etrayalogs | closed — neon glow and a table full of secrets

Think this is it. She said diner. ( he jerks his chin toward the building up ahead, all chrome trim and neon buzzing like a dying fly. ) That one. Looks flashy.

( he's never met maya in person. talked over the network once or twice, nothing that stuck. and now here he is, rolling up with blondie in tow when she'd specifically said to leave him home. not his fault the guy's stomach had opinions. it doesn't matter. whatever she wants to say, she can say it to both of them. he's not playing messenger. wolfwood stubs his cigarette out on the heel of his boot and pockets the butt. )

Come on. Let's get this over with.

( Would they want him to starve to death? No.

Either way Wolfwood is saving himself from an evening of whinging by letting Vash tag along, though it's possible he doesn't even realise he's encroaching on something. He's too busy eyeing up the diner, one metal hand on Wolfwood's shoulder in encouragement. )

Well, we shouldn't keep a lady waiting!

( And he's just pleased that his friends are talking. They slip inside easy after that, Vash able to pick out the teenager easily. He bounces over, slides into the booth across from her, cheery smile on his face and oblivious to whatever might pass between the other two. He's like a puppy, he just wants to be involved. )

Maya! Hi!

[ maya was expecting wolfwood alone so she could question him a little bit, but she's surprised when she shows up and vash is there anyway! very sneaky, sis... ]

[ regardless, she's grinning brightly, and she doesn't seem at all upset when she spots vash, waving cheerily to the both of them. ]

Mr. Vash! And.... Mr. Wolfwood, right?

[ she's only talked to him on the network, not met him, but he's about what she pictured. tall, dark, and grouchy. ]

Now that we're here, let's go in and eat!

[ wasting no time, apparently... ]

( wolfwood slides into the booth after vash, letting him take the seat across from maya. he grabs a menu mostly to have something to do with his hands. plastic laminate, sticky at the corner. whole place smells like grease and burnt coffee. )

Good thing Spikey's here. ( he doesn't look up from the menu. ) Guy's got a black hole where his stomach should be. Means we can order half the menu and not worry about leftovers. ( he flips a page. glances up just enough to catch vash's expression. ) Try not to inhale the table, alright?

( he sets the menu down and leans back against the vinyl, one arm draped over the back of the booth. he can sense maya watching. she's got a friendly enough smile, but there's something behind it. he's seen that look before. people who want something and are waiting for the right moment to ask. it doesn't matter. he isn't here to answer questions, especially the ones about vash. he's here for burgers. )

( He does a good job of looking mock offended, fair brows reaching his hairline as he casts Maya a wounded glance like she might be on his side. )

Don't mind him, he thinks he's funny. I have a perfectly reasonable appetite.

( It does not matter that Maya has been out to eat with him before. That she's probably caught him eating snacks in the hallways too. It's the principle of the thing. )

I want bacon on mine. ( He's going to look at Wolfwood's menu, grinning at Maya. He's clearly very happy to be here. ) Extra crispy. What are you having?

[ little does wolfwood know, that maya also has a bottomless pit of a stomach. and with none of them having to worry about money and paying, the two of them are going to eat them out of house and home. ]

Well, I dunno about you guys, but I'm starving. [ she already knows what she's going to order. ] A bacon cheeseburger with all the works sounds great! And since this is Mr. Wolfwood's first time, he has to get something special.

[ despite her being nosy and wanting to find out more about the two of them, her first priority here is making sure wolfwood tries a burger and likes it. how could he not? it's delicious, after all. ]

[ she peeks over her menu at wolfwood, curious to see what he's going to order. ]

( a beat of silence. he glances between the two of them, caught off guard by maya's sudden focus, and he flips the menu back open like it might hide him. )

Uh. That one. ( he jabs a finger at the first burger that looks decent: griddled smash, side of fries. whatever. he's never had a burger before in his life, so it isn't like he knows the difference. he gets the order out quick, lets the other two tack on their drinks before he leans back, arms crossed. )

Y'know, I just realized somethin'. ( he tips his chin toward blondie. ) How come we never go out to eat? Every time it's the same thing. I cook, you cook, or we scrounge whatever's in the fridge and call it dinner. That's it. Never once crossed your mind to drag me to a place like this?

