Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Tolerant Patience ❯ Invidious Musings ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Author's Notes:

Hey any people reading, thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: Hmm... Trigun? No, I can't have it? *Frown* I don't own it, do I? *scowl* Chocolate? ^_^ YAY!! *gobbles up chocolate* You always know how to get me outta a bad mood Kochi-chan! (Note on note: You aren't supposed to use '-chan' on guys, that's why my muse always gets peeved.)


Symbol key....

\Insert noise\ = Mechanical devices "Insert word(s)" = Talking

-- Insert thought(s) -- = Thoughts directed to certain telepathic people aimed to be picked up. I.e. hold a conversation without moving lips.

/ Insert thought(s) / = Captive person's thoughts.

>Insert thought(s) > = Intruding thoughts pushed in from telepathic person.

<> Insert thought(s)<> = Rin's skimming frequency... those thoughts she picks up. Extra symbols may be added.

(Insert thought(s)) = It sounds like your thoughts, but it isn't!! Gasp Gasp. A higher form of telepathy. Almost like hypnosis because they sound like your own thoughts.


!! Look out for... errmm.. Nothing.. No Japanese whatsoever !! :
None.

Pronounciation key:
N/A

Editor's note: (It's really long... sorry! It may help clarify a few things about this chapter.)

Alright for those of you who don't know, in the anime there were these bird-like creatures that everyone used for transportation (kinda like a chocobo with an anteater's head). Everyone referred to them as a "Thomas".

I don't know if I heard wrong or not. I do know that in my subbed version they weren't really called anything, just alluded to as a form of transportation.

Anyway, most of the stuff I wrote about them, I made up if I didn't see anything from the anime about them.

Since they have ice cream, and I saw no cows (just oxen, which I know could be able to produce some milk.. Let's pretend that they aren't used for that purpose whatever the reason. Like inbreeding, destroyed their milk or something along those lines.) I pretended that these Thomases could be used for milk or egg production. We see Vash training with an egg in one scene and you need milk to make many of the foods you see in Trigun.

Also, that was a tiny egg in comparison to the size of a regular Thomas, it's safe to assume that Thomases were bred for their size. I also thought that since they don't look like any specific animal we have here, that they were from Gunsmoke's native animal population. And being thus, they could very well do anything that may deem strange from our standards. So, they may lay eggs or produce milk or what not. (We do have only two known species that are mammals that lay eggs and secrete milk: the platypus and echidna)

I know that there must be a crop of tomatoes, onions, potatoes, pepper plants, herbs, some sort of grain, spices, and carrots because of the prepared foods they had.

Also, you know how it was 30$$ to buy spaghetti? Tomatoes are a luxury and hard to grow. Spaghetti sauce is made from tomatoes.

Oh yeah, and booze? You have to make that from grains and different grains have different sugars for the yeast to ferment.

The only thing that I can't seem to figure out is gum! How did Vash have gum!! And if it was rare, then how did the Gunman know its name... Grrr.. *Twitch Twitch*

Next order of business. I realize that vampires were never mentioned in Trigun, but I asked my roommate what character she wanted me to make in this story and she said: Vampires!! So please don't immediately shut me out. I worked really really hard fitting it into the main storyline. It should have a logical sort of sense. -_-* Eh heh. If I were to take it out now, it would ruin the plot!! I believe I integrated it too well! *wants to rip out hair*

Oh, and Legato is way OOC, but that's because _it's_not_Legato. If that makes sense. I probably just gave it all away. *sigh* Why me?

Oh, yeah if you have any questions or comments I'm interested in reading them. ^_^


Continue with story!

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What the hell?

I was staring at the ceiling in my bed.

I don't sleepwalk.

I'm in my bed.

I don't sleepwalk...

I smacked my forehead a couple of times to try to empty it of that annoying mantra.

Okay, must have fallen asleep. That's clear. Then what?

"You get your lazy ass out of bed and back up there. Remember you wanted answers."

You sure it has nothing to do with the fact that Rin, is a short wall away from Sociopathic Sadist from Hell?

"Yes, I'm sure." I muttered.

Right.

Well, I could really go for a f*^%ing light, now.
Just one.

But No, Miss Let's-Take-Care-Of-Deranged-lunatic-"C'mon-It'll-Be-Fun" took them all away, arguing that they shortened my lifespan and something else about "cancer sticks".

She did mention that "cancer" was a nasty disease that I don't want to get.

And, she did try giving me some sort of... homemade band-aid things to ease my "cravings", remember?

But they only made me nauseous, so I stopped using them.


I muttered obscenities as I clambered up the stairs, not caring if I woke up Legato.

I slowed my pace halfway up anyway. I'm getting too damn soft. Can't even manage going up the stairs twice in a day without exhausting myself.

I paused in front of the door.

