TEXT | @Punisher

[eyeofmyass]

[ooc warning: Religious tones, catholic terminology, all of which will probably be very inaccurate. ]

So, back home I was something of a priest, and I was thinking of offering my priestly services of confessions to those who are in need. Some of you might be asking whats a confession, or why should I bother? Well, let me tell ya! A confession is you admitting your sins and receiving penance and absolution. All that shit that’s bothering you? That bad thing you did? Or that good thing you didn’t do? Think of it as a ‘clean slate.’

And you don’t have to be religious. I think everybody deserves to get it all off their chest, ya know? Don’t need absolution? No problem, but how about an impartial, unbiased soul to unburden to? Feel guilty and need a way to feel better? I can suggest penance for that.

All I ask for in return is a donation. Not bad, right? All confessions stay in the confession booth, or inbox, however you feel comfortable doing it. I’m not here to share your secrets or judge. Anonymous is fine, just show proof that you donated.

C’mon, it’ll make ya feel good!

Amen.

Comments

[newphew]

[ wolfwood calling vash his friend 🥺 ]

[ for hunter's part, it doesn't seem like he's afraid of the possibility of being hurt by a plant -- just the concept seems to resonate with him in not a great way ]

How do they help?

[ unfortunately for wolfwood he is going to be stuck answering all these questions forever now ]

[ hunter seems to be taking note of where they are and how to get there -- probably planning to come back on his own. it's no surprise to hunter either that the the area is damaged. ]

[eyeofmyass]

[Well, since the plants aren't exactly about him, it's an easy subject to settle on as they head down the long stretch of street to the orphanage.]

Hmm. They're like the vending machines here, kind of. Each one produces different things. Like water. Or food. Or minerals. Energy. Our planet is just one giant ball of sand, so everything we get comes from the plants. They're not infinite though. People can demand too much and once they're empty, that's it.

[When he left his world for this place, the whole town where almost every damn plant was had just gone up in a giant explosion, and talking about it now, he realizes the whole world is probably in a new wave of trouble without those plants. Small blessings, maybe, that he isn't there to suffer with them. Even if he doesn't deserve it.]

You got anything like that in your world?

[newphew]

[ hunter seems more puzzled the longer wolfwood talks about this, but his nervousness seems to evaporate entirely. it seems like whatever scared him about this topic in the first place is entirely unrelated ]

[ mystery ]

So your world is reliant on these plants to provide for them? And they use them until..... they die?

[ that's a bit horrific ]

In a way, yes... All life and magic on the Boiling Isles came from a fallen Titan. The Boiling Sea is deadly on its own. All witches and demonkind can only live there because they live on the Titan's body.

[ wolfwood can probably feel the capital "t" in that and get the sense the titan is a god-like being where hunter comes from ]

[eyeofmyass]

Pretty much.

[Kid is fast to catch on, at least. Maybe faster than Wolfwood because he's quiet for a long moment as he tries to make sense out of the kid. Boiling seas and islands and demons and witches and titan homes. It-it's a lot to picture all at once. And it definitely doesn't paint a pretty one.]

That make you a witch or a demon?

[He's still listening, still curious, but he does point to a building a ways down the road from them, silently letting him know they're getting closer. It's not a very discerning building, after all.]

[newphew]

[ the prospect does make hunter look pretty uncomfortable -- he's quite expressive in that manner, and well, no man's land kind of sounds hellish on its own. ]

That's pretty messed up.

[ no judgment, really, but it sounds horrific all on its own. the boiling isles is pretty merciless in its own right ]

I....

[ he freezes momentarily at the question, footsteps halting. looking nervous all of a sudden. wuh woh! ]

It's up there?

[ wow what a smooth subject change ]

[eyeofmyass]

[He sighs. It is messed up. And he hates that he can kind of understand Knives' sentiment, even if he can't agree with it. But that's above his pay grade. The world and the plants are in the twins hands, not his.

But obviously he's not the only one that doesn't feel like talking. He notices the way the kid freezes, the question never really answered. He could chase it, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter what the kid is.]

Just so you know, there's no wrong answer. Whatever you are, it wouldn't matter much to me. If it's not plant or human I got no knowledge and no prejudice. Probably gonna take me a year in the library just to catch up on what kind of animals are out there.

[The front door looks like any other shop, and when he pushes it open there's a robot at the counter to greet them, and ...that's it. There's kids scattered around the hallway, noises of more children echo further down than they can see.

A bunch of little eyes turn their gaze towards them, clearly not used to too many visitors. And then to the boxes in their hands.]

So, you wanna pass 'em out, or set 'em on the counter and let them at it?

[newphew]

[ hmmm.. well. the only thing hunter ends up giving him is this: he gestures to his own ears (as best he can, hands still full), pointy ]

I can tell you're human because of your ears. Witches have ears like this. Demons come in all shapes and forms, but even bipedal demons look a lot different. [ just a little physiology lesson for him, should more from the boiling isles ever come. and, because he's curious in turn: ]

So your world.... it's just humans and plants?

[ some of these kids are barely younger than hunter, and he.... isn't quite sure what to do. as a response, he sets his pile of food down on the counter, then backs away. they all kind of stare at him and wolfwood both --- mostly hunter, because he is also a kid, and also because what he just did was incredibly weird ]

[eyeofmyass]

Pointy ears are witches, got it. [Demons definitely hold a more negative connotation just from a biblical sense, but he doesn't have any concept of witches one way or another. But the kid doesn't strike him as anything bad. Just a little guarded. But a hard life will do that.]

Mhmm. Well, and the worms.

[Which might be a weird thing to point out, but since the worms are a hivemind in the form of one obnoxious Zazi, it feels worth pointing out.

But they'll have to save their homeworld talk for later, because right now there's a bunch of curious kids looking their way and Hunter doesn't look like he knows what to do at all.

A couple of younger ones are brave enough to come up immediately, a couple reaching for the boxes on the counters that they can't reach, so Wolfwood happily grabs a handful out of the box to hand to them.

A little girl lingers a little further behind them, before reaching for Hunter, tugging on his sleeve.]

Are those for us, Mister?

[And Wolfwood is suddenly slapping a few bags of snacks into Hunter's chest for him to hand over even as he's busy talking to the small group that's gathering nearby.]

We'll bring more later, so try not to hoard these, alright? Can you help pass 'em out? Make sure everybody gets somethin', ok? I got suckers for everyone who helps.

[And just like that, handfuls are getting scattered out among the children and Wolfwood is smiling in a way that's only ever directed towards kids, which means a genuine kind of happy smile.]