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[donutsnotwar.livejournal.com]

[Vash appears on the Plane quite suddenly, stumbling - but there is something very different about him today. You'd have to be blind to see it's nothing like a haircut.

There's a mass of white feathers sprouting from his right arm, and that side of his back, somehow merged with his coat instead of tearing through. They're forming feathery tendrils that look like wings, and they twitch and curl as he breathes. The whiteness of the tendrils has spread to his face, covering most of it, making him look a lot closer to inhuman. Even with all of this, his hair is still black.]

[his voice sounds raspy, speaking now made at an effort,] I did it! I got...

... away? [realizing where he is, Vash backs up a step, clutching at a feathery shoulder with his left hand]

Oh, no...

Comments

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[She shakes her head.] It's all right. I understand. Do many people have this... ability, where you're from?

[donutsnotwar.livejournal.com]

Not really. It's hard to explain.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Heh.] Tell me about it. [She brushes her hair away from her face.] Are you sure there's nothing I can do? Nothing you need?

[donutsnotwar.livejournal.com]

[with a slight nod] I don't think anything can help. Thanks anyway.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[She hesitates, and then vanishes from the Plane, reappearing with a metal folding chair and a large glass of lemonade. She feels rather silly, but she's not about to leave him in that state without at least trying to help.]

How sharp are they? Do you think this would hold up to them?

[She sets up the chair and stands back, still holding the lemonade.] Misaki Kirihara. I don't think I ever got your name.

[donutsnotwar.livejournal.com]

[staring a little] I've stopped bullets with these before. I don't think your chair will survive.

It's Akigo. ... You really don't have to do all this.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Ironic smile.] Please. I'm feeling ineffectual enough as it is. At least let me do what little I can.

It seems like they could be useful, your... Um... feathers?

[donutsnotwar.livejournal.com]

[nods slowly, then moves over to the chair, sitting sideways to keep the tendrils away from it]

They've come in handy before. I had enough control once, but whatever caused this made that go all of out whack.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[She sits down on the floor of the Plane.] This place seems to have that effect.

[donutsnotwar.livejournal.com]

Of messing things up?... I can't argue with that.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[She watches the feathers move for a moment before she speaks again.] You said not many people have this--ability. How is it that you do?

[donutsnotwar.livejournal.com]

[hesitates for a moment before speaking, having gone serious again,] ... I'm not human. I just came out looking like one.

The rest of the Plants on my planet look more like this. [slight feather-wave] They were all kept and used to help the other humans live on my planet, up until about... nine months ago now.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Dark, thoughtful look.] That's... not unlike my world, actually. What happened nine months ago? Did they escape?

[donutsnotwar.livejournal.com]

My brother broke them out and merged with them. He was trying to kill the last humans left, but he failed. When the merger broke up, they couldn't be put back. Not after everyone knew they were intelligent. Last I heard, they were building the Plants their own city.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Wow. All of this is sounding uncomfortably familiar. Except for the whole merging thing. Well, and the city.] That's good, then, isn't it? And it seems they'd be able to defend themselves if the humans try and change their minds.

[She motions towards the feathers.]

[donutsnotwar.livejournal.com]

[wish as best of a wince as he can manage right now] I really hope it never comes to that. Knives was only one of them, and he killed millions.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Feels a little nauseous lurch.] Oh.

[donutsnotwar.livejournal.com]

[trying to smile again] Well. The other Plants don't think like he did. All anyone can do now is to prevent any misunderstandings.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Tiny smile.] That's good. Are they more like you?

[donutsnotwar.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't put it like that. [silent for a few seconds, trying to decide how to say it] Normal Plants are empathic. They don't speak with words. ... I felt from them that they had really wanted to help.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

Huh. [Thoughtful face.] That seems... like a better form of communication, if you ask me.

[donutsnotwar.livejournal.com]

Maybe so. I don't know if the Plants would have any concept of things like lying.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Sad smile. She props her chin in her hands and looks out over the Plane.] I can't say that that would be a bad thing.

[donutsnotwar.livejournal.com]

That depends on how you look at it. Little white lies are necessary sometimes. [with a slight shrug] But moral problems like that are complicated.