bountyfull | IC INBOX

[ when vash returns to his room that afternoon, there's a long cat on his windowsill, napping in the one spot of sunlight still left. he may have even seen the cat around the last few weeks-- trotting around outside the castle, napping in hard to reach spots, and generally Being Aloof.

still, this is the spot he's chosen today, and it looks like he's no respecter of one's personal property, because if vash left an item of clothing like a tshirt or whatever anywhere in the room, it's been dragged up onto the windowsill to become a cat bed.

good luck getting the cat hair off. ]

[ At least it's a black cat on a black shirt so it's not as obnoxious as it could be? As it is, Vash is staring at the cat in the windowsill sunbeam, looking a little perplexed about how to get his shirt back. He's certainly seen the cat around before... ]

Hey little guy, hate to ask but I think I need that back, if you don't mind. [ He pauses. ] Bet we could find something more comfortable for you instead though.

[ the cat cracks open a startlingly blue eye, then yawns, long skinny body uncurling and stretching. he rises to his feet, then, settling on his haunches, tail sweeping around his feet.

.. oops, he slept a little too long. he'd meant to be gone before vash got back, but.. well, here they are. awkward, getting caught sleeping on his shirt, but his scent is familiar and sort of comforting in this shape.

oh well, may as well embrace it.

he hops down, landing with a slightly suspicious click, and immediately winds between the blond's ankles, rubbing his side against his leg with a meow. ]

[ Vash's ears register the sound of metallic limbs, but he doesn't put two and two together just yet. Instead, he bends down to scratch between pointed ears and down a (metallic?) spine and up over what seems to be a very long tail. ]

Haha, hey buddy. You're not hungry are you? Maybe we've got some canned tuna or something around here... [ He moves to bend down further, picking the cat up in his mismatched arms. It isn't until he's already done it that he stops...

a sudden realization taking hold in his expression.

Wait. ]

[ .. oh? cain freezes as vash bends to actually pet him (it feels nice as always), and his vague amusement grows exponentially as the blond addresses him like he really is a cat. he was expecting to be found out right away, so naturally he's startled as vash just picks him up.

for a moment, he's stunned still in vash's arms-- but then he glances up, and sees that it's finally hit the other man. he'd laugh if he could. instead, he rolls onto his back in vash's arms, reaching up with a metal paw to boop the blond on the nose.

oops? ]

[ he almost wants to jostle you on purpose, Cain. The way his lips turn down into an exaggerated frown and his brows furrow behind his sunglasses might give away the thought he's allowing to percolate in his head, but he dismisses it a moment later.

Namely, the moment the metal paw boops him on the nose. ]

...I can put you down if you want. Sorry. I didn't realize it was you.

[ He offers a strained little laugh as he steps over to the back of the living room couch, crouching a little to let Cain slink onto the back of it if he wants. ]

[ he purrs as loudly as he can to show that he's not upset, and gently headbutts vash's chin before slinking out of his arms and onto the couch. a moment later, the familiar magic takes hold, and it's cain seated there, dressed simply in the large t-shirt and shorts he wears to sleep. he crosses one metal thigh over the other, folding his hands atop his knee, and smiles, amused and apologetic. ]

I'm sorry, dear. To be fair, you left your door open, and as a cat, your scent is very soothing.

[ it probably has more to do with the fact that cain likes and trusts vash, and something about feline instincts makes him more inclined to just do what he wants. ]

My scent, huh?

[ He looks down at the black turtleneck he's currently (always) sporting and pulls at the fabric to sniff it. He can't really smell anything but does ANYONE know what they smell like? ]

I'm not mad or anything, I guess. Didn't realize you could be a cat.

[ He's doing a very pointed job of keeping his gaze focused on anywhere but where cain is. SURE HE'S FULLY CLOTHED but Vash has never seen him dressed down this much. Also, he's an idiot. ]

I didn't realize until fairly recently, either. But it's nice not to be myself now and then.

[ it's been the status quo with his body for billions of years, this is so new and different that--like his arrival here--he'd cried on discovering he could change himself.

still, maybe this isn't the time or place for this conversation, given vash's squirrely reaction. he won't look at cain, and he seems uncomfortable. ] .. Do my prosthetics bother you? [ he doesn't think vash is that shallow, particularly since the blond has a prosthetic arm himself, but there's quite a lot of his cybernetic parts on display at the moment, and he knows they can appear jarring. he doesn't like looking at himself in the mirror when he's undressed. ] I can change if you prefer.

whAT? NO! That's not— [ He shifts his gaze to look at Cain pointedly, despite his weird embarrassment. Honestly, he's an idiot. He eventually covers his face with a hand, rubbing his palm over his face, mortified. ]

It's fine, you're. Fine. [ He's just going to keep his face covered with one hand. It doesn't really do much to hide the fact he's flushed from the tips of his ears clear down his neck into the collar of his turtleneck. ]

Sorry. It feels private.

