Ten Guns, Two Roses
Chapter 4 - A Few Lies Between Friends
Author's Note: Woo! An apperance - and probably the only - made by the Insurance Girls. And yeah, this may sound like another excuse, but I wrote half of this at a marching band competition, so if it sucks don't mind me. Oh, and thanks to the elf who kissed me at the Rennasance Faire for inspiration... ok, not really, but I just wanted to mention that I got kissed by an elf. ^_^*
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Delicate fingers, pale and perfect like a China doll's, flew over the typewriter's silver keys with praticed grace. And with all the reports she had written in the last few months, pratice was something Meryl Stryfe had plenty of time for. After all, she reported to Bernadelli's once a week, even after the survellience of Vash the Stampede had been canceled. Why she kept writing them, even Meryl herself couldn't explain, but it just seemed like the right thing to do. So here she was now, tying away like a madwoman.
"Senpai?"
The tell-tale clicks of Meryl writing stopped suddenly, as she turned to the sound of the voice. A small frown found her features as she caught sight of her partner - Millie Thompson - standing in the doorway. Sighing faintly, the petite dark-haired woman responded, "Hai? What is it Millie? I'm working on a report."
The taller of the two insurance women stared blankly at her fingertips as she pressed their tips together in childlike worry. "The second sun has almost set, and neither Vash-san nor Mr. Priest are back yet. Aren't you worried about them?"
"Worried?" Meryl echoed with a shrug. "Not really. Vash-san and Wolfwood-san are both grown men - even though they often don't act like it - and I have no doubt they can take care of themselves. Besides, they've come back after sunset before. They're probably out getting drunk."
An uneasy silence followed Meryl's statement, and then Millie replied, "But not when fighting a Gung-Ho Gun."
And as the words registered in Meryl's head, cold fear settled in the base of her spine. What if Wolfwood and Vash were hurt? Or worse yet, dead? What then? Her teeth sinking into her lower lip in newfound worry, the dark-haired woman prayed they returned home soon. Oh, they'd get a line of shit for worrying her when they got home... but at least then she'd know they were safe...
*
Three hours after sundown, Wolfwood returned to the hotel in which he, Vash, and the Insurance Girla had rooms. In those three hours, Nick had managed to get his motorcycle to work again. He had also hidden Legato's 'present' among his baggage so the girls wouldn't find it, and speaking of the girls, he had come up with the perfect story to tell them. After all, he couldn't just walk in casually and tell them Vash had been killed... especially not when he was out for blood. And he would have his revenge, but it would have to wait until he talked to Meryl and Millie and gotten himself nice and drunk - the latter he had considered several times since the golden-eyed telepath had left him alone.
Reaching into the inside pocket of his blazer, Wolfwood withdrew a cigarette and stuffed it into his mouth. He hesitated for a second as he thought, and then his hand went back into his pocket and this time, the priest removed a match. Striking it on the heel of his shitkicker boots, the dark-haired male lit his cancer stick and dropped the expended match on the ground. Taking a few quick pufs off of the cigarette to calm his nerves, Wolfwood entered the hotel and found exactly what he was expecting.
The Insurance Girls were sitting on a bench in the lobby, their eyes locked on the door with unfathomable worry. Meryl looked like she had been crying, and Millie appeared as though she was close to tears herself. As Wolfwood entered the hotel, two pairs of eyes - on crystal blue, the other almost gray - fell upon him. And the worry the priest had seen in their eyes only seconds before transmuted into anger.
"Where the -hell- have you been?" the shorter of the pair demanded, standing sharply and storming over to him.
Millie followed feet behind, stopping only when she made it to her partner. "And where's Vash-san?"
The words bit into Wolfwood like a knife, reminding him of the fresh wound he had tried to block out of his mind, but now was not the time to show his sorrow. So instead, the priest raised his hands above him in surrender and forced one of his legendary smiles. "Hey... hey girls, no need to worry."
"Well, we were," Meryl exploded, stamping one foot like a child, "and where's Vash-san?"
