[ Vash catches himself before he rolls his eyes. He does, however, exhale a sigh as he rolls his shoulders in a shrug. ]
Myself, really. [ Dolph too, but Knives doesn't need to know that right now. Maybe not ever. He watches his brother move, and a frown filters onto his expression as he observes the stiff way he moves, the pain evident. A renewed pang of guilt ricochets through his chest and he looks away, picking up the two fishing rods again. ]
But... thanks. I'm glad. [ He offers Knives a smile then, one that's small and brief, but one that's genuine. ] It's a bit of a walk.
[He picks up the tacklebox, examining it idly, perhaps for an excuse to ignore the way Vash keeps looking at him. His little brother is so predictable.]
Then there is no need to waste time lingering. [The smile is met with apparent indifference, as is the unspoken question. But it occurs to him, vaguely, that it might be the first time Vash has given him a genuine smile in a very long time.] Lead the way.
[ He can only spend so much time staring at his brother while trying to figure him out before it gets called out even more forcefully, so Vash shoulders the fishing poles and ambles back down the path towards the coastline that's nearby. His boots slip on some loose rock and for a moment he flails as he scrambles to grab his footing.
Its brief overall but the laugh it yanks out of his chest is genuinely humored. ]
Careful. Uh... loose rocks.
[ Okay, well. No one ever said he was smooth, and maybe this whole situation has him more on edge than he wants to admit to himself. He can certainly feel his heart hammering in his chest, even as they keep walking without saying too much. ]
[Knives had never been much of a conversationalist, even all those years ago, but what might have been companionable silence they shared as children is now something far more pointed and oppressive. Almost as if he's trying to bait out whatever Vash has on his mind, even if Knives isn't being obvious about it, paying more attention to his surroundings than to him as they walk.
Vash slipping on a rock interrupts the tension, though, and for a brief moment he reaches as if to snag him by the hood of his jacket, but his brother manages to regain his footing before it's needed.]
Graceful as ever.
[He mocks with a derisive noise, though for once, there's not much venom behind it.]
[ It takes a lot of brainpower to weave together interpretations of his brother's tone, body language or what he says most of the time. Now isn't any different but Vash doesn't miss the lack of spice behind the words, negative as they are.
Vash just lifts a hand up to rub at the back of his own undercut, a motion that's all too common when he's just a little nervous or unsure. The laugh that follows is quiet. ]
Yeah, guess so. [ A pause. ] Didn't fall though, so guess I'm still one up.
[ He glances over towards knives, his expression carefully constructed but gentle. ]
...So, I was thinking about setting up along the coast over there.
[ He points with the fishing poles, a distant coastline near some older unused docks stretching out towards deeper waters. ]
[Knives' gaze follows along to where he points. A spot where they're unlikely to be disturbed, it seems, which suits him just fine. Whether Vash chose it out of consideration or fear is another matter, but the end result is the same.]
Suitable enough. [He says, with no fishing expertise whatsoever. A neutral remark for now, his gaze turning downward to focus on his own footing. He's not about to beef it when he's much unsteadier on his feet but just made fun of Vash for it.]
It seems you've been enjoying yourself, learning the ways of the old world.
[ A little of column A, a little of column B. But he's not going to admit to either, even if he does get asked. It's just a place to fish, that's it, that's all. Vash takes the neutral answer for what it is, his reply an equally neutram hum of agreement. He's no expert either, but he does like the quiet that comes with fishing. It always feels so serene. He's hoping his brother might find some kind of similar peace, maybe.
He subtly watches each place his brother plants his feet, almost like he's ready to jump and help if he sees reason to. It's a lot of downhill walking, at least for a little longer before they get to the plain and the beach to cross. ]
Yeah, I guess so. When in Rome, right? It's relatively peaceful here, most of the time.
[ He's grown quite fond of it, of the other Dreamers, and of many locals he's made friends with. ]
It's completely different from anything back home.
