nomans_land | (no subject)

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Not every town is abandoned, as time continues its shenanigans. This one is as run down as any other, cobbled together with parts and debris, but it seems intact enough, its plant dangling over the town, people going about their business for the most part unperturbed.

For the most part. There is some grumbling, most of it more nervous than angry, that their new neighbor is a well known monster, and how dangerous it is to be so close. The only reassurance, nothing bad has happened yet.

Yet.

Sitting in the rocking chair of his newly acquired home's creaky porch, Knives Millions does absolutely nothing to any of them. He hasn't harmed anyone as yet, but part of the town seems to be from his time, not whatever base timeline it is, and running on reputation alone means he's so far been unbothered in return, and the plant is being treated with exceptional care. Had she been, before he arrived? He wasn't sure. But he can tell from here her mood was content, so he does nothing besides sit there, rocking idly, and cleaning the gun he'd liberated from someone else several days before.

A beat up jeeplike vehicle sits in the shade behind the house, and there is a tiny, perhaps six or so inches high, little sprout of broad leafed green growing determinedly by the porch. With the door wide open, it's fairly obvious this home had once been occupied with people distinctly Not Knives, but there's no signs of violence.

It's peaceful enough for the moment.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's been more than two weeks since Vash last showed up at Knives's door, gun in hand, dreading the fight that he was eager to see done and over. This time, as he approaches the property line, his hands are empty. This time, there's nothing violent in his heart -- not in his intent, his manners, the emotions that he's still not fully able to prevent from bleeding through on what he's jokingly begun thinking of as Radio Plant.

This time, he's here to meet his sister, and he cannot wait.

Brother? Greetings/respect/love

Things have been rough lately when it comes to visitors, and if Knives is a bit vindictively overprotective about it, surely it can be forgiven! Happily he's already outside when Vash turns up, continuing the long fight against what should have been an easy well-drilling venture that was now a two week long escapade into frustration and mud.

There's a lot of mud.

But being outside means he sees approach long before he feels it, and that.. yep, that's a red coat. And not a vine in sight, so probably not a pending murderous rampage. He pauses his work, thoroughly mud-splattered, and squints. Hm.

"Tessla, one of our many .. many red brothers is here, I think he'd like to say hello."

Tessla can't really help with the drilling and things, but she's found out that mud is fun when you're not trying to actually get things done like her brother is. She likes putting her toes in it, feeling the difference between hot sand and the cooler mix of earth and water.

She carries around one of the dolls Knives has given her, her shed feathers stuffed into the doll's clothes and hair to look like wings. Tessla doesn't know how to actually play with the toy, but it's fun to have something that looks a little bit like her.

When her sharp brother mentions a red brother, she gets out of the mud and smiles as she senses the approach of a Vash - her range shorter than Knives so far. It doesn't feel like one she's met before, and that's exciting.

"Red brother!"

Edited (wrong formating whoops) 2023-07-24 14:47 (UTC)

His brother's house looks much as it did when he was here last, other than the construction project that he can just barely make out at the far side of the yard. What is he doing over there, Vash wonders? That's a lot of equipment!

But his curiosity will have to wait, because that right there? That absolutely adorable child covered in mud and feathers beaming at him? It's really her.

Sorry for the tears, little sister. Vashes cry a lot -- they can't help it!

"Hello Tessla!" For all that he's crying, at least he's smiling, too? More than smiling -- he's beaming so wide it's a wonder the top of his head doesn't fall off. She's really here! She's alive! Happy! ...Playing with dolls in the mud like a real child, god, it's all worth it, all the chaos of their displacement, everyone they left behind, he can't regret a thing because she looks so happy.

He goes down onto his knees so she doesn't have to crane her neck to see him... at least partially. Partially, it's because you're supposed to kneel before a miracle, right?

"I'm so glad I finally get to meet you!"

Vashes do cry a lot and especially when they meet her, but she's learned that it's happy tears. So instead of looking worried she runs straight to him, arms and wings out for a hug as he kneels down. The doll even loses a few feathers in her hurry, but that doesn't matter. She's a little seraphim, she has more to use.