[ vash's face is quite red, isn't it? cain pauses to consider that, somewhat amazed, before glancing back down at himself. maybe.. well. it must be odd to see cain anything less than fully dressed in long sleeves, pants, and shoes.. and he had just been a cat on top of all this. vash must be a little thrown off. ]

I suppose I am fairly careful not to walk around in my sleep-clothes. [ if that's what he means by 'private', anyway. then he laughs, a titter that's as delighted as it is amused. ] If you think about it, I'm as covered as ever, you know. There's still no more skin on display than you usually see.

[ his hands click against his thighs as he pushes himself to stand, then reaches to gently urge vash's hand away from his face. ] Come now, dear, don't be so embarrassed. If anything, you ought to be a little annoyed, I should think.

Edited 2023-12-11 03:55 (UTC)

Annoyed?

[ Vash peeks from between his fingers. He's not wearing his usual sunglasses for once, startlingly blue eyes wide behind newly splayed fingers. His expression is fit into something of a pout, lips pursed and chin jutted. Like a child that's being admonished. ]

I'm not annoyed. I don't care if you borrow my shirts to sleep on.

[ A weird sentence sure, but he doesn't mind. There's precious little he wouldn't allow someone to do, which really, is likely an issue in and of itself. ]

[ .. when he puts it like that, it sounds a little more risqué than cain intended it to be, and cain has to pause, hand stilling on vash's arm, to look at his sulky expression.

don't even think about it, cain. he's too young for you. everyone is too young for you. and even if he wasn't, he has something going on with everyone in this castle, you don't want to get mixed up in that. ]

Oh dear, [ he starts, smiling helplessly, ] you shouldn't let your brother hear that, he'll think there's something going on with us. [ he releases vash's arm to instead gently squish his cheeks between his palms. ] And he doesn't need any reasons to feel uncertain about pleasing you.

[ He is 150 years old, he is NOT too young. Too complicated, maybe. Vash just blinks the moment his face is smushed between Cain's hands, his face still a comfortable level of scarlet that's not quite as deep as the color of the coat he wears. ]

Huh? Why would Nai care if I let you borrow my shirts? [ There's a pause though and Vash looks a little uncertain. Please him? He fits Cain with something that turns quizzical as he lifts his hands to lightly rest on top of Cain's own. ]

I think you've got the wrong idea about how Nai and function. [ He says, with a little trepidation in his voice. He doesn't pull away though. Something something touch starved something. ]

[ that's baby. (no it's not, cain's just too old man.)

oh no, vash is really too charming, wanting the affection even as puzzled as he obviously is. cain is happy to stroke his thumbs over the younger man's cheekbones, a bit like he's petting some lonely puppy. ]

.. Do I? [ does he? ] Are the two of you not dating? [ ... is he projecting? it's been a long time since he's done that. but then, it's been a long time since he found brothers that remind him at all of he and abel back when they'd both been mortal. ]

[ Vash stares, eyes wide despite the affection. He almost looks like he's about to be more pale than his brother is, the way things are going. ]

D...dating? [ He stands up straight, their heights not all that different but it pulls his face out of Cain's hands just as the blush colors and heats the skin where his hands just were. ]

We're not— That's!!! [ For once in his life he wishes he understood his gate so he could activate it and swallow himself whole. ]

Oh. [ hm. maybe it's just knives that has complicated feelings for his brother, then.

he taps his mouth, head tilting. ] Perhaps I was seeing a bit too much of Abel and I in you two. [ wishful thinking, in a way. still, he's a little surprised by just how shocked vash seems. (maybe it's more of a case of the lady doth protest too much..) ] You do know that Knives is entirely smitten with you, though?

[ No, no. There's definitely something going on but Vash is never really one to be honest with himself about things. He's pretty sure that's not the right wording, dating. They're just... who they are? ]

I don't know about smitten. He's always cared. T[ here's a bashful way about how he shrugs his shoulders. ]

It's...complicated.[ He pauses and watches Cain for a moment. Like he's trying to figure out what exactly he's saying means. ] We remind you of you and your brother?

IC INBOX - LABYRINTHUM

action idk

no its definitely texting.

are they rping..

maybe

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