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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[it's embarrassing how he can feel his face heat at vash's praise and sincerity, thick emotion swelling up inside his chest like a balloon. there are days his uncertainty is crippling - was this right, was this okay? should he have said this or done that instead? all he knows is this: he has to do better for vash and for his vash.

it's scary, but for moments like this, when he can make vash smile and his melody sing, then the payoff is worth it.

kni smiles, trying not to show just how happy it makes him to hear vash say that.]

It's not a big deal.

[and to prove he's entirely cool and not at all buzzing with relief and a little bubble of pride, he reaches between them to pick up a finger sandwich and takes a bite out of half of it.]

Will they let us bring chickens back on the train?

It's a huge deal! Like, for real. I can tell you were worried, but this is ... your teacher's still worried about you, sure, but this shows some real growth and I'm proud of you.

So it's a big deal. I'm gonna' make something special for dinner tonight.

[ as in, something Kni liked, not something Vash liked. Sorry, cottage crew. ]

And don't worry about that. We're gonna be buying the chickens while they're small--teeny tiny. [ he makes a gesture with his hand!! ]

Old enough to be away from momma, but small enough to carry in a carrier. I asked Alberto all sorts of questions about it, see!

[ he looks proud. ]

The lady at the chicken. Farm? Will sell us a little carrier to bring them home in.

I wasn't worried.

[the denial is weak at best, but the tension he'd been carrying since they first left school grounds was finally draining away. the troubles he faced at that school would still be there tomorrow, and the day after that, but for now... everything was okay.

maybe he was getting... better. maybe he really could improve in a way that would make vash happy.

he holds the other (bitten) half of his sandwich out for vash to take and eat.]

Okay, that's acceptable. [he doesn't know what he'd feel if the babies were taken away too early, if they'd miss their mother.] I want them to be happy with us.

You were totally worried. [ he knows, now, the kid must have been holding the letter anxiously ever since he came to get him at school--and the reason it'd taken him so long to hand it over was because of the praise vash had offered this whole time. He was worried Vash would take it all back upon opening the letter, huh?

It didn't, though--and had the opposite effect. The worries he had since Kni first arrived... maybe it would be okay, after all. Slowly, day by day... ]

Look how happy the pets we have already at the cottage are. I'm sure we're gonna' have the perkiest set of chickens in Kaisou. I'd bet my arm on it.

[ wiggling his fake fingers at him, he'll lean back and look out the window--they're heading towards a tunnel, and a voice over the intercom rings out that they'll soon be arriving in Stardew Valley.

The voice was... odd, and most of the other passengers don't even seem to hear it, much less get their things ready to get off the train. ...Interesting.

He'll gather up their few things, and into the overly verdant new Gate they go--the only passengers to get off, it looks like, too--the scent of bright flowers greeting them as they exit.

...it might take a little bit of asking directions and looking around the bustling little city that's several years in the past technology-wise to find the farm that sells chickens, but...

Eventually they arrive, and Vash is gonna' sit on the fence; having paid the nice red haired lady for three baby chicks. Now... ]

You can pick any three. Wanna shuffle in and see which ones suit your fancy?

[a city stuck in the past, but that's part of its charm. it captivates kni's attention as the train rolls into the station, only half paying attention to the overhead speaker as the conductor makes their announcements. his attention is on what's beyond the windows, drawn towards watching the people as they move about their lives happy and unaware.

kni follows after vash as they disembark together, sticking close as he always does when they leave the safe boundaries of their home. his head turning this way and that as he takes everything, this world settled in a pocket out of space and time and given life through forces kni still doesn't fully understand yet.

he holds vash's hand almost the entire time, taking note of how the people here dress and the smell of farm animals that carry over on the breezes that sway the trees. it isn't so terribly loud here, no never ending static of voices and noises of cars and electricity all joining together to make his ears ring. vash figures out the directions for the farm, kni watching how his brother interacts with the strangers here. it's always the same wherever they go.

the farm is huge, or at least it's far bigger than what kni had in mind. the lady who owns it is nice, matching vash in how vibrant her smile is when she leads them to the chicken pen. they're given a carrying box before she leaves them to it, and now-

kni stands at the fence with vash, looking over the little flock of baby chicks shuffling around the pen.]

