Millions Knives

Independent Millions Knives [Nai], twin older brother to Vash from Trigun Follows from: avoiceofcompassion

[knifeinthenight]

Greetings, all!! I'm not sure when I was stricken with the Trigun bug, but I've been fully enveloped in the glory that is this wondrous work of art!!!

Feel free to give this a like if you'd love to hear from my grumpy plant boy!!!I follow back from avoiceofcompassion~

I don't have any rules or anything other than the obvious:

Don't be a jerk

Don't rush me

Don't be a stuck up weenie.

Since Knives is a right villain by nature, expect a cold reception from him. He's gonna be wandering the lands more openly since we don't really get a lot of material of him interacting with the populace much, so I guess you could say this is my AU interpretation of him~~

[aetherceuse-deactivated20250819]

" It is unusual, in most scenarios. That is why it is with me, and not somebody else, " it was not in her nature to brag, but Lusamine was not ignorant to the truth. Handling Ultra Beasts was meticulous work, and required discipline that the average person wasn't capable of. Even one stray Nihilego on this foreign planet could cause lasting damage to it's living creatures if left unattended.

Enough about that though. She was promised something to behold.

And what a sight it would turn out to be.

Compared to the ship wreckage, this piece of technology was small, and looked even more out of place. From a distance, it was difficult to parse just exactly what she was looking at; Lusamine gives a terse glance back to the beast who was following from behind, only to then withdraw it back into its capsule. Better safe than sorry.

They did not need to get much closer to the pod for Lusamine to pause in her step. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting exactly-- but this was not it. A pair of eyes stares down at her, otherworldly, alien, with a body that was airy and pale. The ghostly, eerie glow that this creature seems to be giving off was reminiscent of bioluminescence.

" Oh. "

For the first time in this encounter, Lusamine's rigid, empty visage softens with wonder. She takes a few closer steps, carefully, until she was only a few inches away from the glass.

This empyrean creature, suspended in fluid, was like nothing she had seen before. These were the types of encounters she lived for. Ah, her heart fluttered with adrenaline.

" Hello. You are so beautiful, yes, " she hums, reaching and hovering her hand over the glass in an attempt to greet the creature. When she gets no response, she tilts her head up somewhat to get a better look at the Plant's face. It did not seem to communicate.

" -- You look awfully lonely in there, " Lusamine then looks at Knives from the corner of her eye, " why is it out here on its own? "

[knifeinthenight]

He grinned, his relative amusement evident across his features while he stood witness to her potential first interaction with the 'creature,' before her.

"Plants are an imperative feature of this world and yet few ever pause to regard them as anything other than the tools they have become. Rather, the tools they have always been. This pod is how she survives."

Oh.... was about the least explosive reaction there could be to seeing one. Although people knew what made the world go round, to be forced into a position to see the mortal reality was another thing entirely. It should give them pause, and it did in some regard. But not in the way it should have.

Couldn't be real, right?

That was the thought that often radiated in their minds. They were frightening apparitions.

"As for why it's here and not tucked away in its ship, I haven't the slightest idea. I would say it was a trap of some variety, but I've been lingering here for a while and the situation has not changed."

Be that as it may...

Couldn't be a situation as HARMLESS as it appeared. The pod itself seemed to be in pristine condition! Granted a little weather worn as such things were wont to be when exposed to the harsher elements of the desert lands. Those fine grains of sand could be as sharp as daggers when positioned just right. They downright HURT when lashing against the body in a storm. While the pod wasn't organic, it did possess fine bits that were absolutely susceptible to the locations crueler elements.

The condition of the pod told him that someone would miss it - taking note of its absence sooner rather than later. But the dunes of sand piled up on one side communicated that it had been lying there abandoned for.... longer than he might have predicted possible.

So.... in other words, could it be anything BUT a trap? Or.... someone had stolen it from its original home, on the run from the authorities that would see them jailed longer than their natural lifespans? Maybe they didn't think it worthy to come back for it?

[someonecalled]

[eleutheriya]

he takes a moment to process the laughter from his mouth. it wasn't the kind that carried sincere warmth. it's hollow, the kind that made your stomach twist into knots. He simply flicks ash onto the floor. "Yeah, I've got grievances." matching the same, dry tone but a closer ear could perhaps pick up on the tension coiling and panging in his chest.

