kaisou | SeeD 11 - small steps

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SeeD 11 - small steps

WHO: Vash + Kni, for now
WHERE: Kaisou + Stardew Stable Gate
WHEN: Mid-September
WHAT: Vash picks up Kni after school, gonna go get chickens to cheer him up
WARNINGS: None for now, will update if needed.

[ It ... really didn't come to any sort of surprise to Vash that he's been called to Kni's school at least three times this week. He knew, with absolute clarity, that it would take a long time for Kni to get used to this. The idea of getting along with others 'his age', that learning how to cope with socializing wasn't going to be something he got used to over a weekend.

He'd pleaded Kni's case to his teachers a few times now, and gave them the simple option: when he starts to get too much to handle, please call me--I'll come take care of it.

Today wasn't a day he got called in to take Kni home early or to talk to him during lunch--so Vash is? Kind of proud of the kid for making it a whole day without any (that he knows of) huge interactions they need to discuss.

He doesn't know about the note that's hiding in the pocket of Kni's overalls as he waits outside--all seven goddamn feet of Vash the Stampede--wearing his hair up in a ponytail, and a floppy hoodie that fortunately didn't get too small for him when he shot up a bit in height.

When he sees Kni slowly moseying out of the school after the bell, vash will do as Vash does--wave at him like a crazy person and run over to scoop the kid up into his arms.

Sorry buddy, you're getting a hug from your big brother. ]

Made it the whole day today, huh??

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Do you think they'll have horses, too? It'd be interesting seeing one up close. [amazing would be another word he'd use here, honestly. horses were the pinnacle icon of cowboy imagery, riding off into the sunset after a hard day's work of keeping the peace and shooting down bad guys.

his fanboy musings inspire an uptick in his song, already starting to feel better now that his thoughts are further away from school.

vash wiggles his fingers and kni takes his hand, head tilting to study the vines peeking out between the joints. endlessly fascinating if he didn't think about why vash had a fake arm to begin with.]

I'm good at taking care of the animals we have already, right? So, there's nothing to worry about. [chickens can't be any harder than pokémon or rabbits or brad-] What kind of person is Jun? [the one who left that package for their birthday, yet another person that seemed to know kni but not the other way around.]

If they do, would you like to try riding one? I'm sure someone might have a couple of horses on their farm that they'll let you pay to ride...

[ he's hoping so, anyway. wouldn't it be fun?? he liked riding on Brad's back well enough, a real horse... he's already grinning at the idea--his own faintly pleasant music mingling and mixing with Kni's own heightened tune, hopping from foot to foot as he waits to cross a road, heading towards the park. ]

You are! All the animals seem real attached to you lately, too. Don't think I didn't notice Rabbit sleeping next to you lately. [ wonder why that is. ]

Mmmm... as for Jun...

I think he's a good person. He's one of those people who believe in God, but. I don't think he uses it like a crutch like a lot of people back home used to.
When I first got here, he was the first person who helped me out when I got here. I was so hungry. And he bought me a full meal of donuts and some fruity-tasting water just for me writing him a terrible poem. He grew me a flower with his hands and told me about this world.

And then he even let me live in the Garden we now live on. It apparently belonged to his friend? And he said he felt that I'd take care of it best out of anyone he could consider.

...I think he realised pretty quickly that I wasn't human. And he didn't treat me at all weird due to it.

Yes. [a-hem. it's hard to stay cool when they keep feeding into each other's excitement like this. kni biting the inside of his cheek so as not to smile as vash bounces.] I can pay for it, too. [can't have vash paying for everything...

he can't help the little swell of pride at vash's very astute observations.] That's because we understand each other. It was only a matter of time, of course.

[maybe it's a little odd, this feeling of understanding - empathizing? - that really started to kick in not all that long ago, but he isn't complaining. if he were to liken it to another feeling, he'd compare it to the connection he shared with vash, as improbable as that was.]