( He at least makes sure there's something green on his burger, orders curly fries just because they sound fun. His drink is something unholy. An odd milkshake that sounds a little gross but he's intrigued. He's already fiddling with the sauce dispenser when he's addressed, pulling a chastised face as he sneaks a glance between the two of them.

He's taken Maya out for food multiple times. But not Wolfwood. )

Uhhh. ( He's still got his stupid guilty face on. ) One time me and Maya went to a bar and got chased out of it, so I figured maybe you'd want to not fall back into old habits?

( He's hedging. )

You can come with us next time. We could've used you climbing the fire escape, right Maya?

[ easily embarrassed by attention, huh? maya will remember that. for now, she just looks encouraging until he picks something -- not what she would have recommended for his first burger, but hey, everyone's tastes are different! this is bound to be a special moment for him, though.... ]

[ also, yes. maya has the basic tact not to bring that up, though it's likely wolfwood's going to figure out by himself. ]

We're outlaws around these parts. [ okay maya.... ] Besides, there's nothing like a homecooked meal sometimes! [ attempting to soften the blow a little. vash looks to her for support, and she gives wolfwood a thumbs up. ]

Yeah! You're tall, so I could have hitched a ride.

[ she's kidding, for the record. ]

( he raises an eyebrow, gaze sliding from vash to maya and back again. )

Wait. You two got chased out of a bar? ( he leans forward, elbows on the table. ) Now that's a story I wanna hear. ( he tips his head toward vash, deadpan. ) Lemme guess. Blondie here started spoutin' some idealistic nonsense about world peace, love thy neighbor, all that, and the bartender got sick of listenin'? 'Cause I know what that's like...

( he let that sit, watching their faces. ) Or was it the other thing? You know, the part where trouble just kinda... finds him. Like a heat-seekin' missile.

( Wow.

He starts slumping in the booth like he might just melt into the floor, chin on his sternum and his too long limbs extra floppy. )

The bots were programmed for it! It was authentic or something. But not my fault.

( He's been doing much better. No fights in weeks. )

We got out fine anyway! I'm not that bad.

( Ha ha ha. )

It was definitely the second thing.

[ maya neglecting to mention the fact that she is also a trouble magnet and they were after her bounty too. he doesn't need to know that. ]

But yeah, it was fine in the end. We can both run pretty fast! Faster than some bots, anyway.

Double trouble then. Right. ( he shakes his head, reaching for the ketchup just to turn it around in his hands for the sake of doing something. ) Let's just hope I get to finish my food before you two get chased outta this diner.

( he looks at vash then, narrowing his eyes slightly. ) Bots, huh. ( the word hangs there a second. first he's hearing about any of this. ) And here I thought you'd been keepin' your nose clean. ( he doesn't push it. not yet. maya's right there, and whatever's going on with vash lately, that's a conversation for later. preferably when there isn't a witness.

he sets the ketchup back down, and leans into the booth, eyes on maya. ) If you're keeping up with him, then you're quick for someone your size. ( he tilts his head, studying her a beat longer than polite, definitely wondering if she's human or not. not that it matters either way. there are all kinds of folks around here. )

( Is his wide-eyed innocence holding up? It better be. )

Maya's great! ( Instinctive and honest. Sadly his natural state is emotive cheerleader. He flashes her a grin. ) She keeps me on my toes!

( But he does glance at Wolfwood, smile curling. )

You can come next time. We could use a heavy lifter.

( Says him. )

Anyway I'm glad you're both friends!

[ she can feel his eyes on her, but she just gives him a big grin. she's 100% human, just full of spirit. in more ways than one. ]

I may be short, but I'm aerodynamically built!