"Pfft... I'm offended. You ask about Tongari before you ask about me? Well, now I see where your priorities really lie." Offering Millie a wink, he took another puff off of his cancer stick, and continued, "But if you really must know, he's moved on."
"Moved on?"
"Yeah - he said something about wanting to check out a lead he had on his brother in the next town. Poor guy's really bent on finding Knives." As if to emphasize his point Wolfwood shook his head, "Oh well. Anyway, tongari wants me to meet him there in a couple of days - but he doesn't want the two of you tagging along."
"What? If that man thinks he can get away so easilly...! Ooh...!"
"Calm down Meryl, the man's got his reasons."
"Which are?"
"Something about this being too dangerous." A shrug. "You know him, he doesn't want to see anyone die."
Millie piped up from her momentary silence, "So then why does he want you to come along?"
And Wolfwood cursed inwardly. For some reason, Millie had this ability to read him like a book when he tried his best to lie, and he hated it. Especially in situations like this. And when it did come to this, it was no good to keep lying, because Millie - like a small child - knew when she was being lied to. Now if you tried to incorperate the truth, or something you didn't know was an obvious lie, that often worked better. So it was time for a few grains of truth. "Dunno. Maybe cause there's usually two Gung-Ho Guns, and Vash doesn't want to be without back up if he faces any more of them... or his brother."
The taller of the two Insurance Girls seemed satisfied, but Meryl did not. "Well, he's still not keeping us from coming along!"
"I figured you'd say that, and I've got a plan. I'll take you with me when I go to meet up with Tongari, but you'll have to stay out of sight. I doubt he'd be too happy if he saw the pair of you tagging along." Sure, he had no intention of bringing the girls along - this was something he had to do on his own - but at least if he promised to let the pair come with him, he could get Meryl to leave him alone. "Fair enough?"
"Hai," she replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a report to finish." Wheeling on her heels, the shorter of the two females stormed up the stairs behind them without further comments. But Millie remained.
"I'd better go too, Mr. Priest," she said simply. And if Wolfwood hadn't been trained to read people's expressions, he would have believed that she accepted his answer, but her eyes told him otherwise. Her eyes told him that she knew it was possible that he wouldn't return... and that he wasn't really meeting up with Vash, but his intentions were for the best.
Sighing faintly, Wolfwood offered a half-hearted, "Yeah, see you later big girl," before exiting the hotel altogether. Now it was time to go out and get drunk, and then get even.
*
"Bring me another one bartender," the priest slurred, his eyes locked on one of the dozens of glasses that sat before him. In the last hour or so, he had gotten drunk beyond belief, and the bartender had asked him to stop... but when Wolfwood had shown him his gun and his double dollars, he complied. So, this time the bartender brought the drink without hesitation, and set it down before the black-clad male, scooping up the money offered and shuffling off to take care of other customers.
Somewhat glad to be alone, Wolfwood raised the glass to his lips and took a sip of the bitter liquid. Then, lowering it from his lips, he gazed at the drink in drunken near-stupor as he considered the days events. Vash had died because of him... because he had been too much of a coward to go face Chapel himself. A bitter smile - if there was a land where cowards lived, he was the king. Raising his drink above his head, he started to make a toast to his stupidity and cowardice, and then stopped as the faint scent of jasmine found his nostrils.
The glass containing his amber-colored drink lowered slighly. Funny, only one person he knew smelled like that, and that was - "Dun even think about it, Nick. The Gung-Ho's don't care about you anymore, so don't even think about it. He wouldn't be here, unless of course Vash had survived... But we both know that wouldn't happen."
Returning the glass to its place above his head, the priest began once again with his half-hearted toast. "To the biggest coward in the world." Then bringing the alcohol to his lips, he drank deeply. Coward, failure, idiot - that was Nicholas D. Wolfwood to a 'T' now... and if the jasmine-smelling other he had convinced himself wasn't there -was- indeed there, what would he think of the priest now?
"Coward, Chapel? Since when have you been a coward?" Oh, shit... Wolfwood hadn't been dreaming - he was there, standing behind him, with those soulful brown eyes locked on his back.
Midvalley the Hornfreak was there.
