A/N: Ha! This is THE chapter where Scarlet Rurouni appears in my story! She
cameo's in here along with her Vash The Stampede from the anime "Trigun".
If you want to read her side of the story and her own situation with Vash
emerging from her closet (where I'll be playing cameo's in her fic. Just go
and look for the story: "The Student, The Typhoon, and the Closet" which is
a spin-off of this fic of mine. There will be more cameo's from Scarlet
Rurouni (Eliza Brookson) in this fic just as I will appear in her fic a few
more times. Enjoy!
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An hour or so later found me cleaning up the breakfast dishes in the kitchen, with Gilderoy puttering about after me, wondering about my various "muggle" devices in the kitchen.
"You know, you can make yourself useful, Gilderoy. Take that blue towel and dry these dishes I hand to you and set them there," I pointed, indicating the far corner of the kitchen counter beneath the overhead cabinets.
He promptly gave me an expression that I swear could have said: "What? You expect me to do chores? The muggle way?" Of course, after one of my looks he just as promptly took up the blue towel and stood beside me.
"Thank you, I really appreciate your volunteering to help me." I said, clearly enunciating the word "volunteering". He just glanced at me, somewhat flummoxed as he took the dish I handed to him.
We worked in silence for a few minutes, him drying silently and me with my hands immersed in the sink scrubbing at the dishes while my eyes flitted to the window through which I could see the hazy morning and the rain pelting the glass. I sighed a little more contentedly than I had realized, but really I always loved rainy days. My eyes were still on the rain outside when I felt Gilderoy fumble beside me and heard a resounding CRACK as the cup he'd been drying slipped out of his hand and smashed on the floor.
*Lovely, mother will definitely notice one less cup and I already broke two just last week.*
I sighed and grabbed the towel from him to wipe my hands before I stooped down to pick up the shards.
"Wait! I can put it back together, don't touch that glass!" Gilderoy said, pulling my arm to stop me picking it up as he reached in his robes for his wand.
"Er, Gilderoy, the last time you used a spell it de-boned Harry's arm. Just let me handle this all right?" I suggested.
"No, I can do this!" He responded, waving away my suggestion as he pointed his wand at the glass shards, clearly stating the incantation "Reparo" in his musical voice.
I couldn't help myself, I stepped back and watched. His wand sparked and flashed slightly, and then emitted a whisp of mist, but yet the glass shards remained precisely that: shards. Gilderoy just stared at his wand, a slightly crestfallen expression on his face.
"No, but- it should have worked!" He muttered and gave it another try only to have the same result.
"You know, Gilderoy, that maybe because you are in a dimension that magic does not exist in, you won't be able to use that wand at all." I told him logically as I stooped down and picked up the pieces and put them in the trash bin under the kitchen counter.
Before he or I could say anything more however, the doorbell sounded causing me to jump startled.
"Who in the world could that be? No one visits me, ever. Oh, don't tell me it's another one of Carolina's pesky little friends." I muttered to myself, thinking of my ten year old half-sister's many annoying little friends. I pull open the door and to my surprise I find Eliza standing outside looking half drenched with a tall blond beside her. "Liz, hey! Wait a tick-" The greeting halts on my lips as I spy Liz's companion. Vash, from "Trigun" ... Vash The freakin Stampede was standing on my porch. "Oro?!" I gasp as I slip into my slight Kenshin tendencies due to Liz indoctrinating me in anime goodness, "Rurouni Kenshin" and "Trigun" to be precise.
She noticed my confused expression. "Er... Stephie... I'll explain donut- boy if you let us in." She tells me as she looks back at Vash. "Hmmm, might want to duck your head to get in the door." She murmurs to him and then turns back to face me. "So yes... may we come in?" Liz then asked, with the most hopeful of looks.
"Of course, please." Sheepishly I stood aside and as I let them enter, I could not stop myself from staring agog at Vash, the Donut Boy as he made to follow Liz inside. "Well, at least I am not the only one with the screwy closet then ..." I murmured softly to myself.