"Starting with this whole dog and pony show you're runnin' .. people getting turned into puppets. That ringin' any bells or should I grab my pocket bible and spell it out for ya?"

and to contrast that, he shifts the punisher on his back just slightly. speaking of grievances... the weight of it, a constant reminder of the weight he carried. the lives he'd taken, the ones he failed to save. the promise he made to Vash to see this through. and now he was here, knowing full well he's pushing his luck with every word.

"but hey, what's the point, right? you don't have a soul." his jaw tightening, "you don't care."

// @knifeinthenight

[knifeinthenight]

He didn't look altogether impressed with the revelations being shared. Though perhaps mercifully, for Wolfwood, neither was there a trace, subtle or otherwise, of the irritation undoubtedly to exist behind those blank eyes carefully regarding him. As a reward for 'good' behavior, Knives permitted him to speak his piece without interruption [or murder, as it was].

"And? What of it? Are you airing the grievances you hold or pointlessly uttering casual observations aloud? I suggest you cut to the chase before I lose my patience with you."

Patience was a virtue, after all. But he was far from virtuous.

Amusing, the 'puppet' may be, but the token gimmick was the sort was good for quickly running its course right into the wall if left for too long to simmer.

"You are a bold representation of my more shining successes. If you should turn your grief into daggers, there's no end to what you are capable of achieving. What issue might you have with this newfound strength and abilities you have been gifted?" It seemed a poor way to translate his feelings. The more beneficial would have been to use them, to test his limits, to stretch his wings to see how far he could fly before they slapped~

[knifeinthenight]

@peacehunter

from here:

“Hello.”

By itself, it could well be termed the lamest of the greetings. Delivered without real substance, meant as a phrase when passing casually by the side of a stranger, a mild acknowledgement of another’s existence rather than an opening for more substance. It was spoken as surely as a breath would wisp past parted lips, as the steps would normally carry one onward back on track to their original destination without real fear of being sidetracked with unwarranted conversation. It was not a greeting meant for reciprocation. Not really. Unless it were with a repeated phrase, a simple ‘hello’ mimicking the first. Not mocking. Embracing.

Such simplistic greetings were delivered and then forgotten. There was rarely anything to reflect on the outside any sort of traitorous consideration that would betray what other thoughts might be circulating on the inside. And at any rate, who would know what those subtle context clues meant? If they were passing as perfect strangers.

But. They were not strangers. Not really, though they had long drifted apart. Their heart beat in tandem with one another and would for always in spite of their distance. Twin beings set on a pair of twin destinies - however different they chose to interpret their goals.

"And what has your day brought to you today? You look near to collapse."

[leneemusing]

EMOTIONALLY CHARGED SENTENCES STARTERS

❝  i need you.  don’t you get that?  ❞

❝  i’m right here.  i’m always here right in front of you but you never see me!  ❞

❝  you’re my person.  ❞

❝  no,  i don’t wanna have to talk to anyone else right now.  i just want you.  ❞

❝  i know you’re busy and i don’t want to bother you i just—  can i just sit here with you while you work?  ❞

❝  are we okay?  ❞

❝  honestly,  i’m always there.  in my head.  the scars on my body might’ve healed but i never really walked away from it.  ❞

❝  do you want me to make the others leave?  or we could go,  get some fresh air.   ❞

❝  look i’m not coddling you,  i’m just trying to help.  i wanna take care of you cause i,  you know— care about you.  ❞

❝  alright,  here’s your coffee.  are you ready to talk or should i find something to ramble about for a few minutes?  ❞

❝  eventually,  you just gotta learn to let go of the past.  it’s always gonna hurt,  but you can choose when to start focusing on something other than the pain.  ❞

❝  hey,  just breathe.  look at me— look at me.  in and out.  breathe with me okay?  ❞

❝  keep your eyes on me—  just focus on me.  we’re gonna be okay.  ❞

❝  no,  i’m not okay.  nothing is okay.  it never is.  but that’s just how i function most days.  so i’ll be fine.  ❞

❝  i’m not gonna pretend anymore.  i’m still fucked up from it all and i don’t know when it gets better.  ❞

❝  if you keep waiting until you’re done ‘working on yourself’ before you let yourself be with the person you love,  you’re never gonna be with them.  and they’ll find someone else who is brave enough to give them a chance to love them exactly how they already are.  ❞

