Mable: Here is chapter three! It's a little rushed, but I wanted to get it posted and this was the best place to end it. I don't 9, but I do own Moss, Enjoy!

Without A Sound

Chapter Three: Simple Friendliness

Moss didn't ever feel lonely. Even though he was quite alone he never felt it. After all he had his plants, he had his work, and he enjoyed doing it. Yet finding Two in the Emptiness was a very interesting experience. Then again, interesting wasn't always good, especially considering his unique problem. Trying to be social around such a language barrier was nearly impossible and led to more than one instance of awkwardness. Especially when he found himself showing plants to nobody in particular multiple times.

Finally he had decided to cling to the younger twins, who always wanted to learn, and continued to show them his plants. He had lost young Six, the striped one, over at the black currant bush already. The other Stitchpunk who had been actively engaged in listening and learning was Nine, but he was currently speaking to his friend, Five. Looking over he could see they were still talking, but Nine looked upset about something, asking questions incessantly. It concerned Moss a bit but he assumed it was something not involving himself and felt wrong barging in.

His optics then changed to stare down at the twins who were now going through a small patch of strawberry plants. They were thrilled by the red berries and Moss felt a small smile stretch across his face before starting to close in. Though he temporarily stopped before looking down at himself. He noted growing grass stains on the patches of his knees and attempted to brush them off. Naturally he would get stains in his line of work and it didn't bother him personally, but he felt the need to make an attempt considering that there were so many other Stitchpunks.

Stitchpunks who seemed to vanish and reappear in other locations constantly. Though that could have been because he couldn't tell where all of them were at all times, since they moved about freely. He understood that they wouldn't be as interested in gardening as he would be but it didn't bother him. Spending one's life weeding and watering, trimming and planting, was a decision that he doubted anyone else would make. At least they were more interested then something like a human would be.

He finished addressing his stains and straightened, still holding his scythe beside him as he entered the strawberry patch alongside the twins. He tapped on the shoulder of the closest one, Three, and watched as the twin jumped a bit in surprise. Moss put his hand up in defense to calm her down in an apologetic motion. Then he reached upwards and grappled a berry with his scythe, pulling down delicately and plucking it for the female. He rested it in her hand before taking a pinch and putting it in his mouth, trying to get her to attempt the same. She did so and was delighted by the tingling in her mouth.

As he expected, smiling a bit, taste was a sense that hadn't been used much by the other Stitchpunks. It wasn't as though they had to eat and the twins seemed to register this, as the free one, Four, was questionably tapping on an empty jar that was prepared for preserves. Moss didn't exactly have the means to explain to them why he did what he did. However, the others were able to speak just fine, and over with the others Two was explaining the situation. He hadn't really wanted to bluntly do so, but with One's growing suspicion it was only necessary.

Now came everyone's unsettled feelings and unsureness where to go from here. "How are we supposed to translate with a death man?!" One was whispered harshly, as though Moss actually could hear, to the others. "It's remarkably easy." Two insisted, "We just have to learn to communicate through gestures." One scoffed, "And I suppose you know sign language?" The Inventor retorted with, "As a matter of fact- I don't." Which took One off guard slightly, which may have been the point. Either way, Nine noticed the Stitchpunk in particular was wandering off.

"Maybe we should go see where he's going." Nine suggested, nudging who he thought was Five. It was only when he felt the Stitchpunk tremble in response that he realized it was actually Six. He nearly told Six that he thought he was speaking to Five, but decided not to in the end as he felt bad for not including the Artist. It was a passing guilt at time how Six didn't get as much social interaction as Five and Nine were now best friends. So instead he just smiled as though he was purposely speaking to Six. The smaller male paused before nodding eagerly.

The two then took off after Moss, Nine briefly glancing at the twins who were now eagerly tasting the berries and piling them into the jar. Moss headed into the back of the greenhouse where a different kind of vine stood. These were wrapped around and hanging off of an old gate that was propped against the glass wall. These vines instead had bunches of what looked like fat berries hanging from them and were a pale green color. Interest overtook Nine as he looked ahead towards Moss and asked, "What are these?"

His arrival caught Moss' attention and the tall male waved before beckoning him along, but he neither heard nor recognized the question at all. Nine felt a sigh escape him and was planning to find another way to ask. However, Six interrupted, "They're grapes!" Nine glanced towards the smiling Stitchpunk who was obviously pleased at his ability to answer the question. "How did you know that?" Nine asked in a bit of surprise and the smaller male clutched his key shyly. "They're…They're used on paintings, and statues, and they make it into wine."

It was still a vague description but Nine grasped it well enough. Six was an Artist and while it seemed like he was lost in his world of drawings he actually did have some information and idea of the outside world. However, it was also situated around art mostly, but it didn't seem to bother him. Now the two continued after Moss who waited for them. When they stood beside him he began to tug down a large bunch of the grapes from the bottom before swinging his scythe upwards. Only have of the bunch was severed free, but it seemed to be what he wanted.