"Thanks...?" Liz manages and finally notices Gilderoy in all his wizardly finery. "Er.... Stephie..." She looked back at me, possibly mirroring my same confused and flummoxed expression of a few moments before. "Does this mean I'm NOT the only insane one?"
Ducking his head as he stepped through the doorframe, as it was just a bit too short for his seven foot two inch frame, Vash turned to Liz. "I thought we were going out for donuts?" He asked her, looking a little confused.
"It certainly seems you're not the only insane one, as I seem to be in the same situation as you." I answered her earlier question, still staring at the Donut Boy, trying not to snort at what he'd said.
*Yesh, that is DEFINITELY the Donut Boy for sure!*
At this point, Gilderoy stood up and moved toward us. "Oh, do we have company? My name is Gilderoy Lockart, five time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile awa-" He managed to say before I cut him off, lightly smacking the back of his head as I did so.
"Oh, shut it!" I ordered, giving the swaggering peacock one of my looks yet again before I continued in softer tones, "Yes, we do have company. This," I pointed to my friend, "is Eliza Brookson, otherwise known as Liz, and this is Vash." I finished, indicating the tall blond haired and aqua eyed man beside Liz.
Liz took one look at Gilderoy, and promptly burst out laughing. "Oh... kami... that's great. You get Mr. 'Everyone-worship-me-for-I-am-oh-so- wonderful', and I get a donut crazed gunman!" She managed to get out after another fit of laughter.
*Yes, it is quite amusing in a weird twisted sort of way, I suppose*
Vash however, ignored Liz's last comment and slapped on his "oh-so-innocent- yet-friendly" smile. "It's nice to meet you! I'm... er... that is.." He began and stopped, looking as if he was thinking very hard.
Liz gave Vash a quizzical look, and I admit I must have as well. Gilderoy however leaned back in the sofa listening intently.
"My name's Eriks!" Vash declared, grinning widely.
"Right. Why don't you just use "Valetinez Alkalenela Zeehock Sushira Boherez Gombigomela Blue Stradavari Tralentrent Pierre Andre Charttenhemos E'Vonnivitchi Baldos George Doitzel Kaizer the third." Liz snorted. I laughed and caught a most perplexed glance from the wizard beside me.
"Or is that too long for the great and powerful "Vash the Stampede"?" Liz then asked, looking at him much like a laywer looks at the jury whom he or she wishes to persuade.
"Don't trust me do you, Donut Boy? I mean to say I must look formidable I assume." I put forth, highly amused by the tete a tete between my friend and her favorite anime character.
Gilderoy tapped me on the shoulder and chimed in with, "Well you actually are, believe it or not." I swiveled to face him. "Oh really? I wonder why that is? Hmm, is it because I haven't dropped to my knees and worshipped the ground you walk on? Is that it? Because if it is, that's not formidable, that's just common sense." I retorted, crossing my arms across my chest as I looked levelly into his blue eyes. Obviously seeing he would get nowhere, he promptly fell silent.
Vash pouted and flopped onto one of my chairs. "Why is it that everyone knows my name here?"
Giving him a sympathetic look, Liz moved to sit beside him. "Hey... look on the bright side! No double dollars... so no double dolar reward, right?" She told him and then grinned, "And not everyone knows you're name... besides, who cares so long as they're not trying to kill you, right?"
Perking up a bit, Vash sat up straighter and asked, "Can we still have donuts?"
"You really are obsessed, aren't you? Yeah, but later. Stephie and I need to talk." Liz told him after she'd snorted at that question.
Fighting down giggles at Vash's very amusing obsession with donuts, I managed to say to my friend, "Yes, we certainly do."
"Right." Liz, nodded and moved to get up from the couch, but was unable to move away. "Huh?" She asked with a confused look on her face.
"Can't you talk out here?" Vash asked, keeping her from leaving.
Liz softened her expression. "All right, here good for you Stephie?