Donuts aren't a full meal, Vash. [another good person to add to the seemingly innumerable good persons vash knew here. especially compared to the sinners that made up the population of no man's land (still a dumb name) and the scars that littered vash's body because of them.

(and because of him, mustn't forget that)]

Maybe he was already used to meeting non-humans, if he's been here for a while. [something kni wasn't complaining about, he preferred the ratio to lean in favor of non-humans.]

You can pay, huh? Did you get up to some mischief lately? [ he says 'mischief' in a playful way--it's possible wolfwood already told him about the chess thing, but also--what if Kni told him himself?

hee's his chance. ] Understand each other, huh? Should I start getting jealous? [ another jovial tone as he prods his fingers gently into Kni's ribs as they walk--tipping his head back and fourth a little as he considers. ]

Donuts COULD be a meal. [ but he digresses. ] And ... you're right on that fact. He shares a special bond with a man named Mikleo--a nature spirit. He's a being who is ... physical, and yet not. It's hard to explain.

He's like a being who is a living facet of water. He's well over 300 years old, too.

I figure after sharing a bond with a water spirit... a couple of plants aren't too strange, comparatively.

[and being given his chance, kni puffs up with a rather chuffed smile.] I just aced some little chess party in the park, it was so easy. They gave me a chess board, those apples I brought back, and some money. [when he saw the advert for the championship, the money prize was what first caught his attention.] A very old human even threw the chess board at me because he thought I was cheating. As if.

[it had been very satisfying all around for kni. he came out a winner and everyone else very sore losers.]

Heh, yes- Vash! [vash gets a surprised laugh out of him before kni moves his hands to try and knock vash's away.] Jealousy is a bad look on you.

[as vash tips his head, kni tilts his in a mirroring response.] Wow, he's really old. Even older than you. [vash is old, etc etc] Does he look like us or more - [kni moves one of his hands in the motion of moving water] Fluid?

--Oh yeah?? I remember the chessboard that's suddenly in the house... I was wondering where it came from. I'm pretty proud of you--even if it sounded like your opponent was a sore loser. He didn't hurt you, did he? [ there's real concern in his voice--but honestly, he knows Kni would have told him. But hearing the kid went and did something like that on his own...

He's wearing a happy tune. ]

Aw, come on. I'm not THAT jealous. Just a little.

He is pretty old. But hey! I'm not SUPER old or anything, come onnnn. [ stop itttt. ] He looks like us, but he's very... it's hard to describe, he's definitely got this supernatural look to him. Pale hair, nearly purely white. And he's got this way of moving that almost feels like he weighs nothing at all.

And apparently normal humans can't even see him.
Only other supernatural beings.

It's really not that impressive. [but, it was nice - more than nice - to hear vash praise him. he didn't want to cause his brother more undo stress and worry, especially after the troubling last week they've had. kni shakes his head.] No, he didn't, but he probably wanted to. He made the others really nervous.

[it was a big step, big enough that kni isn't interested in exploring how big it was, to reach out to a stranger and initiate some kind of conversation. he's just appreciative everything worked out in his favor.] Wolfwood scared him off.

[a pretty decent guard dog, but kni won't say that out loud. the longer they talk like this, easygoing and tune dancing, the easier it is to pretend there isn't a note with vash's name on it in his pocket.]

You're half his age. That's still pretty old, Vash. [an age kni would like to reach himself one day, for all his teasing.] I bet if he took you swimming, you wouldn't have to worry about sinking. [a pause, considering,] Unless you're worried he might not actually like you. Then you'd have reason to worry.

Sounds just like Wolfwood. He doesn't really tolerate people being complete dillholes for no reason--especially when it comes to young people. [ ...and part of him is quietly happy to hear that wolfwood helped Kni--maybe things were... going well...? maybe ...

he could be hopeful without drawing too much attention to it, right? just act like it's normal! it's normal... ]

Come onnn, stop rizzing me about my age. One day you'll be old too, you know. I don't actually know the full age of plants, you know? [ they can last for hundreds, thousands of years, right... if taken care of. ]

--And I don't worry at all about that! Not at all!