Moss pulled the bunch apart into smaller groups before handing them to Nine. Though Nine was confused again, "I can take more." He insisted, patting his chest and pointing to the rest of the grapes. The taller male had only handed them small bunches, Six's smaller than Nine's, and was planning on carrying the larger bundle himself. He waved it off insistently with his casual smile and started to lug the fruit off. He wasn't exactly struggling, but it wasn't effortless either. Nine just couldn't understand why he was taking the unnecessary burden when someone else was willing to assist.

They headed back to the berry jar, but unfortunately it was being used by the twins. Moss was a little amused by their gathering and said nothing, but trudged off with the grapes. Thankfully it was easy to find another one. Nine was a little surprised that he had so many jars just lying around. Though the male soon showed why as one at a time he diced the grapes, plucking out the small seeds and dropping them in his bag, and then when drop the remains in the jar. He was preserving the fruit in his own method. Needless to say, Nine was fine with helping.

Though halfway through the task they stopped for a break and Nine decided to attempt further communication. Sitting beside the Cultivator male he gestured to the greenhouse wall and gestured outwards as though showing the expanse, "This place? What's the name of this place?" he repeated and the male seemed to noticed that he was asking something. The gestures were enough and Moss drew in the dirt the word 'Babylon'. "Babylon…" Nine repeated before looking to Moss, "What's Babylon?"

This time Moss understood and was ready to answer in his own way. He rested a hand on his mouth briefly as he glanced around before putting a finger up as though saying he had an idea. He moved his hands and arms outwards as though in a vast motion, though depicting an area even larger than his greenhouse. Then he pointed upwards, a splaying motion of his hands followed with his fingers dancing as though he was symbolizing rain. He led the drops down and made hand gestures in a sweeping river way, making an imaginary pattern on the dirt hidden beneath the plants far in front of them.

Nine let his imagination take hold and could imagine swirling pools of water meant to nurture the plants. Moss briefly touched Nine's arm again as though to catch his attention further, an eager smile trying to tug his lips even further as he continued. He then gestured to the plants and made a motion almost like the rain one, a crawling sort of gesture to symbolize growing. He depicted growing plants sprouting around before climbing up the walls. At the ceiling he made dropping motions, as though mimicking hanging plants over the water and other life.

Of course Nine had to decipher and imagine most, but from the way that Moss smiled and moved his hands about so vigorously it was obvious that he was enthralled by the idea. He was, too; everything that Moss had worked for was to rebuild the hanging gardens he admired so much. For a second Nine almost felt that same admiration, but as he looked around at the greenhouse he realized that this was what he saw as being amazing, just as much as the other's ideas. Soon Moss was done and leaned back to stare at his work.

Nine wanted to ask him more, he wanted to know everything, but he was now interrupted by the others approaching. Moss hopped down and hurried over to them to get more Stitchpunks to help. The day loomed onwards after this point and it was around evening time when One started getting antsy. He looked upwards towards the roof of the greenhouse to see the sun plummeting towards the horizon quickly, which reminded him that there was the lingering concern about time.

"While this has been… Adventurous." He suddenly spoke, interrupting the exploration and communication amongst the other Stitchpunks. Moss was currently harvesting more of the grapes with help from the other Stitchpunks. Even Eight seemed willing to assist, but it was more of an excuse to tug at Six's ankle teasingly as he climbed onto the grapevine. Two had tried twice to break the two apart, but Eight was tricky and stubborn, smirking as he would loop around and tug at his leg again.

Nine was up on the vine too dropping down grapes he plucked that the twins would catch and take to Five and Two who would dice the grapes. Seven decided to explore further to search for other bottles and jars. Moss continued cutting down grapes with his scythe. While something so simple the Stitchpunks were enjoying themselves trying something that they hadn't before. Even if Moss wasn't exactly upfront on why he was working so hard to preserve this much. "However, with the lack of covering on the walls we are clearly visible from in here. We should return to the Sanctuary before it gets dark."

The others were of mixed ideals. Eight strode over immediately, Six looked upset but reluctantly did so, and a few of the others simply waited before Two defended. "We stay here." He pointed out and One scoffed, "And lie in the dirt? I'm would say not!" Yet Two insisted, "No, no. He may have a place for us to sleep. Maybe we can get inside that shed outside." He looked over to Moss, "Do you have a sleeping area?" He asked, making weird hand motions in an attempt to explain.

The male struggled to comprehend what he was asking and One again made a scoffing noise, purposely to show his contempt, "You would think that he would be able to read lips." Now Nine defended as he finally dropped down from the fence, "Maybe he has trouble doing so. It's not that easy, especially when our voice comes from voice boxes more than anything. Why don't you write something down?" One perked at this, "Then that is what we shall do." He snapped his fingers as though issuing a command, "Eight, find me a proper piece of paper."