❝  why do you stick around?  what is it you think you see in me?  ❞

❝  not everything needs an explanation.  i care about you.  i don’t have to sit here and figure out why.  i just do.  so maybe you should try just accepting it too.  ❞

❝  i don’t need your permission to fall in love with you.  you don’t gotta love me back,  but it isn’t gonna stop me from being here when you need someone.  ❞

❝  you love me too much.  i know how that sounds but—  fucking hell.  you shouldn’t care that much about someone like me.  ❞

❝  i don’t care if loving you hurts me.  the world already has enough pain to dole out for no reason,  at least i’ll have gotten these scars from something beautiful.  ❞

❝  if people can hate for no reason,  than i can love for no reason too.  ❞

❝  one day you’re gonna need me and i’m not gonna be there to fix it.  ❞

❝  no,  i can’t fix everything for you this time.  it’s your mess.  clean it up.  ❞

❝  i dunno who taught you that love comes with conditions and limitations,  but mine doesn’t.  not when it’s you.  ❞

❝  i don’t know how to ask for help i just— i’ve never had anyone to ask for help from before.  so…this is me trying i guess.  i need it and i’m afraid to ask for it.  that’s the best i can do.  ❞

[eleutheriya]

avoiceofcompassion asked: “ haven’t you heard? i have no soul. ” ( @knifeinthenight to Wolfwood!)

the room is cold, an unnatural chill in the room. across from him is Knives, who stands eerily like a marble statue. something something about sermons from a preacher.

he snorts, his cigarette bobbed between his lips as he exhales a slow cloud of smoke, masking the sting from the piercing stare of Vash's twin.

"Yeah. you keep tellin' yourself that." there's a hint of bitter amusement, "Funny thing about people with no souls.." he pulls the cigarette from between his lips, "they sure talk a lot about it." oh he's definitely playing with fire challenging the guy.

@knifeinthenight // knives

[knifeinthenight]

He laughed.

Actually laughed, perhaps the most horrifying response that could be given by a self-proclaimed 'soulless' entity like him. More terrifying than something physical - which was far easier to predict.

"I do like that about you. Regardless of the comment, you have something colorful to add." With or without prompt, something insufferable was forged as a verbal riposte, a careful counter without considering the consequence.

Perhaps he was a glutton for punishment. Who was he to judge the whims of OTHERS.

"Have you anything to report to me? GRIEVANCES to air?"

[elalalune]

Tag!! You're it !!!

[trigshoot]

vash distinctively remembers a time when he'd been able to hear more warmth in his brother's laughter. all of his attempts to keep together those memories of the past were trampled on with every cruel action. should he even keep holding onto them? despite of all that bitter vengeance that he so vehemently denied of having, could he raise a gun to his own twin and coldly take out not only him, but everything they used to be, all of his own ideals and soil her memory in the process of seeking for perfect revenge? back then, he had told himself that he could live with the crushing weight of it – it could be worth it.

being degraded over sparing the lives of his opponents had become a norm. decades ago, someone had asked whether there was anyone out there he would make an exception for. an answer wasn't given.

his right hand balls into a fist, gaze drifting upwards as well. the night sky above seems to hang heavier than ever. vash had always found it odd how cold the scorching desert became when the twin suns circled beyond the horizon. his mind is wandering again.

a breath is unconsciously held as the silence between them stretches before the eventual response.

" you don't have to erase everyone else to have a new beginning. humans aren't doing all of this to spite us, they have no choice. they are just trying to survive after– " raw emotion drips into his words, stained with the same shade of red that has been bleeding from his heart for over a hundred years.

" all we had back then– was each other. and we struggled to belong. but they are struggling too and i can't turn my back on it. "

[knifeinthenight]

"Same old song and dance, huh." He leveled his cool eyes toward his brother's far warmer gaze. "Your body has been riddled with evidence arguing against the points you make in favor of humanity. Would you really fault me for wanting to stand up to such drivel, in defense of both of us, in defense of you? I will take the pain of the moment, little brother, if that is the sacrifice required."

His own twin, who, for reasons he couldn't fathom, failed to stand up for himself. For what? The ideals of some woman long dead? The same dead woman who never once spoke true, so far as he was concerned.

"Survival of the fittest is most certainly a theory I could embrace. Let the weak falter." He shrugged a shoulder. "If the weak happens to be your beloved humanity, it cannot be helped." The Plants they sought to use would eventually devour them. In his opinion, that was a fitting end to begin to forge their new beginning.

