Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ Fantaisie Sign ❯ Paris, Paris, It's A Whale Of A Town ( Chapter 5 )

DISCLAIMER: Cowboy Bebop and its characters are owned by the anime companies that made them, and not by me.

Author's Note: This fanfic is in the first-person style, with the POV being Edward's for all but a few chapters (and when the POV is different, I won't switch mid-chapter, the whole chapter will be like that). I've never even attempted doing something like this before, so bear with me.

French Note: For the few (non-generic) French language bits in this fic, I'll be using Babelfish. So pardon my French. ^_^

Made-Up Word: hyperlexan (n): Ultra-strong plastic developed in the mid 21st Century, most commonly used on skyscrapers and other large, futuristic structures. Practically fireproof and incredibly resilient. (Had the Twin Towers been made of this stuff, they'd have been completely undamaged on September 11th.)

---

When I woke up, the first thing I saw was my teddy bear shirt, lying on top of my face.

"Huh?" I said, picking it up and holding it. "That isn't supposed to be..."

I gasped. My two suitcases were lying on the floor, wide-open, and all of my clothes were strewn about the room. My toothpaste and my toothbrush were lying on the floor, with the toothpaste cap gone and a glob of paste coming from the tube. Tomato was lying at the foot of my bed, thankfully undamaged.

"Who would do this to Edward?" I said, beginning to gather my clothes, still in shock. "It must have been one of those mean people Sylvan was talking about..."

I quickly managed to place all of my clothes back in my suitcases after a few minutes, deciding that I'd better take Tomato with me. I cleaned the toothpaste off of the floor with some paper towels I found in the small bathroom next to my dorm room, and gathered my non-clothing items, placing them on the desk next to my bed.

"All better!" I said, smiling. "But still, I'd better be careful and lock my door next time!"

Thinking nothing more of the incident, I left the room (making SURE to lock the door behind me), and, carrying Tomato, headed downstairs toward the entrance. I made my way down to the lobby, where Sylvan was waiting.

"Hey, Edward!" he greeted me. "Sleep well?"

I nodded, but then frowned as I recalled the state I'd found my room in several minutes ago.

"I think some of the students staying at this dorm trashed Edward's room last night," I said, a slight hint of anger in my voice. "You were right, they are mean..."

"Oh, Ed... I'm sorry," Sylvan said apologetically. "I knew some of the other students would be hostile, but I didn't think they would actually.... we should probably report this."

Sylvan was right, I probably should have told a dean or something, but...

"Edward does not want to be a tattletale!" I half-yelled at Sylvan.

"I know, but... Ed, if anyone hurts you or tries to hurt you in any way, then-"

Sylvan was concerned about me? He reminded me of daddy... except much, much more handsome. And French, too!

"Ed can defend Ed's self, you know...." I said indignantly. "Ed knows karate! Hiya!"

I pretended to judo-chop Sylvan's shoulder, causing him to chuckle slightly.

"Well, I'm just glad you're doing well, Edward... a lot of people would be really distraught about something like that happening to their room on their first day here!" Sylvan said.

"Well, I usually try to stay happy most of the time, you know?" I replied. "You know, life, liberty, and the pursuuuuuuit of happiness!"

"I think with you, the pursuit's already over," Sylvan said, chuckling again. "Well, Ed, are you ready to go?"

I nodded.

"Yeah, let's hit the road!" I said. Sylvan and I walked out to the small parking lot in front of the dorm, and Sylvan pointed out his automobile, a bright red hovercar that looked almost brand new. "That car's shiny!"

"I know," Sylvan said. "My mom got it for me for my eighteenth birthday... I was just gonna buy a used one with my own money, but then she surprised me with this..."

"You said your mom owned a bistro in Paris, correct?" I asked Sylvan.

"That's right," Sylvan said. "It's a pretty successful place... it's got a stage where people can perform, and my mom usually sings every night. She's really good, or at least I think so... I'd love for you to be able to meet her!"

We climbed into Sylvan's car, and he began to start the ignition.

"Have you had breakfast yet, Ed?" Sylvan asked.

"Edward just got up, silly!" I told him.

"Well then, let's go to one of my favorite places, at least off-campus," Sylvan said, beginning to pull out of the parking lot. "Le Fleur De Trois, at the base of Leg Two of the Neo-Eiffel Tower. They've got excellent crépes."

"That's a super-flat pancake, right?" I asked, recalling some of what mom had taught me. "Edward loves pancakes!"

