[what a coincidence because rei, too, has been in the vale recently ever since olivine handed him his extensive notes regarding it. he's taken to cross-referencing with the notes and his own observations and diving deep into what each plant does when imbued with his essence. it's been days since olivine gave him the notes, and he's not even halfway done yet...
...which is fine, because he's having fun and enjoying learning new things, even if it doesn't directly have to do with essence.
he sees someone else squatting by the flowers - the one in particular rei had next on his list - and he's not the shy type so he just kneels next to him, getting all up in his space unapologetically. he looks up when he's asked a question.]
You are. [bluntly.] But it's fine, I can still run my experiments with you here. [he holds his hand before the flower, once again imbuing it with his essence. it seems to glow bright before producing another bud that immediately flowers. he jots down the results in his notebook.
oh. actually-] -hey, since you're here, do you use magic?
[ Vash's attention is laser focused on the moment Rei gives it essence, and his eyes widen a little as he watches the flower bud and then bloom. He doesn't realize his mouth is hanging open just a little, his own fingers reaching out towards the flower to investigate.
'do you use magic?' Vash blinks at the question, hand still on the flower as a quiet second of hesitation settles in the air between them. He eventually before he lifts both hands up, fingers splayed in surrender. He chuckles, brows pinching together. Explaining is complicated, and always seems to lead to more questions... ]
No, not exactly. Sorry. ...What did you just do? It's not going to hurt the flora, is it? [ He doesn't THINK it will, the flower bloomed again... but it doesn't hurt to ask. ]
[shame. rei was going to ask him to use magic on the flower in turn, but looks like that's no dice. though he notices vash used the phrasing 'not exactly'... ]
I injected my essence. [and normally he wouldn't have to explain what essence is but considering only he and olivine know what it is...] A sort of magical energy, so to speak. It shouldn't hurt the plant, no, but I won't know until I return after a few days to see the full effects. I theorize it will simply return to its original form.
[he takes a photo with his watch.]
When you said 'not exactly,' what did that mean. Do you or don't you? If it quasi-magic, something you need a mechanical conduit to use, I still consider that as using magic.
Oh. [ He turns to watch the flower for a moment, then glances around their surroundings for a moment. The Vale isn't huge, but he'll be able to find this spot again pretty easily, now that he's made a mental note. Some kind of experiment then? He wonders, considering the way Rei speaks about the whole thing, it certainly reminds him of some of the scientists he's known in his life.
But before he can follow up with a question of his own, Rei's curiosity is whirled around to face him again, and all Vash can do at first is laugh again, like some kind of nervous tic. ]
Well, it's hard to explain. [ He pauses here, considering just how much he wants to share. It's only fair, considering Rei has been nothing but straightforward with him, and since Knives is here, there's no sense in trying to play human. ]
I'm not human, so I wouldn't consider it magic. [ I'm not exactly the best example anyway. That remains to be his brother, the actual perfect example of a Plant. But this isn't about Vash's long standing insecurities about what he is or isn't. ]
[rei continues scribbling some notes down and taking pictures on specific details of the flower while vash is lost in thought. he only gives vash his attention once more when he answers his question.
he raises an eyebrow, looking vash up and down. though, appearing human doesn't mean shit when yokai can hide their animal-like characteristics and e-droids with flawless skin seams exist. he leans in close, trying to see if he can see any seams in the face plates. nope, no dice. darn - that's another thing he would love to test. an e-droid with all this technology.]
You can just say you don't want to explain, I won't take offense. [a shake of his head. he will be extremely curious though... but he's not so curious as to invade people's privacy. without consent anyway.]
It's not something I talk about where I'm from. For a lot of reasons. Sorry. I don't mind talking about it. [ He laughs a little offering Rei an awkward sort of smile. He doesn't mind sharing, but it's not exactly something he's had to put to words often, even here. An open "secret". It's not like Knives is going around concealing what he is, so it does Vash little good to even try. ]
I'm an Independent Plant. [ He reaches out to touch the flower from before again, his touch light over the new bud and petals, still admiring the color of it. ] Different from Flora like this.
Plants were bioengineered by humans to create almost anything that they needed. [ Bioengineered from WHAT is another question, and even Vash's knowledge on that is spotty. That was long before he existed. ]Water, materials. Metals. [ Knives. ]
...Most have to stay contained to support them. Independents don't. It's supposed to be a symbiotic relationship.
[oh. this talk about vash being a different species? immediately grabs rei's interest. sorry for any trauma that brings, vash, rei is curious about everything by default. rei's attention turns right to vash, his interest apparent, now - a marked contrast to his earlier disposition - as he jots down everything vash says in his notebook, as if vash were one of the very plants in this conservatory.
and how convenient, rei's going to ask the very question that vash is spotty about:] Oh? Bioengineered from what, exactly? If you're different from plants in general, it can't be that- unless you mean you're not literally a plant, but have similar genetic makeups?
And how are you able to create such materials? Something can't generally be created out of nothing. Are you sacrificing genetic material for the conversion? And what makes you different from most?
Your guess is as good as mine. I couldn't access those records on the ship.