[The shifting rocks beneath them means Knives misjudges his step and it jars his wounded leg, though he makes little visible indication of it besides the awkward pause in his gait and the way his expression tightens. He'd sooner go through the indignity of flinging himself down the slope to get down than to rely on Vash.]
A peaceful world is all I wanted for you.
[His voice is soft, avoiding Vash's gaze. He's not interested in rehashing any recent arguments about it, except to add--]
But this is still just a dream, Vash. And dreams are fleeting.
[ If vash noticed the subtle shift in Knives' gait or the strain in his face he doesn't make it obvious. Instead he just regards what his brother says quietly. It's funny how the context of just a couple of sentences can hit entirely differently when the tone and atmosphere around them aren't as fraught.
His expression remains soft, if a little sad. His grip on the fishing poles tightens a little, and though he glances in Knives' direction briefly he's ALSO avoiding eye contact. He doesn't close his eyes because he's almost certain if he did he'd fall on his face but... the sigh that is breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth might as well illustrate him with a closed eyed expression. ]
I know. [ To which? Both? Probably. ] But it's all some people have, so it's real to them. Going home just means to die for some people. [ There's a pointed glance over in his brother's direction. ]
Dolph's found a whole new life here. Something for himself when he didn't have anything like that where he came from. So if it's real to him, then it's real to me.
[ He stops as they come to a slope that means either they're going to have to shimmy down slowly or slide down on their butts. He turns to look at Knives, and without much of a word he holds his arm out, crooked, to offer support. Or maybe to just work in tandem so they don't both take a tumble. ]
[Knives has to take a moment to comprehend what he's being told. He scarcely remembers who 'Dolph' is -- had only put a name to the face via the network, and he'd been half-delirious from pain when the man had brought him to that hill -- but it suddenly makes sense why he'd spoken as if he knows Vash well.
It's less swallowing his pride, and more a spiteful act of jealousy, that has him take Vash's arm.]
Always letting them lead you astray. [Though maybe that's unfair to Dolph, so he amends:] Or perhaps you do it to yourself. Even he had the sense to name this place a cage.
[It's doubly bitter for him, when Vash had given such a grand display of wanting to remain at the side of the humans in their own world, now seeming to have abandoned that sentiment. Once again, he's proving himself the weak little brother, constantly pulled around by forces he doesn't understand, too soft-hearted to defend himself from it.]
[ Vash doesn't react to the grip on his arm other than to make sure to try and hold them both steady as they march down the hill. He's concentrating on watching where his feet are landing -- his brother's too for that matter, so for a moment he's silent. It doesn't take over long before he's responding. ]
Dolph's way more practical than I am, but he still hears what I have to say. Maybe it's part of why we get along so well.
[ He's not so sure he agrees with calling it a cage, though he's understood why some might see it that way. Dolph's far from the only person who views this world that way. ]
We don't always see everything the same, and that's okay.
[He feels foolish, to have to lean on Vash for a task even this simple, but at least they're able to move at a steady pace. His pride's taken enough knocks lately that he's able to acknowledge that much.]
If he has nothing else to live for, what alternative would a man have but to indulge such daydreams? In that sense, he has little choice but to listen to you.
[Few would make the choice Knives wishes to, he figures. Humans are too cowardly.]
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no subject
Myself, really. [ Dolph too, but Knives doesn't need to know that right now. Maybe not ever. He watches his brother move, and a frown filters onto his expression as he observes the stiff way he moves, the pain evident. A renewed pang of guilt ricochets through his chest and he looks away, picking up the two fishing rods again. ]
But... thanks. I'm glad. [ He offers Knives a smile then, one that's small and brief, but one that's genuine. ] It's a bit of a walk.
[ Are you going to be okay to do it? ]
no subject
Then there is no need to waste time lingering. [The smile is met with apparent indifference, as is the unspoken question. But it occurs to him, vaguely, that it might be the first time Vash has given him a genuine smile in a very long time.] Lead the way.
no subject
[ He can only spend so much time staring at his brother while trying to figure him out before it gets called out even more forcefully, so Vash shoulders the fishing poles and ambles back down the path towards the coastline that's nearby. His boots slip on some loose rock and for a moment he flails as he scrambles to grab his footing.
