arms would make for a comfortable noose. A good end. Big, strong, and warm. Vash's eyelids droop as he allows Wolfwood to support more of his weight. He doesn't want to talk about this anymore. Not about the past, not about the present. Definitely not about feelings. Maybe the proximity is enough. He hopes it's enough. If he lets Wolfwood take care of him, maybe they can let their conversation go unaddressed.

He falls silent, watching carefully over him, observing all the awful ways the man’s face contorts and twitches as he tries to make sense of the words. It was quite possible none of them had hit. Or, alternatively, they had. He just couldn’t come to terms with them. He couldn’t see what they meant ever applying to him. He was no stranger to the feeling.

After you’ve done so much you deem bad, letting yourself truly be aware of what you actually believe shatters. It fragments. Over and over again, until they’re just parts of the fine grains of sand they walk on. Seeing the good in himself was a daily struggle. Even when he did, there would always be a feeling that anything he could do to right his wrongs would never atone in comparison. Each and every person fell victim to it. Some were more prone than others, so it seemed.

“I’ll buy you some, some other time. I’m lot letting you tear yourself apart like this. If you have feelings…ya gotta feel them. Not drown them out.” He too struggled with that. “Even if my words don’t help. It’s part of moving on. We all gotta do it.”

Such a hypocrite. Thats what he feels like. It’s easier to dish it out than take it. But in that same breath, he can’t stand to see the type of state it’s putting his companion in.

Taking the hint, he ceases his pressure and pulls the other man into his arms, slowly but surely pulling himself and Vash onto his own two feet. Times like this certainly made him thankful he didn’t always carry the Punisher. Although he probably should.

“Ya deserve to give yourself the kindness you give others…or whatever sappy way you’d put it. Just…remember that. The world, and people, are much more than good and evil.”

When he reaches his villa, he notices that it looks as though someone has already settled in. He heaves a short sigh, mentally preparing himself for whatever fresh hell he is about to walk into. He lucked out with his roommates back at Blue Lock; Yukimiya was a mild-mannered guy when he wasn't on the pitch and knew how to read a room, while Nagi just napped and quietly played games on his bed most of the time. Neither of them were much of a bother to him, and he's silently hoping this arrangement will be similar. 

He lets himself in with his key and sees his new roommate, who looks like they were in the middle of something, looking him over with a hint of surprise.

"Hey… I guess we're roommates," he greets flatly, his gaze momentarily drifting down to his feet. He's not great at introductions, and truthfully he'd rather just hurry over to his room and get settled in undisturbed.

It’s not every day you hear someone messing with your door. So, realistically, he was quite surprised to hear it, let alone it be some KID that managed to somehow open it and waltz right in. He’s quiet for about half a minute, mouth slightly agape as he searches for words to address this intruder? Stranger?

“ —Roommate? “

Supposed he should have expected it at some point. Of the few people he had met, multiple did have them. He just wasn’t expecting that to be the case for him. Let alone some random kid, WITHOUT being told ahead of time by someone.

“ uuhhh— ‘Kay. Can I getcha anything kid?… “

A voice with the awkwardness only a very confused man could have. Not like he could do anything about it though. His place was clean and shareable…!

✘✘ // " hey , fancy pants . you got any flour ?? " just a question that any unsuspecting passerby might anticipate . but she was in the market for a stockpile . and what better way to stock up . . . than :

s o l i c i t a t i o n . <3

" nevermind , you look flourless . "

Huh. What an unusual question. He was going to play it off, act like he hadn’t even heard it, but as he turned to look at the speaker—

“ Oh, you. “

His eyebrows furrow a pinch.

“ Flour—I ain’t flourless! I bake…occasionally! What the hell do ya need it for anyway? “

Leaving the large tower behind, Sara took off down the hill in the direction of the forests. While this could have potentially pushed her further from where she should be heading, something about the forests in the distance were calling to her. Perhaps it was the tengu blood running through her veins, or the desire to return to something familiar. Either way, it didn't take the tengu long to find herself among the trees once again.

As she strolled through the forest, the sights and sounds reminded her of Chinju Forest back home. Being able to hear the sounds of small animals and birds caused her to relax, and the scent of pine and other trees drew her back to her many strolls. In her limited off time she would leave her barracks and retreat to the forests surrounding Mt. Yogou. In her arms she would carry a bag of treats to feed the many small animals and youkai that made the forests their home.