Sylvan's car drove out of the campus and onto a highway ramp leading into downtown Paris.

"It's just after rush hour, but there's still probably gonna be a ton of traffic," Sylvan said. He was right. As we drew closer toward downtown, a large traffic jam slowed our car to a snail's pace.

"Aww, that's no good..." I said sadly. "Edward is bored.... hey Sylvan, all Edward knows about you is that you're a college student from Paris.... can you tell Ed a bit more about yourself?"

"But of course!" Sylvan said, smiling. "Anyway, you know about my mom... my father is dead. I don't know all of the circumstances, but I know he was murdered."

"Murdered?" I said, a bit sadly. "That's terrible... I don't know what happened to my mother... she went missing and was never found, that's what the detectives told my dad. I know she was in Neo-Paris when she went missing, too."

"So we've both lost a parent..." Sylvan said. "I wish it weren't so...."

I nodded.

"I never really got to know my mom either," I told him. "I was seven when she disappeared."

"I was eight when they found my father's body... about ten years ago.... about the same time your mother disappeared, Ed."

"Ed thinks that's weird..." I said. "And sad."

Sylvan nodded.

"Well, let's talk about something happier. Like... what are you going to college for? I'm studying to be a historian," Sylvan said.

"A historian?" I asked him. History was one of the few things I really didn't know that much about... I guess I never really found it interesting. "That sounds kinda boring to Edward... um, no offense, though!"

"None taken!" Sylvan said, smiling. "Actually, lots of people find history and stuff like that boring... I think it's pretty exciting! Our own French culture has quite a rich history. Fine art, complicated political matters, extensive, yet mostly unsuccessful military campaigns... what about you, Edward? What are you planning to study next year?"

"Edward, um... doesn't really know..." I confessed.

"You're only a year away from college, and you haven't decided what you want to do?" Sylvan said, inching our car down the highway. "Ed, you probably should think of something..."

"Oh, I know I should, but... the only real career that Ed has ever wanted is to be a... a bounty hunter!"

"A bounty hunter?" Sylvan said in shock. "Ed, bounty hunters are uncivilized, ruthless, violent-"

"That's not true, not the ones Edward knows!" I yelled angrily. "Not Faye-Faye or Jet-person! They're not like that! Spike-person wasn't like that either!"

"Wait... you know bounty hunters?" Sylvan said, his tone becoming slightly calmer. Of course! I hadn't told him about Bebop at all... about the best time of my life... I learned so much in so little time, and it had changed me quite a bit, more than I'd known at first...

"Four years ago, Edward spent several weeks aboard a bounty hunting ship called the Bebop," I told Sylvan, also becoming calmer. "It was my home... Ed loved the Bebop, we had so many fun adventures, and-"

As I began to tell Sylvan about the Bebop, our car sped up. We had just emerged from the traffic jam and were entering downtown Neo-Paris.

"Adventures?" Sylvan said as we drove through the streets of the city. "When we get to the Fleur De Trois, you'll have to tell me all about them, okay?"

"You really want to hear about Ed's bounty-hunting adventures?" I asked Sylvan, slightly surprised. He nodded at me.

"Part of being a historian is getting all sides of the story," he said. "The only information I've heard about bounty hunting is from people who despite it... but maybe once I've heard from someone who's actually lived with bounty hunters, I'll be able to form a different opinion. You weren't... kidnapped by them, were you?"

"No, silly!" I said, smiling. "Edward made Faye-Faye and Spike-person let Edward join them!"

"How'd you do that?" Sylvan asked. "And why'd you do that?"

"Well, Edward needed a home, you see, because Edward's dad left Ed at a convent, but Ed didn't want to go, because it was boooooooring and Edward wanted fun fun fun and adventure! So Ed tried to make her own adventure by hacking into people's computers, and then Ed hacked Bebop and Bebop crashed and they had to let Ed come with them!"

"You know, your life is probably a lot more interesting than mine," Sylvan said. "Your dad left you at a convent? You hacked into people's computers? And then you hacked into and crashed a spaceship?"

"Well... yeah," I said nonchalantly. "Edward doesn't do as much hacking as Edward used to, though..."

"You definitely have to tell me about all your adventures, Ed," Sylvan said, smiling. "Well, we're almost here... look!"

