#amity celebration; cagedfreedom

[epilvgue]

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- People had been coming and going from the fields for hours now as the Fanalean residents and others from Arcanus City, Echos and native people's alike, all came, had their fun, and moved on to other activities. This included the farmers and their farm hands, many taking turns in rotation for making sure that everything was going smoothly, helping where help was needed, or selling their own wares to commemorate the start of spring. The sky was clear and air was crisp, still slightly chilly but not as bad as it had been during the winter season. All sorts of flora was budding and blossoming anew while those creatures who slept through the dreary months began to rouse themselves back to life.

Right now, dressed in a casual pair of jeans and a white button up, Vash was grinning ear to ear as he was surrounded by people talking and watched over a number of people picking from the many strawberry bushes. Several children were full of dirt, finding it more fun to play in the soil than to collect the ripe red fruits.

Vash was more than glad to see everyone enjoying themselves. However, something caught his eye enough to turn his head. He had just heaved up a crate full of the berries and was walking it over to a long table that had been set up with various boxes and bowls of water for washing and packaging when he noticed one man just milling about. He wasn't sitting in the field or any of the provided benches, he wasn't perusing wears or in the field picking berries, he didn't seem to be sipping any drink - the guy just seemed to be observing. Not like that was a crime or anything, but…

Well… sticking his nose where he didn't belong was one of the things he did best…

The Plant wandered over to the other man, the crate heavy in his arms as he held it by the handles on either side. He smiled. "Hey there friend, ya need some sort'a help?"

Maybe he was lost or looking for someone. Intuition told him the guy was probably an 'Echo', like he was.

@cagedfreedom || amity celebration starter

[epilvgue]

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- Vash listened quietly to what the other man had to say, hands in his pants pockets as he did so. He nodded here and there. He couldn't blame Uriah for being skeptical and distrusting, in truth Vash was mostly just trying to go with the flow. He was still attempting to orientate himself with this new way of life. Though that didn't mean he trusted all of it.

The ones who had brought them here probably wouldn't be here without them - he locked that theory away in his head.

He knew, perhaps better than many, how tenuous peaceful times could be. And he had to agree that this festival felt like some sort of distraction. Although...

Vash wanted to forget about all that he had seen during the moss incident.

He spoke slowly, "Well, I haven't had a whole lotta time fer lookin' into stuff, an' maybe this festival is a distraction, but I think it might be a warranted one. I don' think they expect people ta just forget if they were affected by th' moss. ...It can be nice ta just get yer mind off of it fer a while."

He didn't know what Uriah had gone through during the moss incident, and he understood that it was difficult to just put something like that out of one's mind, but... dwelling on it for too long could be just as bad.

There was a flicker in the corner of his eye and Vash resisted the urge to turn his head as a woman in a white t-shirt and blue jeans appeared at the edge of his vision.

No no no no no. Not now.

Vash fixed his gaze back out over the crowds. "I think that's all anybody's expectin' of people. Ta just put it outta their mind fer a lil' bit... takin' some time ta not think about something can do a whole lotta good sometimes." He worked a smile back onto his face. "But I get it, not trustin' th' people who brought us here."

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- The handshake on both sides was firm, Vash still smiling brightly. The day was warm and nice, far more so than he had anticipated and it had put the gunslinger turned farmhand in a good mood. Not to mention that he enjoyed meeting new people.

However as he was asked if he had learned anything, Vash eased his hands into his pockets, looking out at the strawberry fields and scuffing a muddy boot along the dirt. If one didn't know better they may think him to be very content with this new lot in life.

No that he wasn't - he was... but it was still taking quite a bit of getting used to.

"About the city or this place? Naw... not too much..." He had learned more about legends than whatever had dragged them here. "Have you?"

[epilvgue]

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- The handshake on both sides was firm, Vash still smiling brightly. The day was warm and nice, far more so than he had anticipated and it had put the gunslinger turned farmhand in a good mood. Not to mention that he enjoyed meeting new people.

However as he was asked if he had learned anything, Vash eased his hands into his pockets, looking out at the strawberry fields and scuffing a muddy boot along the dirt. If one didn't know better they may think him to be very content with this new lot in life.

No that he wasn't - he was... but it was still taking quite a bit of getting used to.

"About the city or this place? Naw... not too much..." He had learned more about legends than whatever had dragged them here. "Have you?"

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- Vash eased his stance slightly, shoving his hands into his pockets. He offered an easy sort of smile, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as though he couldn't stand still - it was admittedly a bit of a difficult thing in a way. He was used to being on the run, always moving. Sitting still had become... strange. Foreign. Even though he had gotten used to his life back then with Lina and her grandmother, deep down he had always anticipated the day that he'd once again have to face everything. That day where he'd have to pack up and leave. There had been a notion, even after two years, that the simple life had only been a temporary thing.

