Aw, look! You do have thoughts! I was wondering if it was just vapor between your ears.
[ Slowly Zazie forms again, a frown on their face. Decides to be more helpful with their information, fill Vash in all the way, crouching down near him like a wild animal, elbows on their knees. ]
If you don't go to Knives, he can't network with you. He can't make Independents. And the lingering energy of you fighting back can't destroy JuLai. Because you do, you know. Or well, not really fight. You flee, but you're used to that. You try to stop him from using that power he takes, shoot it into space.
[ They make a gun finger with their hand and point it to the sky, pew'ing softly as they shoot. They... also decide to be nice, and not tell Vash it's technically him and his ambient energy that craters JuLai as a result. ]
[Like it always does. He shouldn't be surprised. And while he could ask for more information, he chooses not to. Anything else would just be to intentionally suffer. He has what he needs, and knows what he needs to do.]
You weren't there for it, but awhile back we learned that once it's all said and done here, someone will have to stay back. Close the gate, to prevent it all from happening again.
[He holds his hands out, almost smiling to himself.]
It's kind of poetic, don't you think? Instead of opening a gate and destroying everything, I'll close it and protect millions. More than that, when you think about all the worlds being impacted.
How self-sacrificial. You won't, though. Did the Punisher ever tell you why he's with you? His contract? All those little kids in the Orphanage?
[ Because if Vash doesn't go back, Wolfwood's contract is null, and those kids will continue being used for the Eye project. And can Vash let that hang on his conscience? ]
[Wolfwood had never told him, but Vash had long put the pieces of the puzzle together. With how long they'd been here, though, he'd almost forgotten that little detail. Now, though, it's a very good point made on Zazie's behalf.]
We have time to figure out how to protect them. Between Livio and Nick [Because he doubts Livio will go back to his own reality, not when he faces a world without his beloved.] they'll be able to get them somewhere safe. The ship, maybe. Or somewhere else.
[Can't experiment on the kids if the kids are nowhere to be found.]
Hmmm... you're funny! You think any human will be left standing once Knives realizes you're not there? He may need you to jump start a paradise for plants, but that doesn't mean he won't hesitate to slaughter each and every human on my world. Which is fine by me, they're notorious parasites after all.
[ They push themselves to their feet, stretching and tucking their arms behind their head. ]
You're kind of fucked, Vash. You don't go back, and Knives wipes out the last remains of humanity on that planet. Then the ones that show up due to your little bridge of light you made. Very fancy beacon, by the way. You do go back, and JuLai is wiped out but humanity may yet have a chance. Oh! This is that trolley problem!
[They're right, of course. Staying out of Knives' hands would only do so much. He was still plenty powerful, never mind ten times as smart as Vash had ever been. If he found that Vash was out of his hands, then he'd find another way. Especially if he ever came to know what had befallen them here.
He wouldn't put it past Knives to rip open reality just to chase him down.
The hope had always been feeble, but it still hurts something awful when it's snuffed out. Exhausted as he is, he can't school his expression. It crumples visibly before he can bury his face within his hands. Millions of lives would be lost no matter what he did.
Maybe Wolfwood had been right to hide it from him. Vash had hoped there'd be a way to change fate, but every solution he finds is no better than the future they're hurtling toward. There was no option, there was no way out.]
So what do I do?
[He doesn't mean to ask Zazie this. It comes out more rhetorical than anything.]
[ Watching Vash crumble makes Zazie sigh, and they confer amongst themselves before kicking dirt at Vash to make him stop. ]
Quit moping, for one. It's useless. And I can't really help you, I'm from after the point of JuLai going boom. But-
[ There's a chance, and Zazie is so fucking curious now as to how humans are going to pull themselves up. They grin and sigh. ]
Get me back before that, though, and we can talk to ourselves. Humans may have won me over a little more than your brother. They're so scrappy, fun to watch. Then you can have us on your side. We can eat your brother, if you want.
[Vash... hardly reacts when the dirt hits his face. He feels something impact him, sure, but he doesn't really respond beyond that. It's only once Zazie makes a direct offer that he lifts his head from his hands. He stares at them, waiting for a condition but...
Seemingly there's nothing. At least, not beyond the one he can obviously guess.]
