homophonic: vash

[camena]

Comments

[piteous]

[ oop ]

M.....aaaaybe...?

[camena]

Do yoouuu... wanna tell me about it?

[piteous]

Is... It something you want to know...?

[camena]

Yeah. Why not?

We worked a shift at McDonald's together, so we're basically bonded for life.

[ that was not working a shift. they are not alive. ]

[piteous]

The ice cream machine being broken was haunting...

[ They broke it together (vash you broke it) they broke it together ]

I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but plants are the reason why humans can survive on No Man's Land... They can create water, trees, electricity, food, you name it they can make it as long as they're cared for. They're manmade powerplants would be the simplest way to explain it.

[ A hand reaches out towards the display, but hovers because he knows he can't touch it. ]

This would be a plant, but... One who was exploited and wrung of all her energy.

[camena]

[ alex is about to be like 'yeah that makes sense' because earth needs plants for a lot of stuff too! that's not strange.

but then. oh plants just means a different thing, huh... ]

... So they're—they're not a resource, they're like a living thing...?

[ hey. fucked up. ]

[piteous]

That's right. They have their own thoughts and emotions. Feel pain just like humans do.

[ truly fucked up, but he tries to end this on a positive note. ]

The good thing is that they're being treated better now...

[camena]

[ hrm. ]

What does "treated better" mean? It still sounds like exploitation.

[piteous]

To take care of them. To thank them. To live, this time together.

[ In harmony. He knows that it isn't reassuring, but it's a leap of faith. Hope. Which is enough for him to smile. ]

They've finally communicated, humans and plants, and they've come to understand each other. Change won't happen overnight, but it's the right direction. [ Hm. ] We should look around more. Maybe we can find another plant display?

[camena]

[ she doesn't really know enough about it to be optimistic... but it's not like she knows enough to be pessimistic, either. ]

Yeah, uh, maybe one that's less... morbid.

[piteous]

[ Hmmm... Vash peeks into the next room and here we go. There is another display of a plant, pristine and ethereal. Her feelers cup her sides, reminiscent to angel wings, and it looks like she's reaching out even though she can only stay in her bulb.

Of course it's just a statue display. ]

This is how they usually look like!

[camena]

They're pretty.

[ but also still a little scary? ]

Are they like... Gods or something? Like Nahida's world has? [ she figures that would explain how they provide so many things that people need. ]

[piteous]

If gods are made by humans, sure. It's more science than divine.

[ Humans have struck gold, flew too close to the sun, etc. ]

I don't know exactly how plants are made. That knowledge and the technology are lost.

[camena]

Mm, I don't think so? But what do I know. We don't have gods in my world. Uh, that I'm for sure of.

Huh. So... people used to know?

[piteous]

I can't say for me, either. It's kind of weird knowing there are people here who are used to having gods take part of their everyday lives.

[ the genshins, basically. ]

They did! Context probably helps. Humans were traveling space to find new habitable planets, but some colony ships malfunctioned and crashed onto No Man's Land... A lot of technology was lost during that event.

[camena]

Yeah, like, it's up in the air if gods exist or not, and even if they do I think we're all agreed that they're pretty hands-off...

[ wild. anyway. ]

Huh. That's... interesting. Did the other colony ships just keep searching, or—do you know?

[piteous]

Sounds about right to me.

[ mental handshake is god even real ]

Humans have been trying to contact Earth for a while... S.O.S. please save us from this shitty planet. We did recently get a response, though! It was very exciting.

[camena]

Right, C.Q.D.

That's cool. What, like—what did they say? Or do you even know? I guess that sounds like the kind of info that would be classified, maybe?

[piteous]

Uhh. From what I gathered, basically they'll be coming to pick everyone up in a couple of years. Told us to hold out until then, but they... Ended up coming early?

[ Sometimes, things are expedited. ]

Anything in here from your world?

[camena]

Oh—so they already came...?

[ that seems good. she thinks. but she will lead him along to a big monument of some kind. is that a bird. who knows. ]

Yeah, uh. A couple things like this are around here.

[piteous]

Mhm. Onboarding process.

[ And then he died, I guess. It's very shrugs for him, but... THIS MONUMENT. Pooh bear meme. ]

Is this... Art?

[camena]

That must be a relief...

[ she can't fully wrap her head around it though. like... are they really getting everyone off the planet...?? ]

Yeah. It's a monument for a submarine accident.

[piteous]

... Submarine accident—like... Submarine for the ocean?

[ WATER???? ]

[camena]

Yeah. The USS Kanaloa. It was a world war II submarine that got—um. [ she sounds a little self conscious like she thinks this is probably boring to him, but she carries on anyway. ] Well, we were taught it was sunk by an enemy sub chaser.

But it was friendly fire.

[piteous]

[ Vash doesn't looked bored at all, but has them frown. ]

I've read of history before... But only some pieces here and there. Even then, it might not be the same as yours.

[ Genuinely, he is sad dog. ]

Friendly fire—that's heartbreaking. Saying the enemy caused it doesn't help, either. War is a nasty thing, I've read.