firsthumandisaster

[firsthumandisaster]

| 🌱 | The familiarity and how easily they slipped back together was much needed, and helped settle the restlessness he’d been feeling recently.

“Yeah, I’ve been trying to be better about that,” he replied softly. “Though it means I’ve been busy, too.”

But he didn’t really want to talk about that just now.. he just wanted to lean into Nick and maybe give him a content kiss on the cheek, nuzzle his nose affectionately under his ear.

@firsthumandisaster || Continued

"Yeah, somethin' like that." It was always good to be able to slip right back into place, as if neither had left for long. It just felt that natural. He let Vash pull him closer, sitting down next to him.

"Least ya weren't too hard to find this time."

[firsthumandisaster]

Vash is getting an arm around his neck from behind, and a rough noogie from a certain priest that most certainly did not miss him one bit.

He missed him quite a few bits.

| 🌱 | “hmm??” He knew a familiar presence was behind him, but had been zoned out enough not to look around to see who it was… he was pleasantly surprised to see Nick, and leaned into him with a soft smile. He didn’t even protest the noogie, even though it messed up his hair spectacularly.

“There you are, been busy, huh?” Not that he needed an answer, didn’t really matter, but he definitely missed him too, and turned to loop an arm around his waist.

[firsthumandisaster]

| 🌱 | Clearly there was history here Vet was quickly losing his place in. There were pieces he was filing away for later, but his own curiosity and desire for knowledge could wait.

The chill Vet felt down his back he was picking up from the dread rising in Star. He was right on the edge of remembering... A feeling he knew well and always felt out of reach, memories that were elusive no matter how hard he tried... The Plants, his description of their voices, another sensation he wished he didn't empathize so well with.

"Was it Nai?" he asked, after Wolfwood's questions. "I felt his menace, it couldn't be anyone else..." He hoped it couldn't be anyone else. Not that Nai returning was any better than a potential new enemy.

@orangetintedglasses

Wolfwood can always tell when Vash is about to put up a fight, flustered or not, and is fully prepared to return the energy before Vet carries on with what happened to cause this whole mess in the first place. More... Plant stuff. Stuff that's always been way above his pay grade. That kinda stuff.

(Apparently the Plant Stuff he knows about is all the... well... more intimate details—)

But, Plants make power, power fuels cities—that much Wolfwood can understand. Vash speaks Plant. Wolfwood also understands that. A massive outage is no joke; a lot of Plants are probably in danger right now if they've been disrupted like the ones on the ship—

The ones on the ship... Oh...

Well, he hopes it's not what he's thinking, or else he's about to have an inconsolably guilty Blondie on his hands.

As if it's his second nature, Wolfwood moves closer to the Independent, placing his hand next to him if he needs to grab it. Vash looks pale like this—like whatever he heard really scared him shitless. If it's enough to scare him, then...

"Is it like what happened at Home?" the undertaker asks quietly, not wanting to spark more fear than is necessary, "Are we gonna need to go all around the area fixin' Plants as a full-time job?"

He furrows his brow and opens his mouth to speak—but quickly shuts it. Perhaps he'll ask if it's the doctor later, once things calm down.

@firsthumandisaster

[firsthumandisaster]

| 🌻 | "So sorry one of us has to eat to stay alive," Vash muttered low enough only Nai would hear, hanging his head. An age old argument. But the truth of it was, he had to eat to live. Even if he had spells of not eating because of his moods...

Vash perked up at the woman, offering a sheepish smile that turned to delight at the offered treat. He was practically drooling at the sight of it.

The joy of that offering quickly died, however, when she turned her attention to his brother. A zing of panic shot down his spine and fizzled in his stomach.

"No, he--" Vash caught his brother's look and gave him a glare as if to say "please don't be that way". "He's not interested in anything, I think. He prefers meals prepped at home, you see. B-But I've got a soft spot for this place, the food is so good. Thank you so much!"

