The Sky is Too Far
Chapter 7- (Hello)
---- -
It was... A long day. Heh, now isn't that just the understatement of the day? Oh no, that day, it just seemed as if it were never going to end. Milly had been gone for more than an hour, and still, after "meeting" Knives, as Meryl sat in her room, ashamed of the sobs that racked her body, and as Vash's yells at his twin could be heard through the hall, she was yet to return.
She hadn't put up much of a fight as the gunman pulled her down the hallway towards his brother's room. She felt.. Strange. Wasn't feeling well, didn't have the patience to begin an arguement with him. She was.. She was in a daze, her thoughts trapping her in her mind. She wanted him to stop hiding from her, she wanted him to tell her how he felt. If she had misinterperated his embrace for simple sympathy, or if it had really meant something.
He didn't want to. He didn't want to talk about it, because he wasn't all that sure of it himself. So, instead, he pretended as if it hadn't happened, because he couldn't deal with it now. Because he needed more time. It had been a spur-of-the-moment type of thing, much as it may have seemed otherwise.. He hadn't understood what he was feeling. He had felt sad for her, because she was wearing a mask too. When he'd seen her walk into the kitchen, she'd been all smiles, all work-hard Meryl, chirping to a supposed Milly. He knew, that she had been hiding her problems, her hurt, for Milly's sake. He had felt bad, and sorry for her.. Because...
That, is what he did.
At the door. His hand letting go of her, grasping the handle and turning it, leaning his shoulder gently against the door and peeking his golden head in to see if Knives hadn't simply turned over and gone to sleep. A smile present on his face. A blank, distraught needling of brows in hers.
"Knives.."
He had swung the door open, stepping into the small room, taking Meryl's hand again and leading her in, smiling gently still, as his twin sat up in the bed slightly. Glaring.
She'd seen him before, but not awake. He frightened her.. God how he frightened her. She had imagined his eyes were to be something similar to that of Vash's.. A soft, greenish-blue.. But no. They were cold. Glaciers. Filled with nothing but an absolute loathe as the platinum-blond twin glared at her.
She wanted to hide from him. Hide from Knives, wanted to hide behind Vash. Wanted to hold onto him, wanted him to hold her, keep her safe from that awful, hating man. But she couldn't. Why? Because, quite simply, she was Meryl. She was strong and independant. She didn't need the support of another. She was a hard worker, a respectable person, with a swollen amount of pride and a temper to be reckoned with.
She was Meryl God-damned Stryfe.
Atleast.. That's what she had thought. But lately, she's been finding it harder to stay that person. Found it hard to live up to the expectations of her own self. She needed to try, though..
So she stepped away from him, From Vash. And, stepped towards the bed, despite the terrifying gaze of that monster, she approached him, forcing a smile and holding out a hand.
"Hi, I'm Meryl."
Friendly. She'd even managed a nice, gentle little voice. Nice start, so far. She didn't think it could have been much better, could it have?
That man.. His hateful gaze dropped to her hand, a light brow raising curiously, wrinkling his nose slightly, the corner of his lip lifting in an expression of distaste. And, he gave.. A snort of short, icy laughter. He was.. laughing at her? Oh yes, Yes he was. Wide grey eyes stared at him as he started to shake his head, pushing himself back against the bed a bit more, inching away from her, another bark of small snickers in his throat. That laughter was derrogatory in itself.
--
Oh! Oh dear, this is just too amusing...
She wants me to shake her hand?? Really? That's very brave of her, this one that will be the first.. Meryl? Oh yes, very brave indeed. She's certainly got the courage that her "job" would require, doesn't she? But.. I just..
I really didn't know how to react. I wasn't sure which to do: Recoil and spit out numerous insults, in disgust at the very idea of touching her grimy little hand, or, to simply throw my head back, clutch at my stomach and laugh, to think that she'd even dream of my ever gracing her with my touch!
--
It's degrading. Hurtful. He's just sitting there.. He drew away from me the slightest bit, but now he's just laughing.
I don't want to be here, anymore. I want to become invisible, to just be able to be in my room, and cry by myself. Not here, though.. I can't cry here. But, his chuckles.. His amusement, are eating away at my nerves, at my tightly-woven defenses. I can't break down, I can't cry.. not in front of him. Not in front of Vash, either. I'm too strong, I'm better than this.
Damnit Meryl, don't cry!
--
Her hand had since dropped to her side, awkwardly. She'd taken a slight step back, was now lifting both hands and wringing them nervously. She hang her head, staring at the floor space directly in front of her feet. She heard Vash step forward, a rising growl in his throat, but before the Outlaw could say anything, could do anything about it.. Knives' laughing had stopped. Had tapered off into a soft chuckle, and then, was simply.. gone.