Right.

[it's important he picks carefully. while he can't explain how or why, he can feel the subtle emotions of a few dozen chicks and tries to let that guide him as he walks out into the flock. most of the chicks scatter away from him at first, but when he crouches down to hold his hand out, a few start to approach again, curious.]

[ interacting with others is just easy--he's had literally a hundred years of practice, so it was one of the things he was best at in this world...!

He's comfortable now, sitting on the fence as he watches the dozens of little chicks. Blue, yellow, black, brown... there were dozens of them mingling with the older chickens in the huge coop, and its HONESTLY taking everything Vash has not to go sit in the middle of the hay with kni.

This was Kni's reward--his present, so he wants the other to enjoy it to his fullest. The kid looks overjoyed whenever animals are involved, after all. ]

They're cute. They're cute, right?

Too bad we don't have the room to take them all home.

They are cute...

[way cute, even if he mumbles it back in agreement. he's taking this 'choose three' task very seriously; it's important that the three he picks will be happy living together. a shame he can't tell which ones are siblings...

the first one that approaches his open hand is a little blue chick, curiously chirping as it inspects him. something tells kni that it'd be okay to pick it up and so he does, careful to scoop the little creature up with both palms. he's even more careful to step over the other chicks as he makes his way back to vash where the carrier sits open and empty.]

What about this one?

[he holds his palms holding the blunette chick out for vash to see. it sits comfortably and chirps up at them while tilting its head to peer at them both.]

[ hey, it's a serious task. While Vash may not be AS meticulous as Kni is with this task--he still wouldn't be so silly as to just grab the first three that got close to him, either.

The little chick that Kni chose seems completely chill with being picked up, even if it peeps a little in surprise at suddenly being carried--its little beady eyes looking up at its captor with a blank look--

as Vash leans in to brush two fingers gently across it's tiny head. ]

...What a unique color. Here I thought only bluebirds had that sort of plumage. Do you think it'll grow into a big blue chicken?

[kni watches the little creature chirp and fluff itself as vash strokes its head.]

It'd be nice if it keeps its coloring, but I think it's fine if it changes into something else, too. Maybe it'll surprise us.

[how big can a chicken get, anyway? carefully, he kneels down to set the chick in the carrier, the first of three. it peeps again, examining its new (temporary) space with some talon scratches and curious pecking. feeling that it's okay for now, kni straightens up again and brushes some of the dirt off his knees.]

Okay, two more.

[silently tasking vash with keeping watch over the first chick, kni darts off towards the flock again. he steps carefully around the chicks that zigzag around him before disappearing behind one of the barrels of hay scattered around the enclosure. when he comes back out around the other side, he's carrying something in his palms again.

two chicks this time, now visible as he returns to vash's side. one blonde and one black, both equally fluffy as the blue one still patiently waiting in the carrier. kni shows vash just as he had the first.]

I found them sitting together like this. I think they're siblings.

[ a chicken can't get that big, right. They weren't like Thomas, he's pretty sure--they won't be dealing with giant monsters within a few months. But a pretty blue chicken... he gets a kind of whimsical look on his face at the idea--glasses sliding down his face as he hums a little in agreement. He'll slip off the fence and sit next to the carrier to keep the first little chicken company while Kni goes off to find two more. ]

Hm, a surprise... Maybe it'll turn red, who knows. Or a darker blue, for camoflauge. [ most of the chickens in the coop were brown and white, though--there is an odd looking black one sort of lurking in the corner. Lifting its head as it carefully watches the young Plant gently scooting around to look for the perfect pair..

Vash looks up when he returns. Blinking gently as he eyes the golden chick and the black chick. A sort of warm smile moving over his face as he reaches to touch them, as well, his fingers gentle as he looks over the pair who seem to huddle closer to one another when another pair of hands approach.

