PSL for arkfall

[goldenglasses]

[Vash was getting use to his life in the city. Some of it has been pretty bad, but for the most part he really can't complain. He always had enough to eat. He had stopped pouring sand out of his clothing. Could have all the water and shower for however long he wanted. No one had tried to shoot him in months. The people here even didn't care about his scars. In fact some people really liked them!

He was currently without a dominate, but he didn't mind. A small grace period to find another one and he wasn't in a rush. Which is why he was taking a moment to enjoy a bit of people watching in the Down. Munching on a donut and enjoying the day.

The only problem was in times like these his mind tends to wander to thoughts of home. Worry starts to settle in. Hoping that his friends were alright without him. Things certainly looking good when he left. Of course, there wasn't much he could do for them here so he tries not to think too much about it.

Besides, this donut was really tasty. Right now he just wanted to sit and enjoy them. Nothing bad could happen on this day, right?]

Comments

[arkfall]

How can you say that to me? After everything?

Why do you keep trying to save me?

[goldenglasses]

Because you are my brother. Nothing in any world will change that. [Vash would never be able to forget what has happened between them, but that is a fact that would always remain.] And... I know that's what she would want me to do too.

[arkfall]

[Knives tenses again, all of the progress he's made in relaxing and opening up instantly shut down.]

Don't. [The word is more of a warning than anything.]

[goldenglasses]

[Vash sighs. Honestly believing knowing and understanding how much Rem loved him could help Knives, but deciding not to push it right now.

His hand still drops away. Disappearing into his pocket.] Besides, we're going to do better in this city if we can find a way to get along without driving each other insane. [Or at least it would be for Vash. The way this city is set up, Knives could actually get just about anything he wanted. Not that Vash really wants his brother to think that way.]

[arkfall]

[Even just mentioning her, though, brings out a deep sense of betrayal and hate in Knives. It seethes inside of him and he has to choke it down to not ruin everything. The fact that his response already drove Vash back makes him swallow his emotions hard as he tries to not completely ruin whatever it is they're building here.]

What... [He starts, but he has to stop and take a breath and rub his forehead again because there's still an edge to his voice that sounds harsh and cold.

He doesn't want that right now. He doesn't want to ride on the heightened sense of hatred even a reference of Rem brought up in him.

He forces himself to calm down, taking control of that heat. He can be logical, rational, he doesn't need to rely on that anger.]

What can I do to make sure I don't drive you crazy? What do you need from me?

[There. Now his voice is more open, more sincere. This isn't just a question to mock Vash, he honestly wants to know what his brother wants from him. He lowers his hand and considers Vash carefully.]

[goldenglasses]

[It's a good thing that Knives stops to adjust his voice. Vash tensing slightly as if getting ready to defend himself when he hears that cold edge to his brother's voice. Is this where things will suddenly change? Is this where his brother starts to take a more forceful approach?

Only, no. That doesn't happen. Instead it's clear Knives is trying to get a handle on his anger and make a change. It allows Vash to relax a bit more again.] I need exactly this. What you're doing right now. I need you to keep willing to be patient and to keep trying to see things differently. To ask me how I feel and not just brush off what I say as being wrong. [That's a two way street, however, that Vash himself will struggle with. Thinking that Knives is wrong and not being able to see things differently.]

And, you know.... knowing my friends aren't about to be brutally murdered for being human would go a long way too.

[arkfall]

[Knvies is grateful that his efforts are being noticed. It means they aren't all in vain.]

Vash... [He starts, and for a moment he seems to be considering his words.]

You know that we have the ability to show others our memories. I want to show you what happened, how our struggle ended. I think it might help you understand why I'm not trying to hurt you.

I'm not sure how much power I have left or if I can manage it on my own. You, though, you're stronger than I am. You always have been. The only reason that you haven't done half of the things I have is that you never learned how to use your abilities to their fullest.

I think I could teach you how to go into my memories and find those moments, but I'm not going to force you to learn how to use your powers anymore. Doing that... it always ended with you hating me even more.

Do you think you'd be willing to learn? I would understand if you're still wary and need time to consider it, but I promise you there is nothing I can to you. Even if I tried anything, your mind would easily overpower mine.

[And it's not like he has Bluesummers here to pull them apart.]

What I want most of all is what I've always wanted, for you to understand where I'm coming from. It's just... now it's less a drive to get you to understand why humans should die and more to help you be reassured that I'm no longer plotting to kill them.

[goldenglasses]

[Once more Vash hesitates. Wondering if this might be some sort of trick to get into Vash's own head and memories. Some petty, bitter part of Vash wants to point how how being forced to destroy a city tends to make someone hate another, but they're trying to move past that so he bites his tongue.

