Gateway Tunes
3
Disclaimer: I do not own any show, or character from cowboy bebop. The original idea is not mine. This is a fanfiction.
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"It's not like I'm rushing into this without thinking, Faye. Intellect and logic can figure her out." Faye merely kept frowning. Jet hesitated, conjuring up another sentence. "Besides, as long as I don't come charging at her head on, she won't kill me. I won't be in danger if a do it carefully."
Faye's voice was full of accusation. "Then why won't you let me go after her too?"
"It's going to take awhile. Do you think food will magically appear?
"I could go instead, you know. You were always the one that did that stuff before."
"It's MY ship Faye."
"It's ALWAYS your ship. I live here too. And if the two of us are going to get along without……If the two of us are going to get along, I'd better get a say in things."
"Well, fine, if you want to help you can; nothing's stopping you, but It's my life, and I'm going to decide what I do.
Faye's hands left her hips and braced her body against the railing. "It's psychotic, Jet."
He folded his arms. "I'm getting old; I'm allowed to be insane."
"Well the way you go on about it, you sound like it's your sixty-fifth birthday!"
"Maybe it is!" Jet took a step up so he was level with her. She leaned forward and put an angry finger on his chest. "YOU'RE not even CLOSE to sixty!"
Jet leaned forward, eyebrows knit together. He placed his hands on his waist and put all his weight on one foot. "OH YEAH! Since when do YOU know so much about me!"
Faye leaned forward as well, so much that she had to put her foot on the stair below, the one right above Jet's. "GUYS WHO ARE SIXTY DON'T HAVE MUSCLES LIKE YOU!"
Jet was subdued to glaring at her. He really couldn't come back to that without being illogical or contrary, partly because she was mostly right, and partly because he'd be fighting what could almost be considered a compliment, especially in the context of the argument. He knew he had lost, but he wasn't going to let it slide.
As if to add insult to injury, Faye added "And don't threaten to throw me out Jet, I know you won't."
"How do you know I was going to say that!"
"Because you always do! It's down to three sentences every time you lose; It's my ship, I can kick you out, and I'm getting too old for this shit!"
"Alright, fine! I lose, you win! You get to gloat to all your friends, you beat Jet, the crusty old cop. You've finally won Faye. So I hope you're happy."
He swerved around her, and up the steps, the sound of boots against metal steps fading behind her. Faye stayed locked in the same position, biting her lip for a moment. Then she sort of retracted into a hunched figure, her arms wrapped around her waist, and her head resting on her collarbone, one leg slightly bent in her typical way. Her eyes slid around to glance as far into her peripheral vision as possible. About five minutes after he had stormed away, a faint 'no' escaped her lips.
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No, that wasn't right, why'd he do that? He just hacked off a perfectly good limb that he could have trimmed. The plant looked lopsided now. He set the clippers down next to him harshly, making the pots jump a centimeter high, and tore his gloves off, tossing them into a corner. He then proceeded to knead his forehead.
"Why do I keep doing this?" He breathed, exasperated, at the bonsai. The bonsai stared indictingly back. "I don't' try to. And I really shouldn't make such a big deal about it, but I don't need anyone being condescending. Especially you."
The bonsai was silent. Jet sighed, looking down away from it. "I shouldn't be so hard on you; you've lost the most out of it, haven't you?" He asks, smiling a little, and looking back, touching a branch. "Look at you, you need food. The whole replanting's made you all wispy looking. I'm surprised you don't dry up like you normally do when you're stressed. Don't worry. I'll buy some good fertilizer with the little money we have saved. You'll feel better in no time. You're such a worrisome one. The rest are loads easier to maintain."
Jet's smile deepens, and he talks to it like a father to a child. "But I always liked you best. You have great potential. I don't understand why I can't bring that out in you. Maybe that's why I keep hacking away. I shouldn't get frustrated so easily. You know what? I'm going to leave you alone for a while." The bonsai didn't reply. "No, I'm not going to abandon you. Just let you grow naturally. See if anything good comes out of that."
The bonsai stayed complacent. "No, you won't be alone." Jet reassured it, chuckling to himself. Mostly AT himself for the absurdity of talking to a plant.
"God, am I losing my mind?"
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Daniel Joseph found her sitting in the same exact place as the night before, staring at the black screen. He stood in the doorway, unsure of whether to be mad at her for being so selfish, or mad at her for not taking care of herself. He decided it was best to wait for a while. She hadn't seen him yet. He'd wake up a bit more before talking to her.
He had turned to walk away when she said hoarsely. "Lorraine." It was more a wheeze or a cough, like her throat had dried up a long time ago. D.J. paused.
"…what?"