"Hello, red brother! It's so nice to meet you!" Tessla sounds like a little girl, acts like a little girl, all healthy and happy despite a few too many fingers and toes. She's learning so much about the world and a lot still confuses her, but she's safe.

Nothing hurts. She's not alone.

To be honest, he doesn't even notice the extra fingers. He's so used to seeing her, well, in pieces, broken apart and preserved like a grim trophy. All he really sees is her smile.. . and the feathers.

Is that her plant powers shining through the places where she was put back together, he wonders, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. Or is she more than just one little girl now? The wings remind him, somewhat uncomfortably, of the way Knives appeared when he'd been bursting at the seams with their absorbed sisters. Vash doesn't think for a second that any other plants living inside Tessla are there under duress, if they're even there at all, but the similarities are, well. Similar.

But it doesn't matter, not in the slightest. Those are questions for much, much later, if at all.

"I hear you have a lot of red brothers now!" The only questions he needs to ask her are gentler ones. Are you happy here, and do you want the red lollipop or the purple one? The real important questions. "A whole circus full!"

Mess is, he's learning, part of having children around. That's fine, that's what the WELL WOULD BE FOR, IF IT EVER COOPERATED. There would be much preening to be done later, but it was a small price to pay. He observes the pair for a long moment, thoroughly uninterested in actually interrupting it, and then goes back to trying to force the earth to submit to his whims.

Frankly the mud is a good sign, it meant moisture IS down there somewhere. He's not concerned anything's about to suddenly go wrong over there, Tessla's .. Tessla, and this particular Vash didn't strike him as any kind of risk to her. So they're left to their reunion ... first meeting? And he.. is going to start the drill back up. It grinds to life with an earthshaking rumble, something he's long since gotten used to, and mud begins its slow ooze out once more.

She is more than one, a tiny and happy girl surrounded by loving sisters who joined with her forever to keep her in one piece. To help her smile big and happy as she is right now, arms around her big-little brother's neck and giggling when she hears him say she has so many red brothers.

"I do! So many, it's nice to have a big family." She pauses, briefly. "What's a circus?" Tessla knows so little, everything is new to her. Mud is new, happiness is new, choices are new.

...the sound of the drill is not new at all but it still makes her cling harder to Vash when it starts up, before she relaxes again. As happy and free as she is, there's a lot of fear in her, as well.

She’s not the only one! Vash jumps when the drill starts up again, clutching Tessla tight and starting to turn them so that he’s between her and whatever’s making that sound. The worry lasts only a second or two, though – really, he should have realized right away that it was the drill!

“Sorry!” He lets her go with an apologetic laugh -- he didn’t hold her too tight, did he? His own wings only come out for combat, so he doesn’t have a good understanding how sensitive they might be the rest of the time. “Wow, that thing is really loud, isn’t it!”

He didn’t actually think that it was an attack, but… well, there’s trust and there’s trust, right? He knows, rationally, this Knives wouldn’t do anything to harm Tessla, but a lifetime of wariness is difficult to shake off. “What’s he doing over there?”

He's used to it, the automatic suspicion, the compulsive acting as if every move is an immediate threat. It's probably why there's no reaction, physical or otherwise, to Vash taking a protective stance with Tessla even for a moment. If there was an actual threat he'd see to it himself, and as much as the borehole digger is a shoddy piece of work that liked to constantly break down, it was not a threat, just annoying.

At worst, its threat is more mud. Of which there is plenty already, oozing along in little soggy runnels towards any low point they can find.

It was almost too bad. It was still a waste of moisture but he didn't really have an effective way to capture it, even if he has to watch it like a hawk for color changes or even signs of it thinning out into muddy water instead of just ... gloop.

When Vash grabs her tighter those blue eyes widen a bit, but she doesn't seem to spook further and her wings aren't too sensitive. Instead she smiles a little, pointing both her hand and some wings over to Knives.

"Sharp brother is making a hole that will give us water! The drill is very loud and he says a lot of angry words sometimes but the mud is fun!" She sounds excited and a little bit proud, because her big-little brother is working so hard and having water whenever they wanted sounded fun.

She's a little kid, and kids get dirty a lot - but Tessla also has at least seven pairs of wings to preen every time she gets muddy. The sand baths work but hot water would be even better!