[ what does that mean, maya. she gives vash a thumbs up. yeah! ]

Anyway, I'll keep you both out of trouble, how about that? We can be friends.

[ countdown to wolfwood tsun in 3, 2, 1.... ]

( he snorts, shaking his head. ) Friends. Right. Five minutes in and suddenly we're friends. ( he flicks a wrist vaguely at vash. ) And me and Blondie here? We're not exactly that either. ( the words come out flatter than he means them to. he catches himself, jaw working once before he almost reaches for a cigarette only to see the no smoking sign in the diner. he frowns. )

Look. It's complicated. ( he doesn't elaborate. the eye of michael, the contract, all of it — that isn't diner conversation. not with someone he just met, and not with vash sitting right there probably looking at him like he just threw all his plants out the window. )

Anyway. Friends or not, you said you'd keep us out of trouble. ( he glances at maya, one brow raised. ) Bold offer. Most people who say that end up draggin' me into something worse. But I'll hold you to that.

( It still stings. Wolfwood's denial. It doesn't matter that Vash doesn't even really believe it. But he's quick to rally either way, lifting a hand to cover his mouth from the undertaker's sight so he can mime a whisper to Maya, knowing full well he'll hear it. )

He's allergic to sincerity, don't worry about it.

( Pot, kettle. Where Wolfwood obfuscates and denies, Vash offers up the brightest, blandest version of friendship. They really are the same. Maya deserves a little better though, so he'll lightly kick his boot against Wolfwood's skinny, bare ankle. )

And he's just sore because I got him eaten by a worm that one time. ( His hand finally drops, his amusement carefully plastered. ) I, for one, feel much safer knowing you're looking out for me, Maya! I'm stealing aerodynamically built though. I know a gal who'd love to hear that.

( She'd like Maya too, he's sure of it. )

[ maya smiles widely at vash. yeah, she gets it. she knows people who can't communicate well with each other either. ]

It doesn't have to be complicated. We can all start fresh! Friends.

[ she insists on it, anticipating that wolfwood will balk. ]

A worm ate you? Like... a giant worm?

[ how does that work? ] And I'm glad you feel safe, Mr. Vash! I'll have to prove myself to Mr. Wolfwood, too, I guess.

[ sighs dramatically.... her life is hard ]

( he snorts at vash's claim of him being allergic to sincerity. probably true. when vash kicks his ankle, wolfwood slings an arm around his shoulders and hauls him in close against the booth. might as well make him regret it. )

Sure. We're all friends here. Look at us. One big happy family. ( he grins wide at maya and gives vash's shoulder a hard squeeze before letting go. if the guy's face goes red, well, that's his own damn fault. )

And yeah, it was a gigantic worm. Bigger than this whole diner. Hundred times over, maybe more. We got out by the skin of our teeth, honestly. Luck, more than anything. ( that's all she needs to know for now. ) Desert's crawling with 'em. Nasty bastards.

So what's your home like, kid?

( There's a moment where it looks like they might devolve into a silly little slap fight, Vash gone rigid like a cat who's fur has been rubbed the wrong way. But Wolfwood only squeezes - ow? - and lets go, and Vash slumps down into his seat but focuses his gaze on Maya, curious.

He knows so little. He'd like to know more! )

[ ah, men roughhousing.... is this normal, maya wonders? well, as well as he's not grabbing her in a headlock or something, she won't protest. they can roughhouse all they want!! ]

Geez...

[ a gigantic worm, bigger than the diner by a hundred times, if not more? that's insane. ]

That's like something out of an anime or something! How did you escape?

[ she's interested to hear that. ]

It's "Maya", not kid. [ though she has a feeling that's going to be a losing battle with this guy.... ] And my world's pretty normal? [ aside from spirit channeling and magic bracelets and magatamas..... it's fine ] Though I did get trapped in a magic storybook pretty recently....

[ just casually mentions that. ]

Edited 2026-09-21 14:28 (UTC)

closed — neon glow and a table full of secrets

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that's not where he keeps the black hole hehehe

oh dear

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