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Ship three was different.
Well functionally, the layout was the same. The operation of staff was the same.
But there was no Rem.
No Nai.
Vash was being tentatively allowed to roam. Another way it was different. The staff watched him with narrowed or wary eyes. At least, he thinks it's wary. Nai was the better one at reading humans between them, but he isn't here.
Vash has had to suddenly navigate alone. He has no mind to connect to unless he wants to bother his sister, but she was still resting. He wasn't used to needing to tell people apart. For all the things Rem told them about, it wasn't that humans looked so similar.
Rem would laugh with him when him and Nai failed to hide their excitement, light yellow and orange would color their faces until they were all breathless. Communicating with Rem and Nai were seamless. Sure, Rem couldn't glow the way they did, but she always was so expressive with her hands and face that it didn't matter to them.
Yet the humans on ship three didn't seem to care. Markings would light up in question or a greeting and all they would do is stare. Vash couldn't read what their faces did, what that quirk of the lip meant, or how that raise of an eyebrow changed the words entirely. It was like they had their own language and Vash didn't know where to start.
Which is why he was wandering the halls now. He knew that the same person visited him when he was being kept in that room, but he didn't realize he'd have such a hard time finding her. He realizes he'd been lucky with ship five, each of the crew was so different physically and in voice that it didn't take him long to be able to tell who was who.
But in a ship where few wanted to even say a word of greeting in the hall? Vash was drowning. Voices were mixing in his head and the closed way everyone held themselves around him easily ruled that idea out.
He knew two names at least: Luida and Brad.
He repeated those names in his head as he walked down the hall, on a quest to find them. His markings were a muddled color of yellow and deep blue, betraying the nervousness and sadness he was trying to hide. The crew must have thought he was weak.
Why wouldn't they? They could so plainly see the yellow that settled on his face, and the blue that glowed along his chest, and yet they ignored it. Rem would always know what he and Nai meant, and it was usually accompanied by comfort.
This ship just greeted him with coldness.
***
Vash hugged his knees to his chest, wanting to simply disappear from where he was sat between the bed and the wall.
The blanket he draped over himself was glowing a dark blue, the only light in this new room. It didn't feel like his. His only possession, the photo of Nai and Rem and him, all happy, was clutched in his hands. He had to hold it away from himself so the tears he gave up trying to keep down didn't ruin it.
He took a shaky breath.
The happy-genuine-family was so bright in the picture.
Vash tried again to will away the dark blue, to copy that light yellow and orange that he used to glow all the time on ship five. He remembers Rem used to joke that him and Nai were stuck that way.
The blue doesn't change.
His door opens with a soft shwish.
Vash didn't bother to pull down his blanket. He hugged his knees tighter and kept his eyes closed. Maybe if he thought hard enough, he could pretend it was a dream. That it was Rem waiting to surprise him, and that Nai was with her, and they were all happy again.
"Vash. . ." Vash took in another shuddering breath. It rested heavy in his lungs. "I can tell something's wrong. . . But I don't know how to help. I know we don't know each other that well yet, so I need you to tell me what's wrong."
Rem would know what's wrong. A bitter part of Vash's mind supplied, and some of his markings started to transition to a deep red of anger.
He could hear the person quietly drag a chair over, the one usually near the corner of the room. He didn't want them to stay.
He pulled the blanket down to let the person get a good view of his leave-angry flashes along his arms. The person had turned on a lamp that he'd never touched.
"Can you let me help? I don't know what's wrong and I'm sorry about that." The person's voice was soft. Vash had talked to a handful of people, but none offered comfort like right now. He didn't want soft. He wanted to be acknowledged and heard.
Leave-leave-angry pulsed again in more red. When the person didn't react again, ignoring his clear communication once more, he reached up and grabbed the pillow from his bed and threw it.
It fell flatly between them, nowhere close to hitting his guest.
"I want you to leave! All you do is ignore me. I hate it!" Vash yelled the words, and he hated how that got a reaction. He didn't like raising his voice and here it was the only way they'd listen.