Chapter 4 - A Few Lies Between Friends
Author's Note: Woo! An apperance - and probably the only - made by the Insurance Girls. And yeah, this may sound like another excuse, but I wrote half of this at a marching band competition, so if it sucks don't mind me. Oh, and thanks to the elf who kissed me at the Rennasance Faire for inspiration... ok, not really, but I just wanted to mention that I got kissed by an elf. ^_^*
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Delicate fingers, pale and perfect like a China doll's, flew over the typewriter's silver keys with praticed grace. And with all the reports she had written in the last few months, pratice was something Meryl Stryfe had plenty of time for. After all, she reported to Bernadelli's once a week, even after the survellience of Vash the Stampede had been canceled. Why she kept writing them, even Meryl herself couldn't explain, but it just seemed like the right thing to do. So here she was now, tying away like a madwoman.
"Senpai?"
The tell-tale clicks of Meryl writing stopped suddenly, as she turned to the sound of the voice. A small frown found her features as she caught sight of her partner - Millie Thompson - standing in the doorway. Sighing faintly, the petite dark-haired woman responded, "Hai? What is it Millie? I'm working on a report."
The taller of the two insurance women stared blankly at her fingertips as she pressed their tips together in childlike worry. "The second sun has almost set, and neither Vash-san nor Mr. Priest are back yet. Aren't you worried about them?"
"Worried?" Meryl echoed with a shrug. "Not really. Vash-san and Wolfwood-san are both grown men - even though they often don't act like it - and I have no doubt they can take care of themselves. Besides, they've come back after sunset before. They're probably out getting drunk."
An uneasy silence followed Meryl's statement, and then Millie replied, "But not when fighting a Gung-Ho Gun."
And as the words registered in Meryl's head, cold fear settled in the base of her spine. What if Wolfwood and Vash were hurt? Or worse yet, dead? What then? Her teeth sinking into her lower lip in newfound worry, the dark-haired woman prayed they returned home soon. Oh, they'd get a line of shit for worrying her when they got home... but at least then she'd know they were safe...
*
Three hours after sundown, Wolfwood returned to the hotel in which he, Vash, and the Insurance Girla had rooms. In those three hours, Nick had managed to get his motorcycle to work again. He had also hidden Legato's 'present' among his baggage so the girls wouldn't find it, and speaking of the girls, he had come up with the perfect story to tell them. After all, he couldn't just walk in casually and tell them Vash had been killed... especially not when he was out for blood. And he would have his revenge, but it would have to wait until he talked to Meryl and Millie and gotten himself nice and drunk - the latter he had considered several times since the golden-eyed telepath had left him alone.
Reaching into the inside pocket of his blazer, Wolfwood withdrew a cigarette and stuffed it into his mouth. He hesitated for a second as he thought, and then his hand went back into his pocket and this time, the priest removed a match. Striking it on the heel of his shitkicker boots, the dark-haired male lit his cancer stick and dropped the expended match on the ground. Taking a few quick pufs off of the cigarette to calm his nerves, Wolfwood entered the hotel and found exactly what he was expecting.
The Insurance Girls were sitting on a bench in the lobby, their eyes locked on the door with unfathomable worry. Meryl looked like she had been crying, and Millie appeared as though she was close to tears herself. As Wolfwood entered the hotel, two pairs of eyes - on crystal blue, the other almost gray - fell upon him. And the worry the priest had seen in their eyes only seconds before transmuted into anger.
"Where the -hell- have you been?" the shorter of the pair demanded, standing sharply and storming over to him.
Millie followed feet behind, stopping only when she made it to her partner. "And where's Vash-san?"
The words bit into Wolfwood like a knife, reminding him of the fresh wound he had tried to block out of his mind, but now was not the time to show his sorrow. So instead, the priest raised his hands above him in surrender and forced one of his legendary smiles. "Hey... hey girls, no need to worry."
"Well, we were," Meryl exploded, stamping one foot like a child, "and where's Vash-san?"
