video | un: kni

[ornamentals]

WHO: Kni (+ Wolfwood)
WHERE: The Cottage
WHEN: Jan 2nd
WHAT: Vash fell into a coma-nap for his canon update, sending those around him into a small panic.
WARNINGS: Emotional distress (particularly of a child), mentions of character death, panic attack.

[the video feed starts with a focus on kni at the center, a child who looks no older than 10 or 11 and no longer sporting the severe haircut he arrived here with back in july, now grown out by an inch or so. this is the first post he's made on the network since his initial arrival, and judging by his somber expression, it's serious.

he looks... exhausted. far more so than he'd ever, normally, express, but. he's desperate.]

Hello. My name is Kni. [he inhales, gaze shifting off to the side towards something off-screen.] Most of you don't know me, but you probably know my brother, Vash, very well. I know he is a good friend to many of you, or at the very least appreciated. To those who don't know him...

[another steadying inhale, glancing to the side again.]

Vash is kind, and loving... and endlessly patient. He's the best kind of friend to have because you can always depend on him. It doesn't matter what kind of person you are... or were, [kni's voice shudders here, not directly looking at the camera until he finishes.] because he believes everyone has the capacity for goodness inside them. Even if you can't see it yourself.

[finally, he looks back to the camera.]

Late on December 31st, Vash fell asleep and hasn't woken up since. [kni visibly tenses, eyes shimmering as he prepares for his next words,] He's dying. His... He's...

[he suddenly brings a shaking hand up to drag down his face, disrupting a few tears to slip down his cheek.]

He's dying and I have to do- whatever it takes to try- to save him. As his brother, I'll do anything, give anything to save him--

[then, off-screen but in the opposing direction kni had been glancing at a moment ago, he is interrupted by wolfwood's entrance, heard first before walking into the video feed.]

Kni what are you---no no no, kid, no, you aren't gonna trade you for shit, stop that, Vash'll flip his shit if you try that.

[ and then Wolfwood’s torso is coming into frame, followed by his face–polar opposite to Kni, surprisingly composed and stoic as he loops an arm around Kni, gathering the smaller boy to him. his mouth twists, brow furrowing–like he’s glancing between the camera and the top of Kni’s head. ]

C’mon, we don’t need to worry people, Vash’ll be–

He’s dying, I have to do something–!

[whatever else he was going to say ends with his voice breaking into a choked back sob, all his attempts to stay levelheaded and as composed as possible instantly crumbling when wolfwood pulls him close.]

Kid–c’mon, sprout, it’ll shake out, c’mon. [ Wolfwood pulls Kni closer–out of frame, turning the kid’s face towards his shoulder and neck, as if to spare him some shreds of dignity, as if his misery and pain shouldn’t be so public. to the same effect, he turns the camera just a little so that it’s mostly his face on the view, exhaling slow as he considers, and then murmurs amidst the muffled sobs. ]

If anybody’s got any knowledge of… xenobiology, bioanalysis, healing. Magic. Whatever the hell it could be called, I’m a thousand years too early to even begin to pretend like I know what to do next. Ain’t got much of a soul to sell, but I’m willing to do anything for the Hail Mary in case he’s really…

[ another unhappy grimace. he pushes his sunglasses up, hissing out another breath. ]

Thanks in advance, I guess.

[ the feed ends. ]

[ ooc: all responses from kni will be delayed by an hour at the very least! responses will also come from wolfwood, as well. ]

Comments

video; un: silverrose

[fionnuisce]

Have you checked his vitals? Breathing, heart rate, that kind of thing? Is he running an unusual temperature? I can come over and take a look, but I'm not much of a doctor.

If he's not visibly actually sick, it's possible he may just...not be here, at the moment. It's happened to me before.

voice; un: ndwolfwood

[asipofbride]

He's got all them lifesigns going on just fine but that doesn't mean...

[ ... a deep inhale, sucking his teeth for a moment. voice low, like he doesn't want to be overheard. ]

His hair's turned completely black. That's usually the sign that a Plant's about to undergo its Last Run, which means it's about to... burn up the last of its energy. And die. When it happens it goes... fast.

voice | un: blackbirdtarot

[drewthetower]

I'm a healer, not a medic, but did anyone check his pulse? I'm on my way.

voice; un: ndwolfwood

[asipofbride]

Checking all that regularly. It's still goin' on but when... beings like him...

[ a hard swallow, a heavy exhale, push it down low and keep it quiet and factual. ]

It's not necessarily a sign that things are fine. When they start to go they go quick and there's not much that stops the process. Door's open, knock and come in.

... thanks.

slams into this so fast you don't even know, holy shit. video, UN: Thorn

[poisontippedcure]

[On the other side of the feed is Rose. Has she been crying? It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter, and she's angry, and she's scared, and she's----]

[She's fine. She doesn't have any choice but to be fine.]