Was I hearing things? More than one voice?

I opened the door softly.

And mentally winced when a loud creak snagged through the silence.

I saw Rin sitting up in her bed, baggy nightclothes on and blankets surrounding her. The moonlight streamed down on her hair making it seem blonder, an almost white.

"Who're you talking to?"

She sat there looking at me curiously. I could almost see her working her mouth for an answer.

"Myself."

Ooookay-yy. Vash is kind of like that, I guess.

Hoping she took it as an 'okay', I made a noise, settling down on the floor against the wall near the door.
"Can't sleep, eh?"

"Not really." She turned pointedly away from me to look at the moons beyond her framed window.
"Why do you feel the need to guard me? Do I have a sign around my neck that screams 'Protect me'?"

Damn. She had read me like one of those damned dictionaries again.

I stiffened, and murmured, "I knew I don't sleepwalk."

Before there was a chance for silence to be comfortable, she shifted and stared at me.
"What do you know about Legato, Nick?"

Huh? Well, that was a complete change in conversation. What to say. Hmm...

I grumbled a bit, stalling, trying to maintain my composure. She really did throw me off sometimes.

"Nick, anything you know would be useful."

How do you say you think that Knives and Legato are a severe case of incest S&M... nicely?

"Okay, fine I think he's in love with Knives.
" ... with Knives?"

"You knew?" I looked at her strangely. I seriously hope she connects the sadism-masochism twist to the relationship by herself. I don't want to explain it.

"Yes, but I really need to know anything about his origins, like how he became a Gung-Ho-Gun."

Okay, she's not exactly probing for relationship- esque. Good.

I thought for a moment.
He wasn't really a Gun-Ho Gun... He was the one who everyone reported to.

Then with a shrug I said, "He's always been there."

"Always?"

"Yeah, I think I asked a couple of the others, while I was around. They all figured that he must've been raised by Knives. With all the signs of insanity and sadistic tendencies, I think I believe that too."

She sighed heavily.

I looked at her with concern. "Is there something wrong?"

"No. I just need some sleep. We're going to -"

There was a loud THUMP through the wall.

"He shouldn't be up now!" She hissed with irritation, sweeping past me smoothly.

"Rin!" I sighed. She's going to be the end to me.

I got up, turned around, and almost tripped over her outside the door.

I met a miserable sight.

Naked as he was, Legato had curled himself around Rin in a protecting manner.

Protecting, from what?

There was a haunted look in those glazed eyes.

Snapping my eyes away from his gaze, I saw a smear of blood leading past the door beyond my line of vision.

Immediately, I became aware of another presence.

I let my cold mask fall upon my face, even as I was itching for my guns.
"Show yourself!"

A pair of boots gently scuffed the wooden floor.
"Ms. Saverem."

Rin, who had been trying for the past couple of minutes to pry Legato's frame off of her, jerked at the sound of the voice.
"Arianna."

The petit female glanced down, a lip curling back to show abnormal incisors.
"That human stinks of death and decay. Can I not end his pain?"

Rin tried to wrap her arms around Legato; she tried to shift him to the side and behind her.

He didn't budge.

"No, he is under my care. You may not have him."

The green-haired female seemed on the verge of pouting.
"But he called to me. He wants to die."

Rin glared.
"He is very ill; did you not see how torn his mind is?"

The female paused and appeared to focus on something and shook her head.
"Okay, fine. I'll not go after him, but I'll be back for that dinner you promised me."

She turned to me and smiled. "Maybe I'll see you later." (Wolfwood.)

Oh, boy.

Rin frowned, as 'Arianna' left as quickly as she had emerged.
"Legato, let me see."

He didn't move an inch.

She sighed. "She's gone, Legato. C'mon I have to get you cleaned up."

I moved in to help, but she gave me a warning glance.
>No interference, please.>

He was shaking and seemed to have trouble breathing for some reason. He murmured something very softly to her.
She whispered to him.
"Shhh, it's okay. I'm here."
She continued to softly croon at him, rocking him, until finally he released her.

He slumped back on the wall like a lifeless doll.
There was water on his face.
Tears?

Rin let out a breath softly, baring her teeth in anger as she checked some of the bindings we had put on him.

There was a large nick of flesh missing from the meat right above his collarbone.
That's gonna need some stitches.

"Nick get some thread, needles, scissors, alcohol, warm water, and plenty of rags, will you please?"
I brought her bag to her and a handful of rags in record time.

She set to work patching Legato up, again.

--So, Rin...--

She glanced back at me, but continued to work.

