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]

[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.]

[arkfall]

I think you'll have to find the answers to those questions without me, brother. [Knives points out calmly. Somehow, talking about the fact that he disappears calms him a lot.]

[goldenglasses]

You know... we don't really know for sure, but maybe they'll return you home like this. If they could bring you back here then I don't see why they can't send you back alive.

[arkfall]

I don't think that would be a good idea.

[goldenglasses]

Why not? [Vash can think of maybe 10 reasons right off the top of his head, but he wants to hear it from his brother.]

[arkfall]

You... [Knives chuckles, but it's a dark, self-deprecating humor.]

You deserve to have at least one life without me in it. [Because, look at him now, forcing Vash to move in with him while they're in this world together.]

[goldenglasses]

Why would you think my life would be better without my brother in it? [Not the psychopath. That's not who Vash misses. He misses Knives. That little boy who cried when Conrad said that they could get along with humans. That is who Vash misses.]

[arkfall]

What a stupid question.

We both know why that is.

[goldenglasses]

Knives, do you know what one of the hardest things for me has been this last century? It's thinking that I had lost you forever. If you're serious about changing then well... it's a bit like getting my brother back again. [A bit, because that trust is going to take a long time to come back.] You aren't gone forever. You're right here.

[arkfall]

You know, I thought the same thing... [Knives admits after a long moment of quiet.]

[goldenglasses]

I was always there for your Knives. You're the one who kept pushing me away. [Literally. He manages to bite his tongue and not comment how Knives literally stuck him in a hole to be forgotten.]

[arkfall]

Maybe... But I always thought you cared more about them.

[goldenglasses]

Only when you were going around slaughtering them. You scared me then, Knives. You didn't look like my brother in those moments. You looked like a monster. [Only a monster would chop off their brother's arm and leave them chained to a pole.]

[arkfall]

Then maybe I am a monster.

[goldenglasses]

But you don't have to be! Stop killing and stop having violence be your first response to things is all you need to do. [He says it like that's an easy thing for everyone to do.]

[arkfall]

Oh, that's all you say? Well, that's just the easiest thing in the world. I'm sure I'll have no trouble at all.

[goldenglasses]

[You shouldn't. He bites his tongue once again. Angry, sarcastic responses will not help right now.] I'm here, right? Just call out to me when you need help. Count to ten before reacting. Just walk away from a situation.

Try those things instead.

[arkfall]

I have to now, don't I? I promised you as part of our contract.