He still has yet to wake up, then?

[She'd hoped, she'd hoped this wouldn't be the case.]

I'm willing to do whatever I can to help. I'll be over at the cottage shortly. My healing magic is very powerful.

[She hangs on that a second, before finishing--]

But I'm not sure it will be what your brother needs to wake up. At the very least, I don't think he's dying. Vash is too stubborn for that.

video | un: kni

[ornamentals]

[he hears rose's voice and despite his own sorry state, he scrambles for the phone.]

His hair, it's- [he doesn't have the video focused on him, pointing it up to the ceiling. he's trying very hard not to let his crying break into his voice.] It's black</> and for us- for Plants it means he's-

... I didn't know what else to do.

[action]

[asipofbride]

[ for anybody who comes by the cottage, Wolfwood's certainly there! if he's not outside smoking enough cigarettes to leave a massive, soggy pile of burnt up ash and filters by the front door, he's inside checking on Vash or doing something to maintain Eve and Kni and keep himself Busy. ]

[bebest]

[Zulius has exactly zero skills to actually help Vash here. He can't heal, he doesn't know anything about medicine or first aid or flunking plants to really do anything. But he does, at least, realise there are other people in the house who will be very unlikely to take care of themselves while they're stressing out about Vash. Of course, he's also stressing out about Vash. A fucking lot. But he'll try and focus that panicked energy into something else.

So not too long after Kni's message Zulius just teleports outside the house, looking worried and frazzled. He has a few shopping bags with him, laden with food and drinks and things for the kids. He doesn't exactly know what kids like anymore, so it's mostly colouring and puzzle books, but he's doing his best here. He can't do much about the situation, but he sure as shit can try and lessen everything else they need to worry about. ]

Hey! I'm here. I got...uh... stuff.

[ornamentals]

[since the end of the feed, kni is trying very hard to wrangle these disastrous emotions back down again. sniffling and crying certainly won't do vash any good, but such things are easier to say than do.

there's a wet spot on wolfwood's shirt from where the other had pulled him close earlier as kni broke down into a sob, now visible when kni tries to wipe at his face. palms pressing into his eyes, as if that can force away any more unwarranted emotion from leaking out. crying is such a foul business...

his phone is buzzing now as responses slowly trickle in, but kni doesn't immediately reach for it.]

[hoshikiri]

Yusuke and I are coming.

[Though Takame couldn't say for sure that whatever Vash was going through was the same thing Waver and Scintilla did, even if he was it wouldn't make things any easier. Rather than say any assurances that he could not make good on, he would let action speak for him.

And... in most respects Yusuke would be better to help Kni here. Until then, when approaching the cottage Takame did not waste time with a greeting save for he habitual lowering of his head.]

Would you mind if I went to see him? I would like to take a look. [He was far from a healer, but he was a veteran with a good eye.]

[playtag]

[Eve has been following Kni around at a distance for the most part, a solemn shadow. Trying to be there for her little brother, even if there was little she could do.]

[But every so often, she would retreat to a corner or window, alone. Staring out into space. Lost to her thoughts.]

[This is where Nicolas will find the young girl, gazing out at the river beyond their garden. Eve barely seems to acknowledge his approach.]

[Until she says, quietly:]

You know... I did this once.

Stayed asleep for days.

video: un: Kore

[aslowburn]

[Persephone has bid farewell to more mortals than she even remembers anymore. Countless. She never likes it. But that is the nature of mortality. It always ends. She is the Queen of the Dead, after all. She knows this better than most.

...But she would be loathe to admit she has grown... fond of this odd little family shacked up on her land. She finds Vash a little too chummy at times, but he is a good man. And Kni... well. His distress is not pleasant to see. ]

When death comes, even I am powerless to stop it. There is no exchange nor bargaining anyone can do once the Fates cut a thread of life. [...Okay no, that...probably isn't helping. ] But he is not dead yet. I am not a healer, but plant life is my dominion as much as death is. I can come and see if there's anything I can do.

[The rest of the Idols would have fucking kittens if they found out she was interfering with the way of things like this, but fuck those guys honestly. ]

text | un: kni (1/2)

[ornamentals]

[it is surprisingly hard to focus on anything when he feels so twisted up inside, hands shaking as he types. in any other circumstance, kni would never talk so openly about the secrets of their kind, but. he is desperate.]

i know he's dying because
his hair
when plants start to die, they turn black
if there's a chance someone can help him
i'll try anything

[ornamentals]

thank you

Video

[prunedworlds]

"Kni, is he just asleep and not waking up? Sometimes things can happen to people like that, but it doesn't mean they're dying. He might be fine if you just take care of him and wait."