A sudden cry snapped Sara from her thoughts. Immediately she rushed to the source of the sound, stopping when she came across a man. While he didn't appear to be in danger, she kept her guard up just in case.

Wandering through the woods had become almost a daily occurrence since his arrival in these foreign lands. Being on a desert planet his entire life prior, it was no surprise—certainly not to himself, that he’d taken such a great liking to the flora and fauna. It gave him something to do when there otherwise was nothing. And it was genuinely just fascinating!

He had been in the process of inspecting some leaves in the moments before his yell, only noticing the disturbance he’d caused after the stranger approached him. To which he looks…slightly embarrassed. He usually never sees anyone out here. There’s no sign of injury. Just to his ego!

“ Oh—no ‘m fine. I got a lil excited. “

Anxiously rubbing at the back of his neck, he gestures toward the bush, specifically some sort of beetle settled upon one of its shiny leaves.

“ I’ve been looking for this guy. Documenting. Just fer fun. “

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- He was collapsed in a heap next to the man he'd accidentally dropped in on. Having landed on top of the man briefly before rolling off of him. Getting tossed around was hardly anything new to Vash. He did it plenty to himself or got it during chases and fights. Still, having a rusty ladder crash down on top of him definitely hurt. Not to mention the the coffee that had been launched into the air and was now soaking into his freshly cleaned coat.

He pushed the ladder pieces off of himself, groaning as he sat up, "Sorry about that... Are you all - Wolfwood?!"

He lit up somewhat, perking up with a small smile on his lips and a fresh light in his eyes. All attempt to ask if the other man was fine was foregone. It was Wolfwood, he'd be all right... maybe sore and annoyed, but physically probably better off than anybody else it could've been.

With a disgruntled groan and a couple of swears—two of course sandwiching the other man’s name in between-he picks himself up and gets to dusting off. Dust here, dust there, but worst of all, a stain on his brand new sweater! If not for already at LEAST being able to have had food in peace earlier, he probably would have yelled. Oh well. He got lucky.

“I think the better question is what YER doin here. Who the hell is your pin-cushion ass ‘runnin from now?”

Even in a land where neither of them were known outlaws the guy could find a way to spark issues anyway. In all honesty, it was kind of impressive. Kind of. It would be if the results weren’t always at HIS expense some how.

“Heard they had a good coffee shop here so I risked it ‘n came. Then did some volunteer work for the morning, too. More boring stuff than you’ve been up to, clearly...”

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- Vash was sat back on his heels, looking much like a dog being scolded as he ducked his head while Wolfwood climbed to his feet and brushed himself off with several grumbles. It did seem that the location could change but the trouble that followed him never did.

The gunman soon raised his head though with a rather dopey smile he hoped would charm the other man into forgiving him (probably not, but he could try, couldn't he?).

"Well... ya see -"

"I SAW HIM GO THIS WAY!"

Nary a thought was given as he quickly scrambled up to his feet and grabbed the other man's wrist, taking off at the fasted bolt he possibly could. Exasperated laughter bubbled forth as they went skidding around another corner. "I might've gotten a little mixed up with those Vemon Rings guys when I first got here and they want me back in the betting pool!!"

He definitely should have known an encounter with Vash was going to end like this, but against his best judgement he’d let himself relax a little between the moments they ran into each other. That was, before he even knew it, he was being dragged into the street by the wrist and made run.

“ I’m gonna KILL you so THEY CANT! “

He barks an empty threat out of frustration. He certainly hadn’t missed the stress of being pursued, but he would be lying if it didn’t remind him of old times—and in that same breath, he’d come to miss the feeling of that familiarity.

“ You better have a damn plan! We gotta go back to the damn house! “

Vash's voice has been ringing in his ears for days. While he feels... not better really but maybe a little less like he's going to shatter into pieces after his poor decision to drink himself stupid and subsequent waking up at the other Vash's home, he still needs to know. That statement was so... so bland and point blank, too straightforward for Legato to do anything with.

Why? How? What had happened? Even back home, before, he'd liked Midvalley. The musician was one of the few people he could stand close by, someone who had been there before July had shattered him.

Legato can see himself just... not saving him, if a mission had gone wrong. Another reason to hate himself, but he can see it. Punish failure or overstepping, but killing him outright?

It took him days of thinking in circles, his poor state growing more and more obvious to the people who saw him regularly, before he finally went to look for Wolfwood. He was a man who was much harder to find than Legato had anticipated, but eventually persistence won out.