The mile-high Neo-Eiffel Tower towered before us, and even though we were still several blocks away from it, I had to crane my head to see the very top. It was a huge, beautiful structure, its strong, hyperlexan frame glistening in the sunlight. Sylvan drove into a large parking garage nearby and parked on the ground floor, paying a small fee so that a plexiglass gate positioned in front of the parking spot would open. We climbed out of the car and began walking toward the huge tower. Sylvan just walked normally, but I had to stop every few seconds every time I saw something cool, like a neat-shaped building or a pretty sign. I had been to many cities before, but none of them were nearly as big as this. Crowds of people teemed around us, and many, many cars zoomed past.

"First time in the big city?" Sylvan asked me.

"Of course not!" I told him. "Ed has been to big cities before, but this one is... a superdupermegalopolis!"

"That's a good way to put it," Sylvan said, chuckling. As we approached the huge tower, Sylvan led me toward the leg of the Neo Eiffer-Tower marked Leg 2 by a series of signs. Each of the legs of the tower were bigger than any skyscraper I'd ever seen before. We approached Leg 2 and entered it through one of the large revolving doors which served as entrances to the structure.

"It's like a giant shopping mall..." I said, looking around and seeing hundreds of shops and restaurants lining the walls as thousands of people milled about.

"The Fleur De Trois is right over here," Sylvan said, pointing to a small-looking cafe close to the revolving doors we had just entered through. "We don't have to go there first, though..."

"No, Edward is hungry... let's go now!" I said.

"Alright then! You'll love this place, I promise!"

We entered the cafe and sat down at a table for two by the door. I sat across from Sylvan and picked up the menu. A tall, elderly man waved to Sylvan and walked over to our table immediately.

"Sylvan, my boy!" the man said, making it clear he knew Sylvan. "You have come with ze lady friend today, I see!"

"She's going to Liberty next year," Sylvan said. "Her name is Edward, and we met yesterday."

I smiled as Sylvan introduced me and shook the elderly man's hand.

"Yes, my name's Ed! It's nice to meet you!" I said happily.

"A girl with ze name of Edward?" the man asked. "Your parents have strange tastes in names... perhaps they named you and thought you would be a boy, but when you came out, zey did not have a female name picked out just in case, no?"

"Um... no, Edward named herself Edward!" I said.

"Well, anyway, have you selected what you will be having today?" the man asked.

"Well, I'll be having the usual," Sylvan said. "Ed, have you decided yet?"

"The cinnamon cherry crépes, please!" I said, looking at the menu and immediately deciding upon seeing the picture of the cinnamon cherry crépes that they would be absolutely delicious.

"Ah, zey are one of our specialties, madmoiselle! You will not be disappointed, I assure you! I will return with your meals very soon!"

After writing down our selections, the man walked away from the table.

"So, Ed.... your life sounds extremely interesting... I mean, bounty hunting adventures, computer hacking, life in a convent... it must have been pretty stressful!"

"Not really..." I said. "I mean, I guess it would seem that way, but... Edward just thought it was exciting!"

And so, I began to tell Sylvan about my life, starting at when my dad had left me at the convent, until the time when I left the convent a short while afterwards. After that, I began to regale my adventures aboard the Bebop.

"And then... Edward chewed on his ear!"

"You chewed a man's ear?" Sylvan said, slightly taken aback. "Um... I know he snapped at you, but-"

"Edward didn't bite it off... Ed just wanted to teach him a lesson! Ed was really hungry, but... you don't think that-"

"No, of course not..." Sylvan said. He still seemed a bit weirded out... maybe I shouldn't have told him about the whole ear incident. But before I could tell him about another adventure, the waiter returned with our meals. He placed a plate filled with scrambled eggs and bleu cheese in front of Sylvan, while I recieved my cinnamon cherry crépes! Five thin crépes had been stacked on the plate, all of them well-sprinkled with cinnamon. Several cherries were on top of the stack of crépes, and cherry syrup dripped down from them onto my plate.

"This looks delicious!" I said, smiling. I took my knife and sliced off a portion of the cinnamon and syrup-drenched crépes, then gently lifted the fork to my lips, slowly biting off the piece.

"How is it, Ed?" Sylvan asked. As the taste of the fluffy crépes, the sweet cinnamon, and the cherry juice began to dance onto my tongue, I emitted a soft squeal of glee. This was the best thing I'd ever tasted in my entire life!

"I think that the madmoiselle likes it!" said the elderly waiter, and I began nodding quickly.

