doubledollar | IC INBOX

[ he should have expected it. he's moving through the city as quick as he can without gaining too much attention--he doesn't want to get in trouble for moving faster than a 'human' generally can, but. when his phone beeps, his... expression softens a bit when he sees who it is.
Ah. Did he leave that abruptly... oh no. ]

ah
did i worry you
im sorry
something ... came up
someone.
i think...
i think my brother might have showed up in the city

[...

Hells take them. No wonder Vash left so quick. Takame wouldn't dare to ask Vash about the situation with his brother directly, but he's read enough on the network from Wolfwood's publicizing of it and from hearing things as Yusuke has been painting the mural in Vash's home. All he knew was second hand but he could discern one thing.

This... could be dangerous. It was not his place to interfere with it, but he refused to let Vash handle this alone. If there was anything to handle.]

You needn't apologize. I understand.

Will you seek him out? Is there anything that can be done about him? If he has only just arrived, it's likely he'll be unable to do or harm anything or anyone.

[ he hasn't told takame the full story, but what with how little he's tried to hide the situation both in his casual conversation, the mural at home, the photo of himself and kni as kids in his house...

it's not a good situation. anyone even slightly close to vash would know that--someone as close as takame would immediately feel alarm bells. ]

I have to find him.
if he's like i was when i first arrived
he should be weak, yes
i need to find out what timeline he's from
i havent talked about it
but
me and wolfwood arent from the same timeline of worlds
our circumstances are similar, but different enough to be notable
i dont know what to do until i figure out where he's from
and once i do i
i might have to fight him? i dont know yet
i cant
let him hurt anyone

[Takame could only imagine how Vash felt right now. But it's with that distance from direct feeling that let him consider doing anything that had to be done to stop Knives if need be.

He'd have fought Gilgamesh for Waver, Enuma Elish be damned. He'd fight Vash's brother for his sake as well. Given his status as a Warrior of Light with others among them, the fact that separate timelines exist isn't surprising. There were factors to consider here, they needed to gauge the threat level. Vash's pacifistic nature was a concern, but it wasn't wrong to study a potential opponent first.]

You won't face this alone. Keep me informed on what you learn and how much of a threat he presents. I won't allow him to hurt anyone either.

Will you be alright?

[ he's a pacifist, yes, and its definitely the biggest concern in this area. maybe a bit bigger a concern that its his brother and he always, always struggled neutralizing the man when even vash knew the right response was pulling the trigger.

he needed his friends to be there if it really was Millions Knives, set upon another world where he could ... where he could....]

Thank you, Takame. I mean it. I'm sorry I left so... suddenly, but I promise, I won't leave you in the dark.

This is my home now.
I won't let anything happen to it
or you
or any of my friends

...and i dont know
i want to optimistically respond to that with
'im vash the stampede, im always alright!!!!' but

...

heh
this is silly

[If Vash won't pull that trigger, Takame would no matter how much Vash would despise him for it.

He executed innocents. He had no problem executing threats to his loved ones.

Takame was the one feigning as much optimism as he could here, an odd turn of events.]

If he is weakened, perhaps he can be reasoned with. We will not know for certain until we ascertain more details.

I am not one to dig into someone's private matters. I was concerned, and now I understand. And I will do what I can to lend my support.

Please, if there is anything I can do let me know.

[ he would be angry
for a very, very
long time
but at the same time
...it
isn't like he'd be able to blame takame for it
not for his own weakness. ]

that's... what im hoping for
if he's from a timeline where he can be talked to
reasoned with
calmed down
ill do that first
i know my own brother, i know what he's capable of
but
if we're lucky
IF we're lucky
...maybe things can be different.

i'll tell you things next time, takame. i think, after all ive seen about you
you deserve to know
but that'll have to wait
i need to find him
if i need anything

ill let you know

[He'll take that anger.

He took the anger of the Domans who watched Takame oen Tsurugi murder their families still spit on him long after its liberation. He took the Garlean's anger who saw him as a traitor to their cause while daring to act as a conditional savior. He took the Eorzean's anger. He took the Tribes' anger.

So to would he take Vash's anger towards him.

He'll take the burden of the blood on his hands. It weighed as it should.

It was what he deserved, no, his duty to bear that weight.]

Whenever you feel ready, my doors are open to you. Take care.

hey

just
keeping you updated
like i promised i would
so uhm
i found him. i found knives
rather
kni

...he's
small.
he's really small. like. ten year old small.
i dont really know how to handle this
properly...?

[ but at the very least
now, maybe
takame doesn't have to feel like he needs to stand in and do the terrible, but very right thing. ]

maybe things can be different

[It would be a lie to say Takame wasn't pacing by his phone waiting for Vash's update. When it did come, he checked his message frantically but then felt...

Conflicted. Relief and suspicion at the same time, but it wasn't like it was unheard of for someone known to be much older to suddenly appear years from the past. If it was possible in the future then of course the past was too.