"Yes, here is fine." I nodded and settled back on the loveseat, very conscious of that fact that Gilderoy had sat himself down beside me. "Well, it's quite obvious our closets are plotting ugainst us, are they not?" I jested with a nervous laugh.
"You know, I always wanted to meet this one," Liz grinned and tossed a sideways glance at Vash, "but I never expected he'd come out my ruddy closet! He knocked me over when he did too! I've been on the floor quite a bit recently."
I couldn't help but smile softly at her words, thinking that my light red haired friend should consider putting together a comedy routine. "Well, I never expected this one to come out of my closet." I indicated Gilderoy, sighing a little. "You of course know who I would have loved to see emerge from my closet." I commented and was imediately assaulted by an image of precisely who I would have LOVED to have come in Gilderoy's place: Remus Lupin.
Liz smirked, scrunching up her pert nose playfully. "Oh, poor Stephie doesn't get her wolf-boy."
Vash glanced up sharply with an expression replete with confusion and curiosity."'Wolf-Boy'? did you mean Wolfwood? Is he here too??"
Shaking her head, Liz turned to explain to him just who "wolf-boy" was. "No, sorry. No gun-toting priests in this reality. But we do apparently have one very egocentric wizard ..." She explained and trailed off eyeing Lockhart.
"Yes, quite." I laughed warmly, brushing my wavy brown hair from my shoulder.
"Is it my fault I have grown accustomed to being famous?" Gilderoy asked petulantly, seeing Liz eye him.
*Who does he think he's kidding?*
"Yes, it is your fault, because technically you wouldn't be famous if you weren't already trying to feed that ego of yours, or have you forgotten that your 'fame' is built on what everyone but yourself has done? Hmm?" I retorted, elbowing him in the ribs.
"What do you mean? How can you possibly know anything about me?" He scratched his head, looking like he was thinking very hard.
"Oh merlin ... " I closed my eyes and sighed for a moment. "You really are adled. Didn't I just explain all of this to you? Remember those books I showed you? They tell me all I need to know about you."
"The books?" He thinks for a moment. "Oh! The books!"
"Yes, the books oh-one-who-has-the-most-abysmal-memory-span." I fired back, all the while thinking that if Ron Weasley had ended up here I'd have been hard pressed whether to hex him or not for obliterating Gilderoy's memory.
Liz snickered at Gilderoy and I, elbowing Vash as she did. "See? I know lots about you too! Only I get it from watching the show that you're a part of."
"And what exactly do you know about me?" Vash asked, sitting up straighter and looking at her curiously.
Liz grinned wickedly, "Oh plenty-" and goes on to count it off on her fingers. "Let's see, there's Wolfwood Milly and Meryl for starters ... then there's Rem and Knives ... you have an insaitiable appetite for donuts ... you call yourself "a hunter of peace, chaser of the elusive mayfly known as 'love' ... your personal motto is 'Love and Peace' ... and you're not exactly human." She finished cataloging and then paused a moment before asking with a triumphant smirk, "Did I miss anything?"
I smiled as I listened to Liz catalog all that. I had to give her points, she sure knew her stuff, and here I had thought I was the only one obsessed enough to everything on any of my given favorite characters from "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings".
Vash however looked completely shocked at the amount of information Liz knew on him. I nearly laughed out at his expression.
However, I turned to Liz then, as we had digressed hopelessly from the situation at hand. "Well, as wonderful as our banter is, we need to figure out how to deal with our unexpected companions. We do have classes still and I have work."
"Hmm, you're right. We can't very well leave these two home alone now can we?" She mused with a thoughtful look.
"No, that we cannot." I remarked and tilted my head in Gilderoy's direction,"This one knows nothing of living a normal life without magic after all."
Liz nodded just before she nearly jumped from her chair as I can only assume she'd been pelted with an idea. "Hey Vash? Did you study Earth history with Rem?"