To be fair, he would have jumped no matter who fired up the drill -- that thing is loud! Sorry if his jumpiness upset anybody!

"Sharp brother?" Just like Wolfwood, he thinks suddenly. Affectionately. She's given everyone a nickname -- sharp brother, red brother. That's fun! "Ha ha, you're right, it's very loud! You're very brave not to be scared like I was!"

Keeping his hand on her shoulder if she'll allow it, Vash takes a better look at Knives, and the mess their sharp brother is making. So he's digging a well! That's what all that equipment is for! Clever. Necessary! And so much work for one person. Would he welcome some help? It can't hurt to ask, once he's done talking with Tesla here!

"Do you like living here with sharp brother? Even when he says angry words?"

He does his very best to keep his temper, not say things he wouldn't want repeated and generally provide a calm and peaceful environment for Tessla. Which occasionally means getting very inventive with his language; in fairness the rusted out half useless dreck he was stuck with should just cooperate and do what he wanted and then he wouldn't have to get inventive.

Like right now. Oh, it's a struggle as something makes a grinding noise that probably doesn't bode well.

"Mhm! K-knives are... they are scary, but sharp brother isn't! I don't want him to feel alone, though, so you're red brother!" Makes absolutely perfect sense to a little girl, to make it fair. 'Vash' isn't scary, but what if Knives feels sad that she calls him sharp brother and and Vashes by their name?

At Vash's question if she likes living here, Tessla's face blooms with absolute joy and happiness, smiling big and nodding quickly. Things she's only recently learned while playing with her little-little brothers.

"It's the best! Sharp brother is so nice, and he knows so many things, and he helps me learn and brings me toys and makes sure I'm safe. It's... it's so much!" For a tiny thing that knew only pain and fear, it's as close to heaven as you could come. She's happy.

"Then when the red brothers come visit, it's even better! You should all come visit lots more." Shade from an innocent child.

Oh. Oh the nicknames aren't just cute, it's a way for her to feel safer around Knives, because of his name? And he brings her toys?

She is happy. There's no mistaking it -- it's written all over her face, and beaming out from her heart. Kn-- Sharp brother makes her feel safe and happy.

Good.

"Wha-- hey! I only just found out you were here!" His whine is so put on, so over the top, that hopefully there's no way she'll take it seriously. Even so, just in case he drops it almost immediately, straightening right back up like a silly puppet man with a big cheerful grin. "But now that I know you're here, I'll just have to come visit you all the time! If that's okay with our brother, that is. It is his house, so I have to get his permission! Let me ask him right now, okay?"

It's Tessla's house now, actually, from the sound of things. Putting in a well? Knives, you big softie. On Plant Radio, he sends the request to Knives, trying hard to practice using words instead of just emotions and images: talk. join us?

Look, it's a new skill and it'll take some time to perfect, don't judge.

"Besides, I have a present for you!" It's been amazing how fast things in Octovern are getting back to normal. He'd been a little worried that the city would be as blasted and empty as December, but he hadn't had any trouble finding food, and a room for the night (not that he rented it, not wanting to risk discovery in a whole city of people watching for spiked hair and a red coat!)... and, safe in an inside pocket of his coat, a couple hard candies. He pretends to think for a second, then shrugs. "Two presents, actually, if you eat food. Do you?"

It's definitely Tessla's house. She really doesn't know the power she has over the entire area yet. He looks up at the telepathic words, and even at a distance, it's easy to spot a faint frown. He's supposed to walk away now that he has the thing running again??

Unannounced visitors don't get to dictate location. You can come get dirty.

It's not like he or Tessla had any problem with the mud and if Vash did, too bad! Even if it would lead to a significant amount of time cleaning later, if he can reach his goal cleanup will at least, be easier, and not require lots and lots of clean sand and scrubbing.

He remembered this Vash, now that htere was a mind to go with appearance. The one so eager to get himself killed in Octovern.

"I don't think you have to ask. Sharp brother misses his red brothers a lot," Tessla says with a little bit of a laugh at his shenanigans. Red brothers are always so silly! Dramatic, Sharp brother would say, but she's not quite sure what that means. "you all are so busy all the time!"

