INBOX.

[incierto]

"leave a message."

Comments

Before The Hatching

[bountyfull]

[ Cramming himself, Wolfwood, and the babied dragon egg known now as Dune Eggbert into the same bed every night had become something of a habit. It made sense, considering what they were told about the egg when it was given to them, despite how awkward it was at first. Slowly, after a few days and then weeks, it became much less awkward and more routine. Which is where they are tonight.

Vash is sleeping on the inside of the double bed, his half pushed against the wall to maximize the floor space of the bedroom. That leaves the rest of the bed for Wolfwood, and the space between them up in the pillows for the egg, safely nestled between them and other fluffy material that Vash had shoved up there for Egg Safety. Vash is usually a sound sleeper, so when his brows knit and he shifts to curl inward it's the first indication that something is wrong.

The second indication is the mumbling that slowly starts to sound like pleading. ]

[incierto]

[ it's been strange at first, sleeping in the same bed. thinking about it as sleeping in the same van doesn't work all that much, but vash's presence is a balm to his troubled soul and what's truly troubling is that wolfwood finds it altogether too easy to fall into this habit, to be accustomed to sleeping with vash just like this, with a dragon egg between them.

now, it's the most natural thing in the world to retire for the night with the warmth of vash nearby, the comfort of knowing that he's asleep with him. wolfwood is a sleeper attuned to movement and soft noises; his instincts honed from caring for the younger kids at hopeland. he's peripherally aware of when vash shifts, and something in his subconscious mind stirs when he hears mumbling. wolfwood shifts in turn, angled towards him -- but still asleep. ]

[bountyfull]

[ Vash wakes with a start, realizing as he does that his forehead is damp with sweat and he's gripping the bedsheets so tight in his prosthetic hand that he's close to ripping through them. He exhales a shaky breath he didn't realize he was holding and releases the sheets, his brow knit tight in the center as he tries to soothe himself.

Reality and the hellscape he'd been running through in his sleep still seem intermingled and each creak and pop around them jolts him into awareness. He groans, exhaling a breath through his nose as he clenches his eyes shut. He should get up, try to crawl out of bed before he wakes Wolfwood up if he hasn't already. He cracks one eye open again to watch his friends sleeping form.

Stay asleep... please, don't wake up. ]

[incierto]

[ too late, wolfwood's already taken note, entirely attuned to every movement in the bed that they share. he's slept often enough with vash to be accustomed to his sleeping rhythms, and this one's a bit of an aberration.

still, he's note entirely awake, and he shifts to his side with a soft grunt, reaching for him to drape an arm around his waist and pull him close. in his dreams, he thinks of a gentle soul, trembling in the night, lost to grief and nightmares. and wolfwood is there to draw them out, always. ]

Yer fine, 'm here. [ words are low, rough and slurred, heavy with sleep. ] 's just a nightmare, close yer eyes.

[bountyfull]

[ He could wiggle out of this situation if he really wanted to. But he doesn't. Instead he just lets himself get pulled, his eyes wide as he manages to avoid knocking his head on the egg in the pillows. He almost flails as he tries to figure out what to do with his hands, the both of them winding up tucked between the two of them as he stares down Wolfwood's sleeping face.

He doesn't even realize he's holding his breath until he exhales sharply in order to breath in again. ]

Okay. Sorry.

[ It's whispered, maybe not even voiced at all, rather just another quiet exhale as he flexes his fingers between them. This is so intimate. Way too intimate. He can feel his heart pounding in his ears, and he's pretty sure he hasn't blinked. He doesn't get this close to other people like this. He doesn't deserve the comfort it brings. If Wolfwood really, really knew him he wouldn't— ]

un: monkey.d.ginchan

[naturallywavy]

i'm pisesd offat you

_{[ whatEVER did Wolfwood do? ]}

[incierto]

why
who pissed in your parfait sugar boy

[naturallywavy]

you did jackass
you allowoed me to get this drunk without you

idiot

[incierto]

where are u
also why did u even get this drunk

After Trick or Treat

[bountyfull]

[ He's still not used to this huge house, but in the end, it had been the one that could fit everyone and avoid them all sleeping on top of each other like they had been before. That being said, Vash is currently standing outside of Wolfwood's door, his palm resting on the carved wood of it as he tries to listen for any movement inside.

When he doesn't hear anything, he sighs and leans in. ]

Wolfwood? Are you awake? [ He pauses a little, swallowing before he speaks again, still in a whisper. ]

I wanted to check on you.