"Uh ... yeah. What for?" Was Vash the Donut Boy's reply
"What if we left them somewhere together?" Liz asked me, resting her chin on her hand in thought.
"Yes, but where? Here?" I inquired, wondering if there was a way to safety proof wherever it was that we choose to leave them.
Liz sniggered, an evil grin lighting up her face."We could lock them back in one of our closets."
"Yes, that is all well for you, but you've seen my closet, it's not exactly the lockable kind." I smirked. "Well, why don't we leave them here, as you do come out this way for school. On your way out you can have Donut Boy stay with Mr. Ego here."
"That'll work. I just hope they can tolerate being together for that long ...." She sighed, obviously wondering how Vash will get along with an egotist like Lockhart.
*I myself would like to see that in action.*
"Yes, I'll cross my fingers while I am at work." I commented, inwardly thinking I'd be crossing more than just my fingers hoping this wasn't just a fiasco waiting to happen.
"Me too ..." Liz responded, obviously thinking along similar lines. "But just to clarify," in completely serious tone of voice as she indicated Vash, "you CAN see him, right?"
"Yes, of course I can see him. Wait, you can see him, can't you?" I asked her, gesturing to the wizard beside me.
Liz nodded, "So, it's official then." She looked at Vash, and then back to me. "We've BOTH gone completely bonkers!"
"Not just bonkers, I believe stark raving mad is a better way to describe this." I told her dryly, glancing at Gilderoy and Vash each in turn*
"Quite right. just as long as we're clear on that then." Was Liz's response as she nodded wisely.
"Yes, we're more than clear on that." I smirked.
"What?!?!" Liz burst out, exasperated as Vash had just poked her several times.
I cracked up laughing as the appropriately nicknamed Vash turned pleading eyes to her and asked, "Donuts?"
Liz smacked herself upside head with exasperated amusement. "Fine! Yes! We'll go get your donuts!" She then turned her eyes to mine. "Sorry, but me and my hallucination here have to go on a donut run."
"It's all right, I understand. He wouldn't be the Donut Boy without the donut run. In any case I need to get this one to a store. He is in sore need of normal type clothes and he is NOT wearing my step-father's clothes." I told her, feeling revulsion at the thought of handsome and dashing, however narcisstic and egocentric, Gilderoy in my disgusting step- father's clothes.
"Hmmm ..." She eyed Vash, "We may need to go shopping for this one too... can't always go out in full "I'm a wanted outlaw, fear me!" attire now can we?" smirking at Vash's less than happy expression upon her mention of him getting new clothes. " Well, either way, we'd best be going." She said and stood up, motioning Vash to follow her.
I smiled warmly and jumped up to open the door for them. "I would say come again soon, but I know you both are, so I think we'll skip that and just say instead have a good day."
"It was pleasant to meet you both." Gilderoy smiling that innocuous and friendly smile of his.
Liz grinned at me as she headed out the door. "You too." She looked at Lockhart, "Er ... yes ... nice to meet you as well." She responded, clearly still wary of him as I know for a fact she too has read the books and never truly liked his character.
Vash grinned widely at us, not watching where he's going. "Yeah! Nice too meet y-" He was interrupted by the fact that he'd just smacked his head on the top of my door frame, having not paid attention to the fact that he is taller than the door itself.
"Oh merlin! Are you all right, Vash?" I asked seriously concerned, channeling those Madam Pomfrey tendencies of mine.
Vash groaned as he ducked UNDER the door. "Yeah ..."
*Poor Vash, he'll sure feel that in the morning.*
Shaking her head, half in sympathy and half in amusement, Liz coaxed, "Come on... buvarian chocolate cream filled donuts await-"
"ALRIGHT!!!!!" Vash's eyes widened happily as he interrupted her midsentence.
"Well have fun you two! Bye." I laughed merrily at his dorkiness.
Vash waved happily as he followed Liz out into the rain, in search of new and improved donuts.
"Bye!" Liz waved cheerily as she lead Vash away to the nearest donut shop.