"Pfft... I'm offended. You ask about Tongari before you ask about me? Well, now I see where your priorities really lie." Offering Millie a wink, he took another puff off of his cancer stick, and continued, "But if you really must know, he's moved on."
"Moved on?"
"Yeah - he said something about wanting to check out a lead he had on his brother in the next town. Poor guy's really bent on finding Knives." As if to emphasize his point Wolfwood shook his head, "Oh well. Anyway, tongari wants me to meet him there in a couple of days - but he doesn't want the two of you tagging along."
"What? If that man thinks he can get away so easilly...! Ooh...!"
"Calm down Meryl, the man's got his reasons."
"Which are?"
"Something about this being too dangerous." A shrug. "You know him, he doesn't want to see anyone die."
Millie piped up from her momentary silence, "So then why does he want you to come along?"
And Wolfwood cursed inwardly. For some reason, Millie had this ability to read him like a book when he tried his best to lie, and he hated it. Especially in situations like this. And when it did come to this, it was no good to keep lying, because Millie - like a small child - knew when she was being lied to. Now if you tried to incorperate the truth, or something you didn't know was an obvious lie, that often worked better. So it was time for a few grains of truth. "Dunno. Maybe cause there's usually two Gung-Ho Guns, and Vash doesn't want to be without back up if he faces any more of them... or his brother."
The taller of the two Insurance Girls seemed satisfied, but Meryl did not. "Well, he's still not keeping us from coming along!"
"I figured you'd say that, and I've got a plan. I'll take you with me when I go to meet up with Tongari, but you'll have to stay out of sight. I doubt he'd be too happy if he saw the pair of you tagging along." Sure, he had no intention of bringing the girls along - this was something he had to do on his own - but at least if he promised to let the pair come with him, he could get Meryl to leave him alone. "Fair enough?"
"Hai," she replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a report to finish." Wheeling on her heels, the shorter of the two females stormed up the stairs behind them without further comments. But Millie remained.
"I'd better go too, Mr. Priest," she said simply. And if Wolfwood hadn't been trained to read people's expressions, he would have believed that she accepted his answer, but her eyes told him otherwise. Her eyes told him that she knew it was possible that he wouldn't return... and that he wasn't really meeting up with Vash, but his intentions were for the best.
Sighing faintly, Wolfwood offered a half-hearted, "Yeah, see you later big girl," before exiting the hotel altogether. Now it was time to go out and get drunk, and then get even.
*
"Bring me another one bartender," the priest slurred, his eyes locked on one of the dozens of glasses that sat before him. In the last hour or so, he had gotten drunk beyond belief, and the bartender had asked him to stop... but when Wolfwood had shown him his gun and his double dollars, he complied. So, this time the bartender brought the drink without hesitation, and set it down before the black-clad male, scooping up the money offered and shuffling off to take care of other customers.
Somewhat glad to be alone, Wolfwood raised the glass to his lips and took a sip of the bitter liquid. Then, lowering it from his lips, he gazed at the drink in drunken near-stupor as he considered the days events. Vash had died because of him... because he had been too much of a coward to go face Chapel himself. A bitter smile - if there was a land where cowards lived, he was the king. Raising his drink above his head, he started to make a toast to his stupidity and cowardice, and then stopped as the faint scent of jasmine found his nostrils.
The glass containing his amber-colored drink lowered slighly. Funny, only one person he knew smelled like that, and that was - "Dun even think about it, Nick. The Gung-Ho's don't care about you anymore, so don't even think about it. He wouldn't be here, unless of course Vash had survived... But we both know that wouldn't happen."
Returning the glass to its place above his head, the priest began once again with his half-hearted toast. "To the biggest coward in the world." Then bringing the alcohol to his lips, he drank deeply. Coward, failure, idiot - that was Nicholas D. Wolfwood to a 'T' now... and if the jasmine-smelling other he had convinced himself wasn't there -was- indeed there, what would he think of the priest now?
"Coward, Chapel? Since when have you been a coward?" Oh, shit... Wolfwood hadn't been dreaming - he was there, standing behind him, with those soulful brown eyes locked on his back.
Midvalley the Hornfreak was there.