She's oblivious to the goings on of Radio Plant, her own capabilities still mostly focused on sharing very high emotions - like the rage when she was a ball of feathers, or the onslaught of fear when her nightmares became to much.

Instead she holds on to Vash's coat with one hand and her doll in the other, giving him a really curious look. Present? Two, even? "I eat!" She says, wondering if he brought them dinner."I eat all kinds of things, and I like trying new things, too." It took her a while to realize that it was okay to say that she didn't like some times, too.

Everything is a new and weird experience.

The reply to Knives's comment isn't words. It's a mental raspberry, wet and rude. Fine, big brother, if that's the way it needs to be then he'll come to you.

"Oh good! I was hoping you'd say that!" He was going to direct them to the porch, but apparently they're going to walk over to where their brother is working, instead. Is that okay, sister? "Some of our siblings don't like to eat, but I was really hoping that you did, because I have something super yummy just for you!" And out of his pocket comes a whole handful of cellophane wrapped hard candies, round and bright, in a dozen different colors. There's more in that pocket for little Vash, and Nai if he wants some, but the biggest handful is for the little one who needs more sweetness in her life.

"This present is all for you. Don't eat the wrappers, okay?" She'll be bouncing off the walls all night, with that much sugar. He could warn her about eating just one... but he won't. "The second present is something for you and our brother to share."

Edited 2023-07-28 21:57 (UTC)

Knives absolutely misses them, but he's also growing less tolerant of their antics with each one that turns up to dump their problems at his feet. One, one he'd contended with, learned to live around and accommodate, and now... now there's many more, and they try his patience like nothing else could.

So the time it takes them to reach him is going to be spent carefully steeling himself for what seems to be inevitable. He needed to maintain absolute control around Tessla, mind his words, mind the impressions he gave off lest he accidentally influence her views too much. She should care for her family whole-heartedly, not suffer from his own doubts and bitterness.

Another twenty foot long, four inch wide pipe is carefully levered into position. Keep working, it's a focus. He can hear their approach, see it well enough.

She follows along as they head towards the well area, skipping a bit as they get closer. She's not fond of the loudness, but if red brother wants to talk to sharp brother, then she just comes along.

It's strange to hear that some of their siblings do not need to eat, but she remembers Nai not having any snacks at play time. Curious, she watches Vash take out a handful of something crinkly and colorful, and then beams with excitement as she's given them. She has to put her doll down to be able to hold them all, and she looks up at Vash again with curious joy.

"Thank you!" It definitely has to be something delicious if it looks this pretty!

Tessla quickly puts the candies in a pocket on her dress, keeping one to carefully wiggle out of its wrapping. She pops it in her mouth and her eyes widen at the taste. "Dhis iz sho good!"

Picking up her doll and taking Vash's hand again, now she's even more excited to see what kind of present she and sharp brother will share. Was it cake?

Good, she likes them! He figured she would, since he hasn't met a kid yet who doesn't like sweets, but it's good to see that smile. Anything that puts a smile on her face is worthwhile, no matter the cost.

"They make your mouth turn funny colors, too!" He leans down and whispers, like it's a big secret. "That's my favorite part!"

Enjoy having purple lips for awhile, kiddo! Meanwhile, on the other side of all this mud is somebody he needs to have a slightly more serious conversation with.

"So you don't have to share any of those, but this second present is for both of you" he repeats, only louder so that everyone can hear him as they approach Knives. Hi, brother. Pardon the intrusion, but he didn't want this to wait, for so many reasons. Before it was too late, before he thought better of the decision, before he let the idea slip and somebody tried to talk him out of it. He's given it enough thought -- now it's up to Knives to accept to reject the offer. "What if sharp brother here had some yellow in his hair, like I do?" He's got his face half turned to Tessla, and the question's for her, but he's looking right at you, big brother.

How about some more energy, Knives? A longer lifespan? Enough to see Tessla grown, to keep her safe until then?

"Do you think that would look good on him?"

The drill is, at least, not as loud as some heavy equipment can be, since the actual drilling is now a few hundred feet below ground. But the generator has its own noise, thankfully not so much where they can't hear each other. That candy bribery is going on is.. just fine, really, sweets are part of being a kid. He'd consider getting it for her himself if they sold anything but bagged white powdered sugar in town. He is a passable cook but not good enough to turn that into treats.