I grinned and closed the door and found Gilderoy just behind me, looking at me expectantly.
"So when are we going shopping?" He asked, excitement just barely tinging his voice.
*Note to self: get a huge bottle of tylenol and some relaxing herbal tea. Shopping is definitely not my forte.*
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An hour or so later found me cleaning up the breakfast dishes in the kitchen, with Gilderoy puttering about after me, wondering about my various "muggle" devices in the kitchen.
"You know, you can make yourself useful, Gilderoy. Take that blue towel and dry these dishes I hand to you and set them there," I pointed, indicating the far corner of the kitchen counter beneath the overhead cabinets.
He promptly gave me an expression that I swear could have said: "What? You expect me to do chores? The muggle way?" Of course, after one of my looks he just as promptly took up the blue towel and stood beside me.
"Thank you, I really appreciate your volunteering to help me." I said, clearly enunciating the word "volunteering". He just glanced at me, somewhat flummoxed as he took the dish I handed to him.
We worked in silence for a few minutes, him drying silently and me with my hands immersed in the sink scrubbing at the dishes while my eyes flitted to the window through which I could see the hazy morning and the rain pelting the glass. I sighed a little more contentedly than I had realized, but really I always loved rainy days. My eyes were still on the rain outside when I felt Gilderoy fumble beside me and heard a resounding CRACK as the cup he'd been drying slipped out of his hand and smashed on the floor.
*Lovely, mother will definitely notice one less cup and I already broke two just last week.*
I sighed and grabbed the towel from him to wipe my hands before I stooped down to pick up the shards.
"Wait! I can put it back together, don't touch that glass!" Gilderoy said, pulling my arm to stop me picking it up as he reached in his robes for his wand.
"Er, Gilderoy, the last time you used a spell it de-boned Harry's arm. Just let me handle this all right?" I suggested.
"No, I can do this!" He responded, waving away my suggestion as he pointed his wand at the glass shards, clearly stating the incantation "Reparo" in his musical voice.
I couldn't help myself, I stepped back and watched. His wand sparked and flashed slightly, and then emitted a whisp of mist, but yet the glass shards remained precisely that: shards. Gilderoy just stared at his wand, a slightly crestfallen expression on his face.
"No, but- it should have worked!" He muttered and gave it another try only to have the same result.
"You know, Gilderoy, that maybe because you are in a dimension that magic does not exist in, you won't be able to use that wand at all." I told him logically as I stooped down and picked up the pieces and put them in the trash bin under the kitchen counter.
Before he or I could say anything more however, the doorbell sounded causing me to jump startled.
"Who in the world could that be? No one visits me, ever. Oh, don't tell me it's another one of Carolina's pesky little friends." I muttered to myself, thinking of my ten year old half-sister's many annoying little friends. I pull open the door and to my surprise I find Eliza standing outside looking half drenched with a tall blond beside her. "Liz, hey! Wait a tick-" The greeting halts on my lips as I spy Liz's companion. Vash, from "Trigun" ... Vash The freakin Stampede was standing on my porch. "Oro?!" I gasp as I slip into my slight Kenshin tendencies due to Liz indoctrinating me in anime goodness, "Rurouni Kenshin" and "Trigun" to be precise.
She noticed my confused expression. "Er... Stephie... I'll explain donut- boy if you let us in." She tells me as she looks back at Vash. "Hmmm, might want to duck your head to get in the door." She murmurs to him and then turns back to face me. "So yes... may we come in?" Liz then asked, with the most hopeful of looks.
"Of course, please." Sheepishly I stood aside and as I let them enter, I could not stop myself from staring agog at Vash, the Donut Boy as he made to follow Liz inside. "Well, at least I am not the only one with the screwy closet then ..." I murmured softly to myself.
"Thanks...?" Liz manages and finally notices Gilderoy in all his wizardly finery. "Er.... Stephie..." She looked back at me, possibly mirroring my same confused and flummoxed expression of a few moments before. "Does this mean I'm NOT the only insane one?"