"I- have we? Vash I've tried talking to you in the halls and when that didn't work the past few times, I thought you wanted space. That's why I didn't come by until now, I was hoping you'd give me a sign."
Vash thought the bright red was a fairly clear sign. His vision blurred a bit with new tears.
"I don't know who you are! Stop acting like you care when no one even acknowledges me! Rem never ignored me like everyone here does! Rem actually cared. . ." His energy to yell was starting to go down. He just wanted to be home. He wanted Nai. He wanted Rem. He wanted his family back.
The silence was so loud.
Vash focused his attention on the picture in his hands he'd been unintentionally crushing. The air felt thick as he carefully and gently smoothed out the creases and wiped away tears.
"Vash, we do care. I'm so sorry that Brad and I couldn't understand, but that's the truth. We don't know what your colors mean. . . but we'd gladly learn if you'd let us."
Brad? - Vash's mind fixated on the names for a moment.
"Luida?" Vash asked, looking up from his picture and at his guest. He could see how the shaky picture he had of Luida sort of lined up with his guest, in the fact they had the same hair, but he barely had enough interaction to note anything else that'd help him.
"Yes, that's me. I was the one who lead you to the Plant. Do you. . . not remember?" The per- Luida. Luida spoke with what sounded like concern. Like when Rem would ask what happened when he'd show up with a scrape.
He. . .
Were they trying to reach out to him? Then why didn't they say anything? Why didn't they know about Plant language like Rem?
Vash shook his head, "I remember. Why don't you know Plant language. I thought. . . I thought all of the crew knew it." His angry red leave-hurt coloring was starting to fade into a muddled green of too many feelings.
"Maybe ship five did, but we've never had experience with Independent Plants. Everyone thought it might be considered rude to ask, but I can see now how much harm that did. . ."
Oh
But he thought. . .
He thought humans could read it. Rem and the rest of the crew never had any issues with them. Why was it so different for ship three? It shouldn't be so hard to pick up, should it?
"I can teach you. I don't want to be ignored again." The green started to lean more aquamarine as he started to settle into the idea. He could be helpful, he could teach them easily. "But, uh. . ."
He hesitated on his request. He'd never been around so many humans before. He didn't realize it'd take so long to try and build a profile for each to tell them apart. Maybe that's how Luida felt? Something overwhelming and just needing a compromise.
Vash rubbed a thumb over the corner of the photo, debating. He didn't want to ask for something if it was obvious. He still didn't feel comfortable enough for that. His gaze settled on Rem, and the little geranium patch on her uniform. It was sloppy but made with care, from both of the brothers.
"um. . . Can you help me tell everyone apart?" His voice was barely above a whisper, wanting to ask but afraid of being heard. Luida raised her brows in an emotion Vash couldn't remember.
"Like learning everyone's name? Sure! I could introduce you to a-" Vash shook his head quickly.
"I can remember names, but I can't I can't tell everyone apart. You all," he made a vague gesture over his face, "look similar-ish! I don't recognize everyone yet." The blank look Luida gave him made him curl in on himself, clutching the photo closer. The blue had started to make its presence more known before she spoke again.
"Will patches or something work?" Vash snapped his head up, his marking immediately shifting to the cerulean blue they normally settled on to show his curiosity. "It could take a while, but while we get those figured out, we can start teaching everyone about your colors!" Luida smiled, satisfied with a possible solution in the works.
Vash couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was so willing to implement something to help him specifically? And she wanted him to teach the crew Plant language?
"Are you sure??" A bit of doubt snuck into Vash's voice.
"Of course! You're part of the crew now Vash, and that means if we can do something to help, we will." The pure conviction in her voice made Vash smile. His surroundings started to light up to a soft orange as happy-belonging pulsed along the marks.
"I'm-I'm happy to hear that. I- thank you, Luida." Vash finally moved from the floor to the bed, so he could start talking properly with Luida, about patches and colors far into the day cycle.
Ship three was different sure, but perhaps he just needed time to make it a home.