He laughs. ]

Siblings, huh? Can't separate them, then. They gotta' be our last two, right?

[ a grin follows. ]

And look, they match me, too. [ he points at the pair, then at his hair. Heheheheh. ]

Hmmm... Yeah, I guess they do.

[kni looks from the chicks up to vash, matching the blonde and black of the chick's downy plumage, and wrinkles his nose just a little.] It's the same shade as your blonde.

[a nice gold, like a sunflower. it matched his brother's sunny disposition. there's something else there that nudges his attention, but he can't quite grasp it yet. so, he brushes it away for now.]

I'll have to think up names for them. [something he takes very seriously. kni bends down to deposit the remaining two to join the first. with his hands free he moves on to pick up the carrier, careful not to jostle them. a small smile fights to pull at his face.] ... Thank you, Vash.

Cute, right? [ he gives another playful chuckle, giving their heads a little pat with a finger before letting Kni take over--close the carrier so they wont hop out, but leaving enough space so they can breathe. ]

Heyyy, what're you thanking me for? You earned this, remember? They're your gift.

I fully trust you to take care of them. And hey, they'll also give us fresh eggs for breakfast once they're big enough, too.

[ he'll offer Kni a hand so they can start walking back to the train station. ]

I know, I just... wanted you to know. That I'm grateful.

[for giving him chance after chance to make up for his past (and future) actions, even as kni slowly comes to terms with everything himself. it's a messy business, and he knows the toll it must take on vash to deal with it all.

one hand in vash's and the other holding the carrier against his chest, so very careful not to jostle the precious cargo it holds as they start walking back.

he looks back up to vash.]

Is that why you suggested chickens?

...Heh. If that's the case, then I accept. You're welcome, Kni. Love ya.

[ he moves a hand down to place it on top of his head, patting through his nearly white locks of hair for just a moment before returning the hand to his side. A little laugh escaping him. ]

To be honest--no. It's definitely a bonus that they lay eggs that we'll be able to eat--but nah. When I went on the 'Internet' to check what sort of farm animals were good for starting out homesteaders, the first options that came up were chickens and ducks.

Chickens were said to be a little easier to deal with, on top of being very good 'pets', so... that's why I decided on them.

[the mushy feelings are contagious and while kni wouldn't be caught dead showing this side of himself to anyone else, with vash it's acceptable. his love is sent along their connection, a gentle song set to the tune only they know. kni could liken it to the blinking lights of fireflies at dusk during those summer months, the last light of the sun over the horizon winking with the promise of another day to spend with loved ones.]

Chickens are also very smart, you know. It's a good choice.

[and now he has even more reason to read about them, another special interest to add to the piles he already has.

he swings their held hands idly as they walk and as he glances back up to vash, something comes back to mind.]

Vash?

They are! They evolved this way from dinosaurs, so of course they're smart.

[ not like the fake-ass dinosaurs that showed up here once, looking like goddamn! Lizards! Huff. So stupid...

He's gonna start humming a little tune on the back of his throat as he and the smaller plant continue to walk--letting his arm swing as kni starts it going. Feeling light on his feet, his head tilted up towards the sun.

At first he doesn't seem to hear Kni's call of his name, but. After a moment, he tips his head to smile down at him. ]

Yeah? What's up.
Wanna visit the forest here or something before we go home?

[in another timeline, kni would say yes, let's go walk through the forest, and he'd pick mushrooms and rocks with strange shapes to gently pocket for his growing collection back home. little nature trinkets all lined up carefully in the window sills of the cottage and in his bedroom. all signs of a well-loved home.

but instead, he asks a question that will leave them to explore that forest another time.]

Does our hair get darker as we age?

[because it's something he's noticed, the question behind the black streaks in vash's hair that slips his mind as something else distracts him. he glances down to the carrier, feeling the chicks' movement scratching the bottom through his palm.]

Your hair was all blonde in that photograph, too.

