Disclaimer; I don't own Outlaw Star or any of the characters or any of the other elements of the series. There, that pretty much covers it. However, I do own the characters and situations presented in Boutou Hoshi. If you want to use them, please e-mail me and I'll probably let you do it. Please don't sue me! I've only got some old drawing books and empty pocky boxes anyway so you wouldn't get much. Okay, I'm done.
Dedication; This story is dedicated to the people who've stuck by me for the past three months, especially Jade S., Anime Angel, heehee, barbo-chan, and Trunks. Also, this is dedicated to my friends Legacy Lost, Bishonen no Miko, Tamahome no Miko, Shattered Stars, and (especially!) my sis Blayse! Thanks you guys! ^-^
Notes; Ohayo mina-san. A-a slack in reviews. *tear* Oh man, not this! Don't take away my writing drive! Whaaa! Okay, I know I sound like a snively little baby, but come on! The only thing that keeps my OS muse awake is reviews, and now I can't wake her up! She's just lying on the computer snoring. I have to get my other muses back from vacation and other assignments just to do this ch.! Uhg, I hate having RRD (Review Ratio Depression - a common condition where an authors writing drive is completely linked to reviews). Just please help me save my precious sanity and review! T_T
IMPORTANT - this ch. is a perspective switch. From now on, some of the chapters will be in Jim's POV and others will be Gene's as usual.
But first . . . let's introduce the Muses!;
muse of angst and hurt/comfort - Pren (dark gray male wolf w/ blue eyes)
muse of cussing and all things violent - Raz (silver female wolf w/ gold eyes)
muse of humor/Digimon/fantasy - Gomamon (a male Gomamon -unused here)
muse of yaoi - Golamon (female Gomamon *white/blue/green* -unused here)
muse of torture and all things medical - Nanashi (white hair, female senshi)
muse of FY/the futago/kids - Subi (blue eyed male Eevee w/ blue headband)
and finely, the sleeping muse of OLS and all things epic - Chibiko (chibi female silver kitsune -unused here)
Tarian
By; Adakie
As Gene kneeled there in front of him, Jim could only stare. The air around him seemed thick and it was hard to breath. This just wasn't Gene. It couldn't be, his partner was never like this. He was strong, confident, and irresponsible, but never _ever_ like this.
He'd been dealing with this whole thing all right on his own. 'Sure my head hurts like h*ll and it's a little hard to see and it's always a hard to breath, that doesn't matter. I can handle it . . . right? I don't need any help from anyone.' But he was really getting scared.
It was all thanks to that man they'd seen in the bar. Jim knew he hadn't caught the Tarian there, if only because he'd been running a fever for a few days before that. No, this had sparked a new problem that he was having a lot of trouble dealing with. He never really watched the news or read the paper like Gene did, so he hadn't known what they do to people who have the Taurian. He hadn't understood what it meant to catch this.
The marks on his arms had appeared about two days after. He'd been trying to hide it, and if it wasn't for the paranoia that had forced him to say something he still would be. In this place it was like the mark of the devil. He didn't want to be locked away somewhere and forgotten about. He didn't want to die.
He looked up into warm dark blue eyes. There was a soft light shining through those orbs that he'd not seen since that time in the train station months ago. It captured him, held him in place and would not let him retreat back to the safety and solitude of his room. He'd been alone so long, even now he felt he was still alone. The only difference was that this time, it was on purpose. Even though he longed for the company and companionship of his new partner, something in him wouldn't accept it. And right now that part of him was surging. He just wanted to run into the closet, lock the door, and curl up in the shadows until all this sh*t went away . . . but those eyes wouldn't let him.
Jim felt the tears beginning to sting at his eyes, but forced them back. He knew in his mind that Gene wouldn't turn him in. After all, his Aniki wasn't the type to do that. However, that other part of him was scared. It was scared of being turned in, scared of being left alone, scared of being betrayed. He'd had such bad luck with families before that he was starting to lose his ability to trust, and there was nothing he could do about it.
'Maybe I'm just trusting him too much. I mean, how much do I really know about him. This could all just be some trick. He's going to tell them about me, isn't he. Oh G*d why!? Why does all this sh*t happen to me!?'
He looked into Gene's eyes again. Something in those eyes, in the light they shone, called to him. It drew him in and made him forget all his fear. 'He's my Aniki, he wouldn't do that. He wouldn't do that. At least I hope not.' Slowly, he steeped forward. Step after step, inch after inch, he made his way toward the only person he felt he could trust even the slightest bit in this G*d forsaken place.
Falling to his knees, he buried his face against Gene's chest. 'This is all I have left, isn't it? The only person who gives a d*mn weather I live or die. I've got to trust him, I've just got to. There's no one else and no other way. I will trust.' He couldn't hold it back anymore, the tears started pouring down his face. He was dimly aware of being rocked back and forth. The slow, steady motion reminded him of something from long ago, but none of that mattered now. The only thing that mattered was this moment, the here and now. Finely relaxed for the first time in days, he let himself drift off towards sleep. He thought he heard Gene say something in a soft voice but he couldn't quite make out the words. He was too tired to drag himself back to full awareness, but he tried to answer anyway. It came out as a breathless whisper.
"Aniki."
~Owarii~
Feh, it's short. Well, how did the team do w/ out Chibiko? Good? Bad? Anyway, I think I'll just go do the BSLC thing. Till next time, Ja ne! (please be a responsible reader and review) *stands near the closest wall and bangs her head repeatedly against it.* Why me? *whap* Why me? *whap* Why me? *whap* Why me? *whap* . . .
Pren: Do you think we should stop her?
Gomamon: Nah, not now.
Golamon: Why, won't she hurt herself and not be able to write for a while?
Raz: It doesn't matter, she's leaving for a week in Missouri tomorrow and this is the last thing she's going to be able to get on the net in time.
Subi: Eevee. [ohh.]
Nanashi: . . .
Chibiko: *snore*
Why me? *whap* Why me? *whap* Why me? *whap* Why me? *whap* Why me? *whap* Why me? *whap* . . . .