No eating anyone. [He's very quick to say.] But if you can prevent that from happening... if we can find a way... [This promise is easy to make, at least.] I swear I'll find a way to make sure your kind can live peacefully with the humans.
Gosh, why are you so anti-eating people. Though Knives probably would give us a bit of indigestion. Fine. But you better. Because if more of your little humans land, and begin to chew through my world as they did to Earth? I won't be so kind. We are the planet. The only reason we agreed with Knives in the first place is because he promised to leave it alone.
[ Which he wasn't going to, in the end, judging by the giant Plant Mother. They can and will crush Knives in the end if they have to. Vash sort of did that for them, though, as far as they're aware. ]
[Huh. Of all the things Vash expected of this conversation, this certainly wasn't one of them. The corner of his lip tips upward in a quarter of a smile. Gingerly, he holds his hand out to shake.]
I guess you could say that.
[Though now that he has a second to think about what's been said...]
You mentioned something about a beacon? And more humans?
Yay! I suppose no eating the Punisher huh? Despite him deserving it.
[ Zazie slaps their hand into Vash's and shakes vigorously, their grin turning a little before they stick out their tongue. At least they let go and it wasn't some elaborate trap for them to bother Vash more or something.
Maybe. ]
Oh that. Yeah, the little light display you send off into space. I don't know if it's just that, or if it boosted your other ships communications somehow but~ You're about to have friends from Earth!
[ And how Zazie knows that, they will never tell. ]
[He practically squawks it, and absolutely would have snatched his hand away if they didn't grab it so quick. Admittedly he... is a little surprised that it really just was a handshake. Look at them. Character growth. He doesn't know what that is.]
I can't imagine that would have boded well for Nai.
[Maybe it's a good thing that -
Well. He's not going to think about that part, thank you.]
He deserves it, though! He blasted us in half! It's harder to think like this, you know. The babies are just babies so they're not exactly contributing much to thought.
Or, considering how he's hoarding the plants, it would have been just fine for him! Definitely don't know, he sort of-
[ They put their hands together, then dramatically blow them apart while wiggling their fingers. Even they don't know what fully happened to all the bits and pieces of Millions Knives. Burnt away. Blown all over the place. Sprinkled like ashes over all of Nomans.
But also, knowing Knives and that Elendira was a successful half clone- ]
Don't worry about it. Worry instead how you plan on getting me back so I can turn the others. And hope it doesn't take another two years for me to come around. You got a lot to do.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2024-06-30 08:52 pm (UTC)[ Slowly Zazie forms again, a frown on their face. Decides to be more helpful with their information, fill Vash in all the way, crouching down near him like a wild animal, elbows on their knees. ]
If you don't go to Knives, he can't network with you. He can't make Independents. And the lingering energy of you fighting back can't destroy JuLai. Because you do, you know. Or well, not really fight. You flee, but you're used to that. You try to stop him from using that power he takes, shoot it into space.
[ They make a gun finger with their hand and point it to the sky, pew'ing softly as they shoot. They... also decide to be nice, and not tell Vash it's technically him and his ambient energy that craters JuLai as a result. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-06-30 09:02 pm (UTC)[Like it always does. He shouldn't be surprised. And while he could ask for more information, he chooses not to. Anything else would just be to intentionally suffer. He has what he needs, and knows what he needs to do.]
You weren't there for it, but awhile back we learned that once it's all said and done here, someone will have to stay back. Close the gate, to prevent it all from happening again.
[He holds his hands out, almost smiling to himself.]
It's kind of poetic, don't you think? Instead of opening a gate and destroying everything, I'll close it and protect millions. More than that, when you think about all the worlds being impacted.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-30 09:09 pm (UTC)[ Because if Vash doesn't go back, Wolfwood's contract is null, and those kids will continue being used for the Eye project. And can Vash let that hang on his conscience? ]
no subject
Date: 2024-06-30 09:16 pm (UTC)We have time to figure out how to protect them. Between Livio and Nick [Because he doubts Livio will go back to his own reality, not when he faces a world without his beloved.] they'll be able to get them somewhere safe. The ship, maybe. Or somewhere else.