Vash's treading stopped, and he simply stood behind Meryl, staring at his brother, brows drawn tight together. He wasn't happy about this, was he? No. He had asked Knives to meet her, and he had said fine. He had said he would be nice, that he wouldn't do something like this.
And Meryl looked.. She looked hurt. Looked like she was trying, so hard, not to shed a tear, not to gasp out a sob.
So far, she had succeeded.
--
Hmm.. Wouldn't it be fun, though.. To fuck with her head?
Oh yes, here we go.. We can sacrafice this, just once.. Go ahead, if she infects my hand, if my flesh starts to rot away, I can just escape.. It'll be easy. I'm stronger than Vash thinks I am, I've recovered faster than he's expecting me to. And he doesn't know it.
But I do.
--
She could hear the ruffling of blankets, and the mattress straining, creaking slightly as the man in it suddenly sat forward. Her head jerked up and she nearly cried out, nearly yelped in frightened panic, as a very large, pale hand grasped hers.
Firm. His grip was firm, and harsh. It was biting, he was hurting her.
And, she had a feeling, that's what he'd wanted.
Grey hues widened in a terror that she hadn't been able to hide, and absolute shock, as that awful man shook her hand. She stared at him, and he stared straight back. Glaciers critically surveying dark clouds. And he was smiling. That's what tore, ripped at her the most. He was smiling. As if he were the most friendly guy in the world, and was happy, glad even, to have the privelege to shake this lovely lady's hand.
But it was wicked. His lips were curved in a wicked, purposeful smile.
"Hello Meryl, I'm Knives. Nice to meet you."
Vash's gaze had widened as well, and he stared at his brother in near-shock. He couldn't believe that he.. Was doing this.
Meryl was shaking, he could see her. He wanted to reach out and catch her, hold her and comfort her, take her away from his twin's touch, his brother's awful teasing. But he didn't have the chance, because she had already tore her own hand away from Knives', stumbling back with a cry and bumping into Vash's chest.
She turned around immediately, her head bowed, as she hands clutched at the golden blond's bleached shirt, before she quickly ran out of the room, attempting to hide it.
But he had seen. He'd seen the tears in her eyes.
And Knives had, too.
Chapter 7- (Hello)
---- -
It was... A long day. Heh, now isn't that just the understatement of the day? Oh no, that day, it just seemed as if it were never going to end. Milly had been gone for more than an hour, and still, after "meeting" Knives, as Meryl sat in her room, ashamed of the sobs that racked her body, and as Vash's yells at his twin could be heard through the hall, she was yet to return.
She hadn't put up much of a fight as the gunman pulled her down the hallway towards his brother's room. She felt.. Strange. Wasn't feeling well, didn't have the patience to begin an arguement with him. She was.. She was in a daze, her thoughts trapping her in her mind. She wanted him to stop hiding from her, she wanted him to tell her how he felt. If she had misinterperated his embrace for simple sympathy, or if it had really meant something.
He didn't want to. He didn't want to talk about it, because he wasn't all that sure of it himself. So, instead, he pretended as if it hadn't happened, because he couldn't deal with it now. Because he needed more time. It had been a spur-of-the-moment type of thing, much as it may have seemed otherwise.. He hadn't understood what he was feeling. He had felt sad for her, because she was wearing a mask too. When he'd seen her walk into the kitchen, she'd been all smiles, all work-hard Meryl, chirping to a supposed Milly. He knew, that she had been hiding her problems, her hurt, for Milly's sake. He had felt bad, and sorry for her.. Because...
That, is what he did.
At the door. His hand letting go of her, grasping the handle and turning it, leaning his shoulder gently against the door and peeking his golden head in to see if Knives hadn't simply turned over and gone to sleep. A smile present on his face. A blank, distraught needling of brows in hers.
"Knives.."
He had swung the door open, stepping into the small room, taking Meryl's hand again and leading her in, smiling gently still, as his twin sat up in the bed slightly. Glaring.
She'd seen him before, but not awake. He frightened her.. God how he frightened her. She had imagined his eyes were to be something similar to that of Vash's.. A soft, greenish-blue.. But no. They were cold. Glaciers. Filled with nothing but an absolute loathe as the platinum-blond twin glared at her.
She wanted to hide from him. Hide from Knives, wanted to hide behind Vash. Wanted to hold onto him, wanted him to hold her, keep her safe from that awful, hating man. But she couldn't. Why? Because, quite simply, she was Meryl. She was strong and independant. She didn't need the support of another. She was a hard worker, a respectable person, with a swollen amount of pride and a temper to be reckoned with.