"Someone has to make a move. You can't live life in neutrality."

[aetherceuse-deactivated20250819]

Lusamine was not the type of individual to scurry or flee. That was behavior befitting of cowards, traits that she loathed. Those who harbored fear in their hearts and kept their heads down were destined to be pawns, utilized until they cracked and shattered beneath her thumb. If the purpose of these expeditions were to run away the moment a potentially dangerous entity made itself known, she would had thrown one of her less valuable employees at the feet of various beasts countless times over. Even then, she would expect better from those she deemed worthy enough to wear the Aether trident on their uniform.

Knives' second question quickly follows the first. As he asks it, Lusamine has already turned her full attention to her beast, gloved hands reaching out and touching the glassy tendrils without a single care. No longer looking at the man, she gives an answer:

" Use them for? Ah. I do not use this one, " she corrects, " using implies an uneven power dynamic. The beast and I are equals. It will follow instruction when asked, but only because it respects me, and I respect it. "

She pulls her hand away, the noxious, violet neurotoxin of Nihilego's tendrils having leeched onto her glove. One firm flick of her wrist, and it drips into the sand with a sharp, corrosive hiss.

" It will attack and kill if I ask it to. This one in particular almost enjoys those opportunities. Mankind calls it a parasite because of how efficiently it hijacks other living creatures, but, truthfully-- it is always another species that labels something as a parasite. It's a natural behavior to the beast trying to survive, but parasitic to the stranger the fears it. I find Nihilego's vicious instinct to be beautiful. "

Eventually, she turns her head to regard Knives once more, staring with expectation. She'd already given away two pieces of information to the one that he was about to hand over. He was holding answers hostage, much to Lusamine's disappointment. And so she presses bluntly:

" Go on then, I expect this to be a fair exchange, otherwise I have no issue in cutting this conversation short and getting out of this miserable climate, " she gives one last glance to the wreckage that seemed to be slipping from her grasp-- at least he was being generous enough to show her one of these 'Plant' specimens nearby.

[knifeinthenight]

"Then depart. You are under no obligation to follow." Would she follow? Likely. If not for the pull of curiosity then the promise of potential answers. Or maybe just an opportunity to 'unwind' her beast against one who deceived her?

"It is quite unusual for a creature of the caliber you suggest not to bite the hand that tends it." It seemed a set up for an inevitable betrayal when circumstances shifted, as they always did.

Monster and man [or alien, whatever it was she happened to be] could be married together through convenience alone. Instinct kicked in eventually regardless of the attempts to stave it off.

Humanity simply couldn't adhere to the words written boldly in front of their faces, so compelled by their own justifications, greed and motivations as they were. They could not DREAM that anything existed to challenge their stance in any given situation, simply could NOT be deterred from the path they had chosen once a course was set.

"There." Ahead was not a shuttle as the last location had been. Rather, a plant pod itself. Out in the middle of no where? Not connected to the structure that normally encased such things. It truly appeared to have been dropped from the sky to where it came to a permanent stop in the sand.

The pod itself seemed to be in pristine condition! Granted a little weather worn as such things were wont to be when exposed to the harsher elements of the desert lands. Those fine grains of sand could be as sharp as daggers when positioned just right. They downright HURT when lashing against the body in a storm. While the pod wasn't organic, it did possess fine bits that were absolutely susceptible to the locations crueler elements.

The dunes of sand piled up on one side communicated that it had been lying there abandoned for a long while.

Inside, the Plant was very much alive, her hands pressed to the glass, her wide, unnatural eyes regarding the world at large.

[aetherceuse-deactivated20250819]

" Your criticism is valid. Where I come from, mankind is not the only species with freewill and high intelligence. They are the sole entities who feel entitled to their surroundings, however, with little care for the rest who rely on the environment. And though easily manipulated to follow instruction, their value increases post-mortem. They do not enjoy being prodded and cut open for science. It is a double-standard, " Lusamine exhales slowly, bringing a hand to the side of her head to apply pressure to it. She wasn't suited for this desert environment.

However, her alertness returns rather quickly with the shift in conversation. Knives spoke of an entirely different creature now. Plants? Initially, she looks confused, the first emotional expression she's had on her face since this encounter began. Lusamine turns her head to look back at the abandoned ship--

And then the topic of beasts is brought to the table. An exchange of knowledge. Perhaps this could segue into being granted access into the wreckage?