[ there's a... visible change in Vash's expression. Even if Kni didn't see it; he'd feel how their psychic link goes a little quiet, the happy, carefree song becoming a little quieter, a little more somber.

He'd expected this question eventually, but this early...

...

He'd promised he'd never lie to Kni. And he wasn't about to start here. Not with this. ]

...It's.

Something like that.

[ it wasn't WRONG to say that 'age' made it darken, but... ]

Age has something to do with it. But it's less 'getting older'... and more. How much energy we use. Just like how humans get old and wrinkly, and their bodies start to get weaker. Plants don't ... age the same way. But when we lose the energy that sustains us, our hair starts to turn black.

[ ...he can see that Kni might start to worry, so he immediately flashes a grin. ]

--Don't worry! I'm only 151 years old, and it only got this dark because I had a freak accident about two years ago--where I used up a whole bunch of energy at once. It was fully blonde before that accident--see--and it isn't something can that can happen in this world.

So, so long as I don't do it,--which, remember, I can't. It's a power I don't have access to in this world--my hair won't get dark for a very, very, very long time.

[vash would be right to presume hearing something like that would immediately spark kni's concern. his heart lurches as the implication of what it means to lose energy. already he's thinking too fast, his steps beside vash slowing down as a result.

kni knew they weren't immortal or invincible, that like all living things, there was an expiration date on them. instinctively, he knew their expiration was far different from humans or animals. the years would pass them by with little effect on them, and kni was fine with that.

but this changed things. vash was only 151 years old and already...]

A freak accident...

[now he looks up to vash and his eyes move to the black patches that colored his hair.]

Does this mean... we'll have different lifespans?

[ he holds his hands up. He can tell the other is already worrying, overcalculating the new knowledge in his head, in his hands. He'll even stop to put a hand on top of Kni's head. ]

I'm honestly not sure--but let me reassure you of something.
My hair only turned black for the first time when I output a lot of energy at one time, as I just mentioned. There wasn't a single black hair before that.

So, I figure, if I don't use my powers at such a volume, I'll live for a really, really long time.

Honestly, I'm really of the opinion that I never have to use my plant powers. Not with the magic that exists in this world being less... detrimental to my life span.

So don't worry.
You'll not lose me anytime soon.

[but what if-

the weight of vash's hand on his head knocks that particular thought off its tracks, making a little noise of surprise. it's true he's worried, the feeling coming so easily to him, but if vash was so certain, then

then, he'd trust him.]

You promise, right?

[just to be sure, he wants vash to promise it. only then could kni relax, thin shoulders easing under the anxiety of a future that may not always have his brother in it with him.]

[ hands are going onto either side of his face as Vash moves to kneel in front of kni.

Just so he can look him in the eyes--just so he can make sure Kni knows he's absolutely serious about this. ]

I've kept every promise I've made this far, right?

I won't leave you alone here.
I won't.

[he can't help the little pout he makes when vash takes his face, brows knitting together on reflex. vash is serious, so he won't complain.]

You have...

[the worry that had crept its way into their connection seems to ebb away now, slowly. kni is naturally anxious, the product of thinking and feeling too much. it always spills over.]

Okay. I believe you, Vash.

[and it's the truth. if vash promises him something, kni knows he means it.]

I don't want to go anywhere without you there, too.

[ they both have a reckoning coming and in a few months this conversation is going to be HELL to remember.

For now though he's going to pull Kni into a hug--careful not to squish the chickens of course--and give his head a rough, reassuring pat. ]

It just means that when we get older, I'll have to rely on you a bit more. If I need to conserve my energy to make sure I don't burn out faster than you do--it means I'll really be counting on you to protect me, you know?

[kni will remember, just like he remembers everything, the good and the bad.

the chicks' container make it difficult for kni to return the hug, so instead he leans against vash, butting his head against that hand ruining his carefully brushed hair.]

I'll always protect you, Vash. [even at his own detriment--] Maybe there's a way I could give you some of my energy, if it ever came to that.

[they were different versions of the same species so what would and wouldn't work was all a mystery, but kni would try anything for vash.]

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