He hoped that little gush about the food and the thanks would be enough to shoo her away before Knives got too annoyed, Vash's own eyes remaining on his brother as he offered the waitress another bright smile.

@firsthumandisaster

from here:

It was all so....

NORMAL

... it was almost painful to perceive.

Then again, what was normal for some, was not normal for others: least of all the twins. They stood at such opposite ends of the same spectrum, one might not even believe they were related if not for their shared face.

"That is----" Knives sneered, strong arms folded across his chest, eyes cautiously regarding what had become an alarmingly empty plate. ".... despicable." If he hadn't just witnessed his brother ravaging whatever the 'dish' was, he wouldn't have even believed it was something meant to be consumed.

"You ate that quickly---!" A woman walked up to their table, carrying a tray of another unidentifiable morsel. "Jus' like I knew you would! How about a little treat?" She winked. "On the house." That same tray she carried was laid down in front of Vash, piled high with some sort of sweet concoction with cream.

"And what about this handsome fella?" She redirected her gaze to Knives. "Can I get you anything?"

Knives looked at her like a cockroach had only just stood upon two legs to speak gibberish to him.

[firsthumandisaster]

| 🌱 | "Ah, yes, another Livio has stumbled across us.. I think he may have been caught in the building of energies as Knives was attempting... whatever he was attempting to do... and crossed into this world as a result." Vet added quietly in response to both Wolfwood's mention of him, and the thought-touch of his name Star broadcast.

"The buzzing feeling will fade as the energies in the room settle. Sorry for how it may be affecting you..." Which was itself a curiosity, but he wouldn't ask questions on that line of thought just now. Save that for later.

Instead, he stepped away from the bed, looking out the balcony doors. Moving gave Vet more 'life' as it were, and helped shake loose the lingering energies they had generated. His own would dissipate more quickly now that he was wholly back in his own 'skin' and the power returned to sleep. He touched the back of his neck and side of his face to see if feathers remained. Some did, glowing faintly, but slowly fading, little by little.

At the bit of dramatic sarcasm, Vet laughed, amused.

"Adding to that, there was a mass disruption in the Plants across this part of the planet. Some towns are still without power, local radio stations are working to get back online and establish comms again."

All the information he'd followed until he found Star in this place. Even Vet didn't know for certain how far the disruption reached.

@orangetintedglasses

Wolfwood gives Vash an absolutely dumbfounded look as he sets the water to the side. He squints with a slightly open mouth, struggling to find the correct words to start with.

"Uh. Yeah," the undertaker eventually starts after several failed syllables, "Let's see, a bulked up version of my dead brother wearing a cowboy outfit showed up at our hotel carrying my unconscious boyfriend and couldn't look at me without crying... Said boyfriend sprouted a fuckin' feather from his pocket while I was taking a smoke to decompress from all that... then another Vash the Stampede shows up, waltzes in like this is a daily occurrence, does some kind of weird mind link with the previously mentioned boyfriend, and now it feels like I got worms buzzing in my ears."

Each event is marked by Wolfwood pointedly sticking a finger out, counting. He passes a look between both Vashes who, indeed, appear to feel completely normal about all of this. Pointy—Vet—even seemed to be giving him a satisfied expression earlier, like he was judging how well he was treating Vash. He probably was!

His hands flop back down to his sides dramatically, "Yeah, nothing unusual happened, Spikey. Don't worry your pretty little head about it."

If it weren't for his current obligations, he'd storm out and smoke again. Alas, he cares about Blondie too much to leave. Instead he just mumbles 'dumbass,' and continues to fret over the Plant, finding any minute thing to busy his hands with so he doesn't slap Vash over the head.

@firsthumandisaster

[firsthumandisaster]

She heard the simple sounds of a piano. Not any real song being played, but the soft tapping of the keys. Tesla knew it was near impossible to even hope that it could be Knives. Even so, she had to look. Peering in through the doorway, she stared at the blonde man who was before an old piano. (Eriks!)

Ghosts of the past.... || @adventures-written : Tesla

| 🌻🌑 |

The notes vibrating from the piano's heart were the closest 'Eriks' could come to remembering anything, feeling anything but the hollow, ghostly existence he'd fallen into since... since....

Nope. Whatever it was, his mind couldn't reach of it. It was a void, hole, withheld from his reach. Something horrible, so daunting he couldn't--shouldn't remember it. He was already broken, how much further could he break if he knew? Sometimes the desire to know bubbled up from the mire of his current state and he'd feel.... something again, determination, the fire to keep on pushing forward but...

Eriks thought he heard someone approaching.. Or maybe 'felt' them, since he wasn't sure there was an actual sound to pick up. Maybe it was Lina, coming to look for him again, because he was prone to wandering off and needing to be found sometimes...

He turned slowly, careful of his prosthetic legs. One was the original prosthetic he was given, but the other had been damaged beyond repair, much like the missing arm. So a more crude prosthetic adorned that other leg. His balance wasn't always too good. He saw her, and blinked slowly at her. Was she real?

Eriks thought he recognized her, somewhere deep, deep in his memory, something did stir. His lips parted, as if to speak, but he hadn't spoken since he'd woken up, after JuLai.

'Who?' he mouthed the word, but no sound came out, his head tilted, hair covering part of his face. His single hand reached out, but stopped and drew back to himself. What if he was hallucinating again? But what if he wasn't?

[firsthumandisaster]

"My..you don't look like you belong in Hell..." The radio demon is eyeing Vash. (Alastor)

In a hellish situation, whoops || @adventures-written ; Alastor

| 🌱 | "H-Hell? I have no idea how I got here...!" Vash's head whipped about, noting that he certainly is not anywhere familiar in the slightest. How he stumbled into another world again was a mystery but there he was...

"Are you telling me this place is... "Hell"???"

[firsthumandisaster]

Cringe vash sketch

[firsthumandisaster]

Markets were busy and stressful and it was hard enough to move through them with a cane, let alone with adding a shopping basket to unbalance him further. So of course it was abruptly made harder when he turned and bumped into someone, dropping his basket and hissing a curse under his breath. Until he looked up at the person he'd run into and froze, then turned to attempt to flee. Nope, he wasn't dealing with this, not happening.

Whoops--Bumped in the street... || @bluestringpuppeteer

| 🌱 | Vash was not paying attention in the moment that he was bumped into... No, he'd been deep in thought about something or other...

"Oh--Sorry, I was just standing in the way--" he fumbled, as he straightened and turned to the person he'd been an obstacle for... The sight of the blue hair caught his attention with a zing of fear and panic but-- No, it was who he thought but, not? He couldn't mistake that face or that hair for anyone else, but he walked with a cane, relying pretty heavily on that cane, no less...

A thousand and one thoughts raced through his head in a single heartbeat. Legato, for it couldn't be anyone else, had dropped a shopping basket of all things, and had turned to flee from him rather than any other action he would have expected. Clearly, something different had happened in this particular world...

"H-Hey, you drop your.." And of course, Vash was without his prosthetic today, hampering himself a bit.. Hell, he wasn't even wearing his coat, today. Just jeans and a button down shirt. The empty sleeve was rolled up and tucked to keep it out of the way. He took a breath and picked up the basket, following as calmly as he could after Legato. Wary, but... curious.

"Hey, your basket...! If you, uh, need a hand with it, I have one to spare?" He didn't call him by name, or act like he recognized him, not yet... Instead he offered his typical awkward grin, the basket out before him, the shoulder of his currently armless side shrugging to reveal the vulnerability.

[firsthumandisaster]

“You’re a pain in the ass.” (from @knifeinthenight)

Nice things so say-- || @knifeinthenight

| 🌻 | "Ehh?? I--I mean... I'm the pain in the ass, Nai? How is that even remotely fair?"

Should he be surprised to see Nai? Probably...was he going to play it off like no big deal? Absolutely...! As long as he wasn't feeling... homicidal, Vash would play nice. That was the smart move, right?

"All I was doing was eating my pizza toast, brother...!" He put a laugh into his words, gestured at his empty plate, and shrugged.

[firsthumandisaster]

| 🌱 |

"Yes, the 'Veteran' they settled on for me.. Don't let it fool you, I'm figuring things out as I go, too." It fit, but it always gave a sense of more to him than he thought was accurate. Sure he's got a good head for some situations but...

"You can call me 'Pointy' if it suits you," Vet murmured quietly, still gathering his wits about him. He was breathing like normal again, and shifting a bit, as if trying to get settled in his own skin. "I don't mind either way."

Once again he's watching them interact. His smile is more relaxed, but still present.

Everyone is fine. I followed the disruption of the Plants until I found you.

Ah. At the mention of Livio, he was putting together more pieces of what's happened here. He must have just missed this Livio on his way in... Well. Its good that he had done something to help, rather than hinder. Vet seemed unconcerned about the food situation. He could indeed figure things out for himself, if needed.

"We'll get it sorted." Slowly, Vet stood, taking a moment to stretch and let out a slow sigh. He looked down at Star, "Food might help, if you can manage to eat something."

@orangetintedglasses

Wolfwood shakes the equivalent of a cloud of buzzing worm larvae away from his face (there's nothing there, what the hell is that sensation???) and recoils back, slightly disoriented. It's as though there is inquisitive, noisy chittering that he can't hear or make out as... noise even. If it's not noise, and it's not bugs, then what is it?

"Vet, eh?" he recovers, keeping a hand to Vash's face, "Fine, I'll refrain from calling him Pointy. Maybe. You need water, Blondie?"

He strokes a feather and takes it between his index and thumb before it can fade away. It's soft. It's mesmerizing. It may not belong to his Vash, but maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing if they stayed...

It's extremely difficult to break contact again, but Wolfwood manages to stand up. He shakes his hair out again, trying to get rid of the weird vibrating feeling in his head—so many goddamn questions—and it actually works this time. His mind is silent again—but wasn't it always?

So weird. Nothing is even being said. Is he imagining things?

Ignoring all of that, Wolfwood fills a cup of water and sits back down—he's being so doting, so soft, as if his love wasn't more obvious than this. He then helps Vash drink some of it.

"You've been out about an hour," he sets the cup aside and returns to making physical contact by holding Vash's hand with both of his, "A... there's a Livio who found you. I told him to get us some lunch. Not sure if he'll get enough for you, Vet, but I'm sure you'll manage."

@firsthumandisaster

[firsthumandisaster]

| 🌱 | Vet didn't object or comment on the 'Pointy' nickname, instead a quiet huff of laughter was produced. It was the very human actions and words that were the most grounding after an adventure into the mindscape.

At the touch of Star's prosthetic landing on one of his legs, Vet patted that arm, and tipped a nod of agreement as Wolfwood moved away for a moment.

"Give it a few moments, the pain should ease... though from what I picked up, I'm not surprised," Vet said out loud for Wolfwood's benefit.

He's a good one, for you. He sent along their connection, the emphasis flavored like Wolfwood's fretting, his worry and care, the kiss Vet had witnessed. I'm glad.

Wolfwood returned, and did finally look his way, Vet still smiling a silly little smile. Another thing that could be easily spotted as a very Vash-like expression. It widened at the man's blush.

"I'll be fine, just a bit... scattered," he replied, and winked at Wolfwood. "Don't mind me. Just keep on as you were."

The look on Wolfwood's face is a funny one—he's smitten and smiling and relieved all in one. He pushes gently against Vash's head just to let him know that he's right there, not leaving, but also leaves him some space to recover. The hand that was gripping the blond's hand for dear life instead shifts to his head. Vash winced in pain... almost bad enough to make him flinch out of empathy.

Right?

Looking up at Pointy, the undertaker feels a strange sense of... is it a question? No one is saying anything. Confused, but not about to ask any questions about it, Wolfwood moves Vash's prosthetic hand to touch Pointy. He can feel through this thing, right?

"Here, Pointy will keep you company. Gonna get a warm washcloth for your head." He doesn't extrapolate any on the way he called the older-looking Vash 'Pointy' out loud. They really need better nicknames. Maybe... Feathers? But now Blondie has feathers too, so... ugh...

Wolfwood stands up and strides the whole three undertaker-sized steps to the bathroom where he douses a (somehow clean) washcloth with hot water and wrings it out. When it's the correct level of dampness, he brings it back to Vash and dabs at his forehead just to test how it feels before laying it over him.

After all of this, Nicholas finally looks up at Pointy and—has... has he been staring this whole time? Hot blush quickly spreads over his cheeks like wildfire; his eyes dart nervously before returning to Pointy's gaze.

"Um... anyway... how are you feeling?"

@firsthumandisaster

[firsthumandisaster]

"You make me feel safe."

Nice things to say || @orangetintedglasses

| 🌱 | The words weren't expected, and Vet hid the confusion he felt by looking down at the cup he held. He wondered, without seeking out the aura of emotional output, what prompted such a statement. Rather than question it though, he let a lop-sided smile show.

"I'm glad you can feel safe with me." And try not to think that double the presence of Vashes meant luck was stacked against them should disaster strike. It was their curse, after all.

"You deserve to feel safe, I'm glad I can be part of that."

[firsthumandisaster]

| 🌌🌱 |

Once contact was made within the vast inner space, Vet did have a moment of 'hearing' Star's collective with clarity. The deeper connection with Star bridging the gap for a brief time to allow for it. He got a sense of what Star had been struggling against while within the collective's shared space, why they wanted to hold onto him, the fear and uncertainy.

If he were physical here, he would weep for them. Instead, his emotional centers trembled under the enormity of it, and he withdrew as they broke away from them.

It took Vet a moment longer to come back to himself. A negotiation of 'occupied space' within his physical body. It was a little like waking from a vivid dream, where one didn't know which was real and which was now. The more he practiced with it, the less trouble he had, however.

As his eyes opened, the glow had diminished, and the feathering he sported, though not gone, had began to sink back into him. Feather's still graced the side of his cheek, neck and hand while the rest were fading into glittering light motes against the fabric of his red coat.

With no need to speak yet, Wolfwood had taken the lead on that one, Vet just sat, relaxing back into his body. His hand slowly withdrew from where it had rested on Star's cheek, instead resting lightly on his prosthetic forearm.

Vet's gaze was still a little dazed, but he watched them with a soft smile. It very nearly felt like an out-of-body experience of seeing himself and Nick in a similar position.

Through the still-lingering connection to Star, a gentle, happy thought tendril reached across.

Found a good one to hold onto.

Outside, Wolfwood sits for nearly half an hour with nothing but his own anxiety and the ambient noise of the town beyond the window.

(Well, at one point he thinks he hears a chuckle from Pointy... but...)

His eyes fix on a sudden emergence of plumage that curls around Vash's arm—one such feather checks Wolfwood out, as if it's sensing him. He tries not to freak out about it. Unfortunately for Vash, this means that he is gripping his hand tightly; he's not squeezing it enough to break any bones, but it almost feels like it and he doesn't realize it.

Are the feathers a good thing or a bad thing? Pointy said that the feathers were his doing so... unless he had bad intentions...

No, no—Pointy is a Vash. Vash wouldn't want to hurt another Vash. He's... pretty sure at least. A Wolfwood, on the other hand...

Nope, not thinking about that. He doesn't want to know.

The feathers unfurl from a good half of his Vash's body, nearly taking over his form. Nicholas is so focused on the feathers that he almost misses Vash's eyes shoot open and focus on nothing. Wolfwood exhales in relief, capturing the blond's jaw with his unoccupied hand and planting a kiss on his lips.

Who cares if the new Vash is watching? He's happy to see his Blondie wake up! Anyone would kiss their partner in this situation!

"Hey, welcome back you damn glowstick," Wolfwood grumbles fondly and bumps the sides of their noses together, "Don't scare me like that ever again."

[firsthumandisaster]

nice things to say to people

“You make me feel safe.”

“You make my life better, you know.”

“You’re very funny.”

“I want you to be there.”

“I want to spend it with you.”

“Of course I want you here.”

“You do a lot.”

“You matter a lot.”

“You’re a good person.”

“I see you.”

“You do it on purpose. I’ve noticed.”

“I’m not afraid of you.”

“You’re one of the funniest people I know.”

“No, I don’t think you’re ‘secretly bad’. I’ve met you.”

“I know you didn’t do it on purpose. You wouldn’t.”

“I know it wasn’t a choice. You don’t make choices like that.”

“I trust you.”

“If you say it’s like that, I’ll believe you.”

“I trust you. If that’s what you say happened, that’s what happened.”

“You’re a warm person, you know.”

“You’re very level. It’s… steady.”

“You care a lot. I see it.”

“Are you safe? Because it matters to me that you’re safe.”

“Will you come back?”

“You’re fun to spend time with.”

“I like you.”

“You’re my friend.”

“Spending time with you isn’t a burden. I like it.”

“You’re a pain in the ass.” (affectionate)

“Will you stay?”

“It’s easier to breathe with you around.”

“You make me happy.”

“I want you. I don’t tolerate you, I want you.”

“It’s nicer when you’re here. It’s better.”

“You know I’m in love with you. It’s not just convenient. I love you.”

“There are a lot of things to like about you.”

“You know you’re a huge part of a lot of people’s lives.”

“A lot of people’s lives are better because you’re in them.”

[firsthumandisaster]

| 🌱 🌌 |

Long minutes passed in the physical world, and the drift out into that void was slow, tentative. Cautious for signs of hostility waiting. He’d survived The traps left for him by Nai and Remade once, he’d be careful again….

But this time… this time it was akin to plunging into a widely networked collective… So similar to the sisters he knew, but at its most basic understanding it was unlike what he knew of his own world’s collective; in whatever way that set them apart from world to world. That difference was what made it possible to not be pulled down… that and a powerful tether keeping him rooted in his body. That thrumming ‘other’ self that was his power taken on its own mental shape.

He cast light into the void, his own form glowing brightly with feathered wings that shed the light like falling snow. Each drifting bit of light a tendril of his mind, questing, searching, calling. And true to what he spoke to Wolfwood, he would boost the signal of his presence out to Star, convey the strongest feelings and words that he focused hardest on.

If not for the depth he drifted to, he was sure his body would be grinning in response to what he picked up. Not deliberately looking, but, residual consequence to the contact formed while their power invoked on this level. Wolfwood would only see the glow deepen, Vet’s eyes closed. He no longer drew breath, heart no longer beating, as if time itself stopped.

His voice, when he spoke, was flat-toned, deep, and the words came slowly. “So many Plants…”

He felt them shift, some of them felt him and reached for him as they had Star, but he couldn’t hear the voices, not more than the presence of their existence, the pressure their minds created in this liminal space.

Star’s ‘voice’ was heard first, an echo he couldn’t see but felt. In the suspended and timeless stretch, the search felt to Vet, too, as if it went on for hours, days. Time meant little here. Which was why the fear and distress of the Plants felt endless.

“Found him—“ Vet spoke out loud, one of his questing motes of light met Star’s reaching hand, and instantly he was falling toward the place Star was.

There you are… come on. We can help your siblings better out of this place…

Vet in this space looked larger than he did in life, a feathered winged creature with bright turquoise eyes, still humanoid but more, ever so much more. His hand reached impossibly across the space remaining to Star and grasped him firmly. Making contact there strengthened the beacon that was Wolfwood’s contact with Star on the outside.

And someone is waiting for you.

Well, skin to skin contact is easy enough, at least. Pointy doesn't have to tell him twice—Wolfwood swiftly swipes the rickety wooden chair from the other side of the room and places it next to Vash. He nods affirmatively, sits down, then reaches to Blondie's hand and holds it. His calloused thumb brushes against the blond's knuckles, hopefully providing an element of comfort if he is somewhere in there.

"I'll uh, let you explain more later... or something. Just... get Blondie back, alright?"

The feathery tendril is... concerning, to say the least. Can... his Vash do that? Can his Vash do this strange mind link thing? What if he does and he sees too much?

Best not to think about such things when there is something weird going on. If he accidentally thinks too hard about anything awful, Vash might run away from it. So... instead, Wolfwood tightens his grip on Vash's hand and thinks about the finer things in life: the way Wolfwood sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night and takes a moment to adore Vash's sleeping expression, how he feels when Vash is riding behind him on Angelina, laughing together, and—well—he tries to avoid the spicier things, but naturally one thing leads to another...

(He manages to catch himself before it goes any further than getting handsy or making out, thankfully.)

Is this even doing anything? He's not sure.

"C'mon... rise and shine, Needles. Need you in the land of the living."

[firsthumandisaster]

| 🌱 | Vet listened with that preternatural stillness sometimes found in Independent Plants, where he’d been all movement with the coat tails and all moments before, nothing seemed to stir but his breathing as he listened to the other.

It was obvious thoughts churned behind his eyes, but he processed all of it with just a nod. He watched the restlessness in Wolfwood’s body language, and decided he’d ask questions of the time on the ship another time. If the opportunity presented itself without causing too much damage in the process. They’d already been through so much together, and come out of it… if not whole, then healing and connected, bonded. Forged through things neither should have to face, but made stronger together. Just like himself and Nick.

“What happened there may have played a part, but I don’t think so. Anything Nai gets up to is never good regardless, especially not since he tore holes in the world that made it possible for different versions of ourselves to travel between. Or, that is as close to what we think happened, anyway.”

With that, he shifted where he sat, to look at the unconscious Plant, and reached for his right hand, cool to the touch, especially for Vet, who’s skin ran warmer than what seemed ‘normal’.

“Not just can help, you will. Just being near him will help, being here for him when he wakes up.” No response to an initial touch, not good, but not bad either. Turquoise eyes came back to Wolfwood. “I know trust is in short supply, Wolfwood, you don’t have to do anything more than be yourself with him when he’s awake again. But if you can extend a bit of that trust further, there is something more you can do to help bring him around.”

Vet extended his own scarred right hand over Star’s face, touching along his forehead and cupping one cheek. For all his calm outer appearance, purposefully invoking his own abilities still caused some of its own anxieties for the world-weary veteran Vash. The fear of losing control, losing himself to the destruction his own Knives forced him to commit, not once but twice… He drew in a breath, because Star needed them, or at least he told himself that.

“While I… connect with him, seek out where his mind has gone,” he explained, voice a little distant as he began trying to draw up his power, a slow swelling of an overflowing wellspring. “Just touch him, his skin. The contact will let him feel you more strongly. I will… boost the signal more or less, and give him a guiding light back to himself.”

As his power swelled, the room would begin to feel… heavy, like a warm pressure pushing on them from all sides, and feathery light glowed at the back of Vet’s neck and through the sleeve of his right arm down to the hand where it rested on Star’s cheek. Just like the feathers in Star’s pocket from earlier, translucent and glowing with warm light.

“I would say ‘don’t be afraid’ but… I know how unsettling all this is. Just know, it won’t hurt him, or you.” He hoped, anyway. He still wasn’t sure what he’d find once inside…

Where hand met cheek glowed more brightly, and forged a temporary connection between them. A much gentler and calmer connection than what happened when Diablo faced off against Remade to bring Star back. This situation was much different, and hopefully easier.

Vash. Little brother. I’m coming to find you.

Vet’s voice was a vibrant blue-gold lightning, amplified by his power, echoed into the mental ‘airwaves’ as he began to bridge the gap between their minds. Different Plants they may be, but they’ve managed it before, by being kindred spirits, of like minds and determination. A connection Nai and Knives could not forge with their true brothers the same way, because of how different their minds and spirits were.

| 🌱 | The uncertainty was palpable to Vet in a way that he sympathized with. He gave him as much time as he needed to let things fall into place, and sighed in relief as Wolfwood put forth half-hearted agreement and unlocked the door. Once it was open, he stepped inside, the weight of his metal soled boots making solid, but not over-loud steps.

Those boots strapped up to the knees, revealing thick denim above. He didn’t wear his armored bits, traveling light to move quickly. The coat itself seemed to be alive as he moved, the tails fluttering about his legs, long enough to nearly brush the floor; fastened up the front to form the high collar he often used to hide behind. He was removing the fingerless glove on his right hand as he turned back to Wolfwood, tilting his head in a very Vash-like curious way.

“Livio?” Vet knew the name, had a brief encounter with one a few times in his travels but, the familiarity ended there. He knew more of him, rather than having known him personally. “I’ve met a man going by Livio once or twice but not recently… I assume you encountered him? Not in a fight, I hope?”

At that he looked around the room, noting all the things Wolfwood probably didn’t want noticed about the state of the room. He made no comment, except a little knowing grin, and raise of the eyebrows that held something friendly, fondness, even. No, the expressions this Vash carried on offer for Wolfwood were nothing like Livio’s. Though carefully tailored, he had a firm grasp on his emotions, his expression was open, mostly neutral, and quicker to smile than frown.

“As for what is going on, and if he will be okay, they’re both simple and complicated answers. Simplified, yes I do have some idea of what’s going on, and yes, he will be okay. Shaken, for certain, disoriented, maybe more. We will have a better picture when he’s awake.”

Stowing the glove in a pocket, Vet removed his glasses, notably smaller than Star’s, and put them away, too. One of the strongest differences between them, Vet’s eyes were turquoise, more blue-green than true blue, mercurial and lively. He leaned toward Wolfwood, but didn’t touch him, making sure to catch his gaze, wanted his words to stick as he said, “You being here will help.”

He moved to the bed, noting the feathery plume with another tilt of his head. “That was a bit more dramatic than it should be…” With a light touch, the plume’s light dimmed and the feathery growth faded into a faintly glowing shower like glitter, then nothing at all, as if it had never been there. The real feather made of his power remained, still safely tucked in Star’s pocket.

“From what I have felt from the Plants and gathered from the still broadcasting radio stations, something pulled a lot of power from the Plants, or used them in some other way, I’m not completely sure—Some of them are still in distress bad enough they cannot function normally. There are only two beings in this world, that we know of right now, that can connect to or interact with these Plants in that way. This Vash, and his brother. And I know he would not harm his siblings in such a way, it must have been Knives. The things I don’t have answers to yet are why and what he’s up to… But whatever he was doing, it did something to Vash, and I intend to find out if there’s lasting damage, or if he just needs rest and time to come around on his own…. It’s not the first time I’ve done something like this. Thankfully, this time there are much less dire circumstances going on at the same time.”

Something about that might feel familiar to Wolfwood, like an echo. A place and time no one who lived through it wanted to revisit. JuLai.

“Is there anything you know about when it happened? Did he say anything, act oddly before hand?” Vet placed himself on the edge of the bed, and looked back to Wolfwood. If not for Nai’s existence, the two on the bed would absolutely look to be older and younger brother, anyone could believe it if they decided to use that as a ruse for their identities.