He probably just wanted to fight. [and he cared about vash, who cared about kni. he understood it was just courtesy, at the bare minimum. kni didn't expect anything beyond that, and he'd find himself foolish if he even considered it.] They were an asshole.

[language.

kni's lips pull up into a smile, his hand moving up to tug at a dark strand of hair framing the side of vash's face. it's almost a question.] ALthough, I could do without this.

[he lets go, looking ahead.] Well, you shouldn't worry. Everyone likes you. [a pause, heh.] Except Vergil, but he's pretty smart.

Edited 2023-10-05 04:49 (UTC)

[ through all the walking and talking, himself and Kni have arrived in the Central Square--there's a train just a little ways away that he's been told that goes to this new place.

Thanks, Alberto. ]

Some people you just can't get along with, no matter how hard you try. Those people are just not worth your time or energy. [ it's a good lesson to learn. Even if he HUFFS at Kni calling vergil SMART for not liking him. ]

Come on, how is that smart!
I try so hard to be nice to everyone 'cause I think it feels nice. That's all.

--We're almost there.
You ready to ride a train?

Does it really feel nice?

[nice enough to always default to it in so many situations? kni doubts it, or at least he doubts that it would feel the same for him as well. vash wanted him to try, as did every other adult in his life now wanted him to try being better, being nicer, more polite -

the efforts come out scratching like nails, instincts that scream warning with nearly every new interaction. maybe it'd feel nice for him, too if it wasn't already exhausting to try.

kni looks to the train up ahead, stalled ready for passengers to start boarding.]

We're going there by train?

[he's never ridden one before, although that's hardly a surprise. maybe it's a little exciting, unable to hide the way his melody bounces with anticipation.]

It does feel nice. Nicest thing in the world, in my opinion.

[ he adds the addendum of opinion because, of course, that's how it is. it's his opinion--and maybe Kni will never agree, but he can try.

Vash pauses for a moment to run his card along a little blue machine, where it spits out a pair of tickets. He hands one to Kni. ]

Yep. Apparently this train has a stop in another world. Alberto told me about it.

It's called Stardew, or... something.
When we're there, one day passes in ten minutes over here. You can spend weeks in this place without even a day passing here, back home.

[ interesting, isn't it?

He's gonna offer a hand to Kni. ]

....It'll be my first time riding a train, too.

Hm.

[another difference between them, but one that he knows has always been there since the very beginning. his nose is already wrinkling with fleeting disapproval. vash's opinion is right.

he takes the ticket vash hands to him, skimming over the writing as he turns it over.]

How does that even work? [he sniffs, brushing his thumb along the perforated edges.] But, it is pretty convenient. I wonder if you can age faster over there...

[kni lifts his attention from the ticket to vash's offered hand and takes it without hesitation.]

If you're nervous, you don't need to be. [obviously because kni was not nervous, at all.]

I'm not sure how it works--something like crossing through a gate, kind of like the Pokemon one?
I'm kind of looking forward to it myself.

[ but it's... something to consider, isn't it? ]

You know, with relativity? Yeah, I suppose. You could spend years in this gate and come back to the normal 'Earth' much older than when you left, with barely any time having passed.

[ kind of scary, honestly? he's gonna squeeze kni's hand. giving him a wobbly smile. ]

You're going with me.
'couse I have no reason to be nervous.

[kni blanches a little at the mention of the pokemon gate, remembering how disorienting that arrival experience was for him. he'd learned to be far more careful using that television after that incident.]

Maybe we can find something new to plant in the gardens while we're there.

[sure, vash could grow them flowers not already growing in the gardens, but kni liked the feeling of helping something grow himself.

he smiles.] Maybe I should stay over there for a while until I finally grow a few feet taller. [being the shortest person at the cottage blows, okay. even eve is taller than him!

that wobbly smile has kni leaning into vash, brushing their cheeks together.]