[Can't experiment on the kids if the kids are nowhere to be found.]
no subject
Date: 2024-06-30 09:22 pm (UTC)[ They push themselves to their feet, stretching and tucking their arms behind their head. ]
You're kind of fucked, Vash. You don't go back, and Knives wipes out the last remains of humanity on that planet. Then the ones that show up due to your little bridge of light you made. Very fancy beacon, by the way. You do go back, and JuLai is wiped out but humanity may yet have a chance. Oh! This is that trolley problem!
no subject
Date: 2024-06-30 09:27 pm (UTC)He wouldn't put it past Knives to rip open reality just to chase him down.
The hope had always been feeble, but it still hurts something awful when it's snuffed out. Exhausted as he is, he can't school his expression. It crumples visibly before he can bury his face within his hands. Millions of lives would be lost no matter what he did.
Maybe Wolfwood had been right to hide it from him. Vash had hoped there'd be a way to change fate, but every solution he finds is no better than the future they're hurtling toward. There was no option, there was no way out.]
So what do I do?
[He doesn't mean to ask Zazie this. It comes out more rhetorical than anything.]
no subject
Date: 2024-06-30 09:41 pm (UTC)Quit moping, for one. It's useless. And I can't really help you, I'm from after the point of JuLai going boom. But-
[ There's a chance, and Zazie is so fucking curious now as to how humans are going to pull themselves up. They grin and sigh. ]
Get me back before that, though, and we can talk to ourselves. Humans may have won me over a little more than your brother. They're so scrappy, fun to watch. Then you can have us on your side. We can eat your brother, if you want.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-30 09:49 pm (UTC)Seemingly there's nothing. At least, not beyond the one he can obviously guess.]
No eating anyone. [He's very quick to say.] But if you can prevent that from happening... if we can find a way... [This promise is easy to make, at least.] I swear I'll find a way to make sure your kind can live peacefully with the humans.
It's like you said. It's your world.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-30 10:31 pm (UTC)[ Which he wasn't going to, in the end, judging by the giant Plant Mother. They can and will crush Knives in the end if they have to. Vash sort of did that for them, though, as far as they're aware. ]
I guess this makes us friends~?
[ And they'll even hold one hand out to shake. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-06-30 10:56 pm (UTC)I guess you could say that.
[Though now that he has a second to think about what's been said...]
You mentioned something about a beacon? And more humans?
no subject
Date: 2024-06-30 11:02 pm (UTC)[ Zazie slaps their hand into Vash's and shakes vigorously, their grin turning a little before they stick out their tongue. At least they let go and it wasn't some elaborate trap for them to bother Vash more or something.
Maybe. ]
Oh that. Yeah, the little light display you send off into space. I don't know if it's just that, or if it boosted your other ships communications somehow but~ You're about to have friends from Earth!
[ And how Zazie knows that, they will never tell. ]
Probably means more Plants too.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-30 11:17 pm (UTC)[He practically squawks it, and absolutely would have snatched his hand away if they didn't grab it so quick. Admittedly he... is a little surprised that it really just was a handshake. Look at them. Character growth. He doesn't know what that is.]
I can't imagine that would have boded well for Nai.
[Maybe it's a good thing that -
Well. He's not going to think about that part, thank you.]
no subject
Date: 2024-06-30 11:30 pm (UTC)Or, considering how he's hoarding the plants, it would have been just fine for him! Definitely don't know, he sort of-
[ They put their hands together, then dramatically blow them apart while wiggling their fingers. Even they don't know what fully happened to all the bits and pieces of Millions Knives. Burnt away. Blown all over the place. Sprinkled like ashes over all of Nomans.
But also, knowing Knives and that Elendira was a successful half clone- ]
Don't worry about it. Worry instead how you plan on getting me back so I can turn the others. And hope it doesn't take another two years for me to come around. You got a lot to do.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-01 12:31 am (UTC)[Not the best reasoning, because he knows Zazie might take it the wrong way. He doesn't want Wolfwood to end up with no legs, now does he.
Anyway, he's wincing at Zazie's pantomiming here. Come on! That's his brother.]
I can figure out how to get you back there. Somehow. I just don't know if it's best that I come with. It still feels... risky.