asipofbride | IC INBOX [kaisou]

[ frustrating but
human. and isn't that worth it, just a little? to experience what it's like to be one of the things that Vash fights so hard to understand, to love, to settle and make peace with? the cider might be hot but Wolfwood's mouth is probably a deadzone, so he's sipping his drink carefully all the same, letting his sunglasses slide down so he can look at the kid.

his offering wasn't rejected outright, so that was a good sign. he blinks at the admission that Vash... took the math book, and tries to figure out what to do about that--and whether it's a help or a hindrance to offer to go. retrieve it? was a math book a good thing? Wolfwood's childhood was bloody and abnormal where mathbooks were concerned. he's not very fond of classes, but Vash trusts them and assures him that they aren't... what he went through, so it's fine. really. ]

Well. Congrats. Or sorry that happened. I ain't sure. [ he sips his drink again, swishing his tongue around his mouth to disperse the heat, breathing out nutmeg and sweet-sharp apple, the heel of his left foot starting to bounce a she works himself up to the point of the matter because he is terrible at small talk. ]

So are you like. Wantin' to stay here about that, or do you wanna get recruited for errands?

[a college level calculus workbook he's been picking through like one would pick through a sudoku book or crossword puzzles. he'd been taking it to school with him to work on during classes, some actual busy work that could keep him occupied.] I was just about to start the chapter on differential equations. There are three pages I haven't even begun to work on yet.

[it sucks! now he has to wait until vash decides he can have his book back and that might as well be an eternity.

he sits up finally, staring down into the mug properly. the steam curls and dissipates in little whirls, kni breathing in the spicy notes. his fingers wrap around the mug, letting it warm his palm.]

Mhm... [on one hand, kni loves any chance to stay home and never interact with strangers.

but on the other hand he is so bored he can feel his brain melting.

he pulls the mug closer and finally lifts it up to take a small sip. his nose wrinkles at the heat, but the taste is nice.]

... What kind of errands?

Edited 2023-12-19 20:08 (UTC)

[ the question of 'differential what' sits right on the edge of his tongue, and he scalds it back with another mouthful of cider. he doesn't need to know. he wasn't meant for math, he was meant for the streets. ] Ah, bad thing, then. That's rough, pal.

[ he watches as Kni circles the bait, unsure and uneven, and then he just... lays it out. he's not trying to trap the little guy, after all. even if it might be fun to see the light leave his eyes over what Wolfwood's been tasked to wade into next.

Vergil had been kind enough to warn him, even if he hadn't been kind enough to not ask him. there's only so much an introvert can take. ]

Uncle Stuffy's got some basic presents for people he doesn't really care about earmarked from the mall. He's paying me a bonus to go pick them up. I also figured I'd grab stuff for Vash an' Evie while I was there, since apparently they'll have special stuff and plenty of stores out and about. S'also apparently decorated to look nice.

I can make it alone, but if you wanna oggle people being weird over junk, it might be worth the laugh.

Edited 2023-12-19 20:59 (UTC)

[rough doesn't even begin to cover it for an academic nerd like kni. woe is him, etc etc...

a trip to the mall, a place kni has heard of but never been to himself before. it takes him a moment to realize uncle stuffy is vergil in wolfwood-speak and that almost gets him to crack a smile. just a little twitch at the corner of his lips. he takes another small sip.]

Do you have something in mind for them?

[having only learned about the holiday a few weeks ago, kni already had a few ideas. low risk things he could make and give that could come across as polite without an air of trying too hard. he had started with vash first, of course, and moved down the list of people who had surprisingly wormed their way into his good graces. like eve.]

I'll come with you.

[ almost a small! isn't that progress. Wolfwood almost smiles back and takes another sip of his drink, sitting back in his chair with a heavy little sigh. ]

Not a clue. I've never really been in a present givin' situation, you know? Fuck, and I gotta get Uncle Scruffy too...