She was Meryl God-damned Stryfe.
Atleast.. That's what she had thought. But lately, she's been finding it harder to stay that person. Found it hard to live up to the expectations of her own self. She needed to try, though..
So she stepped away from him, From Vash. And, stepped towards the bed, despite the terrifying gaze of that monster, she approached him, forcing a smile and holding out a hand.
"Hi, I'm Meryl."
Friendly. She'd even managed a nice, gentle little voice. Nice start, so far. She didn't think it could have been much better, could it have?
That man.. His hateful gaze dropped to her hand, a light brow raising curiously, wrinkling his nose slightly, the corner of his lip lifting in an expression of distaste. And, he gave.. A snort of short, icy laughter. He was.. laughing at her? Oh yes, Yes he was. Wide grey eyes stared at him as he started to shake his head, pushing himself back against the bed a bit more, inching away from her, another bark of small snickers in his throat. That laughter was derrogatory in itself.
--
Oh! Oh dear, this is just too amusing...
She wants me to shake her hand?? Really? That's very brave of her, this one that will be the first.. Meryl? Oh yes, very brave indeed. She's certainly got the courage that her "job" would require, doesn't she? But.. I just..
I really didn't know how to react. I wasn't sure which to do: Recoil and spit out numerous insults, in disgust at the very idea of touching her grimy little hand, or, to simply throw my head back, clutch at my stomach and laugh, to think that she'd even dream of my ever gracing her with my touch!
--
It's degrading. Hurtful. He's just sitting there.. He drew away from me the slightest bit, but now he's just laughing.
I don't want to be here, anymore. I want to become invisible, to just be able to be in my room, and cry by myself. Not here, though.. I can't cry here. But, his chuckles.. His amusement, are eating away at my nerves, at my tightly-woven defenses. I can't break down, I can't cry.. not in front of him. Not in front of Vash, either. I'm too strong, I'm better than this.
Damnit Meryl, don't cry!
--
Her hand had since dropped to her side, awkwardly. She'd taken a slight step back, was now lifting both hands and wringing them nervously. She hang her head, staring at the floor space directly in front of her feet. She heard Vash step forward, a rising growl in his throat, but before the Outlaw could say anything, could do anything about it.. Knives' laughing had stopped. Had tapered off into a soft chuckle, and then, was simply.. gone.
Vash's treading stopped, and he simply stood behind Meryl, staring at his brother, brows drawn tight together. He wasn't happy about this, was he? No. He had asked Knives to meet her, and he had said fine. He had said he would be nice, that he wouldn't do something like this.
And Meryl looked.. She looked hurt. Looked like she was trying, so hard, not to shed a tear, not to gasp out a sob.
So far, she had succeeded.
--
Hmm.. Wouldn't it be fun, though.. To fuck with her head?
Oh yes, here we go.. We can sacrafice this, just once.. Go ahead, if she infects my hand, if my flesh starts to rot away, I can just escape.. It'll be easy. I'm stronger than Vash thinks I am, I've recovered faster than he's expecting me to. And he doesn't know it.
But I do.
--
She could hear the ruffling of blankets, and the mattress straining, creaking slightly as the man in it suddenly sat forward. Her head jerked up and she nearly cried out, nearly yelped in frightened panic, as a very large, pale hand grasped hers.
Firm. His grip was firm, and harsh. It was biting, he was hurting her.
And, she had a feeling, that's what he'd wanted.
Grey hues widened in a terror that she hadn't been able to hide, and absolute shock, as that awful man shook her hand. She stared at him, and he stared straight back. Glaciers critically surveying dark clouds. And he was smiling. That's what tore, ripped at her the most. He was smiling. As if he were the most friendly guy in the world, and was happy, glad even, to have the privelege to shake this lovely lady's hand.
But it was wicked. His lips were curved in a wicked, purposeful smile.
"Hello Meryl, I'm Knives. Nice to meet you."
Vash's gaze had widened as well, and he stared at his brother in near-shock. He couldn't believe that he.. Was doing this.
Meryl was shaking, he could see her. He wanted to reach out and catch her, hold her and comfort her, take her away from his twin's touch, his brother's awful teasing. But he didn't have the chance, because she had already tore her own hand away from Knives', stumbling back with a cry and bumping into Vash's chest.
She turned around immediately, her head bowed, as she hands clutched at the golden blond's bleached shirt, before she quickly ran out of the room, attempting to hide it.
But he had seen. He'd seen the tears in her eyes.
And Knives had, too.