Ducking his head as he stepped through the doorframe, as it was just a bit too short for his seven foot two inch frame, Vash turned to Liz. "I thought we were going out for donuts?" He asked her, looking a little confused.
"It certainly seems you're not the only insane one, as I seem to be in the same situation as you." I answered her earlier question, still staring at the Donut Boy, trying not to snort at what he'd said.
*Yesh, that is DEFINITELY the Donut Boy for sure!*
At this point, Gilderoy stood up and moved toward us. "Oh, do we have company? My name is Gilderoy Lockart, five time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile awa-" He managed to say before I cut him off, lightly smacking the back of his head as I did so.
"Oh, shut it!" I ordered, giving the swaggering peacock one of my looks yet again before I continued in softer tones, "Yes, we do have company. This," I pointed to my friend, "is Eliza Brookson, otherwise known as Liz, and this is Vash." I finished, indicating the tall blond haired and aqua eyed man beside Liz.
Liz took one look at Gilderoy, and promptly burst out laughing. "Oh... kami... that's great. You get Mr. 'Everyone-worship-me-for-I-am-oh-so- wonderful', and I get a donut crazed gunman!" She managed to get out after another fit of laughter.
*Yes, it is quite amusing in a weird twisted sort of way, I suppose*
Vash however, ignored Liz's last comment and slapped on his "oh-so-innocent- yet-friendly" smile. "It's nice to meet you! I'm... er... that is.." He began and stopped, looking as if he was thinking very hard.
Liz gave Vash a quizzical look, and I admit I must have as well. Gilderoy however leaned back in the sofa listening intently.
"My name's Eriks!" Vash declared, grinning widely.
"Right. Why don't you just use "Valetinez Alkalenela Zeehock Sushira Boherez Gombigomela Blue Stradavari Tralentrent Pierre Andre Charttenhemos E'Vonnivitchi Baldos George Doitzel Kaizer the third." Liz snorted. I laughed and caught a most perplexed glance from the wizard beside me.
"Or is that too long for the great and powerful "Vash the Stampede"?" Liz then asked, looking at him much like a laywer looks at the jury whom he or she wishes to persuade.
"Don't trust me do you, Donut Boy? I mean to say I must look formidable I assume." I put forth, highly amused by the tete a tete between my friend and her favorite anime character.
Gilderoy tapped me on the shoulder and chimed in with, "Well you actually are, believe it or not." I swiveled to face him. "Oh really? I wonder why that is? Hmm, is it because I haven't dropped to my knees and worshipped the ground you walk on? Is that it? Because if it is, that's not formidable, that's just common sense." I retorted, crossing my arms across my chest as I looked levelly into his blue eyes. Obviously seeing he would get nowhere, he promptly fell silent.
Vash pouted and flopped onto one of my chairs. "Why is it that everyone knows my name here?"
Giving him a sympathetic look, Liz moved to sit beside him. "Hey... look on the bright side! No double dollars... so no double dolar reward, right?" She told him and then grinned, "And not everyone knows you're name... besides, who cares so long as they're not trying to kill you, right?"
Perking up a bit, Vash sat up straighter and asked, "Can we still have donuts?"
"You really are obsessed, aren't you? Yeah, but later. Stephie and I need to talk." Liz told him after she'd snorted at that question.
Fighting down giggles at Vash's very amusing obsession with donuts, I managed to say to my friend, "Yes, we certainly do."
"Right." Liz, nodded and moved to get up from the couch, but was unable to move away. "Huh?" She asked with a confused look on her face.
"Can't you talk out here?" Vash asked, keeping her from leaving.
Liz softened her expression. "All right, here good for you Stephie?
"Yes, here is fine." I nodded and settled back on the loveseat, very conscious of that fact that Gilderoy had sat himself down beside me. "Well, it's quite obvious our closets are plotting ugainst us, are they not?" I jested with a nervous laugh.