[ having also only recently learned about the holiday, it's... weird to both have the resources to just throw things at people, and to do it for a vaguely secular reason. where was the kindness and present giving parts of the Christianity he'd been raised in? sand Christianity sucks. ]

Excellent. I can use you to move people out of the way.

[ he grins and does not elaborate. ]

I'm new to it, too, you know. [a pause, glancing up from his mug to wolfwood.] ... Vergil would be easy. He'd probably like a nice tea set, or old coins. [the gift giving possibilities are endless for an introverted history nerd like vergil! it also helps that kni kind of understands his interests.

his brows scrunch up, questioning and suspicious.]

Is it... Do you expect it to be crowded?

[already he feels those familiar hands of anxiety reaching up and goes back to frowning into his drink. it's cooled off enough that it's no longer visibly steaming, so kni takes a (slightly) bigger sip.]

Scruffy, Scruffy, not Stuffy--Scruffy's mine, Stuffy's yours.

[ ... it's probably weird to portion a pair of adult men out as mine and yours, considering how tangled their little collection of weirdos is with that little collection of weirdos, but it's also kind of nice to have these bonds and ties. Wolfwood's not gonna think too hard about it. ] 'sides, he's my boss. There's probably... protocols and shit. To gifts you give people richer'n you.

[ he looks amused as Kni, cleverer than his brother, immediately senses danger in the wind. ]

Yep. Apparently it's a busy time of year for buyin' shit, which is why I'm being paid extra to do it on Vergil's behalf. I figure if we combine our powers, we can look surly enough that people'll get out of our ways after a couple of elbows.

O-Oh. [it's a little embarrassing he mixed that up, but a moment later he's biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smiling.

stuffy and scruffy... so, maybe it's a little funny how accurate the nicknames are for vergil and dante. another sip of cider, little huff sending a ripple across the drink's surface.] You should ask Vash what to give Dante. He's thoughtful and considerate.

[only kni can say that and make it sound like it's almost a bad thing. the riches part... he's still coming up with a frame of reference of what "rich" looks like here.]

Do you promise no one will touch me?

[ at the thought of Vash asking what present to get Dante, well.

... some things are not meant to be discussed with children. ] You're right. He's probably got a bead on what Scruffy likes. They're both old men.

[ of course the nicknames are good--nicknames are what Wolfwood does, it's his coping mechanism to keep people at an emotional distance, he's been doing it for years! he's amazing at it! ]

If someone touches you intentionally, I'll get out of pocket with them, but I can't promise someone might not brush you. ... if you huddle behind me it might work out. I've got big shoulders.

Edited 2023-12-23 21:59 (UTC)

Mhm...

[it's food for thought and kni is easily led down the path of overthinking everything, when the idea of holidays and christmas first came up his knee-jerk response was to read whatever he could find in an effort to keep his own head above the proverbial waters. it seemed as if every other week there was some new yet well-known event happening, and kni absolutely hated the feeling of being caught unaware and lacking in information. christmas and the holidays that surrounded it during winter were things he knew in passing, dates on a calendar no longer in use when he'd been learning about such things.

comparing what he remembers from story books to what he's learned online, the differences in vibes alone seem astronomical. the other day, he had watched a video of humans- people nearly trampling over one another during some kind of department store sale.]

Okay. [he pulls his hand away from the mug, satisfied with the three and a half sips he's had thus far.] I want to see if it's like the videos I've found online.

[and he wouldn't mind if wolfwood did get a little out of pocket... it was incredibly satisfying seeing him bark at strangers.]

[ Wolfwood likes barking at strangers. barking at people that he knows gets him in trouble and makes him feel bad, so taking out some surly patches of temper at asshole McNobodies really just keeps his humors balanced and makes him tolerable for the day to day crew. ]

We can go for equal parts pickin' shit up and seein' the chaos that comes from people who wait until the last minute to get stuff done.

[ it'll be a fun little anthropological experiment! Wolfwood continues to sip his drink, planning on draining the cup before he's stirred to get Up and At Them. ]

You got any stuff you might want to grab while we're there?

