Blue: Uh… :looking around anxiously: Look I know that I haven't updated in a while, but- :ducks and narrowly avoids several pieces of rotten fruit: I'm sorry:waves a white flag: Please forgive me:Ivey walks in drinking a coke:
Ivey: You are so screwed :also gets rotten fruit thrown at her, but doesn't dodge in time: WTF! What was that for:wipes a piece of cantaloupe off her face: She's the one that hasn't been writing this stupid story!
Blue: Yes, but you're the one who hasn't been inspiring it. On to reviews then. Aine of Knockaine- We really are making it difficult for Vash aren't we? Heh oh well! Ibogal- I uh :sweatdrop:… heh
Ivey:snicker:
Hiei:twitch: Foolish ningen! I am not of Blue's personalities! I have nothing to do with that girl! Get a clue or at least a Yu Yu Hakusho manga!
Blue: Hi-chan be nice!
Hiei: I told you not to call me that:glare:
Blue: Eeeep! Sorry! Oh and sorry to ibogal and everyone else for not updating in so long. hope-is-4ever- My apologies for the cruel cliffie. Someone should smite me!
Ivey:hits her with the official smiting stick:
Blue: OW! Hey:grumble: Divinya9- No offense taken. Honestly we probably both need a good kick in the butt every once in a while to get us motivated. Like now for example. Thequietwriter- Sorry! Please finish coloring Gram! Hungry- You reviewed every chapter… dang…you get a gold star! Again I am so sorry for the wait. Faery Goddyss- O.O what a nice shiny Spanish saber…:runs away in fear:
Ivey: Blue doesn't own Trigun, but she does own a Hiei plushie though I can't really tell the difference between the chibi version of Hiei and the normal version :snicker:
Hiei: What was that:has his katana at her throat:
Ivey: O.O Crud…
Might As Well Be Strangers
By Blue
Chapter Ten- A Thousand Words
As Millie prattled on about her day Knives sat silently at the kitchen table and watched as she prepared their dinner. The plant however was only paying vague attention to what she had to say (why he was paying attention at all was something he refused to think about). For the last several hours distress had been radiating from his twin and Knives was confused as to why. Ever since their falling out over a hundred years ago their mental connection had become much weaker. When they were infants they easily communicated through feelings as empaths. As they grew and learned to speak their connection had also grown and they were able to communicate telepathically, however, after Vash shot Knives for the first time he ran away and set up a mental barrier to keep his sibling out. Years of disuse had practically severed their link and it was only after Knives' defeat that Vash allowed his defenses to fall. While their connection was once again growing stronger Vash was still only able to communicate empathetically, (and usually it was only done subconsciously) though if he really concentrated he could speak telepathically, where Knives could completely exercise his own telepathy. The cause of this difference in skill was simple: Knives had exercised his mental capabilities on the humans. Vash had not. And so when Vash had unintentionally broadcast his distress Knives had been able to easily pick up on it and had been trying to communicate with him ever since.
'Vash,' he tried once again to no avail. Vash was clearly distracted and his thoughts were racing frantically. Knives clinched his jaw in frustration and tried again more forcefully. 'VASH!'
Several hundred miles away Vash the Stampede's eyes crossed and he stumbled into Jonathan Stryfe's table, inadvertently knocking the cutlery he'd just set onto the floor. Johnny stuck his head out of the kitchen and raised an eyebrow at his guest. The blonde ex-gunman sat sprawled on the floor as he recovered from the mental shout he'd just received. Blinking in surprise he shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. Meryl's brother cleared his throat to get Vash's attention and asked if everything was all right. Vash just smiled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"Oops! Heh sorry about that I'll just go wash these!" he replied picking up the forks and spoons he'd knocked off the table. Johnny just went back into the kitchen to finish making dinner. Vash followed him into the other room and proceeded to the sink. As he turned on the faucet his eyes became unfocused and he concentrated on speaking with his sibling. 'Knives? Is something wrong?' His response carried like a faint whisper in a noisy room to his twin and it took all of his mental ability to zero in on it.
'That's what I want to know! You couldn't be advertising your turmoil anymore if you were wearing a neon sigh around your neck that says I'M UPSET! What happened?' inquired Knives. Vash blinked in surprise. He'd been broadcasting?
'I just missed her… Meryl was here, Knives, and I missed her! I don't know where she went and I'm never going to find her,' he answered morosely.
'You wouldn't give up on me after a hundred and thirty years, but you're willing to give up on her after only a few days!' Knives asked incredulously and then gave his brother a mental thump between the eyes causing them to cross again. Vash had often mentally smacked himself, but he never imagined someone else would do it for him. 'If you come back without her you're even more of a fool than you appear to be.' And with that Knives cut of the conversation leaving Vash to contemplate his words. The green eyed man jump a second later when a voice jolted him out of his thoughts.
"Water is expensive you know," Johnny said with a hint of annoyance in his tone. Vash chuckled and muttered an apology before quickly washing the cutlery and turning off the tap. Taking the clean forks and spoons and two plates to the table Vash let his mind wander over what he knew. Jonathan had told him that Meryl had left early that morning to meet someone at the bus station and that she wouldn't say much about the person other than his name, Gram Morten, and that he'd "sort of offered her a job" though doing what she hadn't said. Vash had been hell bent to run right over to the station and find out where the morning buses had been headed and if anyone had seen Meryl when Jonathan had informed him that the station was already closed for the day. Not knowing how else he could help the man he'd invited him to dinner and to stay the night. Though he would rather have continued his search for the short girl there was nothing he could do at the moment and he reluctantly accepted.