Not like at the beach, right? [irrational fears that feel real enough to make their connection stutter with that nervous energy.] I didn't [read: couldn't] finish the lunch you packed me today, so let's eat the rest on the way there.

[because food usually makes vash feel better, right?]

Hey, I'm always for looking for new plants to grow. Maybe Pumpkins--pumpkins would be fun, right?

[ time to turn the convo away from the pokemon gate--that'd been an Experience, for certain.

He's gonna turn his head back and fourth a little as their cheeks are squished together, giving the kid a friendly jostle with a grin on his face as he passes through the terminal--pausing to deposit both train tickets into the turnstile before heading towards where the train would soon be arriving. ]

Haha, you'd stay that long over there? I mean it wouldn't be TERRIBLY long, comparitively, sure, but. I'd be so looonely, even if you were gone for a whole day!!!

[ hehehh ]

I'd have to stay with you. This is nothing like the beach.

[ ...and then look at him, breaking out into a wide smile. Kni ... really is a sweet kid. Knowing how to keep vash's attention off stress--and onto something he likes. ]

I would be honoured to help you finish your lunch.

I want to grow really big pumpkins. Lily would like that.

[you know, lily his pumpkin-shaped pokemon.

cheeks squished and nuzzled, kni stifles a laugh at the feeling of vash's stubble scratching his face.] You forgot to shave today. [kni has decided he will never grow facial hair, ever.]

If you're that lonely, then I guess I'll have to stop going to school. [HE WISHES... unless 👀]

Vash. [another stifled giggle, poking at vash's stubbly cheek with a finger.] You made it for me, so it makes more sense that I'd be the honored one.

[ lily loves a lot of things in the garden but he can already imagine the pumpkin ghost, hiding among the new pumpkin patch and he has to laugh, honestly. A harsh little chuckle escaping him. He looks down as Kni accuses him of being scratchy. ]

Oh, I guess, I did. I was just excited to come and see you, that's all. Haheheh.
I've been letting my hair get long lately, too... [ he reaches to touch it--the blonde covering up almost all the black parts now--but then he stops, and reaches and POKES Kni's nose. ]

Hmmm.

Then you can be honored. We'll eat together, then. [ he's absolutely not entertaining the idea of no school for you, kni!!!! but hey, he's gonna point at the row of chairs in the train. ]

Wanna pick seats?

[his face scrunches at being so rudely poked, wrinkling his nose with a disgruntled look that bleeds away a moment later.]

You always pack way too much food.

[his appetite was still small, although he'd finally graduated from his extremely simple diet of his two safe foods: apples and sliced bread. the lunches vash packed were always picked over, leaving more than enough for leftovers for the next day or for whoever clears out his lunch box when he returns home.

vash could entertain the idea a little...

kni looks over the rows, before pointing to two seats by the window. blissfully, the train doesn't seem too crowded, leaving plenty of rows empty in between the few passengers already seated.] There.

[ maybe he should thank others trying to coax him into eating things too--or maybe he should thank Alberto for bulldozing some of those things for him. Whichever it was... he was happy for it. Even if Kni always brought home leftovers. He'll nod his head and start scurrying over to where the two empty window seats are, getting kni to sit comfortably before flopping next to him with a bright grin. ]

Aw man. I don't pack too much--I pack you the same amount as Eve, you know! [ she always finishes her food!! but she's also not just getting used to eating, either, so he won't tease him for not eating as much as she does. ]

So.
While we pick at your lunch and ride the train... let's have a little chat. Today's trip is brought to you by... being a good kid this week. So, have you any guesses to what sort of prize I'm gonna' give you?

Eve eats way more than I do.