Its brief overall but the laugh it yanks out of his chest is genuinely humored. ]
Careful. Uh... loose rocks.
[ Okay, well. No one ever said he was smooth, and maybe this whole situation has him more on edge than he wants to admit to himself. He can certainly feel his heart hammering in his chest, even as they keep walking without saying too much. ]
no subject
Vash slipping on a rock interrupts the tension, though, and for a brief moment he reaches as if to snag him by the hood of his jacket, but his brother manages to regain his footing before it's needed.]
Graceful as ever.
[He mocks with a derisive noise, though for once, there's not much venom behind it.]
no subject
Vash just lifts a hand up to rub at the back of his own undercut, a motion that's all too common when he's just a little nervous or unsure. The laugh that follows is quiet. ]
Yeah, guess so. [ A pause. ] Didn't fall though, so guess I'm still one up.
[ He glances over towards knives, his expression carefully constructed but gentle. ]
...So, I was thinking about setting up along the coast over there.
[ He points with the fishing poles, a distant coastline near some older unused docks stretching out towards deeper waters. ]
no subject
Suitable enough. [He says, with no fishing expertise whatsoever. A neutral remark for now, his gaze turning downward to focus on his own footing. He's not about to beef it when he's much unsteadier on his feet but just made fun of Vash for it.]
It seems you've been enjoying yourself, learning the ways of the old world.
no subject
He subtly watches each place his brother plants his feet, almost like he's ready to jump and help if he sees reason to. It's a lot of downhill walking, at least for a little longer before they get to the plain and the beach to cross. ]
Yeah, I guess so. When in Rome, right? It's relatively peaceful here, most of the time.
[ He's grown quite fond of it, of the other Dreamers, and of many locals he's made friends with. ]
It's completely different from anything back home.
no subject
A peaceful world is all I wanted for you.
[His voice is soft, avoiding Vash's gaze. He's not interested in rehashing any recent arguments about it, except to add--]
But this is still just a dream, Vash. And dreams are fleeting.
no subject
His expression remains soft, if a little sad. His grip on the fishing poles tightens a little, and though he glances in Knives' direction briefly he's ALSO avoiding eye contact. He doesn't close his eyes because he's almost certain if he did he'd fall on his face but... the sigh that is breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth might as well illustrate him with a closed eyed expression. ]
I know. [ To which? Both? Probably. ] But it's all some people have, so it's real to them. Going home just means to die for some people. [ There's a pointed glance over in his brother's direction. ]
Dolph's found a whole new life here. Something for himself when he didn't have anything like that where he came from. So if it's real to him, then it's real to me.
[ He stops as they come to a slope that means either they're going to have to shimmy down slowly or slide down on their butts. He turns to look at Knives, and without much of a word he holds his arm out, crooked, to offer support. Or maybe to just work in tandem so they don't both take a tumble. ]
no subject
It's less swallowing his pride, and more a spiteful act of jealousy, that has him take Vash's arm.]
Always letting them lead you astray. [Though maybe that's unfair to Dolph, so he amends:] Or perhaps you do it to yourself. Even he had the sense to name this place a cage.
[It's doubly bitter for him, when Vash had given such a grand display of wanting to remain at the side of the humans in their own world, now seeming to have abandoned that sentiment. Once again, he's proving himself the weak little brother, constantly pulled around by forces he doesn't understand, too soft-hearted to defend himself from it.]
no subject
Dolph's way more practical than I am, but he still hears what I have to say. Maybe it's part of why we get along so well.
[ He's not so sure he agrees with calling it a cage, though he's understood why some might see it that way. Dolph's far from the only person who views this world that way. ]
We don't always see everything the same, and that's okay.
no subject
If he has nothing else to live for, what alternative would a man have but to indulge such daydreams? In that sense, he has little choice but to listen to you.
[Few would make the choice Knives wishes to, he figures. Humans are too cowardly.]