[incierto]

[ wolfwood had practically retreated the moment he received his... gift, choosing to spend time alone with the mask in his hand. he'd waited, waited, wondering at times if livio would show up here.

but nothing, of course. is he dead here, too? his fingers trace over the mask, and he looks up when he hears a soft knock on the door. vash, of course. he doesn't remember how long he's been in here. a day? probably. maybe. he contemplates being silent and waiting for him to leave, but vash is stubborn, and wolfwood -- well, wolfwood doesn't want him to leave. ]

...I'm here. Come on in.

[bountyfull]

[ Vash makes sure to wait for that confirmation before he opens the door and peeks his head inside. ]

Been a minute since I saw you.

[ His eyes track to the mask in Wolfwood's hands and then immediately snap back to the other man's face. There's a lot that he still doesn't know, but he remembers the man on the sand steamer and the little information he'd gotten out of Wolfwood back then.

He'd also received a gift recently, but nothing like this.

He doesn't say anything else, instead choosing to come and sit down next to Wolfwood. He'll let him talk if he wants to. For now, he's just going to be company if he wants it. ]

[incierto]

[ been a minute, huh? wolfwood's lost track of time, but vash is definitely comfort of a sort -- after all, he'd been there when the worst had happened, and livio had been lost to the sands. vash had been the one to show him another way, too.

the closeness of him is comforting, and he exhales a soft sigh after a few long moments. ]

I got this thing from whoever's running this place. Some sort of sick joke, or somethin'.

mailmouse delivery

[livlaughlove]

[Do you live in Castle Vash? Do you like to eat? Yes to both, obviously!

Enjoy a couple of boxes full of bread and pastries, warm and fresh from the Stone Dragon. Surely there's something in here to everyone's taste.

The note atop the boxes says simply,]

Merry Christmas.
Livio

12/25ish | Castle Vash

[notsonewbie]

[When Wolfwood leaves his room one day, he will kick what likely feels like a literal box of rocks. When he opens it, sure enough. It’s a box Of coal. That’s it. What are friends for!

Included with the package is a small note.

-Meryl 😈]

Christmas Day, late.

[bountyfull]

[ On Wolfwood's pillow is a small black box with a white ribbon. Inside is a silver cigarette tin. So he doesn't keep chewing up all those bent cigarettes.

Below that, is a note. ]

another delivery, around the 29th-31st

[livlaughlove]

[By the time Livio has a real present ready, he's... far too self-conscious to hand it off in person. It could be because this is his very first attempt, and it's janky. It could be because it's well after the holiday.

But really, it's the sentiment that really gets to him. Livio had known the second he unwrapped his carving set from Vash what he wanted to make to start with. He was just planning on working on improving in secret, and only presenting his work once he had the confidence both in his craftsmanship and in himself. Then Vash went and made him feel extra sentimental about it, and, well...

Wolfwood knows Livio's flaws better than anyone, so there's no reason to hide them from him. Handing it over through the mail is more to spare them both the embarrassment of Livio sobbing all over Nick for an hour.

At least he includes another note.]

Sorry I'm late. - Liv

September, early.

[bountyfull]

Hey, are you busy?

[incierto]

nothing i can't push away. why?

[bountyfull]

Aw jeez, you'd make time for little old me?

[ He's being evasive, maybe. ]

[incierto]

vash.

what is it?

you're only like this when you have something important to say.

Confession Time

[bountyfull]

[ He sets down a tray of food, some for the both of them. The innkeepers were generous, apparently. He's a little quiet, staring at the food after he's set it down, but not sitting yet. He looks up from the food to peek around the corner, where he's pretty sure Wolfwood is still in the bathroom. ]

Hey. I've got breakfast. Or lunch. It's almost noon. You done in there yet?

[ He's a little antsy, but the more he thinks about it the more certain he is he has to talk to Wolfwood about this now. Especially now. ]

[incierto]

Yeah, yeah. You got something for us?

[ wolfwood, entirely oblivious to what's coming, although relatively attuned to vash's inexplicably antsy mood, attributes it to his need for the washroom. ]

It's empty now, you can use it.

[bountyfull]

[ When ISN'T he antsy? He shakes his head, nope he's not antsy to pee or anything, just for Wolfwood's presence, clearly. ]

Yeah, nothing fancy. Eggs and toast. Some kind of meat, I didn't ask.

[ He settles his hands on the back of the chair he's next to at the table, for lack of knowing what to do with his hands. ]

...So I wanted to talk to you about something. A couple of things, actually.

[incierto]

Yeah?

( he's making his way into the booth and sits across from him, only half listening. because he's hungry. he reaches for the plates and portions it out to the both of them. )

About what?