--Who was that creepy chick anyway?--
>Arianna, the only vampiress I've ever met. She once told me she was the last of her kind.>

--And?--

>She promised me she would never make more of her own kind. I also made her promise never to kill without a really good reason. She only takes those who are rotten to the core, or volunteer to die.>

--You approve of this assisted suicide?--

She looked sullen for a bit as she bent over Legato making three tiny stitches.
>Not really, but there's not much else for me to do. I can't condemn her for wanting to live. >

She leaned back on her toes, checking her work with more light. Satisfied, she snipped the thread, and began cleaning up the area.

>And, I take her promises seriously. She's already earned my trust.>

She ran a rag over him wiping off the blood with warm water.
"There. All done."
She smiled, continuing to mother him.

I picked a rag and started cleaning up the trace of blood off the floor.

Alright, a scary blood-sucker turned her attention to me. That should be frightening to me, right?

That done, I turned to the bathroom and switched on the light, and found a little more needed to be cleaned.

But it's a scary blood-sucker with morals, so she won't latch onto my neck for spite, would she?

Well, she had Rin's trust.. so she couldn't be all that bad...
But then, it seemed to be one of those tenuous friendships... more like mutual understanding.

I replaced the towels he had slept on and pillow and the blanket with clean ones.

Kinda like..

I smirked to myself.
I really should stop trying to compare her to Vash; she's almost nothing like him.

She doesn't constantly get on my nerves, like an annoying little brother.

She doesn't harass me about my beliefs or habits-

I took another clean rag and wiped the floor again for good measure, bundled it up with the other rags threw them down the incinerator chute. The dirty blanket and towels went down the laundry chute.

On second thought, she harps on my smoking and drinking habits.

I haven't touched alcohol for a month or so... because she didn't have any.
Not even wine.

Did I mention that her house/orphanage is in the middle of nowhere?
No?

Well, it's nearly all green.

I still don't think I'll get used to it.

Growing up in the harsh climate of Gunsmoke, I can't help but appreciate all the hard work that must've gone into something like this.

I'm really surprised that she managed to hide this area so well. Must be the workings of that crazy scientist that she keeps holed up with the kids.


Outside, the two suns don't glare as menacingly, and the air is thicker.

There are animals. Some of which I've never seen before.

When I asked where she got them, she replied that a special SEEDship had crashed here.
Apparently, it had held two different types of Plants, some really smart people, and a large amount of animals or something like that.

Its purpose was to help "terraform" the planet naturally.

That's all I understood from her lecture.

She has a milk-producing creature.

Okay, so a milk-producing animal is not all that impressive, since there are some breeds of Thomases, if raised properly, that can produce milk or lay eggs.

However, the "cow" looks like a farm ox, except it's white with black splotches and frail-looking. And everybody knows that oxen can't produce drinkable milk.

And then, she has several animals of the same sort laying eggs. She called them "chickens". They have feet like a Thomas, but their heads have this strange extension for a mouth.

She grows the food she can. But some of them are just weird to look at, like an "eggplant".

Then she has tobacco plants for" medical reasons". And before anyone asks, YES, I did steal some to dry out for future smoking, but she caught me, and was flaming pissed.

She is a complete health freak. That's what her problem is.

She would have a problem with Vash's eating habits..

A problem with Vash's constant whining.

Actually, I think she would only have a problem with his masks. How he hides behind that empty smile and lies continuously to himself. She would say that he was completely in denial.

I almost smacked my forehead, again, but stopped myself by reflex.
Dear Lord, I'm starting to sound like her!

Okay, I admit it; Rin's a good doctor or whatever she is. Satisfied?

Snapping out of my distracting thoughts, I stood up to find Rin coming in with Legato in tow. She had gotten him into a pair of baggy, cotton boxers.
"Legato, do you think you can get back to sleep?"
She pointed at the makeshift bed on the floor.

He avoided looking at it.

"No, I don't think you can, can you?"
She stated softly.
"I certainly don't think you would've said anything about your discomfort to me. Would you?"

He lowered his eyes. "..."

He tilted his head sideways, more away from her than anything, managing to look innocent. "Can I...?"

What was he going to say?

"Of course, silly. There's no shame in that."
She grabbed his hand and turned the other way, dragging him into her room.

He had the decency to blush.

Wait a minute! First crying, now blushing. How un-Legato-like can he get??

--RIN, What are you thinking??--

>He asked if he could sleep with me in my bed tonight. He needs comfort.>

--He asked you too what?!?--

>Nick, get your filthy mind out of the gutter, he just wants somebody to hold him.>

--But, but, but...-- I sputtered.

Do I sense a jealous tantrum coming?

Oh, shut up.

--FINE.-- I thought louder then what was necessary.

>I'm glad you understand his needs.> And she smiled.

I grumbled a good night and threw myself on the makeshift pallet on the floor.

I wasn't jealous. She just shouldn't be 'comforting' the crazy psychopath from hell.

Are you sure?

I sighed into the towel-pretending-to-be-a-pillow.

Maybe.