Several minutes later Jonathan and Vash sat across from each other each with a plate of mac'n'cheese, mashed potatoes and corn bread. Johnny immediately dug in while Vash just stared at his plate in bafflement. It had been decades since Rem had taught him about the nutritional needs of the human body, but he was pretty sure this did not cover them. If this was the way Johnny always cooked then no wonder the short girl was so… well… short. The dark haired man glanced up as he was eating to see Vash looking at his food like it had just asked him to pass the salt. Johnny could see how this guy got on Meryl's nerves.
"Something wrong?" he asked with a fork full of macaroni halfway to his mouth. Vash just smiled and picked up his spoon.
"Of course not! It looks great!" he then grabbed a spoon full of mashed potatoes and shoved them in his mouth. "Ish delicious!" Jonathan's eye twitched slightly as Vash complemented his culinary skills while chewing.
"…Thanks…"
Later that evening Johnny showed Vash were he could sleep, which turned out to be Meryl's old bedroom. Once he had left, shutting the door behind him, Vash had inspected the tiny room with interest. On the left side of the room beneath the window adorned with lace curtains was a small twin bed with pink checkered sheets and a white comforter and a brown teddy bear missing one of its button eyes. Across from the bed was a closet with only a few empty hangers and several boxes with TOYS written across them. Perpendicular to the closet was a pink dresser littered with gum wrappers, change, a bracelet of multicolored plastic beads and a dish filled with a collection of quartz crystals. There was also a frame with a photo of what must have been her parents, her brother when he was around eleven and baby Meryl taken outside of a quaint little white house with blue shutters. Both Stryfe children had their father's dark hair and gray eyes and their mother's face. The four of them looked so happy.
With an inward sigh Vash set his bag down next to the door and rummaged through it to find the drawstring pants he always slept it. While they were starting to look a little ragged he was reluctant to just throw them away and buy a new pair. After all they were just so darn comfy! Slipping them on he folded up his clothes and walked over to Meryl's bed. For a moment he just looked at it in contemplation. It looked so inviting despite how awkward it would be to sleep on with his tall frame. Though he was tired he wasn't sure if he would be able to get any sleep in the bed. It was almost a guarantee that he would spend most of the night laying awake thinking about the former insurance girl and berating himself for all the times he could have told her how he felt about her, but didn't. Dismissing the train of thought he carefully moved the bear next to the pillow, pulled back the covers and climbed in. He closed his blue-green eyes as his head hit the pillow and took a deep, calming breath. Almost instantly his eyes snapped back open. The pillowcase smelled like soap and honeysuckle and something that he could only describe as Meryl. Closing his eyes tightly he rolled over onto his stomach and buried his face in the pillow. As the comforting smell lulled him to sleep he wished that Meryl were next to him and not just the things she chose to leave behind.
Early that morning Meryl Stryfe had woken in her childhood room and made herself and Johnny a breakfast of eggs and bacon. She had been surprised to find eggs or bacon in the refrigerator since Johnny's diet mostly consisted of instant foods, most commonly noodles. After the food had been eaten and the dishes washed and drying next to the sink Meryl had gathered her things and prepared to leave. She lingered at the front door not wanting to say goodbye again. For several minutes they stood in silence until Jonathan had taken the initiative and pulled his sister into a tight hug. As they held onto each other tears stung at Johnny's eyes, as Meryl's own tears fell freely down her cheeks.
"You'd better be safe and come visit me again soon, alright?" he whispered and planted a kiss on top of her head. Meryl nodded vigorously and then wiping her tears she smiled at him took hold of her bag and left. At five minutes till seven she arrived at the bus station and sat on the bench. Not long after Gram showed up with a self-satisfied little smirk on his face and sat down next to her. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a ticket and handed it to her causing the young woman to blink in surprise.
"How did you know I'd come?" she asked. Gram just shrugged and lit another one of his damn cigarettes. Half an hour later they boarded the bus to Bergen City and spent most of the day on the bus aside from one stop the driver had made to refuel. Halfway through the trip Meryl had voice a very important question. "What bounty are we going after anyway?"
"The notorious Coleman brothers." At Meryl's blank stare Gram figured he'd have to elaborate. "Vincent and Stanley Coleman are contract thieves famous in the more nefarious circles of Gunsmoke. They'll steal anything for the right price. I just happen to know what and where their next target is," he said smugly.
"How do you know that?" she asked with suspicion At her question he slowly turned his head towards her and gave her a serious look.
"If I told you that I'd have to kill you…" Meryl's eyes went wide and the color drained from her face. After a moment Gram's mouth twitched into a smile and he chuckled. Meryl blinked in realization and whacked him in the back of the head.
"That wasn't funny!" she exclaimed as Gram continued to laugh.
"Yeah it was." With a huff Meryl turned her face toward the window and ignored him in favor of a nap.
Blue: Review please!
Ivey: … :hoping that Hiei won't slit her throat: