I wanted to write today, but then @revenantghost came along with this and a scene haunted me. Something, something, modern au, where plants and humans were separated, but are now integrating. Vash is a vet tech, Wolfwood is a former cop trainee that went to social work instead and Nai is a high-earning manager of a company called Plant Bee (either something for contraception because the less humans the better or something with bees... I like both ideas). Nai is an arsehole, but at least not evil? Edit: Now with part 2 more sillies
It was a joke gift, really. Vash should have known that Wolfwood would love it and wear it. There are some regrets, but they pale besides Wolfwood’s broad, proud smile when people take a double look. It is a white shirt. The kind of shirt on which you see the bad quality of the fabric just by how it falls. “Eat plantussy. It’s vegan <3,” is written in big, green letters - in Comic Sans, of course. Wolfwood doesn’t wear it for work, fortunately. The teens know Wolfwood supports plant rights and the kids do not need to know that he does more with Vash than holding hands and sharing kisses. Wolfwood knows how to dress adequately being around different kinds of company. Though, somehow, Wolfwood always wears it when they encounter Nai.
At first, it was an accident, when they were lounging in the shared flat, then it became cruel with intent. The first time, Nai stared at the letters in obvious disbelief. His mouth hung open. His eyes even bulged a little. The utter shock was too immense. And Wolfwood beamed like Vash’s little joke gift was a gift that would keep on giving… And it has kept on giving. Wolfwood and Nai get along like cats and dogs. Nai being full of very polite and distant, but backhanded compliments and comments and Wolfwood countering by showing his roots. The shirt was just another layer added to Wolfwood showing his nasty side. Nai’s office party? Wolfwood has worn it. Celebration dinner with Wolfwood as his plus one? Wolfwood has worn it, under his suit jacket. Nai knew and was foaming, politely. And today, at Vash’s award? Wolfwood has repeated it.
Nai has even tried to appease the demon Vash has awoken in Wolfwood. He has gifted him high quality, silken shirts, a fitting suit jacket, he even used real compliments when he made Wolfwood try the clothes on. But to Nai’s dismay Wolfwood loves his worn-out clothes. Being a somewhat unkempt, gritty former streetrat makes the kid's trust come more readily and Wolfwood fosters that trust to the best of his ability. He'll never know if and which positive interaction reaches them, that's why any interaction counts.
“You will not take a step into my flat with that on,” Nai’s tone is low, growling. His patience has finally snapped in this very staircase. Vash sighs, trying to shimmy between them. ‘It’s our flat. I live there, too,’ Vash wants to say, but Wolfwood wraps his arm around his waist and moves him aside. God have mercy, please.
Wolfwood tilts his head in his best delinquent manner, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Huh? What did ya say?”
“This,” Nai pokes his finger against Wolfwood’s chest on the white shirt. “This is nasty.”
Vash wails internally. Wolfwood grins like he has just received the biggest compliment. “Well, yer brother loves it.” In one fell swoop his suit jacket is in Vash’s arms and his shirt is off and offered to Nai.
Nai recoils as if he has just touched something slimy in the dirty dish water. “I mean what is written there! It is objectifying! And purely factually wrong!”
“Why?”
Nai just shoots a glare at Wolfwood, who trots behind him into the flat. “Because!”
“Aw, widdle Nini can’t give a reason why he’s pouty.”
“I can and I will elaborate!”
“Cool,” Wolfwood goes to their alcohol cabinet and pours them a glass of whiskey. Nai takes even more offence to Wolfwood drinking his whiskey warm than Wolfwood being topless in their living room. He pointedly goes to the fridge and gets the cooled metal cubes to put in his drink, Vash’s drink and then, while staring Wolfwood down, in Wolfwood’s drink. Wolfwood stares back and empties his glass in one swoop. Nai has to take a deep breath to not scream at Wolfwood for drinking whiskey wrong.
“This shirt mocks women, dehumanises… no, demammals plants and slams down on veganism as a cruelty free form of living. How can you live with yourself?”
“Pretty swell, actually. That said, I heard more than once that a man willing to eat pussy is at least not totally lost in the machismo sauce, because the act focuses on the woman and not on the male pleasure. Feminism is not my expertise, but that is a point to think about. The one who got me that shirt is a plant. He chose the lettering and the writing. He knows a joke and he knows I respect him and both of yer rights and will defend them. Ya know that one, too, buddy.” He pauses and fills his glass again. “I hope.”
Nai clicks his tongue. “It still mocks vegans.”
Wolfwood deadpans: “Listen, we both know this is not about veganism, plant rights or women’s rights. This is about me eating yer brother out. Daily. Ya have no power here, man. Sucks to be ya, but I will rail yer brother until he sees stars as long as he’ll have me. That can be a week, that can be a year, that can be the rest of my human life,” Wolfwood takes the last swig of his whiskey. Vash lets Wolfwood talk, but the ‘rest of his human life’ has made a big knot appear in his stomach. Wolfwood keeps on talking, but Nai seems to have noticed it with the worried glance that got thrown immediately at Vash. Vash smiles back and waves it off. Completely unaware of the brother’s little, nonverbal talk, Wolfwood points a finger at Nai. “And ya have to deal with it. Yer brother likes sex. And! He somehow got a liking to me. That means, he’ll get it, all of it, any minute I can provide. Ya don’t like sex. And ya despise my existence. But that is on ya and not him. Ya can either accept that one of ya has good taste and the other one tames street rats in his free time, or ya don’t. But ya won’t make me disappear. So how about ya start being a good brother and let yer brother enjoy exploring his sexuality.” Wolfwood thinks for a second and continues: “Because he will do that with or without me and even ya have to agree that I am a somewhat safe partner. Or do ya have someone better in mind? For example, Lega…,” he can’t even end his sentence, because Vash and Nai scream in obvious terror or disgust.
Rewatching Stampede because yes I have better things to do but also seeing Nai playing “Duet” by himself sounding the same way it did when Vash played with him, he really must have invested a lot of time into pulling that off and it just makes my gut roll in a certain way that I’m just-
me when the song mentions retribution and love (i can twist it into LOVE) and time repeating and then i can reach for the song to be about dust. me when the song mentions a dependence on others and wanting to get rid of emotions and manipulation and then i can pretend the song was made for killer. me when the song mentions food themes and rebellion and cooperation in a bad world and i can delude myself into believing the song was for horror. me if making everything about the murder time trio was a competition