All those candies might be gone by nightfall. Breakfast might be after lunchtime, then..

As Vash speaks about presents for the both of them, it's pretty much dismissed, he's not as fond of sweets but that's just more for Tessla, which worked out anyw-

He is for a moment visibly shocked but it's buried quickly, as is the alarm that follows right on its heels. Knives is very good at obscuring emotions when he wants to and can also be certain small minds won't overhear.

She doesn't know what that means. She is not to know what that means until she is older.

Tessla has black in her hair, buried beneath the gold. She's too young to be worrying about mortality and wondering how much time she'd lost, or how much time he has left. The thought of how it would destroy her peaceful happiness made his stomach twist with a buried anguish. What would she do if she knew her family was decaying around her?

The color never comes back.

"I like being distinct from all my brothers. And from my little counterpart, isn't it good to be a little unique?"

"I'll share with my little-little brothers!" Tessla says, eager to show them something this good. Super sweet and colors your mouth? How fun isn't that for a little kid like her?

She follows along as they get to Knives, hopping over the worst mud areas and then looking up at the red brother again when he starts to explain the present they were going to share.

...she looks very confused.

"You want to color sharp brother's hair?" She asks, and looks over at Knives. Why would they do that?

The other red brother had called him 'almost spent' when she was first saved, but she still doesn't really know what that means, and it doesn't really register with her that the hair color is the indicator of that.

...even if her own black strands are weird.

"Sharp brother looks nice already, doesn't he? Red brothers have all kinds of black and yellow and Nai has almost white."

Edited 2023-07-29 00:41 (UTC)

No, he would never tell Tessla what the black means. He chose his words with care, and he'll continue to do so... although perhaps this conversation would be easier if he didn't have to watch his language quite so much?

"I think he looks very nice!" And it's not even a lie. The drained black suits him, and he certainly earned the look. But Tessla needs somebody to look after her, possibly to a degree Vash wouldn't be willing to take on.

He thanks Wolfwood for killing, once. He knows how far his morality can bend, when it comes to protecting loved ones.

"But a little bit of blond might be just what he needs to feel years younger." It's okay to talk about him being old, hopefully, because he is old. There's no shame is not having died yet, right? "I've got some hair dye on me right now, in fact, and he's welcome to half of it. If he wants it."

it's for her. keep her safe. i'll stay with nai. don't need it all. take it?

It doesn't work the way you're thinking it does. It's an active fight to keep emotion out of the touch of his thoughts, to keep it calm, level. He'd fought the impulse to do just this for so long, having it waved in his face was .. It's not like pouring water from one glass to another, and the color doesn't come back. If it did Tessla's hair would be solid gold.

He was learning, no matter what he'd hoped whenever he encountered one of his brothers, that none of them, not a one, would both take up caring for Tessla and keeping an eye on the twins and actually be trustworthy in doing so. Knives could force the issue, but then it would be done with sad smiles and miserable thoughts and she'd know that she was tethering a Red Brother to one place and he was sad because of her. Knives' priority was ever his kin be it one brother or a million sisters, Vash could go through the motions but his eyes would always be on the horizon. Looking for human shapes, and wishing.

If Tessla was to be safe, not just from the rigors of ordinary childhood but the risk of the likes of the one hostile Vash, Knives would have to take more extreme measures--

Or find another way to guarantee at least one Vash would stay, held by the weight of Knives' own memories and whatever remained of his mind and personality. But it .. would work, he's certain of it.

"Sorry, Vash. Once you go black you don't go back." His smile is quick, sharp, and as utterly normal as he can make it. "I don't like the smell of bleach besides. It's very kind of you to offer, I didn't know you were so fixated on us looking identical even after all this time." Take the edge off, make it a joke, and not as deadly serious as he knows it is and his brother ... does not. Even at half his natural power, Vash would be overwhelming. "Now! What are all these little packages Vash gave you?"

She must be kept safe, yes. If I take your offer, you won't be staying with Nai. You don't understand what you're asking me to do, but how could you understand? The sisters that saved Tessla will be with her forever.

for knives and tessla

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meanwhile, well digging. he'll be at it a while.

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