"Edward does! Edward does like it!" I said, taking another delicious bite. "Mmm, this is wonderful! Wonderful funderful!"

"Sure does taste a lot better than that guy's ear did, doesn't it?" Sylvan asked sarcastically. I smiled at him and nodded again.

"Edward likes sweet things, silly..." I said sweetly.

"I'm glad you like it, Ed, I really am..." Sylvan said. "This is my favorite restaurant too."

---

After finishing the meal, Sylvan offered to pay for the whole thing, but I insisted I pay for my own food. We left the restaurant, and he offered to take me up to the top of the Neo-Eiffel Tower, but once we reached the entrance to the observation deck, we learned from a maintenance worker that it would be closed for the day due to repairs. So, after doing some shopping in the various shops in the tower, along with a return trip to Fleur De Trois in the afternoon for lunch, we left the tower and got back into Sylvan's car so that he could drive me around the city. I placed three shopping bags in the back seat of his car, which contained all kinds of things that I'd purchased in the shops.

"Sylvan, how would Edward look in this?" I asked Sylvan as he began to start the car, holding up a beautiful white dress that I'd purchased in one of the Neo-Eiffel Tower's fine dress shops.

"Well, I'd say you'd look pretty good... for 140,000 wulongs, it would have to look good, wouldn't you say?" Sylvan said.

"You're right, Edward probably did spend too much..." I said. "Ed only has 495,000 wulongs left!"

"Edward, I think you'd look absolutely stunning in that dress," Sylvan said softly. "You're a beautiful girl, you know that?"

Sylvan... thought I was beautiful? I was stunned at first, but I didn't show it. Was he just flirting? I knew French men loved to flirt... my mom told me. She didn't even marry a French man, though. She married my dad, who, I'd learned, was an amalgam of many different cultures. He was only about 10% French. Sylvan was probably ten times that much.

"You really think Edward is beautiful?" I asked him.

"Edward, you're lovely... I will admit that you're a bit weird, but everyone's unique. You're not just beautiful, you're kind, and I admire that."

"Edward thinks you look handsome too, Sylvan!" I told him. I honestly did think he was handsome... very handsome. He thought I was weird, but at least it was only a bit weird. Most people just thought I was crazy. "Thank you, Sylvan!"

We pulled out of the parking garage and got back onto the street. Sylvan began to drive toward one of the other major landmarks in the city.

"Look, it's the Neo-Arc De Triumph!" I said, pointing it out to Sylvan.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he said. "Wanna go to the top?"

"We can?" I asked him. "Really?"

He nodded, and sped up slightly, driving toward the huge, marble-sculpted monument.

---

"Wow...."

We had reached the top of the Neo-Arc De Triumph just as the sun had begun to set. A beautiful orange glow lit up the sky. The terraformed atmosphere of Mars had been treated with a special agent that allowed the sun to be viewed just as large and as beautiful as it was on Earth.

"This is the best time of day to be up here," Sylvan said. "I've never been up here during a sunset before..."

"Sylvan, this is wonderful!" I said, turning toward him. "It's the most beautiful and incredible thing I've ever seen..."

"More beautiful than anything even in space?" he asked me.

"Well, it's close, but... yeah, this really is!" I said happily. "Thank you for taking me up here to see it..."

"You're welcome, Ed... hey, it's getting pretty late... are you getting hungry for supper?"

"Yeah, Ed is getting pretty hungry," I said, noticing that my stomach had started to growl quietly. "You told Edward about that bistro that your mom runs... we're going there for supper, right?"

"Yes... it's a wonderful place!" Sylvan said excitedly. "It's called the Fantaisie Sign... it's some name my mom made up, I forget what it means. She'll definitely be there, though, and like I said, I'd love for you to meet her!"

"Edward would love to!" I said. After taking one last look at the sunset, we walked over to the other end of the top of the Neo-Arc De Triumph, where a small elevator shuttled people to and from the base of the monument. We stepped into the elevator and headed down to a small lot nearby, where Sylvan's car was parked. Sylvan started the car, and began to drive through the streets of the city.

"Well, Edward, how's Neo-Paris so far?" Sylvan asked.

"It's wonderful..." I said, smiling at him. "Thank you...."

As Sylvan drove to the Fantaisie Sign, I leaned back and let the wind blow through my hair as our car sped through the streets. I could really get used to living in a place like this...

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And that's the end of chapter 5! Please, please review, people! Please? I only got three reviews last chapter... ^_^;;;