Quadruplet Quirks
Chapter One: Regarding General Mischief and Wrongdoing
Project: SEEDS wasn't a beautiful ship. The spacecraft was large and a sort of dull, gunmetal-gray color on the outside. The only exciting bits, Vash decided, were the shiny parts lining the sides of the ship in small streaks. He rather suspected that they weren't supposed to be there. When Rem had shown him the picture of the ship, taken by one of the small space probes that orbited the ship like bees around honey, he hadn't been impressed. Apparently, Rem thought it was magnificent.
Vash couldn't stand to disappoint. He had acted quite excited by the picture, though he would have preferred a picture of Rem that he could stick to the wall of the room his shared with his brother. He didn't tell her that. Instead, Vash had smiled broadly and looked pointedly at Knives, trying to convince him that it was an occasion to smile at. Rem certainly was smiling. Rem Saverem's face lit up when she smiled; it was a well-known fact. Some people, you know, just have a way about them, that little something extra that comes with the tiny indentations of a dimple or that sparkle of pearly-white teeth. Sometimes, all one needs to have a truly beautiful smile is the 'right' lip. When Rem smiled, her upper lip stretched tightly across the gum in order to give her lower lip more room to move; therefore, she could expose more teeth.
Rem was pleased with her boys' reaction, and as a reward of sort began to allow them more priveledges. Before the picture-incident, as Vash would forever remember it, Rem would follow the two young plants around the Project: SEEDS ship. Cameron, one of the crew members, had once told the twins that Rem reminded her of a 'protective mother hen, following her little chickies around the barnyard'. This made no sense to either Vash or Knives. What was a 'chickie', and a 'barnyard'? Most importantly, what the heck was a 'hen'? (As it turned out, Knives actually took the liberty of asking Rem what those things were a few weeks later, over breakfast. The conversation took a rather drastic turn when Vash, enlightened about what chicks were, wanted to know where they came from.)
Anyways, the plants were allowed more priveledges. Vash found this to be rather depressing. He loved having Rem follow them about, and he loved following her. Apparently, the new 'priviledges' was that the twins could freely roam the Project; SEEDS ship, without human supervision. Whoop-dee-dee, wa-hoo. All this served to do was seperate the brothers even more as Knives took advantage of the new freedom, exploring the ship with a fervent curiousity that made Rem smile, pleased with her generosity. Vash simply clung more fiercely to Rem. Truthfully, the woman didn't mind so much. Vash had such a gentle, sweet heart that she couldn't help but feel a deep fondness for the young plant, and a sort of pity. He had the soul of a plant... a lost soul, trapped within the confines of a human body.
Rem didn't feel the same way about the other twin. Knives was peculiar. The boy acted just like a completely mature adult. It made Rem uncomfortable. Something was wrong when your child (that was how Rem thought of the boys) lectured you on chewing with your mouth closed. Politely, and discreetly, but it was a lecture nontheless. Ever since, Rem had been sure to keep her jaws cemented shut whenever she wasn't smiling or talking. Caring for Knives was like playing with a sharp diamond; beautiful and entrancing, but dangerous.
At the moment, Knives was strolling as nonchalantly as possible past door E-7. It was his third time past the door that day, and it intrigued the young plant. Door E-7...It was a metal door, and it stood out to Knives for one reason. All of the other doors on the Project; SEEDS ship were automatic, but this door had a keypad set into the large, wheel-like handle, and clearly sported a locking mechanism. The plant was fascinated. He felt challenged, looking at this new door that wouldn't slide open with a metallic hiss as he approached; this door that guarded fiercely whatever mysterious room or hallway that lay within. Stopping at the end of the hallway, Knives brushed a strand of platinum-blonde hair out of his face. He turned and paced right back past E-7, ice-blue eyes riveted on the wheel-and-keypad. It was taunting him, he felt sure.
Vash, on the other hand, was sitting with Rem. Before them was a checkerboard. The woman was busy trying to teach the intelligent young plant how to play checkers, and she was finding herself getting 'whupped. Vash was quick to learn, and was able to apply advanced strategy to his game. It would be chess tomorrow, Rem thought with a faint smile.
"Rem?" came the rich, bubbly voice. Rem would know Knives' voice anywhere.
"Come on in, Knives," Rem said immediately. Her tone was pleasant, even as Vash forced her to King him for the fifth time.
Knives entered the room, the automatic door swishing shut behind him. The plant felt the air created by the closing door ruffle his loose clothing. His brother and Rem were both clearly deep in concentration. It wouldn't be the best time to ask Rem a question, but knowing the woman's kind nature, Knives was positive she wouldn't mind. Vash's flashed sparkling turquoise eyes at his sibling for a brief moment, then focused once more on the game. The platinum-blonde approached the table. A hoverchair detached itself from the far wall and glided through the air and across the room. It settled against the back of Knives' knees, urging him to bend them and sit down. He complied.
"Looks like Vash is winning at this game, Rem," Knives said. His tone suggested he was trying to sound playful. The result reminded Rem painfully of an inexperienced adult trying to joke with a two year-old.
Before Rem could respond, Vash did for her. "Rem's really good! It's just..."
"You're better, right, Vashu?" Knives smiled broadly, and his ice-colored eyes sparkled pleasantly. This coaxed a smile on the defensive Vash's face, and Rem offered her toothiest to the twins. The game resumed silently. The only sound, as far as Knives could hear, was the faint clipping sounds of the checker-pieces magnetizing to the metal checkerboard as the two players made their moves. Knives watched. Knives learned. A few hours later, after the hundreth game or so, the threesome tired. Or, at least, Rem did. The two boys never tired of mind-challenging games, though it was clear they had mastered the game within the first half-hour, as opposed to Rem, who still struggled with it. She sighed in defeat. It had been fascinating to see the two brothers play against one another; their intelligence was unrivaled and both were fiercely competitive.
