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]

You would protest that even if it was something the other person wanted? [He's actually legitimately curious about that. Would Vash judge him or his partners for engaging in sadomasochism?]

[goldenglasses]

[Vash bites his lip as he leads them upstairs to his apartment. Unsure of how he wants to respond. He knows he has a scathing, bitter remark that he would LIKE to say but that won't help.] I don't trust you not to take things too far. [A bit of honesty is what he settles on and manages to keep the bitterness out of his voice. Instead he just sounds tired and sad to admit to this truth.]

[arkfall]

[Knives doesn't seem offended by that. He understands where his brother is coming from. He also had that thought that if he went down that line of thinking it would get too dark.]

That's probably for the best. [He says quietly, matching Vash's tone.

Then he sighs, not wanting to dwell on that darkness.] Vash, I'm not even sure if I'm capable of... doing this. Any of this.

I don't know if I can even, ugh. You know.

[goldenglasses]

What? [Vash's curiosity comes crawling back. Even if he never wanted to think about his twin doing these sorts of things.] You mean, you never-- ah, um, you know? To yourself? Not once? [Vash hadn't been surprised to hear his brother was a virgin like he, himself was when he first arrived. It was another to think his brother had never once masturbated. Surely he had done that at least. It felt so good!

When Vash opens the door the apartment isn't very special. Two beds. Vash's is easy to spot as it's the one with a donut pillow on it. Not to mention unmade and covered in donut crumbs. The sheets are a normal creme colour as be hasn't bothered to buy new ones. Although there is a thick red blanket that's fallen onto the floor that he has for winter.

There are several empty bottles that are near that bed of his and a few mostly full ones sitting on top of his dresser. Surrounded by a few empty posts of dirt. Two of them showing the start of something green peeking out. The others having been over watered, but Vash still not able to give up on them.]

[arkfall]

[Knives goes over to the plants to inspect them, looking over the damage done to the ones with too much water and trying to figure out what could be done to save them.]

No. [He answers Vash, though he doesn't look up from the plants.] I've never been interested in that kind of thing.

[goldenglasses]

Really? You've really never, ah, felt a certain sort of itch down there? [Vash moves to his closest to take out a travel bag. A brief moment of hesitation before he picks it up. For so long back home he rarely fully unpacked. Always ready to take off on the run again, but here he hadn't even looked at a suitcase in months. It hurt a little to think about how he had let himself think his life might be finally growing a little stable.

Then the feeling passes and he heads to the dresser. Stuffing what little spare clothing he has into his bag. Not caring if it ends up wrinkled.]

[arkfall]

No. [Knives repeats.

He looks up at Vash then, clearly uncomfortable with so much of this.]

You did? Even before this place?

[goldenglasses]

Well, yeah. [He scratches at his cheek. Hating the way it seemed to be burning right now.] I mean... [Nope. That is exactly what he meant.] Yeah, of course I did. I thought, you know, everyone did? [He doesn't even consider separating himself from humans for this.] Especially because it feels really good. A high I can't really explain.

I can't believe you haven't tried before. Not even, say-um, in the shower? When you're washing? And how sometimes it might tickle a little? And then ahhhh--nevermind.

[arkfall]

I've never felt anything like that at all.

I thought it was a human thing.

[goldenglasses]

I think it's an everyone thing. I think you'll like it if you give it a try.

[arkfall]

And apparently, I don't have a choice so I will need to learn to like it quickly.

[goldenglasses]

[Vash coughs as he packs away a bottle of lube into his pack.] Well, um, I can give you some privacy if you want. You can go home and having some time to yourself and I'll pack up here. Or I could move in tomorrow. [His face gets redder and redder as he decides to stop talking. He was only making it worse.]

[arkfall]

What? [Knives is clearly disturbed by that whole idea.] There is no fucking way I'm doing such a thing right now.

[goldenglasses]

Yeah?! [Vash isn't sure why he suddenly feels overly defensive. It was a perfectly normal reaction. One Vash would have also given just with more flailing limbs and screeching.

Oh yeah. Maybe it has something to do with his brother being a psychopath.] Yeah? [He starts again a bit softer this time.] Yeah, well, why not?

[arkfall]

Because you would know what I was doing! [Maybe it says something that he's way more comfortable with Vash seeing him literally commit genocide than he is with his brother knowing that he's doing that but no one says his moral compass is good.]

1/2

[goldenglasses]

I've seen you do a whole lot worse, Knives. [Said in the most deadpan voice. As much as he doesn't want to think of his brother's sexual exploits he'd switch walking in something like that over a murdered city any day.]

Okay. Then, what about a week? I'll stay here for one more week. Then you have time alone and I won't know exactly what you're doing. [...]

2/2

[goldenglasses]

[Very suddenly his attitude changes. He laughs starts quickly shoving the last few items he owns into his bag. Tone of voice completely full of fake cheer.] But why delay things though I guess. Besides! I'm half packed! We might as well and finish this move.

[arkfall]

[Knives raises his brow and then lets Vash finish packing. Towards the end of it all, Knives points out what why he thinks Vash changed right on the words 'what you're doing.']

So... I guess you're the babysitter now, hm?

[goldenglasses]

[The last few items to go in the pack is a trashy romance novel that Vash hopes Knives doesn't see before it disappears into his bag. Then the donut pillow. Vash does his best to not smash the pillow in. It was a gift from a friend and he didn't want it to get ruined.

He takes one last look at his now empty side of the room when Knives breaks his train of thought.] Huh? What? Noooi!!! No! Of course not! [By that he means: yes.]

[arkfall]

You don't have to lie, Vash.

It's good. To know that you're going to be here. I told you you shouldn't trust me, and that means I can't trust myself.

I already have wanted to kill so many people today. It's... exhausting.

[goldenglasses]

You're restraint is commendable. [He means that, but at the same time it comes out slightly sarcastic. He can't help thinking about how not killing shouldn't be such an an ordeal for someone.] Let's go home then. [Home. It's been a long time since that word included his brother.]

[arkfall]

Let's. [Knives says, but in a way that it's clear that he caught that word 'home' as well, and he isn't sure if he trusts it fully.]

[goldenglasses]

[Vash takes one last glance at what had been his home since arriving in Duplicity and heads out the door.

During the trip back Vash breaks. He had been wanting to ask this whole time, but has resisted. It seemed like a dangerous topic, but he could resist no longer.] Our sister. The one from Earth? What-- [What was she like? Was that a fair question to ask to the man that destroyed her mind?] Did she-- I mean, um, you said she was working with them? Do you mean that she was, you know, planning with them? Or assisting them some way? Or, ah, or was she just... you know, powering their ships?

[Another Independent. Vash wanted to ask her so many questions, but Knives had destroyed that chance like so many other things in Vash's life.]

[arkfall]

She was a pilot. It seems Earth is far more used to our kind than the colonists have been. She and one other Independent were among the forces to arrived at our world. They were part of the forces.

[goldenglasses]

A pilot, really? [He sounds much more excited now. That was a lot better than what he had been worried about.] So, they worked together with the humans from Earth. [His smile seems suddenly much brighter. Much more honest then the default one he usually wears.] There were two of them? Was the other one a pilot too? Do we get to meet her? [The last question is out of his mouth before he remembers how bad that would probably end up being. Even if Knives had lived long enough she likely wouldn't be happy to see Knives.] I wonder how many others there have been then. [He tries to quickly change to hypothetical instead of questions in an attempt to gloss over his bad question.]