The guard looked around at the greenery before Five spoke, "Here. Use the back of my map." Eight snapped it up and began circling around before Six spoke, "The… The berries." One now interrupted to command Eight to get the berries, which he did, and then brought back. It was simple enough to find them as Six had left a couple of mounds of the lying around as he gathered from various bushes. Now both the paper and berries were dropped before him and he kneeled as One insisted.

"Write exactly what I say; we very much appreciate your hospitality to allow us into such a secluded area and thank you for securing the health of our primary healer and Inventor. It is now time for us to return to our Sanctuary, but before we do some of us have some concerns about taking a trip back." He briefly glared at Two and was planning to continue when Seven cut in, returning to the group, "You've got Six practically writing a book. Why can't he just write down the question?"

One sputtered, "Because we must be respectful and thank this other for bringing us here! Do you have any idea what toxins may have come in on our fabric?" Seven furrowed her brows, "When we came in you barely even knew what a greenhouse was." Nine huffed in exasperation and looked to Six, "Six, compromise?" The Artist nodded in agreement and began to quickly write down a quick note. 'Thank you for letting us stay here. Would you like to come home with us? Do you have somewhere we can sleep here?" Once this was finished he stood and eagerly handed it to Moss who stared at it briefly.

Though it was obvious, again, that Moss was having trouble. He even looked distressed for a split second as he realized that he couldn't understand this communication either. "I thought I did it right…" Six murmured lowly when One abruptly remarked, "He can't read either?! Wonderful! All lines of communication have been vanquished!" Yet again Nine defended, "He can read! He wrote down a word earlier, I just… I don't know. I don't know why he can't read." Two now suggested, "Just because he can write doesn't mean that he doesn't need some sort of lens to read. Like glasses."

"This is absurd." One stated, "We're wasting time with this. Wasting the little bit or daylight that we have left. We need to just dismiss ourselves and leave." With that he fell silent, having spoken his two cents, and the others who were more willing to be patient attempted communications yet again. "What was the word?" Nine paused briefly to remember before speaking, "It was Babylon?" Now Five perked, "Babylon? Like the Hanging Gardens?" Now Nine was perking at his friend's statement, "You know about it?" Both Two and Five nodded, but surprisingly the Healer took his turn to talk.

Usually he would let his mentor speak for him but now he was too eager to speak. "Two and I studied about them a long time ago. They're one of the wonders of the world… But I'm guessing this isn't the real Babylon." He added in, sheepish that he had gotten so wrapped up, and One scoffed, "I would suppose not." The Healer suddenly took the paper, "Here, I think I have an idea." Using Six's finger he guided it to draw an outline. "If he knows about Babylon then he must know something about human built structures, so he probably does know what a Library is."

Two and Nine both perked, but the former was the one who spoke, "Of course! It's so simple, we can't show him words so we can just show him a picture." With this Six decided to take over and started to draw a picture of the Library. Once he was finished he flashed it to Moss with a proud smile. The male pulled back from the paper being shoved into his face, but then looked at it curiously, and smiled at Six before pointing to him and pointing to the greenhouse wall out into the Emptiness.

"Yes, it's out there." One barged in again, trying to translate, "Our Sanctuary." He tapped his chest and pointed out before speaking louder, "We need somewhere to sleep until the sun rises or else we're leaving now." He started to point in various directions and make gestures. Moss just stared and Seven remarked, "One, he's deaf, talking louder won't fix it." However, the taller managed to cling to one gestures; his reference to the sun going down. He nodded and pointed to the sun, the gesturing down like falling, and struck realization.

With a friendly beckoning he seemed to suggest he had a solution. Though he quickly sealed the jar first he led them toward the back of the greenhouse. This was where another small shed, more a wooden cabinet than anything, lingered in the back corner. The twins scurried around his feet and he waded around them as he headed to the side of the cabinet that faced the front of the greenhouse where the dirt was dug out and allowed him to climb down underneath the shed. There hug a rope with knots tied in it, leading upwards into an opening in the shed.

Moss pointed upwards before kneeling down and putting his hand out. Three was daring enough to take it and was soon swept into his arms, somehow dodging the scythe that was now resting propped along his chest. The tall male lifted the twin and started to help her onto the rope which she grabbed onto in surprise. For a few seconds she just hung there; the twins weren't used to having such physical activity randomly appear before them. Yet the older male coaxed her and so she began to slowly climb the rope into the cabinet, Four soon following suite.

He went to help Two as well and the Inventor kindly declined and gestured for Moss to go up first. The Cultivator did so, but was a little uneasy. It made him feel better to help these new Stitchpunks; when he wasn't the silence seemed to gnaw at him because he would be unable to know what they were saying. He was completely in the dark unless he stared at their face and judged emotions, and staring would most likely make them uncomfortable. He rubbed his head underneath his hat wearily and mentally noted that he could easily get them settled and then catch up on work.

In fact, that was exactly what he was going to do, but first he needed to show them around his home within his garden. Perhaps it would be as easy as it sounded; Moss liked staying blissfully unaware.

Mable: The next chapter will be posted as soon as I can get it finished! I hope everyone enjoyed!