"Wolfwood." There's no command in his voice, just poorly disguised desperation. "I need to speak with you. Is... Vash isn't about somewhere, is he?" He didn't think so, he couldn't feel the Plant anywhere, but the last thing Legato wants is a surprise visit while he speaks to Wolfwood.

God only knows how poorly the Plant would react if he found out.

Wolfwood at the time of Legato approaching him had been in the town’s nearby community garden, picking things here and there for himself and Vash too. He was a mad man, but one with an idea. And he had just been going to pull off some berries from a bush when he was approached. The voice makes him flinch, and he whips around from what he was doing.

What he wanted to say was ‘what the hell do you want, don’t scare me like that!’ But he silences himself, only looking at him with a half confused expression until he can get something out. Talking to Legato certainly wasn’t the way he wanted to spend his afternoon…oh well.

“ He’s probably off working. Or doing Vash things. What…can I help you with? “

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- There he goes. Jumping - leaping right off of a broken ladder he was using to scramble up the side of a building to avoid any of the prowling Venom Rings scouts from catching sight of him (They knew he was back and some of them wanted him back in the ring).

"HEY!!! LOOK OUT BELOW!!"

SLAM

The man had moments prior been enjoying a nice cup of coffee after WHAT had been a nice outing. Given the later was old and rusted, he figured he needn’t have any worry about it coming down on him. Perhaps he was a fool to not consider there may be dark haired idiots running around.

He groans loudly, laying down flat against the ground, ladder strewn over him. He made no effort to get up, at least not yet, as he laid there in shock. Eventually he turns.

“Oh—YOU! OF COURSE ITS YOU! I OUGHTA BEAT YER ASS!”

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- He was collapsed in a heap next to the man he'd accidentally dropped in on. Having landed on top of the man briefly before rolling off of him. Getting tossed around was hardly anything new to Vash. He did it plenty to himself or got it during chases and fights. Still, having a rusty ladder crash down on top of him definitely hurt. Not to mention the the coffee that had been launched into the air and was now soaking into his freshly cleaned coat.

He pushed the ladder pieces off of himself, groaning as he sat up, "Sorry about that... Are you all - Wolfwood?!"

He lit up somewhat, perking up with a small smile on his lips and a fresh light in his eyes. All attempt to ask if the other man was fine was foregone. It was Wolfwood, he'd be all right... maybe sore and annoyed, but physically probably better off than anybody else it could've been.

With a disgruntled groan and a couple of swears—two of course sandwiching the other man’s name in between-he picks himself up and gets to dusting off. Dust here, dust there, but worst of all, a stain on his brand new sweater! If not for already at LEAST being able to have had food in peace earlier, he probably would have yelled. Oh well. He got lucky.

“I think the better question is what YER doin here. Who the hell is your pin-cushion ass ‘runnin from now?”

Even in a land where neither of them were known outlaws the guy could find a way to spark issues anyway. In all honesty, it was kind of impressive. Kind of. It would be if the results weren’t always at HIS expense some how.

“Heard they had a good coffee shop here so I risked it ‘n came. Then did some volunteer work for the morning, too. More boring stuff than you’ve been up to, clearly...”

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- There he goes. Jumping - leaping right off of a broken ladder he was using to scramble up the side of a building to avoid any of the prowling Venom Rings scouts from catching sight of him (They knew he was back and some of them wanted him back in the ring).

"HEY!!! LOOK OUT BELOW!!"

SLAM

The man had moments prior been enjoying a nice cup of coffee after WHAT had been a nice outing. Given the later was old and rusted, he figured he needn’t have any worry about it coming down on him. Perhaps he was a fool to not consider there may be dark haired idiots running around.

He groans loudly, laying down flat against the ground, ladder strewn over him. He made no effort to get up, at least not yet, as he laid there in shock. Eventually he turns.

“Oh—YOU! OF COURSE ITS YOU! I OUGHTA BEAT YER ASS!”

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- Vash was about to climb back to his feet when suddenly Wolfwood was crouched down next to him and cupping his face in both hands. It made Vash freeze, the Plant almost starting to feel his cheeks heat up when --

Wolfwood tugged his head down, a hand feeling through his hair for a lump or blood - "Ack! Hey!! Knock it off!"

Vash squirmed as he was examined, until Wolfwood let him go and he popped his head up again. There was some blood right at the front of his forehead and a definite goose egg forming there.

However, the other man bringing up that he was lying...