"Okay, boys," Rem said loudly. The noise was disturbing in the comfortable silence, and Knives found himself irritated. Why does she always have to do that? The young plant scratched the back of his head, mentally rebuking himself. He shouldn't think badly of the woman who had taken it upon herself to be the mother of the two misfits. "I think it's time," Rem finished.
"Time for what?" Vash asked rather unintelligently.
"Dinner and bed, that's what," Knives said knowingly. Rem nodded at the elder brother in agreement.
"So, you two go on over to the dining hall and I'll meet you there, okay?" Rem smiled. "I'm going to clean up the mess..." she gestured vaguely towards the spotless room, and Knives found his eyebrow raising. He exchanged puzzled glances with his brother. Vash seemed equally clueless, but Vash was always a bit out-of-it. It wasn't like Rem to openly lie to the twins.
"Okay, Rem," Vash said simply. The rich, aurum-blonde hopped to his feet, his long blonde hair sweeping across the backs of his bare legs as he pattered towards the door. "Let's go, Knives,"
"I'm going to help Rem-san, Vashu," Knives answered his brother. His gaze was focused evenly on Rem's as she smiled at him, her rich, chocolate-hued eyes taking on a distant gleam as she thought of days gone by. No doubt, her old love interest Alex.
Vash shrugged at his brother. He masked the feelings of surprise and hurt within him, and simply made his way off through the SEEDS ship alone. Vash had never been left by his brother before. Rem, occasionally, would wander off on her own. Not Knives. Never, ever, Knives. Vash found his feet dragging as he headed towards the 'dining hall'. He passed door E-7. He felt nothing.
"What is it you wanted to tell me, Knives?" Rem asked with a soft sigh.
Somehow, the boy always managed to make things look like they were running according to plan. Despite the fact that the plant hadn't been expecting Rem to guess what it was he wanted, he smoothed his ruffled humor with a soft smile. Rem was taken aback. The boy's ice-blue eyes crinkled softly around the edges in a very real fashion, his pliant lips curling up gently at the corners; coaxing dimples out of the cheeks. Knives had a sinfully beautiful smile.
"I wanted to ask you about room E-7."
Rem's face lost its color, drained as white as milk. Her laughing brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. The woman ran a big, shaking hand through her hair. "It's not important, Knives-chan," she muttered softly, trying to sound sincere. It was a start; they both knew that Knives would coax the truth out of her eventually. He did.
Taking her reaction in stride, Knives persisted, "It must be important, Rem."
"It is," Rem said grudgingly. "You don't need to know why, though, Knives. Please...just, just...stay away from it for m-"
"No, Rem!" the young plant had sprung to his feet. He was loaded like a spring. "Rem, I felt something when I passed that door! My heartbeat increased by 4.5 percent, Rem, and that's not natural!" Trust Knives to know the facts.
Rem sighed. Why did the good Lord plague her with children? All the same, she smiled. It encouraged Knives, who blasted onwards, determined to get some sort of an explanation.
"Rem, please..." the young plant pleaded. It was unlike him to plead for anything. He tip-toed over to the woman, who sat at the table, re-arranging checkers on the board. Kneeling beside her, the blonde rested his elbows on her knees. Rem melted.
"Knives," she began. The boy sat up slightly. He was about to get what he wanted, and his excitement rippled through the mental link between he and his brother. Vash, sitting alone in the dining room, smiled. Rem continued, "Room E-7 contains a very special machine."
"What sort of machine, Rem? A computer, or a database?" It was a reasonable guess.
"No, Knives." Rem looked at the large digital clock that was hovering two feet above the slick metal table. Quite convenient.
"What sort of machine?"
"It's a super-computer," Rem said. "A very special computer."
Knives interest was piqued. "A super-computer," he echoed softly. His ultra-marine eyes sparkled mischeviously. Rem was reminded of a nutty professor about to perform a strange experiment on some small creature. Rem decided to quit the conversation there.
"All right, Knives," she chuckled. The woman couldn't help but feel bemused. "You run along to find your brother, now. I'll be with you shortly."
Knives decided to push his luck. "Where are you going, Rem? What are you doing?"
Rem brushed away a flicker of irritation at the young plant. Without really meaning to, her thoughts drifted to room E-7. Knives picked up on it immediately, and a meditative smile crept onto his face. Rem fought the maternal-melting instinct inside of her and instead pretended to feel angry.
"Grr, Knives!" she said mock-harshly, standing up threateningly.
All the woman heard was a lingering, throaty laugh as the plant scuttled out of the room, and down the hall.
Vash wasn't expecting to be fiercely embraced by his brother from behind, and he let out a squawk of alarm. Knives released him, chortling in a strangely merry fashion, and sat down by Vash. "What's for dinner, Vashu?"
Vash simply stared at his twin, finding the notion that his normally serious, quiet twin was so happy to be inconcievable. He could get used to it, however. Knives was excited; there was one big mystery lying behind that door. It was calling for him to solve it, too. The plant intended to.
(Quick Note;
I know I've got three fictions going at this moment, but you've gotta understand that this is the one I'm going to work the hardest at. You know what? Well, I'll tell you what. I thought I could be like one of those macho-hugey-posty people, who upload stories that're like, novels in length. Well, I can't. o You can be sure, though, that I'll update deliciously frequently! xD Thanks to MidgetMinion-san, who commented on my other Trigun tale 'Under the Fifth Moon'. You rock socks!)