"You know, I always wanted to meet this one," Liz grinned and tossed a sideways glance at Vash, "but I never expected he'd come out my ruddy closet! He knocked me over when he did too! I've been on the floor quite a bit recently."
I couldn't help but smile softly at her words, thinking that my light red haired friend should consider putting together a comedy routine. "Well, I never expected this one to come out of my closet." I indicated Gilderoy, sighing a little. "You of course know who I would have loved to see emerge from my closet." I commented and was imediately assaulted by an image of precisely who I would have LOVED to have come in Gilderoy's place: Remus Lupin.
Liz smirked, scrunching up her pert nose playfully. "Oh, poor Stephie doesn't get her wolf-boy."
Vash glanced up sharply with an expression replete with confusion and curiosity."'Wolf-Boy'? did you mean Wolfwood? Is he here too??"
Shaking her head, Liz turned to explain to him just who "wolf-boy" was. "No, sorry. No gun-toting priests in this reality. But we do apparently have one very egocentric wizard ..." She explained and trailed off eyeing Lockhart.
"Yes, quite." I laughed warmly, brushing my wavy brown hair from my shoulder.
"Is it my fault I have grown accustomed to being famous?" Gilderoy asked petulantly, seeing Liz eye him.
*Who does he think he's kidding?*
"Yes, it is your fault, because technically you wouldn't be famous if you weren't already trying to feed that ego of yours, or have you forgotten that your 'fame' is built on what everyone but yourself has done? Hmm?" I retorted, elbowing him in the ribs.
"What do you mean? How can you possibly know anything about me?" He scratched his head, looking like he was thinking very hard.
"Oh merlin ... " I closed my eyes and sighed for a moment. "You really are adled. Didn't I just explain all of this to you? Remember those books I showed you? They tell me all I need to know about you."
"The books?" He thinks for a moment. "Oh! The books!"
"Yes, the books oh-one-who-has-the-most-abysmal-memory-span." I fired back, all the while thinking that if Ron Weasley had ended up here I'd have been hard pressed whether to hex him or not for obliterating Gilderoy's memory.
Liz snickered at Gilderoy and I, elbowing Vash as she did. "See? I know lots about you too! Only I get it from watching the show that you're a part of."
"And what exactly do you know about me?" Vash asked, sitting up straighter and looking at her curiously.
Liz grinned wickedly, "Oh plenty-" and goes on to count it off on her fingers. "Let's see, there's Wolfwood Milly and Meryl for starters ... then there's Rem and Knives ... you have an insaitiable appetite for donuts ... you call yourself "a hunter of peace, chaser of the elusive mayfly known as 'love' ... your personal motto is 'Love and Peace' ... and you're not exactly human." She finished cataloging and then paused a moment before asking with a triumphant smirk, "Did I miss anything?"
I smiled as I listened to Liz catalog all that. I had to give her points, she sure knew her stuff, and here I had thought I was the only one obsessed enough to everything on any of my given favorite characters from "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings".
Vash however looked completely shocked at the amount of information Liz knew on him. I nearly laughed out at his expression.
However, I turned to Liz then, as we had digressed hopelessly from the situation at hand. "Well, as wonderful as our banter is, we need to figure out how to deal with our unexpected companions. We do have classes still and I have work."
"Hmm, you're right. We can't very well leave these two home alone now can we?" She mused with a thoughtful look.
"No, that we cannot." I remarked and tilted my head in Gilderoy's direction,"This one knows nothing of living a normal life without magic after all."
Liz nodded just before she nearly jumped from her chair as I can only assume she'd been pelted with an idea. "Hey Vash? Did you study Earth history with Rem?"
"Uh ... yeah. What for?" Was Vash the Donut Boy's reply
"What if we left them somewhere together?" Liz asked me, resting her chin on her hand in thought.
"Yes, but where? Here?" I inquired, wondering if there was a way to safety proof wherever it was that we choose to leave them.
Liz sniggered, an evil grin lighting up her face."We could lock them back in one of our closets."