She cleared her throat and said a bit more loudly. "Lorraine. My name's Lorraine." D.J. stood there silently, unsure of what to say. The corny cliché thing to do would be to run over and hug her and say how great she was and that he didn't mean it.
He didn't do that. He hung there like a coat from a hangar, stiff at the shoulders. He wore a pair of old cargos and a wife beater. His hair was tousled and his glasses were a bit off.
She sat there, exactly the same as last night. Her jet black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, exposing the back of her neck to the heat that lingered like it can only when the air conditioner is broken. Her pale skin was tough, and tightened by the muscles acquired from many hours lifting weights and sparring, as well as from the scars that forced her skin to stretch all along her left arm, crawling up to her shoulder and neck, with one scar so bold enough as to dash her cheek and jaw. She wore a black sports bra and light grey jeans, faded to white in some places, and nearly threadbare.
D.J.'s head fell back and he sighed, saying quite suddenly. "Ah, the beauty of the pathetic."
Jane's head turned slowly. "…what?"
He smiled in a way that evoked no emotion. "Just being poetic. It doesn't suit me." The attempt at humor occupied the room like an unwanted fog, piercing the angst with its awkwardness. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, before Lorraine stood up and said quite decisively, "I'm hungry."
D.J. rested his hands on top of his head. "It's a wonder you're not tired." She walked by him. "Oh I'll crash and end up falling asleep in my cornflakes."
In the kitchen, D.J. called up the nearest Chinese place, and ordered enough food for about eight people. "It's cheaper that way." he said, as though appealing to her. She merely rolled her eyes and turned around, undoing her hair as she walked out of the room. It fell about her shoulders, curling slightly at the ends.
D.J.'s eyes followed her, craning his neck to see around the wall. "Where are you going?"
"Shower!" she called back, her voice coming from the bathroom. At that point a reedy, adolescent voice answered the phone.
"Lotus, how may we help you?"
"Oh! Yea, I'd like to order…"
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"Wake up mister Macintyre! Daddy's gonna be mad!"
Joshua pulled his shirt over his head, turning everything pink. He groaned and turned away, putting his headphones back on. "I wasn't asleep."
The girl kept pulling on his arm. "Father person says to wake up, and that you're a late sleeper, and that you lazy young people should get your asses up in the morning!" She half sung, have shouted, grinning like a maniac. He risked a glance at his watch, and found he couldn't see it.
"The sun's not even out yet!" He said incredulously. Francois giggled, plopping down on Joshua's stomach. "Father person's gonna be Ma-ad!" she taunted, rocking side to side.
"Too bad! I'm not getting up until five thirty!" He retorted, then added, "At the LEAST!" then he paused, adding "You can go tell him!" onto the end.
Fran shot up like a rocket, making plane sounds as she ran up the jagged rocks. "Father person! Father person! Mister Macintyre says…" Josh watched her disappear over a particular challenging cliff, falling back into the uncomfortable nook. He sighed and drew his legs up inside the sleeping bag. A streak of light closely followed by a loud crashing, rumbling noise meant a new crater. He groaned and curled into a tighter ball. After a few moments passed, he heard an engine rev, and the sounds of heavy wheels on rubble. So they left without him. That suited Josh just fine; he was perfectly content with 'skipping work' today if it meant he got a full eight hours of sleep.
He'd never believed all that map shit. Personally, he agreed with that bald guy. Maybe in twenty or thirty years, but not now. The only reason he got into it was because it was the only way to use his technical skills without leaving the planet. If he could ever get enough money, he'd definitely move to Mars. Ideally he'd want to live on Octorus, but that cost more to go to, and the living there was more expensive anyway.
As the first rays of light started permeating the shadows around him, he yawned and sat up, stretching. He pulled his shirt on, discarding the normal t-shirt underneath and going with a sleeveless in the summer. He looked down at himself. "Ugh, I need to work out more often." He said, slapping his flat stomach. "I'll be down to a four-pack soon."
He fished around for his pants and pulled them on, staring out at the water. In the distance, the faint sound of a kid's yelling could be heard, getting progressively louder. "Mister Macintyre! Come quick! The Mantis thingie's busted!"
Joshua looked back, his shoulders sagging. "Again!"
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Author's note: Alright, my friend was reading this before I put it up, and I have a couple things to say. Please DON'T send comments that say 'WTF? Why's Jet talking to a tree?' If you do, you haven't seen enough of cowboy bebop to read this spoiler filled thing. Also, don't say 'I no he loves his bonsai and stuff, and yea it's great for his character n stuff, but what does it have to do with the story?' I won't answer those questions. I'd like to say I did get some help understanding things more though, at this site I found last year: great place. Poke around at it.
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