Near July, before all the chaos

[cowgoesmoo]

Nai's missing, the smashed-up city that Rem had put her house next to keeps changing, there's people nearby, human people, more and more of them all the time, gathering... it's been an eventful few days for a tiny plant!

It's not healthy to sit inside all day, hunched over the radio, waiting desperately for any sign of his brother, and so Vash is out wandering the dunes and cliffs near the station, a small two-way radio clipped to his belt that lets him keep listening to the radio inside, just in case Nai is able to call again. Some of his day is taken up training, working on focusing his plant powers to summon feathers that sprout in tiny downy tufts all along both his arms. Some of his day is just walking, exploring and re-exploring the space around the station, finding holes, bugs, interesting rocks. Some of his day is lying flat on a cliff, watching the human refugees below as they gather around the ever-changing city of July. Sometimes he finds a quiet space where nobody can see him, and cries for awhile. Sometimes, when Rem's been out late working hard, he's inside the station, cleaning and cooking and helping out as best he can. And, late at night when he can't sleep, he climbs up on the nearby ledge and watches the stars.

Comments

[cowgoesmoo]

He's not Knives yet! He's still Nai. He won't ever have to be Knives, because they're here now, and not on the ships.

Vash scowls up at Mr Livio, briefly furious at the idea that Nai might not be all right.

"He's out there! He called me, from..." He looks away, just for a moment. That palce is secret, and he can't talk about it, not with humans. "He called me, and he said he was coming back! He's gonna come back!"

And he'll fight anyone who says otherwise!

[graveresemblance]

He sighs, lifting his hands in a calm down-- a surrender, gesture. this Knives-- Nai-- is still little. still sinless. a child.

Livio has to remember that.

"Okay, okay...so he told you he's nearby?"

[cowgoesmoo]

Vash shakes his head, fiddling with the radio. The speaker hisses as he adjusts the volume and band, making sure that it's still set to the right channel. Waiting is hard. He already knew he wasn't very patient, but after this he's discovering that he actually hates it.

"He was a long ways away, but he called on the radio and said he was okay, and he was coming home as soon as he could." There's a lot more to it than that, but it's family business. Mr Livio is a good kind man, but, sorry, he's not family. He's not a plant. "But then the, um. The person he was with said he disappeared again, and I don't know where he is."

Vash rubs at his chest, over his heart, his gaze drawn again to the city in the distance. "I know he's okay, but..." But who knows where he's gone to now. Who knows when he can return.

[graveresemblance]

He reads between the lines-- there's got to be more. It's Vash-- there's always more. But Livio doesn't push it. He'll either tell him one day, or won't. Either way, he's gonna do what he can to help.

"But he'll probably get in contact with you again," he says, hoping his voice is reassuring. "He'll be back."