While that's still plenty worrisome, to be sure, Ritsuka of course is doing her best not to let her own concern show.

"I don't know enough about medicine or healing to help though, sorry."

text | un: kni

[ornamentals]

he's dying

if he was just asleep, it'd be...
not okay, but
it'd be better than whatever this is.

voice: UN: trienemybest

[droptheious]

[Shit shit shit shit. This was bad. Varian has earth powers, of course, but they do tend to be more towards rocks and gems than...well, plants. Logically, he knows this has to be something they can look at. People die here and they come back, he knows that by now, but death here has always been sudden. Violent. Not...this.

He's pretty worried about Kni, but comfort isn't really his strongest point. ]

We'll figure this out okay, Buddy? Deep breaths. I'm gonna look through the network, see if I can find any instances of this ever happening, and then I'll head to the library, see if...well, if I can find anything. There has to be a logical reason for this happening, and we'll find it.

text | un: kni

[ornamentals]

[comfort isn't really kni's strongest point either, let alone being at the receiving end of it. it wasn't in his plan to break down like he did, but there's no going back now.]

he fell asleep and never woke up
and now his hair
it's almost completely black now
it doesn't

nothing about it makes sense

action.

[advivo]

[ for anybody who makes their way over to the cottage, your local devil hunter is very notably around! while it is certainly not strange for dante to be present at the cottage, there is something distinctly different this time around. when he isn't helping to keep an eye on vash or keeping the kids busy, he is outside working inside what looks like a greenhouse.

specifically he seems to be tending a plant, a strawberry plant. huh, that sure is weird. since when has dante ever been in gardening??? ]

[bebest]

[Zulius has been coming back to the cottage a few times a day. He's deeply worried about Vash, of course- there's nothing he can do about that, though. But he can keep an eye on the cottages' other residents and sundry- and that absolutely and unquestionably includes Dante.

He's bundled against the cold as he wanders into the greenhouse. The plant itself is honestly lost on him, but the state of his friend is not. So he comes a little closer, offering up a warm thermos. ]

Here, it's coffee. Humour me and have a drink so I can pretend I'm keeping you from freezing out here, okay?

[whiteshroud]

[Jun wasn't much of a healer, and it seemed like there were enough people helping on that end. Considering the cottage's views on gods... it was probably for the best to keep his offers to help to a minimum.

Instead he opted to come bring some food and check on the garden. It's by chance he teleports in while Dante is tending to a strawberry plant. Huh.

He'll move to stand by his side, and then with a forced cheer]

Taking gardening up as a hobby in your old age huh?

[drewthetower]

[At some point, after August is done tending to Vash and has given Dante some space, he goes to track down his uncle...wherever that may be.

(He also wonders just how the hell he went from zero uncles to a literal horde of them in less than a year, but that's just Kaisou.)

Ah, there he is.]

What're you growing?

[ornamentals]

[with more people inside the cottage to see vash, speaking in hushed tones with wolfwood, kni is pushed outside yet again to walk circles in the dirt and snow. pent-up anxiety that has his stomach churning and his heart in a vice, he paces around the cottage exterior, kicking up snow as he walks without a purpose or destination in mind. there's nothing he can do, but sitting idle feels worse than anything.

he ends up at the greenhouse, the tips of his shoes darkened with damp from kicking through the snow in his frustration, the cold slowly seeping through. looking inside through the slightly frosted windows, he sees a familiar figure.]

Dante?

[it's warmer inside, kni giving a small shiver as he's careful to close the greenhouse door behind him.]

What are you doing?

action

[ornamentals]

[kni has been (gently) kicked outside as people start to arrive, flowing in and out of the cottage to check on vash. it really feels like a fool's hope and while kni has never considered praying before, he thinks if that's what it takes for a miracle then he'd beg whatever powers that be to see vash well again.

he's currently seated on the steps outside the cottage entrance, using a stick to draw shapes in the dirty snow. there's very little he can focus on right now that isn't listening and waiting anxiously for any slight change that may come from inside.]

[stripartist]

Kni?

[After stepping in to see Wolfwood with Takame, Yusuke goes to find Kni. He has a bag with him that he normally doesn't.]

How are you doing?

Action

[playtag]

[Visitors to the cottage might discover another kid besides Kni hanging around. Eve has been quietly watching Vash or Kni but most often both. A little silent shadow for the two brothers.]

[She can be found huddled in the corner of Vash's room. While she's not as obviously distressed as Kni is, her expression is stoney and serious. Plus, she hasn't even touched any books. Not one, which is definitely not normal for Eve. Nothing stopping her watchful vigil over the sleeping Plant.]

[While Eve might not welcome distraction, she could probably use one.]