[ He probably could now, maybe, if he tried hard enough but when you're barely a year old it's a little different. It's kind of funny, the way Rei's eyes have lit up and his interest narrowed in on vash and what he is. It makes him a little uncomfortable, self conscious even. The only tell is the color at the tips of his ears. He doesn't complain. ]
The name is closer to how it's used in power plant than it is when talking about flora. Though I guess my sisters can look like flora when they're closed up. But how... [ There's a shrug of one shoulder as he shifts the way he's sitting on the ground, his gaze watching the flower they had been paying more attention to earlier. ] It's done using our gates, but before you ask I don't know how. I've never really been a very good example of a plant. Or a human, for that matter. So I guess—
[he sighs, mourning the lost information. oh well, maybe he can find out through this guy's essence... if he'd allow rei to have it, of course.
he hums in interest as vash continues on. he has no fucking idea what a power plant is, but he'll note it to look up later. maybe he can get this guy to create something, and rei can observe him-- ahh, so many possibilities!]
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no subject
...which is fine, because he's having fun and enjoying learning new things, even if it doesn't directly have to do with essence.
he sees someone else squatting by the flowers - the one in particular rei had next on his list - and he's not the shy type so he just kneels next to him, getting all up in his space unapologetically. he looks up when he's asked a question.]
You are. [bluntly.] But it's fine, I can still run my experiments with you here. [he holds his hand before the flower, once again imbuing it with his essence. it seems to glow bright before producing another bud that immediately flowers. he jots down the results in his notebook.
oh. actually-] -hey, since you're here, do you use magic?
no subject
'do you use magic?' Vash blinks at the question, hand still on the flower as a quiet second of hesitation settles in the air between them. He eventually before he lifts both hands up, fingers splayed in surrender. He chuckles, brows pinching together. Explaining is complicated, and always seems to lead to more questions... ]
No, not exactly. Sorry. ...What did you just do? It's not going to hurt the flora, is it? [ He doesn't THINK it will, the flower bloomed again... but it doesn't hurt to ask. ]
no subject
I injected my essence. [and normally he wouldn't have to explain what essence is but considering only he and olivine know what it is...] A sort of magical energy, so to speak. It shouldn't hurt the plant, no, but I won't know until I return after a few days to see the full effects. I theorize it will simply return to its original form.
[he takes a photo with his watch.]
When you said 'not exactly,' what did that mean. Do you or don't you? If it quasi-magic, something you need a mechanical conduit to use, I still consider that as using magic.
no subject
But before he can follow up with a question of his own, Rei's curiosity is whirled around to face him again, and all Vash can do at first is laugh again, like some kind of nervous tic. ]
Well, it's hard to explain. [ He pauses here, considering just how much he wants to share. It's only fair, considering Rei has been nothing but straightforward with him, and since Knives is here, there's no sense in trying to play human. ]
I'm not human, so I wouldn't consider it magic. [ I'm not exactly the best example anyway. That remains to be his brother, the actual perfect example of a Plant. But this isn't about Vash's long standing insecurities about what he is or isn't. ]
no subject
he raises an eyebrow, looking vash up and down. though, appearing human doesn't mean shit when yokai can hide their animal-like characteristics and e-droids with flawless skin seams exist. he leans in close, trying to see if he can see any seams in the face plates. nope, no dice. darn - that's another thing he would love to test. an e-droid with all this technology.]
You can just say you don't want to explain, I won't take offense. [a shake of his head. he will be extremely curious though... but he's not so curious as to invade people's privacy. without consent anyway.]
What are you, then? Unless that's a secret, too.
no subject
It's not something I talk about where I'm from. For a lot of reasons. Sorry. I don't mind talking about it. [ He laughs a little offering Rei an awkward sort of smile. He doesn't mind sharing, but it's not exactly something he's had to put to words often, even here. An open "secret". It's not like Knives is going around concealing what he is, so it does Vash little good to even try. ]
I'm an Independent Plant. [ He reaches out to touch the flower from before again, his touch light over the new bud and petals, still admiring the color of it. ] Different from Flora like this.
Plants were bioengineered by humans to create almost anything that they needed. [ Bioengineered from WHAT is another question, and even Vash's knowledge on that is spotty. That was long before he existed. ]Water, materials. Metals. [ Knives. ]
...Most have to stay contained to support them. Independents don't. It's supposed to be a symbiotic relationship.
no subject
and how convenient, rei's going to ask the very question that vash is spotty about:] Oh? Bioengineered from what, exactly? If you're different from plants in general, it can't be that- unless you mean you're not literally a plant, but have similar genetic makeups?
And how are you able to create such materials? Something can't generally be created out of nothing. Are you sacrificing genetic material for the conversion? And what makes you different from most?
[rei is furiously scribbling.]
Are you willing to submit a semen sample?
6,000 years later
[ He probably could now, maybe, if he tried hard enough but when you're barely a year old it's a little different. It's kind of funny, the way Rei's eyes have lit up and his interest narrowed in on vash and what he is. It makes him a little uncomfortable, self conscious even. The only tell is the color at the tips of his ears. He doesn't complain. ]
The name is closer to how it's used in power plant than it is when talking about flora. Though I guess my sisters can look like flora when they're closed up. But how... [ There's a shrug of one shoulder as he shifts the way he's sitting on the ground, his gaze watching the flower they had been paying more attention to earlier. ] It's done using our gates, but before you ask I don't know how. I've never really been a very good example of a plant. Or a human, for that matter. So I guess—
[ Wait. ]
Sub...submit WHAT?
same oops
[he sighs, mourning the lost information. oh well, maybe he can find out through this guy's essence... if he'd allow rei to have it, of course.
he hums in interest as vash continues on. he has no fucking idea what a power plant is, but he'll note it to look up later. maybe he can get this guy to create something, and rei can observe him-- ahh, so many possibilities!]
Submit a semen sample. You know - from your dick?