" That is a reasonable request. Very well. If you are willing to explain more about these, " a pause, " Plants that you speak of, I will show you. "

Once more the Beast Ball is taken into her palm, and Lusamine gestures for Knives to take a step backwards. One toss upwards into the air, and the capsule opens with a quick flash of light. From the capsule appears the glassy, pale white and blue body of her Nihilego-- the tendrils slowly swaying as it floats effortlessly in the air. Even though it lacked a face of any kind, the otherworldly creature seemingly turned to 'look at' the stranger it had been released in front of.

" UB-01 Symbiont, or Nihilego, if you prefer, " Lusamine gestures with her hand out, presenting the alien beast with a sense of pride and wonder. " They fuse with other living beings-- either willing or unwilling-- in order to gather knowledge. They accomplish this through use of a neurotoxin. The reasoning for this behavior is not entirely understood yet, but, I theorize that it is done for the sake of evolving their consciousness. You may take a closer look-- but do not touch the tentacles. "

As Lusamine says that final note, Nihilego brings two of its tendrils up, rubbing the ends of the stringers together as if to appear 'harmless' and 'shy'. She gives the beast a stern look, and shakes her head to say 'no'. Under most circumstances, she would allow her beast to feed without care, but so far Knives wasn't posing a threat.

[knifeinthenight]

Cut open for science.

How fascinating.

There were little conversations out there that talked of humanity so callously, not outside of the litter of broken human's he'd adopted along the way [and created]. He vaguely wondered if he was looking at something else entirely. That mattered less right then.

One brow raised fractionally, one could dare say... curiously, though it was near impossible to tell with the natural scowl that seemed forever situated in place otherwise. If that look should ever smooth out, perhaps his odd, ethereal beauty would showcase itself more boldly. As it was then, those that dared get too close naturally averted their eyes, instinctively triggering that fight or flight response in the hearts.

Flight nearly always won out in the end. He was impressed, surprised even that the strange entity traveling at his side hadn't been afflicted with the same scurrying tendency as of yet.

"It is human nature to greedily take until life dwindles to nothing." Why should they not harvest a different way? Cutting off the fat, so to speak, eradicating the parasites responsible and attempting to begin anew? It would appear that that trend continued no matter the timeline, the place, the setting. It only solidified his opinion that the road he traveled was the most crucial to see through.

The encounter only grew more curious with the unveiling of the creature contained in the orbital device. Much bigger than should naturally be successfully housed in such a tiny thing. How convenient it would be to ensnare such creatures in bulk...!

He was almost amused to hear of the creatures powers---

It was ironic in many ways he didn't express.

"Intriguing. What do you use them for?" He realized he asked a second question without giving anything in return for the previous revelations.

"There isn't much to say about the Plants that I didn't already imply. Sentient beings that the humans enslave in order to provide them with critical means to living life in this dead realm. If you should follow me further, I can show you one. It is nearby." .... not in the wreckage. He realized that probably left more questions with her, but he didn't supply any answers purposely.

[driftingjazzbard]

She was...still deeply confused. Frankly, despite the situation she was currently in, the man with his arm now around her...alright that was a point where she was going to gently try to shift away...but even so, in a situation where she was the one who seemed like she ought to be upset or alarmed, he was downright panicky. Weird. More than a little bit weird.

As was all the stuff he was saying. Now she really was getting a little concerned. What she'd thought might be a kickoff to a weird but bold flirtation was now devolving into a sincere concern that she might be in trouble.

"Ah...sorry? About...whatever. I guess." She was still more or less unclear as to what...the hell was going on, but the completely unhinged nature of his rambling was fueling her attempt to gently disengage his arm. If that was his attempt to explain the situation then further dialogue probably wasn't going to help her understand any better...at least not until after he came down from whatever he'd taken.

"I...think I'm just gonna...get out of your hair then." Or whatever. Guess that made the decision for her, find an inn and some dinner and try to shake off whatever this was. "Hope your day gets...better?"

Even as she spoke she stepped carefully away from the man, slowly backing off as if he might bite.

[knifeinthenight]

With the rapid pace he set, they were within safe perimeters fairly quickly. At least, quick enough that she didn't turn and punch him straight in the nose [which would TOTALLY be warranted under the circumstances - he would have accepted the cost with the grace and poise of one who knew they deserved the consequences they reaped]. He lifted his arm and stepped back away a couple of steps, the smile on his face warm and soft [and a touch sad if one were looking under the layers].

