driftfleet | (no subject)

Who: Vash and you!
Broadcast: Open to all
Action: The gardens of the Iskaulit
When: During the afternoon

[Those communicators are such tricky things sometimes! Vash is visiting one of his favorite spots on the Iskaulit: the gardens. He can often be found here and today he's just feeling happy. No reason. It just happens sometimes.

Just like how communicators sometimes turn on. Like when they fall out of your pocket while you're sitting down. Enjoying the view. So the enjoy the view from the communicator as it looks up on a peaceful Vash who starts to sing softly. Not loud enough to bother anyone who may also be visiting the gardens, but loud enough for the communicator to pick up. It's a song that's also available from the media selection for anyone who's listened to it.

To Vash's credit. He's not a bad singer.]

Soooo. On the first celestial evening a pebble. From somewhere out of nowhere drops upon the dreaming world. Soooo. On the second celestial evening. All the children of their pebbles joined hands and composed a waltz.

[Feel free to interrupt at any time or just listen.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...

Your concern extended to the slavers. [That was obvious, and something that had been niggling at her.] Why?

Because everyone has the right to live and no one should take the life of another. Yes, right now he had been doing terrible things, but if he hadn't died who knows what kind of person he could have been and what good he might have done. It's not our place to take that future from someone.

And if he hadn't died, how many more deaths would he be responsible for before this extremely unlikely change of heart?

[It is a very. Neutral. Question.]

Should this be your view, it's a wonder you can stand to talk to me at all. He is by far not the first I have killed.

That's why he needed to be stopped. What he was doing was wrong no matter the reason, but there were ways to stop it without anyone needing to die.

[Maki's revelation is clearly no shock to Vash. It's very rare that someone can kill that quickly and skillfully without having done so before.]

I don't doubt he was, but he could always be the last.

[There's a bit of hope in his tone. Not a lot. He's been in this circle more times with so many different people that it would be impossible to count.

Still, the hope is always there.]

If the world allows that privilege, I will be all too happy to embrace it.

[But it doesn't. Her world revolves around a world where killing is a fact of life and barely policed. And Makie thus assumes Vash would rather not associate with her, so. She turns to go once again.]

I will attempt to respect your convictions.

[As far as Vash is directly concerned, anyway.]

It will be a world that can allow for it if there are people willing to work towards it.

[He knows the world is not like that, but he still believes it can be one day. Vash is actually surprised that he doesn't get more of a lecture before Maki turns to leave.]

R-really? You will?

[It seemed too easy for her to just decide not to kill anymore with such a small sentence. Even if she just meant around him that was so much more than what others would do that he can't help but be hopeful that maybe one day she will see things differently.]

I will respect that that is what you believe.

[Cautionary tale: there are a lot of layers to the word respect. Vash is dangerously naive, in her opinion. But she wishes he could be right.

Makie doesn't like to kill, and she won't. Not unless someone's life is on the line. She thought his was. She won't make the same mistake twice.]

Oh. [That's more what he was expecting.] Well, I hope you can one day believe it yourself.

I will not have the luxury. But thank you for the thought, all the same.

[And she'll leave him to his own devices now.]

[Ooooh Makie. You think you can have the last say in a topic like this? Unless she walks away, even if her back stays turned to him, Vash can't help himself.]

But you're good enough that you could try. Try to find the other solution besides killing.

[He's no blade fighter, but Vash knows skill and grace when he sees it. Not a drop of blood touched her despite how close she was. How quickly and fluidly she was able to stop killing when he asked.]

[She stills again. And when she speaks, her voice is cooler.]

I do not say there is no luxury lightly. I've already tried once to live as you would desire. Do not presume to know anything about my circumstances.

[It's arrogant.]

Sorry. I didn't mean to assume. [He didn't and normally he might push it a bit more. Tell her she should try again and never to give up.

But she did it to save his life. So he'll let it go, this time, for now. He's not going to push more on what is likely an unhappy past if it lead to killing in return what would have been a very kind gesture to someone actually in trouble.]

[She inclines her head briefly to his words. And then continues on her path out of the garden.

She did try, Vash. That's what becoming a whore was all about. 18th century Japan isn't great for outcasts, you know?]