[wolfwood can take his time, not like kni had any plans for anything before being approached for errand duties.]

Hmm...

[while wolfwood drinks, kni picks up the spinning toy by the top handle to twirl it idly against the table.]

I was thinking... maybe a brooch, or a pin, for Eve. People with long hair like to wear things in their hair. [he noticed one of his teachers with something similar in their hair, so maybe it isn't too far off to think eve might like that too.]

Not a bad idea. Evie's got a little growin' collection of cute stuff, something like that would fit right in.

[ he has memories of the girls at the orphanage, and the little treasures they'd held so close. he continues to mull over his cider, draining the cup at a leisurely pace--and then he leans over to take the remnants of Kni's cup, unwilling to let any food or drink go to waste as he shotguns down the cider, giving a little huff when he moves to stand. ]

Let's get the clown show on the road, eh?

[it doesn't mean anything that his idea earns wolfwood's approval, because it doesn't. absolutely not at all.

but it's nice to know eve might like it. whatever he may pick out for her.

kni moves from the table a moment after wolfwood does, head cocking to the side in question.]

What's a clown show?

[ clearly Wolfwood's words have no meaning, frittering off into the air he's released them into never to be seen again. ]

We're the clown show, kiddo. And we're goin' back to the mothership to meet the other clowns.

[ he throws a wry grin over his shoulder, making his way outside to where Vergil's car is parked--today a sensible silver four-door of some make and model, not that Nick would know what cars is other than four wheels and vroom. ]

That doesn't explain anything.

[and also opens up an entirely new set of questions??? he doesn't want to meet other clowns, whoever they are. wolfwood's grin is met with a sulking pout.] You're always saying weird stuff...

[kni perks up slightly when he sees the car. his steps slow as he comes around to the back door, glancing at the passenger seat up front. last time he had to sit in the back with eve...]

Can I sit up front with you?

It's all that needs explainin', mini cactus.

[ because it really is what it says it is--cosmically, they're clowns on the way to a job booking. clown show. he grins anyway when Kni calls him weird as he swaddles himself in a layer of coats and gloves, trying to keep any incidental snow off his skin. ] Things are weird and they need to be said. I can't help that.

And... yeah, I guess? Put the strappy thing on.

[ Wolfwood is, at best, a 70s mom. being too short for the front seat is not something he is aware of and will ever care about. what is a booster seat. ]

[mini cactus, as if kni can puff up in indignation any more than he already is.

they're both dressed warmly, kni in the coat and scarf that jun had gifted him, but far less worried about the snow touching him. it's fun to kick around until the chill starts to set in.]

You mean the seatbelt?

[but he's already sliding into the passenger side before wolfwood can change his mind, snapping said seatbelt into place. if kni had to sit in a booster seat, he'd simply never ride in a car again until he hit a growth spurt. at his size right now he can just see over the dashboard. the radio control panel catching his attention almost immediately.]

Yeah, sure. I never used one back on Noman's Land, but Bossman'll dock my pay if you don't use them in his car.

[ stupid Vergil. like a little car crash would kill Wolfwood.

still, he clicks the belt into place and fiddles with the seat a bit until he's comfortable, turning the car to life and bringing the radio with it--it growled out something with a lot of guitars and drums, probably a testament to having gone driving with Dante at some nearby point, and Wolfwood himself seems uninterested in fiddling with it as he begins to back out of the dirt strip that counted for a driveway. ]

[maybe not, but it'd sure upset vash and dante. especially if kni is sitting in the front seat with him.

kni twitches at the radio's sudden chatter of rock music cut right in the middle of what was probably a climatic riff. with wolfwood busy driving, kni makes the executive decision to reach over and start shuffling through the preset stations. the drive into the city is long enough that he'd like to at least listen to something that won't give him a headache.

the station he stops on is one playing old holiday music, not that kni immediately recognizes it as holiday themed. however, the song currently playing and the ones that follow are pleasantly nice, fitting for the chilly weather that passes by them outside as they drive. kni leans back into his seat and turns his head to watch the snow covered fields and distant scenery.]