"Yes, that is all well for you, but you've seen my closet, it's not exactly the lockable kind." I smirked. "Well, why don't we leave them here, as you do come out this way for school. On your way out you can have Donut Boy stay with Mr. Ego here."
"That'll work. I just hope they can tolerate being together for that long ...." She sighed, obviously wondering how Vash will get along with an egotist like Lockhart.
*I myself would like to see that in action.*
"Yes, I'll cross my fingers while I am at work." I commented, inwardly thinking I'd be crossing more than just my fingers hoping this wasn't just a fiasco waiting to happen.
"Me too ..." Liz responded, obviously thinking along similar lines. "But just to clarify," in completely serious tone of voice as she indicated Vash, "you CAN see him, right?"
"Yes, of course I can see him. Wait, you can see him, can't you?" I asked her, gesturing to the wizard beside me.
Liz nodded, "So, it's official then." She looked at Vash, and then back to me. "We've BOTH gone completely bonkers!"
"Not just bonkers, I believe stark raving mad is a better way to describe this." I told her dryly, glancing at Gilderoy and Vash each in turn*
"Quite right. just as long as we're clear on that then." Was Liz's response as she nodded wisely.
"Yes, we're more than clear on that." I smirked.
"What?!?!" Liz burst out, exasperated as Vash had just poked her several times.
I cracked up laughing as the appropriately nicknamed Vash turned pleading eyes to her and asked, "Donuts?"
Liz smacked herself upside head with exasperated amusement. "Fine! Yes! We'll go get your donuts!" She then turned her eyes to mine. "Sorry, but me and my hallucination here have to go on a donut run."
"It's all right, I understand. He wouldn't be the Donut Boy without the donut run. In any case I need to get this one to a store. He is in sore need of normal type clothes and he is NOT wearing my step-father's clothes." I told her, feeling revulsion at the thought of handsome and dashing, however narcisstic and egocentric, Gilderoy in my disgusting step- father's clothes.
"Hmmm ..." She eyed Vash, "We may need to go shopping for this one too... can't always go out in full "I'm a wanted outlaw, fear me!" attire now can we?" smirking at Vash's less than happy expression upon her mention of him getting new clothes. " Well, either way, we'd best be going." She said and stood up, motioning Vash to follow her.
I smiled warmly and jumped up to open the door for them. "I would say come again soon, but I know you both are, so I think we'll skip that and just say instead have a good day."
"It was pleasant to meet you both." Gilderoy smiling that innocuous and friendly smile of his.
Liz grinned at me as she headed out the door. "You too." She looked at Lockhart, "Er ... yes ... nice to meet you as well." She responded, clearly still wary of him as I know for a fact she too has read the books and never truly liked his character.
Vash grinned widely at us, not watching where he's going. "Yeah! Nice too meet y-" He was interrupted by the fact that he'd just smacked his head on the top of my door frame, having not paid attention to the fact that he is taller than the door itself.
"Oh merlin! Are you all right, Vash?" I asked seriously concerned, channeling those Madam Pomfrey tendencies of mine.
Vash groaned as he ducked UNDER the door. "Yeah ..."
*Poor Vash, he'll sure feel that in the morning.*
Shaking her head, half in sympathy and half in amusement, Liz coaxed, "Come on... buvarian chocolate cream filled donuts await-"
"ALRIGHT!!!!!" Vash's eyes widened happily as he interrupted her midsentence.
"Well have fun you two! Bye." I laughed merrily at his dorkiness.
Vash waved happily as he followed Liz out into the rain, in search of new and improved donuts.
"Bye!" Liz waved cheerily as she lead Vash away to the nearest donut shop.
I grinned and closed the door and found Gilderoy just behind me, looking at me expectantly.
"So when are we going shopping?" He asked, excitement just barely tinging his voice.
*Note to self: get a huge bottle of tylenol and some relaxing herbal tea. Shopping is definitely not my forte.*