It was the state of affairs in his life. Wafting in people's life in unexpected ways, and drifting out of them just as quickly. It was better not to get involved. Most especially with those who were just trying to live their lives and do their thing!

"Yeah!" He spoke cheerfully, not at all bothered by the weirdness of the situation. It was better that she didn't know how close she had come to her end. It was better that she thought he was just a random weirdo having a STRANGE episode and be left fluttering in her own confusion than anything close to the truth of the matter. "Take care, okay!" He waved his hand and off he went, back the way he'd come from.

There was strangeness in the air. Or maybe it was just the gloomy atmosphere that day, the heaviness of the way people walked down the roads. Keeping their hands and their eyes to themselves. That wasn't necessarily an odd way of things. People tried to stay in their lanes as much as possible, careful not to stir the pot and draw attention to themselves. Some of it was for selfish reasons. Some of it was for protection purposes.

There were brief murmurings among people in passing, mentions of:

Did you hear???

That can't be right!!

How much is the reward??

I ain't never carried a firearm in my life, but I can learn!!

[aetherceuse-deactivated20250819]

" Clearly I did, " a flat remark. It wasn't as if it was purposeful; coordinates were discovered and followed. Some were helpful encounters, others were dead ends. And while Lusamine was prepared to write off this entire location, her company was interesting enough for her to linger a while longer.

The Beast Ball is rolled in her open palm for a moment. This individual, Knives, did not seem interested in stepping inside of the ship at all. He backed away from it, indicating some type of negative emotion towards it. A personal connection, perhaps? Or maybe it was just because of his clear hatred for the human race.

" An absurd endeavor that you seem to be doing as well. That is why you are killing them, no? " This was a type of conversation that she was more than happy to engage in. She could openly criticize mankind for as long as necessary.

Investigating the ship would have to wait apparently, if she was being invited to walk. The Beast Ball is returned to her belt, and Lusamine turns around, folding her hands behind her back, and joining him. The beast inside of it forces the capsule to wiggle with irritation; it was ready to roam.

" They do behave as parasites, but they can be assets if utilized properly, " she mentions, bringing her hand up to shield her face from the sunlight.

" Based on my observations, I will conclude that you are not human yourself. Even so, with your appearance, it makes no sense for a place such as this to be your natural ecosystem. There's no natural resources. Human cannot thrive in the desert either without sophisticated technology. . . Why are any of you-- mankind, and whatever you may be-- why are you here of all places? "

[knifeinthenight]

"Humans have gone too long without a natural predator. I have slotted myself into that position, much to their despair. Some of them can indeed be used as convenient tools when absolutely necessary, but I have found that they all contain fatalistic flaws that cause an instinctual shift in unfortunate ways - making their use flimsy at best."

Knives rather liked that odd entity traveling along behind him. There were not many who were not evidently broken on the inside to be so willing to speak such propaganda with him. What a refreshing course! He did not dare get too comfortable, however, for he still did not quite understand her own purpose there. Other than the one previously discussed.

"Luck brought them here. Circumstance. An unfortunate twist to what would have put an abrupt end to their plight. They are able to live by leeching the lives of the Plants they have imprisoned." his pale blue eyes shifted to regard her. "... like the one in that shipwreck you are still so interested in---" The one they were gradually leaving behind.

"I want to see one of these beasts you refer to. Of course, I wouldn't expect information for free. I'm willing for an exchange." Perhaps one outside of the casual talk of murder and mayhem. Though if that was what she desired most, who was he to argue?

[agloryofuniicorns]

@knifeinthenight asked: "Okay. Okay. All right. This is fine." Famous last words? 'This is fine' usually meaning that things were absolutely positively not fine in the least. What was one to do but to keep moving forward regardless of the questionable challenges otherwise standing in the way? Wasn't like the world stopped spinning or something while everything else played catch up. "I've woken up in weird places before." Vash nodded, matter of factly. "Not usually with a scantily clad lady above me though." ( @knifeinthenight to your Velvet from my Vash from Trigun! I love LOVE Tales of Berseria. I cried so many times during that game lmao)

"Scantily clad?" Velvet's voice came out in a low, purring growl as she stared down at the man. Her left arm itched with a desire to feast, but she held herself back; there was use in the lost souls that she had found during her journey. Roukurou, Magilou, Eizen... Laphicet. Even Eleanor had proven to be move useful breathing than dead.