[ look, Kni's small and aerodynamic. he'd probably be fine--tuck and roll into the footwell or something.

... but regardless, seatbelts are clicked into place and Wolfwood puts two hands on the wheel, only glancing over when Kni plays with the dial. he seems. surprised? that Kni would stop on something with vocals, but he doesn't mind the music coming from the radio--he has no attachment to it, but it's nice sounding mush about snow and the Season and what have you, so he lets it filter like white noise as he takes most of his mind up with driving duty.

they go through snow-covered fields and white-dappled trees, and eventually, grass gives way to concrete, to steel and stone, and there's lights and decorations wrapped around lights and public things and what have you. the driving is slow going, but... it's nice. quiet. Wolfwood doesn't need to fill the air to be comfortable, letting the radio croon between them as he turns and twists until he finds his way to the carpark in front of the mall, more than half full in all its technicolor glory. ]

As a heads up, succulent two--you need to remember where we park cause the car might not look like this when we come out.

[the changing of the seasons is a wonder to behold for someone who has only ever known the carefully controlled climates aboard a home that was long gone now. not for the first time, he wondered how long any of this would last and if he would still be able to experience these wonders even a year from now. it was pointless to worry about something so beyond his control, but such things were never easy when all he had now was time to think and wonder.

kni hops out of the car and snow crunches under his boots. breath fogs around his face as he glances around the carpark filled with vehicles, all with some varying states of snow coverage.]

What?

[never mind the second nickname (if he were any kind of plant, it certainly wouldn't be a succulent--), kni looks up to wolfwood with some concern.]

How long are we going to be here?

[he says that while looking around again, trying to find some notable landmarks to commit to memory. just in case.]

[ he's going to be any number of plants until Wolfwood runs out of plants, or runs out of nice-sounding plants at the minimum. Wolfwood slips the keys into his pocket and takes a quick look around--also trying to remember the location of the car for their eventual getaway, hands tucking into his pockets to avoid the cold as he hunkers into his scarf with a little huff. ]

Ideally, not too long. I'm tryin' for a quick smash and grab, as it were.

[ if one could 'smash' by using Vergil's credit card to pay for stuff on the man's shopping list. he starts off for the big door of the mall, keeping his pace even for the short-legged beast that walks in his wake, tugging the door open for his little rafflesia bastard and like four people behind him, and then he's trotting to catch up with Kni and take in the Mall.

there are so many people. it almost reminds him of--market days, steamer car lines, bodies tucked together and moving in rivulets as they stream from area to area. it feels like too much humanity gathered in one space. Wolfwood huffs out a breath. ]

I want to smoke.

[with the door held open, kni hurries inside ready to shuffle off to the side and wait for wolfwood, but his steps slow as he stops to stare. the bustling crowds of holiday shoppers is intimidating and joined by distant speakers cracking out some pop trash song about santa claus, kni is unknowingly feeling very similar to wolfwood right now.]

You always want to smoke.

[even if he's noticed wolfwood smoking just a little less around him, the smell of nicotine is tricky to shake. kni moves to stand closer to wolfwood when they start walking.]

Why is that?

[ Wolfwood makes his way over to a helpful map kiosk--comparing the things on his list with the places on the map, picking out his order of attack and storing a few extra places away for his own personal perusal. it's a bit of a circuitous movement, but... as long as they flow with the river of bodies, it should be fine, right.

Wolfwood points out their stops--Kni's a genius, and if he can do 'don't get shot' math like Vash can in his head, he can probably do location math just as easy, and then it's time to walk and get asked invasive questions. ]

It's a habit I've had since I was a scrap of a kid, I guess. Used to smoke bug stingers 'cause it dulled the crap of the day, and then when I got older, there was a lot more crap to dull.

[ and hey, maybe getting to erode his body on his own terms is a weird, masochistic way of taking a little power back. Win win. ]

IC INBOX [kaisou]

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