He was still rather on edge about the whole situation. But what was clear whether he was grown or small was that Knives, or Kni, Takame supposed, was indeed not a threat.]

I see. Thank you for keeping me updated.

[There's a slight delay, as Takame was unsure what advice he could offer with his apprehension. It took some time, but he could only see one way to manage this.]

I think that you should do what you believe is right.

[ i think that you should do what you believe is right.

His beliefs have always been very strong; unshakeable, even:

protect those who cannot protect themselves
find a way for people and plants to co-exist
spread the ideas of love and peace
find a way to forgive himself for dooming the human race.

'meeting your older brother who caused a calamity with your help as a child and be met with the crisis of either damning him for a mistake made out of fear, or raising him to be a better person' never came into his thought space.

so... ]

but what if i don't know what's right

[Did any of them know what was right? What was right, Takame wondered. That changed so much throughout his life and the conclusion he came to in his current age was.

What Hina said was right was right.

Because she is kind, considerate, compassionate, charismatic... his sister was the epitome of what a person should be.

But he knew he was just following her ideals and not his own. He didn't know what was right either. He'd have followed Vash's example on what he thought was right.

He didn't know. So there was a long delay in response, sitting there staring at his words wondering what to say. He would always fall back on the words of others. It took a while before something his second sister figure told him after returning to Doma from Sharlayan. For as painfully shy as she was, she was more emotionally wise than he would ever be. It was with a mix of her words and his painful truth he responded.]

Perhaps nothing is right. Any action here could have damning consequences.

I was told once that sometimes all one can do is follow their heart. I don't know what that means myself, but it may mean something to you.

[ for someone like vash, who always led his life trying to be someone who had to choose what was right at all times--this sucks. This fucking sucks. He can't tell what the right choice is and it's burning him up inside knowing there are people who could suffer if he chooses wrong, and yet.

Here he is, walking home with his brother's hand in one hand, and his phone in the other, trying to decide which is the right choice.

He reads Takame's message carefully before answering again. Perhaps nothing is right. One's own opinions are what matters most. Following the heart...

Maybe there's something to that. ]

it means something to me.
no, your words are definitely... they're definitely right.

follow my heart, huh...

[ he glances down at Nai. The kid doesn't smile, but he can feel that intense stare always on him, waiting to follow his every move. ]

...I can't let him be alone.
Maybe this time
if I can teach him what's right and wrong
it'll be better this time

Someone from my home said those words. Though I'm unsure how to follow them, she would be glad someone got use from them.

If you wish to stay by his side, do so. That is what is right in your heart, is it not?

[He didn't know. He was talking out of his arse here, saying things he didn't know or mean or anything. He just wanted to help. He wanted to be there for his friend.

Vash deserved to have support. More than anyone. Even if the decision was... probably a bad one.

What Takame didn't voice was how willing he was to put a blade through Kni's neck should this take a turn for the worse.

But for now, he would wait. He would wait and see. Try to hope. Try.]

theyre good words
they definitely hold a certain amount of weight to them, and theyre circumstantial.
but i think theyre good ones. they could apply to you too in certain situations? its like

i guess

being unsure what to do, logically is what's happening
but
i know what my heart wants
and my heart so badly wants to have my brother back

[ that might not mean anything to takame, not right now, not until he's gotten a chance to sit down and actually speak with him about the things that happened on no man's land, because god forbid--he will not tell anyone about the great fall, but... ]

id like to have my brother back

This realm gives us opportunities we never would have in our homes. It isn't possible to know whether they will be for good or ill.

If you want him back, reach out to him. There is a chance to take.

[And Takame didn't want to share just how bad of an idea he thought this was.]

[ it's a bad idea. he partly knows it's a bad idea. there's that voice that's presently TELLING him it's a bad idea.

but every time he hears that musical little dusting hit the back of his head--the connection with another plant, the connection with his brother--he bites it back. ]

youre right
there isnt anyway to know if it'll be good or bad until i try
right
youre right

...thank you takame
and im sorry
he's a... troublesome kid, with some attitude problems
but
he hasn't turned into a monster yet
i dont think
so...

i have to try
maybe if he grows up with kind people around him
instead of alone

No one is born with the intent to do wrong.

[Not even him, though it took his mother telling him about his first four years to consider it.

Almost three decades of bloodshed and proven pessimism were just hard to shake.

The longer he considered hypotheticals of this conversation, the more uncomfortable he began to get. For once he was grateful for his relative monotone.]

You've no reason to apologize. I can only wish you luck.

thank you takame
i mean it
ill need some... time, to get settled with this, i think

id like to visit you again soon
we can have a good long talk then
and hopefully things might be a bit clearer
by then

...im sorry to burden you with this.
i know you said i didnt have to apologise
but i cant help it haha

Edited 2023-07-04 02:54 (UTC)

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