[God, if hearing the resolve in the kid's voice to find the other Vash didn't make Wolfwood's blood run just a little bit cold, he didn't know what would. He really needed to find Needle-Noggin before Knives did again, but he couldn't just leave the man crouched next to him alone with him, either, especially when they hadn't even checked the orphanage for Nico, yet.
He bit his tongue, though, puffing awy on that cigar as if things were just as fine as they could be, now that they had found the kid.
Unfortunately, watching the way those tiny hands held onto Vash's prosthetic, the way the sight of it seemed to effect him in a way that he was trying to hide, just reminded him of how much a child could be effected by things they'd experienced and the horrors they'd seen. How much it could change them. Just like Livio. Sweetest kid, timid and shy and lonely and just wanting someone to take care of him. And how the things he'd lived through had twisted him, made him seek out a monster of his own making if only it would keep him from ever being hurt again.
Despite himself, the realization hit him hard, and it hurt. The whole thing fucking hurt, and everything in him wanted to despise the person cowering in front of him.
He gave a deep sigh, shifting so he could sit, properly, the smile on his face turning sad before fading completely as he stared at those tiny hands grasping around green, shining metal.]
You know...[What had he called him? Not Knives.] Nai? It kinda has. The guy who took the plants...he's really been tryin' his hardest to hurt your brother for a really long time. I haven't known Vash for many years, really, but...the entire time I have...[He could tell this whole thing was balanced on a razor's edge. He could also tell that Vash had been attempting to be vague about what he told his brother. And honestly, he got it. So how exactly did you talk someone down from letting themselves become their own worst enemy, without making things worse?]
He's made a lot of people hurt Vash, a whole lot. Your brother doesn't like to talk about it a lot, an' that's ok. Sometimes things hurt too much to talk about, an' it's ok if he doesn't feel comfortable rememberin' all those things just so we can hear his story. But...I've seen things happen to him 'cause his-...enemies, the people this guy's been sendin' after him, want to do everything in their power to take away everything he cares about. It's why they're takin' away the plants. They say it's for other reasons, but...everything I've ever seen them do has just been to try an' hurt Vash...they even try an' make other people help do it, like...
[He chewed on his words for a moment, glancing over at Vash, really debating with himself whether it was a good idea to say what he felt needed to be said. Trust went a long way with kids who had trust issues. If they found out you'd been lying, it could fuck up the entire thing. He would know, he'd been one of those kids.
Oh well. In for a penny, in for a pound.]
Like me. They wanted me to help hurt 'im, they threatened the people I cared about to make me do it. He's too sweet, though. He makes you feel like you're his best friend. I couldn't do that to 'im. That's...how we got separated. Do you know what an orphanage is? A home for kids who's parents died or couldn't [Wouldn't] take care of 'em? Those guys found out I turned on 'em, so they went lookin' for the kids at the orphanage where I grew up. I knew your brother needed to take care of the other people that guy was hurtin' to get to him, though, so I left to help the kids on my own, an' got into a really bad fight. Your brother came an' helped, he saved all those kids...but I still got separated from 'im when it happened.
That's why I wanna help 'im, now. An' why I need to find the other Vash, to make sure he's ok. A lotta people really look up to your brother, you know? He does everything he can to make other people happy, an' he's real important to 'em. People are real worried about 'im, but it's not safe out there, with that other guy doin' all the things he does just to get to 'im. We think that's what that rumble might'a been about, the one that happened a few days ago? I couldn't hear the voices like you guys can, but it sounded like people were worried about 'im and askin' for help so he'd be safe.
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He bit his tongue, though, puffing awy on that cigar as if things were just as fine as they could be, now that they had found the kid.
Unfortunately, watching the way those tiny hands held onto Vash's prosthetic, the way the sight of it seemed to effect him in a way that he was trying to hide, just reminded him of how much a child could be effected by things they'd experienced and the horrors they'd seen. How much it could change them. Just like Livio. Sweetest kid, timid and shy and lonely and just wanting someone to take care of him. And how the things he'd lived through had twisted him, made him seek out a monster of his own making if only it would keep him from ever being hurt again.
Despite himself, the realization hit him hard, and it hurt. The whole thing fucking hurt, and everything in him wanted to despise the person cowering in front of him.
He gave a deep sigh, shifting so he could sit, properly, the smile on his face turning sad before fading completely as he stared at those tiny hands grasping around green, shining metal.]
You know...[What had he called him? Not Knives.] Nai? It kinda has. The guy who took the plants...he's really been tryin' his hardest to hurt your brother for a really long time. I haven't known Vash for many years, really, but...the entire time I have...[He could tell this whole thing was balanced on a razor's edge. He could also tell that Vash had been attempting to be vague about what he told his brother. And honestly, he got it. So how exactly did you talk someone down from letting themselves become their own worst enemy, without making things worse?]
He's made a lot of people hurt Vash, a whole lot. Your brother doesn't like to talk about it a lot, an' that's ok. Sometimes things hurt too much to talk about, an' it's ok if he doesn't feel comfortable rememberin' all those things just so we can hear his story. But...I've seen things happen to him 'cause his-...enemies, the people this guy's been sendin' after him, want to do everything in their power to take away everything he cares about. It's why they're takin' away the plants. They say it's for other reasons, but...everything I've ever seen them do has just been to try an' hurt Vash...they even try an' make other people help do it, like...
[He chewed on his words for a moment, glancing over at Vash, really debating with himself whether it was a good idea to say what he felt needed to be said. Trust went a long way with kids who had trust issues. If they found out you'd been lying, it could fuck up the entire thing. He would know, he'd been one of those kids.
Oh well. In for a penny, in for a pound.]
Like me. They wanted me to help hurt 'im, they threatened the people I cared about to make me do it. He's too sweet, though. He makes you feel like you're his best friend. I couldn't do that to 'im. That's...how we got separated. Do you know what an orphanage is? A home for kids who's parents died or couldn't [Wouldn't] take care of 'em? Those guys found out I turned on 'em, so they went lookin' for the kids at the orphanage where I grew up. I knew your brother needed to take care of the other people that guy was hurtin' to get to him, though, so I left to help the kids on my own, an' got into a really bad fight. Your brother came an' helped, he saved all those kids...but I still got separated from 'im when it happened.
That's why I wanna help 'im, now. An' why I need to find the other Vash, to make sure he's ok. A lotta people really look up to your brother, you know? He does everything he can to make other people happy, an' he's real important to 'em. People are real worried about 'im, but it's not safe out there, with that other guy doin' all the things he does just to get to 'im. We think that's what that rumble might'a been about, the one that happened a few days ago? I couldn't hear the voices like you guys can, but it sounded like people were worried about 'im and askin' for help so he'd be safe.