It didn't stop her from allowing the blade on her right arm to snap out, ending just inches above the man's face.

"Maybe you should be careful where you let your eyes wander. Or maybe I should just leave you here for dead and let the cold claim you."

It wasn't like the people of Hallawes would be eager to help him. Lady Teresa's influence, and the slow degradation of the Exorcists, had slowly made them turn far more distrustful of each other and of strangers. They'd probably be willing to allow the man to freeze to death before allowing him into the small town.

Velvet stared down at him before stepping back, sword receding into the brace on her arm. "Who are you?"

[knifeinthenight]

"UH UH UH, okay, wrong word? Ummm---" THINK, VASH. Scantily was obviously not an APPROPRIATE descriptor toward her rather UNIQUE style of DRESS, stirring up the pot of violence deep within her enough for even his eyes to sting with the thought if impalement. Indeed, he closed one, as though the lid itself would be enough to repel an attempt of welcome said knife's edge into its orbital depths.

Right. Orbital. He could think of that without a problem, but another, LESSER offensive way of addressing his newest companion was fresh out of steam. His remaining brain cell simply didn't have it inside of it to conjure up an image.

"Actually, I'd hoped you didn't see me. How did you even find me---?" Said the man with the bright bright red jacket, laying in the middle of the streets? Not to mention an arm that was obviously false, made of metal.

"... It's Vash." He slowly, carefully sat up, holding his hands up in the air so she could see them. Keeping his movements slow and steady, he began the process of inching his long, lengthy body vertically. "SCANT!" He popped up, snapping his fingers. "That's it! That's a better word for it. You're scantil--- wait, that's the same word." He drooped.

[knifeinthenight]

@driftingjazzbard

Mission get the hell outta here:

"KIDNAPPING?! Auuugh nuts." There was a touch of alarm to cross over his features that hadn't been there previously [or at the very least, it had existed in a slightly differently FLAVOR of alarmed than the one that considered the NEWEST charge to tack on to his name]. Because he realized, yeeeeah, it kinda was kidnapping in a way. There he was, his arm reaching across her shoulders now, RUDELY breaching those physical boundaries that should have been POLITELY requested beforehand, not just.... STOLEN, shuffled away in a direction she hadn't been previously.

There were things she didn't know.

Namely, how close she'd been to obliteration for no good reason other than the fact that she had appeared in the moment of his brothers irritation. How close she still might be without him purposely positioning himself so his other half would have to go through HIM first.

He didn't imagine he would go that far? HAHA, but one never could tell just how far Vash's imagination could stretch in times like those.

"Well---" They were walking at a brisk pace, true, but not terribly uncomfortable. Not at a rate that would steal their breathless words from their lips before they could be heard. "--- imagine your WORST day ever. You're dealing with something that just... isn't quite working out the way that you want it too, right? Now imagine that you're close, you're SO close to getting the last piece of the puzzle to finally fit properly, and someone steps up, falls over the table you're working on, and messes everything up in a flash!" He nodded. "Yeah! This is kinda like that. So.... um. I'm.... just.... redirecting you so you don't reap the consequences of that frustration. Make... sense?" It didn't.

.... made more sense in his head but now it was out he couldn't draw it back!

[knifeinthenight]

@rosarionegro

Knives did not have a lick of patience encased anywhere within that organic frame of his. What others might proclaim as such when studying his outwardly calm demeanor, the measured glint in his icy eyes as they regarded subject at hand, was in actuality more akin to the focused glare of a predator perpetually ready to STRIKE. A viper coiling, prepared to spring in a flash.

There were some instances where he held his tongue, allowing conversations to run their course. At least, until words came to their natural conclusion as they had in that moment. Something like a sigh escaped his lips, his head lifting fractionally higher.

"It would be easier to understand what you're saying if you slowed down."

Rambling. He'd found humans tendency to do so when their emotions ran high, yes, that was true. But it was also when they were attempting to mingle truth with deception, to mar the path toward understanding with their own flavor of deceit. And a poor attempt of it as well. He hadn't a doubt in his mind the current encounter was of that particular nature.

"You have one job to complete. What grievances could you possibly have to bring to me?"

[memeattic]

Send me “☼” and I’ll generate a number between 1-25 to see what my muse says to yours. You can also send me a sentence if you want.

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