[it isn't meant to be insulting, just a stated fact. everyone eats more than he does, and while his palate has expanded exponentially over the past few months (blessed alberto for introducing kni to pasta and so much more--) his stomach was still small. he couldn't imagine finishing the lunches vash packed him without feeling ill.

he moves his backpack to sit on his lap as they both settle into the seats, hands resting over the carefully kept-clean canvas fabric. his lunch is the heaviest thing in his bag, all the textbooks provided by the school he left in his desk. not much point in carrying around books for homework far below his learning level.

whatever good mood he'd been cultivating since vash picked him up from school immediately drops into ice. kni has never been good at lying, even when little lies would probably keep him out of trouble longer, but especially now and especially with vash...]

Oh.

[he's terribly obvious in his tells, the note in his pocket suddenly burning a hole against his chest. kni looks out the window, watching the people still on the platform and wishing for any kind of distraction from where this conversation is heading.] Is it a chicken?

[ kni is very good at lying. and vash is very good at wearing his rose-coloured glasses. he believes the best in everyone--and this includes kni who, as far as he knows, has nothing going on right now.

He'll reach into Kni's bag to pluck out the lunchbox, opening it up with a hum in his voice. ]

Can't put anything past you, can I.
I guess maybe it was an easy guess, given what Wolfwood and I have been building at the farm.

But yep, you guessed it! Chickens. You can pick out three and we'll bring them home for you.

Better think up some good names for them.

Hmmm...

[the note grows heavier in his pocket as he listens, looking from the window to watch vash crack into his leftovers. just as he said, a good chunk was left untouched still. kni had picked at bits, and the only part of his lunch completely missing were the apple slices vash had cut to look like rabbits.

he could have eaten more, but after what had happened during lunch period he'd forgotten all about being hungry. as he looks down into his lunch, kni frowns.]

Vash.

[steeling himself in the same way one would before ripping off a band-aid, kni reaches into his front pocket and pulls out the envelope addressed to mr. savarem in polite cursive. kni goes back to looking out the window, expression pinched.]

This is for you.

[he doesn't know what it says, but he can only assume the worst, and it's obvious from his tense posture and the erratic notes punctuating their melody. inside the envelope is a letter, written in the same soft cursive that addressed vash on the envelope.

school was difficult, to put it mildly, for kni. he could be agreeable with the teachers, if they looked past his simmering, "I know more than you" attitude, but it was with the other kids he stumbled over. some days were better than others, interactions that felt somewhat successful in not being terribly, painfully, uncomfortable, and other days ended with vash being called in to play cleanup on his behalf. today had started well enough, until lunch hit and his pitiful "no incidents at school" streak ended. what a surprise.

kni didn't plan on involving himself, but when he looked up from picking at his food to see a group of kids he recognized, one of which he "accidentally" gave a black eye to on his second day at school, cornering someone smaller, well...

unknown to kni at that time, the teacher had been a witness to what happened. kni coming up to the group and inciting a tense standoff where kni had been "a little too threatening, but his heart seemed to be in the right place" before the little group dispersed themselves knowing from experience kni would absolutely back up his threat with a clenched fist. there's some concern written in the letter, but overall praise for what she felt was "improvement" on kni's end when faced with stress at school. baby steps in the right direction, at least?]

[ vash has one of the plain homemade fruit jam finger sandwiches in his mouth by the time Kni finally hands him a letter. Vash looks... confused, his head slowly tilted as he flipped it over in his hands.
Giving Kni one final, questioning look--as if to give him a chance to explain himself--before he settles in to read it.

He's not quite as quick a reader as Kni is. So he does take his time with it--especially given the teacher decided writing in cursive was the best idea, here. Archaic, dumb way of writing, in vash's opinion.

He quietly folds it over when he finishes, giving Kni a look--and hey, Kni, look at that, it isn't. A disappointed look?

If anything, it's almost amused. Playful. ...Happy?
While it was an incident, yes, it was... proof that Kni was improving. Even the teacher thought so. And Honestly, Vash was... proud, in a way. He's gonna raise a hand and mess up Kni's hair. ]

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