Vash glanced away slightly. Really, it wasn't that he didn't think that Wolfwood could handle it, but to thrust him right back into the messy Plant stuff right after he'd just returned -

Then he sighed.

“Stop movin’, needle noggin’d idiot! I gotta make sure you didn’t FRACTURE that stupid skull of yours that doesn’t protect anything but a big lump of rocks! Let me take care of you!”

Point proven. He sees the blood dripping from the crest of his forehead and the red bump that will bloom into a bruise within minutes. As he did moments ago, he immediately gets in his personal space, taking out a clean handkerchief that he immediately uses to dab at the blood with, all while holding onto his face again. More firmly this time in case the idiot tries to wriggle free.

Once the blood, that he realizes is now coming from a surface level scratch, begins ceasing to flow, he finally breaks their closeness and steps an away. After giving him one more good look up and down he feels safe to say the guy is alright. Amen.

“Yer powers? God, you really piss me off. Why couldn’t you have just said that? Why don’t you even want those who know you to help?”

It’s a frustration of love. He isn’t exactly sure how to show his care in ways other than this, especially when the guy makes it so damn hard not to be a little irritated by how he’s acting.

“What about them? What’s going on? Don’t hide away from me. Any of it.”

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- "Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!" Vash whined as his forehead was dabbed at by a handkercheif. He wasn't even going to try and get out of the grip on his face however. (The way Wolfwood grabbed his chin reminded him of how they'd met where the man had examined him every which way on the bus ride to Juneora Rock.)

Once he was let go of, though, Vash sat back on his heels. His forehead was already starting to bruise and it was probably half a miracle that he hadn't actually split his head open with how hard he'd slammed it into the wall.

His right arm began to shake slightly, involuntarily, as Wolfwood pressed him about what had been going on. Vash quickly gripped his sleeve with his prosthetic hand as if that would stop the arm from shaking. And he started to climb to his feet as he answered:

"Sorry..." He didn't quite meet Wolfwood's gaze anymore. His voice was softer too. He was used to being scolded for keeping things to himself, but not quite used to hearing it from Wolfwood. "...I just didn't want ta put it on you when you're still getting settled in..."

Guilty.

He'd been told more than once that he needed to look to others for help when he needed it. That he needed to tell others what he needed or wanted.

But how was he supposed to do that when, to be painfully honest with himself, there wasn't really anyone he'd trusted to rely on until Wolfwood showed up. Even then - he didn't want to burden Wolfwood with any of it. He just knew that they'd be stuck here until he said something.

"Besides, when I feel it comin' on, I don't really have a whole lotta time before it starts." He was quiet for a long moment, though. Not entirely sure how to start. "...The Angel Arm keeps popping out.... It's happened a couple'a times, but I can usually suppress it before it gets too far formed. Feathers have also been showing up, but they're usually at the same time as the arm. They've only manifested a time or two on their own..."

Usually with a good blow to head he could stave off the Angel Arm's appearance (or by shooting himself through the arm in at least one case). It seemed that enough of a shock to the systems interrupted the transformation.

...He wouldn't say a word about either the visions or the nightmares, however. The Angel Arm attempting to manifest was enough of a worry as it was. Besides... he'd been dealing with the hallucinations and nightmares for years now. Out of the two of them, the hallucinations and nightmares seemed the lesser problem.

His eyes widen.

He figured it was only a matter of time before their pasts caught up with them in ways that would cause trouble—to them, and now, potentially the world around them in Vash’s case.

“ You need to bother me. Especially when things like this happen. And don’t give me an excuse for why you didn’t—just tell me from now on.“

In seconds his tone had dropped octaves, going from angry to serious. If you looked hard enough he was still a bit irritated, but it was quickly beginning to fizzle out as a new gravity took over the conversation.

What he had seen the day of fifth moon had never left him. He wasn’t scared, he didn’t think of Vash as a monster of any kind, but he and the other knew very well; it wasn’t something to be taken lightly. Certainly not in this new place, so unknown and alien to them.

They both know how Vash dealing with things on his own ended up. Not good. And he was no closer to a solution if he bottled it up.

“ Idiot . . . We’ll figure it out. “

It’s more so a proposition than a promise. There was no promises, especially with something of this degree, but it could be done if the two of them invested enough care into solving the issue. Like old times, they’d find creative ways to combat what the world—and their own bodies—threw mercilessly at them.

“ let’s start lookin for ways to suppress it when it happens suddenly. Where you DON’T hit yer damn head into the wall. “