Instead he focuses on the other reason he hesitates.] What if doing that turns your hair blacker? I don't need to see those memories if that's the risk.

[arkfall]

I think that's why you need to be the one to do it.

But, that also gives you control of the situation. You have a say in what you see and if you do this or not.

[goldenglasses]

No. Those are your memories to choose to share or not. I don't want to hurt you. [Because that is what their power was, right? All it ever seemed to do was hurt and cause suffering. He couldn't create something good like his sisters somehow did. They were different and perhaps in exchange for a life away from having to be attached to the life support they instead could only destroy.]

[arkfall]

You wouldn't be hurting me, Vash.

[Knives drops it though. He said he wasn't sure that Vash would be willing to try and wasn't going to force him, and he means it.]

Though I suppose I can try and explain it with words...

It's not as easy that way. [Vash, why do you always do things the hard, boring way?]

[goldenglasses]

You're asking me to go into your head. I can hardly control myself sometimes, Knives. How do you know I won't hurt you?

Would it turn my hair darker? [There's so much he doesn't know about their powers and abilities.]

[arkfall]

[Knives's face twitches at the thought of more of Vash's hair changing.

He doesn't think this ability will use up a lot of Vash's power, but this one argument is the thing to say to get him to drop it completely.]

Good point. I don't want to risk you.

[goldenglasses]

I'm sorry. [He's not sure why, but he feels like this is somehow his fault for not being a better Plant.]

[arkfall]

Listen... [And for a moment he gains a bit of his intensity back to look at Vash very seriously.]

I know, with every atom of my being, that you have nothing that you need to apologize to me for.

So stop it.

[goldenglasses]

[Vash decides not to confirm or deny that feeling. Instead choosing to move the conversation on.] There really was another Plant from Earth? One like us? I would have liked the meet them. What are they liked? [Although he probably wouldn't like how Knives destroyed the mind of one of them.]

[arkfall]

Actually... there were two.

[Knives says, and his tone makes it clear that something happened to at least one of them.]

[goldenglasses]

[Vash doesn't like the sound of that.] What do you mean were? What happened?

[arkfall]

They were attacking me. I used one of them to gain an understanding of their tactics.

[goldenglasses]

[Vash grows silent. Looking away. Afraid to ask. For a bit it may seem like he's not going to, but in the end he can't stop himself.]] Used one? [It should be clear the disgust he has for that word.] As in you viewed her memory? Like what you were just suggesting we do?

[arkfall]

No. What I was suggesting you and I do would have kept us as two separate entities. I adsorped her as I had most of our sisters on the planet.

[goldenglasses]

[Vash should be glad that his brother is being so open and honest with him. That he's not hiding what he's done. A part of him is really glad for that. It is just buried deep below the anger rising up.]

Could you... un-adsorb her? [He sounds calm for the moment, but as Plants Knives can probably feel that things were not as okay as Vash was trying to act like they were. The outlaw feeling like his stomach was slowly being coated in ice as he waits for an answer.]

[arkfall]

No. What was done to her destroyed her individual consciousness. She became part of a collection.

[Which does kind remind him of just what Knives had tried to do with Vash before Legato pulled him away. He had been willing to do that to his brother, thinking it was the only way to get him to be on his side, and Vash's power nearly destroyed him.

He doesn't seem proud of any of this anymore. Before, he might have laughed, called the people he took into himself trash for trying to save the humans. Traitors to their people.

But he doesn't. He doesn't make any excuses for what he's done. He was on that part of destruction for so long but it feels exhausting to try and defend it now.]

[goldenglasses]

[Vash leans his weight back onto the counter top. Trying his best to make it seem casual and not like the bench was what was holding him upright.] You... [The first of their kind.] You took her... [The first they have heard of in a century.] Knives you... [At long last others like themselves and what did his twin do?!]

Knives, how could you?! I understand why you'd do that to me. [Yes he had an idea what what happening right before Legato pulled them apart.] We have history. [And Vash doesn't think he's important, but mostly the history.] But you-- you took away what makes us... us! You took herself away from her! How-- how could you do that?! She's one of us.

[Vash understood that Knives hated humans, but he always knew he loved their sisters. To hear he willing harmed one was hard for him to process. An Independent like themselves and he didn't just kill her. He destroyed her.]

[arkfall]

They came to our planet to save the humans.

[He says it simply, as if that fact explained his entire thought process. It probably wouldn't be enough to explain all that he had done, but it was the reason he hadn't felt bad for turning on her.]