"Huh? Me too. Seems like a lot of us showed up around then."

Even after everything was "settled", he'd been back on the move, this time running from everyone in the Federal Forces who was out to get him.

But Arcanus City and the isles it rested within seemed... different in that regard. They seemed a little more permanent. And Vash didn't quite know how to handle that as much as the idea warmed him.

"Right, th' name's Vash by the way. Nice ta meet ya." He offered up a hand.

[epilvgue]

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- Vash eased his stance slightly, shoving his hands into his pockets. He offered an easy sort of smile, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as though he couldn't stand still - it was admittedly a bit of a difficult thing in a way. He was used to being on the run, always moving. Sitting still had become... strange. Foreign. Even though he had gotten used to his life back then with Lina and her grandmother, deep down he had always anticipated the day that he'd once again have to face everything. That day where he'd have to pack up and leave. There had been a notion, even after two years, that the simple life had only been a temporary thing.

"Huh? Me too. Seems like a lot of us showed up around then."

Even after everything was "settled", he'd been back on the move, this time running from everyone in the Federal Forces who was out to get him.

But Arcanus City and the isles it rested within seemed... different in that regard. They seemed a little more permanent. And Vash didn't quite know how to handle that as much as the idea warmed him.

"Right, th' name's Vash by the way. Nice ta meet ya." He offered up a hand.

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- So the guy was just watching then. All right.

When he was asked if he needed help, Vash's face brightened somewhat. The smile remained on his lips, but he shook his head. He adjusted his grip, heaving the crate slightly higher. "Oh, nah, 's not that heavy. You should just enjoy th' activities."

He was on the clock after all. Sort of. He'd volunteered.

"I'll be goin' on break soon anyways."

"Boy," an older man grumbled, walking over with his hunched back and white hair, "if you're gonna flap yer lips just take a break."

With that, with far more strength than he appeared to have, the elderly farmer took the crate from Vash's hands and walked back to the stand where the strawberries were being processed by others.

"Hang on - let me help ya - ...Or I'll be goin' on break now, I guess." He looked sheepish, laughing just a little. Then he rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand, the metal prosthetic gleaming in the sunlight. He shifted on his feet. "So... 're you an Echo too, or are ya from around here?"

[epilvgue]

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- So the guy was just watching then. All right.

When he was asked if he needed help, Vash's face brightened somewhat. The smile remained on his lips, but he shook his head. He adjusted his grip, heaving the crate slightly higher. "Oh, nah, 's not that heavy. You should just enjoy th' activities."

He was on the clock after all. Sort of. He'd volunteered.

"I'll be goin' on break soon anyways."

"Boy," an older man grumbled, walking over with his hunched back and white hair, "if you're gonna flap yer lips just take a break."

With that, with far more strength than he appeared to have, the elderly farmer took the crate from Vash's hands and walked back to the stand where the strawberries were being processed by others.

"Hang on - let me help ya - ...Or I'll be goin' on break now, I guess." He looked sheepish, laughing just a little. Then he rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand, the metal prosthetic gleaming in the sunlight. He shifted on his feet. "So... 're you an Echo too, or are ya from around here?"

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- People had been coming and going from the fields for hours now as the Fanalean residents and others from Arcanus City, Echos and native people's alike, all came, had their fun, and moved on to other activities. This included the farmers and their farm hands, many taking turns in rotation for making sure that everything was going smoothly, helping where help was needed, or selling their own wares to commemorate the start of spring. The sky was clear and air was crisp, still slightly chilly but not as bad as it had been during the winter season. All sorts of flora was budding and blossoming anew while those creatures who slept through the dreary months began to rouse themselves back to life.

Right now, dressed in a casual pair of jeans and a white button up, Vash was grinning ear to ear as he was surrounded by people talking and watched over a number of people picking from the many strawberry bushes. Several children were full of dirt, finding it more fun to play in the soil than to collect the ripe red fruits.

Vash was more than glad to see everyone enjoying themselves. However, something caught his eye enough to turn his head. He had just heaved up a crate full of the berries and was walking it over to a long table that had been set up with various boxes and bowls of water for washing and packaging when he noticed one man just milling about. He wasn't sitting in the field or any of the provided benches, he wasn't perusing wears or in the field picking berries, he didn't seem to be sipping any drink - the guy just seemed to be observing. Not like that was a crime or anything, but…

Well… sticking his nose where he didn't belong was one of the things he did best…

The Plant wandered over to the other man, the crate heavy in his arms as he held it by the handles on either side. He smiled. "They there friend, ya need some sort'a help?"

Maybe he was lost or looking for someone. Intuition told him the guy was probably an 'Echo', like he was.

@cagedfreedom || amity celebration starter